Regressor Instruction Manual

Regressor Instruction Manual
Author Heulgsujeo
Source: https://www.lightnovelpub.com/novel/regressor-instruction-manual-
17031322
Generated by Lightnovel Crawler
Regressor Instruction Manual c1-564
1. Volume 1
1. Chapter 1 My talent level is below average (1)
2. Chapter 2 >My talent level is below average(2)
3. Chapter 3 Adaptation
4. Chapter 4 Regressor (1)
7. Chapter 7 Class (1)
8. Chapter 8 Class
9. Chapter 9 Pure things are easily dyed
10. Chapter 10 Jung Hayan (1)
11. Chapter 11 Jung Hayan (2)
12. Chapter 12 Lee Jihye
13. Chapter 13 Embarrassment (1)
14. Chapter 14 Embarrassment (2)
15. Chapter 15 Awakening
16. Chapter 16 In every five-man band, there will be one dead weight
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
20. Chapter 20 Incident
21. Chapter 21 Relief
22. Chapter 22 Design
23. Chapter 23 Calculating Ki
24. Chapter 24 Calculating Killer (2)
25. Chapter 25 : Calculating Ki
26. Chapter 26 Item (1)
27. Chapter 27 Item (2)
28. Chapter 28 Quest (1)
33. Chapter 33 Enemy (1)
34. Chapter 34 Enemy (2)
35. Chapter 35 A new job has been opened (1)
36. Chapter 36 A new job has been opened (2)
37. Chapter 37 We survived
38. Chapter 38 New Environment (1)
39. Chapter 39 New environment (2)
40. Chapter 40 Contract
41. Chapter 41 Let’s raise the ransom (1)
42. Chapter 42 Let’s raise the ransom (2)
43. Chapter 43 Crazy bitch (1)
46. Chapter 46 Even where there are tigers, foxes sometimes become
kings (1)
47. Chapter 47 Even where there are tigers, foxes sometimes become
kings (2)
48. Chapter 48 Power(1)
49. Chapter 49 Power(2)
50. Chapter 50 Free City of Lindel(1)
51. Chapter 51 Free City of Lindel (2)
52. Chapter 52 Just because you are poor, it doesn’t mean you’re a
good person (1)
good person (2)
good person (3)
good person (4)
good person (5)
57. Chapter 57 Ideal volunteer
58. Chapter 58 Regressor bus
59. Chapter 59 Dungeon attack becomes a political war (1)
64. Chapter 64 Ride of comfort (1)
65. Chapter 65 Ride of comfort (2)
66. Chapter 66 The most important thing (1)
67. Chapter 67 The most important thing (2)
68. Chapter 68 Press (1)
72. Chapter 72 Ambitious Man (1)
73. Chapter 73 Ambitious Man (2)
74. Chapter 74 Reminiscing The Past
75. Chapter 75 The Third Job (1)
85. Chapter 85 The Crazy Old Man (1)
86. Chapter 86 The Crazy Old Man (2)
87. Chapter 87 Together Forever (1)
96. Chapter 96 Juliana (1)
100. Chapter 100 Old Forces (1)
2. Volume 2
5. Chapter 105 Agitation and Fabrication (1)
6. Chapter 106 Agitation and Fabrication (2)
7. Chapter 107 I will remember you (1)
8. Chapter 108 I will remember you (2)
9. Chapter 109 Recalling the Past (1)
10. Chapter 110 Recalling the Past (2)
11. Chapter 111 Go to work! (1)
16. Chapter 116 Waterway (1)
17. Chapter 117 Waterway (2)
18. Chapter 118 Shaman (1)
19. Chapter 119 Shaman (2)
20. Chapter 120 The Black World (1)
23. Chapter 123 Strike back
24. Chapter 124 Soulmate (1)
25. Chapter 125 Soul mate (2)
26. Chapter 126 Soul mate (3)
27. Chapter 127 Don’t Yield
28. Chapter 128 Trap Card Invoked (1)
29. Chapter 129 Card Trap Invoked (2)
30. Chapter 130 Trap card invoked (3)
31. Chapter 131 Witch hunt (1)
34. Chapter 134 Lies Mixed in the Truth (1)
35. Chapter 135 Lies Mixed in the Truth (2)
36. Chapter 136 The Third Card (1)
39. Chapter 139 The Verdict (1)
40. Chapter 140 The Verdict (2)
41. Chapter 141 Going Home (1)
46. Chapter 146 Whistleblower (1)
47. Chapter 147 -Whistleblower (2)
48. Chapter 148 Whistleblower (3)
49. Chapter 149 Don’t You know why I’m Disappointed? (1)
50. Chapter 150 Don't you know why I'm disappointed? (2)
51. Chapter 151 Marlin Young-ae (1)
54. Chapter 154 Little Rock (1)
55. Chapter 155 Little Rock (2)
56. Chapter 156.1 Hypocrite (2)
57. Chapter 157 Hypocrite (1)
60. Chapter 160
61. Chapter 161
62. Chapter 162
63. Chapter 163
64. Chapter 164
65. Chapter 165
66. Chapter 166
67. Chapter 167
68. Chapter 168
69. Chapter 169
70. Chapter 170
71. Chapter 171
72. Chapter 172
73. Chapter 173
74. Chapter 174
75. Chapter 175
76. Chapter 176
77. Chapter 177
78. Chapter 178
79. Chapter 179
80. Chapter 180
81. Chapter 181
82. Chapter 182
83. Chapter 183
84. Chapter 184
85. Chapter 185
86. Chapter 186
87. Chapter 187
88. Chapter 188
89. Chapter 189
90. Chapter 190
91. Chapter 191
92. Chapter 192
93. Chapter 193
94. Chapter 194
95. Chapter 195
96. Chapter 196
97. Chapter 197
98. Chapter 198
99. Chapter 199
100. Chapter 200
3. Volume 3
1. Chapter 201
2. Chapter 202
3. Chapter 203
4. Chapter 204
5. Chapter 205
6. Chapter 206
7. Chapter 207
8. Chapter 208
9. Chapter 209
10. Chapter 210
11. Chapter 211
12. Chapter 212
13. Chapter 213
14. Chapter 214
15. Chapter 215
16. Chapter 216
17. Chapter 217
18. Chapter 218
19. Chapter 219
20. Chapter 220
21. Chapter 221
22. Chapter 222
23. Chapter 223
24. Chapter 224
25. Chapter 225
26. Chapter 226
27. Chapter 227
28. Chapter 228
29. Chapter 229
30. Chapter 230
31. Chapter 231
32. Chapter 232
33. Chapter 233
34. Chapter 234
35. Chapter 235
36. Chapter 236
37. Chapter 237
38. Chapter 238
39. Chapter 239
40. Chapter 240
41. Chapter 241
42. Chapter 242
43. Chapter 243
44. Chapter 244
45. Chapter 245
46. Chapter 246
47. Chapter 247
48. Chapter 248
49. Chapter 249
50. Chapter 250
51. Chapter 251
52. Chapter 252
53. Chapter 253
54. Chapter 254
55. Chapter 255
56. Chapter 256
57. Chapter 257
58. Chapter 258
59. Chapter 259
60. Chapter 260
61. Chapter 261
62. Chapter 262
63. Chapter 263
64. Chapter 264
65. Chapter 265
66. Chapter 266
67. Chapter 267
68. Chapter 268
69. Chapter 269
70. Chapter 270
71. Chapter 271
72. Chapter 272
73. Chapter 273
74. Chapter 274
75. Chapter 275
76. Chapter 276
77. Chapter 277
78. Chapter 278
79. Chapter 279
80. Chapter 280
81. Chapter 281
82. Chapter 282
83. Chapter 283
84. Chapter 284
85. Chapter 285
86. Chapter 286
87. Chapter 287
88. Chapter 288
89. Chapter 289
90. Chapter 290
91. Chapter 291
92. Chapter 292
93. Chapter 293
94. Chapter 294
95. Chapter 295
96. Chapter 296
97. Chapter 297
98. Chapter 298
99. Chapter 299
100. Chapter 300
4. Volume 4
1. Chapter 301
2. Chapter 302
3. Chapter 303
4. Chapter 304
5. Chapter 305
6. Chapter 306
7. Chapter 307
8. Chapter 308
9. Chapter 309
10. Chapter 310
11. Chapter 311
12. Chapter 312
13. Chapter 313
14. Chapter 314
15. Chapter 315
16. Chapter 316
17. Chapter 317
18. Chapter 318
19. Chapter 319
20. Chapter 320
21. Chapter 321
22. Chapter 322
23. Chapter 323
24. Chapter 324
25. Chapter 325
26. Chapter 326
27. Chapter 327
28. Chapter 328
29. Chapter 329
30. Chapter 330
31. Chapter 331
32. Chapter 332
33. Chapter 333
34. Chapter 334
35. Chapter 335
36. Chapter 336
37. Chapter 337
38. Chapter 338
39. Chapter 339
40. Chapter 340
41. Chapter 341
42. Chapter 342
43. Chapter 343
44. Chapter 344
45. Chapter 345
46. Chapter 346
47. Chapter 347
48. Chapter 348
49. Chapter 349
50. Chapter 350
51. Chapter 351
52. Chapter 352
53. Chapter 353
54. Chapter 354
55. Chapter 355
56. Chapter 356
57. Chapter 357
58. Chapter 358
59. Chapter 359
60. Chapter 360
61. Chapter 361
62. Chapter 362
63. Chapter 363
64. Chapter 364
65. Chapter 365
66. Chapter 366
67. Chapter 367
68. Chapter 368
69. Chapter 369
70. Chapter 370
71. Chapter 371
72. Chapter 372
73. Chapter 373
74. Chapter 374
75. Chapter 375
76. Chapter 376
77. Chapter 377
78. Chapter 378
79. Chapter 379
80. Chapter 380
81. Chapter 381
82. Chapter 382
83. Chapter 383
84. Chapter 384
85. Chapter 385
86. Chapter 386
87. Chapter 387 If we hit these goals, I will do a 25* mass release
88. Chapter 388 We didn’t reach our review goals rip. Instead of 25 s,
I’ll do around
89. Chapter 389 Cheap Psychological Warfare (2)
90. Chapter 390 The Power of Friendship, Love, and Faith (1)
94. Chapter 394 The power of friendship, love, and faith (5)
95. Chapter 395 Regressor Instruction Manual (1)
99. Chapter 399 If he were an enemy (1)
5. Volume 5
2. Chapter 402 Morale improvement (1)
3. Chapter 403 Morale improvement (2)
4. Chapter 404 Last Battle (1)
7. Chapter 407 Dialugia, Juliana (1)
10. Chapter 410 I’m Glad. Light Kiyoung has descended (1)
11. Chapter 411 I’m glad. Light Kiyoung has descended. (2)
12. Chapter 412 I’m glad. Light Kiyoung has descended (3)
15. Chapter 415 I’m Glad. Light Kiyoung Has Descended (6)
16. Chapter 416 A Good Place to Live (1)
17. Chapter 417 A Good Place to Live (2)
18. Chapter 418 A Problem From Above (1)
22. Chapter 422 [The latest free is what a lot of you guys have been
waiting for… anyways, thanks for the support!]
25. Chapter 425 Winner And Loser (1)
28. Chapter 428 She’s Still The Scariest (1)
31. Chapter 431 Life Threat (1)
32. Chapter 432 Re: Life in that World, Starting From Zero (1)
33. Chapter 433 Re: Life in that World, Starting From Zero (2)
34. Chapter 434 Re: Life in that World Starting From Zero (3)
38. Chapter 438 Welcome to Crack Land (1)
39. Chapter 439
42. Chapter 442 Modest Image (1)
43. Chapter 443 Crack Museum Remodeling (1)
44. Chapter 444 The First To Cry Will Survive (1)
45. Chapter 445 The First To Cry Survives (2)
46. Chapter 446 Friendship Clan’s Friendship-Breaking Sound (1)
47. Chapter 447 Friendship Clan’s Friendship-Breaking Sound (2)
48. Chapter 448 [I’ve released 10 free s today to push the plot along to
the next arc! Premium is nearing !]
49. Chapter 449 Our Hyunsung (1)
54. Chapter 454 Results and Evaluation (1)
55. Chapter 455 Results and Evaluation (2)
56. Chapter 456 Cho Hyejin’s Instruction Manual (1)
58. Chapter 458
66. Chapter 466 Continental Joint Training (1)
70. Chapter 470 Driving a Wedge (1)
73. Chapter 473 Driving A Wedge (4)
76. Chapter 476 You Didn’t Do It, Did You? (1)
77. Chapter 477 You Didn’t Do it, Did You? (2)
78. Chapter 478 Faithful Servant (1)
79. Chapter 479 Faithful servant (2)
80. Chapter 480 You Should Be Punished (1)
83. Chapter 483 Superstar L (1)
84. Chapter 484 Superstar L (2)
85. Chapter 485 Blue’s Circumstances (1)
86. Chapter 486 Blue’s Circumstances (2)
87. Chapter 487 Cliché (1)
88. Chapter 488 Cliché (2)
89. Chapter 489 A Demon Must Act Like A Demon To Be A Demon
(1)
(2)
91. Chapter 491 A Demon Has To Act Like A Demon To Be A Demon
(3)
(4)
93. Chapter 493 The Twist Of The Twist Of The Twist (1)
94. Chapter 494 The Twist Of The Twist Of The Twist (2)
95. Chapter 495 It’s Darkening! (1)
98. Chapter 498 The Cliché: Growing, Soon After Collapsing (1)
99. Chapter 499 The Cliché: Growing Soon After Collapsing (2)
6. Volume 6
3. Chapter 503 What He Wants (1)
6. Chapter 506 Kim Hyunsung’s Awakening (1)
7. Chapter 507 Kim Hyunsung’s Awakening (2)
8. Chapter 508 A short break (1)
9. Chapter 509 A Short Break (2)
10. Chapter 510 At Lindel (1)
14. Chapter 514 The Plague Dragon Cries Out (1)
15. Chapter 515 Encounter (1)
16. Chapter 516 Please Kill Me (1)
17. Chapter 517 Please Kill Me (2)
18. Chapter 518 Rising Light (1)
22. Chapter 522 [Premium +]
23. Chapter 523 Partial Confinement (1)
26. Chapter 526 Doom Kiyoung (1)
29. Chapter 529 I Pardon Your Sins (1)
30. Chapter 530 I Pardon Your Sins (2)
31. Chapter 531 Mirror Lake (1)
34. Chapter 534 Hidden Piece (1)
39. Chapter 539 Kim Hyunsung vs Park Deokgu (1)
40. Chapter 540 Kim Hyunsung vs Park Deokgu (2)
41. Chapter 541 Sincerest Apologies (1)
44. Chapter 544 Confession (1)
47. Chapter 547 The Tutorial Will Begin (1)
50. Chapter 550 Tutorial Will Begin (4)
52. Chapter 552
53. Chapter 553 Revenge Companion (2)
54. Chapter 554 Preparation (1)
57. Chapter 557 Our Hayan Has Changed (1)
61. Chapter 561 Spreading Seeds (1)
62. Chapter 562 Spreading Seeds (2)
63. Chapter 563 The Continent After 1 Year (1)
64. Chapter 564 The Continent After 1 Year (2)
Chapter 1 My talent level is below
average (1)
My talent level is below average (1)
[Start the tutorial.]
“What is this….”
I spat out curses while I looked around at the interior of a darkened structure.
In the dim light, I could see some unknown patterns.
It was a completely different shape than any building on Earth. It was the first
time I’d ever seen anything like it, so naturally, my mouth fell open.
I’ve never been inside a pyramid, but I’m sure it would look like this.
In this unrealistic situation, I took a moment to roll my eyes.
My last memory was of eating with my sister.
‘What happened? What the hell….’
If I recall, it was like this.
I got an unfamiliar Kakaotalk message on my phone.1
-Do you want to join the game?-
I thought it was a game invitation from a friend, and I just clicked the button
without thinking about it.
That was it.
That was the only thing I could remember.
My legs were trembling. I couldn’t comprehend the situation.
Suddenly, I found myself somewhere I’d never seen before in my life.
It was no wonder that I couldn’t understand it.
What stood out was the atmosphere here.
It was like a horror movie that would terrify most people.
Before I could think of anything else, I heard several voices around me.
“Hey, where are we?”
“Don’t ask me. I don’t know.”
“Well, is anyone else here? What the hell is this place… And why are there
swords and weapons here?”
“If I knew that, would we be doing this? I think we’re all in the same
situation. Do you remember anything?”
“Hey! Is anyone there? Hey!”
People started talking.
Someone was sitting on the floor, pinching their cheek to see if this was a
dream.
They were all different.
‘It’s not a dream.’
It wasn’t a dream, and I wasn’t alone.
It seemed ridiculously smooth.
When I swallowed for a moment, a sound rang in the small cave.
[Players are invited to this world. We sent an invitation to the player, and the
player accepted it. You were chosen as a hero to save the dying continent.]
“My god! What a hero!”
“Quit messing around in there and come out, you bastards!”
“Sir, I’ll call the police. Sir, I’m calling the police.”
“Is there a hidden camera? I’ll sue. This is a complaint!”
[But not everyone can head to the continent. The only people eligible to go
are those few who passed the tutorial.]
“What nonsense!”
[Please pay attention to what I say next. It’s directly related to your survival.]
I suddenly sobered up.
Because in this weird atmosphere, I heard the word “survival”.
[Let me repeat that. Only those who survive this tutorial will be allowed to go
to the continent.]
“What… Are you saying you’ll kill me?”
[It’s up to you, too. What I’m talking about now is your survival. It’s
essential if you want to keep living. This is not a dream. This is reality you’re
faced with. I wouldn’t recommend denying it. Because I have an obligation
to help you as your guide in this tutorial.]
“Don’t mess with me! Christ!”
“Please let me out of here. I’m begging you.”
I heard a number of voices, but that damn woman’s explanation kept going
calmly.
[The guide will now begin. Firstly, where you are now is a starting point
where you can wait before you begin the tutorial. You can think of it as a
waiting room. The starting point contains essential items for you. Water,
food, and the weapons you’ll be using later. Weapon rarities can range from
common, rare, heroic, and legendary, but all of the ones here are inferior to
common weapons.]2
Some things definitely stood out. The water bottle placed in the corner was
made out of leather, rather than plastic like it would be on Earth.
That wasn’t all.
Of course, having never seen them before, the weapons were the most
conspicuous.
Bows and arrows, swords and shields, spears and maces.
The presence of a wide variety of weapons that would be used in the Middle
Ages was certainly alien.
‘These are the real deal.’
They weren’t fake.
For the most part, the swords were dull and the weapons were old, but there
were a few sharp ones.
A sense of reality began to set in.
[You can protect yourself with the weapons here. The goal of this tutorial is
to survive and attack. Besides you, there will also be monsters, the
inhabitants of the continent. They will be targeting you, and you’ll have to
fight them.]
It was just like a fantasy novel.
What was interesting was that fewer and fewer people were shouting.
I began to focus on the sound of that voice.
Well, I felt nauseous occasionally, but that was all.
[Of course, it might be difficult to face them with your own power. But don’t
worry. This is not the only thing prepared for you.]
“What the hell is this….”
[You are the chosen players. You came here with different personalities and
from different places. This place will make your characteristics stronger and
help you grow. You’ll understand what I’m talking about if you say status
window.]
For now, I didn’t say “status window”.
I felt like I should proceed carefully in situations where I didn’t know what
would happen.
As expected, someone was muttering it in a timely manner.
“Status window.”
“Status window? Huh? What’s this?”
“Kyaak!”
A woman screamed, shocked by what she saw in the air.
[The status window shows your current condition. Depending on how much
you try, your stats may go up or down. Next is your class. You can be a
warrior, mage, priest, or archer, and there are branches based on your later
achievements. For example, a warrior can become a barbarian, and a
barbarian can advance into a berserker. There are countless paths, and it’s up
to you which one to take.]
“Ah….”
[Class grades are common, rare, heroic, and legendary. However, if you are a
mage or priest, you will inevitably need an affinity for holy power or magic.
Please also understand that some classes cannot be selected. You’ll be able to
choose a class when you get missions, hidden quests, or enough experience.]
‘A class.’
The more I listened, the more similar it was to a story I’ve heard somewhere.
It would be best to call it a system similar to a video game.
It could be said that priests and wizards were uncommon here.
If there really were monsters heading to this side, I thought most would avoid
warriors.
No one would want to fight on behalf of everyone else.
I opened my mouth right away.
[Name: Lee Ki-young]

[Title: None. You should try a little harder.]
[Age: 25]
[Disposition: Careful strategist]
[Class: None]
[Stats]
[Strength: 10]
[Agility: 11]
[Stamina: 11]
[Intelligence: 19]
[Endurance: 12]
[Luck: 21]
[Magic: 00]
[Equipment: None]
I wasn’t used to seeing the sudden floating screen.

When I quietly opened my mouth, feeling like I was in a game, I heard a
woman’s voice again.
[The last thing is your attributes. Every time you get to a certain level, you
get a new attribute. Attributes will vary from player to player and, like your
class, are determined by your personality. The most important thing is the
player’s personality. As with classes, there are four grades: common, rare,
heroic, and legendary, and as you go up, you get better performance.]
“Uh….”
[Attributes are also gained similarly to classes. As with your class, your
attributes can also have a huge impact on your growth, so please choose
carefully.]
In fact, I couldn’t concentrate on the last part.
Because I could see the letters displayed on the bottom of the status window.
[Attribute: Heroic grade: Do you want to read it?]
‘Huh?’
The words “Heroic grade” were shining in purple.
The attributes were clearly categorized into common, rare, heroic, and
legendary grade. It was an attribute that could be developed later, depending
on the player’s personality.
‘Okay.’
I didn’t know why I had this in the beginning, or if this was even real, but it
wasn’t a bad start.
Only
[Attribute]
[Mind’s Eye: Heroic]
[You can view statuses for yourself and others and see hidden talent ratings.]
I didn’t know if this was good or not, but getting something at the start gave
me a big advantage.
The woman clearly said the goal was to survive.
‘Survival.’
We had to survive.
You absolutely must survive.
It was natural that I felt I had to do whatever I could, regardless of whether
this was a lie.
‘Yulha….’
When I thought of my sister who would be left at home alone, I bit my lip.
All the reactions around me were different.
Some people talked about their attributes with others, and I saw men touching
swords or looking for shields.
We didn’t know what was going on, but the fact that there was a threat
approaching meant we had to look for a way to survive.
There was a woman sitting down and crying.
A middle aged man who kept yelling.
I even saw a kid who still looked like a student.
I also wanted to sit down and scream. But there was no time to sit down.
‘Talent?’
I didn’t know exactly what it meant, but it couldn’t be a bad idea to check.
It was a great achievement just to have an attribute.
You were standing at a different starting point than the others.
I had a strange expectation I’d be like the hero in a shonen anime or a fantasy
novel, but I quickly shook my head.
‘That’s ridiculous.’
[Check the talent levels of the player Lee Ki-young.]

[Name: Lee Ki-young]
[Strength: Growth potential: common (below average)]
[Agility: Growth potential: common (below average)]
[Stamina: Growth potential: common (below average)]
[Intelligence: Growth potential: common (below average)]
[Endurance: Growth potential: common (below average)]
[Luck: Growth potential: common (below average)]
[Magic: Growth potential: common (below average)]
[Overview: The player has the lowest talent levels. There’s no point in
making an effort. No matter how hard you work, you’ll never become more
than third-rate. Almost all the numbers are hopeless. It will be hard to
develop when it comes to strength or magic power. At least intelligence and
luck are fine, but I don’t know… The player’s future is deeply concerning.
You don’t have to wield a sword or try anything else. It’s obvious what will
happen anyway.]
I had felt a little anticipation, but this wasn’t at all what I expected.
The results didn’t change when I rubbed my eyes and looked at them again.
“Huh?”
The ultimate goal was to survive.
I never expected to be the main character anyway, and I made a clear
distinction from fiction and reality, but those wretched figures still made me
disappointed.
“Damn it.”
My talent levels were below average.
Notes:
1. Kakaotalk is a messaging app for smartphones.
2. It’s pretty common in video games to have item tiers like this. See
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ColorCodedItemTiers for
examples. Basically, the tutorial weapons are weaker than the worst weapons
you’d find in the wild.
Chapter 2 >My talent level is below
average(2)
>My talent level is below average(2)
“Shit….”
[This is the end of the instructions. The starting point will open soon.
Monsters will attack, so please be careful.]
“Damn….”
I couldn’t keep up with it all.
It was because there were so many things happening, and I couldn’t even get
the chance to feel sorry for myself.
The sounds of unknown beasts could be heard from outside.
Frightened people began to cling to the wall, while those who were armed
tried to protect their bodies.
It was the same for me.
Weapons weren’t by any means scarce.
So it was only natural that I ran straight away to pick up a spear.
There were still swords left, but I refused to fight monsters from up close.
‘What should I do?’
‘Shit, what to do?’
I thought about various different things.
I’m not the only one to be flustered, of course.
There were screams all over the place.
The cries of the animals outside, combined with this closed space, created a
scary atmosphere.
“Help me!”
“Please, get me out of here. Please….”
“Quit playing around. Can’t you just open the door? I’m going to sue all of
you! I’ll sue you! Come on and open the door!”
“Wah wahh… Please let me live. Please….”
“I’m calling the police! The police!”
“Grab your weapons! Can’t you hear the sounds outside? Grab your
weapons!”
“Why don’t you hold it! You! Men should quickly raise a shield. Hurry up!”
“What are you doing! Now! Can’t you just end this fucking prank instead of
making things weird?”
“Are you kidding? Didn’t you see the window in front of you? Go get a
weapon! Hey, old guy! You think this is a joke?”1
A bulky man, who had been loudly shouting, raised a wooden shield.
There were many calling for a fight, but this guy was a little more aggressive.
Before I even activated anything, his information came into sight.
[Check the status window and talent levels of the player Park Deok-gu.]
[Name: Park Deok-gu]
[Age: 23]
[Disposition: Enthusiastic musclehead]
[Class: None.]
[Stats]
[Strength: 21/Growth potential: heroic (ideal)]2
[Agility: 16/Growth potential: rare (below average)]
[Stamina: 21/Growth potential: heroic (ideal)]
[Intelligence: 10/Growth potential: rare (below average)]
[Endurance: 30/Growth potential: heroic (ideal)]
[Luck: 11/Growth potential: common (below average)]
[Magic: 00/Growth potential: common (above average)]
[Overview: Overall, it’s well-balanced. You will grow well as a warrior

with your high growth potential for strength and endurance. The
potential for strength and endurance in particular are exceptional. It’s
not good to have low magic and agility, but they can be compensated for
with other stats, right? Compared to player Lee Ki-young, you have
great potential.]
‘You didn’t have to tell me that….’

I couldn’t believe this guy was 23.
Although he had a huge height, size, and weight, he didn’t really look fat.
It was more like his whole body was covered in muscles.
Unlike me, who only had 10 points in strength and endurance, he had 20
points in strength and 30 in endurance.
I quickly realized that not only were my talent levels at the lowest, my stats
were also at the bottom of the barrel.
Like I read with Mind’s Eye, he’d be useful as a warrior or a meat shield.3
If you pretend to be friendly, you can definitely buy him as an ally.
First off, I’ll hang around him with a spear in my hand.
When I practiced a movement with my spear, Park Deok-gu looked pleased

and began to speak.
“Are you going to fight too?”
“That’s right. I think so. Seems like there’s something out there…. It’s better
to do something instead of just sitting around.”
“You just said something pretty cool, hyung-ssi. Even though you look so
weak.”
“Thank you. Let’s get ready for now.”
What he said was rude, but he looked satisfied.
Just exchanging a few words was effective.
I opened my mouth again.
This time, I was talking to everyone.

“Denying the situation won’t change anything. First, we have to deal with
what’s ahead. Outside, you can hear the monsters crying. Whether it’s real, or
hidden cameras, or a dream, we have to do something. We all have to take up
arms. We have to make a stand.”
“Stop messing around!”
“I mean it. I wouldn’t play this kind of prank, and I want it to be a joke too.
Everyone, please pick up a weapon. Later if it turns out to be a joke, we’ll
deal with it then.”
There should be many people who can fight.
It’s unknown how many enemies will come, or what type.
Someone muttered something.
“Well, let’s get a weapon for now. I guess we have to take care of the things
out there first and then look at the situation. Since this guy said he can win, I
— I’m sure that will happen.”
“Right, yeah!”
“For now, let’s fight!”
No one here was used to fighting, of course.
But one by one, they started to lift up swords. Some were simply swayed by
the atmosphere, while others armed themselves for protection.
The mood in the room was gradually improving.
‘Not bad.’
The way things were going really wasn’t bad.
“Women should also pick up weapons.”
“What?”
“I’m not saying you should go out and fight. But I can’t predict what will
happen. You need to carry a weapon. You can’t expect someone to always be
there to protect you. That’s reality.”
“Oh. Yes, yes….”
I knew what I was saying.
In the end, they looked unhappy raising their weapons, but that was all.
There were still a number of people hanging around that weren’t convinced.
But I couldn’t say that openly here. In the end, I swallowed nervously and
waited for the enemies to come.
‘Can we win?’
Of course not.
But at least I was sure I could survive.
The death toll would probably be high, but it was important to keep this base
for now.
‘Tutorial. She said it was a tutorial.’
The atmosphere was good, and everyone was willing to fight. Everyone’s
eyes shone with a desire to survive.
‘I can do it.’
[The starting point will open in a moment. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.]
[The starting point has opened. Good luck to all participants.]
But it was only my imagination that we would be able to do something, to be

able to win, or to just somewhat hold on, or to expect a miracle to happen.
“Kyaaaaak!”
Instead of in the front, a stone gate opened in the back of the room, and a
human-like monster bit a woman’s neck as she tried to escape.
Blood flew from the back over to here.
Before anyone could register it, monsters rushed in from every direction.
“Aaaaah! Help me!”
“Run away!”
‘Fuck!’
Screams rang out in an instant.
It was seriously pandemonium.
Even that jerk Park Deok-gu, who had been encouraging us to fight, just
watched vacantly with his sword and shield, perhaps because he hadn’t
expected such monsters to come.
We were ordinary people who had never held a sword and weren’t used to
fighting.
There was no way we could survive this.
It was hard for everyone to face the reality before us.
I started to speak to Park Deok-gu, who was staring forward in a daze.
“What are you doing? You want to die!?”
“Hyung, hyung-ssi!”
He was shaking, whether it was his legs or the hand he held a weapon in.
But he bit his lip and swung the blade.
It penetrated a monster’s head with precision.
Park Deok-gu held up his shield and pushed away the monster.
It wasn’t long before the formation collapsed.
In a moment, a mix of allies and monsters ran out into the open space.
‘You have to run.’
If I stayed here, I would die.
‘Death.’
I would certainly be annihilated.
‘I’m going to die.’
There wasn’t time for other thoughts.
“Run!”
“Huh? Huh? Huh?”
“You fucking pig! Run! Can’t you hear me?!”
He started to shout at someone he saw.
Park Deok-gu’s voice seemed to wake that guy up, and he picked up his
shield and fled.
I, too, threw myself out of that narrow space.
‘Ah!’
I remembered the issues of food and water as I was on my way.
It was a relatively close distance.

It was impossible to know if there were any other shelters here, so we had to
keep those things safe.
“Hyung, hyung-ssi! Where are you going!”
“Get some water!”
“Al, alright!”
The screams were clear even through the mixture of voices.
I caught sight of a woman who was bitten on the shoulder by a zombie.
“S, save me….”
“Shit.”
I felt troubled all of a sudden.
But my two hands which held a spear didn’t move to save her.
I didn’t look at her despair-filled eyes. As I picked up two or three leather

bags, I turned my head to see monsters rushing like a pack of dogs onto her.
It was thanks to her that I could leave, so it would only be right to express
some gratitude.
‘I’m sorry.’
After I muttered in my mind a half-hearted apology, I moved on.
“Hyung-ssi!”
As I turned my head towards Park Deok-gu’s shout, I saw a monster flying

towards me.
“Shi….”
Puuk!
“Geuk!”
A sword flew from somewhere into its head.
It was unclear if my luck stat had anything to do with it, but I definitely felt
lucky.
I felt like I made eye contact for a moment with the man behind the sword,
but I didn’t have the chance to check his information.
What was for certain was the strange feeling I got.
‘What was it?’
His face wasn’t scared, nor were his eyes filled with a fear of death. He
looked desperate, but he wasn’t driven by just survival.
‘Did I imagine it?’
It had been a very memorable face.
As I passed him by, I saw Park Deok-gu waiting for me with his shield
raised.
“Did you get the water?!”
I didn’t hear an answer.
But looking at the leather pouch in his right hand was answer enough.
He was the type who was good at doing what was asked of him.
“I, I think there’s still somebody inside!”
“Shut up and run if you don’t want to be left behind! You son of a bitch!
Can’t you see the monsters back there?”
“I, I see. Hyung, hyung-ssi!”

It was only a matter of time before we emerged onto a wide expanse.
I could see both those who were caught while escaping and those who never
got out.
When I looked back, there weren’t any monsters following us
They were all focused on their prey inside.
There were intermittent screams, but I didn’t want to hear anything, so I

covered my ears.
“Sa, save me!”
“Fight baaaack!”
“Geuk!”
“Kyaaaaak!”
“Help me. Wah wahh… Help me. Wahh….”
“Euaaaaak!”
When I closed my eyes, I saw the people I left behind.
Only
“Don’t feel guilty. You didn’t have a choice.”
“Yeah, but….”
“You couldn’t help it. It wasn’t your fault….”

It was a situation where you couldn’t do anything.
He must have known that too.
“Damn it….”
But that didn’t stop a curse falling from Park Deok-gu’s mouth anyway.
1. Fun fact, “아재” is slang for a middle-aged man. Now you, too, can yell at
your dad in Korean.
2. Turns out these use the same words as for weapon rarities/class grades so
I’ve gone back to edit the first chapter to match.
3. Common gaming term for tanks, or characters with high health/defense
who stand in the front, since they can take more damage than more fragile
damage dealers.
Chapter 3 Adaptation
Chapter 3: Adaptation
“Wha-what should we do now, hyung-ssi?
“If I knew what to do, would I still be standing around here?”
I was still in a state of shock.
When I gave him this unconfident answer, Park Deokgu shut up and quietly
observed me.
Seeing that he didn’t speak anymore, despite his non-stop chattering since the
starting point incident, it seemed like he decided to acknowledge my words.
“We don’t know exactly what this place is for now. We need to look around
first.”
“Y-you want to go outside?”
“Not right now.”
“The-then you are saying that someday we will go outside?”
“I told you, not right now.”
We were in a hidden corner by a wall, which was hard to find in this maze.
It was a little cramped for me and him to squeeze together in here, but it
wasn’t so bad.
At least for now, it seemed like it could provide us with a minimum
assurance of safety.
‘Water, food and weapons.’
We had those things, but I didn’t know if it was enough.
The question is, for how long will we have to endure being here?
And is it really safe here?
I had a lot to think about.
“I never thought something like this could happen…”
“You saw the status window and the monsters. It’s not an illusion. It’s not a
video game. It’s reality… but I also wish it were a dream.”
“Yeah…”
The situation we were facing was, in fact, reality. I didn’t mention the events
that happened at the starting point. I’d actually seen people die, and I’d even
seen monsters I couldn’t even begin to describe.
Denying reality wouldn’t change anything.
“The-the main goal of this tutorial is survival, right? I-I think that strange
woman said so… Then if we keep hiding here…”
“It’s not that simple.”
“What else could it be?”
“The problem is that we don’t know how long this will last for. We took
some food and water, but it’s not enough for us to sit here for a week… And
there’s no guarantee that this place is safe. Who knows where those monsters
we saw earlier are hiding.”
“You think so?”

“Yes, I think so. And even if we leave the tutorial now… how do we survive
afterwards?”
“W-what are you talking about?”
“I’m not absolutely sure about it, but after this tutorial, we’ll enter a place
called the continent. I mean, this dungeon could be like heaven compared to
that. There is no guarantee that the place we will end up in later will be safer
than here. Simply hanging around here isn’t going to cut it for sure…”
He clamped his mouth shut, because he couldn’t deny my words.
Of course, no one knew what would happen after this. But like that woman
said, if we were really chosen to save the continent, it won’t end simply with
us waiting the tutorial out.
Not only may we have to face the monsters we saw earlier, but also fight with
each other.
And we might face even more dire situations in the future.
“Right now, we’re huddled up here, but when we finally leave, there’s only
one outcome anyway. “
“Wha-what do you mean?”
“That we will have to fight.”
“With those monsters?”
“Have you ever played a video game?”
“I-is there anyone in the world who has never played a video game?”
“A Status Window, Stats, Titles, Equipment, Class. Don’t you think these
terms sound familiar? Imagine that you are in a game now. What do you
think we should do?”
“I don’t know…”
“Level-up. Become strong enough to defend ourselves. Strengthening your
body and killing monsters will raise your stats and get you a class, like that
woman said. The attributes will naturally unlock, and while it will be hard,
we won’t have to avoid those monsters anymore.”
“Ah…”
“Before we ran away, we picked up weapons, drinking water and food. Our
situation is little better than others.”
“Ye-yes, but…”
I knew he didn’t like the idea of leaving this safe corner.
In fact, all humans were the same.
What normal person would want to face man-eating monsters?
But there was no choice. Eat or be eaten. Otherwise, you won’t survive.
“This is what I think.”
“Do you have any solution for this?”
“If you don’t have a solution, you have to create one.”
If you don’t have a solution, you should create one. No, actually the solution
for this problem is easier than one would think.
“We can kill them.”
“But how do you defeat a man-eating monster…?”
If you think about it, it’s not like we have no way to win against them.
I didn’t remember much from the first battle.
Anyone would be scared stiff, if a wave of monsters suddenly attacked from

all over.
However, I still vividly remembered that sensation passing through my hand.
That creepy feeling when a spear pierced flesh. I didn’t stab at it with much
strength.
But my spear still pierced its skin so easily.
My mind was just clouded by fear. In that moment, I was scared of monsters
I’d never seen before and lost the will to fight.
I lost it, Park Deokgu next to me lost it, and everyone else also lost it.
‘But it’s not like we have no way to win against those monsters.’
If you think about it rationally, it’s not like we can’t win.
“You have to think about it in a simple way. As simple as possible.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t be afraid. You need to look at them the way they are. Of course, it
won’t be easy. I’m also shaking right now, and I don’t know what to do
exactly. You and I are the same. But if we are not surrounded or ambushed
from behind, we stand a chance. Their skin is soft and they aren’t particularly
athletic. None of them followed us when we ran away. All of them rushed in
at once into that room we were in before. Many people died at that starting
point or whatever, because they were outnumbered. Everyone was also
terrified and so couldn’t react in a timely way.”
Nothing was certain until I saw it with my own eyes.
But I think my guess might be right.
Compared to the physical abilities of humans, they were equipped with sharp
jaws and claws.
Those are their physical advantages.
Unlike those butt-naked monsters, we had spears and swords within the reach
of our hands. In fact, it’s no exaggeration to say that we were ahead of them
in everything.
“If you think about it calmly, we can win.”
The problem was that Park Deokgu couldn’t see the big picture.
Even after my explanation, he was anxiously swallowing his saliva.
‘Idiot.’
It was then.
“Geeek.”
I heard voices from somewhere.
My natural reaction was to hold my breath. Park Deokgu did the same.
“Geeek!”
We didn’t know if they were creatures which moved in herds or separately.
But the sound was getting closer.
“It’s coming here?”
‘Shit…’
I cursed in my head.
‘Can I do it?’
We would have to face it anyway.
It felt like someone was squeezing onto my heart, but I ignored it and bit my
lip.
Because I knew that if we avoided this now, we would never escape this
predicament of fear.
[Checking the status window of Monster Crawfish.]
[Name: None]
[Age: 5]
[Disposition: Instinct]
[Class: None]
[Stats]
[Strength: 11]
[Agility: 15]
[Stamina: 14]
[Endurance: 12]
[Luck: 10]
[Magic Power: 00]
I checked its information through the narrow gap where we were hiding.
‘It worked.’
This ability could also be used on monsters.
That was a tiny piece of good news.
‘I can win.’
I had to overcome my fear.
I didn’t get a good look at it before, but now I could tell it definitely looked
gross. Apart from the naked torso and lower body, it had green eyes and
protruding jaws and teeth.
I recalled in my head how, earlier, the same kind of monster bit the neck of a
woman whose name I didn’t know with those jaws and teeth.
‘However.’
Those are some terrible stats.
It’s not like I was in position to judge those stats as terrible, but they were
definitely lower that I imagined.
That should do it.
I put more strength into the hand holding a spear.
Park Deokgu looked at me nervously, but I had no intention of backing off

now.
I had to show him that we could win.
“Ma-maybe it’s better to not go out?”
“…”
I didn’t answer.
Because my back was soaked with sweat. My hands and legs trembled.
‘Damn…’
If I make a mistake here, I will die.
But I can’t stay like this forever. Sooner or later, eventually… I would have
to face those guys.
“Even if I don’t go out, I will die.”
I took a deep breath, and immediately rushed out.
“Geeek!”
‘Damn it!’
I expected it to notice me at some point, but it was faster than I thought.
Naturally, I thought I should swing the spear at the same time when it moves.
But my hands didn’t move as I wished. Fear stiffened my body.
“Ahhhh!”
In the end I had no choice but to raise my spear toward the head of the
approaching monster, screaming like some kind of devil-worshipper.
As if it expected this attack, the monster leaned straight down.
Changing the course of the spear wasn’t easy. As I tightened my trembling

hold on the shaft and lowered the spear again, I accidentally struck it in its
shoulder.
“Gaeeek!”
Phew!
The feeling of tearing through flesh was unsettling, and I almost dropped my
spear, but I didn’t have time to be dazed.
“Ahhhh!”
When I pushed the spear deeper, the monster jerked and hit the wall.
I frowned at the sight of the struggling creature, but without wasting any
more time, I grabbed a nearby stone and started smashing its head with it.
Although I broke my fingernails while doing it, I didn’t feel any pain.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!”
Smash!
Strange mucus and blood splashed on my hands and body, creeping me out.
I couldn’t stop moving my hand.
“Shit!”
Smash!
“Die!”
Smash!
“Gaeeek…”
Smash!
“Haah…”
After its face had turned into a bloody mess, I was finally able to drop the big
stone I was gripping in my hand.
“Haah… haah…”
My heart was beating fast and my breathing was heavy. My arms were
covered in its saliva and blood.
It was the first time I’d killed something alive.
When I shakily raised my head, my eyes met with Park Deokgu’s who looked
at me through the narrow gap in the wall.
There was surprise in his eyes.
He really didn’t think I could do it.
I also didn’t think I could.
[Strength stat increased by 1.]
My expectations were correct.

Park Deokgu cautiously opened his mouth and asked.
“What’s your name?”
“Lee Kiyoung.”
“Ki-Kiyoung, can I call you hyung-nim?”
Instead of answering, I gave him a small nod.
Only
He was looking at me in a strange way. I looked straight at him and said.
“If I can do it, you can do it too. No, you can do it better.”
“I think I know what you mean. Kiyoung hyung-nim, leave it to me. Then,
what do we do from now on?
It seems this guy I picked wasn’t so bad after all.
There was still a lot of work to do.
I looked at him, and opened my mouth.
“For now, let’s try to escape from here.”
Obtaining a class. That’s the first thing on the list.

Chapter 4 Regressor (1)
RIM Chapter 4: Regressor (1)
“For now, let’s try to escape from here.”
Obtaining a class. That’s the first thing on the list.
“How do we get a class?”
“I don’t know.”
Park Deokgu looked at me with a shocked face.
“Why are you looking at me like that? I’m not so smart that I’d know
everything.”
“No, you are smart, aren’t you, hyung-nim? At least you seem to be more
trustworthy than those who only know how to study. Even though you look
like a nerd.”
He was half right.
Just, I wasn’t a very good student.
“So, how do we gain our classes?”
“For now, the only way seems to be by hunting monsters. That woman said
that our class will depend on our hard work.”
“Oh, I think I heard that too…”

“First, we have to act to make a difference, whether it’s just swinging your
sword while standing in place or catching monsters. If we stagnate here and
do nothing, we will die.”
Saying this, I poured out everything I had in my leather bag on the ground.
Park Deokgu looked at me as if wondering what I was doing, but when I

started to put leather on him, tying it up with sneaker laces, he seemed to
realize my intention.
He looked at me with a slightly moved face.
“It looks like armor… But hyung-nim, don’t you need it more than me?
He would be the one fighting in the front anyway, so I didn’t have to make
one for myself.
It was at least one more layer of insurance to protect my own neck. Just now,
I didn’t go ahead of you only to gain nothing.
However, it wasn’t necessary to explain this to him.
“You are taller than me.”
“I’m afraid that I might not live up to your expectations, but… I will try my
best.”
I nodded at his words.
***
He definitely lived up to my expectations.
In fact, even only looking at Park Deokgu’s basic stats, you could tell he was
somehow strong.
I didn’t quite understand how our bodies affected our stats, but his stats were
nearly twice as high as mine.
I felt especially embarrassed when looking at his 30 points of endurance.
His strength, shield and sword put together made his large body seem even
bigger.
Adding to this the clumsily made leather armor, and he looked just like a
gladiator from some movie.
But it was a very natural look for him. It was really not bad.
However, this guy who finally gained some confidence, exceeded my

expectations.
“Hyung-nim!”
“I know.”
The back of this big guy, who pushed two monsters away with his shield,
came into my view.
His face was still pale with fear, but even in this state he still hit them with
his shield.
He was just pushing forward with all his might, but monsters wedged
between the wall and his shield could only aimlessly flail about with their
clawed hands.
While Park Deokgu was holding them in place, I raised my spear and stabbed
it into the monster’s face, once again frowning at the strange sensation under
my palms.
‘That’s right.’
“Haaa!”
Park Deokgu wielded a sword in one hand, as he let out a short scream.
He frowned, but didn’t relax his grip on the sword. It was because from
previous experience we learned that carelessness could get us hurt.
“Gaeeek…”
When the creature finally drooped down without any strength, I pulled back
my spear.
“Haah… haah…”
‘It’s hard.’
It looked simple, but it definitely wasn’t simple in practice.
With Park Deokgu’s help it was much better compared to my first time, but
there was originally a big gap in our basic stats.
Spending a few minutes dealing with those guys was enough for me to be
covered in sweat.
“Here, have some water.”
“Thank you.”
With a little sigh, Park Deokgu made a worried face and opened his mouth.
“Isn’t your stamina a little too low?”
“I’ve never exercised before.”
At least my stamina had increased since we started killing monsters.
‘Only by 1 though.’
Park Deokgu’s situation was a little different.
His original 30-point endurance had turned into 33 now. Compared to me, it
was a huge achievement.
I wasn’t sure if talent affected the rate stats rose, but looking at it, I guess that
was it.
His endurance stat growth potential allowed him to reach the heroic grade
and even beyond if he put his mind to it, so climbing higher at first shouldn’t
be too difficult for him.
‘Damn it.’
Of course what I was feeling wasn’t needless jealousy.
What worried me was that Park Deokgu might not need me.
Looking at his innocent face, he didn’t seem to think this way yet.
I came to the conclusion that it would be in my best interests to survive while

relying on him.
“By the way, maybe today we could look around a little more, hyung-nim?”
“Look around a little more… By the way, when you speak, keep your voice
down.”
“Do we really need to be so careful?”
“I think noise was the reason why so many monsters appeared at the starting
point.”
“That female guide also talked a lot…”
“Yes, but I don’t think that was the main reason. Those monsters seem dull
but are sensitive to sound. It’s only natural that they poured into that room,
since people there were yelling at each other for so long. Perhaps, half of
those people could have survived if only we started the tutorial quietly.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. So while in a fight, we need to turn down the noise a little. For now, we
are dealing with only one or two at time, but when four or five of them
gather, we’ll die. The reason we keep moving is that if we stay in one place,
we might get surrounded.”
He cast me a look of peculiar admiration. If only you used your head a little,
anyone could realise this.
However, the fact that this innocent guy was looking at me like that made me
want to laugh.
I nodded and continued.
“It’s possible that all the monsters from this area were lured to the starting
point. Perhaps everyone else who managed to run away at that time, are in a
similar situation as us.”
I thought the best way to organize information in my head was to discuss it in

points like this, one by one.
“Let’s stop for a while and eat.”
“Yup, good idea.”
It was when I was sitting on the floor, quietly munching on tasteless food that
I wouldn’t even feed a dog that…
“…”
…I heard a faint voice from somewhere.
I wanted to pretend I didn’t hear anything, but Park Deokgu raised his head
and opened his mouth.
“Isn’t this a human’s voice?”
“No way.”
“Ahhhhh…! Help me!”
The voice was getting closer.

‘Ah…’
They had realised that there were other people here.
‘It was mistake.’
It certainly was a mistake.
It was a mistake to carve out those marks on the walls with a dagger to
prevent us from getting lost.
I actually hoped that someone would come, but I never imagined it would be
someone yelling at the top of their lungs, as if to wake up a whole town.
“H-hyung-nim.”
“Pick up your sword.”
It was too late to avoid it.
“Geeek!”
Luckily, the monsters weren’t many in number.
It was nice to have new people join us, but it was also a very unwelcome
situation.
‘It would be a different story if they had drinking water and food…’
There was the problem of limited resources.
This wasn’t a charity.
I needed comrades in arms, not a new burden.
It would be ideal if they were someone willing to fight, with drinking water
and food, and only a small number of them.
And by the sound of this voice, they had already failed one of those
conditions.
It wasn’t someone who was willing to fight.
“How annoying…”
“I don’t think you need to worry too much, hyung-nim. It doesn’t seem like
there’s a lot of them.”
‘Easy to say for you.’
Park Deokgu ran forward with his sword and shield. I also immediately
followed behind him with my spear.
When I stepped closer, I could see a woman being chased by three monsters.
Half torn clothes and overall a pretty face, but that was all her appearance had
to offer.
‘A civilian woman.’
I didn’t care if she was scared and running away.
She had no weapons and no food.
After checking the abilities of monsters behind her, I used Mind’s Eyes to
observe the woman.
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Jung Hayan.]
[Name: Jung Hayan]

[Age: 21]
[Disposition: Pure Advocate]
[Class: None]
[Stats]
[Strength: 10/Growth potential: rare or lower]
[Agility: 11/Growth potential: rare or lower]
[Stamina: 12/Growth potential: heroic or lower]
[Intelligence: 22/Growth potential: heroic or higher]
[Endurance: 14/Growth potential: rare or lower]
[Luck: 23/Growth potential: heroic or higher]
[Magic Power: 10/Growth potential: legendary or higher]
[Overview: You have above legendary grade magic potential growth.

While your overall physical ability is low, you can experience explosive
growth as wizard or priest in the future. You are currently unable to feel
magic. It’s not an exaggeration to say that player Lee Kiyoung has the
potential of an ant in comparison.]
‘What the hell.’
It was hard to believe just how great the ability of this girl running out of
breath was.
In addition, I’ve never seen a human with the potential to go beyond

legendary grade.
Unlike me, whose magic power stat is still sitting on a round 0, hers is
already at 10.
“We have never dealt with three at the same time.”
Obviously, as soon as I checked her stats, the idea of discarding this girl
immediately left my mind and a new plan formed.
“We fight.”
“Can we win?”
“We need to lure them to a more closed space.”
“I think I know what you mean.”
It was more advantageous to fight while leaning against the wall than to be
surrounded.
Our escape route would be blocked, but I didn’t think we would lose so fast.
I tightened my grip on my spear.
Having found us, the girl ran in our direction as fast as she could.
When I gestured to her to come this way, she nodded her head, so it looked
like she wasn’t completely unable to comprehend anything.
“Wait in the corner.”
“O-okay.”
After the woman finally reached our side, Park Deokgu heavily swung his
shield as monsters turned the corner.
“Now!”
“Haa!”
It seemed like Park Deokgu managed to push them back for a moment, but
then one of the monsters tried to rush towards him again.
“Hyung-nim!”
With a blank mind, I pierced one of them with my spear, while the other one
collapsed under Park Deokgu’s sword.
The problem was that because of this move, Park Deokgu’s stance was
broken.
Certainly, dealing with three of them at once wasn’t easy.
The only thing I could do for Park Deokgu, who was still holding up his
shield, was to continue swinging a spear.
The moment I bit my lips hard, suddenly, I could see a sword protruding
from the chest of the last monster.
“Tha-thank you.”
“No problem.”
Someone helped us.
When the monster collapsed, I saw a face I’d already seen once before.
It was that man who helped me back at the starting point.
I remembered his face that seemed a little desperate at the time.
Only
“What the…”
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Kim
Hyunsung.]
[Name: Kim Hyunsung]

[Titles: The Regressor of Altanus, The Swordsman Who Started the 2nd
Round, The One Who Failed, The One Who Embraced Sacrifice, The
Enlightened One]
[Age: 22]
[Disposition: Well-Meaning Arbitrator]
[Class: Swordsman (Common)]
[Stats]
[Strength: 19/Growth potential: legendary or higher]
[Agility: 28/Growth potential: legendary or higher]
[Stamina: 23/Growth potential: legendary or higher]
[Intelligence: 18/Growth potential: heroic or lower]
[Endurance: 22/Growth potential: heroic or lower]
[Magic Power: 11/Growth potential: heroic or higher]
‘What is this…?’
I couldn’t help but widen my eyes at the sight of this status window filled
with unexpected information.
‘Regression? Turning back time?’
For this guy, this wasn’t the first time.

RIM Chapter 5: Regressor (2)
I slowly read through his stats again.
I hadn’t misread it.
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Kim
Hyunsung.]

[Titles: The Regressor of Altanus, The Swordsman Who Started the 2nd
Round, The One Who Failed, The One Who Embraced Sacrifice, The
Enlightened One]
[Age: 22]
[Disposition: Well-Meaning Arbitrator]
[Class: Swordsman (Common)]
[Stats]
[Strength: 19/Growth potential: legendary or higher]
[Agility: 28/Growth potential: legendary or higher]
[Stamina: 23/Growth potential: legendary or higher]
[Intelligence: 18/Growth potential: heroic or lower]
[Magic Power: 11/Growth potential: heroic or higher]
[Attributes: Sword Expert (Heroic)]
[Overview: Truly amazing. If you don’t agree with me even after seeing
it with your own eyes, I have no words for you. This person’s strength,
agility and stamina can’t be accurately measured. Their other stats also
have incredible potential. Their potential for growth as a wizard is
terrifying, but with a melee class they can achieve even greater heights.
They already have a common grade class and new opportunities for
growth are on the horizon. Compared to player Lee Kiyoung… No, this
comparison itself would be blasphemous. Player Lee Kiyoung should feel
honoured to even be able to exchange a few words with this person.]
‘What is this nonsense…’
Even after blinking my eyes, the title of regressor remained unchanged.
‘Time travel? Really?’
It was natural to not believe in such a thing at first.
But now, after seeing all those monsters, I was willing to suspend my
disbelief even further.
The Swordsman Who Started the 2nd Round.
I was too stunned to speak.
If my unique ability, Mind’s Eye, wasn’t lying, then this person in front of
me had already experienced this situation before.
It would explain why he wasn’t scared at the starting point earlier.
‘Damn…’
I couldn’t help but curse in my head.
I knew the world was unfair to some extent, but I didn’t expect to feel this
unfairness even in a place like this and to this level.
High stats, high growth potential, fast class acquirement and a heroic grade
attribute.
‘By the way, is it possible to check other peoples’ attributes?’
As soon as I thought about it, the information immediately appeared in front

of me.
[Attribute: Sword Expert]

[Gives a damage boost for all actions performed with a sword. Increases
attack power by a certain percentage in proportion to the time spent
wielding a sword. ]
‘Good.’
I didn’t know what formula was used for calculating extra attack power, but
it looked like a good quality attribute which allowed the user to achieve better
results the longer they trained.
I had no idea what other attributes I would see in the future, but I had to
admit his attribute was very good for building a foundation as a warrior.
I bit my lip, unable to shake the feeling of unfairness, but if he really went
back in time, then his attractive status window could be explained.
“Hyung-ssi, who…”
“My name is Kim Hyunsung.”
“Park Deokgu.”
“And this is…?”
“I’m Lee Kiyoung.”
“This… this isn’t the first time you’ve fought, is it?”
“Yea, as you can see. Hyung-nim made this leather armor for me, and I’ve
already gotten used to hunting a little. I mean, I haven’t fought much, but
still. It was hyung-nim who went ahead first and smashed the head of a
monster with his spear. Thanks to him I gained a bit of courage.”
“You seem to be a little… experienced with this.”
“Well, it’s all thanks to hyung-nim. Rather, it’s him who seems to be
experienced with this… Didn’t you see how he stabbed that monster in the
head just now?”
“I was lucky.”
At Park Deokgu’s words, this guy’s gaze turned to me.
‘Useless blabbing…’
It wasn’t easy to pretend to be innocent.
Especially when I had ulterior motives in my mind.
When I met his gaze, I felt as if he was looking right through me.
I felt like I was standing here naked, and it wasn’t a good feeling. My body
trembled at this strange sensation.
‘Is it just my imagination or some kind of magic?’
I didn’t know which one it was, but it didn’t matter anyway. The one thing I
did know, and could sense, was that there was something wrong.
“What…”
‘Maybe he knows that I was reading his status window…?’
If you look like you are reading something in the air, surely it would look
unnatural for others.
His disposition in the status window suggested that he was “well-meaning”.
However, the human heart wasn’t just black or white.
He returned to the past for some purpose. It was unlikely, but in the moment
he decides we are his enemies, he might just swing his sword at us.
No, I didn’t want him to doubt me in any way.
Just then, Park Deokgu opened his mouth with a smile.
“Hyung-nim, why do you keep staring at your status window? Did you get a
class?”
‘Nice, Park Deokgu.’
“Sort of. I will tell you in a minute.”
My heart was still feeling uneasy.
Instead of talking straight to this guy, I set my eyes on that woman named
Jung Hayan.
Her eyes were wide open and she breathed heavily. When she saw I was
looking at her, she opened her mouth.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. We were also looking for survivors.”
“Ah…”
“Get up. I will help you.”
“Oh, no. I don’t want to cause any more trouble…”
But she was already at her limit.
I reached out to her without a word, and then she held my hand as if she
couldn’t help it.
My face felt sore because of Kim Hyunsung, who was looking this way.
I quietly said to him.
“Thank you for your help. I’m Lee Kiyoung. That was the first time I’d
encountered three of those monsters at once… If not for you, we would’ve
been in trouble.”
“I’m Kim Hyunsung. I remember your face from somewhere.”
“You helped me a little at the starting point. I’m very grateful for that.”
“Ah… it was then…”
“Yes. Back then I was running away. It was insane…”
Actually I didn’t remember much from then.
Thinking about the situation at that time, it wasn’t unreasonable to not

remember.
Suddenly, the scene of a woman being eaten by monsters flashed through my

head. It was that woman I couldn’t save.
I shook my head, and said.
“Are you alone? It must have been hard for you…”
“For now yes… but I’m gathering survivors. Some of them are moving in
groups.”
“Yes?”
“I’m gathering survivors. I heard a scream as I was passing by… Let’s go

together for now. We’ve set up camp in a safe place.”
I saw Park Deokgu looking at me quietly. He was wordlessly asking me what

to do.
Kim Hyunsung opened his mouth again, as if he realized his words just now
were a little rude.
“Oh, excuse me. Would you like to come with me?”
Only then did Park Deokgu nod his head.
But I still had some reservations.
“How many people are there?”
“About 30, I think.”
“What about those who can fight…?”
“Not many. If Deokgu-ssi and Kiyoung-ssi join, things will get a little better.
I hope that you can come.”
‘It’s worrying…’
Just as I expected.
I didn’t know how well one’s disposition in the status window reflected the
heart of the person, but he was truly fit to be a Well-Meaning Arbitrator.
‘What a slob.’
To put it nicely, he was an angel. Looking at it another way, he was a

pushover.
If the only thing those people at the survivor camp could do was scream, then
the situation would rapidly deteriorate.
Perhaps they have no way to eat properly there, and live in fear all the time.
Increasing the number of people wasn’t necessarily advantageous.
When five people gather, there would always be one fool amongst them. In a
gathering of 30 people, the problem would be even worse.
Obviously, that’s not the end of it.

The power to cope with sudden crises will increase, but if there are too many
people to protect, it will only get more chaotic.
However, in reality, I had no other choice but to nod my head.
It was because I was full of questions.
What is regression, how did you get a class, how did you manage to start in a
different way compared to others, how do you use magic and what is the
method of clearing this tutorial?
Kim Hyunsung knew how to attack this dungeon properly and, furthermore,
had information about the continent.
No matter how you look at it, it was best to follow him.
“I will go.”
“Good decision. Let’s get going then. More monsters may come here soon.”
“Yea.”
“Oh, right. This person is…?”
“My name is Jung Hayan. Um, I…”
“Ah. Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Hyunsung. “
We roughly greeted each other.
While supporting Jung Hayan, I started to slowly read this guy’s face.
His expression seemed a little different from when he was looking at me or

Park Deokgu.
His gaze remained on Jung Hayan for a long time.
It was a little surprising.

A strange sense of accomplishment was hidden in Kim Hyunsung’s gaze. I
wasn’t sure if it was a good analogy, but he looked like a man who had found
an oasis in the desert.
Or as if he had found his long lost family member.
Maybe she noticed his intense gaze, because Jung Hayan also looked at him
with caution in her eyes.
If you stare at someone in this way, anyone would notice and become wary.
He looked as if he was thinking “I was looking for you”. No, maybe he was
indeed looking for her.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay.”
“Please, let me know if there’s any inconvenience.”
“N-no, I’m fine. J-Jung is really okay.”
Leaving those two to talk with each other, I started thinking.
‘Let’s assume.’
It was a little funny to think like this, but let’s just assume.
If I were to live the same life all over again.
I didn’t know how this guy ended up in his first life.
Maybe he was happy with it or maybe unhappy. However, if this regression

was done on purpose, it’s very likely that this guy has regrets from his
previous life.
The One Who Failed.
It was one of his titles.

Even if it wasn’t his intention.
Humans are creatures of regret. Even if it was me, I would think about the
what-ifs like if I could save that woman I saw at the beginning.
If I had the strength, I might have made the choice to take that woman and
escape together with Park Deokgu.
What if I knew what would happen, and also knew about all the talented
individuals that will be important in the future?
In my case, I would try to change things that I regret. But of course, I

wouldn’t do only that.
From the very start I would take advantage of everything I could.
I would gather talented people, treasures, classes, and all other things that
could be used.
And I would eliminate all enemies or threats that I might encounter in the
future.
‘It’s funny, but…’
In this sense, if he has no reaction to me and Park Deokgu, it means that we

are not important characters in the future, nor are we a threat to Kim
Hyunsung in the future
We must have been just passersby for him.
“May I call you Hayan-ssi?”
“Ah… yes. Thank you, and please call me as you like.”
But this woman who was blushing at me now was different.
Jung Hayan.
A woman with explosive potential as a wizard or priest.

If you think about it in connection with what I saw with my Mind’s Eye, it is
immediately obvious.
‘She’s a treasure.’
Now she didn’t look like much.
However, by aggregating the minute pieces of information so far and

inferring further, I could come to a plausible conclusion.
This civilian girl will rock the world in the future.
Only
I wasn’t sure what she would do, but it was guaranteed that her position
would be very important.
It could also only be my delusion.
Maybe Kim Hyunsung owed her something or had regrets around not saving
her in his previous life.
She might be just one of many passersby, just like me and Park Deokgu.
But it’s worth it.
‘This woman.’
She was no longer a nuisance, but rather a precious treasure which had come
rolling in.
Right under my feet.

Chapter: 6 Regressor (3)
In fact, Jung Hayan wasn’t the only treasure.
The same applied to Kim Hyunsung as well.
After all, he was someone who had probably once seen the end of this world.
He knew what was going to happen and was willing to use this information to
change the future.
In a fantasy novel setting, he was kind of like the ‘chosen warrior’.
There was no reason to not maintain a good relationship with him.
‘I’m jealous of this bastard though.’
I wasn’t jealous of all of the baggage he was carrying on his back.
I was jealous of what he was going to get or use.
It was already set in stone that he would climb high.
I thought I should benefit from him as much as I could.
“How much further is it? Are you sure this is the right way?”
“Yes, we are almost there.”
Park Deokgu muttered bitterly, and Kim Hyunsung answered him with a nod.
It was strangely novel for me to witness how he observed our surroundings
without even slowing down.
He was also watching out for monsters.
Clearly, his stats weren’t that high for now.
Taking into account the fact that he had an attribute, class and magic power,
he was already on a much higher ground than anyone else here. Yet, if a
group of monsters surrounded us and attacked together, even he wouldn’t be
able to cope.
‘That’s why you failed to protect those people.’
If it had been possible then he would have made sure there were no casualties
at the starting point.
“By the way, there are more survivors than I imagined. I was pretty sure most
of them would have died…”
“In fact, more people could have been saved. At first, I didn’t know the weak
points of those monsters, so I couldn’t face them properly. If only there were
more people who could fight…”
“Yea, I feel the same way. At that time, running away was all I could do… If
not for hyung-nim, I would be dead right now. Are all 30 people from there?”
“Ah! Actually, no. It seems like there were other starting points at different
locations. But they were quite far away from ours…”
“Mhm… So we are not the only ones here.”
“Yes. Perhaps, if we expand our search, we will hear more good news. Just
now I was looking for traces of other people.”
I didn’t know how the hell you could call that good news.
“You are looking for more survivors?”

“Of course, I think that’s what we should be doing.”
From his eyes, I knew he was telling the truth.
The word “good” attached to his disposition wasn’t there only for decoration.
I had no way of knowing the full picture, but my head hurt just thinking
about how those 30 people were supposed to survive together.
‘This son of a bitch…’
Just from this, I could imagine how the survivor camp was running.
“You don’t look good. A-Am I too heavy…?”
Jung Hayan asked me, after seeing my darkening expression.
“Oh, that’s not it. I just thought about something…”
“I-If you feel uncomfortable…”
“I’m fine.”
“Ah… I… I…”
“Yes?”
“I-It’s a little late, but thank you… for saving me.”
I smiled slightly at her words of gratitude.
Supporting her was quite burdensome, but it didn’t matter.
It was because I thought I should score every little point from her while there
was an opportunity.
Jung Hayan’s face was strangely red. It seemed like she wasn’t used to
making contact with the opposite sex.
Rather than sticking too close to her, I tried to maintain a certain distance to
lower her vigilance.
While I tried to keep the smile of a good person on my face, Jung Hayan
became more willing to lean on me.
After we walked a bit further, we arrived at a wide space.
‘Not bad.’
It was a pretty good place.
There was only one entrance, what wasn’t bad at all.
There seemed to be some way to prevent monsters from entering, but I

couldn’t see it clearly from the outside.
“Amazing. How did you find this place?”
‘You already knew about it.’
“I somehow stumbled upon it while I was looking for the right place for
survivors to stay.”
“You are very lucky…”
He probably used this place in his previous life.
It was different from the starting point where monsters could enter from
every direction.
It was a little crude, but very much like a sturdy castle.
It was highly unlikely he found this place by accident. It was way too far
away from the starting point.
Little by little, I was more and more confident that this guy really came back
in time.
“It looks great. Doesn’t it, hyung-nim?”
I nodded slightly.
“I think this place could even fit more than a hundred people.”
“I don’t think so.”
“M-Maybe I exaggerated.”
With enough people, we should be able to stop monsters from entering.

However, the lack of a way to retreat was also a weakness.
If a big number of monsters attacked us, it would end in slaughter.
All but a few lucky ones would die. I looked at Kim Hyunsung, and slowly
opened my mouth.
“It’s blocked from every other side. What if a large number of monsters try to
invade through this one entrance…”
“That’s why we are acting as carefully as possible. We are also dealing with
monsters in the nearby area.”
“You go hunting regularly?”
“Yes. Until we can find some other clues…”
I was very curious. Just who else was up for this regular hunting?
As we gradually approached the entrance, I could see some woman coming

out to greet us. She was a little short, but gave an overall charming
impression.
“Hyunsung oppa, you are back? Ah, there are new people.”
I saw how she flinched a little at the sight of Park Deokgu, who had a robust
body and was armed with sword and shield, but surprisingly, she didn’t lose
her smile.
‘Nice reaction.’
She gave a good first impression.
“Jihye-ssi.”
“You were running a little late, so I was worried about you.”
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Lee Jihye.]
[Name: Lee Jihye]

[Age: 29]
[Disposition: Selfish Ambitionist]
[Class: None]
[Stats]
[Strength: 05/Potential growth: common or lower]
[Agility: 09/Potential growth: common or lower]
[Stamina: 09/Potential growth: common or lower]
[Intelligence: 18/Potential growth: rare or higher]
[Endurance: 08/Potential growth: common or lower]
[Luck: 12/Potential growth: common or lower]
[Magic Power: 00/Potential growth: common or lower]
‘Trash.’
I muttered in my heart, unknowingly. She was trash to the extent that she was
even further beyond help compared to me, but at the same time she was very
similar to me.
[Overview: Congratulations, player Lee Kiyoung. You have finally found

your soulmate. It’s possible that the two of you will be the perfect match
for each other. Low stats, low potential. Trying to wield a sword or wand
is not recommended. Alternatively, it might be a different story if,
captivated by each other’s lousy talents, the two of you choose to live out
the rest of your lives together quietly. But I don’t want the two of you to
get together. I would feel sorry for the 2nd generation born from your
union.]
I tried hard to ignore all the insults packed in there. It was clear that the status
window message was trying to provoke me.
I quickly turned off the status window, and then recalled this woman’s
information in my mind.
Her disposition was very eye-catching when paired with her lousy talent level
and poor stats.
‘Selfish Ambitionist.’
Maybe she was the same type of person as me.
Unlike other people in this place, her way of interacting with Kim Hyunsung
was very conspicuous.
She had chosen to rub onto Kim Hyunsung in order to survive.
“Hehe. May I know your names?”
“Park Deokgu.”
“J-Jung Hayan. Please, take good care of me.”
“Yes, nice to meet you all. In a moment, I will lead you to a place where you
can rest. Are you okay, Hyunsung-ssi?”
“Of course. Please, take care of them, Jihye-ssi.”
“Yes, leave it to me, Hyunsung oppa.”

She clenched her fist in a cute manner, but knowing her disposition, I
couldn’t feel any warmth from it.
Seeing how she scanned me, Jung Hayan and Park Deokgu up and down,
maybe she was also calculating what role we would play after joining this
place.
In the case of Park Deokgu, who was carrying a sword and shield and had a
huge body, it was an instant pass.
As for Jung Hayan, who stumbled on her legs, and the miserable I, who
supported her, it was most likely a failing grade.
It was funny how she instantly stuck to Park Deokgu and chirped.
“Have you seen any monsters on your way here?”
“Not only did I see them, but I’ve already killed a few.”
“Ohhh… You weren’t scared?”
A deliberate, slightly surprised expression.
“W-Well, of course I was scared, but… In fact, if not for hyung-nim, I

wouldn’t be here now.”
At the moment Park Deokgu uttered those useless words, Lee Jihye’s gaze
shifted to this side again.
I didn’t know if she was the same as me, but I could see what she was doing
right now.
“Ah. So you fought together with Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Sure we fought together! Every time hyung-nim stabbed with his spear, one
monster bastard dropped dead.”
‘Shut up, you pig…’

I wanted to shut up Park Deokgu’s mouth.
I guess he thought he was making me look more impressive in this way, but
to me, it was way too much favouritism.
At least I didn’t have to worry about being backstabbed by him, but still, it
was very embarrassing for me.
Lee Jihye was amending her evaluation of my person.
As Park Deokgu’s hyung-nim, I was more important now.
“Oh, I see. I’m really glad to hear this. Our shelter will be a little safer now.”
A slightly raised tone of anticipation.
However, I didn’t feel good about it. Because, right now, other survivors
were also staring at us.
Only
I checked all of them with my Mind’s Eye, but there was no one special in
my field of view.
From this, I was able to identify just what kind of gaze those guys were
sending our way.
‘Relief.’
They were all relieved. The appearance of two guys with a spear, sword and
shield made them sigh with relief.
“Huh…”
I expected something like this, but seeing it with my own eyes made me sigh.
Kim Hyunsung made this place very safe.
For them, not for us.

Chapter 7 Class (1)
Chapter 7: Class (1)
I wasn’t a charitable person.
Rather, I was the opposite of that. Lee Jihye, who was laughing while
standing in front of me, was probably the same.
People nodded at us, obviously pleased to see two warriors, one with spear
and another with sword, join them.
‘That’s not right…’
At this rate I would become a meat shield.
“Well, I said I would lead you to a resting spot, but honestly, there’s not
much to show. There’s only two sections here. One for men and another for
women to live separately.”
“That’s enough. And it’s proper.”
“Thank you for saying that. I was a little worried…”
“There’s no need to worry about such a thing. Thanks for being our guide.”
“That’s kind of you. Hehe. Can I call you Deokgu oppa?”
“I-If you want to…”
“You are such a nice man.”

This naive Park Deokgu was already half-way into the honey trap set by Lee
Jihye. He sure felt good about being called ‘oppa’ by a woman six years his
senior.
“Are you okay, Kiyoung-ssi?”
“You don’t have to be so formal, call me as you like.”
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Jung Hayan’s expression wasn’t looking
good.
“Then I will call you Kiyoung oppa. Hehe. Ah! Hayan-ssi, please, come this
way. We have no set rules for living here, but Hyunsung-ssi will tell you
everything you should know. I will take Hayan-ssi with me, and teach her a
few things. Have a good rest.”
“Ah… okay. Kiyoung-ssi, see you later then. Thank you so much for today.”
“Yes, see you later.”
“Yup!”
Jung Hayan bowed her head, and then went to the women’s section together
with Lee Jihye.
It seemed like there were a variety of unspoken rules here, but frankly, I
wasn’t very interested in this.
What interested me was how we would now proceed.
“Hyung-nim, don’t you think this place seems quite lively?”
“That’s true…”
“Is there a problem?”
“It’s not a big deal. Just…”
“Just…?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Oh, is that so…”
I wasn’t happy with the idea of becoming a meat shield to keep this place
safe, but if I changed my perspective a little, it actually wasn’t such a bad
thing.
‘Only in this manner can I get what I need.’
This place offered endless opportunities.
Safe hunting with Kim Hyunsung, help with getting a class and roping Jung
Hayan onto my side.
Perhaps it won’t be smooth sailing, but that was a minor issue.
The next morning, Kim Hyunsung called out Park Deokgu and I.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yea, thanks to you.”
Park Deokgu responded briefly to Kim Hyunsung’s question.
When it was only me and Deokgu I couldn’t sleep properly, so it was the first
night in this place where I could relax a little.
I roughly knew what this guy was trying to get at. Instead of getting dragged
into this by him, I bit the bullet, and opened my mouth first.
“I didn’t see many people who could fight here. Most of them are women or
injured. Or those who have no will to fight.”
“Yes, it’s quite embarrassing to admit.”
“How is this place holding up?”
It was a pointed question to ask, but I was really curious about it.
Only after a while did Kim Hyunsung slowly start speaking.
“Actually, we are not doing that great.”
As I expected.
I rubbed my chin and said.
“The lack of food and drinking water. No one to fight. And you, who has to
take care of those 30 babies. Maybe even more, because their number will
increase in the future.”
“…”
“So far, you have been holding on, relying on food and drinking water you
had stored in advance, but these resources will dwindle very soon, and there
will be a need to find other solutions. Isn’t that right? It will be very hard to
get resources from the starting points scattered all over the place. Right now
we have to deal with monsters in front of us, and yet, the unable-to-fight-
burdens behind us are increasing in number.”
“They are not burdens.”
“They might not be burdens in the future, but right now they are.”
Kim Hyunsung didn’t answer, maybe he agreed with me to some degree.
“To be honest, taking into the account the circumstances, leaving this place
doesn’t seem like a bad choice.”
“You are going to leave, Hyung-nim?”
I shook my head at Park Deokgu’s words, and said,
“I didn’t mean that. But if we stay here, it won’t do us any good.”
“Ah…”
“Hyunsung-ssi, I wouldn’t say that this friend of mine and I are that great. He
might be helpful, but as for me, not so much. Actually, all I can do is to stand
in place and stab my spear forward.”
“…”
“But still, I can fight together with others and serve as support. The same
goes for this guy.”
“Thank you.”
I pretended to be casual, but it was quite difficult.
We were tired, both mentally and physically, and I suspected we might reach
our limit soon.
Although you didn’t seem to know me and Park Deokgu, you must have been
overjoyed to meet us.
“I’m not a volunteer.”
“Ah…”
“I think I roughly know what you wish to accomplish. Maybe all you want to
do is let everyone survive and be safe. I can understand this way of thinking,
but I’m not like you, Hyunsung-ssi. I’m not someone who is willing to be
sacrificed for someone else who won’t even share my hardships. You may
call it selfish, but that’s how I see it…”
“No, I understand. Of course, you have your own needs.”
Communicating with him was smoother than I expected.
I was worried he would stick to his righteousness, but thankfully that wasn’t
the case.
“Alright. Then, firstly, we want dibs on a portion of the resources we find

during future trips.”
He nodded slightly.
Probably, he thought that wasn’t such a big demand.
“And…”
“…”
“We’d like to be included in your plan for the future.”
Kim Hyunsung’s face stiffened a little.
A moment later, he looked at me with an odd expression. He seemed to be a

bit surprised.
However, soon after, a faint smile appeared on his face.
“So you knew.”
“That strange woman from the starting point gave us two big clues: attack
and survive. It’s just my personal view, but this second option seems
impossible to achieve. Uh, well, if a small number of people monopolized a
lot of resources, then maybe it could work. But I don’t remember her saying
anything about the exact duration we would have to live here for.”
“…”
“If there’s no set time limit, gathering survivors isn’t a good choice. Sure,
they wouldn’t get eaten by monsters, but they would starve to death. It’s a
forgone conclusion.”
I knew he was a regressor, so I was just telling him everything he should

already know about.
However, this guy seemed to admire my reasoning and the fact that I could
deduce so much just by putting together small pieces of information.
In fact, when I raised my eyes, I could see him lowering his head a little.
I was right.
“In that case, I’m happy to work together with you.”
“Likewise…”
I held his outstretched hand. There was a strange sense of trust in his eyes.
He was aware that I wasn’t strong enough.
But in his mind, I might be the shining example of a useful talent now.
For example, as a type of person fit to be an analyst or administrator.
***
“Hyung-nim!”
“I know.”
Ever since Kim Hyunsung joined us, hunting had become much easier.
That wasn’t all.
Now I held even more faith in what Mind’s Eye was showing me.
“Deokgu!”
“I’m coming.”
Obviously, Kim Hyunsung seemed to be very experienced in using the

sword.
Sometimes he deliberately made mistakes, as if he wanted to hide his skill

level, but the way he reacted every time Park Deokgu was in danger made it
hard to see him as a person who only recently started using the sword.
‘Good.’
While Park Deokgu was holding several monsters in place, Kim Hyunsung
and I were dealing with them from the sides.
They were sensitive to sound, so to get their attention Park Deokgu was
hitting his shield with his sword.
I was still unused to wielding a spear, and my hands trembled.
As I stabbed a monster rushing at Park Deokgu, the spear fell out of my

hands.
But then Park Deokgu finished it with a slam of his shield.
“Haa!”
“Looks like a few more are coming. Let me take care of them. In the
meantime…”
“I know. Deokgu, let’s grab the food.”
“I already took it, Kiyoung Hyung-nim… What do you think he was doing
when he lived on Earth?”
“No idea. But I doubt he was using swords there. His skills are probably the
result of acquiring a class.”
“Oh well, you have to admit he is hella good at this.”
Using his high agility, Kim Hyunsung was avoiding every strike and cut
down enemies with precision.
From far away it seemed simple, but in practice it wasn’t simple at all.
The reason why Kim Hyunsung was going ahead alone sometimes was
because Park Deokgu already knew that he had a class.
Ever since hearing about this, Park Deokgu seemed to be a little nervous.
He had yet to unlock any class, and he was feeling stressed about this.
“Haa!”
While Kim Hyunsung killed the remaining monsters, Park Deokgu observed
him quietly.
His eyes were full of amazement.
“Ah, there are fewer monsters than I expected around this starting point
area.”
“Maybe he cleared this area before.”
“You mean Kim Hyunsung?”
“Yea. There’s a lot of food here, but it seems like no one survived… Well, if
there were survivors, there would be no food left.”
“I didn’t really think the three of us would be enough to secure resources

from the starting point.”
“You helped a lot.”
“No, I didn’t do much, did I? It’s all thanks to that guy.”
“No, it’s not only thanks to him. If not for you, it would’ve been much harder
for us to get here.”
I didn’t say those words only out of comfort.
It was true that Park Deokgu made it much easier for us to come all the way
here. No matter how good at fighting Kim Hyunsung was, he was only a
single person after all. It would be difficult for him to tackle all the monsters
attacking him from every direction alone.
Although Park Deokgu was still in his growing phase, it was clear that his
potential would allow him to become someone who could lift a heavy burden
off his allies in battle.
It was when I was checking my status window to see if any of my stats had
risen that…
Only
“Huh? Hyung-nim.”
I heard Park Deokgu’s startled voice at the same moment I saw a new
message in front of me.
[Several classes have been unlocked. Please select the class of your
choice.]
‘Good.’
It was faster than I thought.
[View unlocked classes.]
[Warrior (Common)]
[Archer (Common)]
[Wizard (Common)]
[Commander (Rare)]
One very attractive class came into my view.

Chapter 8 Class
Chapter 8: Class (2)
‘A [Commander]?’
This one line glowed blue, while the other three were white.
I guess it was because of the rare grade. For now, I began reading the class
descriptions from top to bottom.
[Warrior (Common)]
A capable warrior fighting at the forefront of a battle is a must-have for

every party. After changing to this class, you will gain basic knowledge
on using all kinds of melee weapons such as swords, spears, axes and so
on. Afterwards, you will be able to unlock other melee classes, such as
[Barbarian], [Knight], [Paladin], [Cavalryman], [Mercenary] and more.
Strength, vitality and endurance are increased by 1 point each.
[Archer (Common)]
An archer specialises in ranged attacks. After changing to this class, you

will gain basic knowledge on using bows and arrows. In addition to being
able to unlock adjacent class paths such as [Thief] and [Assassin], you
will also have a chance to advance to a higher grade [Archer] class such
as [Spirit Archer] or [Magic Archer]. Agility is increased by 3 points.
[Wizard (Common)]
A [Wizard] is a long range class with the ability to use magic. After
changing to this class, you will gain basic knowledge on using magic.
Later on, you can unlock other classes such as [Warlock], [Alchemist] or
[Summoner]. Magic power is increased by 3 points.
The first three options didn’t look too bad.
Choosing [Warrior] would improve my three stats that were the most difficult
to raise, while choosing [Archer] would allow me to learn how to use ranged
weapons… For someone like me, who just wanted to chill at the back, it was
a very appealing class.
Likewise for [Wizard]. It would boost my magic power, which was still an
unknown factor for me.
However, what I was the most curious about, was the rare class that
appeared, [Commander].
[Commander (Rare)]
This class has little to do with combat skills. Instead of participating in

actual combat, a person with this class reads the situation of the
battlefield and gives orders from behind. Changing to this class would
provide a wider field of view. It’s not known what other classes you
could unlock later. Intelligence is increased by 1 point.
Honestly, until I read the description, my mind was set on [Commander].
However, now that I had learned the pros and cons of all the classes
available, I felt a headache incoming.
A [Commander’s] abilities weren’t that bad.
‘But what’s the point of having a wider field of view here?’
And it only increased my intelligence by 1 point.
When you take into account that all other classes offered me 3 extra points, I
would lose out on 2 points.
And that wasn’t all.
‘What about my path of development for the future…?’
It was unsettling that there were no mentions of any possible class to be

unlocked afterwards.
I then remembered that Kim Hyunsung’s class was also a common grade one,
[Swordsman].
It was very possible that he had unlocked some other classes with a rare or
even heroic grade.
However, as someone with the Sword Expert attribute, he set his sights on
being a [Swordsman]. He probably tried to follow the path he already knew
instead of trying something new with lower efficiency.
While I was thinking about this, I saw Kim Hyunsung coming this way.
“Looks like you guys unlocked some classes.”
“Yes.”
For this guy, who already knew his own direction of growth, choosing a class
was just a formality. On the other hand, I had a lot to worry about because
this choice would decide my future. Park Deokgu then opened his mouth,
asking for advice.
“Hyung-nim, this…”
“What is it?”
“I’m just not sure about this. I have Warrior and Priest as options, both of
which are of common rank. I also see a rare grade class, Shieldman, but I
don’t know if it’s good.”
“You have Priest in your options?”
“For Priest, I could change to Paladin afterwards… and it seems like Warrior
can change to Berserker, but… Wouldn’t it be nice to have a rare class at
first?”
Considering Park Deokgu’s potential was the highest for vitality and
endurance, [Shieldman] indeed seemed like the right choice for him.
“Shieldman…”
“Well, it says that this class is all about defense. It explains that there are
bonuses to using a shield, but the problem is that it’s unknown what other
classes I could unlock later. Oh, and I would lose 2 points of my strength…
but at the same time I would gain 3 points in endurance and vitality.”
“It doesn’t sound bad.”
It was Kim Hyunsung who spoke before I could even open my mouth. He
offered his advice even though he wasn’t asked.
“You seem to be someone who has high endurance… Your strength would
drop, but such a big rise in endurance and vitality would be amazing. And
even if you lose 2 points of strength, you will still be 4 stat points ahead.”
‘Indeed.’
In an online game, the presence of a tanker, a warrior who fights in the

forefront, would be essential.
Seeing Kim Hyunsung’s reaction, the system here wasn’t that much different.
Not only priests, but tankers were also valuable here.
“Hmm… You think so?”
“Have you unlocked any attributes yet?”
“Not yet.”
“As for me, I have a common grade class, Swordsman, and an attribute that
boosts my damage. At first, I wanted to choose Warrior to increase my
strength, but I had a hunch that a swordsman with great increase in agility
would be a better option for me. Afterwards, I unlocked an attribute by
accident, so I think my choice of class was the right one.”
“Ah.”
He was the type of guy who expressed his opinion openly.
The quality of the class itself wasn’t too important. The most important thing
was how well this class balanced itself with the stats, attributes and abilities
of a person.
So it was all about what had the best efficiency.
Although he didn’t insist on it too strongly, Kim Hyunsung clearly wished for
Park Deokgu to choose the rare grade [Shieldman] class.
“What do you think, Hyung-nim?”
“My opinion is similar. It’s unknown if in the future you would get any
attributes that increase your damage, but we have Hyunsung-ssi after all, and
he can make up for your lack of attack power. And it would be nice if you
could increase your stats by 4 points… But still, the choice is yours.”
“That’s right…”
“How about Priest then…?”
“That’s the worst choice.”
[Priest] was the worst option here.
I just couldn’t imagine him with this class. Maybe it could work if he later
changed to something like [Paladin], but…
Park Deokgu’s talent for magic wasn’t particularly great.
After a while, for a short amount of time, Park Deokgu’s body shined with a
blue light.
He had successfully changed his class.
“What did you choose?”
“Just as you said, Shieldman seems to be the most suitable class for me.”
“Is that so?”
“I think that even now I can protect you pretty well, Hyung-nim, but it would
be nice if I could do so even better. And as for the offensive, I guess it’s not
bad to leave it to others. Playing with magic seems to be dangerous, what if I
explode because of it? That said, being on the frontlines is a little scary, but I
think I can handle it.”
“It’s a good choice.”
Kim Hyunsung also approvingly nodded his head, then turned to me.
“If you don’t mind, can I ask what Kiyoung-ssi chose?”
I was silent for a moment, before answering.
“I haven’t chosen anything yet. I have three options for common grade
classes: Warrior, Archer and Wizard, and also one rare grade class:
Commander.”
“Commander…”
I noticed his facial muscles stiffened for a second.
‘It’s a trap card.’
This barely perceptible reaction made me convinced that [Commander] was a

trap card here.
“Um… I see.”
“Oh my god, Hyung-nim! Commander! This class would be perfect for you! I
just know it!”
“Y-Yes?”
“I mean, aren’t you totally like some cool commander, Hyung-nim? Just
imagining you giving orders from behind like a boss… Khh… Under Hyung-
nim’s command I will surely win every battle!”
Park Deokgu was full of excitement, but honestly, I didn’t see myself as a
commander type.
And also…
‘I don’t know anything about war strategy.’
I had never ever read any book about the art of war.
I wasn’t very good at playing chess or Go, and I didn’t have a particularly
outstanding mind compared to others.
If you asked me about my experience in this area, I could only think about
this short time in the distant past, when I played some online strategy game. I
don’t even remember what its name was now.
In fact, with my character, I was more fit to be a scammer rather than a

commander. I guess [Thief] would be quite a fair option for me.
“I can’t wait for you to give me orders, Hyung-nim!”
‘This bastard…’
He was cute.
Apparently, he already thought I would choose [Commander].
“It says this class would provide me with a wider field of vision and 1 point
increase in my intelligence. As for other classes, you guys probably know
about them.”
“With this class, there’s little to no gain. At least the other three would
increase your starts by 3 points…”
I felt my throat getting dry. Becoming a rare grade [Commander] was

definitely a trap.
“You have to be a Commander! Commander!”
I decided to ignore this idiot who was getting all excited by himself, and
pondered more deeply on this problem.
“Having a rare grade class for now would be nice, but I’m also worried
whether this class would enable me to advance to something better in the
future. All the other classes are of common grade, but it’s obvious they won’t
stay like this. Choosing your first class is very important, so…”
“I’m telling you Hyung-nim, you should be a Commander! Commander!

Please, command me!”
“…”
“I think the Archer class wouldn’t be so bad for you, Kiyoung-ssi. It would
help us a lot, if you could attack from a distance… and later on you could
change to something like Thief…
“Hyung-nim, choose Commander! Commander! Let me follow you!”
“For now… it would be more helpful to increase your stats.”
“There’s nothing to argue about here! Hyung-nim was born to be a

commander! He has to be a Commander no matter what!”
“Archer would be better for him…”
“Commander is better!”
“Archer…”
“Commander!”
“Archer…”
“Commander!”
“Archer!”
“Commander!”
“Archer is better!”
“Commander is even better!!!”
They were just making me more confused.
‘Damn…’
I left those two guys to argue by themselves.
Kim Hyunsung seemed to know a little about the disadvantages of being a

[Commander], and he wanted to recommend the [Archer] class to me.
However, he didn’t know about my poor talent.
‘Should I choose [Archer].’
Choosing [Commander] went hand in hand with some potential problems, but
[Wizard] was actually quite tempting for me. Although my magic power was
truly a sad sight, I felt I could work around it, relying on my high
intelligence.[1]
The most important thing was to make the best use of my strong points.
Anyway, my Mind’s Eye already told me that I was a hopeless case.
“Ah…”
Only
In the end, I had to choose a class that seemed to be the most efficient for me.
As I made my decision, I closed my eyes and with a flash of light I could feel
how my body changed a little.
“Phew…”
I successfully changed my class.
Kim Hyunsung and Park Deokgu spoke at the same time.
“Commander?” “Archer?”
***
[1] To lessen your confusion. In chapter 1 by other translator Kiyoung’s

potential for all stats was “common grade” but it wasn’t right. He has “heroic
grade” for intelligence and luck. In next chapter we will have update of his
status window so you can see it more clearly.
Chapter 9 Pure things are easily
dyed
RIM Chapter 9: Pure things are easily dyed
“Wizard.”
“Umm…”
“W-Why not Commander…”
Both of them reacted pretty similarly.
Park Deokgu looked really disappointed. Kim Hyunsung was obviously a

little dejected, but otherwise didn’t seem to think it was a bad decision.
Although an [Archer]’s ability to use bows was very attractive, my low

agility wouldn’t allow me to utilise it well. I didn’t know if changes could
happen in the future, but right now my ability stat had little potential for
growth.
There was no point in forcing myself to do something that didn’t suit me.
Naturally, even if I had chosen [Archer] and became a [Thief] later on, I
would still have to worry about this very same thing.
In fact, the same could be said about the [Wizard] class. I already knew that I
wasn’t going to be a skilled magic user, but…
‘I have to take advantage of my strengths.’

I figured that the best path forward would be to make use of my high
intelligence. Considering the various ways this class could branch out, there
had to be a class where high mana wasn’t a barrier to growth.
“May I ask why you chose Wizard?”
I shook my head slightly, and said,
“Just a hunch.”
I had no other choice.
Even if I had chosen [Commander], I would’ve only gained 1 extra stat point.
Gaining a three point boost to mana, which was still uncharted territory to
me, seemed like a boon in comparison.
“I see.”
He seemed to have been convinced.
I felt a little bitter. If only he could see my growth potential, he would know
there was no hope for me.
[Acquired basic knowledge of elementary magic.]
[Due to the effect of the class, the mana stat increased by 3 points.]
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Lee
Kiyoung.]
[Name: Lee Kiyoung]

[Age: 25]
[Disposition: Careful Strategist]
[Class: Wizard]
[Class Effects: Basic Magic Knowledge]
[Stats]
[Strength: 10/Growth potential: common or lower]
[Agility: 11/Growth potential: common or lower]
[Vitality: 12/Growth potential: common or lower]
[Endurance: 12/Growth potential: common or lower]
[Mana: 03/Growth potential: common or lower]
[Equipment: None]
[Attributes: Mind’s Eye]
[Overview: You’re still hopeless. But I applaud you for getting a class.
Selecting [Wizard] may well be a very good choice for you. If you hadn’t,
it would be difficult to feel magic given your talent. The extra 3 points of
mana may look promising, but I recommend that you don’t raise your
hopes on being a good Wizard. You will only be left with
disappointment.]
‘This son of a bitch…’
For some reason the overview message didn’t criticize my choice as much as
I thought it would.
It was still insulting, but at least I got an approving nod for learning to use
mana.
There were many changes to my status window.
I also felt like I roughly understood what it meant to acquire knowledge on

the basics of magic.
New knowledge poured into my head.
All of it was literally only foundational knowledge, so there was nothing too
complicated. It explained the concept of magic, how to move mana, how to
cast spells by using mana, and it also provided an introduction to the concepts
of chimeras and incantations.
“It’s not that bad.”
It was a little different from what I had imagined.
I couldn’t quite pin it down in words, but I felt like I was solving some
formula I’d never seen before, or like I was building a tower with my mana.
Knowledge of things that were completely unfamiliar to me, such as

chimeras and incantations, continued to accumulate in my mind.
‘For now, at least, it seems like it was worth it.’
Unlike the benefits of the [Commander] class, I could use this power as soon
as I adapted to it.
When I slowly closed my eyes and felt the mana inside me, it welled up
immediately.
My level of mana was only in the single digits, so I felt really grateful that it
moved according to my will.
While I was still operating mana in my mind, Kim Hyunsung, who had been
observing me, opened his mouth.
“Let’s go back then. We’ve already been delayed by a lot. As for food…”
“Two bags are enough for us.”
“Alright.”
After packing up two bags, Park Deokgu handed the rest over to Kim
Hyunsung.
He nodded, and revealed a look of gratitude.
Perhaps he thought we were being considerate of him.
We had retrieved about 12 leather bags full of food from this starting point. If
you thought about Park Deokgu’s contribution in attracting the monsters’
aggro, only asking for 2 bags was a bargain.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Well, there’s no need for thanks. Without Hyunsung-ssi, we wouldn’t have

had the opportunity to even get these two bags… Given everything you’ve
done for us, it’s only natural that we repay your help in kind.”
“But…”
“Alright, let’s go feed the people.”
“Okay, I understand.”
“What are you going to do about the others, by the way? We can’t keep
helping them like this.”
“Those who aren’t willing to fight would only get in the way. I don’t want
there to be any unnecessary victims… It may be good to put them through
training to adapt to the circumstances then take them to hunt monsters one by
one.
“I don’t think that would work.”
If you thought about it, Park Deokgu had also completed this kind of training
to adapt.
But I didn’t bother to say this out loud.
“It might not work. But for now, I think we could try it out with just one
other person, with your permission of course. Would you guys be okay with
that?”
“I don’t mind… But how about you, Hyung-nim?”
“I’m also okay with this. Just, can I suggest someone right now?”
“Do you have anyone in mind…?”

“I was thinking of Jung Hayan, if she’s fine with it.”
“Ah.”
Kim Hyunsung nodded his head happily.
It was no exaggeration to say that Jung Hayan was like a lottery ticket that
was certain to win a jackpot.
I had already confirmed her talent with my Mind’s Eye, and Kim Hyunsung
most likely knew about her future achievements.
I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw his delighted expression.
The way back to the shelter was quite comfortable. Due to the fact that we
would inevitably leave the shelter unprotected whilst we travelled to the
starting point, we had cleared out the area beforehand.
As we approached the shelter, several people, including Lee Jihye, ran out to
greet Kim Hyunsung.
“Ah, Hyunsung-ssi! Deokgu oppa and Kiyoungie oppa also worked hard. Let
us take those for you…”
I could see those guys taking bags from Kim Hyunsungie as though it were
only natural.
One man, who seemed to have an injured leg, snuck his hand towards our
side as well, so I shook him off, and said,
“We will carry our bags ourselves.”
“Oh, yes…”
I drew a clear line between us and their system of distribution.

Funnily enough, I could clearly see an expression of disapproval on his face.
He seemed to be thinking something along the lines of, ‘Who do you guys
even think you are?’
The corners of my mouth rose for a moment, but he likely didn’t see it. Not
minding my actions, Kim Hyunsung was quietly speaking with Lee Jihye.
“This is the food that we obtained from the starting point. I want Jihye-ssi to
distribute it amongst the people inside the shelter.”
“Alright! Leave it to me, Hyunsung-ssi. By any chance, were there any

survivors…”
“I don’t think so.”
“I-I see. That’s too bad.”
“Maybe some of them are still alive nearby. Sooner or later, we’ll have to
search that area again.”
“Ah! Right…”
There probably wouldn’t be enough food. Kim Hyunsungie had only brought
ten bags.
Thirty people wouldn’t be able to eat their fill after sharing it amongst
themselves.
I could still hold out for now, but I was already feeling hungry myself.
Park Deokgu and I, carrying our two bags, walked past the leeches
surrounding Kim Hyunsung and headed inside.
Inexplicable gazes followed us all the while.
While walking, Park Deokgu spoke with a hint of uneasiness.
“Hyung-nim, you really won’t share with them?”

“We are not volunteers.”
“Well, I know that but… I don’t feel very good about it. And the expressions
of those people who went out to greet us were kinda…
“Why do you care about how they look at you?”
“I-I just don’t like it…”
“They’re the ones who should be thanking us for risking our lives and
bringing them food, Deokgu. The idea of even supporting baggage like them
is laughable. The place we’re staying in right now is Kim Hyunsung’s
shelter. We’re not one of them. We helped them as much as we were helped,
and we even gave up some food that we were supposed to get. It’s the least
we could do. Kim Hyunsung knows that, which is why he hasn’t said
anything…”
“Umm…”
“If they want better treatment, they can also pick up a sword. Well, maybe if I
were in their shoes, I would also have had a hard time doing that… Maybe
Kim Hyunsung wants them to be motivated by us. I’m not sure what the
outcome will be.”
“Ahh… So when they see us taking so much food, they would realise they
also have to fight to be treated likewise?”
“That’s the desired effect.”
That guy wasn’t stupid. It was possible that he was hoping for something
along those lines to occur.
While we were trudging over to the place where we usually stayed, I couldn’t
see Jung Hayan anywhere.
I had wondered if there was any work for those who didn’t go out hunting,
but I couldn’t see anyone who was actually idle.
Some were cleaning up their surroundings, while others moved heavy stones
to fortify the shelter.
Perhaps Jung Hayan was also doing some kind of work. It was obvious who
had managed this place while we were gone.
‘Lee Jihye.’
She was in charge of these people.
It was her job to distribute food and report any issues to Kim Hyunsung.
She was also the first to come out to greet him.
While thinking about this, I felt the corners of my mouth rising up for a
moment.
“Deokgu-yah.”
“What is it?”
“Do you remember Jung Hayan?”
“Are you talking about the lady with the injured leg who was clinging onto
you earlier?”
“That’s right.”
I took out some food from my bag and handed it to Park Deokgu.
“I want you to give this to her, and see if she’s okay.”
“Hyung-nim, why are you… ah…”
Something about his expression didn’t seem right.
“I understand. Very well, you can leave it to me!”
This guy caught onto my intention at once.

We hadn’t been together for long, but he was already starting to get better at
understanding what I wanted from him.
He understood that I was trying to get her.
Of course, I didn’t mean it in a romantic way, but it was surprisingly easy to

make people think otherwise.
Only
Especially in a situation like this.
From what I could remember, Jung Hayan’s disposition was ‘Pure

Advocate’.
Kim Hyunsung’s disposition, ‘Well-Meaning Arbitrator’, appeared to be

slightly similar, but the two were clearly different.
‘Pure’ and ‘Well-Meaning’ were clearly different.
“Pure things are easily dyed.”
“What did you say?”
Perhaps this small experiment would be enough to prove what I had said.
Chapter 10 Jung Hayan (1)
Chapter 10: Jung Hayan (1)
An invisible hierarchy was forming.
Even beasts that were incapable of speech would create a class-based system
among themselves. It would be stranger if, in a situation like this one, there
were no subtle differences in ranks.
As long as it was a place people inhabited, it was a natural outcome.
“First of all.”
At the very top of the pyramid was Kim Hyunsung, the man who had built
this place.
I didn’t know what had occurred whilst finding this shelter, but the people
here certainly placed a lot of trust in Kim Hyunsung.
I would have had a similar reaction.
Of course, it was a natural reaction for someone who had suddenly fallen into
an unknown land crawling with monsters.
The fact that there was a guy willing to pick up a sword and stand up against
those monsters was very reassuring, especially since that guy was foolishly
kind.
It was no wonder then, that people admired him.

Next up was Lee Jihye. A woman who had an unexpected windfall from
being with Kim Hyunsung.
Unlike Kim Hyunsung, who frequently roamed outside, she spent most of her
time in the shelter, managing food distribution, guarding the shelter, and
other essential tasks.
There were also some people who could be considered part of ‘Lee Jihye’s
Unit’ that held significant authority.
Of course, while Kim Hyunsung was here, they couldn’t abuse or openly take
advantage of their power, but it was inevitable whilst he was gone.
“Then where are we, Hyung-nim?”
“You could say that we’re right under Kim Hyunsung, because we have the
strength to fight and retrieve food.”
“Umm…”
“It’s probable that they’re dissatisfied with us right now.”
“But at first…”
“Of course, they were sweet to us at first. But I’m sure they didn’t like what
happened yesterday. It was like implying that we want to be independent. To
put it bluntly: ‘It’s not our job to feed you.’ That was likely the last nail in the
coffin.”
“But part of the food they took was ours. Isn’t it natural to say, thanks,
instead?”
“Of course, there are people like that too, but… It’s human nature to try to
keep new powers in check. Even if it’s just within a small group of people.”
“Does that mean that Kim Hyunsung is keeping us in check?”
“No, Kim Hyunsung doesn’t think of this place as his own in the first place.”
“Then who the hell is so wary of us…?”
“People who think this place belongs to them.”
It wasn’t Kim Hyunsung who was pretending to rule. It was Lee Jihye, the
one who was profiting off of him.
“I think I know what you mean.”
“Kim Hyunsung is the figurehead of this group, but she’s the one controlling
it. In the first place, Kim Hyunsung doesn’t have time to manage this place
since he spends most of his time outside. Where might is required, the one
with strength is king, and where food and shelter are a priority, the one
grasping them is king. Kim Hyunsung has power, but it’s that woman who
has food and shelter.”
“You mean Lee Jihye?”
I nodded slightly.
“…”
“One more loaf of bread is enough to win people over and you can send away
those you’re wary of. Power is created by discrimination. Jung Hayan is
probably one of the ones who aren’t favoured by Lee Jihye… That’s why she
was separated from the group and sent out to do rough work.”
“Since when have you been paying so much attention to Hayan-ssi?”
“In the future we will have to keep an even closer eye on her.”
Park Deokgu nodded quietly.
Watching over Jung Hayan was just the beginning.
It was an impulsive judgement based on Lee Jihye and Jung Hayan’s

dispositions, ‘Selfish Ambitionist’ and ‘Pure Advocate’. Even so, I thought
that I could perhaps really achieve the results I wanted.
***
“Hayan-ssi, you need to do your job properly.”
“Yes? Okay…”
“Everyone is working hard. Hayan-ssi isn’t the only one who has it difficult.
In a situation like this, we all have to work together… If you keep up this
attitude, we’ll have no choice but to reduce your rations.”
“Yes…”
“It doesn’t matter if you say ‘yes’ or ‘no’… As you may have heard, things
aren’t looking bright. It’s not easy to get food from other places, and we also
don’t know how long we’ll have to stay here. If a monster comes while
Hyunsung-ssi is out, we’ll be slaughtered. That’s why building walls is so
important.”
“Yes, I understand. I’m really sorry.”
“Tsk. If you don’t want to get kicked out, don’t slack off and work hard. As
more survivors are found, there won’t be any space left for Hayan-ssi. I just
don’t understand why people who’ve just joined are so selfish…”
“I’m sorry?”
“It’s nothing. Just do your job properly.”
“Yes, okay. I understand.”
She could see the man who anxiously spoke out turning away.
Subconsciously, she lowered her head.
She wasn’t sure what she had done wrong in his mind, but he didn’t seem to
like anything she did.
No, it was natural to not like it.
It was no wonder he was unhappy. It has been a few days already, and she
still wasn’t able to fulfill her assigned workload.
‘Stupid.’
She had always heard words such as ‘slow’ or ‘slug-like’, but she hated
herself for not being able to move faster even in this situation.
‘It hurts.’
She looked down slightly, and saw her ragged hands. Her fingernails were
almost gone. It was painful, but she could definitely empathise with what she
had just been told.
‘Everyone is working hard.’
Everyone was doing their best to survive.
Hyunsung-ssi, Kiyoung-ssi and Deokgu-ssi, who were out fighting against

monsters, as well as the people who were building walls together.
Compared to before, when she had been frantically running around on her
own, not knowing when she would die, this place was akin to heaven.
If Kiyoung-ssi hadn’t helped her at that time, she would have been killed by
monsters.
As she remembered how she had clung to him almost the whole way here,
her face flushed red.
That was the first time she had been in such proximity with a man.
As she recalled that memory in a daze, she raised her head when she heard a
voice coming from beside her.
“Hayan-ssi, I know you have it hard. Let me take that.”
“Ah, Seokwoo-ssi.”
“He’s probably also been under a lot of stress lately.”
“I-Is that so?”
“Yes, Hyunsung-ssi has been going out a lot lately, so building fortifications
is very important right now. Jihye-ssi must be thinking the same thing. We
don’t know how long we are going to be here, so we have to do everything
we can. You’ll have to understand.”
“Ah, I-I know.”
“You seem to be particularly sensitive today. I think Hayan-ssi is one of the

hardest working people here… I’ll talk to him later. Let’s go eat together
first.”
“Ah… Yes.”
“I heard yesterday that Hyunsung-ssi got food from the starting point.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. I heard it from Jihye-ssi, so it must be true.”
“That’s a relief, hehe.”
Yoo Seokwoo.
He was a man who spoke his mind.
Of course, since he was in charge of her, helping her benefited him too, but
most of the time he seemed to just want to chat.
“By the way, isn’t this work hard?”
“O-Of course it’s hard, but there are definitely others who have it rougher.”
“But still, it’s not an easy job… You know, you could cheat a bit.”
“No. I can’t even finish the work assigned to me in the first place… I can’t
cheat. Seokwoo-ssi is injured, but you still work with us…”
“I’m overseeing everything, so I don’t have to do much, haha. Actually, I

have no problem with this, haha.”
While chatting about various things, they arrived at the food distribution
table.
She could see a few people lining up.
Park Deokgu and Lee Kiyoung were nowhere in sight. It was possible that
they had already finished their meal or had left to go elsewhere.
‘It hasn’t been long since they came back from hunting.’
Surely they would want to rest.
“Line up and stand here. You can wait for your turn.”
“Yes.”
“Ah. Yes.”
After receiving the food, they settled down in a nice spot. She could see
others who were gathering together to eat.
A brief thought crossed her mind to sneak over and join them. However,
perhaps because of her timid personality, it wasn’t easy for her to talk or hang
out with others in the first place.
“These circumstances are hard for them as well.”
“Yes?”
“I mean the others. It’s tough for everyone. No one can afford to take care of
anyone else, and in the case of Hayan-ssi, who came here a bit later, they’re
probably even more reluctant.”
“Ah… I-I guess so. A-And I can’t do my job properly…”
“No, Hayan-ssi, you work harder than anyone else. With time, when you get
used to it, everyone will accept Hayan-ssi. Just like I do now.”
“T-Thank you for taking such good care of me.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I just want to get closer to Hayan-ssi.”
“Oh! So do I. Thank you for always helping me.”
Now that she thought of it, she had received a lot of help from this person.
From the very beginning, he had been the first to approach her and help her
make connections. He had made her time here a lot smoother.
‘Thank you.’
It happened while she was placing a piece of bread into her mouth. She could
feel Yoo Seokwoo grabbing her hand.
“Ah…”
She tried to pull back, but he didn’t let go.
She turned her head and saw Yoo Seokwoo looking at her.
“L-Let go of me. P-Please…”
“What?”
“L-Let go. Why, all of a sudden…?”
“But just now…”
“T-That’s not what I meant.”

She looked around hurriedly, but there was no one else there. It felt like Yoo
Seokwoo’s always-smiling eyes had changed a little.
His smile was nowhere to be seen and a look of ridicule had taken its place.
“Hayan-ssi.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Did you think that I was doing you a favour?”
“W-What are you talking about?”
“If you are taking something, you also have to give something back. You
really don’t know shit.”
“W-What are you saying. W-Why are you being like this…”
“You know how much I’ve done for you, don’t you?”
“I-I don’t know much about that. I appreciate your help, but…”
Only
“You… Are you really that stupid? Or are you just pretending to be stupid?
Should I be more direct?”
“J-Just let go of my hand now. Ah, it hurts. It hurts…”
“If you want your time here to stay pleasant in the future, you better be nice
to me. You stupid woman. You still haven’t figured it out?”
His eyes were scary. She had never seen anyone look at her like that before.
She didn’t even know why things had turned out this way.
What she knew for sure was that she wanted to get out of there.
As she desperately tried to pull her hand away, she heard a loud voice from
behind her.
“Hey, Hyung-ssi. If you don’t want that hand of yours to be broken, you
better let go.”
Chapter 11 Jung Hayan (2)
Chapter 11: Jung Hayan (2)
“Hey, Hyung-ssi. If you don’t want that hand of yours to be broken, you
better let go.”
“Huh?”
Kwajik!
“Aaaaaaaagh!”
“Ah!”
In that fleeting moment, she was unable to comprehend what had occurred.
As soon as that huge shadow had fallen across her face, she had closed her
eyes.
But that scream had been real enough.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Park Deokgu, who was silently looking
down, and Yoo Seokwoo, who had fallen to the ground, screaming.
“Deok-Deokgu-ssi?”
“Ahhhngaaaa…”
“I had no idea we had this brand of scumbag here. Alright, it’s not broken, so
don’t be such a crybaby.”
“Aaaaagh…”
A large fist cut through the air once more. The sound of an impact rang out as
the blow fell precisely on Yoo Seokwoo’s head.
It was almost unreal to see him sent sprawling to the floor as though a heavy,
blunt weapon had struck him.
“Ahhhh! Uh… Uhhh…”
“Quit pretending. I didn’t even hit you that hard… Someone might think you
were a wailing newborn with all the racket you’re making.
A big foot struck out, and Yoo Seokwoo’s body was thrown into the air.
He had been kicked.
Seeing him crashing into the wall, Jung Hayan was afraid that the situation
would spiral into something bigger.
“I-It’s okay now, so please stop. You’re going to hurt him. Deok-Deokgu-
ssi.”
“Ah…”
The glare he shot in Yoo Seokwoo’s direction was vaguely terrifying.
However, if she didn’t stop him now, then perhaps Yoo Seokwoo’s death
would really come to pass.
Seeing Yoo Seokwoo hunched over and trembling on the ground made her
anxious.
“Don’t worry too much, Noonim. All I did was give him a little shove and a
kick. Well, this Hyung-ssi is just a cry-baby…”
That wasn’t why she was anxious.
She could see some people rushing over after hearing Yoo Seokwoo’s
screams.
“Stop!”
“…”
“What are you doing? Seokwoo-ssi, are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine…”
The most conspicuous of them was, of course, Lee Jihye. As she led her herd
towards them, abject confusion shone in her eyes.
“Hey, what the hell is going on here? Violence is forbidden within the
shelter.”
“That man sexually harassed Hayan-ssi. So I gave him a beating.”
“Is that true?”
“I saw it with my own two eyes.”
“It’s…not.”
“What?”
“O-of course, it might have looked misleading because I grabbed Hayan-ssi’s

hand… B-But he was mistaken…”
“You’re still running your mouth.”
“Alright, that’s enough, Deokgu oppa. Like I said, violence is prohibited

here. Even if Seokwoo-ssi did something wrong, hastily swinging your fists
at someone without hearing them out first creates disharmony amongst group
members. This way of doing things… is not right. Before anything else, you
need to determine if anything wrong is even taking place.”
“…”
“Seokwoo-ssi, did you really grasp Hayan-ssi’s hand to then sexually harass
her?”
“N-n-n-no. A-absolutely not. I never meant to do such a thing.”
“Then what Deokgu oppa saw…”
“I-I think there was a bit of a misunderstanding. O-of course, it’s true that I
expressed my feelings towards Hayan-ssi, but I mistakenly thought that
Hayan-ssi had accepted them… I-I think that’s what happened.”
“Really?”
“Yes, yes… R-really.”
“Please repeat exactly what you said.”
“I told Hayan-ssi I wanted to get closer to her, and Hayan-ssi reciprocated…

I guess I was just mistaken.”
“Hayan-ssi, please clarify. Is what Seokwoo-ssi just said true?”
Several gazes landed on her. Of course, this wasn’t something she could
suddenly get used to.
It was because their gazes were far from being friendly.
She quickly realised that there was no one on her side.
As her arms and legs started to shake from tension, Lee Jihye’s face, and her
stare as though urging her to hurry up and speak, came into her view.
For some reason, she had trouble opening her mouth.
“T-that’s true. B-but after that, Seok-Seok-Seokwoo-ssi… F-forcibly pulled

my arm, and… that if I want to have a pleasant time here… H-he spoke like
that… I-I was a little surprised…”
“Please speak properly, Hayan-ssi. I can’t understand what you’re saying.

Take it step by step.”
“S-so…”
“So it’s true that Seokwoo-ssi said he wanted to get closer to Hayan-ssi and
you agreed?”
“Sorry? Yes… B-but I didn’t know what he meant… I-I didn’t know…”
“I asked whether it’s true.”
“I-it’s true. B-but…”
“Excuse me, Hayan-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“So isn’t it Hayan-ssi who acted misleadingly and allowed this situation to
develop? Come to think of it, you’ve been hanging out with Seokwoo-ssi
ever since you came here. Am I wrong?”
“That’s true, but… It was always… Seok-Seokwoo-ssi who approached

first…”
“This is what happens when your behaviour is problematic.”
“No… Well, that’s…”
“Do you think it is acceptable to create this type of misunderstanding and

then back down like that? The same goes for Deokgu oppa. I can’t believe
you hit a person without even considering the actual situation…”
When she turned her head a little to look at Park Deokgu, she noticed a tinge
of confusion on his face.
He was likely thinking, ‘Maybe I made a mistake.’
“Is he telling the truth? Noonim?”

“I-I did agree that we should get closer… B-but…”
She was so bewildered she didn’t even know where to begin.
She had no idea how to respond to this situation which had popped up out of
nowhere, or how she could fix it.
Her face flushed and her eyes filled with tears.
“Do you think crying will solve anything?”
“I- I’m sorry. I… I…”
“It’s not a matter of whether you’re sorry or not. To be honest, the mood in
the shelter hasn’t been good recently… Deokgu oppa… Of course, I
appreciate you giving a helping hand to a woman in a situation like this, but
don’t act so rashly unless you know what’s going on. I think you were a
little… too reckless this time.”
“Yeah…”
“Especially when it’s a situation where it’s unclear who the victim and
perpetrator are…”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Am I the one you should be apologising to?”
“Apologise directly to the victim, Seokwoo-ssi.”
“S, S… Sorry…”
“What’s going on here?”
***
“What’s going on here?”
I already knew the answer.
It was a situation that I could read with ease.
I was expecting something to happen sooner or later, but not like this.
I had never imagined that they would launch an offensive filled with
accusations at this scale.
Park Deokgu wore an embarrassed expression and seemed to be on the verge

of tears. Meanwhile, Jung Hayan was shedding tears like a waterfall.
Of course, there was no such thing as ‘justice’ here.
At a glance, the assailant and victim were clear.
Well, it was none of my business if Jung Hayan really tried to take advantage
of Yoo Seokwoo, however the fact that Jung Hayan was in a tight spot was a
matter of considerable importance.
At my appearance, Lee Jihye was the first to speak.
“It’s good to see you, Kiyoung oppa. Presently…!”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Sorry?”
“Jihye-ssi, are you out of your mind?”
“W-what are you…”
“Do you think this is some kind of local playground? Do you think no one
will hear you when you’re making such a large commotion? Just because we
leave the shelter regularly to clear outside, that doesn’t mean we can’t take
care of internal matters as well.”
She seemed to have realised that she had made a mistake.
“Ah… So the situation right now is…”
“I saw it from afar, so I roughly know what’s going on, Jihye-ssi. Just as
Jihye-ssi said, in a situation like this, where the assailant and the victim have
yet to be clearly identified, even I would be scared if I were cornered by a
group such as this. And yet, what situation do we have right now?”
“But that woman is clearly the one at fault…”
“Jihye-ssi, can you say for sure that Seokwoo-ssi is wholly innocent?”
I was fairly certain that she couldn’t.
The moment those words left her lips, it would become her, not Yoo
Seokwoo, who would bear the responsibility for them.
And so, she had grown hesitant, displaying an anxious and flustered
appearance.
“And based on Hayan-ssi’s reaction, I don’t think that is the case…. But most
of all, Hayan-ssi isn’t that kind of person. I can guarantee that.”
My ‘guarantee’ was over the top. Completely over the top.
Right then, I was just talking nonsense.
It was such an embarrassing remark, even I wanted to laugh at it.
Jung Hayan, who probably felt that she wasn’t worth the hassle, was likely
extremely grateful for a statement in her defense.
But others wouldn’t feel the same.
When on Earth would I have gotten to know her so well that I could even
vouch for her?
Aside from her Pure Advocate disposition, I had no other reason to vouch for
her.
As a matter of fact, there were many points worthy of mention.
In the first place, it was wrong to question the victim from a standpoint that
they had done something wrong when the crime involved sexual harassment.
There was no way that Lee Jihye, a woman, wouldn’t know that. Her
insistence on siding with Yoo Seokwoo was likely done with the intention of
furthering the exclusion of outsiders and consolidating her existing power.
Or maybe the goal was to screw with Jung Hayan from the start.
I wouldn’t mind refuting her logic, but simply pushing my agenda forward in
this case would work just as well.
No, not ‘just as well’.
Because…
‘I’m in control.’
I was the one in power here.
What I meant, was that my authority was heavier than anyone else’s here.
“Hayan-ssi doesn’t deserve this.”
“Ah… that…”
There was a great contrast between Jung Hayan, who stared at me whilst
wiping her tears, and those who glared at Jung Hayan with hostility clear in
their gazes.
Perhaps in their minds this was a very unreasonable situation. Someone who
appeared out of the blue and browbeat them into letting go of the situation,
was also seemingly overly partial to one person.
Of course, I wouldn’t be the hated one.

I looked toward Jung Hayan.
A woman favoured by the powerful.
She was bound to become an object of hatred; a person whom everyone else
could not help but direct their dissatisfaction at.
Especially for someone like Lee Jihye.
“Everyone’s still just standing around… Yoo Seokwoo-ssi needs to get his
injuries treated. However, after that, I will ask him to explain the exact
situation again. For now, let’s move Seokwoo-ssi first.”
“Y-yes sir.”
“Jihye-ssi, please clean up this place quickly, so that you can start your daily
activities. It will soon be time for Hyunsung-ssi to return. Monsters might
start rushing in at any moment, so Deokgu, please patrol the surrounding
area.”
“A-alright, Hyung-nim.”
“Also… Hayan-ssi, I’d like to speak with you for a second.”
“Yes.”
Some people were whispering, Lee Jihye was biting her lips, and Yoo
Seokwoo seemed to be rather fretful.
Only
I could clearly see what all of them were thinking.
I could make out some of their words, but no one openly disapproved of my
actions.
“What… that woman.”
“Bitch.”
There was a much better ‘prey’ than me, after all.
“Come with me.”
“Ah… yes.”
Rather than someone powerful, the kind that was easy pickings.
Chapter 12 Lee Jihye
Chapter 12: Lee Jihye
“Sit down, please.”
“I, I’m…”
I could see her hesitant expression.
It was clear she hadn’t calmed down yet. As she wiped her tears away,
shoulders shaking, she looked a little like a young child.
In the first place, she was an ordinary 21-year-old girl.
She had never experienced such a situation before, so it was no wonder she
was like that.
I couldn’t fully comprehend exactly what it was that she was feeling, but it
seemed like she hadn’t really understood what had happened yet nor come to
terms with the situation at hand.
“I’m, hic… I’m sorry.”
“I’m not sure what you are apologising for.”
“But I’m the one who, hic… who.”
“Hayan-ssi didn’t do anything wrong. Of course, I didn’t see what happened,

but… For now, could you go through what happened?”
“I, I didn’t mean it that way. J-just…”
“I know. Please, just tell me what you can. Take your time.”
As I smiled and spoke to her, she slowly began to speak.
In fact, I already had a rough idea of how the story went, and it was rather
predictable.
The problem was that I couldn’t understand her words at all.
It was hard for me to figure out what she was saying through all the sobbing
and tears
Thanks to the system, I knew her level of intelligence wasn’t low, but
perhaps it wasn’t based on simple thinking capability.
“S-so Seokwoo-ssi suddenly…”
“Yes… yes… I see.”
“H-he grabbed my hand and I screamed.”
“Ah…”
But it didn’t matter whether I could understand her or not.
It was more important to empathise with her.
It was more important to listen to her reasons, why she was crying and why
she was upset, than to judge who was at fault.
‘I’m on your side.’
I didn’t say it out loud, but she probably thought that way.
“Th-that’s what happened… A-and all of a sudden, Deokgu-ssi came, and…

he hit him, and then Jihye-ssi…”
“I see.”
“A-and at that moment, Kiyoung-ssi came…”
“Yes.”
The issue was that this lamentation of hers was taking quite a long time.
Finally, after a few more minutes, her tedious story came to an end.
“It must have been difficult.”
“N-no. I-I’m a little better now.”
It definitely seemed like she was a little calmer now.
Her shoulders which had trembled occasionally were set back in their original
place, and her tearful expression was replaced with a slight smile.
She had regained some composure.
“Thank you, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“You don’t have to thank me. It’s just the circumstances…”
“N-no. I mean, you said you believed in me before…”
“Ahh…”
“Y-you’ve been helping me ever since we first met… I-I don’t think I’ve
done anything for you…”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“M-may I ask why you’re so nice to me?”
It was difficult to decipher the origin of this question.
I wasn’t sure if she was simply interested in me or wary of me.

I thought it was probably the latter.
Most likely, Yoo Seokwoo approached her in a similar manner.
Let’s give her a reasonable answer.
“I just did what I thought was right, but if I had to give a reason…”
“Yes?”
“I have a younger sister at home. Perhaps it’s that Hayan-ssi reminds me of

her.”
Actually, I didn’t really think this.
Yulha’s personality was completely different from that of Jung Hayan before
me, and it was hard to find any resemblance other than age.
But I thought that it would be the appropriate response.
“Ah…”
“She’s probably around the same age as Hayan-ssi.”
“I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”
“Hayan-ssi…”
“I-I have two older sisters, but… I lost contact with them a long time ago…”
A dark expression surfaced. I thought it wouldn’t be a problem if I pried a

little more.
“Your parents…”
“Th-they are not around.”
“We have something in common.”

“You too, Kiyoung-ssi?”
“Yes.”
She looked oddly delighted.
“W-we are a little alike.”
“Yes. It seems so.”
It was good for us to have something in common.
The corners of my mouth went up when I saw her quietly clasping her hands.
I considered whether it would be better to be more active or step back from

here, but unfortunately, I wasn’t sure of the correct answer.
After thinking it over for a short while, I continued from my earlier train of
thought.
“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”
“Yes?”
“I’d like you to be a little more comfortable with me. It’s purely my
selfishness but…”
“Ah? Ah? Yes! H-ow?”
“We can start by speaking more informally.”
“Yes? Alright… Th-then informally…”
“Just speak casually.”
“Yes… I mean, umm. A-alright, O-O-Oppa.”
She seemed to be shy.

I was able to confirm once more that Jung Hayan wasn’t skilled in socialising
with others.
As I quietly faced her and observed her with my Mind’s Eye, her overall stats
came into my view.
[Name: Jung Hayan]

[Age: 21]
[Class: None]
[Stats]
[Vitality: 14/Growth potential: heroic or lower]
[Mana: 10/Growth potential: legendary or higher]
[Overview: This person has the potential to improve their magical

abilities beyond legendary grade. While their overall physical ability is
low, they can experience explosive growth as a [Wizard] or [Priest] in the
future. They are currently unaware that they can sense mana. Even if
the both of you become Wizards, it’s inevitable for them to become a
Wizard on a totally different scale from player Lee Kiyoung, so don’t
lose sleep over it.]
Her strength and vitality had increased by 1 and 2 compared to what I’d seen
before. It seemed she’d been hard at work fortifying the walls.
It was also interesting that her mana value was at 10 points.
Unlike me, who only gained mana after becoming a Wizard, she had had it
from the moment she was summoned here.
She couldn’t feel it yet, but it was possible that I could do something to help
with that.
It happened while I was thinking about discussing mana and magic.
“E-excuse me, Kiyoung oppa… C-could I speak with you for a minute?”
It wasn’t Jung Hayan’s voice.
The owner of this voice coming from behind me was Lee Jihye.
The expression on Jung Hayan’s face shifted to anxiety.
In fact, I had predicted that Lee Jihye would approach me.
It was just a little faster than I anticipated.
‘Certainly…’
This woman had a good head on her shoulders.
‘Are you going to switch to my side?’
The side which was more advantageous had already been determined by the
events which had taken place earlier.
On the surface, it may have appeared to simply be a case of judging who was
wrong between Yoo Seokwoo and Jung Hayan. However, it had also been a
power struggle between Lee Jihye and I.
It was likely that Lee Jihye knew that too.
No one had sorted us into a hierarchy, but she had realised nonetheless that I
stood above her.
Disposition: ‘Selfish Ambitionist’.

There were two patterns of behaviour that emerged when someone like this
woman or like myself encountered a new power.
To reject it.
Or to join it.
She’d acted faster than I had expected.
She wasn’t losing out by siding with us, but that shouldn’t have been a
decision made lightly.
I opened my mouth and spoke quietly, looking not to Lee Jihye but to Jung
Hayan.
“Could you excuse me for a moment? I think Jihye-ssi and I need to talk.”
“Ah. Okay. I understand. O-Oppa.”
It seemed she was a bit nervous as she placed a small amount of emphasis on
her last word.
Eventually, Jung Hayan stood up and Lee Jihye took her place. I caught her
looking back at us again and again; apparently, she had enjoyed our
conversation.
“How can I help you?”
“I… That’s… I just wanted to apologise. That, I’m sorry for the commotion.”
“It’s fine. In reality, Jihye-ssi did nothing wrong.”
“No, Kiyoung oppa. It was my first time dealing with a situation like that, so
I was a bit too impulsive and didn’t consider the situation outside. I didn’t
think about you and the others struggling beyond these walls. It would have
been better to resolve this manner quietly.”
“It’s alright. I would also have been flustered if I were in Jihye-ssi’s shoes.
On the contrary, I think I should be the one apologising for being too
sensitive.”
“That’s not it. Oppa just did what he had to do.”
Although she was fairly young, I wasn’t used to being called oppa by a
woman older than me.
“That….”
“What is it?”
“Regarding Seokwoo-ssi.”
“I don’t have any plans for what to do about Seokwoo-ssi at the moment.
Anyhow, his treatment comes first… There are other things that I need to get
done in the meantime.”
“Ah. Well, that’s a relief. I’m sorry to have troubled you with this. I was so
flustered earlier that I couldn’t make a proper judgement. I’d like to be the
one to resolve this, if you’d let me. Could you leave this to me?”
I couldn’t help but worry.
I hadn’t yet figured out how to deal with Yoo Seokwoo.
There were neither laws nor police here, so I wasn’t sure whether to punish
him, or even how.
“Hayan-ssi…”
“Now that I think back, I believe I was also overly critical of Hayan-ssi. If
you let me handle this…”
“Please go ahead. It was my understanding that Jihye-ssi was the one

managing this place to begin with… I apologise for stepping in
presumptuously.”
“Ah! No. That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s okay. I know what you’re trying to say. I hope you don’t mind what
happened earlier.”
The point was that I also recognised some of her authority.
This woman must have understood the implications of my words.
‘I have no intention of stopping you.’
So, don’t do anything to get on my nerves.
Just lie low and stay out of my way.
When I had finished speaking, I could see that her hand was furtively
reaching forward.
Objectively speaking, Lee Jihye was a beauty. I tried to keep my heartbeat

steady, but it was difficult to keep still when someone was so close to my
body.
Rather, I was more curious about why she had approached me in this manner.
“I’m sure that it’s hard enough for you to leave the shelter… Thank you so
much for taking care of us.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“If there’s anything I can do to help you, I’d like you to let me know please.
Anything.”
Saying that, she stroked my thigh.
At this point, of course, I could tell what this woman wanted.
“Anything?”
“Yes. Whatever that may be.”
I couldn’t help but be embarrassed seeing her coming on to me so much more

aggressively than I had expected.
This woman might be foolish, but she wasn’t stupid. I don’t think that anyone
could mistake her for a moron.
Her eyes showed a strange look of desire.
‘A hunger for power? Ambition?’
It didn’t matter either way.
“I like ambitious men.”
To me, having power or ambition was a way of protecting myself. Of course,

my motives didn’t matter to Lee Jihye.
All she cared about was the result.
The question was, would getting closer to this woman benefit me?
The only thing she had going for her was that she could control the gaggle of
idiots.
There may be other uses for her, but that was it for now.
She must have approached me because she was well aware of that fact.
The group may not be much use in the first place, but there was no harm in
having it.
Actually, there might be something useful to gain from her side after all.
Perhaps the connection with Jung Hayan….
‘What should I do….’
I was pretty sure that she hadn’t actually fallen for me.
If I couldn’t realise that much, then I would still be thinking that she was just
a thoughtless, dumb bitch.
‘That’s not it.’
Was she aiming for a contract? A simple relationship?
There was quite a lot that Lee Jihye stood to gain.
Reconsolidation of her power after it may have been shaken, as well as

forming a bond with someone whose authority might be second only to the
strongest within the group.
It could also be useful to make the public believe that we weren’t on bad
terms.
There was nothing wrong with getting closer to each other.
Breaking people down into enemies or allies was a stupid way of thinking.
“What do I get out of this?”
“Hmmm. How about Hayan-ssi?”
The corners of my mouth raised and I pressed close to her.
Only
I could see that Lee Jihye’s face held a strange mixture of excitement and
anticipation.
‘Good.’
It was a sensation I hadn’t felt in a while.
Our lips brushed against each other. It might have looked romantic at first
glance.
But our thoughts were different.
‘Let’s use each other.’
I smiled slightly as I said, “We seem to be a little similar.”
“Yes. I think so too.”

Chapter 13 Embarrassment (1)
Chapter 13: Embarrassment (1)
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Lee Jihye.]
[Name: Lee Jihye]

[Age: 29]
[Disposition: Selfish Ambitionist]
[Class: None]
[Stats]
Intelligence: 20/Growth potential: rare or higher]
[Luck: 15/Growth potential: common or lower]
[Overview: Congratulations, player Lee Kiyoung. You’ve finally met

with misfortune. The perfect couple, forged from low stats and terrible
potential, has been born. Make sure to use contraception. If the two of
you really conceive a child together, I would feel sorry for the 2nd
generation born from your union.]
“What couple.”
This woman was a little smarter than I’d previously thought. No, to be more
exact, it wasn’t that she was exceptionally brilliant.
However, her ability to read the situation, decisiveness, and willingness to act
were worth taking a look at.
I understood why Kim Hyunsung had entrusted the group to this woman.
She was quick-witted and knew how to respond appropriately.
The fact that she had thrown Jung Hayan, who she had been keeping in check
over the past few days, over to me gave me a rough idea of what she wanted.
She likely wanted to hold onto the main body while cutting off any loose
ends.
Of course, she may have other reasons, but I didn’t need to know about those.
I swallowed and examined Lee Jihye’s stats once more.
Her rate of growth wasn’t bad. Compared to the last time I’d seen her, her
vitality had risen by 1 point, her intelligence by 2, and her luck by a total of 3
points.
‘How did she do it?’
The question was how she had increased her stats.
In the case of intelligence, it was possible to infer that this stat wasn’t based
simply on one’s critical thinking ability or existing knowledge.
For instance, Jung Hayan, despite having high intelligence, was lacking in
some aspects.
On the other hand, Lee Jihye was the opposite. She was shrewd even though
her intelligence stat was lower than Jung Hayan’s.
Perhaps one’s magical aptitude or ability to understand the relevant

knowledge was the basis of the intelligence stat.
Her luck increase was strange as well. When I had last checked, her luck stat
was 12.
I didn’t understand how her luck would have increased overnight.
I had a hunch that it was connected to my high level of luck, but that was just
a guess.
I had to do a little more thinking about the way stats worked.
“You’re up early.”
“Because I have a lot to think about.”
Lee Jihye stood next to me, making no effort to hide the fact that she was
staring.
She had seemed fine yesterday, but her expression seemed a little clearer than
before.
“Deal with Yoo Seokwoo and keep an eye on Jung Hayan. If anything out of
the ordinary happens to her, inform me right away.”
“Should you be saying that to the woman you’ve kissed….”
“Don’t talk nonsense…”
“Well. I’ll take care of it. I think I know what you’re planning, but what’s
special about this woman?”
‘She’s a calculating bitch.’
“Noona doesn’t need to know.”
“You!”
I could see her face flush red when I called her noona.
Her age was probably a sensitive topic.
Lee Jihye bit her lips slightly.

We hadn’t turned into a loving couple nor teammates who would guard each
other’s backs overnight.
To a certain extent, this was a contractual relationship.
There had been no itemised list of terms, but we had both tacitly agreed to
make use of each other and went through the process of forming that
arrangement.
It was a contract that could easily fall through at any given moment, but for
the time being, it would let us believe in each other at the very least.
The question was how long this relationship would last.
There was no problem if we respected each other and kept each other in line,
but no one could say what the future held.
I sighed lightly and began to speak.
“By the way, why did Jihye-ssi choose me?”
“I told you, Kiyoung oppa. I like ambitious men.”
She wasn’t the only one who had to live up to expectations.
Just as I could discard her at any moment, she could easily do the same.
What mattered for now was my own growth and Jung Hayan.
Lee Jihye wouldn’t brag about our ‘relationship’ randomly.
Because it was in her favour too.
But she might hint at it if she was in the mood while working.
It was important to know how it would affect Jung Hayan.
Being socially inept meant that she inevitably struggled with expressing and
being receptive to emotions.
She didn’t have any parents, and lost contact with her sisters a long time ago.
In other words, Jung Hayan was not only unfamiliar with forming
relationships with others, but was likely starved for affection.
I had to increase her attachment to me and in the process, her dependency.
Lee Jihye would help me with that.
***
Things were handled faster than expected. There had been no trial or
anything of that sort for Yoo Seokwoo.
I wasn’t sure if he knew that Lee Jihye had sided with me, but Yoo Seokwoo
quickly admitted that he was at fault, and was given a suitable punishment
that everyone agreed upon.
Of course, to some extent, Lee Jihye’s influence played a role in this

outcome. What was amusing was that she stuck to an attitude of ‘I was
powerless in this matter’.
In addition to directing their anger towards me, she stealthily began to

manipulate public opinion into believing that some of the blame rested on
Jung Hayan’s shoulders.
‘I was unable to help because of Lee Kiyoung.’
‘He values Jung Hayan.’
Those were the unspoken words that could be inferred from her behaviour.
Due to this, Jung Hayan was forced to bear the hatred of everyone else.
While watching Lee Jihye’s process of manipulation, I couldn’t help but feel
that Lee Jihye was more awful than I’d thought.
‘This is a woman who’s good at bullying.’
If I could describe this in terms of a stats, then it would be beyond legendary.

I didn’t lift a finger to stop her.
Ultimately, this process succeeded in providing the optimal environment for

Jung Hayan to be thoroughly isolated and harassed by those around her.
In this situation where everyone hated Jung Hayan, there was nothing she
could do to redeem herself.
Eventually, there was only one place she could turn.
Thanks to this, I had been listening to Jung Hayan’s weeping for days.
“S-so… hic...”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes… I’m fine… Thank you. O-o-oppa. I’m too much of a… I know you’re
busy…”
“No, not at all. Thank you for telling me this. If you work a little harder, the
others will likely recognise your efforts. Of course, I already know that
Hayanie is doing her best.”
To be honest, it wasn’t easy to pretend to be a good person.
“But….”
“It’ll be alright. We’re going to go hunting together from now on. I’ve
already discussed it with Hyunsung-ssi…”
“I-it’s just someone like me… Will that be okay?”
“Of course.”
I smiled slightly and patted her on the head.

What I’d accomplished so far could be called an achievement.
It seemed that the time I’d spent wasn’t meaningless, if she was this scared
by the thought of interacting with others.
I had the urge to take a picture to commemorate this before we left.
But I already knew that I couldn’t hurry this process…
‘Slowly.’
I didn’t want a relationship that could crumble as easily as a sand castle.
The ties binding us together needed to be stronger.
“O-oppa, I’m glad you’re here. I-if I were alone…”
“No, you don’t know how relieved I am to have Hayanie next to me. How is
your mana circulation going? Have you made any progress?”
“Yes. It seems to be working for now. I think I can feel it inside me. If I send
it through my arms, I might be able to strengthen….”
“What about casting magic spells?”
“I-I’m still not sure.”
In fact, chatting with Jung Hayan wasn’t just for the sole purpose of
improving our relationship.
Much like Park Deokgu, who was struggling to get used to his new class and
familiarising himself with shields, I needed time to acquaint myself with the
[Wizard] class.
The frequent excursions Kim Hyunsung had been taking on his own recently
may have been made with the intention of giving us that time.
‘Visualise.’
Magic was the result of visualising what one wanted to do with mana.
The process of spell-casting was an essential aid to visualisation.
I also had a hard time implementing magic for the first time. The basic
knowledge was in my head, but I found it difficult to achieve the result I
wanted.
I needed to build a tower with my mana. A solid tower without any cracks or
air inside.
At the same time, I thought of the action that I wanted to realise in my head.
I pictured flames rising from my fingers.
“Hear my voice. Respond. Flame.”
At the same time, a small flame rose from my finger.
Jung Hayan watched it with a slightly surprised look on her face.
“Wow…”
“I think it’s important to clearly define what you want to achieve in your
mind. It’s more convenient if the spell is simple but I don’t think it matters if
it’s a little long… The point is that it coincides with your thoughts.”
The disadvantage was that most spells that were easy to visualise were
useless.
Thinking about those spells that could only be dubbed chuuni-like[1], I felt
my face heating up.
“I see.”
“In my case, rather than manifesting magic itself, I’m thinking of harnessing
mana to enhance myself… You’ll probably find your own preferred method
as well. I mean, it may seem difficult now, but it’ll be a bit easier if you get a
class.”
“As expected… I understand.”
It might not be possible to use magic unless you have a class.
Given that Kim Hyunsung, who had quite a lot of mana, was unable to use
magic, it seemed that you couldn’t overcome the limits of your class.
The reason for giving Jung Hayan all of this knowledge, despite that fact, was
obvious.
‘I favour her.’
There was no easier way to get close to someone than by teaching or learning
from them.
Even if I told her in advance what she would later learn, I wouldn’t lose out.
“You might not be able to use magic until you get a class. Still, let’s practice
building up your mana step by step.”
“Yes. L-leave it to me. O-oppa, I’ll do my best.”
I nodded naturally.
[Mana has increased by 1.]
[Intelligence has increased by 1.]
‘Good.’
“It’s possible that the more you use it, the more mana you’ll have in the
future. Personally, I’m looking forward to it.”
“Ye-yes.”
“Then, shall we stop here for today?”
“A-a-actually, there’s something I don’t understand….”

“Oh?”
“Yeah. I-I mean recently, I’ve had another surge in my mana…”
As I listened to her explain, I checked out Jung Hayan’s stat window.
I was curious about the progress she’d made so far.
[Name: Jung Hayan]

[Age: 21]
[Class: Wizard (Common Grade)]
[Stats]|
[Equipment: None]
[Attribute: How to Be a Wizard – Rating: Heroic]
Only
‘What? Wizard?’
What stood out was the class title of Wizard.

“Because my mana isn’t circulating well.”
The brightly smiling Jung Hayan once again caught my eye.
‘What are you…’
I couldn’t help but notice that something was wrong.
***
[1] Chuunibyou – Aka. 8th grader syndrome & associated delusions of

grandeur.
Chapter 14 Embarrassment (2)
Chapter 14: Embarrassment (2)
“Because my mana isn’t circulating well.”
‘What the hell.’
I glanced at her facial expression once more, but it remained unchanged.
The bright smile she wore was incongruous with the pitiful appearance she
had previously displayed.
I checked her status window again, but naturally, nothing had changed.
I hadn’t been mistaken.
[Class: Wizard (Common Grade)]
Jung Hayan had already gained a class.
‘Since when?’
Roughly three days had passed since I had last checked Jung Hayan’s status
window.
The timing almost perfectly overlapped with the day I started giving her
lessons on magic.
She had been discreet about it, but it was possible that she had gained a class
the moment I first began discussing magic with her.
[Attribute: How to be a Wizard – Heroic Grade]
[Complete acquisition of basic knowledge on elemental magic. Mana has
permanently increased by 2 points. The potential for growth has
increased explosively.]
‘What the hell is this…’
Even her attributes were over the top. As soon as she understood the
underlying principles of the class, she received an attribute associated with it
that was heroic grade.
It felt like a slap in the face.
This was the first time I’d ever seen someone, who, just by comprehending
the basics of magic, gained not only a class but also a new attribute.
If it was possible for others, Kim Hyunsung would have chosen this method.
Jung Hayan had to be a unique case.
As I fell into thought for a while longer, Jung Hayan began to look at me
showing traces of anxiety.
“Um… O-oppa?”
“Ah, sorry. I was just thinking… You asked me about mana circulation,
right?”
“Y-yes! I tried what oppa said, but it’s still really hard…”
It couldn’t be difficult.
“Maybe it’s because the amount of mana you’re using is a little bit too
much… That’s weird.”
I could see her hand reaching forward.
I grabbed Jung Hayan’s slightly outstretched hand and began to pour in my

feeble mana resources.
I tried to push through and gather up her mana, but Jung Hayan’s mana did
not even budge.
It wasn’t simply because my mana was lacking.
‘She’s blocking me.’
My attempt to help her circulate her mana was intentionally suppressed.
It was only when I began to frown that I felt Jung Hayan’s mana moving in
the direction I wanted.
“A-as expected, you’re amazing, Oppa.”
‘Seriously…’
“Try to imagine it.”
“Sorry?”
“Imagine the spell. Something like a flame rising from your hand… You can
do what I did before, right?”
“Ah! Y-yes!”
The amount of mana required to fulfil the conditions for using this spell was
perfectly accumulated.
It should have been easy for her to imagine a small flame after getting to this
point.
But then her mana instantly fell apart. It wasn’t because she had taken too
long or simply failed. Jung Hayan, herself, deliberately broke it down.
“I-it’s still too difficult. W-why am I like this…? Oppa is trying so hard to
teach me…”
Even her tearful act was a sight to behold.

‘What’s going on?’
“No, it could be because you are still classless, so it’s normal to fail. If we go
out hunting, you’ll improve. Okay?”
She didn’t react to the word ‘classless’ that I had snuck in.
“C-can we try it again?”
“No, it’s already pretty late. Let’s call it a day. I have work to do for the time
being.”
“D-do you have plans or… A-are you seeing Hyae-Hyaeyoung-ssi… t-today
as well?”
Park Hyaeyoung was a woman that Lee Jihye had attached to me.
After what happened that day, Lee Jihye sent me a person who could act as a
link between us.
I’d been told that she would be useful for me in many ways, but that was
something I had yet to witness.
Until now, all I had heard from Park Hyaeyoung were stories about the
group’s situation and internal affairs.
As I was debating on how to respond, I heard another voice.
“Kiyoung-ssi? Do you have a minute?”
“Ah. Just give me a moment, please.”
‘Park Hyaeyoung.’
I couldn’t tell whether her timing was good or bad.
However, I saw that Jung Hayan didn’t show much of a reaction.
“Ah! Y-you already had something planned. I-I wasn’t aware…”

“No, I didn’t make any arrangements to meet with Hyaeyoung-ssi.
Something must have happened. Would you excuse us, please?”
“Ah… yes.”
Jung Hayan slowly withdrew from her seat and then Park Hyaeyoung came
in.
I didn’t remember calling for her, so I wondered why she had sought me out.
I could feel Jung Hayan staring at Park Hyaeyoung. I did want to take
advantage of her jealousy, but not in this manner.
“Hayan-ah, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Ah! Yes!”
As soon as Jung Hayan disappeared from view, Park Hyaeyoung sat down
quietly.
“Did something happen?”
“I’ve heard something interesting.”
“Like what?”
“Like the fact that the next time you go hunting, you’ll take a few of the
people here to accompany you.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, could I be one of them?”
She was quite direct.
Naturally, I’d already scanned Park Hyaeyoung with my Mind’s Eye, but
there was nothing particularly outstanding when it came to her abilities.
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Park
Hyaeyoung.]
[Name: Park Hyaeyoung]

[Age: 27]
[Disposition: Calculating Diplomat]
[Class: None]
[Stats]
[Strength: 10/Growth potential: heroic or lower]
[Agility: 11/Growth potential: rare or higher]
[Vitality: 20/Growth potential: rare or higher]
[Intelligence: 10/Growth potential: rare or higher]
[Luck: 09/Growth potential: common or lower]
[Mana: 00/Growth potential: rare or lower]
[Overview: This isn’t the time to be disappointed about the lack of

people with prominent stats or unique characteristics. Overall, this
person is well-balanced. It seems likely that they could grow well as a
melee fighter or as a long-ranged class, such as [Archer].]
Her disposition was ‘Calculating Diplomat’.
Even without reading into her status too deeply, I could roughly guess what
kind of person she was.
I observed her for a while and then said, “I don’t know. I recommended
Hayan-ssi at first, but…”
“Are you the type that prefers younger women? I could be even better. Isn’t it
boring to play with such a little kid?”
“Regardless of your thoughts on the matter, that is not the case.”

“How about you just give me a chance? I think our relationship would be so
much more beneficial…”
I had no clue what relationship she was talking about.
By the looks of it, it seemed she’d overheard our chat earlier.
Park Hyaeyoung seemed to believe that I was very interested in women.
Certainly, her abilities were pretty good, and her growth potential didn’t seem
too bad either.
If she was able to develop and grow stronger, she would possibly be of use,
but I wasn’t a fan of her ‘Calculating’ disposition.
However, she should at least understand that all arrangements need to be

reciprocal.
“For what reason?”
“After all, you need someone who can fight, right? Thanks to Deokgu-ssi and
Kiyoung-ssi, the situation here has changed somewhat since you arrived.
There are only a small number of us still waiting on Hyunsung-ssi to help us.
This place is one where women can be as strong as men, and we can use the
system to enhance our physical abilities.”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“Everyone is afraid of the monsters, but more and more people are beginning
to think that they can do something about them. They’ve been banding
together to go out as well. From Kiyoung-ssi’s perspective, it can’t be a bad
thing to have more people who’re able to fight for themselves on your side. If
Hayan-ssi is able to return stronger with special abilities, then the state of
affairs will surely accelerate.”
“You make it sound like I’m dividing everyone into different factions.”
“Did I hit the nail on the head?”

“No. I don’t really care about things like that. Is Jihye-ssi aware that you’re
here?”
“She probably does? Who knows what Jihye-ssi is thinking?”
“And the reason you’re here to speak with me is….”
“I just thought it would be nice for us to talk. I dislike the fact that you only
favour that Jung Hayan girl, and if you refuse to take me on then I’ll have no
choice but to wait until my turn….”
“I see where you’re coming from.”
“What you’ve said so far has been reasonable as well.”
“I believe that we might be able to work something out once Hyunsung-ssi

has returned. I’ll try to speak with him about it. However, if Hyunsung-ssi
decides that it’s infeasible then this proposal may be rejected, so please don’t
set your hopes too high.”
“Just hearing you say that is more than I could hope for.”
“I look forward to cooperating with you, then.”
“Likewise.”
***
“That’s hilarious. Seriously.”
“Shh. Listen. Hey.”
There were voices all around her, but she couldn’t make out their exact
words.
Instead, she was more concerned about Kiyoung oppa.
“Hayan-ssi! What are you thinking about?”

“Ah, ah! I mean. It’s nothing….”
“You can take a break if you’re tired. You must have a hard time using your
body that way… Phew. Won’t working here be too difficult for you?”
“S-sorry?”
“Look at you pretending you don’t understand.”
“I don’t.”
She might have been unsure of the meaning behind their words, but she could
sense their hostility.
It wasn’t overt or very strong. However, this was something that she was
extremely familiar with.
In retrospect, it had been like that ever since she was young. Compared to her
two sisters, she had been much more foolish, slow and incompetent.
Her eldest sister had always taken care of her and her second sister had been
incredibly intelligent. After so many years of watching out for her, the reason
they’d cut off contact with her was probably because she was so dumb.
“Ugh… Something reeks.”
“He has a pretty unique taste. She’s not that pretty… Pretends she doesn’t
have a clue… In the end, she’s just a fox.”
“Shh. Stop it. Hey, he’ll hear you. What are you going to do if he runs over
here?”
“Well, let’s see if he does. He’s probably already tired of her. No, doesn’t it
make sense that he’d be tired of her?”
Her hands shook subconsciously at those words.
‘Kiyoung oppa.’
He was the only person she could rely on in this entire place.
Remembering the way they’d held hands earlier, her body began to tremble.
Tired of her?
Oppa wouldn’t treat her like that.
He was different.
‘My heart is pounding.’
Her heart was racing as though it were about to explode.
‘You remind me of my little sister.”
The thought of what she’d heard brought her a subtle sense of pleasure.
It was an unfamiliar sensation. She’d never felt like this in her life.
Her heart was pounding badum badum in her chest and her legs felt jittery.
It was hard for her to get a hold of her emotions.
‘We can meet again tomorrow.’
They could meet again tomorrow.
Only
Just the two of them once more; they could talk, and she could act cute
towards him.
It felt like she was experiencing the same warmth she’d received from her
family once upon a time.
It was addicting, like a drug.
The reason why she’d kept her class and ability hidden was because she
wanted to spend more time with Kiyoung oppa.
Her heart twisted at the lie, but she was scared of the consequences if he
found out.
As she looked subconsciously in the direction of Kiyoung oppa and ignored

the voices of those around her,
“Oh my. Were you waiting?”
Park Hyaeyoung, who had been with her oppa just a moment before,
appeared.
Chapter 15 Awakening
Chapter 15: Awakening
“Why do you look so uneasy?”
“Th-that’s…”
“You’re a funny one, kid. Just look at you pretending otherwise. You’re
bothered by the fact that I met with Kiyoung-ssi.”
“I-I’m not like that, Hyaeyoung-ssi. O-oppa’s business… It has nothing to do

with me…”
“Your expression says otherwise…”
“I-I’m telling the truth.”
“Seriously. Don’t make me laugh, you little bitch. You think no one knows
what’s going on in that head of yours? You look slow and stupid, but your
head works fine… Who’d have thought that you would land such a big fish
before you even got here? With a face like that, your skills must be better
than I thought… I don’t get it. No, maybe he’s the one whose taste is
peculiar… You know, there are people like that. People who are only
interested in the incompetent and dim-witted kind. Phew.”
She couldn’t fully understand Park Hyaeyoung’s words.
“You are making that face again. I really don’t like it.”
“I-I-I’m sorry…”
“What are you sorry for? You’re making a fool of everyone here
regardless…”
“Th-that’s not it. I just…”
“Do you really think that Kiyoung-ssi likes you? You think he cares about
you?”
“Th-that’s…”
“Don’t get me wrong, you dumb bitch. It’s a good thing that you’re so
fortunate. You just happened to be at the right place at the right time to catch
his eye. You might not be able to see it, but I know exactly what kind of
person he is. People like Kiyoung-ssi don’t trust others too much to begin
with. They tire of others easily, and throw them away when they’re no longer
needed.”
“O-oppa isn’t like that. And…”
“That’s just what you want to believe. Because it’s in your favour. But what
can I do if you’ve already made up your mind? I think I’m right… It might be
okay for now, but things will change soon enough. From my point of view,
you’re rather boring, the kind one easily gets sick of. Phew. No one’s ever
told you that before?”
Jung Hayan bit down hard on her lips.
She felt so confused.
Her face felt hot. She wanted to shout ‘What are you talking about’ and argue
against Park Hyaeyoung’s nonsensical speech but words escaped her.
However, her body kept shaking.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you make a face like that before? Are you mad?
I must have hit the nail on the head. You’ve always been abandoned by the
people around you, haven’t you?”
“N-n-n-n-no.”
“No? It’s written all over your face. If not, do you always have things
snatched away from you? Either way, you’re just pathetic. Do you really
believe you’re always going to be his first priority? What do you think will
happen out there when you’re not paying attention?”
Park Hyaeyoung’s face slowly drew nearer. Before long, Jung Hayan heard a
faint whisper near her ear that caused her to exclaim subconsciously.
“Kiyoung-ssi… was better than I thought.”
“D-don’t lie to me!”
“Oh, you fell for it.”
Jung Hayan’s eyes were filled with tears.
She wanted to say something to refute Park Hyaeyoung, but she felt choked
up.
This woman was right.
She had been abandoned by her parents and her older sisters.
All of her loved ones and the friends that had been with her for so long had
drawn away from her.
Maybe she really was the type of person that others got sick of.
She always made mistakes and had trouble speaking properly.
Being bullied had become a part of her daily routine, so it was more
convenient for her to just be alone.
Still.
‘Not Oppa.’
Her Oppa wasn’t like that.

He wasn’t the least bit similar to the others. His very nature was different
from everyone else she’d met before.
He said that she was like a family member to him. That she reminded him of
his younger sister, and he wanted to look after her.
He was always mindful of her and was taking care of her every day. Deokgu-
ssi also told her that.
Every day, her Oppa would tell her that he cared about her.
He was always supporting her, saying that she could do better, even if she
made a mistake.
Even when she asked silly questions, he would smile and answer her
patiently.
“Th-that can’t be true.”
“I guess that’s what you’re hoping for? I’ll be honest with you, it’s likely that
what I’m saying will happen. I’m going to give you a warning, dongsaeng. If
you want to gain anything out of your current relationship, you’d better leech
it out quickly before you’re discarded. Otherwise, everything will be
snatched away from your grasp.”
“S-s-stop it. O-oppa wouldn’t…”
“How annoying.”
Park Hyaeyoung’s mouth curved into a smile, and, at the same moment, Jung
Hayan felt a pressure on her shoulders.
She had been pushed down.
Jung Hayan fell on her bottom. She looked up but all she could see was Park
Hyaeyoung’s back, who was already walking away.
At the same time, voices poured in from all sides.

“Serves her right.”
“What just happened?”
“Anyways, it looks like our naive whore will be abandoned soon.”
“Stop it. Hey, she will hear you.”
“Stop what? Didn’t you hear what just happened? Soon, she’s going to be all
alone again. Who is she going to cling to then? Ah! I don’t think there’s
anyone else who would compete for her anymore. It would have been better
for her to just stay with Seokwoo-ssi… She should have known better. That’s
why she’s all alone.”
“What’s she going to do now that she’s on her own?”
That couldn’t be true.
‘It can’t be true.’
There was no way Oppa would ever forsake her.
There was no way her Oppa, who had said he would always be with her,
would ever abandon her like that.
There was no way that Oppa, who told her she was like a family member to
him, would abandon her.
‘Well, is that really the case?’
But Park Hyaeyoung’s voice resounded in her ears.
“That’s not true!”
“What was that? Just now.”
“Did she just yell? She must be really angry…”
“It’s about time for her true nature to show up. Tsk.”
That couldn’t be true. Oppa would never just abandon her.
Oppa was different from the others. He was always warm and kind.
‘Your sisters abandoned you, too.’
“N-no.”
‘No, your parents also abandoned you.’
“He isn’t like that. Oppa is different. Oppa is different.”
Surely, he was different.
It was very difficult to calm down her heart. She felt like she couldn’t
breathe.
She was short of breath and her mind went blank. Tears welled up in her
eyes, but they didn’t flow down her cheeks.
She heard people laughing to themselves.
The sound no longer bothered her. It would have to be something even worse
to faze her.
Her steps were headed towards where her Oppa had been.
‘Wait a minute, okay? There’s something I want to find out first, so I’ll meet
you after.’
She was sure that he would meet with her.
Jung Hayan felt like she needed to see his face to calm down.
As she was frantically hurrying over, she heard a distant voice.

It was Lee Jihye.
“Please gather for a moment, everyone.”
“Yes.”
“When Hyunsung-ssi, Deokgu-ssi and Kiyoung-ssi leave tomorrow, they

plan on recruiting someone to go with them. I believe Hyunsung-ssi will
provide more details, and the person who is nominated today should also
prepare themselves.”
Now that she thought of it, she’d heard that they would be heading out
together.
Naturally, this meant that she could be with him a little longer.
Jung Hayan wasn’t sure why she’d forgotten that. Now there was more time
for her to stay by Kiyoung oppa’s side.
‘That’s a relief.’
As she turned to look closer, she saw Kim Hyunsung, Park Deokgu, and
Kiyoung oppa approaching together from behind Lee Jihye.
‘Oppa.’
He had a serious expression that differed from his usual demeanour, but
seeing him made her feel more steady.
Her heart thumped badum badum, but she didn’t have a headache nor feel
dizzy.
The lingering feelings of frustration vanished just from making eye contact
with him.
Though she didn’t understand why, her face turned red.
‘He saw me.’

He was definitely looking in her direction.
Once the chatter had died down, Kim Hyunsung quietly began to speak.
“I apologise for bringing you here while you’re all so busy. I’m sure that
you’re aware that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to survive in this
location. Food rations are decreasing day by day, and the number of survivors
joining us continues to rise. We have food and drinking water scavenged
from the starting point, but it’s not enough. We believe we need to widen our
range of activity.”
“Ah….”
“We need more people who can fight. Of course, I know you’re scared of the
monsters. Some of you aren’t used to fighting, and others may not want to
leave this place. But for now, you have to take action. I don’t want to jinx it,
but if this doesn’t happen, in the long run we’ll all suffer. So, we’ve decided
that it’s better to take each of you out one by one.”
After Kim Hyunsung spoke, Kiyoung oppa stepped forward.
“Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Yes. I understand that you’re afraid. However, there are some things that
can only be gained by fighting. As you know, this is not like the Earth that
we knew. I’m sure you all recognise what the status window, system
attributes, and class mean. Flame.”
Flames rose from the palm of his hand.
The eyes of those around Jung Hayan widened.
“I don’t know exactly how it happened, but my status window reports that
my class is Wizard. I don’t have much magic to work with yet, but I’m no
different from you. I was afraid of the monsters, so I ran away and hid
because I didn’t want to encounter them. At first, it was just by luck, but you
can succeed if you set your fear aside and fight. When the group gets
stronger, we all get stronger, and eventually we’ll be able to leave this place.
We need to take the initiative.”
“Ohhhhh…”
“For now, we’ll pick some people to lead by example. Hayan-ssi.”
“Ah…”
“And Hyaeyoung-ssi.”
“Yes. I look forward to working with you.”
“I’m taking these two with me for now. Once they reach a certain level, we’ll
regroup and take the next person. Do you have any questions?”
“I’d appreciate it if you could explain what the criteria was.”
“To relieve your anxiety, the selection criteria is random.”
“We’ll go hunting by ourselves instead…”
“I won’t prevent you from doing so, but I cannot recommend it.”
The buzz of the crowd grew louder, but Jung Hayan could no longer make
out their words.
Instead, her eyes were locked on Park Hyaeyoung.
She’d known that other people would be going with her, but she hadn’t
expected it to be that woman.
“Congratulations, Unnie.”
“Don’t get hurt.”
“Hyunsung-ssi, Kiyoung-ssi, and Deokgu-ssi will be with us, so it’ll probably

be okay. It’s a little scary, but we need to push past this. It’s better if we have
more people who can fight.”
Jung Hayan wasn’t envious of the fact that Park Hyaeyoung was surrounded
by people who were congratulating her. However, she felt odd for some
reason.
‘Don’t take her.’
As she quickly glanced up at the platform once more, she saw that Oppa was
also looking at Park Hyaeyoung.
There was a faint smile on his lips.
The voice she had heard earlier resounded in her ears, and her breathing
became shaky.
‘He’s the type to tire of others easily.’
Park Hyaeyoung hurried onto the platform and began shaking hands with the
others.
‘You’re going to be thrown away’
‘To have him taken away from you’
‘Your sisters left you too.’
Only
‘Your parents as well.’
‘Stop it. Stop it. Stop it.’
‘You’ll end up….’
‘Stop…’
‘Thrown away….’
‘Hated.’
At that moment, Kiyoung oppa held Park Hyaeyoung’s hands.
Something collapsed inside Jung Hayan.

Chapter 16 In every five-man band,
there will be one dead weight (1)
Chapter 16: In every five-man band, there will be one dead weight (1)
‘Not bad.’
It wasn’t a bad choice to show them magic.
Kim Hyunsung and Park Deokgu were definitely strong. However, the line
between whether that strength came from the system or from their own
inherent physical abilities wasn’t particularly clear.
When pitching the possibility of gaining new powers right away, it was only
natural that merely picking up a shield wouldn’t appeal to them as much.
Magic, on the other had, was a bit different.
A ball of fire formed from nothing.
It was a sight that completely went against common sense, enough to cause
anyone to doubt what they had seen.
That was the best way to get them to stop hiding in this shelter.
When Kim Hyunsung saw the crowd quietly gaining enthusiasm, he

murmured,
“It was a success.”

“There might still be difficulties lying ahead. Those adverse to fighting will
still be afraid… There will also be some people who overcompensate,
thinking they’ll be able to get new powers.”
“But it’s still better than them falling behind and starving, Hyung-nim.”
“Yeah. That may be true.”
Park Hyaeyoung approached the podium, receiving words of congratulation

every step of the way.
“If Hyaeyoung-ssi and Hayan-ssi return successfully, perhaps the status quo
will change at a faster rate than expected. ”
The result of this expedition was incredibly important to Kim Hyunsung.
I wasn’t sure whether our attempt to clear the dungeon would succeed, but
Kim Hyunsung was correct in thinking that he alone wouldn’t be enough.
Firstly, he was only slightly superior to Park Deokgu in terms of ability.
His mana was powerful, but not to the extent that he could deal with dozens
of monsters at once.
As much as he might want to take matters into his own hands, taking care of
the shelter should be left as the responsibility of the people within it.
‘It’s an unnecessary burden.’
If it weren’t for his predisposition, Kim Hyunsung might have advanced even
further.
While I was lost in thought, Park Hyaeyoung had come up to us and shook
our hands one by one.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Same here.”
I had to admit that she was quite good at socialising. Looking at her with a
business-like smile, I could feel Park Hyaeyoung touching the back of my
hand to send me a signal.
Jung Hayan was still the priority over her.
As I turned my head, I saw Jung Hayan staring at me quietly.
‘What.’
Her expression was subtly different from anything I’d seen so far.
Jung Hayan’s tranquil eyes as she watched Park Hyaeyoung sent a chill down
my spine.
‘Damn it.’
I had goosebumps all over my body.
‘What. What was that just now?’
“Hyung-nim, what’s wrong? You’ve broken out in a cold sweat….”
“I’m feeling a little under the weather, so….”
“Well, tomorrow’s the day of our expedition, so get some rest. It’s not as
though you need to study here every day.”
“Alright.”
“Tsk. Who said they weren’t a nerd… He’s not eating enough nowadays? I-
It’s not like I’m worried about hyung-nim… Well, my share isn’t a lot but it’s
a little better than nothing….”
Whatever Park Deokgu was muttering didn’t interest me much.
I quickly turned my head to glance at Jung Hayan once more.
She looked the same as usual.

I asked myself if it had just been my eyes playing a trick on me, but I was
sure that hadn’t been the case. I could see her looking at me and smiling
foolishly.
‘What.’
Something was wrong.
I couldn’t pinpoint it exactly, but I swallowed with a sense of unease.
***
“Let’s go over this one more time. Deokgu-ssi will be in front, followed by
Hyunsung-ssi and Hyaeyoung-ssi. Hayan-ssi and I will bring up the rear. Our
plan of attack is simple. Block them with a shield in front, and we’ll ward
them off at the back. There aren’t many of them around the shelter right now,
so we’ll go a little further out and hunt. Any questions?”
“Nope.”
“None.”
“None here.”
“O-okay..”
We had already run through the same briefing several times.
It was different from when Park Deogku, Kim Hyunsung, and I had first gone
out.
This demonstrated the importance Kim Hyunsung placed on this expedition.
It wasn’t just about bringing along two new recruits.
The success of this hunt would impact the future course of the group in the
shelter.
If everyone returned safe and sound, those in the shelter would gain a little
more confidence, and as a result, more complex attack and incident response
arrangements could be formed.
The hidden objective of increasing the number of people on his side would be
achieved as well.
‘You want to even the odds.’
Kim Hyunsung’s goal was quite similar to mine.
To win over Jung Hayan.
Of course, logically speaking, he wasn’t actually after her specifically. His

purpose was to build lasting relationships with those he knew would become
strong in the future.
‘Jung Hayan.’
In conclusion, there were two objectives: the group’s safe return and
becoming closer to a wizard with legendary talent.
There was no reason to oppose the current plan or to act impulsively.
‘We need to monitor the situation.’
The look I’d seen in Jung Hayan’s eyes put me on edge.
I hoped it was just my misunderstanding, but I felt a need to keep them

separated and a watchful eye on Jung Hayan.
“Wouldn’t it be better to put Hayan noonim in the centre? Being in the same
position as Hyung-nim is the most….”
“No, we’ll keep it as is. This is the best placement for her.”
“Well, if Hyung-nim says so, hey….”
“Hyunsung-ssi is stronger than we think. To begin with, solely hunting them

from the front is ideal. If Hayanie is at the back, she’ll have Hyunsung-ssi’s
protection as insurance. So long as we’re not surrounded, this will be the
most efficient way to proceed.”
Kim Hyunsung nodded as though he agreed with me.
I didn’t know if he felt otherwise, but I didn’t care.
Kim Hyunsung’s brow furrowed as he looked at Jung Hayan, then spoke

quietly.
“You don’t have to worry too much.”
“Pardon? Ah… Yes.”
“Then do I just need to chill with Kiyoung-ssi?”
“Hyaeyoung-ssi, please provide assistance to Kiyoung-ssi. A spear would be

a good fit for you.”
“Yes. I understand.”
“Let’s get going then. Like I told you before…”
“W-where….”
“I’ll let you know.”
I already had the layout of this place mapped out in my head.
Park Deokgu gave me a look of gratitude.
I didn’t know if it was because he lacked interest in his surroundings or if he

was too reliant on me, but it seemed like he was too lazy to use his head.
He looked very reliable when he stood holding a large wooden shield.
In terms of appearance, I would give more points to Park Deokgu over Kim
Hyunsung.
His equipment consisted solely of the sloppy leather armor I had put together
and the shield I had picked up at the starting point, but he didn’t look too
shabby.
“Let’s get started, then.”
“Let’s do our best.”
Everyone gave a slight nod.
Both Park Hyaeyoung and Jung Hayan seemed to be a little nervous.
It was only natural that they’d be afraid of meeting the monsters they had
encountered at the starting point in person.
I passed some words of comfort to Park Hyaeyoung, who was right next to
me.
“Don’t worry too much.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“They won’t overwhelm us like they did at the starting point. We’ve already
cleared out this area to some degree, so all you need to do is remain calm and
stab the monsters that Deokgu blocks with your spear and then it’ll be over. I
know it’s scary but it’s possible for us to make it through fine.”
“You’re a lot nicer than I thought.”
Of course, I had to be.
‘If you panic, I’ll be the one who dies.’
Who knew what would happen in the midst of battle. It was possible that,
while blindly attacking with her spear, this woman would stab me.
Glancing behind me, I saw Kim Hyunsung speaking with Jung Hayan.
As expected, he seemed to be asking about various things, but Jung Hayan

didn’t look to be interested in Kim Hyunsung at all.
She looked to be having a hard time communicating, as she kept her head
lowered and answered his questions with short responses.
It reminded me of how hard I had worked to get closer to Jung Hayan.
I smiled when our eyes met and Jung Hayan nodded with a happy expression.
It made me feel better, at least, to think that I had the upper hand in my
relationship with her.
“Oh, are you going blind? I’m not your partner.”
“I’m just checking our rear formation for a moment. Also, don’t talk too
much while we’re on the move….”
“Yes. I know.”
It was then.
“There’s one. Get ready.”
“Huh, understood.”
Kim Hyunsung’s voice came from the rear and Park Deokgu murmured a
reply from in front.
Park Deokgu’s body seemed tense.
“While Deokgu-ssi is keeping it at bay, Hyaeyoung-ssi will take care of it.

Kiyoung-ssi, be prepared in case anything happens.”
We nodded.
Though Park Hyaeyoung looked calm, she still showed signs of fear and
tension.
We were present too, but Park Hyaeyoung was the one who would have to
finish it off.
It would’ve been strange if she wasn’t afraid.
We could only hear one voice coming from the left.
“Deokgu-yah, it’ll be coming from the left.”
“I understand, Hyung-nim.”
Park Deokgu immediately rounded the corner and pushed it back with his
shield.
Gwajik!
As this sound rang out, the creature was stuck between the dead-end corridor
and the shield.
Park Hyaeyoung followed behind, flustered.
“Gaaaaaaeeeeeeek!”
“Shit… Its face is as irritating as ever.”
“What are you doing?”
Her arms trembled and her legs shook.
I could tell from a glance what had happened.
Even a dog that couldn’t piss would be more useful in this situation.
“H-how.”
“Jab it.”
“Hey, take care of it quickly. It’s hard to hold out like this.”
“Ah….”
The calm look she had been sporting earlier was nowhere to be found.
Her eyes were alive, but her body didn’t seem to react.
In this kind of situation, no matter who it was, even if they were aware that
they weren’t moving, they would still be unable to act on that fact.
‘Idiot… You were only pretending to be strong.’
I loosely grasped her arm from behind. As I held Park Hyaeyoung’s

trembling hand gripping the spear, the tremors in her limbs began to slow.
I figured it would be more effective to deliver my message quietly than to

scream in this kind of situation, so I whispered in her ear.
“If you do something like this again next time, we’re all going to die. Do you
understand?”
“Yes.”
“Strengthen your grip.”
“…….”
I pressed her hand tighter…
The spear slowly moved towards the torso of the punk Park Deokgu was
blocking and Park Hyaeyoung’s arm followed.
I was the one pulling it forward, but the sensation should have transmitted to
her hands as well.
Puuuk!
With that sound, unknown liquids began to gush out.

Repulsed, Park Hyaeyoung tried to let go of the spear, but I grabbed her arm
once again.
“It’s not dead yet. Don’t relax.”
“Gaaaaaaaaeeeeeek!”
That punk, out of pain or anger, was still struggling, and tried to scratch Park
Deokgu as he kept it back.
I gripped Park Hyaeyoung’s hand again and jabbed the spear from above.
As expected, it was a horrible sensation.
“Think of it as meat.”
“Y-Yes.”
Puuk!
Gwajik!
I struck with the spear over and over again.
It had long stopped twitching but this method was effective enough in forcing
her to adapt to the situation.
After a while, Park Deokgu set down his shield and moved away from the
monster.
I also loosened my grip on Park Hyaeyoung’s hand.
The monster had fallen apart. Even so, she continued to stab the spear into it.
It was unknown whether it was to free herself from fear, but her lips were
pressed tight and her knuckles were white around the shaft of the spear.
Only
‘I understand.’
The very act of taking away life was a foreign concept to begin with.
No matter how much you told yourself that your opponent was a monster, it
wouldn’t make a difference.
It was only after a long stretch of gruesome noises that there was an
exhausted gasp.
It was natural that she would have all sorts of thoughts running through her
mind.
I approached Park Hyaeyoung, who had collapsed to the ground, and spoke
carefully.
“Well done.”
She didn’t reply.

“Oh, am I alone in thinking that the monsters have disappeared today,

Hyung-nim?”
“It may be because Hyunsung-ssi has cleared the perimeter. If not, it’s
possible that they were driven away.”
“You mean there might be another group of survivors?”
“Well….” That Park Deokgu fellow mumbled as if anxious.
It was just a guess, but it wasn’t without cause.
Given how quiet our surroundings were, it wasn’t wrong to assume that they
had been attracted by a commotion elsewhere and flocked there instead.
Kim Hyunsung seemed to have similar thoughts, but of course, he probably

felt that it would be unreasonable to take Park Hyaeyoung and Jung Hayan
with us to scout out the situation.
He likely judged that it was too dangerous for us to progress hastily without
knowing how many of them were clustered together, their exact numbers or
location.
Finally, Kim Hyunsung gave a slight nod and said,
“I think it would be best if we camped here today.”

“Yes. We should.”
We were able to find a good spot to set up camp and rest fairly quickly.
Of course, we didn’t have any tents, but having an enclosed space gave us a
certain sense of security.
“Hyaeyoung-ssi and Kiyoung-ssi will take first watch, followed by Hayan-ssi

and myself. Lastly, I will also take the final watch with Deokgu-ssi.”
“Will you be alright?”
“Yes. I’ll be fine.”
There was no reason to stop him if he chose to take that on himself.
‘Taking the first watch isn’t bad.’
Unlike those with high physical attributes, I, with lousy abilities, needed to
get a lot of rest.
Given Kim Hyunsung’s physical strength and mana, standing guard

overnight wouldn’t be a problem for him.
“Get some rest.”
“Hyung-nim, thank you in advance for your hard work.”
“T-take care.”
I nodded brusquely hearing their voices.
Once everyone else, including Jung Hayan, had entered the inner stone
chamber, Park Hyaeyoung slowly began to bawl.
It was as if she was losing her mind.

She pretended to be indifferent, but personally, I expected it to be a big shock
to her.
The monster’s screams, the terror of being guided into killing, the impact of a
striking spear, and the sensation of doing it with her own hands.
It made sense that she would be scared.
Perhaps she was reminded of her time at the starting point, or the sight of
blood and guts spilling out from the monster’s body was too shocking.
There was still time before our watch began.
I thought it wouldn’t hurt to give a few words of comfort.
“Don’t think of it as a big deal.”
“Pardon?”
“Now that we’re here, it’s something that everyone will have to go through. It
would be better to think of it just as an experience you’ve had a little earlier
than the others.”
“Yes.”
Compared to when we’d started out, she seemed rather lifeless.
“At first, I thought I could….”
“It will be the same for everyone. You’ll probably feel better once you’ve
gotten used to it.”
“What was it like for Kiyoung-ssi?”
“I don’t really remember it. The only thought in my mind was that if I didn’t
do something, I would die, so I took it down with a rock. It was terrifying…
But looking back, it was what I needed to do. My hands and entire body were
covered with brain matter and guts, and the smell made me gag.”
When it came to living or dying, there was no choice.
Doing things half-heartedly, when my life was on the line, was a gamble I
didn’t want to take.
I figured that Park Deokgu wouldn’t run away without me, and I wanted to
inspire him into action.
At that time, blood had rushed to my head.
“Ah… It’s funny, I thought you wouldn’t have been bothered by it.”
“Well, since you’re helping us out, I’m saying that you don’t really have a
choice in this.”
As I’d expected, she seemed to be a little bit disappointed.
“I wasn’t lying, I thought I would’ve been able to do as well as you wanted

me to….”
I thought so too.
Her disposition wasn’t bad and she acted within her abilities. I thought there
would have been some returns if I showed her kindness, so I had forced one
more person into our group. However, reality left a lot to be desired.
Seeing Park Deokgu, Kim Hyunsung, and I casually going back and forth
outside, what we had set out to do might have seemed easy.
From my point of view, there was no reason to invest in Park Hyaeyoung.
I had Park Deokgu, who was a strong guy. Though he was a bit nervous at
times, he could hold his own.
I’d only intentionally tried to help Park Hyaeyoung as insurance.
However, if she kept getting frightened like this, she wouldn’t be of much use
to me either.
“I was a little happy when you held me from behind earlier.”
Thinking back to it, I also remembered her shaking and trembling like an
idiot.
At that time, I had been cursing her out in my mind as well.
But I couldn’t do anything but nod my head sharply.
“I was a little out of it, so I might have come across a little coarse… I hope
for your understanding.”
“Yes. O-of course.”
“In addition, that will be the first and last time I’ll help you. You will be on
your own next time.”
“Yes….”
I could see Park Hyaeyoung watching me.
Well, I didn’t know if she wanted to have a staring match.
The silence stretched on. After a while, when I was about to speak again, a
voice came from behind us.
“O-oppa….”
“Kiyoung-ssi, Hyaeyoung-ssi. It’s time to switch.”
Kim Hyunsung and Jung Hayan came out. I hadn’t expected time to pass by
so quickly.
“You’re here a bit early. You should sleep a bit more.”
“No, it’s fine. I just woke up… I’ll try to wake you up in the morning.”
“Thank you very much, Hyunsung-ssi.”

I approached Jung Hayan, who stood at a bit of a distance from Kim
Hyunsung, and patted her head lightly. She ducked her head and blushed.
Jung Hayan was back to normal.
Seeing that the look in her eyes when she saw Park Hyaeyoung didn’t seem
unusual, perhaps what I had seen last time was just my imagination.
“Thanks in advance, Hayan-ah.”
“Sorry? Yes… Yes, Oppa!”
Her exclamation was a bit loud. She clasped her hands over her mouth,
perhaps out of surprise. It was a little cute.
Nodding faintly, I immediately moved inside. At a glance, I could see Park

Deokgu snoring away.
‘You sure sleep peacefully.’
It would be a blessing to be able to sleep like that in this kind of environment.
Park Hyaeyoung went over to the spot she had claimed earlier and lay down,
and I also settled down a little ways away from Park Deokgu.
My head was full of idle thoughts.
I wondered if, after this hunt, the group in the shelter would follow in our
footsteps.
What Kim Hyunsung was thinking.
If there really was a way out of this place.
When it came to our final assault on this place, what would we do and how
would it turn out?
Jung Hayan, who had already gained a class; the truth about Kim Hyunsung’s
regression, what had happened in the past, what kind of relationship I would
have with Lee Jihye after the tutorial…
I asked myself what I would do if I was unable to fall asleep, but I guess that
concern was completely groundless.
We’d walked a lot to begin with, and mentally, I was a little stressed, so my
eyes closed quickly.
‘What time is it.’
Perhaps because my bed was slightly uncomfortable, I woke up in the middle

of the night.
I could hear Park Deokgu slowly getting up. He was probably going outside
to stand guard with Kim Hyungung.
There was the sound of Park Hyaeyoung tossing and turning for a while, and
then that of Jung Hayan coming back inside once more.
“Sleep well, Noonim.”
“Deok-Deokgu-ssi, thank you in advance for your hard work.”
I felt like they talked a little more after that, but my eyes had slowly drifted
shut once again.
As their voices grew quieter and quieter, my consciousness grew dim.
What woke me up again was a strange sensation on my lips.
It was as if there was something gripping onto my hands. I tried to get up

right away, but I couldn’t move my body. Rather, there was a sense that
someone was staring fixedly at me.
Jung Hayan’s voice came to me in an almost imperceptible whisper.
“Mm…… Ahn……”
I couldn’t make out what she was saying because I wasn’t fully awake.
Of course, at that point I realised who was watching me.
My hazy mind became clear.
Naturally, my drowsiness fled instantaneously.
I opened my left eye slightly and, glancing upwards, I made out a black
shadow looking down at me.
I didn’t know what it was, but I wasn’t so stupid as to get up in this situation.
I knew then that Jung Hayan’s quiet whisper didn’t mean she was talking to
me.
‘What’s happening?’
Even after I tried to squeeze my eyes shut, I kept hearing noises.
There was the sound of rustling clothes, the sensation of a body brushing
against mine, and even the soft touch of lips.
“Haa… Haa.…”
‘What is this.’
I had never been so bewildered.
I wasn’t sure if she had some strange kink or if this was a side effect of being
pushed too hard lately, but one thing for sure was that she was having a really
good time.
“Haa….”
Only it was a little too much of a good time.
For now, it seemed best to cheer her on.

It wasn’t a bad result, as building a close relationship with Jung Hayan had
been the top priority in the first place.
However, the ideal relationship I’d had in mind was that of Oppa-and-
Dongsaeng.
I never wanted to be in this kind of situation.
It wasn’t until a little while later that Jung Hayan collapsed a little way away
from me.
There was a rustling sound that kept me awake.
Whether it was a good idea or not, out of curiosity, I opened my eyes slightly.
I could see Jung Hayan’s back as she silently looked down at Park
Hyaeyoung.
“…….”
She watched Park Hyaeyoung sleep for a long time.
She just stood there, staring at her, without moving an inch.
‘Is she sleepwalking, or what.’
I wasn’t sure when things had started to get messed up, but it was clear that
something had gone wrong.
First of all, there was the fact that she hid the truth about her class. The look
on her face when Park Hyaeyoung was selected to go on the expedition with
us was also on my mind.
At that moment..
It occurred to me that there had to be a cause for this abnormal behaviour.
It was then that Jung Hayan’s head swung in my direction.

It was only for a second, but our eyes met.
I felt a familiar sensation.
A shiver ran down my spine.
‘Gah….’
I shut my eyes reflexively, but I couldn’t tell if I’d been caught or not.
Wait, but why was I hiding?
‘Why am I afraid?’
I didn’t know why, but I had flinched.
Was it the influence of mana? If not, was this similar to the concept of killing
intent shown in manhwa?
Subconsciously, my mind kept replaying the expression that Jung Hayan had
worn before.
Since she wasn’t saying anything, it seemed like she hadn’t realised I was
awake. Still, something felt off within this space, which had fallen
terrifyingly quiet.
‘Shit….’
I didn’t understand how things had turned out this way.
I couldn’t hear the sounds of rustling, breathing, moans, or movement that I

had heard before.
I could hear Park Hyaeyoung breathing intermittently, but no sound left Jung
Hayan’s mouth.
I tried to fall asleep, but something kept me awake.
Not far from me, I could sense someone quietly lying down.
Only
“…….”
“…….”
Perhaps it was Jung Hayan.
A second felt like a minute.
After who knows how long, a voice came from outside that spelled either
fortune or disaster.
“It’s time to wake up.”
_____________________________
Never before had I ever found a voice telling me to get up more pleasant.
“Yes. Understood.”
The first one to rise was Park Hyaeyoung.
After that, I could hear Jung Hayan tossing and turning.
As I was deliberating on when to get up, I felt a touch on my shoulder.
“Hyung-nim.”
‘Park Deokgu, nice.’
His timing wasn’t bad.
Perhaps because I wasn’t able to sleep well, I suddenly felt a wave of

tiredness wash over me. Even so, I squinted my eyes open and sat up.
“Is it time already?”
“We’re planning to get going a little bit earlier today. We’ve decided to
venture a little further out for hunting before returning to the shelter.”
“That’s fine.”
I deliberately didn’t let myself turn away from Jung Hayan. I knew it would
be more awkward to avoid her.
When I glanced at her I could see that she was smiling brightly in my
direction.
She seemed so different from the day before.
I couldn’t believe they were the same person. It was like she was another
person.
‘Which one is real?’
I didn’t know if her current expression was genuine, or if what I’d seen last
night was her true self.
For now, I thought it was best to cool off, so right after shooting her a small
smile, I began to compose myself.
‘I’m tired.’
Since I couldn’t sleep well at night, my mind was blank.
When I went outside, Kim Hyunsung looked in my direction and began to

speak.
“You look tired.”
“Just a bit, I’ll be fine.”
“It would be good for us to go further out today. Would that be all right?”
“I don’t believe it’s going to be a problem. Currently, there doesn’t seem to

be many creatures nearby. I’m a little bit worried about the people staying at
the shelter, but I don’t think it’s likely for anything to happen to them in the
meantime. However, if we think there will be too many for them to
handle….”
“Yes. Of course, we’ll make sure to head back right away.”

That was a reasonable judgement call.
“By the way, which way….”
“I scoped out the left path last night, and it wasn’t any different.”
Not only did he take the watch twice, he even searched ahead.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
If there are workers who are as diligent as this, someone like me gets to have
a good time.
I thought that it was possible for there to be something on the right pathway,
but it was still too early to tell.
“Hyaeyoung-ssi and Hayan-ssi..,”
“I’m all set too.”
“In terms of positions, if we find monsters like yesterday, then Hayan-ssi will
come forward to replace Hyaeyoung-ssi instead. All right, let’s get going.”
“Yes.”
It seemed like the march ahead would be a tiring one.
What worried me the most was Jung Hayan’s presence.
I had no idea what was going on, but the behaviour Jung Hayan had
demonstrated recently was abnormal.
It was so out of the ordinary that anyone would notice.
Her appearance was at odds with my impression of her.
My top priority was to determine the root cause of it. I had an inkling of the
cause, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit perplexed.
‘Jealousy?’
The problem with this idea was that Jung Hayan and I had barely spent
enough time together for me to jump to that conclusion.
The strength of relationships weren’t always proportional to the time spent

together, but it was undeniable that that was still an important factor.
Of course, the situation we both found ourselves in was somewhat special.
This place wasn’t some café or restaurant.
In a cheap B-list movie, for instance, a man and a woman facing a crisis
would develop feelings that seemed like love over a short period of time.
Perhaps her feelings were the same.
Jung Hayan’s past came to mind.
Looking back at her personal history, it was possible to form some reasonable
deductions.
Her parents were gone, and she lost contact with her sisters a long time ago.
Given that she had been abandoned by her family, I understood why she
wanted to lean on me a little more.
She wouldn’t have grown up in a kind environment.
‘It’s a simple deduction.’
However, for some reason, I had become a lifeline for her to clutch onto.
I would have been a kind person she could always trust and rely upon.
Perhaps those feelings had evolved from mere emotion to obsession.
Originally, what I had also been aiming for was to take on the role of her
confidante.
It was easier to draw in a person with cracks in their heart.
‘Shall we test it out?’
It was a classic, cliché approach, but it was worth a try.
While walking side by side next to Park Hyaeyoung, I slowly opened my

mouth and pulled her shoulder slightly.
“Careful.”
“Ah… Yes.”
She looked a little nervous.
It looked like she thought I had prevented her from almost tripping over a
rock.
She seemed to be trying to thank me for it, but my goal wasn’t her reaction.
I glanced at Jung Hayan from the corner of my eyes.
It was only natural to see that she was staring at Park Hyaeyoung.
Kim Hyunsung and Park Deokgu didn’t seem to notice, but perhaps because
of the effect of my attribute, I could see it clearly.
Jung Hayan’s eyes were filled with some kind of indescribable emotion.
‘I can use this.’
Her animosity wasn’t directed at me.
I thought it might be a bit too excessive to call it ordinary jealousy, but if you
considered Jung Hayan’s sincerity, it was still within a tolerable range.
If I gave her carrots and sticks in moderation, Jung Hayan would be a faithful
family member who would throw herself away for my sake.
Numerous thoughts filled my head as we walked. Before I knew it, we had
covered quite a fair distance.
“I think there are some nearby. From here on in, we need to keep our guard
up.”
“Ahem. Alright, Hyung-ssi.”
Perhaps from this point, everything in this area had already been seen by Kim
Hyunsung once before.
It certainly smelled different from before.
It felt like the strange stench emanating from those creatures was everywhere.
What stood out more than that, however, was the faint trace of mana I could
sense in the distance.
I didn’t know what type it was, but I could definitely feel something different
about it.
Perhaps this was what Kim Hyunsung was after.
“I think I sense something.”
“What are you talking about? Hyung-nim. Do you see them?”
“I can feel a faint source of mana ahead of us. I’m not sure what it is…
Anyway….”
“It’s suffocating to have no magic. Hyung-ssi, can you feel it?”
“I’m not sure, but since Kiyoung-ssi is a wizard, he would be more adept at
sensing differences than us. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to check it out for now.
There may be some hints on clearing this place.”
Kim Hyunsung certainly lacked the talent for acting.
The faint mana ahead of us seemed to be related to clearing this dungeon.
“Well, we’re heading in that direction anyway, but there’s no harm in being
more cautious, so I’ll take the lead.”
“Be careful.”
There was no need for caution.
If Kim Hyunsung had sensed that there was something wrong with this place,
we wouldn’t still be here.
As I carefully stepped forward, I could see at a glance what the source of the
mana was.
‘Stairs.’
“Those stairs lead down.”
They were literally just stairs that went down to a lower level. It was only
then that I could see that this dungeon had multiple levels.
Looking at Kim Hyunsung nodding, he seemed to believe that his contrived

setup was convincing.
As ridiculous as it was, it didn’t seem like a bad idea to play along.
“It’s a common set-up, but does this mean that the further down you go, the
more difficult it gets? I think that there might be some connection to clearing
the dungeon here.”
“Um, do you think so? Hyung-nim.”
“I’m still unsure, but we haven’t found any other clues so far at this level,
where there’s the starting point. Dumping us in this vast place only for us to
deal with monsters when they told us to clear the dungeon seems
unreasonable. It’s highly likely that going down from here is only the
beginning. I don’t know what will happen, but at the very least there may be
more clues than what we currently have.”
Kim Hyunsung listened to me and nodded when he heard my words.
“I feel the same way.”
‘Just.’
“It’s too much for us right now, so let’s start with keeping note of this place
for now and go down another time. We didn’t come here to clear the dungeon
today. We might find something that could help us down there. It’s also
possible that there are different monster species below.”
“I’d hate for even more irritating punks to come out.”
Me too.
Regardless, Kim Hyunsung had successfully alerted us to the existence of the

underground entrance without acting unnatural.
For someone like him, this might feel like a big achievement.
However, the growth of Jung Hayan and Park Hyaeyoung was more urgent.
Only when we had readied a number of people able to fight, could we go
down.
“The road.”
“I’ve roughly got it down in my mind.”
“Then, from now on, will we be scouting for monsters around here?”
“I think we’d better do that. Let’s start a little way from this point.”
“Okay, Hyung-ssi.”
Like yesterday, we looked for those creatures with our eyes blazing, and were
able to find some in our immediate vicinity.
Perhaps these monsters had originated from here and had spread out as they
got further away.
There were three monsters close by.
I glanced at Kim Hyunsung and saw him nodding.
“If Deokgu-ssi takes on two of those guys, Kiyoung-ssi will quickly take care
of one of them and I’ll handle the other. We’ll use the last one as a training
dummy. Hyaeyoung-ssi and Hayan-ssi can take a similar position to
Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
Park Deokgu and I clenched our teeth and sprung forward.
Park Deokgu took the lead to see if he could draw their aggro.
I also ran ahead, leaving behind Park Hyaeyoung and Jung Hayan who both
looked nervous.
I watched from behind as Park Deokgu pushed one back with his shield and
fended the other off with his leather-covered arm.
Kim Hyunsung looked somewhat relaxed as he ran towards one of them and
succeeded in cutting off its arm.
‘He’s extremely fast.’
I’d expected him to be a little faster because of his high agility, but his speed
was beyond my imagination.
At the same time, I applied a bit of mana to the end of my spear and threw it
at the one Park Deokgu was holding on to.
Puuk! Blood gushed out as the sound resounded, but I couldn’t afford to relax
just yet.
‘It’s not dead yet.’
When I went to stab it with my spear again, Park Hyaeyoung was next to me,
holding onto her spear as though she wanted to do something.
‘Not bad.’
For now, the most important thing was that she had the will to act.
There was no need to look over at Kim Hyunsung.
Perhaps he would try to take it down with a moderate amount of strength so

that he wouldn’t appear strange.
That just left the one we would be using as a training dummy.
Even before Park Deokgu had moved to capture it, Park Hyaeyoung, who
seemed excited, began to extend her spear.
‘Dumbass.’
She was obviously stupid.
Only
As you’d expect, the monster was outside of Park Deokgu’s range when the
spear was deflected.
“Ack! I-I’m sorry….”
“Gah.”
In every five-man band, there will be one dead weight.

“Deokgu-yah.”
This saying I’d heard somewhere had some truth to it.
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaak!!”
‘Dumb bitch!’
“Kyaaaaaaak!!”
It was only natural that she was surprised. The monster’s mouth opened wide
as it lunged forward to devour her.
If she hadn’t suddenly run out, spear in hand, she wouldn’t have drawn its
attention.
Those things weren’t intelligent and anyone observing the situation clearly
would be able to see that Park Deokgu was able to hold back the attacking
monster.
However, instead of staying level-headed, Park Hyaeyoung, this fucking

bitch, chose to air out her fears like this.
“Damn it!”
Park Hyaeyoung had completely flipped the situation on its head.
Those things were sensitive to sound.
An ordinary conversation wouldn’t carry far, but such a loud scream would
naturally make them aware of our presence here.
All the monsters in the vicinity would probably come running.

Perhaps Kim Hyunsung thought the same as he promptly smashed in the head
of the monster he was dealing with, then stabbed the one Park Deokgu had
captured in the chest.
His speed seemed a bit outside the boundaries of human capabilities, but Kim
Hyunsung likely didn’t have the luxury of paying attention to that when the
situation was rapidly deteriorating.
I could see that monstrous thing still quivering but that wasn’t the issue right
now.
“We need to get out of here right now.”
“Damn it….”
“S-sorry….”
“Kiyoung-ss, Hyaeyoung-ssi, Hayan-ssi… If anything happens, we’ll have

Deokgu-ssi cut a path”.
“Well, what about Hyung-ssi?”
“I’ll try to draw the monsters away. If you leave a mark, I’ll find you.
Kiyoung-ssi, it would be better for you to take a detour rather than heading
straight to the shelter.”
I nodded sharply.
If we led all the monsters after us to the shelter, it would be like offering
them an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Kim Hyunsung seemed to be trying to solve this situation on his own but his
expression didn’t seem to be good.
Even though Kim Hyunsung was a regressor, he was still a rookie at this
point.
He might be capable of dealing with them to a certain extent, but if they

overwhelmed him with numbers, it would be extremely difficult to take care
of them in such close quarters.
“Hyung-nim, which way….”
“We’re going to turn around a bit before returning.”
“A-alright.”
Seemingly realising the severity of her mistake, Park Hyaeyoung looked at

me, her face pale.
She likely realised that if she messed up further, there would really be an
opportunity to scream her lungs out soon.
“Get up.”
“Y-yes….”
“Stick together and run as fast as you can.”
“I-I understand.”
Jung Hayan was silent.
She was looking around blankly, with an expression as though she were
thinking hard about something.
“Hayan-ah.”
“Ah… Yes! Oppa.”
Her body language suggested that she wasn’t particularly scared.
Seeing her like this, I was reminded that Jung Hayan would become a strong
Wizard in the future.
Jung Hayan was also a Wizard so, should the situation become too much for
us to handle, she might be able to help us.
‘Our chances of survival are high.’
We could make it through this.
“Then, I pray for your success[1].”
“Well, be careful, Hyung-ssi.”
“I’ll be alright.”
Park Deokgu immediately took up his shield and began to run.
Park Hyaeyoung also followed us with a look of terror on her face.
Though I still felt irritated, now was not the time to argue.
Instead, I began to construct spells.
Concentrate mana into a tower. I had very little to speak of, but it might save
us if the situation took a turn for the worse.
“Can you run and cast? Hyung-nim?”
“Don’t talk to me. My head hurts.”
That was how hard it was to concentrate on spells.
Trying to move your feet and hands to do one thing while completely
thinking of something else would be difficult for anyone.
‘It’s difficult….”
“My, wish….”
The tower of mana I kept trying to build collapsed. I couldn’t concentrate

properly. It felt like my head was going to explode; my brain was being
overloaded.
‘Just make one slowly.’

It was feasible enough if I pretended there was nothing around me while I
wove the spell.
I slowly built the tower up once more.
We hadn’t even met those fucking monsters yet anyway.
There was plenty of time to construct it.
“Lord, my, wish, answer, my call, please give me, the strength, to burn my
enemies.”
I couldn’t help but lengthen the invocation. It was annoying as hell but the
spell, which was clearly imprinted in my mind, was manifested in my hand.
A sphere of fire. The fire sphere, which was the size of a human skull,
appeared in my hand.
“Oh, that’s amazing! When did you learn something like that?”
“Don’t talk to me, Deokgu-yah. It’s hard to concentrate.”
It was hard work to construct spells and keep them going.
The wobbling tower of mana needed to constantly be repaired and balanced

to prevent its collapse.
‘It’s extremely complicated.’
In media such as manhwa, anime, or novels, this kind of magic always

looked like something you could do easily.
But in reality, my head felt like it was about to split apart when I used it.
It made me wonder if intelligence was a more important prerequisite than

mana when it came to becoming a Wizard.
“Where next?”
“Left.”
I was irritated that even in this situation, I had to give directions to Park
Deokgu.
“Gaeeeeeeeek!”
I could hear the voices of monsters in the distance. They were still a fair bit
away so I couldn’t really distinguish their exact numbers.
“How many?”
“About two.”
“Take care of it on your own.”
“I’ll try, Hyung-nim.”
“Even if you can’t kill them, it doesn’t matter; just clear a path.”
“Leave it to me.”
Kwajik! Puuk! These sounds rang out.
Naturally, Park Deokgu’s back felt quite reliable as he continued to run

forward.
He seemed a little like a tank.
“Next!”
“Right.”
“Gaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeek!”
“How many?”
“It seems like there’s no end to them….”
I stretched my arm out right away.
“Fireball.”
The sphere of flames that I had been holding in my hand halted then began to
fly in a straight line.
I hadn’t expected it to recoil then move in a line.
Perhaps because of wind pressure, my hand was buffeted towards the sky for
a moment. However, even as the enchantment flew forward, my mind didn’t
stop casting the spell.
I didn’t want the spell I’d worked so hard to build to fly off somewhere
weird.
Boong!
The sphere impacted the body of one shitty monster then spread out in all
directions.
Kwajik!
As they were struck by the sphere, the monsters were blown into the air by
the flames.
Wind rushed towards us in the aftermath of the explosion.
Naturally, Park Deokgu blocked it with the shield.
Seeing the majority of the monsters flung to the walls, screaming as they
caught fire, or incapacitated, he looked at me with an expression of surprise.
It was a tight space, and luckily they had all been crowded together, but I was
surprised by the scale of damage from the magical attack.
“Woah… Hyung-nim.”
“Hooo… Hooo….”
Left drained of mana for a moment, my legs began to shake.
However, we somehow managed to clear the way.
“Again.”
That’s when I felt that something was weird.
“Ah!”
Park Deokgu also subconsciously looked back, and stared at me with a look
of shock.
‘Jung Hayan, Park Hyaeyoung.’
The two of them were no longer with us.
“When was…. The last time you saw them?”
“O-only a moment ago I-I thought they were following us….”
“You.”
I contained my surging irritation and bit back the curses that were about to
spill from my mouth.
This was my fault.
I had no idea when the two of them had been separated from us because I was
busy trying to construct the spell in my head.
The fact that even Park Deokgu didn’t notice was a bit unexpected, but I was
sure that they weren’t far behind.
The important thing was whether they knew the way.
Jung Hayan might remember, but I wasn’t sure about Park Hyaeyoung; I felt
that that bottom feeder wouldn’t have memorised the path.
Just following us must have been hard enough for her.
“H-how could I…. I-I’m sorry….”
“It’s not your fault, Deokgu-yah. I should have paid more attention.
Shoot[2].”
“What do we d-do now?”
That was a question I wanted to ask myself.
If Park Hyaeyoung was the only one who had been separated from us, of
course, I would have abandoned her.
The issue was that Jung Hayan was with her.
She was a lottery ticket that was guaranteed to win big. Losing her in a place
like this was so absurd, I wouldn’t even be able to laugh.
I didn’t like gambling.
But when necessary, you had to act.
“I’m sure they’re still alive.”
“T-then.”
“If they were thinking clearly, they’d have made a mark for us to spot. Let’s
turn back for now.”
“Good thinking, Hyung-nim.”
There was a high probability that Kim Hyunsung was taking care of the
monsters trailing behind us.
What we had to focus on was the hungry swarms closing in on us from all
sides.
It was hard to recite spells.
My mana levels were already at rock bottom, but I thought it might be

possible for me to do something once more if I squeezed out every last drop.
“Can you think about the last time you saw them?”
“T-the last thing I remember was them running away with us. I-I saw… I
didn’t hear any screaming….”
I also couldn’t recall it that well.
I remembered that the two of them had been following me when I was
reciting the spell.
It seemed safe to assume that they had disappeared while I was maintaining
the magic.
“For now, let’s get going.”
“Okay.”
I was anxious at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt that
something was strange.
Although Park Deokgu was dimwitted, he wasn’t so stupid as to miss the two
people following us suddenly disappearing.
Neither was I.
In the first place, Park Deokgu’s agility stats weren’t high. I wasn’t sure
about Jang Hayan, but it certainly wasn’t to the point where Park Hyaeyoung
wouldn’t have been able to keep up.
It wasn’t a situation where a monster would grab them by the ankles.
They may have been caught by a trap in the dungeon itself, but the
probability of that was low.
This was the road we’d passed through in the beginning.
If there was a trap here, Kim Hyunsung would have given a word of warning.
Suddenly, I remembered the way Jung Hayan had looked at Park Hyaeyoung.
‘I don’t think that’s it.’
It was too early to reach a conclusion, but if Jung Hayan had wanted to keep
her away from me, it would explain things somewhat.
She couldn’t have been able to tell which spell I was casting, but there was a
chance that I wouldn’t have noticed her weaving a different spell while I was
concentrating on mine.
At that time, I couldn’t have spared any attention to anything else while I was
trying to maintain the spell.
Park Deokgu, who had no mana to begin with, wouldn’t have noticed what
Jung Hayan was doing either.
Kim Hyunsung, who was far from us, was out of the question.
I hated to think about it, but I thought I could make a guess on the prime
candidate who would want to create a situation where Jung Hayan was alone
with Park Hyaeyoung.
Only
‘The question is why.’
I didn’t want to assume the worst, but I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
As I was running forward with Park Deokgu, I began to feel a faint trace of
mana just like when I had found the entrance to the dungeon below.
‘Bitch….’
“Deokgu-ya, hurry up.”
“What happened?”
It had just been a rough guess.
However, the faint sense of mana was strengthening my hypothesis.

Chapter 20 Incident
RIM Chapter 20: Incident
“Hyaeyoung-ssi?”
“Yes, Jihye-ssi. Please listen to what I have to say.”
“Go with Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Pardon?”
“I believe it would be advantageous to make things more convenient for

people like Kiyoung-ssi in various ways. Not just today, but going forward as
well.”
“I’m not sure what you mean….”
“The decision is all yours, Hyaeyoung-ssi. You can do whatever you think is
manageable. I don’t care if you’re just a pack mule… Ah! You wouldn’t
make a bad handmaid.”
“…….”
“That last bit was just a joke. But thinking about it seriously might not be a
bad idea…. The situation here isn’t that good. Not only are we lacking in
rations, but there are a limited number of people who can go hunting.
Hyunsung-ssi has been helping us by disposing of the monsters around here
regularly, but who knows what the future holds. The reality is that we can’t
afford to make assumptions about the future. We have to think about the
possibility that the men who go hunting might die and never come back, and
ask ourselves what we would do afterwards.”
“…….”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to get acquainted with a capable man. Don’t you
think it’s better for people like us to take out an insurance policy? If things go
well, you never know what might happen. Perhaps you could get special
treatment like Jung Hayan-ssi….”
“I see what you mean.”
“Ah! There’s a rumour that they’ll be taking Hayan-ssi out on the next hunt.
Wouldn’t it be a good idea for Hyaeyoung-ssi to give it a try?”
“Thank you for giving me so much advice, but… is there a reason you’re
being so nice to me?”
“Well. It’s just a passing fancy. But if things go well, I’d like you to return
the favour. I’m not the kind of person who likes to gamble.”
***
‘Shitty bitch.’
Lee Jihye, that fucking bitch.
She continued to curse out Lee Jihye internally, not that it changed anything.
After all, she had been the one to make the mistake. Rather, everything had
been her choice to begin with.
Both agreeing with Lee Jihye’s words and following Lee Kiyoung as a
guinea pig, everything had been done with the expectation that it would work
out.
She had done something stupid right off the bat and had made up her mind to
make up for the mistake.
Pushing herself to seem like a useful person by wielding a spear had been a
huge blunder.
Unbeknownst to her, the scream that had then erupted from her mouth had
been an even greater mistake.
She could see Lee Kiyoung and Park Deokgu continuing forward before her.
Lee Kiyoung never stopped chanting spells aloud and Park Deokgu rebuffed
the monsters lunging at them with his huge shield.
Maybe because of her fear, her legs felt wobbly, but naturally, collapsing was
out of the question.
‘I’ll die.’
She knew that she would die if she stopped running.
Glancing to the side, she saw that Jung Hayan was also following behind,
muttering quietly to herself.
‘Idiot….’
She was lucky enough to catch Lee Kiyoung’s eye, and lucky enough to gain
her current position amongst this group.
No other woman would be as lucky as her.
After making such a big mistake, if they made it back alive, then it was
almost certain that she would have to resign from this group.
When Park Hyaeyoung thought that she was just a teaching aid for Jung
Hayan, she tasted something bitter in her mouth.
In the first place….
She didn’t know how Jung Hayan could be so calm.
Kim Hyunsung, Lee Kiyoung, and Park Deokgu, who continued to

unflinchingly attack with swords and spears, even in front of monsters, were
also incredible.
In her case, Park Hyaeyoung couldn’t overcome the feeling of killing or her
fear of dying.
It was laughable that she had thought it might be easy.
However, Jung Hayan’s case was a bit different.
It was her first time here, just like Park Hyaeyoung, and the first time she had
was directly facing the monsters in person.
The lack of fear in that quiet gaze was unmistakable.
Park Hyaeyoung had wondered if Jung Hayan was crazy when she kept
talking to herself, but she didn’t seem to be shaken.
‘You can’t break down like this.’
In this new reality called the tutorial, they had to build up their strength to
survive. She took advantage of Lee Kiyoung and Kim Hyunsung because she
knew it was impossible to do so by herself.
If you think about it, anyone branded with the label of being unable to hunt
obviously would not be able to grasp the same power those two held, and
over time, would become just like cold, leftover rice.
Only one option remained.
‘I have to get close to them somehow.’
If she made it back alive, ties with Lee Kiyoung had to be made at all costs.
She had to stick to him by any means whatsoever.
Of course, the presence of Jung Hayan next to him was annoying, but over
time he would recognise her worth.
It was obvious that she was better than that stupid woman.
Park Deokgu and Lee Kiyoung, who were gritting their teeth and never
stopped running, veered to the left.
At that moment, she realised that she could no longer see them.
‘Huh?’
She felt as though she had been possessed by a ghost. She didn’t understand
what was going on.
‘When did that happen?’
Obviously, she had been running after them.
This kind of situation could be called nothing but running into a ghost wall.
[1]
She couldn’t remember when or why they had vanished.
Jung Hayan was also quietly staring at the wall blocking off the passage.
“Do you know where Kiyoung-ssi and Deokgu-ssi went?”
She cautiously tried to speak with the other woman but didn’t get a reply.
It had been a mistake to ask in the first place.
‘She’s as dull as a doorknob….’
Even Park Hyaeyoung had lost sight of them in an instant.
If she couldn’t tell where they had gone, there was no way the blind bitch
next to her would be able to.
This woman had probably only been trailing after her.
“Gaaaeeeeek.”
The voice of a monster sounded in the distance.

Naturally, she began to tremble instantly.
She knew that she needed to leave this area but her feet were glued to the
spot.
Because she couldn’t figure out where to go.
Perhaps by now, Kiyoung-ssi had noticed that they were lost.
If they hung around a little longer and waited, those two would surely come
to find them.
She was sure they would.
At the ridiculous sight of Jung Hayan, who was muttering nonsense even in
this situation, Park Hyaeyoung could barely hold back her laughter.
“The power, to protect myself, from my enemies, who try to steal from me.”
It seemed to be a prayer to someone, but her actions were completely beyond

comprehension.
Lee Kiyoung, who had concerned himself with a woman like this, also
seemed to be out of his mind.
“Wind blade.”
Shiik-
She heard a sound as though the air was ripping apart.
“Shut up, you moron. Can’t you hear the monsters?”
It was when she tried to take a small step forward.
‘Huh?’
Her balance gave way out of nowhere.
Against her own will, her body crumpled to the ground.
At the same time, she felt an unbearable pain in her left leg.
Bright red blood began to spurt from her leg and splash to the ground.
She could see her left leg had been separated from her body and was lying
away from her.
‘What… Happened….’
A scream tore free from her mouth before she could even think.
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaa! S-somebody! Anybody, please… P-please help me. He-

help!”
“I-I-it’s useless. Hyae-Hyaeyoung-ssi.”
“M-my leg… My leg….”
“I-I’ve b-blocked off the surrounding sound with mana. I’m not sure if you
can hear me. Y-you don’t need to worry about the monsters coming here.
You can relax.”
“Please h-help me, please….”
“Y-you’re m-more stupid than I thought. Hyaeyoung-ssi…. Y-you caused

trouble for Oppa… And y-you ruined my outing.”
“Shut up. Fuck! It hurts… It hurts! Can’t you see my leg right now? Quickly
bring Kiyoung-ssi here or…”
Park Hyaeyoung continued to grip her burning leg with her hands.
She couldn’t think clearly because of the blood pouring out from her body.
She took off her jacket and tied it around her leg to stem the bleeding, but it
was hard to tell whether this rough treatment would be enough.
Her jaw shook.
It was only natural for her body to tremble.
She couldn’t understand why her leg had fallen off in the first place.
She didn’t even want to comprehend the truth.
However, figuring out whether this was a nightmare or reality was a more
pressing matter.
The pain continued to burn as though her body was on fire.
Her vision became blurred by her tears.
When Park Hyaeyoung looked up slightly, she saw Jung Hayan smiling
brightly at her.
‘Huh?’
She was holding something in her hands that was made of some strange
material.
‘Wind blade.’
Suddenly those words flickered through her mind.
Park Hyaeyoung was in disbelief, but it was clear that an emerald green wind
was swirling around Jung Hayan’s hands.
‘For what reason? Why? How could she?’ Even before those thoughts ran
through her mind, she was filled with an instinctive fear.
“Ah… Ha-Hayan-ssi….”
“Yes. Hyaeyoung-ssi.”
“W-why are you doing this all of a sudden?”
“I-I didn’t w-want to do this. I-I couldn’t help it though. Because you keep
trying to take m-my Oppa away from me. I-I couldn’t help it. I’m not d-doing
this because I like it.”
“W-what are you talking about?”
“I hate it when you pretend you’re clueless.… Hyaeyoung-ssi, y-you should

have known you were f-fawning over my Oppa, didn’t you? Y-y-you should
have realised you were trying to take him away, didn’t you? You said you
were going to take him away, didn’t you?
‘In…sane.”
She was out of her mind.
Park Hyaeyoung was baffled that she somehow hadn’t noticed it before.
The woman before her was definitely crazy. The corners of her mouth lifted
up and her eyes seemed to be filled with the light of madness.
“It was… It was just meaningless chatter. “
“Lies.”
“Really….”
“You’re lying. D-do you know how much you hurt me? I-It felt like my heart
was broken when you talked with Oppa, held hands with O-oppa, and leaned
on O-oppa. Maybe y-you can’t even comprehend how I felt.”
“I-I can understand. Uhuh… I-I can understand. So, h-help me. I-I won’t
appear in front of y-your Oppa ever again.”
“S-sorry. No matter how much I think about it, I can’t even look at you.
Hyaeyoung-ssi, you should hurt as much as me. I really can’t forgive you for
trying to take my Oppa away. And if you’re alive, I-I’ll feel so nervous….”
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
There was a gruesome sound as her other arm was cut off.
She felt a great deal of pain.
She writhed, but nothing changed. All she could think about was that she had
to get out of there somehow.
Though she struggled to crawl away, it was impossible through the pain and
fear.
“Sa-save me. Please… Please, I was wrong. Help me. Please… Ahhhhhhhh.”
“No, no, don’t do that. It will only m-make you weaker.”
“Please, I was completely wrong. It’s all my fault! It was because of my

mistake. Mmf! Mm!”
“Ma-magic can do this too. It’s better to keep your mouth shut because
you’re so noisy.”
Only
Her voice couldn’t escape.
It felt like something was strangling her. Tears began to pour from her eyes.
She continued to struggle because of the pain wracking her body, but it was
futile.
“Mm… Mm! MM!”
“T-then, I-I’m sorry.”

As she continued to struggle, she could hear a voice from somewhere beyond
her line of sight.
“Hayan-ah?”
“O-oppa.”
It was the man responsible for all of this, Lee Kiyoung.

Chapter 21 Relief
Chapter 21: Relief
“Hayan-ah?”
“O-oppa.”
‘I had a feeling things would turn out this way….’
The scene before me was even more horrific than I had imagined.
Jung Hayan was smiling serenely while Park Hyaeyoung was writhing on the
floor with her legs and arms cut off.
I felt the contents of my stomach rise up subconsciously, but I forced my

nausea down.
I could see Jung Hayan’s eyes wavering.
When I had seen the wall made of mana, an even greater sense of
apprehension than I had expected had overcome me.
‘What… should I do?’
I wasn’t sure how to react.
Before things spiralled even further out of control, wracking my brains to

find a solution as quickly as I could, I couldn’t think of anything other than
Jung Hayan.
‘Park Deokgu might not fare much better in this situation, but if only he were
here instead.’
He couldn’t feel mana.
It had been a mistake to tell him to check the left path and come here on my
own.
“Mmf… Mm!”
I was trapped in this situation of seeing what remained of Park Hyaeyoung’s

form as she pleaded for help with her mouth blocked by some unidentifiable
spell.
I had no clue how Jung Hayan had reacted to my appearance.
When I glanced at Jung Hayan, her expression looked as though her soul was
escaping her.
She, too, was frozen by the sudden encounter.
In reality, I wasn’t much different from her. I was also caught between two
options.
‘Is it fine if I run away?’
If not.
‘Would it be better to feign ignorance?’
I had to consider this issue carefully.
My body, feeling the sense of danger, was screaming at me to keep walking,

but my brain betrayed that expectation.
I began to weigh the pros and cons.
I was sure that Jung Hayan definitely felt goodwill towards me.
In addition, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that her feelings had
become excessive over time.
The motive behind her attempt to kill Park Hyaeyoung was also likely related
to me.
Rather, it had to be related.
Maybe, before[1], there would have also been bad blood between her and
Park Hyaeyoung, but based on her behaviour, there was currently only one
answer to this whole thing.
If I hesitated in front of Jung Hayan here.
Perhaps her blade would turn on me.
I refused to scuffle with a crazy woman who slung around spells I didn’t
know like it was nothing.
I’d been going around in circles for so long it almost felt unnatural.
In the end, I had no choice but to open my mouth carefully.
It was the most reasonable choice.
“Hyae-Hyaeyoung-ssi how… did this happen?”
“Eh?”
Please don’t waste the opportunity I’ve given you.
Please tell me the right answer.
I can’t help you any more than this.
“Why are her arms and legs… What happened?”
Don’t forget to cover your mouth with your hands. You can’t leave out the
disbelieving expression.
It was then that Jung Hayan’s face brightened slightly. Contrary to her
expectations, she seemed to think that the worst-case scenario she had
imagined hadn’t arrived.
She must have thought that I didn’t know she was behind this.
The choice of what to say was very simple.
She should be able to find the answer easily.
“I’m also not sure about the details. Oppa… A-all of a sudden…”
Trembling hands and legs, quivering lips and a shaky voice.
She wasn’t frightened at all.
She just didn’t want to let me know that she was the culprit.
Perhaps it came from being unaccustomed to lying. Nevertheless, Jung

Hayan continued to speak.
“When I opened my eyes, I saw that I had been separated from everyone, I-I
don’t know how. When I came here, I found Hyaeyoung-ssi… L-like this.”
‘Not bad.’
It wasn’t a bad excuse. I took Jung Hayan’s hands into my own trembling
fingers and pulled her into my arms.
“You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”
“O-oppa.”
I was the one who had to worry about getting hurt.
My heart was pounding like crazy.
Not only was I constantly checking to see if she was casting any spells, I was
also gripping tight onto my spear.
As I did so, Park Hyaeyoung was looking at Jung Hayan in horror.
“Mmf! Mmm! MMM! Mhm! Mm!”
I could hazard a guess as to what she was trying to say.
‘Run away.’
Or.
‘Save me.’
There was a high probability it was the latter, but unfortunately, there was
nothing I could do.
To antagonise or disregard Jung Hayan here would be an act of suicide.
Her mind was definitely more worn out and fractured than I had assumed.
She liked me, but since her obsession had led to hostility and murder, I had
no idea how she would react if I said I didn’t believe her.
Perhaps that anger would extend towards me.
I’d been handed a ticking bomb, but between someone who had useful talents
and a piece of trash who wouldn’t amount to anything, who should I choose?
The answer was obvious.
Anyone with eyes would know that it was rational to side with Jung Hayan.
That wasn’t the only issue.
‘I can’t save her.’
I had no ability to save Park Hyaeyoung as she slowly died.
Even if she was really a useful card, I had no choice but to discard this hand.
I could empathise, but I was desperate, too.
“Mmm! Mmf! MMMMM! Mmmf!”
It was hard to turn away from someone who was desperately begging me to
save her and not abandon her.
I rushed up to her and began to use my clothes to tie the wounds.
Jung Hayan made an expression as though she was frightened out of her wits
but I was sure she knew.
‘Park Hyayeoung is dying. She’s likely going to die very soon.’
The bleeding was already too excessive. There were signs that she was
slowly losing consciousness and her eyes were no longer focused.
“There’s a chance that the traps in the dungeon were activated. You weren’t
able to notice it though because we passed through a wall of mana.”
Jung Hayan had created the barrier.
“…….”
“Considering the mana I felt near the entrance to the level below, there could
be trap devices scattered around us. I hadn’t accounted for that.”
There were no such devices on the first floor. I could be sure of that.
“Maybe the trap was triggered in the process of me casting my spell. There’s
a high possibility that the magic that’s blocking her mouth is some other
unknown trap… Fortunately, I don’t feel any other mana around us, but….”
Jung Hayan had been the one to invoke the spell.
“Yes… You’re right….”

“MMM! mMm!”
I had already come up with a plan starring Jung Hayan.
The question was whether this bullshit would work on Kim Hyunsung.
That guy had already been here once, so he had to know that there were no
traps on the first floor.
Talking nonsense would just earn his suspicion.
I had no idea whether I could help Park Hyaeyoung like this.
How would he react when he found Hyaeyoung-ssi?”
Caught in a trap?
There were no traps here to begin with, and he was well-aware of that.
Struck by a monster?
The cuts were too neat. Anyone who saw her would be able to tell that Park
Hyaeyoung hadn’t been attacked by a monster.
The faint trace of mana around her body, as well as the mysterious magic still
sealing her mouth, were definitely signs that Park Hyaeyoung was killed by
something other than a monster.
Kim Hyunsung was definitely, definitely going to notice.
I kept trying to bind the wounds, but it was a far cry from actual first aid.
I had never learned basic haemostasis or first aid.
The most I could do was pretend to do something.
‘Damn it..’
In the end, I felt Park Hyaeyoung’s movements, as she jerked and squirmed,
begin to weaken little by little.
‘Just don’t get discovered.’
Kim Hyunsung couldn’t be the one to find her.
The best method was for monsters to come across her first, but that was
something I didn’t want to think about.
Above all.
‘I don’t want that.’
I was reluctant to let that happen.
You’d be right to think that this was the last shred of my conscience.
I could see her starting to gasp. She was struggling to breathe.
I quietly began to chant a spell.
“Lord. The power, to ward, with burning flames.”
Jung Hayan looked at me with an uneasy expression.
“Fire wall.”
It was magic that was invoked by drawing out mana that I didn’t have.
I was overcome by dizziness at that moment, but I bit down harshly on my

lips to concentrate on maintaining my magic.
“O-oppa.”
“It would be hard to take her away from here. She’s already bled too much. If
we all try to leave together, we’ll die. I can’t lose you too…. So for now, we
need to hurry and get out of here as soon as possible. We can’t take the body
with us. At least, like this, we can send her off properly. Yeah, this is the
right thing to do.”
Park Hyaeyoung was already on her last breath as the flames began to cling
to her and swallow her up.
The surging flames seemed to resemble a rowdy party.
I stared blankly at the scene.
‘It was the best choice.’
It was the most logical decision.
Glancing at Jung Hayan’s face, I had a feeling that she was struggling to hold
back a smile. Nausea rolled in my stomach, but she wasn’t the only one who
had become a monster.
I was just like her.
For some reason, I felt ashamed.
I wanted to watch the fire a little longer, but it would be suicide to stay here.
Maybe because of the flames I had called, Jung Hayan’s magic wall was torn
down.
As soon as I moved forward, I could see Park Deokgu waiting there.
“Where’s Hyaeyoung-ssi? Noonim isn’t hurt….”
When I shook my head wordlessly, he nodded as though he knew what had

happened.
He had smiled slightly at finding Jung Hayan, but when I hinted that Park
Hyaeyoung was dead, his face became stiff.
“What about the other monsters nearby?”
“I haven’t seen that many, so I think that Kim Hyunsung hyung-ssi might
have led them away… He’s quick on his feet, so he can survive one way or
another.”
“That’s good.”
That was truly a relief. The fact that he was so far away from us was a huge
relief.
“By the way, w-what happened?”
“It’s a long explanation. I’ll explain it to you later. It’s a little hard to tell,
and….”
“I-I understand, Hyung-nim.”
To Park Deokgu, it wouldn’t matter if I gave him a rough explanation.
I thought it would be better not to talk about Jung Hayan’s story if possible,
and as I kept running, I saw some monsters rushing towards us.
“Hyung-nim, are you alright?”
“I’m out of mana.”
“Don’t strain yourself.”
Park Deokgu pushed them away from our group as we ran so that we were
able to escape.
My lungs felt like they were going to burst.
Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan were no different. We all looked exhausted.
To be honest, I felt like I was going to pass out.
Still, I knew I couldn’t lose consciousness.

I had to see this through to the end.
Looking back with a slightly somber look on her face, Jung Hayan furtively
spoke to me.
Only
“A-as expected… Y-you’re sad?”
Her expression was poor and held traces of anxiety.
Of course, I knew the correct answer to that question well.
“I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”
The corners of Jung Hayan’s mouth rose at my words. She smiled widely.
“O-o-oppa.”
“I’m really glad you’re alright.”
I only half meant it.

Chapter 22 Design
Chapter 22: Design
“I’m not sure if that Hyung-ssi, Kim Hyunsung, is safe.”
“He’ll be fine.”
Once we had broken through the encirclement, Park Deokgu bluntly spat out
his worries.
He gave off a keen feeling of apprehension.
Ever since he had been told directly that Park Hyaeyoung hadn’t made it
back, he seemed a bit restless.
He looked worried about Kim Hyunsung, who had drawn all of those other
monsters away on his own. Perhaps he thought Kim Hyunsung would meet
the same fate as Park Hyaeyoung and wouldn’t survive.
However, it was hard to imagine Kim Hyunsung being cornered by monsters,

no matter how outnumbered he was.
When he was in action, it was hard enough just to follow him with your eyes,
so it wouldn’t be difficult for him to evade a bunch of monsters.
There was a high probability that by now, he had escaped from that area and
was worrying about the same things I was.
One person ended up dead from a hunt which he had taken great pains to
propose.
Perhaps it would provide a convenient excuse for those in the shelter to curl
up and hide a little bit longer.
This expedition was one which should have been carried out without a hitch.
Of course, Kim Hyunsung didn’t know that Park Hyaeyoung was dead yet,
but I thought that just the incident alone would be enough to cause a
headache.
“It’s unfortunate. I wasn’t close to Park Hyaeyoung, but I think she was
trying to do her best.”
“She almost got us killed, so if the worst that happens is her death, it can still
be considered a success”
“T-that’s true, but.”
“You should be grateful for the fact that we’ve come out of this alive. It
couldn’t be helped. She was at fault for pulling aggro from you while she ran
wild without listening to us, and it was her who screamed and brought every
monster within earshot running. To put it bluntly, if you or Hayanie had died
instead of her, I wouldn’t have forgiven her.”
That wouldn’t have been something that I could stop at calling

‘Unforgivable.’
I might have ended up wanting to kill her myself.
Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan were a priceless pair.
When I looked over, it wasn’t only Jung Hayan, but also Park Deokgu, who
was looking at me with a strange expression.
Jung Hayan seemed moved, while Park Deokgu looked to be embarrassed.
“Ah….”
“Well, t-the same would be true for me.”

It was Jung Hayan who had killed Park Hyaeyoung, but I didn’t want to think
about such things at the moment.
With the exception of Kim Hyunsung, these were currently the two people I
could rely on the most.
Park Deokgu, a meat shield with high endurance and stamina, and Jung
Hayan who had immeasurable potential.
There was the downside that they were both too dependent on me, but in a
way, that could also be said to be an advantage.
The problem was that one of them was a ticking bomb that I couldn’t control,
but at the same time it was highly likely that her disposition would make her
a powerhouse on my side.
“By the way, how will you explain this to the people in the shelter?”
“Don’t explain, and sleep. There was a mistake and one person died. That’s
all. If they’re scared due to this….”
“If they’re scared?”
“However much we might want to help, people will still die in the end. You
have to remember that the fact is, right now, we’re in the middle of the
tutorial. We have to assume that the main game is several times more
dangerous than anything we’re going through now.”
Sometimes, I forgot that what we were facing right now was a tutorial.
Because of the tension that if something went wrong, we’d croak.
We had only just begun.
One way or another, if Kim Hyunsung entered the main game, it might be
teeming with weaklings, or there might be a lot of bastards who couldn’t
even be placed on the same level as the monsters we’d been facing.
‘We can’t become complacent.’

If we became complacent like the people in the shelter, we would die.
With the exception of Lee Jihye, who seemed to understand this fact, most of
them were idiots.
It was unsettling that not a single one of them could be useful.
I couldn’t understand why Kim Hyunsung was obsessed with those guys.
I had thoughts that it might be related to his past life, but I couldn’t afford to
dig into his past now.
“We’ll sleep here tonight.”
“We’re not returning to the shelter?”
“It’s too far.”
“I thought we were almost there… Hng. I don’t know how Hyung-nim can
memorise the way so well.”
“This is pretty normal. I left a mark for us to spot when we started out.”
“You even left a mark?”
‘This son of a bitch….’
I hadn’t expected Park Deokgu to use his brains to begin with, but at this rate,
I was sure he was just a muscle head.
I was so dumbfounded that it might have leaked into my expression, as Park

Deokgu flinched and Jung Hayan hurriedly began to speak.
“He-here.”
There was a scratch which looked to have been made by a spear.
A very small cut on the wall was clearly visible.

“Noonim knew too.”
“You need to pay better attention to your surroundings. What are you going
to do if there’s a situation where you and I are separated like earlier?”
“Hem. I don’t think that’s going to happen….”
It was a bit disconcerting to see him always trailing off at the end of his
sentences.
I wasn’t sure if it was because he was flustered, but his eyes kept darting
around to avoid mine. It was quite a spectacle to behold.
It wasn’t my intention to nag him there and then, so I followed suit and
slumped to the ground, feeling drained.
Jung Hayan clung to me like a cicada glued to an old tree.
Park Deokgu’s expression looked somewhat wicked.
“Ahem…. Then, I’ll look around for a moment, Hyung-nim.”
“Is that necessary?”
If possible, I hoped that Park Deokgu wouldn’t leave his spot.
“Who knows if there are any of those monster bastards around here looking
for us.”
He wasn’t wrong.
“Well, Hyung-nim has used a lot of mana…. Noonim, I think it might be

better for you to take care of him a little….”
“Ah! L-leave it to me, Deokgu-ssi.”
“Don’t get lost.”
“I’ll just be taking a look around.”

I nodded brusquely.
Seeing him leave our current position quietly, I was mindful of the fact that I
would be left alone with Jung Hayan.
I knew she wasn’t crazy enough to sling magic at me, but the scene I’d
witnessed earlier kept coming to mind.
Jung Hayan’s hysterical grin as Park Hyaeyoung writhed on the ground with
her limbs cut off.
There was no way I wouldn’t feel scared.
Without thinking too much, I summoned the status window, and naturally
saw my information.
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Lee
Kiyoung.]
[Name: Lee Kiyoung]
[Age: 25]
[Class: Wizard]
[Class effect: Basic Magical Knowledge]
[Stats]

[Equipment: None]
[Attributes: Mind’s Eye]
[Overview: Your puny rate of growth is so miniscule it can now be

compared to that of an ant’s. Growth centred around vitality, mana, and
intelligence can be seen. Did you work your brains a lot? In particular, I
can see your intelligence grew particularly high. Don’t get too conceited.
Player Lee Kiyoung’s abilities are still inferior to even the secretions
discharged by monsters.
I didn’t know who the hell’s opinion this overview was based on, but I didn’t
like them.
Without this ability, I wouldn’t have been able to get this far, but this
overview was enough to make me want to do something about it.
Nevertheless, the improvements in my abilities were bound to make me feel a

little bit better.
Meanwhile, the two-point increase of my mana stood out to me.
Clearly, my intelligence was overwhelmingly high compared to the other

stats.
I didn’t know what had improved exactly, as I still wasn’t sure of the exact
nature behind stat growth, but perhaps my basic critical thinking skills were a
little better than before.
‘Luck.’
The value of this unknown luck stat had also risen by two points.
I was glad to find that Jung Hayan’s state wouldn’t negatively impact my
growth.
‘It’s not bad.’
It was pretty good growth for a scumbag at the bottom of the talent pool.
At this rate, it would be hard to say I was that far behind the average person.
“Stats…. Yours must have increased?”
“Yeah. Has anything changed for you, Hayanie?
“N-no. Not much… But my mana level went up a little. The same for vitality,
and strength.”
“That’s a relief.”
[Name: Jung Hayan]
[Age: 21]
[Class: Wizard – Common Grade]
[Stats]
[Equipment: None]
[Attribute: Wizard in training – Rating: Heroic]
[Overview: Be careful. Nice boat [1].]
I had opened Jung Hayan’s status window, just in case, but I couldn’t find
anything vastly different from before.
What caught my attention was that her mana level had risen by three. Her
disposition as a Pure Advocate remained. If it said she was pure, then she was
pure. I didn’t have any complaints about that, but it would be nice if she
could make it a bit more apparent.
‘What the hell is this overview?’
For some reason, the words rang ominously in my ears.
“I-it’s all thanks to O-o-oppa.”
“No. I didn’t actually help you that much.”
I hadn’t contributed much to her ability growth.
When I laughed quietly, Jung Hayan also began to smile brightly.

Her smile was a bit scary-looking, but I couldn’t make that obvious.
When I patted her head, she bowed her head slightly. Park Hyaeyoung’s torn
off limbs and her appearance as she smiled like a crazy bitch was no longer
present.
Once again, I couldn’t help but notice that she liked me.
At the moment, Jung Hayan was the person who concerned me the most.
Because I needed to find a way to control this uncontrollable bomb.
‘There are two options.’
Option one: Push her away very slowly.
I didn’t mean it in the sense of pushing her out of my reach.
Rather, I would push for us to have an Oppa-and-Dongsaeng relationship,

rather than one of lovers.
This would reduce the intensity of affection to one between siblings instead
of between men and women.
It wouldn’t magically get rid of her jealousy.
In fact, it was the safest and most reasonable path.
Option two: Quickly drag her to me.
The second option was based on the affection between men and women.
Not only believing, trusting, and following me, but further developing a
relationship where she would unconditionally accept anything I said.
It was a boatload of shit but it didn’t seem impossible considering Jung

Hayan’s present state.
Actually, what I had in mind was the first option.

I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but there was still room for improvement in our
relationship.
As I stroked her head again, she gripped my hand on her head.
Honestly, I was a bit taken aback.
“Hum… Hum….”
Park Deokgu, who had gone out on patrol, had returned.
“Oh, what a nice atmosphere.”
“Eh? Sorry? Ah… No. It’s not that….”
Jung Hayan was a bit too flustered.
Park Deokgu spoke to Jung Hayan with the same shrewd smile as before.
“I thought I asked you to take care of Hyung-nim, but Noonim is a little sly,
isn’t she?”
“I-it’s not like that.”
Park Deokgu snickered and smiled excessively while Jung Hayan rose from
her seat and crept over to the corner.
Seeing her appearance, Park Deokgu smiled widely and didn’t hesitate to flop
down right next to me.
“Oh, did I come back too early?”
“What are you talking about.”
“Well, aren’t things going well with Noonim?”
I had no idea what the hell he was talking about.
Rather, come to think of it, he was 23 years old. Jung Hayan was 21 years
old.
I couldn’t understand why he would call Jung Hayan ‘Noonim’.
Anyone could see that Jung Hayan looked younger than Park Deokgu.
“You know that Jung Hayan is younger than you, right?”
“Of course. Even so, what kind of Dongsaeng would treat his Hyung’s
woman disrespectfully?”
“What….”
The word ‘bullshit’ almost popped out of my mouth.
Now that I thought about it, something was weird.
What I wanted from Jung Hayan, in the first place, was a bond, not a love
affair.
It may be true that her environment had led her in a strange direction, but
nevertheless, there was still a missing piece to the puzzle.
I felt like the last piece had slotted into place.
It was this.
‘Shit….’
A cupid.
“Don’t forget me if it goes well later. Actually, I didn’t tell you, but since
Hyung-nim asked me to take good care of Noonim, I’ve been pushing her
little by little.”
“What… How can you….”

“Hem hem… You look good together and it looks like she likes Hyung-nim.
You used to sneak peeks at Noonim. I’ve seen something like this happen so
many times, I can’t remember…Fufu…. So you don’t have to be too
thankful….”
“…….”
Only
“I thought your taste was a bit unusual, but… Hem! If Hyung-nim says so,
then it’s only right for me, the dongsaeng to help! In my opinion, I think the
goal is in sight. Actually, even though I look like this, everyone knows Park
Deokgu, the love doctor in Gangwon-do.”
Ignorant of my feelings, the corners of Park Deokgu’s mouth raised as he

poured out his pride.
I couldn’t even speak because I was so flustered.
I had no choice but to realise that it was meaningless to distinguish between

the first and second option.
‘Park Deokgu you pig bastard…..’
An almost flawless checkmate.
I couldn’t think of anything to stop the designs of a pig, whose brain was full
of nothing but muscles.
Chapter 23 Calculating Ki
Chapter 23: Calculating Killer (1)
I never had a choice to begin with. According to Park Deokgu’s designs, Jung
Hayan would be repulsed just by me choosing the first option.
Rather, no matter what my thoughts were on the matter originally, it was

highly likely that Jung Hayan was sprinting towards the second option on her
own.
“Zzzzzzz.”
When I heard Park Deokgu snoring beside me, I felt myself growing
increasingly upset.
In the first place, there was no way I could even entertain the idea of dating
here.
In this kind of place, where no one knew when they would die, it was
senseless to consider feelings of that nature.
Getting into a relationship was a whole other can of worms.
I wanted to wholeheartedly reject the notion of an intimate relationship with a

woman who might one day decide to tear me apart, but…
‘I can’t.’
Ironically, the only way to avoid the ending where I was torn to death was to
get closer to her.
The most dangerous person was, at the same time, the most reliable person.
I didn’t enjoy gambling, but I was ready to throw the dice if necessary.
I gave a brief nod to the reality I didn’t want to acknowledge, and spoke to
Park Deokgu who was still snoring away.
“Get up.”
“zzzzzzzzzz…..”
“Wake up, Deokgu-yah.”
“Unnnngh… What. Morning already?”
“We’re starting a bit early.”
“Hey, Noonim. Please wake up.”
“…….”
“It looks like she’s fast asleep… Noonim, it’s time to get up.”
“…….”
“Uhh… It looks like Noonim has turned into Sleeping Beauty… Maybe she
needs a kiss from her Prince Charming?”
‘Son of a bitch.’
He had taken on a teasing tone without knowing how I felt about it.
I wanted to stuff his mouth with a fireball.
Most of my mana had recovered just in time. I didn’t know why but just
hearing that throwaway line was enough to drive me up the wall.
Still, I had to wake up Jung Hayan, so I had no choice but to take a slight step
forward.
“Hayan-ah.”
“…….”
“Hayan-ah, it’s time to wake up.”
“Unngh…..”
Only when I patted her head lightly did she rise, blearily rubbing her eyes.
It seemed she wasn’t fully awake yet.
Even though I could see her startle and become flustered after seeing me, I
still felt an inexplicable, lingering fear when I looked at her.
“Ah… Oh! Yes, Oppa.”
“We’re going to head back to the shelter as soon as possible.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s have a light meal and get going.”
“Hem. Leave the arrangements to me.”
After a really simple meal, it didn’t take long for us to get ready to move on.
There’s a saying that humans are adaptable creatures. Seeing everyone greet
the morning in their own way, I could see that it was indeed the case.
“I don’t know if that Hyung-ssi, Kim Hyunsung, and the shelter are okay.
We’ve been away for a while.”
“They should also be alright. So long as those guys don’t pointlessly decide
among themselves to go out to hunt.”
“Isn’t it good if they can? We need more people to fight anyway….”
Of course, there was no reason to stop them if they could hunt properly.
“You think those guys, who’ve been hiding in fear all this time, would
suddenly turn over a new leaf just because they’ve had a change of heart?
Not only is it unlikely that they would band together to hunt, even if they did
go out, they would all wind up dead if they couldn’t get it together and do it
properly. In fact, that would be the better outcome.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m saying that we have to hope that things don’t turn out the way they did
with Park Hyaeyoung.”
The probability that those in the shelter would go out hunting was low.
However, if they did form a party of their own and leave to look for monsters
by themselves, then there was another, even worse possibility that we had to
consider.
Of course, I couldn’t claim that my judgment wasn’t flawed but….
“The worst-case scenario is that they panic, start screaming, and lead all the
monsters to the shelter.”
“…….”
“…….”
“The people in the shelter would be none the wiser to the impending danger.
They would all be busy with their lives. Terrified humans can’t make rational
decisions… And, ultimately, they wouldn’t be able to stop the horde of
monsters storming in, the entrance would be breached, and that would be the
end of the shelter.”
“Well, just imagining it is horrible enough.”
It really was horrific.
“That’s probably why Hyunsung-ssi ordered us to return separately from him.

There may still be some monster bastards that are still after us.”
“Well, the more I think about it, the more I think that Hyung-nim is really
smart.”
I was never smart.
“It’s not like that.”
It was just that I was constantly thinking about worst-case scenarios and how
to react to them.
As my feet rose and fell unceasingly, I instinctively felt a rising sense of

apprehension. Just imagining the situation I had just described really
happening made my mouth go dry.
To be honest, it wasn’t that I cared about what happened to anyone in the

shelter, but the loss of economic or natural resources there would be a waste.
At best, it was a well-established place.
Since we still didn’t know how long clearing the dungeon would take, the
shelter was still a necessity.
My mind was occupied by various thoughts as we walked down the eerily

quiet pathway.
This kind of silence was a bit heavy, so I chatted with Park Deokgu and Jung
Hayan and the shelter came into view not long after.
Strangely enough, the entrance had been barricaded.
Lee Jihye must have spotted us, as she emerged and began to clear away a
heap of rubble.
It must have been packed together tightly as it took a while before she was
done. Lee Jihye approached us slowly, a customary smile on her face, and
began to speak once she had drawn near.
“Kiyoung oppa and Deokgu oppa are here? Hyaeyoung-ssi and Hyunsung-
ssi….”
“Park Hyaeyoung is dead and Hyunsung-ssi will be back soon.”
“Ah, I see.”
After hearing my calm response, Lee Jihye closed her eyes for a moment
before nodding her head and continuing to speak.
“By any chance….”
“It’s a long story. In the meantime, did you have any trouble at the shelter?”
“Umm… May I speak with you in private?”
That had to mean that she wanted to speak freely. .
Lee Jihye’s expression didn’t look good. Something was going on.
Why was it that bad feelings were never wrong?
When I turned a little and glanced over at Park Deokgu, I saw that he was
nodding as if it made no difference to him.
In the first place, he would want to hear it from me later, so it didn’t matter,
but what concerned me was how Jung Hayan would respond.
However, since it was also essential for me to hear what Lee Jihye had to say,
I had no choice but to pat Jung Hayan on the head once and speak to her.
“Do you want to go inside first and wait? I’ll be there in a bit.”
“Ah! Alright… Okay. Oppa.”
This was just because I was worried that Lee Jihye would be torn limb from
limb otherwise.
For some reason, the way she kept glancing back at me over and over again
as she went into the shelter made me remember Park Hyaeyoung.
It was only when the two of them were no longer in sight that Lee Jihye
slowly began to speak.
“How did Park Hyaeyoung die?”
“She brought it on herself. Screaming in a place where there were a shit-ton

of monsters. That’s why Kim Hyunsung isn’t with us right now… Want to
know the details?”
“No, thank you. I can roughly imagine what happened.”
I noticed her glancing furtively at me. I didn’t know if she was thinking about
the way Jung Hayan had left, but I had the inexplicable feeling that she had a
rough idea of what had happened.
Of course, it was only a guess, but it meant that Lee Jihye caught on faster
than I expected.
“I’ll sum it up quickly.”
“Yoo Seokwoo, as well as a few others, went outside.”
‘I knew things would turn out like this.’
“When?”
“Yesterday morning.”
“You.”
“I know as well. I couldn’t let them leave without permission.”
“Then… Why.”
“To be honest, ever since Kiyoung oppa and Hyunsung oppa left together,
they constantly told me that they wanted to go out to hunt. I don’t know if he
made up his mind after seeing Kiyoung oppa’s magic, or if he had had
enough of the situation he was in, but he left to go hunting with a few, like-
minded men. Idiots…. Of course, at first, I was able to convince them that it
made more sense to go after Kiyoung oppa returned, but…”
“…….”
“I’m just a powerless woman, aren’t I?”
I now had a rough understanding of the situation.
It seemed that my display of magic in front of them had adverse side effects.
To begin with, Yoo Seokwoo was at a disadvantage after the trouble he had
caused for Jung Hayan.
It was no wonder, then, that he would consider his options given his status
had dropped.
Not only would he think about gaining incomprehensible powers, but he,
himself, must have secretly thought about wanting to be like us.
With the exception of Lee Jihye, who was considered to be a manager, the
power of Kim Hyunsung, Park Deokgu, and myself, was absolute here.
I sighed briefly before speaking again.
“Wasn’t it your job to prevent this?”
“I tried my best to stop them. Kiyoung oppa’s return was later than expected,
so people got nervous… How could I refuse to let him go when he said they
wanted to send a rescue team?”
“Rescue my ass… Usually, those shitheads wouldn’t give a fuck…. Is that

why you barricaded the entrance?”
“Yes. We don’t have to die together, do we?”

That explained why the entrance was completely blocked off.
If Yoo Seokwoo and the other self-proclaimed rescuers were pursued by

monsters, they might have thought to ask the shelter for help.
Seeing as she had blocked up the entrance and kept it shut tight, Lee Jihye
also seemed to be thinking of protecting the shelter in her own way.
“I wish those stupid, trouble-making fuckers would just die… It seems like
the wrong person died. What to do… People are definitely going to be
scared…. People who can fight, do you still need more of those?”
“The more the merrier.”
To be honest, the one attacking the dungeon was not me, but Kim Hyunsung.
The person who thought it feasible to fight and that we needed to bolster our
forces was not me, but Kim Hyunsung.
He seemed to believe that we had no choice but to expand our forces before
progressing to the lower floors.
“What about you?”
Even though my Mind’s Eye had evaluated Lee Jihye as trash, she was better
than that bitch Park Hyaeyoung.
I didn’t think she would be stabbing her spear willy-nilly or that there would
be any screaming halfway through.
Rather, it was highly likely she would calmly do her job behind Park
Deokgu’s back.
“I would like to decline.”
“…….”
“It’s terrifying and I don’t want to get caught up in anything fruitless. The
power that Kiyoung oppa has shown is definitely amazing… Of course it’s
desirable, but needless greed is a shortcut to death.”
“…….”
“Do you think a baepsae can be like a stork? The baepsae will have its own
baepsae way of life.” [1]
I think I knew what she meant.
For some reason, Lee Jihye’s story sounded just a bit like something that I
could have written as well, and her thoughts were also reasonable.
Only
“Rather than living on the battlefield, where I wouldn’t even know when I’ll
die… Wouldn’t it be best to be with a capable man and live in peace?”
It was while we were talking about one thing or another that I sensed the
presence of someone else somewhere.
I turned my head naturally and saw that several figures were coming towards
us.
‘Yoo Seokwoo?’
The one walking in front had to be Yoo Seokwoo.
However, the three figures behind him were humans I had never seen in the
shelter before.
“I guess the one guy who wanted to die the most came back alive. He even
brought back baggage….”
Chapter 24 Calculating Killer (2)
RIM Chapter 24: Calculating Killer (2)
“How many people went out?”
“Seven people.”
The one in the lead and coming towards us was obviously Yoo Seokwoo.
It was difficult to make out the features of the three people walking behind
Yoo Seokwoo due to the distance, but at the very least, I could tell that I had
never seen them here before.
Seven people went out, including Yoo Seokwoo but six of them didn’t come
back, and now three different people were heading towards the shelter.
The natural assumption was that something happened to Yoo Seokwoo’s

party while they were out hunting, and that they were helped by the people
who were coming our way.
In the process.
‘Everyone other than Yoo Seokwoo died.’
The probability of that was likely very high.
Just by looking at their equipment, you could tell that they weren’t some
ragtag group.
One of them was holding a small shield and sword, another carried a spear,
and the last was holding a bow.
Going by the atmosphere surrounding them and the bandages wrapped

around their wounds, I was certain they had already fought several battles.
‘Mind’s Eye.’
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Jung Jinho.]
[Name: Jung Jinho]
[Title: N/A ]
[Age: 29]
[Disposition: Calculating Killer]
[Class: Battlemage – Rare grade]
[Stats]
[Endurance: 25/Growth potential: heroic or higher]
[Agility: 23/Growth potential: heroic or higher]
[Vitality: 24/Growth potential: heroic or higher]
[Intelligence: 20/Growth potential: rare or lower]
[Luck: 15/Growth potential rare or lower]
[Mana: 08/Growth potential rare or higher]
[Attributes: N/A ]
[Overview: An undeniable talent, it’s impossible for him to develop badly.

Overall, he’s so amazingly well-balanced, naturally, there aren’t many things
he couldn’t do. If he dutifully pursues growth, it’s possible that he will be
able to rise to the top. His disposition is the kind I can get behind. I
recommend not getting any closer. This person could be too dangerous for
player Lee Kiyoung.]
‘Battlemage?’
Just a glance at his abilities was enough to gain a rough understanding. His
stats were perfectly balanced, and what stood out most was the existence of
mana and his class.
‘Mana?’
This was the first time I had seen someone who still had mana despite not
being a Wizard, outside of Kim Hyunsung.
My eyes were constantly drawn to the rare grade class, Battlemage.
His mana stat was eight, even higher than mine.
The mere fact that he had mana meant that he had the capacity to ascend to
the ranks of the strong.
The most noticeable piece of information was his disposition.
Calculating killer.
I had seen many dispositions thus far, but this was the first time I had seen
such a disposition.
The two guys next to him weren’t much different. Their stats in themselves
were only either better than mine or slightly below Park Deokgu’s, but
overall, their abilities weren’t bad.
These guys’ dispositions also did not seem to be as positive as Well-Meaning

Arbitrator or Pure Advocate.
“We’ll have to prepare to receive some guests. They look like people who are
capable of fighting… I don’t know if this will turn out well.”
“Go inside and get Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan.”
“Sorry?”
“Quickly.”
Instead of responding to her question, I grimaced and immediately began to

cast a spell.
Thinking about what might happen, Lee Jihye’s expression also hardened and
she began to head into the shelter.
I also backed up little by little.
“Lord, answer, my, wish, my call, please give me, strength, to burn my
enemies.”
They didn’t seem to have any particular animosity as of yet.
For starters, it looked like they were at ease whilst walking towards us.
Just as Jung Hayan possessed a disposition of Pure Advocate, there was a

possibility that there was a discrepancy between their dispositions and actual
behaviour. However, I thought it was better to be on guard for the time being.
‘Shit.’
I had already built up a tower of mana and chanted the spell.
In this case, all I had to do was say the spell, but I suppressed myself from
saying it.
“It’s nice to meet you. My name is Jung Jinho.”
It was because he said hello from a distance. When I saw him take a step
towards me, I took two steps back.
‘Range.’
I was well-aware of just how fast someone whose agility level was in the 20s
could move.
In reality, even this distance was dangerous.
The two people at Jung Jinho’s side may not have noticed the mana I was
restraining as much as possible, but Jung Jinho, who possessed mana, had to
be aware that I was suppressing a spell at that moment.
At his greeting, I responded while maintaining the distance between us.
“Pleased to meet you. My name is Lee Kiyoung.”
“Ah! I’ve heard a lot about you from Seokwoo-ssi.”
“Pardon me?”
“I heard you became a Wizard this time. You made flames rise from your
hands… I’d really love to see that just once.”
‘Yoo Seokwoo, you douchebag. Useless son of a bitch.’
“Yes.”
“It really is amazing. I already knew that this place gave us new abilities, it’s
just… This is my first time seeing a wizard… Ah! You don’t have to be so
wary.”
It was a strange situation where one wrong move could land me dead. It
would be more strange if I wasn’t on my guard.
The sword, spear, and bow they were carrying agitated me.
When I snuck a look at Yoo Seokwoo , he had a slightly nervous expression

on his face.
I didn’t know the cause behind his nervousness, but I thought it couldn’t be a
positive sign.
“Really, this place is amazing. I had heard that there were a lot of survivors
remaining, but I didn’t believe it. If it’s a place like this, it makes sense that
over 30 people could survive together.”
“I was also very surprised when I first saw this place. It’s all thanks to
Hyunsung-ssi. How did you….”
“Oh. Actually, I found Seokwoo-ssi along with a few other people

surrounded by monsters nearby. Unfortunately, I discovered them too late to
save the rest of them, but… Somehow I was able to save Seokwoo-ssi. It was
good fortune.”
When I looked at Yoo Seokwoo once again, that punk’s nodding face came
into view.
‘Really….’
Out of everyone he could have brought back, the fact that he had brought
these bastards was almost embarrassing.
There was an ominous feeling emanating just from his person alone.
That kind of ominousness was in this guy.
Perhaps it was an effect of the luck stat. My senses were screaming at me to

not get close to him.
“That’s a relief. Actually, I was extremely worried when I heard that

Seokwoo-ssi had left to go hunting. The rest of them… It can’t be helped….”
“If I had found them a little earlier, I could have saved them all… It really is
such a shame.”
While I was glancing around restlessly, I could sense Jung Hayan and Park
Deokgu coming out.
“What happened? Hyung-nim.”
“They’re newcomers.”
Only then did I relax a little. The way this guy looked, emerging with a heavy
shield, was definitely a menacing sight for others.
Of course, that was without even mentioning his stats. I thought that even
Jung Jinho might not be able to overcome his endurance and vitality levels.
Lee Jihye’s profile, as she made a statement of siding with me, clad in
shoddy leather armour and showing hostility to the three men before us, was
quite reliable.
Jung Hayan was also muttering something with her head lowered.
I couldn’t feel any significant amount of mana yet, but she had to have been
preparing herself for whatever happened.
“I thought we’d be welcomed… This is a little unexpected.”
It was then that I realised I was making it too obvious that I had my guard up.
“My apologies. Given the circumstances… Even without realising it, I can’t
help but be wary of those I meet for the first time. If I was rude….”
“It’s fine, Kiyoung-ssi. I completely understand. We have also been attacked

by people looking for food.”
“Ah.”
“I think there’s a group of bad guys moving around this area. We just barely
managed to get away from them, but I don’t think the same was true for their
other victims. I spotted many murdered women on the way here.”
I wanted to ask if these guys had been the ones responsible.
My attribute didn’t tell lies.

I didn’t know whether this guy really had blood on his hands, but there was
definitely a possibility that Jung Jinho would cause trouble somehow.
To claim that a normal person could have a disposition like Calculating Killer
was incomprehensible.
“It really was a terrible sight. The corpses were already half-eaten by
monsters, so I couldn’t check them properly, but I could see marks that were
made by humans, not monsters, all over the bodies. There’s no doubt that
they were knife-wounds.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. There were also traces that arrows had been lodged in the back,
perhaps while they were trying to escape. There were signs of resistance….
One of the bad guys had to have been an archer. There were also stab
wounds, possibly from a sword… It’s probably fair to say that one of them
was carrying a sword. By any chance, have you seen anyone matching this
description?”
“Yes.”
The guy quietly holding a bow next to him was, naturally, in my line of
vision.
I couldn’t grasp his intention in making that remark. However, one thing for
sure was that a strange tension was forming.
‘Are you picking a fight with me?’
I wondered if he really wanted to start a fight.
Park Deokgu must have seen my expression, as he also stealthily took up his
shield and moved forward.
I moved aside to let him go in front of Jung Hayan and I.
I wondered if he couldn’t see Park Deokgu.

Maybe this guy….
‘Are you confident?’
It was highly likely.
Perhaps it was nothing but a figment of imagination, but it definitely felt like
his target was me.
The way Jung Jinho’s arm kept moving to his waist bothered me. Park
Deokgu was probably also paying attention to that guy’s arm.
“Perhaps they’re active in an area where Kiyoung-ssi’s men don’t frequent.”
“It’s possible. I’ve never heard stories about those kinds of people, nor seen
any signs of them.”
At that moment, he was touching his waist, and his arm moved towards the
handle of his sword.
I spat out the spell right away.
Rather, to be exact, I almost spilled out the whole spell.
Kim Hyunsung’s voice was the only thing that stopped me from summoning
a fireball.
“What’s going on?”
That guy’s hand, which had stealthily been heading towards the handle of his
sword, moved to the side.
It was quite a spectacle to see him wipe his hands on his pants then approach
me with his hand outstretched for a handshake.
I wasn’t sure if this had been his intention from the start, but it was certainly
true that Kim Hyunsung’s appearance had changed the mood somewhat.
I cancelled the spell I had been preparing, then clasped that guy’s hand.
“Regardless, it was a pleasure to meet you, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“The pleasure was all mine. Jinho-ssi.”
I turned my head slightly and saw Kim Hyunsung’s face as he came towards
us.
He must have had a hard time during the past few days, but he didn’t look
very tired.
I could see his eyes trained on all of the people who had come with Yoo
Seokwoo with an indifferent expression.
“It seems nothing happened. It’s a long story. Seokwoo-ssi brought these….”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jung Jinho.”
It was then that I thought that the look on his face seemed off.
Only
Kim Hyunsung’s expression as he looked at Jung Jinho was a bit stiff.
I had a strange sense of deja-vu. His expression was a bit different, but it was
similar to the time when he had met Jung Hayan.
‘Do you know him?’
Kim Hyunsung might know the Jung Jinho of the future.
Of course, I had no way to confirm this, but the rigidity of his expression and
the anger in his eyes gave me a bit more certainty.
Even his body was shaking.

‘Kim Hyunsung… Why’s he acting like this?’
He looked a little different from the Kim Hyunsung I knew.

Chapter 25 : Calculating Ki
Chapter 25: Calculating Killer (3)
If I was going to get hit anyway, it was better to strike first.
‘What’s up with this guy?’
He seemed a bit different from the Kim Hyunsung I knew.
In the first place, Kim Hyunsung didn’t express his emotions very well.
The only time his emotions had been on display was when he had first
discovered Jung Hayan, and even that was fleeting.
‘What is it?’
I began to wonder if, by any chance, he had gotten wind of what we had done
to Park Hyaeyoung, but the person Kim Hyunsung was watching was neither
myself nor Jung Hayan.
He was definitely staring at Jung Jinho.
It was my first time seeing him like this.
He wasn’t gathering mana, but his eyes were clearly showing hostility.
His expression was one of vigilance.
His hands and legs seemed to be trembling slightly, and, above all, his facial
expression seemed to be greatly restrained.
‘You know this guy.’

Kim Hyunsung definitely knew Jung Jinho.
Of course, as to how he knew him, there was no way I would know.
The simplest possibility I could think of was that in the future I didn’t know,
the odds were high that the two of them were tangled up together in some ill-
fated relationship.
Kim Hyunsung didn’t have any kind of ability that would let him see that
guy’s status window.
Unlike me, he wasn’t wary of Jung Jinho because of his disposition,

Calculating Killer.
He was showing hostility and that he felt discomfort towards Jung Jinho
himself, as a person.
Kim Hyunsung’s careful examination of Jung Jinho took some time.
Although he had been maintaining the awkward posture of reaching out to

shake hands with Kim Hyunsung the whole time, Jung Jinho continued to
smile while looking at Kim Hyunsung.
If you were unaware of Jung Jinho’s disposition and only saw his face, you
might think that he was just a good-natured fellow.
Seeing Kim Hyunsung’s slightly dazed appearance, I patted his arm and
spoke.
“Hyunsung-ssi.”
“Ah… I’m sorry. My name is Kim Hyunsung.”
The scene of Jung Jinho and Kim Hyunsung shaking hands slightly came into
view.
For some reason, that clenched fist kept catching my eyes.
‘Killer… He’s a killer….’

Jung Jinho’s disposition, Calculating Killer.
The delicate confrontation that had taken place before Kim Hyunsung
arrived.
Kim Hyunsung’s reaction to Jung Jinho.
I could make several guesses.
They were inferences that could be formed based on the presumption that
Jung Jinho was a psychotic killer.
The first possibility was that Jung Jinho killed Kim Hyunsung or those close
to Kim Hyunsung.
The second possibility was that he had never directly encountered Jung Jinho,
but he had heard rumours or stories about him.
The probability of the first idea having happened was relatively low. If Kim
Hyunsung could show such self-control in the face of someone who killed
him or his friends, I wouldn’t call him a pushover, I’d call him a saint.
By my standards, even now, he was close to a saint, but that wasn’t relevant
to the current situation.
Perhaps he was conscious of the eyes of myself, Park Deokgu, Jung Hayan,
and the others inside.
If he was indeed conscious of us onlookers, then he might have already torn

Jung Jinho into shreds dozens of times in his mind.
That’s what I would have done in his shoes.
“Let me introduce myself once more. I’m Jung Jinho. I’ve heard a lot about
you from Seokwoo-ssi. You’re the one in charge of the shelter….”
“We just happened to come across survivors, that’s all.”
“I heard you’re working hard on continuing rescue efforts.”

“Ah. Yes….”
“You really are incredible. Seokwoo-ssi has been telling us over and over
again that you’re a powerful man, but… Really… It seems that you’re
stronger than I thought. By any chance, may I ask what your stats are?”
Yoo Seokwoo, that worthless punk, there wasn’t a single thing he left unsaid.
“It’s difficult to say.”
“Ah! Of course, you don’t have to tell me if it’s inconvenient. We’re a little
further off from the starting point. We couldn’t find any survivors, so we’ve
been wandering around, and stumbled upon Seokwoo-ssi.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Speaking of which, I mentioned it to Kiyoung-ssi not long ago, but I

never imagined that there would be so many people alive here.”
Kim Hyunsung’s expression remained unruffled.
There was no vigilance or animosity. It was his normal expression.
It might have been because he had already experienced this shit once so he
was used to hiding his own feelings, but Kim Hyunsung was calmer than I
had expected.
I really wasn’t sure why he was taking care of people around him like a
pushover, but perhaps some unknown past was weighing him down by the
ankles.
I needed to reconsider the idea that the first possibility was relatively less
likely.
Kim Hyunsung was more used to controlling his emotions than I had thought.
Nevertheless, I personally wanted to rate the possibility of the second
inference higher.
‘Rumours or stories about Jung Jinho.’

Jung Jinho’s potential was capable of going through the roof.
To use a gaming analogy, it was as though the foundation for a ranker had
already been laid down.
My Mind’s Eye also believed that this guy had a high chance for growth.
Considering this fellow’s disposition, there was a high chance of him

becoming a famous murderer or criminal in the future.
He would have stirred up quite the storm.
The second reason was that Kim Hyunsung, who would also play a large role
in the future, had, to some extent, heard about or seen Jung Jinho, who would
become a famous criminal in the future.
Of course, there was a possibility that those roles were actually flipped, but
given their dispositions, I thought the probability of that was weak.
It was hard to picture Kim Hyunsung’s face enjoying murder.
“If it’s alright with you, would you mind if we stayed here as well?”
“…….”
“We have some food supplies. If we shared with everyone, it might last for a
few days. Of course, if Hyunsung-ssi doesn’t like it….”
There was a moment of deliberation.
However, Kim Hyunsung soon nodded.
“No. Survivors are always welcome. I’ll help guide you separately.”
“Ah. Thank you.”
I thought it was an unexpected decision.
“Deokgu-yah, you and Jihye-ssi will guide these people….”

“Hyung-nim. Is that okay? We just….”
“It doesn’t matter, Deokgu-yah. Call me right away if anything happens.”
“Um. If Hyung-nim says so…. Follow me. It’s not the most comfortable
place, but it’s better than roaming around out there.”
Kim Hyunsung’s decision was both unexpected but reasonable.
Kim Hyunsung also knew that it was best to keep your enemies close.
I also wanted to give him a welcome in part.
If he were simply a lunatic psycho, it would be better to not let him in, but
considering the way he had tucked his tail between his legs after seeing Kim
Hyunsung, Jung Jinho was also the type of guy who knew how to pick his
battles.
Instead, he was a bit crafty.
The ominous or vaguely unsettling atmosphere I had felt around this bastard
earlier had already vanished.
He had judged that there was no chance of winning with Kim Hyunsung
present, and took a step back. Perhaps he didn’t have any intention of
attacking Park Deokgu and I at first, but the anxiety I felt before Kim
Hyunsung came was real.
‘Thanks,’
Nevertheless, I was very grateful towards him.
The corners of my mouth lifted automatically and formed a faint smile.
If this fucker was calculating, then somehow or another, I could use him.
‘It’s advantageous. This situation can definitely be exploited.’
It was a little out of the blue, but it wasn’t a bad thing. Rather, the luckiest
person on Earth might’ve been me.
All thoughts of killing him had already vanished from my head.
‘Thanks, Jung Jinho, you motherfucker.’
In a way, that guy showing up here was a huge stroke of luck for me.
When I turned my head slightly, Kim Hyunsung came into view.
This guy’s expression looked a bit dazed.
“Let’s go in together, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“I might be outside for a while longer. You can head in first.”
He seemed to be preoccupied with his thoughts.
The same was true for me.
However, right now, I needed to keep my conversation with this guy going.
That would be more effective.
“Did you know that person?”
“Ah.”
“I’m just asking because for some reason or other, the look on your face
makes it seem like you do.”
His expression was a bit concerned but he soon nodded and continued to
speak.
“A little… You’re correct to think that I know him. I’d bet that he probably
doesn’t know me. I only had a brief brush with him once, a very long time
ago.”
“Ah, you have that kind of relationship.”

“It has nothing to do with fate. That one encounter was literally all I’ve seen
of him. To Jung Jinho-ssi….”[1]
“Yeah, I won’t mention it.”[2]
The most important thing when counselling was to keep things confidential.
I spoke again with an indifferent expression on my face.
It had seemed in the beginning to also be in formal speech.
At my words, perhaps that guy realised I had also been impolite[3], so I

hurried to continue speaking. My mind that had run away from me returned
as I came back to my senses.
“I had thought you would be fine, but you really came back. It really is
incredible.” [4]
“No. I was lucky. It was a bit tough but… I was able to come back because I
detoured as much as possible. Come to think of it, it’s a relief that Kiyoung-
ssi was also fortunate. Did you have any trouble returning here?”
“Actually, there’s something I would like to talk about with you.”
“Yes?”
“Hyaeyoung-ssi is dead.”
If I was going to get hit anyway, it was better to strike first.
Rather, in the present situation, it was most reasonable to bring up the

problem of Jung Jinho that had forced my brain to work in overdrive.
His face looked a bit shocked, but this fucker was used to people dying, so he
nodded slowly.
Fortunately, he didn’t show any signs that he was suspicious of me.
Kim Hyunsung hadn’t checked Park Hyaeyoung’s body, so he couldn’t have

known if there were any issues before.
“I see. How….”
“It was magic.”
“Sorry?”
“It was an unknown magic.”
“It was magic?”
“Yes.”
I then said, “It’s likely the case. My level is still low, so I can’t judge
precisely what it was, but it was definitely magic. I don’t know whether there
was any residual mana left but….”
“Ah….”
“While Deokgu and I were hurrying back, I noticed that Hayan-ssi and
Hyeayoung-ssi had been separated from us. In that situation, I was
concentrating on casting a spell, so I wasn’t able to keep track of what was
going on around me. At the time, maintaining the spell I had cast was my
limit….”
“I see.”
“I arrived too late, and found Hyaeyoung-ssi dying with her limbs cut off. It
felt as though there was something magical in the area and… I was somehow
able to find Hayanie nearby… She didn’t seem to know the details.”
“You’re saying her limbs were cut off?”
“Yes. She had been dismembered. I’m thinking it was a dungeon trap that did
it, it’s just….”
There hadn;t been anything like a trap.
The guy who was well-aware of that mused over my words once again.
“A trap….”
“Yes. Honestly speaking, I wanted to bring Hyaeyoung-ssi’s body with us,

but we didn’t even have time to think. Rather than letting her be eaten by
monsters, I thought it was better to burn it. So….”
He should understand what I was talking about.
I had burned Park Hyaeyoung’s body.
“Ah. I see. It must have been difficult.”
It was best to speak as sincerely as possible.
Things had changed from the day before.
Rather than our gentle, well-behaved, and meek Jung Hayan, a better suspect
had appeared.
I murmured once again in my mind.
‘Thanks, Battlemage Jung Jinho.’
The criminal had been decided.
Psychotic killer Jung Jinho, this bastard would be the culprit.
Only
1 For this exchange to make sense, you need to know that the Korean
language uses several different ways of speaking, which vary in levels of
politeness and formality. The first sentence Kim Hyunsung uses here is in
very formal and polite speech, used between people you’re not familiar with
such as colleagues, and is the normal way he speaks with Lee Kiyoung.
However, the second sentence uses polite but less formal speech.
Using that form is not in itself a disrespectful thing – Park Deokgu, Lee Jihye
and Jung Hayan use this form (Haeyoche) when speaking with Lee Kiyoung
and it’s completely normal. Haeyoche is also a common way of speaking
between strangers. However, Kim Hyunsung and Lee Kiyoung aren’t that
close and . they’ve been using the more formal level all this time so a sudden
change is a bit disrespectful.
If you want to know more about Korean forms of speech, here’s a handy link.
[return to text]
2 Lee Kiyoung matches Kim Hyunsung’s speech and slips into informal
language. [return to text]
3 Again, Lee Kiyoung refers to the change in speech. [return to text]
4 Lee Kiyoung basically does the opposite of what Kim Hyunsung did
earlier, using polite+informal speech in the first sentence, then polite+formal
in the second. Both of them use this speech level for the rest of their
conversation. [return to text]
Chapter 26 Item (1)
Item (1)
Some time had passed after I told Hyunsung about Park Hyaeyoung’s death.
Of course, I didn’t say things like “Jung Jinho is suspicious,” or “That guy is
a murderer” to him.
It was up to Kim Hyunsung himself and not me, who had to arrive at the
conclusion that ‘Jinho was the one who killed Park Hyaeyoung.
I didn’t need to convince him, and I didn’t even have to persuade him. It was
enough to be consistent with my attitude for now and let Jinho fall into a trap.
‘That will be good for all of us.’
Hyunsung was a reasonable partner who would rather doubt Jinho than to
doubt me in such circumstances. The mischief he would inevitably do in the
future would also help Kim Hyunsung reach a logical conclusion about him.
As time passed, Kim Hyunsung often spent time alone, constantly observing
and checking.
He watched Jung Jinho carefully and sometimes even observed me quietly. I

thought I knew what he was thinking as he did so.
Whenever he wore a cold expression, I thought Kim Hyunsung was thinking

about how to kill Jung Jinho.
‘He is the enemy of the future, the calculating killer, the murderer who killed
Park Hyaeyoung.’
There was no single reason for Kim Hyunsung to remove Jinho from the
shelter immediately. No matter how much Buddha-level compassion he had
for others, he definitely wanted to get rid of what would surely become an
enemy in the future.
But how could he get rid of this problem?
From Kim Hyunsung’s point of view, he would love to deal with him as
quickly as possible, but he still had many other things to worry about. It
seemed difficult to find the right opportunity, and there were many things to
consider before that.
For example, one of them was the problem of proceeding down the dungeon.
“How about we go down together to lower levels?”
“Together… What do you mean?”
“Yes, Hyunsung-ssi. Jung Hayan is about to finish her training as a Wizard…

Jinho has also joined us so I think there will be enough people to lead an
attack. Seokwoo seems to have found a class too… I would also want to
advance a little more slowly and cautiously, but I think the time has come to
make a choice as food is running out. Our purpose to train others was to
attack the monsters on the lower levels.”
“Well…”
“We can’t always live here. Even if I’m anxious, I think we should try.”
It looked like his head hurt a little when I proposed this.
We had no choice but to attack the dungeon with a party that was destined to
be divided up in the future. In fact, I had to lay down the scene before him,
and it was for Kim Hyunsung to decide.
He had to decide whether he was confident enough to break through the

lower levels of the dungeon with them and then also take responsibility for
what happened afterward.
If Kim Hyunsung himself was confident, the situation would eventually turn
out in their favor no matter what happened.
‘We could lead an attack on the dungeon along with the death of the
murderer who had killed Park Hyaeyoung.’
In other words, we would be able to use Jung Jinho up to the marrow of his
bones.
If he was going to be killed anyway, it was better to use him to the fullest.
“It’s impossible to go hunting again with the new people who joined recently.
We don’t know when something like what happened with Park Hyaeyoung
would happen again… Yet I also don’t think it’s a bad idea to go out once
and scavenge the area for supplies, rather than to just wait like this. Both food
and drinking water are scarce right now. If we choose to settle down without
venturing further, we will all eventually die.”
“…”
Kim Hyunsung was quite cautious.
It seemed that he had guessed it was a little too dangerous to act on such a
plan, after seeing Jinho appear out of nowhere like that. Maybe he thought it
was impossible to deal with Jung Jinho while he was with us.
When I was about to fan the flames again, Kim Hyunsung slowly replied.
“I think it will be okay for us to go out once again.”
“You do?”
“Yes I do. Let’s go down to the lower levels of the dungeon. You probably
still have a little time to prepare. We haven’t worked together with Jung
Jinho’s party yet, so it would be better for both the parties to practice a little
with each other.”
“Yeah. I think so, too.”
I would hate to let my guard down before a killer. It was the same for Kim
Hyunsung.
“I will call Jinho, Hayan and Deokgu and then talk to them together about it.”
“Alright.”
“On second thought, would you please go ahead and inform Hayan and
Deokgu about this instead of me?”
“Yeah. Okay.” I really wanted to tell them about this as soon as possible. I
thought that this might be some pretty good news, so I had volunteered to tell
them about this myself.
As I hurried over to them, I started noticing the beautiful scenery around me.
Then I saw a very heartwarming sight I had not seen in the shelter recently.
“Thank you, Jinho-ssi.”
“Thank you, Jinho Oppa.”
“There’s no need to thank me. We all have to help each other in order to
survive and live on.”
Jung Jinho was trying to build good connections with the weaker people.
But all of this was going to be meaningless. He was trying to win them over
with his totally pointless mind games.
“If you ever need help with something, you can always tell me.”
“We have to usually go out and search for food, but we have all this food
now which you have given us. Jinho Oppa, please take a break. Until then
we’ll distribute the food among the others.”
“Let me help you too. It’s not a very difficult task, and wouldn’t it be better
for everyone to live under a sense of sacrifice and brotherhood too.”
‘That sounded funny.’
I couldn’t hold back my laughter as his words.
‘These stupid people…’
In this world, no one did any favors for free. There was always a price.
Perhaps Kim Hyunsung also helped these people because of feelings of

sympathy and self-satisfaction that he felt afterward.
As far as Kim Hyunsung was concerned, the situation in the shelter was not
that bad.
However, in my view, what Jung Jinho really wanted, in reality, were the
lives and necks of those who were laughing and talking with him right now.
But thanks to him, the evil gazes that Park Deokgu and I were attracting since
we expressed our intention to move independently had now become even
more explicit.
The people were starting to compare us with Jung Jinho.
‘Who do you even think you are?’
I assumed that was what they were thinking about us currently.
Jung Jinho not only shared the food he had brought with himself but also did
even the smallest of chores. He was different from us, who kept our share of
food to ourselves. It was not unreasonable for them to compare him with us.
Me, Park Deokgu, and Jung Hayan seemed to be becoming increasingly

selfish and worse in their hearts, but I thought there was no need to start
imitating the hypocrite Jinho.
The power to direct and control the people didn’t come from acting helpful in
front of these weaklings.
Authority wasn’t proportional to closeness. That was what drove these kinds
of people.
Actually, It might not just be some meaningless acting on his behalf after all.
Nevertheless, it was difficult to understand what he was aiming for while
looking at his actions.
I was worried about whether I had gone ahead and sprinkled red pepper
powder on the psychopath killer Jung Jinho that had angered him in the
beginning, as it was also possible that he hadn’t even committed a crime.
Perhaps he was trying to live as peacefully as possible while suppressing his
original disposition.
However, the dice had already been thrown.
“Let’s eat together.”
“Ah! Seokwoo Oppa, thank you.”
Yoo Seokwoo, who had recently been triumphant in finding a class while
traveling with them, also came into view. It looked like he had decided to
hang out with Jung Jinho’s party. Sometimes he looked very anxious, but he
got what he wanted anyway. And now he had a good place within this
humble shelter.
I had no choice but to turn my gaze away from these people who did not
realize the true value of hard work.
I didn’t want to keep looking at the heartwarming scene, which was a curse in
disguise.
As I walked a little more, I saw Jung Hayan and Park Deokgu together.
“Hayan-ssi.”
“Oh, Oppa.”
When I went nearer, Jung Hayan, who was testing a simple magic spell, ran
over without hesitation and grabbed onto my sleeve tightly.
Park Deokgu was smiling when he saw this.
‘Well…’
“Are we going outside then Oppa?”
“What? Yeah, maybe…”
“That’s great!”
We hadn’t been dating and didn’t even have such a relationship yet, but the
people in the shelter seemed to have already accepted the relation between
Jung Hayan and I as an established fact.
Whether she was aware of it or not, Jung Hayan had been holding my hands
and getting closer to me more frequently.
I felt encouraged when these friends of mine didn’t show much rejection,
unlike the other people of the shelter. Of course, I still had problems because
of her when everyone else was sleeping.
My heart started beating fiercely every time I woke up from my sleep in a

surprised state because Hayan was getting bolder with her actions.
If it wasn’t for Park Deokgu, we would have been even closer than we were
before.
“Didn’t you say you were going to meet Kim Hyunsung-ssi? I think you
came back a little early… Did the story work well?”
“I’ve just come back from meeting him. It seems like we have something on
our hands… Is there time?”
“There is still some time remaining, Oppa.”
“Can I ask what’s going on, Hyung-nim?”

“Of course, I think we’re going to go to the next levels of the dungeon sooner
or later.”
“We are finally going down?”
“I don’t know much for now, but I think more people will follow Jinho.”
“Well… They won’t appreciate him for very long…”
“I think so too. Still, we can’t help it because it’s important to attack together,
immediately. Hyunsung-ssi has also realized the importance of this strike.”
“By the way, can we even succeed in attacking this dungeon, Hyung-nim?”
“We have a good chance in surviving. I think so, yeah.”
Kim Hyunsung believed that we could certainly attack this place.
“I don’t have to tell you, as you already know, that it would be better to keep
a distance from the group of people who follow Jung Jinho. Of course, on the
outside you can appear to be cordial with them…”
“Alright. Don’t worry too much about us, Hyung-nim.”
“The same goes for Hayan.”
“Yes. I understand, Oppa… I won’t be tricked by him.”
That sounded hilarious. She was definitely going to be tricked by him in one
way or another.
Park Deokgu was a little better, but in the case of Jung Hayan, one never
knew when she would explode since she was like a ticking bomb. Therefore,
she needed continuous careful management and mental grooming.
If she again acted unexpectedly like in the situation with Park Hyaeyoung, I
wouldn’t be able to do anything this time.
“Don’t worry too much about Yoo Seokwoo.”

“Oh God, I don’t care about him, even a little.”
“If so, then that’s good, Hyung-nim.”
With Park Deokgu at the lead, I slowly walked down a path, and once again,
my gaze fell upon the group huddled around Jinho. I was dumbstruck.
People who were doing nothing other than hogging onto free food that Jung
Jinho had brought were looking at us with strange expressions.
I thought I was going to be overwhelmed.
I just had to act casual in front of them.
It wasn’t that anything had happened yet. I was just going to have another
meeting with Kim Hyunsung.
After ignoring their gazes, I started heading to the place where Kim
Hyunsung was. Before long, I could see his figure taking something out of
his bag.
My mood elevated. The empty equipment window that I was always

concerned about whenever I looked at my status window was finally going to
be filled with something.
I imagined that one day I would be able to see or wear some equipment with
various stats and other items, but the opportunity had emerged far soon than I
had expected.
All of us definitely required an upgrade before going underground.
Kim Hyunsung was handling them just to relieve his own anxiety. It was
obvious that he wasn’t giving them out to us just for the dungeon attack, but
also to win against Jung Jinho if they faced them.
Kim Hyunsung was trying to raise our strengths in order to prepare for any
accident beyond our anticipations.
“I have something to give you.”

“Were you hiding these from us, Hyung-ssi? Your expression is like a
grandmother who is giving out some old toys.”
‘This pig…’
Only
Even if I wanted to shout out aloud, I knew I could not do that. Kim
Hyunsung was also a little embarrassed. He replied with a good-natured
smile.
“These are helping items.”
Of that, I was sure.
The edge of my lips curled into a little smile. It was not an item like a
common sword, spear, or a shield.
What he took out of his bag were a bracelet and two rings. They looked
crude, but I felt mysterious magic emanating from them.
‘Thank you, Hyunsung-ssi. These would be phenomenal.’
I thought there would be some insurance going underground with him, but it
turned out to be much better than I had thought.
Chapter 27 Item (2)
Item (2)
“What are these?”
“They’re help items. Some of them are pretty useful.”
“Where did you get them?”
“I didn’t tell you anything before, but in fact, right after the incident, I
accidentally found a box.”
“Box?”
“It would be appropriate to call it a treasure chest. It was like a wooden box
that people used in the past.”
“Oh, it looks like they’re really special Hyung-nim, doesn’t it?”
The authenticity of such a claim could not be verified, but since they were in
a dungeon, there was a high possibility of a treasure chest containing such
items here.
Personally, I was thinking of the possibility of whether these were items that
Kim Hyunsung owned personally, but I found no valid reason for him to
share his own things with us.
What items Kim Hyunsung currently had and what we could get from him
were what really mattered right now.
“This is amazing. If there are more such boxes around here, I would love to
find them… Perhaps the number of chests spread throughout the dungeon is
limited and the box that Hyunsung found could be the first and last of its
kind. But, who knows? There can also be similar things underground…”
“Yes. That’s right, Kiyoung-ssi. I had already searched around there, but this
was the first time that I found a box. I couldn’t search any further, but…
Anyway, let’s take a look at these.”
“Yeah, sure.”
I was definitely going to see what we had on our hands.
There was no need for me to trigger the Mind’s Eye. As soon as I lifted them
up with my hand, information about them poured into my mind.
It would have been nice if I could check the items’ detailed stats, but I sighed
in regret when I went through them.
[Iron Dwarf’s Steel Bracelet – Common Grade]
[This is a trinket made by the fallen iron dwarf race. Unlike its crude
appearance, it is a bracelet with very technical work done on it. When it is
worn, the stamina, endurance, and strength increases by 1 point each.]
The owner of the bracelet had already been decided. It seemed that Park
Deokgu was the right wielder for this.
The total number of stats that were raised by this item was 3. It was almost
equal to the stats you got when you acquired a class.
This was a normal grade item.
Then a thought came to my mind. Maybe heroic and legendary equipment

that was even better than this would have features that I could not even begin
to imagine.
“Oh, oh…”
My expression was the one someone would make when receiving money
from their grandmother.
The problem was what came right after this.
[Magic Shield Ring – Rare Grade]
[It cannot be confirmed where it was made. This item is ancient. It is an

accessory that can be used to create a magic shield by storing magic power in
the ring twice a day. You must recharge its power yourself. (2/2)]
[Sacred Healing – Rare Grade]
[It can not be confirmed where it was made. This is a ring that contains
divine magic powers and healing abilities on a smaller scale. It can be used
once a day. (1/1)]
The other two items were Rare-Grade rings.
As soon as I checked them, my eyes widened unexpectedly.
‘I love this.’
I thought that by following Kim Hyunsung, I would be able to get some bean
sprouts, but I couldn’t even imagine that I would get to eat a whole feast
instead.
These were Rare-Grade rings!
I was also surprised by their functions that seemed excellent.
They didn’t raise the stats directly like Park Deokgu’s item, but these items
were much more valuable than his.
For example, assuming that the magical power consumed to memorize the
magical shield ring’s spell and form the shield was about 4, this item gave an
efficiency of +8 to the stats. They could not be compared with any ordinary
Common grade item that had an efficiency of +3.
‘I’m in luck.’
The same was true for divine healing.
Seeing that the item was Rare grade, this item would also have at least +6 stat
efficiency. They had the ability to protect yourself with a shield twice a day
and also cure wounds, which served as insurance.
When Kim Hyunsung chose to go down to the dungeon, he made sure he was
well-prepared for any and all unforeseen circumstances.
‘Preparing for everything beforehand is a smart move.’
As I was nodding my head, Park Deokgu slowly touched the bracelet.
“I think it’s too precious… Can I really have it?”
“You don’t have to worry about it.”
“Great… Well, then, the bracelet is mine. Thank you, Hyung-ssi. I haven’t
done much around here, and I’m sorry for that…”
“Oh, you don’t have to say that.”
“No. I should repay you.”
“Alright, then thank you in advance.”
The owner of the bracelet had been decided, but the problem was with the
other two rings.
In fact, it wasn’t a bad idea to have any one of these rings, but if I had to
choose between them, then self-protection obviously came first.
If Hayan wore the divine healing item, there was a high probability that she
would be able to use the divine magic inside properly.
‘I sure can’t use it.’

I felt like totally useless trash, but I couldn’t help it.
Unlike her, who could use various magic types, I usually got exhausted just
by using the same spell twice.
When I was struggling with these thoughts inside my head, it was Hayan who
spoke first.
“Well, I’ll take this then.”
What she chose was the divine healing item.
I didn’t know if she noticed my reaction, but she definitely did what I
intended for her to do.
“Then I will take the item that is left.” The corner of my mouth rose up into a
smile. I couldn’t get in a bad mood after being blessed in such a way.
I had obtained a life-saving trump card that could be used twice a day.
Without making any effort or taking any risks, I acquired an item of the Rare
grade.
‘This is awesome!’
“But can we really accept something like this…?”
“It’s fine. I also have one… In the case of accessories with special stats, it
seems that the amount of items you can equip is limited. If it could be helped,
then of course I would have worn more of them, but that doesn’t seem to be
the case.”
That was useful information.
“Do you mean to say that the ability of only one ring can be activated at a
time, even if I wore two rings?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
I thought I needed to experiment with this later.
I then smiled a little and expressed my gratitude again.
“Thank you so much, Hyunsung-ssi. As Deokgu said, we haven’t done

anything to deserve this…”
“Oh, thank you…Hyunsung-ssi.”
“No, no. You don’t have to thank me Kiyoung-ssi and Hayan-ssi as we are
friends after all.” He was wearing a big smile.
Perhaps he thought that he had indebted us all in a way. He seemed really

convinced of that, after seeing the expressions on mine, Park Deokgu’s and
Jung Hayan’s faces as we all looked at him gratefully.
He seemed to think that he could have faith in us and trust us totally. Sensing
that, I was a little relieved. In fact, it really helped boost my confidence.
‘We’re going to go together underground.’
Because we were friends.
Kim Hyunsung was planning to go with me, Park Deokgu and Jung Ha-yan.
In the case of Jung Hayan, she was a talent that Kim Hyunsung wanted to
win over to his own side the most.
She was a wizard whose future was already known to him. It could be said
that any effort put into winning her confidence was worthwhile.
Then there was Park Deokgu. He wasn’t that bad either.
As was the case in almost every game, a strong tanker was always helpful.
The judgment, stability, and ability potential that had been shown by him in
hunting so far could be said to be lower compared to those of Jung Hayan or
Jung Jinho, but his current stats were still very good.
Park Deokgu’s growth limit could easily be surpassed by real fighters such as
Kim Hyunsung, Jung Jinho, and Jung Hayan, yet he was still quite good
enough.
The only oddball around was me.
It could even be said that I had entered Kim Hyunsung’s group by mistake.
Kim Hyunsung had developed close relations with Park Deokgu and Jung
Hayan, with Park Deokgu relying on him and thinking of him as a brother.
For Jung Hayan, he had feelings almost similar to a lover’s.
If someone wanted to take away Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan, they had to
take him too now, for they were inseparable.
Thus, it was a good performance on my part that I did not make any mistakes
while hunting and that my brain worked better than others. However, people
like me were scattered all across the continent.
I should probably earn myself a good position in Kim Hyunsung’s kingdom,

which he would obviously establish in the future with the pace he was
growing.
Of course, I did not want to live a puppet’s life like that of Lee Jihye, but
sometimes you had to lower your head in order to move securely and protect
yourself.
‘It may not be that hard to follow him.’
I thought I had to go ahead and take advantage of this situation. And so, I
opened my mouth to speak.
“That’s right, we are colleagues.”
We were companions who protected and cared for each other.
It felt a little odd to say that aloud.

“That sounds wonderful, Hyung-nim. Yes… colleagues! Ah. So when do we
go down to the dungeon?”
“I think maybe quite soon. I haven’t told ‘them’ yet… Maybe they’re willing
to go hunting with us.”
“Well. Yes, there were times when I also wanted to go hunting together, but I
refused because Hyung-nim had told me to be aware of them…”
“Alright.”
Kim Hyunsung looked at me once again.
He had adequate vigilance for newcomers. That was confirmed, but I still
thought he was quite satisfied with me.
“Well, that’s a story for another time, so… lets focus on the other things.”
“Well, you sound the same as Hyung-nim now. Hm, yes, there must be all
sorts of smart men in this world.”
“Even if we are attacking the dungeon together, we must be on our guards to

some extent. As we don’t know what may transpire at any moment, so it’s
definitely the right thing to be cautious. There is also the possibility that
something may happen to us as it did to Park Hyaeyoung, so let’s just be a
little more careful this time.”
“Yes, I understand what you mean.”
After I said that, not only Hayan but also Kim Hyunsung himself nodded.
“Kiyoung-ssi is right. But if we really have to be cautious…”
“Yes?”
“I want all of us to consider that we may be facing them as an enemy there.”
Everyone nodded.
“An enemy?”
“Yeah.”
Kim Hyunsung nodded once again and finally seemed to decide to tell us
some more things.
“You don’t have to worry too much about that right now. Still, it would be
better to prepare yourself. I don’t know what will happen in the dungeon with
all these new people.”
“It would be correct to assume that the level of difficulty would be higher
than the first floor.”
“Yeah. That’s right. It’s probably like this, but I have to go tell Jinho now.
We have to leave as quickly as time permits us.”
“Why hurry so much?”
“We can also prepare on the way to the dungeon.”
“Ah. I see.”
Jung Jinho would not refuse this either.
If their purpose was to survive here or start some other secret and evil plans
or whatever, it was advantageous for them to go out together with us. Jung
Jinho was already aware of the difference between his level and Kim
Hyunsung’s to some extent.
That’s why he kept agreeing with him.
Only
Variables were the most important in a fight, especially if you knew they
were inherently disadvantageous for others.
The dungeon attack expedition was likely to create the variable Jinho wanted.
It could lead to a situation in which a different future may unfold if Kim
Hyunsung was somehow removed.
If he really was a killer, this shelter was the happiest place for him, so there
was a high possibility that he would gamble and take this risk.
If I was in his position, I would want to kill Kim Hyunsung and the rest of us
at any cost. It was a good opportunity for him that had been provided by Kim
Hyunsung himself.
I kept putting up a faint smile on my lips.
Kim Hyunsung was going to be used anyway, either by me or Jung Jinho.
It was the best choice to make the most out of him in every way possible.
Chapter 28 Quest (1)
Quest (1)
“It will be hard for you, but you have to hold on.”
“Are you really leaving for a very long period of time?”
“Well, I’m actually worried about the fact that I may not come back at all,
okay?”
“Don’t be stupid. It won’t be like that. Of course, I believe in Hyunsung-ssi

and Kiyoung, but… we can’t always predict what will happen. By the way, it
seems to me that Hayan-ssi keeps looking over here. Is she okay?”
When I looked back, Hayan came into my view. She wore a calm expression.
She wasn’t looking at me as she was at the time of Park Hyaeyoung’s death
that had caused her to be more passionate about me. I wondered what she was
thinking. I was worried that she’d begun to harbor negative thoughts about
me, but there was no way I could know that.
It would be a fine idea to have a conversation with her at the moment.
If we talked while holding hands, then the situation may have been entirely
different, but talking from a distance wouldn’t seem intimate to anyone.
When I turned back to look at her, Lee Jihye spoke again.
“You made quite the big decision.”

“So?”
“I thought you were the type that hated gambling.”
“I do hate that.”
“Then?”
“I’m not foolish enough to not throw the dice in a winning game.”
After considering all of the variables, the possibility of winning here was
overwhelmingly high. I had information about the dungeon, the party
members’ overall specs, and the ability to return at any time I wanted.
The chances of dying were negligible.
Of course, there were many other things to be considered too, but this was a
rare opportunity for someone like me who had trashy stats to begin with. We
could win if we all worked together.
And…
‘We could also be rewarded for attacking the dungeon.’
There was definitely a big reward for that. I thought about the box that Kim
Hyunsung said he had found, and wondered if it was also that sort of a
reward.
Lee Jihye listened to me for a while. She became silent for a moment, but
then she smiled and spoke.
“I really like your way of handling things.”
“Oh, really now?”
“Anyway, come back soon, Kiyoung Oppa.”
“Alright.”
The small wrinkles were clear on her face.
Despite the fact that she looked quite young for her age, she was still quite
worried about her appearance. Apparently, she seemed to think that the little
girl was prettier, so Jung Hayan had a greater advantage to survive in this
place.
As I moved away from her and approached Hayan, I could see Hayan moving
quickly towards me and grabbed my sleeves’ ends. She didn’t say anything to
me, but she seemed quite anxious.
Park Deokgu burst into laughter, and Kim Hyunsung just nodded his head.
The four men, including Jung Jinho and Yoo Seokwoo, were also quietly
waiting for me.
“Should we go then?”
“Yeah.”
There were a total of 8 people.
If you really thought about it, this was still a large number of people.
Four of us were on one side and four on the other. If the other party was
centered around Jung Jinho, then our party was centered around Kim
Hyunsung.
We were walking together along a twisting path. I couldn’t hear much of the
others’ conversation.
Most of the time, Jung Jinho talked to them all as he gave them instructions
and orders occasionally. Other than that, they chatted with each other or spent
their time looking and listening for monsters.
“By the way, it looks like you’ve been searching around a lot. We never
thought there would be a new entrance here.”
“It was discovered unintentionally. As you may have also heard at the
starting point, the basic condition to getting out of this place was survival,
whether by attack or defense. I don’t know how long we will have to survive
here, so I thought it was stupid to lean on the former… Then, I decided to try
to explore and attack as much as possible.”
“Ah.”
“Maybe the period of survival will end when a person successfully attacks
the dungeon.”
“I didn’t think about that, but…”
“It’s just a guess.”
“If it really is like that, does that mean that we need to attack the dungeon so
that even those in the shelter can get out of this place?”
“You can think of it that way. Well, no matter how you look at it, it will not
change the fact that attacking this dungeon is the most reasonable option for
us right now. Anyway, thank you very much for agreeing to the offer.”
“No need for that. I also want to get out of this place. In fact, I want to thank
you for making this opportunity for us. We were also a little anxious about
this survival period situation as we did not know when it would end…”
This guy looked really good while smiling.
It was a kind of smile that would unwittingly cause a person to lower his
guard, but I knew this guy’s disposition, so it was not going to work on me.
Rather, we were in a situation where I had to get this guy to lower his own
alertness level.
Just sharing useless stories could help a lot with that objective of mine.
I started telling them stories about Earth, stories about dungeons, and the
woman’s story at the starting point. Consequently, a rather embarrassing
topic emerged.
“It seems that Kiyoung often hangs around with Hayan. Perhaps… You
two…”
It was something that no one had ever asked me. It was totally normal for me
to be a little embarrassed. I looked around and noticed several people looking
at me, waiting for my response.
Park Deokgu and Kim Hyunsung both seemed to be listening too. Yoo
Seokwoo, who had once flirted with Jung Hayan, was looking straight ahead.
In the case of Hayan, she was bowing her head and pulling my sleeves.
Jung Jinho seemed to be very curious about the topic.
‘It can’t be like this…’
So not only were there pigs whose brains were full of muscles, but the
calculating killer was also able to figure out that they were in some
relationship.
‘A relationship that was still developing?’
This was not possible.
No matter how much I thought about it, these excuses looked like the ones
that a celebrity with dating rumors would make.
Obviously, my relationship with Jung Hayan was much closer than before.
I thought about it a bit, and it didn’t take long for me to come to a conclusion
about what to answer.
I just grabbed Hayan’s hand with which she was holding my sleeve and said.
“I can’t really can’t say anything for sure yet… but, what you think about us
personally is probably right.”
“Oh oh…”
Park Deokgu’s mouth was left hanging open. Meanwhile, Kim Hyunsung
nodded.
In his case, he seemed to think that Jung Hayan’s relationship with me would
be better for her.
But what was truly interesting was Hayan’s reaction. She was just looking at
the ground with a very reddish face, but she was actually crushing my hand.
‘Damn… that hurts.’ My weak endurance was unable to withstand her strong
grip.
After thinking about many possible responses, I settled on this reply because
it felt like the best one. The reason why I said that I couldn’t define anything
as of the moment was because I hadn’t conveyed my true feelings to Jung
Hayan yet.
I thought it wouldn’t matter if I just confessed to her right now, but then I
thought that we should connect the bond in a more memorable way.
It would be more effective to properly convey my sincerity afterward rather

than just rushing everything.
When I turned my head over to the side once more, I saw Hayan, who had a
big smile spread across from her face.
The other people looked like they were experiencing goosebumps, but Yoo
Seokwoo just had a distorted expression on his face. One of the two people
who were most interested in my relationship with Jung Hayan was him, and
the other was Park Deokgu.
I thought he might have a bad reaction to my statement, but he was really

taking it quite well.
I personally thought of Yoo Seokwoo as the real trash amongst ourselves, so

I looked at him directly while stroking Jung Hayan’s hair.
We continued walking as we talked about other things.
One of Jung Jinho’s guys, the archer, was good at reading the tracks or
discovering the signs of monsters, perhaps because of the effectiveness of his
class, but there was no reason for us to disregard his ability.
Jung Jinho seemed to be hiding his power, but it wasn’t too hard to deal with
the monsters here, and it was the same with the others who were already used
to it by now.
The thing that was a little surprising was that Yoo Seokwoo was also quick to
adapt.
Contrary to what I had thought that he would show a sorry figure as Park
Hyaeyoung did, he actually swung his sword quite steadily.
The others were by no means bad either.
Not everyone was a calculating killer like Jung Jinho, but at this point, I
thought that theirs was an ideal party as everyone was doing their job well.
‘They act fast and play safe.’
It could be said that our current situation was a whole lot different from when
Kim Hyunsung, Park Deokgu, Jung Ha-yan, and Park Hyaeyoung, along with
me, were attacked. Jung Jinho and Kim Hyunsung took care of every monster
jumping out of the bushes, while Park Deokgu blocked the front.
Jung Hayan and I were providing rear support, but the archer’s arrows and
Jung Jinho’s attacks were much better than ours.
I could not help but feel a little regret for some reason, especially in the case
of Jung Jinho.
Contrary to Kim Hyunsung, who used a single sword, Jinho also used a small
shield on his left arm to keep his opponent in check.
If he could also use magic here, then that would be even more surprising.
I felt like I knew why he didn’t care about Park Deokgu, me, and Jung Hayan
earlier.
He was definitely strong on his own.
I wasn’t dissatisfied with Park Deokgu, Kim Hyunsung, and Jung Hayan, but
if I could use Jung Jinho in the long term instead of just using him
temporarily, it would be even more satisfying.
“You are quite strong.”
“Yeah. It’s all thanks to everyone’s help. How much farther do we need to
go?”
“We’re almost there.”
When I looked at Kim Hyunsung, he nodded at me.
There they were. Some kind of mana was emanating from them. I could sense
it like before.
I didn’t know what exactly it was, but I couldn’t figure it out unless I went in.
In fact, I wanted to ask Kim Hyunsung for a more accurate explanation, but
there was no way I could do that.
‘What is in there?’
The original question was why Kim Hyunsung, who had entered this
dungeon, had judged it impossible to pass it alone with his current abilities.
Curiosity and anxiety filled up inside me, and then…
“Alright… we should enter.”
Giving up now was stupid.
The path going down the stairs was dark. As I went down the long stairs, I
saw an enormous iron gate.
Park Deokgu, standing at the very front, slowly opened the iron gate, and
soon we entered a room where a familiar voice rang out in our ears.
It was the voice of the woman I had heard at the start point.
[You have reached the underground dungeon. Rare level compulsory quest is
activated.]
[Rare Grade Quest – Survival (0/1)]
“What’s happening?”
“Oh, Hyung-nim…”
“Prepare yourselves for battle.”
“Everyone, get ready to fight with your weapons!”
Kim Hyunsung didn’t need to shout it out, as everyone was already holding
onto their weapons dearly.
“Kie-e-e-e-ee-ee-ee-ee-e-ee”
“Kie-e-e-e-e-ee-ee!”
Voices much like barking dogs were heard from far away.
‘Shit! Shit!’
I thought I had to take only some risks, but this was a bit more difficult than I
thought. I realized now why Kim Hyunsung thought there should be a large
number of people before attacking this place.
‘I have to defend myself.’
From the voices that we were hearing, they were certainly not monsters, as
we had seen before.
“The gate… the iron gate is blocked!” Someone exclaimed.

“We don’t need to run away. We’ll be able to win this thing.”
“We can do it!”
“Kie-e-e-e-ee!”
Only
I could hear them rushing to this place.
Even the ground was rumbling.
I immediately started to create spells in my anxiety.
Jung Jinho’s party also seemed to be a little surprised due to this situation.
However, all of them were still organized around Jung Jinho.
‘We can’t stop all of them.’
It was embarrassing to admit, but it could not be prevented. Was it really

possible for us to win with this level of power?
“Oh, damn! There’s a lot.” Exactly like at the starting point, Park Deokgu
could not control himself and spat out a curse for the third time.
Of course, the battle was unavoidable… And this time, it was really going to
be the most brutal one yet.
Quest (2)
Monsters were flocking in from all directions and surrounded us.
The monsters weren’t so strong individually, but they were so large in

numbers that I kept thinking we had unknowingly landed ourselves in a fatal
situation. Now I understood why Kim Hyunsung had felt that the number of
people to enter this place was insufficient before Jinho came along.
No matter how strong Kim Hyunsung and Park Deokgu were, they had not
reached a level where just the two of them could fight off these many
monsters. The expression on each member of Jung Jinho’s party had also
gotten uglier after witnessing this.
It seemed to me that they were also thinking about whether they could
survive this ordeal today. Only Jung Jinho didn’t seem that affected by the
current situation.
‘I can survive this.’
If we could survive this, then it was enough. It would also be smarter to

conserve my magic power to use later.
While constantly preparing spells with my mouth, I held my spear firmly

with both hands.
“Deokgu.”
“I know.”
Park Deokgu, Kim Hyunsung, and Jung Jinho were going to be the first line
of defense.
Park Deokgu was supposed to properly block the center of their front and
protect the defensive formation as much as he could. The two groups that had
different ideas, in the beginning, began to unite for the sake of their survival.
I was worried about being stabbed in the back by them right now, but Jinho’s
guys were not stupid enough to attack us in this situation.
The same could be said for Kim Hyunsung.
At this moment, the only thing going through everyone’s minds was to
survive the incoming onslaught. We all grabbed our weapons and prepared to
ram the monsters that were running straight at us.
Bang!
“Kie-e-e-e-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee”
“These bastards!”
It was completely normal for two or three of them to come up at once. Park
Deokgu was holding up his shield and was trying as best as he could to
maintain his position and stop them.
We didn’t have to worry about aiming our attacks, because the targets were
coming in from every direction. I could feel the fleshy texture from my spear,
even though I didn’t want to. I hoped that Park Deokgu and Kim Hyunsung
would not get tired from the repetitive attacks.
“Stay as close as possible! Gather up!”
“Brothers and sisters, stay strong! I don’t know what will happen if we fail.”
“Alright then, keep fighting!.”
“Kie-e-e-e-ee!”
It was hard to withstand the constant flow of monsters. It felt like we were
going to get pushed against the iron gate.
Park Deokgu swung his shield with that huge body of his to create a space
where we could move and take a breath. Kim Hyunsung and Jung Jinho were
also slowly stabbing and pushing back the monsters that rushed to them with
their weapons.
‘They’re strong.’
They were very strong.
Jung Jinho, who was blocking with the small shield and stabbing with his
sword, was concerned about Jung Hayan and I, and was constantly looking
back at us. Kim Hyunsung did the same.
They were worried about whether we would get hurt by the monsters.
‘There is nothing to worry about, kids.’
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!”
“Ahhhhhh!”
Jung Jinho’s lackeys were also attacking desperately. However, there was no
room to aim properly from this distance.
We bit our lips tightly and tried our best to stop the monsters that were trying
to aim for our throats. The blood of the monsters continued to splatter on our
faces and our weapons. Body organs, such as intestines, fell to the floor and
became slippery.
I would have frowned at this disgusting scene, but I could not spare the
attention for that at the moment.
“Kie-e-e-e-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee!”
The annoying sounds of the monsters and the screams that erupted from fear
merged into each other.
“Hey!”
Bang!
Whenever Deokgu swung his shield, the spectacular scene of a monster

falling could be seen.
‘This pig is actually very good!’
His potential wasn’t that high, but Park Deokgu was really tough. It was a
slightly different kind of strength from Kim Hyunsung and Jung Jinho, but
the endurance ability that was in line of the 30s was so great that words could
not describe it.
Some types of attacks that were thrown at him were simply absorbed by his
body.
‘I underestimated him.’
I had judged him only by his talent up until now and ended up
underestimating him.
Actually, it was Park Deokgu who appeared to be more threatening than even
Jung Jinho and Kim Hyunsung. An overwhelming presence emanated from
his huge body.
Although he did not have magical powers, his strength was truly remarkable.
This shield soldier standing before me was not just a meaty shield.
He knew when to advance and attack, and when to retreat.
There was no sign of discomfort in his face, even though his body had
endured countless attacks.
‘Is he even human?’
I thought about it without even knowing.
Of course, it was not that Park Deokgu was unafraid. He was scared, same as
the first time he had gone hunting together with me.
Nevertheless, he did not run away. He did not hide behind me as he had in
our first encounter with the monsters outside. He was not worried about
attacking ahead or breaking formation. That way of thinking didn’t suit that
muscle-filled brain of his.
It was just my guess, but it seemed that Park Deokgu didn’t want me or Jung
Hayan to get hurt or die.
“Don’t fall, Hyung-nim! Don’t fall okay!”
“I’m still behind you, pig. Concentrate.”
“You have to survive, okay!”
“Alright!”
I could feel his concern just by seeing how he kept asking me about my
health constantly.
‘Baby pig…’
What had me a little worried was that the monsters’ attacks were too
concentrated towards Park Deokgu.
It didn’t look like he had any major wounds yet, but there were some big and
small cuts.
This didn’t look very good when I thought about what was supposed to
happen afterwards, other than the fight here.
It was exactly then that Hayan cast a spell.
“Wind bomb.”
Bang!
It popped out loud, accompanied with a deafening sound.

Some monsters were smashed into the ground and others on the ceiling due to
the fierce wind, but it wasn’t that effective.
‘We have to save our strength…’
I had decided that Hayan and I should conserve our magical powers as much
as possible. Of course, Hayan had more magical powers than me, but still, it
was not possible to use magic indefinitely.
We couldn’t lose our strength before Jung Jinho’s group did. We had to
minimize the consumption of our power while defending ourselves.
While I was thinking for a moment about what to say, a smile formed on my
lips when I saw the battlefield.
‘Puh hah.’
Perhaps this was intended.
The good thing was that the place where Hayan’s magic fell, was where the
monsters that Park Deokgu and Kim Hyunsung were blocking were located.
In other words, the left side blocked by Jung Jinho’s group did not receive the
help of her magic. It looked like the burden was increasing on Jung Jinho’s
party and others who were becoming the targets of the monsters.
I felt pity upon seeing these guys who were using all their power while
blocking the monsters.
Compared to that, we had some breathing space for ourselves.
Thanks to Hayan’s magic, the number of monsters attacking us had greatly

reduced, and even though it was a brief gap, it allowed us to take a short
break.
‘Nice work, Hayan.’

Sometimes I felt like I wasn’t good enough, and that Hayan was way smarter
than I thought.
Park Deokgu and Kim Hyunsung, who had become more relaxed, of course,
had no intention of going to the left.
“We have to stay in line!”
It appeared that staying in line was not possible. As another horde of

monsters started attacking from the left side.
“Let’s help them, Deokgu-ssi.”
“No, I don’t think we can. I am only alive because of you, Hayan-ssi.”
At this point, it was Jung Jinho who was the busiest. Jung Jinho could also
use magic, but he wasn’t using it in front of his men as he wanted to hide the
fact that he was a Battlemage.
Eventually, people from his party began screaming.
“Please help!”
“Help us, please!”
“Please, just use the same magic!”
They were hoping for Hayan to use her magic spell again.
Hayan was staring at me, but I shook my head quietly.
If Jung Jinho wanted, he could still protect all of them. They may get bitten
on their arms or get other minor injuries, but that was manageable.
Yoo Seokwoo also screamed at Hayan.
“Hayan-ssi!”
“Alright, wait a second. Eh, I’m filling up my magic power…”

“Damn… Ahhhhhhhhh!”
In the meantime, a monster appeared out of nowhere and bit his arm.
Nevertheless, they did not stop fighting.
Why? Because they knew that they would die if they stopped. It was
regrettable that I couldn’t laugh out loud, because things were going on so
perfectly.
“I can’t hold on!”
The left lineup began to accumulate wounds one by one.
‘This is happening exactly how I wanted it to be.’
Jung Jinho was also beginning to sustain some injuries. No matter how strong
he thought he was, this was a place that even Kim Hyunsung was reluctant to
enter alone.
So, it was impossible for Jung Jinho to take care of everything on his own
with these stats.
I shouted loudly.
“You can endure this! I know you can! Everyone!”
“Is it Kiyoung?”
“Just a little bit more…”
“Quickly help us!”
“You can hold on. You can definitely stop them! Please wait a little longer.”
I screamed as I swung my spear urgently at them, who were under too much
pressure. The situation over there had already made it difficult for them to
turn their heads and even reply to me.
“Ahhhhhh! Damn!”
Another guy’s leg was bitten. Thus, he was left with no choice but to fight the
rest of the battle with a limp.
“Cast it! Quickly! We need magic!”
“It’s almost done!”
In fact, I thought about the magic that had already been cast a while ago, and
how I could use such a spell only once, so I was still a little reluctant to help
them.
The maximum number of magic spells I could cast was two. Three times was
the limit at which I exhausted all my mana.
I had to help, but at the same time, I also had to put some burden on them.
Whenever five humans gathered, there was at least one trash among them.
Perhaps I was going to be perceived as today’s trash.
“Fireball!”
Kwakwang!
“Kie-e-e-e-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee”
A huge fireball fell before the formation on the left.
There was a huge bang, leaving the left party stunned for a while.
Not only did it turn the monsters into flaming balls in an instant, but those
who were hit by the fragments of the spell were also affected.
The power of the flame-based spell really was great.
As I had used up a lot of magical power, it would have been a little

disappointing if it didn’t have that effect.
Jung Jinho’s group, who clearly saw the magic annihilate the monsters
instantly, felt that they were fortunate. They had found some time to rest too.
However, the aftermath of the spell did not end there.
“Kie-e-e-e-ee!”
We all relaxed a bit.
Everything was perfect. The magic had finally given all of them some room
to rest for a while.
Only
However, there was one problem: the fire was spreading to the rest of the
crowded monsters. Monsters, burning in fire, entangled with each other,
creating spectacular fireworks. They became maddened and kept rushing to
the direction they were going in before, but with a little more madness this
time.
“Kie-e-e-e-ee-ee-e-ee-ee!”
It was truly spectacular to see the group of monsters rushing to the group of
Jung Jinho as balls of fire. I didn’t know for sure whether they were
screaming with pain or roaring with joy.
‘Burn! You monsters!’
“Damn it!”
“I am so sorry! About what happened…” I had created monsters of a new

kind. They had to deal with these new burning monsters now.
“Sorry again.”
Quest (3)
“Oh, my God!”
If the monsters managed to pierce us with their claws or wound us deeply, we

would die. There was a chance that we would also die if we went too close or
got entangled with them.
The reason this party was able to hold their defenses until now was because
they were maintaining their formation, despite the relentless attacks they
were receiving.
As Jung Jinho’s group had also done their fair share of hunting, they surely
knew of this. That was why they were able to bear the hordes of rampaging
monsters.
“Shit!”
Those guys weren’t backing down and were still doing their best to fight off
the burning monsters. It was a fascinating sight for me.
“Sorry, I’m so sorry!”
Only trash like me could enjoy such horrendous circumstances.
As the number of monsters decreased, the actual burden on us was supposed

to be reduced, but those guys still did their best to stave off an entirely new
kind of monster, which was definitely heartbreaking to see. Although they
were pushing the burning monsters as far away from themselves as possible,
the problem was that they couldn’t do anything about the flames that burned
their bodies.
The considerable physical exhaustion and the burning heat continued to eat
away at their stamina.
The temperature was rising in the dungeon.
There was no telling how much direct flames or heat Jung Jinho’s group was
facing.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
[Checking the status window of the Monster Burning Maw.]
[Name: None]
[Age: 5]
[Disposition: Burning Instinct]
[Class: None]
[Stats]
[Strength: 12]
[Agility: 15]
[Stamina: 05]
[Endurance: 15]
[Luck: 10]
[Magic Power: 01]

I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I could see some changes in the
monster’s status window.
Their health seemed to be decreasing rapidly, but their magical power had
increased by one point. It could have been due to the flame that I had fired at
them.
“Extinguish the fires, motherfucker!”
Even Buddha, could not help but swear furiously in such a situation.
“Sorry! Just a little bit now! Please hold on a little!”
It felt as if some kind of holy warriors were fighting against armies sent
directly from hell.
After some time, it became clear that they had to sacrifice something in order
to get rid of the monsters for good.
It depended on their stamina, or on the tricks that Jung Jinho was hiding from
the rest.
As I couldn’t hear him cast any spells, Jung Jinho had probably decided to
keep them hidden for the time being.
‘He will hide his skills until the right opportunity comes.’
It was good judgment on his part to hide the true extent of his powers until
the very end.
And it wasn’t just me. Kim Hyunsung also knew about these things already.
‘Such pitiful behavior!’
He was acting so stupidly that I actually wanted to laugh out loud. Of course,
Kim Hyunsung knew that Jinho could use magic.
I didn’t know what kind of class he would have been promoted to in the
future, but he must have achieved a higher level of the same Battlemage class
that he had now.
I had come to know about his class as a Battlemage through my ability, and
the guy from the future was, of course, already aware of his secrets.
The cards that Jinho thought he was hiding right now were those that some of
us knew about. It was like playing poker when all of your cards were already
known to the opponent.
Even though I knew that he had more than one card up his sleeve, it made me
laugh whenever I saw him biting his teeth while trying his best to hide his
abilities.
Kim Hyunsung’s idea was really worthy of him being a time-traveler.
As if making fun of his judgment, the situation began to get even worse.
“Damn! Kichul!”
“Please hold on!”
Lee Kichul was the name of one of Jung Jinho’s lackeys. We didn’t know
that before now.
Then a Burning Maw caught him.
They were screaming and trying to grab his arm to get him away from the
monster, but of course, there was nothing they could do to save him.
In the end, Lee Kichul was dragged into the mass of the fiery monsters.
The sight of him being swallowed up by the monsters, who were filling up
the narrow corridor, made me frown unknowingly.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Help me! Help me!”
“Kiyoung! Hayan!”
It was impossible to use my precious magical power again to protect Jung
Jinho’s partner as I could only use it once more.
I was a little nervous, but…
“A little bit! Just a bit more!”
‘I will not falter.’
As long as Jung Jinho was present, I couldn’t falter.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Stop! Stop! Oh, you son of a bitch! Stop!”
There was no way to check from here whether his intestines were being eaten
or his limbs were being ripped apart.
One thing was for sure; it was very painful to hear his voice. He let out
blood-curling screams.
The pain of being eaten alive and the pain of burning flesh would be
torturous to feel at the same time when you fell to the monsters, so I thought
his reaction was quite natural.
‘One guy is done for.’
Even in the midst of all this, the thought that I had just killed a person still
disturbed me, but I didn’t feel any guilt either. It was probably because of the
excitement or the battle circumstances.
Rather, this was something that I very much wanted to see.
The edge of my lips rose up to form a smile.
“We can do this!”
‘It’s going to get better.’
His death had made the situation even more favorable for us.
“Ahhhhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Shit! Shit! Kichul!”
“Hyung-nim, isn’t this getting too dangerous?”
“Never mind that. The monster won’t be able to get through their formation.”
We were going to watch this massacre until the end.
If we could fight off the monsters, we would definitely be able to survive.

Unlike Jung Jinho, Kim Hyunsung wasn’t nervous at all. I thought I knew
why.
“Hey!”
My attacking style was simple and repetitive, which consisted of just aiming
at the blocked monsters and then stabbing them with the spear.
I started feeling exhausted.
Not only did my spear hand start trembling, my breathing also got rough and
unsteady. My whole body was covered with sweat, and it was increasingly
getting difficult to breathe.
I wanted to lay down on the ground and rest for a moment, but those
monsters that kept running towards us did not give me that time to take a
breath.
‘Will we survive?’
Park Deokgu’s condition was remarkably good. The same was true for Kim
Hyunsung.
Jung Jinho could also be counted among them, although he had holes burnt
into his clothes.
Yoo Seokwoo and the remaining archer seemed to be struggling a lot, but
they didn’t look like me yet.
The monsters’ corpses were beginning to pile up like a wall, but still, more
monsters stepped over the corpses and attacked us.
Park Deokgu blocked them, and I stabbed them repeatedly.
‘How much longer can we hold on?’
I pretended to be okay, but on the inside, I was feeling quite anxious. I

couldn’t figure out how many monsters were still left.
But one thing was certain; the roars that could be heard were getting lesser.
Instead, a loud voice rang in my ears.
Something like, ‘Please hold on!’
I didn’t know who had said that in all the commotion.
“Whew!”
I struck a spear into a monster, squeezing all of my remaining strength into it.
Park Deokgu also pushed back with his shield with a loud roar.
Finally, when Kim Hyunsung slowly put his arms down to his sides, I
realized that the hellish trial was over at last.
“They are finished.”
“It’s over, it’s over…” I sank to the ground without even thinking about it.
It was Kim Hyunsung who spoke at this moment while everyone was still
breathing roughly.
“We have to move away immediately.”
‘Damn it…’
“The quest we are on hasn’t been completed yet. I think it would be better to
start moving right away.”
“No… Hyung-nim. If you can’t walk, I’ll help you.”
“Stop, Deokgu. I can walk. Hayan…”
“Thank you but I’m alright, Oppa.”
At that moment, another problem presented itself in front of them.
The body of the guy named Kichul, who had been dragged and killed by the
monsters, was barely recognizable.
The badly mangled body was a truly horrific sight to witness.
As I saw the terribly torn up body of a dead colleague, I eventually lowered

my head, but I couldn’t forget his hostility to our group.
Jung Jinho was standing expressionless.
Yoo Seokwoo was wearing an extremely hostile expression.
“Do you see this!”
Most of his hair had burned, and the body was covered with scars. It didn’t
need any confirmation that the guy named Kichul had died a very miserable
death.
Looking at his body’s state, it could be said that it had been pretty painful for
him.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Do you think it can be forgiven by simply apologizing? Bastard! ”

“That, but… Uh, I couldn’t help it.”
“What?”
“It was an unavoidable situation. I am not familiar with magic other than
flame magic yet, and if my magic spell hadn’t been cast correctly then that
would have caused even more casualties. Hayan didn’t have enough time to
use her magic powers, and I didn’t think the monsters would stick to each
other and spread the flames. It was the best option at that time. That and…
the number of monsters was also significantly reduced because of it.”
I spoke calmly, but the message behind my words was clear.
If it weren’t for me, they wouldn’t even have been able to survive up to this
point in the first place.
Of course, only Hayan and I had the magical ability to get us all out of that
sticky situation, but using magical powers to save them would have been
more detrimental to us than beneficial.
Jung Jinho would have arrived at the same conclusion.
Of course, Jung Jinho’s point of view, he hadn’t known that Kichul would die
so quickly. That was his mistake.
The magic was a little too powerful, and it was true that Kichul died because
of the spreading fire.
It was also true that I spread the fire on purpose, however…
He didn’t know that.
“Now what are we going to do…?”
“We can’t help it. Kichul’s death is a pity for me too… But now…”
The other guy in Jinho’s group was getting angry. It wasn’t completely
unreasonable of him to feel that way.
It seemed like he wanted nothing better than to aim a bow or a spear at me
right now. Thus, it was a bit scary to see the guy approaching me with a
frown.
I shook my head while glancing at Park Deokgu.
Park Deokgu nodded. I had signaled him not to intervene.
“I’m really, really sorry. Nevertheless… It was inevitable.”
“I… this… ”
Whatever I said, it appeared as total bullshit to him. I knew the characteristics

of these sorts of guys very well.
‘Angry weaklings.’
They were weak people controlled by their anger, and they only attacked
those in their fury who they considered to be weaker than themselves.
“I’m really sorry for your loss and everything that happened. We don’t have
to fight.”
He raised his fist to the highest point he could, and then he fiercely swung
down.
Of course, I did not avoid it.
Some degree of acting was necessary on my part too.
The blow landed on my face, and I fell to the side with tremendous force.
I felt dizzy, and I was spitting blood.
In that instant, I didn’t even have to act. My body, which was too fragile, fell
to the ground by itself.
“Hyung-nim!” Park Deokgu was startled.

“It’s okay, Deokgu. I made a mistake.”
I tried as hard as I could to play the victim and stopped Park Deokgu.
“Jaejoon, let’s go.”
“But…”
“It’s time to go. Everyone understands what happened, but more fighting will
avail nothing.”
‘Right. Conflict won’t amass to anything.’
Even from Jung Jinho’s point of view, it was a really bad idea to start
fighting in such a dangerous place right now.
I coughed and spat out one tooth along with some clotted blood.
‘Ah…’
“Are you okay? Kiyoung-ssi…”
Only
“Ah. It’s okay, Hyunsung-ssi. This was my fault. I couldn’t help them.”
The punch had been really painful, I’ll admit that.
However, I could not say that to Kim Hyunsung. I knew that I wasn’t at fault,
and the other group’s level of vigilance towards me had dropped by now.
I sensed warmth and protection in the eyes of the people around me. This
alone gave me confidence, and momentarily, it felt as if I was in the world’s
safest place.
And now I could see death in one of their eyes.
‘Ah…’
It was Jung Hayan, who was staring at Jung Jinho’s lackey, Kim Jaejoon,
with an expressionless face.
‘What the hell is going to happen now?’

Quest (4)
Anyone who would have seen the battle would say that the situation had
gotten a lot worse. It was comparable to a trashy piece of art.
I bet even if Solomon himself came and made a judgment, then even he
would have declared me to be a sinner. The gamble that Kim Hyunsung had
decided to do with his own reputation certainly didn’t end badly for him.
The monsters had mercilessly devoured Lee Kichul, and Jung Jinho’s
lackey’s rage made him whimsical enough to kill me.
But there wasn’t any further conflict, and Kim Hyunsung had handled the
situation quite well.
I didn’t know if I had done my part or not, but I was happy enough with the
results. Without even using my hands, I had sent a man to his merciless
death.
Even though I lost one tooth as I was acting to become the victim, I achieved
some advantageous and desirable results that earned my beloved and precious
colleagues’ warm attention.
However, Jung Hayan’s expression had changed unexpectedly. Had it

become taboo to engage in any brawl with someone else for her?
‘Don’t tell me, really?’
Had it also become some weird kind of taboo for someone to touch my body?
After a moment of biting her nails, she quickly approached me as if she had
suddenly noticed that I was still lying on the floor.
However, her expression was still hostile.
“Oh, Oppa!”
After she saw me bleeding from my mouth, she forgot about everything.
She used her ring and tried to send magical power through it. The sight was
spectacular. However, divine power ring that Hayan was wearing was not
intended to heal such wounds.
When I grabbed her left hand slightly, she stopped chanting the spell, as if
she knew what I meant. Her big eyes were full of tears, and after a moment,
they started falling relentlessly.
“Are you okay? What can I do… What should I do?”
“Of course I’m okay. It was my fault after all…”
There was a bitter taste in my mouth.
One of the teeth had flown away, and one side of my cheek was tingling, but
I wasn’t feeling that much pain.
That was because if I did anything but display my stiffness, it seemed that
Jung Hayan would start casting magic spells out there.
‘Be patient Hayan… Please, please.’
Shooting magic at Jung Jinho’s party was definitely not a bad option, but it
was better to play the victim right now. As I could see that Kim Hyunsung
hadn’t made a move yet, it looked like he was also hoping for it.
“Wow…”
She kept touching my face as if I had lost my skin or something. Seeing that
she was struggling with her words in her panicked state, I wondered if Hayan
was actually sane. Tears were streaming down her face, and she had a bloody
nose.
It was as if I was already dead. Her reaction was too passionate about the fact
that I had lost only one of my teeth.
“Are you okay, Oppa? Are you alright?”
“Yes I’m fine. It’s not a big deal. Don’t mind me, Hayan. I’m really okay. It
doesn’t hurt at all.”
It did hurt, but it wasn’t a big wound.
It was nice to have this reaction for this kind of wound, as it seemed a little
scary to think about what would happen otherwise.
“This guy! How dare you!”
Becoming easily incensed was natural for Park Deokgu, and it was the same
as eating and drinking for him. The reactions of Jung Hayan and Park
Deokgu had exceeded my expectations. At this point, I thought Jung Jinho
would also be embarrassed by this situation.
Of course, the guy who was more embarrassed than anyone else was the one
who had hit me.
He sensed the sudden ominous change in the harsh atmosphere. What I had
done had instantly turned me, the perpetrator, into a victim.
Yet something even more magical happened.
‘Arghh.’
Even though I knew I shouldn’t do this, my mouth continued to curve into a

smile. I kept grinning.
In the end, it was Jung Jinho who bowed his head.
“I’m sorry, Kiyoung-ssi.”

“No problem.”
“I have nothing to say. I know you didn’t do it with bad intentions. If you
hadn’t used magic, something even worse would have happened. Jaejoon is
saddened that Kichul, who had been with us for a long time, has died. I hope
you understand. Jaejoon?”
“But…”
“Jaejoon. You have to apologize. It was an unavoidable situation and it was

the best option. If it weren’t for Kiyoung, we might all be dead.”
I didn’t know if it was due to seeing Jung Jinho’s expression, but the guy
named Jaejoon, who had constantly been furious up until now, also bowed
his head slightly.
“I… It seems I got out of control for a while, sorry…”
His fists were shaking.
He was not looking at me properly, and it was not difficult to know why. I
thought I had to be the one to apologize in this situation, but my mouth
wouldn’t open if I wanted it too.
In fact, he still looked as red as an apple, and he wasn’t apologizing

wholeheartedly. Rather, it came off as if he was just trying to control his
anger.
“It’s okay, Jaejoon. I can understand. I was also a little frivolous… I cannot
comfort you with any words, but I sincerely apologize.”
Of course, I wasn’t serious either.
“I’m… sorry,” I could see that he was forcibly lowering his head.
I didn’t really feel like I was getting an apology, but it felt good apart from
that.
‘Phew.’
If he hadn’t been angry in the first place, it would have been me who had to
bow to him.
In fact, what was more worrisome than that guy was, of course, Jung Hayan.
‘What am I going to do with her…?’
If she was thinking about doing the same thing as she had done to Park
Hyeayoung, this would turn out pretty bad.
The title of the culprit in the case of Park Hyeayoung had already been nailed
to Jung Jinho.
But if this guy was to disappear suddenly somewhere right after, Kim
Hyunsung might get suspicious of Jung Hayan. It would certainly increase
the suspicions if this guy was found dead with his legs and arms amputated.
Of course, I would also be on the suspects list by then.
I wanted to calm her down. From her expressions, it felt like she wouldn’t be
returning to normal anytime soon.
When I looked at her palms, they were bleeding due to her nails as she had
clenched her fists. Now I was almost certain that Jung Hayan’s attack was
unavoidable.
‘Let’s see where this goes.’
If I thought about it a little more positively, the scenario wasn’t that bad,
actually.
The fact that Jung Hayan would attack him directly was also something that
could prove to be helpful in the future.
If Kim Jaejoon died, Jung Jinho would have lost both his companions.
‘What is she doing…’

However, the appearance of Hayan secretly picking up my fallen tooth was
giving off the feeling of a ticking bomb that you never knew when it would
explode.
“I will get you up, Kiyoung Oppa.”
“Yeah. Let’s do that. Sorry for the disturbance.”
She grabbed me by my arms, and I was able to stand up again. It didn’t hurt
that much.
Now, the next best thing to do was to strike first.
The timing of the first attack had to be determined by our side.
I did not like Jinho being around me, and maybe he would attack right away
if he got the chance.
“Can you walk?”
“Of course.”
“If you have any trouble… ”
“No, it’s really okay. Hyunsung-ssi. As you said, let’s get out of this place
first.”
“Yes, you’re right.”
The huge iron door was still tightly closed.
Either it wouldn’t open until the quest was over, or it might only be opened
from the outside, but one thing was certain: in order for us to survive, we had
to find a way to complete the quest of this dungeon.
Unfortunately, the name of the quest itself was survival.
“Maybe when the woman, in the beginning, was talking about surviving, she
was referencing to this quest here.”
Jung Jinho’s words lightened up everyone’s spirits.
We were listening to everything he said.
This was because everyone, including Jung Hayan, was on the lookout for
Jung Jinho and his hostility if he ever happened to show it.
It was a natural for him now to try and get close to us in order to live.
I thought I would be the one to do it as I had been thinking similarly.
“I thought of the same thing. The first floor actually has no other purpose and
it seems that survival and attacking the monsters here are the main objectives.
If survival is a condition that needs to be accomplished in order to escape
from this dungeon, then we have to avoid or overcome the monsters. In this
way we can kill two birds with one stone. If this hypothesis is correct, we
don’t have to worry much about the first floor.”
It meant that whether we were focusing on attacking or surviving, it was

necessary to strategically use survival skills. Kim Hyunsung seemed to be
thinking along the same lines.
I couldn’t concentrate on the conversation because I was trying to find my

way towards the front, but seeing that there was no dissenting voice, it
seemed that my hypothesis was correct. Both survival and attacking that the
woman talked about in the beginning tutorial took place here.
“I understand the survival part, but…”
“Well, there may be something like a boss monster here.”
“Oh.”
“That’s common under such conditions. If you look at the status windows or
classes, this place is quite similar to an online game. If it wasn’t for the
tutorial, there could be various methods for the attack, but this is a dungeon
that is simply focused on survival and attack, so we might be facing a slightly
different problem. Killing that monster is probably the main thing we have to
do here.”
“I was thinking the same thing, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“It’s just a guess. Secondly, we also have the option of finding our way out.”
“It could be our way out of this hellish dungeon, or there could be another
method that could get us all out. There are a few more things, but I can’t
remember them.”
This was just reasoning that anyone could easily formulate. Jung Jinho and
even Yoo Seokwoo might have been thinking of the same thing, so there was
little suspicion on who worded it first.
“You really are thinking ahead, Kiyoung-ssi… ” Yoo Seokwoo muttered.
He was also angry. He seemed to be thinking whether I had thrown the

fireball there on purpose, but I just laughed in my mind at that thought.
He wasn’t the only guy that wanted to kill me.
“Oh, these are just some of my thoughts… ”
In fact, these were simple deductions.
As I continued walking, I couldn’t see the monsters anymore.
Of course, there were some others scattered around, but they weren’t of the
same level as the ones we were fighting before. We killed them as quickly as
possible because they could cause unforeseen problems, and then we would
have to face the same kind of battle again.
Most of our stamina had been drained, so we were moving very slowly. We
repeatedly had to stop to catch our breaths.
In the meantime, our magic powers were passively recovering, which was a
good thing for us.
There were occasions when Kim Hyunsung frowned, and Jung Hayan kept
staring at Kim Jaejoon, but fortunately, nothing big happened.
Particularly in the case of Hayan, whenever she saw me with my swollen

mouth, she got even more frustrated and angry. Sometimes she would start
crying all of a sudden and shake her head while muttering to herself.
Park Deokgu appeared to be a bit affected whenever she cried involuntarily.
Only
Contrary to the rumors that I was ‘good’ with women, I didn’t seem to have
any idea on how to comfort Jung Hayan. This whole sequence of events had
been bizarre.
Then she bowed her head and whispered in a small voice. Her voice was so
low that I couldn’t hear it properly even after getting close to her.
Thus, I tried to guess what she was saying…
It sounded like ‘I have to kill him’, but I didn’t let my expression show that I
had heard her. In the end, this would benefit me too.
“I will take revenge.”
I pretended as if I didn’t hear that either.
This could turn out better than I had originally anticipated.

Quest (5)
“What do you think is out there?”
“Well… whatever it is, it definitely won’t be more delicious than the food
you are eating here.”
“Wow….”
“Maybe Deok-gu wants something to eat.”
“Well….”
“….”
“….”
“It’s okay.”
The two who were talking to each other became strangely quiet. This had
become a regular occurrence now.
Jung Hayan was staring at me and couldn’t hold back her tears.
It wasn’t as passionate as the first time, but every time I saw her tears falling
like that, I felt a little strange. Of course, the situation itself was not that
good.
It was because Kim Jae-joon and Jung Jin-ho kept looking at this side.
In order to ruin the atmosphere of the party even more, during various
conversations, Jung Hayan cried out in this way, and it was unavoidable that
the atmosphere became a little quiet. Someone would have thought it was me
who died, not Lee Ki-cheol.
In fact, it became a routine for Jung Hayan to stare at Kim Jae-joon. Nobody
could imagine how uncomfortable Kim Jae-joon was.
They were already in a position to stand on our side.
As Lee Ki-cheol suffered an unexpected accident, the balance of power that

had been maintained collapsed. Jung Jin-ho’s party actually seemed to have
given up trying to hunt us.
Jung Jin-ho might have decided that it would be better not to launch an attack
as long as there wasn’t any good opportunity to do so.
‘I would have done the same thing.’
Even if I was in Jung Jin-ho’s position, I would have completely canceled the
plan to kill Kim Hyun-sung’s party. This was why they were sensitive to
even the slightest conflict.
“I’m really sorry.”
“No, Mr. Jinho. That’s a little embarrassing. In fact, I am the one who should
apologize.”
He had been apologizing like this over and over again.
“I… I was just excited.”
“Of course you were excited. I also apologize again.”
I don’t know what the two had talked about, but whenever Jung Jin-ho
apologized, Kim Jae-joon also expressed his apology.
The problem was that, little by little, Jung Hayan was showing hostility.
“I, why did I do that, I’m sorry….”
More often than not, they talked about this among themselves as if it was not
for us to listen. I was not worried about them talking about attacking us, as I
could discern that much.
What humored me was Yoo Seok-woo’s reaction.
“….”
From the time I first revealed that I was close to Jung Hayan, he seemed to be
in a bad mood. As expected, when Jung Hayan and I started to hang around,
he often showed signs of discomfort.
In particular, it seemed to him that Hayan had swollen eyes because she had
been crying for me. That was how much Jung Hayan was thinking of me.
‘Yoo Seok-woo….’
In the first place, he was nothing more than a rapist for Jung Hayan.
In fact, even if he had only tried to do it once, it was still correct to say that
him being here was slightly absurd.
Considering what he had done before, it would not have been possible for
him to hang out with their group, but it seemed that Jung Jin-ho had made a
deal with him. That was also why he had got that job and gained experience
by sticking with them.
It was his deranged illusion if he thought that he could get my beloved and
get away with it, but as the plan had been canceled already, I sufficed by
sending him a hateful gaze.
In any case, this party was heading in a good direction with respect to
friendliness, at least superficially. It was the dream party that forgot old
disputes and did not fight.
All of this was an atmosphere created by Jung Jin-ho and Kim Jae-joon, but
unfortunately, I didn’t want to be so embarrassingly peace loving like they
were.
Kim Hyun-sung sometimes seemed to be thinking about something. I hoped

that it was something about how to dispose of Jung Jin-ho, as they were the
murderers who killed Park Hye-young. I thought it was right for them to die
here.
In fact, if you considered the reaction that Kim Hyun-sung showed when he
first saw Jung Jin-ho, there was a big possibility of that.
Jung Jin-ho, Yoo Seok-woo, and Kim Jae-joon were still wearing pretentious
smiles.
Kim Hyun-sung, of course, looked as if he were about to go crazy. This guy

would probably be the first one to attack.
At least for Park Deok-gu, Jung Hayan and I, he was looking for a cause or
good opportunity, as it was certain that he did not want to let the other party
know his true intentions.
No, that was certain.
A good opportunity to kill them, or a justification to attack, from Kim Hyun-

sung’s occasional frown, he seemed to be thinking about these things.
‘Can I help him?’ Kim Hyun-sung was implicative of needing help.
We needed a situation where we had a total moral high ground and could
attack them.
For example…
‘I get attacked first,’ What would they do then?
Perhaps that was an ideal situation.
The warriors of justice fighting against a group of cowardly criminals who

had attacked suddenly gave a pretty good feeling.
The problem was that Jung Jin-ho and his lackeys would not attack us.
However, considering that one was an angry bufoon and the other was feeling
jealous, it was not difficult.
Maybe it was as easy as a yawn.
‘Provocation, after all, is my specialty.’
In particular, in the case of Yoo Seok-woo, there was a possibility that Jung
Jin-ho may behave unexpectedly as well, as he had just entered Jung Jin-ho’s
party. These thoughts went through my head in an instant.
First of all, it didn’t appear to be a bad idea to use Hayan to disturb them. I
didn’t have any other plans.
“Ah….”
This would be enough.
“Oppa….”
Hayan whispered in a small voice.
It seemed a little embarrassing, but I didn’t dare to move my hand. She had
been trembling just because I had put a hand on her waist.
Someone might think that I was walking with Hayan for support. The only
ones that felt the ambiguity of the hand’s position were Jung Hayan and Yoo
Seok-woo.
It was neither the waist, nor the pelvis, nor the buttocks. The reaction came
just by holding the boundary line between the sensitive areas.
‘Pop….’
I could feel his anger from over here.
“Ah, Hayan. Sorry….”

“Okay, it’s okay. It’s a comfortable place… You can grab it….”
“Still…”
“It’s okay….”
The expression as if his beloved girlfriend was stolen looked horrible.
While Kim Hyun-sung, Jung Jin-ho, Park Deok-gu, and Kim Jae-joon were
talking about the dungeon, he was looking only at this side.
As I slightly lowered my hand, Jung Hayan bowed her head.
‘I like it so much….’
This reaction was not expected, but on the contrary, Yoo Seok-woo had a
face that signaled he was close to blowing up.
We had eye contact for a second, and I did not forget to have a smile on my
face.
‘I dare you,’ that was what my face covertly expressed.
I did not have to settle with a verbal message. Actions and facial expressions
are sometimes a great means of communication.
“Thank you, Hayan. Isn’t it difficult?”
“Ah! No. Compared to what my Oppa helped me with, this is nothing,” Jung
Hayan actually still wanted me to hold on to her.
I was holding onto her really smoothly, so it was not unreasonable for her to
have such a reaction.
It didn’t matter if Yoo Seok-woo was serious about Hayan in the first place
or not. If he thought about my actions, I think he might have to get serious,
but…
‘Good.’
It was a seed that had been sown.
Besides this, there were also other things that were going on. Like Hayan’s
eyes or sweet voice, and the way that she was worried about me right now.
Of course, it didn’t sound sweet to me, but I knew that a voice that seemed
like it was covered in honey would crush his pained heart even more.
‘Hold her hand.’
‘Pull her body close.’
‘Put your hands on her back or shoulders, and maintain moderate tension.’
‘Let’s have a nice time.’
It was a method that triggered sexual tension.
The situation was such that Jung Hayan’s face had already turned red.
Nevertheless, the smile hanging from the corner of her mouth never
disappeared. I thought I had to stop because her breathing seemed to be
getting rougher…
I could not stop myself.
In the end, I asked her whether she was comfortable.
“Hayan, you look very difficult… My, I…”
“….”
“Haha.”
The sound of laughter came out from my mouth unintentionally. This was
because I saw that Hayan completely ignoring Yoo Seok-woo.
You could see Yoo Seok-woo’s face turn red for a different reason than that
of Hayan.
Kim Hyun-sung, Jung Jin-ho, and Park Deok-gu looked back at the little fuss
that was happening behind them.
Park Deok-gu immediately opened his mouth when he saw Jung Hayan
breathing out a little harshly.
“Oh, my sister, are you hurt?”
“No, Hayan. Actually, I am not hurt that much….”
“Ah! No! I… I will help you….”
“Well, it seems like my sister wants to be with her older brother… If it gets
hard, you have to tell me.”
“Yeah.”
Park Deok-gu intervened at a pretty good timing. He was indirectly letting

me know that Jung Hayan wanted it. Not that I wanted that, either.
As I put my hand on Hayan’s waist and looked back, I met Yoo Seok-woo’s
eyes again.
Seeing my smile, it must be difficult for him to hold back.
“So sweet.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s nothing, Hayan.”
“Okay….”
You could see the guy shaking slightly.
He should have behaved quite naturally if he had been a person that had good
self-control in the first place, but then he would not have done what he did in
the shelter.
If Jung Jin-ho was alone, this would have been more difficult.
Seeing that he was holding his sword tightly, he seemed to want to poke me
with his sword right now, but for the moment, I wanted to compliment him
for his patience. I didn’t know if the stimulus was a bit lacking or if he was
waiting for an opportunity, maybe it was both.
It was when I looked back and grabbed Hayan’s waist once more that
something happened.
“Kie-e-e-e-ee!”
“Prepare for battle.”
Good opportunities come with good timing.
I lifted the spear with a weak expression, and Hayan also got away for a
while and began to prepare a spell.
Park Deok-gu, Jung Jin-ho, and Kim Hyun-sung were focusing their eyes on
the front.
“Fuhhhhh….”
I began to mutter quietly in a voice that could only be heard by him, “You are
envious, right?”
“What….”
“She was really soft. Our Hayan,” the corners of my mouth could not stop
from forming a smile on my mouth
“There are five of them. Prepare for battle as soon as possible!”
“You bastard!”
He suddenly lifted his sword.
I was wondering if I should run because I could see the blade coming towards
me directly…
‘It’s better to get hit,’ I knew I could endure it.
As Jung Hayan had the healing ring, I would be able to easily recover from
the wounds I would receive. I began to feel a creepy sensation along with a
rumbling sound.
Only
Then came the pain that was incomparable to being hit in the face. A scream
erupted from my mouth, unknowingly, because of the searing pain that
burned through my body.
It was no wonder that everyone’s eyes were focused here in an instant.
Jung Jin-ho and Kim Jae-joon look like they could not speak. However, they
could understand that something had happened.
Yoo Seok-woo had stabbed me.
I was worried that Jung Jin-ho would treat Yoo Seok-woo as a madman and
throw him away to keep being friendly…
Then I realized that my worries were useless due to his shouts.
“I… I! I did it! Jinho-ssi!! Jaejoon-ssi!! I’ve done it!”
Of the cards, Jung Jin-ho had, at least one was this idiot.
Chapter 33 Enemy (1)
Enemy (1)
From the point of view of Jung Jin-ho, it seemed like a moron had been
released from jail.
“No, what bullshit… what are you doing?! Seok-woo!”
“I did it! The dog, motherfucker! I stabbed him! Brother!”
“This crazy bastard!”
The place erupted into chaos.
Jung Jin-ho immediately pulled out his sword. Of course, I thought it wasn’t
for the intention to attack us.
‘He’s trying to kill him.’
He seemed to be trying to correct this situation by killing Yoo Seok-woo.
It was as if he would kill him to shut his mouth, and then clear up the
situation later. Right now, that was the only thing Jung Jin-ho could choose.
It was clear that he did not want to fight with our team in a place like this.
If it was Kim Hyun-sung or Park Deok-gu that was stabbed by the sword,
there might have been a chance, but unfortunately, the weakest, Lee Ki-
young, was the one who had gotten hurt.
‘You can’t kill him.’
When I looked at Kim Hyun-Sung instinctively, I could see that he was also
moving quickly.
Jung Jin-ho’s lackey Kim Jae-Joon, who seemed to have a remarkably

inferior ability to grasp the situation, started running towards our side with a
dagger. He thought that Jung Jin-ho running out was a signal of battle.
“This beggar trash! You killed him! You killed Ki-cheol!”
Of course, I killed Lee Ki-Cheol.
Even so, I couldn’t imagine that he would actually leave Deokgu next to him
and run over here to me.
It seemed that I had become the official celebrity of this party during this
attack. I, who should have been safely protected from the rear, quickly
became the main tank.
What was unexpected was that Park Deok-gu’s ability to judge the situation
was a little slow.
At least I thought he would block the second attack, but he couldn’t prevent
Kim Jae-Joon from rushing to my side with his dagger raised.
‘Damn.’
The dagger fell at my back as I crouched reflexively. It seemed as if he was

precisely aiming at my neck.
‘Hurts!’
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
It was too painful. Park Deok-gu came to his senses right after the second
attack fell. As well as pushing him with his large shield, he began to block
me with a pale, stiff face.
Yoo Seok-woo in the back looked a little bit stunned by the sudden situation.
He held the dagger he had used to stab me and was shaking relentlessly.
He was also not used to stabbing someone. Of course, Jung Jin-ho and Kim
Hyun-sung were more important than this fearful trash.
“Is this just a misunderstanding….?” the two’s swords collided before the
voice came out.
‘Done.’
Bang! As soon as I heard the sound, the sight of Jung Jin-ho being blown far
away could be seen.
The battle had already begun. The goal was achieved, and the two were put
against each other.
All that remained was to correct this situation.
I wanted to ask for a quick treatment, but the problem was that I couldn’t
speak.
There was no voice other than screaming that came out due to pain I felt for
the first time in my life. When I thought I would hear the Healing magic from
Hayan, I actually heard a scream of rage from Hayan’s side.
“I hate you!”
‘Hurt….’
“These guys!! Hyung-ssi!”
“I hate you! I hate you!!”
I quite honestly hoped she would heal me instead of screaming. The situation
was so urgent, and I couldn’t get up, either.
Monsters were running in from the front of them, and Jung Jin-ho and Kim
Hyun-sung were fighting with their swords.
It seemed that Park Deok-gu had not yet been able to find out whether he
should block the front or the back where Yoo Seok-woo was, but he was
trying to protect himself as much as possible.
“Oppa! Oppa!”
“He’s not dead yet….”
“Sister! Ring! Ring! Use the ring quickly! The ring!”
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Oppa! Oppa! Oppa!”
“Calm down and use the ring!”
“Ah!”
I expected Jung Hayan to panic, but things were a little more serious than I
had thought.
Only after Park Deok-gu held Jung Hayan’s hand tightly did she remember
what she was capable of doing, “Oh… the cure!”
The light came pouring down on me. My body didn’t recover in an instant,
but a strangely pleasing light was surely healing my wounds.
The pain was still there. However, there was no sensation of tingling and
bleeding from the wound.
‘I almost died.’
If it was a little later, I would have bled to death right then and there.
“Oppa… Oppa… Oppa.”
“Brother, brother!”
“I’m fine… Ah,” with a slightly trembling body, I look around again.
Kim Hyun-sung and Jung Jin-ho were fighting without a word. Whoever saw
it, would know that Kim Hyun-sung was stronger.
Of course, you couldn’t hear his curses.
Eventually, our main villain abandoned Yoo Seok-woo, and Kim Jae-Joon
turned his back and ran to leave this place.
Kim Hyun-sung, who looked this way for a while, nodded and spoke
urgently.
“Deok-gu! Please look after Hayan and Kiyoung-ssi. I’m going after Jung
Jinho.”
“Okay, I see!” he had judged that we would have the ability to organize the
situation.
As he was quite fast, he disappeared from our view in an instant.
Kim Jae-Joon also seemed to be trying to get out of the place immediately as
if he understood that the situation was twisted, but that guy also did not take
Yoo Seok-woo with him.
In this situation, Park Deok-gu could stop the monsters.
“These guys!”
Once again, I could see Yoo Seok-woo swinging his sword. Of course, it
didn’t hit me this time because Park Deok-gu struck him with a shield.
Puck!
Yoo Seok-woo’s body floated through the air and was hit against a wall, but
at the same time, monsters rushed to the place.
“Magic Shield!”
The second insurance prepared by Kim Hyun-sung blocked their path.
At the same time, I was memorizing spells in that instant.

Kim Jae-Joon and Jung Jin-ho had already disappeared from view, but Kim
Hyun-Sung could not catch both.
“Hyung-ssi, Hyung-ssi sister is gone….”
Jung Hayan had gone to catch Kim Jae-Joon.
“Don’t worry, Deok-gu. First, take care of the monsters in front of us and
follow her immediately. I know where she went.”
“I’m glad then….”
I didn’t see when and how she disappeared.
She prepared a new spell and just followed Kim Jae-Joon.
I didn’t know if she’ll be able to catch up to the guy with high agility, but
seeing that she’s was rushing without any sense of direction, she’ll probably
come back after solving her problems.
Park Deok-gu’s face was also filled with tears, perhaps because he
encountered an unexpected situation. I looked at him and spoke as it seemed
to be quite shocking to see me bleeding.
“Don’t cry, Piglet.”
“Who, who cried?”
Thanks to the guy’s pushing, the dagger got stuck in my body once more, but
it wasn’t that bad.
***
‘Shit.’
It was hard to understand what was going on and why.

‘Yoo Seok-woo is a stupid guy. He is trash.’
There was no hope for him.
No, actually, Yoo Seok-woo wasn’t alone in that. The same could go for
myself, who accepted Jung Jin-ho’s sword as an attack signal and put a
dagger in that other trash.
I thought it should have been the right thing.
Lee Ki-Cheol was a friend of his who had moved together with him for a
long time. He could not control himself because Kiyoung had killed his
friend.
‘I knew the plan was canceled….’
Yet it was all because of that guy who showed a smile while saying sorry. I
knew I had to restrain myself, but I couldn’t help it.
That expression….that expression was the problem.
That expression that seemed to laugh.
That openly provocative look.
The problem was how this guy regarded me. He seemed to look down on me
from the inside. Still, I left that guy stabbed and helpless.
Even in that situation, the moment I saw the expression of that guy watching
the situation with a strangely pleasant expression, I couldn’t keep my reason.
Jung Jin-ho, that motherfucker was also a problem.
In the first place, I thought I had no friendship with him, but I didn’t think
that he would throw me away as if I were not important at all.
‘I do not care.’
But that didn’t matter anymore.

Anyway, I was with him because I needed him. I used him as much as he
used me. It was a simple story.
‘First.’
First off, I need to get out of here.
Jung Jin-ho had just decided that there was no opportunity in this situation.
As the path was fresh, I could fully follow the path that Jung Jin-ho used to
run away.
Even now, the traces of him running away were clearly visible. After
following Jung Jin-ho, I had to deal with Kim Hyun-sung. This time
everything was a lot clearer.
Lee Ki-young will not be relieved without tearing and killing the
motherfucker.
It was just at that time when I tried to move as fast as possible while carrying
a bow and arrow, that I noticed something.
‘What?’
It was different from the path I memorized. This was certainly not the way I
knew.
This was the first time this happened since I changed my job as an archer.
I was wondering if there was something wrong with the dungeon itself, but it
was certainly not the case. The traces of Jung Jin-ho and Kim Hyun-sung also
felt odd.
“What….”
When I looked around a little, I felt a harsh and sudden wind blowing from
an unknown direction.
“Huh?”
It was after some time that I felt that one of my legs had been cut off.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!!”
‘What…. What is this…. what!’
I could not make a good judgment. It did not take long for my other leg to get
cut off.
You were the most afraid when you didn’t know what attacked you.
After the wind blew again, a hand was cut off.
“What! What… Ahhhhhhhhh!”
What came to my mind was magic. As I looked around desperately once

again, a woman appeared from the dark, dimly in my sight.
I thought it was the first time I saw her, but it was definitely not the first time.
‘Hayan?’
She had a reddened expression.
‘So snowy….’
Her eyes were weird. Her hair was scattered, and her clothes were messed up.
You could see she was wiping the flowing tears with her hands.
“I hurt you… I won’t apologize.”
“What…”
“I can never forgive this… dummy! I have to kill them all. I have to kill all
humans who harm my Oppa.”
“What bullshit… Ahhhhhhhhh!”

“You shut up! And I mean it, shut up! This… This… Fool! How painful it
must have been for my Oppa.. How painful it must have been! Even when he
was first hit… It must have been painful!”
I was quick to figure out the situation. This woman in front of me was not
normal.
‘Fuck… Fuck… .’
It was in an instant that I realized I was wrong.
Although she seemed to be weirdly obsessed with the motherfucker, I

couldn’t even imagine she would be this crazy a bitch. I could hear a spell
being prepared.
No wonder my body first sensed the ominousness.
I wanted to get out of this situation by crawling somehow, but there was no
way I would get out. This place was too wide to crawl and escape.
I could feel the woman’s arms grabbing my hair and lifting my face.
“Sorry, I don’t have time, so I’m so sorry to have to finish it quickly. My

Oppa… I have to return as my Oppa has already suffered dozens of times… I
can’t do anything more…”
“Help me… I… I just did what he told me to do.”
“I don’t believe liars…. Air bomb.”
What was held in her right hand was magic I had already seen before. The
magic that made several monsters turn into lifeless corpses.
Unlike the time when it was the size of human heads, what I saw this time
was very small.
When I couldn’t understand what she was doing, I heard the crazy woman’s
voice once again.
“Open your mouth.”
“What… What….”
“Ah… Do it. Dang, you should feel the same way. You should feel how
much pain my Oppa felt.”
I stubbornly closed my mouth. If something like that came inside…
However, the crazy bitch forcibly opened my mouth with her hand and
eventually put the small bomb inside. I couldn’t get used to the feeling of a
foreign substance as it entered.
The cold sweat continued to flow, and my body was trembling.
That was when the brain-shaking explosion was heard before I could even
begin to imagine what was happening.
Bang!
“Ahhh ae ae ae!”
Fragments of teeth burst along with the mouth – the tongue, throat, and
cheeks. It was hard to understand what happened, but one thing was certain:
the pain seemed to melt my brain.
“Is it painful? You are hurt too. But why… you did it to him!”
‘Mad girl… Crazy bitch… Crazy bitch… “
“You splattered blood on me, idiot.”
“I am alive… Ahh….”
Only
Even her appearance of tidying up was grotesque.
She carefully tidied up the sporadic hair and wiped the blood splattered on
her face with her sleeves.
“Because we have to finish it quickly… This is the last one. You can’t do that
next time.”
‘Please don’t do this.’
‘Please, it reminds me of hell.’
The words weren’t properly spoken out of fear, but my consciousness was
getting blurred.
When I thought I would be able to live somehow, a voice that was my last,
resounded.
“Ah… I’m dead.”

Chapter 34 Enemy (2)
Enemy (2)
“Don’t cry, you pig.”
“Who, who cried?”
Thanks to the pushing, the dagger got stuck in my body once more, but it
wasn’t that bad. However, it was undeniable that I almost died.
When I thought about it, it was even more absurd, ‘I almost died.’
According to my thinking, Park Deok-gu should have stopped Kim Jae-Joon

before the second attack, and Jung Hayan should have put magic into the
healing ring before screaming.
I could only say that I was lucky. Because I shed so much blood, my mind
had blurred.
It was also when I realized that even the smallest elements of my calculations
could be ruined, and I realized that I shouldn’t gamble at will.
‘I should gamble only when necessary….’
I realized that I had to prepare more thoroughly before throwing the dice. It
was unfortunate, but it couldn’t be helped. After all, it was normal to panic in
a sudden situation.
One could suggest that it was a natural reaction for innocent Park Deok-gu or
Hayan to have this appearance.
Maybe I should be grateful that it was over.
This was still a tutorial, and if we compared it to the game, we would still be
beginners. Perhaps time will solve the problem of Hayan and Park Deok-gu.
“Brother, I….”
“I think I can just hold off Yoo Seok-woo.”
“No… Will you be okay?”
He simply nodded.
A very rare item, the magic shield ring, protected me.
Those who were visible with the mind’s eye had no power to penetrate the
magic of this magic shield.
Suddenly, I was grateful to Kim Hyun-Sung. The item’s effect was better
than I thought.
‘Magic shield.’
“Kie-e-e-e-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee
I saw monsters constantly tapping on the translucent membrane, but I didn’t

feel scared. In the meantime, I started to prepare more spells.
“Lord, I pray, listen to my voice, answer, burn my enemies, give me

strength….”
“….”
“Fireball.”
My head was a little dizzy. This situation was probably because of my low
magic power, but probably also because I had bled and lost a lot of blood.
The wound was healed, but the damage remained.

When I recited the spell, a large fireball appeared in front of my eyes,
dismantled the shield of magic, and reached outside.
Bang!
It was a perfect direct hit, but Park Deok-gu positioned himself in front of
me, wondering if there were any survivors.
Simply put, I had created destruction.
“What….”
“Hyung-ssi, is your body okay?”
“It’s okay.”
I was a little dizzy, but it was no problem. Rather, it felt very refreshing. It
was almost because I died and came back to life, and things were currently
running pretty well.
Kim Hyun-sung will kill Jung Jin-ho, and Kim Jae-Joon will be held onto by
Hayan, having a happy time.
What mattered was Yoo Seok-woo.
It didn’t mean that they were free and had nothing else to do. However, it was
natural that the complete problem should be solved.
Park Deok-gu tied that guy up and held him down.
That would have been a poor leash, but it was better than none. No, in the
first place, he couldn’t break such a leash with the strength he had now.
“Let me go! What do you want to do?”
Yoo Seok-woo had started to resist the moment he came to his senses, but
there was no hope for him. He was struggling while lying on the floor, and
Park Deok-gu was holding him down with sheer force.
“Bitch!”
“You, Lee Ki-young, you little mouse! Can’t you release me right now!?”
“Bitch.”
“The others will come here. Kim Hyun-sung is going to come right here after
getting rid of that motherfucker, and stick a knife in your throat. You guys
want to be saved? Dream on.”
He was talking willingly, but he couldn’t even say anything else because he
was overwhelmed. The world of delusions in his brain was deeper than I
thought.
“Haha.”
“Are you smiling? Is this funny? Do you think you can keep laughing like
that? Lee Ki-young! And the pig next to him… I can’t forgive that Hayan
also. Never! I will make you regret it every day…”
“What?”
“This….”
“I can’t hear you well?”
It’s no wonder that he was so mad. As I gently brought my hand to my ear,

putting my face out, and raised his mouth, the face of the guy biting with
anger was visible.
“This… Lee Ki-young, this trash!”
It is always fun to see such excitement.
“You must be pretty confident.”
“What…”
“The older brothers you love seem to have abandoned you and run away from
everyone.”
“What?”
“Have you even heard from Jung Jin-ho? From the time Lee Ki-cheol died,
the plan was canceled here… No, it was that they were getting friendly
instead.”
“What?”
A face of embarrassment entered my line of vision. It seemed that he did not

know it.
This was the scene that I wanted to see.
I wouldn’t be able to know this without my ‘Mind’s Eye,’ or Kim Hyun-

sung’s reaction.
I would have thought, ‘You just have to be a little careful moving with a bad
group.’
I was not very interested in whether I was right or wrong. Looking at his
expression, it seemed to have been correct to some extent, but that didn’t
matter now.
Of course, there was no reason to explain the situation to him.
“What… What are you talking about?”
“Bitch.”
I kept laughing. This was so much fun. The way this stupid guy moved
reminded me of a doll or a shogi horse.
It was fortunate that Jung Jin-ho just thought of him as insurance.

“What is it like?”
I did not necessarily explain. Instead, I pleasantly smiled, ‘If you’re not
stupid, you’ll know.’
However, Yoo Seok-woo just kept staring up at me blankly. Maybe he really

was stupid.
Since I first suggested attacking the dungeon… The magic used for blocking
the monster wave for the first time, the death of Lee Ki-Cheol, was indeed a
little absurd.
He may even be realizing that everything was a well-crafted play, even when
he had provoked on purpose. The stupid guy was now guessing why I was
openly fiddling with Hayan.
There was no reason to just laugh at him and have a good time with Hayan.
Everything was a petty trap set for himself.
He probably won’t even believe he had already taken the bait.
No matter how poorly humans controlled their minds, he really was such an
anomaly.
Park Deok-gu looked at me with a startled expression, but he didn’t

necessarily give or ask another explanation. This was because the face of the
guy who wanted nothing more than to kill me was still in sight.
“This… Lee Ki-young, this trash! You’re crap!”
It was laughable that he was waiting for his brothers.
Jung Jin-ho decided that his power was insufficient, so he recruited Yoo
Seok-woo and came down to the dungeon to create a variable.
In conclusion, he was nothing more than that.

It was so natural that you could tell even if you thought about it a little coolly.
Yoo Seok-woo must also have realized that he made a mistake.
“This… this!”
“Thank you, Seokwoo. I am grateful to you.”
I wasn’t scared because his hands and feet were already tied up, but I
frowned at the fickle, unbecoming scene.
“I’ll kill you! I will kill you!”
“I can say the same.”
To kill or not, I held the reigns.
“What?”
“I am not a good person. Of course, I am a little reluctant to kill people.

But… seeing that I entered a place like this, I think I need to experience it at
least once. You hear me? Experience.”
“That….”
“Although I like to leave it to others… I can’t borrow someone else’s hand

forever, and it’s better to share the original sin.”
“This… this… You are crazy…”
“You are the same. Even if things were a little more twisted, I would have
been lying here. Maybe it would be Hayan or Deok-gu.”
I slightly lifted the spear he held in his hand.
“Hyung-ssi,” A little embarrassing voice rang out.
Of course, I had never committed a murder before.
Park Deok-gu seemed to be asking if I could do it. Maybe if he held me back,

I would have quit here. It was not that easy to do this.
Of course, the hand with the spear trembled. It was because I felt afraid to kill
a human. On one hand, I already made up my mind, but it was quite difficult
to implement.
I was different from Hayan, whose personality was a little twisted, or Kim
Hyun-sung, who had killed countless numbers of people.
To be honest, I was still a little reluctant.
Nevertheless…
‘Natural Selection.’
I thought it was most reasonable to experience it here anyway.
“Ah, save me.”
“Sorry.”
The hand holding the spear stopped trembling.
“If you don’t want to see it, close your eyes, Deok-gu.”
I didn’t look at Park Deok-gu’s expression. I thought that he would have

closed his eyes.
“Ah… Save me!”
In that instant, the spear pierced through his throat. The unpleasant feeling
that went through my hands made my body tremble all over.
“Kek… Keck…”
Yoo Seok-woo struggling to speak; nevertheless, his status entered my line of

vision. I wanted to turn my head, but I know I couldn’t deny it.
I pulled the trigger, the bullet I fired.

My arms and legs continued to tremble.
It was not the first time I’ve ever seen a person die, but it’s the first time I’ve
ever done it myself.
‘I can think of it as the same as Park Hye-young.’
It was true that I killed him too.
No, as a matter of fact, I did kill him. The woman I saw at the start point too,
may have been killed by me. I chose to turn away from her when she needed
help.
There was no need or reason to panic now. I just had to accept the situation as
calmly as I did then. It was necessary because it could not be helped.
It was not easy to see a life silently die, but…
“Lord…”
“Kek… flesh… Ryeo… .”
“Sorry.”
His face was distorted with pain. The damned guy kept trying to speak, and
the blood spitting out wasn’t visually pleasing at all.
As time passed, his face became more comfortable.
“Flesh… Ryeo… Um… hemp…”
Eventually, the guy who had looked this way became quiet, and silence
began to reign over the place.
“If I can do it… You can do better,” these were the same lines spoken when I
first hunted with Park Deok-gu and caught a monster.
Unlike the first time, there was no answer in this situation. Instead, a slightly
erratic voice came. From Park Deok-gu’s point of view, now was a good time
to speak up and divert my attention.
“Hyung-ssi….”
“…”
“Was he Christian?”
Only
An embarrassing question that doesn’t suit the situation; I laughed and said
what I thought.
“There is no such thing as God.”
[A new job has been opened. Please choose the job you think you need.]
“What…? It cannot be.”
Something like this suddenly popping up…
It can’t be.
Chapter 35 A new job has been
opened (1)
A new job has been opened (1)
I thought it was a bit of an unexpected timing, but it was not that strange
since I managed to accumulate a lot of experience points so far.
Since I got my first job, I hung around with Kim Hyunsung and dealt with
monsters most of the time, and even after entering this place, I had been
hitting them without stopping.
Personally, I thought my progress was a little slow.
I found it ridiculous that after killing Yoo Seok-woo, a new job had presented
itself to me.
‘Even if you kill humans…’
Experience increases.
Maybe it wasn’t just that.
There was a high probability that all actions had experience points within
them.
There were mostly quantifying contributions and last-minute hits. Of course,

it was difficult to obtain valid data, but I had seen stats rise even for
personnel in the shelter.
I thought about taking various directions for magic to boost my intelligence,
and even going so far as to use magic-boosting magic. However, all stats,
such as stamina and agility, would continue to stay the same.
I thought maybe this job would be similar.
[A new job has been opened. Please choose the job you think you need.]
[View open jobs.]
[Summoner-Rare Grade]
[Magician-Rare Grade]
[Warlock-Rare Grade]
[Alchemist-Rare Level]
[Flame Wizard-Rare Grade]
‘There are so many options.’
I was a little worried about what to do if there was a scammer job, but there
wasn’t. Rather, I felt very fortunate. I feel like giving points for all rare
classes that presented themselves to me.
I didn’t take a closer look, but it seemed like no job seemed remotely bad.
Above all, I was most fortunate to have no commander class.
Of course, this may not be the case, but I was worried that Park Deokgu, who
found out about my former job information, would become the commander’s
parrot once again. I didn’t say anything, but I thought about it for about three
times thanks to Park Deokgu’s words, who made it seem surprisingly
appealing at that time.
In fact, I still wondered what it would have been like if I chose to be

commander. However, I was also a little grateful that I was now completely
out of the commander’s grip.
I couldn’t see the status window continuously, so I had to focus in order to
take a quick look at it.
As I glanced at the status window, various information poured out.
[Summoner-Rare Grade]
[Summoner is not a job to go ahead and fight. It is a group of professions

that fight using summoned ministries or spirits or exchange contracts.
After that, you can change jobs to summoner-related jobs such as
Tamer, Elementalist, and Summoner. Health will increase by 1,
intelligence by 1, and magic by 2.]
‘Not bad.’
I found myself liking what the Summoner had to offer. The idea of having a
spirit fight on my behalf sounded like a great insurance.
I didn’t know if I had the talent or affinity that usually came out in novels or
games, but seeing that a summoner came out as a job, I thought it would fit
my disposition well.
[Magician-Rare Grade]
[This is a medium-range job that uses magic and spears at the same time.
Magician, who holds the center of the battlefield, uses magic and spear at
the same time to directly influence both large and small battles. Gain
intermediate knowledge of spears and magic. The occupational groups in
which you can change jobs in the future are unknown. Agility will
increase by 2, magic will increase by 2.]
[Warlock-Rare Grade]
[This is a ranged job that can use black magic. Black magic is a new level
of magic that completely overturns the existing magic’s common sense.
Because of the concept of borrowing power from the devil, some
religious groups feel strong resistance to black magic, but their
destructive power is overwhelmingly higher than that of other
professions. Learn basic black magic. Magic will increase by 4.]
I would definitely pass up on the Magician.
The more I go up, the less I can do. If you swing a spear with weak strength
or agility, it wouldn’t be efficient.
However, I felt differently for the Warlock. It was also true that the magic
stat of +4 can be coveted and could overturn the existing magical common
sense.
“Hmm.”
However, I was a little worried about making people feel the backlash from
religious groups.
If the place I’d go to after the tutorial was a fantasy world based on the
Middle Ages, maybe a crazy religious group would form a mob and chase
after me.
The safest thing for me to be in such a situation is, after all, a specification.
[Alchemist-Rare Level]
[Alchemist is a profession that basically studies and studies magic

chemistry. They are always looking for new directions and developments
in magic, magic, and magic. Homunculus Alchemy knowledge and basic
knowledge of alchemy are acquired. After that, you can change your job
as a drug manufacturer, alchemy wizard, or homunculus expert.
Intellect will increase by 2 and magic by 2.]
[Fire Wizard-Rare Grade]
[Among all types of property wizards, the flame wizard’s destructive

power is second to none. This is a long-range job that supports allies with
strong firepower. Although it consumes a lot of magic, its firepower is
beyond imagination. It will surprise enemies and allies alike. After that,
you can change your job as an explosion wizard or bomb magic expert.
Magic will increase by 5.]
Of course, flame magic experts passed unconditionally.
There was no room to think about it. The fact that it boosted magic by 5
already earned it points, and the words of firepower beyond imagination also
attracted attention.
It could be used well once or twice, and the shortcomings were obvious, but
somehow it felt like it wasn’t bad all in all.
‘Alchemist?’
In fact, even the alchemist doesn’t look so bad.
In the first place, it can be said that it suited me best with high intelligence
compared to magic.
Although my combat ability seemed to be a bit inferior to other occupations,

occupations like homunculus expert, alchemy magic, and some suspicious
drug maker seemed to be able to fill my lack of magic.
One thing that can definitely be excluded is Magician. All other jobs had
their own strengths and weaknesses. I thought it would be a little easier than
the first choice, so I felt stupid.
The choice now was far more important than when I had to choose before.
One could even compare it to choosing one’s major in college!
My head hurt at the thought that this one choice might determine my position
moving forward. Of course, it was not urgent, so we could wait a bit more.
But among the numerous majors, worries began to emerge.
That was when I heard a voice right next to me.
“Hyung?”
“Ah. I’m sorry, Deokgu. I have to go looking for something first.”
“Did you get a new job?”
“Huh. Yes, although it’s a little sudden. It seems that even if you kill the
same human, your experience will increase.”
“No…” I saw Park Deokgu struggling with his words.
Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be shocked. I was worried if he began to think

of something else, but fortunately, it didn’t seem like that.
Until now, I used to call him a muscle-brain, but now I had second doubts
about that.
Of course, they didn’t narrow in on him, but on me as well. I had been trying
my best, but today’s memories would probably be unforgettable.
Deokgu also decided to accept the situation. He opened his mouth again in an
attempt to stifle the suffocating silence.
“I don’t know whether Hyung Kim Hyunsung is safe.”
“Of course they will be safe. For Kim Hyunsung, of course, I can say that
much.”
“How can you be so sure? Is it because of that magical power?”
“Similar. It’s harder to detect as the distance increases, but maybe you can
understand to some extent if you also have magical power.”
Of course, it didn’t mean that they were automatically safe by magical

detection. If you were to think about their specs and tendencies, then the
answer would come.
One was a returner, and the other was a genius wizard and a monster. I was
already quite sure they were finished with their work and were coming this
way.
As expected, I took a little step. I could see a familiar figure.
As soon as we had a closer look at her, I admitted it was a little cute to see
her running with her big eyes open, but it wasn’t that nice to see the blood on
her sleeves.
“Oppa… oppa! Oppa! Oppa!”
Her usual act of running up to me and hugging me tightly felt a little more
intense than usual. The fact that she had the energy to worry this much about
me made me feel a little better.
“Where were you injured? Are you sick? Are you okay now? Ugh… Yoo
Seok-woo… That… How does that person even…?”
“He’s dead.”
“Ah, ah, ah. That’s fortunate.”
I didn’t think Hayan would be shocked, but it felt a little disconcerting to see
her accept this fact so calmly.
I didn’t know if it was an illusion or not, but I daresay there was a hint of
regret.
Rather than asking why she was looking closely at the scene came from, all
the while sweeping dust off of her clothes.
“Sister, where did you go?”
“Ah… That… Without knowing…” Quite frankly, this conversation sounded

dumb at the moment.
I didn’t bother trying to contribute to it at the moment.
For now, I was trying my hardest not to be reminded of what I had done.
However, it felt quite rude not to give acknowledgment to what I had noticed.
With a face that sported my embarrassment, I thought that I should speak
again, and opened my mouth,
“You went to help Hyunsung, right?”
“No, oppa. That… it’s not like that. I’m not very interested… I just…”
“Huh?”
“I’m not worried about Mr. Hyunsung.”
You are reacting more obviously than you would want to think.
It seemed like she hated to be misunderstood about her true intentions, but of
course, I did not bother asking further.
“I’m just… So angry…”
“Ah…”
“I just felt so angry with that person… I did it without knowing it.”
In fact, it was Yoo Seok-woo who put the sword in the ship first, but Jung
Hayan did not see the scene properly. It was even more impressive to see the
guy who hit me with a fist or put a dagger on his back, dare to try it again.
Tears started to build up in my eyes once again as I remembered the

memories back then.
Recognizing my expression for what it was, Park Deokgu looked at me with

a very embarrassed expression. It didn’t look very suitable for a Gangwon-do
Casanova. I could see his line of thought clear as day.
‘He’s still trying to play love doctor at this stage…?’
“No, no. no. I guess you know what you’re talking about, sister. In fact, I also
wanted to run out right now… hyung, do that, but how can you…”
“Hm. That’s too… I keep thinking about it…”

“Sister, everything is fine now, so don’t cry, don’t cry. Now that it’s all
over… You and your hyung are both okay, can’t you see?”
“Wow…”
“Gosh… Hyung! How can you… My eyes were swollen already… How is
this….”
When I saw the guy gently looking at this side and asking for comfort, I
couldn’t help but laugh. It felt like the pounding in my head had slowly
begun to clear.
In the end, I could see my shoulders shake as I hugged the girl slightly
according to her wish.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Oppa…”
I didn’t know what she was sorry for, but I continued to pat her back.
“It’s okay.”
“I’m sorry, Oppa!”
“It’s fine.”
Rather, I should have responded with a thank you. This feeling felt warm to
the touch.
I feel a little better when I was dirty.
It was when I looked at Park Deokgu slightly while comforting Hayan did I
see the guy sporting a strange smile.
‘That pig…’
No matter how much I thought about it, it was ridiculous. Of course, Jung
Hayan had calmed down, and he started smiling in response.
Only
Of course, it was not the warm smile that came from seeing me with Hayan.
‘Is it a scheme…?’
This ominous feeling was similar to how I felt when I faced Yoo Seok-woo.
‘That…’
“It’s a very good pair, sister.”
Gangwon-do loved doctor Park Deokgu.
I had to do something to try and see if my hunch was true or false.

Chapter 36 A new job has been
opened (2)
A new job has been opened (2)
The smiling face of Park Deokgu seemed very transparent to me. I roughly
knew what he was thinking.
He seemed to think that I now felt a lot more refreshed. I believe his intention
was to distract me with an entirely different set of feelings, this time,
romantic. However, this was not a good thing for me.
Because his solution came in the form of a trembling girl in my arms.
“Oppa…”
During the time I’ve known Park Deokgu, I could tell that he hardly thought
about himself. He would soon rather focus on the welfare of others than even
his own body odor.
Perhaps if Kim Hyunsung had not arrived in time, he would not have been
doing that for hours.
“You are here.”
He came a little later than I originally thought. In fact, I expected him to

arrive earlier than Hayan.
He looked relieved to see us all in one piece. However, the battle with Jung
Jin-ho wasn’t as easy as it looked, what with his clothes being slightly
burned, as well as the small stab mark on his cheek.
Kim Hyunsung had the specs that could warrant him being called a monster,
but Jung Jin-ho was also not far from him.
‘Monsters.’
However, it was probably one-sided. No matter how long Jung Jin-ho flew,
the difference between their basic stats and experience was clear.
Only the variables in magic could have made a difference.
Looking at Hyunsung’s expression, it seemed that Jung Jin-ho was no longer

alive.
“The others…” he trailed off. This was a slightly sensitive question.
Before Hayan could open her mouth to speak, I hurried to talk.
“I killed them.”
“Ah.”
Of course, I wasn’t going to accuse Jung Hayan of being a murderer here. It

was a cleaner choice to admit to even her kills at this point than have her
wallow in regret for what she did.
Kim Hyunsung was a guy who had a tendency to be a bona fide mediator, but
he knew better than me that he shouldn’t keep these people alive.
“Jung Jin-ho…”
At my slight prodding, he nodded without saying anything.
Park Deokgu’s expression was a little gloomy, and I was sure my and
Hayan’s faces would have sported similar expressions.
The whole party felt a little daunting overall.

Of course, in the case of Jung Hayan, it was a little different, but it was
natural to assume that she’d be depressed by the shock of her first murder.
Eventually, Kim Hyunsung nodded and opened his mouth, “It was
necessary.”
This trusted party leader had begun to take care of his colleagues’ mentality.
“I know…”
“I seemed to have been aiming for this from the beginning. It is not known
how they took over Seok-woo, but it seems that Seok-woo also joined their
plan in the middle of it. Perhaps if we were successfully targeted, those in the
shelter would not have been safe either.”
“…”
“It may be difficult, but I want you to know that you did the right thing.”
“Well…”
“You did the right thing. Maybe this will become more frequent in the future.
This place we are in is just a tutorial and it might be harsher outside. It must
have been difficult, but no one will criticize this decision. Not only now, but
also in the future. I don’t know if this comforts you, but… I hope you
overcome it.”
“Thank you.”
“What… Thank you as well.”
It was a great speech in its own way. In fact, Kim Hyunsung was correct.
None of us ever did anything wrong.
If we let them live, not only would the shelter become dangerous, but they
would also have created many victims after going outside.
Even though Yoo Seok-woo became a foothold for my unpleasant

experience, what Kim Hyunsung said was an undeniable fact.
‘You removed the trash.’
There was no reason to feel guilty.
“Is Ki-young okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Maybe if I didn’t have the ring that Mr. Hyunsung gave me
as a gift… I should have already died. I was saved twice. I will not forget this
grace.”
“The wound is…”
“Fine. I was completely healed.”
After I finished speaking, Kim Hyunsung seemed to feel a little better. There
was no reason to impress him at this point, as things had already worked out
the way he wanted it to be.
I didn’t know what he was thinking in detail, but I felt a little proud of what
we managed to accomplish.
We dealt with the group of Jung Jin-ho as planned, and because of that, we
even got something better than we expected.
We might have thought of each other as colleagues who decided to move

together for the time being, but it seemed that this incident has helped us
become closer.
It was the same for me.
We suffered together, went through a crisis together, and overcame it

together.
I was sure that we four will certainly have a good relationship, even if we
went outside.
Just imagining that you were riding on a stable and comfortable Kim
Hyunsung bus would make you feel drowsy.
No, that wasn’t the right word. It would make you feel relaxed.
Even though Park Deokgu and Hayan were already safe, there were also
other things to focus on, such as our current statuses.
“You seem a little tired, so for now, I think it would be better to take a rest
nearby.”
“I think that’s good too. So is my Hyung… Because your sister also looks a
little tired.”
“Yes.”
In the case of Hayan, I knew she still had some amount of magic within her.
I roughly nodded and turned towards Kim Hyunsung, who started to walk
towards us. From his expression, I knew he knew it as well.
Of course, it was up to me to choose, but I thought it was natural to think of

Kim Hyunsung as someone who knew the future.
“Hyunsung.”
“Yes. You tell me.”
“A new job has opened up.”
“Ah.”
Of course, his expression was a pretty happy one.
“You’ve caught up fast.”
“Yes. Somehow I used magic to catch monsters…”

“Would I be able to hear what jobs are open?”
“Of course.”
Park Deokgu, as well as Jung Hayan, looked at me with expressions that

showed interest.
It was a good topic to talk about while looking for a place to rest for the
night, and I was also interested in finding suitable materials that can cozy up
the atmosphere of our little party.
“Summoner, Wizard, Warlock, Alchemist, and Flame Wizard. There are

many options.”
“It certainly seems like a lot.”
Since there wasn’t a suitable place nearby, I started talking about the
shortcomings of each job and what I planned on choosing later.
For example, a flame mage needed a lot of magic, or in the case of a

magician, there was no job that you couldn’t go after.
I hadn’t revealed the exact stats yet, but maybe Kim Hyunsung knew how
much spec I had.
“Excuse me… Kiyoung has a little magical power…”
“Yeah. I don’t know in detail since I haven’t met the other wizards, but the
magical power itself seems to be low. It doesn’t seem that high compared to
Hayan’s.”
“Well…”
It was essential to disclose a certain amount of personal information for a

detailed consultation.
There was no reason to hide what was lacking if they had the goal to craft
them into advantages.
“Probably, in the case of a flame wizard, it would be better to think a little
more. It doesn’t seem that the compatibility between Ki-young and the Flame
Wizard is bad, but if you aim for high magic power, there will be room for
problems later.”
“Oh, I have a similar idea.”
Park Deokgu looked really cute, trying to piece together the bits of
information he was receiving. I didn’t know how old he was, but I knew for
sure that he was younger than me.
“Magician too….”
I knew I shouldn’t speak so openly, but I couldn’t help but put in my two
cents.
‘You’re not good at chanting.’
Still, I thought that I had been playing the role for one person enough, but my
acting was certainly not that polished.
Anyway, Magician was one job that I did not plan to choose, but seeing Kim
Hyunsung’s expression like that, I began to have second thoughts.
‘Now, I’m even more confused than before.’
“Personally, it looks a little better to choose from Summoner, Alchemist, and

Warlock, but it’s hard being a Warlock, so I personally wouldn’t recommend
it.”
“I’m not sure, but you could be in a dangerous situation. At least Lee Sang-
chang doesn’t lie to us.”
“Well…”
“You need magical power to keep your familiar, but I don’t know how much
magical power you need. Rather, it seems that the alchemist is not bad. It will
be appropriate for Ki-young, who has high intelligence.”
“Actually, I was thinking similarly. It seems that alchemy may trigger magic
complete with a catalyst…”
“It won’t be as bad as you think it is. You can make potions and many more.
If you need a pet, there is also an alternative method called ‘Homunculus’
afterwards, which will be more advantageous. A creature created other than a
summoned creature will not have much magic power.”
As Kim Hyunsung spoke, his excitement rose. As such, I thought that his
recommendation was also reliable.
Above all, seeing his expression of giddy happiness, I began to feel more and
more inclined. After all, those who have the profession of Alchemist were
rare.
Occupations may not have been well received, or people may not have a
good choice, but anyway, the Alchemist profession itself is seldom obtained.
Similarly, assuming that priests are also rare, the value of potions will
increase a little more.
If you consider that there are limits to the divine power of a priest in the first
place, a quality potion is a must.
Summoners are also attractive, but if you think about having two similar
ones, you might be able to get other summons afterward.
At this point, my thoughts went all over the place.
Park Deokgu, who had been listening to the party’s ramblings for a long time,
shook his head and participated in this consultation.
“What are you talking about? Of course, if you are a true hyung, you should
be a warlock.
‘…’
“When I think of a warlock who exterminates the monsters by sprinkling the

power of darkness, of course, I can only think that he fits Ki-young very
well… Doesn’t he resemble a warlock in the making?”
There was no logic behind Park Deokgu’s words, but he spoke as if he truly
believed in what he said. He seemed to have forgotten his earlier insistence
for the Commander class.
This time, he seemed to be stuck on the idea of me becoming a warlock.
“Well, what does it matter what the public thinks? I think it doesn’t matter
much because I’ll blow away the guys who are looking for you. My hyung’s
character and the warlock don’t really match, but imagine him wearing a
black robe… I think it would be cool just to imagine!”
“The Alchemist would be a better option.”
At this point, Kim Hyunsung’s voice also became quite urgent.
He noticed that Park Deokgu had a strange resonance in his cry.
“No! My Hyung is a warlock by nature!”
Park Deokgu, who was previously a commander parrot, suddenly began to

evolve into a warlock parrot.
“Alchemist is definitely better.”
“Unconditionally a Warlock!”
“Alchemist… .”
“The Warlock! I want to see Ki-young displaying the power of darkness.”
“Alchemist!”
“Warlock!”
“Pension!”
“Black!”
“Kite!”
‘They’re making no sense at this point.’
I thought this situation would come again for some reason, but it was
embarrassing to see the two heated up more than ever.
Somehow, the power of darkness appealed strongly to Park Deokgu’s heart.
As he turned his gaze to Jung Hayan in the same manner as one would ask a
doctor for confirmation, Jung Hayan also shook her head vigorously.
Only
“I can’t choose either. An intelligent oppa who practices alchemy, or an oppa

who uses the power of darkness?”
Of course, I didn’t ask for that.
Nevertheless, this unidentified debate seemed to be getting more and more

intense.
In the end, Kim Hyunsung had to resort to opening his bag.
“Very accidentally… Quite accidentally… This is the product you found. It

looks like an Alchemist-only item. If you choose to become an Alchemist,
I’ll give you this as a gift.”
‘Where did that come from?’
Now. I could say for sure that the leather bag Kim Hyunsung carried was a
magic bag. I couldn’t even imagine he would bring out such an item so
urgently.
Thanks to this, I could be sure that the Warlock’s perception would not be
very good, but apart from that, the moment we checked the item he pulled
out, we ended up having to abandon our party’s, Warlock Parrot.
Chapter 37 We survived
We survived
[Ramus Tucker’s Introduction to Alchemy-Hero Level-Alchemist Only]
[Grand Alchemist Ramus Tucker is a representative alchemist who has

enjoyed an era. As a member of the Republic’s military, he has earned
his reputation as a leader in the field of biological and potion synthesis,
but it is known that it was all purged one day for some reason.
Although he died, the knowledge he left behind is still being passed on.
Ramus Tucker’s Introduction to Alchemy is one of the highly complete

books that can be seen as a compilation of his research work. It contains
a variety of alchemy knowledge not included in Basic Alchemy
Knowledge.
Acquires knowledge of hero grade alchemy that is unknown as a basic

class. Magic increases by 1, intelligence by 1.]
‘Hero level?’
Since this item was currently in front of me, it did not seem unreasonable to
forsake Park Deokgu’s enthusiasm.
In fact, it cannot be said that there would be so many stats to raise.
1 Magic and 1 intelligence.
However, since the item’s value was said to be of the hero level, I expected
that it would contain more knowledge than I imagined.
As Kim Hyunsung said: Ji-Chang does not lie.
If that book is a hero-graded item, it will surely contain the corresponding

knowledge.
“How is it?”
“…”
It felt a little embarrassing as to how this item came out so suddenly. Looking
at Kim Hyunsung’s face, he seemed to realize that he also made a mistake.
It was natural to make mistakes as he was also a human being, but even he
seemed confused about how he had just exposed himself.
“Where did you get this?”
“It was the book that was in the box at that time. I thought there was nothing
to it at first, but now it seemed like a good timing…”
“But Hyung would look better as a warlock…”
“It’s a hero-grade item. I couldn’t read this book because I’m not an
alchemist, but it’s probably more than expected. If you think about it being an
item just below the legend level, this would be your best bet. Most of all,
these items are not corrupt.”
“Still… The Warlock… Hyung…”
Even in this situation, Park Deokgu kept muttering about me being a

Warlock.
It sounded ridiculous to me.
There was a high probability that the ring that was given to us in the first
place, or the bracelet presented to Park Deokgu, were also items that cannot
be normally found here.
The story that a treasure chest suddenly popped out from somewhere sounded
suspicious to me.
Even if you tried it a hundred times and obtained it without an accident, it is

certainly not convincing to have such a book here.
However, after looking at Kim Hyunsung’s face, I could guess that he was
still trying to keep up his innocent façade.
I didn’t know if he was using some type of inventory, or if he was using

something akin to a store that was not open to us yet, but I thought that
leather bag contained more than what met the eye.
There were so many explanations to consider. Even if one were to look at it,
the explanations I had thought up for its validity didn’t seem all that unusual.
Thinking that it was meaningless to worry any more, I immediately nodded.
“Actually, although the Warlock was appealing, I think Alchemists would be

good.”
Only then did Kim Hyunsung’s face begin to light up.
“You chose well.”
“Thank you.”
[You have changed your job as an Alchemist. Basic alchemical

knowledge is acquired.]
[Check player Ki-young Lee’s status window and talent level.]
[Name-Ki-young Lee]
[Title-No. You should try a little more.]
[Age-25]
[Orientation-Willing Strategist]
[Profession-Alchemist]
[Job Effect-Acquisition of basic alchemical knowledge]
[Capacity]
[Strength-11/Growth Limit: Normal or less]
[Agility-11/Growth Limit: Normal or less]
[Health-15/Growth Limit: Normal or less]
[Intellect-29/Growth Limit: Hero or higher]
[Endurance-12/Growth Limit: Normal or less]
[Luck-25/Growth Limit: Hero or higher]
[Magic-08/Growth Limit: Normal or less]
[Equipment]
[Ramus Tucker’s Introduction to Alchemy-Hero Level-Alchemist Only]
[Magic Shield Ring-Rare Grade]
[Talent-Eye of the Mind]
[General comment-You have chosen a good path. I have nothing to say,

but seeing your hard work makes my heart ache. Yes. Really. It seems to
you that you have gotten some undeserved items. We hope you have the
ability to understand Ramus Tucker’s alchemy. Hero-grade items are
too precious to simply be used as a display.]
After my body flashed in a blue light for a moment, I could see that I had
definitely changed my job.
In an instant, the knowledge of the basic alchemy poured into my head.

‘Not bad.’
It was difficult, but not to the extent where I couldn’t understand. When I
smiled satisfyingly, Kim Hyunsung seemed to sport a different expression.
It seemed that his internal evaluation of my worth had risen considerably. It

must have changed from a usable administrator to an Alchemist who needed
to be well raised.
‘That actually spells good news.’
That means that I have become precious to whatever his plans were.
“Congratulations, Mr. Ki-young.”
“No… Unfortunately, only if Hyung’s choice was…”
“Congratulations, Oppa.”
“Thank you. Thank you, Deokgu and Hayan. I will be grateful for the gift,
Mr. Hyunsung. You just keep giving them to us so generously.”
In truth, I received this gift thanks to Park Deokgu’s insistence.
“No. If Ki-young becomes stronger, it is natural that our entire party will also
become stronger. Rather, I feel better because I can help.”
“I will meet your expectations.”
Of course, as long as this was the case, one had to work to continually meet
the leader’s standards.
As much as Kim Hyunsung felt compelled to invest in me, he would continue

to invest only if I continued to give such results.
As such, I was his current investment.
Kim Hyunsung put money in an investment called Lee Ki-young, and he

must be hoping that he’d get his money’s worth.
Even if I fell to the bottom, he wouldn’t abandon me, but it would be natural
to assume that he would stop trying to invest in me.
In order to continue being invested in, I had to continually show that I was
getting better.
“You don’t have to. Haha. For now, let’s rest here. If you can’t see a suitable
place after walking this much, it seems that there is no place to camp in the
dungeon.”
“Yeah. I will do that. Deokgu?”
“I’ll come after cleaning up the surroundings.”
Hyunsung nodded roughly in response. This place was uninhabited, but it

was still right to clean up the surroundings.
Even the long tutorial felt like it would soon come to an end.
Although the survival quest had not yet been completed, it felt correct to
guess that Kim Hyunsung was not showing much impatience, so this
dungeon strategy must actually be the final stage.
Whether it was finding the entrance or taking care of the dungeon’s owner,
this party would go through it successfully.
As I turned my head a little, their images appeared in my view.
I laughed when I saw Jung Hayan, who was dozing off, and Park Deokgu,
who was already snoring.
On the other hand, I didn’t fall asleep even though I knew I had to sleep for
tomorrow.
No, to be precise, I couldn’t sleep at all, even if I wanted to.

‘Alchemy.’
This was because I had to organize my new knowledge.
First of all, this was not an ability I could use right away. In order to perform
alchemy earnestly, various types of equipment were required. There was no
catalyst here that could use alchemy magic.
However, it was also natural to study in advance. As it took time to organize

basic alchemy knowledge, Ramus Tucker’s Introduction to Alchemy has
decided not to unfold itself to me yet.
“Are you not going to sleep?”
“I can’t sleep.”
To survive, you had to level yourself up.
It would be appropriate to say that this passion was created by the idea that I
should not settle down in one place, of course, to train myself.
There was nothing like potion softness, basic knowledge about Homunculus,
and the correlation between alchemy catalyst and magic.
I felt Kim Hyunsung staring at my side, but of course, he was not aware that I
noticed his gaze. I could feel the high hopes and expectations that he began to
place on me.
‘I’m working hard, investor,’ it was an advantage to show such bravado on

my part.
I felt more satisfied when I saw Kim Hyunsung nodding with a satisfactory
expression.
It felt like it happened in no time at all, but soon, morning came. I couldn’t
even find it in myself to sigh, but I didn’t regret not sleeping at all.
The party members slowly woke up and began to stir up a small, steady
stream of chattering.
Rather than a gloomy atmosphere, it felt a little relaxing.
In the middle of the way, Kim Hyunsung threw a joke, and Park Deokgu
laughed at the joke as if we weren’t currently in a dungeon.
Kim Hyunsung seemed to have given himself some time to rest.
‘There is no dungeon boss?’
From the looks of it, probably not.
Hyunsung was vigilant enough, but he wasn’t looking for a horrific battle.
‘It’s just the beginning.’
It was not over yet.
At first, it seemed like a hassle to walk around so much, but this party
gradually managed to escape this hellish place.
Sometimes battles happened, but they weren’t all that dangerous.
After walking for a while, I could see a slightly different entrance in front of
me.
“I don’t know if it’s a monster popping out.”
“I will enter after preparing for battle.”
“Hyung, let me take the lead.”
“Please do.”
A large door opened, and a familiar voice rang through my ears.
[Rare-grade forced quest is activated.]
[Rare Grade Quest Strategy (0/1)]

We looked around as soon as we got in, but there seemed to be no monsters.
What we saw in front of us was a place that looked like a temple.
A strange magic circle could be seen in the center, and another door was seen
on the other side.
Park Deokgu ran to the door and tried to push it, but the door did not open.
“The door doesn’t seem to open.”
“Maybe there are some conditions we need to meet. Leaving out of this place
would be a sound strategy.”
It was then that I thought that the situation changed a little.
Unlike me, Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan both hesitated a little, and Kim
Hyunsung slowly raised his hand as if he were seeing something very
familiar.
Magical power was gently sent to the magic circle in the center, and the
magic circle in the center soon began to emit light.
Looking around me now, it seemed a little funny seeing everyone so

transfixed on the light.
“This is… magic.”
There was no such thing as a great quiz in the form of a monster we needed
to attack.
The answer to the quiz was magical power itself, which can be said to be a
medium far from where we lived.
[Rare-level compulsory quest has been completed.]
[Rare Grade Quest-Strategy (1/1)]
[Rare Grade Quest-Survival (1/1)]

“Hyung.”
“I know.”
Kim Hyunsung’s expression with clenched fists showed that he seemed to

have done something. He didn’t show much of his emotions, but from what I
could see, what he had been doing seemed to be going as planned.
At first glance, he actually seemed to be crying, but this wasn’t the case at all.
Unlike the intermittently trembling shoulders, there was a tremendous sense

of accomplishment just from the subtle facial expressions, so I knew I was
right.
“It… it looks so pretty.”
“It does.”
Only
The light finally gave way to what seemed to be an intricately designed

palace.
The lights emanating from the ground rose above the high ceiling, and the
lights above the ceiling filled up the place.
Looking at the door on the other side slowly opening, I could see that I was
really leaving this dungeon.
Sunlight completely different from artificially created light began to pour out.
‘Sunshine.’
It was not the landscape that we automatically focused on, but those carrying
armor and weapons. I saw a woman who seemed to be a representative
approaching quietly.
“Congratulations on your life in the tutorial. I’m Lee Sang-hee, and I’m in
charge of this tutorial dungeon.”
We survived. It took us a moment to realize that.

Chapter 38 New Environment (1)
New Environment (1)
“Congratulations on your performance in the tutorial. I’m Lee Sang-hee, and

I’m in charge of this tutorial dungeon,” Lee Sang-hee’s tone was quite polite.
Upon looking at her quietly bowing her head and smiling slightly in our
direction, I at least could see that Lee Sang-hee and the other people with her
did not harbor hostile feelings toward us.
On the contrary, the atmosphere felt a little friendly.
“What do you mean by being in charge of the tutorial dungeon?”
“Take it by its literal meaning. As a sub-guild master of the Free Guild of the
Benigoa Empire, Blue, I am managing the tutorial dungeon for this episode.”
“Do you mean you have called us here?”
“No. We are also in the same position as you. One day, I was suddenly
summoned to a tutorial dungeon and went through the same test. We just
came here a little earlier than you. I don’t know why this happened, or why
the summoning ceremony began.”
“Well…”
“Our mission is to take you after this tutorial dungeon is over and rescue the
survivors who are still inside. Moreover, it is important not only to adapt and
educate you, who have to live in a new environment, but also to guarantee a
basic living right.”
“You mean the basic living space?”
“Yeah. This is a basic living area.”
“I see. Does this mean that you can only enter this place after the attack is
over?”
“That’s right. The tutorial dungeon door is open for about 3 days right after
the attack. After exactly 3 days, the dungeon door will close again. We still
haven’t figured out why, but… Anyway, you’re here. Let’s go inside before
we divulge a more detailed story.”
Simply put, I felt dumbstruck. I had never imagined that I would be able to
experience this kind of a world. Moreover, there was something about Lee
Sang-hee’s attitude that I couldn’t fathom.
[Check player Lee Sang-hee’s status window and talent level.]
[Name-Lee Sang-hee]
[Title-Iron Blood]
[Age-33]
[ALIGNMENT-Ideal Mediator]
[Occupation-Sacred Knight]
[Occupational Effect-Acquisition of Basic Sword Skills]
[Occupational Effect-Acquisition of Basic Shield Knowledge]
[Occupational Effect-Intermediate Swordsmanship Knowledge

Acquisition]
[Occupational Effect-Acquisition of Advanced Sword Skills]
[Occupational Effect-Acquisition of Basic Divine Knowledge]

[Occupational Effects-Intermediate Divine Knowledge Acquisition]
[Capacity]
[Strength -82/Growth Limit: Hero or higher]
[Dexterity-52Growth Limit: Rare or higher]
[Health-90/Growth Limit: Hero or less]
[Intellect -30/Growth Limit: Normal or less]
[Endurance-91/Growth Limit: Hero or higher]
[Good Luck -33/Growth Limit: Rare or less]
[Magic -77/Growth Limit: Rare or higher]
[Equipment]
[Saint Caliber-Hero class]
[Iron-Blooded Shield-Hero Grade-Knight Only]
[Strength Band-Rare Grade]
[Talent-Iron Blood]
[Overall review-The stats themselves are very good. It seems that she has
already grown to some extent and has established herself. There is room
for growth in the durability and strength stats, but other stats may be
difficult to grow any further. It is by no means bad, but something is a
bit disappointing. However, I don’t want you to ignore her. It is
impossible to compare her with player Lee Ki-young.]
‘Ignore?’
Of course, I couldn’t just ignore her.

‘Monster.’
Even if we all tackled her now, we wouldn’t be able to do anything to her.

The same went for the other people with her.
Judging from the stats, there was a difference between us that could not even
be compared. If they wanted to, they could kill us in the blink of an eye.
Nevertheless…
‘Act friendly.’
I felt like I was acting too amicably. No, it felt like I was trying to lower my
pride for the sake of pleasing them.
“Hwayeon?”
“Yeah.”
“Let me start searching for the survivors inside. It’ll take some time to find
them.”
“Yes. Okay.”
Seeing the soldiers entering the dungeon, I thought it would only be a matter
of time before all the other people, including Lee Ji-hye in the shelter, would
be rescued.
Here, I could see people of all ethnicities, not just Koreans.
When I compared what we were wearing to theirs, it felt like it was us who
had adapted to an outdated style, while they were the modernized people.
They probably thought of themselves as the locals of this world.
While walking on the street and looking around warily, Lee Sang-hee opened
her mouth to speak.
Kim Hyun-sung replied to her, and from my distance, it was hard to hear
what they were talking about. I thought that it would be better to listen to
their conversations and gather information rather than participate in the
conversation in person, so I drew nearer and quietly listened to their voices.
“You seem to have completed the attack very quickly.”
“Isn’t it usually like this?”
“Yes. Usually, the attack ends in about six months. It is certainly unusual to
complete a dungeon attack within three months. Perhaps the dungeons here
were attacked much faster than the dungeons elsewhere.”
“Does that mean there are other dungeons?”
“Yes. Several tutorial dungeons are also managed by the Republic or

Kingdom Alliance. In the Holy Empire of Benigore, where we belong, we
manage a total of three tutorial dungeons. It’s not just Koreans. Races of
various nationalities are usually summoned at their designated locations and
take the tutorials.”
“I see. This is the fastest way for us to attack the dungeon.”
“For an easier explanation, then yes. It’s usually taboo to ask what happened
inside, but I’m really curious about how you were able to break through it so
quickly. That too… A small group of only four people.”
“There were many circumstances. It’s hard to tell everyone, but… There
wasn’t a big crowd. It was a possible strategy because the people that’re with
me – that is, Lee Kiyoung, Jung Hayan, and Park Deokgu – played their roles
very efficiently. Oh, and there’s also a makeshift camp on the ground floor.
Please rescue the personnel there as well.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s a shelter that we made. I took the survivors who I knew could fight, and
I left people who couldn’t hunt. We ran a separate raid team. We’ve built and
operated a bunch of walls in a safe place, so they’re probably still alive. We
also made sure there was enough food.”
“Ah…” Lee Sang-hee once again sported an unreadable expression upon

hearing Kim Hyunsung’s explanation.
‘Mm-hm,’ now, some things began to make sense to me. I was beginning to
comprehend what exactly the circumstances surrounding us are.
“That… I see.”
Lee Sang-hee’s expression showed that she was struggling to keep up with
the poker-faced façade.
‘Kim Hyun-sung, you fox.’
Perhaps the ace and protagonist of our party had been trying to hide his true
power by disguising it with verbal humility and commendable acting.
As I swung back and looked at the tutorial dungeon, I saw people back from
the dungeon appearing one by one.
They seemed to be the types of people who chose to hide by themselves, not
with the group we had left.
Of course, that didn’t mean that they could maintain their bravado. Some
people were crying, and others were anxiously asking where this place was. It
was normal to feel this way, after all.
Even the attitudes of those who were armed compared to others who weren’t,
were strangely different from this debacle.
They all looked a little coercive, and were looking down.
“Where is this? I thought… why…?”
“Mom… Mom… Uh huh…”
“This will allow us to regroup later right away. I’ll give you a valid
explanation later. First, we must go outside together. Hey! Hey there! Can
you not quiet down?!”
“Hey! Where are we?! Where is this place?!”
“Hey! Let us out now! ”
“Let us go!”
“Wow… Where is this?”
“I told you that I can give explanations once we have all been settled down.
Please control yourselves. First of all, you must all calm down! You are safe.
There is no more danger. Please calm down.”
‘Good.’
How they treated the other survivors were totally different from how they had
treated us. After all, theirs were the general reactions.
It would be common to cry, blow, and panic asking for help. However, our
party was a little different.
Kim Hyunsung, who seemed too calm, as well as Jung Hayan, were just
sticking to my side and were not responding to the new and noisier
environment.
The same could be said for Park Deokgu, which was a surprise considering
his stressful tendency to relentlessly ask questions.
From Lee Sang-hee’s point of view, it might be a little embarrassing to show

our true, weird personalities at this point in time.
After all, this was the party that had cleared the tutorial dungeons spread all
over the world in the shortest time, and with only four people!
That wasn’t even all.
In addition to being visibly calm, we had also used our wits enough to form a
makeshift shelter for the rest of our fellow survivors.
I understand how Lee Sang-hee could also feel embarrassed upon her initial
treatment of us.
The way they regarded us differed from how they treated those who chose to
‘survive’ without fighting, hiding, and running away.
Just by participating as a target team in the first place meant that you could
adapt well to this environment.
If this was a system that centered on a republic and on guilds, then the locals
here must have been looking for people who could conform to their society. I
didn’t know if this was an appropriate example, but it was like we were
rookie sports players whose worth had all risen, and people like Lee Sang-hee
were the clubs that were trying to scout us.
Assuming that there weren’t many players like us, there was one thing you
can expect if the number of clubs was high.
‘We are the best.’
Right now, we were the rare players they needed on the team. This would
also explain why Kim Hyunsung was trying his best to hide his true talent
until now.
Like a cunning fox, it seemed that he wanted to raise our worth even higher
by explaining what we had done in a manner that seemed as if doing all these
was natural to us.
If you were going to sell, you might as well bring up the price to the highest
attainable range.
Of course, there was no way for us to know what Kim Hyunsung’s plan was
right now, but I knew it had something to do with how we were going to be
regarded in this world.
I couldn’t help but smile.
‘Feel so good. I knew I made the right choice.’

“Come in.”
The room where Lee Sang-hee guided us to had a luxurious interior. Its
design was so colorful and vibrant that it was hard to believe something like
this could be situated so near a dull dungeon.
“The drink… Oh, if necessary, we will serve you meals as well.”
“Do you have anything we can eat?”
“Yeah. It’s a little different from what you eat on Earth, but it’s probably
much better than what you eat in the dungeon.”
“Then please.”
The blue flag and props in the room seemed to try their best to show the
status of the blue guild managing this dungeon as much as they possibly
could.
I felt like I’d been too observant today.
I also didn’t know what my next plan would be. Do I try to make myself
seem as elusive as possible to increase my own worth? But then again, what
about Kim Hyunsung’s plan?
“Ah. Come to think of it, I didn’t catch your names. If it isn’t too much of a
bother, may I ask for your names?”
“I am Kim Hyunsung. I am a prosecutor.”
It was quite surprising to hear Hyunsung state his job so casually.
Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan both took this as encouragement to introduce
themselves right away.
“Shield soldier, Park Deokgu.”
“I am called Jung, Jung Hayan. My job is a wizard…”

Naturally, Lee Sang-hee’s gaze fell upon me.
I wondered if it would be good to hide my job, but I decided that it was not
necessary for the moment.
Thinking that it would be better to join this rank of ransom raising, I nodded
before speaking.
“Lee Ki-young. I am an alchemist.”
Only
Unlike the other three, I was already on my second job.
While I thought this would prove to be satisfactory to hear, Lee Sang-hee’s

regretful expression seemed to tell me otherwise.
‘Huh?’
Her expression was a dead giveaway. It disappeared as quickly as it had

come, but thanks to my observing skills, it was impossible for me not to catch
it.
“Ah, that sounds sweet. You’re already on your 2nd job change…” her tone
of voice was different from the awe-inspiring one I was hoping for.
Naturally, I looked towards Kim Hyunsung.
‘You said being an alchemist would be good, you bad guy…’

Chapter 39 New environment (2)
New environment (2)
Blaming Kim Hyunsung was the first thing that popped into my head.
Although I was automatically suspicious by nature, I thought that Kim

Hyunsung had no reason to deceive me.
I knew there must be a reason for recommending the Alchemist job to me.
Otherwise, there would be no merit for him in giving me a hero-grade item. It
may have been a small investment for him, but Lee Sang-hee also only had
two hero-grade items from what I saw.
I don’t know how many years she had been on this floor, but if you thought
about her, who had already changed her job several times and has reached her
growth limit, the hero-grade item was definitely…
‘It’s worth it.’
Maybe Kim Hyunsung wanted his own personal potion-making factory?

Considering his attitude, it didn’t seem that way.
‘You have to believe in him.’
It was probably a job that seemed to irk a lot of people.
In the future, a time will come when an alchemist would become precious in
some way. If not, it could be a job that would show efficiency later in terms
of growth.
Kim Hyunsung and I had gone through a lot together alongside Jung Hayan
and Park Deokgu. I saw no reason for him to harm me.
He wouldn’t be an idiot with his line of thinking, so I knew there was

definitely a reason why he chose this job for me.
‘It’s not just about me becoming a potion factory.’
Although, I knew that would be considered a bonus.
While I was stuck in deep thought, our meals came, and the atmosphere once
again shifted into something that felt more ambiguous.
Although these people were clearly friendly, I knew they were all secretly
looking for people with abilities that suited their interests.
Park Deokgu, ever the carefree one, had already started digging into his meal
with gusto. Kim Hyunsung and Lee Sang-hee, on the other hand, seemed to
be in deep thoughts.
Painfully oblivious to this, Park Deokgu began to talk in an attempt to

maintain the cozy atmosphere.
“This is delicious. I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve eaten hot food.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
“My grandmother told me not to trust anyone who gives me free food… I
guess the Korean affection is still alive! Isn’t it, Hyung?”
I was sure my expression right now would resemble that of a recently stabbed
person. My cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
“Well…”
Kim Hyunsung spoke up urgently in an attempt to save face.
“I think it is. This is exactly what Deokgu said. Thank you for your good
treatment, but I wonder why you are being so good to us. Of course, I don’t
mean that in an offensive manner. It just… It just feels like overkill as an
after-tutorial celebration. I apologize if I have offended anyone.”
“Oh, no. I am… Sorry. That’s right. Everything will be confusing. It seems
that I couldn’t read your minds because you all were acting too calmly. When
I think about what happened inside, it makes sense that I can’t easily trust
people. After all, I’ve gone through the same thing, too. We are sorry for not
being able to give you a more detailed explanation in advance.”
“Oh, no. I did not say this with that kind of intention.”
“I think it would be better to explain the background of this place first.”
“Yes, please. Thank you.”
“This place is a little different from Earth, but it has a similar structure. There
are three countries living in balance: The Kingdom Union, the Republic, and
the Holy Empire to which we belong. Of course, there are free countries and
other kingdoms that are not included here… It is the three countries I
mentioned earlier that have the largest scale.”
“Ah.”
“Obviously, it was not us who made this country. In addition to us, there are
locals who have lived here. The relationship between us from Earth and the
residents who lived here is entangled with complex interests.”
“Ah…”
“Our Blue Guild, technically speaking, belongs to and not from the Benigor
Empire. We are free from their laws, but we live in their land and have their
cooperation and support. It’s not just Blue. All the groups established here
are working through a contract with the Holy Empire of Benigor.”
This roughly made sense to me.
This was a situation that seemed fortunate to me in many aspects. Each group
had some degree of autonomy beyond the influence of the empire. Of course,
they had to exchange other stuff in return for their freedom.
For example, they would be drafted in the event of a war… Or they would
also have to deal with complicated stuff like taxes.
If one were to look at the fact that the country had not been turned upside
down at once, the three countries mentioned above might have something
that did not let them feel threatened by the sudden appearance of the guilds.
Guilds that exercise autonomy still need things like support or resources.
They would still need to be bound to their respective countries in some way.
“I see.”
“The tutorial dungeon is held once every year. In the Holy Empire, we took
over the management of the tutorial dungeon to our Gentiles.”
“Is that the Blue Guild?”
“No. Management is based on a rotation system. Several large guilds and

small and medium-sized guilds gather to decide whose turn it will be. That’s
what it means to be in charge of the dungeon this time. Our Blue Guild got
the first right to bargain with you as well as the management of this round.”
“That’s fair.”
That fairness would have only been made possible by the Holy Empire. For
some reason, I couldn’t imagine how the people of Earth could decide the
order if the situation were reversed.
Perhaps there were more complex interests beneath the surface, but for now, I
found no reason to know them right away.
“So what does this mean? Does this mean that we belong in your guild?”
“No. I have only mentioned the first right to bargain. It will be easier to
understand if I say that we are a company, and you are the people who are
waiting for the job and salary negotiations on this planet.”
“I understand.”
As expected…
“You can think of this large room and food as our version of a bribe to you.
Yes. That’s what it is,” Lee Sang-hee sported a bitter smile.
All my guesses had been true thus far, but what I didn’t expect was Lee
Sang-hee’s honest reaction.
‘She’s being too honest.’
Honestly…
In fact, if it were me who was in Lee Sang-hee’s place, I would have lied
about more than half of the story.
The only truth I could have stated was that it only described the reality
surrounding the continent rather than individual subjective opinions.
This woman was too straight. Such honesty and uprightness must have been
garnered through her personal experiences.
Perhaps she was trying to make us feel that if we were to join the Blue Guild,
we would enjoy a transparent community.
‘This means that they are desperate.’
It was the only explanation I could think of. At this, I immediately opened
my mouth.
“I have a question.”
“Yes?”
“What is the Blue Guild’s position in the Benignor Empire?”
Lee Sang-hee hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she nodded and began
to respond.
“The Blue Guild was one of the guilds representing the Holy Empire. I
couldn’t say that our influence was big, but…”
“You mean, it was big in the past.”
“Yeah… I have nothing to say except that there were unavoidable

circumstances we couldn’t get over. However, I would like you to think
about the possibilities in the future. Not only does it have the same growth
potential as other large guilds, but also the amount or conditions to be
presented to you will not be pushed by other guilds.”
This would be a risky decision. We did not know how much we had to give
in order to gain something in return.
If she paid a large sum of money to recruit us and we ended up not meeting
their expected results, then I knew there would be hell to pay.
Of course, they also had to consider the fact that we just passed the tutorial
dungeon.
Even though it wouldn’t be bad to invest in us, given the various possibilities,
such as the fact that four people made incredible results, they seemed to want
to take the earliest opportunity to grab us before the other guilds could.
‘They really are desperate.’
I didn’t know what was going on, but it was clear that the current situation
for the Blue Guild wasn’t good at all.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for them to gamble like this.
“I know the information I’ve given you so far doesn’t seem sufficient.
However, you shouldn’t worry. I’ll tell you all the details soon enough.”
Hyunsung Kim emitted a positive aura as he responded. Because of this, I felt

that it was okay to listen to the story as well.
It would be better to know my options more, seeing as I still did not have a
plan as of yet.
‘Am I still being considered as a candidate?’
A guild that was once at its peak, but was now declining, was a plausible
prey.
Anyway, as our side took a favorable position, Lee Sang-hee’s face

brightened.
“Then take a good rest today… And then tomorrow… Would you mind?”
“Yeah. We will,” Kim Hyunsung nodded slightly.
Lee Sang-hee smiled in response and began to guide us to their respective

quarters.
Unlike the sticky and unpleasant ground floor, seeing a room with a
tempting-looking bed was like heaven.
However, like Lee Sang-hee had admitted, this was just a bribe.
The moment we agree to sign a contract with them would be the moment we
would start to lead an uncertain life. However, if the merits looked this
good…
“If you have any complaints, please do not hesitate to call me. I won’t be
far.”
“Yes. Thank you for caring for us.”
As she walked out, her gaze landed on me for a moment. I still did not know
how I was faring in her internal evaluation of our worth.
The main, delectable choice was Kim Hyunsung, but I opened my mouth
anyway, pretending not to notice her. Instead, I zeroed in on Park Deokgu.
“It’s a little sudden, but… I can’t imagine we’re being treated like this. This
kind of VIP treatment confuses me a little.”
“I am too, Hyung. No… It’s a world full of contracts, empires, and

headaches. Did you understand a little?”
“Yeah… Roughly…”
“You can think of it simply. Mr. Deokgu, Mr. Kiyoung, we are in a position
to be treated favorably now. In fact, I can dare to say that if it were another
guild in charge of management right now, we would still be treated the same.
After these first negotiations are over, there may be several proposals coming
from elsewhere.”
“All of this hurts my head.”
“Please take your time. Think about where it’s best to go. Rather, this might
be better than a large guild. The conditions may be a bit bad, but it’s a place
that needs us right now, so our comfortable treatment will be guaranteed to
some extent.”
“Ah. Do you mean we should go to a place where people find us of any use?”
“Yeah. It’s a simple feeling, but Lee Sang-hee… She doesn’t look like a bad
person. The same goes for the Blue Guild. I don’t know for what reason it
fell, but I don’t think it will make me feel so sad as I care about rebuilding
the guild.”
Park Deokgu simply nodded at Kim Hyunsung’s words.
However, it was apparent that Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan were not
interested in what was happening, nor did they have an inkling of what the
circumstances truly were.
It seemed that Kim Hyunsung and I were the only ones who had an idea here.
What was a little surprising to me was that Kim Hyunsung didn’t seem to
want to become independent. In fact, he seemed to have warmed up to the
Blue Guild almost immediately.
‘Lee Sang-hee?’
She seemed like a person who didn’t have any big connections, but
considering the possibility that Kim Hyunsung may have been active in this
guild during his first time, it will not seem bad to be active here again.
“Are you going to stay with this guild?”
“Oppa?”
“I need to think a little more about that. You’ll know when tomorrow comes.
I haven’t decided what path I should take yet. It would be better to have a
little spare time.”
“Yeah. You have to think about all the different possibilities. Yes. Indeed,
there are many to choose from.”
The atmosphere now was a mix of wariness and coziness.
I couldn’t figure out what Kim Hyunsung was thinking, but for now, I had no
choice but to lie in bed.
I stayed up all night last night, and now my drowsiness was slowly catching
up to me.
As I said before, the surrounding area was quite busy the next morning.
I didn’t know where Lee Ji-hye or the others who were in the shelter were,
but they were probably rescued safely and stayed in a different place than us.
I had to focus on what was important right now.
‘Bargaining…’
I would have to think about how much money and support should be given to
recruiting all four of us.
To the Blue Guild executives, I thought today could be seen as the most
important day.
After eating breakfast and washing up, I waited impatiently for something to
happen. Finally, I saw some people calling out to us.
I thought about whether we would negotiate as a group, but I knew it wasn’t

bound to happen.
“Hyunsung.”
“Yes?”
The first choice would obviously be Kim Hyunsung.
I didn’t know what was going on, but after Kim Hyunsung entered, the sound
of applause could be heard from a mile away.
I knew Jung Hayan and Park Deokgu would garner the same attention as him.
After all, they passed the initial screening of what I had begun to call the
‘interview.’
‘I hate this atmosphere…’
I felt like I was the only blight in this otherwise perfect team.
I envied Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan. Both looked blissfully unaware of
what exactly was happening. My stats compared to them were horrible
beyond repair.
If I let them know that I used magic, I would probably be considered a trap
card.
However, the ability to use magic was by no means bad stat. My growth was
limited, but at this point, I was sure I could become a highly capable
Alchemist.
I had high intelligence and could craft a magical power that no one could
compare to. As I began to indulge myself in a disillusioned situation where I
could be considered of use, a voice rang out,
“Mr. Kiyoung.”
“Y-Yes.”
The door opened to reveal Lee Sang-hee, along with other people whose
faces looked unfamiliar to me.
One of them must be the guild’s executive or personnel manager. One

particular man, who wore glasses and looked a little old, opened his mouth…
“Ah… Mr. Kiyoung must have a job… Ah. You said you were an alchemist.”
“Yes. When the second class opened, I chose to follow the path of the
alchemist,” I felt a bit embarrassed by the atmosphere as if I was already
doomed to fail.
Lee Sang-hee could now properly keep her poker face in place, but the slight
disapproval was evident on the other people’s faces.
Upon observing this, my hopes were shattered. I knew I would not be as

welcomed here.
Only
Unlike Kim Hyunsung, Park Deokgu, and Jung Hayan, there was no room in
this Guild for me.
It felt like I had already lost the talent show before I could even showcase my
talents.
Lee Sang-hee looked towards me and smiled widely as if trying to lighten up

the atmosphere.
“The down payment is 1,500 gold. That is 150 million won in Korean
currency. The contract period is 700 gold for 7 years. It is the same as how
we charge other people… How is it? Of course, we will not only renegotiate
the annual salary afterwards, but also provide maximum support for the items
you’ll need.”
The old man next to her looked stubborn, so it was a miracle that Lee Sang-
hee even bothered to assign me a contract as well.
At this point, one could see what was going on.
‘These beggars…’
Did these guys really see me as an idiot?

Chapter 40 Contract
Contract
This was, by no means, a bad story.
In the end, I was offered a contract with a sum that totaled 150 million won.
The currency here summed up to having 1,500 gold as down payment and an
annual salary of 700 gold. The annual salary in itself was a whopping 70
million won in Hanwha. I still didn’t know how much evaluation the
newcomers to this place got, but I honestly felt like I got a significantly
heftier sum than most of them did.
However, even with this tempting bribe, I knew that they did not genuinely
want to recruit me. There could have been many reasons, but the main thing I
could think of was that my potential was way below average. Compared to
my companions, I was seen as the weaker one that needed to be carried
everywhere he went.
My chosen job as an alchemist, along with my low magic, were surely the
reasons why my evaluation had lowered considerably.
I wanted to speak up but found myself frozen in place. My body suddenly felt
like heavy lead, and I felt like puking the remnants of what I ate the day
before.
‘Right…’
This situation made me wonder just how much they were willing to sacrifice
to have the whole team recruited. They knew the others would not agree if I
weren’t a part of the recruitment.
Lee Sang-hee once again opened her mouth. I knew she sensed my
uneasiness and embarrassment.
“You won’t be getting just that. I can’t explain everything right now, but
there are also many welfare plans available. You can think of these as
incentives, like on Earth. Typically, it is possible to use various basic
insurance such as accident insurance and death insurance. You are also free
to use the facilities in the guild. I will also assign you a personal coach. Ah!
Even if you get married or have a child, you will be paid basic support. In
fact, there are not so many people who are getting married these days…”
“Ah, that’s right. Is there any reason?”
“Perhaps it is because being in a guild exposes you to unknown dangers. The

situation now may be better than the tutorial dungeon itself, but one can
never be too careful. The Blue Guild mainly maintains the guild through
dungeon exploration or monster hunting. Of course, as much as we go
hunting, we also operate a performance system. The by-products of monsters
that appear after the hunt is over are divided between the guild and the
hunting party at a rate of about 40% to 60%. The exact figure is…”
“It makes sense that you are exposed to danger. Does the down payment and
annual salary include the risk allowance?”
“Yeah. It’s probably a bit larger than what you imagine,” again, she answered
honestly. On the other hand, I felt like quite the professional to ask questions
like these.
I don’t know how long it had been since the Earth’s people have been here,
but I felt like it had been a very long time. How else would they think of such
long-term backups such as insurance?
‘You smart aleck.’
“As an alchemist, we will provide you with the catalysts you need as much as
possible. Of course, it may be difficult to support expensive items, but…”
“Lee Sang-hee…”
“It is good to be honest.”
“Hm…”
“This is everything that Blue Guild can offer you.”
I liked how Lee Sang-hee had chosen to present herself to me. She showed
me respect and gave me ample time to process everything.
However, the elderly members sitting on either side of her were the problem.
I could feel their disapproval from a mile away. These were undoubtedly the
types who were openly judgmental. However, one problem still stood for
them – they did not know just how emotionally attached I was to the other
three.
I thought that teaming up with these people would be a short-term plan, but it
turns out that I was being carried more than I thought possible.
‘Perhaps some parts of them could feel, after all.’
Did these people see too many scenarios with loss? Did they experience it
themselves?
I could say for sure that they also had colleagues in the past that they fought
together with, and were now dead. That must have been traumatic.
Even on Earth, seeing brothers, families, and undivided friends collapse

because of their interests, the circumstances of such an adult will be the same
here and there.
‘However, even if they choose to set aside emotions, my friends will not.’
Absolutely not.
There was no way Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan would agree to kick me out
of the team. I could also say the same for Kim Hyunsung, who already chose
to make me one of his investments.
We were closer than these elders would like to think, and we all had our
individualistic interests that they would never know.
I found their open hostility ridiculous.
It was commendable that they had chosen to include me and had gone so far
as to present a heftier sum as a bribe, but the lingering stares of disapproval
made me feel quite bad all the same.
Not toobad, mind you.
Rather, this kind of situation exuded more pleasure than embarrassment.
‘You idiots.’
Soon enough, these elders will know to respect me and not look down on me.
They would eventually know how advantageous it would be to be on my

side.
“I’m not sure, but it looks like a good deal all the same. I know you thought
about this carefully.”
“Yes, of course. You won’t be disappointed.”
“Is there a noncombatant army in the Blue Guild?”
“There is.”
A beat passed before one of the elders spoke to me.
“Yes, Mr. Kiyoung. In fact, strictly speaking, alchemists are classified as

noncombatants. And there will be no other guild offering such contract terms
for an alchemist.”
“Ah. I see. That’s kind of weird. I thought something like alchemy magic
would exist.”
“It’s not very efficient, you see. Although it is said that this type of job uses a
catalyst to activate magic… Well, monster by-products are expensive.
Yeonseongjin, which is often used by alchemists, is not very efficient for us.”
“Ah.”
“If the alchemist himself has enough magic power, the story will be a little
different… May I ask you how much magical stats you have?”
“I have 8.”
“Well… I don’t think it’s too high for a second job change. Maybe the
growth of magical power was a little slow…”
“Yeah. It doesn’t seem like it’s rising fast compared to intellect, or when you
compare it to fellow wizards.”
“Alas… I see, okay, okay.”
I could see the look in his eyes and knew what it meant. My worth went
down a little lower from our brief conversation.
However, I knew he was willing to accept me because if he didn’t, he would

not get Kim Hyunsung or Jung Hayan onboard as well.
“So, how is the contract turning out for you?”
Nevertheless, he had to keep up with this infuriating façade until all of our
contracts were secured.
Once I glanced at the contract, I began to speak slowly.
“I do not know. I think I need to think a little more.”
“What…”
“Ah. First of all, I would like to say that I find your offer very good, but I
want you to give me some more time to think.”
“Ahhh. I would like you to give you an answer relatively quickly. We don’t
have time left either…”
“Yeah. I will think about it as quickly as possible.”
“And I would like you to talk this over with your friends as well.”
“Yes, of course.”
At this, Lee Sang-hee began to speak once again. Her voice this time sounded
urgent.
“All of these are included in the catalog and contract of the Blue Guild. If you
read it while you think… It will probably help.”
“Okay, thank you. I’ll read it later.”
The truth was, I knew it would not be worth reading.
‘Everything will be reversed within a few days anyway.’
When I went outside, I saw Park Deokgu, Jung Hayan, and Kim Hyunsung
waiting for me. The curious looks on their faces made me laugh.
“Did you not take any special exams?”
“What? No!”
“Actually, the treatment looks pretty good.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Kiyoung. Personally, I did a little bit of research, but it seems that other
large guilds do not offer this level of condition. What they say is true. Even
though our growth potential was not clearly seen, they were kind enough to
offer us this much…”
“Yeah. They also seemed like good people, Oppa.”
“Perhaps they are gamblers in their own way. There will be pressure to
successfully complete this recruitment. They are the types who think that
people are precious resources.”
To be honest, didn’t look like the guys were thinking that way.
“It may be an early judgment, but what about it? It would be a little better to
get solid support here than to be in a large guild.”
“If you like it, then I’m joining.”
“Me, too…”
After all, our loyal Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan would never betray me.
However, it seemed to me that Kim Hyunsung already had his mind set on
joining the Blue Guild.
It even felt like he was being urgent about it.
I knew he was thinking that it would be safer to have a backup than forming a
personal force.
Like him, I would have made the same choice.
There were certainly advantages to forming a force personally. Not only

would it move according to our will, but there were also a lot more options to
choose from.
However, entering the Blue Guild also had its own set of advantages.
One could enjoy the establishments and facilities already put up by the guild.
If it was Kim Hyunsung and Jung Hayan, it wouldn’t be a job for them to
become the guild’s main force.
His choice was, all in all, certainly reasonable.
“Of course, there is no reason to be in a hurry. I think it would be better to

talk a little more and think about it… I like this guild a little.”
Kim Hyunsung opened his mouth, careful not to show that he was feeling
nervous, “I think it would be better to think about it a little more.”
“Ah… Don’t you like it?”
“No. I mean yes I do, but…”
“But?”
“They could have offered us a little more money.”
“You think so?”
“Perhaps there is a way to raise the payment some more.”
“Ah…”
If Kim Hyunsung truly valued the Blue Guild, he would have accepted the
offer as fast as possible. However, it seemed like this wasn’t the case at all.
Like me, he was looking for a way to garner more power.
Kim Hyunsung blinked. He seemed to realize just how much he had exposed
himself. Honestly speaking, I didn’t know what his plan was, but what he
said was sound. Our party had more time to think about it.
As soon as we came out of the tutorial dungeon, there would be no setbacks

in the scenarios in his head.
“What are you talking about… Oh, I think I know.”
“Yeah. There is no need to rush the contract, Mr. Hyunsung. The more you
drag on, the more anxious they will be about us.”
Kim Hyunsung clearly understood what I was talking about.
“Then… You mean you can get more for us there? Actually, money doesn’t
really matter that much…”
Only
“What? Oh, right.”
“You mean… Are you thinking about going somewhere else?”
“Well, that can’t be, Oppa!”
“It’s not like that. I want to be with all of you too. Of course, I want to be
with Hyunsung as well. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes. Even though this strange place has a bond… I want to go with
Kiyoung, Deokgu, and Hayan.”
The atmosphere once again shifted into a cozy one.
When I looked at Kim Hyunsung again, an involuntary laugh came out of me.
‘I’ll make you make a lot of money, Hyunsung.’

Chapter 41 Let’s raise the ransom
(1)
Let’s raise the ransom (1)
What the Blue Guild suggested to us was an investment in itself. It was like
winning a scratch card lottery, minus the scratching.
I had to hand it to them. They made sure to give us an offer that would feel
like a major loss if we were to refuse it.
Yes, it was surprising for them to find out that the group who would finish
the tutorial dungeon in the shortest time would only consist of four people,
but they were also smart enough to act on this surprising fact as fast as
possible.
‘I’m not stupid.’
Rather, it could be said that they were really the competitive types.
Returning back to reality, I caught sight of Park Deokgu reading something.

Tilting my head, I asked him, “Are you reading the catalog?”
“Well, yes. We might end up staying here one way or another, so I figured
finding out more about them wouldn’t hurt. Their guild restaurant sounds so
nice!”
“Well?”
“Well, when I was on Earth, the star chef Rayman Park, my grandfather, had
been in charge of our restaurant… Just looking at his food would make me
drool…”
“I see.”
“That’s why the guild’s accommodations seem awesome to me. Maybe I

could be just as much of a successful chef as my family members. My
grandfather would be proud…”
I didn’t know if this was an appropriate thought, but I almost felt sure that
Park Deokgu’s grandfather wouldn’t want him to be living in a world like
this.
“I think the guild is very intriguing… How big are the other guilds?”
“It probably won’t make much of a difference if we compare Blue Guild to

the others. They said it wasn’t the same as before, but even if a rich man lost
his business, he can still last three years. If one was able to accumulate so
much over the span of many years, then they must also know how to survive.
I’m not sure if they want to recruit us because they want to regain their
former glory…”
“Same here. I feel like I’ve become a special person because of the way I’m
being treated, and I don’t think I feel bad about it, Hyung.”
“In the future, you will be treated with more respect.”
“Really?”
“Sure, you will.”
He was right about that part. It definitely wouldn’t take long.
After all, we were lottery tickets whose potentials have not yet been
scratched. Anyone here with any sense would know that there was a high
probability of winning if they recruited us. That was the whole reason why
they were willing to give us more compensation than what was necessary,
after all.
“I didn’t think Hayan would be so treasured here as well. I also didn’t think
she would be so attached to you. I suppose wherever you choose to go, she
will follow.”
“Even if you don’t say that, you yourself are doing well enough. I am only
following these guild procedures because they’re necessary.”
“Still.”
‘You don’t have to say it like that…’
Even if Park Deokgu didn’t say it, I already knew how important Jung Hayan
was. She was one of the biggest reasons why we were such a desirable team
to have.
In the future, once they achieved legendary magical stats talent, Jung Hayan
would be an Archmage, and Kim Hyunsung would be, for lack of a better
term, a regret-free returner.
Potential ability was not simply the limit of ability. It was not a fixed
measurement of how much one could grow, too. Players with enough
determination could surpass their own set limits depending on how far they
were willing to go.
This was where intelligence and luck came in.
In the case of Jung Hayan, she would have already completed her second job
soon; what with her scary capacity for magic power, it was expected.
‘The Elemental Wizard.’
That would be the second job I would recommend for her. I knew Kim
Hyunsung would agree with me.
Unlike me, Jung Hayan seemed to have an affinity for all elements. Even the
alchemist job could not be found on her former job list.
In the first place, she had no reason to choose such a job. Right from the start,
Jung Hayan’s stats were already pretty obvious. She was a wizard through
and through.
Considering how much we had gone through, and how easily she had
supported us throughout the entire tutorial dungeon, she was already growing
at a very fast pace.
What she needed was the slightest opportunity, and her stats would
skyrocket.
I don’t know if what happened in the dungeon became traumatic for her, but I
had to make sure I took advantage of this and have her attached to me.
Because of this, I had created an unspoken rule that could be placed between
Jung Hayan and me. This, in itself, made sure that I would be able to reap the
rewards alongside her.
‘…’
Of course, the effect was more than I imagined.
I had only started off with simple praises, gradually increasing my attempts to
deepen our relationship.
At first, all I had to do was stroke her head and hold her hand, but as I raised
the level little by little, I started to obsess even over her performance.
Over time, she had proven that her real goal was not to achieve pure strength
or fame but to continually receive praise from me. The fact that I showed no
approval whatsoever when Jung Hayan did nothing also made her quite
desperate and determined.
Perhaps the reason Park Deokgu said that was because of our current
situation. He hardly saw me during the demonstration and had correctly
guessed that something was off.
Among us, it was not Park Deokgu, Kim Hyunsung, nor I, but Jung Hayan,
who spent the most time on personal training.
“I’m probably the one in the team who always causes blunders and gives
everyone a hard time.”
“No, that’s not true…”
“This demonstration where our statuses determine how the Blue Guild or
other guilds perceive us is very important. If I mess things up for everyone…
Anyway, I’m glad they decided to accept us as a team.”
“Oh, please. You are doing great yourself.”
“One has to learn how to set themselves apart in this kind of thing. I can’t be
stuck forever. This is a good moment to talk about this.”
“Then why are you doing this demonstration in the first place?”
“It’s almost a routine for athletes. They need to know how much we’re worth
so they can set the correct price. It’s a little bad, but… It would be worse if I
mess things up for everyone.”
“Oh, the more I think about it, the more I think I know why Hayan really
likes you.”
I held the urge to laugh. Park Deokgu was so innocent that it was actually
kind of endearing. Little did he know that Jung Hayan’s feelings had already
gone past just liking. Most of that was thanks to Park Deokgu’s active
intervention.
At this point, I started wondering if Park Deokgu really was as clueless as he

seemed, or if he was just trying to hide how much he really knew.
I shook my head and responded,
“Then, let’s go.”
“Okay, Hyung.”
“Walk faster.”
“What? No….”
We took note of our surroundings as we started to move. The lush scenery
was such a stark contrast to the drab tutorial dungeon.
This felt luxurious, safe, and treated.
Looking out the window, I could see that the people rescued from the shelter
were gathering and doing something. Perhaps they were receiving mandatory
education that was required by this new world.
Lee Jihye saw us for a moment, but she quickly focused on something else.
Following her gaze, I saw what caught her eye. It was an internal
smokehouse.
There were quite a few people already gathered around.
The clothes worn by these people looked quite luxurious, regardless of their
rank or status. Apparently, it was not just the Blue Guild executives who
dressed this way.
Those with different flags, looking somewhere around the training hall like a
director of a large company, certainly looked like people from other guilds.
‘Scouter?’
Yes, these people were probably looking for talents.
Peering closely at their faces told me what I already knew. These people were
anxious to find someone worthy of bringing back to their guilds.
It was already a week ago that the demonstration had been done, with the
Blue Guild having first dibs on whoever they deemed fit to recruit for
themselves.
Except for when I checked how she was faring, I hadn’t seen Jung Hayan in
three days.
I felt particularly fine as I had other things to think about for these past days,
but it seemed that it had been excruciating for Jung Hayan.
“Doesn’t she seem a little… sad?”
“A little.”
Actually, I looked like she was more tired than sad.
She said he would come to see the day of my demonstration, but it seemed
like she herself wasn’t doing too well.
Seeing as she kept looking around, I guessed that she had been looking for
me. Someone then approached her and spoke in a lower voice. Startled, Jung
Hayan turned to the person and immediately reddened.
“Oppa! Oh… Oh, s-sorry! I was hoping…”
“Don’t you look a little weird right now?”
“I think it’s because I’m feeling nervous. And… It hasn’t been long since I
left the dungeon. I don’t know what to expect yet.”
“Don’t be too nervous. I’m sure everyone here knows how traumatic the
experience has been, so they won’t be too hard on us.”
I didn’t know who spoke in response to Hayan’s words, but I was glad that
someone else could understand the situation correctly.
‘However, the rest of these people…’
All I could see were people shifting restlessly wherever I looked.
I wondered if anyone here felt confident at all, but I was pretty sure I would
find no one like that here. Shrugging, I raised my hand high in the air. Jung
Hayan spotted me in an instant.
‘You can’t ruin it,’ this was an important event.

-Alas. If you are ready, Jung Hayan, give a signal.
At this, Jung Hayan nodded.
If anyone here were to appear as if they were preparing in advance by

memorizing spells, they could potentially be deemed unsafe.
Seeing those who, in turn, saw me, clicked their tongues, I thought maybe my
deemed plan would fail.
‘Is it too hard…? The moment I experienced regret, I felt the flow of magical
power that I could not even imagine.’
“Huh?”
It looked ridiculous, but you can see the dust scattering around Jung Hayan. It
was surprising to see that a simple action such as moving one’s magic power
within the body could give such an effect.
As I stood there, speechless, Jung Hayan continued her incredibly long chant.
All the executives of the large guilds began looking at her with dumbstruck
expressions.
Amidst the crowd, I could hear a flurry of sheepish voices.
“Report this now! Quickly!”
“Hey! Get her profile here as fast as possible!”
Everything was going according to plan.
Actually, everything was going better than I had originally expected. Indeed,
I expected some achievement, but I couldn’t imagine it would reach this
extent.
The longer the spell got, the louder the humming became.
From where they were situated, Lee Sang-hee and the other members of the
Blue Guild looked dumbstruck. I found out what they were thinking. Jung
Hayan had not displayed this type of power to them.
It wasn’t this much a week ago.
‘What, really…?’
It was during this time that Jung Hayan finally finished chanting,
“Materialize, elemental bomb!”
Qaw ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
The reverberation emanated from Jung Hayan’s hand with a tremendous

sound. Even I had to cover my ears. Due to the intense vibrations, I made
sure to coat an extra layer of magical protection so as to not damage my
eardrums.
The mysterious magic Jung Hayan created immediately flew to her desired
target – one of the objects found in the middle of the martial arts sector.
“What is this…”
Qaw ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Upon reaching it, the target disappeared without a trace in an instant after the
second explosion.
There was no cheering, only silence.
Only
However…
For some reason, the silence had become a louder sound than if the people
around us had cheered.
“She… What…”
Park Deokgu turned to me, “Hyung.”
I did not deem to respond.
“Are you seeing the same thing as I am?”
Again, I did not respond. However, a smile had begun to spread on my face.
I didn’t know just how lucky I was to get hold of such a prize.
Chapter 42 Let’s raise the ransom
(2)
Let’s raise the ransom (2)
It was hard for everyone to understand what happened and how it had
occurred. It seemed that I was not dreaming after all. Jung Hayan’s
performance really guaranteed a better outcome than what I expected.
It was natural that a general buzz of noisiness descended upon the crowd after
the initial pause of silence.
“Did you bring her profile?!”
“How did you say the negotiations with the Blue Guild were going on?”
“It’s an unconditional recruitment. Who is the guild master?”
“You said that the down payment doesn’t matter. It has already been
granted.”
“What were the personnel in charge of the guild doing? No more detailed
data? Didn’t you get anything from the Blue Guild?”
“Sorry, I’m sorry!”
“Fuck. Will this problem end with a simple sorry? Son of a bitch … Useless
babies…”
It seemed that there was also a system that allowed one to communicate with
a distant partner.
This is exactly what I expected. No, this was more than that.
You could see the guild executives gathering around, excitement showing on
their faces as they hustled and jostled in an attempt to find out more about
Jung Hayan.
Looking at Jung Hayan’s profile was only the first step. I could already see
these executives trying to work out just where she would be and how much
she could achieve if she were to join their respective guilds.
The other guilds were also approaching the Blue Guild at this point. As they
had the primary bargaining power, some of the others were thinking about
bargaining with them.
Of course, Lee Sang-hee and the executives of the Blue Guild would be
agitated.
I knew our team quite the catch, but I did not expect to receive this much
desire.
I caught a glimpse of Jung Hayan’s expression and could see that she was
indeed feeling happy. She knew she had succeeded. She looked a little cute,
staring at me like that with her hands clasped together.
I was curious as to what extent she had grown, and when I looked into her
status window with my ability, her stats revealed themselves to me.
[Check player Jung Hayan’s status window and potential.]
[Name-Jung Hayan]
[Title-None. You should try a little more.]
[Age-21]
[Propensity-Pure Advocate]
[Profession-Elemental Wizard-Rare Grade]
[Job Effect-Acquisition of Basic Magic Knowledge]
[Job Effect-Intermediate Magic Knowledge Acquisition]
[Capacity]
[Strength-11/Growth Limit: Rare or less]
[Agility-11/Growth Limit: Rare or less]
[Intellect-29/Growth Limit: Hero or higher]
[Endurance-14/Growth Limit: Rare or less]
[Magic Power -31/Growth Limit: Legend or higher]
[Equipment-Divine Healing-Rare Grade]
[Talent-How to Become a Wizard-Hero Grade]
[General comment- Very good. The growth of the magic power point is
most noticeable. It is showing an incomprehensible rate of growth, but
there is a drawback, although not a big one, that the stats have not
grown evenly. Player Lee Kiyoung is lucky. Make sure you don’t lose
her. That’s the right way to survive. You just need to be careful riding
on a good boat.]
’31 magic power?’
That was a ridiculous number.
In fact, you could not accurately determine whether it was high or not. Those
who appeared to be Wizards have quite a variety of magical powers. They
ranged from as low as 60 to as high as 80.
I didn’t know how much she practiced, but one thing was for sure – Jung
Hayan’s growth was immense.
‘Is it possible to produce that level of power in such a short time?’
Taking this into consideration, it was highly possible that Jung Hayan had
decided to be flexible with her abilities. She looked a little tired now, so that
little spectacle must have cost a lot of magic. Nevertheless, if you looked at
the noisy surrounding atmosphere, what Jung Hayan was showing now was a
story that was difficult to explain in common sense.
-That… The demonstration is over…
Even before the moderator had finished talking, Jung Hayan had already
started running in our direction. Although the crowds flocked to her, she
seemed to have ignored them all.
‘I will accept business cards…’
“Oppa!” Jung Hayan’s face glowed. She was obviously expecting praise from
me.
Since I didn’t see her properly this entire week, it was not unreasonable for
me to show her a little approval.
“You did a good job, Hayan.”
“Thank you, Oppa…”
“Did you have a hard time?”
“No. Don’t worry, I didn’t!” there were tears in her eyes.
I was a little worried about whether it was okay to show such affection in
such a crowded place, but both the Blue Guild’s head and the large guilds’
executives were looking at us.
‘This isn’t so bad. Rather, it’s actually good.’
It was not bad to show off that you had close friends. I opened my arms a
little and hugged her tightly. Jung Hayan positively glowed.
As time passed, the heavy gazes in our direction started to become

burdensome to the point where I started feeling embarrassed.
‘Ah…’
Of course, I was not that cunning as to show public affection in such a place.
“Oh, Oppa! Give me a hot kiss!” It was Park Deokgu who had jokingly
spoken.
‘Stop it, you pig!”
“Oppa! Oppa! Oppa! You’re so hot as a man!”
As Park Deokgu continued to joke around, Jung Hayan’s expression

eventually shifted. It was obvious that she was expecting more.
‘Jung Hayan…’
I always say, ‘Jung Hayan can’t be this stupid’. I didn’t talk out loud, but I
was sure…
‘I’ve done this much, so I have to get a decent reward. I’ve been patient for a
week.’ I felt like that was what she was saying.
It didn’t seem like such a bad idea. I wanted to announce, ‘She’s mine.’ in
front of everyone.
I had to be careful, but I also had to do something.
After thinking about it, I gently grabbed her face with both hands and
puckered my lips. I thought that a slow move would be the best way.
When I kissed her lightly on her forehead, I could feel Jung Hayan trembling.
It was only my lips touching her forehead, but the effect was more than I had
imagined.
‘What…’
Not only was she hugging me tight enough to hurt my back, but her legs also
started trembling. I glanced down at her and saw a face, reddened beyond
imagination.
The appearance of her parted lips looked dangerous, but I thought that it
didn’t matter. The entire time, I could feel the heavy gazes coming from the
executives.
It didn’t matter who saw us; we gave off the perfect scenario as lovers.
At this point, the moderator seemed to be confused. The Blue Guild’s head
had also noticed that something was wrong.
-That… Jung Hayan’s demonstration is over. VIPs, please do not leave your
seats and act according to the procedure after all the schedules are finished.
Likewise, there will be a demonstration of Kim Hyunsung, who participated
in the first tutorial dungeon as a strategy team. The content of the
demonstration is a duel…
“Hayan, I’m going to see Mr. Hyunsung now.”
“Ah… Yes, yes of course, Oppa.” Jung Hayan looked up at me and smiled.
Although I felt uncomfortable, it was not unbearable. Rather, this would be
appropriate as a reward in return for Jung Hayan’s performance.
Sure, it was burdensome as she was constantly trying to bury her face into my
chest, but when Kim Hyunsung came out with a sword in the center of the
training center, attention began to shift from us to him.
“Well, I feel alienated for no reason… Should I also get a girlfriend?”

“Concentrate on the duel, Deokgu. It’s probably quite worth seeing.”
“Even if my Hyung doesn’t say that, I’m not taking my eyes off it. I want to
watch Kim Hyunsung too.”
-If you are ready, I would like you to send a signal.
Slowly, Kim Hyunsung raised his hand.
-Then, let’s get started.
I knew that the warrior series were going to demonstrate through sparring,
while the wizard series would demonstrate magic, but the opponent did not
look easy at all.
First, the stats themselves are higher than Kim Hyunsung’s own stats.
Of course, Kim Hyunsung would think otherwise.
The opponent’s expression slowly hardened upon looking at Kim Hyunsung,

confidently holding his sword.
Jung Hayan was already a big hint that our party was not normal, but Kim
Hyunsung? He was definitely taking us to another level altogether.
In an instant, he and his opponent disappeared from sight.
A battle unfolded that couldn’t even be caught up with normal eyes.
This was yet another spectacle, second only to Jung Hayan’s performance.
It seems that the distinguished guests who came to watch would be more than
pleasantly surprised.
As the duel continued, I could see the audience’s eyes slowly widening.
‘Is it because you thought the only talented one was Jung Hayan?’
Well, they were obviously wrong.

‘Puh!’
When I saw the VIPs with their mouths hanging open, I could not resist
smiling. However, I could only hear the sound of swords clashing.
‘Well done!’
We already knew that our lovely regressors would be strong, but this is the
first time I’ve seen them fight properly.
The difference in stats was easily distinguishable.
However, if you looked at the face of his opponent, the answer would come
out.
He now felt nervous. Kim Hyunsung had proven himself to be a formidable

enemy.
‘He’s strong.’
Soon after, the opponent’s sword flew into the air. Kim Hyunsung did not
bother retrieving his sword. He knew that he had already shown his worth.
The opponent, however, didn’t give up and swung his fist, but the moment
the opponent pushed Kim Hyunsung with the same arm that dropped the
sword, a roar resonated.
Kim Hyunsung bounced off to the other side.
“Ah!”
Quaang! It was safe to say that he could have broken a lot of bones after
landing against the wall in such a rough manner, but when Kim Hyunsung
simply got up and brushed the dust off his sleeves, it seemed that he wanted
to show that his durability ability wasn’t bad either.
“I lost.”
‘It’s neat. This foxy guy is so strong!’

It did not matter. They had managed to show off all their strengths.
If the guy who just came in had overcome the veteran casually, the
distinguished guests here would have thought it was strange.
Showing his skill through the duel had been a smart move for Kim
Hyunsung.
Slowly, the applause started to fill in from the crowds. I could see the
executives from the other guilds looking positively hungry.
In terms of impact, I would like to say that Jung Hayan would be one of the
top rankers, but the demonstration that Kim Hyunsung showed definitely
stood out.
“Huh…”
“Genius…”
-That… Kim Hyunsung’s demonstration is over… Please, distinguished

guests, follow the procedure…
The voice of the moderator did not seem to reach our distinguished guests.
As soon as Kim Hyunsung’s battle was over, a lot of people jumped from
their seats to approach Kim Hyunsung.
Nice try.
It wasn’t just Kim Hyunsung who became a star at this point.
“Would you mind talking for a minute?”
Only
“…”
“Lee Kiyoung, was it? And Jung Hayan. If it doesn’t bother you, can we take
some of your time? This is Cha Hee-ra of the Red Mercenary Guild.”
I had also become quite the star as the pillar of a talented genius wizard.
‘This is…’
This was a situation where you couldn’t hide your humble smile.
The one who approached me was an unusually red-haired woman, offering

out her hand for a handshake.
I didn’t know if I was just caught off guard, or if it was because I was, after
all, a man, but my eyes were automatically drawn to her bold outfit.
‘Ah…’
Chapter 43 Crazy bitch (1)
Crazy bitch (1)
This was a situation where I could no longer hide my humble smile.
Holding out her hand for a handshake in front of me was a red-haired woman.
I didn’t know if I was just caught off guard, or if it was because I was, after
all, a man, but my eyes were automatically drawn to her bold outfit.
‘Ah…’
Instantly, I knew I had made a mistake.
It was because I could feel two heavy gazes locked onto me – those of Jung
Hayan’s and the red-haired woman herself, who I now knew by the name of
Cha Hee-ra.
I usually acted carefully about this part, but the woman’s choice of clothing
was so surprisingly daring that I forgot how to act like myself.
‘That’s it…’
I didn’t know if it was the outfit that barely just covered her chest and
stomach, or it was how confidently she carried herself, but the red hair and
red lips give off a strangely erotic feeling.
All in all, she had a very attractive appearance.
I shook my head for a moment and appraised her with my eyes’ ability, and
her whole profile showed itself to me in an instant.
[Check player Cha Hee-ra’s status window and potential.]
[Name-Hee-ra Cha]
[Title-Blood Mad Madame, Red Mercenary, Red Madame of the Holy

Empire]
[Age-28]
[Propensity-Unpredictable Innovator]
[Occupation-Mercenary Queen-Legend Level]
[Occupational Effect-Acquisition of Basic Sword Skills]
[Job Effect-Acquisition of Intermediate Weapon Knowledge]
[Job Effect-Acquisition of Advanced Weapon Knowledge]
[Job Effect-Acquisition of Advanced Dual Weapon Knowledge]
[Occupational Effect-Acquisition of Advanced Magic Power Operation

Knowledge]
[Capacity]
[Strength -97/Growth Limit: Legend or higher]
[Agility-82/Growth Limit: Hero or less]
[Health -85/Growth Limit: Hero or less]
[Intellect-67/Growth Limit: Rare or higher]
[Endurance-90/Growth Limit: Hero or higher]
[Luck-56/Growth Limit: Rare or higher]

[Magic power -82 /Growth Limit: Hero or less]
[Equipment-None]
[Talent-Blood Mad Madame-Hero Grade]
[Intellectual stats are temporarily reduced to increase attack power.]
[General comment-She looks a little dangerous to me. Be careful, or she

might end up biting your head off.]
Her job was a hero-level mercenary queen, with her title being a ‘Blood Mad
Madame’.
Of course, it didn’t feel like she was up to anything good, given how she
approached us. The fact that she was also an unpredictable innovator added to
my unease.
‘But these stats…’
Her strength at 90 and her endurance at 97 were highly impressive. She was
even stronger than Lee Sang-hee!
However, if I were to compare her to the other female executives present, I

could safely say that having such high stats and hero-graded jobs were the
norm. I shouldn’t have to be so inclined towards her.
Honestly speaking, it was the attractive smile and the confident outstretched
hand that drew me to her.
However, I knew that this simple scenario could undermine me.
Shifting slightly beside me, I could feel Jung Hayan’s discomfort. Of course,
knowing her, she was trying her best not to show it.
She must be aware that not shaking her hand would be an outright disrespect
for such a powerful person.
I thought Jung Hayan could find it in her to be a little more mature, but the
way her hand had tightened around my arm meant she childishly did not want
me to take the handshake.
‘Still…’
Cha Hee-ra was a VIP of another guild. I had to remember that fact.
‘I’m sorry, Jung Hayan…’
It was a little difficult to move my arm into position because of Jung Hayan
trying her best to stop me from doing so, but after silently asking for
understanding this once, I held Cha Hee-ra’s hand tightly.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Kiyoung.”
“It’s really an honor to get to talk to the stars of this demonstration.”
“Ah, all the credit goes to Jung Hayan here…”
“Jung Hayan, that demo was really impressive.”
“Yes… thank you…” Jung Hayan’s voice had become dangerously low.
Once I dropped Cha Hee-ra’s hand, Jung Hayan’s grip thankfully loosened.
“The two of you are really close. Is there any chance that you’ve developed
your relationship outside?”
“Ah. Not like that. The first time I met her was in the tutorial dungeon, and
after that, we got closer to each other and made a good relationship.”
“I really envy you.”
It was really hard trying to read this woman’s gaze.
‘Aren’t you embarrassed?’
Of course, it seemed that the source of her self-confidence was not her
appearance.
It might be her taste to go around with more than half of her breasts exposed,
but the real reason behind her confidence was because she was called the
Mercenary Queen Cha Hee-ra.
She was simply that strong—the strongest out of everyone I had seen so far,
even. And I wasn’t just basing this off her stats.
I’ve also based this off of the fact that no one else dared to approach us in her
presence.
“Ah… I think I should introduce myself one more time. I am the leader of the
Red Mercenary Guild. My job is called Mercenary Queen Cha Hee-ra.”
‘Also…’
“You came in person.”
“Yeah. I am a little interested in talent. Especially this time, I heard a lot of

talented people coming in, so I just had to see for myself.”
“Ah, I see. Thank you so much for giving us such importance.”
“No. It is natural.”
“But I don’t know if it’s okay to talk. As far as I hear, the Blue Guild has the
right to bargain. .”
“Oh… Negotiation. I’m just talking about it. Of course, we have to tell you
about the recruitment, but our Red Mercenary Guild respects the bargaining
rights of the Blue Guild. It would be right to think of it as an advisor to help
you make reasonable choices.”
“Ah…”
In other words, it meant that I wasn’t part of their choices yet. I was not on
their table for now.
They were still trying to see how important I was and how I was going to fit
in.
It wasn’t just us. Park Deokgu was also talking to a man who suddenly
approached him, and Kim Hyunsung was openly surrounded by people.
I knew the Blue Guild could feel their potential loss if they let us get taken
away. This was exactly how they knew they were a guild without power.
If they had the power to control the VIPs, this would not have happened in
the first place.
Of course, I was not sympathetic.
It was a story that had nothing to do with me as an independent person, and

making strings here was a more reasonable – and safer – option.
“You probably don’t know a lot about this kind of thing. Guilds that usually
have primary bargaining rights have a strong tendency to control information
regarding the other guilds… About the red mercenaries I run…”
“Yeah. I didn’t hear it.”
“Oh, then I guess I have to explain a little bit. Our Red Mercenary is a guild
made by melee workers. As the name suggests, it is easy to understand that it
is a guild that moves through various quests, as well as dungeons, monster
hunting, and even small battles or war quests.”
“Ah, melee…”
“Yeah. To be precise, it was a mercenary guild made up of melee soldiers.”
“You mean you are pursuing change.”
“Yeah. It is difficult to tell in detail, but there is a movement within the guild
to train wizards and priests and invest in auxiliary occupations. It’s a bit
different, but it’s a situation where a lot of the budget is being spent. It’s a bit
late compared to other guilds, so why are the executives urging you to invest
more? Actually, the reason why I’ve come this far is because of our
investors…”
“I see…”
I think I know what she was talking about.
“I’m curious as to how much you plan to invest.”
“Would you be comfortable speaking in Hanwha?”
“Yeah. Still on the side…”
Cha Hee-ra laughed and spoke again.
“2 billion.”
‘What…’
“Yeah?”
“2 billion per person. We are also preparing an additional budget in case you
don’t know. Of course, we will continue to invest in the future. At least 500
million won a year, even. Does that sound fine?”
Roughly interpreted, it was a down payment of more than 2 billion and an

annual salary of 500 million.
Based on this, the down payment would be 20,000 gold and an annual salary
of 5,000 gold.
I felt so embarrassed, I couldn’t even speak.
‘2 billion?’
Compared to the amount presented by the Blue Guild at first, the gap was too
large to even be considered.
I expected the price to jump by a bit, not by twenty more times! In the case of
annual salary, I’d say it jumped by 5 times.
At this point, I began to wonder just how the Blue Guild saw us and began to
understand why so many of the other guilds wanted to get us.
If the amount is this much, it was unreasonable to refuse them outright.
It was a whopping 2 billion!
An amount that the average person cannot collect even after working a
lifetime.
Even at this point, I was already calculating which one would be the better
option to take!
“But… It may be a little difficult to invest in close-knit workers. We are new

to this sort of thing, after all.”
“Ah.”
“There are really many talented people in our guild. Of course, it’s not as if
we haven’t considered Kim Hyunsung or the others… it’s just that we want
to focus on only one place.”
This did not sound good.
“I see.”
“Both Mr. Kiyoung and Ms. Hayan seems to be interested in this project of
our guild… I want to ask what you think.”
This was basically a question of whether or not we were willing to abandon

Park Deokgu and Kim Hyunsung.
Probably, as it was a guild that had already been strengthened as a melee

force, the prosecutors and tankers were already seasoned members.
Therefore, I could understand why they did not choose to invest in Park
Deokgu and Kim Hyunsung. They already had people in place that could act
as the perfect shield and sword.
Even if I was in her position, my focus would literally just stay on the
magical side.
“The project itself is really interesting, but I’m a little worried if we can help.
I was intimate with my friends whom I attacked the tutorial dungeon together
with. To focus on one place is…”
“Hmm… That’s surprising.”
She looked even more intrigued at this point. It almost felt like a game of cat
and mouse to me.
“It would have been really nice if I had the opportunity to invest in only the
two of you… Our guild is also difficult to handle these days. We want to
make this guild a better place, see, and to compensate for our past losses. It’ll
be such a shame not to get you or Jung Hayan.”
“What…”
“This is a gift.”
I could feel Cha Hee-ra pulling an item out, and I immediately stiffened.
‘Was this a bribe?’
Probably not. It actually felt like a gift.
However, my unease did not go away entirely.
On the other hand, since this was a gift from a leader of such a large guild, I
knew it was a valuable item.
“If you change your mind, you can talk to me anytime. If not, I still want to
keep in touch. Since you belong to the same empire as us, wouldn’t there be a
lot of time to go into dungeons or stand on the front line together? And…
Well… Jung Hayan?”
“…”
“The young miss must also learn how to kill a little bit of life.”
“Ah…”
Cha Hee-ra suddenly came to this direction in an instant. I could feel the
moisture on my lips from when she had kissed me without warning.
‘This crazy…’
I couldn’t get my mind to react fast enough to the sudden action.
I tried pushing Cha Hee-ra away, but there was no way I could rival her
strength stats with my own weak body. I could hardly even make a single
noise.
Only
I struggled to look at Jung Hayan, but could no longer feel any trace of her
magic or presence beside me.
‘Shit…’
I was not expecting this at all!
“This is also a gift. Then see you next time.”
‘Shit!’
I noticed everyone had begun to look this way with stunned faces. Even Park
Deokgu had a startled expression.
No one had to tell me what just happened. The only thing I was worried
about was losing Jung Hayan.
‘Fuck, I’m screwed.’
Crazy bitch (2)
-Kiyoung Lee, please send a signal when you are ready.
As I raised my hand slightly, I immediately felt the eyes looking at me. On

the second floor, Kim Hyun-sung, Park Deokgu, and Jung Hayan were also
intently looking at me.
I was a little nervous as everyone here was so focused on what I could do, but
honestly, I didn’t feel the burden of having to prove myself.
In the first place, I knew that the guild executives weren’t expecting me to do
something worth their time.
“I’m ready.”
Rather, it was Jung Hayan who had me feeling unsettled. Ever since that
incident with Cha Hee-ra, she hadn’t been herself.
That strangely quiet appearance had me sweating.
Next to her, Park Deokgu was sporting a displeased expression as well. Kim
Hyunsung’s expression was generally unreadable.
‘I’m anxious…’
I had an inkling that I knew the reason why the madwoman had done that to
me, and I didn’t like the reason at all. She probably did it to spite Jung
Hayan.
Of course, it could also be a warning, but I hardly felt like this was the case.
I think I was even expected to thank her, all for not pulling the sword and
beheading me for not accepting her offer right away.
I shook my head and began to focus on my magic, which was getting a little
more complicated, and slowly began to draw a circle on the floor.
It was a rather complicated process, but the magic circle itself was ready.
‘It’s at least efficient.’
It not only costs less magic power, but it would definitely do the trick.
In an instant, the magic circle was completed.
From the nods I saw in the crowd, I knew they found this type of magic
familiar.
“Lord, I hope you answer my voice.”
The magic circle was the one responsible for building the tower of magic.
Even memorizing the chant would drain you of your magic power.
“Fire pillar.”
At my words, a pillar of fire rose up from the magical circle that I made.
This was not possible to do with my meager amount of magic power.

However, with the help of a little extra effect and the magic circle, the
outcome of my magic had become something more impressive than what it
should have been.
“What…”
I couldn’t hear the cheers of Park Deokgu, Kim Hyunusng, or Jung Hayan as
I would have heard them in the past.
However…
Clap, clap, clap.
I started to hear the sound of applause spreading throughout the venue.
It was not a bad demonstration, but of course, it was not bad enough to not be
applauded for.
They’ve probably figured out by now that I was the weakest out of my entire
party, but I knew for a fact that I was not automatically useless.
“Thank you.”
-Lee Ki-young’s demonstration is finished. All the VIPs, please move

according to the procedure.
However, just like yesterday, these people refused to follow.
You could see distinguished guests and scouts flocking here, much like dogs
answering to their master.
“I am Lee Yeon-hee, who runs the Saseong Guild. Let’s talk for a second…
No, I’ll give you a business card first.”
“I’m Clan Master Jeong Jong-cheol. If you can’t excuse me…”
“This is Youngsoo Ko. Our clan is a new clan created during this time, and
the conditions are somewhat insufficient, but the growth potential is better
than any other clan or guild…”
“I am Park Hye-soo, the representative of the Magical Guild. I want to talk a

little bit…”
It felt tiring just to respond to every single person. Each and every one of
them was, after all, a valuable prospect. Whether it’s a newly created clan or
a fallen guild, everyone mattered. Therefore, willingly receiving business
cards and holding formal conversations was a must.
“If you don’t have a contract with the Blue Guild yet…”
“Yeah. We will look forward to seeing you all together later.”
“Our guild too!”
“Yes. Whenever the time comes, let’s have a meal together.”
“I hope to maintain a good relationship no matter which guild you go to in

the future.”
“Yeah. I will try to contact you first.”
For all that I was worth, I didn’t think my responses were that bad. I knew the
importance of maintaining good relations, after all.
“That was a fun demonstration.”
‘Fun? Why do I have a feeling you find it funny…’
“It seems to have changed our perception of alchemists. Hahaha.”
‘That’s a lie.’
“Thank you all. It’s a little embarrassing because this is nothing compared to
my other party members.”
However, I still had to keep up with the pretense. This was, after all, how
social conventions worked.
As I broke through the crowd, I could see Lee Sang-hee and the other Blue
Guild executives looking down at me. All of them sported disturbed
expressions.
They had just now recognized that the negotiations were twisted from the
beginning.
In just a week, we learned that there were more and better opportunities in
store for us from other guilds, contrary to what we were told.
If one had seen our party engage in everyday conversations, of course, they
could only come to one conclusion.
‘The position of Lee Kiyoung in Kim Hyunsung’s party is higher than

expected.’
“Would you mind talking for a minute? I think I have to tell you the terms of
the negotiation again…”
“Of course, Lee Sang-hee. You’re more than welcome to.”
“I’ll take you inside.”
“Yes,” I tried my best not to smile too much.
Looking back, I saw Jung Hayan, Park Deokgu, and Kim Hyunsung
seemingly busy talking to others.
When I entered the room where I had negotiations the last time, I honestly
felt a very different atmosphere compared to the previous one. The elderly
executives had now begun to pay more attention to me.
‘Good.’
I liked the feeling of power.
“First of all, I would like to apologize for the hasty adjustment of the terms of
the first negotiation. In fact, I thought the terms of the contract would be too
generous for regular newcomers… Looking at the appearances you all
showed at the demonstration, I thought that we have underestimated your
potential.”
“Alas. Fine. Of course you can understand. It is natural to avoid investing in

people who are not verified by the way of standpoint of running a group. It is
an extremely reasonable judgment.”
“Ah. Thank you so much for understanding.”

“…”
“Unknowingly, you must have also received offers from several places.”
I thought there was no reason to lie. It’s a fact that they already know, that I
know, and that everyone knows.
“Yeah. That’s right.”
“I don’t know what kind of proposals you received from other guilds, but our
Blue Guild…”
What I was going to hear was so obvious that I no longer needed to fully
listen. They would say that the amount they could afford may be insufficient,
but the truth was that this was a story of growth potential.
The distinction of the Blue Guild, the special conditions that can be
supported, plans for how to grow us, and how to support us; All of this, I
knew I would hear time and again.
“You may feel that the amount is insufficient compared to other guilds, but
the Blue Guild is still one of the named guilds in the Holy Empire. If you
become a member of the Blue Guild, you will have a specific budget for the
party… Oh, and it’s not just that. The Blue Guild’s executive job…”
“Specifically…”
“It’s hard to give you a specific answer yet, but I will do my best…”
“I see. May I hear more specific contract details?”
“Ah! Of course,” Lee Sang-hee looked a little happy at this.
“We offer a payment of gold and a 3,000 gold annual salary. These are the
conditions we can meet. The contract period is 10 years… Salary
negotiations allow renewal every year…”
“It’s 1 billion won in Korean currency.”

“Yeah.”
Compared to the Red Mercenary, this was half off the mark.
Of course, in the case of the Red Mercenary Guild, Kim Hyun-sung and Park
Deokgu would not be included. It was because they knew hiring an alchemist
would be very expensive.
However, one notable fact within Lee Sang-hee’s words was that the contract
had extended to three years. I now knew they were genuinely interested in
our growth.
If the amount you paid for the first time was already quite large, chances
were, you had the potential to raise the price a little more.
This was probably true, even in the case of such a large amount such as that
presented by Cha Hee-ra.
I smiled and began to speak.
“The down payment is 15,000 gold. 1.5 billion won by Hanwha. These are
the terms and conditions we are looking for.”
“Ah…”
“In addition, I would like you to provide the minimum hero-level alchemy
tool support and the adjustment of the byproducts of hunting, the hero-level
spellbook for Jung Hayan, and the basic hero-level equipment for Park
Deokgu and Kim Hyunsung as well.”
“That… that…”
“You can think of it as an investment. Our party will grow even further.
There is a reason why I am not obsessed with salary. As our growth
accelerates, the Blue Guild will also grow. I know other guilds will be willing
to offer the investment we seek.”
“That’s our reason…”

“If you need gold, you can simply sell the first bargaining right to the other
guilds. However, for the Blue Guild, gold is not important right now. Isn’t
that right?”
From Lee Sang-hee’s expression, I knew I had hit the mark.
“Guild Master.”
As expected. Of course, the Guild Master would only appear when things
seemed hopelessly out of control.
Nevertheless, if you couldn’t even see the Blue Guild Master, you’d know
right away that something was wrong with the current guild.
“Can someone…”
“It’s just a simple reasoning. Take it as a suggestion, if you will.”
I felt like something in the atmosphere had changed.
If there was a problem with the guild’s executive abilities, then our growth
potential would also waver. It was then that I felt like I made a little mistake.
“How cheeky…”
This voice did not belong to Lee Sang-hee.
Rather, it belonged to the voice of the old man next to me. He was staring at
me with overly eager eyes.
‘Hm?’
“We are not investing in you, alchemist.”
“Seolho! What have you done!”
“Our Blue Guild hasn’t collapsed to the point of being ordered around by that
guy, Lee Sang-hee.”
‘That…’
“Isn’t this just a child who has not yet been in this place for a year? Yes, I am
willing to bend, but not to someone like him.”
“Hold in your magic!”
‘Shit…’
Now I understood what being on the brink of death was like.
Perhaps it was because of the magic power of the old man who occupied the
room, but my body had begun to tremble, and even breathing became a
challenging task.
The thought of dying in this room kept coming into my mind.
“I told you to hold in your magic power! Seolho Lee!”
“This crap guy… I know guys like you very well. You are the type who runs
wild even when you know you cannot offer anything in return. There are a lot
of different people here. Do you think I haven’t seen a rat like you while
living on this continent?”
“Uh…”
“It will not be a hassle to kill people like you. Threats always flow over this
continent. No one knows when and where what will happen. This place is
different from Earth. Stupid kid… Do you really not know when to tread
carefully? How dare you!”
‘I’m going to die,’ the thought flashed in my head. It was getting harder and
harder to breathe.
I didn’t really understand what the heck was happening.
‘Like a beggar… Old man…’
I wanted to run out of the door right now, but I couldn’t even move my body.
When I was at a point where I had to choose anything, anything at all to save
me, I made my move.
“Do it, crazy old man.”
“What?”
Only
“Try it. If you can kill me, then kill me.”
“You dare to-!”
“Lee Seolho! Do my words really fall on flat ears?!”
Even with Lee Sang-hee’s shouting, I let insults pour out of my mouth.
“A crazy old man…”
“You!”
“If I die, do you think Cha Hee-ra will let you off?!”
The old man shut his mouth at my words.

Crazy bitch (3)
“If I die, do you think Cha Hee-ra will let you off?!”
The old man shut his mouth at my words.
Of course, this was a blatant lie. If Cha Hee-ra was here, she would have
laughed. She and I had hardly talked, but it was enough for me to get a
glimpse of her personality.
What I spouted was some ridiculous bullshit, but it was something that the
old man took at face value.
Perhaps something like this had happened to him in the past.
Regardless of whether they were willing to provide for us or not, I had

already made it a point to possibly contact Cha Hee-ra again.
Seeing that the old man was still silent at this point, he still must have been
mulling over in his head. I was torn between wanting to and not wanting to
know the scene that must have been playing in his head.
“What… what is this bullshit…”
“I’ll see if it’s bullshit or not. Do you want to find out?”
“…”
It had gotten pretty quiet. I thought I might have gotten through him.
The weight from the name, Cha Hee-ra of the Red Mercenary Guild, really
did seem to be heavy. The fact that the Red Mercenary Guild had little
friendly relations with the Blue Guild also did not sit well with them.
Nobody wanted to mess with that monstrous clan, and it wasn’t just because
of the legendary stats they possessed. They were one of the largest guilds in
the Holy Empire, and she was the one who had the highest stats and combat
abilities among everyone we had seen today.
Putting myself in the old man’s shoes, killing an arrogant little boy was
hardly worth gaining the potential ire of such a person. The status of the Blue
Guild now seemed like a candle waiting to be extinguished by the wind.
‘Huh. So this is how it is.’
A frightened dog barks the loudest, after all. This is what my grandfather has
taught me.
“With Cha Hee-ra…”
“That’s not what you need to know. It doesn’t matter whether we had a
relationship from Earth or whether we love each other or not. The important
thing is that the Blue Guild, which has the right to bargain, threatened the
new recruit who had just entered this place with force, and this should not be
known outside. After all, even the Blue Guild flinches at the mention of a
scary force like the Red Mercenary Guild.”
“…”
“I don’t know how this place works, but it doesn’t seem like there are
enemies around… . You don’t want to hand over the bargaining power you
have to other guilds, and I don’t know why you won’t take this attitude. I did
not come here to fight, but to negotiate. No matter how drunk on the glory of
the past, doesn’t anyone seem to have a problem with this attitude, even
ignoring the words of their superiors? Or, is your ability to judge the situation
so low that you can’t even recognize the problem now?”
“You…”
I stretched out slightly, finding out that I could move now. This was because
the magical power that occupied this place from the moment Cha Hee-ra’s
name came out had faded.
I slowly opened my mouth while maintaining a poker face as much as

possible. It was crucial for me to hide my excitement now. I knew that in the
case of this meaningless argument, the overly excited side loses.
“If you want to show that the Blue Guild is free and has an atmosphere
similar to that of a family, then congratulations – it’s a big fucking success.”
“…”
“The problem is that someone you don’t like runs the group.”
“What?”
“You know what I mean.”
“What do you mean…”
“There are things you can see even if you try not to show them, Seolho Lee.
It doesn’t really matter how you rate me. I also know very well that Kim
Hyunsung and Jung Hayan are the ones you find of worth. I understand that
you don’t like me. Yes, you haven’t done a good job hiding it at all.”
“…”
“However, you should have limited your actions. No matter how much power
you have in this continent, your actions are still considered rude. I am not yet
your subordinate.”
“This guy is still so cocky!”
This was it. Someone had overworked themselves with excitement.
Bang!
My head automatically turned to the source, as did Lee Seolho.

From a first glance, what happened was obvious. Lee Sang-hee, who couldn’t
be more than a subordinate, had hit the desk with her fist.
“Lee Seolho.”
“Lee… Lee Sang-hee… .”
“Do you know what you are doing now?”
“That is…”
“It’s serious.”
“Yeah?”
“Congratulations, you’re officially on probation. Get out and go back to the

guild. Of course, right after you apologize to Kiyoung.”
I roughly expected this would happen.
There was only one action she could take to compensate for the old man’s
actions, as he was obviously still drunk on their guild’s long-passed glory
days.
“I am… For the guild…”
“I told you to apologize. I won’t tell you twice, Seolho Lee.”
As expected, you could see a crumpled expression on the old man’s face. It
was too complex of a reaction. There was betrayal in there… and something
else, something I couldn’t quite place.
However, I knew only Seolho Lee would truly understand this situation.
It was only a matter of time before he would speak again.
“I apologize… for my rude speech… it was unreasonable…”
“I will take it, seeing as I was also a little excited. Let me apologize.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
His expression was not the expression of someone who was genuinely
apologizing. Upon saying this, Lee Seolho hurried out of the room. I tried my
hardest not to smile.
As I looked at Lee Sang-hee with a gentle expression, I saw her also bowing
down.
“I’m really sorry. It was due to my carelessness that I could not properly
control the guild members. I really do apologize.”
“…”
I could not quite get Lee Sang-hee at this point. She had been so openly
inviting and genuine ever since we first met her.
It wasn’t just a front.
It was rather embarrassing for someone like her to bow her head to a rookie,
but she did it anyway and without hesitation.
Unfortunately, it would be a reasonable judgment to finish at this point.
“No, I’m also really sorry…”
“No, it was entirely our fault. Please…”
“If it’s a contract-related problem, you don’t have to worry.”
“Yeah?”
“I was being rude.”
“Ah…”
“I seemed to have come up with a story without thinking properly about the
pride of the members of the Blue Guild. It was for negotiations, but I couldn’t
say anything that would hurt the guild. I can’t justify Lee’s actions no matter
what, but I can’t say that I did better than him.”
“Ah… Maybe with Cha Hee-ra…”
“I just made a small bond with luck. Getting acquainted with her will
probably also help us.”
“Would that mean… May I accept it as a means of accepting the contract

positively?”
“Of course. The terms of the contract will also be agreed with 10,000 gold
instead of 15,000 gold. However…”
“Yeah?”
“I would like you to reconsider the holders of the main executive positions of
the Blue Guild.”
“Ah…”
“I think you can understand why I am making this proposal.”
There was no guarantee that a dog-like situation like the one before will not
happen again. There was also no guarantee that Seolho Lee would be the only
man to act like that.
I did not intend to fall victim to any old geezer who wanted to try and crush
me.
If it were a political fight, I would welcome it. However, this situation could
make or break me.
“I don’t care if it’s simply a position of words.”
I’m guessing my value has risen more than before.

First of all, the biggest reason was that this side now had contact with the
Mercenary Queen Cha Hee-ra. Recruiting our party would provide room for
the Blue Guild to rub against the Red Mercenaries.
Of course, that was a big, fat lie. There was no reason for blue to start mixing
with red.
If so, holding hands was an advantage that could not be converted into true
value. It wasn’t just that either. They may also be thinking that we were
suitable as a control force against the stagnant water that gnaws at guilds.
Perhaps, for her, the out-of-control gangs would be quite a headache.

Considering the sudden behavior just minutes before, this guild had several
problems.
It was for me, for her, and for the guild, that I proposed for them to give up a
major executive position.
It was like saying, ‘I’ll fix this for you.’
Of course, there must be a difference between the outcome I wanted and the
outcome she wanted, but I thought there would be no disagreement over the
need to purify the rotten water.
“In fact…”
“Yes?”
“In the case of down payments, we can make the most of it. I didn’t even
think about the major executive positions… I’m just cautious because it
seems like you’re asking for a slightly larger rank than I think. Am I right?”
There was no need to lie.
I nodded, “That’s right.”
“As well as… I would like to tell you in advance that it can be difficult right
now in the case of hero-grade items. It would be possible if you provided
some time, but right now…”
“Ah.”
‘So, they are more valuable than I thought.’
I didn’t know if it was because of Ramus Tucker’s Introduction to Alchemy,

which casually popped out of Kim Hyunsung’s magic bag, but I started to
look at the top-level items a bit humorously.
“You don’t have to pay for the item right away. Unless our equipment is
available right now…”
“Ah! If so, can I tell you after the internal meeting? It won’t take long.”
“Of course. It’s not an easy decision, so you can take your time.”
This was the outcome I was expecting right from the start, anyway. The only
remaining issue would be what items are paid and how high the status would
be guaranteed.
“Then, I’ll be on my way now.”
Only
“Yeah. Thank you, Kiyoung. And once again, I apologize for the rudeness.”
“No, no. I am also very sorry.”
I knew I also had to talk to another person before the day ended.
‘Cha Hee-ra…’
Was I playing with fire? I really didn’t know what could happen on this
continent.
Kim Hyunsung, who was well-known, may suddenly be preyed on, or some
crazy old man, like Seolho Lee, might make an elaborate plan to victimize
me.
The reality was that we would not be safe with whatever we picked as a
party.
‘I need to have a backbone from now on.’

Chapter 46 Even where there are
tigers, foxes sometimes become
kings (1)
Even where there are tigers, foxes sometimes become kings (1)
If I was alone, I would have settled for joining the Red Mercenary Guild. No,
it was just that I wouldn’t ever join the Blue Guild. In my view, it was a guild
that was already stepping on the train to ruin. Not to mention, it was run by a
group of old guys whose contributions only weighed as much as a pile of
dung.
If one were to think about this rationally, it was completely irrational to pick
Blue Guild.
I knew it was because of people like Lee Seolho, who brought down the
guild. Even Lee Sang-hee was at fault for allowing her guild members to be
so unruly at just the slightest insult.
No wonder they were often ignored by other guilds. They truly made it look
like joining the Blue Guild was like joining a sinking ship – doomed right
from the very beginning.
It must be so fun and exciting to join a guild such as the Red Mercenary and
watch as the Blue Guild fall to its ruin, but I wasn’t overly confident with my
own skills, either.
We couldn’t expect change to come just because we joined the Blue Guild.
That would be the same not only for me but also for Kim Hyunsung. Our
crafty leader was still very careful.
Nevertheless, Kim Hyunsung obviously wanted to join Blue. That had been a
fact since the beginning.
Of course, it didn’t seem like I didn’t think about any of the other options, but
until this moment, everyone thought it would be the best decision. I was only
sure of one thing.
Whether it was the distant or the near future, joining Blue would be much
more beneficial than joining Red.
We would already be treated as a team with high potential, so there was no

need for us to look for another route just because the path we were presented
with would prove to be rocky. On that same note, it would be absurd for me
to back out just because of a few crazy old men.
Of course, it didn’t mean that I would completely disregard this fact.
‘My safety.’
My safety was the most important. The reason for finding Cha Hee-ra in the
first place was to ensure my safety. Her name weighed heavily on everyone
here.
I could not rely on Kim Hyunsung’s plans forever. I also had to find other
ways to protect myself.
‘I can handle it.’
A guild filled with senile old men? I could handle that. I hated gambling, but
felt like now was the necessary time to play.
“You mean the Red Mercenary?”
“I’m going back to her for a while.”
“Why all of a sudden…”

“I have something to talk about with the Mercenary Queen.”
“With Cha Hee-ra? Are you serious?”
I nodded roughly.
Kim Hyunsung’s expression showed his uncertainty while Park Deokgu and
Jung Hayan seemed positively opposed to the idea.
Their reactions were not unreasonable, and I knew it too. After all, why
would I bother going back to the same, dangerous woman who had openly
kissed me in front of everyone?
Jung Hayan seemed to be the most affected, as her skin had turned into a
ghastly pale color.
“Oppa…”
“Oh, Hyung… Why must you do that?”
“It would be helpful for the party.”
“Even though… to that woman…”
“Oh, Oppa…” Jung Hayan’s stricken expression worried me. I hadn’t yet
cleared things up with her ever since the incident, after all, and now, hearing
that I would talk to Cha Hee-ra again spelled bad news.
Honestly, I was anxious about what kind of conversation we would have, but
if this meant that I would gain another safety backup, then I would willingly
take the risk.
“Can I ask why?”
There was no reason to lie in this scenario.
“I thought I needed someone to look behind me. I’ll tell you a little more
about it after things go well.”
“Ah… I see,” Kim Hyunsung’s expression showed that he did not disapprove
of my plans. He probably knew why I was doing this, and thus felt no reason
to stop me.
Jung Hayan, however, still sported a frightened expression. She might be

thinking that I would have her replaced, but of course, that was not the case.
Her lips were parted, almost as if she wanted to intervene between my

conversation with Kim Hyunsung. However, with much restraint, she did not
speak. Park Deokgu was practically the same.
I had no choice but to calm Jung Hayan down by holding her hand for a
moment.
“I won’t take long.”
“Yeah… o-okay.”
Seeing Jung Hayan’s normal reaction – which was to blush – had some of the
color return to her cheeks. Park Deokgu seemed to have cheered up upon
hearing this as well, and a smile spread across his face. He had started to turn
and walk away with her when she spoke again.
“Oppa… Don’t go.”
“It won’t take long.”
“Still…”
“Trust me. I’m just going to share our story with her. Don’t worry.”
“But… Oppa… I’ll go, too.”
“It would be better for me to go alone.”
“Oppa…” her voice gradually trailed off.
It was a slightly expected situation, but even I felt a chill when Jung Hayan
settled for silence. However, it was important for me to do this, as this would
also help the party.
As talented as she was, Jung Hayan could not protect me as she was right
now.
I gently pushed her against the wall. From her startled expression, she wasn’t
expecting me to do so.
“O-Oppa…”
I didn’t speak. Instead, I lifted her chin up with one hand.
Jung Hayan immediately turned as red as a tomato upon my bold action. She
blinked up at me, once, twice, trying to understand what it was that I was
planning to do.
“Oppa… Oppa…”
I slowly began to bring my face closer to hers, gazing down at her so tenderly
that she could hardly react.
And then, I kissed her.
There was genuinely no emotion. It was just a simple little kiss, but it seemed
to be enough for Jung Hayan. After I wrapped my arms around her, our
tongues began to entangle themselves as the kiss began to deepen.
I hadn’t planned to take it this far yet, but it didn’t seem to matter. I had to
appease her in one way or another.
The hands that gripped my hair pulled, and it became a painful sensation, but
there was something about the kiss and the way she held onto me that seemed
to make this into a pleasurable feeling all in all.
“Ah…”
I only planned on kissing her, but it seemed that Jung Hayan had other plans.
She was relentlessly nibbling away at my bottom lip and holding me close,
her hidden desires coming up to the surface. Because of this, it was hard to
break free from her.
It was only after she realized that I needed to catch my breath that I was able
to step back. However, Jung Hayan’s wanting expression had successfully
drawn me in once more.
“Oppa, oppa, oppa…”
I kissed her again. There was no reason to avoid her want for intimacy. If
there was a time for foolishness, then that time was now.
I didn’t know if it was intended, but Jung Hayan had started biting and
suckling on my tongue. A slightly sore feeling emerged from the sensation.
Although I didn’t necessarily like it, I did not complain about it, either.
It was only after a few seconds that Jung Hayan realized what we were doing,
and she drew back to look up at me in surprise. Smiling down at her, I leaned
in to whisper softly right into her ear.
“I like you.”
Upon hearing my words, I could see her struggling to contain her joy.
“Me too… I… I love you…”
“I want to be able to protect what we have now.”
Half of what I said was sincere. Too bad, she didn’t know the hidden
message I wished to convey with my words.
“Me too… Me too…”
“I don’t want to get hurt.”
“Me, too!”
“That’s why this is necessary. We need to have a good relationship with Cha
Hee-ra because we are not strong yet.”
“I… I’m not strong, either…”
“Do you get why I’m doing this now?”
“Still…”
“It will be fine. Please, trust me.”
Jung Hayan shut her mouth, her expression shifting into a more complicated
one. I could guess what she was thinking, but I didn’t try my best to decipher
it properly.
Instead, I squeezed her hand and gave her a light kiss.
This was no big deal. She would understand.
Jung Hayan seemed to know that I was in a position of being sold out, but I
was only planning on holding a conversation with Cha Hee-ra. I didn’t bother
explaining.
‘Good.’
After all, one couldn’t really believe an unpredictable woman.
Anyway, after the steps I had taken today, Jung Hayan would definitely be
immersed in her growth a little more from now on. However, I knew she was
still worried about me going to see Cha Hee-ra.
I couldn’t help it; I had to laugh. She was getting so anxious over nothing.
“The same thing won’t happen this time.”
“But…”
“I love you.”
“Ah… Alas…”
I had never said these words out loud before, but it seemed to have done the
trick. Jung Hayan’s legs wobbled, almost as if she was on the brink of falling
to her knees.
After I kissed her on the forehead once more, I began to walk away.
Some of my plans did not go as intended. I ended up rushing my relationship

with Jung Hayan because of the circumstances that presented themselves to
us.
Of course, this did not necessarily mean that it was a bad thing. Our
relationship had gotten stronger, which meant a stronger attachment. This
would serve me well in the long run.
‘Crazy old man.’
It was not only Jung Hayan who lacked proper strength. It was also me.
Therefore, we had to find a way to get past this shortcoming.
Shaking my head to rid myself of these thoughts, I continued making my way

out, my mind already set into analytical mode.
It wasn’t long before I reached the place where the Red Mercenary Guild was
staying. A guild member who saw me with his startled eyes began to rush
over.
“What is it?”
“I came to see Cha Hee-ra.”
“Ah! Could you wait a minute?”
“Of course.”
It almost felt like they had been waiting for me all this time.
“You just have to go inside. She is in the last room.”

“Alright, thank you.”
As I walked, I tried to find the right words to say. However, it wasn’t easy to
do so in a situation like this.
‘You shouldn’t be so interested in Cha Hee-ra, Lee Kiyoung.’
If I really planned on joining the Red Mercenary Guild, then maybe the
situation about how I felt would have changed. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the
case.
I knocked on the door. A voice immediately came from inside.
“Come in.”
“Thank you.”
As I opened the door, I saw a familiar woman lying in bed and yawning. She
was still wearing the same bold attire, her red hair as daring and unruly as
ever.
Like last time, I fumbled about where to look, but I was faster to regain my
senses. I decided to stare at her eye to eye.
“Did your thoughts change?”
“Not like that.”
“Then… You have to explain why you chose to come here alone. I was
having a pleasant dream until you came. Honestly, this is a little unsettling. I
can’t just calmly sit around watching as the younger girl you came with gets
to have you as her lover.”
Only
I blinked. I suddenly forgot how I planned to start my story. I couldn’t, for
the life of me, understand this woman at all.
Did one automatically become immune to embarrassment once they were

aware of how they looked? I did not know.
As I was in the position to make an offer, I needed to be just as confident as

her. Taking a deep breath, I collected my thoughts and blurted out what I had
planned to say all along.
“I want you to be a sponsor.”
There was a stunned silence.
After a few seconds, Cha Hee-ra recovered from her surprised expression and
faced me with an expression that showcased her newfound interest.
“Hmm… you are indeed very interesting.”
‘What was she talking about…?.’

Chapter 47 Even where there are
tigers, foxes sometimes become
kings (2)
Even where there are tigers, foxes sometimes become kings (2)
‘What is she talking about…?’
Cha Hee-ra’s expression showed that she found my proposal amusing. The
hunger in her gaze seemed to reinvigorate itself.
“No one has ever spoken to me so openly like this… Are you really that
confident? To be honest, your appearance is just my type… I like snakes a
little. I like the calculating look in your eyes. It might not look that good-
looking to a lot of people, but it looks attractive to me.”
“That…”
“However, it doesn’t mean that my desire to buy you has disappeared. Still, I
think I should try and see if you can be a product I can trust and use… What
do you think?”
With her legs crossed, she calmly and invitingly patted the empty space on
the bed next to her. Only then did I find out what she meant for me to do.
My face turned red in an instant.
‘What…’
Was she really going to go about the matter at hand in this manner? I knew it
would be a mistake to think of her as a dumb woman, but I honestly didn’t
expect her to make this kind of offer.
‘Is she really not taking this seriously?’
She probably was.
I brought my hands up as a sign of deference, “I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Then what did you mean by that?”
“That’s…”
“Kiyoung Lee, my investment in you is the only story I was willing to hear
when you came to our guild. Of course, if you came with your lovely lover,
then I wouldn’t mind. However, even if you come alone, I’m willing to
accept you into my guild. I don’t think you’re very talented, but… I’m not
very negative about alchemy. I don’t think it’s bad to have a good
relationship.”
“Ah.”
“But it’s ridiculous to ask for this investment even after you move to another
guild. That’s not my role. It’s your guild’s job. Would you invest in someone
who will give you nothing? Rather, it seems like a more profitable business
to give money in exchange for playing with you in bed several times a month.
You give me service, and I can compensate you for it. Do you understand?”
‘Damn.’
The facts that had come up hit too hard.
In other words, Cha Hee-ra was basically saying that she’d rather invest in
my body than in my own personal growth. Honestly speaking, though, it
didn’t seem like such a bad proposal.
I didn’t know if she was acting or not, but she seemed to want me as of the
moment. Of course, I had to consider the fact that she thought of me as a toy,
not as a person.
I hated myself for my pride – and most importantly – for debating whether or
not it would be better for me to simply be her pet, following her every beck
and call.
Nevertheless…
‘I can’t.’
I couldn’t simply devalue my worth in that manner. Once Cha Hee-ra is tired
of me in bed, she’d get tired of me as an investment, too.
I didn’t want anything like that.
“Of course I can understand, Cha Hee-ra. I am not asking you to be a

personal sponsor. I’m asking for you to be the sponsor of our party, which
was the first to finish this tutorial. Kim Hyunsung and Jung Hayan will surely
grow. One of them may grow up to be the strongest within the continent.”
“So?”
“W-What?”
“So what? Whether they grow up or not, it has nothing to do with me. I’m
already one of the strongest this continent can count on. Our guild’s members
are also superior to most. Although we lack wizards, it is easy to dazzle some
with the amount of gold we have. The Red Mercenary is the type of guild
who doesn’t lack the financial means to do so. Even if Jung Hayan grows, it
will take at least three years before then. Why would I be sponsoring you for
that long a time?”
“…”
“All I need are wizards for my guild. I don’t need anything else. If you’re
going to keep spouting out nonsensical things, then why don’t you come over
and show me your charm instead? I’ll give you a good price so you don’t feel
disappointed, and I’ll bring you gifts often.”
‘Damn, she really wants me to be her pet…’
It felt embarrassing for her to explicitly state giving me money and gifts in
exchange for bed service. I felt like no matter what I said, she would take it as
a joke.
Slowly, I took out an artifact that I had been hiding and held it out to her.
Cha Hee-ra looked on, curious as to what I was bringing out. However, upon
closer inspection, her face registered recognition.
It was the item she put in my arms when I first met.
[Magic Pendant-Rare Grade]
[It is a pendant that increases magic power by 3. It has a function that

amplifies the magic effect. It is not known exactly where it was found.]
“I don’t need anything like this.”
In an instant, the pendant had been knocked askew, landing onto the bed. I
didn’t know what was going on in her mind now.
“You…”
It was certainly irrational for me to continue, but I had to take the risk.
“Not gold. I don’t need gold.”
“…”
“What I need is your reputation and strength. You have a reputation as the
Mercenary Queen Cha Hee-ra, but I don’t care about those things, either.”
“You, do you understand what you are doing now? Not touching new recruits
is something that everyone has implicitly agreed upon, but coming out in
such a bold manner will not be good for you. Since good offers keep flying in
your direction, it seems that you have become more determined than before.”
“Of course I still know where I stand. This world is the kind of world where
you can be admired one day, and then murdered in the next, all without a lot
of people knowing.”
“…”
“So. What do you say?”
Life and magic began to fill the room as I looked up to stare at Cha Hee-ra.
The pressure was more than Lee Seolho could ever emit. This was, after all,
the power of the Mercenary Queen. However, unlike the old geezer, she did
not intend to harm me with it.
“I find this fun. I think I’m more annoyed because I know where you’re
coming from, and how you should go about it. It’s been a while, but my
interest has been piqued because I can see just what type of personality you
have. To be honest, I really like it. There are not a lot of men who can be this
confident in front of me… I don’t know the last time I’ve been treated like
this. And to think, it’d be a newcomer who would dare treat me this way…”
“…”
“But are you aware that the degree that you’re asking for is a little bit too
much? Hey. Originally, alchemy is said to be an equivalent exchange. If
you’re going to use me as your shield, you’ll probably have a product
equivalent to what I can offer, right? If you don’t, you’ll be responsible for
what you did.”
I almost forgot about the pressure in holding a conversation like this.

However, it wasn’t going as badly as I expected it to go.
After all, Cha Hee-ra was actually willing to listen to what I had to say.
“Well? Say it.”
“This is the stake in the potion that I will make in the future.”
With a trembling hand, I took out a hero-grade book from my chest and threw
it on the ground. A curious expression emerged in Cha Hee-ra’s face.
“It sounds like you can actually be capable… I don’t know where you got the
hero-grade book, but is that all I’ll be getting?”
“I’ll give you one percent.”
“One percent?”
“Don’t worry. You will be sitting on the money cushion soon enough.”
It could have very well been a lie or a bluff on my part, but I knew she would
find it in herself to trust me. Why?
Because there was no reason for me to risk my life on such a lie.
“Secondly, you will be able to establish a friendly relationship with our

party.”
“I already told you. I am not interested in things that are not mine.”
“We will grow beyond your imagination.”
“Don’t try and scam me.”
“I am not kidding. We will be strong and we will soon be representing this

empire. If we establish good relations with the Red Mercenaries, then we will
always be with you. With a small investment, you will be able to build a good
relationship with us in the future, before any guild or faction comes in the
way.”
“Do you know that what you’re talking about is the bravado of snake-
tongued men? Even if there is no investment cost, there is no guarantee that
your potion will be of any value or that your party can grow.”
“Third.”
“…”
“I’ll give you the wizard you need.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“Out of the people who came out after the end of this tutorial, I will select the
people who can achieve proper efficiency within at least three years- no,
make that two years. I will make a chart and give the list to you.”
I saw her quietly mulling this over.
If the Red Mercenary Guild’s project was just beginning, my suggestion

would definitely be appealing to her.
“It’s interesting, but… is it possible?”
“The main reason why I am confident is that I will soon become a Blue
executive with bargaining rights.”
“Hmm…”
“The second reason is…”
“…”
“It’s a secret.”
“You…”
“After all, alchemy was originally said to be an equivalent exchange.”
Of course, I would never tell her how exactly I would be able to distinguish
the talented ones.
Her protection was important, but it still wasn’t worth my secret.
Cha Hee-ra remained silent.

I knew she must still be thinking that her compensation still weighed heavily
compared to my offer. I kept myself carefully composed. I knew there was a
high chance that she’d give in.
However, at the same time, I knew she might not.
I could see her trying to work out the pros and cons in her head,
‘Shit.’
Was she really not going to consider our offer?
I thought I convinced her that our party was set to grow and that I would be
able to offer her the best wizards among this batch.
It wasn’t a perfect set of conditions, but I could see that it was good enough
to work on.
‘Has she looked into this too much?’ I bit my lip out of nervousness.
“The share of the potion you will make is 3%, not 1%. I’ll make sure to get a
list of melee workers as well as a list from the wizards. And, I’ll decide how
to go about this.”
“What…”
“Did you not need my protection? No one will ever touch you. However, that
means I must be the one to decide.”
“How?”
“I’ll find out about that today. So, are you going to do it or not?”
Of course, there was no reason to refuse.
“Please take good care of me.”
“Let’s take some time to talk again later. Separately.” Cha Hee-ra gestured to
the door, and I knew she meant for me to leave. However, there was a
satisfactory expression on her face.
“I realized that I liked this offer way more than I should’ve.”
‘It’s a success!’
Only
At the same time that I exited the room, a bunch of people out on the hallway
rushed inside. All of them appeared to be in the higher positions within the
Red Mercenary Guild. Sure enough, when I used my abilities, I was correct.
Were they this excited to know how our meeting had turned out?
Cha Hee-ra had already agreed to protect me at a price. However, how

exactly would she go about with this protection?
The moment I exited their quarters, the answer came to me. A status window
popped out of the blue.
[You have obtained a title.]
“What?”
[Title-The Gigolo of the Mercenary Queen]
“Shit.”
It was my first-ever title.

Chapter 48 Power(1)
Power(1)
Negotiations with the Blue Guild proceeded smoothly.
Almost immediately after opening up a personal account, our down payment

came flowing in. It went exactly as Lee Sang-hee promised. The plan had
always been to join Blue, but now that I’d gotten the most out of the rewards
that we could receive, it seemed an increasingly better choice.
Compared to the Red Mercenary Guild, whose authority rested solely on the
Guild Master, Blue’s organization system was subdivided and more
complicated than expected. There were Guild Masters and Sub-guild Masters.
Each comprised six teams under them, along with several administrative
positions.
To put it simply, the Blue Guild was made up of six sub-guilds, each party
ranging from five to fifteen people. Because of this, I had a clue as to why
Kim Hyunsung liked Blue.
‘It’s more comfortable to move together in a guild with a system like this.’
As soon as we entered the guild, however, the number of sub-guilds was

bumped up to seven. The leader of the newest sub-guild was, obviously, Kim
Hyunsung. Although our party technically didn’t have an official position
within Blue yet, they had assured us that it would get taken care of soon
enough.
That was everything that Blue Guild had provided for us.
What remained in the agreement were the hero-grade items that were not yet
given, and the guild position that I deserved.
I was quite worried about where Lee Sang-hee would place me. I did not
want to be put in a position where I would have to face rotten old chaps like
Lee Seolho, who would probably judge me the minute I walked through the
door.
Fortunately, the position that was entitled to me shortly afterward did not
have any arrogant executives that would boss me around.
‘Non-combat military special administrative officer, huh?’
At first glance, it was a position that seemed vague and entirely unimportant
– a placeholder position, if you will. However, Lee Sang-hee decided to place
me into an executive position on my own, even though normal party
members weren’t supposed to be allowed that.
‘Anyway, this is good.’
Because of my proposal, the Blue Guild had taken another aspect that would
soon inform them of its importance. Aside from this, my position as a non-
combat military special administrative officer would also pave the way for
my team’s future growth.
I didn’t exactly know what kind of jobs my position would have me doing,
but I figured it could wait. I also knew there was something Lee Sang-hee
was trying to achieve. Otherwise, why would she be in such a hurry to grant
me a position?
“Mr. Kiyoung, a gift has arrived outside for you.”
“Ah. Thank you, Mr. Hyunsung.”
I knew what kind of ‘gift’ this was. It was courtesy of my position as the Red
Mercenary Queen’s Gigolo.
‘What would she be giving me this time around?’

I knew I made it seem as if I was highly confident about what I could bring to
the table, but the truth was I was slightly worried about what Cha Hee-ra had
planned for me. At first, I thought it was the madwoman planning to take
revenge on me, but when valuable gifts and handwritten letters came, I knew
she had decided to take this investment seriously.
Our talk had, after all, become a success. There would not be a single lunatic
in the continent who would dare attack the Red Mercenary Queen’s Gigolo.
‘Still….’
“This is not it.”
Her method of showing her protection was not what I had been expecting at
all.
Of course, unlike me, who felt a little disturbed, the Blue Guild seemed to
warm up to the idea of Cha Hee-ra giving me gifts. To them, it probably
seemed as if she was also trying to get closer to the guild, eventually leading
to relations that would help in the future, which was helpful for my position
in the guild. I knew my position and influence would only continue to rise
from here on out. However, I was also bound to receive unwanted attention,
whether from inside or outside the guild.
‘There’s been a rumor that Cha Hee-ra, the Mercenary Queen of the Red
Mercenary Guild, had been unable to escape the charms of one of the
dungeon newbies. Therefore, he has become her latest conquest.’
Aside from this disgusting rumor, there were also countless other hearsays,
one being more scandalous than the next. I was either a two-timer, an
irresistible lover in bed, or that I knew Cha Hee-ra from my time on Earth.
I could bet that the Red Mercenary Guild members themselves had started all
these rumors. Seeing as it was such a large guild, I knew that the gossip
would eventually reach even the doors of the Holy Empire.
‘Damn…’
Kim Hyunsung stood next to me; both eyes shaped like startled ‘O’s as he
regarded the pile of items Cha Hee-ra had sent.
I could not stop myself from blushing with embarrassment. I did not want to
know what he was thinking.
“Can you tell me what both of you talked about?”
“Nothing much. I asked her to sponsor us, and she agreed. This is probably
her idea of a bad joke.”
“Hmm… Maybe so. However, looking at the gifts, it seems that my dear
friend Kiyoung certainly left a good impression on her.”
Looking at the items piled up in front of the building at Kim Hyunsung’s

words, I had no choice but to realize why this kind of misunderstanding
seemed to spark his skepticism.
[Ancient Republic’s Drug Manufacturing Alchemy Kit-Hero Grade]
[This is an alchemy kit that has been passed down as a tradition in the
ancient republic. These basic pieces of equipment found in underground
laboratories remain in good shape even today. Although it seems to have
been treated with special chemicals, this item is excellent in quality and
performance described as simple equipment. Potion production success
rate increases. This temporarily raises the user’s luck value.]
It wasn’t just this that was in a pile.
[Minotaur’s tendon-Rare grade]
[Benshi’s Magic Essence-Rare Grade]
[Troll’s Blood-Rare Grade]
[Unidentified Monster Blood-Rare Grade]
[Holy Water of the Holy Empire-Rare Grade]

All kinds of catalysts used in alchemy were neatly stacked inside boxes.
To make matters worse, a letter piled neatly on top of the boxes, handwritten
and openly affectionate in its wording.
‘This is a token of my appreciation. It’s no big deal, but I hope you’ll accept
it. Sending love to my best friend in the world, Cha Hee-ra.’
‘This… shit…’
Of course, I didn’t hate the gesture. It wasn’t every day you were showered
with such rare and dazzling items that you could use to your heart’s desire. I
could care less about the rumors that people would spread about me.
The problem was Jung Hayan.
Of course, she had always been the only problem in most of my endeavors.
When the first gift arrived, and the rumors began to spread, her expression
was beyond words.
I was worried about what Jung Hayan would think, or how she would act
once the first present came sailing through the door, but she eventually had to
accept the fact that she wouldn’t be able to do all these things for me – at
least, not yet.
Of course, I had no intimate relationship with Cha Hee-ra. I spent a lot of

time trying to persuade Jung Hayan of this, complete with a ton of ‘I love
you’s and hugging, but Jung Hayan also spent a lot of time to herself and
thinking alone.
Once I had turned my attention to my priorities, I worried that immediately

immersing myself in magic training would overwhelm me. I spent a measly
amount of time sleeping and spent the rest working on my power and
influence.
I knew if this continued, Jung Hayan would eventually break from her
doubts.
It was a time to reaffirm each other’s feelings, but for her, it was also a time
to make sure I stayed away from such dirty things as those stated in the
rumors.
“Jung Hayan…”
“Miss Hayan will probably be at the lake in the back. It seems that she is
currently training for water-based magic. Therefore, you will probably find
her over there. Mr. Deokgu, on the other hand…”
“Yes?”
“He seems to be building a boat on the shore. He’s been at it since this
morning.”
“A boat?”
“Yeah. It seems that Miss Hayan has been looking at the lake and is thinking
about doing some boating. I thought it would be helpful for their training, so I
left them to their own devices.”
A shiver ran down my spine at this.
‘Park Deok-gu…’
I didn’t know what he was trying to do at this point, but I felt like it wasn’t
anything good. As I tried to force myself out of my thoughts, Kim Hyunsung
spoke to me.
“What’s going on in the guild these days? Do you know?”
“Yeah, of course I do. Admittedly though, it’s been a little hard keeping up
with the meetings, but I know a little about what’s happening. It seems that
tutorial dungeons are now opening in other places as well. The transfer
market will also open sooner or later, but unfortunately, Blue did not have the
capacity to invest in the attack group. There will be at most one or two new
recruits coming to join our party. I saw some survivors that had more
potential than the rest, so I think we should invest in them.”
“Well… Their optimism is probably because of us.”
That was perfectly correct.
“Yes, I agree. However, if possible, we are thinking about using a down

payment for the people who will join our party…”
“It’s not a bad idea. I think our team will be a little happier with more
members.”
“I’m glad then. How about you? What’ve you been planning?”
“I’m thinking of entering the dungeon by collaborating with the other parties
in our guild. It would be a good way for Blue to grow in terms of stats. Of
course, it will be after all this work is finished, but it would be better to
prepare in advance.”
“Which dungeon?”
“It hasn’t been decided yet. Personally, I think it will be an experience to

search for a dungeon that has not yet been discovered, but it seems that the
guild is thinking of starting with basic hunting.”
“Oh, I see.”
“We have a meeting now, so let’s go in first. Kiyoung?”
“Ah. Alright. You go ahead.”
“Alright. Then we’ll see you in a minute.” Kim Hyunsung nodded at me.
I still acknowledged Kim Hyunsung as the leader, of course, and I helped

with whatever he needed when it came to external relations.
After the tutorials, we brought in those who weren’t selected or selected

before but were now on the market. Since I knew Kim Hyunsung would be
busy with other matters, this job would probably fall to me.
I knew he was thinking that I was doing my job better than he first imagined.
We had only known each other for a short period, but it was nice to know that
he was satisfied with what he had chosen to invest in.
‘He’s probably thinking about trusting me a little more.’
It is better for him to think that I could be useful in many different ways. I
knew sooner or later, Kim Hyunsung would slowly reveal a little more of
whatever he was planning.
Going back to reality, I knew my next choice of action would be to head to

the training center, where all the ‘newer’ newbies were gathered. It had
served as the temporary quarters of the new dungeon survivors.
If I were to measure the time it had taken for my conversation with Kim
Hyunsung to take place, I could guess that their briefing was over.
It was natural for me to prepare for recruitment. After all, part of the deal was
to prepare a list to be sent to Cha Hee-ra. Therefore, I needed to arrive earlier
than others.
“Today, the executives of the Blue Guild are scheduled to visit. You will
have to complete short or long training and receive offers or apply to each
guild. We would be grateful if you could act accordingly.”
“Yes.”
The training to be held today seemed to be a much-awaited event. As I

stepped forward, people automatically came up to greet me.
“You are in trouble.”
“Ah! No, team leader.”
“I haven’t even officially appointed you yet, Instructor.”

“Haha. Still, Mr. Kiyoung will soon become the Blue Guild’s new pillar.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
“Rather than that… There is still some time left before the training event
starts…”
Only
“Ah. I think it would be better to take a look at the survivors in advance.

Because you gave me an undeserved position, I have to do my best to prove
my worth.”
“Indeed…”
It was only a brief conversation, but I could already deduce what these people
were thinking.
Those who didn’t know me were just nervous about having a person with
such a high position come, but the people who knew me back at the shelter
couldn’t figure out what was going on.
‘I could get used to this feeling of power.’
Those who had expressions of disbelief marked on their faces were

laughable. After all, we came from the same tutorial dungeon. We all stayed
in the same shelter. We all managed to escape.
With this in mind, why was the difference between them and me so big?
I let my eyes roam over the venue, my lips curling up into a discreet smile.
Chapter 49 Power(2)
Power(2)
We were in an ironic situation where one had become a guild’s executive,

and the others were looking for someone to take them in, even though we all
started together.
I couldn’t help but feel relieved that I did not become one of them.
When I looked around, I saw Lee Ji-Hye and other familiar people from back
in the shelter. They didn’t look all that bad. Considering that I’ve been
through some pretty hard training myself, I was also in good shape. We were
the newest investments of the Blue Guild, after all. It was only normal that
they would work hard to manage our improvement.
When I thought back to the time where I couldn’t adapt initially, I realized
that I’ve come to accept this world’s reality, almost forgetting that this wasn’t
the world where I came from. I couldn’t believe that I’d been so preoccupied
that I’d forgotten about this fact.
Except for those I’d interacted with inside the shelter, I did not recognize the
other people crowded around. It did not take long for me to access their stat
information and potential with my ability. These were not easily noticeable
from every person’s outward appearance, so I was beginning to feel glad that
I had the ability with which I could use to gauge their power.
Although there were a few rare ones, I knew Cha Hee-ra would not deem
them worthy enough. Still, I found it important to go through everyone so I
wouldn’t miss out on a good investment.
“I think everyone looks promising.”
“Yeah.”
It was the expression of the trainees and the expression of the assigned
instructor that made me feel good about myself. They were all painfully
aware of the new power I wielded and thus felt wary around me.
Among the seven parties operated by the Blue Guild, they were not worthy
enough to be chosen after all. If I were them, my best course of action would
be to band together and prove my worth by getting stronger. Getting into a
guild wasn’t all about the gold. It was also about getting your support system
in any situation.
With the instructor, I could guess that he felt too arrogant in being chosen by
the Blue Guild but ended up getting the meager task of becoming their errand
boy. Little did he know that the real investment the Blue Guild participated in
were for people with real potential.
The recruitment system also made individuals devalue themselves after not
being chosen when they could be talented all on their own.
When I looked at the instructor through my ability-activated eyes, I took

careful notice of his growth limit.
‘His stats are low overall…’
“It’s not been long since I came here, but… I’m curious about how education
works here.”
“Oh? I can explain it to you if you want me to. It’s not that hard to
understand.”
“Well…”
“In the first place, the goal is to get the people here their jobs, but in fact,
there are only a few who actually achieve this. I guess you know that these
few are the talented ones in the batch.”
At his mentioning of ‘talented ones,’ I knew Jung Hayan would be a prime
example of this.
“Oh, I see.”
“People who have survived the dungeon without indulging in any combat
have a hard time finding their aptitudes, so they receive training almost
immediately. In the case of wizards and priests, they usually check whether
they have the potential for magical power. If not, they are automatically
transferred to melee. Those who judge that they cannot fight, whether
through basic combat methods or other tactics, will enter the non-combat
army and receive separate vocational training.”
“Vocational education…”
“That means cooking, cleaning, among many others. Some are employed in
restaurants and forges run by the imperialists, while others are engaged in
service jobs like beauty salons by utilizing their specialties from Earth.”
“Ah…”
“It’s not so bad. Sometimes, the guilds also recruit for vocational purposes.
Cha Hee-ra of the Red Mercenary Guild also has a hair designer in the guild.”
“Ahhh. Yes. I know.” I nodded as if I knew, although, in reality, I had only

heard of this now. It surprised me. I knew women were particular about their
looks, but I never took Cha Hee-ra to act in that manner.
“Then, in the case of those who fall into the non-combat army…”
“I usually respect all choices, but I don’t recommend it at the training center
level. If you are pushed to the continent without a clear aptitude, the result
won’t be very good. Chances are, you won’t get recruited. Though you can
find somewhere else to offer your services and receive adequate payment…
Well, most people still want to belong somewhere, you know?
“That sounds understandable.”
“Yeah. Most of them want to go to a medium or large guild, but… Guilds

have already established their standings aren’t interested in recruiting, rookie
or not rookie. However, fret not Kiyoung, you’d be a hot commodity
regardless.”
I blinked. I had heard this a lot. Was it flattery, or was there a meaning
hidden underneath?
“How about small to medium clans?”
“I don’t know what to say about them, but the situation is worse for small and
medium clans. Most of those who did not receive contact from large or
medium-sized guilds end up entering the smaller ones. It cannot be said that
the survival rate of new recruits in small and medium clans is high.”
“Is there a reason why?”
“Compared to the large guilds, there is hardly any available space, so the first
reason is forceful eviction. Although it may vary from guild to guild, there
are quite a few of those kinds of clans here, just as there are black companies
on Earth. Accidents that arise from excessively outsourcing of large guilds
are also common accidents… There are more and more Guild Masters who
exploit guild members to achieve desired results. Those who die without a
granted insurance are also another reason.”
“I see what you’re talking about.”
‘I don’t think I need to hear more.’
You can see how this continent worked and operated. In truth, the harshness
of it was the perfect twin of modern society back in my old world.
Large guilds are the object of everyone’s envy, and small and medium-sized
clans take those considered the ‘leftovers,’ most of the time having to throw
them in the end. I knew for sure there was a difference in salary as well.
If the tutorial dungeon proved to be hard, then the continent itself was hell.
What interested me were the non-combat and vocational choices that the
instructor had mentioned. I took a mental note to check these people out.
After all, there may be people who were selling bread lazily without realizing
their inner talents.
“Other than that, we have time to educate ourselves on the general common
sense of the continent. The relationship and history of the guild, the Holy
Empire and the Republic, and the Kingdom Union.”
“It’s a part of this world we haven’t learned properly yet.”
“In the case of the team leader, training will be conducted at the guild level.
The same goes for trainees. Even if someone among the remaining members
enters another guild or clan, training will still be separated for each guild.
You see, we have a separate training period to grow new recruits to their true
potentials.”
“Ah…”
“In the case of Blue, training is relatively loose and easy to understand, but in
the case of other guilds, it is a bit tricky.”
“I see. Thank you for informing me.”
“It’s my pleasure. I’m very happy to be able to help.”
With this, I tapped him on the shoulder. It may have been just a simple,
cheeky act, but the instructor’s mouth hung open.
“I will repay you for the story you gave today.”
“Well, you don’t need to…”
“No, no. Thank you very much.”
It was for my benefit as much as his. I knew chumming up to common folk

would help me out later.
As I let my eyes roam over the throngs of people crowding around, I saw Lee
Jihye glancing my way with a strange expression.
‘Shall I approach her?’
Of course, I had no intention of bringing her in as a party member. However,

I decided I was too busy. I still needed to make the list for Cha Hee-ra and
find worthy party members of Kim Hyunsung’s party. I also needed to make
time for my training as well as administrative work.
And my list of priorities didn’t even stop there!
‘There’s also exploration and potion manufacturing.’
The dungeon strategy Kim Hyun-sung was planning and the products to be
released in the Holy Continent also needed my attention. With the rate that I
was working, I was bound to collapse from overwork sooner or later. At the
very least, I needed team members to help me out with my work.
“Hmm…”
“Do you have anything you need?”
“No thank you, I do not.”
I looked around the venue again. This time, I saw familiar faces entering the
training center.
‘Lee Sang-hee…’ Kim Hyunsung was with her.
My lips curled in distaste as I also caught Lee Seolho entering, trying his best
to remain unnoticed. As long as he was on probation, he wouldn’t dare stir up
trouble again. Several administrative team leaders went to greet them, and
they bowed in response.
This type of greeting was natural. They were, after all, on the same rank. Of
course, it was different for normal guild members and instructors. Their
greetings fell upon deaf ears.
The exception was Lee Sang-hee, who readily greeted each of the guild
members face to face. She then approached me afterward.
“You were here first.”
“Yes, Lee Sang-hee.”
“This is what I said to Mr. Hyunsung, but I will repeat it again. If there are
any necessary personnel, I will allow him to recruit them. We will do our best
to help you with whatever aspects of the guild you see fit to work on.”
“Thank you.”
I saw Lee Sang-hee smiling at my words.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll work hard.’
Unlike other people where I had to continually stay on the high alert, it was
quite reassuring to be with Lee Sang-hee. It was inappropriate to describe her
in this way, seeing as she was only thirty-three, but she felt just like a mother
to me.
“Thank you very much for your hard work.”
“No, it is my pleasure.”
After exchanging my greetings, I took a seat in a place I found suitable.

Trainees wearing nervous expressions came trailing in not long after. They
must be thinking about whether they would get an offer too.
In their eyes, we were the high rankers they needed to impress.
The Blue Guild Master quietly stood on the podium and opened his mouth to
speak.
“You have worked hard so far. Everyone who was brought here, even those
who did not understand English and had a hard time endured well.”
“…”
“In my heart, I would like to educate you a little longer until you can safely
settle in the continent, but I would like to express my apology for not being
able to do so due to various circumstances. You will soon leave this place and
head for the Holy Empire of Benigore. Today, some of you may be contacted
by guilds or clans. In addition, there may be people who might come together
to form their own clan.”
“…”
“Otherwise, there will be some of you non-combat soldiers who will be

drafted into the Holy Empire. Each person lives differently, but there is only
one thing I can tell you.”
The venue stayed quiet at this.
Only
“Stay alive.”
What an ominous phrasing.
“Our Blue Guild has a guild house in the western part of Lindel, the free city.
We are always waiting for your support.”
I knew the hidden meaning beneath his words, and embarrassment flooded
through me at the realization.
‘Not even one…’
The Blue Guild had no intention of recruiting any new personnel today.
These survivors decided that it was not worth sacrificing the guild’s money
and manpower.
‘So cruel…’
Just like modern society, this continent was not free from selfish interests.
Chapter 50 Free City of Lindel(1)
Free City of Lindel(1)
However, I couldn’t blame them. Considering the time, money, and effort
needed to cultivate effective personnel, they could barely recruit more than a
few members to improve their guild.
If the Blue Guild hadn’t recruited our party, they might have had a chance,
but they had already paid a high price to have us. This meant that the others
had an almost zero chance of being chosen.
‘Thank God I haven’t shown any hint of incompetence…’
“Then…”
Upon this announcement, the trainees hung their heads. However, some of
them had chosen to look straight up at us, right into one particular member.
“Hyunsung!” One of them shouted.
“…”
“That we… You were together with us… Take us in… Please.”
‘This is absurd.’
Of course, I knew who spoke. It was one of the guys we were with back at
the shelter. However, I couldn’t remember his name. He was one of the
people Kim Hyunsung readily fed and disliked Jung Hayan with a passion.
Not only did he refuse to help one bit, but he had been the closest to Jung
Jinho back when he was still alive.
I knew the man had a shameless streak, but this was embarrassing. Back in
the tutorial, all they did was take up space in the shelter and waste the food
we had accumulated. Now he dared to ask Kim Hyunsung to take him in
again? Even the instructors seemed embarrassed by him.
In a sense, wielding power over a man like this felt great. This was because,
in reality, my stats were weaker. However, even if our roles were reversed, I
wouldn’t have the guts to speak like that.
I didn’t dare open my mouth. This wasn’t my battle to fight; it was Kim
Hyunsung’s.
‘Hyunsung wouldn’t be that soft-hearted… would he?’
Worry gnawed at me.
I knew Kim Hyunsung knew his responsibilities as a new member of the Blue
Guild. However, no ordinary person would willingly create a shelter for his
fellow survivors inside a dungeon.
“In the end… You have to take responsibility for us…”
‘What bullshit is this man talking about?’
Desperation could make a man stiff sometimes, but would only end up
making him look stupid at most.
Lee Sang-hee slowly and quietly turned to look at Hyunsung, curiosity

plastered onto her expression. She seemed to wonder how he would treat his
friendships back in the tutorial dungeon.
“Yes, together with us…!”
Thanks to the man responsible for the first outburst, more and more people
began to echo his words. I resisted the urge to scoff.
“You won’t throw us away like this, right?”

“Hyunsung!”
“Hyunsung, take us with you…”
Kim Hyunsung slowly stepped towards them.
I was anxious, but the moment I saw him biting his lip, I began to relax. I
knew this reaction of his. And who could blame him? In a situation like this,
even a monk would feel angry.
Not surprisingly, Kim Hyunsung lowered his head slightly and began to
speak.
“Sorry.”
“W-What?”
“I think that’s the end of my relationship with you.”
“You can’t possibly mean…”
For a moment, I thought laughter would come bursting out. This spectacle
turned out to be more interesting than I thought!
“It would be better to live your own life in a new environment than to go with
me. It was a short time, but I enjoyed it.”
“That… Such a thing…”
“Perhaps the city will be a safer place for you.”
“How irresponsible of you…”
Irresponsible? He dared to call Kim Hyunsung irresponsible? I shook my

head and stepped in.
“We have no obligation to be responsible for you anywhere else.”
“Huh?”
“It will be safe in the city. Although it may be far from comfortable living, at
least you will not be threatened with your life.”
“N-Nevertheless…”
“Once again, I’m not obligated to take care of you. Neither is Hyunsung.”
“…”
Even though I tried my best to explain kindly, the man didn’t seem to
understand. Rather, he sported an expression that showcased just how unfair
he found this whole situation.
‘How stupid.’
Didn’t they know? If you didn’t sacrifice anything, then you wouldn’t gain
anything, either. From my perspective, it would take a long time for this guy
to realize this.
Sighing, I figured the least I could do was to show some last bit of kindness. I
took out some money from my pocket and handed it out to him.
“This is just little, but I hope it helps you out in the long run.” The guy’s
expression was hilarious. He still had a betrayed expression, but he was still
careful to put the money in his pocket.
I resisted the urge to laugh again. That was just a small sum. Nevertheless,
there was gratitude in his expression.
“Thank you.”
“I wish the best for you. Please do your best to survive.”
“Yeah…”
He still hadn’t realized what I was trying to do.
Didn’t he know there was no surefire way of staying protected even in the
city? In my opinion, I had just given him an additional reason to get robbed.
Lee Ji-Hye stared up at me with a stunned expression. Unlike the man, I
knew she knew what I had just done. I was a little puzzled as to why she had
not joined in the pleading until I finally realized a probable reason as to why.
‘Lee Ji-hye…’
She must have received an offer from another guild. Knowing that she could
be just as resourceful as me, I knew this was a possibility.
‘I’m sorry…’
It felt like a waste to let her go, but I knew she wasn’t needed in the Guild.
However, I also remembered all those times where she had flaunted off her
self-confidence back in the dungeon.
‘I don’t have to be with you.’
It felt like she was telling me this. However, after a quick run-through with
my ability, I knew she still had less than I did.
Still looking at her, I began to speak. “…I’ll see you again.”
“Yeah… Yeah.”
It was the man I had spoken to, but she knew I was talking to her.
Lee Ji-Hye, who deliberately maintained eye contact with me, nodded
slightly.
I don’t know if I’m going to apply for Blue, but I’ll see you someday, her
facial expression seemed to say.
Before I could even retreat, I heard voices once again.
“Kiyoung is really warm. Of course, the basic living support fund from the
guild doesn’t seem that bad, but…”
“Hm. Still, they lived together in the tutorial dungeon. So, are you going to
Lindel right now?”
“Yes. The cleanup has already been roughly finished. Actually, I want to
have a little more time, I have a lot to prepare for.”
“Ah. The trainees…”
“You’ll be heading with us straight to Free City. Let’s go first.”
“Alright.”
With this, I felt like my life back in the tutorial dungeon was over. I wasn’t
very fond of it, but life in a completely new city seemed just as scary.
I also noticed that some of the guild members were sticking around, trying to
see just how many gifts I had gotten from Cha Hee-ra.
“Hyung.”
“Oppa!”
Of course, Park Deok-gu and Jung Hayan were also preparing to leave.
Jung Hayan, looking a little shy, approached my side, and Park Deokgu
began to speak.
“I didn’t know we were going to move this early on. What a pity…”
“What…”
“I mean this!”
He pointed towards a small ferry tied to a rope by the shoreline. It wasn’t

finished yet, but it looked very promising.
Surprisingly, I don’t know if Park Deokgu had agility built-in, but it looked
pretty good as it was.
‘How did he make it so well?’
“…”
“If I had a little more time, I was thinking of boating at a nearby shelter… It
was hard to make, so I decided to take it along with us.”
“There must be a lot of luggage…”
“There’s no problem with luggage, apparently. In fact, carrying this around

will be more or less like exercise for me. If your brother is having a hard time
walking, can’t I help you if you ride with Jung Hayan?”
“It’s not that far. You don’t have to do that.”
I didn’t want to ride it as of the moment.
“Oh, I heard that there is no lake near the Free City… Pity.”
“Let’s ride together later… Oh, Oppa…”
“Fine. Let’s do that.” Jung Hayan brightened at my words, and I felt relieved
upon seeing her looking better than before. I wasn’t sure, but it seemed that
she talked to Park Deokgu about me.
Worry again began to gnaw at me. It seemed that Park Deokgu also had a
firm grip on Jung Hayan’s mental state.
“We’re going to leave soon.”
“Yes, Hyunsung.”
And thus, the entire Blue Guild began to walk. It felt like such a hassling
physical activity, but it was fun all the same. This was because I spent some
time with Park Deokgu, Jung Hayan, and Kim Hyunsung.
“So… I tried a new magic spell today…”
“Oh?”
“I saw it myself and it seemed really great… Ooh, the lake suddenly cracked
when Jung Hayan chanted the spell. It reminded me of one of those stories
that the neighborhood Ajimae told me in the past. I forgot it though…”
“Maybe it was the story of Moses.”
“Ahhh! Yes, I think it was that man. Hyung is very smart. Anyway…”
Park Deokgu continued to ramble on while Kim Hyunsung wore a pleasant

expression. Jung Hayan walked while holding my hand tightly. I had quite a
hard time focusing, but I made sure to keep up with them, squeezing Hayan’s
hand now and then.
After walking for quite some time, a tall clock tower began to show up in our
line of vision. I glanced to my side and saw Kim Hyunsung with a peculiar
expression on his face.
Only
It was a start for me, but it was a start for him too. I couldn’t figure out the
complicated expression on his face, however.
I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I knew he had some worries about
what happened in the past and what would happen in the future, with Blue
Guild and our party.
In the meantime, Jung Hayan and Park Deokgu stared up at the tower with
open mouths.
“There…”
This was the place where the people of the Earth resided within the Holy
Empire.
“Lindel…”
This was the Free City of Lindel.
“Lindel, Park Deokgu is here!”

Chapter 51 Free City of Lindel (2)
Free City of Lindel (2)
“Oh, my…”
“Wow…”
Both Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan looked at the Free City of Lindel with
awe plastered on their faces. The executive members of Blue Guild couldn’t
help but smile at their reactions.
As soon as the western gate opened, we walked into a majestic-looking city.
The basic architectural style seemed to be based on Western culture, and the
whole place buzzed with people I knew all came from Earth. Above all, I
noticed that the majority of the people had dark hair.
“The Free City of Lindel is where most of the Koreans are located.”
“Alas. After that, I heard that people from other countries are also being
summoned.”
“Yeah. In the case of tutorial dungeons owned by the Holy Empire, the
Koreans, Japanese and Taiwanese are being summoned. They too are living
with their roots in cities within the Holy Empire. You can also see Japanese
and Taiwanese people in Lindel. Because they are from the same district,
they live in exchange with each other.”
“I see.”
True to this fact, I could see Japanese people within the bustling crowds.
Even some of the Blue Guild members, I had noted, were Japanese.
“The Republic…”
“The Chinese and Russians are being summoned.”
Still, it felt better being summoned here than there. I looked around again and
let the bustling scenery please my eyes. There were multiple stalls with their
respective owners, and I could even see a party going out to hunt.
“I’m looking for a priest.”
“I’m looking for a priest to go hunting with.”
“Who wants this? It’s a rare, one-of-a-kind item!”
Even the main square reminded me of reality. The whole city made me feel
like I was back on Earth, albeit a different time period.
This was probably the reason why Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan kept looking
around in awe. There were no high-rise buildings. Instead, the infrastructures
had an antique and rustic touch. I could see gorgeously-decorated shops and
restaurants with people eating out on the terraces.
It didn’t feel like I was in another world. It felt like I had gone overseas.
Laughter erupted from the crowds of people, and I caught a hint of a
language I did not understand.
Of course, the city wasn’t all just riches and glory.
“Hmm… There are also slums.”
“Yeah…”
In the direction opposite of where we were supposed to go, I caught sight of

rundown buildings and people wearing clothing of less quality than the rest. I
couldn’t see enough to observe how they lived from this distance, but I could
already guess what it was like.
Even the gap between the rich and the poor existed here.
“The city has its own welfare policies, but its effects are insignificant, as you
can see.”
“Ah. No wonder.”
It had nothing to do with me, so I shook my head and averted my gaze.
As we left the entrance and passed through the plaza, a large building came
into view. Lee Sang-hee, who had been looking at Park Deokgu’s awed
expression, smiled.
“Welcome to the Blue Guild.”
“Oh! Oh, my!”
The Blue Guild owned a building that was of a larger scale than I was
expecting. It did not appear to be a guild that was facing the possibility of
ruination. I could think of why, though. They might be more peculiar with
their appearances, especially now that their status was sinking.
Lee Sang-hee looked over at the rest of us, the smile on her face never
leaving.
“I will guide you directly.”
“Alright.”
“The first floor has a lobby and a shelter. It would be convenient to think of it
as a place where you usually receive requests from other guilds or groups.
Not only that, it also has a place where you can relax. If you’re going for a
simple dinner, you can do it at the tavern on the first floor. Other parties and
guild members often gather there, so I hope you use them often.”
“Alright, thank you. That’s noted.”
“Oh… Oppa, it looks like you can drink alcohol here.”

“Yeah. You can be confident that it will be much better drinking here than at
a random bar. There is a guild restaurant in the basement, so you can use it
anytime. Of course, it’s also free.”
“Okay, that’s good…”
“Since you’re the seventh generation, you can also use the second floor.”
“The second floor?”
“Yes. Let’s go up together.”
This felt like we were visiting our new home.
We nodded in response to the receptionist’s greeting, standing quietly in the

main lobby on the first floor and went up to the second floor. A fairly large
space entered our line of sight.
“There are many empty rooms, so you can choose the one you like.”
“Thank you.”
I had expected that the second floor would also be large from what I could
see on the first floor, but I didn’t expect it to be of this scale, either. The
corridor itself was widely-spaced, and even the rooms did not disappoint. Of
course, this was probably because our party was still small. The space
seemed too big for a four-person group.
The interior of the room, I noted, also looked pretty good.
Some beds seemed like they could accommodate two people instead of one.
The room seemed a little open as there were only basic furniture installed, but
knowing that we could personalize it sooner or later made me feel better.
“Oppa…” Jung Hayan stared up at me expectantly. Did she expect us to

share a room?!
“I think there are too many rooms… I think we can only use three. Don’t you
think?”
“…”
“I think it’s perfect if I and Kim Hyunsung get our own, and if Jung Hayan
and Hyung Kiyoung use one together.”
‘Park Deokgu, you pig!’
“Ah… It doesn’t matter if you do that, but…”
“Greatness… I think the room next door would suit the two of you better.”
“Yeah. You can do whatever you are comfortable with doing.”
I struggled to contain my emotions. One look at my face made both Jung

Hayan and Park Deokgu anxious.
Eventually, Jung Hayan took over the room next to me, and Kim Hyunsung
and Park Deokgu took the rooms across from us. I was a little worried that
Jung Hayan would be sleeping in the room next to mine, but I was careful not
to show it. It would be better to check up on her while the rest were busy or
asleep, but I hoped she wouldn’t sneak into my room.
“The training room and grounds are behind the building. There is no private
practice room, but there is a joint training center that can be used by the
seventh generation. If you want to use the studio personally, you can apply at
the lobby and use it.”
“Ah… I see.”
“And Mr. Kiyoung…”
“Yes?”
“There is a separate space for you.”
“Wait, really?”
“Let’s go. I’ll show you.”
“Yeah, okay.”
I followed Lee Sanghee with a slightly pleased expression. Park Deokgu,

Jung Hayan, and Kim Hyunsung trailed behind us with curious expressions
on their faces.
Upon entering the room at the end of the second-floor corridor, my jaw
unconsciously dropped. This was the first time I was truly in awe after
entering Lindel.
“You can work here in the future.”
“Wow…”
There was a mountain of books stacked on one side of the room, but what
stood out more to me was the multitude of alchemy equipment that filled the
space. There were items used back in modern times, such as beakers and
flasks and basic alchemy tools that I was already knowledgeable about.
On one side, the catalysts and other materials were systematically organized
according to their types, and I could see other bits of machinery that I was not
yet familiar with.
Most of the items presented by Cha Hee-ra were neatly placed in the room.
The ancient republic’s drug-making alchemy kit was also properly stacked on
one side.
This place…
“This is the alchemy workshop you will use.”
“Ah.”
“In fact, I wanted to increase the scale a little more, but it was the first time I
had prepared such a place for non-combatants…”
“No… This is… This is actually more than enough…”

“I was told that the experiment shouldn’t contain other impurities, so I
installed artifacts that included disinfection magic throughout the room. It’s
at the end of the room and has other artifacts installed to make it easier to
ventilate, so you’ll be able to use it comfortably. Defensive magic is also
installed by default because there may be unexpected accidents.”
“Thank you.”
I couldn’t understand what I was feeling. It was my first time having my own
space. I never had one back on Earth.
“It feels like a laboratory used by scientists, Hyung.”
“It looks so cool, Oppa!”
Cha Hee-ra’s gifts were still the most valuable items here. However, the Blue
Guild had also done its best to make me feel like I wasn’t being neglected. I
suddenly wanted to find out if any alchemists had also managed to start this
well.
There were hero-grade books, hero-grade alchemy kits, plausible workshops

supported by guilds, as well as numerous materials and catalysts given to me
not just by one, but by two guilds.
I knew that if I couldn’t produce results with such high-level equipment,

there would be serious consequences. However, the atmosphere of my
workspace made me feel like I could achieve anything. My confidence had
been boosted.
I knew everyone here considered alchemy as an inefficient skill. The gold

required to craft items were not worth the results, and other forms of magic
were more desirable to the townsfolk than this. I knew Lee Sang-hee had
taken quite the risky jump of investment for me.
However, she wouldn’t need to be disappointed. I could make anything with

the equipment that was provided for me!
“Hyung! We’re heading out to eat now.”

“You can all go ahead first, Deokgu.”
“Huh?”
“I want to experiment with a few things. I’ll catch up with you later. Please
take Hayan with you.”
Park Deokgu showed a slightly regrettable expression. Nevertheless, he

nodded. Lee Sang-hee, however, was pleasantly taken aback. From her
motherly point of view, her newest child had just shown enthusiasm to work,
which pleased her greatly.
How could I not? They had arranged everything in such a motivating manner
that eating was the least of my priorities now. A day off sounded nice, but my
excitement proved too much to resist. There were a lot of things I wanted to
try out right away.
“No… .”
“Actually, I was thinking of hosting a simple dinner today, but I think I

should put it off for next time. All the other parties are present, so these times
seem most appropriate. If you need anything, please tell us in the lobby on
the 1st floor. We will explain the various facilities in the guild that we could
not explain today by then. I will be taking my leave.”
The giddy smile on her face seemed cute.
“No. I need to do some training too. I also need to organize my stuff. What
will Jung Hayan do?”
“That… Well… Me, too, I’m also going to practice…”
“What about Hyung Kim Hyunsung?”
“I think I would want to look around the city.”
“Huh?”
“I want to take a tour and see everything, from the temples right to the
slums.”
“Hm…”
I felt a little worried. I would be too weak to defend myself if I dared to

venture to the slum area by myself and met with some ruffians. However, I
knew Kim Hyunsung was strong enough. I had a lot of trust in both his
intellect and strength.
“And…”
“Yeah?”
“I saw a lot of people in the plaza earlier.”
Only
“I think most of them are people who are also looking for party members.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah. We might find our newest member there.”
It was only then that I could roughly understand what he planned to do.
‘Oh…’
Whether he found the person from the temples or the slums, I somehow knew
Kim Hyunsung would look for the fifth member of our party.
The only question was whether he would be able to find him right away.
Chapter 52 Just because you are
poor, it doesn’t mean you’re a good
person (1)
Just because you are poor, it doesn’t mean you’re a good person (1)
[You found a new recipe.]
[Successfully made basic health potion.]
[Intellect increases by 1.]
[Combines Poisonous Candle and Troll’s Blood. You have succeeded in a

new catalyst combination.]
[Combines poisonous herb and magical essence. You have succeeded in a

new catalyst combination.]
[Combines Poisonous Grass and Orc Molar. New catalyst combination

failed.]
Alchemy wasn’t that difficult. Of course, it didn’t mean that the logic found
in technology didn’t apply to my craft. The timing of using the synthesis
magic circle, the type of the magic circle that would vary by material for each
catalyst, the amount of magical power entering the magic circle, and the
combination of catalysts and materials…
One had to think about every little aspect, understand them, and work on
them. This reminded me of doing experiments more than anything else.
Along with experiments came the large probability of failure.
This was why one had to be prudent when it came to alchemy.
Considering the gold spent on one experiment as the materials needed were
expensive, various hypotheses had to be made after digging into theories on
potion making or catalyst combinations.
Based on one’s hypothesis, a virtual experiment would be conducted, and

based on the success of the virtual experiment; the scientist would decide
when it was the right time to strike.
This was basically how alchemists did their alchemy.
However, this type of methodology didn’t work on me.
Why? Because I had a lot of money to spare.
I planned to use them for virtual experiments to immerse myself within

countless combinations of catalysts and potions. I would put away crafted
theories and hypotheses and would solely focus on the results I would receive
on my own logical accord.
Of course, I also had to consider that my efficiency would differ from that of
a normal alchemist, who would have practiced on a rare catalyst before
attempting anything else.
[Failed.]
[Failed.]
[Failed.]
‘Damn’
I knew I shouldn’t waste time trying to find the reasons for my combinations.
Instead, I had to focus on how exactly I could reverse my failures.
[Successful.]
I didn’t know how much exactly, but I could surmise that about a thousand
gold had already been spent just this past week. However, it didn’t mean that
it was all spent on nothing.
It wasn’t immediately noticeable, but the potion recipes sold in the market by
default were already stored in my head, and above all, I was able to increase
my intellect and magic stats.
In other words, I had bought my increased stats with the gold that I was
given.
Once again, as I was about to pour gold into my alchemy kit, I heard a voice
from outside.
“Oppa!”
“Ah. come in. Don’t forget to disinfect with the artifacts…”
“Okay.”
The door opened to reveal both Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan. I wasn’t
surprised at this point. As I saw some of the bags in their hands, I could
roughly guess why they came.
“Why are you bringing this in? Other members of the guild have already
decided to help me organize my luggage. I also already informed the lobby
attendant, so you don’t have to move it yourself next time.”
“No. If we don’t do this, then we won’t have any excuse to see you, Hyung. I
don’t know how we can live on the same floor but never see each other. Can I
put your luggage down here?”
“Yes, you can leave it there. Thank you, Deokgu.”
“Huh. Well, this is not a big deal for me.”
“Oh, Oppa. Have you already eaten?”

“Ah.”
Cringing slightly, I turned to look at the time. I had been so focused on the
work that I had lost track of how much time had passed.
“My… I guess I’ve been a little too busy…”
“Ah. Then, let’s eat together!”
“That sounds great!”
I laughed at the cheerful expressions of my two friends. Pausing briefly, I

went to check the luggage. It seemed that all my ordered goods had arrived
properly.
“By the way, where did you order all those items?”
“It’s a catalyst for each alchemy.”
“Oh. This potion that you made… Can you save people who are dying with
this?”
“No. It only heals basic wounds. Oh, Hayan! Anything over there shouldn’t
be touched. Don’t even think about drinking it.”
“Yeah… Yeah!”
“I don’t really know anything about alchemy, so… What are you trying to
make?”
“Well… for now…”
“Mmhm?”
“I’m trying to make money.”
I resisted the urge to laugh at the confusion my words brought to both their
faces. However, what I said was the truth.
Money was the most important thing to me. It was only natural to earn as
much as I spent. If I wanted to be a good investment, I had to bring lots of
money to the table.
After all, it wasn’t just Kim Hyunsung who invested in me. There was also
Cha Hee-ra.
I had already handed her the list, but it was natural that I should still appear
useful to her.
Of course, what I was making was a secret. Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan
didn’t need to know about it,
“By the way, what is Hyunsung doing these days?”
“Same. I think I haven’t seen Hyunsung for a long time.”
“Well… We train together at the training center, but after the training, he
always runs to the slums with some food in hand.”
“Huh?”
“Oh, I knew that I was a good man, but is he really that angelic? I don’t know
what kind of volunteer work he’s doing, but it’s already been a week since he
started… goodness. Well, it seems both respectful and bad.”
“You mean he plans on doing it every day?”
“Maybe. Ah! I think there are times when I also hear tales of new
dungeons… Anyway, Hyunsung’s been walking around the city and seems to
be looking for either someone or information. One thing is certain, Kim
Hyunsung is really nice.”
‘Volunteer?’
Of course, it suited him.
I thought he would bring in new talent, but it seemed that it would take
longer than I expected. If we could recruit quickly, there would be no reason
to do volunteer work there yet.
“I don’t know how much you think of the people there, but sometimes
frowning is not the only worry.”
‘What?’
I felt like something was going to go wrong soon enough.
‘Shall we go even just this once?’
It didn’t seem like anything too bad would happen.
Anyway, my craft had reached its final stages, and I was really curious about
what my fellow party members were doing.
Looking up at the faces of Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan, I made up my

mind.
“I should go once too…”
“Huh? Really?”
“I’m a little curious. I wonder how it’s like in the slums.”
“Well, go with me, Oppa.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah… Yeah!”
Park Deokgu seemed to want to go, too, but he seemed to be stuck between
ruining my time with Jung Hayan or not. I smiled to myself and turned to
Jung Hayan.
“Then shall we go now? Are you ready, Hayan?”

“Yeah… Yeah!”
It felt nice to just up and do whatever we had planned right on the spot. I
hadn’t even gotten the chance to do much exploring since I’d been so busy,
so this felt nice.
Climbing up the carriage that would take us to our destination, I held Jung
Hayan’s hand. She positively glowed at this. It felt like we were enjoying a
city tour.
The scenery we passed by all looked interesting. However, the glorious

feeling did not last long.
As the carriage wheeled us slowly, the scenery also changed from rich and
majestic to shabby and dull. Even the coachman himself could feel the
unpleasant change in the atmosphere, and he seemed uncomfortable. The air
itself felt humid.
“Why are you going to this place?” The coachman couldn’t help but ask.
“Nothing special. In fact, it hasn’t been long since I entered the city. I’m
curious about what this place is like.”
“Ah. It looks like you received an offer from a guild on good terms.”
“Haha. It’s embarrassing, but I have.”
It was then that I saw a young man walking by the sidewalk. He moved with
his head down, but I could see his anxious expression when he regarded us.
Was he afraid we might suddenly hurt him?
Were the people who lived here the ones who got rejected from receiving any
guild offers? Or were they simply too afraid to join one?
The circumstances of each person we passed by were unknown to us, but one
thing was for sure – this was a very unhappy place.
“The atmosphere is a little different from the West Square, Oppa.”

“Huh. You feel that too?” Now I felt truly worried. With a carriage to wheel
us around, it was almost as if Jung Hayan and I were flaunting our financial
difference to the slums.
However, I also knew that no one would dare to attack us. Whether it be from
their fear or the fact that they knew we were in a guild and therefore were
stronger, they all had hesitation on their faces.
The threatening situation felt the same as Jung Hayan and I got down from
the carriage. I made sure I was protectively around her, as I was worried
about what these people could do.
I then caught sight of a woman in high-quality clothing with people in filthy

clothes crowding around her.
[Check player Sun Hee-young’s status window and talent level]
[Name-Hee-young Sun]
[Title-Saint of the Forsaken]
[Age-32]
[ALIGNMENT-Ideal volunteer]
[Job-Priest of the Sun-Hero Level]
[Occupational Effects-Acquisition of basic divine power knowledge]
[Occupational effect-intermediate knowledge acquisition of divine

power]
[Capacity]
[Strength -30/Growth limit: Normal or less]
[Agility-28/Growth limit: Normal or higher]
[Health -30/Growth limit: Hero or less]

[Intellect-45/Growth limit: Hero or higher]
[Durability-32/Growth limit: Rare or less]
[Luck-45/Growth limit: Hero or higher]
[Holy-69/Growth limit: Legend or higher]
[equipment]
[none]
[Talent-Saint’s Prayer]
[General review-It is not an exaggeration to say that she was born to

become a priest. The difference between her and Lee Kiyoung, a rotten
player, is also very clear. Please do not think about approaching her by
any chance. Unlike Lee Kiyoung, she is a clean person.]
With this information, I made sure to regard the woman with closer and more
focused regard.
‘Mhh…’
My eyes widened. This woman had legendary divine stats.
Surprisingly enough, she reminded me of Jung Hayan.
I caught sight of Kim Hyunsung amongst the crowd. However, he wasn’t the
center of attention. Rather, Sun Hee-young was.
I noticed that Sun Hee-young’s outfit and flag were greatly different. I didn’t
know what Kim Hyunsung was up to, but one thing was for sure – she was
probably his intended target.
Some would wonder why so many people were crowded around her. But to
someone with observer skills such as mine, it was obvious why.
‘Ah, is everyone trying to recruit her?’

I felt pretty sure that this was the case.
It seems that the talent Kim Hyunsung wanted to attract this time wasn’t
someone only he wanted. It was a talent that everyone desired.
Only
It was shocking that someone of Sun Hee-young’s stature would be

unaffiliated, but she was. From this, I understood why Kim Hyunsung visited
this place often, and why there were many members of the clan who seemed
to be unrelated to volunteer work.
Everyone was busy pretending to be good. The appearance of everyone

volunteering collectively to catch her eye was quite a spectacle.
‘The saint of the outcast?’
In my eyes, they looked like pigs who didn’t want work but had to for the
sake of self-interests. If there was one thing I didn’t expect, it was that Jung
Hayan had the same opinion as me.
“They look like pigs trying to butter up.”
“Yeah. Hyung! They look… They look like pigs!”
Unlike my quieter tone, Jung Hayan’s louder voice attracted the attention of
the people nearby.
‘Damn…’
person (2)
I could guess how Jung Hayan and I must have seemed to them.
Jung Hayan even seemed to be pampered in skincare products because of the

difference in fairness. That was how large the difference was.
However, I knew that with me in the mix, it would also seem like we were a
young couple who had wandered into the slums because we were curious
about it.
In the end, though, I knew that whatever prejudice was held against us, the
poor would not dare to face off against us entirely. In the Free City of Lindel,
wearing neat clothes meant that you were strong, powerful, and had a lot of
gold.
However, it wasn’t just the poor looking at us with eyes filled with hostility.
‘This…’
It was not good news that Sun Hee-young was among those who looked on
with disapproval. This was backed up by the fact that Kim Hyunsung was
interested in her. Meanwhile, Jung Hayan had only now realized what
mistake she had committed.
Sun Hee-Young eventually broke through the crowd and began to stride in
front of me. I didn’t know if it’s an appropriate expression, but it felt like a
church sister for some reason.
With long hair and big eyes, she looked like she had never before endured
distress.
Sun Hee-young immediately opened her mouth before Jung Hayan could
avoid thinking about dealing with this situation while evading her gaze.
“Apologize to them.”
“…”
“Apologize. No one here deserves to be insulted by the likes of you.”
The guild scouts immediately backed up her words. I had to laugh at this
absurd situation. Of course, they would take her side.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but I think you should apologize.”
“I want you to cancel that rant immediately.”
“Are you from the Blue Guild?”
Red Mercenaries and other large guilds were not among them. Was this really
how those of the smaller clans dared to talk to us?
It was understandable for someone like Sun Hee-young to address us in this

manner, but them? The audacity!
‘A selfish, ambitious person.’
‘Computational analyst.’
However, I knew that whoever saw this scene would think that we were the
biased couple, and they were the bringers of justice. It was a situation where
the good and the bad were divided – and warped.
‘A mistake?’
No.
This could never be called a mistake.
I didn’t know when that recruitment war had been going on and how much
progress Kim Hyunsung had managed to make so far, but there were so many
competitors in the first place that there was no way we could make a good
recruitment offer.
Anyhow, her top priority seemed to be to help the poor. Since she was
adamant about it, there seemed no way for her to even think about joining a
guild.
It was in that instant that a whole new way for her to join us came to mind.
I slowly opened my mouth as I pulled the white shoulders, which seemed a

little dead to this side.
“I will not withdraw the statement.”
“What?”
“I said I would not withdraw.”
“Why is that…”
“I don’t think it’s wrong to say that they are like dog pigs when they do
nothing and eat what others give.”
“What are you talking about? You… You’re from Blue Guild!”
“My affiliation and my words have nothing to do with it. It doesn’t matter if
I’m from Blue or not. It’s a very, very personal thought that has nothing to do
with what my guild stands for.”
“There are things you can and shouldn’t say. You don’t know anything about
this place. You don’t deserve to blame them simply because you’re in good
clothes and are in a good position!” At this point, I knew Sun Hee-young was
gaining momentum from the way she spoke.
“They are not here because everyone is good. They were forced to flock
together because of their own circumstances. A small mistake on this
continent can cost you your life. There is no way a person who has a special
talent like you, who is being contacted by a good guild and is living well, can
understand them.”
When a special talent came out, I had to hold in my laughter. If only she
knew.
“It’s funny.”
“Yeah?”
“I haven’t been here for a while, but at least I’ve lived ten times more
intensely than those over there. I can probably say the same for all of you
here. The same goes for the guild member you see over there. He must have
earned that position not only by risking his life to go hunting, but also by
indulging in nasty or hard work. No one wants to die. Likewise, no one wants
to work.”
“Ah…”
“The same is true of me. Overcoming the risk of dying many times, I was
able enter Blue. But what about these other people?”
“It’s not like that. These are…”
“Yeah?”
“…”
“I think I know roughly why they are like that.”
“It is you who made them that way.”

Sun Hee-young’s expression was dangerous. But if one were to think about
this calmly, they would see the logic in my words.
“It is you who have tamed them. You who tamed them, who provided a place
to feed and gave them clothes to wear. You made them losers.”
“Do you know what you are talking about? You just said that you haven’t
been here for a long time yet. Knowing the exact state of the city… If you say
something like this so recklessly… It’s not because of me that the people here
are living like this. It’s because of people like you.”
Sure, I didn’t know about these people in detail, but I knew just what type of
humans they were.
“Ahhh. Like me? You mean those who choose to work hard to be able to
live.”
“I am not talking about a person who works hard. When I say people like
you, I mean people who ignore and despise those who are below you. You
are what makes Lindel rot.”
She wasn’t entirely wrong, either. However, her resolve was naïve.
“I’ve never done anything wrong to others. Maybe some humans might feel
that way, but I have never done that to take advantage of them. It is not the
people here that you need to help. There are adventurers who risk their lives
on expeditions, and workers working in difficult places.”
Of course, I was not dissatisfied with the idea of volunteer work itself. I
respected these people and what they stood for. However, this woman’s
method was wrong.
‘Did she think she was the ideal volunteer?’
“I guess I know what you’re talking about. It’s obvious that you don’t give
them fish, but tell them how to catch fish… You want to do it. You, at least
doing nothing, don’t deserve to say that. You don’t do anything for these
people… Words aren’t convincing.”
“I came to act.”
“What…”
I slightly raised my hand and opened my mouth.
“All these people here, I will hire you.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll hire everyone here. It won’t be dangerous, but it could be hard work.
You don’t have to worry too much. Those who can move their bodies can do
it. The hourly wage will also be above the basic hourly wage.”
“What…”
“It’s an opportunity to get out of your current state and recover. We cannot
provide accommodation, but we do provide lunch.”
“What are you trying to do?”
“It is up to you to choose whether you will remain here as people who
continue to depend on others, or become a true member of a stately society.
It’s time to get up on your own, everyone.” I quietly started looking around.
The whole place had become silent.
However, a question came from someone who dared to ask. “What’s the job
about?”
“It’s very simple and not dangerous. We can promise that there will be
absolutely no risk. It would be comfortable to think of it as simple labor.”
“The hourly wage…”
“I will give you 1 gold. If additional work is incurred, we will be able to pay
a separate allowance. It would be better to set the working hours to be 8
hours a day.” At my words, I could hear murmuring all around.
“If you can’t believe it, I’ll take this person here,” I gestured to Sun Hee-
young, “as an advisor to our company. This will serve as your assurance.”
“I never said I didn’t!”
“Shall I have you watch what I’m doing?”
“That… That’s…”
“It’s an opportunity for you. Even those who are not entirely physically able
can do it.”
It would have been quite decisive to have Sun Hee-young as an advisor to the
company. People slowly started to raise their hands.
“I’ll do it.”
“That… I will do it, too.”
“Me, too…”
“If you leave me in charge, I will definitely work hard.”
It felt good to have all these people raise their hands in response to my offer.
Sun Hee-young and the other guild scouts continued to look at me with
absurd expressions.
“I will start work right from tomorrow. It’s a simple task, so you just need to
come by 9 o’clock tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, okay.”
At this point, Sun Hee-young seemed to have been embarrassed by what she
had just said. However, her expression also indicated that she didn’t entirely
believe me.
It didn’t matter whether she believed me or not.
As she stroked Jung Hayan’s hair, the latter seeming to be a bit alert to Sun
Hee-young’s presence, and turned without regret, she quietly approached this
side and very slowly opened her mouth to me.
“Well, what should I say… I don’t know what to do, but… Thank you for
work. Nevertheless…”
“I can’t understand what you’re grateful for. There is no need to be grateful.

anyway.”
Only
“…”
“There won’t be much difference.”
“What are you talking about…”
“I told you before.”
“What?”
“It is you who tamed them.”
It doesn’t matter whether those people were tamed by Sun Hee-young or not.
What mattered was that she would eventually think she did.
person (3)
“What are you thinking of?”
“I’m not thinking of anything. Honestly, I just want to show you that what I
said is right.” I couldn’t help it at this point – I laughed.
‘What money..’
The sole fact that I hired all these people would prove to be quite problematic
for me financially. The catalyst I was gaining from my alchemy right now
was inadequate for a continuous payroll. I wasn’t in a problematic situation
as of the moment, but I knew I could have used the money for better things.
However, I also found this situation an ideal event to conduct clinical trials
very cheaply, and I knew the smug feeling from proving Sun Hee-young
wrong would be worth the money. After all, business benefits could be found
in many aspects.
‘Why did I have to go this far to break her line of thinking? One may ask.
That was because this was my plan to recruit her into my party.’
‘I have been in this place for three years. It was two years ago that I began to
be called the Saint of the Forsaken. I started as a member of the temple, not a
clan or guild, and after leaving the temple, I continued to devote myself to
volunteer activities. I have been rejecting offers from large guilds or small
and medium-sized clans for two years.’
This was her brilliant backstory.

Despite being able to ride the elite course like me, she had still chosen the
path to the temple. Because of her upbringing, I knew why she had chosen to
live a life like this. The people who considered themselves saints of the
forsaken made it their ultimate mission to relieve the poor from their
sufferings.
Proof of this manifested itself in Sun Hee-young, for she had refused any
contracts or treaties with any guilds or clans for two years. I couldn’t even
imagine the number of offers she must have received in her lifetime.
Of course, some of the desperate offers may have included full-scale relief
for the poor. Nevertheless, she had refused even those, and the reason was
quite obvious.
It was because she thought she had to do it herself.
Honestly, I didn’t know why she had such an attachment to these people
when she barely even knew them, but I couldn’t find it in me to care about
that as of the moment. The first task was to separate her from the poor.
Looking ahead, I could see people who were working quite hard on their
tasks. Some also looked quite motivated.
I thought maybe my plan would get ruined, but I didn’t feel worried at the
moment.
“There are people in the slums who have yet to find work… Are you not
going to hire them?”
“Just wait. I will go when the right time comes.”
“Do you have anything else to say? This is just a simple labor of moving
rocks. The weather will be a little hot because of the sunlight, but it will be a
valuable drop of sweat for them after a long time. Seeing those who feel the
true value of labor, I feel like I want to join them in moving rocks.”
“Sounds like a taunt.”
“You’re mistaken.”
Of course, it didn’t look like she took my side very well. If I were in her
position, I wouldn’t like myself either. I was a man that defied her values.
This, of course, turned the tides in my favor. My way was effective because it
was an entirely different approach from how most people would usually
approach Sun Hee-young.
“What on earth do you mean that it is I who have tamed them?”
“Take it literally. These people are all capable of working, they just don’t
want to.”
“Can’t you see that they are working right now?”
“I can see what’s happening in front of me quite well. The question is… can
you?”
“What…”
“In the Free City of Lindel, these kinds of jobs are widespread.”
‘Although…yes, it’s a bit dangerous.’
“Of course, it’s undeniable that working with me is beneficial, but… There
are many similar things to this kind of work. The eastern region has
undergone redevelopment, and the Red Mercenary Guild is said to be seeking
handymen needed to make the tower this time. Not only that… Did you know
that there is currently a large-scale construction going on near the tutorial?
Maybe even these people know.”
“…”
“I gave them the motivation to start working today. They wanted to prove
they weren’t lazy pigs. You may want to back off a little bit for their true
colors to shine.”
“Then…”
“They were agitated. They probably didn’t realize this since I riled them up in
a positive manner instead of a negative one. Well, I still stick to what I’ve
said.”
“What…”
“Human nature doesn’t change so easily. They may be motivated right now,
as what you and I both can see. But this won’t even last a month. These
people will eventually miss hanging around in the slums instead of working
hard under the sun. They’ll miss the free relief goods they get instead of
working for their keep. No one wants to experience the pain and exhaustion
of always working.”
“I know what you’re thinking, but you’re wrong. People can change if they
want to.”
“Then what about my reasoning that the Saint of the Forsaken has changed
them? In the end, they are just dogs that feed on ordinary people.”
“You!”
‘Did I go too far?’
I could see Sun Hee-young trembling on the spot, and quite frankly, I could
feel a tremor of fear running down my spine. Her big eyes had begun to fill
with tears.
I thought about whether I was pushing a girl who didn’t know anything, but I
also thought this kind of stimulation was necessary. Even though she
believed I was wrong, I successfully planted seeds of doubt in her mind.
‘What if that man’s words are true?’

Even if such small doubts arose, a woman who served others and sought
value would be ruined. Our dear little saint right here looked a little weak.
“It won’t work the way you think. It is arrogance and self-righteousness that
urge these people to do their job. The world never works the way you wish
for it to be.”
“I do not know about that.”
“Just wait. They will show you their true colors and you’ll have a reason to
think differently afterwards.”
“Is there any reason to think like that?”
“It’s a part that can be seen so obviously when you have a realistic point of
view.”
At her silence, I began to speak again.
“…Did you ever hear of the underdog effect?”
“…”
“It is a word that refers to the basic error of distinguishing a good person
from an evil person by the difference in strength.”
“…”
“In short, being poor doesn’t automatically mean you’re a good person.”
“…”
“Perhaps he’s just a simple and kind person in front of you. Playing victim is
obviously the best approach when it comes to softhearted and stronger
individuals. But they are also perpetrators from somewhere. The slums are
not a heaven where the angels live. It is still part of the society we live in. A
society where all kinds of dirty and unbelievable things are common.”
“If societies are like what you think…”
“It’s rotten. Where humans are, there is always conflict. If you can’t believe
it, I’d recommend a little experiment.”
“What…”
“You try to be the poor yourself. Not from the position of a saint who saves
them, but to live in the same position as the poor. Then there will be
something to feel. Why don’t you try it for one week? No, just one day will
be enough.”
“I can’t…”
“I know what you’re worried about. You’re worried about people who might
be hungry without you. But it’s okay to disappear for a day or so. Don’t you
have wonderful friends who are following you in this kind of service?”
‘Of course, your friends are the type of people who only go because of you.’
At her hesitation, I raised an eyebrow challengingly and smirked. “Or are you
just not confident?”
“You’re right… I’m not.”
“We’ll do the preparations here.”
“You really… You are a disgusting person.”
“What was that? Can’t you respond more confidently?”
“Whether or not I respond with confidence does not matter. You are treating
them like zoo animals!”
“You will respond. You won’t respond. Both do matter. You think this is an
opportunity to be able to help the less able. You are correct.”
“You will regret this.”
“I don’t know… It will be you, not me, who will end up regretting.”
Seeing Sun Hee-young biting her lips in doubt and turning away was quite
the spectacle.
‘I’m so naive…’ I could hear her cognitive functions whirling.
Certainly, maintaining that kind of naïveté in such a place was a blessing,

especially for someone who came from Earth.
Looking back at the scene before me, I could still see the people trying their
best to work hard, sweat pouring down their faces as they moved the stones.
“Hey there!”
“I don’t think I can transfer this…”
“We will have enough strength if everyone gathers together.”
“Yeah.”
“Hey, Kim! Come on, quickly!”
“I’ll just finish this and go!”
As soon as Sun Hee-young moved away, Jung Hayan worriedly rushed to my

side. Her quick hug made me feel a little better.
Judging by the notebook she was holding in one hand, she seemed to have
worked hard on the work entrusted to her.
“Oppa.”
“Are you doing well?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“Shall we listen to what you have to say?”
“Yeah! So, um…”
“Huh?”
“Test 13 seems to be a little helpless. I think he got angry more than a couple
of times… Numbers 7 and 8 seemed to be working hard.”
“I heard a loud noise from the inside a little earlier.”
“That was number 56 and number 75. There seemed to be something that
happened between them while working. I didn’t pay enough attention, I’m
sorry.”
“No, just knowing that there is a problem is enough. How about number 38?”
“Ah. Number 38 was fluctuating. He didn’t seem motivated enough to

continue on. He also said he would quit soon. Numbers 93 and 95 agreed
with the words of number 38.”
“Ahhh. I like that. That’s a good outcome.”
“Mmhm, yeah.”
“I had a hard time, Hayan, but thanks to you, my work became easier.”
Only
“I-It’s fine, Oppa.”
“And just in case… Is there a type of magic that can change one’s
appearance?”
“Yes, there is.”
“It will be enough to change the facial structure slightly with magic. Will it
be difficult to do?”
“Ah! I think that’s possible to do. But why?”
“I think I should show a princess who doesn’t know the world about how
dirty people live.”
Jung Hayan began to smile at my words. “I see what you mean.”

person (4)
For some reason, just thinking of the earlier scenarios that had transpired
caused my whole body to shake. I wasn’t angry. I just found it hard to
understand.
‘I’m not wrong.’
Of course… it was natural to want to help people.
‘He doesn’t know anything.’
No one lived in the slums because they wanted or chose it. Every one of these
people had their own sad stories to tell.
Some have not been contacted by guilds or clans, while others had become
disabled from hunting in the past. Some were driven to the streets because of
sick family members, while others were simply unable to find work.
In other words, society has led them to this place.
Lindel, the Holy Empire… No, this entire continent itself is wrong.
This was a society that did not know how to care for the weak. It was a
selfish community. Although they promised welfare benefits to most of its
citizens, the poor did not receive any.
On this continent, where people only worked for their interests, someone had
to step forward.
“It will be dangerous.”
“No, it won’t be dangerous.”
“Well…As a priest, you have the freedom to choose how you think.
However, it would be good to have a minimum of safety devices. I don’t
know when and how something will happen.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Rather, I want to ask why you don’t think the same.”
“The reason you don’t understand me is because you’re not looking at them
properly.”
“My answer is the same. Rather, it is you who is not looking at them
properly. There are not just those who are poor and need help. Who needs
help are those who try to stand up, not those lying down.”
“I don’t want to hear that kind of talk anymore.”
“Yes, yes, fine. I’ll stop.”
“Then, I will just leave as you said. I want you to keep what you promised.”
“Yeah. Whether or not. By all means, goodbye.”
It was not even worth answering him. Even if I were to accept his offer and
act as one of the slums’ people, nothing would change.
I didn’t even have to respond to such a non-playful offer. Nevertheless, I had

one reason as to why I was willing to enter the slums alone.
‘I wasn’t wrong.’
I wanted to prove to that man that I wasn’t wrong. There was certainly a
difference between simply watching from a distance and breathing and living
with them.
There was an old couple who had given me thanks while weeping for help,
and there was a little child who plucked me some flowers in return for my
help.
I’d seen so many things that this man hadn’t for nearly two years. The people
and I had spent a long time communicating and talking together.
As I continued to step forward, I could slowly feel the atmosphere getting

darker.
What was wrong? I always walked down these streets and was very familiar
with it, but I could feel that something had changed.
It was the time of the day to eat, yet no one openly loitered around the streets.
This place is always the same.
I could feel the familiar, unpleasant smell of the slums fill my nostrils, but I
had long since adapted to it, so it did not bother me anymore. As I continued
walking around, the helpless people I had always helped came into view.
Some of them were chatting, and the rest were just looking around the area.
The people taking care of their children caught my eye, as well as the lovers
walking with arms folded together.
The man was at least right in this aspect. This was also a place where people
lived, albeit with no convenient facilities, no decent restaurants, and no
decent homes.
‘Good.’
As I stepped in a little further, a crowd of people caught my eye.
‘This is the plaza…’
It cannot be deemed as a decent square. It was an empty field with nothing,

and it was just called a plaza because it was a space where people naturally
gathered together. In other words, it is a symbolic space that the poor called
their shelter.
As I quietly settled on one side, a familiar face caught my eyes.
This was one of the men that that man had hired.
I didn’t know why he was here, who should be at work, but perhaps
something had happened?
When I was looking around so quietly, a loud voice began to come into my
ears.
“Kim! Why didn’t you go out today?”
“Yeah, why didn’t you?”
“Because that guy had hired me…”
“Ahhh. I see.”
“Then…”
“It was very difficult. It’s just moving rocks, but somehow I feel like it
doesn’t suit me.”
“What? Didn’t you say you would start your life anew now?”
“Yes, I did say that, but… I really didn’t like working there. I thought about
it, and I felt no difference whether I worked there or ate her food here.”
“If someone she knows hears you… Be careful, man.”
“Listen. I don’t think I will come today… I feel like I’m freaking out about
working for nothing.”
“I didn’t see the priest today. Is she still coming?”

“Does it make sense that the priest would be sick?”
“It could be that day. No matter how much of a priest she is, she’s still
female. She’s probably on her natural monthly cycle or something.”
“That makes sense.”
‘What?’
Blinking, I strained my ears to make sure I was hearing them. I could hardly
comprehend the words they so casually put out.
‘Ah…’
“Well, that’s shit… I’ll just go hungry and die… I’m also feeling very
sleepy…”
“Well then, that’s an expression I haven’t heard in a while.”
“Ah…”
After roughly covering his face with one hand, the man who should have
gone off to work left the square. I didn’t know why they went away.
I just felt like I shouldn’t stay there.
To be precise, it was because I didn’t want to hear their conversation

anymore, but I couldn’t afford to think about all these things at once.
‘You tamed them.’…The man’s voice came into my head.
As if his words had conjured a magical spell, I began to notice things I had
not noticed before as I continued walking deeper into the slums,
“I’ll make it cheap for you.”
“The smell of money is amazing.”
Lovers walking while holding hands no longer looked like lovers. With
horror, I realized that this was a middle-aged man and a prostitute.
“Is this just this?”
“Yeah, sorry…”
“The little ones are missing… .”
“Ahhhh!”
It turned out that the man who I thought had been looking after the children
were not looking after them at all.
The bums on the street were drowning themselves with cheap rum, and the
voices I heard were either criticizing something or someone. Some men also
harassed women.
“Hey!”
A plethora of swear words also rung out from every corner of the street.
‘It sounds so natural for them to utter such words…’
It was the same scenario everywhere I went. People who I thought I knew
turned out to have completely different characters and personalities.
However, as this thought suddenly came, my nerves began to pull at me.
‘What if the man is right?’
‘What if I am wrong?’
‘What if what I saw was just part of the slums and what he saw was
everything?’
‘Was it me who had failed to see everything clearly right from the start?’ My
thoughts were all over the place.
I hadn’t seen these kinds of things before. When I was in a position to help
these people, I didn’t notice them at all.
‘They would be perpetrators somewhere.’
The man was right.
Even those who I thought were weak turned out to be harassers to others.
Until now, I had been mad at myself because I had always been above them.
The reason I hadn’t been a victim of that sort of treatment until now was that
a group of strong people surrounded me in good clothes.
However, this was a different situation. I had taken on the form of somebody
else. At that moment, I realized just why that man said that this endeavor
might be dangerous.
‘I have to go.’
With this thought in mind, I made to turn around, but a sinister voice behind
me made me freeze.
“If you don’t want to get stabbed, don’t move.”
Chills went down my spine. What made me feel more anxious was the
presence of the blade that I felt behind my back.
“What do you want from me?”
“Fuck you.”
At this, I fell silent.
“Did you think you wouldn’t know you were a girl if you were tightly
wrapped in a hood like that?”
“What… What do you plan on doing?”
“Are you asking because you really don’t know? I doubt that.”
“This… Don’t do this.”
“Do you know how dangerous it is to wander alone on a night like this?”
“Please…”
“I won’t kill you, rest assured. I have other plans for you…”
I could roughly understand what was going on, even as the cool blade was
ominously aimed at my back. I knew I could have easily said a spell to save
myself, but my mouth refused to utter the words. It was a very unexpected
situation, and my legs trembled in the first situation.
When I did not move for some time, the man behind me struck me hard.
“Ah!”
I was flung sideways from the exerted force, and I couldn’t help but gasp.
Before I could even attempt to get up, I felt a strong hand holding my hair.
Although I was desperately rolling my eyes for help, the men who came into
view were looking at me as if they found this entire spectacle fun.
“Please… help…”
I could see faces I knew. I had helped some of these men with relief goods.
These were the people I had talked with and knew.
Of course, I thought they would help me. Surely they knew how wrong this
was.
However, none of them were reaching out to help. They were avoiding my
gaze while trying not to laugh, all the while pointing fingers at me. All the
reactions they showed were the same.
“Don’t do this. Please save me…”
A fist then hit my abdomen. I couldn’t even scream from the pain because of
the immense fear I was feeling. When I tried to utter a divine spell, a large
fist shook threateningly in front of me.
“Ahhhhhh!”
“…”
“Don’t do this. Someone, please help. please… Help.”
“The guys here all want the same as me, and you ask them for help? Are you
new here?”
“Ah… No.”
“Did you come in here alone, not knowing how dangerous it is? How clueless
are you?”
From what he said, I knew he was not referring to the entire slums. I realized
that the man was simply talking about the western side of the area.
I couldn’t understand why this area was a place that shouldn’t be entered. It
was a place where I always hung around during my volunteer days.
Before I even organized my thoughts, a large face hung right in front of me.
“I think I can sell you at a good price…”
The man who had spoken sported a visibly noticeable burn on his face. It
looked like it had not gotten proper medication.
The odor from his mouth and body made me feel nauseated.
“Wow…”
“She seems disgusted by you.”

“Ah! N-No…”
Once again, my head spun. The pain began to blossom on the left side of my
cheek.
“Are you disgusted by me?!”
“Ah!”
“Answer me! Am I disgusting?!”
“Please… Please save me! I’m going to die here…”
“You will look more disgusting than me in the future, rest assured. Don’t
have such a weak stomach now. It’ll be nice to have fun with you first before
we sell you off.”
‘Help me.’
“Please help…”
“Miss, I don’t know what you keep asking for help… Who do you think can
help you here? If you need help, you should go to the nearby clan vigilante
and ask for help. No one among us here will help you…”
“Please…”
“What a stupid bitch. Tsk.”
“Help me…”
The people who had crowded around us all sported intrigued expressions. No
one looked like they were planning to help me out.
‘It will be dangerous.’
“No… No…”
‘They would be perpetrators somewhere.’

“Help me. Someone, please…”
‘People who need help are those who try to stand up, not those lying down.’
Only
“I’m sorry. please… Help me.”
‘You are the one who made them lazy pigs.’
“Save me. I’m sorry! Please! Ah! Stop! Stop!”
“So what did I say, Priest? Just because someone is poor, it doesn’t mean that
they’re good.”
“Ah…”
As I turned my head, I saw the face I hated the most.

person (5)
“So what did I say, Priest?”
“Ah…”
“Not all the poor are good.”
As I approached her, I could see just how badly she had been roughed up.
Of course, I knew what had happened. After all, I had been watching this
young woman’s adventure from start to finish.
She currently wore an expression filled with tears and a runny nose. Her
entire demeanor screamed out that she felt an immense type of fear. I made
sure to keep my expression sympathetic, though, of course, I did not feel
much sympathy for her. At this point, I probably looked like help sent from
heaven.
What had been the most interesting thing to me was how she had turned a
complete 180 from the Sun Hee-young that I had just seen this morning. One
side of my lip curled up.
‘As expected, humans are funny.’
Everything had turned out to be the opposite. The poor people she had so
readily defended ended up being the perpetrators in this scheme, and the man
she despised the most ended up being her savior.
Because of this, I found it hard trying to reel in my laughter.
In contrast to the neat and haughty Sun Hee-young that I had just seen this
morning, the girl in front of me sported a bruised, swollen face and torn-up
rags for clothes. I knew that if I hadn’t shown up any sooner, she would have
been in big trouble.
“Alas…”
The tears that I had intentionally accumulated in my eyes fell at that moment.
I could feel the man who was pulling Sun Hee-young’s hair and the bums
who seemed to be waiting for their turn looking at me.
“Who are you?”
“That you don’t need to know, scum.”
“Don’t try to play cocky with me, bastard. I’m asking who you are.”
“Don’t move.”
Of course, I didn’t have the confidence to go ahead and kill everyone here. I
was still admittedly a weak wizard, and there were a lot of them surrounding
me.
I didn’t believe that Jung Hayan would currently handle the lot of them at this
moment, even though she was already preparing spells behind me. I had to
stall for time.
However, the fact that we were against these types of people made me feel
confident about myself. These were the types who acted weak against the
strong and strong in front of the weak.
Sure enough, I could see cautious expressions spreading from the entire
crowd. My and Jung Hayan’s anonymity was enough of a reason to make
them anxious.
“W-Where are you from…?”
“You don’t need to know.”
“That…”
Jung Hayan began to utter the spell she had memorized the moment I looked
behind me. Even before her voice burst, the new magical power that
encroached everywhere began to trap them.
Screams popped up from place to place in an impossible situation.
Sun Hee-young, who was trembling with her round eyes open, started to run
towards us. She had realized that I was the only one who could save her from
her current predicament. Meanwhile, screams erupted from the hordes of
people who did not know what was happening.
Everyone here was aware that we were the ones responsible for the
explosion, and she knew going towards us was where she would be protected.
“I told you it was going to be dangerous, didn’t I?”
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your help.”
“You can relax now, priest. You’re safe.” As I spoke, I looked over at the
man who had taken ahold of her first. His genitals were exposed for the
whole world to see.
“How was going around the slums on your own? I see you’ve done a little
sightseeing.”
“Thank you. Thank you for your help. Quick, let’s go.… Please… Let’s get
out…”
From what I could see, Sun Hee-young currently did not have the mental
capability to speak properly. Her instincts told her to get out of the area. I had
no idea how this woman managed to survive the tutorial dungeon if she had
gotten traumatized just from this situation.
However, I wanted to have a serious conversation with her first. This was the
whole reason why I even proposed her choice of action, after all. Seeing her
traumatized expression made me feel like I stepped on a pile of shit.
“Let this go.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m a woman who doesn’t want the world to know of this. Please…”
“What do you think?”
“What…”
“Now that you’ve disguised yourself as someone poor, you’ve seen how they
truly are, right?”
“You are right. You were right. Everything you said is correct.”
However, I knew she wasn’t thinking properly. All I could see on her face
was an expression of urgency. It was not a mask of regret for her line of
thinking, but a desperate cry to escape this situation.
“Hayan, release the magic.”
“Okay, Oppa.”
“Do not do it! Please don’t!”
Of course, the magic I had asked Hayan to release was not the trapping magic
she had laid upon the men, but the psychedelic magic that she had cast on
Sun Hee-young. It was to reveal her true facial features.
As Jung Hayan slowly undid the magic, Sun Hee-young’s features slowly
shifted into view.
“Look straight over there.”
“Yeah…?”
The faces of the trash who had attempted to harass our precious priest began
to turn blue. They had just now realized who they had just manhandled.
Though there were looks of regret on their faces, the fact that they had
touched the wrong person remained blatantly obvious,
They had just harassed a girl every clan wanted to have.
Seeing them shit their pants and turning pale, I couldn’t resist myself from
laughing.
“Do you guys still want to live?”
Since I saw people nodding their heads, I continued speaking.
“This woman… Are you willing to kill her?”
The man sported a fearful expression that signaled he didn’t know what I was
talking about, so I delved into a deeper explanation.
“No, I’m not going to actually let you kill her. I’m just trying to make this
woman realize your true personalities. She’s taken care of you for so long,
after all. What is it that she’s been called? The Saint of the Forsaken…?”
The man nodded, a little stunned.
“Why… Why are you saying this?” Sun Hee-young stammered.
“Personally, I feel bad for this woman. She had given her entire time trying to
help people like you, only for you to personally prove her wrong.”
“…”
“If you refuse to admit this, you die.”

“Y-Yes, we’d be willing to.”
“Good.”
Sun Hee-young was now standing with a poker-faced expression.
“W-What… Why…”
“Shut up and listen to what I tell you, you bastards. Nothing will change
anyway.”
“Can I really do whatever I want to do…?”
I nodded my head and continued. “Sure. It doesn’t matter if you finish what
you were trying to do.”
“Is this true?”
“I don’t know if I’m lucky or not, but first of all, thank you for saving me.”
Sun Hee-young interjected, who looked as if she felt a mix of relief, sadness,
and fear.
“Sir…”
“Shut up, you bastard. Anyway, you’re all the same. Just a bunch of lazy pigs
who take great pleasure in tormenting others. Aren’t you ashamed of
yourselves?”
“I didn’t mean that in…”
“You didn’t mean it in what? You all thought our lovely priest had gotten
sick, so you all decided to skip work and fool around at night.”
“That’s right.” Even in this situation, the man sporting the burn marks had the
cockiness to still speak so confidently. Just by looking at his appearance, I
knew he was a motherfucker by birth.
Sun Hee-young was no longer shaking in fear at this point. Rather, she now
sported a defeated expression. I did not know what she was feeling right now,
but she was probably feeling more embarrassed than afraid.
I’m not sure how it feels to be denied by a purpose that I’d dedicated my
whole life to, but it probably feels the same as losing one’s identity.
Finally, the expected result came.
“Wow…”
A sorrowful cry burst out from the silence.
“Fuhhhhh.”
I stepped towards them slowly. It was no wonder that those who tried to
surround Sun Hee-young earlier slowly stepped back as I approached them.
As I slowly returned my gaze to Sun Hee-young, I could see her looking at

me with an expression that was difficult to describe.
“Ugh… You didn’t have to do this.”
“Now, can we have a proper conversation?”
“You didn’t have to do this… Ugh…”
“I was only helping you realize the reality of this place. So, was I right all
along?”
“You were right. Ugh, you were right, and I was wrong. I…”
“No. That’s not it.”
“What…”
“You are not wrong.”

“Take it literally, Sun Hee-young. You are not wrong. You are simply being
noble. Being able to sacrifice for others is something ordinary people cannot
do.”
“…”
“I respect you. If I were you, I wouldn’t have been able to get up every day
and serve these people. You did it without expecting something in return.
Despite being able to receive offers from guilds or clans, you did not focus on
the rewards and stuck to your own values.”
While I spoke, the other men sported confused looks. She didn’t know what I
was talking about.
“You are in a lower position than others. Excuse me, but I have watched
where you are. If you think about your social position, it’s definitely not a
suitable place. You abandoned everything. Literally everything. Other people
also moved. You made other clans and guilds interested in the poor. Yes.
You are noble.”
“That’s stupid.”
“You didn’t make them lazy pigs. What I said before was out of jealousy at
you for having something I didn’t have. Your sublime, beautiful, and sincere
character is something I don’t possess. It is me who is twisted.”
“…”
I could see her clenching her fists.
I didn’t know if she felt comforted or still in tears over her current situation,
but she could at least recognize that her thinking has changed.
“You were never wrong.”
“Yes, I guess… Ugh…”
“You are sublime.”

“Yes…”
“You are a person to be respected.”
“Yes…”
“The one who is wrong here is…”
“…”
“…It’s them.”
“…”
“Now, you know how worthless it is to sacrifice for pigs who do not even
know how to appreciate you.”
“…”
“The ones who betray you without knowing what they have received are
really wrong. These people corrupt Lindel, the Holy Empire, and even
society. Even if the nobles continue to contribute to society, it does not
improve because these types of people remain. Yes. It’s all because of them
that the slums don’t improve, that you get useless misunderstandings, that
you don’t get what your noble light hopes for.”
“I suppose you’re right…”
“I do not condemn those who try to stand up, but those who don’t even think
about standing up. They make this place rot.”
Only
“I agree.”
“Okay, then…”
Sun Hee-young continued to look up at me in silence.
“Let’s begin service in the true sense, Priest.”
There was no suitable answer to the bullshit I had just spouted.
However…
Sun Hee-young slowly straightened and took the dagger that I was handing
out to her.
“Let’s make Lindel beautiful together.”

Chapter 57 Ideal volunteer
Ideal volunteer
“Let’s make Lindel beautiful together.”
An indecipherable expression formed on Sun Hee-young’s face at my words,

and a moment of what seemed like clarity passing through her eyes.
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting her to shift this easily. She looked as if she’d
been given a new burst of motivation.
She had been exposed to a scenario that was both frightening and life-
threatening, so in a way, I also found this sudden turn understandable.
However, I had been expecting her to be all frightened and shaky. It seemed
that she had a different response in mind.
‘She’s trembling… Poor thing.’
Of course, as I assessed her, Sun Hee-young was indeed still shaking and
trembling from what she had just experienced. I knew somehow it would
have been impossible to get her to admit defeat in her normal state of
thinking. Her frightened disposition had worked in my favor.
‘Good.’
Something new bloomed in Sun Hee-young’s expression then – a sense of

purpose. From beneath the shaking exterior was a feeling of determination
blossoming within her eyes.
She had started walking slowly, a dagger expertly held in one hand. In a way,
this was both a beautiful and disturbing scene, almost like a religious ritual.
What was even more disturbing about it was the fact that it looked as natural
as praying for her.
Inwardly, I knew she did not blame these people outright for what they did.
‘However…’
“Priest… We… We were wrong…”
“I don’t know what has come over me… Please forgive us…”
“Please spare me, Priest… I beg you…”
“Y-You said you’d save us…”
“Forgive us just this once, please?”
At this point, the perpetrators, now at our mercy, had started begging Sun
Hee-young to let them go. I looked over at them, smiling to myself. This was
indeed an entertaining sight.
Sun Hee-young paused and looked towards us, specifically at Jung Hayan,
responsible for the magic trap.
“Really… Can I do it?”
She sounded like she was waiting for confirmation. Of course, I had no
intention of letting her stop.
“Yeah, you don’t need to worry. Think of it as the same thing you’ve been
doing so far. It is definitely helping others. If there is trash, it is only correct
to remove it.”
“I guess you’re right.”
Sun Hee-young was indeed a talent that should join the party.
Smiling brightly, she approached the men and raised the dagger high in the
air. The screams erupted once more.
The way she handled the dagger looked beautiful to me for some reason, not
at all grotesque.
“Ahh!”
“Priest! Please save-”
“Help…”
“Ahhhhh!”
Any passerby that happened to stumble upon this scene would feel highly
disturbed, if not frightened. The grotesque sounds of blood splattering on
concrete, mixed with the screams of those affected, rung in the ominous air.
No one responded to the voices asking for help. Of course, that may well be
because of Jung Hayan’s sealing magic masking us, but I was sure that even
if we hadn’t gone through the hassle of doing so, no one would have come to
their aid.
As they had said themselves, asking for help here was stupid. Everyone in the
slums was too busy with their own lives.
When I remembered the Sun Hee-young from this morning, the one who
would have scoffed at my words and would’ve helped the poor without
batting an eyelash, I supposed the Sun Hee-young now was not that different
in a sense. She still did not blame them – she just genuinely believed she
could help them in a new manner.
“Priest! Priest! Please…”
“You bitch! Are you even human?!”
“I’m sorry… Please!”
“Ahhh!”
As Sun Hee-young moved, I couldn’t help but observe her. I had a feeling
this woman was already abnormal since the start. There was no other way to
explain her level of altruism.
Sun Hee-young remained silent during the whole ordeal. After a while, the
screaming gradually subsided. She was still wearing that strange, creepy
smile as she panted slightly.
“So, how did it feel?”
Although her face was still swollen and bleeding from what she had suffered
earlier, she did not seem to mind.
“That felt… rather rewarding,” she responded in a creepy voice.

Nevertheless, there was a quality to her that seemed beautiful to me in its
entirety. Her state of mind might seem worrying, but I knew she would be
fine. I had just helped her out by broadening her perspective, after all.
‘My plan is working.’
“Shall we go, then?”
“Where…?”
I did not offer her a direct proposal. Instead, I reached out and took her hand
in mine as a response. Jung Hayan shifted uncomfortably behind me, but I
knew that this shouldn’t be a problem.
“This new meaning of service is not something you can do alone. And unlike
before, you need to be a little more discreet. I’ll help you.”
“Together…?”
“Yes. Together. There will be many problems when it comes to realizing

your values. It’s something the average person won’t understand.”
“I understand.”
“I’ll try to prove you weren’t wrong.”
“Yes, Kiyoung.”
“First of all…”
“It’s okay. I can do it myself.” Sun Hee-young quietly began to memorize the
spell. It was daunting as to how quickly she was able to heal herself.
Because of the ring that Jung Hayan wore, I had already experienced the
effects myself once before, but Sun Hee-young’s magic capabilities made
recovery more effective from its looks.
‘She’s good.’
I now understood just why priests were considered very precious. It was
difficult to find a person who would fit the priest’s aptitude, and it was also
difficult for them to stay a priest. This was why it felt good thinking about
having such a powerful ally by my side.
All that remained was to bring Sun Hee-young back to the guild.
Jung Hayan stuck up to me closely, and I knew she was worried about the
gentle kindness that I had dared show Sun Hee-young. At this, the woman in
question leaned away but began to speak to her in turn.
I let them host a little conversation. It felt a little ironic to have a daily
conversation if one were to think about what had just happened a few minutes
ago, but seeing Jung Hayan respond to Sun Hee-young’s words eased what
little anxiety I had. The two didn’t seem to feel hostility towards each other.
It was then that I saw a familiar figure making its way towards us.
“Hyunsung?”
“Oh, if it isn’t Kiyoung. It’s a coincidence to meet you here. I thought you
were in the lab… Did you come out with Jung Hayan?”
“Ah. The fact is…”

When Kim Hyunsung caught sight of Sun Hee-young, the priest smiled
brightly and spoke.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Sun Hee-young, here for a little volunteer activity…
.”
“Ah. It’s also nice to meet you. I am Kim Hyunsung.”
At their exchange, I felt a little confused. Wasn’t Kim Hyunsung here for Sun
Hee-young?
Then I saw a little kid peeking out from behind Kim Hyunsung. It was a little
difficult to properly distinguish whether the child who had not yet taken off
her oversized tee was a man or a woman.
There was an unknown poison in the kid’s eyes, and her face covered in broth
seemed to explain that she had come from the slum area.
‘Perhaps…’
I quickly activated my ability to find out more about the kid.
[Check player Kim Ye-ri’s status window and potential.]
[Name-Kim Ye-ri]
[Age-14]
[Propensity-A wounded thief]
[Job-Archer]
[Job Effect-Acquisition of basic archery knowledge]
[Capacity]
[Strength-10/Growth Limit: Hero or higher]

[Agility-31/Growth Limit: Legend or higher]
[Intellect-15/Growth Limit: Hero or less]
[Durability-14 /Growth Limit: Hero or less]
[Holy-10/Growth Limit: Legend or higher]
[Overall Review-Has a stat limit above the legend level. Agility and
magic power have legendary potential. The potential of other stats is also
incomparable to player Lee Kiyoung. Please move carefully so as not to
adversely affect children. She has gotten hurt, but she is still a pure
child. The kid is quick to notice, but please don’t hate her for it.]
‘Huh…’
This was the first time I saw anyone whose stats referred to heroes and
legends except for Kim Hyunsung’s. I immediately realized that Sun Hee-
young was not who he was aiming for.
The reason he headed to the slums in the first place was to bring in this child.
Looking down at the kid, I also noticed that Sun Hee-young was looking at
the little kid with distaste. Nevertheless, she did not act out of line.
“Ah. This kid…”
“This is a child I met by chance here in the slums that looked so talented, so I
brought her with me with the intention of teaching her. She still seems a little
too young to go hunting herself… Ah! She’s also a little shy, so it will take a
little while for her to get acquainted with you.”
“Ah… I see.”
“What about you, Kiyoung?”

“The same is true for me. I was walking around the slums and accidentally
came into contact with Sun Hee-young, the priest. We eventually got around
to talking.”
“Ah.” Kim Hyunsung blinked and seemed to be regarding Sun Hee-young for
the first time since he approached us. Silence reigned as he inwardly weighed
her.
‘What is this feeling…’
If I were Kim Hyunsung, I would have also tried to recruit her somehow
while also focusing on the kid. The limit of her divine talent was beyond
legendary.
It didn’t make any sense. Although the slums were generally a large place, it
would be impossible not to bump into her at least once.
This could only mean one thing. Sun Hee-young did not give off the same
impression as the kid did to Kim Hyunsung.
‘Why not?’
She was a priest guaranteed a bright future. As of now, she had the potential
to grow even stronger if she was given the right kind of training.
It was then that I suddenly had a strange thought. Could Sun Hee-young have
gotten herself in a dire situation in the future? Is that why Kim Hyunsung did
not bother trying to recruit her?
However, they might not have met until now, so he had not tried to get her.
Lindel was, after all, a big place, where events transpired almost everywhere.
If Kim Hyunsung had been busy hunting to survive or had been stuck in
training somewhere, he may not have heard the stories. This was also a
possibility I had to consider. I shouldn’t have panicked so fast.
However, the thought that Sun Hee-young could have died for nothing came
into my mind and refused to leave. Of course, I had no way of knowing how
she would have died.
After accepting a clan or guild’s offer, she may have died in the middle of
exploration, or maybe war would break out shortly and would sweep her
away. She may also have fallen ill or may have been damaged by her chosen
guild out of its selfish interests.
Only
But perhaps…
‘Perhaps she also died because of the poor…’
As I said, I had no way of knowing.
There was nothing I could do except to anticipate, but for some reason, I
thought that Sun Hee-young had a bitter life in her previous lifetime.
No, I didn’t think. I was almost sure she did.
“Thank you in the future, Ms. Hee-young.”
“Likewise… Thank you very much, Mr. Hyunsung. I think I’ll be in your
debt for a long while.”
Ah, Sun Hee-young. Always the ideal volunteer.

Chapter 58 Regressor bus
Regressor bus
To summarize, both the kid Kim Ye-ri and the priest Sun Hee-young ended
up joining our party.
In all honesty, only the authorization of Kim Hyunsung was needed for the
two people to join our team. However, the guild’s higher-ups seemed to want
to dispute this because we did not consult with the administrative team
beforehand.
For other parties, this would have posed little problem. However, our party
was new, and Kim Hyunsung had been a member for less than a year.
However, apart from this negative outlook, the fact that we had gotten
someone like Sun Hee-young – someone who the other guilds and clans
desperately wanted for themselves – had more than made up for their
misgivings.
‘We’d also gotten her for a low bargain.’
It was no wonder her valuation within the guild shot up when Sun Hee-young
announced that she would not join any other clan or guild.
Kim Hyunsung’s party, which was admittedly still in the spotlight, once more
became the subject of the Free City of Lindel’s attention. I admittedly did not
know the history of every survivor that had reached Lindel, but I was fairly
certain no one had received as much attention in the past as our party.
“Hyung! It’s time to eat.”

“I know.”
While I was still immersed in my experiments within my workshop, Park

Deokgu slipped through the door after knocking.
Recently, the party had made it a point to eat together during every meal.
This was to become more acquainted with Sun Hee-young and Kim Ye-ri and
discuss plans for our party. Compared to the four of us, who had been close
since the start, it took some time for Kim Ye-ri and Sun Hee-young to warm
up to the gang.
Surprisingly, Jung Hayan and Sun Hee-young seemed well-matched, and the
two became close friends. Meanwhile, I hadn’t had the chance to converse
with Kim Ye-ri, for she was always hiding her face and shying away.
‘She’s such a quick-witted kid, though…’
Although she was freakishly quiet, she dutifully stuck to Kim Hyunsung,
almost as if she could sense security within Hyunsung’s power. I knew that it
would take some time for her to warm up to us, but it also felt frustrating to
see her being so unresponsive to me.
Wanting to ease the slight awkwardness, Park Deokgu opened his mouth to
speak.
“By the way, what’s Hyung so busy with? I hardly get to see you outside of
meals.”
“I’ve had a lot to do. I’m doing so much at once, so I can’t really focus on
one.”
“Can you tell me just one of them? My curiosity is driving me crazy. It’s
been so long since you started, don’t you think it’s time to tell me one of your
secrets?”
“Well…”
“Oh, don’t do that suspense thing. Just tell me.”

“The most recent thing I was doing was a potion to control my emotions…”
“Is that even possible?”
“It was only a theory, but you can think of it as virtually impossible. I just
thought I’d try and see if I can touch the basic human needs…”
“For example?”
“Something like sex, sleep, or appetite. In fact, if I get it correctly, it won’t

ever hurt your emotions. It’s all about simply making you drowsy or feeling
tired of your body…”
“So… It’s technically not controlling your emotions?”
“This is why touching emotions is fun. For example, suppose you created a
potion that relaxes your muscles as well as your body. If you say you added
something magical to it, the affected human would feel drowsy. This is
because the brain interprets the body’s signals at will.”
“Ah…”
“It is the same in other cases, like applying heat to the body or making the
heart beat a little faster. You just need a little stimulus or plant a seed of
thought in someone to make it work.”
“It sounds scary for some reason…”
“If you have low intelligence, it will work a little better on you. Or…”
“Or…”
“Or if you’re a little unsafe or unstable.”
“Well…” Park Deokgu hesitated, an expression similar to fear crossing his

features. It might have been quite unsettling to hear about the possible
creation of a potion that could control people’s emotions.
It had been pretty fun trying to make it, but it wasn’t suitable for us. There
were a lot of dramatic situations, and different materials were required for its
creation.
In short, it was a situation that did not yet seem to be viable.
The one I had now was only a prototype for the final version of my desired
product. Nevertheless, I couldn’t say that this was useless.
“It’s just a joke.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a joke. There’s no way a potion like that could exist.”
“Ah, hyung!”
“I’m just trying to imagine it. Originally, all experiments start with one’s
imagination. It means that every idea matters.”
“So, is it possible to visualize even the wrong type of idea?”
“Only if the situation fits.”
“You mean like the idea of a love potion?”
“That’s an extension to the potion I said before.”
“Then how about a potion that increases your stats when you drink? Or
something like a potion that makes the user invisible?”
“…”
“Oh, a potion to become a monster! Is that possible?”
I didn’t know if he was babbling or not, but the potions Park Deokgu had
been mentioning were the ones I’d been studying.
As I looked at him with an expression of surprise, he smiled and began giving

out more ideas. Some of them were things that I’ve never even thought about,
so I began to see him in a new light.
For now, I only had theories I wanted to bring into reality, so I also ended up
taking mental notes of unique ideas that came out of Park Deokgu’s mouth.
As I slowly went down to the guild house’s basement, those who were
gathered came into sight.
“Oppa, are you here?”
“Kiyoung-nim.”
“Let’s all sit down.”
Jung Hayan looked up at me as she sat, and Sun Hee-young was also sitting
in front of the table. Meanwhile, Kim Hyunsung nodded and welcomed me,
and Kim Ye-ri, the youngest, was still looking around warily.
“Good morning.”
“Yes, good morning.”
As I sat down, Jung Hayan brought my meal over to me. Sun Hee-young
handed me my water.
Interestingly, Sun Hee-young’s propensity had not changed. She still saw
herself as the ideal volunteer, embarrassingly enough.
Perhaps it was possible because I thought I could change her with the course
of events that had happened, but it seemed that the inclination to become the
ideal volunteer would still stay with her.
Instead, her job had changed.
[Dark Priest – Hero Grade]

The current job of being a priest of the sun was changed into being a dark
priest. I thought it was probably the effect of what happened at that time, but
there had been no difference in abilities or spells upon observation. Sun Hee-
young was still able to memorize divine magic, and even Kim Hyunsung felt
surprised by her ability.
Of course, even the growth in Jung Hayan’s case was distinguishable. In the
case of the lovely returner Kim Hyunsung, there was no need for other
explanations in the first place.
Rather, it was with Park Deokgu that the growth rate had been a little slow.
His endurance level continuously rose, but his muscle strength and stamina’s
growth rate were slower in comparison. His agility stats seemed to be the
slowest out of everything.
Although he seemed to be frustrated about it, I knew he understood why his

growth had been like this, even with immense training. He and I had low
growth potentials, and we just had to make do with what we had.
Once everyone had settled in, Kim Hyunsung began to speak.
“Let’s start eating.”
“Enjoy your meal.”
Since Kim Hyunsung was the designated leader of our party, it was natural to
show him respect before the meal. After his signaling nod, we began to eat in
silence. However, after a few moments, some of them had started striking up
a conversation with each other.
They covered the most random topics, but I couldn’t say I objected. This was
my only break from my work, so it proved to be a pleasant distraction.
However, one look at Kim Hyunsung informed me that an important

announcement would be coming soon.
“I have something important to tell everyone.”
The atmosphere became quiet in a second.

“Yeah?”
“I got an offer from the Vice Guild Master this morning.”
“What’s the offer about?”
“It’s for a dungeon strategy. It seems that not only our party, but also parties
of nearby large guilds will enter. I’d love to hear what you think.”
This was a little unexpected.
Of course, I expected that we would be going hunting or dungeon-exploring

someday. However, our party was still considered as a newcomer and would
need some time to grow. We currently had six people, and if the little kid
Kim Ye-ri went with him, it wouldn’t be called bad timing because Kim
Hyunsung had managed to get enough members in time.
What came as a surprise to us was the fact that we would be joining another
guild.
Sometimes, dangerous and unexpected events could occur within dungeon

explorations, so one needed to go with people they trusted. This was why the
thought of joining up with other guilds hadn’t crossed my mind.
I couldn’t help it. “Can you tell us more?”
Kim Hyunsung smiled slightly and answered. “Of course. I haven’t gotten a
lot of details, but one of the mid-sized parties has found a new dungeon in the
area near the tutorial dungeon.”
“But that…”
“The problem is the members of the party. It was a dungeon that was
discovered during a gathering of several guilds and not by a singular party, so
the discussion about which guild will own it has become a little ambiguous.”
‘Ah…’
With this, I could understand just what was going on.
“Aren’t they directly involved in the attack?”
“Yeah. It seems that there is no need to attack the dungeon, as the results of
the investigation reveal it to be a normal grade type. However, this is still
considered as a rare discovery. They probably want to separate the rewards
within instead. We also decided to share some of the stakes in the dungeon
where the attack was completed.”
“Rather than attacking directly…”
“It must have been decided to be used as an investment which will be

supported by each guild and clan.”
To put it simply, it meant that the fellowship party of each guild member had
accidentally discovered a rare dungeon. The problem was that the dungeon
level felt a bit low for the members of this social gathering to enter.
Therefore, they probably thought it prudent to give the dungeon exploration
to those who could use it for their growth.
‘I guess Kim Hyunsung has made good relations with whoever’s in charge.’
Only
It felt a little strange that guilds were able to discuss without undergoing
disputes over ownership. In fact, for the guys who discovered the dungeon, it
would be a favorable situation for them because they could receive rewards
from each guild and even receive some of the dungeon’s shares.
“One party from our Blue Guild, one from the Red Mercenary Guild, one
from the Magic Guild, and finally, one from the Black Swan Guild will come
together. Although it is a rare dungeon, it is said that there is no problem with
all parties moving together because the dungeon is a bit large. The end
rewards would probably be distributed according to the contribution of each
party, but…”
“By the degree of contribution?”
“Yeah. However, the purpose of this dungeon line is not to gain items or
goods. It’s to gain experience.”
I knew what Kim Hyunsung was trying to say. We would just be using this
opportunity for our growths, and not for any other purpose. Any extra
rewards would just be considered a bonus.
Because of this line of reasoning, there was no reason to refuse.
‘Thank you, Hyunsung.’
It was time to board the regressor bus and take action.

Chapter 59 Dungeon attack
becomes a political war (1)
Dungeon attack becomes a political war (1)
The announcement was a little too unexpected, so I found myself getting way
more occupied.
Our guild mother, Lee Sang-hee, was in charge of educating our party about
the exploration, and what was left of our spare time was spent trying to
achieve our daily tasks.
The sad fact stood – our party had zero experience when it came to hunting or
dungeon explorations. We could have said that the tutorial dungeon gave us
some notion, but survival dungeons wouldn’t be considered as experience by
other people.
In other words, our party had skipped the typical beginner’s growth process.
They had chosen for us to enter an advanced type dungeon without stopping
to consider our experience.
Of course, it might have been possible for people to overlook this as we had
been quite the popular party in Lindel, but we all knew within ourselves that
we were still newbies to this sort of thing.
This was why we tried our absolute best to pile up as much basic dungeon
knowledge as we could before the due date came.
When a party moved together, the best practice would be to practice

formation to prevent the weakening of defenses and memorize monsters’
types and characteristics.
In short, we were cramming both mental and physical training in preparation

for the dungeon exploration. Thus, we were receiving special attention from
the Blue Guild. Every member wanted to make sure we were in tip-top shape
so as not to get left behind.
‘I don’t know if we’ll be able to do this successfully, but…’
We were indeed very lucky to have been given a chance to join a joint
exploration this quickly, considering that we were newbies. It also felt weird
to move with parties from other guilds, but looking from a different
perspective, it meant that our safety was guaranteed. Plus, we would also
learn a thing or two by watching their formations and react to certain
situations within the dungeon.
However, that didn’t mean I was underestimating my party. In actuality, our

fellow guilds’ levels weren’t that high compared to ours. It was just the
experience in dungeons that separated us from each other.
In short, we were still very lucky to be given this opportunity.
“By the way… Are you really going to take Kim Ye-ri with us?”
“Yeah. It may be dangerous, but it will be a great experience for her. Being
young and new to this sort of thing is both an advantage and a disadvantage.”
“I see.”
It was quite surprising that Kim Hyunsung had also chosen to take Kim Ye-ri
with us. However, I knew that he must have decided to do so for a reason.
Kim Hyunsung wasn’t the type to take a risk when he knew that it might put
the whole team in danger, after all.
In any case, our party rushed to complete our preparations before the due date
came.
Kim Hyunsung was the one who was particularly assigned to attend the
meetings outside, and it was through this that I could feel that our first
expedition as the Blue Guild’s Seventh Division Party was fast approaching.
Finally, the day of the dungeon exploration came.
“Deokgu, have you packed everything that we need to bring?”
“Of course. Well, some of the guild members already packed their luggage in
advance…”
“Miss Hee-young, can you check if there is anything still missing? I’m also
not sure if the others are in good shape to move.”
“Yes, Kiyoung.”
“Jung Hayan, please make sure all the food, drinking water, and potions are
ready to go.”
“Yes, oppa.”
In truth, I was the busiest. I was the one pulling strings behind the scenes,
making sure everyone would be properly prepared in time for the exploration.
I didn’t want to inconvenience Kim Hyunsung by having him think of
everything, after all.
It was crucial for someone to be in charge of all the basic needs. This
included checking the necessary supplies, preparing for the expedition in
advance, etc.
In other words, I took care of the less fun parts that came with planning for a
guild expedition.
‘I will prepare everything, Hyunsung. You don’t need to worry.’
As expected, Kim Hyunsung was very appreciative of the way I had stepped
in to handle things. It was important for me to show that I was still worth the
investment. I might be lacking in power or growth potential, but at least he
would see me as someone useful to have around.
“Make sure you don’t leave out any equipment. Hayan, when you’re done,
bring the equipment you decided to rent from the guild warehouse…”
“Yes, oppa.”
“Don’t forget to bring the arrows along for Ye-ri.”
“Yes, of course!”
I might be busy, but it was also important for me to look busier. As it was my
first expedition, I had to make sure I made my position within the party clear
in advance.
If the party’s father were Kim Hyunsung, then the party’s mother would be
me, Lee Kiyoung.
It wasn’t all that hard to do. All I had to do was check the list for anything we
might be missing, and make sure that the preparations were all in place.
When I saw Kim Hyunsung come into sight, whistling, and in a good mood, I
couldn’t help but laugh.
“I think I’m somewhat ready. You should also check yourself before we go,
Hyunsung.”
“Don’t worry, Kiyoung, I’m okay. There will be no other problem. Another
party will be waiting outside. Let’s start soon.”
“Yeah.”
This tedious job felt less hassling when I knew that the leader trusted me
enough to take care of this sort of thing. I couldn’t help but let a smile
overtake my features.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, sure.”
As we headed outside, we could see unfamiliar faces waiting. They had all
their attention on us, presumably trying to size us up.
“Oh, that’s Sun Hee-young, am I right?”
“Isn’t that the party that the Blue Guild decided to assign?”
“Well, I can understand why they had to get them at an expensive price. You
can see their potential even by just looking at them.”
“I kind of feel jealous. Their starting line is different from ours…”
“They haven’t even shown their true abilities yet…”
“Isn’t that the whole reason for the hunt?”
“So, does that mean we’ll have to support them?”
Amidst all the looks we were receiving, one expression in familiar stood out
– the expression of jealousy.
We had rented equipment from the guild warehouse, but the difference was
that the ones we were given were of good quality. Most of the equipment our
would-be expedition members were wearing were worn-out and dull-looking
in comparison.
I couldn’t blame them. If I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t be able to stop

myself from comparing, either.
One could see it just by looking at Park Deokgu.
Instead of the fragile wooden shield that he used back in the tutorial, he was
now holding an iron-encrusted shield that not only looked pretty good but
also had higher defense stats compared to regular type shields. He was also
wearing chain armor instead of the customary leather armor that was
normally used for shoelaces.
If Park Deokgu’s strength stat had only been a little higher, he would have
also been able to wear a whole body-plated armor.
None of us were wearing any hero-grade equipment, but we weren’t using

items that screamed ‘beginner,’ either.
As we slowly approached them, I couldn’t help but notice each guild’s
emblem imprinted on their respective members.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.”
Having met several times in advance, the party leaders were well-acquainted
with each other.
Another notable thing to observe was that one of the Red Mercenary Guild
members looked at our party with a favorable expression.
‘Oh? He seems interesting.’
“Nice to meet you. I am Choi Young-ki of the Red Mercenary Guild. I heard
a lot about you from the master.”
“Ah, it’s nice to meet you. I am Kiyoung Lee.”
Of course, it was only natural for Cha Hee-ra to employ people who would
report back to her about my current standing and how this expedition would
go. The Red Mercenary Guilds were very easy to distinguish, as they were all
wearing red.
Meanwhile, one of the other men who were busy greeting Jung Hayan looked
like the Magic Guild members. He was wearing a badge that looked like a
magic circle, and he had already struck up a conversation with her, seemingly
having a lot of questions he wanted to ask.
Those who went to greet Kim Hyunsung, in particular, were the members of
the Black Swan Guild. As expected, they were wearing their guild badge.
Their party consisted of five women and one man.
‘Ah, so the rumors are true.’

Most members of the Black Swan Guild were said to be women. There were
little differences, but they formed quite the formidable party.
Since there were so many guilds, each with their respective parties, it was
hard to greet everyone successfully. Of course, the most popular person in the
entire crowd would be our very own priest, Sun Hee-young.
“You finally decided to go active.”
“Yeah. Some things happened, and I found myself joining Blue Guild. Please
take good care of me, everyone.”
“Having you as part of this team is very reassuring, haha.”
“Oh, no. In fact, I am not familiar with the ins and outs of the dungeon, so I
don’t think I’ll be of much help. I’ll still try my best, regardless!”
“Yes, sure. Then let’s go as soon as we’re ready.”
Due to the atmosphere, the Red Mercenary’s Choi Young-ki decided to lead
this expedition. Seeing as he had the best stats and came from the best guild
among every guild present, it was completely understandable for him to do
so.
Though he did not have hero-grade stats, he had put a lot of effort into trying
to make sure his stats were as high as possible.
To me, it felt like Park Deokgu had a higher potential rate, and if Park
Deokgu were to train without giving up continuously, he would probably
grow to be as strong as Choi Young-ki, if not even stronger.
“It’s a great honor to see the rumored party in person, Mr. Hyunsung.”
“No, we are the lucky ones. This is also my first expedition. I came with the
mindset to learn before anything else.”
“Hahaha. In fact, I was also one of the ones who watched your demonstration
before. My goodness… I really thought of you as a genius. Your excessive
humility is poisonous.”
“Thank you so much for watching me.”
“I just had to. Even Miss Jung Hayan showed great potential.”
Choi Young-ki exhibited quite a pleasant personality. His other party

members were the same for the most part. Meanwhile, the Magic Guild
struck me as the quiet type.
I didn’t know what the Black Swan Guild people were thinking, but they
didn’t seem to be wary of us.
However, this didn’t mean that we were completely free from judgments. Our
judgment came in the form of Kim Ye-ri. After all, she was still just a child.
It was then that one of the people from the Black Swan Guild spoke.
“We didn’t hear anything about you bringing young children to the
expedition, Mr. Hyunsung.”
“He will not interfere. Before being a child, she is also a talented archer. I
will make sure she isn’t a nuisance to the expedition.”
“Still…”
“I’ll take care of her.”
“What…”
I knew tension would be inevitable between guilds. We just needed to give

them an opening to take. However, we couldn’t just back down from the
taunts either. We needed to assess them first to see where we would end up
standing.
I had already looked at everyone’s stats from the first moment that I laid my
eyes on them, but I thought I had to look at them one more time. Thus, I
slowly activated my ability.
[Check player Yura Jung’s status window and potential.]

[Name-Jung Yura]
[Age-29]
[Propensity-Calculating Strategist]
[Job-Assassination Thief-Rare Grade]
[Occupational Effect-Acquisition of basic dagger skills]
[Occupational Effect-Acquisition of basic trapping knowledge]
[Job Effect-Acquisition of Basic Assassination Knowledge]
[Capacity]
[Strength -41/Growth limit: Hero or higher]
[Agility-55/Growth limit: Hero or higher]
[Health -43/Growth limit: Hero or less]
[Intellect -40/Growth limit: Rare or less]
Only
[Durability-20/Growth limit: Rare or higher]
[Luck -23/Growth limit: Rare or less]

[Holy-43/Growth limit: Hero or higher]
[Overall Review – Has the stats and potential to be useful as an assassin.

It is noticeable that the disposition, occupation, and stats are very well
matched. Must have the talent to grow smoothly. If you assume that she
gets a legendary item or job, she is a talent who can grow explosively.
However, her personality doesn’t look as good. Of course, compared to
player Lee Kiyoung, she still looks like a saint.]
‘Ah, so she’s okay.’
I’ve seen so many monster-like stats, so hers weren’t all that impressive, but
her possible growth rate still showed much promise. It also looked like she
was doing a very good job as an assassin.
From an in-depth assessment, I could guess her role to center around trap
dismantling or rear disturbance. Therefore, I could understand the snarky
tone. Her responsibility was also to make sure that we wouldn’t be ambushed
or caught off-guard. This also meant ensuring that there were no possibly
weak links in the party.
“We aren’t here to look after you…” A voice muttered from behind.
Of course, I could understand where they were coming from.
From the other guild parties’ perspective, they had already sacrificed a lot
just to let us – a lower spec party – join the expedition.
Our party was the least experienced here. It wasn’t only our first time doing a
dungeon exploration, but it was also our first time engaging in hunting
activities, and all of them here knew it. Thus, if we were to bring Kim Ye-ri,
who was a kid, with us, it would mean lugging around baggage that was
twice as heavy.
“Hey, don’t say that, we can still have fun.”
“How can you make dungeon exploration fun, Choi Young-ki? This is not a
joke. No matter how many people are involved… It was natural to be worried
about our wellbeing.”
“That…”
“Even though our overall specifications are high, please remember that we
are not here for sightseeing. You have to be aware that any dungeon can
become dangerous at any time.”
“We will work harder.”

Even in the midst of that, Choi Young-ki still chose to take our side. Perhaps
Cha Hee-ra had said something to him beforehand.
“Ah, well, we’re not saying that we don’t have faith in the Red
Mercenaries…”
“Ah, the atmosphere feels a little uncomfortable now. Well, I suppose it’s
time to give a briefing.”
“Yes, okay.”
“Sure.”
“As you’ve heard, the dungeon we are entering is a rare find. The name of the
dungeon is Garden of Terror, and the guild’s analysis is that plant-type
monsters will dominate the entire area.”
This was something we already knew. It seemed that this ‘briefing’ was only
brought up for the sole purpose of lightening up the atmosphere.
As we were walking, I could see that Choi Young-ki’s disposition wasn’t so

bad. Rather, he was exerting quite the effort to alleviate the nervous mood
within the group.
“Hyung, doesn’t he look like a good person?”
“Huh. It also seems that way to me.”
Park Deokgu had also seemed to notice, and a part of me agreed. I felt
comfortable knowing we had such a tanker as a leader, someone who was
considerate of his comrades.
He was calm, knew how to communicate with people, and was good at skills.
Choi Young-ki was a pro when it came to reading the atmosphere and
minimizing any form of conflict. He was the type of tank that Park Deokgu
should aspire to be.
As we walked and talked, I knew it wouldn’t be long until we’d arrive at our
destination.
It was a little annoying to pass through places where enormous thorn bushes
had gathered, but the slowing of the pace had given me ample time to observe
the entrance of the dungeon.
‘Why’s it so small?’
The entrance itself was indeed a small opening where only one or two people
could enter at the same time. However, it exuded an ominous, magical aura,
almost beckoning any passer-by to enter it. It looked both dangerous and
magnificent at the same time.
I never imagined a dungeon entrance could look so enticing.
After gazing at the entrance for some time, Choi Young-ki nodded and turned
to us.
“I’ll be the first to go in slowly. The order of entry will be in this manner:
Black Swan, Magic, and Blue. As there is a possibility that a battle may start
as soon as possible, we will try to get in as quickly and efficiently as we can.
Am I understood?”
“Yes.”
Following Young-ki’s command, people split into pairs while categorizing

themselves according to their respective parties. I was at the very back, my
hand holding Jung Hayan’s firmly.
Upon entering, I felt like the air had changed, and after a while, I heard a
familiar message.
[You have entered the Garden of Terror, a rare dungeon. Number of people
[24/30] checked.]
Right after this, I could hear a voice from the front. “Fan out! Put some
distance, quickly! Our first opponent is here. Be careful not to get in anyone’s
way or formation!”
I found it a little silly to come face to face with a monster right off the bat,
but I knew I should have expected it. This dungeon positively oozed infinite
magical power.
The Red Mercenaries immediately took up the front positions and were
blocking the monsters trying to break through their formation as best as
possible.
I observed the monsters’ physique. They were grotesque-looking plant giants

that were about twice the size of a regular human. With every step they took,
the ground shook slightly. This signaled that, unlike normal plants, these
weighed as heavy as iron. It wasn’t easy to understand how they could move
so efficiently as their bodies were made of stems and roots, but I knew now
was not the time to question this.
I lightly knocked Deokgu on the head, seeing the guy looking up at the
monsters in a trance.
“Deokgu.”
“Oh, I see.”
It didn’t seem like he was scared. Rather, he had just felt an initial shock
upon seeing the monsters. Coming to his senses, Deokgu rushed forward to
take his position as a shield tanker. The rest of the parties’ tankers were also
doing the same to give their fellow party members ample time to attack.
It was difficult to maintain a solid formation due to the cramped space, but
they were trying their best to provide somehow enough space for swordsmen
and spearmen to move.
“I will keep pushing. Please start attacking slowly.”
“What!”
At that time, Park Deokgu, who had courageously jumped out first, suddenly
lost focus. He was unable to withstand the attack and lost his balance.
“Priest!”
“On my way.”
Sun Hee-young immediately uttered a spell to support Park Deokgu, and Kim
Hyunsung stepped forward in an attempt to help.
However, we were a tad too late. A monster came rushing through the gap
that Park Deokgu had opened up, and it was rushing straight towards us.
‘Fuck.’
The formation had already collapsed.
I thought about uttering the spells integrated within my ring, but it felt like
such a waste to use them at the very beginning of the dungeon.
Seeing Kim Hyunsung leaping up to stand in its way, it seemed like no one
would get hurt, but I still felt anxious.
However, before anyone from our party even took the first offensive stance,
the incoming monster was slammed sideways. Our savior turned out to be
Choi Young-ki.
Quang!
“Support is needed here!”
“Noted!”
“Who…”
His intervention had sparked a change. Order began to spread throughout the
parties once more, and the other guild parties were efficiently ridding the
dungeon entrance of its monsters.
Of course, Kim Hyunsung was able to steadily inflict damage in the midst of
that, but the problem was that Jung Hayan and I could hardly help with how
efficiently he took them out.
This was the moment where I could see the difference between guild parties.
It wasn’t just about the difference in our stats; it was also about our
experience in teamwork.
‘We aren’t working together properly.’
As soon as the first wave of opponents had been cleared, Choi Young-ki
addressed a breathless Park Deokgu.
“It seems you moved too quickly.”
“Yes… That… Thank you…”
“This often happens when you lack experience. It would be better to put
some strength on the lower body.”
“Okay, I’ll take note of that.”
My gratitude towards Choi Young-ki began to rise as he simultaneously

calmed Park Deokgu down and even gave him helpful advice.
“Then, we will organize the surroundings together.”
“Yes, okay.”
It didn’t seem like Park Deokgu had received a major injury, but the
wounded expression on his face revealed that the real source of pain came
from his failure.
“I’m sorry, everyone…”
“There is nothing to be sorry for. Deokgu. This is an experience for all of us

who are newbies.”
“Still…”
“Hyunsung is right, Deokgu. There is no need to be so somber. Just continue

to work hard with the intention of learning throughout this expedition. You
will soon get better.”
“Okay… I shall try my best.”
“As you are now, the attack will feel a little heavier for you. It would be nice
to lower your posture a little, so you’ll be able to stand your ground.”
“Ah.”
“It may take some time to get used to, but you will be able to do it well.”
“Yes, I’ll try.”
I felt a little worried about seeing Park Deokgu’s gloomy disposition. The
fact stood that he had the potential to become an amazing tanker, but at his
current state, he wouldn’t be able to keep up with the more experienced
types, such as Choi Young-ki. He was feeling a lot more pressure as the
person tasked with the role of standing in front, too. He knew that losing
formation could mean the downfall of his team.
He was such a simple guy; I knew dungeons would easily be able to bring his
mood down.
“Hey, Young-ki Choi.”
“Yeah? Do you have anything to say, Yura?”
“Those from the Blue Guild… I think it would be better to place their tanker
over there in the rear.”
“Ah.”
“He still seems a little off with his physique. He might bring more damage if
he is to stand at the very front. At least he can shield us from any potential
rear ambushes.”
It was, once again, the Black Swan brat who had spoken.
‘Ha…’
Park Deokgu stepped forward.

“That’s…”
“I know that you want to prove yourself, but this isn’t the time and place to
do so. As it is, the difference in stats and experience is too high.”
“He will probably get used to it soon. He seems to have good durability…
Given enough time…”
“That’s the problem. If he falls out again, Choi Young-ki will have to help
them. As a result, the formation itself becomes dangerous. Unlike the Red
Mercenary Guild tanker, which has good durability stats, the other parties
have a low durability except for our tanks. The unexpected can always
happen. I think you know what it means if you get swept aside?”
“Nevertheless… Even if you tell me that…”
“That’s why I suggest you take to the rear. I think even the Magic guild
agrees.”
Choi Young-ki was defending us against Yura’s harsh words, but I had a
feeling it wasn’t just because Cha He-raa had ordered him to. It felt like he
wanted us to improve.
However, it wasn’t only because of this. Even though Choi Young-ki was the
de facto leader of the entire group, the authority of where to place Park
Deokgu still rested on our party, and no one else’s.
Even if it was appropriate to give such an opinion, it still felt disrespectful all
the same. It should have been one of us who made this suggestion instead of
another party guild member.
In short, this kind of behavior would only cause unrest and conflict among
guilds.
Only
‘This bitch…’
I had suspected what kind of person she was right from the start, but we
hadn’t even been inside the dungeon for long, and she was already getting on
my nerves.
‘Computational strategist, my ass.’
It felt like she was trying to cut our party down for the heck of it rather than
thinking of the safety of the party expedition itself. I knew why – she wanted
to harvest more of the end rewards for herself, and the only way to do that
was to criticize another party’s contributions.
However, our party genuinely only wanted the experience. Gaining items was
just a bonus.
Her method had started to piss me off, though. Why was she employing such
political tactics on a guild expedition? This was such bullshit.
My mouth started to itch.
She wanted to resort to these types of tactics? Two could play that game.
In the kind of political tactic Yura was trying to employ, understanding the
situation around you was paramount. This meant that the opinions of those
who had the right to vote were important.
As this was a fight for the public’s approval, now was hardly a good time to
go against her.
Unlike Jung Y-ra, who had already established a firm standing as both an
experienced member and explorer, I was still just a newbie party member
who hadn’t proved anything yet. Although the Red Mercenary people
regarded me highly, they would not risk extending their hand out so far to
help me.
Therefore, I had a new top priority. I had to establish my standing within this
party to prove to everyone that I, along with the rest of my party members,
were not useless like they thought.
“I’m really sorry,” I started, bowing slightly.
The first thing to do in a situation like this was to apologize. Much of the
group members’ attention was on me now. I continued speaking.
“I know anything unexpected can happen in an expedition, which is why I

understand your anxiety. We also understand that you already have
yourselves to focus on, and you can’t do the same for our party. However,
please give us one more chance to prove ourselves.”
“But this is…”
“I know you are concerned for our well-being. Please, just give us one more
shot. We won’t let you down.” I was careful to keep my tone sincere. This
was the best way to get the hearts of my audience.
As expected, many of my fellow group members nodded and showed

preference to my words. They respected my choice to prove the usefulness of
my party once more.
Jung Yura, too, looked a little embarrassed, and the expression on her face
was as clear as day.
“I’m sorry.” Even Park Deokgu had begun to bow his head in apology,
adding Jung Yura’s embarrassment even more.
I didn’t think he should apologize. He had just stumbled by accident, and it

was his first time. Since it was our blunder, we would be the ones to die first,
and they could still have the time to escape.
However, I knew this kind of reasoning would not work well with the others,
so humility was the best option we could take. Jung Yura began to speak.
“Dungeon strategy is not a joke. Actually, I wouldn’t say I like giving second
chances in dangerous situations like these, but… I guess I can give you
another chance.”
“Thank you.” With this, I lowered my head even further. Park Deokgu
seemed both moved and sorry with my initiative to step in for him.
“Hyung… I really have nothing to say except sorry.”
“No, it’s fine, Deokgu. Anyone can make mistakes. Don’t be scared. Try
again. You’ll be able to do it successfully the next time.”
I neglected to say that Jung Yura would have gained the upper hand if
something did happen during his blunder. If we so much as had a casualty on
our hands, the fault would lie entirely on our guild party and our guild party
alone. An apology would not work in that kind of situation.
However, since nothing bad had happened, the entire group found our
blunder easily forgivable. No one suffered any major injuries, and we could
still repel the first wave of monsters. On the contrary, most of the other
people had begun to approach a gloomy Park Deokgu to offer comfort words.
‘Everyone here knows what it’s like to be a beginner, so they must be

sympathetic.’
Everyone had been a newbie at one point. It was a normal occurrence to

make mistakes if one was inexperienced. This was especially true for a new
tanker like Park Deokgu, whose role garnered the most pressure. He needed
to stay in front, soak the damage, and ensure protection to his allies. Failure
to do so might result in the death of a team member.
Thus, it was not unreasonable to think that the pressure might hinder his
effectiveness.
“It is important to prevent attacks, but it would be better to think of deflecting

them, juniors.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“Anytime, anywhere, just remember, huh? It’s important to hold on to your

lower body.”
“Okay, senior… I’ll remember.”
“It’s okay, I understand. When dealing with such large beasts, it’s normal to
mess up when you feel scared. I don’t blame you.”
“Ah…”
“Actually, my friend here first encountered a medium-sized monster when he

was new and got so scared that he couldn’t move.”
“Hey, didn’t I tell you to keep that a secret?!”

Choi Young-ki ignored his party member. “Actually, it’s proof that you’ve
come a long way, junior. You needn’t be so gloomy. Instead of standing still,
instinct drove you to stand in front. Even if you feel pressured, you must
remember you are not alone. Your party members won’t be weak, either. It is
important to trust your colleagues behind you and hold on to the end. If you
have that kind of mindset, you can do anything.”
“Thank you, senior…”
“Be strong.”
“You shouldn’t move so quickly next time, however.”
Seeing that our so-called seniors had known each other beforehand had
worried me. I thought they would shut us out and disregard our potentials,
seeing as we were still inexperienced.
This was why seeing Park Deokgu being comforted by everyone made me
feel happy.
I didn’t want to join the crowd as I was not in the mood for socializing, but it
was heartwarming to watch from a distance. If I were in their shoes, I would
have reacted differently.
‘This kind of softness can lead to their downfall, however…’
I didn’t ponder too much on the thought. Seeing Park Deokgu with such a
bright smile made me smile in return. He looked adorable.
“Hyung!”
“Deokgu. Come here and give this to them.”
“Huh?”
“This is a health potion. It would be better to use it here than sell it on the
market. I have to give a reward somehow.”
“Ah. That’s right! Thank you, hyung!”

Park Deokgu accepted the potion and ran back to offer some to the other
members. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling wryly at the scene.
He had to be a bit more serious when it came to this gathering. That alone
would prove to be advantageous for our party.
Kim Hyunsung was also cheering for Park Deokgu.
“This was given by my hyung!”
“Thank you for this, Kiyoung!”
“At first glance, this potion… Have you ever seen anything like this on the
market?”
“No, I’ve never seen this type of potion before. It seems like the Blue Guild’s
money wasn’t wasted on hiring an alchemist like him.”
Of course, it was also crucial for me to raise my popularity and reliability

levels with these people in one way or another. While we moved, the bigger
guys started to teach Park Deokgu the proper stances, and even after the next
wave of monsters came, no other accident occurred.
It was all about holding the center and supporting his back so he wouldn’t
fall, but he was getting used to dealing with monsters. All in all, they looked
like a group of brothers supporting each other on the front lines.
Of course, I couldn’t say that we made no more mistakes after that. However
embarrassed she was, Jung Yura was still on the lookout for anything else she
could criticize.
Of course, she didn’t dare talk as openly as she did the first time. She would
sigh as if she disliked the fact that she couldn’t find anything else to prey on
now and then.
However, no one sympathized with how she felt. The rest of us were all
getting along quite well.
“Because of the large number of people, our formation seems a little too
complicated. I’m glad we were able to organize ourselves efficiently.”
“Hahaha. Still, isn’t it going well so far?”
“I apologize, but I feel like we can do better. It feels like something is

hindering us.”
“I think it’s because we’re not the perfect party. If it were an expedition for
one guild only, it would have been easier to work together as we all know
each other. However, we’re all from different guilds. I think we’ve been
working quite well considering our slight handicap.”
“Yeah, I agree. I just feel like we could improve, even more, you know?”
“I suppose so… Should we take a break for now?”
“Yes, sure.”
Upon hearing this kind of approval, I stepped out of my party and approached
Choi Young-ki. I had meant to converse with him right from the start, and
now that we had chosen to take up camp for the time being, I felt like now
was a perfect time.
“Choi Young-ki.”
“Ah! Kiyoung!”
His natural, friendly expression comforted me. He was part of Cha Hee-ra’s
army, after all, and I was her assigned gigolo. He definitely wouldn’t have
any plans to harm me.
“May I?”
“No, no, no. Please sit here.”
“How is Cha Hee-ra?”

“Hahaha, I knew you’d feel curious enough to ask sooner or later.”
Jung Hayan was still being talked to by the Magic Guild, so I knew I’d be
undisturbed for the time being.
“My master has asked me to take care of you, Mr. Kiyoung.”
“Ah.”
“Because of that, I apologize if I was not able to stand up for you earlier.”
“No, I understand! I was able to smooth things out. Anyway, if you did try,
the other guilds would start to feel suspicious.”
“Ah. That…”
Choi Young-ki probably knew who I was talking about already, from the way
he subtly glanced at Jung Yura.
“I still feel sorry, though. I should have paid more attention to…”
“No, no. Our party made a mistake. I’m actually grateful to all of you for
being so considerate. Thank you for saving us earlier.”
“Well, making mistakes is normal as a newbie, but people shouldn’t beat you
up for it. When I was in your place, Mr. Kiyoung, I was a spoiled boy that
didn’t know anything. I was able to grow this much because our master took
care of me.”
“Hahaha.”
“I heard that you had been my master’s lover back on Earth.”
‘What…’
I found myself too mortified even to say anything.
“My master said she received help when she needed it the most. She also said
that you, Lee Kiyoung, were the benefactor.”
I blinked. This was a new development to the rumor.
“Um, yes, I certainly remember…”
“If you are my master’s benefactor, then you are also my benefactor. Without
her help, I would not be where I am today.”
I hadn’t expected Cha Hee-ra to devise such a story.
‘Thank you, Cha Hee-ra.’
I wanted to applaud Cha Hee-ra for coming up with such a passionate

backstory.
I subtly looked behind me to make sure Jung Hayan wasn’t eavesdropping

and was relieved to see that she was too far away to hear anything substantial.
“You don’t have to take the story so seriously, you know.”
Only
“Hahaha, well, I still want to help. In fact, I’d be willing to save your life for
as many times as needed.”
‘What is this bullshit…’
I didn’t know where he was getting such cheesy, passionate lines, and I didn’t
want to find out. However, what was important to note was that this guy,
Choi Young-ki, liked me. The fact that he was the de facto leader of this
entire group just made things even better.
I thought he was simply nice to me, but it turned out that there was a deeper
intention behind his friendliness.
Seeing that this was the type of welcoming I would receive from their guild,
their party would be like my garden for this expedition’s duration. They
would be a solid foundation that would surely side with my party with
whatever conflicts would rain down on the future group.
I looked up, sensing a pair of eyes on me. Jung Yura was looking this way,
dissatisfaction clear as day on her face. When she saw me looking back at
her, she turned away without a word.
I smiled. I wanted to tell her that her tactics wouldn’t work on me.
‘She should just focus on genuinely wanting to protect these people’s lives.’
It wasn’t difficult to learn how the system worked here within our group.
Much like the food or popularity chain back on earth, one had to be familiar
with where they stood to act accordingly. This meant I couldn’t just suddenly
take charge like how I was used to ordering my party members back in the
guild.
That didn’t mean I was going to let myself be flat-out bossed around, either.
Everyone kept up a steady stream of chat every time we chose to stop and set
up camp to rest for a while. Seriousness was displayed during the exploring
and fighting itself, but the atmosphere was amicable for the most part.
Still, though, it was quite apparent that the Magic Guild had taken a liking to
Jung Hayan, while the people from the Red Mercenary Guild had warmed up
to me.
This meant that I could also utilize the Magic Guild members to stand by our
side should conflict ever arise within the group thanks to Jung Hayan.
“It seems like your potion could be as efficient as divine magic, Mr.
Kiyoung.”
“That’s an overstatement. Please, lower your voice. I don’t want to offend

any of the priests.”
“Honestly speaking, your magic power doesn’t seem to be that big. So then,
how…?”
“Ah, that kind of feels a little insulting.”
“I’m sorry for the rude greeting. I’m just your typical wizard who got a little
too curious.”
“Haha, it’s fine. To answer your question, there are drawbacks to memorizing
or uttering spells, for it takes some time to activate them. However, if you
have a good catalyst, you can use magic with good efficiency.”
“Efficiency means…”
“With less magic power, you can complete skills or spells with just as much
impact.”
“Ah!”
“Of course, it doesn’t mean that this doesn’t come with its own drawbacks.
The catalyst cost to memorize spells is quite expensive.”
“Do you have any idea about how much it will cost?”
“It’s about 30 gold. It mainly uses the essence of magic power.”
“Ah! The essence of magic.”
“Yeah. The cost of the essence of using lesser magic is 30 gold.”
I could see the surprise in the man’s expression. At the same time, I could
also see him steadily losing his interest in his inquiry.
It was a natural reaction. To make up for the lack of magic power, one had to
spend 30 gold every time they intended to cast a magic spell with a good
amount of impact.
Of course, this wasn’t a problem for me. The Blue Guild supported me, and I
still had many of the things that Cha Hee-ra had gifted me.
“I can’t say it’s definitely efficient. So, by any chance, will the Essence of
Magic Power of Rare Grade or higher disappear once you use it?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a little disappointing.”
“If there is an essence that can extract magical power indefinitely, that’ll be
the Sage’s Stone.”
“Sage’s Stone. Ah, yes, the Sage’s Stone…”
Wizards and sorcerers thrived on these types of topics.
“Can you make it?”
“The book I’m currently studying only briefly mentions it. Even research
hasn’t been done properly yet. I don’t have enough to go on as it is, but one
day, I shall definitely craft one.”
“You mean to say you will start the research for it?”
‘Honestly? I find all the rave about the Sage’s Stone a load of bull.’
“Yeah. Of course, I will. I believe it’s a worthwhile investment.”
I knew alchemy wasn’t a popular class. However, that didn’t stop most
wizards from being curious about what it entailed. Using his curiosity to my
advantage, I got quite close to the last guy of the Magic Guild.
Meanwhile, the expedition’s dungeon attack proceeded smoothly, and our

party was blending in nicely with other parties.
I didn’t know if Kim Hyunsung had realized my intentions, but there were
certainly other things to gain than experience or the end rewards.
In Park Deokgu’s case, he had successfully entered the tanker’s community.

He was extracting a lot of information from his fellow tankers, and even Kim
Ye-ri was also quite successful in adapting. I could tell this from the fact that
no one had complained about it yet. I knew this was because the kid was
naturally talented with the bow that no one could find fault with her.
It was already a given that Sun Hee-young would adapt quite well, given her
stats and reputation, so I was never worried about her. The same went for
Jung Hayan.
However, it was different for Kim Hyunsung. He was the one who had not
been taking any opportunity to prove himself. I knew this wasn’t because he
was trying to hide his power. It was because he just hadn’t found an opening
he found suitable to show his potential.
This was mainly because the expedition was proceeding so smoothly.
“Then, I’ll see you for a moment.”
“Yeah. I think I will be staying here today. If you have time, would you be
able to repeat the conversation once more? I want more details about this
Sage’s Stone.”
“Yes, sure, of course.” I nodded and began to move away.
‘Ah, there she is.’
I could see Jung Yura heading towards me. I knew she would approach me
eventually, but this was a little faster than I thought.
“I thought you were here to experience, but you must have come to
socialize?”
Ah, she even had no decency—what a straightforward question.

Nevertheless, her question slightly embarrassed me.
‘Am I that annoying in her eyes?’
Perhaps I did look like that, seeing as I had so eagerly struck a conversation
with various people from different guilds. It didn’t take long for her to bare
her fangs at me, seeing me achieving my goals so successfully.
“Hahaha, the rose seems to have shown its thorns to me, Yura.”
“I’m telling you this because it seems like you’re overdoing it, Mr. Kiyoung.”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Isn’t it natural to build

friendships for teamwork? I hardly knew anyone here when we first arrived.”
“It’s too much. You’re being too comfortable.”
“What did I say before? The unexpected can happen anytime inside a
dungeon. It’s not good to be too comfortable with other people.”
“I thought I was doing well to ensure that we don’t become a hindrance to

you. Aren’t we progressing smoothly? Our tanker made a mistake at first, but
now he’s adapting very well. The rest of us have been doing a decent job, so I
don’t know what else is wrong.”
I knew I had spoken the truth.
“Excuse me, Mr. Kiyoung?”
“Yes, Yura?”
“I don’t think it’s been a while since I’ve been here… A dungeon is a place
where you don’t know what threats will happen, and where they may come
from. No matter how much they let you approach during the breaks… Don’t
you really know that you’ve been hindering the party?”
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware. Rather, I think I am helping the party. I think I’ve
made the atmosphere nicer than it was before. Just because you are
dissatisfied doesn’t mean everyone else is. Of course, I am aware of the need
to be on my guard. I just don’t know what else it is that you are expecting
from me.”
I smiled at her quite coldly, wanting to show her that I wasn’t going to let her
walk all over me. However, the main reason for my uppity personality was to
spark a reaction from her. After all, I had quite the talent for provocation. I
then continued.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t be so worried about how much influence I have
over the group. You must not be greedy about the items that we will get as a
reward for attacking the dungeon. Of course, if it’s a rare item, so I know you
would definitely want to get your hands on it. There is no way that you, Jung
Yura, would pressure me into giving up my share.”
I paused for a bit before I continued with my assault.
“Perhaps there may be hero-grade items, but I hardly care about that. Instead,
it would be nasty if people were to find out you’ve been pressuring someone
else to get your hands on a lot of them. Really, Yura, what kind of tactics are
you resorting to? No offense, but they’re not very effective.”
Jung Yura’s expression at this point was dangerous.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Do I look like a joke to you?”
“No, and I don’t find you funny either. After all, you’re Jung Yura of Black
Swan. By the way…”
“…”
“Why do you speak to me so plainly and rudely?”
At this point, Yura had the decency to feel embarrassed by my sudden change
of posture. She had not been expecting me to retaliate like this; that much
was for sure.
“I am a guild member who is registered in the official party of the Blue

Guild. You shouldn’t disrespect me like this, Jung Yura.”
“Huh… I hardly care if you’re supported by the Blue Guild, or even by the
Red Mercenary Guild. You think Cha Hee-ra will protect you even here?”
“Are you threatening me right now, Jung Yura? You really should be careful
about what you say. I don’t need Cha Hee-ra here to deal with you.”
“What?”
I exhaled. She looked so pathetically clueless with that confused expression

of hers.
I did not want to waste time arguing with her further. Instead, I opened my
mouth and began to speak in a louder tone of voice.
“I’m sorry!”
“What?”
I made sure that my voice was loud enough to be overheard by the rest of the
group.
“You… What the hell are you…”
“I’m really sorry!” Once more, I expressed my apology with an earnest

expression to make me look more believable.
Jung Yura looked confused. Of course, it was only natural for her to give this
kind of expression. I had so suddenly given out an apology when it wasn’t
even warranted in the first place.
As she slowly started to realize what I intended to do, Yura’s face wrinkled.
As expected, I can see Choi Young-ki and the rest of his party members
approaching us. Even the people from the Magic Guild had shifted their
attention to us. Of course, since other groups had turned to us, my party
members and other members of Black Swan had now turned to face us as
well.
“I’m really sorry, Miss Yura.”
“You…”
“Kiyoung? What is this about?”
“Ah… No. It’s not a big deal.”
“Yes, Yura is right. It’s not a big deal, Choi Young-ki.”
“I didn’t ask you, Yura. Mr. Kiyoung, can you explain what is going on?”
Thankfully, Choi Young-ki, ever my adorable little defender, began to pry

into the matter. Jung Hayan looked a little confused about what had
happened, but as she slowly started to realize what kind of situation this
looked like, her expression shifted into one of slight anger.
‘Ah, even Sun Hee-young…’
Sun Hee-young sported a similar, displeased expression. It was so easy to

play the victim card, especially in such a situation where the difference in
power was obvious.
“What happened, Mr. Kiyoung?”
“That…”
“…”
“It’s nothing much. I was just told to stay on my guard and be careful.”
“Yeah?”
“It seems like she doesn’t like me socializing with the others during our
breaks… She even said that I was hindering our group from progressing
efficiently.”
“Yeah?”
“In my own way, I intended to improve the atmosphere… I’m sorry if it isn’t
working.”
Only
There was a certain truth in my words, and I had not lied. This was what
Yura had told me, except that I could make it out as something worse with
the right intonation and facial expressions.
Jung Yura looked so mad at this point that it was very much laughable.
Once I finished speaking, everyone sported absurd expressions.
“I’m sorry…”
Just when I tried to apologize once again, a voice interjected from behind.
“There is no need to apologize, Kiyoung.”
This time, it was the lovely Kim Hyunsung who had stepped in.
‘Hey, wait, is Kim Hyunsung actually angry…?’

Kim Hyunsung’s expression showed that he was definitely in a bad mood.
“There is no need to apologize, Kiyoung.”
“Y-Yeah?”
“Kiyoung did nothing wrong. No, even if he did something wrong, Miss Yura
does not have the right to point out his fault.”
‘Ah, Hyunsung… You’re doing such a great job.’
“Seriously, Kiyoung is a Blue Guild party member. If he made a mistake, I

would have told him first. I don’t know why Miss Yura has a problem with
our party member’s behavior, but this just isn’t right.”
I hadn’t expected Kim Hyunsung to jump in. I was merely calculating how to
best get the group’s sympathy by pitching Yura against me. She had indeed
made a mistake in approaching me so deftly.
My affiliation lay with the Blue Guild. Therefore, Kim Hyunsung was
responsible for me. Yura had no right to meddle in interparty affairs.
From a passerby’s point of view, Jung Yura might have done it in an attempt
to expand her influence over the rest of her group members, but it appeared
that Kim Hyunsung was having none of this treatment. For him, it was taboo
to interfere with other party members too much.
‘That simply means that Yura isn’t giving us the respect we deserve.’
In a nutshell, Kim Hyunsung’s defensive stance seemed to say, ‘Who the hell
are you, and why are you meddling with my charge?’
It had been a pleasurable turn of events to find Kim Hyunsung standing up

for me, though in truth, I was expecting Choi Young-ki to do the defending.
Hyunsung’s protective stance made me feel even better.
‘Very good, Hyunsung.’
Things were going very well at this point.
Playing the role of the victim came as natural to me as breathing at this point.
“Both Kim Hyunsung and Yura are speaking from the standpoint of seniors.
She had a point, so I don’t think she meant to offend anyone…”
“No, Kiyoung. No matter how wrong you must have behaved, she had no
right to go about in this manner.”
“I must have done something wrong…”
“Let me be clear, Kiyoung. You did nothing wrong.”
I found it hard to keep myself from smiling. Aside from seeing the
embarrassment on Jung Yura’s face, I could tell that the rest of our group
mates had started to disapprove of her. Slowly, her influence was lessening to
the point of nonexistence.
‘That’s what you get for inciting me.’
At this point, the other group members had started to approach me to offer
words of comfort.
“I don’t know if Kiyoung is inexperienced yet, but Hyunsung is right. If you

have anything to say directly to Mr. Kiyoung, it is correct to at least ask the
party leader for his input. In that way, we can resolve the matter more
efficiently.”
“This is not it. No matter how many faults you find in a person, you must still
control yourself.”
“Blue’s party is said to be at a learning position because of their inexperience.

However, they are trying their best to prove their worth. The Black Swan
Guild’s behavior is really hard to understand.”
The Magic Guild members had started to talk about the Black Swan
members’ lack of manners.
“Mr. Kiyoung did nothing wrong. Rather, I think he tried his best to create a
good atmosphere. When the strategy was in progress, he actually worked
hard to achieve our goal.”
“That’s right. In fact, it isn’t easy to proceed with such an awkward

atmosphere. Fighting and reproaching isn’t the way to go.”
“Communication is important. Honestly, what is Yura doing?”
“Tch…”
Even the Red Mercenary members who normally didn’t fall prey to their
emotions had started to speak.
“Yura, isn’t it a little bit harsh to do this? As a party that was assigned to go
on an expedition altogether, it’s best that we stay on good terms with each
other.”
“Ugh…”
Direct accusations pierced through Jung Yura like sharpened arrows.
As I said, she had picked the wrong person to pick a fight with. With just one
incitement, her carefully-built image had been shattered.
“Oppa… Are you hurt?”

“Huh. I’m okay, Hayan. It’s no big deal.”
“What exactly happened to you?”
“I’m okay, Sun Hee-young. Please don’t worry.”
It might have been more effective if Jung Yura had hit me even once, but I
knew that she wouldn’t be that careless.
Anyway, it was only right that I had emerged from the situation unscathed. If
I hadn’t, Jung Hayan would probably busy planning an assassination attempt
for Jung Yura. The situation had already turned out to be as good as it could
get. Yura was getting all the blame, while I was getting all the comfort.
Honestly, I was curious about what kind of reaction she would make, but the
safest direction she could choose had already been decided for her.
‘Admit the wrong and fall flat.’
Although this was indeed the best option, it didn’t mean that she would get
good results. She would earn forgiveness, but by bowing her head in
submission, she would lose her influence.
She had to look at least like she was still looking out for the expedition, so
this was the only right course of action to take. Simply put, she needed to stay
in the middle position of this situation.
Yura seemed to be thinking of the same tactic.
“I’m sorry.”
She was apologizing, but it was apparent that she was trying hard not to show
her anger.
‘What a stupid bitch.’

“Kiyoung is a member of my party and, by default, is under my jurisdiction.”
“I’m sorry for not being able to tell you in advance, Mr. Hyunsung. And I
apologize to Mr. Kiyoung, who I must’ve hurt by suddenly reproaching.”
“Then…”
“I think I was a little too insensitive. But I thought I had to say something. I
thought he was not being alert enough. If it’s an expedition consisting of a
normal party, you don’t have to worry about this, but…”
‘Ah, she’s still being an idiot.’
“As a senior with experience, I thought I had to say something. Of course, I

am fully aware that my choice of execution was wrong.”
“I don’t know why Jung Yura has been thinking about correcting his
discipline. Of course, we made a mistake in the beginning, but we’ve more
than made up for it and haven’t blundered again.”
Kim Hyunsung was dealing with this way more efficiently than I thought.
In a nutshell, we had managed to make Jung Yura sound like a petty senior
who looked down on us and refused to let us go after we made a single
mistake. However, at least she still had the decency to feel sorry for what she
did.
Unsurprisingly, voices burst from the other Black Swan members.
“A lot of our tankers have been continually looking out for Blue. If it weren’t
for that, our burdens should have been reduced.”
“And what of the kid archer? It was dangerous bringing her in.”
“And they even got a non-combat member, an alchemist, to join the party!”
Naturally, opposing opinions would also eventually pop up during this

dispute.
“While that is true, we can’t say that they have been hindering us. In fact,
there are many enemies eradicated by Miss Hayan, and Miss Sun Hee-young
has helped us a lot of times.”
“That’s right. Because of this, we have no right to judge them for doing their
best to help.”
The situation wasn’t even that controversial, yet the discussion was starting
to get heated. I would have hated to be in Jung Yura’s shoes at this point.
I contemplated my next reply when Kim Hyunsung’s face, a little hardened,

came into view.
‘Ah…’
Even if Kim Hyunsung was the reincarnation of Buddha, it was only right for
him to feel angry. Hyunsung might not be familiar with political tactics, but
he knew when our party was being criticized.
“I hope this will not happen next time. If you have anything to say to our
party, you can do it directly through me.”
“Yes, of course. I’m really sorry, Mr. Hyunsung. And I’m very sorry for the
Blue party members who might have struggled. I’m particularly sorry for
Kiyoung.”
“Don’t be… I was just a little embarrassed.”
“I was also surprised. I didn’t know you would get hurt by what I said…
Let’s talk separately later.”
“Do not worry about it. It’s all good.”
Although we had finally resolved the dispute, Jung Yura had lost her
influence. The moment she lost the group’s approval was when she lost the
fight; she had decided to pick with me.
In other words, she made it seem like she was forcing herself to be a villain
for the safety of the expedition, but she wasn’t doing a very good job with the
execution.
‘Ah, but I won’t let her find an opportunity to win.’
Outwardly, Yura seemed relaxed, but I knew she was secretly relieved to
have escaped a checkmate position. It should have ended here, but Kim
Hyunsung seemed to have a different opinion about it altogether.
“Would everyone please gather for a minute?”
“Yes, sure.”
As if they noticed that he still had something to say, the others crowded
around. Kim Hyunsung looked at all of them before speaking.
“I sincerely apologize for hindering you all with our inexperience.”
“No, no, you shouldn’t be sorry.”
“No, I have to. I insisted that we come along for the experience, but I hadn’t
expected my dear Kiyoung to be disregarded like this.”
‘I wasn’t being disregarded…’
“I don’t think this was a waste. Your party has learned a lot of things in this
expedition.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“From now on, this will not happen ever again.”
I knew Kim Hyunsung was a responsible type of guy. Seeing him biting
firmly on his lips, I felt like an idea had just come into his mind.
“I will change the location a bit. I will stand a little more avant-garde. Mr.
Deokgu can continue as he has done. The timing to use magic will also be
different from here on out. Miss Hee-young, please focus a little more on
Deokgu. You are free to think that your other party members do not exist.
Ye-ri shall continue on as usual.”
Only
“Yes, okay.”
“Jung Hayan, you should increase your magic power a little more. Hee-young
can keep watching over Deok-gu.”
Kim Hyunsung’s leadership charisma was the reason why he commanded

respect. Even I felt a little in awe watching him.
‘Ah…’
Only then did I realize what he had been thinking. We had not been on the
frontlines up until now. I wasn’t sure why, but I could think of several
reasons.
Our party was attracting everyone’s attention, and in fact, our urgency to gain
experience was being hindered due to the continued comfort of this spotlight
effect.
‘Thank you for getting us back on track.’
It looked like I wasn’t the only one who wanted to prove Jung Yura wrong.
Kim Hyunsung looked very much passionate at this point.
Chapter 64 Ride of comfort (1)
Ride of comfort (1)
“I think she’s being too much.”
“Really?”
“After all, it’s Jung Yura.”
“Ah…”
“Tsk. Maybe she’s too obsessed with achievements… Those under her
command will also end up suffering a lot.”
“If you say so…”
“You don’t have to worry too much. No one thinks of you badly, Kiyoung.
There were a lot of rumors about Jung Yura’s personality within the Magic
Guild.”
“That’s fortunate. I was worried that I was really hindering everyone…”
“No, no. wherever you go, there will always be people who will try to stir up
trouble. The most important thing you should take note of in an expedition is
your humanity. I thought she would at least have some basic manners… It
seems that there will be no collaboration with the Black Swan for the
foreseeable future. Especially with Jung Yura, that woman.”
“The same goes for our Red Mercenaries.”

“I don’t understand at all…”
“It’s because Kiyoung is well-liked by people. Anyway, it’s not right to

meddle too much in other people’s affairs. At least show some basic respect.
Even if it annoys you, you must bring it up to the expedition leader. Forgive
me for saying this, but if the Blue Guild’s prestige was like how it was
before, the Black Swans wouldn’t dare do this.”
“Hahaha.”
“By the way, what exactly did she say?”
“This is… I don’t know if I can tell you…”
“I would like you to speak without worries.”
Of course, I found no reason to hide this. It worked in my favor, after all.
“That… She told me not to fraternize with the rest of you.”
“Whoa, really? What else did she say?”
“S-She said she didn’t know if I came to explore the dungeon or to socialize.
She said I just wanted to become friends with the guilds and that I wasn’t
being vigilant enough.”
“Friendship, huh…”
“I don’t know if I can tell you what she said afterwards, too.”
“Go ahead. You’re free to say it.”
“That… she said she doubted if the Mercenary Queen can protect me here
too.”
“What a mad bitch.”
I thought Choi Young-ki would exhibit a violent reaction, but it seemed that
he only felt uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“Listen. She’s just being crazy. Does she really think we’d let anyone who
tries to hurt you get away? How cocky she is! You don’t have to worry, Mr.
Kiyoung. If a woman like that beggar ever tries to stir up trouble with you or
with the expedition… Well, I won’t let that happen.”
“Do you still feel threatened? Do you want to start a formal protest?”
“No, I’m okay. I don’t want to make things bigger than they already are.”
“Tsk. I just feel like she’s prejudiced against you. A lot of people are like
that, especially among the veterans. People like her disgust me.”
“Haha…”
Throughout this whole ordeal, I made sure to look as if I was still shaken up.
However, things were already working in my favor. The atmosphere had
shifted.
This was the kind of situation that Jung Yura had imposed upon herself for
inciting me. With a single mistake, her influence over the guild had
crumbled.
Even a veteran like her must know that snooping around so straightforwardly
would come with serious repercussions. Everyone had a negative opinion of
her now because she had stated that making friends was a bad thing. At this
point, even if she tried to cozy up to the others, she would not regain her
influential position.
‘That’s why it’s important to act your best at all times.’
No matter how much she struggled, I doubted any other parties would show
her any sympathy. Especially not from the Red Mercenary Guild! After she
doubted Cha Hee-ra’s power, their opinion of her had permanently crumbled.
However, I knew Choi Young-ki’s leadership would suffer because of this. It

would be hard to maintain formation if the atmosphere wasn’t a friendly one.
“Now, then, let’s start again.”
“Yes, sure.”
In summary, Jung Yura’s influential hold over the group had disappeared. I
knew Kim Hyunsung wouldn’t let her try to boss anyone around ever again.
His ominous demeanor hinted that he wasn’t at all interested in letting her
doubt his authority over again.
“Okay. I’ll go and take my position now.”
“Sure.”
Because of the sudden turn of events, there was a strange type of pressure in
the atmosphere. Everyone had started to put their full concentration on the
expedition. I could guess that this was because of Kim Hyunsung’s somber
mood.
I knew Kim Hyunsung had the quality to be a leader everywhere he went.
“You don’t have to be nervous, Deokgu. Just focus as much as possible.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Ye-ri, don’t hit anywhere else. Focus on the area where our melee lacks in
range, got it? It would be better to load the magic power in advance.”
“Yes, noted.”
“Miss Hayan and Mr. Kiyoung are both doing well.”
“Thank you.”
“Even if Hee-young won’t look at me…”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Hyunsung. I know my role.”

“Good.”
The party members were also exuding enthusiasm. At this point, I wanted the
monsters to appear as soon as possible. I just wanted us to get to the next safe
point.
Despite it being called a Garden, it resembled a huge, jungle-like

environment. As it was difficult to distinguish which one is a plant and which
one is a monster, it was only natural that we would be more careful.
While I tried to assess our situation, Kim Hyunsung spoke from behind me.
“Kiyoung?”
“I’m on it.”
I did not bother to ask why I should incite a spell right away. I trusted
Hyunsung. Jung Hayan nodded as well and began to match her magic to sync
with mine.
“Lord…”
“Grant us the power that cannot be taken away…”
“The strength to keep…”
“Magic power…”
“As strong as wind…”
The combination of our voice resonated within the area, the urgency of our
spells intensifying the already pressuring atmosphere. One look at Jung
Hayan revealed that she enjoyed the fact that we were combining
enchantments to create more powerful spells together. I had to admit this also
felt fun to me. Together, slowly, we were building up a tower of magic.
“Prepare for battle!” Choi Young-ki announced.
I could see why they had ordered us to prepare spells so early. The monster
we were now facing was a larger creature than the ones we had already
stumbled across, and it looked even more dangerous than them. It was
frantically approaching our group.
However, I believed in our group’s leaders. We would win this.
It was then that Kim Hyunsung ran forward.
“W-What are you doing?!” I heard Jung Yura’s startled voice ringing after
him as he lunged himself forward without any warning.
That only meant one thing – the monster had singled Park Deokgu out as its
sole target.
Following Hyunsung’s advice, Sun Hee-young’s divine magic poured

entirely onto Park Deokgu. Before one of the monster’s tendril-like arms
could reach Park Deokgu, it had already been severed.
It was obvious as to who had inflicted the first hit.
Also following Kim Hyunsung’s orders was Kim Ye-ri, who was already
readying her next arrow. Meanwhile, the monster had already recovered from
its initial shock and howled in both anger and pain. Park Deokgu looked
embarrassed to have all the attention on him, but he still readied himself to
block the next attack, moving to the right as if by instinct. It seemed that Kim
Hyunsung had already warned him.
In the next moment, Kim Hyunsung had already split through the monster’s
torso. I stiffened, and so did Jung Hayan. Everyone else had done their part; it
was up to us now.
“Cast it!”
“Flame!”
“Storm!”
Jung Hayan and I released the incantations we had been holding in at the
same time.
The spell we had created was a collaboration of magic power and alchemy. It
increased the power of the fire spell Jung Hayan, and I created, except that it
relied more on Jung Hayan’s magical capacity than mine, thus making it
stronger.
The flames storm flew towards the monster and trapped it in a fiery spiral,
eventually swallowing the screaming monster and turning it into ashes. Park
Deokgu would have also gotten hurt from the spell’s range, but since Sun
Hee-young had marked him, he remained unhurt.
“Who’s next?!”
‘Huh…’
I felt quite surprised. It wasn’t long ago that I had observed our lack of
teamwork. The earlier incident must have incited Kim Hyunsung to act as our
leader even when on the offense, and it felt right that he was the one leading
us. Everyone had followed his orders to the letter and thus defeated the
monster in one efficient combo.
This wasn’t just following orders, either. It was like we knew when one’s role
would start and end, and when the next role would begin.
However, we weren’t given the time to ponder over these changes. The next
monster had come, but we were all in the perfect mindset and stance to take it
on once more.
This was the first time I felt that we were doing hunting right.
For our part in the rear, it was easy. All Jung Hayan and I had to do was
memorize, chant, and aim the spells at the monsters when they were properly
weakened or distracted. Of course, this was made easy because their attack
patterns were easy to memorize, but something felt off.
I couldn’t believe that monsters of this size and power would fall from just
one concentrated combo. The other parties were also focusing on their
charges, but it was apparent that they felt surprised by our party’s sudden
change.
Only
Jung Yura, in particular, looked astonished.
She had been keeping a close eye on us, ready to admonish in the case of a
mistake, but there were none – even when we kept up our stream of offensive
combos.
‘This actually feels fun…’
It felt like I didn’t even need to exert any effort in this part of the expedition –
my fellow party members were doing all the work for me. All I had to do was
sit back and relax from a safe distance, all while riding on the team’s bus.
“Again! Who’s next!?”
‘Ah, I wonder how long it’ll be before I get tired of this ride…’
Slowly, it felt like I was growing stronger from this expedition.
I wouldn’t even call this a bus ride carrying me towards potential growth. A
luxury sedan would be a more fitting description.
Chapter 65 Ride of comfort (2)
Ride of comfort (2)
The other parties’ shock lasted for a longer time than I expected. Of course, I
knew this was only natural. Kim Hyunsung had been quiet all this time, and
now he was surprisingly showing off his leadership skills. He was proving
that being a leader wasn’t all about having high stats.
However, it could very well be that as well. Currently, Kim Hyunsung was
showing a flurry of skills that were well over his current stats.
Watching him, and then observing Choi Young-ki and the others, I knew
what they were all thinking.
‘He’s a monster.’
‘What a genius…’
Their thoughts were all written on their faces.
Of course, it wasn’t just Kim Hyunsung who was racking up all the attention.
Jung Hayan and I were also getting our fair share from the magic power we
were exhibiting.
The truth was that my alchemy relied heavily on Jung Hayan’s magic
capacity to let out spells that were as intense as hers. Still, these people didn’t
know anything about alchemy and were unaware of my secret, so they must
have thought that I was doing spectacularly alone.
Added with Park Deokgu’s determined defensive prowess, Kim Ye-ri’s crazy
accurate aim, and Sun Hee-young’s clear and effective spells, we looked like
the perfect team.
This expedition suddenly felt fun. I knew Kim Hyunsung’s secret – that he
was a regressor – so he probably secretly had ample knowledge of dungeons.
It was great to have him lead the party.
‘This feels different.’
Indeed, we felt more confident now. We were working efficiently with each
other almost as if on instinct. Even Jung Yura’s expression showed hostile
confusion as she continued to watch us silently.
‘Ha.’
I knew she planned to show herself off as the necessary villain that would, in
turn, improve the expedition’s results. She meant to show everyone that
continually pushing us in a tough manner would be the key to our success.
However, I had thwarted those plans as early as now. Our team had also
successfully shown everyone that we didn’t need much coaxing to be the
perfect, functioning team. In the end, Yura only succeeded in destroying her
influential position over the group.
Just the thought of her ruined plans made me smile.
“Next!”
We continued to defeat monster after monster with efficient teamwork, and

soon, there came the inevitable point where all our opponents were on the
floor, either slashed or decimated. A strange silence hung over the group.
Looking back at our comrades, we found them staring at Kim Hyunsung with
skeptical expressions, finding what had just happened hard to believe. It was
Choi Young-ki who spoke first.
“Ah, it looks like we’ve witnessed a real genius.”
“That’s an exaggeration. I was just trying to imitate you.”

“Haha, I don’t think so. You went past just imitating me, you did even better.
I definitely wasn’t expecting this level of talent from you, or from Kiyoung
and the others for that matter.”
“Then…”
“Your party has improved greatly ever since entering the dungeon. I won’t lie
– when the Blue Guild paid such a high price for you, I really thought it was
too much. However, seeing you all in action, I feel like their pricing was
justified. It won’t take long before Blue Guild reclaims its glory through all
of you.”
“I feel embarrassed to hear that, now.”
“Hahaha. If it does happen later, don’t say I didn’t tell you!”
I did like Choi Young-ki’s easygoing nature. I took a mental note to help him
out in the future if the opportunity presented itself.
Even Park Deokgu and Kim Ye-ri, who at first received criticism, were now
the center of positive attention as they had executed their roles so flawlessly.
Meanwhile, I searched through the monsters’ corpses to see if anything could

be of use. Unfortunately, there was none. I then turned to assess the scene
once more. In this pleasant atmosphere, only Jung Yura looked bad.
‘So what will her next choice of action be?’
From what I could see, she had two options. She would either stick to her
initial ‘villainous for everyone’s betterment’ attitude or start striving for a
good relationship with everyone.
Of course, if she were to stick to the former, certain conditions would need to
be met.
She would need to be thick-faced enough to admit to her earlier statements,

yet she also needed just the right amount of bashfulness to prove that she was
doing this because she thought it was the best course of action to take. This
may seem easy, but in actuality, it was not. This was especially true for
someone who had such a position as Jung Yura.
This was the case for entrepreneurs and politicians who worked for self-
benefit under the premise of serving the people.
I had to act as I respected her, but in reality, I didn’t. People like her did not
know the importance of self-esteem and would gladly trade it if it meant
getting away from dire situations.
The decision was up to her now. Would she prove herself to be a first-class or
second-class type of person? Would she prove to be smart for once, or would
she stubbornly stick to her ineffective tactics?
‘Come on, Jung Yura. Reveal yourself.’
She donned a complex expression.
‘Are you first-class or second-class?’
When her expression shifted into one of determination, I had my answer. She
still stuck to being second-class.
‘Ah, still sticking to such tactics, I see.’
Was she still going to try to pick a fight when she knew she wouldn’t win?
“Watching you all was amazing, but I have to say, that really threw me off.”
“If you suddenly had a change in plans, wouldn’t it be sound to inform us

first? What if your new plan threw us off-course and accidentally ruined our
formation? It would be detrimental for everybody.”
“Jung Yura, now…”
“Are I wrong? We got thrown off because of Mr. Hyunsung. I know some of
you agree with me.”
“I admit that it was a little startling, but Kim Hyunsung’s sudden movement
actually helped us defeat the monsters more efficiently. I’m starting to
wonder about how intense their training in Blue Guild actually is.”
“Of course, I am not saying that he hasn’t helped us. However, he should
have warned us beforehand. If he was really so capable, couldn’t he have
done that from the very beginning?”
This woman really was relentless.
“I first wanted to see if my party members would be able to adjust

accordingly, especially in the case of Park Deokgu and Kim Ye-ri. When I
knew we were capable enough, we shifted. I apologize for not issuing a
warning in advance.”
“Oh no, I don’t mean to incite an apology from you, Mr. Hyunsung.”
Kim Hyunsung showed politeness amidst the subtle accusations directed at

him and knew he couldn’t refute Jung Yura. The woman had a point, after all.
It was true that Kim Hyunsung had moved unexpectedly and had utterly
surprised Jung Yura.
However, thanks to previous circumstances, our group had fallen entirely in

our favor.
“I think you’re being a little too harsh, Miss Yura.”
“I don’t know if this is because of jealousy or whatever, but I believe praise

is supposed to be given when it’s due, and Kim Hyunsung has shown
praiseworthy talent.”
“I thought we were already over this. It’s not Kim Hyunsung who needs to
wake up, but you, Jung Yura.”
“What did you just say?”

“I can’t vouch for the others, but it’s so tiring hearing you criticize people
every time.”
“I was doing it for the sake of the expedition!”
“In what way are you helping? If you really want to help, then lead your
party efficiently!”
“What…”
It appeared that Choi Young-ki had had enough. Looking at Yura’s reddened
expression, I knew her influence had reached an all-time low of zero. Even if
her fellow Black Swans attempted to save her now, it would all be in vain.
No one wanted to go against a Red Mercenary outright.
The intensity of the situation made me want to fan the flames even more.
What better, alternative way to diffuse the situation and turn it into our favor
by acting as the victim one last time?
First of all, I needed Kim Hyunsung’s permission for this.
It appeared that I didn’t even need to get his attention. Kim Hyunsung was
already looking in my direction, apparently sensing that I harbored new
intentions.
‘Can I please speak up?’ My expression said. ‘I’m good at this sort of thing,
Hyung.’
The moment Kim Hyunsung nodded, I began to speak.
“Am I allowed to say something?”
Upon hearing me, several pairs of eyes turned to me.
It would be fun to provoke Jung Yura, if only for the last time.
“I would like to apologize. It seems that Hyunsung’s efforts in proving our

worth backfired on us…”
“Oh, no.”
“I express my sincere apology towards the Black Swans, and to Jung Yura in
particular.” I made sure to keep my acting on point.
“Actually, we’ve already talked about this beforehand. Our party joined this
expedition simply to gain experience, but we know our stats must have
annoyed you. This is why we thought it prudent to adjust first before showing
our true potentials.”
“No, Mr. Kiyoung.”
“No, an apology is in order. We tried our best, but it still seems insufficient,
seeing as Jung Yura seems unsatisfied with our performance. We will do
even better next time. Assessing our teamwork earlier, I think I know what
went wrong. Please give us the chance to fix ourselves.”
Jung Yura’s expression now revealed her increasing anxiety. She knew I had
the talent to point fingers effortlessly, so why did she still go down this route?
After pausing to catch my breath, I began to speak again, making eye contact
with every sheepish expression I saw within the group.
“It looks like all we’ve been doing is cause trouble for everyone.”
“What…?”
“It seems that our party is the one causing uneasiness within the group.”
“Ah…”
“We knew you would be unhappy to be stuck with having us in the team, but
we never thought that you would feel uncomfortable as well. For this, we
sincerely apologize.”
“No, no…”
“I know that maintaining the atmosphere within a group is crucial for a
successful expedition so we tried our best to fit in, but it seems like we’ve
been trash at doing it after all. We apologize for any inconveniences we have
caused you.”
“No, it’s definitely not like that!”
Slowly, embarrassed voices began to respond to my words, offering

comforting remarks coupled with sheepish expressions. I wanted to say more,
but looking at Kim Hyunsung’s expectant face, I knew it was time to pass the
microphone to him.
“I think our Blue Party is wrong, here.”
I tried my best not to smile. It was amazing how Kim Hyunsung could read
my mind. At his words, the atmosphere within the group shifted even more.
“No, the Blue Guild has done nothing wrong. In fact, it is the opposing side
who keeps trying to put you in a negative light…”
“You’re not to blame. Someone else has caused trouble…”
The group I had used as my shield transitioned into a spear that began
attacking the Black Swans. And all this was possible because we had
successfully manipulated Choi Young-ki’s thinking, as well as his emotions.
“It’s not that you didn’t help. In fact, you actually contributed a lot and
helped us get rid of the monsters at a faster and more efficient manner. The
only problem here,” Young-ki’s expression darkened, “is the opposing side.”
‘Ah, here it comes.’
Only
“Jung Yura.”
“…”
“I’m really sorry that we’ve come to this point. However, I feel like now is
the right time to make something clear to you.”
“And what is that?”
“I believe now is the right time to inform you I plan to make changes with the
agreement of this expedition.”
“W-What? What do you mean?”
“I would like to formally suggest that you leave the expedition.”
This was the moment when my plans were completed.

Chapter 66 The most important
thing (1)
The most important thing (1)
“I would like to formally suggest that you leave the expedition.”
This was the moment when my plans were completed.
At those words, Jung Yura and the rest of the Black Swan members looked
confused. Choi Young-ki had spoken so suddenly that they did not know how
to react.
I resisted the urge to smile. Didn’t Jung Yura know I was the best when it
came to political tactics? And she tried to best me in my own game.
The atmosphere had suddenly taken on a dangerously quiet turn.
“Are you kidding me?”
“…”
Did he think Choi Young-ki would joke about something like this?
Jung Yura, who had silently been gazing at Young-ki to confirm her worst
suspicions, grew mad and began to speak as well.
“This is ridiculous.”
“No. This is a reasonable judgment from the standpoint of someone leading

this expedition.”
“Huh.”
“I can see what your intentions are, Jung Yura. I also know what you have
contributed so far. I also know that you were more dedicated than anyone
else for this expedition. However, it seems too difficult for the entire group to
work together with you anymore.”
“How could you have come to this decision?!”
“It was an unavoidable choice. I thought it unreasonable to proceed with the

expedition in this atmosphere. I don’t know what Yura-san thinks of the Blue
party, but what you’re showing is quite illogical and harsh.”
“I’ve only spoken for the sake of the expedition. I don’t hold any grudges
against Blue!”
I wanted to point out how she had treated me, but Jung Yura looked so angry
at this point that I decided it was best to stay quiet. Her expression revealed
that she was hurling every curse word she could think of towards Choi
Young-ki.
For Choi Young-ki’s sake, I opened my mouth.
“That’s okay, Choi Young-ki. You don’t have to do this.”
“No, Mr. Kiyoung. This would be better. Party members who stir up trouble
will one day lead us to major accidents. No, I’m sure something will happen
if they continue to stay.”
“Are you saying that I’m the one causing the commotion?”
“Yes. I will not tell you exactly how. There will be something for you to find
out and remember.”
“That’s…”
“Miss Yura’s actions have already exceeded our level of understanding. You
have been here for a long time and should respect my decision. Even if you
feel that your actions are reasonable, the others here have begun to feel
uncomfortable because of you. I advise you to think this through.”
“How ridiculous! Who do you think you are?”
It seemed that Jung Yura was still ignoring where she stood in this group.
The fact that she decided to employ political tactics to take me down was
now laughable.
This woman was incompetent. I could say that for sure now. Regardless of
hunting skills or specs, she was not suitable to be a leader, even more so
when one considered her narrow mindset.
Currently, Jung Yura was looking at both Young-ki and me with an

expression full of hatred.
However, we both had ample reason not to be afraid. Our protector came in
the name of the Legendary Red Queen Cha Hee-ra.
“Now it makes sense, Mr. Choi Young-ki.”
“It’s hard to understand what you mean.”
“I’ve been trying to be fair since the start, and yet you keep trying to put me
down. Was this your plan from the beginning?”
‘Whoa, now she’s going down this route?’
“Did you get anything from the Mercenary Queen? Is this why you’re acting
this way? From the beginning, did you intend to sabotage the Black Swans?
How ridiculous. You’re pretending to be a good leader while babying Lee
Kiyoung secretly. You know Cha Hee-ra would have done the same.”
“Yura, aren’t you being harsh? Cha Hee-ra has nothing to do with this.”
“Shut up, you bastard.”
“Don’t be so upset… You’re saying things without thinking of them

properly.”
I gave the impression of wanting to exit this unpleasant scenario as soon as

possible. However, in truth, I was rubbing salt to her wounds through my
pitiful expressions to stir the group some more, but it seemed that Jung Yura
had had enough.
“Hah. This whole thing is rigged. The Mercenary Queen must have bribed
you with an item, and then let you wreak havoc in this expedition. Do you
think that guild expeditions are a joke? If so, I should have joined the Blue
Guild or the Red Mercenaries instead.”
“Yura.”
The more Jung Yura talked, the more she was destroying her image. I could
feel Jung Hayan shifting uncomfortably, as Cha Hee-ra’s name had been
mentioned so many times.
I knew this was now ample time to shut my mouth. Everyone already felt
embarrassed enough with Yura’s antics. Choi Young-ki appeared to be trying
to hold back his anger.
“Unnie, please…”
“Stop, unnie!”
“Let me go, they’re being crazy bitches! I don’t know how great the Red
Mercenary is, but if our guild finds out about this, do you think they’ll let this
pass? Blue and Red are repressing our guild! This is unfair! I want to
formally protest!”
Bang!
Jung Yura’s expression shifted into one of shock, relapsing into silence as
Choi Young-ki slammed his fist into the stone wall right next to her. Pure
anger was on his quivering face.
Come to think of it…
‘Did Yura really just say that Young-ki was only powerful because of Cha
Hee-ra?’
I knew how much Choi Young-ki revered Cha Hee-ra, so hearing Yura
criticize her probably wasn’t the best choice of action to take.
Jung Yura had probably felt so excited that she’d ended up taking her words
too far. I’d thought she was a formidable opponent, but it turned out she was
just stupid. It wasn’t just Choi Young-ki but also the rest of the Red
Mercenary members who were trying to rein in their anger at this point.
If I were in Yura’s shoes, I’d be shaking right about now. Choi Young-ki had
begun to exhibit malicious intentions, which were now pouring towards Jung
Yura.
However, as soon as Kim Hyunsung reached out to Young-ki in an attempt to

calm him down, the man snapped out of it.
“Oh… Thank you…”
I could understand Young-ki’s anger, for the person he had revered so much
had just been so blatantly insulted. However, I still wanted to praise him for
not finishing her off right then and there.
If it weren’t for Park Deokgu’s blundering from the start, I would have never
thought of bringing Young-ki to our side. The fact that the man could control
himself even though he seemed so angry was evidence that he was a
competent person.
Jung Yura was both confused and scared upon feeling the intense pressure
from Young-ki’s anger and had begun to rethink her words. Considering her
stats, she might be able to resist this energy, but it was clear that the
difference between their powers was substantial.
‘It’s good that she’s aware.’

If she dared to say anything further, I knew Young-ki would end up
exploding.
“Are you finished talking?” He asked her quietly.
“That…”
“I want you to leave right now.”
“Forgive me, I’ve spoken out of turn. I just felt too pumped too-“
“I told you to leave right now. I don’t want to hear anything anymore. As I
mentioned earlier, you will get your share separately.”
“But…”
Bang! Young-ki had slammed his fist once more.
“I-I understand.”
‘Finally.’
Though scary, I also found this situation extremely pleasing. I couldn’t help
but smile, making sure that no one would be able to see it.
“I want you to leave the dungeon right now, Miss Yura. I also think it would
be beneficial for the Magic Guild.”
Even the party leaders from behind me had begun to team up with Young-ki,
the winning side.
I had to admire the Red Mercenary leader. He didn’t just know how to throw
stones at the tormented; he also knew how to burn her at the stakes. This was
a fitting description considering how much of a witch Yura had been acting
this entire time.
Now Jung Yura had started to regret her actions. Her breathing had become
shallow, her body had begun trembling, and tears had started to fall out of her
eyes.
‘Ah…’
There was a long silence. Eventually, after a few more moments, Jung Yura
began to walk away, taking the path that we had already cleared.
However, when she passed by me, she shot me a look filled with pure hatred
and malice, going so far as to bump into me roughly with her shoulder. It
took everything in me not to stumble backward.
‘Gosh…’
Of course, I didn’t feel scared at all.
Assessing her personality, I knew I could easily beat her with just wits.
However, I also knew that I shouldn’t make a person’s hatred so lightly,
especially when someone had a higher stat range than I did.
At the same time that I knew this, I also knew that there was a high chance I
wouldn’t even see her anymore after this. People like Yura did not fall
because of their lack of stats; they fell because of their stupidity. One wrong
move could get you killed in this world, but it seemed like she did not know
that yet.
It was a wrong move on her part to try to battle me through political tactics.
She had been utterly defeated.
‘I hope she learns not to mess with the wrong people.’
After watching her go, followed by her lackeys, Choi Young-ki turned to the
rest of the group.
Only
“So, let’s go.”

“Y-Yes.”
“We apologize for any inconvenience or discomfort I must have caused you.”
“No, no, we completely understand.”
The group responded to him immediately, feeling Young-ki’s authority now

more than ever.
‘And you thought you could defeat me, bitch.’
I was sorry, it seems I was a little more capable than Jung Yura thought.
Chapter 67 The most important
thing (2)
The most important thing (2)
[You have completed the attack towards the rare dungeon known as
Garden of Terror. The number of people [18/30] has been checked.]
A very pleasant voice echoed in my ears. It wasn’t just me who thought the
same. There was a sense of accomplishment engraved on everyone’s face.
I then turned towards Choi Young-ki, who had been standing next to me. I
knew I had to keep my tone level. For these veterans, this was just a normal,
successful expedition.
“Is this how most normal rare grade dungeons are?”
“Yeah. It gets a bit monotonous once you get used to it. If you defeat enough
monsters and boss monsters, the attack will be considered complete. I heard
that there are various conditions in completing hero-grade dungeons and
legendary-grade dungeons as well… It’s embarrassing, but in fact, I haven’t
gotten to that point yet.”
“Ah.”
“In fact, it is said that there has only been one legendary-grade dungeon
found in the entire Holy Empire.”
“Ah, I see. Does that mean there are more hero-level dungeons to be found?”
“Actually, even hero-grade dungeons are not very common. This Garden of
Terror that we just attacked also seems to be a lower level among the rarest
grades, but for other dungeons, the composition may be slightly different.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, I’m really sorry for letting you feel so much discomfort during
your first time.”
“No, no, we are the ones to blame,” I responded awkwardly as Choi Young-
ki bowed towards me to show his sincere regret. I felt a pang in my chest for
manipulating such a genuine person, so I could only smile at him reassuringly
and deny him of his fault.
“Thanks to you, we were able to experience firsthand what it’s like to explore
a dungeon. You have also inspired us to do better during the fights.”
“Oh, no, you did quite well on your own. It’s not only the Red Mercenaries,
but also the Magic Guild people who think so. I’m rather regretful that I
didn’t get to show off too much.”
“Hahaha.”
As I glanced sidewards, I could also see Kim Hyunsung chatting with the
Magic Guild people. Perhaps he was also having the same pleasant
conversation as I was. I hoped so.
Because our repressor – Jung Yura – was nowhere to be found, I knew sooner
or later the atmosphere would become warmer and friendlier. We would have
survived even if she had been present the whole time; the pressure just felt
less intense when she left. There had been no shortage of laughter in her
absence.
The biggest obstacle in forming our unity was indeed Yura, but with the
Black Swans’ exit, the Red Mercenaries’ responsibilities doubled. Rather,
they had to serve as the main tankers, for both the Magic and Blue Guild
parties did not possess an aptitude for durability.
However, this wasn’t exactly a bad thing. In this way, the Red Mercenary
vanguards had doubled their efforts, and the priests from every party were
able to train their potentials even more as they focused on protecting the
tankers.
In conclusion, the Black Swans weren’t a crucial team to have on the roster.
They were more like a backup in case anything happened. If they stayed, I
doubted they would receive more contribution rewards than the Blue Guild
would.
Through a logical assessment, they should be happy they were cast out in the
middle of the expedition. They didn’t have to exert any effort, yet they would
still receive rewards from the dungeon.
“By the way, are you really sure about this?”
“Hm?”
“Do you still think we should give the rewards to the Black Swans?”
“Ahhh. Yes. You don’t have to worry. Besides, Hyunsung also said that it is
better to keep the settlement ratio as it is.”
“Even so, I think it’s right to give a little more to Blue. You all played such a
crucial role…”
“The shield that Deokgu received is enough. In fact, I still feel that I am
taking too much, which feels very embarrassing.” Upon saying this, my eyes
immediately sought a happy Park Deokgu out, surrounded by the other
tankers who all bore cheerful spirits.
Who would blame him for being happy? He had just received a rare-grade
shield item that would surely benefit his class. It was the most valuable
weapon our party had received from this expedition.
[Root Shield-Rare Grade]
[This is a hard shield made from plant roots by Araki, the owner of the
garden. Originally, it was a shield to equip the garden guards, but all
humans in the garden were cursed and could not see the light. As well as
increasing defense, it relieves external shocks. Durability can be restored
by itself.]
[Health +3]
[Durability +2]
[Magic Power +1]
‘It looks like a reliable shield.’
I particularly liked the fact that the shield could fix its durability. It seemed
like the perfect beginner’s item for Park Deokgu, and we had gotten it at such
a low cost! Since Deokgu’s potential was quite high, I knew he would also
start gaining momentum with his growth.
Originally, that shield was also an item that had to go through several
processes to obtain, but all the veterans indicated that it was okay to give it to
him. Park Deokgu had probably managed to affect them emotionally, thus
allowing him such a big reward.
Besides, there were several other good items to be obtained.
In the first place, the Garden of Terror was a human-made laboratory, and its
setting was that everyone turned into monsters under the curse of God. There
were many things worth researching about magical power’s essence, and it
was full of things that were of great value.
It was the moment when I realized what it meant to make money from a
dungeon attack.
The Red Mercenary and Magic Guild members insisted that we take more
than what was initially agreed upon, but Kim Hyunsung was firm about the
matter and did not take any more than what we were supposed to take.
From Kim Hyunsung’s point of view, the rest of the rewards weren’t
necessary. I knew it was also a way to create good relations with the other
guilds, but I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
The next problem to focus on was what and how many rewards the Black
Swans would receive, seeing as exiled halfway through the expedition.
“To be honest, their rewards seem a little too much from my point of view. I
think it’s better if the Blue Guild takes a bit of their rewards. We won’t let
them protest against you, of course!”
“No, no. After everything has been said and done, Jung Yura did have a
point. We blundered right at the beginning and did cause additional burdens
for everyone. They deserve their rewards.”
“That’s…”
“It would be natural for me to feel angry if I was a veteran as well. Besides, I
know they must’ve been crushed to be cast out halfway. What better way to
console them than with their contribution rewards in full?”
“Hahaha, I suddenly feel ashamed for making such a proposal. I honestly

think there is no one in Lindel who’s as warm-hearted as you, Kiyoung. Now
I know why the renowned priest Sun Hee-young has chosen to join Blue.”
“Your face is turning red for no reason.”
If only Choi Young-ki knew that I was the most manipulative and calculating
person in the entire group. I only conceded because it was necessary to build
good relations with everyone, just as Kim Hyunsung had planned to do.
However, this would also serve to dirty everyone’s opinions on Yura’s party
even more. I didn’t just let such chances go away for nothing.
“Then, can we go back to our guilds now?”
“Yes. The materials that have not yet been settled will be settled and paid
within a week. Of course, you will also receive a document proving
ownership of the dungeon where the attack has been completed.”
“Ah.”
“Of course, this is a meaningless document, although it’s better than nothing.
Anyway, let’s go back. It’s been a long expedition, so I want to take a rest
right away.”
“Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll contact you later.”
“I will contact you first. You shouldn’t forget our agreement on the drinks!”
“Sure! Haha, I’ll wait.”
It wasn’t just me who was receiving such warm treatment; everyone from my
party was. It felt like the earlier troubles brought about by Jung Yura never
happened. I was pleasantly surprised with how everyone else was so willing
to get along with other party members. After seeing how Lindel’s society
worked, I thought everyone would criticize us, but it turned out that this
wasn’t the case. Rather, we had developed trust in each other, and I knew this
bond would last for a long time.
I could see a satisfied Kim Hyunsung, who had let us learn so many new
things, a delighted Park Deokgu with his new shield, and a happy Kim Ye-ri,
who had not felt left out during the entire expedition. Even Sun Hee-young
wasn’t alone, and Jung Hayan did not look particularly disappointed at not
being able to spend as much desired time with me as she would’ve liked.
After a short trip filled with nonsensical conversation, we soon found

ourselves back at the Blue Guild building, which, embarrassingly enough,
now felt like my home.
After reporting to the guild’s receptionist, we were required to make a report.

Of course, I also had to meet Lee Sang-hee, the master of the sub-guild, to
discuss the ratio and settlement.
As we belonged to the Blue Guild, we also had to distribute the things we got
with the other guild members. We didn’t complain, nor did we harbor any
hard feelings about it. They had treated us so well that it felt only right to
give back now that we had proven ourselves capable.
However, even amid everything, I knew there was something else I had to
prioritize.
“Hayan.”
“Yes, oppa.”
“Let’s talk in private for a minute.”
“O-Oh, sure.”
“Hyunsung, we will go up for a moment first. Deokgu, you can go eat first.
We’ll see you in a while, everyone!”
Everyone nodded in response to my words. I ignored Park Deokgu’s

suggestive expression and took Jung Hayan by the hand upstairs and to my
room.
Looking at my red-colored face, it felt like I was about to do something

misleading. However, I knew some basic needs couldn’t be tended to within
a dungeon’s confines.
Upon opening my door, Jung Hayan began to look around my room.
“Oh, oppa.”
“Hayan.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Can I ask you for a small favor?”
“Of course, I’ll do anything you want! You just have to ask.”
‘Why is she like this…’
“Don’t feel pressured, oppa. You just have to say it, and I’ll do it.”
Only
Looking at her expectant face, it suddenly felt much harder to get my request
out. However, I had to. It was crucial.
“Can you find out about how the media works in Lindel?”
“Ah…”
As expected, Jung Hayan’s expectant expression shifted into one of

disappointment. However, she knew that she would get what she wanted with
every achievement she did for me. I reinforced this thought by giving her a
kiss on the cheek.
“Yes, of course…” Jung Hayan nodded, almost as if possessed.
‘Right.’
She still remembered the promise between us.

Chapter 68 Press (1)
Press (1)
The media system in the Free City of Lindel couldn’t even be properly called
the press. This was the conclusion that Jung Hayan and I had come to.
Of course, it couldn’t be denied that many people here wanted to wield a pen.
Freedom of the press was an ideal concept that a democratic area such as
Lindel would desire. Nevertheless, it was obvious that media companies
couldn’t just write articles at will.
‘That’s because it’s too scary to do so.’
After all, this was a country that was dominated by force. A person could die
simply by just offending someone formidable or was of high status. Thus, the
creation of articles was done conscientiously.
Any topic had to be raked over with a fine-tooth comb, for even the slightest
mistake in word choice could cost you your life. No one knew when a passive
reader could turn into a crazed murderer and stalk after the media people just
because they had offended someone.
I had guessed as much upon reading a newspaper. I found nothing that could
be called a legit article. There were notices and announcements, sure, but the
closest ones I could find were just showbiz stuff, like what the biggest guilds
liked to eat for breakfast and such.
This proved to be a disappointment, seeing as I had been on the lookout for a

true journalist. On the other hand, I could understand, though. Life and
money were crucial to survive in such a place like Lindel. No one would dare
spark controversy, especially within the media world.
The question was, would I be able to find someone who’d dare to change
this?
I needed a true journalist. I needed someone who could keep up with the
trend of the times.
Lindel was still relatively considered a ‘new’ place, but the system had been
established for a while now. Therefore, it was important to note how much
things had changed since the past economically, politically, or even socially.
Even culture could play a part. What was the ideal lifestyle like at this point?
How could smaller guilds rank up to be of equal footing with the larger ones?
These were topics that would be sure to catch the public’s attention.
In some ways, I could say I was lucky. If I had stumbled upon Lindel when it
was still just developing, I might have chosen to travel elsewhere. However,
what this place still lacked was a little spark in controversy.
Humans were the types to be interested in others’ lives. This place needed
content that would soothe people’s boredom. Upon observation, I noticed that
many people seemed to share my sentiments, which told me my plan might
work.
“Oppa, I think most of them have come.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, they’ll be expecting you in a few minutes… What else should I do?”
“Oh, no, you’ve already done enough. Thank you so much for everything,
Hayan.”
“It was no problem at all…”
“I will definitely repay you when all of this is over.”
“Yes, I know. I trust you, oppa!”

She deserved it. After all, this had a chance of working in the first place
because of Jung Hayan.
I pecked her on the lips before I entered the other room, and the crowd of
people turned to face me. The noisy hubbub suddenly quieted down upon my
arrival.
They were all watching me now, both curious and anxious about what I had
called them here for. I plastered a smile on my face and spoke.
“I’m glad to see you all.”
“Ah… It’s also nice to meet you.”
“I am Kim Seong-gyeong from the Lindel Daily.”
“It’s my pleasure to meet you. I am Kiyoung Lee of the Blue Guild.”
Upon assessing their expressions, I knew these people cared much more
about how much I was willing to give, rather than what I was about to say.
Money was, after all, a scarcity in Lindel unless you were a guild member.
After a few moments, their meals arrived. I could see everyone’s expression
brightening. I knew it was crucial to get to the main point right away, but this
was a necessary distraction.
“Of course, the reason I gathered all of you today is to ask you to write a
small article for me.”
“Ah, of course, I’ve been expecting this. Of course, I’d be willing to write.
Isn’t Blue Guild running at the highest stock price recently? I’d be honored to
promote your guild.”
‘Ah, promotion. What rubbish.’
I knew even if they posted a promotional article about us, it would all be for
naught. The influence of media companies in this world was practically
nonexistent.
“I heard that four of you broke through the tutorial dungeon in the shortest
time and successfully completed the attack of the Garden of Terror. This will
be a good article.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Yes, our backstory was good, but at this
rate, even the Blue Guild would do a better job promoting the article than
these people.
“Hahaha, I agree. All you have to do is give us the order, and we’ll take the
article into the direction you want it to go.”
I leaned back slightly, my demeanor changing. This was the reply I was
looking for.
“Actually, the article I would want you to write is different from what you
have in mind.”
“Oh?”
“I would like you to write an article about a woman named Jung Yura, who
comes from the Black Swan Guild. The exact details are…”
Very slowly, I began to explain the details of the article. I did not add or flesh
anything more than what I wanted to be included within it. All I calmly stated
were the events that had transpired within the dungeon expedition.
However, the people’s faltering expressions before me revealed what they

thought about this proposed article of mine. ‘I am not a suicide seeker’ and ‘I
still want to live more’ were imprinted on everyone’s faces.
“It doesn’t matter if you just write what I have told you. Of course, it’s also
your freedom to flesh it out in any way you would want to. I personally
would appreciate it if you write it a little more provocatively. You know the
public likes stimulating content. The gold you will receive will surely not
disappoint you.”
“…”
“…”
I had expected an ominous silence to descend in the room.
“Well, this seems like a difficult preposition…”
“You think?”
“Yes… I can understand your intentions for wanting this article written, but
the content…”
“Oh no, I am not telling you to write about the Black Swan Guild itself.
Rather, I am asking you to focus on Jung Yura as an individual.”
“Yes, but still…”
I watched these people exchange unsure looks with each other, and the
discomfort in the room began to heighten as they pondered over my proposed
article. If I had come from a less influential guild or my name was not already
known within the city, these people would say no to my face and left in a
hurry.
“I know what you’re worried about.”
“O-Oh…”
“You are worried for your safety. You know publishing an article like this
will earn you some definite consequences. However, I want you to know that
this article isn’t for my intentions…”
“Whose-?”
“It is Cha Hee-ra’s will.”
Of course, what I had just said was a lie—a necessary one.
“I understand that you will be afraid, nonetheless. Jung Yura’s personal

retaliation is very scary. I know that even if the Mercenary Queen herself
grants you her protection, it will be difficult.”
“…”
“If you write the article, you will have to use your real name.”
“Ah…”
“I know some of you are also worried about the impact the article will receive
once it gets published. Nothing good ever comes from criticizing large guilds.
However, people will be wondering why this kind of incident happened.
Your sales rates will go up beyond comparison, and you will be able to earn
more than your usual salaries.”
“Ah, but the gold isn’t the problem here…”
“The more people read your article, the safer you will be. The more articles
are sold under your name, the more influence you can gain – thus making you
safer.”
I could see looks of understanding pass over some of the reporters’ faces.
After all, some of these people had probably also been working for the press
back when they were still living on Earth.
“Just because they have power doesn’t mean they can just disregard the
public. Large guilds also value public attention. They cannot act recklessly.
Everybody knows this. There is already a social system established within
Lindel. The era of simply operating by hunting or dungeon expeditions has
already passed.”
There were still expressions of fear imprinted on their faces. I knew it wasn’t
going to be easy trying to persuade them.
“No matter how you put it, publishing an article like this is still dangerous…”
“The Red Mercenary Guild will be supporting you. Is that not protection
enough? You know how influential Cha Hee-ra is in this city.”
“But, if the article will be written using our real names…”
“That part is the most important. If you are proven correct, it will be difficult
to avoid the blame from the standpoint of the Black Swan Guild.”
I tried to speak as calmly as I could to try and ease the anxiety of the
reporters. I knew Cha Hee-ra wouldn’t be enough to spark them to do my
bidding. Even if protection was guaranteed, it was still a highly-risky move to
write an article against any large, existing guild.
I sighed a little and began to speak again.
“Why do you think the media companies in Lindel have not been successful
thus far?”
“That’s… Well, retaliation, for one thing…”
“Yeah. Of course, the thought of retaliation is scary. That’s why you’ve been
writing substandard articles so far. Of course, I am not condemning or
insulting what you have been doing. This is an unavoidable situation. I
understand that this continent is a place where it will not be easy to publish
such articles carelessly.”
“Yeah.”
“But that’s not the right answer.”
“You think…?”
“To trap yourself in this type of mindset means you’re only hindering the
success of your companies. This isn’t the way to go about it.”
“…”
“The biggest reason for your failure is that you don’t have the drive to push
through. Perhaps those who had been journalists back on Earth can
understand me. The most important thing is that you do not directly state
which side you’re on. You let the public do that. Instead, you simply
insinuate. That’s what gives the press a lot of power in this type of
background.”
“Are you telling me to take the side of the Blue Guild and Red Mercenaries?”
“Yes, of course. Just write the article we need. The press won’t be completely
free from the matter either way. You can criticize the enemies of the Blue and
Red Mercenaries and defend us. All you need to do is move the public. There
will be no disadvantage if you go the other way. You can choose the Black
Swan, or if you have a route that leads to another faction, you can go there.
The fact stands that you will not be free from retaliation whichever path you
choose to take. External pressure is an inevitable routine. But isn’t risking
your lives a natural occurrence in a place like Lindel?”
“Ah…”
“And as you are threatened, I will see to it that you will gain even bigger
rewards.”
“That…”
“You’ll get insurmountable gold.”
Only
“…”
“And, most importantly…”
“…”
“You’ll get the power you seek.”
Of course, this was only an illusion. At the very least, their sales rates would
indeed get higher, and they would gain a semblance of influence. However,
influence wasn’t the same thing as power.
Looking at the expressions on their faces now, I knew I had them reeled in –
hook, line, and sinker.
I bowed.
“Thank you very much for hearing me out.”

Press (2)
I must have acted overly excited to get a proper hold of my bearings back at
the Garden of Terror.
For some reason, I hadn’t read the atmosphere as easily as I used to. I came
as a shock when I was asked, along with my guild, to exit the expedition!
While that cunning trickster Lee Kiyoung riled up the group to take his side
against mine, he watched from the sidelines and let them do the dirty work
for him.
I could still remember that husky, untrustworthy tone of voice, along with the
countless times he’d tried to hide his smile as I was in hot water. He was
fortunate that I didn’t have my dagger in hand at the time, or he would have
been dead.
I clenched my fists tightly upon reminiscing, shaking from where I lay.
‘Abominable offspring…’
Assessing the amount of magical power and profession that Lee Kiyoung
possessed, I knew he was the kind of man Lindel needed to get rid of, a pest
to be eradicated. He was probably the type of guy who would have been in
the slums if he hadn’t found a party to cling to.
It felt ridiculous seeing other people get tricked by him so easily. I knew he
was thick-faced from the start, but I wasn’t expecting him to be as shameless
as he had acted.
He even dared to apologize to me as if I had threatened him! Though he

sounded sincere, that look in his eyes suggested otherwise. He had
successfully fooled everyone around us!
When I recalled his expression once more, anger began to rise from within
me.
“Shit…”
As I tried to lie still, a voice came from outside my room.
“Yura, are you there?”
“I am. How’s the situation looking so far?”
“Same, it’s all just the same. We haven’t heard anything new yet.”
“Ha…”
“It’s still too early to make a formal protest.”
“Just long will it take for them to assess the situation?”
“Well…”
“Why the hell had we not noticed this? There seems to be some sort of
agreement between the Blue Guild and the Red Mercenary Guild. What the
hell are these Red Mercenaries even doing, anyway? I have a feeling they’re
the ones pulling the strings.”
“We’ve only been told to stay quiet and stay wary. We thought it best not to
draw too much attention to ourselves yet… Cha Hee-ra might be watching.”
“What’s the matter with Cha Hee-ra?”
“It seemed that the guild executives have been meeting with the Red
Mercenaries.”
“What do you mean? Are they saying that there is no need to understand the
situation anymore? Did they not read what we have written in the report?”
“Of course they did, but…”
“And we all know we are not the perpetrators! All witnesses seem to think
that we, the Black Swans, are the bad people! Do you want the people of
Lindel to treat us like idiots? In fact, why are you all so scared of that
whore?! She and that… That Lee Kiyoung! That son of a bitch!”
“There’s nothing we can do for the moment… There are rumors that that man
has become Cha Hee-ra’s gigolo. There are also stories that say that they
might have been lovers in the past life. Perhaps that’s why the two guilds
seem to have such a close-knit relationship… It’s not that I don’t understand
where you’re coming from…”
“What?”
“Anyway, it would be better to watch the situation a little more. There will
definitely be a chance for payback.”
“Yes, you’re right. I’m not just going to aim for retribution. I will torture Lee
Kiyoung endlessly until he begs for mercy. He seems to think that Cha Hee-
ra will protect him forever. Let’s see how long that faith will last.”
“Yes, you’re right.”
“Besides, they’ve caused so many blunders during the guild expedition,

right?”
“Yes, I mean at first, but now…”
“Ugh, I know what you mean. We’ll still be able to use that to our advantage,
however.”
“Anyway, we still have a shot at this. Since they’ve still sent us our items, it
means we haven’t been totally ignored, right?”
“Right.”
“Yeah. We’ve received a lot of rare-grade items, and upon looking at the list,
we still got more than Blue Guild has obtained.”
“As we should. No matter how protected they are by the Red Mercenaries,
we still deserve more rewards than they do.”
“I agree… Anyway, do you want to head out for a bite to eat? I’m hungry.”
“Yes, sure, I’m hungry as well, anyway.”
“I heard that a new restaurant opened up nearby. We should go take a look.”
I nodded and stood up, wanting to rid my thoughts of that oily smirk and
calculating eyes. I knew if I stayed cooped up in my room any longer, I
would lose it.
Opportunities for revenge would certainly come in the future. No matter how
protected Blue Guild is by the Red Mercenaries, they should know better than
to mess with one of the large guilds such as the Black Swans. With this
thought, I started to feel better.
We left the guild building in no time at all. I did not think much of the
unusually large amount of people out until we arrived at the square, where I
saw a crowd clustering around.
“Ugh… So trashy people such as these do exist.”
“Even if I close my eyes, I can imagine how barbaric they must be.”
“Tsk.”
Voices dripping with disapproval echoed throughout the square. I might have
mistaken it for common hubbub when I noticed that every single person had a
newspaper in their hands.
I blinked. This was an unusual scene. The media in Lindel wasn’t powerful or
influential at all, and hardly anyone bought the paper. At best, all they had in
their published paper were news of new monsters or the Holy Empire. It was
usually only adventurers who read the paper.
However, seeing that even non-adventurers all had the paper in their hands,
my curiosity began to spike. A dark feeling began to spread all over my body,
and I couldn’t resist but grab a paper for myself.
“Oh, unnie…”
“T-This…”
[Bashing on Blue!]
[The first dungeon trip of Kim Hyunsung’s party, who was recruited for
a large sum of money in Blue, ended successfully. You may remember all
the party members that broke through the tutorial dungeon in the fastest
time, and with only four people! This party, called the Kim Hyunsung
Party, left Lindel a few weeks ago with the Magical Guild, the Red
Mercenary Guild, and the Black Swan Guild to show off their unity with
the other guilds.
While there were certain criticisms to be heard about newbies joining

veterans, the Magic Guild’s attack log was leaked, causing controversy
to spark within the city. It was then that Jung Yura, a member of the
Black Swan guild, was revealed to the public.
From the time the expedition started, and the Black Swans were seen to
be arriving back separately, many wondered if something had happened
in the dungeon, and eventually, these rumors were proven to be true!
The truth is that Jung Yura (29) did not only cause conflict in the party
before their departure but had also threatened one of the members of the
Blue Guild. Many have testified that she has been too harsh on the Blue
Guild’s party, marking a frown on everyone’s faces.
Mr. Kiyoung, who was involved in the case, was conscious of the
perpetrators and did not reveal what the threats were about, but rumors
spread that physical pressure is part of the picture.
Experts speculate that it is probably due to the dungeon’s contribution

rewards, but none of these hunches have been accurately revealed yet.
While it is true that both Blue and Black Swans are affected by this, the
attention focuses on where this event will lead their relationship.
It is a very familiar occurrence in Lindel, our Free City, to attack

dungeons through cooperation between guilds. Of course, the issue of
item distribution and contribution also seems to be the same. Everyone
will know the tricks cast by particular guilds out of greed for the
rewards.
The fact that large guilds keep pressing on the smaller guilds is well-
known by everyone. However, it is shocking to see a guild do so in such
an unsubtle manner. –Reporter]
‘What is this…’
It wasn’t even the end of it.
[Miss Jung Yura (29) dares the Red Mercenary Queen to protect her
subordinates.]
[Miss Yura, a member of the Black Swans and a party member included
in the latest guild expedition, has spewed a truckload of remarks that
have caused an uproar within Lindel. These remarks hurled at Mr. Lee
Kiyoung, a speculated lover of the Queen, have become quite the
controversy. When Mr. Kiyoung’s party was seen to be helping the
expedition out in such an efficient manner, Miss Jung Yura, apparently
worried about their contribution reward distribution, began to threaten
Mr. Kiyoung with scandalous remarks.
Upon investigation, it was revealed that she insulted Mr. Kiyoung for
being one of the Mercenary Queen’s pillars and even went so far as to
question if the Queen would protect him to his face!
What causes such unease is that Miss Yura did not just hurl these
statements towards Mr. Kiyoung, but the Red Queen herself.
Speculations about what damages this might cause for the relationship
between Red Mercenary and Black Swans are still large. –Jung Ilbo]
Several provocative titles continued to catch my eye.
[About the relationship between the Black Swan and the Red Mercenary
Guild
Subtitle: Where does Blue stand in this?]
[Dungeon columnist Kim Seong-gyeong]
[How should I look at the controversy caused by Black Swan Guild

member Jung Yura? -Lindel Political Department Reporter Yoomi
Kang]
[Miss Jung Yura (29) reignites past controversy]
[Who is Black Swan trying to excommunicate – the Red Mercenary

Guild, or the Blue Guild?]
In less than a day, my whole world had crumbled. My hands shook as I

continued to skim through the paper.
I couldn’t figure out what exactly was going on right now.
However, I could only think of the owner of that blasted oily smirk and the
calculating gaze that had been driving me crazy nonstop.
“Damn… they’re lucky Blue Guild is still quite a large guild. If it were us,
we wouldn’t just be insulted by them… We’d be dead too.”
“It’s because of people like these that Lindel isn’t progressing at all.”
“Sh, be quiet!”
Only
“No, am I wrong?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Wait… That person over there… Isn’t that Jung Yura?”
“Shh. She can hear you, you know.”
‘This… This son of a bitch.’
It was only now that I truly began to comprehend how this had happened and
who had ensured that this would occur.
‘Lee Kiyoung, you son of a bitch…’

Press (3)
“This is a well-made article.”
I had initially thought that there would be changes to the story I had
proposed, but more importantly, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the
reporters had indeed taken the bait. The story itself didn’t just criticize Jung
Yura and the abuse of power within the Free City of Lindel.
“But damaging the reputation of such a large guild… Is that okay?”
‘Ah, it’s very good.’
Titles such as those currently found in the paper would surely elicit a reaction
among every reader within Lindel. After all, most people here knew how it
felt to be oppressed by a greater force.
Granted, I haven’t been treated like that within Lindel as I had fortunately
entered a guild still considered prestigious, but I could bet that the smaller
guilds would have all experienced such treatment.
To put it simply, getting a place within one of the large guilds automatically
equated to being part of Lindel’s higher class. In this manner, it wasn’t that
hard to predict the multitude of corruption cases within the city.
In this particular coverage, all parties involved came from large guilds. Still,
since I, a newbie member of a guild that tethered on the edge of ruination,
was portrayed as the victim of said familiar oppression, the public was sure to
be on my side.
The reaction was almost immediate. The other large-scale guilds went to
great lengths to prove that they had better personalities than the Black Swans,
and through subtle means, the smaller guilds showed us that they were
supporting us.
It felt like a social movement of sorts. This was what the ability to move the
masses could amount to. No matter how strong one was, it didn’t mean
anything if no one supported him. In that same mindset, Lindel’s
upperclassmen only hold their power because the lower class, as much as
they would like to deny it, acknowledge their power.
Simply put, the upperclassmen cannot exist without the lower class. Without
people buying weapons from the Red Mercenaries’ shop, potions from the
Magic Guild, cheap information from the Black Swans, or other merchandise
from other guilds, society’s higher throngs cannot maintain their standing.
They can only do so because those lower than them were responsible for their
success.
These people probably forgot – this wasn’t the Earth we were so accustomed
to living in. In a place like this, logic only worked when it was backed up by
power. For this very reason, it was understandable as to why the media did
not hold a lot of power. Yet they may have forgotten that the media is the key
to getting the people’s support.
However, with certain story coverage, I knew people had started to realize
just how scary the press could be. The effect was indeed awesome.
In addition to boycotting all businesses operated by the Black Swan Guild,

small and medium-sized guilds, renowned explorers, and adventurers had
also expressed their intentions to never attack dungeons with any of their
members.
‘Ah…’
It truly was a frightening event when all the oppressed banded together for a
common goal – to raise the voices of the marginalized.
Though each individual had different reasons, they all cooperated just the
same.
I knew that, just from this meager little story, I had already helped in the
formation of Lindel’s revolutionary history.
After I ate my lunch, I headed outside, where several reporters were waiting.
Of course, these weren’t the same reporters who had bothered to attend my
invitation before. These were the ones who did not attend or could smell the
money they could gain from also covering this story.
“May I have a moment of your time? About Jung Yura…”
“Sorry. There is still an official announcement about this…”
“I know it would be quite the hassle, but do you have anything to say about-“
“We will officially hold a press conference about this later.”
“What do you think of Jung Yura’s remarks about the collaboration between
Red and Blue?”
“It’s not something I can answer just yet.”
“Oi, don’t bother my hyung so much!”
“It’s okay, Deokgu.”
We had to remember to be kind to journalists, especially for the time being.

Whoever won their support also won the support of the public.
“I would like to ask what position you are taking in the current Black Swan
Guild boycott.” The guy who asked this question looked pretty familiar to
me.
‘Is that Kim Seong-gyeong?’
It did look like him. It wouldn’t be bad to answer this particular question.
“I was able to see how many people could feel the loss, regardless of whether
this was true or not. It wasn’t just what happened to me. The outrage must
stem from the pus of injustice that many people have felt from living in
Lindel. Of course, this is understandable, but I am worried that many of you
will feel too angry. That is all.”
Directly answering the question in the form of an indirect response would be

the best direction I could take.
“Are you saying that all the threats in the dungeon are true?”
“I will not comment.”
“Are you in support of the boycott?”
“I support the matter on the one hand, but not on the other. I’m just worried
that this will cause further damage.”
Employing such subtle wording was truly a talent of mine. I wanted to take
down the Black Swan Guild, but not through a direct hit. I would rather give
the guild itself a chance to redeem themselves.
The only casualty I wanted was Jung Yura.
“Please tell me something about Cha Hee-ra.”
“I will arrange a seat for you later.”
“Please talk to the adventurers who are angry about this situation.”
“It’s very difficult to speak for now, but I suppose I can say something. Your
actions in resisting injustice in society are never wrong. Every individual is
more influential than they would like to think. The way you act without
giving into pressure… You are all helping in your own ways.”
The reporters wrote down my words diligently as I spoke. I had a feeling this
would turn into a new article by tomorrow.
[I understand the feelings of adventurers who are feeling lost.]

Something like that would probably appear on the next barrage of articles.
[I support the boycott, but worry about dealing further damage.]
I was feeling pretty good about this. After all, reporters knew how to spin
even the drabbest of responses into something more dramatic. This would
surely cause another uproar tomorrow.
More questions arose after my response, but I knew responding to any more
might come back to bite me in the rear end.
Since I was playing the role of victim, I needed to speak the least amount.
The more interpretations these reporters came up with, the better.
While I thought about this, Park Deokgu began to speak beside me.
“Oh, I didn’t know it was going to be this big, hyung.”
“Neither did I.” Of course, that was a lie.
“I think I should be more careful about my actions in the future… This is

bad.”
“It won’t matter if you just act as you usually do.”
“So, didn’t you say that the Red Mercenary will be announcing their stand
today?”
“Huh. Yes, that’s right.”
I knew what this would already entail. They would respond directly to the
criticisms stated by Jung Yura, particularly about their Mercenary Queen, but
would not assault the guild itself. After all, the stories had already covered
the insults directed towards Cha Hee-ra, so it was only right that she took the
necessary precautions and struck back.
‘And maybe within a week…”
Eventually, the Black Swan Guild will also be giving an announcement.

However, it would be too late by then. I didn’t know what was currently
going on within their guild now, but I knew for sure that they must be feeling
embarrassed.
Perhaps there must have also been an uproar within their guild. Anyhow,
there must be a reason as to why they were taking so long to respond.
If I were in their shoes, I would have formed a response team right away and
tried to get in touch with the opposite side. Simply giving an appearance was
a form of action in itself. Had the Black Swans have any smarts in them, they
would have responded by now.
It was then that Sun Hee-young approached me.
“Mr. Kiyoung?”
“Yeah.”
“Some people from the Black Swans Guild are here.”
‘Oh?’
It turned out that the Black Swans did have some semblance of smarts within
them.
“I don’t know specifically. It seems that they’ve come to apologize.”
“Are they waiting in the reception room?”
“Yes, they are.” Sun Hee-young nodded slightly. I thanked her and began to
head in the direction of the reception room, where I found familiar faces
waiting for me.
The first person I noticed was Jung Yura herself. With her were various
Black Swan Guild executives. I also saw Lee Seol-ho with the crowd, and I
stiffened. What was this crazy old man doing?
I didn’t know what exactly was happening, but I was not too fond of the idea
of him trying to get on board with all this craziness.
“What to say about this…”
“Hahaha, do not fret about it. For now…”
As I saw them converse, annoyance soared from within me.
Then I noticed a familiar-looking woman sitting on one side.
‘Lee Ji-Hye?’
I remembered her from the shelter that Kim Hyunsung had devised back in
the tutorial dungeon. What was she doing here? I felt surprised.
I didn’t think that Lee Ji-Hye was entirely useless in terms of abilities, but I
would never have thought that she’d try to get herself in with the Black
Swans.
It was ridiculous to see them cozying up with the deranged old executives
from our side.
‘Ha.’
[Check player Jihye Lee’s status window and potential.]
[Name-Jihye Lee]
[Age-29]
[Propensity-Selfish Ambition]
[Job-Commander]
[Capacity]
[Strength -09/Growth limit: Below normal]
[Agility-11/Growth limit: Below normal]
[Health-15/Growth limit: Below normal]
[Intellect-29/Growth limit: Rare or higher]
[Durability-10/Growth limit: Below normal]
Only
[Luck-15/Growth limit: Below normal]
[Holy-05/Growth limit: Below normal]
[Overall Review – Congratulations, Player Kiyoung Lee. You have met

your soulmate once again. At this point, it doesn’t seem like an
exaggeration to say that it is fate. It seems that you have connected once,
although I certainly recommend that you do not connect again. As I said,
I am very sorry for the second generation to be born if they will come
from you. Always be careful with your actions.]
While assessing her current stats, I continued to watch both sides converse
with each other. However, some of the gazes had already begun to swing
over to where I stood.
Lee Ji-Hye, who was one of them, began to speak in a happy tone of voice.
“Oppa! It’s been a while.”
‘What? Since when was I her oppa…?’

Press (4)
After assessing the atmosphere, I began to understand how Lee Jihye planned
to direct this situation.
‘Hm, she’s smart.’
Evidently, it seemed that I wasn’t the only one who knew how to assess
situations. The Black Swans were fortunate to have someone capable of
handling their internal affairs.
It was a little embarrassing to say that my rival could quite possibly be Lee
Jihye, but I knew there was nothing shameful about it. The woman could
quite possibly be as good as me in the employment of underhanded, political
tactics.
In any case, she was a hundred times better and smarter than Jung Yura. That
also meant I had a valid reason to feel wary now.
‘Unfortunately for you, however, I know just what you’re planning to do.’
Lee Jihye was a woman who clearly understood what a deal was. She must
have planned to let the others know of our ‘close’ relationship through such
means.
I decided to play along. “Is that really you?”
“Yeah. It’s nice to see you here again.”

“Long time no see. How have you been?”
“I’ve been fine. I honestly thought it’d be a long time before we meet again.
I’m pleasantly surprised to see that it isn’t.”
“Yes, I agree.” As I nodded in response to her words, I confirmed that I was

right. All present Black Swan Guild members looked pleased upon hearing
this exchange, and so did the delusional old men from my side.
“Hahaha. I see that you’re both getting along quite well.”
‘What the heck are you laughing at? You crazy old man.’
I didn’t like the fact that these old geezers were here. It spelled nothing but
bad news. At the same time, a slight feeling of embarrassment coursed
through me at this display.
Although the Black Swans were indeed a large guild representing Lindel, the
Blue Guild had no reason to kowtow to them just because they had decided to
visit. We were the ones in agreement with the Red Mercenary Guild. In short,
we had the upper hand.
This scene was just like spoiling Jung Yura with lots of candy.
In the process of resolving this diplomatically complex situation, I knew the

Blue Guild could gain more from the outcome than any other guild would.
Better relationships? New ones? Greater influence? I didn’t get why my
fellow members were acting this way.
“I must apologize for stopping by this late. We also had some matters to deal
with from our side.”
“No, no, your presence here is already enough.” Lee Seolho laughed
pleasantly.
‘Enough? What do you mean, enough? Crazy old man.’
I didn’t like how we were faring in this exchange. There were polite smiles
all around and the easy dismissal of apologies. In such a situation, I felt like I
was the rude one, simply because I was the only one who refused to join in
the pleasantries.
Then the introductions began.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I failed to do this… I am Choi Eunhee from the Black Swan
Guild.”
“I am Lee Kiyoung. It’s nice to meet you.”
However, it seemed that Lee Seolho did not want to help me out. As if to
ignore my words, he turned to Choi Eunhee and spoke as if I was not there at
all.
“Oh no, no, why don’t we have some tea instead of all this awkward hoo-
ha?”
“Yes, Seolho. Shall we do that?”
They then began to strike up a conversation, leaving me fuming. This old

man was ruining all my plans!
‘Hah, and to think I even thought about giving you some mercy.’
It really was such a hassle when the trash in your own guild proved to be
more thick-faced than the guild you’ve been targeting. I knew Lee Seolho
was a pain in the ass, but not to this extent!
Realizing I needed to act quickly, I began to think of what to say.
However, it was Lee Jihye who spoke next.
“Tea would be nice. I think the both of you should do that. We still have
other things to discuss here.”
“Ah.”
Both Lee Seolho and Choi Eunhee gazed at Lee Jihye in surprise. However,
upon seeing Choi Eunhee nod at her words, almost trembling, I knew Lee
Jihye had more authority than I first thought.
‘Hm, that’s interesting…’
I didn’t know exactly how the Black Swan Guild’s system operated, but it
seemed that they had respect for those who held authority within their group.
I could appreciate that.
“Then will we do that? Seolho?”
“Y-Yes, I suppose…”
“We have separate matters to talk about, anyway. I think it would be better to
leave this work to the younger ones. First, I will show you the gift I brought.”
“Huh, huh. Thank you so much for this, Eunhee Choi.”
‘He’s not just crazy, he’s also gullible.’
Their plan was quite obvious. They wanted to win the Blue Guild over by
bribing the corrupted ones with gifts. Choi Eunhee smiled and nodded to Lee
Jihye upon Seolho’s confirmation.
“Take care of Yura then, Jihye.”
“Yes, eunni.”
No matter which angle I tried to take, the two indeed resembled a close-knit
relationship. Pretty soon, the elder ones left the parlor, leaving me alone with
Lee Jihye and Jung Yura.
Although Lee Jihye herself was smiling, Jung Yura looked none too pleased
to be here. It seemed that she was struggling from just trying to rein in her
emotions. I could understand why,
She was also struggling with self-guilt; I knew it. Not only did she bring
shame to her guild, but she also single-handedly destroyed their pleasant
relationship with the Red Mercenaries. Now many adventurers chose to
boycott the Black Swans, leaving the guild with less than a few opportunities
to redeem themselves.
It was only natural that her position within the guild be brought down due to
her actions. Perhaps she was grateful she hadn’t been kicked out at this point.
Even with these thoughts running in my head, the urge to smile was still
apparent.
Unsurprisingly, Lee Jihye took it upon herself to start the conversation.
“Aren’t you annoyed?”
“What?”
“The old man from earlier… It doesn’t take a lot of smarts to realize if
someone is useless or not, and that man looked as useless as they would go.”
“Well, every guild has its own circumstances to focus on. I wasn’t even
expecting to see you.”
“It just happened out of the blue. I hadn’t been expecting it at all, yet I
suppose my guild also needs someone to deal with situations like these. The
executives also decided that I would be the best person to deal with this
situation.”
“I agree with them.”
“This is all thanks to you. After all, you inspired me to work harder to secure
my standing.”
“Thank you for such praise.”
“I’m not saying this for the sake of having something to say. In fact, I’ve seen
the advantages of being close to you, oppa. Knowing you, you’re very well
capable of designing situations such as this.”
I couldn’t read her expression properly, but I knew that she was just trying to
get me to admit to my doing in the end. Keeping my expression nonchalant, I
shrugged.
“Well. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jung Yura, who was sitting next to Lee Jihye, looked very much
embarrassed. During this whole exchange, she shrunk down in her seat,
trying her best to look inconspicuous.
I, too, felt a little surprised. I would have expected Lee Jihye to include her in
the conversation right away, but the opposite was happening. It actually felt
like Jung Yura was being excluded from the conversation.
No… It felt like Lee Jihye was using this opportunity to watch Jung Yura’s
reaction.
‘Huh.’
I had to admit that the girl was definitely resourceful. Although she had
revealed her advantageous position at having some form of relationship with
me, Lee Jihye only seemed interested in having this advantage serve her well,
not for the guild’s sake.
“Anyway, it’s all been said and done. There’s nothing we can do but try our
best to fix the situation… But before that, how have you been all this time?
It’s been so long…”
I was no longer surprised when Lee Jihye hitched up her skirt ever-so-subtly
as she spoke.
I remained poker-faced.
“Oh, you’re so cruel. I thought for a moment that it would be good to

reminisce…”
“Don’t say such things, Jihye. You’re just trying to spin this situation
around.”
“Oh, oppa. If this girl wasn’t here right now, I know things would be
different.”
“It’s not because of that.”
“I think I can understand what you mean… Anyway! Before we get on with
the real story, I think an apology is in order. Jung Yura? It’s your turn.” Upon
saying this, Lee Jihye tapped Yura on the shoulder.
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting this kind of scenario at all. If I had known, I

would have brought Lee Jihye to my side as soon as possible.
At Lee Ji-hye’s urging, Jung Yura turned to look at me.
Of course, I knew she had no intention to apologize to me at all. In fact, the

woman was probably thinking about how unfair it was to have to apologize
when she did nothing wrong in the first place. However, on the other hand,
she knew she had no choice.
Seeing her struggling within herself almost made me laugh.
It wasn’t what I wanted, but it’s not bad either.
“…Sorry.”
“Oh, Miss Yura… I think you have to apologize a little more sincerely, or
else my oppa will not accept that.”
“So… I’m sorry.”
“…”
A painful silence ensued afterwards.
Suddenly, Lee Jihye lunged forward and grabbed Jung Yura’s hair by the
handful, forcing her to look at me directly.
‘Huh.’
At this point, I couldn’t really figure out what was going on anymore.
After seeing Yura’s trembling expression, I began to wonder more about Lee
Jihye’s influence within their guild.
“Yura, didn’t you hear what I just said?”
Jung Yura blinked several times at this, unsure as to how she could respond.
“Please do it properly this time.”
Watching this spectacle almost made me laugh aloud. Seeing how Lee Jihye
treated Jung Yura, I caught a glimpse of how the entire guild must be treating
the woman now.
At the same time, I made a mental note to assess Lee Jihye more carefully
now. It appeared that every move she made was calculated, yet for what
reason, I did not know.
Perhaps she did it to show off her authority to the other person, but I also
knew it had something to do with showing preference to the opposing side –
my side.
It felt great seeing someone like me, someone who knew they had little to no
potential, yet managed to get by through wits alone.
Based on potentials, it wouldn’t be a hassle for Jung Yura to kill Lee Jihye
off. In fact, it would be as easy as stomping on an ant. However, the fear on
the other woman’s face was palpable, giving me the impression that Lee
Jihye’s position within the Black Swan was quite possibly higher than my
position within the Blue Guild.
“Please apologize as sincerely as you can.”
“…”
With a snap, Jung Yura was forced to look my way again. Watching her, I
felt no compassion at all. Rather, this scene felt a bit exhilarating to witness. I
wasn’t a pervert, but it felt nice to see one of my past tormentors suffer to this
extent.
Tears had already begun dripping from Jung Yura’s eyes. However, she tried
her best to remain composed.
When a moment had passed, and she still had not apologized, Lee Jihye
hauled the woman to her feet.
“I told you to apologize straight away. Yura.”
Whatever choice Jung Yura would make now didn’t matter. She would
receive humiliation either way.
“Do you understand me now? Apologize as sincerely as you can.”
“So…”
At the next moment, Lee Jihye sent Jung Yura sprawling onto the floor. It
was then that the woman broke.
“Sorry. Ugh… I’m really sorry. I was very thoughtless in my words and
actions… I’m so sorry.”
I felt a strange sort of pleasure at this scene. Here was a woman who could
easily kill me off if she wished to – and yet, she was on the floor and
apologizing to me.
As soon as she apologized, Lee Jihye turned to me.
Only
“I have anything you want. If you don’t want me, then will this girl do?”
“No, I’m not interested in that.”

“Still… There must be something you want.”
“Hm… I think my shoes look a little dirty…”
At my words, Lee Jihye began to smile.
‘Ah, it’s such a waste not to have you on my team…’
I couldn’t help but think this.

Chapter 72 Ambitious Man (1)
Ambitious Man (1)
“Hm… I think my shoes look a little dirty…”
At my words, Jung Yura’s expression crumpled into an ugly, distorted frown.

However, seeing her trembling, I knew she would have no choice but to
concede to what I wanted.
‘Hmm…’
This entire time, I could feel Lee Jihye’s heavy gaze set upon me. At this
point, I was more curious about how she had scored such a high position
within the Black Swans than I was curious about Jung Yura’s wellbeing.
The girl in question spoke. “You seem to be curious about this situation.”
“Sure, I am. Honestly, I’m surprised they let you treat her this way. Even
with the trouble she’s caused, she’s still quite powerful in her own right. Are
you sure there aren’t any risks in what you’re doing?”
“There is no risk at all, rest assured.”
I stopped talking then, only because I was busy assessing Yura’s status with
my ability.
[Check player Jung Yura’s status window and potential.]
[Name-Yura Jung]
[Title-The Worst Woman Ever]
[Age-29]
[Propensity-Calculating Strategist]
[Job-Assassination Thief-Rare Grade]
[Occupational Effect-Acquisition of basic dagger skills]
[Occupational Effect-Acquisition of basic trapping knowledge]
[Job Effect-Acquisition of basic assassination knowledge]
[The acquired knowledge is not available.]
[Capacity]
[Strength -41→05/Growth limit: Hero or higher]
[Agility-55→10/Growth limit: Hero or higher]
[Health -43 → 11 /Growth limit: Hero or less]
[Intellect -40 → 30 /Growth limit: Rare or less]
[Durability -20 → 05 /Growth limit: Rare or higher]
[Luck -23→10/Growth limit: Rare or less]
[Holy -43→09/Growth limit: Hero or higher]
[Overall Review-Her body is damaged due to external shock. Most of her

magic circuits were destroyed. Due to the damage to her muscle fibers,
her stats have decreased. It is not an exaggeration to say that her life as
an adventurer is over. She can be healed with divine healing magic or
with a saintly-class priest, but there is no assurance of such as an event.
Anyway, this is so very tragic. To lose a talent with great potential,
unlike Kiyoung Lee, is indeed a tragedy to behold.]
‘Huh…’
Among everything I’ve read, her newly-assigned title caught my eye.
I had been expecting the creation of such a title, but I wasn’t expecting her
stats to decrease as a result. Upon seeing my curious expression, Lee Jihye
spoke up once again.
“Her body has been damaged in various places, you see.”
“…”
“She looks fine on the outside, but they say she’s going to struggle to even
live a normal life. The media’s so harsh that it’s a relief she isn’t dead yet.
Honestly, I’m the one who saved her life. The situation hasn’t even been
assessed properly yet, and this happens. That’s why the higher-ups of our
guild are angry.”
“I understand.”
“While we were still trying to understand what exactly had happened, there
were some other people who thought that now would be the right time to
show what would happen to people who they thought ‘abused’ their powers,
and I guess they singled her out as a prime example.”
“Hmm…”
“There’re some more internal issues at hand, but since they’re guild matters,
I’m not authorized to tell you, no matter what position I hold.”
“Does that mean there’s a power struggle within the guild?” Even as I asked,
As expected, Lee Jihye nodded.
I honestly thought the Black Swans were a cluttered mess, but I didn’t expect
for it to be this bad. There must have been a lot of power-hungry people like
Jung Yura in their midst. Perhaps this event wasn’t a bad thing after all – it
gave them a reason to start throwing out the trash among them.
“The people who hold positions within our guild were all rotten to the core,
so it was only right to cut them off and replace the Guild Master. I’m sure
you think the same.”
“Well…”
“I’m not someone who speaks with no factual basis, you know. If everything
goes well, the guild will be refined, and the guild master will get replaced.
And contrary to what you think, most of this has been done peacefully.”
“Does that explain why you’ve been sent here? With this woman?”
“What really matters here is how our internal affairs are going, not what will
happen to Yura. Another important thing to take note of is what the public
thinks of this mess. You definitely made a bigger spectacle this time, oppa.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“You seem to be worrying about me using this information against you.

Don’t worry, recording magic doesn’t exist. Anyway, I had to do what was
best for the guild, and that meant siding with a few insignificant members, or
siding with you and the public.”
“And what’d you do?”
“I just wrote a few hundred reports after analyzing the current situation, and
the cause as to why the guild has been decaying. I also took into account the
direction in which the Black Swan should take to move forward, the
relationship between the Blue and Red Mercenaries, and the possibility of
Blue’s growth in the future. I also included what kind of man you are, oppa.
However, I don’t think I’ve expounded on that clearly enough.”
“…”
“Anyway, my actions seemed a little too fresh for the higher-ups. Why do
you think we’ve suddenly come to visit, even when we know our guild’s still
in hot water after the recent press coverage?”
Ah, she really was crafty, this Lee Jihye.
In other words, she was saying she took the guild’s internal crisis as an
opportunity to unleash her skills and show them what she was capable of.
“The fact report wasn’t perfect, that’s for sure. I’m not as talented as you are,
Kiyoung, and I didn’t have enough time. Anyway, in a situation where no
one wanted to step up and take responsibility, I figured it would be the
perfect opportunity to step up just this once and show them what I could
offer.”
“So what did you have in mind? Any changes?”
“Of course… Well, I think you’re more curious about the reason why. Could
we talk about this later? You’ll have to tell us the conditions you want first.
We can compensate you as much as we can. In addition to the official
apology gift, we still have a lot to spare… Ah, I can give you this woman,
too, if you want her!”
“Huh, how sincere of you.”
“But of course!”
As I glanced back towards the said woman, I could see Jung Yura still
struggling helplessly on the floor. A slight smile broke onto my face as I
watched her. How despicable.
‘I know deep inside, she’s still going to want to recover.’
Of course, high-ranking priests or divine elixirs weren’t readily available in

these parts. There weren’t a few people who could really be called high
priests in the first place, and the process of bringing them in was a painfully
expensive affair.
The same went for the elixirs, since alchemy wasn’t a popular class, and the
ingredients were rare.
In other words, the best shot Jung Yura had at this was by continuously
attacking dungeons and recovering her own strength, little by little.
As I reached out to brush away a few strands of her hair, I could see her
expression as she looked up. It was a mix of anger, resentment, worry, and
regret. It was such a messy expression, compared to my shoes, which had
now been wiped clean at my request.
“In fact, I didn’t think things would go so well…”
“…”
It was true, though – my interest had been piqued.
“I guess now you’ve realized, huh?”
“Y-Yes…”
“I’ve realized that you don’t really know what can happen to people unless it
actually happens.”
“…”
“It’s hard to understand, but I think it’s just the right type of retribution for
people like you. If you were given an opportunity again, you’d probably go
back to the way you were.”
“…”
“Don’t worry, that principle applies to me, too.”
“Ah…”
“However, it won’t happen the way you hope for it to. Unlike you, I’m not a
brat who only learns once she’s at the bottom.”
“…”
“In your case, you were just out of luck this time around. If you work hard,
you may be able to recover, so try to live with strength. And uh, since you’ve
stuck to your values ‘til the end. I think you deserve a little reward. That’s
what makes society beautiful, am I right?”
As I went through my pockets, Jung Yura’s expression crumpled even

further. I then took a handful of gold coins and dropped them all to the floor.
Blood dripped from Yura’s lips, as she had been biting at them too intensely.
In addition to this. tears had also started running down the woman’s cheeks.
“Shouldn’t we manage our expressions into something more fitting? Hm?”
“Yes, Yura. It’s a gift from oppa, after all.”
“…Thank you.”
Watching her pick up the gold from the floor in such a pitiful manner made
me smile. It was amusing as to how easily one could fall from her pedestal.
I knew this was not the type of lesson-giving a morally-inept person would
choose to take, but I knew this was the only way to make Jung Yura truly
learn.
To beat the enemy, you must be willing to be as crafty as you can without
deserting your values.
This whole, messy situation wasn’t over just yet, but I was going to severe
my relationship with Jung Yura right at this moment.
“It was fun while it lasted. You can leave anytime you want.”
Perhaps Yura would never recover from this. I couldn’t see any large guild
wanting to invest in her, even in the far future.
As hope is great, so is despair.
One may think that there’s a rainbow after the rain, that there’s pleasure after
a bout of suffering, but the truth was – society didn’t work that way.
Only
Even if her suffering might end, that would still be ten, or twenty years away.
However, I knew that Jung Yura would continually lust for that day.
‘It’s only human to, after all.’
What kind of life she would live after all the hate has died down, I would
never know. What I did know is that, wherever she might end up with, in a
slum or prostitute village, she would always remember…
‘She chose to fight the wrong enemy.’
As she slowly left the parlor, Lee Jihye began to speak once more.
“Are you satisfied now, oppa?”
“Hm, only by half. I hope you can tell me what it is you’re capable of doing.”
“Sure. You will probably be satisfied.”

Chapter 73 Ambitious Man (2)
[TL NOTE: The MC’s title: Red Mercenary Queen’s Governor has been
changed to Red Mercenary Queen’s Gigolo]
Ambitious Man (2)
“Ah! Can I start with our requirements first?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“We would like you to make an official statement.”
“Elaborate further.”
“We just need you to say that you’ve received a sincere apology from Jung
Yura of the Black Swans, and that we’ve managed to resolve the
misunderstandings. You also have to mention that you have never been
physically threatened… I would be really grateful if you could say all of that.
Other than that, you can think of what to say on your own… Well, it doesn’t
matter what you say as long as it calms the situation down.”
“Hmm… No matter what I say, though, I don’t think it’ll be that easy.”
“Additionally, I would also like you to comment on the positive changes

within the Black Swan.”
“Using me as your publicity vehicle, now are you?”
“Of course we are. Many people have started to associate your name, Lee
Kiyoung, as a symbol of resistance… Maybe in a little while, you will even
get a title. I know there is an image you wish to maintain, so we won’t ask
you to add any more details. It’s almost like saying that you’ve changed a
large guild. You have won. Wouldn’t that sound nice?”
“Victory, huh…” Despite myself, I began to smile at the thought.
The only reason why the Black Swan had to reform in the first place was
because various political issues had revealed themselves to be true. Of
course, the real spark that ignited the change would remain to be unknown to
me, but I highly doubted they would have strived for change if an internal
problem did not occur within the guild. These thoughts simply made me
laugh.
“It doesn’t matter what the truth is. What’s important is that you let them
know of your victory.”
“That’s why I laughed.”
“Well, we won’t do anything to endanger you, so rest assured we will not

harm your current position. We’re just asking for you to think of our guild in
return.”
“I understand. I’ll consider it.”
“Please remember our time back in the tutorial dungeon, yeah?”
An amused smile spread onto my face. I could care less about that.
“Is there another requirement?”
“Yes, although this one might be a little out of your authority… I would like
you to promote a Red Mercenary, Black Swan, and Blue alliance, since we’re
actually pursuing the possibility of this happening. I’d like you to officially
announce this as well. It won’t be a bad story either, don’t you think?”
“You mean you want to use this to expand your influence within the guild?”
“Yeah. Of course, you don’t have to announce this right away, for the current
situation is still cluttered. However, I would like you to hint at the friendly
atmosphere, that you’re maintaining an amicable relationship with the Black
Swans. That sort of thing will suffice.”
“You seem to be asking for a lot. I hope you have enough rewards in store for
it.”
“Yes, of course. All items, materials, and goods obtained from the Garden of
Terror will go to you individually, not to the guild. Likewise, the stakes and
land documents of the dungeons that have been attacked will go to you.”
“I don’t even want to think about what kind of reaction the public will have
about me getting all that.”
“Officially, we will make it look like we donated these to you.”
“Ah, I understand.”
“The real contents that you will receive will not be made known to the
public.”
The fact that Lee Jihye had thought about this so thoroughly surprised me
greatly. If the public knew this, they would be outraged, saying we used the
power of the media for self-benefit.
“Anyway, even if they find out, you have the power to rectify the masses.”
She was right. Several from the media were already on my side. Even if they
did find out, it wouldn’t be a big deal to fix the situation. As it was, Lindel
was on the side of Red and Blue now, and it was only natural for the Black
Swans to try and find any means to fix this.
“There will also be definite support given to Kiyoung’s party by our guild.”
“Isn’t this already too generous?”
“Is it? I thought it was just adequate. If we want to impress or be on good

terms with somebody, we must be prepared for the sacrifice.”
“I wasn’t expecting this, honestly speaking.”

Although I wasn’t expecting it, I wasn’t surprised. Lee Jihye was dependent
on me, too. If my position rose, so would hers.
In other words, we had ourselves a win-win relationship. Though it wasn’t a

healthy relationship, I couldn’t say it wasn’t a bad one. There were many
things I could achieve through this.
“If you have anything else you want, tell us, and we will see if we can offer
it.”
“You can think about that on your own. There is always a limit as to what a
guild can offer and what direction it will take, so I’ll leave that in your own
hands.”
“That sounds like you’re trying to test us.”
“No. Honestly, I don’t understand why I’m doing this to this extent. Of
course, the behavior of the Black Swans still needs to be justified, but this
feels a little excessive. I’m not the only one who should be compensated,
right? The Red Mercenaries are also involved in this matter.”
“It feels a little embarrassing to say this, but…”
“That’s why I’m curious. I know you’re too logical to rely on feelings of the
past. I wish you could just tell me what you really want.”
A silence ensued then. Lee Jihye’s expression remained unchanged. There

was no sign of embarrassment on her features.
She then started to speak calmly. Of course, her answer was just as
unexpected.
“Don’t you remember what I told you before?”
“What…?”
“I like ambitious men.”
“Don’t joke around.”

I gazed at her firmly upon saying this, but had to do a double-take. Although
Lee Jihye was smiling, she certainly didn’t look like she was playing around.
“Do you think I’m joking?”
“…”
“Let me tell you an interesting story.”
Slowly, I nodded. I felt like it was only right to let her.
“Have you ever heard of anecdotes about the former US President Clinton?
It’s all fictional, but it’s still very interesting…”
“No, I have not.”
After a slight pause, Lee Jihye nodded and began to explain. “Bill Clinton
and Hillary Clinton once went to a gas station during the Clinton era of
presidency. News is that Hillary had a hot, steamy affair with someone from
that gas station.”
“That’s an interesting story.”
“As it turned out, the man at the gas station was Hillary’s ex-boyfriend… On
the way back, while having a conversation about him, Bill Clinton was a bit
spiteful. He said that if she had still been dating him, she would have also
been working at a gas station…”
“…”
“What do you think Hillary’s answer to those words was?”
“…”
“She told him, “No, that person would have been the President of the United
States, not you.”
I straightened. Now that was definitely an interesting story. I knew what Lee
Jihye meant with this, too. She was indirectly saying I could achieve much
more if she were to be by my side.
“Personally, I want to add one more prerequisite to that story.”
“And that is?”
“How much ambition does a man have?”
‘Huh?’
“A man is an animal that depends on the workings of a man, but a man who
doesn’t have the ambition to act isn’t very attractive, don’t you think?”
“Do you understand my position right now?”
“Of course. You’re considered the Red Mercenary Queen’s gigolo. Are you
already satisfied with that? You’re also pampering with a bomb known as
Jung Hayan. However, the attractiveness of a woman is not determined solely
by her appearance or strength.”
“Ha…”
“Don’t get me wrong, oppa, I’m not desperate enough to drool after you. I’m
just saying I have what it takes to climb from the bottom of the chain all the
way to the top. If that’s a process that can ensure my success, I’ll welcome it.
I know that the ultimate choice is a woman like me.”
“…”
“I am a woman who can turn any man into a king.”
‘Huh…’
I felt so embarrassed that I couldn’t even speak. I knew Lee Jihye was the
Selfish Ambition type, but I had never expected it to reach this extent.
I was more surprised with her confidence than her declaration. In terms of
assessment, Lee Jihye’s abilities were certainly poor. The same went for her
talent.
Of course, Lee Jihye was unaware of her potential limit, but she was probably
already aware that she was somewhat below average.
Nevertheless, my female counterpart seemed to possess unwavering

confidence.
‘What…’
I did not know when she had started to act like this, but if I was to make a
guess, I would say she had been planning to since the beginning. I simply
didn’t know how to react to her words.
As I pondered over her words, Lee Jihye had inched closer to me and had
now begun to stroke my hair.
“Why me, though?”
“Oh, now it’s time to make a reason up…”
“…”
“If you need a reason, I’ve never forgotten how you told me we’d see each
other again.”
Though she was unbearably close to me, I knew she knew better than to try
for a kiss.
“The story ends here. Please consider not only what you’ve offered in terms
of this situation, but also what we’ve discussed personally, oppa.”
“I’ll think about it, Jihye.”
I couldn’t help but don a slightly crumpled expression.
However, looking at the smile plastered on Lee Jihye’s face, I knew she liked
how our conversation had taken place.
It was when she got up and opened the door did the ominous feeling start to
blossom from within me.
The door swung open to reveal Jung Hayan, who apparently had been waiting
outside.
Unlike me, who felt surprised, Lee Jihye did not seem to exhibit any form of
shock or fear upon seeing the other woman there.
“It’s been a while, Miss Hayan.”
“Yeah… It’s been a long time…”
‘Fuck.’
“I heard you’ve been dating Kiyoung? Hyunsung and Deokgu are also doing
well, right?”
“Yes, they are.”
“Oh, congratulations! Seeing two people in love always makes me smile. I

think you will see me more often in the future… Please do take care of
Kiyoung.”
“Of course, I will.”
Only
Jung Hayan sported an unreadable expression, but I knew she had not heard
what we had just talked about. The room we had been staying in had magical
barriers set in place for the sole purpose of warding off eavesdroppers, after
all.
However, due to the expression on Hayan’s face, I knew that Lee Jihye must
have made a gesture or expression of some sort that I couldn’t see from my
position all the way here.
‘Shit.’
As Jung Hayan began to look my way with an accusatory expression, Lee

Jihye simply shot me a smile and started walking away.
The world was indeed wide, with many women to choose from.
Nevertheless…
I could not, for the life of me, figure out why I had to get these two, crazy
women.
Chapter 74 Reminiscing The Past
Reminiscing The Past
It was not possible to know exactly why the war broke out in the past, or, to
be precise, in a future that had not yet occurred in this timeline.
At that time, I was far away from the center of the continent. Such an event
had not been part of my expectations.
There had also been various issues with the tutorial and even with other
ideologies associated with this world. In such cases, people generally looked
forward to the outcome rather than the reasons behind such actions. Small
conflicts that had accumulated over the years soon sparked a war that
engulfed the entire continent.
Several groups began to turn on each other, forgoing their faith in their own
beliefs. Instead, they began to focus solely on undermining those they
deemed as enemies. Their malice bred more malice, their wrath bred anger,
and their attempts at exacting revenge bred hatred.
This was the war between the Earthlings and the Aboriginal people – a battle
between the newcomers and the natives.
Everyone immersed themselves in the war and did everything they could to
enslave or slaughter their enemies.
It was not difficult to witness such conflicts everywhere I went, but it was
like no one wanted to address the elephant in the room. I, too, pretended not
to know a thing about this. As a result, the distrust only grew, and it was
impossible to find stable grounds to form treaties, alliances, or to even come
to an agreement.
Because of such events, the Archmage, who had been the envy of everyone,
eventually hung himself. Japanese shamans were slaughtered. The Mercenary
Queen had her life regularly threatened. Those they called their family, even
those who belonged in clans, lost their lives.
Many of those who were called heroes were killed or destroyed.
The holy sword of the chosen warrior also lost its light.
As time passed and the coalitions eventually broke down, the first part of this
meaningless war ended with countless casualties.
Karma had come for its debt. This was all humanity’s fault.
“A war is different from a battle.”
“What…”
“Honestly, I will admit that you are strong, to the point where I – nor those
who are beneath me – cannot defeat you. No matter how annoying this is to
admit, this fact is undeniable.”
“But… you are human…”
“Yes, I am human. I thought I would be unrecognizable because of the

mask… But I heard that the genius prosecutor who is praised by everyone
looks different, too. I heard that you are protected by magical power, but the
quality of that power in itself is not good.”
“It’s just a feeling. You look a little bit different from them.”
“It’s hard to tell if that is a praise or an insult.”
“Why did you choose to stand on their side?”
“It’s only rational for me to choose the side that’s more likely to succeed.”
“Many humans have died because of this!”
“I know. However, the act of humans killing each other isn’t new. These
people want to maintain the population in a peaceful and standardized place.
They believe that this would be more beneficial in the long run.”
“You betrayed humanity.”
“Well, I obviously wasn’t the only one to do so. You know that.”
“Don’t you feel any remorse?”
“I do not know. My heart did ache when I had to kill a civilian, and it
definitely hurt when I had to kill that cute, little wizard who loved me
endlessly. Such an innocent girl’s life was wasted just for loving someone she
happened to meet by chance. I never even thought I’d end my own life. Why
did I have to do that? There were so many things I still wanted to do. I guess I
couldn’t take the guilt.”
“You…”
“It hurt even when I watched the Empire’s Queen kill the very people she
loved. However, it had to be done. It was necessary. My heart broke even
more when I saw the warrior who had to watch my loved one die. He seemed
to think you had betrayed him. Don’t get me wrong.”
“You… Who are you? Who are you talking about?”
“You don’t need to know that. I didn’t even think you’d react so passionately.
I guess it’s different for someone who doesn’t have anything to do with these
deaths.”
“…”
“You can’t keep insisting that you’re a good person, Kim Hyunsung.”
“You…”
“You hypocritical piece of shit.”

“I asked you who you are.”
“I told you, you didn’t need to know. Even if I tell you, you wouldn’t
remember anyway. What’s important now is for you to survive.”
“Kill.”
“Stop pretending to be noble, scum. You don’t have a choice. Of course, I

know it will be a little hard for you. So let’s do this, Kim Hyunsung. I’m not
a bad person either, so I’ll find a way for you to ease your conscience. Kill
that motherfucker gasping next to you. Otherwise, your beloved will die. Did
you really think I didn’t know? How funny. You two have done it, haven’t
you?”
“You son of a bitch…”
“Let me say this again. You don’t have a choice. If you refuse, she’ll be
handed over to a bunch of inhumane perverts who would gladly spend the
rest of their days enjoying what she has to offer. You’d better make a choice
before my patience reaches its limit… And you know I keep my promises.
I’m a man of my word, unlike someone here…”
“…”
“Puh!”
“…”
“Look, eunni. I said I’d do it. Of course, I’m going to keep my promise. I’m
going to let him live, and I’m going to let the woman go. It’s a little wasteful
to kill her now. Anyway, you can’t die here. I’ll make sure to talk to my
superiors about it. I’ll be right back so we can continue our little chat, my
dear best friend.”
“…”
“…”
“Good job, Kim Hyunsung. I don’t really know what to say… So I guess I’ll
see you later.”
Quazzik!
“Ah!”
In an instant, my eyes had opened. My entire body was soaked in sweat.
Amidst my panting, I struggled to recognize the ceiling’s layout, gradually

doing my best to assess the rest of my surroundings.
‘I’m back… Or am I?’
It was a question I asked myself several times a day.
This was not the place I was in before – this was my room back in the Blue
Guild. I could see a sword hanging from one side of the room. A similar-
looking sword was also on the nearby table.
Judging from the minimalistic interior, I could attest that this was my room. I
could no longer smell blood from my body as I had in my dream.
Instead of the screams that had enveloped my senses, what I heard now was
the cheerful chirping of the birds, signaling the start of another day. Instead
of sensing dark and ominous magic, I could feel warm, cozy sunlight pouring
down from the crack in my window.
It had been a very long time since I last dreamt about the past.
I could still feel the unpleasant emotions coursing through me as I plunged a

knife into the chest of a dying colleague. Even the atmosphere and the
conversation that took place within the dream felt very vivid to me.
It was no wonder I felt so dirty. My body had unknowingly filled itself up

with power and hardened its defenses. My breathing had quickened, and my
head hurt. A lot of thoughts swirled in my head as I tried to calm myself
down.
However, as memories from the past began to present themselves to me, I

couldn’t stop sweating, struggling to find my balance.
“Hah… Hah…” I found myself holding my own trembling body.
‘It’s different now…’
Of course, it was different now.
I had prevented any accidents from happening in the tutorial dungeon and
saved tons of people.
‘It’s different now…’
I corrected my previous mistakes as much as possible. I had atoned for my

mistakes.
“This is different. This isn’t like before…”
I found Jung Hayan right from the start and got Kim Ye-ri to join the team.
Being able to kill Jung Jinho in the tutorial dungeon was a really big
achievement.
Of course, I still had to find many people and had some more work to do, but
I felt as if I had been doing quite well so far.
It was different now. Simply saying that the current situation had improved
was not enough.
The world I was in now had indeed changed. However, it wasn’t from my
actions. Someone else was responsible for it.
‘Lee Kiyoung…’
I had not noticed both Park Deokgu and Lee Kiyoung the first time around.
They possessed the talent I didn’t know I was looking for. Deokgu was
someone who focused on his training with all his might, and Kiyoung was
responsible for managing every little detail of our party. It was hard to
believe that an alchemist could have so much worth, but Lee Kiyoung’s true
value surpassed what most people expected him to have.
‘He’s a capable person.’
No, simply calling him capable was not enough. He was the type of person
who could perform miracles even when he acted as a passer-by in most
scenarios. He had the Blue Guild members play right into his game and even
managed to form an agreement with the Red Mercenary Queen. In addition to
this, he also succeeded in recruiting Sun Hee-young, a remarkable talent, into
the guild.
I felt like he contributed more to the party than I ever did.
That wasn’t even everything he had done for us.
He was also responsible for the alliance between the Black Swans and the
Red Mercenaries, an alliance that would have been unimaginable if he hadn’t
sparked the change.
‘The future itself has changed.’
I could say that it had changed for the better. The war that had transpired in
the past had killed so many talented people.
In the first place, many non-combatant soldiers were caught up in a power

struggle between officials, regardless of their will. It was only natural for us
to lay the groundwork for these people to grow now than to have them suffer
through all that again in this timeline.
I knew positive changes would come, but I hadn’t expected it to reach this
extent.
They called this the Butterfly Effect, where a single flap from a butterfly
could cause a typhoon to happen.
I could hardly believe it myself. The little friendships I had formed slowly
became responsible for transforming Lindel for the better.
Of course, I also knew that changing the future too much wasn’t a good
thing, but what could go wrong, right?
‘Anyway, I have to stock up.’
Now was the time for me to cultivate my strength and make sure I do my job
right. As I was thinking of all of these, a voice came from outside my room.
“Oh, hyung.”
“Yes, Doekgu?”
“It’s time to eat breakfast. Everyone else is waiting.”
“Sorry, I overslept… I’ll be out soon.”
“When you go to sleep early and still wake up late, doesn’t that seem a bit
annoying?”
“I guess you can say that.”
“You had a dirty dream, didn’t you?”
“…”
“Oh, I’m only kidding. Everyone’s waiting, so come down quickly.”
“I will. Thank you for informing me.”
Although indescribable anxiety soared in the corner of the heart, I knew I

could change what would happen in this timeline. I wanted a life filled with
no regrets. I wanted to atone for all my wrongdoings.
‘It can be different.’
I could change the future.

That was the whole reason why I came back here.
“Forgive me for being late.”
Only
“It’s alright, Hyunsung.”
“Then, let me explain the direction the party should take in the future.”
“Please, keep eating. I want everyone to be comfortable as I explain.”
“Thank you.”
“We need to focus on spec-ups, stats, and job changes.”
“You mean we have to get new jobs?”
“Yes, that’s right.”

Chapter 75 The Third Job (1)
The Third Job (1)
This didn’t seem like a bad timing.
I felt like our party had reached a standstill, and now Kim Hyunsung wanted
to step things up.
It was not an exaggeration to say that a few external factors had been the
cause of our hindrance.
After all, Lee Jihye’s work alongside the Red Mercenary and Black Swan
Guild were in the final stages.
‘You have won. It’s your victory. Lindel will be as peaceful as usual, and
safer than ever. Let’s do our best to resolve each problem that comes.’
It was broadcasted that I had accepted Jung Yura’s apology, but I knew this
would not be enough to calm the public down. However, this did not mean
that nothing had changed.
In the face of media agitation, the public cheered for their victory and was
satisfied with the results. They were delighted that one individual dared to
fight against the larger guilds’ oppression and came out victorious.
Of course, this was a satisfactory result for me as well.
A few days after my presentation, the Black Swan pushed through with the
reorganization of their command system and began giving donations to
novice adventurers.
Though they had come from such criticism, no one judged their choice of
action. They were satisfied with how all the guild executives had apologized
in public. Until then, there were no such large guilds that dared to lower their
pride, so this response pleased the public.
If there was anything that hadn’t been resolved yet, it was Jung Hayan’s
reaction upon seeing Lee Jihye.
Although she did not actively express how she felt, I knew her anxiety had
gone up. This manifested itself in the form of hovering around me all the time
to ease her worries.
Simply put, she had clung to me more tightly than ever.
‘This isn’t good at all.’
I was not happy with this change in Hayan’s behavior.
She would always ask me, “Where are you going, oppa?” or “When are you
coming back?”
Her questions themselves didn’t bother me. However, I knew this new type
of obsession would slowly but surely work against me.
Jung Hayan must have felt like a connection had formed between Lee Jihye
and me on that particular day. Lee Jihye must have riled her up on purpose by
pretending to be unaware of the tension between her and me.
If the system itself recognized Lee Jihye as my soulmate, then Jung Hayan
was bound to notice as well.
At this point, she felt warier of Lee Jihye than she was of Cha Hee-ra, the
Mercenary Queen who had brought up the pretense of being my lover.
I knew I had to control Jung Hayan sometime soon. At this rate, I’d be
hindered by her silly emotions forever.
Anyway, now was the best time for us to focus on our growth. There were no
more external factors hindering us, except for the old lunatics still hanging
around within the Blue Guild.
We had already formed a good alliance with two powerful guilds, had gained
dungeon and hunting experience, and the public was on our side.
Simply put, we were ready to start growing.
“You might already know, but there are two prerequisites for changing jobs.
One is to accumulate experience points by hunting and to repeat certain
actions specific to a job, and the same goes for raising stats. You know that
using magic power will increase your energy, and using muscle power will
increase your strength.”
“Of course.”
“Since the last dungeon trip, it was crucial for us to take a break, but now I
feel like we should start training once more. It would be ideal if everyone
here grows up to at least Sun Hee-young’s level now. No, we should have the
same specs as the people we had gone on the expedition with. At least it’s
time for us to earn a beginner’s title.”
“I see.”
“At least three or four job advancements and 60 key stats. That’s all I ask of
you all.”
This was going to be quite a problem. I knew Kim Hyunsung’s remarks were
aimed at little Kim Ye-ri and me. I knew Kim Hyunsung would have noticed
that I lacked potential.
Jung Hayan’s magical power had already exceeded the 40s, and Kim
Hyunsung himself was already on the level of 50s. There was no need even to
mention Sun Hee-young’s stats. Even Park Deokgu had slowly grown from
his experiences in the dungeon.
In short, the only problems within the party were Kim Ye-ri and me.
‘Hmm.’
Of course, Kim Ye-ri would be stronger, what with her legendary growth
potential stats. Narrowing it down, it seemed that the only trouble within the
party would be me.
Of course, it didn’t mean I was set to be entirely useless. My job as an

alchemist was something that made up for my meager magical abilities, and it
suited me to some extent.
However, it was unreasonable to classify it as a combat occupation.
I did not regret choosing to take the path of alchemy, but I had to admit that
there were times when I wished I could have taken Warlock instead. Sure,
there would be a limited growth cap, but I would at least be stronger than I
was now.
“Hngg…”
“It would be ideal if all of you could align your skills with your third job
within a month.”
“That’s easier said than done. I don’t know how exactly to get a job, but even
training to raise stats is a slow process. There may be some differences if we
go hunting, but…”
“Perhaps there might.”
“How…”
“We’ll start with hunting. I’m not going to leave the city until we’ve
completed what I’ve told you all to do.”
“Oh…”
“There will be five people going on the expedition. Everyone except Kiyoung
will be going.”
“What are you talking about, hyung…?”

At this, I had stiffened. To me, it sounded as if I was being forced to get off
the Hyunsung bus, which had proved to be a comfortable ride for me this
entire time.
“Well, you can’t do that.”
Arrogant thoughts had begun to swirl in my head. Was he trying to turn me

into a non-combat soldier? Or was he trying to push me off the main party?
This felt like a stupid idea.
Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan looked even more surprised than I did. Even
Sun Hee-young didn’t look happy.
Perhaps this was Kim Hyunsung’s way of ensuring that my influence within
the party wouldn’t continue to expand, but seeing his cool expression, I knew
this wasn’t the case. Knowing Kim Hyun-sung’s personality, he wouldn’t do
something like this.
I was also a valuable party member and had proven myself countless times.
Upon seeing the question plastered on my face, Kim Hyunsung nodded.
“They’ve been very reliant on you.”
“Ah…?”
“Both Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan have grown up in a very comfortable
environment. The same is true of Hee-young, who is not used to hunting. Of
course, I am not ignoring everyone’s hard work, but all of you have been
relying on the psychological stability that Lee Kiyoung’s presence brings.”
“Psychological stability?”
I understood what Kim Hyunsung was talking about. It made a lot of sense.
“To put it simply, Kiyoung’s presence is preventing your growth. It’s

embarrassing to admit it, but I’m convinced that my existence is also having
an adverse effect. Unlike Kiyoung, I will have to join this expedition with
you guys, but I’m not going to involve myself too much. I thought it would
be better if there were only four people, with the exception of Kiyoung and I,
to get through the situation.”
‘Ah, I overestimated this too much…’
What had been troubling me this entire time proved to give way to a
completely different interpretation from what I originally thought.
It wasn’t that I was not growing up to standards – it was that I was impeding
everyone’s growth.
I wondered if Kim Hyunsung was overestimating me, but it was true that
Jung Hayan and Park Deokgu depended on me a lot. However, I never would
have thought they would become so dependent to the point that they would
stop growing.
“Kiyoung doesn’t look convinced.”
“To be honest, I’m not. Hayan and Deokgu…”
“You contribute more to the party than you’re aware of, Kiyoung. I don’t
know if others have noticed it, but I have. To put it simply, an expedition
without you would result in a fantastic failure for the party.”
“How can that be…? How am I to spend a month without all of you…?”
“We are not children, hyung. Of course, I admit that Kiyoung is great, but…”
“I am speaking as the leader of this party. Kiyoung will not be participating,

and that’s final. And though I will be joining you, only the four of you will be
responsible for hunting and attacking.”
Kim Hyunsung had an unreadable expression on his face, but I couldn’t help
but nod.
‘He has a point.’

Although I felt a little puzzled, I knew that Kim Hyunsung had made the right
choice in deciding which direction of growth the party should take.
My party members might not understand, but both Deokgu and Hayan
needed to learn what to do without waiting for my say-so.
It was hard to believe that I would be separated from them for a month, but I
also couldn’t find it in me to refute Kim Hyunsung’s decision.
“What…”
“Well, I agree with Hyunsung. If that helps in your growth direction, I think
it would be a good idea to do just that.”
After all, the problem wasn’t me; it was them.
I knew that if I got off the bus, my party members would act like lost
children. They needed to learn how to act on their own now instead of facing
that problem later on.
However, if they grew stronger to the point that I would not be able to catch
up, this would be a large problem.
‘That should not happen.’
If I had been excluded, then there must be a consolation reward in store for
someone such as I who harbored such horrible stats.
I needed to find a way to increase my stats as well as get me a new job.
It was a far-off theory, but perhaps I could squeeze a reward out of this
sudden exclusion.
“In the meantime, I…”

However, upon seeing Kim Hyunsung look my way with an expression filled
with trust, I knew I had just been hoping.
Only
“The same is true of Kiyoung. You just need to focus on increasing your stats
and changing your job for the whole month.”
“Ah… Yeah.”
“I advise you to start as quickly as possible. Of course, please do not help

Kiyoung in this process. Everyone else should focus on their departure.
Please do not worry about this, and just focus on your own growth.”
“Okay…”
This man was giving me so much trust. I didn’t know what I had done to earn
it, but I didn’t know how I should feel about it, either.
“Thank you for understanding. I believe in you, Lee Kiyoung.”
‘Do not believe in me too much, you bastard…’
It took all of my willpower not to give him this reply.

The Third Job (2)
It was, of course, a good thing to earn the trust of my leader. However, I was
not too fond of this particular type of trust.
I didn’t know how to evaluate myself, but if I were to describe it, I would be
a child who still needed Kim Hyunsung’s warm love and attention, especially
when it came to growth.
I did not need to ask why I needed to raise my abilities and get another job,
for I understood the urgency, but I was not too fond of this overestimation.
‘At least doubt me a little, you bastard…’
Although I had painted the image of being fine on my own, I didn’t

particularly appreciate being put in this kind of situation. At the same time, I
knew what Kim Hyunsung was thinking.
‘This expedition will most likely end in failure.’
This was because my fellow party members were indeed highly dependent on
the psychological stability my presence offered.
“If oppa is not going, then I’m not going to go, either. I will never want to
go.”
“…”
The problem was Jung Hayan. As the expedition date fast approached, she
would come up with all sorts of excuses to try and be excluded from the
expedition as well.
On the first day since our discussion, Kim Hyunsung immediately moved to
achieve the goals he had cooked up for the whole party.
He thought that if he managed to change his job or achieved desirable stats

during the few days of preparing for the expedition, he would not have to
leave the expedition. Of course, there was still the matter of Jung Hayan not
wanting to take part, but he would have to find another solution for that.
‘Of course.’
Achieving legendary status would be an impossible feat to achieve in a very

short time. Every member had shown astonishing growth in such short
periods, but it was apparent that we would not reach our target this time
around.
Jung Hayan, on the other hand, began to exhibit behavior similar to someone
who was anticipating death.
During the preparation time, she eventually went through the five stages:
denial, anger, compromise, depression, and, eventually, acceptance.
It didn’t take too long for her to undergo the first step. She began to deny the
fact that she would have to leave me for a month. In her mind, what Kim
Hyunsung said was probably a joke.
On the other hand, Park Deokgu and Sun Hee-young began to set their minds
toward the upcoming expedition, packing everything they would need for the
hunt. It was then that Jung Hayan was forced to face reality.
Anger came soon enough.
‘…’
She had begun to hate Kim Hyunsung, who was responsible for the sudden
expedition schedule. I felt worried for a while, but it didn’t seem like her
anger would give her any intention to kill him. Somewhere from deep within,
she still regarded Kim Hyunsung with respect.
In short, Jung Hayan spent this stage screaming in her room and exhibiting a
neurotic expression. She did not forget to let out her pent-up anger to Kim
Ye-ri, either, seeing as the child was the weakest target among the party aside
from me. I knew she was only doing it to try and find an excuse to be
excluded from the expedition.
She tried to find faults with the kid and took every opportunity she could find
to criticize. In short, Jung Hayan was being Jung Hayan.
It got to the point where she approached Park Deokgu to talk behind Kim Ye-
ri’s back. Considering Jung Hayan’s personality, this didn’t feel right at all.
When she entered the next stage – compromise – there were a lot of talks.
She tried to give various suggestions, appearing to be possessed.
“I can really work hard. I can increase my stats just as well without having to
go on this expedition. So please…”
That was one.
“How about we all go together for a week? That will work better.”
That was another.
“I think oppa should come, but he should just watch over us, just like
Hyunsung.”
However, I knew her suggestions wouldn’t be accepted. Whether she liked it

or not, she had to go through this expedition without me, and I had to stay
back and work independently. I, too, acknowledged the need for the lack of
my presence for this expedition, and so I stayed quiet.
Sun Hee-young and Park Deokgu reacted in the same manner, but that was
less dramatic to an extent. There was no incentive for a formal protest to
occur, but this proved to be quite the trigger for Park Deokgu.
It was just a guess, but I thought that Park Deokgu was also in the
compromise stage. It came to the point where they would approach me at
random intervals.
Then the most difficult stage came – depression.
She noticeably began to lose weight and often spent the night in tears. She
also often said her physical situation was chipping away and that she
wouldn’t join the expedition because of it.
‘I really hate it…’
Slowly, the periods where she would mutter to herself shortened. This stage
proved to be tiring not only for Jung Hayan but also for me.
I tired myself out, trying my best to calm her down.
Of course, I tried to soothe her with the end-of-expedition rewards she would
be receiving and the welcoming I would give her once she got back, but the
fact that she would be away from me for a month was enough to dull those
comforts.
I knew Jung Hayan appreciated my efforts to comfort her, but it only made
her feel more depressed. The sweeter our time was together, the more bitter
our time apart would be.
The last step eventually came – but it did not come with consent.
Since I had observed her go through all the steps, I expected her to undergo
acceptance as well eventually, but it seemed like this was not the case.
Simply put, she was forced to accept this reality. No matter how much she
cried, the plan was set in motion and could not be stopped. This was the
decision of the party as a whole, and it was also mine. Jung Hayan had no
choice but to follow.
If a month-long separation already garnered such intense reactions, I did not

want to think about the possibility of being separated for a year.
Apart from meeting me and developing strange tendencies, she was not
accustomed to separation. Being someone who lived alone for a long time
after being abandoned by my family, I did not mind the change as much as
she did.
Apart from Jung Hayan’s dramatic schemes, however, everyone else did their
part to prepare for the expedition’s day. However, I couldn’t say that they had
prepared very well.
I didn’t understand why Jung Hayan couldn’t seem to control her mentality
well, but it also seemed like Park Deokgu had been acting a bit strange.
Sun Hee-young had initially felt stressed, but she had soon begun to think of
the expedition and had done her best to prepare for it. I did not know what
Kim Ye-ri was thinking, on the other hand.
Meanwhile, upon watching everyone try to prepare for the expedition in their
way, I did not feel all that anxious about being separated from the party.
‘It doesn’t seem all that bad, considering.’
Of course, something strange felt off about Park Deokgu, Jung Hayan, and
Sun Hee-young, since none of them were familiar with the expedition.
I knew the stress would be doubled at having a little kid tagging alongside
them on the trip, but I didn’t think it would be this much. It seemed that even
Kim Hyunsung gradually lost his authoritative hand after our first discussion.
“Are you really going to go on the expedition in that state?”
“Yeah. It’s sad, but this is necessary. I know even you have noticed how
dependent they have been on you.”
“Yeah, I have…”
“They’ll soon realize it once we officially start the expedition.”

“…”
“They haven’t felt it as you have been with them this entire time. However,
they will soon know what I was talking about during the hunt. If you and I
could always be with them, there’d be no problem, but…”
I could understand what Kim Hyunsung was talking about.
It wasn’t just that we were inexperienced when it came to hunting. Kim

Hyunsung also knew that there was a problem with the party’s command
system itself.
If he and I were there, it would be fine, but the problem was that our party
had no backbone. The team would always look to us for guidance, and that in
itself impeded their growth. It didn’t matter who among the three – Park
Deokgu, Jung Hayan, or Sun Hee-young – would take the initiative, but they
needed to take the first step in deciding their direction for growth.
Even achieving that would be enough.
To put it simply, this expedition would be a test for them to determine the
next best option for our party.
‘Will it work?’
Honestly, I felt a little skeptical. It wasn’t just the issue of not having them
with me, either. It felt like a month was not enough to pack and prepare all
the consumables needed for such a trip.
All that Kim Ye-ri chose to carry were her bow and arrows.
Jung Hayan, on the other hand, was so preoccupied with the thought of not
seeing me that most of what she packed were things that would remind her of
me.
‘This…’
Many guilds and groups who had invested in our party would surely retract
their offers right away if they saw how my team members were acting now.
“Still though… You should prepare all the basic essentials.”
“I have the basics prepared. These are things that Deokgu and Hee-young
have managed to pack. I am anxious as well, but this is necessary. It is
essential that they recognize the difference in this expedition.”
“I see.”
“Then, we should get going.”
“Yes…”
As Hyunsung and I headed out, I caught sight of the rest of our party
members, who were all waiting for us to arrive.
Although Kim Hyunsung was carrying a large bag of his own, he already
knew that all of this could quite possibly be for naught. I couldn’t help but
sigh as I caught sight of Park Deokgu lugging about all the things he thought
would be necessary for the expedition.
Upon seeing me, my fellow party members began to express their sentiments.
“Don’t worry too much, hyung. We won’t even take a month!”
I doubted that. I honestly thought it would take double the time to accomplish
their goals.
“Please take care of everything while I’m gone, Mr. Kiyoung. I feel bad that I
won’t be able to volunteer for the duration of this trip.”
I expected to hear that from Hee-young.
“Oppa… Oppa…”
I wasn’t surprised when Jung Hayan rushed towards me and hugged me with
tears in her eyes.
“You should be careful in the meantime, and…”

“Don’t worry about me, Hayan.”
I was more worried about her.
Perhaps I was worried that she might meet someone else who she would
deem worthy of her affections, but right now, all that could be focused on
was the pain of being separated.
Only
Upon Kim Hyunsung’s command, for everyone to start, I began to push Jung
Hayan away. However, I never expected her to fall.
It seemed like she was doing her best to garner enough strength even just to
stay standing. I couldn’t find it in me to continue gazing at a face filled with
snot and tears.
“I will be back soon.”
“Please do not worry.”
‘Good luck.’
This expedition would surely not be a comfortable bus trip for everyone
involved. I knew that Kim Hyunsung had his work cut out for him.
‘Perhaps it was a good thing that we didn’t go together.’
Only half of me believed in this thought.

The Third Job (3)
The usually-crowded second floor of the Guild House was now strangely
quiet, and I couldn’t quite get used to the feeling.
‘It isn’t a bad thing, though…’
Even though my fellow party members had just left a few hours ago, I never
imagined that I would feel this way. Of course, I felt lonely, but this was a
natural reaction that came from a sudden change in environment.
Honestly speaking, I felt a little happy. It was undeniable that there were
some strange discomforts that came with having my fellow members around.
My personal time was always cut very short because of Jung Hayan’s ever-
present badgering, Park Deokgu’s surprise visits, and Sun Hee-young’s
constant requests to volunteer. At that point, I was rather grateful Kim Ye-ri
didn’t talk much. If she did, then I would most likely have zero percent
privacy.
I’d have to do all the basic chores myself for the time being, but it also felt
like a vacation at the same time.
‘However, the fact that we are on a time crunch still presents a different type
of urgency.’
In order to get the third job and stats that Kim Hyunsung desired, I would
have to start moving quickly. I didn’t know what it would take to spark my
growth, but I at least had a few ideas.
In fact, I found it hard to believe that I was in a hard situation.

I had hero-grade alchemy equipment, numerous catalysts and materials, and
my eventual growth was already confirmed.
My intelligence stats were no problem at all, but my problem now lay in

raising all my other stats – which was a feat that seemed impossible to do.
This was why my third job was important.
I hadn’t thought about going for a combat-type job for my next one, but it
seemed that following a party’s growth with a job that solely depended on
intelligence would be a hard thing to do.
As we continued to grow, I had to think of other ways to expand my

horizons. There had to be answers to my current problems. I had to find a
way to get a combat-type job without losing my identity as an alchemist.
‘First of all, Homunculus…’
In fact, this would also lead me to other opportunities. Being able to deal with
a creature I could treat as my pet without having to consume magic would be
very advantageous at this point.
In fact, Ramus Tucker’s Introduction to Alchemy dealt with Homunculus in

great depth.
[Homunculus means an artificially created creature that does not need a

mother’s womb. Since each school has different interpretations on the
subject, I will at least define Homunculus as a unique creation.
Of course, it doesn’t mean that it is like the chimera. Unlike the chimera
that creates something out of Yu, the concept of Homunculus that our
alchemist deals with is the concept of creating something out of nothing.]
Simply put, homunculus was the creation of artificial life.
Of course, one wouldn’t know what it looked like, or how to create one. Even
Tucker’s book contained nothing but theories on the subject.
Although the chimera was explained comparatively in detail, chimera, a

concept that manipulated genes, and Homunculus, a creature that was
created, had distinct properties.
Perhaps for Tucker, Homunculus was an uncharted territory.
No, if he had actually managed to create new life, then he wouldn’t have been
talking about the possibility of it in the first place. Perhaps one could think of
the concept as something divine.
‘The second option is to create a potion…’
If one were to ask me if I would start relying on potions to master my combat

ability, I would shake my head. This was just, after all, another of my
theories.
‘Can you put magic in potions?’
The principle of magic in this continent could be briefly explained. One

simply had to build the Tower of Magic and cast a spell that would bring it
into reality. The completed spell would stay within the user’s arm or mind,
and only the user would be able to trigger it.
Was it possible to put a Spell of Staying within a potion or a specific item,

not on your body?
This was, after all, just an experiment. I knew some items could contain
magic. However, this kind of item would not be a man-made item; it would
already be a finished product.
In fact, some magicians have used enchantment magic on select items, but
the effects proved to be lacking and severely inefficient. This study had
stopped because the cost was greater than the result.
If an alchemist can use alchemy magic to contain disposable magic with such
tenacity, then he or she would certainly achieve a very good commercial
result as well.
‘The third is going for the chimera option…’
Making a pet by manipulating cells or genes was highly possible. In fact, I

was thinking that this would be the simplest way. In this world, monsters
were an object of high interest.
To put it simply, it was supposedly quite easy to manufacture a chimera.
Some monsters had very similar genes, and even if they underwent
experiments and had their genes manipulated, they could still come out alive.
However, this job would not be made possible with an alchemist’s magic, but
by a warlock’s.
The problem with this plan was that I would not be able to control a chimera
using my own magic.
Of course, I could find a creature that has barely grown yet and try to
cultivate it, but in the end, I couldn’t guarantee that this would be a
successful venture.
I didn’t want to get eaten up by my very own chimera.
‘In addition…’
There were many directions I could take. However, I had to remember that
this was a matter of survival for me.
Although the risks were high, I’d also thought about experimenting on my
own body, and I’ve also actually thought of ways to make the Sage’s Stone.
However, I didn’t think these would work well.
It was time to postpone all my other activities and actually find a way to
spark my growth.
Of course, not all of this could be done in a short time. I didn’t want to end
up wasting time with failed experiments. I had to move as efficiently as
possible.
‘Perhaps I should get help…’
It was not a bad idea. It was common sense to research or seek help if there
were questions that you couldn’t answer on your own.
Magic and Alchemy were two different branches, but they all came from the
same roots. It was the same for the other jobs.
At this rate, it would be best if I could seek help from an experienced magic-
user.
‘Wouldn’t the Magic Guild be the best option?’
I felt like they could become faithful workers in my lab if they were really
interested in the Sage’s Stone.
Eventually, I felt myself entering the restaurant with crowded thoughts.
“Are you eating alone today?”
“Ah.”
Upon hearing someone address me, I turned and saw a woman who looked a
little younger than I.
“Ah! I guess this is the first time we’ve talked. I’m Hwang Jeong-yeon, I’m
in charge of the second party of the Blue Guild.”
“Ah, it’s nice to meet you! I am…”
“I know. You are Alchemist Lee Kiyoung of the seventh party. Am I right?”
“Yeah.”
“How was your visit to the Garden of Terror?”

It felt like a random question, but I eventually realized why she had asked.
‘She’s one of the discoverers.’
After discovering the dungeon itself, Hwang Jeong-yeon was probably one of
the people who chose to hand it to us instead.
“Thank you very much for the opportunity. Thanks to you, I had a great
experience.”
“As I’ve heard, you’re very quick to notice things.”
“Haha, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Of course, it’s a compliment. Actually, I feel a little apologetic. It would

have been nice if you’d had a purely good experience. I have a friend from
the Black Swans who wants to apologize to you.”
“Ah! No… I have already received an apology from them, and everything has
gone well. I also recognized my own shortcomings in the process.”
“Ah, that soothes me. It’s my first time talking to someone from the seventh
party, and it’s been great so far.” As Hwang Jeong-yeon spoke, her tense
expression relaxed. She looked better this way.
Her facial features looked a little young, but it somehow reminded me of the
old times.
“In fact, I’ve been looking forward to getting to talk to you all, but it seemed
like you’ve all been very busy.”
“Ah, I see.”
“We were waiting for the day when we could all have our reunion, but
everything has been hectic since you guys came back. The guild has been
preoccupied as a whole.”
“Ah, I heard about that. You entered a hero-grade dungeon.”

“Yes. It seems that you’ve encountered more troubles than us, though.”
“Hmm…”
Hwang Jeong-yeon looked like a wizard to me. Perhaps being on the same
job type alerted me of this. Considering the fact that I was talking to the quiet
successor and owner of the dungeon we had gone on, a new set of
possibilities opened themselves up to me.
I didn’t even have to check her stat window. I knew she was a very
competent wizard.
She did not bother covering up her magical abilities, and there was cleverness
in her eyes. Her relaxed personality probably came from her confidence in
terms of magical combat.
‘Hm… This could be useful…’
At this point, I felt like I didn’t even need to ask help from the Magic Guild
anymore. I was sure Hwang Jeong-yeon wouldn’t mind if I asked her a few
questions.
“It’s embarrassing to admit this, but I’ve been feeling very disoriented
lately.”
“Oh, I understand. We’ve all been there.”
“There are so many options to choose from, but I don’t know which direction
to take…”
“I get you. It happens to everyone, most especially for you, Mr. Kiyoung.”
“Hm?”
“You’re worrying about the Mercenary Queen and Jung Hayan, right? One is
your lover from Earth, and the other is living here with us. It’s hard to
choose, isn’t it?”
“Ah…”
“In fact, it may be difficult to surpass the modern ethics of monogamy, but
choosing both might be the best option for you.”
“…”
My expression shifted into one of embarrassment. We were obviously

thinking of different things. Upon seeing this, Hwang Jeong-yeon laughed
and stopped.
“Ah. That wasn’t what you meant, was it?”
“Yes…”
“Oh, I’m so sorry! You had such a serious expression on her face that I
thought…”
“…”
She flashed me an embarrassed expression. Something didn’t feel right.
I think I’ve felt something similar somewhere else.
‘It seems like…’
They gave me different impressions and even looked completely different.

However, the face I was imagining was a pig with a face like a bandit, and
the woman in front of me very much looked like your typical modern
woman.
For some reason, however, this Hwang Jeong-yeon reminded me of Park

Deokgu.
‘They look alike in a sense.’
It ominously felt like something bad would happen if I got myself involved in
this.
While I was wondering what I could say, she spoke again.

“Look at me going off like that. I’m so sorry. I’ve been watching you guys
for so long that I couldn’t help but ramble about it.”
“Ah… I see, I see…”
“I know the two of you are close. Whenever I see Jung Hayan and Lee
Kiyoung together, I often find myself smiling without knowing it. I think
Jung Hayan really likes Mr. Kiyoung. I guess that’s why you’re wearing that
type of magic.”
“What magic?”
“Location-tracking magic. I don’t know if I should be here with you right

now. I don’t want Miss Hayan thinking of the wrong thing…”
Only
“What?”
“You don’t have to act so shy. You let her cast the magic on you, didn’t you?
I find that so romantic.”
“…”
“…Oh, you didn’t know about it, didn’t you…?”
“…”
“Ah… can you pretend not to have heard what I said?”
I found myself stunned with this new piece of information.

The Third Job (4)
I found myself stunned by this new piece of information.
It felt so ridiculous that I couldn’t even begin to respond. I didn’t even need
to clear my mind – the perpetrator was obvious in terms of personality and
recent behavior.
‘Jung Hayan.’
This was Jung Hayan’s doing.
Several guilds and clans came to mind, but I knew none of them had a valid
reason to do this. There were also the three crazy women hanging around me
that could be considered suspects.
However, it was difficult for someone like Cha Hee-ra to hire a wizard and
cast a spell on me. I also knew Lee Jihye neither had the time nor ability to
cast this magic type on me. I would have noticed if she had beforehand.
The suspect must have been someone who cast the spell while I was asleep in
my room.
Of course, this could only mean Jung Hayan.
Thinking about her watching me sleep made goosebumps form all over my
body.
Before entering the Guild House, Jung Hayan came here every night to do
various things, but when I thought about it, I had never woken up in the
middle of the night after entering the Guild House.
‘When did it start?’
I didn’t know exactly when, but…
It felt strange to think that Jung Hayan was involved in this.
However, when I thought about all those times that I had not woken in my
sleep ever since we started staying at the Guild House, the answer came to
me.
‘It can’t be a coincidence.’
Whenever I walked into my room with the intent to sleep, I must have been
so immersed in my thoughts that I thought receiving headaches daily was
normal.
Of course, this was only speculation, but if this was true, then Jung Hayan
probably received some pre-sex education before we even arrived here.
‘Huh…’
After trying to sort through my embarrassed, befuddled mind, I looked back

up to see Hwang Jeong-yeon looking at me as if she had just committed a big
mistake. If I were her, I would have reacted in the same manner as well. It
was like she had just blatantly told someone they were being watched by their
significant other.
I didn’t know how my relationship with Jung Hayan must have looked to
them, but I felt like I should have noticed this sooner.
I opened my mouth to speak once more. I felt like I deserved a better

explanation.
“Can you elaborate it for a bit?”

“Yes…?”
It is of utmost importance to know the exact situation. That way, I could be

careful, too.
“So… That…”
“I would like you to tell me the exact details.”
“Well, that…”
Her hesitation made me feel even more anxious.
This was because I was worried that this spell might have hidden functions. I
hadn’t heard of eavesdropping magic within the continent before, but I
wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Jung Hayan was capable of producing
new magic on her own. If so, how much would she have heard?
“Can I be honest with you, then?”
“Go ahead. I just felt a little surprised. I mean, I should have expected this to
some extent… Anyway, I don’t really care.”
“If you say so, then I should let you know. Miss Hayan really surprised me.”
“Yeah. She tends to be a little too jealous at times. Perhaps that’s what drove
her to do this.”
“Oh my God, it’s probably because of all the rumors with the Red Mercenary
Queen. If so, then I can understand why she would do this.”
“…”
“Somehow, she managed to hide the presence of her spell really well.”
“Really?”
“The average person won’t even notice it, so I’m not surprised that you
haven’t. The same goes for most wizards. They’re not particularly sensitive
to magic like me, or it simply feels so systematic and complicated that they
wouldn’t notice it at all. If I didn’t have over 80 magic stats, I wouldn’t have
noticed it as well. The magical power is also very faint, and above all, it was
designed to melt into Mr. Kiyoung’s unique magic power.”
“Ah…”
“Honestly, it’s all so interesting to me as well. I didn’t think that magic could
be used in this manner, but the rumors did say Miss Hayan was a genius.
Anyway, you said you were an alchemist?”
“Yes, I am.”
“My class is a little different from hers, but I can still tell you what kind of
magic she used. The order itself stems from basic magic.”
“Ah…”
“The first enchantment, as I mentioned, is the location tracking magic. As the

name suggests, it’s a type of magic designed to help you identify where your
target is. This is not really a big deal, but the second magic seems a bit
interesting to me.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a kind of magic similar to creating a safety zone within a dungeon. It

would be comfortable to think of it as a magic that sends a signal when a
creature enters a certain radius. On average, the radius is about 50cm… In
simple terms, it would be right to explain that it is a magic that sends a signal
to the caster when a specific someone approaches Kiyoung over a certain
area. Of course, we have no idea as to who it is, but…”
“Yeah.”
“Usually, to cast this kind of magic, a part of the subject’s body or a catalyst
such as blood is needed… Do you really not know this?”
“What would happen if it was done without a catalyst?”

“It’s impossible to use this kind of magic without a catalyst. This magic is
difficult to find because it has transformed into a form similar to the kind of
magic that Kiyoung has. In this way, the presence of a catalyst is essential. If
not, the activation of the spell would be impossible to trigger.”
“Yes, I remember this.”
‘Ah, I knew it…’
“So, a strand of hair would do? Or nails?”
“No. If one were to use these, they would need a bunch of them.”
Of course, I don’t remember allowing Jung Hayan to amass an abundance of

my hair.
However, I knew what she must have used – the tooth I had lost back in the
dungeon.
It felt ridiculous for me to remember that fact. At that time, I never imagined
she would use it like this.
When I thought about it on a deeper scale, I remembered Jung Hayan

appearing during my talk with Lee Jihye. The spell must have alerted her as
the other woman was inside the trigger radius.
‘That’s why…’
That was the whole reason why Jung Hayan had started at Lee Jihye so
murderously. No wonder I felt so worried about seeing her in that manner.
Meanwhile, Hwang Jeong-yeon was still staring at me with a worried

expression of her own – similar to how a mother would look when watching
her favorite drama shows.
“Does this type of magic include being able to listen in on conversations, or

seeing what the person is currently doing?”
“Well, since there are two types of enchantments present, it’s quite tricky to
be able to tell. It’s hard to believe that a newcomer has managed to create this
type of magic. Of course, it was possible because the consumption of magical
power used was low. This is enough to ensure a new type of thesis for magic
academia!”
‘The title of that particular paper should be How to Stalk Your Boyfriend.’
Ah…”
“I think I can disarm the spell… what do you want me to do?”
“No, no, I’ll be fine for now.”
“Oh, you must be enjoying the restraint. It seems a little weird to me, but it’s
romantic all the same.”
‘Romantic, my ass.’
This was very shocking news, but I was grateful I was able to remain calm.
I already knew Jung Hayan was obsessed with me, but not to this extent.
However, I knew that I could handle her perfectly well, so this exchange
didn’t surprise me as much as it should’ve.
Of course, that didn’t mean it didn’t creep me out!
At this, I wondered if there were other devices hidden in my room.
“Would you please go up to my room with me if you’re available?”
“Y-Yes?” The look Hwang Jeong-yeon shot me made me feel more

embarrassed. I realized just how suggestive my offer sounded.
“Well, thank you for the suggestion, but I’m afraid I’m not interested in that
sort of thing… don’t get me wrong, you are attractive and all, but…”
“I didn’t mean it in that manner.”
“Ah.”
“I would like you to see if there’s any other magic residing within my room.”
“Ah, I see!”
Once again, I was able to notice that she smelled a lot like Park Deokgu.
“Then let’s go up together! I was curious about your workshop since it

apparently costs a lot. Today’s my lucky day!”
“Yes, the same is true for me.”
If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have known about the presence of this type of
magic.
As soon as I got up from my seat, I noticed Hwang Jeong-yeon’s expression

once more. It was like she wasn’t even taking this seriously. She seemed to
regard us as a drama set.
As we made our way up to the second floor, I could feel my steps getting
heavier for some reason. However, this was completely necessary.
“So this is the place used by the 7th generation people. I heard it’s very
good.”
“Actually, I haven’t seen other people’s accommodations, so I can’t say the

same.”
Hwang Jeong-yan stopped momentarily in front of Park Deokgu’s room. It

was subtle, but I had caught it all the same.
‘Oh, no…’
A horrible scenario emerged from my brain at this. Shaking my head, I

coaxed her in the direction of my room, not wanting to think about it.
I opened the door with a casual expression. My place was minimalistic as a
whole, with various books and equipment on my desk. Admittedly, my room
looked messier than I would have liked, but there was nothing I could do
about it for now.
“It’s a really neat room.”
“A-Ah…”
“Oh, my goodness. You seem to have more books than me…”
“Oh, I gave up reading these halfway through.”
“It’s still good to study… Oh, I got distracted. You wanted me to check if
there’s any other magic present within the room?”
Only
“Wait.”
Hwang Jeong-yeon then began to look around the room with magic-infused
eyes. I didn’t think I’d be so determined to find out about any magic spells. I
knew I should not have underestimated Jung Hayan’s power.
After a while, Hwang Jeong-yeon’s expression began to change very subtly.

Whatever she found, she seemed to find it very interesting, as she was trying
her best to hold back her smile.
My anxiety peaked at this expression. Eventually, she spoke again.
“There is.”
“Yeah?”
“I can see it on the wall and on the bed.”
‘…”
The Third Job (5)
“I can see it on the wall and on the bed.”
“…”
“Can I start with the wall first?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Miss Hayan is using the room next door, am I right?”
“Yes, but…”
“She seems to be a little sneaky.”
I began to understand what she must have seen. Since the tutorial’s
beginning, I’ve already seen Jung Hayan create walls with her illusion magic.
However, it felt embarrassing to realize that I had not noticed her change an
entire wall.
Leaning forward, I placed my hand on the wall and was surprised that it was
still solid from my touch.
‘Didn’t she change it?’
I looked towards Hwang Jeong-yeon in confusion. Upon seeing this, she

began to explain.
“Only a small hole has been changed, not the entire wall.”
“Oh?”
“If you put your finger in here, you’ll understand what I mean.”
As she beckoned at a particular spot in the wall, I followed her lead and
poked my finger through. Embarrassingly enough, it pierced through to the
other side.
It was absurd for me not to notice something like this up until now.
“How can I not know…”
“It was created with weak magic power, and since this room itself is already
surrounded by magical power, it’s understandable for you not to have
noticed. I don’t think Mr. Kiyoung is that sensitive to magical power… Most
of all, this hole seems to have just been recently made.”
“Ah, you can tell?”
“Yeah. It looks like it’s been here for less than a month… I don’t know why
Miss Hayan dared to do something like this, but… I can guess why.”
“Ah… Yeah.” I tried not to pay heed to Jeong-yeon’s suggestive expression.
Of course, I don’t remember doing anything specific in this room, but I felt
uncomfortable as I realized that Jung Hayan had probably seen all of me
already.
At times, I even dared to lay on my bed naked. I’m sure everyone would
understand.
‘She would only do this because of me.’
I hadn’t expected her to go this far, but it was the one responsible for leading
her on, anyway. I had to tolerate all the mishaps that would emerge from it.
Perhaps I should find it fortunate that I had discovered this right away. Who
knew what else she might find out through this gimmick of hers?
“In fact, what’s really amazing is this bed.”
“Huh? What about it?”
“It is no exaggeration to say that this is a new revolution in magical science.”
“Ah…”
Seeing her impressed look at someone else’s work made me feel bitter for
some reason.
After a few moments of waiting for her to speak, Hwang Jeong-yeon began
to explain.
“It’s a fatigue recovery type magic.”
“I see.”
“It’s not just that. In addition to checking Kiyoung’s condition, there are also
various kinds of magic present, so many that I cannot explain all of them.
From invigorating magic, to magic that boosts vitality… There’s also magic
that speeds up brain rotation and blood circulation. In addition to this, there is
also a built-in protection-type magic that can protect Mr. Kiyoung when
something bad happens. If a large magic falls upon this Guild House, Mr.
Kiyoung will probably be unscathed. If you had slept in this bed, you would
have stayed in a deep sleep. I don’t think you ever felt tired after waking up
the next day. Am I right?”
“Yeah… I think so. I’ve always woken up feeling refreshed.”
“By the way, if you slept in a bed like this, it would be natural for your
fatigue to go away. I find that so romantic of her…”
Indeed, I felt my heart warming up to Hayan. I thought there would be some

magic, sure, but I didn’t know it would be this kind.
What was embarrassing here was the type of magic Jung Hayan had chosen
to cast.
“Then, are you saying that the bed itself has magic? That’s…”
“Yeah. It would be impossible, right? I mean, even if it was, it would be

inefficient. Putting magic into objects is something that many people have
given up on doing.”
“Yes. Most of those would just be commercialized products. I have

personally conducted research about it.”
“That’s why I said this is revolutionary. If the concealment technology of the

location tracking magic on Kiyoung is of a thesis level, the magic on this bed
has the potential to shake the magic academia and create a new school. A
newbie has done what others who have been here for years couldn’t… I
personally feel a little intimidated.”
“…”
“Of course, there are no restrictions.”
I didn’t know what to say. No matter how talented Jung Hayan was, she
could not have done all this so perfectly.
“This magic only works on you, Mr. Kiyoung.”
“I understand.”
“Yeah. I think that this magic also made use of catalysts. Using a part of
Kiyoung’s body as a catalyst, the magic was compressed to the point where
the effect is only activated on the individual. The efficiency would be very
poor if everyone could activate it. This means that it is a bed exclusively for
Kiyoung.”
“I see. Even so…”
“To put it simply, the magic activates because your genetics and the genetic
makeup of the catalyst match.”
Her explanation made sense to me.
“However, one has to charge it.”
“Oh?”
“At least once a month, the person who memorized the spell has to put in the
magic again. Seeing that this type of magic has been here up until now, it
must mean that Miss Hayan has been able to come here for some steamy
visits… Ho ho ho…”
“…”
“There is also another thing.”
“Tell me, please.”
“Like I said, this type of magic uses catalysts. Hmm. Could you please turn
the mat over? Or there must be a secret space somewhere…”
“Of course, of course.”
If what she said was true, the device should be somewhere within the bed.
Not long after, I could see something white stuck inside the mattress.
“Huh. That’s Kiyoung’s teeth, right?”
“Yeah. Probably so.”
“Would you believe me if I told you that Kiyoung’s information stored in that
catalyst is the one responsible for keeping the magic?”
“This is definitely something similar…”
“Ah, so you’re knowledgeable on the topic?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m an expert.”
‘This method is certainly similar to alchemy.’
The only thing I was sure of was that this wasn’t a simple type of magic.
Using magic on a specific type of catalyst to ensure that it would only be

triggered if the right target was present was on a complex level all by itself.
‘Huh…’
I realized this approach perfectly matched the direction in which I wanted to

grow. The idea of mixing different magic with catalysts was just the same as
using one’s genetic makeup.
Homunculus research, chimera research, and even magic potion research.

This was the best approach I could use.
‘This is great…’
Of course, my method would be different. Unlike Jung Hayan, I would have

to approach this with my alchemy magic.
As a user of catalysts and genetically modified formulations, I had more

knowledge than she did.
In other words, the method would be the same, but how I was going to study
all this would be done differently.
I would have even thought that Jung Hayan had prepared all this in advance.
‘This works.’
I was sure of this now. Here was a result that would have taken me countless
failed experiments to achieve. It would be unnatural not to get excited.
“You must be happy, too. Oh my God.”
“Ah… Yes. Honestly, I do feel happy.”

“Ah, but there’s also another amazing feature hidden within this bed.”
“Oh? There’s another one?”
“Yeah. There’s a magic called Reverse.”
“Ah.”
“There’s a built-in debuff that removes all granted buffs.”
“…”
“Except for Kiyoung, it’s probably triggered when you are close to the bed or
lying down. Of course, in the case of others, the effect is not so great because
the catalyst doesn’t match with the target, but it can still cast a curse. If I sat
down, I would have been affected a great deal. It means that if any other
woman lay on this bed, she would receive a curse that would lead to her
death.”
“So, that’s why you asked me to lift the bed.”
“Yes, so basically, it’s Miss Hayan’s way of saying you shouldn’t bring other
women to your bed. That’s so romantic!”
I did not find this romantic at all. Rather, I found it a little scary.
“Is there anything else?”
“No, this is all I can find. If Kiyoung says he is doing research in earnest, the
results may be different, but I’m sure that there’s very little information about
this sort of magic. Jung Hayan looks like a cute little wizard, but she’s
actually more capable than one would think.”
“Thank you.”
Rather than focusing on the bad aspects of this newfound information, I felt
grateful to Jung Hayan for showing me which way I should take for my
growth. Who knew I would find the answer in my room?
Of course, it didn’t mean that I would ignore everything she had done, but
my training took precedence over everything else.
As I looked over my bed once more, the tooth stuck in the corner began to
look more lovable than creepy.
‘Wait…’
It had been a while, but a question began to arise in my head.
“I wonder…”
“Yeah?”
“If my position as of this moment is being transmitted to Jung Hayan, does

this mean that she also has some part of my body?”
“Yes.”
‘What…’
What other parts of me did Jung Hayan have?
My hair remained the same, and I didn’t remember her ever drawing blood.
No, Jung Hayan could not have hurt my body before that.
Only
In the case of normal monsters, the parts used as catalysts were very diverse.
It was not only hair and teeth bundles but also blood and eyeballs that could
be used. The heart worked best, and even bones and organs would come a
long way.
In the case of certain monsters, saliva and the liquid generated by the body
for males were also effective, but it was difficult to guess what the hell Jung
Hayan had taken.
I tried not to think about it too much.
‘Surely… Surely she didn’t…’
I was curious about what kind of catalyst she would have taken from me, but
there was no way of actually knowing. Still, though, my anxiety went through
the roof.
‘It couldn’t be…’

The Third Job (6)
What was important at this point was finding out what Jung Hayan had taken
from me, not what she had used the catalyst for.
I knew I had to set some boundaries between us eventually, but there was
nothing I could do at this moment in time. Jung Hayan was still growing up,
after all.
I knew that if Jung Hayan became a wizard powerful enough to wipe out the
entire continent according to Kim Hyunsung’s predictions, then the
unthinkable might happen.
This peephole would become an entire wall, and this bed could be made to
curse everyone it touches. That wasn’t everything, even. She might also be
responsible for the creation of recording magic. Other things came to mind.
‘Mental control?’
She could develop a mind-control spell that would manipulate my mind little
by little, or maybe use a powerful enchantment spell particularly made for
me. She could even find a way to become invisible in order to stay by my
side the entire time.
Of course, I was still convinced that Jung Hayan wouldn’t do all these things
since she still held the title of Pure Advocate, but then again… this was the
same girl who had cut off Park Hye-young’s limbs.
‘One wrong move…’
I needed to be careful whenever Jung Hayan was around and when she
wasn’t.
Thanks to Hwang Jeong-yeon’s ability, I was able to find this out while it
was still in the early stages. I would have to make an insurance plan, but I
had to focus on something else for now.
“This is incredible.”
“You think?”
“I didn’t think you would use the whole second floor as a workshop.”
“Ah…”
I knew what Hwang Jeong-yeon was talking about. As a wizard, it wasn’t

hard for her to feel impressed. By connecting my room and the alchemy
workshop through the gap between the empty guild room, my workspace was
wide as a result.
I also knew what had caught her eye was not the workshop’s setup but the
items found within.
‘After all, I had gotten a lot from the Black Swan.’
Even for an experienced adventurer such as she, it would still be hard to earn
so many rewards such as these.
“To be precise, it’s so that my workshop and room are connected. It was a
little uncomfortable to go back and forth… The best textbooks to study are
already here, so it’s less time-consuming this way.”
“No, no, everything looks great to me.”
“They were all gifts. Oh, do you not have a second job?”
“It’s my break time right now. Am I interrupting anything?”

“No. I’m just grateful for your help.”
“Well, there’s nothing else for me to do… as a wizard, I’m surprisingly not
that curious. Of course, I don’t plan on snatching Mr. Kiyoung’s or Miss
Hayan’s research for myself, either!”
“Don’t worry, I know that.”
I made sure to assess her once more with my ability, wanting to memorize
her stats.
[Check player Hwang Jeong-yeon’s status window and talent level]
[Name- Jeong-yeon Hwang]
[Title- Daily Drama Lover]
[Age- 34]
[Propensity-an optimist who is noisy]
[Job-Magician-Heroic Grade]
[Job Effect-Acquisition of Basic Magic Knowledge]
[Job Effect-Acquisition of Basic Magical Knowledge]
[Job Effect-Intermediate Magical Knowledge Acquisition]
[Capacity]
[Strength -30/Growth Limit: Rare or higher]
[Agility -40/Growth Limit: Rare or higher]
[Health-32/Growth Limit: Rare or less]

[Intellect-90/Growth Limit: Heroic or higher]
[Durability-32/Growth Limit: Rare or less]
[Luck -54/Growth Limit: Rare or higher]
[Holy -80 /Growth Limit: Heroic or less]
[Talent- Sensitive Body- Rare-grade]
[Talent- Super Memory- Rare-grade]
[Overall Review -The growth of her magic power is almost reaching its
limit. It is not an exaggeration to say that the path to the top wizard is
almost closed for her, but it seems that she is hiding her shortcomings
with high intelligence stats. It would be right to think that it is a case
where one can rise to the upper level because of the good compatibility
with the characteristics and the job. If the magical talent was not less
than a heroic-grade, but more than a heroic-grade, the situation would
have changed a little. It can be said that this player is similar to Kiyoung
Lee, but please don’t think of her as a comrade. The player Lee Kiyoung
has no magical talent compared to this person.]
‘Cocksucker.’
I certainly didn’t like the overall review, but I liked her abilities and growth.
Of course, comparing myself to her was a bit extreme, but she also similarly
relied on her intelligence whenever she lacked in other stats.
It wasn’t only Jung Hayan’s magic that helped me today – even her stats
made me learn something.
‘Her characteristics are also good.’
The characteristic of having a Sensitive Body caught my eye, but not in the
sexual sense. This was a characteristic that was heavily influenced by the
magic power of the surrounding environment.
However, what interested me more was her talent – Super Memory.
[Talent-Super Memory- Rare-grade]
[Gives you near-perfect memory.]
Since it was only of the rare grade, her memory wouldn’t be labeled as
perfect yet, but I knew having an ability just like hers would be beneficial for
reading people’s stats.
It didn’t seem so impossible to develop the skill for myself.
I placed my attention back on Hwang Jeong-yeon as she spoke again.
“Can I read it?”
“The book you have put together.”
“Of course. I wanted to consult someone about it, anyway.”
“No, no. I won’t give you anything but my personal opinion. Anyway, you’re
more of an expert at this than I am. This is all uncharted territory for me.”
“Even if you possess the intelligence of a senior wizard?”
“Yeah.”
“Hm…”
“Ah. Come to think of it, Kiyoung probably doesn’t know much about
intellect. You probably don’t have time to study your stats.”
“That’s true.”
“Hmm… Has Kiyoung ever wondered about his intelligence stats?”
“Of course I have. Unlike muscle strength, stamina, and magic power, there
are areas that are hard to measure, such as luck stats or intelligence stats. In
fact, even though my intelligence stats are rising, it is difficult to feel exactly
what is changing.”
“I mean, you already know a lot.”
“Honestly, it is difficult to notice if something has changed.”
“I’m not sure either, but I’m sure Kiyoung is right. Just because your
intelligence goes up doesn’t make you a genius. I feel like there’s no big
change in the basic thinking skills of an individual. Knowledge doesn’t come
so suddenly.”
“So, the reason for the existence of these stats is unclear? Is it the same for
people whose intelligence stats have reached their 70s or 80s?”
“Yeah. To give you an extreme example, someone with an intellect in their

90s may not be able to do something as basic as memorizing multiplication
tables.”
“That’s too extreme.”
“Yeah. It’s a really extreme story. However, it simply means that one’s
intelligence stat has nothing to do with the intelligence that that individual
really has.”
“Is it all about increasing your understanding of magical power or alchemy?”
If that was all there was to it; then my stats could very well be a
disappointment. On the other hand, I couldn’t say they were completely
useless, either.
“Of course, it’s not just that.”
“Hmm.”
“I can’t find the words to properly explain it, but I’m sure its use will be a
little clearer if your intelligence reaches over 80.”
Now, this was a topic I was interested in.
“Most people with intelligence over 90 tend to develop something else other
than their brains. Most of the wizards around me and those with their Intellect
over 90 in Lindel had the knowledge to be called extraordinary.”
“Ha.”
“There were some people who said that their creativity or understanding of
tactics had changed remarkably. In my case, my memorization skills have
gone up beyond comparison.”
“I see.”
“Since I was very young, I heard a lot of people saying that I had a good
memory, but the moment I reached 90, I felt like my brain was getting better
in ways that I could not understand. Of course, there wasn’t much change in
other parts. I think it’s just a conjecture of ourselves, but I also think it has
the effect of maximizing the efficiency of the part where our brain is most
developed.”
“That… That is actually very interesting.”
“Among the traits I have, the trait called Super Memory is the trait I’ve
obtained after my intellect exceeded 90. Mr. Kiyoung may also get something
once he reaches that point. Since you are good at dating, will you progress
into marriage? Ho ho ho…”
“Ah, I’m sorry…”
Hearing this sounded very pleasing to me. I thought my stats were hopeless
as they were, but I didn’t think that the one stat I had on high potential would
give me an extraordinarily new ability.
If Hwang Jeong-yeon was right, then I felt excited about what I could get.
‘What could it be?’
Since Hwang Jeong-yeon mentioned her ability had stemmed from what
people had said about her, I tried my best to remember what other people had
told me in the past.
‘Huh, that guy with the hair is pretty badass.’
‘Huh, the kid is also clever.’
That was what people used to describe me. It felt ridiculous imagining a
scenario where I gained an ability for better hair management.
However, even that would be better than developing an ability that pertained
to romance, like what Hwang Jeong-yeon had said.
‘What would I use that for?’
“Does that mean everyone who exceeds 90 in Intellect will get their own
characteristic?”
“It’s not guaranteed for everyone, but I’m sure you’ll be able to receive an
additional trait. It’s just not well known in the system.”
“Thank you for teaching me so many things.”
“No, no. You were bound to learn about it anyway. I’m just saying that even
geniuses can lack familiar knowledge. Whoo. Have you felt like you’ve made
progress?”
“I’m still at the toddler level. I’m still trying to understand how all this
works, after all.”
“You’ve just started out. If there is anything I can help you with, please tell
me.”
“I see no reason to refuse that offer.”
However, I knew I would not be able to receive such help for free.
“I don’t know what I can do to repay you, but if there’s anything, please do
inform me.”
“Ah. I’m not looking for any repayment…”
“You don’t have to specify it.”
“Well, then…”
“Is there anything I can do?”
Only
Looking at Hwang Jeong-yeon’s expression, I knew there was indeed

something she had in mind. She tried to explain that it was natural to help me
because we came from the same guild, that we had met by chance, but I knew
she had approached me with a motive in mind.
As I silently began to hope that her request wouldn’t be too hard to do, she
began to speak.
“Perhaps…”
“Would you please introduce me to Park Deokgu once they come back?”
I blinked. Out of all the hard requests I was expecting her to come up with…
‘Is Park Deokgu really a love doctor?’

The Third Job (7)
“…”
“It would be nice if you could fulfill my request just this once. I didn’t really
mean to ask this of you, but since you insisted…”
It certainly didn’t seem like I had misheard her request.
I didn’t want to get involved in any romantic ventures that could happen
between the two. However, I felt like it was only natural for me to wonder
why she wanted this.
“Since when…?”
“Never mind when… It’s because Park Deokgu hasn’t left my mind…”
Was it because they had similar characteristics?
“I encountered him in the restaurant once. He looked at me so indifferently,

but those eyes… I’ve been thinking about him ever since.”
‘Oh, my God.’
It felt a little embarrassing to witness this side of Hwang Jeong-yeon.

However, she did mention being into bigger guys, so I guess that was to be
expected.
Objectively, Hwang Jeong-yeon was a very pretty girl. She had a soothing
atmosphere that could make a person feel relaxed just by being in her
presence. She had her hair tied to one side that went past her shoulders,
complete with a thin, little smile. I felt like there was something different
about her. At the same time, I couldn’t believe it only took Park Deokgu ten
seconds to capture this woman’s heart.
Meanwhile, it had taken me quite some time to get Jung Hayan to develop
feelings for me. It felt a little embarrassing to admit this, but I knew I had to
accept it at one point.
“I’ll be sure to find a way.”
“Ah… I think he’s a really good person, and is someone I could come to
trust. I think we’d be a good fit, don’t you think? If you could help me out…”
“…”
“Ah, but I’d be eager to help you out in exchange! I won’t interfere with your
research!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep my word. However, you have a lot of work to do.”
“Thank you, and of course!”
With that, I had gotten myself a competent assistant.
It didn’t matter whether Park Deokgu and Hwang Jeong-yeon became lovers
or not, but I thought there was a good chance that they would be. I knew Park
Deokgu would react accordingly if I praised her in front of him since he
trusted me completely.
Bearing this in mind, I concluded that the price was reasonable. In any case, I
wouldn’t lose anything trying to play matchmaker. If they got together, then
Park Deokgu would probably stop hanging around my workshop, and I
would be able to do my research in peace.
“Then let’s get started, doctor.”
“Let’s do that, assistant.”

With that, we set right to work.
Very little time had passed since then.
“Did you find anything of use?”
“Not yet. But it doesn’t mean I won’t, soon enough.”
I wasn’t trying to create anything that could be called revolutionary. After all,
I was using Jung Hayan’s method and reconstructing it to fit my style.
I needed this to increase my stats and to find me my new job. I had managed
to increase my stats at the beginning of our research, but the progress slowed
down once we reached the second half. Like before, the efficiency of stat
increase by using the catalyst had begun to dwindle.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Like what I said last time, I’ve been trying to see if alchemy can also
compress and maintain the magic within a catalyst, and if there’s any way to
harness genetic information with this type of magic.”
“Ah, I see…”
“Your hunch about the construction and design of the spell seems correct.
However, that means it’ll be hard achieving the same result through alchemy.
Jung Hayan really is a genius…”
However, the things I at first found nonsensical soon began to make sense.
I now knew why Jung Hayan was called a genius. Her ideas could branch
into new theories. The magic power stored within her preferred catalyst was
so huge that its effects could open up a new branch of study under magical
academia.
‘The spell is very unique.’
Her method of arranging the magic power, the order in which she built the
Tower of Magic, and her execution were all done in a sophisticated manner.
Unlike Hwang Jeong-yeon, whose intellect enhanced her memory, Jung
Hayan’s intellect was naturally predisposed for innovativeness and
enhancement of magic.
‘She’s a genius.’
Now I knew why Kim Hyunsung seemed so obsessed with Jung Hayan.
With this thought in mind, I continued my research.
My struggle in finding an answer made me undergo sleepless nights, and

there were times where I even dared to skip meals. Hwang Jeong-yeon also
did the same. Though she did not help much in other aspects, her presence
was enough to explain the aspects I had been struggling in.
Though my progress went slowly, it felt pleasing to know that I was getting
somewhere.
By the time my intelligence stat had exceeded the 50s, I had begun to
understand just how the mechanism of increasing intelligence worked.
The first was the acquisition or understanding of new knowledge. The second
was deep meditation. Sharpening one’s imagination, indulging in
experiments, reevaluating theories, and continually reading books – all of
these helped build one’s intellect.
Just as Park Deokgu continually underwent weight training to build his

strength, I continually fed myself with the knowledge to increase my
intellect.
“It’s been a while since I cleaned your room, Kiyoung.”
“Oh, please do not clean up near me. There are tons of data that I’ve not
organized yet.”
“Of course. Why don’t you get some more sleep?”
“No, I don’t want to cut off my progress.”
Of course, Hwang Jeong-yeon had a point. Both my room and workspace had
begun to look like a dump. All the data I had organized had begun to pile up
once more, leaving little space to move.
Seeing educational materials scattered all over my bed must have looked like
an interesting scene, but it didn’t mean that it was fun in actuality. Studying
continuously was boring.
Even though a door of opportunity had presented itself to me, there was no
guarantee that it would open for me, and that alone increased my anxiety.
However, I had no choice but to carry on.
Even at this moment, I knew my fellow party members were doing their best
to progress. I had to catch up before I got left too far behind.
At the same time, I knew Kim Hyunsung wouldn’t abandon me even if that
happened. This was my own doing. It was natural for me to get left behind if
I didn’t exert the needed effort to improve. And in a way, Kim Hyunsung had
steered me in the right direction – I didn’t want just to be a simple asset.
For the time being, I was forced to stick to my plan.
“Hey, Mr. Kiyoung. How do you make use of your magic?”
“Ah. Different people have different ways of casting spells. In my case, I

build up the Tower of Magic. Jung Hayan does it similarly, except hers is like
a rotating watchtower. It’s like gathering all the needed parts and building
something out of them.”
“I understand what you’re saying.”
“It’s actually more complicated than others. I don’t know much of anything
else, so I think the most difficult part is finding genetics that match.”
“Simply interpreting the order already seems complicated… It would be

stressful to have to convert to making use of a magic circle.”
“It’s really just a simple operation… All you have to do is make use of your
time wisely.”
It might seem like a simple conjuring of a circle on the surface, but there was
a difference. I knew I would get fruitful results with my research soon, but I
was already getting impatient.
One month had passed, but Kim Hyunsung and the others had not yet
returned.
‘They must be suffering…’
Perhaps the consumables they had taken with them proved to be insufficient
for the trip. Knowing their condition before they left, I knew they’d have a
hard time sorting their mess.
Jung Hayan would have spent every night with tears, and Kim Ye-ri, without
Kim Hyunsung’s constant commands, would be shooting arrows in the wrong
direction. Park Deokgu might even revert to being a coward again.
On the other hand, Sun Hee-young would move normally, but as she would
be burdened with leading the party, the whole team would feel at a loss. I felt
a little better, knowing I wasn’t the only one having a hard time.
A little more time passed.
At this point, I had slowly begun understanding Jung Hayan’s magic, and my
intelligence stats had exceeded 60. Personally, this felt like a very satisfying
achievement.
“The results have shown themselves.”
“Yes, we’re reaching the target intellectual levels.”

“Ah. Congratulations. How about taking a little break today?”
“No, no. It would be better to rest after I’ve achieved my goal.”
After so much time devoting myself to my progress, I began to ask myself

questions that I knew would aid me in my goal. This time, it wasn’t about the
hidden truth of magic.
Rather, I had started thinking about the job change I was aiming for.
How could Jung Hayan have achieved such advanced creations without prior
experience?
Jung Hayan had gotten a job before she even went on a hunt. I didn’t bother
wondering as to how she had gotten it. She probably understood herself far
more than I did with myself and had put this knowledge to good use.
I was trying to do the same now, too.
‘I have to understand…’
In addition to analyzing, describing, and organizing data, I needed to

understand everything that was going through my head. I knew I was taking
the right direction with this.
I began to ask myself more questions because of this. ‘Why?’ questions were
a constant presence. Thus I began my search for the hidden truth, rather than
the visible results.
I imagined experimenting and then tried to determine why it failed, which

was not as difficult as it sounded. After all, I had a very competent assistant
by my side.
In addition to that, I had also lost a little weight.
‘It’s not a bad feeling, though…’

Why would I, when I felt like I had just stumbled onto a valuable part of my
progress?
I didn’t want a great answer to my goals. One very small piece was already
enough.
How did the change in genetic traits, information values, and magic power
affect the individual? Was the magic present in the transformed individual
complete or incomplete?
We had not stopped experimenting with stranded DNA, and we still didn’t
know which virus was deadly to some monsters and why a particular gene
would not accept said virus.
None of these small pieces of information were well understood, but one
thing was certain.
We were slowly finding the answers.
“What do you need this time?”
“I need catalysts from the Garden of Terror, please.”
I was far from finding the answers, and I wasn’t that smart. I wasn’t even a
scientist, and I didn’t know anything about genes and the like.
However, I found the whole process of searching for answers fun.
“You must be enjoying this.”
“I am not.”

“Isn’t it fun? I found it interesting.”
Only
“No. Honestly, I found it boring.”
“You’re lying.”
As more time passed, I began to make even more progress.
[You have discovered a new job.]
The results I hoped to achieve had finally come.
“Phew.”
The Third Job (8)
I awoke to a loud atmosphere.
The last thing I could remember the day before was choosing my third job,
testing some things with it, and then collapsing in bed.
As if I had just gotten out of a comatose state, I felt nauseatingly groggy.
‘How much time has passed?’
The problem was that I had hardly slept the whole time I had been working.
My room had not yet been cleaned up, so I had chosen to spend the night in
my workshop.
‘I still feel so tired…’
If I had known that my condition wouldn’t have improved even after getting
some rest, I would have cleaned up after myself the night before. In that way,
I could have used the bed that Jung Hayan had infused with magic.
As I turned my head, I caught sight of Hwang Jeong-yeon sitting on the far

side of the sofa.
‘You must be tired as well…’
She had tried her hardest to follow my schedule. Therefore, she must have
also felt exhausted.
Although I had not expected her to stay here, I did not feel alert. I felt pleased
to know that I was not so wary of people anymore. The more I could trust,
the better.
It was then that I began to realize where all the noise was coming from.
“Gosh… My hyung seems to have done a lot of work, too. The whole second
floor is a mess. Oh, Hayan! If you keep running like that, you’ll fall. Hee-
young, please do something.”
“…”
“First, we should organize our luggage. Hee-young, pass me the white

one…”
I knew what this meant. My fellow party members were back.
I had begun to smile at this realization. However, upon seeing Hwang Jeong-
yeon groggily stretching, I began to panic.
‘Fuck.’
I could hear the sound of footsteps frantically making their way up to the
second floor. I knew who that was.
‘Jung Hayan.’
Even though Jeong-yeon and I had never indulged in any physical contact, it
would still be bad for Hayan to see her here. It would not be beneficial for
Hwang Jeong-yeon either, for she counted on me to introduce Park Deokgu.
“Oppa… Oppa…” Jung Hayan’s voice floated through the workshop’s door.
I knew the location-tracking magic was still working, so I couldn’t pretend
that I wasn’t here.
I felt like a protagonist in a horror movie.

Rattle!
“Oppa… Are you there? Are you there?”
Rattle!
“Are you there? Oppa?”
Rattle!
“You didn’t even sleep? Maybe you were still researching… Perhaps we
should quiet down, for now, Hayan. It’s still so early in the morning…”
‘Nice save, Park Deokgu.’
“Or maybe there’s something wrong with my hyung… Perhaps he fell

down?”
‘…I take that back.’
Thump-thump.
At this, Jung Hayan resumed her relentless knocking on the door. It was
natural for Hwang Jeong-yeon to wake up from all the commotion.
It only took her a few seconds to grasp what was happening. Her eyes
widened.
“Oppa! Oh, are you still sleeping?”
I almost snorted at the question. If I were asleep, then she most certainly
would not receive a reply.
‘Ugh, what a situation…’
As I gestured towards the window, I saw Hwang Jeong-yeon nodding

desperately.
“Ah… Deokgu. I slept late and only woke up now.”
“Oppa…”
“Ah! We’re sorry to have disturbed you.”
“You came a little later than expected. I’ll open the door now. Wait.”
As I spoke, Hwang Jeong-yeon dashed to the window. I could have said we

were studying together, but even that would look suspicious. The fact that we
were alone together at this time of day would not sit well with Jung Hayan.
“Ah!”
Hwang Jeong-yeon, who intended to jump from the second floor, let out a
short scream.
Rattle, rattle, rattle.
Jung Hayan, who by now sensed that something was amiss, began to shake
the door relentlessly.
After making sure there were no telltale signs that Hwang Jeong-yeon had
been here, I opened the door slightly, and the faces I hadn’t seen in a long
time reflected in my view.
First, I saw Park Deokgu, whose simple smile I had missed.
I didn’t know why, but somehow, the guy’s eyes were red. Looking at the
wounds on his body, it seemed that the expedition was not easy.
Of course, Jung Hayan looked the happiest. She first looked around the room
to see if she could pinpoint where the scream had come from, but soon, she
redirected her attention to me.
In an instant, tears filled her large eyes. I, too, felt the same way. It felt great
having her back.
“Oh uh… Oppa…”

With this unfamiliar feeling bubbling up inside me, I began to stroke her head
affectionately. Jung Hayan then began to sob.
“Oh, Oppa…”
“Was the expedition hard?”
“Oh…” As she couldn’t speak properly, Jung Hayan resorted to nodding her
head vigorously.
I tried to wipe all the tears from her face, but I couldn’t. Instead, I opened my
arms out wide, and Jung Hayan rushed in at once. Her face rubbed against
my chest.
“I missed you…”
“I’ve missed you too, Hayan…”
I was half-sincere in my words.
Pretty soon, both Kim Hyunsung and Sun Hee-young appeared in my line of
sight. Seeing as Hayan wouldn’t let me go, I had to settle for waving at them
as a form of greeting.
I didn’t even need to ask them. Assessing the atmosphere was enough.
‘The expedition was successful.’
“It’s been a long time, Kiyoung.”
“Yep, Hyunsung. Did the expedition go okay?”
“It wasn’t satisfactory, but it worked. Ye-ri had only managed to change to
her second job since she was only on her first one, but Hee-young, Deokgu,
and Hayan all finished their jobs. All of their stats also rose considerably.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
I knew Kim Hyunsung’s role as their nanny wasn’t easy, either.
Upon seeing Hyunsung’s curious stare, I knew what was coming my way.
“How about you, Kiyoung?”
“The same is true of me. I’ve raised my stats and have gotten a new job.”
“What did you get this time?”
“Oh? Hyung also got a new job?”
“Yes, I did. I’ll go down and explain what it is.”
“Ah.”
“It’s because it would be difficult for me to explain what kind of job I got. It
will be quicker to show you in person.”
“Is this a high-grade alchemist job?”
“Yes. The status window says it’s a newly-discovered job.”
“You mean it doesn’t stem from your existing job?”
“It probably doesn’t.”
“That’s… I’m a little surprised.”
“Thanks to that, I had no choice. If several jobs appeared at the same time, I
would have postponed choosing until you guys came back. However, there
was no option. I don’t regret getting it, however.”
“Hearing you say that makes me feel a little more curious.”
Jung Hayan was still clinging onto me, but I could see that Park Deokgu also
looked intrigued.
“Aw… I should have been with you in that glorious moment… It’s a shame
my hyung couldn’t have helped me choose my third job…”
“You will also like mine.”
“Oh, really?”
I didn’t know how Kim Hyunsung would react to my new job, but I knew
Park Deokgu would like it for sure.
“It’s really amazing that you managed to get a job on your own.”
“Sun Hee-young, however…”
“Yes. For me, this is my fourth job change.”
“I see.”
I could now understand why the atmosphere felt warmer. Everyone’s

relationships had improved. It felt like the new members had mixed well with
the old ones.
Park Deok-gu and Kim Ye-ri seemed to be highly attentive to Sun Hee-
young’s every move.
‘Hmm.’
It seemed that she was now the third in command, right after Kim Hyunsung
and I. Since she was the one with the highest specs during the expedition, it
was natural for her to achieve this position.
‘Not bad.’
Although she considers it a new service to beat indolent people useless to

society, I knew she was still a competent person.
She was different from Jung Hayan, and in that sense, she had gained such a
position. However, I was hoping that it would be Park Deokgu, who would
act more proactively.
‘I don’t think he’s on that level yet…’
Putting that aside, the overall atmosphere felt cheerful. We kept up a steady
stream of conversation as we made our way to the training center for a
demonstration.
Demonstrations were necessary for the sole purpose of showing that the time
spent in training was not for naught. I was always the one who garnered the
least amount of attention. However…
This time, things were different.
It was only natural that they should recognize my true value. I wasn’t just an
alchemist who rode off on their money. I knew their valuation of me would
rise today.
“I want you to watch me properly. The magic power itself isn’t that bad, but I
haven’t been able to determine its efficiency yet…”
“Hayan, can you step away for a moment?”
“Ah… Yes. Oppa.”
At this, I slowly began to memorize my intended spell. My prepared catalyst

reacted as soon as I applied my magic to it.
Since I didn’t have that much magic power, I felt it was only right to use this
amount of mana.
There were two things that I had prepared.
One was a catalyst depicting a magic circle with various magic types, and
another was a catalyst that could receive spells. I also had materials with the
same information value and materials that could interact with each other if
needed.
The quality of said materials was also important for the conjuring of the
magic circle, but their information value took precedence.
‘All of this was based off on Jung Hayan’s application of magic to my teeth
and other objects.’
As my thoughts began to scatter, I found myself getting a little distracted.

However, it wasn’t much of a struggle completing the rest of the spell. After
all, this was a simple incantation.
That was when the tiny monster cells that had been flying towards the spell
began to expand. Watching the transition from cells to the flesh was
grotesque, but it was intriguing to watch.
Kwajijijik, kujik, kadedeuk.
Incoherent sounds began to fill up the venue. It sounded like a cacophony of

bones twisting and cells exploding.
Although this was a sound that was familiar to me, it was not to the others. I
saw Kim Ye-ri covering her ears and grimacing.
Only
Eventually, the huge flesh that I had conjured began to form into the shape I
desired.
The giant lump of flesh soon transformed into a giant monster hand.
Quad-de-deuk!
Even before all this happened, I could feel everyone’s gazes directed my way,
almost as if asking for an explanation.
“Huh… Hyung…”
“This… How did you manage this?” Even Kim Hyunsung was shocked.
Upon seeing his reaction, pleasure began to crawl down my spine.
“It’s a characteristic that comes with my new job.”

The Third Job (9)
Even before all this happened, I could feel everyone’s gazes directed my way,
almost as if asking for an explanation.
“Huh… Hyung…”
“This… How did you manage this?”
Even Kim Hyunsung was shocked.
“It’s a characteristic that comes with my new job.”
“Ah…”
Their anxious expressions signaled their need for a better explanation.
“To explain in more detail, I conducted a biological experiment and created

this new type of genetic information using the same catalyst.”
“Would you please explain it more simply?”
“Of course. Think about how a television reacts to a remote. What I have in
my hand right now is the remote control, and the arm of a giant monster over
there is the TV. You will have to have a catalyst that can trigger the right
reaction, and the preparation in itself is a little difficult…”
“Even if it is…”
Surprised expressions scattered across my fellow party members’ faces.
When I had first managed this result, I was beyond surprised and
embarrassed. Now, however, I felt proud. I couldn’t believe I had managed to
produce this kind of result.
[Name – Kiyoung Lee]
[Title – The Red Mercenary Queen’s Gigolo]
[Age – 25]
[Propensity – Willing Strategist]
[Job – Bio-Alchemy Summoner – Unique Heroic Grade]
[It’s a new kind of job that has never been discovered. Even on a continent
with a long history, this kind of system has not yet appeared. If any alchemist
were to see your results, they would undoubtedly praise you. As a result of
your amazing achievements, you will raise your class’s rank to a unique
Heroic rank. Intelligence rises by 4. Magic power increases by 3. The result
of the alchemy is a pet. This grants you weak control over the said pet.]
[Job Effect – Acquisition of Basic Magic Knowledge]
[Job Effect – Acquisition of Basic Alchemy Knowledge]
[Job Effect – Acquisition of Intermediate Alchemy Knowledge]
[Job Effect – Acquisition of Special Summoning Knowledge]
[Capacity]
[Strength – 20/Growth limit: Below normal]
[Agility – 21/Growth limit: Normal or less]

[Health – 25/Growth limit: Below normal]
[Intellect – 64/Growth limit: Heroic or higher]
[Durability – 20/Growth limit: Below normal]
[Luck – 45/Growth limit: Heroic or higher]
[Mana – 15/Growth limit: Below normal]
[Equipment]
[Ramus Tucker’s Introduction to Alchemy – Heroic Level – Alchemist Only]
[Magic Shield Ring – Rare Grade]
[Talent – Eye of the Mind]
[Overview – Your efforts to stray from being the worst are distinguishable.
Don’t try too hard, however. Trash will always be trash. Apart from that, I
applaud your efforts. Until you reach your limit, try to do what you can.]
In the meantime, my overall stats had increased a lot, and I gained special
summoning knowledge as an additional job effect. It was strange to see I had
gotten it.
It was the knowledge obtained from the theory I established. What stood out
was the fact that it was graded as a unique heroic-grade job.
Everyone looked curious, so I smiled and spoke again.
“The job’s name is Bio-Alchemy Summoner, and it’s ranked as unique

heroic-grade.”
“Ohh…”
“You mean it’s of the unique heroic-grade rank?”
“Yes.”
Park Deokgu’s expression seemed to drop. After checking his information, I
understood why.
He only got a rare-grade job?
It turned out that everyone except him had gained a heroic-grade job.
Even as a kid, Kim Ye-ri’s growth was ridiculously fast, considering it was
uncommon to get a heroic-grade job after only a second job change. Usually,
a heroic-grade job would be obtained by the fourth or fifth job change.
At this point, I knew I had to take care of Park Deokgu’s mental state.
Answering the questions of my fellow members took precedence, however.
“Unique heroic-grade… That’s great, Kiyoung.”
“It’s the first time I’ve heard of ranks other than rare, heroic, and legendary.”
“Kiyoung is probably the only one among us who can receive such a job.
There are also a few adventurers within the city with unique ratings. Like
Kiyoung, when they discovered something new, they received this class. It is
said that latecomers are not given the same job even if they make the same
actions or results.”
“Oh…”
“In simple terms, it means that this job group cannot be duplicated.”
I liked the sound of that. Being special had its advantages. I knew my worth
had gone up. I knew I was right when I saw Kim Hyunsung’s excited
expression.
I had already wandered around the city to observe, and not once had I seen
anyone with a unique heroic-grade job.
If Kim Hyunsung was from the future, I daresay this could be an information
breakthrough he was looking for.
“Since the job is specialized, there must be both advantages and

disadvantages to it. It might hinder your progress towards potions or
Homunculus…”
“Oh, I’ve already thought about studying Homunculus, but I couldn’t because
I have low intelligence as of the moment. I also thought about controlling a
chimera, but I can’t do that because I’m not of the Warlock class.”
“Ah…”
“Since I couldn’t control the whole chimera, I thought there should be some
way to control part of it… Anyway, I’m going to stop the spell now.”
Upon the recasting of my spell, the monster arm began to shrink. This was a
revised version of Jung Hayan’s spell, used for reversing magical effects.
“I know it doesn’t look like a pet. It wasn’t a living thing at first, and it
doesn’t have its own will, but the system judged it as a pet after my job
change.”
“I see.”
It looked great, but it didn’t mean it didn’t have its drawbacks.
First, the quality of the material was very important. It had to be of decent
quality to inject the magic circle with different types of magic. That meant
only catalysts of at least rare grade could be used.
The second was that its duration was not that long.
Unlike most pets who eternally stood by their owners’ side, mine could only
be summoned for a short time.
Another problem was that I could not build the whole body. I didn’t know
what could happen in the future, but I was only limited to creating a few body
parts for now.
Though the conjuring was done in the magical sense, its attack came in
physical form. If I could find other unique monster catalysts, I could find a
way around this. But for now…
What was more important than my judgment was Kim Hyunsung’s opinion
about the matter. It all depended on whether my skill could help his plans in
the future.
As if on cue, Kim Hyunsung nodded when I looked at him for guidance.
“Thank you.”
“Ah!”
“I thought you could achieve something, but I hadn’t expected you to

accomplish so much,” Hyunsung remarked.
“Thank you,” I replied, but quickly added, “I still need to learn more about it,
though…”
Just knowing he was satisfied already made me feel better, and it wasn’t just
his reaction that sparked this satisfaction. My other party members also
looked very surprised. Words of praise soon fell out of everyone’s mouths,
prompting a smile on my face.
“I always knew my Hyung was amazing… This is great,” Deokgu

commented.
“Thank you, Deokgu,” I replied.
“Congratulations…” Kim Ye-ri greeted. It was the first time I ever heard her
speak properly.
I smiled and tried to reach out to stroke her hair, but she quickly hid behind
Kim Hyunsung.
It was then that I noticed Jung Hayan’s expression.
She sported an anxious look, and I knew it wasn’t because I had reached out
for Kim Ye-ri.
You’re worried because I might have found out about your magic, aren’t
you?
Since Jung Hayan had noticed that the alchemy method I had used was very
similar to her magic application, she trembled. I knew she feared my
discovery of her doings.
I knew I had to inform her and set a boundary between us, but now was
hardly the time.
“Hayan,” I called out.
“Ah… Yes, Oppa…” she replied.
I reached out to take her hand upon seeing her guilty expression.
I have no choice but to let her drown in her guilt.
It was best to make her realize that her choice was wrong.
However, it would be best if I didn’t discuss it with her directly. I would find
a more appropriate timing to talk to her about it.
“Shall we go for breakfast? Kiyoung also needs to know what jobs we’ve
obtained.”
You don’t have to tell me, but…
I felt it would be more appropriate to hear them explain than find out with my
ability.
“I think the expedition went decently?” I asked, trying to look naïve.
“Oh, it didn’t. In fact, it was so hard at first that I thought we would have to
retreat…” Hyunsung replied glumly, making everyone quiet.
“…”
“I want to hear more details,” I remarked.
I didn’t know how bad it was, but the quiet atmosphere made me think it was
worse than I had initially imagined.
“We first entered a rare-grade dungeon. However, it took us three days to

leave,” Hyunsung narrated.
“What? Why?” I asked.
“It was because of Jung Hayan’s physical condition,” Hyunsung replied.
“Ah…”
I glanced over at Jung Hayan, who had hung her head in shame. I understood
how this came to be.
Until the moment they left, Hayan had stubbornly refrained from eating or
sleeping properly and spent most of her time exerting her energy into
needless actions.
So that’s why you all came back late.
The three extra days Kim Hyunsung had talked about was probably to refine
Jung Hayan’s messed up mentality.
“Deokgu also took a very long time to adjust. I also found more things they
should work on. It was the same with Ye-ri. Aside from being inexperienced,
she tends to move unexpectedly. It would have been even more difficult if
Hee-young wasn’t there,” Hyunsung recounted.
The room stayed silent as she spoke.
Go on. I’m listening…
“Their formation also proved to be a mess. Had I not intervened, they would
have been annihilated right off the bat. There were a lot of times when the
rear was in danger because they had not fortified it, and times when the front
felt too scared to stay in place because of the wayward trajectory of arrows,”
Hyunsung continued.
“Ah…” I muttered and nodded.
“It felt like the party would be wiped out at any time,” she added.
The way Kim Hyunsung explained to me was similar to how a parent would
tell their spouse about their children’s bad behavior.
Not surprisingly, Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan’s heads dropped even lower.
Only
“But the more times we went in, the more they improved. The results were
not bad overall,” Hyunsung remarked, changing her mood from glum to
hopeful.
“I’m glad to hear that,” I replied.
“We also achieved stats of 60, and all of us succeeded in getting heroic-grade
jobs,” Hyunsung added.
Wait, all of you got heroic class jobs? But Park Deokgu’s status window…
“Let’s head back inside so I can explain it all in more detail.”
It didn’t take me long to understand why Kim Hyunsung had chosen to speak
that way. Upon turning and seeing Park Deokgu’s ashamed expression, I
realized what he had done to mask what kind of job he had gotten.
This pig…
The Third Job (10)
I knew that Park Deokgu must have lied to them, and I could understand why
he did it.
He had probably consulted with Kim Hyunsung and Sun Hee-young and
found out that everyone else had gotten a heroic-grade job. I did not know
how badly he had performed during the expedition, but I did know that he felt
inferior in its duration.
It didn’t help that Kim Ye-ri, who was only just a child, had gotten a job that
was classed on a higher grade than him. After all, the kid was a genius.
‘She’s above legendary potential.’
Kim Ye-ri’s talent wasn’t just limited to her stats, either. One could see her
enormous potential just by looking at her. If one were to think about how
well she had performed back in the Garden of Terror as a newbie, then it was
natural to see an immense improvement on her next expedition. However, it
appeared that Park Deokgu was not aware of this.
Geniuses belonged to a class far more sophisticated than the average human.
I had not lived for a long time, but I’d already seen a fair share of them.
‘And not only on Earth…’
I found just many here – people who showed talent far beyond the simple
understanding of many.
Jung Hayan casually made use of revolutionary magic as if it wasn’t a big

deal. Sun Hee-young had the potential to become legendary and held the
party’s center position with her unique calmness. There was Kim Ye-ri, a kid
from the slums with exceptional talent. Even Kim Hyunsung, a returner from
the future, brought with him a sense of potential that was insurmountable
compared to most people.
We were the only party whose members could all be classified as geniuses.
Of course, even Park Deokgu had the potential to be a great adventurer, but
when faced with the fact that he had natural geniuses on his team, I could
understand how he must have felt.
‘Everyone here is a monster.’
Even Hwang Jeong-yeon had said that she felt intimidated upon seeing Jung
Hayan.
Even so, Park Deokgu’s decision to lie was quite surprising.
Considering his personality, it would be correct to assume that he had chosen

to lie without worrying about future consequences. It appeared that he
prioritized his mental state above everything else, especially now that he
found out I had also obtained a heroic-grade job.
At this point, he must have felt like he was the only one being left behind.
“The job I got this time was an Archmage,” Hayan remarked.
“Oh?” I asked with a curious expression.
“Yeah. It boosts a lot of magic and increases affinity for all kinds of
attributes, and it doesn’t only boost elemental magic… It also works the same
for other types of magic. I can use magic more efficiently, and I’ve also
gained advanced magic knowledge. I can’t say that it’s amazing yet…”
Hayan explained.
“No, no, that’s already great!” I replied with a smile to cheer her up.
“Ah, my magic power also rose to 69 this time, Oppa!” Hayan added.
“That’s brilliant, Hayan. You grew more than I thought you would,” I
praised.
“My intelligence stats are also around 62,” she added.
“Why am I not surprised?” I asked, then she continued to blabber about the
group’s stats.
“Hyunsung said that his stats rose to 70 as well. Sun Hee-young’s stats went
up by a lot, too, though she did not hunt much.”
‘Ah, it seems like this kind of growth only applies to people like you…’
Park Deokgu’s stats, as well as mine, only settle on the levels of 60.
It was a little embarrassing for us to struggle at the same time, yet she grew
even stronger than I did – but this didn’t necessarily mean it was a bad thing.
The stronger Jung Hayan gets, the safer I am.
Of course, the opposite may happen to bite me in the ass, but this was good
news for now. I began to appraise Hayan with my ability.
[Archmage-Heroic Grade]
[This is a job given to those who have the qualifications to explore the truth
of magic. Magical power is increased by five, and affinity for all types of
magical power is also increased. Nothing is known about the jobs that it can
be changed into afterward.]
‘Good.’
It was a job with a plain-sounding name, but its description suited Hayan. It
was a better title than, let’s say, a murder mage or a madness mage.
Of course, it wasn’t just Jung Hayan who had shown immense growth. The
same could also be said for Kim Hyunsung.
I couldn’t determine the direction of his growth, but at least Kim Hyunsung
seemed to have avoided the purest form of examination.
[Advanced Swordsmanship Trainee-Heroic Level]
[This is a job for those who practice learning the extremes of swordsmanship.
Strength increases by 3, agility increases by 2, and magic power increases by
1.]
There was no further explanation needed. The answer came just by looking at
the description. For someone like Kim Hyunsung, a low-grade job such as
this was only a passing opportunity for something greater. I knew he had
chosen it for a reason. I also knew Hyunsung enough to know that he wasn’t
the type to make stupid choices.
This time, he was the one who spoke.
“Ye-ri got a job as a tracker.”
“You mean the tracker?” I asked.
“Yes,” he nodded.
“As a type of archer, I thought it would be okay for her to handle small and
medium-sized weapons such as daggers and swords, as well as bows. In Ye-
ri’s case, her stats meant she is capable of this. Her focus is on agility and
magic, so her options will continue to expand,” Hyunsung explained.
‘That’s because she has no stats below the heroic level.’
“She doesn’t have to worry about being left alone anymore,” I commented.
“Yes. That’s right. That was quite a problem for our party. Oh, besides that,
Sun Hee-young also changed her job as a Supreme Court. Her divine power
has risen noticeably. Deokgu also said he got an avant-garde job related to
tanking skills.”
Upon hearing this, I immediately assessed Sun Hee-young’s title with my

ability.
[Dark Priest Supreme-Heroic Level]
It seemed that Sun Hee-young had not explained her job to Hyunsung in
detail. Upon hearing herself being mentioned, Sun Hee-young merely
nodded.
Her new job looked like an evolutionary version of her previous job, but I
couldn’t say for sure since there was no mention of any new spells or
abilities.
Whatever the case, our party was growing exceptionally well.
Except for Park Deokgu, who was wearing an embarrassed expression, I

knew we had substantially progressed.
In truth, Park Deokgu had achieved amazing results if he stopped comparing

himself to the rest of our genius party members. He would be welcomed
wherever he went at this point.
‘I need you to talk at least once…’
It was natural for him not to speak up when others were so fixated on their
achievements. I didn’t want to let my team members know that I could see
everyone’s stats, so it would be impossible to call Park Deokgu out on his
sense of inferiority.
‘There’s nothing as stupid as comparing yourself to a genius.’
It may sound a bit harsh, but I wanted Park Deokgu to realize that.
Although the conversation had begun in a heavy atmosphere, it soon took on

a lighter, happier tone. We soon started laughing about the mistakes they had
committed in the dungeon and how I had been imprisoned in my workshop
this entire time.
When I heard that Jung Hayan cried every day and that Kim Hyunsung had to
save the party countless times from danger, I couldn’t help but laugh out
loud. Even Kim Ye-ri, who hardly ever spoke, had begun to participate in the
conversation in a slightly more confident manner.
It was then that the guild’s door opened with a rattling sound.
We all turned to see Lee Seolho and Lee Sang-hee, walking in with heavy
expressions.
“I will prepare for the meeting right now. Please call all the remaining
executives in the guild.”
“You mean, everyone?”
“Yeah. There will be no exceptions. First of all, please, convene. The meeting
will be held in my private office. How many parties are there right now?”
“I know that the 2nd unit has returned.”
“The 7th unit also returned this morning, Lee Sang-hee, Lee Seolho.”
“If so, please send in for Hyunsung and Kiyoung as well.”
“Even them?”
“Yes. Please summon them all. I have news about the guild.”
“…Okay, that is noted.”
‘What the hell is happening?’
It wouldn’t take a genius to notice that something was wrong. Lee Sang-hee’s
expression, usually so compassionate and mother-like, was now very pale.
Even Lee Seolho looked worried.
“You go up first. I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Yes, please, Mr. Seolho.”

I could see general guild members also making their way up, probably to
alert Hwang Jeong-yeon of the sudden meeting.
From what I could remember, the second unit lived on the fourth floor.
“Kiyoung, let’s head up.”
“Ah… Yes, yes, of course.”
The light atmosphere just moments ago suddenly became much heavier.
I could see Lee Seolho glancing my way. Normally, I wasn’t the type to butt
in others’ business, but I felt my actions were slightly justified this time
around.
“Others can use this time to do whatever they like. However, I recommend
that you take this time to rest.”
“Noted.”
“Okay, I see.”
‘What?’
I felt slightly disoriented by the atmosphere. I could hear the murmuring of

other guild members growing louder and louder at this point. They, too,
seemed to have no idea about what was going on from what I could hear.
“Kim Hyunsung, Lee Kiyoung. The Blue Guild Master is waiting for you…”
“I know. I will go up now.”
“Ah. Then I guess I’ll head up as well.”
The guild member who was undoubtedly tasked with alerting all members
nodded and hurried out the door.
As I went up to Lee Sang-hee’s office in a hurry, I saw an armed guard

opening the door. Kim Hyunsung and I were able to get past without hassle.
“Is everyone gathered?”
“Yeah. I think so.”
Lee Sang-hee stood in front of us with a serious expression. Hwang Jeong-

yeon and Lee Seolho were with her.
‘What? This is all of us?’
Only
It was ridiculous to say that these are all the people present.
“Kiyoung, Hyunsung. Please sit down. I think it’s time I deliver some bad
news.”
I still couldn’t figure out what was going on, even after considering
everyone’s expressions. Kim Hyunsung, however, seemed to have an
expectant look on his face.
‘Does he know what’s about to happen?’
It was then I realized the reason why we had even chosen to enter Blue Guild.
‘He knows.’
Kim Hyunsung knew what had happened. Whatever it was, it was the reason
why he had chosen for us to enter the Blue Guild, despite having countless
other choices during the recruitment.
It was then that Lee Sang-hee, designated Vice Guild Master, opened her
mouth to explain.
Chapter 85 The Crazy Old Man (1)
The Crazy Old Man (1)
The atmosphere itself felt very heavy. Even a newborn baby would be able to
sense the change.
Lee Sang-hee, who looked hesitant, finally spoke.
“Currently, all parties except Blue’s second and seventh units are isolated in
hero-grade dungeons. Life and death counts have not yet been confirmed, yet
they have confirmed the morning’s rescue signal. Considering that they had
not been able to send a second signal, it seemed that there was a problem
with the parties entering the dungeon.”
“The exact time they entered the dungeon was on the 14th of August, and our
last contact was around 6:40 this morning. Is that right, Seolho?” Sang-hee
added.
“Yes, that’s correct,” Seolho replied and nodded.
If they had entered on the 14th of August, then that meant they had gone even
before we were recruited in Blue Guild. I could sense how things had gone
for them.
‘Their expeditions have failed…’
This was one of the typical reasons for the downfall of guilds. I had not yet
been in Lindel long enough, yet this was common, obtainable knowledge.
‘One expedition failure can make a small clan stumble, yet two will cause
even a large guild to stumble.’
The danger was commonly known for everyone who would dare to enter a
dungeon. At the same time, it was a testimony of power, which was what
Lindel thrived on.
If accidents were to happen during an expedition, it would inflict not only

physical injuries but also social ones. It meant that the unit or party was not
as powerful as they seemed to be.
This was why ordinary clans and guilds invested a lot in preparing for
expeditions. Weaker guilds had even resorted to recruiting trial parties to
estimate the dungeon’s difficulty.
If the dungeon found was a dungeon with a hero level or higher, one needed
to be more careful.
Unlike rare dungeons where simple monsters appeared followed by the boss
monster, hero-grade dungeons had different mechanisms for each dungeon.
I had not even entered one yet myself, but I knew how risky it could be.
‘The Blue Guild would eventually collapse because of several expedition

failures.’
Kim Hyunsung must have already been aware of this situation. Sending in a
rescue team must have been a predetermined procedure. Human resources
were the topmost priority for every guild.
No, before the topic of human resources, these people have been like family
to each other. Blue had a long history, after all. If it were up to him, he would
barge in and rescue them himself. However, there were certain procedures he
still had to take note of.
The question now was what choices we would make in light of this situation.
Soon, voices rose in reaction to this. We started discussing what options we
could take.
‘It’s a tabletop theory, anyway…’
“Would you like to ask another guild for support?”
“I requested support from the Red Mercenary, but the answer is delayed due
to the absence of the Mercenary Queen. We don’t know how long it would
take them to answer… Perhaps it would be too late by then.”
“So, do you mean for us to barge in without any planned countermeasures?”
“I am not saying that. However, seeing as the rescue signal was sent just this
morning, there is a large possibility that many of our personnel are still alive.
That is why I called for an urgent meeting.”
“It’s only right that we send in a rescue team, but we admittedly don’t have a
lot of power. At this point, what we need is structure, not a strategy.”
“If you want to organize a rescue team, retired people can also…”
“Oh, but at this point, even just doing administrative work can already tire us
old men out…” Lee Seolho laughed nervously.
“But our numbers aren’t sufficient!”
“How is it not enough? We have the 7th unit, don’t we?”
“…”
“The 7th unit…”
“Isn’t the 7th party also considered as the main power of our guild?”
‘This deranged old man…’
I decided to stay quiet. I could already see where this was heading. We would
be sent in, regardless of what we could say in return.
Though there would be information about the dungeon to aid us, the fact that
the previous party had already failed meant that the expedition would be
highly dangerous.
Even if Hwang Jeong-yeon and Lee Sang-hee volunteered to act as the rescue
team, it would still not be enough of a force.
The question was how we should go about this. It would be of common

opinion to dispatch a rescue team to save those in danger, but it seemed like
people like Lee Seolho wouldn’t be willing to throw their selves in harm’s
way.
“Didn’t we pay an expensive amount for them? Now is the time for them to
show that they’re worth the money.”
“They’re a party that hasn’t grown properly yet, Seolho.”
“Hwang Jeong-yeon, I know that very well. But isn’t it the time for them to
show what they’re truly worth? We’ll need all the help we can get.”
“Even if you put it that way…”
“This is a guild crisis. It’s only natural for them to help out.”
“If you think so, why don’t you also go, Lee Seolho?”
“As a retired adventurer, I own a weak and fragile body. I have been devoting
my entire life to the guild. As much as we’d love to rescue those in danger, I
have to stay and protect the guild in my own way.”
“Ah, but…”
“Even if we go, we won’t be of much help.”
“Hm…”
‘What obvious excuses…’

Assessing this ridiculous atmosphere almost made me laugh. I knew what
this senile geezer was thinking. If Lee Sang-hee and Hwang Jeong-Yeon
entered the dungeon together, the one who would reap the most benefit by
staying safely behind would be him.
‘Just as I thought, he’s a rabid old dog.’
After analyzing him with my ability, I could say his stats weren’t all that bad.
He may seem like a weak man on the outside, but I could see that he still had
some fight left in him. However, he doubted he could safely make it out of an
expedition, which was why he chose to opt-out of the operation.
This meant that Kim Hyunsung’s party—my party—would be caught in the

middle. Whether this rescue expedition succeeded or not, most of the blame
would fall on us.
“It’s still not the right time to dispatch the 7th unit.”
“Huh, but there’s no other way, is there?”
“These are people who have only been in Lindel for less than a year.”
“But they are also guild members of Blue, who received preferential
treatment, nonetheless!”
“It’s not a matter of preference. It’s common sense. No guild in the city sends
parties less than a year old to hero-grade dungeons. I mean, most guilds
choose to dispatch trial parties…”
“Ha! A trial party, what a joke! I say we dispatch them!”
“Stop.”
Lee Sang-hee eventually put an end to the ongoing argument.
“We’ll have to wait. Both Seolho and Jeong-yeon are right. No matter how
fast Hyunsung and others grow up… It won’t help much.”
‘This is it.’
“Please protect the guild in my absence.”
“Ah, but…”
“Stop it. This is my decision. For the rest of you also going, please ready
your people. Aside from this, we can only rely on the support of other guilds
now…”
“If that’s your final decision, then…”
I did not know if this was Kim Hyunsung’s intention, but if it was, then I
could understand why. If this rescue operation failed, then our party would
soon become the most influential unit within Blue.
Of course, there would be several problems to deal with, but assuming that
we’d be skipping a very complicated part of the process, we would achieve
our goals in a much quicker fashion.
‘However, things might not go as well as we would like for them to…’
Conversely, it also meant that even Lee Sang-hee and Hwang Jeong-yeon
might not make it back successfully. If we were to lose two powerful
members, then the story would change. We needed to make sure that this
wouldn’t happen.
The fact remained, however. It would take a little more time, but the power
would eventually shift to us.
The most important thing was what choice Kim Hyunsung would take now.
It felt very frustrating not to know what he was thinking. Of course, that
didn’t mean that he was completely unreadable. I knew Kim Hyunsung
would be able to see the benefits in this situation.
“We will go with you.”
Kim Hyunsung reacted the way I expected him to.
“What…?”
“I already told you. We will go with you.”
“Ah… Thank you so much… This…”
Of course, I had to support Kim Hyunsung’s decision. I did not oppose the
notion. Both Lee Sang-hee and Hwang Jeong-yeon had helped me in so many
ways, after all.
“Hyunsung is right. It is only right for us to go together.”
‘Ah, but I feel so anxious…’
I knew there was another reason why Kim Hyunsung chose to take this path.
Perhaps he was aware of the rewards we could reap from the dungeon we’d
be going into.
After all, no matter how good Hyunsung’s intentions were, he wasn’t a saint.
I took a deep breath and spoke.
“Recently, our whole party has been able to progress remarkably. All of us
have acquired hero-level jobs as our third job, and our main stats are already
in the line of 60s. In Jung Hayan’s case, she has already reached the 70th
level.”
“That…”
“Really?”
“Huh…”
“That’s nonsense…”
“Of course, I know that this is not enough. We are aware of the fact that our
stats are insufficient for hero-grade dungeons. However, we are also
members of the Blue Guild. Though we are only bonded via contractual
means, it does not mean that we take our responsibilities lightly.”
Only
“Kiyoung…”
“I have been helped by many people. This time, I would like to lend you our
services. If we judge that we cannot continue any further, we will take the
necessary protocols and retreat. However, we ask you to allow us the
opportunity to help.”
I lowered my head a little. Everyone’s reactions exploded at that moment.

My actions might have seemed reckless, but it did not mean that it wouldn’t
garner positive attention.
“Ah, I definitely want you guys to go with us!”
“Haha, what a touching resolution!” The only blight was the old geezer’s
amusement.
“Lee Sang-hee, Mr. Kiyoung, and Mr. Hyunsung are volunteering. Since they
have already acquired their third jobs, they may be able to be of help. Why
don’t you take them with you?”
For all his stupidity, what the old man said was indeed correct.
Perhaps I wasn’t the only one thinking this way.

Chapter 86 The Crazy Old Man (2)
The Crazy Old Man (2)
“That looks good.”
“I didn’t know that you had such strong minds to think about the betterment
of the guild, haha.”
The old geezer Lee Seolho remarked, but no one laughed with him.
“…”
“It’s only normal,” I muttered.
‘As I said, he’s deranged…’
I didn’t know just what old men like Lee Seolho had contributed to the Blue
Guild in the past. Seeing how Lee Sang-hee showed respect for old men like
him made me think that they had a deep connection with the absent Guild
Master, but I suppose knowing didn’t matter.
It already felt unsettling to know that the intention of my party and his plans
matched.
“We’ve already gained our third jobs, so that would definitely help,” I
remarked.
“Ah, you’re all really amazing… Worth the money…” Seolho commented.
“Isn’t it all thanks to the guild’s support? Hahahaha…” he added.

Hwang Jeong-yeon gazed at Lee Seolho with suspicion. It was only natural
for her to do so. The man was never known for being an optimist, so his
sudden pleasant disposition naturally warranted some scrutiny from the
others who knew how he truly was.
“Though there are others who willingly went to participate, there’re still
others that insist on staying to guard the guild. Don’t you ever think about
participating before pushing someone else to do it?”
I knew the remark was made for everyone too scared to join. It wasn’t just
Lee Seolho’s expression who crumbled out of embarrassment upon hearing
this. The others who were present also showed the same expression.
“W-Well…”
“It will be hard for us to stand in the front lines…”
“I don’t think we can provide the needed power…”
“Doesn’t everyone here play a different role to keep the guild running? We’re
non-combatants in the first place. Even Seolho Lee is retired. It will be
difficult for us to gain the momentum needed to stand in the front lines.”
“I don’t know about that. To me, it looks like you’re avoiding responsibility.”
“You talk too much.”
“I don’t think I’m wrong. Just be honest and say that you don’t want to go.”
“Huh… Isn’t that being a little too harsh?!”
“I think you know who among us here is being selfish right now.”
Emotions clashed with each other. It was natural for Hwang Jeong-yeon to
make this assumption. Anyone else would’ve done the same. However, we
wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.
They were undoubtedly part of the non-combatant forces. It wouldn’t make

sense to bring them along with us. They would probably prove to be a
hindrance.
“You really are all so shameless…”
It might be a delusion, but I could almost see Lee Seolho and the others
wishing for our immediate deaths in the upcoming expedition. It would be the
perfect opportunity to take control.
If all combatants were unable to return alive in the hero-level dungeon, they
would infringe on a new system, based on the influence that the Blue Guild
had cultivated, with Lee Seolho in the center.
The world was changing, so there was no way an old geezer like him could
bring the Blue Guild back to its former glory. Rather, it would make perfect
sense for them to sell the guild.
‘Of course, it’ll all come down to money-making.’
Although there would be no combatants left within the guild, the wealth,
infrastructures, and Guild House has value.
I had also thought Kim Hyunsung was considering this, so why wouldn’t they
think of the same thing? What I couldn’t understand was why Lee Seolho
seemed like the mastermind of their group.
‘Does he have some sort of backing system?’
I was almost sure of it. Old people do not take risks. Gambling was more for
younger people who wished to live a stable life.
I could almost wager that the only reason these old men were able to hold
positions within the Guild was from taking advantage of countless other
people’s sacrifices.
If not, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that they were responsible for the
rotting of the guild.
When the atmosphere seemed to rise in intensity, Lee Seolho spoke again.
“Please stop it. Other people will also feel frustrated with what you are doing.
Jeong-yeon also seems unusually excited today.”
“Master, but…”
“You cannot take administrative officers to a dungeon. The same goes for
Lee Seolho. Considering that you are already retired and not in good shape
recently, going with you is not a reasonable option. Of course, I know how
Jeong-yeon feels. I feel the same way, too. Honestly, I am not happy with
what you are both doing right now.”
“Ah…”
“That…”
“Hmm.”
“I couldn’t help it…”
“It wasn’t like this before… It feels embarrassing to show such

unprofessionalism in front of Kiyoung and Hyunsung. The Blue Guild I
imagined is not like this. Of course, your actions are reasonable. Indeed, you
cannot leave the dungeon with the non-combatant army. I also know that
your physical condition is not the same as before. Nevertheless… I am really
disappointed to see how you are all choosing to express your frustrations. No,
in fact, I am most disappointed with my incompetence.”
I knew regret welled up in both opposing parties’ faces upon hearing this.
The guilt would not go away unless they volunteered to join. Apart from this,
I could also feel Lee Sang-hee’s disappointment. She must have felt like she
was abandoning Hyunsung and me from attaining a proper guild experience.
Lee Sang-hee slowly began to look in our direction. I knew what she wanted
to say even before she even spoke up.
“Hyunsung and Kiyoung.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes?”
“I really am sorry to take back my previous statement. Would you mind…

going on this expedition with us?”
Lee Sang-hee’s voice trembled, and she had resorted to bowing her head.
Tears had even begun to pile up in her eyes.
‘This situation definitely does call for a change of mind.’
If this happened a month ago, she would never have allowed us to come
along with them.
‘That’s why.’
Anyway, it seemed that we still had a chance of surviving, even with just 60
plus stats and a third job. I knew Lee Sang-hee had taken this into account,
which was why she changed her mind.
I understood the urgency. This was the worst situation the Blue Guild has
ever experienced, and we’d need all the manpower we could get, even if we
were collectively lacking. We didn’t even know if anyone from the missing
parties would still be alive once we got there.
I could understand why she was willing to take every opportunity she could
get.
Kim Hyunsung’s answer to Lee Sang-hee’s heartfelt request was obvious.
“Of course.”
I had to smile at his response.
“Thank you,” Sang-hee remarked.
“We have to do what we have to do,” Hyunsung added.

Lee Sang-hee nodded and spoke again.
“Then, I shall prepare for the dispatching of the rescue team. We will
immediately leave for the expedition.”
“Yes, that’s noted.”
“So, it stands. The second and seventh units shall go with me. Please get
ready as soon as possible. We will leave in as early as half an hour.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“For those who shall remain in the guild, please meet with the other guilds,
including the Red Mercenaries. Please send a backup to the expedition as
soon as contact has been made.”
“Of course.”
“Seolho…”
Lee Sang-hee called out and shifted her attention to Lee Seolho.
“Yes, Lee Sang-hee?” Seolho asked.
“I hope you don’t disappoint me. And… I’ll choose to believe in you,” Sang-
hee remarked.
The old geezer was quick to respond in a seemingly sincere tone.
“I will repay your faith, Lee Sang-hee. As soon as we get in touch with other
guilds, reinforcements will come your way.
“Thank you.”
At this, Lee Sang-hee ran out, not wanting to delay any further. Hwang
Jeong-Yeon followed suit, and even the administrative members moved with
a sense of urgency. Kim Hyunsung and I did the same.
After coming down to the first floor, I witnessed the rest of our party
members already assembled. Seeing as Sun Hee-young had taken the
initiative to be in charge, it seemed that preparations for the expedition didn’t
need to be taken care of anymore.
This was the perfect timing for my skills, as I had done more than just
prepare for the expedition.
‘What a pity…’
Lee Sang-hee was a good person. However, she was not an ideal leader. To
put it simply, I found her way of thinking foolish.
Faith was, of course, a good tool when dealing with great people, for
example, like Deok-gun or Baek-Yi.
Lee Sang-hee may have the same feelings for Lee Seolho and his idiotic
underlings. However, it didn’t necessarily mean that Seolho would pay
tribute to the faith she had given him.
I did not know the source of Lee Sang-hee’s deep faith, but I could take a
guess – she had faith in those she had been with for a long time. And she held
the belief that even if the guild were in danger of being ruined, they would
stay together until the end.
It didn’t matter if I was right or wrong. That kind of belief usually gets
shattered by betrayal. In my opinion, these old geezers weren’t different from
the poor people that had hurt Sun Hee-young. Their only difference was the
fact that they were lucky enough to score a position. They also knew how to
step on others to work their way up.
I couldn’t blame them for choosing to use their abilities. However, it just
meant they were good at nothing else other than this trickery.
‘Faith is…’
It was an emotion that persisted as long as both parties knew they could still
benefit from each other. In the old men’s eyes, they probably couldn’t see
any benefits that would come from helping Lee Sang-hee out.
“We shall depart in thirty minutes…”
“What is it?”
“Do you want me to get anything else for you, Oppa?”
“Ah, Hayan. I actually do. Can you get me something?”
“Yeah?”
“I have to run errands right now… I don’t have much time.”
“Sure. Just tell me what you need.”
Kim Ye-ri, who was already looking in my direction with a suspicious

expression, began to approach me right after Jung Hayan ran off.
‘Huh. She notices things fast.’
“Can you also run some errands for me?”
She simply nodded her head in response.
“It’ll be of great help to Hyunsung.”
“Okay.”
“Can you give a letter to someone named Lee Ji-hye from the Black Swan
Guild?”
“Lee Ji-hye?”
“Yes, Lee Ji-hye. If it’s possible, it’d be better if no one sees you do it. Please
don’t try to read it halfway through, either.”
Only
“But…”
“If you say I sent you, they will welcome you. You need to go as soon as
possible.”
“Okay…”
She disappeared in an instant. My thoughts were in turmoil at this point. I

didn’t even know if I was doing the right thing. However, I knew I was
correct to some extent.
Why? One may ask.
Because I knew nothing good would come from putting faith into what I
knew were my enemies.
“It’s the perfect timing for some exposure…”
I knew it was necessary to start removing the rotten executives from the
guild.
Chapter 87 Together Forever (1)
Together Forever (1)
Lee Sang-hee’s voice resonated within the room as I read Lee Jihye’s letter
brought by Kim Ye-ri.
“Let’s get going.”
“Of course.”
I stuffed the letter into my pocket and got up from my seat, nodding. By the
time we left the dungeon, my plan would be in progress.
Right now, I had to focus on the expedition itself.
The total number of members for the expedition was 14. We had six people
from our party, seven people from the party managed by Hwang Jeong-yeon,
and Lee Sang-hee herself, who would lead the expedition.
Though we lacked in number, we at least had some capable members.
First of all, it was important to note that Lee Sang-hee was a paladin with a
stat of 90. She was a talented individual who was not a good leader but was
exceptional as a combat agent. She was the best tanker of any avant-garde I’d
ever seen.
Her agility level was low, but the merit of having 77 magic power and having
self-healing abilities meant she was unmatched by any other tanker in Lindel.
‘The same goes for Hwang Jeong-yeon…’

The 2nd unit also had decent overall stats. They averaged the 70 to 80 levels,
and their overall potential was not bad. They were the ones who had the
appropriate stats to enter the hero-grade dungeons.
“Since we lack the time, we’ll brief you on the way. Please note that our
priority is not to clear the dungeon.”
“Of course.”
“Our purpose is to identify and rescue the survivors. If I determine that there
are no other survivors, I will immediately call for our retreat. The rescue of
the survivors is important, but your safety is more important than anything
else. I hope you always keep that in mind.”
“The level of the dungeon we are entering is of hero-grade, and the name of
the dungeon is the Cursed Shrine. The types of monsters that will appear are
ghosts and undead, and other detailed information has not yet been
confirmed. We will search for survivors as safely as possible until backup
arrives.”
“How long will this take?”
“It is a dungeon found in the undead hunting grounds within the western
region of Lindel. It will take about 8 hours to get to the destination.”
“Ah, so it won’t take that long.”
Although we had prepared for the expedition in such a hurry, I still felt
surprised to find out that we had scarce information about the dungeon we
were entering.
I could understand why so many parties had failed.
No matter how much I thought about it, entering a hero-grade dungeon with
little to no information beforehand seemed like a very risky endeavor one
should not take.
If the dungeon’s grades were a rare grade, of course, it would be no problem
at all.
‘Was there any reason for them to enter?’
I thought that there was a possibility that the cause of the failure could be
caused by arrogantly entering with the mindset of ‘What could happen when
I’m using this amount of power?’
It was only natural for me to feel curious. Hwang Jeong-yeon saw this and
approached me.
“The information is a bit lacking.”
“I think it’s because we’re in a rush.”
“Is there any reason?”
“Yeah… I didn’t have enough time to prepare for the expedition. It was a
mistake to think about what could happen in a hero-grade dungeon because
almost all the guild’s power was put into the dungeon. Did you know that the
Blue Guild Master is cursed?”
Of course, this was the first time I heard of it.
“No. This is the first time I heard it.”
“Ah. It was meant to be kept under wraps. Lee Sang-hee is most likely
waiting for the perfect time to tell you.”
“Hmm…”
“It happened before you joined the party, Kiyoung. The Guild Master
suffered a curse from an unknown force, and to dispel it, he forcefully
entered the Cursed Shrine. In fact, I didn’t think it was impossible at the time.
The guilds members who left for the expedition were veterans specializing in
hero-grade dungeons or hunting large monsters.”
‘Ah…’
It was a common mistake. If the expedition were composed of veterans at
least on Hwang Jeong-Yeon’s level, they must have thought they were more
than capable of legendary dungeons, much less hero-grade ones.
“Is there any info to be gained from the Cursed Shrine?”
“In fact, even I’m not so sure about that. The curse that the Guild Master
suffered was obtained in the process of discovering the Cursed Shrine, and of
course, I thought there might be a solution to the dungeon that caused it. He
was the one who reached out to open the dungeon entrance…”
“I see…”
To put it simply, the Blue Guild Master was cursed for simply discovering
the dungeon, so the veterans under him went in to search for a way to dispel
it.
It was as if it was the dungeon’s way of attracting more adventurers.
‘And to think, this is the dungeon we’re about to get ourselves into…’
All of a sudden, I felt a little anxious. This eerily felt just like a horror movie,
where the noble guys who tried to save their fallen friend would also get
caught up in the bad events.
This time, I had no choice but to hope that it wouldn’t be like that.
“You don’t seem surprised, Kiyoung.”
“No, no. I just sort of expected that there was a reason for the Guild Master’s
absenteeism. I just didn’t find it in me to dig in further. I was too busy
focusing on my growth.”
“Ahh, yes. Lee Sang-hee probably didn’t want you to worry about it.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“Oppa…”
“Ah, Hayan.” Perhaps I had spent too much time talking to Hwang Jeong-
yeon.
I greeted Jung Hayan and stepped up to match her stride, and her frown
immediately shifted into a smile. However, given the severity of the situation,
I couldn’t find it in myself to resort to hand-holding. Jung Hayan seemed to
understand this since she wasn’t pulling at my sleeves.
Meanwhile, the road we were taking was an uphill that was too steep for
wagons and the like.
Since I lacked in the physical category, I struggled to keep up with everyone

else. However, we were still approaching our destination at a faster pace than
expected.
‘It’s probably because of the sense of urgency.’
It was understandable for them not to show any consideration for the
members with low stamina. For now, I had no choice but to match their stride
while taking in health potions that I had brought with me.
As the enemies we were going to deal with were the undead, it seemed that
the priests thought it was good to save their divine power as much as
possible.
Eventually, when less than half a day had passed, we arrived at the area
where the undead was located. This was the first time I encountered a
monster called undead. It looked curious, snooping here and there.
“No…”
The priests were openly frowning.
In the case of Sun Hee-young, who had a job as a dark priest, it seems that
she was not struggling as much as the rest of them, but she was certainly still
affected.
Kim Ye-ri clung onto Kim Hyunsung as if she was timider than she initially
thought. Park Deokgu, originally the timid one, had a constricted expression
due to the gloomy atmosphere.
Among our party members, Jung Hayan and Kim Hyunsung were the only
ones who were still in good shape. Kim Hyunsung, who knew about this area
in the first place, could not understand why Jung Hayan seemed to be
smiling.
The more we entered, the darker the atmosphere became.
It wasn’t just because it was nighttime. There was something about this place
that seemed to press on us. It felt unpleasant to continue with the damp,
humid air, but we pushed through. The undead sounds coming from god
knows where only amplified the tension.
To be precise, this was a place that sparked irritation. In particular, the more
we walked, the more the negative feelings within me intensified.
‘Does this have something to do with the curse?’
I couldn’t possibly know. Something about this place hindered my normally

critical thinking.
“Does this place make you feel annoyed? Or is it just me…” Deokgu asked.
“I feel it too, Deokgu. It will probably get worse the deeper we get in,” I
replied glumly.
“No…” Deokgu said in a miserable tone.
“I don’t want to deal with people like the undead…” he added.
“It can’t be helped,” I replied coldly.
With all the whispering and talking, it didn’t take long for us to reach our
destination—a small room found inside the temple.
There was something very wrong with it.
When I flipped the bookshelf in the small room, the entrance to the dungeon
came into view.
There was one more new entrance in the room. I didn’t know what exactly it
was, but I noticed that it had a pendant of a beast hanging upside down, like a
bad omen.
Was this a shrine?
‘It looks like a place where the devil is being worshiped.’
Looking at the basement entrance, I thought I knew the reason why the Blue
Guild Master, who found this place, was cursed, especially considering how
confident he was about his abilities.
‘It’s like breathing in itself can make you cursed…’
As I was looking around and assessing the atmosphere, Lee Sang-hee spoke
up.
“I will be the first to enter. Unit 7 will follow, and unit 2 will enter right after.
Priests, please recite the purification spell.”
“Of course.”
Sun Hee-young and a man from the second party could be seen reciting the
spell. As soon as their light poured over us, the constricted feeling in my
chest loosened a little.
‘It’s working.’
Everyone else nodded, and Lee Sang-hee moved.
“Let’s go, Kiyoung.”
“Oppa.”
“Yes, let’s…”
Of course, it is natural that we as we entered. The information of the place

immediately spilled over.
[You have entered the heroic dungeon Cursed Shrine. The number of people
[??/??] has been confirmed.]
I thought the battle would start right away, but this wasn’t the case.
Unlike the Garden of Terror, where the landscape seemed to change

completely, the Cursed Shrine did not feel like it was separated from the
outside. It felt like being in a huge shrine underneath the temple.
The interior in itself looked sluggish for one as tense as me. As soon as I
looked around, one of the archers in our group spoke.
“There doesn’t appear to be anything nearby. We don’t know the details yet,
but the other traces around here seem to be harmless.”
As the archer said, this area seemed safe. It seemed like the previous party
had completed the attack here.
Though the atmosphere still felt heavy, I didn’t seem to be as affected as

before.
“It looks like the coast will be clear for some time.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. I think we can move faster for a bit.”
“I will do as you say. Priests, please be prepared to recite spells at any time.”
“Yes, okay.”
It seemed like the party was approaching this a little faster than I thought, but
that didn’t mean we would neglect our boundaries.
I couldn’t see anything dangerous just yet, but because this dungeon had
already swallowed up tons of parties in the past, I wasn’t willing to let my
guard down.
‘It looks like they’ve cleared this part with not a trace of evidence.’
One didn’t need to be an archer to notice this. The deeper we got in, the
cleaner the interior looked. Seeing this, I figured the previous parties did not
have too much of a hard time in the beginning.
“Next…”
Only
“Yes?”
“I’m going to enter the next room.”
“We’ll be right behind you.”
“Let’s go.”
It was then that I heard a voice I had never heard of until now.
The curse will fall upon you.
‘What the hell…?’

The curse will fall upon you.
‘What the hell…?’
As everyone was looking around, I knew I wasn’t the only one who had
heard the voice.
“Just now…”
“Priests, please cast the purification spell once more.”
“Yes, alright!”
Nothing was happening as of the moment, but hearing the voice had made us
all tense. Honestly, I felt like leaving this place right away.
Lee Sang-hee and the second party remained calm, but our party seemed a
little confused.
The curse will fall…
“Can you feel the magic power?”
“No, I can’t sense anything. There isn’t even any divine magic…”
I will curse these intruders…

“Perhaps it is a function that is planted in the dungeon.”
“What kind of curse is it…?”
“We don’t know yet. For now, this voice is our only lead.”
“Step back for now and cast the Holy Defense spell,” Lee Sang-hee ordered.
Suddenly, I felt my eyes turning white from the harsh wind that had suddenly
picked up. I didn’t know what was happening. However, I felt dizzy. The
urge to vomit was prominent. It felt like the world around me was changing.
Of course, this did not seem like an appropriate expression. It wasn’t easy
trying to explain what kind of phenomenon we were experiencing.
For a moment, I believed everyone around me was experiencing the same

thing.
After the landscape changed, the unknown voice spoke again, appearing a
little startled.
Why did you do that?
Why… did you abandon me?
‘Ah…’
A familiar woman stood in front of me. I remembered who she was. She was
the one I had left to be eaten by the monsters back at the tutorial dungeon. I
believed I had no choice but to leave her to save myself, but I could never
forget her. She had chosen to prioritize drinking water and food instead of
escaping…
I told myself this to ease my anxiety, but I had always felt sorry.
“What is this situation…?”
I didn’t care about the fact that she was approaching me with her intestines
dropping onto the floor; the memory of her being eaten by the monsters still
flashed in my mind.
I was frowning, but I wasn’t scared.
I already knew.
‘This is fake.’
It hurt… It hurt so much… I thought you would save me… Instead, you
turned your back on me…
“Fuck.”
You are a sad excuse for a human.
“Park Hyaeyoung…”
Even the voice of Park Hyaeyoung, who died because of Jung Hayan,
resonated in my ears.
When she appeared, her arms and legs were amputated, and her eyes were
full of resentment. I knew their resentment stemmed from the fact that they
didn’t choose themselves.
Of course, in Hyaeyoung’s case, it had been possible to save her.
Nevertheless…
‘I shouldn’t feel guilty.’
You always defend yourself with that thought. It was a reasonable choice. I
couldn’t help it. It’s a reasonable option. To me, you are the kind of human
being that should never have existed.
“Are you even qualified to say that to me?”
It was then that Jung Jinho appeared. Seeing him with a sword stuck to his
neck made me feel a little queasy.
It is no different. We are the same kind of person. We are selfish and greedy.
Did Seokwoo die because he needed to?
Now the people Sun Hee-young had killed appeared. Those related to me
were showing themselves one by one.
‘Was this the curse they were talking about?’
I didn’t think anyone else could see what I was seeing. It was just a hunch,
but it felt like the illusion meant for me to see the things or people I would
hate to see the most.
I could sense the guilt within me, stirring me up, and it did not feel good.
You killed us.
“Shut up,” I exclaimed. I was getting annoyed at this point.
You only rely on rationalization. You’re a coward.
“What’s wrong with rationalizing? Humans are designed to find rationality,”

I snapped back.
And you feel guilty.
“It’s a feeling I can have, of course, but I don’t regret it,” I remarked coldly.
You’re worse than trash.
“Is that all you can say? The fact remains that I am the only one alive, and all
of you are not. I will never change. Once a situation like that happens again, I
will do the same,” I replied firmly.
Someday, you’ll be here with the rest of us.
“You can wish as much as you would like.”
My vision then began to get much brighter. Those looking at me with those
haunting expressions slowly began to scatter, and their insults began to
intensify. I fell silent.
It was not pleasant to see the bodies of those who should be dead. My entire
body was soaked in a cold sweat. My legs began to shake, and my lips felt
dry.
‘It’s fake… This is all fake…’
You think so? Is this fake?
‘Shut up.’
Even after I returned to reality, the voices never left my head.
‘Shit.’
You killed us.
‘Shit.’
You killed us. You!
‘Damn…’
This was giving me more psychological damage than expected. As I gasped

hard, I felt someone tapping my shoulder. I shuddered.
“Get off, right now!”
“Are you okay?”
When I realized it was only Kim Hyunsung, I began to relax.
Yes. All of that was fake. I had to return to reality.
“Ah… Yes, I’m fine.”
Kim Hyunsung had sent a little bit of magic my way.

‘The others…’
Everyone was probably going through the same thing as me, just with
different illusions. As expected, an inexplicable landscape came into view.
“Ahh…”
I could see Kim Ye-ri trembling and shaking her hand relentlessly as if to get
rid of something. No, it seemed like she was trying to push away whoever
was approaching her.
“Stop… Stop. Mom… Mom! Help me! Please save me, mom… Please…”
Judging from what I could hear, she was likely reliving a memory she had
back in the slums. I didn’t need to see the scene to know that it was terrible.
Park Deokgu, meanwhile, was crouching. When I saw him trembling without
saying a word, I tried my best to imagine what he could see.
Sun Hee-young was also crying. She wasn’t screaming, but blood was
running down her mouth. It appeared that they had all been biting their lips
tightly.
Of course, the person who showed the most incomprehensible act among
them was Jung Hayan.
“I hate it! I hate it… Please, Oppa… Oppa… Oppa!”
“I-I’m sorry… I did everything wrong. Please. Please… I’ll do better in the
future. Please don’t throw me away. Please…”
‘Fuck.’
Honestly, I felt like her situation was serious. Tears were running down her
eyes, and her nails were stained with blood. She had torn off her flesh with
her hands. Seeing that her hair was sparse, it looked she had ripped off some
of her hair as well.
“Oh, no…”
“Don’t do that with her. Don’t do that, Oppa. I’m sorry… I hate this! I hate it
so much!”
I couldn’t predict just what she was seeing in her landscape. All the other
people wore similar disoriented expressions, stuck in their illusions.
Although I could see people waking up halfway through, most of them settled
for falling and screaming, confusion evident on their features.
Lee Sang-hee was busy apologizing to whoever she had encountered.
“Sorry. I’m really sorry. Really…”
I could guess what she was seeing – it was her letting down her fellow guild
members. Since she had always been worried about the members in danger, I
knew it was only a natural reaction.
Hwang Jeong-Yeon, who was crying quietly, also woke up, looking around
in mild panic.
Except for Kim Hyunsung, most of those that had awakened were those who
possessed high intelligence. They had individualistic differences, but their
similarity in intellect was distinct. Jung Hayan’s case might be peculiar, as
she was the only one with high intelligence that was still stuck in her
landscape.
‘That’s because her mind is unstable.’
“Hyunsung, what happened…?”
“I’ve also just woken up.”
“How long has it been?”
“I don’t think we’ve been here long. I don’t really understand…”
It had felt like hours inside my hallucinations. It was hard to believe that all
of it had happened within a moment.
Of course, in my case, I settled for solving the situation instead of grasping it.
After erasing the questions lingering in my head, I spoke once more.
“How can one wake up?”
“It would be best to put one’s magic power slowly. Divine magic will be a
little more efficient, but… I think it’d be better for Kiyoung to focus on
saving Hayan first.”
“Ah… Of course.”
Kim Hyunsung then stepped towards Sun Hee-young’s direction, deciding it

would be best to free her first. Hwang Jeong-yeon thought the same thing as
she approached her party’s priest.
As soon as I managed to clear my mind, the strange sensation left my body.
I, too, slowly stepped towards Jung Hayan.
“I have to kill…”
‘What was she talking about?’
“I have to kill it all… I have to kill them all. That way, I can become one with
my Oppa. Okay. Yes. That’s right. I have to kill them all.”
Jung Hayan continued to mutter in a voice too quiet to be heard by others. I

didn’t know what she meant by ‘becoming one,’ but it sure did sound scary.
As I quietly approached, pushing in my magic, I felt Jung Hayan gradually
awakening.
“We will always be together,” I whispered into her ear.
Knowing Jung Hayan, she would snap out of it soon. And, to my

expectations, she did. Her rough breathing slowly stabilized. Seeing that her
body had stopped trembling, I knew she would come to her senses sooner or
later.
Then, Jung Hayan looked in my direction.

“Oppa?” Hayan asked and tilted her head. Obviously, she was still recovering
from her sudden awakening.
“Are you okay?” I asked in a concerned tone.
“F-Fine… Oppa…” she replied.
“H-Huh?”
Jung Hayan tackled me into a tight hug. I felt suffocated, but I couldn’t shake
her off.
“Oppa… Oppa, Oppa…”
She kept calling me.
“Yes, I’m here, Hayan.”
As soon as I said this, Jung Hayan dissolved into sobs. It felt like taking care
of a child who had just experienced a nightmare, but it didn’t feel all too bad.
You’ll throw her away too.
Although the voices never left me, it was natural for me to ignore them. This
was the effect of the curse, after all.
It’s not an effect of the curse. It’s the voice you hear in your own heart.
Perhaps I wasn’t the only one who was hearing voices inside their heads.
Even after some of the others had woken up, they continued to talk to
themselves.
Eventually, no one will be left by your side. You’ll have thrown them all
away. Those next to you will also look at you with contempt someday.
Someday…
“Is it really you, Oppa?” Hayan asked.
Only
“Yes, it’s me,” I replied.
“It’s really Oppa…” she remarked. Her facial expression went from
miserable to hopeful instantly.
Jung Hayan’s anxiously spoke, trying to make sure that I was real, that this
wasn’t just another illusion. It made me wonder what kind of voice she was
hearing in her head.
I gulped while I continued to look down at Jung Hayan.
‘This doesn’t feel right…’
Jung Hayan’s condition didn’t seem too stable.
In fact, she seemed like a bomb that could detonate at any minute.
It wasn’t just Jung Hayan who was acting this way.
I couldn’t say that the others were doing better than her, but they still
exhibited signs of paranoia and anxiety even after their illusions had gone.
Kim Ye-ri was one of them.
That kid had always expressed a calm disposition, but now she was tightly
clinging onto Kim Hyunsung, and fear was evident in her expression.
As she was still just a child, I could understand why she would react that
way. I didn’t know what she had seen, but I was almost sure it had been one
of her most traumatizing experiences.
The same went for Jung Hayan. I could almost guess her illusion was taking
the form of me abandoning her. Because of this, I realized that the curse was
made to target the weak points of every individual present.
Slowly, however, everyone awakened. Though they had escaped the

influence of the curse, no one dared to speak.
As I soothed a trembling Jung Hayan, gently stroking her hair, Lee Sang-hee
spoke up.
“Phi, please report the damage situation.”
“Ah, the curse seems to be purely mental. It creates hallucinations for anyone
who comes across it.”
“Is there anyone who can’t move?”
“No one has been injured.”
No physical damage had been inflicted. However, it had caused a great toll
on everyone mentally. Now, I was beginning to understand why the previous
Blue Guild parties had been annihilated here.
If the curse continued to haunt everyone here, or if it would begin to get

worse…
‘That’s when the situation can get out of hand.’
Lee Sang-hee massaged her temples for a moment before speaking once
more.
“Can anyone hear voices inside their head?”
She received no answer.
When it was apparent that no one dares to speak up, I did.
“I can.”
“I see…”
“I think it will be the same for the others.”
“I don’t think the divine cleansing spell is effective. The curse is probably
built into the dungeon itself. It’s most likely triggered when entering a certain
area, or when one has stayed for some time.”
‘That’s a good line of reasoning.’
Lee Sang-hee had gone back to her poised self. I glanced at Kim Hyunsung
and saw him nodding, which meant that she had given a correct hunch.
“However, the symptoms might get worse later on. If this kind of curse is
activated when we’re facing the undead…”
She didn’t need to explain further. It would cause severe damage to the party.
However, I knew the undead wasn’t the real problem here; the curse was.
Undead or ghost, it didn’t matter. They were trivial appetizers. As the

dungeon’s name suggested, the real obstacle in this place would be the curse
inflicted upon us.
Eventually, you will be left alone.
‘Shut your mouth.’
I knew we would not be able to control the situation unless we got used to the
curse. Though Lee Sang-hee, Kim Hyunsung, and I had already adjusted, I
knew Hyunsung’s situation was different from ours.
However, it was well known that Kim Hyunsung’s party was growing fast. It
would be no exaggeration to say that our growth speed was
incomprehensible. Even I had been able to catch up, thanks to Tucker and my
resources.
It went without saying that our specs could reach up to legendary. However,
just because we had high potential didn’t automatically mean we were strong.
Our party had a load of mental problems. The growth of one’s mind can’t
possibly be on par with the growth of the body.
‘Was this Kim Hyunsung’s goal all along?’
Perhaps Kim Hyunsung had brought us along for this very purpose?
However, the more I thought about it, the more it seemed unlikely. I knew he
wasn’t the type to disregard the possibility of people losing their lives. If this
were a normal dungeon, he wouldn’t have hesitated to send us in.
‘The situation is serious now.’
Our party wasn’t the only one suffering. The rest of the group was, too.
In this kind of situation, there were only three options available.
The first was to return.
There was too little information about the dungeon itself. It didn’t matter if
our main focus was to rescue our guild members. If the previous expedition
leader had been more cautious, he would have chosen this option.
The second was to continue.
This was not recommended. As we didn’t know our survivors’ condition,

there was a sense of urgency that couldn’t be ignored.
The third one was…
“First of all, it would be better to set up a camp here.”
‘Right.’
“For melee workers, please form a group and search the surroundings. Try to
find information that can help with our next strategy. The rest of the people
will set up camp here. Please prepare a meal. It’s about time for us to take a
break. The second unit should take charge.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“Ah… But are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah. I don’t know why, but I don’t seem to have been heavily influenced
by the curse. Although I can hear the voices… It’s not enough to bother me.”
“Ah. If so… Then please do, Mr. Hyunsung.”
I think this was the best option we could have taken. Even before we had
been cursed, the entire party already felt exhausted.
It had been over half a day and six hours since we had entered the shrine. If
we continued to push ourselves to search in this state, we’d reach our limits
and burn out faster than we’d think.
In particular, our priests and sorcerers were the ones who had worked
themselves out the most, so it was only proper to give them ample time to
rest.
“After we rest here, we can resume tomorrow morning. If we don’t find

anything or anyone after three days, we’ll retreat. And…”
“Yes?”
“It’d be better for all of you to find a way around your curse.”
I felt like it wasn’t. Usually, a curse was semi-permanent.
“Yes, it is. For now, please focus on recovering your body. The
countermeasures will be formed after the search team returns.”
Once Lee Sang-hee finished speaking, a few people with high agility stats,
including Kim Hyunsung and Kim Ye-ri, stood up and went out.
Meanwhile, the rest of us did our best to set up camp.
Seeing that he was so willing to head out, it seemed that Kim Hyunsung had
some sort of plan as to how we were going to tackle this situation.
‘Maybe he knows of another hint.’
If their task was to risk themselves searching for more information, then our
task wasn’t just to set up camp. It was also to help ease everyone’s mentality.
I didn’t even have to ask for confirmation—this task was up to me.
Contrary to Sun Hee-young, who had quickly found stability, Deokgu, who
still had a blank expression plastered on his face, looked like he needed some
help.
I didn’t need to do much with Jung Hayan. She’d be alright as long as I was
beside her.
Seeing that people were having conversations as they worked, I thought that
would be my best course of action.
“Deokgu.”
“Oh, Hyung…”
He had on a remarkably shaky expression as he looked up at Jung Hayan and

me.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“W-Well, of course,” Deokgu replied.
“I’m asking you seriously,” I said firmly.
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about me, Hyung. Take good care of Hayan
because I can’t.”
‘This pig…’
“What did you see?”
“Nothing special.”
Park Deokgu seemed to think that opening up would mean he would become
even more of a burden. As I quietly assessed him, I could see the anxiety
written on his face. So, I took the initiative.
“I heard the voices of those I killed or those who died in front of me.”
“Ah…”
“I saw Yoo Seok-woo and Park Hyaeyoung, who could not be saved. Of
course, I also saw the faces of Jung Jinho and his men. He told me I was
going to die soon. They even told me not to rationalize their deaths.”
He fell silent.
“How about you?”
Park Deokgu’s expression shifted into worry, to the point where I wondered
if it was right for me to push him into telling. Perhaps it was about his
weakness or trauma, so it was only natural for me to be careful.
However, I knew it was necessary for him to speak, so I could help him out.
“Well, I… Hyung, I saw you and the other party members die. I was fighting
a giant monster… I wasn’t able to do so because I couldn’t hold onto it. I also
hesitated upon seeing both of you injured… I… Ugh…”
It was quite a shock to see tears forming in Deokgu’s eyes as he spoke, and
he stuttered in a way that one would think he was choking.
I knew Park Deokgu was weak, but I didn’t think he’d be this weak.
“Even when I killed Yoo Seokwoo…”
Park Deokgu couldn’t find it in himself to look at the scene.
“Then I saw all of you blaming me, that you all died because of me… It’s all
because of me… I wasn’t doing anything, just shivering… The same
situation came again, but I couldn’t move…”
“And after that?”
“It was the same after that… Never changing…”
“Can you still hear the voices?”
I could see him nodding.
“What?”
“I can hear all of you.”

“Who?”
“The voices of Hayan and you. I can also hear the voice of Hyunsung Hyung,
and the voice of Hee-young Eunni, as well as Kim Ye-ri. Are you
experiencing the same?”
“Of course, even now. But it doesn’t hurt me much.”
“As expected of my Hyung…”
“You can do the same. What you’re seeing are simple hallucinations.”
I did not mean to say this for Park Deokgu only, but also for Sun Hee-young
and Jung Hayan.
“There is no reason to be shaken, and there is also no need to worry. It’s all
just bullshit anyway. Don’t let it bother you. Focus on what you see now.”
“Ah…”
“If I can do it, you can do better, Park Deokgu.”
“A-Ah…”
“Remember that. If I can do it, you can do better.”
Of course, I didn’t mean that. However, I knew it would help him to an

extent.
After that, we delved into discussions covering various topics. We had a short
talk with Sun Hee-young, and we had a meal with Lee Sang-hee, Hwang
Jeong-yeon, and Kim Hyunsung to discuss our next strategy.
Of course, it was only natural that I invested the most time in comforting
Jung Hayan. I needed to keep her mind off things by keeping up the
conversation. I thought about talking to her the way I had talked to Park
Deokgu, but I knew that tactic wouldn’t be as efficient.
In fact, I didn’t even want to recall what I had seen again. Just talking about it
meant I had to do my best to seem unaffected once more.
Anyway, her situation was different from Park Deokgu’s.
Although everyone was sensitive to the situation, I knew they could survive
through it. All we had experienced were hallucinations, after all.
‘Anyway, everyone has taken a short break…’
It can be said that this was the best choice. It would be difficult to get some
proper sleep, but because I was tired of the long journey, it didn’t become a
problem for me.
Only
‘Ah…’
At some point, however, I could sense Jung Hayan staring my way,

heightening my senses.
“We’ll be together forever. Yes… no. Oppa won’t do that. You are stupid.
My Oppa told me to ignore your words. You are not real.”
I didn’t know who she was talking to, but she eventually leaned in to whisper
in my ear.
“I won’t listen to you, stupid idiot. My Oppa shouldn’t die. I’m going to live
with him forever.”
‘Shit…’
“We’ll be together forever. We can stay here for all time, Oppa. Hehehe…”
Her creepy voice sent shivers down my spine.

“We’ll be together forever. We can stay here for all time, Oppa. Hehehe…”
Her creepy voice sent shivers down my spine.
I knew Jung Hayan wasn’t expecting me to flinch from the way she had been
acting, so I chose not to move. In the first place, her mentality was obviously
not healthy.
Sun Hee-young had a similar mindset, but she already had her own set of
values in place. She was essentially different from Jung Hayan, who relied
entirely on me. Their biggest difference lay in the fact that one knew how to
control herself, and the other one didn’t.
I didn’t know who Jung Hayan was hearing, but…
“I’m not going to listen to you. So don’t talk to me. I won’t listen, anyway.”
Perhaps it was some twisted version of me.
In context, it was correct to think so. After all, I’m her biggest weakness.
“My Oppa can’t die… I’m only going to cut your legs. You’re going to run
away? There’s no way you’re going to do that because you said you loved
me. There’s no way. If you do that, you’re going to be hurting, and I don’t
like that.”
Momentarily, I felt her hand stroking my leg. I wanted to scream, to resist,

but I could not.
I should have been sleeping soundly by now.
“You still don’t know? Huh. You don’t have to do that. If I cut off his arms,
he won’t have a hand that will stroke my head, idiot. He wouldn’t even be
able to hug me tight… You are an idiot.”
‘Shit.’
Her condition seemed to be getting worse.
Right now, I could hear another voice in addition to Jung Hayan’s.
Hearing Jung Jinho and Park Hyaeyoung constantly invading my head

irritated me. Since the curse overlapped with one’s mentality, I knew all of us
must be feeling worn.
The curse eroded the mind faster than anything else. I knew it should not
affect us, but in truth, it was honestly affecting Jung Hayan on a largely
negative scale.
Nevertheless…
‘She’s not completely crazy yet…’
I was sure of this because she knew not to act in that manner when other
people were present. As long as she was acting sanely, it would all be okay.
With these thoughts, I tried my best to stay quiet.
“Oppa seems to be awake…?”
I froze when I heard it.
“No… He has never awakened once. Oppa doesn’t get up easily once he falls
asleep. I cast magic on him, too…”
“Ah. This isn’t the Guild House. I forgot…”

‘Ah…’
Though my eyes were closed, I could still feel Jung Hayan moving closer.
This was because I could feel her rough breathing right against my skin.
I knew she was checking to see if I was actually asleep.
After some time, she kissed me lightly on the lips and drew back.
‘Ah…’
Feeling her move away, it seemed that she’d decided it would be better to
stay away from me.
Still though, I didn’t dare to move.
Jung Hayan moved to another position. After some time, I thought about
finally opening my eyes, however…
“Ah, so I was right. You’re still sleeping, aren’t you, Oppa?”
Then she moved away again.
I tried to sleep as much as possible, which wasn’t a problem with my

drowsiness. To put it plainly, dungeons were no longer a problem for me.
‘But I have more pressing matters to attend to.’
It was more important to solve this situation.
In the first place, Jung Hayan’s abnormal behavior wasn’t easily

recognizable. It was also incomprehensible that she had cast magic in my
room and on myself.
But she hadn’t done that to hurt me. She had done it to protect me from any
possible enemy.
This was her own way of showing that she cared for me a lot.
Simply put, Jung Hayan had never once shown that she intended to hurt me.
The current situation felt different, however.
‘Now, she’s…’
Now it felt like a possible endeavor for her to take, especially after
experiencing the hallucination. In fact, she must probably already be planning
it.
‘To stay together forever in this dungeon for the rest of our lives…’
I shuddered.
In the first place, the idea of thinking that drinking water and food can be
obtained here was ridiculous. Drinking water could somehow be obtained by
magic, but this was not a place where humans could live.
Of course, I wasn’t sure if Jung Hayan was really entertaining the possibility,
but it only felt right to act on it before she even attempted to.
Assuming that Jung Hayan had really made up her mind, she had two
options.
One was to kill and hide those who had entered this place. The other one was
to disappear after taking only me.
Although it seemed to me that the second option was more viable, there was
no guarantee that she would not choose the first if things got worse than it
was now.
‘Although…’
I didn’t think Jung Hayan would be able to kill everyone in this expedition.
‘Knowing her specs, it’s still a possibility.’
Jung Hayan was smarter and more resourceful than I would like to admit.
The place where we were now was a dungeon that had swallowed up the five
previous Blue parties, and everyone had been afflicted with hallucinations. It
didn’t matter if Kim Hyunsung was a returner. Jung Hayan was still a very
unpredictable variable.
Suppose Jung Hayan’s plan was put into action and completed successfully.
In that case, the dungeon we were in now might be renamed to a legendary
dungeon, not a heroic-grade dungeon depicting a cursed shrine, but a
legendary dungeon with a mad wizard and a cursed shrine.
‘The mad wizard and the cursed shrine…’
It was an ominous-sounding thought.
From Jung Hayan’s perspective, anyone who dared to enter would be seen as
an intruder in our own nest of love. It would be the best bad ending out of all
possible scenarios.
Of course, I didn’t want to waste my whole life away in an area like this.
This may be a safe and comfortable place, but my freedom would always be
suppressed.
‘What should I do…’
There were many options, but the first was to fix her mentality as soon as
possible. In addition to completing the expedition’s task, I had one more
thing to do.
As I busied myself in my next course of action, day approached our group.

The first voice I heard was Jung Hayan’s.
“It’s time to get up, Oppa.”
“Ah… Huh.”
As I nodded and looked up at her, her status window reflected in front of me.
[Check the player’s status window and potential ability.]
[Name – Hayan Jung]
[Title – None. You should try a little more.]
[Age – 21]
[Alignment – ???]
[Job – Archmage – Heroic Grade]
[Capacity]
[Strength – 17/Growth limit: Rare or less]
[Agility – 15/Growth limit: Rare or less]
[Health – 29/Growth limit: Heroic or less]
[Intellect – 61/Growth limit: Heroic or higher]
[Durability – 22/Growth limit: Rare or less]
[Luck – 52/Growth limit: Heroic or higher]
[Mana – 70/Growth limit: Legendary or higher]
[Equipment – Holy Protection]
[Talent – How to Become a Wizard – Heroic Grade]
[General comment – Her growth rate is outstanding. Player Jung Hayan has a
near-perfect understanding of magic. It seems that it is still difficult to
advance her mind to the next level, but she is expected to gain momentum
soon. I am very sorry to mention player Lee Kiyoung. It is noticeable that her
tendency is changing. If you don’t want to transform the Cursed Shrine into a
new type of dungeon, you should take some action. I’ve hardly been
affectionate, but I hope you survive.]
‘Ah, so it’s true…’
Fortunately, her change in disposition was not yet complete. I didn’t know
what the question mark meant, but the general review literally stated that
Jung Hayan was at a crossroads.
I didn’t know what her tendency to change would be like, but it could very
well be a positive change.
When I looked at Jung Hayan again, I could see her acting like how she
always was with me. Because of this, I felt embarrassed at my inability to act
as casually as I would’ve liked.
“Hehehe.”
However, it was natural for me to cover up for my blunder. As I smiled and

stroked her face, she looked very happy.
“Can you still hear the voice? Hayan?”
“Yeah. I still hear it at times, but it’s okay now. They’re all just
hallucinations.”
“What exactly has it been saying?”
“I do not know. I can’t hear them well anymore. You don’t have to worry.”
Of course, she was lying.
“Alright, I’m glad. Anyway, we need to go soon. What about the others?”
“I heard that we would leave in half an hour. Everyone seems to be

organizing their luggage…”
We held hands at this point. I also smiled and kissed Jung Hayan on the lips.
She then wrapped her arms around my neck, but we both knew we couldn’t
do anything further. It was time to move.
However, with the way we were acting, it was almost like we were old
lovers.
For a long while, a blush stayed on Jung Hayan’s face.
‘Good.’
This was not a bad reaction. It felt like it would be better for me to move a
little more actively, and it seemed to be working so far.
Of course, it was natural for me to keep her close and continue to shower her
with praises. I thought that what Jung Hayan needed now was greater
affection. At least, when she was with me, her condition didn’t seem to be
worsening.
“Are you ready to leave?”
“Yes. I’ve prepared everything.”
“Ah. Thanks. Then, shall we go out?”
“Ah. Oppa, wait… I actually have something to say.”
“Huh?”
“The other day… Um, about last time.”
“Huh. What about it?”
“We do… First… You know when you first kissed me, right?”
Of course, I remembered.
Before going to Cha Hee-ra, I kissed Jung Hayan to reassure her that I
wouldn’t leave her.
“Then…”
“…”
“You said you loved me, right? You said I was the only one.”
“Of course you are.”
“Even now… Do you feel the same? You love me, don’t you?”
‘This…’
It was hard to tell what the right answer was.
However, after assessing her glances, I realized I had another option. If I

thought about it, I could simply just nod.
However, it was very difficult to tell if this was really the correct answer.
One wrong move could change her disposition.
As I was thinking about this, Jung Hayan spoke once more, a little more
forcefully this time.
“You love me, right?”
At the urgency in her tone, I felt compelled to answer.
Only
“Of course, I love you now, and I will continue to love you in the future.”
“Ah… thank God!”
“By the way… Why are you asking this all of a sudden?”
“Ah, it’s nothing…”
Her expression showed pure joy, but it was still hard to tell if I had given her
the correct answer or not. There hadn’t been a change in disposition yet.
“I love you too, Oppa.”
“Me, too…”
It was then that a change occurred with Jung Hayan’s status window.
It was then that a change occurred with Jung Hayan’s status window.
[Alignment – Fallen Advocate]
Bile rose up my throat.
‘It wasn’t the right answer.’
Though I had realized this, I also knew I had no other answer to choose from.
This was because I didn’t know how she would react if I went the other way
and said I didn’t love her anymore.
If neither seemed like the correct answer, then it was best to behave
predictably.
However, in this case, I could already predict the outcome. I had to act as
naturally as possible, so I continued to smile and laugh as if nothing was
wrong.
‘I need to come up with a countermeasure…’
As I had mentioned earlier, I not only had to help save the survivors but also
find a way to control Jung Hayan. Although many options came to mind, I
soon found out which would be the most effective method to take.
I’ve never thought about excluding Jung Hayan in any situation, but I knew it
would work as a last resort.
“I’ll be back in a minute, Hayan. I need to consult with Hyunsung and Sang-
hee.”
“Alright, Oppa!”
It was time for the executives to talk.
Hwang Jeong-yeon, Kim Hyunsung, and Lee Sang-hee, who were already
huddling together and talking, came into sight.
“A small statue?”
“I could see that they were installed in certain areas, and for a while, I could
feel the voices in my head disappear. I think it temporarily represses the
curse…”
“So basing off of that, will it be safe to assume that there is a safety zone in
each area?”
“I don’t know if there will still be statues that will have the same effect in
other areas, but… It will at least help us to an extent. Divine magic is hard to
get by, especially against the curse, so we should make the most of this
discovery.”
“Thank God for that. Honestly though, I feel like the curse’s cycles are
getting shorter…”
“The statue’s a little far from here.”
As I approached, the others greeted me with a nod. Based on what I could

hear, it seemed like Kim Hyunsung had discovered a possible safe zone
against the curse.
‘Huh, not bad.’
I knew we were bound to find it sooner or later, but being able to discover
this as early as now was definitely impressive.
“How is the 7th unit doing?” Kim Hyunsung asked and looked at me.
Now that he’d come back from scouting, it was understandable that he’d ask
about them.
“They occasionally show signs of anxiety, but it’s not too bad. Sun Hee-
young, in particular, doesn’t seem too affected. It’s like she doesn’t hear any
voices at all.”
“I see.”
“I’m not really sure, but I think intelligence stats play a big part in resisting
the curse.”
“Ah.”
“How about the 2nd unit?”
“Those with lower intelligence specs in our party do seem to be more

affected quickly. However, the situation isn’t that serious yet. What I’m
worried about is how they will be if this curse lasts for another three days or a
week…”
“Thankfully though, there are places where we can rest free from the curse.
I’m hoping the priests can prioritize the lower intelligence party members.
I’m not sure if your hunch is correct, but it’s worth a try. If any other
information is gathered, please let us know immediately. It doesn’t matter if it
sounds trivial.”
“Alright, will do.”
“Then, we’ll continue after the cleanup. As we have discussed, we will

proceed with the search with Mr. Hyunsung in the lead.”
“Alright.”
All of us nodded at this. Lee Sang-hee’s business seemed to be over, but

mine wasn’t.
“Hyunsung, I will talk with Jeong-yeon for a moment before I get back.”
“Ah… Yes, okay.”
Kim Hyunsung looked puzzled, and even Hwang Jeong-yeon looked

surprised. However, she also looked curious as to what I wanted to talk to her
about.
After a moment, Hyunsung excused himself from the conversation, leaving

Jeong-yeon and me to talk.
“I’m doing fine. How’re you, Jeong-yeon?”
“I’m fine, too. It seems that having a high intelligence stat certainly has a
positive effect. Looking at Kiyoung makes me think he wasn’t cursed at all.”
“Oh, no, I only look fine on the outside.”
“No way. You were able to awaken right away when you get afflicted with
the curse. That kind of hurts my pride, hahaha…”
“Have you found out anything else?”
“Ah… Yes. I don’t think it’s enough yet, though. I’ll try and collect more
data.”
“For example?”
“For example, the frequency of the voices. I hear a voice every 10 minutes
and 46 seconds. It is getting shorter by 38 seconds every hour. The triggers
occur slowly if you are resting without doing anything. Of course, there are
individual differences, so it’s not accurate, but it’s what I’ve found out on my
end.”
“Ah. It certainly helps to have a good memory.”
“Yeah. Of course, it’s not nice to hear the motherfuckers’ voices more and
more vividly. What’s up, by the way? Are you trying to keep your promise
last time?”
“No, the time isn’t right for now. Park Deokgu’s struggling a lot from the
curse as well.”
“Oh, I did see Jung Hayan depending on you… How romantic!”
“The situation’s not really romantic… I think Hayan’s being influenced by

the curse.”
“But…”
“She just doesn’t seem like she is on the outside.”
“Is it because you two have been together for so long that you can notice the
subtle differences?”
“Let’s go with that line of reasoning, yes.”
“Hmm… Why didn’t you tell Lee Sang-hee or Hyunsung?”
“It’s something I have to solve by myself.”
“It would be nice to inform them, though. Our dungeon strategy can go
wrong if even the smallest variable changes. If Jung Hayan is not in good
condition, it’ll be a better option to leave the dungeon first.”
“No, there is no guarantee that this curse will be stopped even if we exit the
dungeon…”
More dangerous things may happen if I chose that option. It would be better
to stick to everyone.
“At least you know, Jeong-yeon. If something goes awry, at least I have an
insurance policy.”
“I’m flattered for the trust, but it’s hard to say I’m confident enough to know
what to do. I’m not going to tell them, but I also have a stressful situation to
take care of. What can I do for you?”
There was no reason for me to prolong it any longer. I spoke.
“Can you use illusion magic, hallucination magic, or psychological magic?”
“Hmm…”
“…”
“Psychological magic is impossible.”
‘Ah…’
“I can, however, do hallucinations or illusion magic. The psychological

aspect isn’t actually impossible, but it’s too complex for me to comprehend.
I’m sure you know this.”
“Yes, I know that it’s very difficult.”
“It’s not that easy. Fantasies and hallucinations have little effect on high-
intelligence people, and even low-intelligence people can resist if they have
high magical power. Psychological magic is the same. No matter how much
the person tries to accept the magic, humans instinctively tend to push away
what suddenly invades their minds.”
I already knew this. However, when I heard that it was impossible right from
the beginning, I deflated a little. However, I held onto the hope that Jeong-
yeon was the type who loved making the impossible happen.
“It won’t be possible to do at this point.”
“Wouldn’t it be a different subject if the subject was cursed?”
“It will still be a difficult endeavor.”
“Then what if there were medications to help? Or a catalyst?”

“Are you talking about the way you use your magic?”
“Yes. In addition to that, there was a potion I’ve been working on, a potion
that can tap into people’s emotions. Of course, it doesn’t really touch your
emotions, but you can at least experience a similar effect.”
“…”
“Would it be possible?”
“I don’t know exactly… It’ll be a combination of potion and illusion magic

treatment. It seems like it’ll be more effective, though. Humans instinctively
remove barriers with potions. However, with the curse, it seems like one’s
mental state will have been weakened.”
I stayed quiet as Hwang Jeong-yeon continued to mutter to herself. It seemed

like she was mulling the theory over in her head. It felt a little interesting to
watch her.
“If this actually becomes a success, it would make it easier for us to attack the
dungeon. Of course, it’ll require several experiments, but… No matter how
fast…”
“I think it would be better to skip all the chores and start the experiment right
away. I have a test subject that I can use.”
“Yeah?”
She tilted her head at my sudden revelation.
“I think it would be better to try it on myself. I’m the one who knows the
most about this potion.”
“Ah…”
“Would it be possible?”
“I can’t give you a definite answer. It sounds like fun, though. Let’s have
clinical trials every time we take a break. If you ever have any problems…”
“That won’t happen.”
I couldn’t guarantee success, but it was necessary to gamble at this stage if I

wanted to maintain a safe relationship with Jung Hayan.
Of course, I knew that there would be a negative effect if Jung Hayan saw me
cozying up to Hwang Jeong-yeon.
‘It’s all part of the plan.’
Considering the big picture, this didn’t seem like a bad option.
“I’ll go and talk to Hyunsung for a moment,” I informed her.
“Oh?”
“For the time being, we’ll be moving with the second unit.”
“Yeah. It would be nice to do so. No, it would be better to send one of our
party members. I have a lot to do from now on. It would be nice to tell other
people that we are researching the dungeon. I don’t know when the monsters
will come out, but for now, I’ll be able to experiment freely.”
“That’s true.”
Only
“Did you bring catalysts?”
“Of course. I also brought some Alchemy kits, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Three days. I’ll be able to figure this out in three days.”
“If you can achieve it in a shorter timeframe, then please do so.”

“I don’t think I can, but my supplies are at least sufficient. If you can’t
produce the result, you’ll develop a sense of inferiority.”
“This time, Jeong-yeon is the doctor.”
“Yes, my assistant. I am.”

“How’s the reaction?”
“I’m not sure how to answer that…”
“Are you sure you’re okay with this? You’re not feeling any abnormalities,
right?”
“Yes, it seems okay so far. In fact, the data I’ve gathered in previous trials
had no problems with the body, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“When did you do such an experiment again…?”
I had used it when I successfully tried to lure Sun Hee-young into joining our
party. At that time, I had obtained satisfactory results, but I had to stop the
research overall because there had been so many limitations.
I never thought it would be helpful in a place like this. It seemed like every
little thing had a chance of being useful every once in a while.
“How about making the concentration a little thicker?”
“It’s not good to put too much. This is just the right amount, especially if you
plan to use magic again later on. Otherwise, it could trigger an effect on the
body.”
“No, if you think about using it to try and resist the curse, it will outperform
the curse.”
“Okay, Admiral Lee.”
“I think it would be okay to approach with similar effects.”
“It feels like we’re moving in circles.”
“To be precise, we’re not going back to square one. I think most of them are
ready for this…”
“The problem is that you’re not entirely confident about the results yet,
right?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’ll have to rewrite the formula. It looks like today will be tough.”
Even the simple exchange of opinions worked. I couldn’t believe that it had
only been a day since I felt hopeless about my situation. Who knew we could
make so much progress?
The main reason was that Hwang Jeong-yeon and I proved to be a good
match.
In the beginning, I only planned on collaborating with her for the sake of
getting my third job, but our relationship turned out to be more beneficial
than I thought.
Of course, it didn’t mean we were bound for intimacy. It was just that we
were more efficient in our work together. Hwang Jeong-yeon had been able
to help me in the aspects where I was weakest. She had helped me in so many
ways. I had also been able to help her, of course, with my innovative mindset.
“How is Jung Hayan, by the way? You seem very anxious…”
“We only really talk in the evenings. I feel like it’s best to remain a little
distant.”
“But…”
“She hasn’t shown any abnormal behavior yet.”
“I guess so. I can understand why you’re in a hurry to solve this right away. I
just feel like she’s not happy with how we’re spending so much time
together.”
“I’m sorry about that. As I said…”
“I know, and I understand. What I don’t get is how I, a girl who has never
been with a man, suddenly became the focus of a girl’s resentment. It’s
almost as if I got caught having an affair with you. I kind of feel guilty…”
Hwang Jeong-yeon lowered her head a little.
“My goodness…”
“Why do I have to be portrayed as the other woman? Even Park Deokgu

might begin to have negative thoughts about me.”
“Don’t worry. After all of this is over, I’ll definitely help you with him.”
After saying that, Jeong-yeon’s eyes seemed to sparkle, and she exclaimed.
“Don’t you dare forget that!”
As time passed, Jung Hayan’s symptoms began to worsen. I knew that my

quality time with Hwang Jeong-yeon was the main cause of this progression.
Simply put, she harbored jealous feelings.
I knew the curse was accelerating at a faster pace this time around because I
wasn’t always there to be with her.
No, in fact, it would be impossible to predict how fast the curse will erode her
mental health. I couldn’t even tell what Jung Hayan was thinking.
In the end, this was a race to see which would finish first—Jung Hayan’s
mental state or my experiment with Hwang Jeong-yeon.
Had I been able to concentrate on the research completely, we wouldn’t have

had this problem in the first place, but I still had to find some time to spend
with Jung Hayan to ensure she wasn’t regressing too much.
It was also very important as we needed time for the potion’s effects to
stabilize. We couldn’t rush anything at this point.
‘If we rush its creation, there will definitely be bad side effects.’
We had to minimize any side effects as much as possible.
It wasn’t just Jung Hayan who hindered my research, though. We also had to
focus on progressing through the dungeon to search for the other survivors.
Of course, we could maximize exploration results while minimizing the effort

needed, but it still proved to be a disadvantage for us.
Despite Hwang Jeong-yeon’s efforts, we hadn’t really progressed much with

our expedition. It may be because we had not yet found any monsters, but at
least we were able to find small achievements with Kim Hyunsung’s help.
As I had been so focused on my research, I wasn’t up to date with our

exploration status, but we were apparently making slow progress. That
wasn’t even the worst of it.
Aside from Jung Hayan, most of our party members were thoroughly getting
affected by the curse, to the point where some of them would start talking to
themselves at random intervals.
Although Kim Hyunsung tried his best to repress the curse, the side effects
we were expecting to appear began to show themselves.
Among everyone afflicted with the curse, only Lee Sang-hee began to show
some of the said effects.
“Sorry.”
Her illusion, after all, was about the party members we needed to save. Her
anxiety increased as well as her sense of urgency, but it was expected.
‘That’s because we haven’t found a single hint, let alone any survivors.’
Based on the expression on everyone’s faces, I knew everyone had begun to

expect the worse—that none of them were alive. Still, the expedition
continued to advance, and the curse continued its relentless attack on
everyone’s mental state.
“It can’t be considered perfect yet. I’m sorry, Mr. Kiyoung.”
“At least it’s helping. The voices are still there, but the headaches have
stopped. In fact, just this much…”
“I should be able to call it an achievement, but… We could still be able to

improve its effects over time. I’m sorry…”
“Exerting effort on it is more important than having regrets about it.”
“I know, I know. Can you please ask Hayan to stop staring at me?”
“I can’t stop her from doing so, and you know that.”
“I know I’m a drama-lover, but… it’s not nice experiencing this in reality.”
“…”
“I only like being part of the audience.”
“By the way, how are you coping with the curse?”
“Ah… it’s still difficult, mental-wise. However, being so focused on this

research helped me a lot. I can still see hallucinations every now and then,
but… Aren’t you experiencing the same?”
“Yes, but… They’re not all that serious.”
“Then it looks like the experiment is working.”

A little more time had passed since then, but there were no changes in this
short duration. The rescue team continued to move forward, but we had not
encountered anyone. There’s not a single monster, and definitely not a single
survivor. It felt like being stuck in a maze.
Kim Hyunsung looked unaffected, but Lee Sang-hee wasn’t doing too well.
“Sang-hee, this is a safety zone.”
“Oh, Let’s skip this one.”
“Yeah?”
“A lot of time has already passed. I worry about the survivors. Let’s rest at
the next point.”
‘There she goes again.’
“But, this is already the second time we’ve skipped…”
“There’ll be one in the next room. Yes, definitely…”
“I think the Master needs to rest.”
“No, I’m okay. I know everyone is having a hard time, but please be patient.
After finding a survivor… Yes. If a survivor is found…”
At this point, we might not find a single one. It would be safe to assume that
they were all dead.
Logically speaking, even if the previous party members have survived, it was
highly unlikely that the undead didn’t kill them off by now. Perhaps they
even resorted to killing each other.
“Please be patient… We’ll speed up a little bit… Yes, a little faster…” Sang-
hee insisted.
“Ah…”
It was obvious – our expedition leader was suffering from her own
hallucinations.
As we trudged on, I could see several members showing annoyed

expressions. Some even grumbled out complaints. Everyone was struggling
with their own illusions, after all.
Seeing Park Deokgu struggle was normal now, but even Sun Hee-young felt
exhausted at this point. Everyone was on the brink of exploding.
‘How many months are we going to spend in this state?’
This may seem like the worst situation for the party members, but this was
the perfect time for Jung Hayan to execute her plan, should she ever decide to
push through with it.
“Come on, everyone.”
“We’re reaching our limit…”
“The guild members are dying on the inside.”
“The back-ups are struggling a lot, Lee Sang-hee.”
“…”
“Lee Sang-hee?”
It was at this point that I realized something was wrong.
The curse…
‘Damn.’
Everyone was looking upwards. It was the same voice we had first heard
when we entered the dungeon. Our mentality was slowly reaching the brink
of despair. At this point, we would have to worry less about rescuing our
fellow guild members and more about saving ourselves.
“Please recite the divine defense magic.”
“Ah, but…”
“It would be better than nothing. We will respond as much as possible.

Magicians should also try to block the effects as much as possible.”
Wizards and priests within the party did as she commanded, but this wasn’t
something we could combat with magic.
Slowly, I looked at Jung Hayan, who was smiling as she looked upwards. She
wasn’t talking, but she seemed like she wanted to say something.
‘What…’
When I felt the strange aura emanating from her, I immediately shouted for
Hwang Jeong-yeon.
“Really?”
“Son of a bitch!… Jeong-yeon, chant the spell immediately!”
I had no choice but to execute the plan now. Though the timing was a little
early, there was nothing else I could do.
‘Was it because of her jealousy of Hwang Jeong-yeon?’
I was almost sure of it.
“But the defensive spells…”
Hwang Jeong-yeon seemed anxious, but this is no time to hesitate.
“Quickly!” I exclaimed in an urgent tone.
“Okay, I see! Is Jung okay? This is still…”
“Recite it quickly!”
“The content, too?!”
I was frustrated at her endless questions. She still didn’t seem to grasp the
urgency of the situation, so I had to shriek some sense into her.
“For God’s sake, just do it!”
Screams began erupting from the front. Evidently, the curse affected several
party members.
After emptying the potion that I had prepared in my mouth, I immediately

started to run toward Jung Hayan.
“I knew my Oppa felt the same!”
I welcomed her outstretched arms and bent down to kiss her, transferring the
potion from my mouth to hers.
“I love you, Oppa!”
Only
‘Shit, shit…’
I could feel magic spreading across my body, and the worst-case scenarios
came into mind—Jung Hayan manipulating me or trying to kill me.
I didn’t know what type of magic she was trying to use, but it was at least not
a defensive one. Inwardly, I prayed that Hwang Jeong-yeon’s spell would
work faster than Jung Hayan’s.
Meanwhile, Hayan’s eyes began to widen.
‘Did I get caught?’

I wasn’t sure yet. However, I knew she would be able to sense Hwang Jeong-
yeon’s magic at work. I would not let her achieve the ending she wanted for
us.
“Ahhh!!!”
I convinced myself that what she was seeing was the scenario I had prepared
as she looked into the air and began to shed tears.
Together forever!
Yes, the two of us could stay together forever.
Okay, we’ll stay together forever.
We’ll make a home, just the two of us.
Okay, it’ll be a home where no one will dare interfere or try to break in.
That’s the ending we wanted, right?
Does he want the same thing as well?
Of course. Didn’t he say that he loved you, too?
Right, he did say that.
It’s too dangerous outside.
That’s right. There are too many people trying to take my Oppa away.
Everything you’ve told me sounded stupid, but…
Look at that woman. She seems to be trying to flirt with your Oppa. I can
understand your troubles. What about the other people trying to kill him?
Recall what happened during the tutorial dungeon. Your Oppa is weak.
That’s right. My Oppa is weak.

We need to protect him.
Of course.
He needs our protection. It’s too dangerous outside.
The spell I had been memorizing burst out of my mouth.
It can’t be helped.
Kill everyone. Target the woman who has been trying to take your Oppa
away first.
But she’s a high-ranking magician…
It’ll be easy to target her while she’s under the effect of the curse.
But the same will go for me…
You’ll be okay. I will protect you. You won’t be affected by the curse.
You mean you’ll help me?
I am you, and you are me. Aim for the head. Even a small spell will do. It’s
important not to waste your magic power.
Ah! I’ve succeeded.
Good. Who’s next? What about that stupid-looking woman over there? Since
her endurance is good, I think it’d be better to approach her a little
differently.
I think a spell of corruption will do. No, it will take too long. Black magic
isn’t my specialty… Should I try something else? It would be better to burst
her head from the inside.
Good idea. I didn’t think of that. That’s right; go ahead.
Like this…
We did it!
Hehe. Yes, we did.
Don’t mind the rest. All of them will die anyway. Then… what about Sun
Hee-young?
She went out with my Oppa every day, didn’t she?
Huh. Yes, she did.
But…
You can’t be weak. Why not get rid of that little kid over there as well?
I don’t like the sound of that…
Don’t be weak. Kill her as painlessly as possible.
Yes…
Now, for Deok Gu and Hyunsung…
It’s too much to kill them. Why not put them to sleep instead?
Are you not anxious? Kim Hyunsung is strong. What if he comes back to the
dungeon later on and takes your Oppa away?
I won’t allow that.
Then kill him.
I can’t do that. Are you a fool?
You are the fool. You’ve been doing well so far. Are you going to give up
now? Your plans will be foiled if you stop after only killing two.
I can’t do that. Deokgu, in particular, has helped me a lot.

You will regret not doing it.
I think it would be better to put them to sleep and send them out. I can’t help
it if they choose to come back, but I don’t want to kill them either.
You…
Rather, it’s better to take my Oppa. I have to take him somewhere so far that
no one else can find him. Look at him sleeping; doesn’t he look cute?
Yes. But what if your Oppa tries to run away?
He won’t. He has told me that he loves me.
It’s still better to have an insurance policy.
Yes. That would be okay. Hehe. My Oppa looks so cute whenever he’s
asleep.
Huh. Yes, he’s really cute. Anyway, we need to act faster.
I need to redecorate our new home. Oppa likes to study, so it would be better
to do a workshop for him. I also have to make a bathroom. I’ll make it big so
we can take a shower together. I also need to make a big bed, a bathroom,
and I have to do my very best.
We need a system that will kill anyone who will invade our home. Some time
again, people aiming for your Oppa may come here, so let’s make a golem
and a chimera. The undead also has to increase their numbers. The
dungeon’s empty, after all. It might be hard, but I can do it for you. This
place will be our home.
It will be my castle with my Oppa that will never collapse.
***
Oppa is…? Where is he?
It happened again. I don’t think he ate today…

I’m so worried, is he okay? He seems to be in such bad shape. Perhaps he’s
sick. It’s been several months already… Perhaps my Oppa wants to leave this
place?
That’s a possibility.
He told me a few days ago. He wants to see the outside.
Don’t be fooled. You should never be fooled.
I hate the fact that he doesn’t have as much energy as he used to. He doesn’t
laugh anymore.
Someday you will understand. You’ll understand that all this is for you. It’s
too dangerous outside. Just today, strange people came into our home, right?
If you go outside, you will be overwhelmed. Do you want to take that chance?
Definitely not… But my Oppa is showing such a sad expression…
Then you can cast magic that will make him feel better. You will feel better
too. If you feel better, you will be kind to us, and you will have a happier
time.
Is it okay, though?
It’s all for your Oppa.
That’s right. I should go and try it now.
Good.
Ah! He smiled. You were right.
Right? Shall we use other magic? How about some kind of enchantment this
time?
But that’s not what he would want.
You’ve been working hard so far; it will be a perfect reward for yourself,
right?
A prize for me?
Yes. It will be a prize for us. I think it would be better to stay in this state for
just one day. Think about it. How hard did you try to protect your Oppa? I
catch and kill all the guys who come here every day, and that’s not enough.
The dungeon was difficult to remodel completely, and the chimeras have to
be created every day, right?
Still…
Just do it for one day.
Can I do that?
Of course, don’t worry, do it right away.
Yes, it’ll only be for today…
Well done.
Ahh!
Good.
Happy, I’m so happy!
I was right, wasn’t I? It worked well.
Huh. Yes, you were right.
***
What do we do? Oh, my Oppa ran away.

I thought he would.
Why? Why? Am I hated now? I made him happy every day… I don’t know
what’s wrong.
It may be because he’s been drinking poison from the outside world.
But we’re inside. There’s no way he could’ve.
Intruders come in every day, right? The dirty air they breathe pollutes
Oppa’s mind.
I have to kill them all.
Exactly.
I never thought he would run away like this. It’s the intruders’ fault! Why not
leave us alone? I don’t know why they keep coming in here to disturb us! I
don’t know! Wouldn’t it be nice to go out and kill them all? Lindel, I have to
kill everyone in Lindel.
Good idea. But other than your Oppa, humans are like bugs, so even if you
try to kill them, they will continue to come into this place.
Well, then what should I do?
The outside air may have worn out your Oppa’s mind. It won’t be easy to
cure. He can’t escape the dungeon alone, but… Shouldn’t we just do
something as a temporary measure?
What?
Let’s cut his leg off!
No, that’s ridiculous.
You can cut it in a way where it won’t hurt.
What?
Huh. Cut it in a way where it won’t hurt. If you put on magic that will make
him feel good while you cut it off, your Oppa will surely not get sick. Of
course, it will be a little hard to walk around, but it’s okay because we’ll
always be around. He’ll have to rely on us.
No… That’s…
What if your Oppa leaves this place and runs away with another girl? The
Red Mercenaries also came, right? Cha Hee-ra, that stupid woman, might
come again.
Yes.
Can you stand it? Don’t you think it’s going to be too hard when that kind of
situation comes? It’s only right to cut it out.
That does make sense…
Have you ever regretted listening to me?
But…
Trust me this time. It’ll work well.
***
My Oppa is going to die. I hate it so much! What if he dies?!
It’ll be okay.
He tried to kill himself today! I don’t understand! The intruders have finally
stopped coming, and we get to enjoy all our time together!
Maybe it’s because his brain has already been eroded.
I don’t want my Oppa to die. He can’t just leave me behind!
Just make sure he doesn’t. You can’t turn him into the undead, so let’s
experiment. There must be a way to save him. You can enjoy eternal life
together. Find a catalyst that allows the body to regenerate, and treat it on
your Oppa’s body. It may be a little painful, but it can’t be helped, so your
Oppa will understand. Of course, it won’t be easy, but you’ve been doing
well until now.
That… okay. I have to do that. I have to do that so that this doesn’t happen
again.
That’s right. That’s right.
“Oppa. Even if it hurts, please just bear with it. It can’t be helped.”
“Ah…”
“I love you? Sure. I love you, too, so much.”
“Ah…Ah..”
“You must never die. Never!”
“Ah…”
“A lot of time has passed. Even a gray-haired Oppa is really cool. Ah, that’s
right… Oppa!”
“I…”
“I love you. I love you, too.”
“…”
“Your hair has grown a lot. Research? Ah… Of course, you have to do it
today. It may hurt a little, but you have to be patient. If you get sick, I will
also get sick. So, let’s do our best together.”
“…”
“Please be patient for a bit. You can still hold on. You can’t let go. Ugh… I
love you. I love you.”
“…rese-.”
“Ah… No! No!”
“I…”
“Yes, Oppa. I’m here.”
“You…”
“I love you. I love you, too. So please don’t go. Please…”
“I resent you.”
“Ah…”
“I will blame and curse you for making me this way. Forever… No, I will
curse you even in my death. You didn’t give me love. You tortured me and
eventually made me like this. Look at my body. This is your doing. Look at
the things that surround us now. You screwed everything up.”
“Ahhh!”
“You gave up everything. You ruined all my love for you. We could have
been happier. Even if I die, I will never forget you. I will curse you for
eternity.”
“Ahhhhhh!”
“I don’t love you anymore.”
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! I hate this! What do I do now?! Oppa… Oppa!”
You can save him. You can still save him.
“Don’t be ridiculous! All… It’s all because of you! You made him like this!
Oppa…”
I don’t know what you’re talking about…

“Die! Just die!”
What are you talking about? Idiot. Don’t tell me you haven’t realized
anything.
Only
“…”
Look carefully. I am you. Didn’t you say we are one? You did all this. Idiot!
“No way… No, I can’t.”
You know this.
See…
Quad-de-deuk!
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
After suffering from another affliction from the curse, I shifted my eyes
toward Jung Hayan. Her expression was far more serious than what I was
expecting.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
‘It was successful.’
It felt shocking to realize this. Of course, the scenario might be too painful
for Hayan to endure.
‘This is the right answer.’
I had done it correctly. In the first place, Hayan wouldn’t have exhibited this
kind of unusual behavior. The inflicted curse had messed everyone up. I
simply chose to help her out with a little shock therapy.
Hayan’s face was currently covered in tears, and she had started tearing out
her hair. The others were no different, but her case was the most serious. I
went to grab her hand, but she shook me away.
“I hate you!”
‘What power…’
Jung Hayan then tried to harm herself afterward, wringing her hands around
her neck. I urgently pulled her arms away with as much strength as I could
muster. Once I succeeded in this endeavor, I quickly kissed her deeply,
effectively stimulating what was left of her sanity.
“Ahh…”
“…”
“I… Oppa?”
Hayan’s expression shifted from confusion to shock, and then her eyes were
filled with renewed tears.
“Ah… Oppa… Oppa…”
She wasn’t contented with just checking my face; she checked my entire
body. Considering what she had seen in her latest illusion, it was only
natural.
“I came back…” Hayan muttered.
“Hayan?” I called.
“I came back. Ugh, I came back…” Hayan continued muttering.
“What are you talking about, Hayan?” I asked.
“Nothing, it’s nothing. I-I’m sorry for being such an idiot…” she replied and
lowered her head from embarrassment.
‘Good.’
“What do you mean? Is the curse affecting you? What did you see?” I asked,
trying to act naïve.
“No, it wasn’t the curse. It’s all my fault. I’m sorry, Oppa. I’m really sorry
for being selfish. Please don’t hate me…” Hayan replied apologetically.
‘There’s no way I would hate you.’

In the first place, I had never felt hatred for Hayan. Sure, she was obsessed
with me, but her abnormality only spiked because of the curse’s effect.
I was grateful for being able to squeeze some magic into her worn-out mind.
The opportunity had quickly presented itself to me.
One day, Jung Hayan might suffer from a terrible accident. Of course, the
cause was unknown, but one thing was for sure—it would be because of her
ability.
Knowing that I could suppress her from now on, I smiled in satisfaction.
‘Now, I feel like I’ve gained a new sense of responsibility…’
I didn’t particularly love her or wanted to be bound to her, but the fact that I
felt guilty and compassionate and even liked her was undeniable.
You are rationalizing again. You’re trying to remove your guilt through her.
You think that, by not abandoning her, it would prove that you still have a
conscience.
‘Things like that happen, too.’
I also knew I had been affected by the curse, but that didn’t matter now. All
these voices only served to spout serious bullshit.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but I have no reason to hate you. I love you
the most.”
Again, I was only half-sincere with my words.
“Huh… My Oppa is also the most important to me. I like him the most!” she
exclaimed.
Once again, Jung Hayan hugged me tightly and rubbed her face against my
chest.
“I’m back… Thank you, God! Thank you so much, God! Thank you very
much!”
“What happened?” I asked.
Of course, I knew what happened. I just tested if she would reveal it to me,
but she doesn’t seem to want to.
“It’s nothing… Oh, Oppa, are you okay? Did you suffer any injuries? Your
legs…”
“I’m fine,” I responded with a bright smile to convince her.
“Wow… Fortunately, your arms are also okay. There is no scar. You don’t
have gray hair. Your tongue is also intact…”
Of course, I knew there would be some side-effects. Jung Hayan must have
felt like the fantasy I had created would somehow come to life.
‘She even thought she had regressed…’
If I had known that she would react in this manner, I would have twisted the
story a little more. I could have portrayed a scene where Cha Hee-ra and Lee
Jihye saved my life.
Of course, it would be difficult to make a script, but if such a scene had been
included, the hostility that Jung Hayan exhibited towards them would be
greatly reduced.
‘I’m sorry, Hayan.’
It would be better to try it out at a later time.
“Oppa… Ugh…”
“Are you calm now?”
“Yes, a little…”
“Then, can you wait a minute? I should also take care of the rest.”
“Of course, Oppa. Go ahead.”

At this, I patted her head, and she automatically blushed. She looked like a
cute little puppy. However, memories of her illusion resurfaced once more,
and tears formed in her eyes again.
‘I can’t do this…’
I knew it had been effective. Looking at Hayan now, it seems I successfully

regained her sanity and freed her from most of the curse’s effects.
I was pleased to find out that our experiment had produced successful results.
It was probably because Jung Hayan was a special case.
‘However, it could also work on other people.’
The effect wouldn’t just be enough; it would work very well. This was
because Jung Hayan was the hardest to crack among them, and the
experiment turned out well for her. The appropriate use of medicine and
magic may not be perfect, but it would certainly help.
As I turned to assess the situation, the rest of the room came into view.
The scene was the same as the first time the curse had shown itself to us.
Those who had been screaming at first slowly awakened and the rest were
either looking around or talking to themselves.
When my gaze met Hwang Jeong-yeon, I saw a question formed in her eyes.
‘The experiment is a great success.’
As soon as I took out my alchemy kit and began to conjure a magic circle,
Hwang Jeong-yeon approached me. Her gaze was, naturally, focused as she
was involved in this operation.
“Mr. Kiyoung, what do we do now?”
“Please lead them here, one by one,” I instructed.

“What?”
“Please lead the other people here, one at a time,” I repeated.
At that moment, Hwang Jeong-yeon figured out what I wanted to do.
“Oh… I get it.”
“Please get Lee Sang-hee first.”
“Master, please sit over here.”
I wasted no time in speaking once our expedition leader had arrived.
“Let’s see. Master, what are you currently experiencing?”
“Ah…”
“Ah. There may be things related to privacy, so it would be better to write it

down. Jeong-yeon?”
“Yeah. I’ll have it ready.”
“Wait… What’s happening?”
Lee Sang-hee was visibly confused, so I began explaining the procedures.
“I found a way to effectively curb the curse, Lee Sang-hee. First of all, you
need to be at ease and write down exactly what symptoms and what kind of
voices you hear. If hallucinations are starting to appear, it may be helpful to
state exactly what it is. If you hear a lot of hallucinations, you should also
describe phrases that you hear repeatedly.”
“Ah…”
“I will ask everyone to line up properly over here. Please bring all your
writing instruments and wait patiently.”
Everyone seemed to be a little puzzled, but they still obeyed.

“Ah. I see.”
“I see the faces of those killed so far. They keep telling me that I will die
soon.”
“Of course, I can understand. I’m also experiencing similar symptoms. Once
you are prescribed a potion, your mental health will begin to regain shortly.
Although, there are some missing items… Um, well, I’d be grateful if you
could describe how they died.”
“Oh, that’s…”
“You can write down the parts that are too difficult to say. It’ll be more
effective, as well.”
“I will vouch for you. It will work, everyone.”
“Thank you, Hwang Jeong-yeon.” After all, Jeong-yeon did play a crucial
part in this.
“Oh, the next person… Ah, Miss Gahyeon. So you can see your younger
brother, who you left back on Earth?”
“Yeah…”
“It must have been very difficult.”
“…”
“I also have a younger sister on Earth. Of course, I’m worried about her,
but… First of all, it is important to be strong. You will see each other again
someday. Now… You seem to be showing signs of severe depression, but
even if perfect treatment is impossible, you will be able to relieve the burdens
of your mind.”
After trying to comfort Gahyeon, Hwang Jeong-yeon approached me.
“What should I do, Kiyoung?”

“I think potion 14 in the bag will be appropriate, Miss Jeong-yeon. I’ll write a
mental prescription right away. Gahyeon may go into treatment right away.
Please prepare the magic.”
“Of course.”
I was a meek idealist. I knew the medication would work well. Her
propensity and hallucinations were very much visible, so cases like hers were
easier to treat.
‘After a beautiful reunion with her younger brother, he ends up asking her to
live with strength.’
I knew this line would have a positive effect. Since my hobby was to read, I
could incorporate some fantasy elements.
‘I think it would be effective if I put in the part where the voice of her brother
and the voice of the curse are opposed to each other.’
Of course, what I’m doing right now wasn’t medical. Simply put, I was just
scamming everyone into receiving counsel. The curse wasn’t completely
curable, nor would the hallucinations become inaudible. To be precise, it was
all about putting a little antibiotic into the worn-out mind. However, it
worked.
The human mind was both weak and strong. Even though a curse like this can
erode one’s mentality, one could always find the strength to fight against it.
I shared similar symptoms with many of these people, thus making it easy to
treat them. In Hayan’s case, my existence itself had power over her thinking.
‘Good. Good.’
Only
Everything seemed to be working well.
Of course, I had not explained or informed Kim Hyunsung about this in

advance. He was evidently surprised upon seeing me suddenly administer
treatment.
Even after receiving Hwang Jeong-yeon’s mental treatment, Hyunsung still

felt stunned, looking among the people who had been treated or were still
waiting for their turn. I knew he had never imagined a scenario where we
would find another way to fight the curse.
He knew how to deal with this curse and was trying to put it into practice. We
had done the same, just with a different method, and I knew he understood
this.
“I came back… Thank you so much, God. Thank you for bringing me back.
Really, ugh…”
However, Kim Hyunsung’s expression turned serious upon hearing Hayan

mumble to herself.
‘She hasn’t really regressed, Hyunsung…’
It seemed like I had some explaining to do once all the treatments were over.
“How are you doing, Miss Gahyeon?” I asked.
“I think I’ve improved a little. I can still hear the voices, but my head doesn’t
hurt anymore. How could this be?” she replied.
‘It’s all thanks to Jeong-yeon.’
Of course, I didn’t mention this. It wasn’t a bad thing to maximize my own

value. I had to show them that I also managed to play a competent role during
this expedition.
“What kind of magic did you use?”
“Hahaha. I didn’t really use a complete type of magic. The brain is made up
of associated neurons, responsible for receiving and processing stimuli. So,
medically, the brain is classified as the central nervous system.”
“Yeah? That…”
Park Gahyeon’s expression showed that she didn’t know what I was talking
about. Even I didn’t know what bullshit I was spouting. I didn’t know
anything about the brain, and I sure as hell wasn’t a psychology expert.
However, the expressions of those around me had changed. Although they

had already overestimated my abilities initially, their eyes had still widened
when I continued to show off my so-called expertise.
“The central nervous system has a metabolism that is differentiated from
other organs. To make adenosine triphosphate, you need a supply of oxygen
to…”
How many people in Korea had this kind of knowledge? I knew no one
would understand me, which was why I was bold enough to spout whatever
came to mind.
‘There is no one here who has worked at the Brain Science Research
Institute…’
Even if I didn’t understand it, combining magic and alchemy knowledge was
a field I was an expert in.
“Ah. I explained it in such a difficult manner…”
“Ah… no…”
“To put it simply, this kind of curse, even if it comes in the form of unknown
magic, eventually involves the brain. Whether it’s alchemy, black magic, or
divine power, in the end, it relies heavily on the brain.”
“Alas…”
“You can think about hearing voices because your brain has been led astray.
Of course, I couldn’t correct the illusions, but at least I could give
antibiotics.”
“What…”
“It is the perception that what we see and hear is not reality. The human body
is really amazing. Of course, these illusions cannot be cured with drugs. The
science of magic is more complicated than you think. Let me explain by
involving alchemy…”
“Ahhh… That’s right. Yeah.”
I could see people nodding, but I knew they did not understand. Even if one
knew about how the brain worked, they still wouldn’t understand, nor would
they call me out on my bluffing.
Of course, in Jeong-yeon and Hayan’s case, their questions were a little more
different. I explained things as subtly as I could, to the point where they
believed I had given an accurate answer.
‘Very good.’
I could already feel my reputation rising. When I first came to the guild, I
would not have thought that this would happen.
“In fact, when I first heard that the alchemist was brought at that price, the
executives thought the higher-ups were crazy… Looking at you now, I
realize that you really are a genius. Ha… What have you been doing back on
Earth?”
‘Genius is such an inaccurate terminology.’
The word scammer fits me better.
“I haven’t done anything that warrants such praise.”
“Did you work in a research institute or something?”
“Well, in a way, yes. It’s a bit difficult to tell in detail.”
Of course, that was a big fat lie.
“Thank you very much. I am really reassured to have Kiyoung around. I

thought the media was lying when they said you were a genius, but it’s
actually amazing to have such a person in the party.”
It feels good to be praised, but I knew an age-old trick that would surely
make me seem humble. Rather, it is guaranteed to warrant more praise.
“Hahaha. I feel embarrassed now. It’s not like that. A lot of magazines
exaggerate.”
“You look like the smartest person I’ve ever seen!”

Even this woman, Park Gahyeon, expressed her likability towards me. We
were similar because we had left our younger siblings behind, and she
seemed to be attracted to me. However, she couldn’t express this outright.
This was because Jung Hayan had fixed her attention on her with a glare,
making her whole body tremble.
‘I haven’t completely fixed Hayan yet.’
Perhaps Jung Hayan’s obsession with me could not be cured, even if a

lifetime were to occur.
“Oh, I’m overdoing this. I feel so embarrassed in front of Jeong-yeon.”
“No. I just have a good memory.”
In summary, they were starting to recognize me as a genius alchemist,

wondering if I was the type who was only born once every tens of thousands
of years.
“The other alchemists I met before didn’t feel like this.”
“There are alchemists who are smarter than me in Lindel. The only difference
would be that they didn’t get support, and I had a good start. In fact,
everything is thanks to the Blue Guild.”
“Ah, you are so humble.”
It was not humility; it was the plain truth. No matter what bullshit I spouted
at this point, my pure image had already been established and would not
collapse.
‘Lee Kiyoung, a genius alchemist from the sky.’
Humans were usually jealous of people who are good at what they can
understand. However, I was treated with reverence for my so-called
achievements. Once this dungeon expedition was over, I would have
permanent, substantial influence in Blue.
This was also because Lee Sang-hee failed on her responsibilities as a good
leader. Of course, she wasn’t the type to be obsessed with power. She had a
sense of responsibility, but she didn’t bode well under pressure.
Currently, she seemed to feel ashamed of how she had chosen to react under
the curse’s influence. She must’ve thought something along the lines of ‘I
almost killed all the guild members,’ or ‘This job doesn’t suit me.’ Her self-
blame was highly evident.
As I rested, Kim Hyunsung began to talk to the rest of the party, never
missing the opportunities I opened up. Again, humans either despised or
revered what they could not understand.
Until now, it had been me who had proved my worth, but now, it was his
turn. He moved while I was taking a short break.
“I’m really sorry about that.”
“Ah…”
“No matter how much the curse has influenced me, I should have kept my
cool, yet I put you at risk. I have no excuses.”
It was Lee Sang-hee who spoke up. Her personality was my favorite. She was
the type to apologize even if there was nothing to apologize for.
“From this point on, we will adjust the party’s route. We will consider
clearing the dungeon as the primary priority rather than rescuing the
survivors, and we will rescue the corpses and any survivors after completing
the attack.”
‘Finally.’
It was a very reasonable judgment. To save the dead, a living person cannot
die.
The order had only been reversed, but Lee Sang-hee’s words meant a lot.
“But…”
“Of course, we will not stop searching for survivors. We will change the
formation and move faster.”
“Of course.”
“I will have Mr. Hyunsung take the lead.”
“Of course. I’ll do my best.”
It looked like Kim Hyunsung had bided his time until the perfect opportunity
arose. No more party members were affected by the curse. From his point of
view, one worry had gone away.
Kim Hyunsung looked at me with mirth dancing in his eyes. It was certainly
advantageous for him to have the lead handed to him without any further
complications. There was also something ominous in the way he presented
himself.
‘Is this intimidation?’
It was a fervor. Slowly, the party members stood straight, almost as if

possessed.
Kim Hyunsung was the ideal leader. Even Lee Sang-hee was also looking at
him with a blank expression. He could be seen as a little dogmatic. But in the
first place, it could be considered that his judgment excluded the party
members’ opinions.
He did what he thought was right and went straight for the goal. His whole
demeanor screamed, ‘This is the right way. Let’s go together.’
Simply put, he possessed the charm that would make anyone want to follow
him—the ideal leader. Though I wasn’t knowledgeable about a ruler’s
workings, he was born to be a leader.
“We’re going.”
The effect was immediate. Everyone went to obey Kim Hyunsung.
He urged the party to move at a faster pace, and so we quickened our steps.
We ignored the search for any other alternative directions and focused on
moving forward. I had no complaints about having him lead us as I trusted
him immensely.
We moved as if we weren’t worried about encountering monsters. We didn’t

take into account any traps that may lie waiting. There was something about
Hyunsung’s confidence that compelled the members to not worry about such
trivial matters.
‘Are there really no monsters?’
I knew it was a possibility, but I hadn’t expected it to be true. Perhaps this

dungeon solely relied on the curse itself. If that hypothesis were correct, it
would be obvious where Kim Hyunsung would be heading. We would be
searching for the dungeon owner and the magician who had cast the curse.
As we continued to walk, the scenery began to change. The number of forks

in the passages lessened, and the small room where we came from was now
invisible. Although we were walking at a fast pace, it seemed like the end of
the dungeon was still far off.
Of course, there were several attacks from the curse, but no one suffered
lasting damage. This meant that the ‘treatments’ were effective.
“The undead… No…”
“I definitely got a report….”
“Perhaps seeing the undead near the entrance triggered the curse. It’s not
confirmed yet, but I think it’s safe to assume that.”
“Please stay vigilant anyway.”

“Yeah.”
Bodies were eventually found. They were confirmed to be former guild

members of Blue. I didn’t confirm in detail why they died, but I could predict
it. They either took their own lives or had turned on one another.
Lee Sang-hee expressed confusion at this, but she did not stop the party from
advancing further.
Only
After some time, we came across a small door that was crudely decorated.
As I slowly opened the door, I could see a woman sitting on a chair. She had
her eyes closed, and her expression was immensely pale.
Immediately, new information started pouring into the status window.
[You have encountered a heroic-grade dungeon, the Cursed Shrine owner, the
cursed Saint Juliana. The quest is activated.]
[Heroic-grade forced quest is activated.]
[Heroic-Grade Quest – Eliminate Juliana (0/1)]
We had reached the end.

Chapter 96 Juliana (1)
Juliana (1)
An unpleasant voice echoed.
‘Ahhh…’
I didn’t know why, but my legs seemed to be shaking.
It had been difficult to call the Garden of Terror’s dungeon boss a real
dungeon boss. Even though it had been colossal, its resilience had not been
enough to withstand the party members’ attack power.
However, the woman in front of me was different. Though I knew nothing

about her, I could feel an ominous aura in her presence. She certainly seemed
like a priest with the uniform she wore, but the atmosphere she gave off
seemed overbearing, to the point that I felt overwhelmed.
I realized at once that she was the predator, and I was the prey.
At this very moment, I missed being in a safe area in the rear of Kim
Hyunsung’s party.
‘Hyunsung… Is this okay?’
Ahhh… Gedric… My Gedric! You finally came to see me…
‘What bullshit is she talking about?’
You finally found me. My lovely Gedric!

Upon saying this, the woman bent her neck at an impossibly awkward angle,
horrifying my party members. Then, she reached out to me.
I thought about pretending to be Gedric for a while, but it would be

dangerous to take the lead in a situation like this. It would be best to retreat to
the rear and wait until the leaders themselves figured out what to do.
‘Can the woman not see?’
At this moment, Kim Hyunsung took one more step.
You are not him. Not him.
After frowning heavily, the woman who had been called Juliana opened her
eyes, showing black pupils that seemed to have the ability to suck the life out
of anyone.
The physiological effect was instant. Goosebumps rose on my skin.
‘Shit…’
You’re not him!
The very ground we stepped on began to crack, and the inside of the dungeon
shook tremendously. I could sense strange energy as magic power began to
spread in all directions, accompanied by a loud ringing voice. This caused me
to cup my hands over both ears.
When I thought I would start bleeding from the intense pressure, a barrier
covered the whole party. It turned out to be Sun Hee-young’s defense,
choosing to block the energy with divine magic.
It’s not him!
“Everyone, prepare for battle! Wizards, prepare your spells, and priests, keep
the divine power going. We judged that it was a monster that couldn’t attract
aggro, and we will proceed with the operation as defensively as possible.
This will be a long battle.”
“Noted!”
Lee Sang-hee, who was calmer than expected, covered the rear with a large
shield. As soon as the spell was recited, magical power began to rise from the
area. It was up to the vanguard to earn us some time until we finished casting
the magic.
Of course, this did not mean that my side stood still.
Starting with Kim Hyunsung, some began to shoot at Juliana.
‘Stay safe, Hyunsung.’
The energy that seemed to be neither magic nor divine power burst out in all
directions. The owner of this energy was blatantly obvious.
‘Juliana.’
“Please prepare your defense magic.”
You… You dare invade this place… This place!
Shing!
It was a spectacle to witness the black sphere of energy rushing towards us,
leaving cracks on the ground in its trail. However, this did not bode well for
us.
Lee Sang-hee instinctively brought up her shield to block the incoming

attack. In the end, she was successful, but it had not been an easy task. It had
only been possible because she had been infused with divine magic.
‘This will not be an easy fight…’
Our strategy needs to be a little different than our usual method of hunting
monsters.
Back in the Garden of Terror, the monsters’ attacks focused on those at the
forefront. However, it seemed that Juliana had chosen not to target anyone in
particular. Her main goal was to eradicate everyone she saw as ‘intruders.’
This was the ideal moment to run away.
It wasn’t easy to deal with her and attack simultaneously, as our forces also
had to focus on protecting the party’s weaker defenses. The casting time
proved to be longer than expected.
Since this was meant to be a withstanding battle, the tankers had to make sure
that we wouldn’t receive any lasting damage. Archers with high agilities
couldn’t expect any additional help.
As Hwang Jeong-yeon and Jung Hayan recited their spells, the resulting
magical power was enormous. It enveloped the madwoman in no time at all,
but the black sphere of energy returned to combat the power.
At this moment, I released the spell that I had been memorizing.
A huge arm arose out of the air and fell with the momentum to crush Juliana,
who was currently wrapped around in the black sphere.
Swoosh!
The expressions of my fellow party members showed their initial surprise at

this. The dust soon settled to reveal Juliana looking my way.
You dare!
My magic was strictly classified as physical. I didn’t know if this was why I
was able to inflict some damage on our opponent. However, this did not spell
good news for me.
‘Shit.’
I didn’t know if it was intentional, but the black sphere of energy was now
coming my way.
Kim Hyunsung was in a position where he couldn’t easily deflect the attack
with his sword, should it ever come my way. I knew I would be able to
continue inflicting damage as long as I was being protected.
‘Is this how heroic-grade dungeons are?’
I knew it wouldn’t be easy, and yet I didn’t expect it to be this hard.
Now and then, roars reverberated throughout the dungeon, and the ground
shook, cracks opening in various places. Perhaps this was why Kim
Hyunsung couldn’t move properly.
Lee Sang-hee was able to hold her ground, but Park Deokgu, who only had a
meager amount of magic power, could only block small attacks.
The only good thing was that the curse had not afflicted us yet. If one were to
see hallucinations in this situation, it could prove fatal on our side.
Somehow, I had to make a decision.
I wanted to stay away from situations that could end up costing me my life.
In the end, I settled for speaking up.
“Ah, my Juliana!”
Soon, a strange vision settled upon the room.
Ah, Gedric?
My voice unexpectedly burst in the middle of the battle, effectively causing a

lull within the fight. At this, my fellow party members looked at me
confusedly, wondering what I was doing. However, I did not incline to
answer.
They would know soon, anyway.
“Juliana! My Juliana!”
Gedric! Ah, you came. Gedric… You finally came.
“Juliana! I’ve been looking for you for an eternity. This shrine!”
Gedric, finally…
“Juliana!”
Oh, no. You are not Gedric.
‘Damn.’
“Many years have passed, Juliana. Contrary to you, who has been bound by
this shrine, I have undergone many changes. An insurmountable amount of
time has passed. My tone, my existence, and everything I am have changed.”
No. You are not Gedric.
“Juliana! My love, Juliana!”
You are not Gedric!
“Juliana, I have changed, but I still remember that day. I have always kept my
memories of you within this body.”
Ah…
“That precious memory…”
Ged…rick?
I didn’t know what exactly she was thinking about, but I knew something
would come to mind. Black tears flowed out of Juliana’s empty eyes. It was a
grotesque sight to behold.
However, I needed to focus. If I could find a way to weasel out more

information…
On that day…
Anxiety rose within me. All it would take was one mistake for her to find out.
“We are each other’s… Ahhh! Juliana!”
Gedric!
“They are oppressing me, Juliana! Ahh!”
Lee Sang-hee, Park Deokgu, and Sun Hee-young all looked at me with
irresistible curiosity. Meanwhile, jealousy was written all over Jung Hayan’s
face.
‘Everyone has noticed…’
As I glanced around the rest of my comrades, I caught sight of Hwang Jeong-

yeon, nodding.
Nevertheless…
“Silly, stupid Juliana. Yes, yes, the Gedric you love is in our hands!”
‘Ah…’
Knowing Jeong-yeon loved watching the drama, I’d have expected her to
exhibit some good semblance of acting skills. However, upon seeing her
enact her role, I began to feel concerned about Juliana catching on to our
scheme.
Hwang Jeong-yeon’s face was a bright red, but thankfully, Juliana didn’t
seem to have any doubts.
“Juliana! Do not save me. Run, run right away!”
Gedric!
“Run away! Juliana!”
You guys dare! Gedric!

I don’t know if this would turn out effective, but it worked better than I had
initially thought. Of course, there would still be room for doubts in this kind
of situation.
However, there was no way she’d be willing to fight out of the illusion.
Gedric, who she had been waiting for all her life, had finally appeared, only
to be on the brink of death once more. It would be natural for her to have
such a reaction.
‘It would be a problem if she decides to go crazy with her powers, but…’
I also knew there was no way she’d dare create an explosion with her energy
sphere. By doing so, she would also end up killing her beloved ‘Gedric.’
Unlike the rest of my party members, who continued to look with mounting
confusion, Kim Hyunsung rushed towards Juliana, swinging his sword.
In truth, Hyunsung was still not at the stage where he would thrive easily
inside a heroic-grade dungeon. It was only right to say that he was still in the
growth stage.
However, the way he moved to block Juliana from rushing over to our party
surprised me. Kim Hyunsung managed to block the black energy that
extended from all directions with a single slash.
Even though her attack range was limited, Juliana kept the attacks coming,
with Hyunsung parrying in turn.
Quadduck… Quazzik!
Only
As sounds reverberated from within the dungeon, the two continued to

unleash a flurry of attacks and counterattacks that I could not even begin to
comprehend.
‘Huh…’
Kim Hyunsung tried to extend his sword, but Juliana forced him to retreat
halfway. At the same time, her black sphere unleashed a flurry of energy, yet
it did not take him much to block.
Meanwhile, the rest of our party members looked on with expressions that
could only border on shock. No one knew when the right timing was to
intervene.
In the first place, it didn’t seem easy to set the timing of how to intervene.
I will hold them at bay… Can’t you run away at this point?
“…”
Gedric! Gedric!
Juliana (2)
It was highly evident that the fight had reached a larger scale.
Juliana, evidently the owner of this dungeon, had reached the point where
Kim Hyunsung was forced to step up his game. Meanwhile, I could feel the
room we were in changing, little by little.
Can’t you get out of here?
Bang!
Quadduck!
At first glance, it would be easy to retreat. However, this was a battle that
Kim Hyunsung had to dish out.
Take the curse!
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
Gedric!
Unlike Kim Hyunsung, who could fight without any reservation, Juliana
alternated between attacking and showing her constant weakness—me. I
didn’t know what this Gedric meant to her, but I now knew that he was
important enough for her to risk her life. Since someone important to her was
being held hostage, it was only natural for her to be unable to properly
execute her abilities.
Whenever I screamed out for Juliana, she grew more agitated, thereby
showing more weak spots. It would be easy to end the fight now.
From the moment I had shown myself to her as Gedric, she had stopped
executing her powers to the fullest. However, those who were watching the
fight didn’t seem to think of it that way.
But no, they had nothing else to do but watch. This was Kim Hyunsung’s
turn to showcase his abilities to the rest of the Guild members.
The guy in question was now biting his lips in concentration. To be able to
incite such a serious expression showed that Juliana was very strong. The
black tentacles surrounding her stretched out in all directions, all to trap
Hyunsung in place.
However, he was able to avoid their deadly grasp by dodging or by simply

cutting them off. His high agility and flexibility reminded me of a splendid
display of acrobatics.
Each time a tentacle was slashed off, he would jump to another spot, as
Juliana would quickly combat his parry with a second attack.
Of course, it was also natural for Juliana to prove that she was not easy to
beat.
It felt as if I was watching a high-grade fight in front of me. Perhaps, Cha

Hee-ra was the only other person I knew who could exhibit the same combat
prowess. Even Lee Sang-hee, said to be the strongest among us, looked at
Kim Hyunsung as if in a trance.
When Juliana first exhibited signs of her unstable behavior, I began to think
about the number of ways I could take her down. However…
‘It’s too dangerous.’
If I tried something out and it ended up backfiring, the whole party would be
harmed. I was not too fond of gambling. Now was not the time to throw the
dice.
Wait a bit, Gedric. Just a little bit more!
It was satisfying to know that our enemy was successfully taken in with our
act, but I felt like I had to intensify it a little more. I could see that Juliana’s
desperation would be the key to our victory.
She genuinely thought ‘Gedric’ was in danger. Alas, she was doing her best
to fight the invaders while trying not to harm me.
Of course, I didn’t sympathize with her actions. I didn’t forget the fact that
she was the owner of a dungeon that had swallowed up numerous victims and
that my party might soon be a group of casualties if we didn’t win this fight.
Simultaneously, there was no excuse for the fact that we had invaded the
dungeon even though she had made it explicitly clear that she did not want to
be disturbed. Nevertheless, we came here for a reason.
This troublesome fly!
“…”
I’m going to let the darkness swallow him up!
A dark inverted cross materialized in the sky. It fell toward Kim Hyunsung,
but he swung his sword in response.
Bang!
Quazzik!
Quaddeuk!
‘He’s so strong…’
Seeing Kim Hyunsung tear down crosses that were bigger than his entire
being enveloped me with a sense of awe. Without realizing it, I was stuck
staring at the scene with my mouth wide open.
You will eventually succumb to the darkness!

Quazzik! Quaang!
‘Huh…’
What was notable was the fact that Kim Hyunsung was smiling. Despite
knowing one blunder could cost him his life, he seemed to be enjoying the
battle.
Quazzik!
The fight truly brought out Hyunsung’s strength. Of course, the difference in
stats was inevitable, and Kim Hyunsung suffered a few wounds of his own,
but he still seemed satisfied with how the fight was going.
‘His stats haven’t even reached an average of 80 yet…’
You can’t get out of here even now. Shameless intruders… face my wrath!
A sword then fell from the sky, over the cursed saint who appeared to be
glaring at Hyunsung. It was not a sword that belonged to anyone.
‘What kind of sword is that?’
No, in the first place…
‘What kind of fight is this?’
The fight I was witnessing was surely out of standard, and I didn’t like it.
Juliana, who seemed to have reached the second phase, was clashing with
Hyunsung with her sword.
Kim Hyun-sung met Juliana’s attacks head-on, and we, too, were affected.
However, Park Deokgu and Lee Sang-hee were steadily protecting us, and
our magicians ensured that we had an extra layer of safety after each clash.
‘Will we be able to win?’
In the meantime, I was worried about the outcome of the battle. I was sure
that Kim Hyunsung would win, but I was worried about the injuries he would
sustain in doing so. Even though our party kept a continuous supply of divine
power to aid in the battle, there was no guarantee that we’d be able to avoid
the worst-case scenario.
‘Should I believe in him?’
I knew this wasn’t Hyunsung’s full ability. He was probably hiding his true
power. However, he might have been overconfident in his abilities.
You will be trampled in the dark!
Juliana lifted her sword, and Kim Hyunsung also concentrated his magic on
his sword.
‘This will probably be the last clash.’
I didn’t know how the fight was going, but the ominous feeling stayed within
me. When the swords were about to hit, I couldn’t help but scream.
“Juliana!”
At this, the enemy in question turned her head towards me. Simultaneously,
Kim Hyunsung slashed through her sword with enormous energy, cutting
through the air.
The next thing I saw was his sword piercing right through her abdomen.
Ged… rick…
‘Oh…’
I’ve dealt with my fair share of monsters up until now, but this was the first
time I’d ever felt my heart squeeze upon seeing the death of one.
It was probably because Juliana had instinctively reached out for me as she
fell.
Gedric…
The expedition members slowly scattered behind me as this scene unfolded.

When the steamy heart was left behind, a new energy spread in all directions.
I flinched for a moment, but my head suddenly became clear. It was at this
moment that I realized we’d completed the dungeon attack.
[Heroic-grade quest has been completed.]
[Heroic-grade quest – Eliminate Juliana (1/1)]
[Gives 4 random stat points as a reward.]
‘It’s over.’
It was no wonder that everyone rushed to Kim Hyunsung. An eruption of

voices soon reverberated in the room.
“Hyunsung, are you okay?!”
“Hyunsung!”
“Oh, I’m fine…”
The first point of action was to check on Hyunsung, but the chaos didn’t stop
there.
“Huh…”
“I can’t believe it…”
“I knew it would be difficult, but I feel so embarrassed.”
“This is also my first time, so I can’t really explain how the notion of
promoting or demoting of ranks works…”
“Whatever happens, it will be a blessing to the guild.”

I didn’t understand what they were talking about, but I guessed it had
something to do with the sword.
[Cursing Sword – Legendary-Grade]
‘Huh…’
It was faint, but the sword kept flashing orange hues.
‘Great…’
I was beginning to understand why Kim Hyunsung wanted to go to this

dungeon.
‘Is it for this?’
In front of me was a legendary item, one of the only ones on this continent, I
could bet.
There were a total of six confirmed legendary-grade items, perhaps a few

more, but not more than 10. There was no guarantee that such artifacts would
drop even in legendary-grade dungeons.
If Kim Hyunsung knew that he would get one here, then his insistence at
coming would be understandable. Anything rated legendary was simply
phenomenal, be it a legendary-grade dungeon, legendary-grade job,
legendary-grade item, legendary-grade quest, or legendary-grade monster
raid.
Even if there would be a dispute over ownership, it won’t be a strange scene

to witness. Even so, the owner was already decided.
It was then that I decided to speak.
“I couldn’t even imagine killing Juliana one-on-one.”
“I could have suffered if Kiyoung had not interfered. Thank you very much.”
Kim Hyunsung’s desire for this sword was evident. Just as I desired good
alchemy kits, he would also want good swords.
There shouldn’t even be a dispute as to who the owner would be. After all,
we wouldn’t have been able to survive this dungeon if it weren’t for Kim
Hyunsung!
Lee Sang-hee also seemed to have something to say.
“First of all, I will declare the completion of the attack of the heroic-grade
dungeon, Cursed Shrine. Clean up the area and search for other items or
bodies of other guilds. I would like you to look around in groups of three and
report any unusual issues immediately. The settlement will be made after
returning to the guild. Gahyeon, please return to the guild right now and let
them know the situation of the expedition. And…”
“…”
“It’s too early to tell all of you, but I’m pretty sure you all understand who
owns the cursing sword. Just in case… This cursing sword…”
Before Lee Sang-hee could finish speaking, a spectacle occurred.
“Wow…”
“Huh?”
‘What…’
The sword lying on the ground suddenly started to rise and twirl up in the air.
It was natural for everyone to feel alarmed.
As everyone looked at it confusedly, the cursed sword slowly approached me.

What was strange was that I didn’t feel hostility from it.
“Is this a master ceremony?” Someone else muttered.
Only
The sword approaching with a faint light seemed to look at me, making a
continuous trembling sound.
I didn’t know what was going on.
‘Oh no, don’t be like this. Don’t test me…’
I then realized what was happening.
I could see an embarrassed expression showing on Kim Hyunsung’s face.
‘It’s not like this… Hyunsung, trust me, I didn’t mean to do this.’
Juliana (3)
Kim Hyunsung looked like a mess. Though he had already received the
divine healing spell, there were still many scars scattered all over his body.
However, this was natural, seeing as he had just gone through an intense
fight.
He had small welts where Juliana’s tentacles had managed to hit him, and
half of his equipment had flown off or were destroyed in their continuous
clash. His appearance overall was very grim.
On the contrary, my appearance…
‘It’s clean.’
I suffered no torn clothes or wounds, let alone a single scratch.
As the sword approached me, Hyunsung’s expression was similar to someone

who had fought to meet their lover, only for them to get abandoned.
“I’ve heard stories that legendary-grade items usually choose their owners.
This seems like the case now,” Hwang Jeong-yeon remarked.
“Yeah. I’ve heard of such a story, too, Jeong-yeon,” Kim Hyunsung

commented glumly.
‘No… Do not be like this.’
Embarrassment flew from all aspects of my body. Kim Hyunsung seemed to

be feeling the same. I knew he had risked himself for the chance to gain this
item, and knowing this hurt my heart.
I did not mean to do it, but I apparently had gotten in the way of his plans.
‘Damn… I don’t even know what to use it for.’
“I’m not sure why it so suddenly acted this way…” I muttered.
No matter how much I tried to sneak away, the sword kept following me.
“Is it possible to deny ownership?” I asked, trying to find a way out of this
embarrassing situation.
“Generally, yes… However, information on legendary items has not yet been
released. I don’t think this one will back down so easily, however…” Jeong-
yeon replied.
“In that case, how would you like Hyunsung to catch it? First of all, I am not
the combat type, nor is it an item I need. It would be better for Hyunsung to
use it than me,” I remarked.
“Yeah. Hyunsung, I think it would be better to try that,” Jeong-yeon agreed.
“Ah… Yeah,” Kim Hyunsung responded.
No wonder everyone’s eyes were on him.
At this, Kim Hyunsung began to reach out quietly, harboring an extremely

nervous expression.
Perhaps he had already encountered a lot of information about legendary-

grade items, hence his hesitation in approaching the sword. Maybe this was
even the same sword he had used in the past!
However, we had no choice but to accept that handling this sword would not
be easy. Even Kim Hyunsung looked unsure.
The moment he grabbed the sword, dark energy began to pour out of the
artifact. The expedition members quickly scattered in alarm, afraid of what
was to happen.
Kwajijijiji!
Upon seeing this, Kim Hyunsung sighed in resignation. I, too, looked away.
My heart squeezed.
‘Ah… Shit…’
“I don’t think I can. It seems like the owner has already been decided,”
Hyunsung remarked in a somber tone.
“Ah… But I, really…” I trailed off, trying to find the right words to say.
“This is a very strong sword. It’s a little regrettable, but I can’t help it. In fact,
Kiyoung has actually been the number one contributor in this expedition, so
it’s only natural that he gets chosen. I also got a lot of help from Kiyoung in
the last fight. To be honest, I wouldn’t have been able to guarantee what
would have happened to me if he had not aided me,” Hyunsung explained.
“But I would not even be able to use this…” I argued.
“Even so, Kiyoung, you cannot deny it. I could feel it right after I grabbed it.
It has already decided its owner. Even if someone else tries to use it, it will
not unlock its abilities for anyone other than you. Only you will be able to
make use of its true functions…” he insisted.
“What alchemist has a sword?”
Everyone looked away at this. Everyone knew that me wielding a sword was
like a pig wearing a pearl necklace.
I had weak physical stats. I wouldn’t even be able to swing it for more than a
few times before using up all my energy, but the sword didn’t seem to care.
As if it couldn’t wait any longer, the black energy from the sword began to
trap me.
“Ahhh!”
My arm was raised regardless of my will.
“Someone…”
I tried to look around for help, but everything happened so fast.
A familiar message came to mind the moment my hand closed around the
sword’s handle.
[You have been recognized as the owner of the legendary-grade item, the
cursing sword, Juliana. Congratulations on being a user of the legendary
weapon.]
‘Fuck, what is this recognition?! Take it back… I don’t want it!’
[Cursing Sword Juliana – Legendary-Grade]
[A sword used by the cursed St. Juliana. This sword was created tens of
thousands of years ago, when Ace, the god of the curse, descended for
Juliana. It will not fade no matter how many years will pass. It inflicts a
superlative curse that instantly inflicts mental damage to the injured target.
You can use the energy of Ace by using magic power. Targets that have been
exposed to this energy for a long time are also cursed. You can use a large
amount of magical power to cast an area curse. Summons and reverse
summons are also possible.]
[Before Juliana died, she desperately sealed her soul within this sword.
Juliana’s love for Gedric is asleep. The sword moves on its own, protecting
its owner from threats. Due to the low growth level, several functions of the
item are sealed. Magic power increases by 15.]
Gedric… My dear Gedric…
‘Okay, fine, I admit defeat…’
I looked at the sword in my hand with renewed emotions after reading its
status. I felt so embarrassed with the specs that my mouth had hung open.
The item’s stats were incomparable to any other item I’ve encountered so far.
In the first place, everyone had already witnessed just how powerful the curse
had been in here.
Considering it almost swallowed an entire party with its skill, the ability to
cast a curse was enough for it to be called a legendary item.
Of course, it would be impossible with my magic power to do as much

damage as Juliana did, but the possibility of using it is enough.
‘What about the sword’s ability to increase magic power by 15?’
I knew I had weak stats, but this sword had just given me hope. Plus, it was
made to ensure that my protection would be its first priority.
Since Juliana’s ego was sealed within it, a new feature had been installed
within the sword.
The only problem was…
‘Juliana…’
What should I do if the crazy bitch woke up again?
My head hurt just trying to think about having to pretend to be Gedric the
whole time I would have to use the sword.
“The owner ceremony is over.”
“This… Hyunsung, I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean for this to happen…” I said
apologetically.
“No. If one were to think about what Kiyoung has done, you deserve it. Of
course, as an alchemist, using a sword will be hard… In the future, we can
train together, right?” Kyunsung remarked.
“Yeah?”
“I think it would be nice for you to learn how to use a sword. I will definitely
teach you the basic level,” he replied.
‘It still doesn’t seem right…’
Somehow, I became quite anxious.
‘Is he mad?’
I couldn’t imagine Kim Hyunsung ever harboring a toxic grudge. However,

one of the corners of his mouth was clearly lowered. I knew it was because
all his efforts had been for nothing.
As I looked around, I could see the expressions of Park Deokgu, Sun Hee-
young, and Jung Hayan, all harboring a hint of pride.
Jealousy was written on everyone else’s expressions, but they chose not to act
on this and applauded me instead. I had no choice but to speak, seeing the
curiosity on their faces.
“That… I’m not really sure about the sword’s quality, but the internal
features are pretty good. It can inflict curses, and it’s designed to protect its
owner.”
“Really?”
Even Kim Hyunsung looked surprised. This was probably because it was a
function that did not exist in the first case.
Did it change because I had pretended to be Gedric?
“Ah. Others seem to be unable to read it. It is written that Juliana’s ego is
sealed. When a threat comes, the sword will move by itself. Of course, I will
still have to make use of my magic power. Anyway, I think it’s because
Juliana has identified me as Gedric,” I explained.
“Oh, I see.”
‘I have to pretend to be Gedric…’
If the sword finds out that I wasn’t Gedric, the consequences would be dire.
For now, the good news was that Juliana was still asleep from the battle that
had just been ensured.
However, the bigger benefit was that Kim Hyunsung didn’t seem to be
exhibiting any more negative feelings towards me. He even nodded at my
explanation.
‘Did he think it would be useful?’
Probably so.
He had probably accepted that I was the owner, although his expression was
still set in a cold, firm line.
When I thought about it, this curse-making greatsword, Juliana, would have
been one of the many legendary-grade items Kim Hyunsung might have
acquired or known about in the past.
However, his disposition and this sword did not seem to match at all. In fact,
this sword would have been a better match for someone like Jung Jinho, that
maniac back in the tutorial dungeon.
“First of all, congratulations, Mr. Kiyoung,” Lee Sang-hee greeted.
“Ah… Yeah… Thank you,” I replied shyly.
“It’s a little complicated, but if Mr. Hyunsung…”
“Yeah. I understand, Lee Sang-hee. Unfortunately, it seems to be an

inevitable situation.”
“Normally, ownership needs to be discussed, but this is a legendary item, and

the cursing sword acknowledged Kiyoung. It also seems that our work here is
also finished to some extent, so I will be able to head to Lindel right after I
finish some other work. Let’s go home.”
“Alright.”
We were able to gain more things upon the completion of the dungeon.
However, due to our failure to bring back the previous party members, Blue’s
power had dropped significantly.
It might seem cruel, but this situation did not seem so bad at all.
Lee Sang-hee’s position has declined, therefore Kim Hyun-sung’s and my

internal evaluation have risen as a result.
I don’t know what choice Lee Sang-hee will make in the future, but seeing
that she felt like a failure in leading the team in our expedition, she would
probably step down from being the leader. In this way, Kim Hyunsung had a
chance. We had proven ourselves enough on this expedition.
‘Our condition has also improved a lot…’
In fact, it felt like everyone had progressed from the expedition. However,
there were still some problems we needed to resolve.
Park Deokgu still lied about his job, and Lee Jihye’s plan still needed to
grow. I still had a lot of work to do once we got back.
However, because of my newly-acquired weapon, I did not feel the oncoming

onslaught of stress at all.
Getting this sword out would be a problem. After slightly sending in some
magical power, I began to mutter.
‘Reverse summon.’
[The cursing sword refuses to reverse summon.]

‘Huh?’
‘Reverse summon.’
Only
[The cursing sword refuses to reverse summon.]
‘Go back.’
[The cursing sword strongly rejects reverse summons.]
I began to panic at this point. Why does this have to happen?
‘Fucking hell! Go back!’
[The cursing sword strongly rejects reverse summons. It has fallen in love
with you. The cursing sword wants to be with you. The cursing sword feels
angry.]
“Go back! Please!” I shrieked.
It was definitely a satisfying expedition.

Juliana (4)
“Mr. Kiyoung, what is written there?” Sun Hee-young asked.
“Ah, Hee-young. It’s a story about Gedric and Juliana. No way… I think I
should know more about it because of this sword,” I replied.
“Ah! Are you referring to the book you found in the inner room?” she asked.
“Yes, I am. Upon reading it, I think it was actually worth finding out. It
seems like a legend… Well… Anyway, it’s interesting,” I answered.
“It must be fun to read. Could you tell me about it?”
Sun Hee-young’s curious expression was evidently visible. She had been
snooping around me all day as we prepared to head back to Lindel. In fact, it
was a nice opportunity to talk, as we hadn’t really conversed with each other,
except when it came to volunteering activities.
Meanwhile, Jung Hayan clung onto my arm tightly, shooting Sun Hee-young
a cautious look. I knew she also wanted a moment to know about the story.
‘Ah, well, it’s not that long, anyway.’
It would be nice to have something to talk about while we headed towards

our next destination.
“The story started exactly 10,000 years ago,” I began.

“Ten thousand years?” Hee-young asked in disbelief.
“Yeah. This is a story before the birth of Benigore, the Holy Empire, where
we’re currently located. It’s stated that a terrible battle took place. It’s also
said that it had been a religious war centered between believers who
worshiped the god of curse, and those who followed the god of blessing.”
“Ahhh…” Hee-young nodded.
“Have you ever heard of it?” I asked.
“Yeah. The religious war created the Holy Empire, after all. That’s an
interesting story,” she replied.
“Yeah. At that time, it was said that Juliana was a saint serving the god of
curse, and Gedric was a saint serving the god of blessing. The two didn’t
collide directly, but they always listened to each other and stood on the front
line. It was also written that 15 years after the beginning of the war, the two
collided on the front lines. In any case, there was a big battle in which almost
all of the troops were deployed,” I narrated.
“The Berman Cliff Battle,” she added.
I was surprised at her sudden response, so I tilted my head and asked.
“You know of it?”
“Anyone who has served in a temple always learns the most. Of course, I
haven’t heard of anyone named Juliana or Gedric, but… If Kiyoung’s book is
authentic, we could add it to the history books we currently have,” Hee-
young explained.
“Well, I’m not sure if it’s related to the Holy Empire, but… that might be the
case. Anyway, countless believers lost their lives, and Gedric and Juliana also
fought until the end and fell off the cliff,” I retold.
“So, what happened?” she asked curiously.
“Actually, the record of this time is not described in the book. It only says
that Juliana and Gedric returned to their respective temples exactly a year
later. Of course, Juliana’s diary is very accurate, but it is embarrassing to
explain in further detail.”
It was to be expected, after all.
Gedric and Juliana survived together for nearly a year in a cave on a distant
cliff and eventually developed feelings for each other.
People nodded in response as I continued to explain. It was indeed an

interesting story if one were to ignore the explicit content in between.
“From then on, it seems that Juliana and Gedric started meeting. The war had
gone into a lull, so there were many opportunities to meet. Colossal damage
was dealt on both sides during the Battle of Berman Cliffs. Of course, the two
gods initially tried to separate the two, but they already loved each other too
much,” I narrated as if it was my own experience.
“So, that’s why she became like this,” Hee-young commented and had a
moment of reflection.
“Yeah. Of course, the two were angry at each other’s gods. Under such
circumstances, Gedric built a small shrine in the temple of the god of
blessings… That is the dungeon we went to, the Cursed Shrine. The two
decided to stay here, and as a result, the gods became angry and tied them to
this shrine,” I recounted.
“Ah…”
The god of curse cursed Juliana, thereby trapping her in that room forever,
and the god of blessing blessed Gedric, turning him into a wanderer.
Of course, the god of blessing did not allow Gedric to find Juliana.
“I’m sorry.”
At Jung Hayan’s words, Sun Hee-young nodded and spoke again.
“It would be natural for the shrine to be cursed. Building a shrine dedicated to
other gods in the basement of the temple… It’s a big offense. Perhaps the
undead army outside the Cursed Shrine were also affected by the curse
itself.”
“In Gedric’s diary, it was said that the god of blessing blessed them with
eternal life, but from their point of view, it must have been a curse. The story
ends here. In short, Juliana was forever waiting for Gedric, and Gedric was
forever wandering in search of Juliana, whom he could not find.”
It wasn’t a heavy story. However, Jung Hayan seemed moved.
“That’s so sad… She waited for someone who would never come…”
I couldn’t help but pat her head. Seeing this as an opportunity, Hayan hugged
me tightly.
“Then, you mean that the undead found in the room on the left was Gedric,
Oppa?”
“Huh? Oh, right…”
In the process of searching for an unknown survivor, Gedric, as well as a

group of undead, were found. We didn’t have to search to figure out who we
had discovered. It was because I was able to find an interesting item in his
arms.
[Gedric’s Proposal Ring – Heroic-Grade]
[You can resist Juliana’s curse.]
As I glanced at the items in my hand, I felt like I could roughly understand

this dungeon’s original strategy.
In addition, why Kim Hyunsung went around so late at night, and what the
identity of the undead that the former party saw here.
Perhaps the first way to attack the Cursed Shrine was to find Gedric
wandering here. To catch him would mean gaining the needed resistance
against Juliana.
However, that would be a tricky ordeal. It was a huge shrine, after all. It
would be close to impossible to find Gedric successfully. On the other hand,
not gaining resistance meant bearing Juliana’s full wrath.
In our party’s case, we figured out a way to resist the curse before
discovering Gedric.
Had a little more time passed, Kim Hyunsung could have found Gedric, but
the expedition’s results were not bad overall.
“Love is definitely scary,” Hee-young remarked.
“Yeah.”
I can empathize with that more than anyone else. My gaze fell on Jung
Hayan.
Anyway, in the meantime, I would have to learn as much as I can about

Gedric. Juliana was currently still asleep in her sword, but I didn’t know
when she would wake up. Thus, I needed to be prepared.
“By the way, I know it hasn’t been very long since we’ve gone, but I’ve seen
no sign of reinforcements that he promised to bring,” I remarked.
“Who?” Hee-young asked.
“Lee Seolho, one of the retired members,” I replied.
“Ahhh. Perhaps it is because the Red Mercenary Queen has not yet returned,
or some other problem occurred. Anyway, we completed the dungeon at a
faster pace than expected,” Lee Sang-hee interfered.
“Oh, we were fortunate to have Kim Hyunsung with us, then. If we didn’t,
we’d probably have died in there,” I remarked.
“Ah, yes. I’ll ask about what’s happened when we get back.”
‘Hah, they probably wish we’d die during this expedition.’
The timing was definitely ambiguous, but Lee Sang-hee seemed fixated on
trying to excuse Lee Seolho’s behavior.
“My Hyung is so kind that I’m sick.”
At this, Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan nodded. However, Sun Hee-young’s
expression did not look good.
‘I guess she doesn’t like him either.’
These old men, including Lee Seolho, were no different from the vagrants in
the poor. They were useless beings who refused to move on their own. They
stepped on others and tried to make a profit by torturing them.
I’ve already said it before, but the difference between him and the poor was
that he had gotten luckier than them. However, they were all the same—just
lumps of cancer in our society.
‘Oh… How has it been going, anyway?’
What I had asked Lee Jihye to do suddenly came to mind.
She would have almost finished what I asked for, but I had to think about the
possibility that we couldn’t finish the job because the timing of our departure
had been earlier than expected.
Then I saw someone running towards us from afar.
‘Park Gahyeon?’
The figure in sight was certainly Park Gahyeon, which Lee Sang-hee sent to
the guild one step ahead of us. It meant something had happened.
Seeing her anxious look, I began to feel both excited and worried for any
upcoming news.
Eventually, she reached Lee Sang-hee, panting and trying to catch her breath.
“Ugh… Vice Guild Master…”
“Did you share the news? Why have you come back alone?”
“We did everything as ordered. I have news to deliver… I can’t help but…”
“Please calm down and tell me.”
I noticed that she felt reluctant to share the news with everyone. However,
she had no choice. Upon successfully regaining her breathing, she spoke
again.
“The… The Guild Master has died.”
“What?!”
“The guild master… He died.”
“Why…? The curse should have been lifted…”
“I heard it was exactly three days ago since you accomplished the
expedition… He died quietly in his sleep. I knew I had to inform you right
away.”
Lee Sang-hee closed her mouth, at a loss for words. Park Gahyeon,
meanwhile, had burst into tears. I’ve never seen the Blue Guild Master, but I
could surmise that his personality wasn’t that bad.
Logically speaking, this wasn’t a bad situation for our party. We could gain
more influence and control over the guild in this manner.
Nevertheless…
‘Why’d it happen so suddenly?’
The timing was definitely odd. Of course, it could prove to be advantageous

for some people. On the other hand, it could have been an effect of being
exposed to the curse for so long, but…
‘Is this Lee Seolho’s doing?’
It was just a guess, but a very convincing one at that.
“First, let’s hurry to the guild… Please keep up with our pace, everyone.
We’ll get there soon. We need to settle the situation.”
“Of course, Lee Sang-hee.”
And so, the party members trudged on with heavier steps.
Perhaps because of the unexpected news, Lee Sang-hee led the expedition
with her mouth shut, and the other party members also stepped in silently,
comforting Lee Sang-hee.
Soon enough, the Free City of Lindel appeared in our sights. We could also
see Lee Jihye and the other retired Blue Guild executives waiting for us at the
entrance.
Seeing that some of the Black Swans were with them, I knew something was
up. Suddenly, I found this entire situation ridiculous, and I resisted the urge
to laugh.
“Congratulations on surviving, Lee Sang-hee. I was just about to find you…”
“More than that, Seolho, what happened to the Master? Is he really dead?”
Only
“Yeah. He at least died peacefully.”
“Ahh, where is the body?”
“It’s in the guild’s basement. It’s been three days, yet I still don’t know what
to do with the funeral…”
“Ah…”
Their conversation had already bored me at this point. As the two continued
to discuss, I looked at Lee Jihye, who smiled and tapped her leg.
‘Ah, there it is.’
I knew a more detailed story would come my way soon.

Chapter 100 Old Forces (1)
Old Forces (1)
Upon arriving at the Guild House, our party hurriedly unpacked before
heading down to the basement. After some thought, I had decided to join
them in checking the body.
I initially wanted to talk with Lee Jihye, but I figured it could wait after. This
decision was reinforced upon seeing her nod, understanding my decision.
However, I knew she was thinking of something else, too. I didn’t even need
to ask what it was.
‘Is she still on that soulmate mindset?’
I had some inkling of what the status system meant about the two of us.
‘In fact, we’re similar in a lot of ways…’
Following this line of thought, I knew not bringing her in Blue with us was
the worst mistake I’d ever made. I knew she had a lot she could have brought
to the table.
However, I knew her current position wasn’t all that bad, either.
Putting this aside, I bid Jihye a brief farewell before joining others in the
basement. Since she was considered an outsider, she was not be allowed in
this particular area.
Upon reaching the basement, I saw a neatly organized room. A man was
lying inside a coffin decorated with a multitude of white flowers. He looked a
little old, and the countless wounds on his face were enough proof of his
identity. A beard covered his chin, and gray hair covered his head.
This was our deceased Guild Master.
‘Is he in his forties? No… Perhaps he was in his fifties…’
Since aging had slowed due to the influence of magic power, it was hard to
pinpoint his exact age. Upon seeing his comfortably closed eyes, never to
open again, cries erupted from the group.
“Aaaah!”
“Master…”
“Uncle, you said you would live until the end… Ugh…”
Though I had never met the Guild Master, I still felt sad. Everyone around
me had tears in their eyes, and it was obvious what the Guild Master meant to
them.
And among them, the one expressing the most intense reaction was Lee
Sang-hee.
Before we had gone down, she had a calm composure. However, that
composure cracked the moment her eyes landed on the old man.
It wasn’t clear what had happened between the two, but I could tell that it was
certainly not a normal relationship. Her reaction was similar to seeing a loved
one die.
‘Or, perhaps, a lover…?’
That wasn’t a convincing guess, however.
Soon, the rest of us decided it would be best to leave Lee Sang-hee alone.
The second unit slowly made their way up the steps, and our seventh unit
followed suit.
However, Kim Hyunsung must have had a different idea, for he stayed by
Lee Sang-hee’s side.
“He must have already gone to a better place.”
Meanwhile, Sun Hee-young cast a divine prayer towards the body and then
went on her way. I did the same and soon was moving upstairs, with Jung
Hayan clinging onto my arm.
“Hayan.”
“Yes, Oppa?”
“Have you felt anything weird?”
“About the flow of magic power within the Guild Master’s body… Or, I
don’t know, some traces of other types of magic. I’m not sensitive to this sort
of thing, so I couldn’t tell.”
“Ah… I didn’t find anything weird. I had only looked at him from a distance.
Maybe I could’ve noticed something if I was able to get a closer look.”
“Ah…” Upon seeing Hayan’s guilty expression, I decided it would be best to

stop speaking.
Instead, I decided to stroke her hair, which soon wiped off her sad
expression. However, my thoughts had become a chaotic mess.
I knew Jung Hayan was sensitive to magic power. It was one of her passive
abilities, seeing as her potential went past legendary, regardless of her current
status.
The fact that she had not sensed even a sliver of magic on the Guild Master’s
body meant that, whatever caused his death, it had not been from the usage of
magic power.
‘Hmm…
Upon reaching the ground floor, I caught sight of the second unit, all seated
by the Guild’s bar. When I approached them, people automatically gave way
to me. This type of warm welcome had probably stemmed from their
appreciation of me back in the dungeon.
If one achieved something in the dungeon, he or she warrants respect in the

Guild.
“Ah, Mr. Kiyoung.”
“You must also be sad…”
“Perhaps he is, but not as sad as Lee Sang-hee…”
“Yep, the two of them must have been very close.”
“She must be so heartbroken. The two of them have been together since the
tutorial dungeon.”
“Really? They were together in the tutorial dungeon?”
“Yeah. Come to think of it. The seventh unit doesn’t know much about that.
The Blue Guild was created by Lee Sang-hee and the Guild Master, Joo
Seung-jun. These two settled in after arriving in Lindel. At that time, Lee
Sang-hee was not an adult, so it must mean that the guild is quite old… by
fifteen years, to be exact.”
Considering that Lee Sang-hee was 33 years old now, it meant that she had
been 18 when the guild was first created.
“It’s been a while.”
“Yeah. We haven’t been in Blue for a long time, so we don’t know the
details, but Lee Sang-hee followed the Master like a father. Actually, when
the Master was cursed, she tried to enter the dungeon alone to solve it.”
“Ah…”
“They always moved together, even in the guild, or whenever the time came
for hunting or exploring. I don’t mean to degrade Lee Sang-hee, but if it
weren’t for the Guild Master, she probably would have never reached this
point.”
Upon saying this, the second unit member looked toward Hwang Jeong-yeon,
who nodded in reply.
“I’m a little bit bitter, too. Maybe not as long as Lee Sang-hee, but I’ve been
in Blue for quite a while. Joo Seung-jun is…”
“Yeah.”
“He was a great person. He knew how to sacrifice for others, and most of all,
he cared about us a lot. He did not increase the size of the guild because it
would be too difficult to care for each guild member if he did. Actually, all
guild members liked Seung-jun. In our unit’s case, it was enough just seeing
him every day. Of course, this won’t be the case now.”
Everyone fell silent for a moment. The atmosphere became heavier.
“I thought I’d get used to separation at this point, but…”
I didn’t know much about Joo Seung-jun, but it seemed that he had been a
good person. It wasn’t only that. He also seemed like a strong and capable
person.
Still, my worries about the current state of Blue did not go away. Lee
Sanghee was also strong, but she was not an ideal leader. She had a good
character, but that wouldn’t be enough.
Blue had a centralized system that centered on Joo Seung-jun. Since the head
had been cut off, it was only natural for the body to panic. In cases like these,
old geezers such as Lee Seolho would surely try to take advantage of the
guild’s weakness.
“Was Lee Seolho already here from the beginning?”

“Yeah.”
‘Ah…
“I heard that Seolho had also been with them since the tutorial. He worked a
lot as a combat agent and contributed a lot to the guild. Of course, he had
some personal affairs with the Master, but I know that the two’s relationship
was good. The same could be said for Lee Sang-hee. Of course, that’s not
apparent these days…”
“Ah, I see. He was also quite trusted.”
“Yeah. Perhaps Lee Seolho is also in pain…”
“Huh, I’m not so sure about that?”
At this point, Hwang Jeong-yeon’s expression had shifted into a nervous one.
“Can the rest of you go up for now? I need to speak to Mr. Kiyoung
privately.”
“Of course, Hwang Jeong-yeon. Take your time.”
Jung Hayan glanced at me with a sad expression, silently asking if she had to
climb up with the rest of them. When I shook my head, her face lit up.
“What did you mean earlier, Mr. Kiyoung?”
“It’s just… I don’t think Joo Seung-jun died naturally. I think he had been
killed.”
“Murdered?”
“Yes. Of course, it’s just a wild guess…”

“I thought Jeong-yeon would have guessed the same, but it seems that this
isn’t the case.”
“No. In fact, I’ve also thought about that. I didn’t rule out that possibility…
But when I saw Joo Seung-jun’s body…”
“You mean you couldn’t find anything?”
“Yeah.”
“Same here. At a glance, there was no trauma, and no signs of magic could
be found. Right, Hayan?”
“Yes, Oppa.”
“But the only way to kill people on this continent is magic. I think it’s right to
keep the possibility open. There is no motive for murder, but how many
people would benefit if the Guild Master disappears and if we didn’t come
back from the expedition? Oh, this can also be called a motive.”
“Yeah. That’s definitely true.”
“We can find out if we can examine the body. If you can persuade Lee
Sanghee…”
“Of course. I’ll inform you.”
“The faster you can do it, the better. The remaining magic power might fade
away at this point. If we were a little later, we wouldn’t have time to check
the body. Perhaps the murderers would have cleared all evidence by the time
of the funeral. I’m glad we were able to get back earlier.”
“I feel the same way.”
“In case you may find something else, it would be better if you and Sun
Heeyoung go into the autopsy. Alchemy or divine power may have been
used… Anyway, it’s best to keep all our options open.”
“It’ll be a little complicated, though…”

“Yeah?”
“I mean, to be suspicious of one guild member doesn’t mean others would

feel the same… yet, I hope Lee Sang-hee is also thinking similarly.”
Only
Hwang Jeong-yeon had a point. Upon hearing her explanation, I felt the
situation would become even more complicated.
‘It can’t be.’
I did not want to harbor any doubts, but if Lee Seolho and Joo Seung-jun had
really been together since their tutorial dungeon days, this could become a
problem.
As I thought about this, someone tapped on our table.
It was a familiar yet very unpleasant voice.
“I want to know.”
It was Lee Seolho and his followers

Old Forces (2)
It was Lee Seolho and his followers.
“Lee Sang-hee is still…”
“Yes, she’s spending time with the Master in the basement. You also seem to
be heartbroken.”
“It feels like someone in my family has died. The Master was such a special
person to Lee Sang-hee. Of course, other people will feel the same, but…”
“Yeah. In fact, I also lost sleep at first. My sorrow was heightened as there
weren’t a lot of people when it happened. However, Hwang Jeong-yeon, I
must congratulate you on your safe return. And for other party members…. I
am very sorry for your loss.”
His voice was full of favor. Of course, it wasn’t directed to me, but towards
Hwang Jeong-yeon, who was considered as the second party leader.
Hwang Jeong-yeon must have also felt surprised by his sudden change of
behavior, as her eyes had widened.
‘Ha…
I coughed into my fist and resisted the urge to laugh aloud. The old man was
so blatantly obvious. Of course, he wasn’t expecting us to come back.
In the end, it didn’t matter if Lee Seolho had killed the Guild Master or not.
The fact still stood that he would be delighted upon the occurrence of this
event. If we had not come back, Blue would automatically be his for the
taking.
For this very reason, he had chosen to delay the sending of reinforcements.
Either way, we had come back.
‘It must have been embarrassing for him.’
It felt funny, but I couldn’t help but take pride in this situation.
As I mulled over these thoughts, Lee Seolho continued to talk to Hwang

Jeong-yeon.
“I’m really glad.”
“Ah.”
“I was so worried because the reinforcements replied so late. Then, the Guild
Master died. I tried my best to help out, but it just didn’t feel right. My
anxiety… Anyway, it’s so nice being able to see you in person once more.”
Lee Seolho’s red, teary eyes were indeed a spectacle to behold. He would
undoubtedly receive the Academy Award for Best Actor if he kept this up.
Hwang Jeong-yeon looked torn, so I figured it would be fun for me to step in.
‘Shall we see his reaction?’
“Isn’t it too late to say that? I wonder if there was any other reason, Mr.
Seolho.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh, no, I’m just saying. Though the Red Mercenaries were late, there were
also the Black Swans. There are also loads of people in need of a job. It
wouldn’t be so hard organizing a unit. Of course, it would be impossible if
you were given a short time. However, we had been gone for so long.”
“Well, that…”
“Ahhh. Well, what’s past is past. Can you at least tell me how the Guild
Master died?”
“It’s exactly what I said. He died peacefully three days ago. He was fortunate
to have died in that manner.”
“Is that so?”
“Did you not think about the fact that he might have been killed?”
Lee Soelho’s eyes widened at my deduction.
“What are you saying?”
“Take it literally. From your story, does this mean that no one was in the
Guild Master’s room when he died?”
“That… I do.”
“From your reaction, it seems that you didn’t even think about the possibility
of him being killed.”
As I spoke, I couldn’t help but let a snarky smile slip through. It was because
Lee Seolho had donned a nasty expression.
‘Did you kill him?
No wonder the crazy old man’s face had turned red.
In the first place, Lee Seolho had a hot-tempered personality. If he didn’t get
angry in this situation, it would have definitely looked suspicious.
“What are you talking about now?!”
“Why are you getting all excited? I say this in total respect, Lee Seolho…”
“Are you saying we killed the Guild Master? I’ve never once thought about
that!”
“I didn’t even say our fellow guild members did it. I was just asking if there
were any possible intruders… You seem to be overly excited about this, and I
don’t know why.”
Seolho was taken aback by what I said and struggled to find his words for a
while.
“Yeah… You… Still…”
“Perhaps you feel attacked from what I said?”
“Do you dare talk to me like that? Me, who has maintained Blue Guild up
until now?!”
“Your story has nothing to do with me, regardless of how many years you’ve
spent in service. However…”
He fell silent.
“Let’s see, why do you keep speaking so plainly? Do you not mention your
position enough? Why must you be so loud and defensive about it?”
“You…”
“You have to be careful with your words, Mr. Seolho. If the Guild Master
dies, do you think that means the end for Blue? There are various degrees of
incompetence. What kind of executive lets the guild’s reputation fall into
disarray? Did you get sick of dealing with such affairs? It sounds ridiculous,
and it doesn’t make sense at all.”
My arguments seemed to hit like daggers as he was at a loss for words.
“Isn’t it normal to make sure that there was no intrusion from the outside, or
if there had been people inside the Guild Master’s bedroom? If your
definition of working hard is not enough, then just step down from your seat.
You’re not helping Blue at all. And then what? The reinforcement formation
was late, so it couldn’t be helped? That’s what you call an excuse. That’s
what you call incompetence. To say you couldn’t help it, it saddens me. Did
you think we would accept that? Why are you doing this?” | exclaimed.
My tone rose as I speak further, but there was no response from him.
“You know. This is not a school. You can’t just apologize for your mistakes
and leave it at that. Do you think of yourselves as pillars that have kept Blue
standing? No, if the Guild Master was the head, then you are all just
branches.”
“You… How dare you!”
In an instant, magical power had condensed in Seolho’s hand. Perhaps he

wouldn’t even hit me. He would know better than to do something so
careless.
On the other hand, perhaps he desperately wanted to do something to relieve

his anger?
If he actually did hit me, it would surely hurt. I was just a weak alchemist.
Jung Hayan’s eyes had widened, and she had started to memorize her
counter-spell. However, the old man’s fist was faster.
I knew it was coming, and yet, I did not try to dodge. This wasn’t because I
was a masochist at heart. I simply found no reason to avoid the attack.
Why?
“Oh, Juliana? You don’t have to feel so excited, you know…”
It was simply because something else had targeted Lee Seolho.
‘It’s so nice to have insurance. So, so nice…’

“This… This…”
“Ah. This is an item that I happened to get from the dungeon. It seems to
have multiple functions. For one, it has a function that could turn that anger
of yours into a peaceful death. Could you please remove your hand first, Lee
Seolho? My Juliana seems to be ready to strike.”
At this, Lee Seolho slowly retracted his arm. At the same time, my lovely
Juliana also began to approach my way.
It was also nice to see Jung Hayan harboring such a bitter expression.
‘Don’t be jealous of the sword…’
She probably felt that way because the sword had been able to do what she
couldn’t, which was to rescue me from the impending threat.
“I have something to attend to, so I’ll get up first, Seolho.”
“At least make sure you write a report on what happened that day. What was
the security situation when the Master died? What about the people who
entered the guild? And, what about the general guild members? Oh, also, you
need to send us an explanation of how the rescue team was delayed. I might
even have to open up an investigation. However, I am giving you a chance.
Wouldn’t that be a less embarrassing scenario? Hayan, let’s go.”
“Of course.”
As I saw the expressions on the faces of Lee Seolho’s followers, I felt my lips
curling up into a satisfied smile.
They all looked as if they were about to disintegrate.
If it had been a place where we were alone, they would have tried to teach me
a lesson. However, the problem was that many guild members were curiously
looking our way.
“Did you see it?”

“That… that weapon… What?”
There was admiration in their voices.
At the same time, I knew something had changed. Whatever it may be, I
knew that they would treat me with more caution from now on… and
perhaps, a little more respect.
As my smile began to widen, Jung Hayan asked a question.
“Oppa?”
“Huh?”
“By the way…”
“Yes?”
“If it’s true that those people killed the Guild Master… Can you inform me?”
“What?”
“You told me to write a report about it before.”
“Ahhh. No. It would be better for you to stay away from this situation,
Hayan.”
Jung Hayan looked as if she didn’t understand. With her intelligence, I found
it hard to believe that she couldn’t. Perhaps it was just her attitude talking.
Whatever it was, it didn’t matter.
“New changes will soon take place. This was the best way I could think of.”
“Ah…”
“A human is not an animal that can do anything perfectly. No matter how

accurately Lee Seolho can describe the time of death…”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Obviously, he’ll slip up somehow. It happened three days ago. Who’s to say
he can remember every single detail? It doesn’t matter if Joo Seung-jun really
died naturally, and the truth will come out soon enough. It’s only natural to
think that someone had killed the Guild Master.”
“Ah… Then that means you need the right evidence.”
Only
“It’s not the evidence that matters.”
“Really?”
“Are we reasonable for feeling suspicious? That is what will draw them in.”
“One can create ‘pieces of evidence’ if the said cause of death was, let’s say,
a heart problem. People will believe them if we go down that route.”
Upon seeing Jung Hayan nodding at my words, I realized I had made a

mistake.
I knew, for all she was worth, that she was still pure-minded. Informing her
about this meant that I had just shown her another harsh feature of reality.
‘Will this mean she’ll evolve for the better?’
Obviously, the answer was no.

Old Forces (3)
“If many believe that something is real, then it will become the truth.”
Ah…’
Even as we walked, Jung Hayan continued mumbling to herself, almost as if

memorizing what I had told her beforehand. This only added to my worries.
However, I knew she would not act upon this new information, at least, for
the time being.
It was correct to think so. This, it would be best to secretly inform the people
around us that we were lovers. We had been dating for a long time, after all.
However, as time passed by, Jung Hayan’s expression grew darker.
Seeing as she had purposefully slowed her steps and kept tugging at my
sleeve, I knew this expression meant she had discovered something she didn’t
like. The hand that held my sleeve seemed to have renewed strength.
After we passed by the plaza and some general stores, a large-scale guild
house came into view.
‘Black Swan.
It was one of the large guilds representing the Free City of Lindel, the Black
Swan Guild.
“Ah…”
I had no choice but to stroke Jung Hayan’s head upon seeing her gloomy
disposition.
“We came here because I have something to do.”
“Yeah…”
“We’ll have time to date later on. Everything has been hectic these days. You
understand, right?”
“Yes, Oppa.”
It felt good being able to come here without having to hide from Jung Hayan.
Of course, I couldn’t take her in the room where Lee Jihye and I would be
talking, but knowing that we were in the same building would at least give
her some psychological comfort.
Though I had conversed with the Black Swans countless times before, this
would be my first time visiting their guild house. As I stepped forward, the
door slid open for me.
‘Magic?
Probably so.
The Black Swans’ place was not only better than Blue’s in terms of size but
also structure. I then heard a voice from the inside.
“Thank you for visiting the guild, Lee Kiyoung and… Jung Hayan.”
“Ah… Yes, thank you.”
“I’ll make sure that you can bring her inside. This is your first time to come
to the Black Swans.”
Jung Hayan’s expression lightened up a bit.
“I shall lead you to the reception room.”
Our guide appeared to be calm, but upon closer assessment, he was actually
very tense.
We were greeted by everyone we passed by in the lobby. However, all these

people also seemed tense in our presence. I could never have received this
type of VIP treatment in Blue.
‘Huh.’
I understood why Hayan and I were being treated this way, and I didn’t mind
it at all.
“Have you already eaten?”
“Yes, we ate on the way.”
“Then I will prepare tea for you. If you are uncomfortable…”
“I’ll tell you right away. Is Lee Jihye already inside?”
“Yes, she’s waiting for you. I’ll prepare a separate room for Miss Hayan.”
“Yeah. I would be grateful if you could do that.”
“Miss Hayan, this way, please…”
“Ah… Yes, thank you…”
I tried my hardest to ignore Hayan’s beseeching look for as long as it would

take. Upon finding out that she would just be in the next room, she thankfully
stopped.
One of the guides bowed his head and opened the door for me, and I could
see Lee Jihye inside, wearing neat clothes and a calm expression.
As soon as she was done examining me, she spoke.

“It’s good that you came. However, I didn’t know you would bring Hayan
with you. Do you really not know the workings of a woman’s heart?”
“We had our circumstances to take care of. You knew I was coming?”
“Yeah. Someone already told me that you would be heading here once you
finished your affairs in Blue. I’m just making sure, but… You have no
intention of switching to the Black Swans, right?”
“Well, I’m sorry, but yes.”
“I knew it.”
Lee Jihye continued speaking once I shot her a questioning look.
“The guild panicked upon knowing that you and Jung Hayan were coming
our way. They’re all aware of Blue’s recent events, so your transfer to our
guild was somehow expected. Even I got excited… Anyway, did you see the
tense expressions of the guides?”
“Yes, I did. I never thought I would be treated this much.”
“You both deserve the treatment. One of you is a genius who has the
potential to become the best wizard in the city, and the other is a talent who
possesses legendary items, as well as valuable information on politics and
alchemy.”
‘Ugh…
| already knew that Blue had a bad reputation, but I never imagined it would
reach this extent. The fact that Lee Jihye already knew that I had gotten
Juliana meant that one of the guys in Blue had already leaked information to
the Black Swans. Who would have known?
‘Shit.
“Don’t look like that, Oppa. You just have to be more careful next time.
Honestly, I thought you would be considering a transfer. Still, because of
Kim Hyunsung, I know you’ll stay in Blue.”
“That’s half-right.”
“Hey, Oppa.”
“Hm?”
I remarked and tilted my head.
“I am going to ask this seriously.”
“Huh?”
Upon seeing my distorted expression, she cleared her throat and asked.
“Should I also consider Kim Hyunsung as a rival?”
I fell silent
“You really have to tell me in advance. No matter how much my Oppa likes
him, I have the confidence to overturn the sexual identity of an individual.”
When she saw that I wasn’t responding and I wasn’t planning to, she
retracted her statement.
“I’m only joking.”
“Good, because I was just about to leave,” I said firmly.
“I needed to lighten up the atmosphere somehow. If you didn’t come here to

transfer, then the reason why you came is obvious,” she explained.
“You will probably be satisfied. I can give you the data so you can review it
back in Blue. To start with the conclusion, I’m not exactly sure about the
details, but Lee Seolho really does seem to have connections.”
I felt as if a light bulb shone over my head. I knew it.
“Where?”
“In Japan.”
“I wasn’t expecting that…”
I trailed off. I was taken aback somehow.
“To be precise, it’s Yamato, a large guild in the Free City of Celia. They
seemed to have been close for a long time, and the first contact had been after
the rescue team left Lindel. They then had contacted several times after that,”
she shared, “We confirmed about three times. Of course, I couldn’t check all
of them. I don’t know the exact contents. Still, I found something, but it’ll be
up to you to judge it.”
I knew it. Humans, like Lee Seolho, didn’t move without a backbone. Since
they had already prepared for their escape, it probably meant that they had
done various more things.
No wonder they did not want to join the expedition.
“‘They’re so obvious. Does this mean they wanted to extend their influence
in Lindel under the guise of protecting the fallen Blue? Perhaps they only
thought of it as an insurance policy. The old man must have already received
a lot of bribes…”
“You’re probably right. I don’t have any interactions with Celia, but I think it
would be more comfortable for them to spread their influence in Lindel than
in any other city.”
This couldn’t be called a serious situation. In the first place, Lindel and Celia
were already known as strong allies.
Both cities were managed by the Holy Empire, Benigor, which of course,
upon considering the decline in power, did not appreciate the past battle
between Lindel and Celia.
However, despite this, our trade with Celia was very active.
Considering this background, this type of agreement would not be considered

an act of invasion. However, this information was still useful. Even the
simplest partnership could be seen in a negative light if given a suitable
motive.
“I thought their connections would be in Lindel, at best…”
“Well, this is a larger scale than what most would think. Do you know how
creeped out I was when I found out? It seemed like a bug was crawling.
Oppa…”
“You must have suffered.”
“It doesn’t just end with simply suffering. I had to pull so many strings to
find all of this out. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have done it in the first
place.”
I could definitely see how hard she had worked, seeing the thickness of the
report that she held.
Excluding Lee Seolho, other information was written in abundance. Even the
daily lives of all the people involved. If there were even one person like Lee
Jihye within Blue, the guild would not have suffered its current situation.
I knew our relationship was purely beneficial, but I still felt grateful.
“Thank you, Jihye.”
“Well, it’s not much. And there was definitely a problem with the
reinforcement organization. The request for assistance came into the Black
Swan, and it was officially made two days after the expedition left the road.
There were various circumstances, but I’m certain about our response.”
“Well…”
“I also looked around in the square. If the formation of reinforcements was

really delayed due to unavoidable circumstances, then I’m telling you, their
incompetence has reached an all-time high.”
“Is it all related?”
“Sure, it is.”
“How do you feel about the Guild Master?”
“As expected, my Oppa has also thought about the possibility of him being
killed.”
“It’s only natural to think so.”
“I do not know.”
“Hmm… What else haven’t you found?”
“How can I find more at this point? I am considered an outsider when it

comes to your guild.”
“Well…”
“Even if you look at who had come in your guild or even tracked down Lee
Seolho, there would be nothing to catch. It’s also possible that he had died a
natural death. Anyway, he was the Blue Guild Master. I heard that he was
working himself to death, so a natural death sounds all the more possible. The
timing is a little haunted, but the possibilities are still open.”
“No…”
When I realized that he might have indeed died from natural death, my head
hurt. If it were really true, then this misconception would be a mistake on my
part.
Still, it seemed better to assume that Lee Seolho had killed Joo Seung-jun.
Even with the meager information I had, it would still be possible to ruin
some of Lee Seolho’s reputation, but I knew I would need to gather more
conclusive data before taking action.
‘The death of the Guild Master may be our only shot…’
However, if I could plant some evidence… As I glanced at Lee Jihye, I

caught her smiling. The moment I saw her expression, I knew she had already
thought about the same thing.
She spoke before I could even open my mouth.
“What is this?”
She had handed me a very small potion.
“It’s a very difficult potion. It is not poison. Rather, it can be seen as a

nervous stabilizer. It’s a bit complex, so I don’t know the exact details, but
they said it could be quite fatal for particular types of patients.”
“Can I check it?”
“Ah, of course. This is a specialty potion.”
Only
After receiving the potion from Lee Jihye, I began to assess it. Soon enough,
I realized that she had spoken the truth.
“Ah…”
“I put a little on the clothes that Lee Seolho’s uncle wears every day. Is this
enough evidence? I couldn’t prepare anything better because there wasn’t
enough time…”
“No, no… This is more than enough.”
“That’s a good thing, Oppa.”

I couldn’t understand how she could trace my line of thoughts so accurately
and so naturally. It felt creepy to me.
‘She really is a capable person…’
Now, I finally understood why the status system kept calling Lee Jihye my
soulmate.
Old Forces (4)
Something about this didn’t feel right at all. It actually felt like Lee Jihye was
reading my thoughts.
‘Does she have some sort of unique ability?’
It seemed like the only plausible explanation, but I didn’t see anything in her
status window. Lee Jihye seemed like both a very valuable ally and a
dangerous enemy to have at the same time.
I knew it would be advantageous to pull her over to my side, so I softened my

expression as I looked at her. Lee Jihye’s reaction was immediate.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s just because I’m thankful. Honestly, I never expected to receive this
much…”
“You’ve entrusted a task to me. It’s only natural that I work hard for it. I
believe in your virtues, the values you possess. Stop looking at me like that!!
know what’s going on in your head.”
“If you want to repay me, eat ramen with me. Otherwise, just go.”
Ah, but it was impossible for me to do so.
“I’m sorry, but still have some work to do. Don’t hesitate to come to me if
you need anything, though.”
“I want nothing else. I simply want to do my job right.”
“Sure.”
“You remember what I said last time, Oppa?”
“I do.”
“Good. I think you should go now. Our dear Miss Hayan seems anxious.”
“Okay. Thanks again.”
As I opened the door, I caught sight of Jung Hayan standing by the side. Next
to her were the Black Swan guides, who all seemed somewhat restless.
I knew Jung Hayan had felt anxious while waiting, but I at least had to praise
her for not breaking in mid-meeting. Her self-control was noticeably higher
than before.
As a reward, I stroked her head, and like a child, her expression shifted into a
happy one.
“Oh, Miss Hayan.”
“Ah… Yes… Miss Jihye?”
“You’ve become even prettier. I’m glad you got back from the dungeon
safely.”
“Ah, thank you…”
“Kiyoung is pretty lucky to have such a beautiful girlfriend.”
“Ah… That… Thank you, Miss Jihye.”
Lee Jihye’s actions looked natural, but that didn’t stop me from feeling like
something was off. It was like she was showing off her closeness with me.
Of course, this time around, I didn’t have to feel guilty.

“Why don’t you both take some time to eat? Our Guild Master wants to see
you, too.”
“It’s a little bit late right now. We’ll come back another day.”
“You better keep that promise, Miss Hayan, and Oppa.”
Seeing Lee Jihye speaking so naturally to me, I once again had to admit that
this woman was unusual. It was apparent that no one, even Hayan, knew how
to deal with her.
“Next time, I’ll come and visit your guild. Miss Hayan should also eat with
us.”
“Ah, sure…”
“Of course, it’ll be better for you to set a time, though. See you next time,
Jihye.”
Expressions of jealousy were evident as I spoke, though, of course, this was

to be expected. After saying goodbye to Jihye, the guides then led us out.
Seeing that the members we passed by once more greeted us again, realized
just how much the Black Swans held us in high regard.
‘It feels good.’
As Lee Jihye said, I could transfer here, and no one would find it strange.
If Kim Hyunsung weren’t planning on taking the guild for his own, I would
have already switched to the Swans. There was no more merit in staying with
Blue.
The sun was still in the sky when we stepped out, but it had already begun to
grow dark. I could see Jung Hayan blushing as she held my hand tightly.
Lindel’s sunset was a little pretty. Perhaps she found it a little romantic,
I felt the same way. Despite her usual appearance, I strangely found Jung
Hayan beautiful.
‘It’s probably because of the atmosphere.
Jung Hayan and I continued to walk, talking about various things.

Suddenly…
Wow!
‘What…
Suddenly, Juliana began to ring slowly.
As I looked around in amazement, I noticed Jung Hayan staring at me

quietly. She was mumbling, but she wasn’t talking to me.
Of course, I could immediately understand what Jung Hayan was doing. A

fine, magical force was moving around her.
“Why is she doing that?”
There was no need to memorize a spell right in the middle of the city. I
thought about whether or not I was thinking as harshly as I did back when I
was cursed, but then I realized there was no need for me to think so.
It was then that a roaring sound could be heard.
Qawahang!
“Protection of the Wind!”
As Jung Hayan yelled, the shield enveloped both of us. However, the
explosion shook the interior. I coughed, feeling blood bubble up from my
throat.
“Shit.”
“Oppa, this way! Don’t stray away!”

In an instant, screams surrounded us. It wasn’t only us who had been affected
by the explosion.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Ahhhhhh!”
“Save… help me!”
Some were caught in the explosion, but I couldn’t afford to care about them.
The urgency on Jung Hayan’s face made me realize just how dangerous the
situation was. It was only natural to think so. Someone was aiming for us.
‘But why?’
The sudden bombing had taken place around Jung Hayan and me.
Of course, it didn’t take long to conclude. I already knew who the perpetrator
was.
‘In the city? Are you insane?’
There was only one human being in Lindel who would want to aim for my
life.
Lee Seolho, that crazy old man.
‘Damn, I wasn’t expecting this…’
I never would’ve imagined that I’d experience this right in the confines of the
city. It was a mistake thinking that he was simply an old man.
This kind of setup hinted at how much he lacked common brain cells.
“Are you really sane, Seolho?’

It’s not something that any guy with a normal mindset would do.
‘He wouldn’t have come in person.’
Those who were aiming for Jung Hayan and I may well be Lee Seolho’s
underlings or even a Yamato guild member. The fact stood that we were
being threatened.
Before I could organize my thoughts, Jung Hayan jumped forward while

holding my hand tightly.
“Hayan, this way.”
“There was another person over there. I couldn’t see him clearly, but…”
Ugh…
The opponent was systematically aiming for this side. No other explosion
could be heard after the first one, but I could feel magic power aiming right
for us.
“Protection of the Wind!”
Jung Hayan’s magic blocked one arrow. Hayan, who had been running in a
straight line, began to turn once again. She then noticed that there was a
person in front, aiming right at us.
The nerves began to get to me, and I began to bite my lips.
‘Shit.
We could block long-range attacks, but we would surely reach our limit soon.
No matter how fast Jung Hayan cast her spells, she wouldn’t be able to block
all of them at once.
I, too, went to memorize spells, but I only knew normal protection magic –
and I didn’t even know where our enemies were.
“You just have to hold on.”

“Yeah?”
“It doesn’t matter if Blue comes, or Lee Jihye. Everyone has heard the
explosion, so they will surely head this way.”
“Ah! Of course, I can hold on until then.”
I don’t know if I can hold on, however…’
“Juliana!”
The sword in my arms shot out in the air. Not long after, a screaming sound
could be heard.
“Ahhhhhh!”
It appeared that Juliana had pierced the archer that was aiming for us.
Another wave of magic had come our way, but Jung Hayan managed to
counter it with her own magic.
I could hear the sound of swords clashing, and then all was static for a
moment. I didn’t know how many people Juliana was fending off, but she
obviously wasn’t doing too well, either.
We don’t know how many people we had already mobilized, where the
attacks were coming from, or where the people who were targeting us were
located. They must be trained assassins.
And I’m the person they want to target.
‘Shit.
Bang!
“Juliana!”
Kwaduk!
I could see the sword slamming against the sphere that had been targeting
me. The message was clear to me.
‘If you stop, you die.’
“These crazy guys…”
“I’ll protect you, Oppa!”
“Don’t overdo it, Hayan.”
It made no sense to lose my life or Jung Hayan to all this nonsense.
It would be better for me to protect Jung Hayan, even if I got hurt. However,
at this point, I could feel my breath running out. Inwardly, I cursed my low
stamina stats.
“Oppa!”
As I forced myself to keep moving, I could hear Hayan shouting. On impulse,

I looked towards my side and saw a sword fast approaching me.
“Juli…”
Even before Juliana could come my way, Jung Hayan moved. Everything fell
into slow motion as she pushed me out of the way.
The sword pierced through her as I fell to the ground. In this

unrealisticlooking scene, I began to swear aloud.
“Damn it, damn it! Juliana, Juliana!”
“Ah… My name…”
“Juliana! Shit, Juliana!”
“Say my name, Oppa…”
“Hayan… Hayan, Hayan!”

“Just for a moment… Just like this…”
The sword had entered Jung Hayan right through her belly. However, she
continued to hug me tightly, doing her best to stop the incoming attacks.
“Protect! Protect!”
Protection magic could still be triggered, but it was badly broken. In the
meantime, Jung Hayan continued to recite more spells, flinching every now
and then from the pain.
“Dammit… Dammit… Get away!”
“No…”
“Stop trying to protect me! Get out of the way, stupid bitch!”
“I was… hated…”
I was at a loss for what to do. Everything seemed surreal.
“Protection of the wind…”
“Fuck that protection! Get it out of the way!”
Was she really going to die?
“Turn it off right now!”
Only
Jung Hayan was dying. I bit my lips tightly and tried to push Jung Hayan
away, and yet her blood continued to drip onto my body.
“Shit! Get out of the way, you stupid bitch!”
It was then that a huge roar was heard.
Qawahhh!
Right after, I heard a familiar voice.
“This is ridiculous. There seems to be assholes in Lindel that think I’m some
kind of dead-beat?”
“How dare you try to attack the Red Mercenary Queen’s Gigolo.”
The person who appeared in front of us was a woman with red hair.
Old Forces (5)
The person who appeared in front of us was a woman with red hair.
Cha Hee-ra…”
“You dare to disrespect me?”
Cha Hee-ra looked as if she had just come out of the market, only to stumble
onto this scene. Her bloodshot eyes made me tremble. She looked utterly
angry. She didn’t even have a weapon in hand, but she didn’t need to. Her
presence was enough to scare me.
Of course, she wasn’t angry at the fact that I had gotten attacked. She was
angry because, by attacking me, her authority was questioned.
It was then that an unidentified person dropped down and threw a sword at
her.
“Danger!”
However, I could see Cha Hee-ra kicking her feet up in the air before I could
even scream out.
Kwajiiik!
‘What is that…’
A surreal scene occurred in front of me. With a simple kick, the body of the
man exploded.
Just one kick…’
I knew I shouldn’t say this about the person who was saving me, but I
couldn’t help but describe her as a monster.
Now that the situation was heading down this route, I felt relieved. Who
knew that my ‘insurance policy’ would one day save my life?
My gaze stayed on Cha Hee-ra’s form for a while, but it eventually dropped
down onto Jung Hayan, who was still crouching and trying to protect me.
‘Is Hayan still breathing?’
I checked her condition immediately.
‘She’s still alive.
Her heartbeat was slow, but she definitely still had a pulse. Of course, I still
needed to get a closer look.
As she was barely conscious, I thought I could push her away, but it seemed
that she still had no intention of letting me go.
She really did stick to me like gum. As I lifted her and laid her down, I could
see more wounds entering my line of sight.
It wasn’t just about being hit by a sword. The mere fact that she was still
alive was a miracle.
‘Damn…
It definitely looked painful.
Nevertheless, I was thankful that she had taken it upon herself to block me
from harm’s way.
“What a stupid bitch…”

‘What do I do?’
We couldn’t head to a temple to find a priest that could heal her.
‘But if I don’t do anything now, she might die.’
For now, all I could do was apply all the first aid procedures I knew.
I remembered Jung Hayan was wearing a healing ring. As I hurriedly reached

out to get the ring out, Jung Hayan squeezed her hand close in front of me.
Still, in this situation…’
Having consciousness was indeed a promising sign.
I tried opening Jung Hayan’s hand once more. Immediately after pushing the
magic power into the ring, a white light began to envelop her.
“Heal.”
Although it would only be minor healing, I knew it would help improve her
condition.
After that…
I took out a potion. It wasn’t large in quantity, but it was definitely of good
quality.
I opened the potion with my mouth and sprinkled it on Jung Hayan’s wound.
Afterward, I poured out the rest of the contents in my mouth. Then, I grabbed
Hayan’s chin and leaned down, claiming her mouth with mine, transferring
the potion to hers.
‘It’s working.’
Ironically, I could still feel Jung Hayan’s tongue swirling around mine in
response
‘She’s alive.
I didn’t know why she was moving, but I could feel my tension easing as I
realized she was still highly responsive.
When I pulled away, I noticed Hayan’s breathing getting better. As I did so,
my vision began to get blurry.
I thought I wasn’t shaken, but I strangely couldn’t stop the tears from spilling
out of my eyes. My near-death experience had pushed me to feel this way.
As I looked up while wiping away my tears, I caught sight of the current

situation.
Cha Hee-ra was currently playing with the assassins.
In fact, the word ‘play’ was an understatement. Most people had limbs torn or
had burst due to her deadly movements. Of course, Cha Hee-ra had also been
trying to see if there were any talented people among them, but she was to be
disappointed.
Our side was winning. After a little more time, there would be more guilds
coming to our aid.
As I reveled in my relief, one of the assassins switched targets and started

coming my way, swinging his sword as he did so.
I flinched a little, but I felt no need to try and dodge. I knew he would be cut
off before he could even think about stabbing me with his sword.
A second later, his beheaded body fell in front of me. A welcoming voice
filled my ears.
“Forgive me for being late.”
“Hyunsung, about Jung Hayan…”
“Don’t worry. Hee-young came with us.”
“Ah…”
Upon hearing this, I looked around and saw Sun Hee-young approaching us,
hiding behind Park Deokgu, who was holding up his shield.
It wasn’t just them.
The Red Mercenaries and Black Swans had also arrived, coming my way.
“Ah… Sister…”
Park Deokgu gently touched Jung Hayan’s face, tears dripping down his
cheeks. Sun Hee-young began to push her divine power into Jung Hayan. She
seemed to be doing a professional medical treatment, which eased my anxiety
a lot more.
“How is Hayan’s condition?”
“Any later, and she’d be dead. If Kiyoung hadn’t administered first aid to
her…”
“Who are the attackers?”
“I’m not sure yet. We were on our way back from the Black Swan Guild, and
then an explosion ensued. All these assassins appeared right after.
Thankfully, Cha Hee-ra came in time.”
“I see.”
Upon hearing this, Kim Hyunsung’s expression went cold. I breathed a sigh
of relief as I saw this. It was the most passionate reaction he had shown us so
far.
Perhaps he had also experienced something like this in the past, but of course,
he wouldn’t tell us that.
One thing was for certain…
‘You’re all dead, you bastards.’

There was no chance for all the assassins that had tried to kill Hayan and me.
Against such ferocious enemies, they would not be allowed to safeguard their
lives.
Even Cha Hee-ra was literally tearing down the assassins on her own, and the
rest of the Red Mercenaries had come to support her.
It didn’t take long for them to turn and try to run away.
“Do not let even a single mouse escape.”
“Yes, Master.”
At the same time that Cha Hee-ra spoke, Kim Hyunsung also rushed towards
one of the assassins trying to get away.
It seemed that the situation had come to an end. There were no more
assassins around us, at least.
Knowing this, Cha Hee-ra also began to march in our direction. The Red
Mercenary’s executives also did the same, shooting us an uncomfortable
look.
“Ah… I should have kept a few people alive….”
“They would still all be dead anyway. Everyone seemed to have brought
poison. Those with severe limbs or severe wounds all took their own lives
with it.”
“Ah… I don’t know if I should say that I’m glad… Still, this habit needs to
be fixed. Did you figure out who the other person is?”
“We’re working on it. The Black Swan also wants to cooperate…”
“Ah. That’s their area of expertise, so let them. They’ll probably do more
work than us in a day.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t clean up after me again. However, if this happens again, I’ll kill you
myself.”
“Ah.”
“But before that…”
“I’m sorry.”
“Do you know what you all did wrong?”
“We’re sorry…”
“I was surprised to see him being attacked in front of my own eyes.”
“And it even happened within Lindel. Are the guilds feeling too comfortable
these days? Huh? Or do you also see me as a fool? Did you lose your sense of
duty just because you went on an expedition?”
“Well, that…”
“You know that I don’t need nerds who can’t do what I tell them to do.”
“Yes…”
“I won’t say it twice. Once again, if I come across a scene like the one
witnessed today… That will be your downfall.”
“I will engrave it in my heart.”
“Good.”
I felt embarrassed upon hearing their conversation. It was because the man
being scolded by Cha Hee-ra was looking my way with a strange kind of
enthusiasm.
Perhaps he had started to resent me, as he had just been given a new
commitment.
The other guys in the vicinity had their heads hung low as well. It was a little
burdensome.
Cha Hee-ra looked more like a demon than a hero at this point, roughly
wiping the blood off her body with a handkerchief. It felt unsettling watching
her do this so casually.
After she had finished doing this, she spoke to me.
“My dear, are you feeling okay?”
I debated how to address her but figured that it would be better to speak in a
semi-casual manner.
“Thank you, Hee-ra.”
In an instant, the smell of blood flowed into my nose.
“No, no, I guess there’s more to this than what meets the eye. I thought her
injury would be healed quickly, but it seems like…”
“Ah…”
“Hyungjin!”
“Yes, Master.”
“Here, put the guild members on standby at a distance of 50 meters outside

the center of the collapsed building. And… Make sure that one over there is
taken to the guild to be healed. Make sure to leave as little scars as you can.
A woman’s body is precious.”
| glanced over at Jung Hayan and found her sleeping. Sun Hee-young, on the
other hand, was paying close attention to us.
I wanted to come with them to take Hayan in, but I knew I had to keep Cha
Hee-ra company
“Miss Heeyoung…”
“Don’t worry. For now, her vitals are stable. It will take a little while for her
to regain consciousness, but we can leave her to recover.”
“That’s good… First of all, honey, there are a lot of prying eyes here.
Looking at the little miss also hurts my self-esteem. Even if she got hurt, you
know I’m a jealous woman.”
“Ah… Yes. I’m sorry, Hee-ra.”
At this, Cha Hee-ra gestured towards me.
“Now, I want you to tell me what’s been going on with you.”
“It’s a bit too long to explain.”
“You can speak comfortably.”
“…I’ll think about it.”
“Anyway, well done. I didn’t think anyone in the city would do something
this crazy. Whoever targeted you must have had his pride hurt. You know
what I mean?”
“Of course.”
“I think it’s because of the legendary item you’ve received this time around.
However, they do know that even if they kill the owner, they won’t be able to
use it, right? I want to know exactly who did this.”
I worried about whether or not I should speak up. Perhaps she would take
things into her own hands if I told her about Lee Seolho. The old man could
vanish as simply as the wind.
However…
‘It’ll be too easy.’

A simple death was not enough for the old man. Cha Hee-ra wasn’t the only
one who was angry.
I knew I had to make the right call for this sort of thing, but the angrier I got,
the harder it was to grasp any semblance of common sense I had. I didn’t
want to hand Lee Seolho over to Cha Hee-ra. That was my honest take on it.
However…
‘I can’t lie, either.’
“I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with Lee Seolho, a member
of my guild.”
“Ahhh. Lee Seolho… Alright, that’s noted.”
“He’s been more annoying than usual. Do you know that our Guild Master is
dead?”
“That’s the first news I heard as soon as I came back to the city.”
“It’s just a hunch, but I think that Seolho had something to do with his death.
The situation is more complex than it sounds, but it’s a bit too hard to
explain. I know it sounds absurd, but can I ask you to keep your hands off
Lee Seolho?”
Cha Hee-ra’s face wrinkled in confusion.
“Honey.”
Only
“Yeah?”
“I may be a little quiet right now, but I know you know I’m still upset. If you
don’t bring that bastard over here right now, there’s no telling what I might
do.”
“I’ll be honest. I like you. Given the circumstances, I won’t get bored even if
we explore each other all day. However, you shouldn’t mess with my pride. I
know roughly what you’re thinking. You want to repay me for what I’ve
done. However, if I let you have all the fun, how am I supposed to unwind
my wounded heart? Who should I turn to? Hmm?”
I had predicted that Cha Hee-ra would say something like this. Looking
straight into her eyes, I spoke once more.
“Yamato Guild.”
Upon hearing this, Cha Hee-ra smirked.
“You really are my favorite piece of trash.

Chapter 105 Agitation and
Fabrication (1)
Agitation and Fabrication (1)
“You really are my favorite piece of trash.”
I didn’t quite know how to react to Cha Hee-ra’s suggestive look.
“Is there a connection between Lee Seolho and Yamato Guild? I might have
missed something, but now it seems like the situation has become even more
fun.”
“I’m not exactly sure about this yet. Still, it’s not unlikely. If that old man
wants to kill me, would any guild within Lindel be willing to do so?”
“My cute baby, are you trembling?”
It was only natural for me to do so!
“A little…”
“It’s good that you’re honest. Elaborate further.”
“There is no one in Lindel who would dare defy you, Hee-ra. Therefore, it
was only natural to think that the perpetrators came from somewhere else,
somewhere where they won’t have to worry about the future consequences of
their actions.”
“That makes sense. Yamato… Come to think of it, that unlucky bastard was
the Guild Master…”
“Have you two met?”
“The masters of large guilds are supposed to meet regularly. The Holy
Empire hosts these meetings. I ran into them quite often… Well, anyway, I
guess we can bear this for some more time. Did you know that fighting
between guilds in the Holy Empire is forbidden? I trust that you’ll be able to
figure that one
out.”
“Go on. I know you’re also busy. My guild members will take you.”
“Yes, Hee-ra.”
“The list I sent you last time will be very useful. Ah. And little Hayan…”
“I’ll leave her to the Red Mercenaries. Only until this is over, however.”
“I thought that would be the case, honey. I wish I could spend some more
time with you. However, I know you don’t feel the same.”
“Ah…”
“I’ll see you later, then. I hope to meet you in a more romantic place next
time.”
“Let’s do that.”
As I slowly walked out, some of the people waiting outside ran towards me.
‘Red Mercenaries…’
It seemed that Cha Hee-ra’s scolding worked. I never imagined I’d be in a

situation like this. It was fun seeing the trembling faces before me, afraid that
they might have another slip-up. It was really interesting to have these guys
watching over me.
“That… Lee Kiyoung.”
“Yeah.”
“I will take you to the guild.”
“Yes, please.”
I found no reason to refuse.
The area looked safe for the most part, but one could never be too sure with
assassins. It was good to be as careful as possible.
Meanwhile, Park Deokgu, Jung Hayan, and Sun Hee-young would be

temporarily moving in with the Red Mercenaries. Upon realizing that Kim
Hyunsung was nowhere to be seen, I figured he was still trying to track down
the assassins that had managed to escape.
‘Meanwhile, I have my own job to do.’
As I continued moving, I allowed myself to get lost in my thoughts. How

could I deal with this old man in the most miserable way possible? How
could I kill him?
I thought it wasn’t bad to revise some of the plans, but as I wanted to get
things done as quickly as possible, it didn’t seem bad to adapt to the current
situation.
‘Do not be shaken.’
The moment I let my emotions get the best of me would be the moment |
would lose.
So, instead of showing such a weakness, I let one corner of my lip curl
upwards. Coming back with a full-on smile would prove to be too suspicious.
“This is enough.”
“We will be waiting for you to signal to us from a distance. One may never
know what can happen inside the guild.”
“Ah. You don’t need to do so…”
I did have high luck specs, but it didn’t seem to be working in my favor. One
of the Red Mercenary members pulled something out of his pocket and
handed it to me.
“This is…”
“Yes?”
“It’s something that can send a distress signal to us if trouble ever arises.”
As he spoke, the man’s eyes sparkled with determined aspirations.
It seemed that he had a different reaction to Cha Hee-ra’s harsh scolding.

Was he actually willing to dedicate himself to protecting me?
‘Additional security measures are good, but…’
They had better not restrict my actions. I would have a good chat with Hee-ra
about that later on.
After lowering his head slightly, he immediately entered the guild, and a very
cluttered interior came into view. Since the situation had blown over, it
seemed that everyone similarly thought of returning.
It was a sign that everything had gone back to normal once more.
“While I was talking to Cha Hee-ra…”
She was indeed a capable person. Perhaps there would be a meeting soon
where all of the Guild Masters would gather.
In simple terms, it was an effort to pinpoint the terrorist mastermind.

However, how to execute him would be a problem. It would also be difficult
to find the evidence behind this attack, but at least the people were given
sufficient warning not to try this again.
The media was also clearly spinning reports on the recent occurrences, and
regretted not giving my statement. However, there was no need to utilize
them now.
After entering the guild, I looked around cautiously. Kim Ye-ri was the only
remaining person from my party. Still, it was nice to see a familiar, nice face.
I could also see an anxious Lee Sang-hee and Hwang Jeong-yeon rushing
towards me.
“Mr. Kiyoung! Where did you get hurt?”
“I got away unscathed, Lee Sang-hee.”
“Good, that’s good. But, ah… I heard Jung Hayan got injured…”
“They said she would experience some aftereffects, but her life is no longer
in danger. I was so distraught that I left her to the Red Mercenaries, along
with Deokgu and Hee-young. Hyunsung, however, will probably be back
soon enough.”
“Ah…”
“I think they’ll be safer there than here.”
Though I had not said this to target Lee Sang-hee, her expression still looked
gloomy. Of course, my attention was not aimed at her but towards Lee
Seolho and his other crooks.
The old man himself had a calm expression, but his followers all looked
uneasy as they looked at me. The guy they had tried to kill me was still alive.
They were probably regretting their choices now.
‘You idiots.
These humans really did take incompetence to a whole new level. Even if I
tried to forgive them a hundred times, they would never change. They were
the so-called guild-parasites.
Lee Seolho appeared to want something to say, meanwhile,
“Huh, you’re really lucky to still be alive. It must be terrifying to experience

such a chaos of terrorism…”
‘Crazy old man.
He certainly had a knack for pissing people off.
“In any case, you must still be feeling anxious about what’s happened. Why
don’t you take a rest?”
“Fine.”
“You must have suffered a lot after getting caught in such an explosion.
When I heard the news, I was also in shock. To lose such a talent will be
really heartbreaking.”
For a person who expressed his sincere worry, he certainly didn’t look
genuine about it
“It seems that bad news has been overlapping recently, so this old man is
feeling very anxious.”
As I thought about how to give a proper reply, I critically gazed upon the
faces of the old geezers and his idiotic companions.
“It wasn’t just a mob.”
“Perhaps everyone will find out later. What happened wasn’t an act of
terrorism. They were all well-trained assassins. They were specifically
targeting Hayan and me.”
“But… But why…”
“I think it is probably because of the legendary item that Kiyoung has, Lee
Sang-hee.”
‘Ha.
Of course, this wasn’t an unconvincing story. Legendary rank items did

garner that much attention. If one were to think about the possibility of taking
ownership, most people would keel over in their greed.
Nevertheless…
“Oh, it didn’t seem like that.”
“Oh…”
“Only the Blue Guild members know I have a legendary-rank item and that I
have ownership over it. I don’t know who leaked the information, but it sure
was brave of them to target me, thus making the Mercenary Queen their
enemy.”
“Information…”
Lee Sang-hee looked shocked by this news.
‘You really are an innocent lady, Lee Sang-hee.’
I didn’t know what this guild meant to her, but she had to realize that this was
no longer the Blue she had grown up in.
“The reason I was attacked is probably because of my curiosity.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m very cautious about saying this, but in fact, I have been wondering about
the Guild Master’s death.”
“Ah…”
“I know how the Guild Master was said to have died naturally, but… I still
have doubts about it.”
As I spoke, I carefully watched out for Lee Seolho’s expression. He looked
curious as if asking me what the hell I was talking about.
“Huh’
Perhaps Lee Seolho wasn’t the perpetrator, after all.
The reason I was attacked may well be because I had hurt Lee Seolho’s pride
or had discovered his plans to sell the guild to Japan.
In the first place, Seolho had never expected us to clear the Cursed Shrine
dungeon.
Only
Cleared dungeon or not, the Guild Master was set to die anyway, so perhaps
he found no merit in murdering him straightaway. Of course, if he wanted to
get things done a little faster, he probably would have pushed through with it.
‘The Guild Master probably died a natural death.’
Unless Lee Seolho was acting… however, that didn’t matter now. The
situation
That fact alone can give one a framework to help solve the scattered puzzle
pieces.
As I slowly opened my mouth to speak once more, Lee Seolho looked as if

he had just stepped on a pile of shit.
“Lee Sang-hee, it looks like there is indeed a traitor within Blue—someone

who murdered our Guild Master.”
It wasn’t the truth that made the world go round.

‘It’s agitation and fabrication.
Chapter 106 Agitation and
Fabrication (2)
Agitation and Fabrication (2)
“Lee Sang-hee, it looks like there is indeed a traitor within Bluesomeone who
murdered our Guild Master.”
Silence engulfed the guild’s lobby as I finished speaking. Lee Sang-hee bit
her Tips tightly, and Hwang Jeong-yeon, who knew about this in the first
place, nodded grimly.
Meanwhile, those who were not involved looked around curiously. On the
other hand, Lee Seolho and his followers all wore grim expressions.
I didn’t need to call them traitors directly. My implication was enough.
‘Because it’s true.
Of course, agitation and fabrication wouldn’t be enough to defeat them. The

truth was needed as well, but the fabrication would prove to be just the right
seasoning.
I, for one, was not a smart person. I just knew how to speak convincingly. It
would be easy to know the right things to say by assessing the other person’s
disposition. If not, then it would be impossible to achieve the right scenario.
The reality was that ability played a huge role in a scenario such as this. If
Lee Seolho were as good as me, then he wouldn’t be facing this kind of
situation at all.
The old men were all moving around restlessly.

“Trying to cause trouble… Now is not the right time, Lee Kiyoung.”
“I understand where you’re coming from, young man, but now is not the time
to sit around and talk nonsense. Lee Sang-hee, let’s head back and…”
However, Lee Sang-hee spoke firmly.
“No. I think I’d like to listen to what Kiyoung has to say.”
“Ah, but…”
“I want to hear him speak,” she insisted.
Fortunately, Lee Sang-hee was on our side. She was not stupid, either.
Perhaps she felt that something was off with the whole situation when the
reinforcements did not arrive; it was obvious that wanted to stay away from
the expedition.
She must have felt suspicious of them in the past, too. However, she had
chosen to focus on her trust in them rather than the obvious. However…
‘All one needs is some water and fertilizer to let the seed of doubt grow.’
“Some vested interests have a simple behavioral pattern. If they think that
they are not benefitting anymore, they will try to take over. Some people like
that are in Blue.”
Of course, I didn’t directly pertain to them, but I was sure everyone knew
who I was talking about.
‘Lee Seolho.
The one who acts the most suspicious ends up being more hated than the one
who openly shows hostility.
For all it was worth, I had a talent for unsettling people. Currently, Seolho’s
face was bright red. Still, he had the nerve to discredit me.
“I think your imagination is a little too dramatic, haha…”
“Seolho, we are facing a very different Blue from before. Didn’t you say you
gave a huge contribution to Blue in the past? Exactly what contributions were
they?”
Lee Seolho fell silent.
“You may have had to make extreme choices for your future and your guild.
Perhaps you sought help from other guilds. Perhaps you felt inferior to
someone. It is understandable to feel nervous since you’ve successfully led
an alliance with a large guild in Lindel.”
“What…”
“But to think you’d have the idea of being in cahoots with a large guild from
another city… Nice try. For that, I’ll give you 6 points.”
As I spoke, I incited my magic to raise the report I had received from Lee
Jihye into the air, stirring up all the guild members present. It might be a little
difficult to read the report’s writings as it was floating in the air, but I knew
everyone would be able to read it nonetheless.
On it was information that Lee Seolho had indeed been conspiring with the
Japanese. It was also recorded as to how, when, and where they had met in
the past. Though they had just met three times, I knew the data was true.
“And what should we do with this data?”
“I’m someone who harbors a lot of doubts, so naturally, I always come

prepared.”
“This is fabricated information, Lee Sang-hee.”
“Whether or not it is forged will soon be revealed anyway. My party, led by

Kim Hyunsung, and the Black Swan Guild members are trying their best to
find out who had attacked Hayan and me.”
“We have nothing to do with who your attackers are! Mr. Kiyoung, your
anger is understandable, but it doesn’t mean you can just frame us for
something like this.”
“Are you saying that this information is fabricated in full confidence?”
“Are you confident that this data is not true? The truth is, the truth will be
revealed anyway, you stupid and incompetent humans. How would you
explain the empty schedules even if you did not meet up with the Japanese
guild?”
There was no denying that they had actually met up with the Yamato Guild.
They knew this better than anyone else. However, the more they denied, the
more the odds would stack up in my favor.
No matter how much they tried to conceal their actions, the evidence would
eventually appear. This was why I wanted them to deny the fact a little more.
It was then that Lee Seolho spoke up.
“It is true that I met them, Lee Sang-hee.”
‘What…’
“But I swear I don’t know anything about the Guild Master’s death and this
raid.”
‘Fuck
I realized that they were playing my game too – adding a dash of truth amidst
the forgery. It was true that they had nothing to do with the Guild Master’s
death. The other was simply a bluff. Some fessed up while the others
continued to deny. Perhaps they still cared about their standing within the
guild.
Soon after, I heard a voice confirming my thoughts.
“I just wanted to be a part of the guild…”
“Blue tethered on the edge of being ruined. I had to think of a counterplan in

case Lee Sang-hee did not come back. I did it in honor of the Blue Guild that
our Guild Master had worked so hard to defend. This was all for Blue’s
sake.”
“And you didn’t think you should have told me this in advance?”
“I just wanted to be helpful. This is a guild that I built alongside the Guild
Master, after all. No one can ever lose their love for Blue. To say that I killed
the Guild Master… That’s absurd, Lee Sang-hee.”
“No… Shut up.”
“Lee Sang-hee.”
“Shut up, Lee Seolho.”
Their attempt was good, but it proved to be insufficient in the end. It was then
that I realized that it had not been me who had helped the doubt grow within
Lee Sang-hee. It was actually Lee Seolho.
Though Lee Seolho’s next option wasn’t bad, it wasn’t the best, and in the
first place, it was true that they indeed formed an agreement with another
guild.
“All your excuses for the guild is a bunch of bullshit. Just admit that you
conspired with another guild and decided you were the best authority for
Blue, you incompetent people.”
“What a pain in the ass! It’s not easy to organize a rescue team within Lindel,
so we had to ask for help from external forces! Why are you stirring up so
much chaos?!”
“That’s some of the most illogical crap I’ve ever heard. Do you know what
you have in common with people who end up destroying countries or groups?
You both bring external forces in. I don’t know why you’re so creative with
your stories. It’s not us promoting this uproar. It’s you.”
“I was going to tell you everything eventually, Lee Sang-hee.”
“I wouldn’t have spoken up if I didn’t know it was true. Why, then, did you
only think of revealing your plan now when I pointed it out? You never really
intended to send a rescue party our way, now, didn’t you?”
“I just wanted to make everything perfect…”
“If that’s true, then your incompetence has reached an all-time high. How can
you not organize a rescue team within a week? And in the first place, are you
even speaking the truth, Lee Seolho? The fact that the schedule was
deliberately delayed was found through the investigation of the Black
Swans.”
“What bullshit!”
“You are the ones spreading bullshit! Didn’t you chicken out from joining the
expedition because you were expecting us to get wiped out?! Lee Sang-hee,
this disgusting traitor has been trying to gain Blue’s ownership and hoping
that we’d fail to return. Of course, the Guild Master who had stayed behind
was also a target that needed to be eliminated.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! You don’t know the bond that the Guild Master and I
shared! He was like a younger brother, like family. I had no reason to kill Joo
Seung-jun with my own hands.”
“But, your greed is a valid reason, right?”
“You are framing me! I swear to God I have never harmed the Guild
Master!”
“So, you say you haven’t done any harm, Lee Seolho. Then, what is this?”
I took out the potion that Lee Jihye had given me. Once again, all eyes
strayed in my direction.
“What…”
“Your acting skills are really outstanding, Lee Seolho. Don’t you know what
this is?”
As I continued to shake the potion in my hand, the old man began to tremble.
“This was why you tried to kill me in the first place, now, didn’t you?”
“What bullshit are you talking about… Lee Sang-hee! I would never do
that…”
“His words are a sham, Lee Sang-hee. This potion was used by Lee Seolho
when he killed the Guild Master. It is a type of tranquilizer, a kind of
medicine that can help the human body. However, it is lethal for some
people. It’s a potion that slowly kills those who are nearing death.”
“I haven’t seen or heard anything like that! How dare you try to frame me!”
“The public indeed does not know about this, but these kinds of potions
sometimes leave traces behind. When the plug is opened, fine particles
floating in the air stick to the wool. If you can detect an ingredient in the
clothes Lee Seolho is wearing, the answer will come out soon. No, you don’t
have to do it yourself.”
As I slowly memorized the spell, the potion in my hand began to glow

slowly. Likewise, Lee Seolho’s clothes were engulfed in bright light.
As I looked towards Hwang Jeong-yeon, she nodded, confirming that I had

not manipulated the spell in any way whatsoever.
“Explain why the same ingredients are on your clothing, Lee Seolho.”
“This is a trap, Lee Sang-hee! Why on earth would I kill the Guild Master?”
Lee Seolho’s embarrassed expression was evident for everyone to see. Even
the other old men’s excuses fell on deaf ears.
“These truly are disgusting and incompetent humans. They are vicious, Lee
Sang-hee Joo Seung-jun probably died very painfully. And how painful it
must have been to feel betrayed by someone they had trusted…”
“Bullshit! Lee Sang-hee, believe in your uncle. Everything that dirty

alchemist says is a lie.”
Now, they were desperately making appeals. The scenario was indeed quite
the spectacle.
“Since I first came here, I have always considered you and Joo Seung-jun
like my own family. I would never do that. Don’t you know this already?
Everything that alchemist says is a lie. Jeong-yeon! What do you say…
Everyone, this is all a lie!”
“That’s bullshit.”
Lee Seolho was very easy to read. If someone asked me how to describe him
in three words, it would be incompetent, greedy, and hot-tempered.
As I resisted the urge to smile, Seolho’s face grew redder.
“The truth always comes out in the end.”
“This guy…”
“The guards of the guild should take that crazy old man away!”
“How dare you say that! You are the real problem! You are the cancer within
the guild!”
“Whoever sees us knows that it is you who is the incompetent human in this
guild. Actually, I’m glad you were an incompetent being. I was able to find
traces of your actions because of it.”
“Are you condemning me, who has kept the Blue going for so long?! Can’t
you let go of this? Not everyone believes this crazy man’s words, right? Let
go of me! How dare you!”
Watching him struggle against the guild guards was a spectacle. In my

moment’s hesitation, he broke away and began to run towards me, his anger
palpable.
“This dirty guy! You are the problem, not me!”
Only
This time around, I did not try to avoid Lee Seolho.
This wasn’t because I had Juliana. No, it was because I had Lee Sang-hee.
As if living up to my expectations, Lee Sang-hee, consumed in sadness and

anger, opened her mouth wide to shout.
“You are acting like a child who doesn’t even know how to feel
embarrassed!”
Bang!
As she spoke, Lee Seolho’s arm was cut off, bouncing towards the wall.
‘Bravo!
This was a scene worth putting into a painting.

Chapter 107 I will remember you
(1)
I will remember you (1)
“You are acting like a child who doesn’t even know how to feel
embarrassed!”
“Ahhhhhh!”
Lee Seolho screamed as he cradled the stump where his arm had been just
moments ago. Even the guild’s guides were screaming, blood scattering all
over the ground. The old man was breathing harshly and rolling onto the
ground, at a loss for words from the excruciating pain.
The dangerous look in Lee Sang-hee’s eyes did not match her natural
disposition, but I knew it was normal for her to feel that way.
After all, the murderer responsible for the death of her loved one was right in
front of her.
That wasn’t the only reason. She had chosen to believe in Lee Seolho, and
look where that had gotten her.
Nevertheless, her patience explained what she had been thinking of Lee
Seolho.
“Hah… Hah… Hah…”
“Ahhhhhhhhh! I… did not kill him! Lee Sang-hee, trust your uncle. You are
the one who knows best that I will never commit such a sin!”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I trusted you! That… The result of that trust… Is this
it?”
“No, I am being framed…”
Lee Seolho had become a parrot crying out for compassion. Of course, I did
not feel any compassion.
I found it ridiculous seeing this old man beg for everything he had lost, but at
the same time, the image of a wounded Jung Hayan kept replaying itself in
my head.
“I am being framed! I didn’t kill anybody! Jeong-yeon, say something! There

is no way I can kill Seung-jun!”
“Stop speaking, Lee Seolho! You really are…”
“No, no, I would never kill the Guild Master!”
“You’re a piece of shit. The Guild Master did so much for you… How could
you do this?”
“I didn’t kill him! Ugh…”
Meanwhile, the old men around Lee Seolho were trembling. Some were
already preparing to change sides, but their struggles were useless.
“We really didn’t know about this.”
“Kwan, this is irrelevant.”
“Catch everyone. There will be no exceptions. Put them all in jail.”
“It was all done by Lee Seolho! Lee Sang-hee! It was Lee Seolho’s idea to
attract Japanese guilds! Other than that, I didn’t know about anything else!”
“I really didn’t know about the Guild Master’s death. Please believe me,
please… It’s all done by that old man!”
“Can you not hear me?! Catch them all.”
At her order, the guards raised their spears and began to capture all the old
men, who continued to scream for mercy.
“We are being framed!”
“It’s a lie! Lee Sang-hee! Please believe us… Ahhhh!”
The most ridiculous thing was that those grandparents also thought that Lee
Seolho had killed the Guild Master. Of course, this only happened because I
had been able to present solid evidence, but I still couldn’t believe that they
would just accept that fact so easily.
“We didn’t know that Lee Seolho would kill the Guild Master, Lee Sang-hee!
Please believe us…”
It was no wonder that Lee Sang-hee’s expression looked complicated. In an

instant, the inner system of Blue had been shattered. No matter how much
purified water one would put in the tank, it would be impossible to clean it, as
rotten, stagnant water had already infiltrated the area.
Therefore, putting them all away would be the best option. It might be a little
confusing and unsettling to do so, but this would be all they can do for the
time being.
As I tried my hardest not to smile, a familiar voice began to shout once more.
It was Lee Seolho.
“That dirty alchemist! You’ve tricked everyone in Blue with your disgusting
tongue!”
“You are the one who sold Blue out, you disgusting traitor.”
“I didn’t kill anyone! You framed me!”
“It’s funny how you choose to make excuses until the end. How about you
admit to breaking the trust of everyone who decided to put their faith in
you?”
“I didn’t kill…”
“All criminals say that. But in the end, you are supposed to confess with your
mouth. Your denial in the face of solid evidence is really embarrassing. If
you had just decided to confess, there might have been some consideration
for you.
“Sang-hee, just please trust me… just one more time.”
“Lee Sang-hee, haven’t you already given him a lot of faith?”
“He is framing me. That dirty alchemist is cancerous. You have to kill him,
or to lock him up! He will soon become a monster that will eat Blue up.”
“You talk big, Lee Seolho. You seem obsessed about your contributions to
Blue, but you’re not the guild owner. You don’t even deserve to comment on
Blue since you’ve been in cahoots with other guilds, hiring assassins to kill
new guild members, as well as killing the Guild Master.”
“This guy!”
“You are the one promoting trouble here. By nature, it is common for people
to try to solve a crisis together. However, humans like you don’t do that at
all. You can’t because people like you value your own interests above
everything else.”
Lee Seolho was that kind of person.
Though he continued to make appeals to Lee Sang-hee, the woman in

question refused to acknowledge him and stared into the air instead.
Although I was worried about her mentality, I knew she would recover from
this eventually.
‘Hyunsung will take good care of her.’
I knew Kim Hyunsung could make her feel better once he got back.
Anyway, Lee Sang-hee simply refused to look at Seolho. Perhaps this was
the only way she could rein in her anger. The rest of the old men were being
dragged away to be locked up by the guild’s guards. Their screams were like
music to my ears.
With almost everything in order, I slowly stepped in. This was simply to
confirm our current status. The guild now felt cleaner, as we were successful
in removing the rotten members off the roster.
As I made my way underground, the screams became more vivid once again.
It felt pleasing to watch as the guild’s guards subdue the struggling old men,
all of whom were shedding tears. As I kept looking around, a voice rang out.
“Lee Kiyoung. How will we deal with the criminals?”
I was surprised to see that it was a female guard. However, upon checking
her stats, I knew she was more than capable of managing the prison.
“Just keep them intact until the Vice Guild Master decides what to do with
them. In the meantime, just supply them with enough food and water to keep
them alive.”
“Okay, will do.”
“Also, I would like you to go outside for a minute. I have something to ask
the criminals.”
“Do you have anything to ask them separately?”
“Yes, of course. Ah! I would like you to wait at the entrance, in case you
didn’t know.”
“Sure.”
“The underground prison is quite large. You’ve done a great job taking care
of the place.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll borrow one of the chairs here.”
“Of course, Lee Kiyoung.” At this, the guard hurriedly stepped away.
As I slowly entered the prison, the eyes of those old geezers rested on me,
looking for salvation. Then, various voices exploded at once.
Some swore at me, and some tried to appeal to me. However, they were not
the ones I came here for. I only had business with Lee Seolho.
After settling down on my seat, Seolho stared at me in an agitated manner,

cradling his severed stump.
“You motherfucker! This isn’t the end, you piece of shit!”
“Thank you for telling me what I wished to say, you delusional old man.”
As I said this, I slowly built up a magical barrier around Seolho and me. It
was only a small amount, but it was enough to host a conversation with him
safely.
“What are you saying…”
“Don’t you dare think that this is the end. I am stronger than you think, and I
won’t spare you any mercy. You really made me mad…”
“What…”
“You won’t be left with anything when you leave this guild, Seolho.”
“What bullshit are you talking about?”
“The Japanese guild you’ve been communicating with will take you out of
the dungeon.”
“What?”
“The story will go like this. The killer who murdered the guild master, Lee
Seolho, the Blue criminal who betrayed the expectations of the Vice Guild
Master Lee Sang-hee, officially escaped the dungeon. Of course, unofficially,
you will go to the Red Mercenaries’ underground torture room. A priest
know very well will take care of you. She’s looking forward to meeting you.
You will feel how strong a priest serving God is.”
“This… This motherfucker!”
“You and all of the old people here will be killed and abandoned somewhere.
Of course, everyone else will think that the Japanese have taken you, leaving
no evidence. Fuhaha. The media will talk about you as a traitor, and all the
humans in Lindel will call you trash. Blue will try to forget your name, and
your name will slowly fade away before only half a year has passed.”
His face went pale.
“Your death, the things you have contributed to the Blue, and the things you
have accomplished so far, one by one… Gone. It’s as if you never existed.
You will die without leaving anything behind.”
“You… You!”
“You don’t have to worry too much, old man. I will remember you. While the
priest takes care of you, I will watch from the sidelines. From your
screaming, your distorted expression to your pain, and your voice calling for
help, I will inscribe everything to my memory. Until the whole process is
over… I will be looking at you.”
“You can’t do that! You… You!”

“I will dedicate your face, distorted by pain, for my dear one who risked
death for me. Your voice will always resonate in my mind as a reminder of
what an old man who made a moment’s wrong choice. You will become a
stepping stone in my growth, and there is nothing you can do about it.”
Only
At this, Lee Seolho fell silent, the expression on his face fading.
“Look… Kiyoung…”
“Would you like to do business with me?”
“No matter how badly we got along… isn’t this too disgraceful of a death?”
“I can’t die like this… Ugh…”
He began to talk consecutively. I could feel the heartbreak in his voice, his
fear of the inevitable torture that would soon come his way. I didn’t dare to
respond.
However, I looked at him right in the eye, as if to rehearse for the moment
where I would finally get to witness his pain.
Everything went silent.

Chapter 108 I will remember you
(2)
I will remember you (2)
“I’ve done my research well. Those that should be punished…”
“They were bastards who deserved to die.”
“I’ve seen a lot of shitty guys while living here, but this is my first time
seeing real trash. The so-called terrorist attack in the middle of the city was
actually to kill the new guild members. Even the innocent people who got
caught up in the event feel sorry for them, but how embarrassing it must be!”
“Did you know? I heard they tried to attack the Red Mercenary Queen’s
Gigolo. I heard it from a friend who works for the Red Mercenaries. It
doesn’t feel right, however…”
“If so, then it’s good that war did not happen. Ah! Look over there… Hey,
Mr. Kim! Have you read the newspaper today?”
“Of course, I’ve read about what happened within Blue. Thanks to you, I was
able to sleep well last night.”
“Is your store, okay?”
“Of course! In addition to the insurance money, there seems to be no problem

in recovering it if we add Blue’s compensation money. They actually didn’t
have to do that. They were victims as well. However, they felt sorry about it.
I thought I would have to throw away my shop altogether, but the reward will
be more than enough to fix it back up! Hahaha.”
“Look at the smile on this man’s face.”

Resounding voices from all over the place reached my ears. Most of them
were either cursing Lee Seolho or were worried about how Blue was faring.
The true problem for us would be the cost of restoration within the city. It
was clear that Blue could not handle the cost alone and would need donations
from numerous clans and guilds to restore their image.
Once again, we were indebted to the Black Swans and Red Mercenaries.
As I wandered around the plaza to look at the newly-established buildings,

the newspaper titles on display caught my eye.
[Blue traitor Lee Seolho, apparently hiding in the Ramadel Mountains near
Celia.]
Why did he make such a choice?
[The relation between Lee Seolho and his Japanese guild predicts Celia’s
future relationship with Lindel.]
Everything was just as I had expected.
Everyone was already tired of the Black Swans incident, which was why they
eagerly lapped up the newest media coverage. The entire city of Lindel
became noisy once more, and people eagerly voice out their opinion on the
matter everywhere – in bars, in restaurants, and even on the streets.
It was not an exaggeration to say that it accounted for 90% of Lindel’s

current conversations. It was a story that everyone found interesting.
As I walked down the street, I gazed down at the newspaper in my hand.
[What is the future of Blue within this great ordeal?]
[Days after tracking the criminals who escaped after a terrorist incident in the
city, a search team of Red Mercenaries found dozens of bodies near the
Ramadel Mountains. The body’s identity is presumed to be the criminal Lee
Seolho, as well as the other Blue officers who chose to follow him.]
As a result of accurate identification, Blue judged them to be the

aforementioned executives, and the official search ended on the 15th.
The body was so badly damaged that it could not be recognized properly, so
it seems that a professional torture engineer severely tortured the body.
Red Mercenary officials have designated the Japanese guild as the culprit
who had killed them, the plausible reason being their anger over the
executives’ misconduct.
While Blue’s Vice Guild Master Lee Sang-hee has not yet appeared before
the masses, all attention is focused on Blue.
Once one of the guilds representing the free city of Lindel, Blue lost a lot of
party members alongside Guild Master Joo Seung-jun, and it seems
impossible for them to recover. Although the Red Mercenaries and the Black
Swans’ alliance is still smoothly maintained, many medium-sized guilds have
also announced their support for Blue.
Many of Lindel’s scouts are also paying attention to what choices the
remaining Blue executives will take. While many experts expressed concern
about whether the Blue Guild would eventually disappear, the Red
Mercenary Queen Cha Hee-ra, 28, remarked that the Red Mercenaries are
indeed the Blue’s allies and that she will do her best to help them out. Lee
Jihye, the Black Swans spokesperson, also killed the buzzing rumors, and
said that Blue would rise again.
The reporter cannot accurately judge what Blue would decide to do next for
their future.]
‘Huh, it’s not bad at all.’
I found it to be a well-organized article. Most of all, I like the fact that it had
chosen to take Blue’s side. Of course, it was natural for all media companies
to bring our guild into a new light, but Lindel Daily was quite reliable
compared to other media companies.
Kim Seong-gyeong is also…’
Seeing that he always wrote his articles in favor of us, he was apparently
trying to get on friendly terms with us. I didn’t know if he was doing it out of
benefit or loyalty, but I would be sure to reward him later on either way.
As I nodded along, I heard a familiar voice. It was Sun Hee-young’s.
“What are you reading?”
“Oh, just another article. I couldn’t really sleep well. Hee-young doesn’t
seem very tired.”
“I actually feel refreshed. It’s been a long time since I had time to serve God.
It feels good to witness our achievements based on the reactions of all the
citizens living here.”
“I didn’t do much. Hee-young did all the hard work.”
“You prepared a lot. If I had been alone, I wouldn’t have been able to
contribute so much.”
‘That’s not it.
In fact, it didn’t matter if I was with them or not. Although it had been a little
quiet recently, it seemed that our dear priest felt the most rewarded with the
incident regarding Lee Seolho.
I didn’t even like Seolho from the beginning, but I didn’t think he would go
this far. It seemed like there was more to him than what was expected.
‘Indolent thoughts, indolent spirit, he is the evil of society. He’s as useless as

a homeless peasant in the slums. Many people require help because of people
like him who eat away at society. Repent. Of course, what I want is not just
repentance.
‘Ahhhh!
When I recalled what happened yesterday, nausea bubbled up from within

me. Personally, I wanted to praise myself for not averting my gaze halfway.
Although I felt disgusted, I was still able to look at Sun Hee-young in the eye.
“Thank you so much for saying that back then.”
“Yeah?”
“You told me we could make a beautiful Lindel together.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Of course, I was anxious at the time, but I’m happy that it’s turned out so
well. We’ve been together for such a long time… Anyway, today is such a
good day.”
Sun Hee-young really did act like a priest, no matter what. I felt like we had
gotten closer. At the same time, I already knew how she felt towards me.
‘Don’t do this to yourself.’
Sun Hee-young and I worked best as colleagues. I was already stressed by the
woman I already had around me.
At the same time, I could understand Sun Hee-young’s heart. I was her only
ally and the first one who opened up her eyes to reality. What she felt for me
was not love yet, but if it continued to develop, then she would only get hurt
in the end.
This was a world where it was natural for people to develop feelings, even if
one saw my close relationship with Jung Hayan. Monogamy, polygamy,
these were taken for granted, anyway.
Even if I happened to have a lover or wife, it would not stop Sun Hee-young
from trying to get closer. She wouldn’t even consider other people, like Jung
Hayan or Cha Hee-ra.
I need to keep her in line and block her advances.’
“Oh, why don’t you grab a quick bite? It’s been a long time since we’ve got
the time to do so.”
“Oh, let’s do that.”
Of course, it would be difficult trying to keep Sun Hee-young in line.
After entering the restaurant and getting a seat by the terrace, Sun Heeyoung
began the conversation immediately after placing an order.
“How was yesterday, Kiyoung?”
“It was a rewarding time. We’ve done service all the way.”
“You’re right; it was really rewarding. It’s nice that there are people who can
understand.”
“Indeed.”
“I’m really grateful to you, Kiyoung. You made me realize that I was
wrong.”
“Haha…”
I knew where this conversation was going, and it was better to divert the
topic as soon as possible.
“So, how is Hayan’s condition?”
“She’s still recovering. Her body’s recuperating. The priests in the Red
Mercenaries are also working hard. You don’t have to worry. She’s only
facing fatigue now.”
“I see. That’s very fortunate.”
“By the way, what are you going to do next?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Will you still stay in Blue? You don’t seem to be too involved in the guild
these days…”
“Ah.”
I knew what Sun Hee-young was talking about. I certainly hadn’t been
paying much attention to Blue lately. The guild was shaking from both the
external and internal problems it had received.
In fact, if I wanted to influence Blue, now would be the perfect opportunity.

However, I didn’t, and it was because of Kim Hyunsung.
‘It’s better if the power is concentrated into one place.’
It honestly felt like I had handed the seat of power to Hyunsung on a silver
platter.
Lee Sang-hee was close to retirement, and Hwang Jeong-yeon was never
interested in anything related to power. This meant that Kim Hyunsung
would undoubtedly be the next leader.
Of course, he would only serve as a regent and not a Guild Master, but he
would become one anyway, as the people would put their trust and faith in
him.
Right now, if I reached out to Blue, it would prove to be a counterproductive

measure. I was the one who had contributed the most to the guild, after all.
‘You don’t have to ask me. I’ll take care of you.’
It would be advantageous for me to take a step back at this point. I was still a
necessary talent for Kim Hyunsung’s kingdom.
“I’ve been a little busy lately. Hyunsung is always with Lee Sang-hee while
the guild is in crisis, so I think it’ll be okay.”
“Ah.”
“Now that we’ve removed all the rotten people, we can now make a proper
group.”
“Ahh! That’s, right. Ah… This is what Kiyoung has expected. I never
thought about that…”
“Hahaha.”
“Maybe we should postpone the rest a little bit. I was expecting to have more
time to serve with you, Kiyoung. Oh, don’t get me wrong! I’m not confessing
or anything. I’m just saying that…”
“Ah, I think I know what you’re talking about.”
Her face reddened for some reason.
‘Ah…’
| already knew what she was imagining. She probably wanted to build a
volunteer house together and be in service there for life.
‘That’s not nice at all…’
If such a house were to be completed, it would not be a house of love. It

would be a house that would come straight out of a horror movie.
Sun Hee-young had a crooked mindset, not a crooked affection. She had a
radically different mindset from Jung Hayan, who wanted to confine me and
be with me forever.
As a priest who works for God, it seems that she did not harbor such a unique
idea.
‘However, it’s still not normal…’

“What you’re thinking isn’t bad, Hee-young, but there is another important
problem. There are more things to focus on for Hyunsung and me shortly, but
you can call that a reward for yourself instead!”
“To put it simply, you are taking a break. We’ll have more time together
because of it. l-I mean, not that I meant anything else by saying that…”
Only
“Yes, of course, I understand.”
Of course, I had no intention of making Sun Hee-young’s dream come true. I

had to focus on what kind of painting Kim Hyunsung was painting for our
future.
Though he was weak in politics, Kim Hyunsung is Kim Hyunsung.
Seeing as he stayed by Lee Sang-hee’s side this entire time, it was evident
that he had his own thoughts about the matter.
‘Huh, Hyunsung, you really are naughty.
If I were in his shoes, I would also have aimed to gain Lee Sang-hee’s favor,
too. We would probably be getting results before long.
‘What is Hyunsung really doing, though?’
Lee Jihye’s jokes about Kim Hyunsung and I resonated in my head, but the
truth was, I really did have no idea about what was going on inside that guy’s
head
Chapter 109 Recalling the Past (1)
Recalling the Past (1)
“Hye-jin, suddenly…”
“Master, Jung Hayan has passed away. The cause of death is still unclear, but
we’re leaning on suicide as of the moment.”
“What the…”
“It may be hard to believe, but it is true.”
“Clearly, something is wrong…”
“She is really dead.”
“Yeah. The guild members of the Magic Guild confirmed that they saw her
hanged figure in her room.”
“Perhaps some assassins entered her room? That’s also a possibility…”
“No, it really is suicide. The suicide note was also found, though I’m not sure
about this either… It is said that unknown letters were found in Jung Hayan’s
room. We can’t decipher them because they’ve been magically encrypted, but
after the news came, other guilds have been thinking about the possibility of
communication with them.”
“So, she was experiencing inner pain?”
“It’s just a guess.”

“It won’t be. When you consider the achievements Lindel’s genius wizard
has shown so far, it’s stupid to think of that possibility. If I could have made
a deal with them, I would’ve been on their side long ago.”
“The Master is right, Hye-jin. Without Lindel’s Archmage, the foundation

itself would not have been maintained in the first place. It is not an
exaggeration to say that they’ve withstood simply because she was there. The
victory in the Battle of the Ramadel Mountains, the Battle of Northern Frost
Wall, and even the Defense of Benigor was all thanks to her. Her cause of
death is probably disguised as misinformation to divide us.”
“Hye-jin, the will is… What was written in the will?”
“Ah, sorry, sorry… Of course, there was a will, but the Magic Guild refused
to disclose it, so the full text could not be confirmed… However, it looked as
if there were traces of abuse on her body.”
“Are you sure she wasn’t assassinated?”
“Yeah. I have heard that the wounds that remained on the body were wounds
from a long time ago. Considering that there was also a wound just before the
fester burst without treatment, some speculate that it was the work of self-
harm. Despite being able to heal with potions or divine powers, I heard that
not only were the wounds left as they were, but even the unspeakable parts of
the body were severely damaged.”
“Self-harm…”
“Yeah. There’s a real possibility that she really did self-harm, Master. I heard
that Jung Hayan always had a hard time taking lives. She always had
nightmares after the battle was over, and she was very reluctant to participate
in the killings. It is not unreasonable to feel guilty because she was the type
of person who had been forced to stand on the battlefield.”
That did make sense, considering the character of Lindel’s Archmage, Jung
Hayan.
‘Standing on the battlefield itself…’

It had probably been too much.
“If that’s true… I am totally at fault. I shouldn’t have called her to the
battlefield.”
“No. It’s not the Master’s fault. It wasn’t just the Master who persuaded Jung
Hayan. Everyone in the Holy Empire, the Republic, and the Kingdom Union
were hoping that she would go. It was Ms. Jung Hayan, who also made the
final decision. The Master’s persuasion didn’t drive her. Jung Hayan also said
that she always owed a debt to the Holy Empire and Lindel’s free people. She
joined the battle for that very reason.”
“However, no one knows why she had decided to take her life. Master, it’s
probably true that you felt guilty, but I don’t think that’s the reason why. Of
course, it was undeniable that you suffered, but… you were so proud of who
you protected. Jung Hayan is definitely that type of person.”
I could imagine Jung Hayan not getting along with other people, and her
smiling faintly after every battle and shaking hands with soldiers who had
saved her life. This must also be contained in her memory.
And the conversation we had together.
‘It’s rewarding.
‘You made a tough decision.’
‘No, Mr. Hyunsung. No, of course, it’s not that hard, but everyone is fighting
as well. It’s not just about feeling bad… It also feels good to see everyone
smiling. Hehe… Thank you for calling.’
‘No. Rather, I am just grateful.’
She must have felt guilty.
However, as Cho Hye-jin said, Jung Hayan must already know the pain she
would have to endure. However, to lose her life over guilt didn’t seem to fit.
“Then why…”
“We are still figuring out why. I guess there will be a clue in the letter
encrypted with magic, although all the wizards on the continent are currently
struggling to interpret the encrypted object.”
“I see.”
That was when I looked at Cho Hye-jin with a bitter expression.
Quaang!
I heard thunder rumble in the distance, and I wondered if the enemy had
arrived.
Soon after, I had no choice but to lower my sword.
“Kim Hyunsung!”
“Ah, Young Kim! If you do this…”
“Shut up and open the door. Kim Hyunsung, I know you’re there! Open up!”
“Calm down… H-He’s in a meeting right now!”
“You’d better open the door before my patience runs out.”
A familiar face came into sight as the loud noise rumbled once more.
“Young lady…”
“Kim Hyunsung, you motherfucker!”
In an instant, the huge sword she held swung my way, the loud sound
echoing once more. Then, objects flew around in all directions, and the
window that could not withstand the pressure broke.
“Son of a bitch! You killed her!”

“You dragged her into the war. This is bullshit! She died because of you!”
“Ah-young… What are you doing now? Coming here suddenly and aiming
your sword at our Guild Master… I will formally protest this against the
guild.”
“Shut your mouth, Cho Hye-jin. Do you want to protest? Go ahead. What
will it mean in this situation? Do whatever you want. We’re all going to die
anyway. Fuck that shit!”
“Nevertheless…”
“I told you clearly, Kim Hyunsung. She said she would not participate in the
war… She died because of your greed!”
“If Jung Hayan had not been on the front line, countless civilians would have
died, Kim Ah-young.”
“Did you hear me telling you to shut up? I’m talking to Kim Hyunsung!”
“It was an unavoidable judgment. Of course, our master persuaded Jung

Hayan, but because of her, we managed to win numerous battles…”
“My sister died because of those numerous battles. She is dead!! should never
have listened to you.”
“The reason why she took her own life isn’t clear yet. The possibility that she
killed herself in the shock of battle has not been confirmed yet. You must
check the evidence first.”
“That’s all you’re going to say? You dirty hypocrites. I should have listened
to him instead…”
“Who is that person…”
“You don’t need to know!”
“Sorry.”
“Now you’re sorry, huh? Kim Hyunsung, a hero? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You should think a little more calmly.”
“Shut up. Our guild will leave this shitty alliance. It was absurd to think that
the enemies fighting each other would soon become one. The Republic and
the United Kingdom uniting is such bullshit. I regret listening to you. Kim
Hyunsung, the hero who saved hundreds of thousands of people. What does it
all matter? My sister died… My sister is dead! No matter how many people
were saved because of her, it has nothing to do with me. Do you
understand?”
“You will never see me again in the future.”
“Please wait a minute, Kim Ah-young.”
“Cho Hye-jin.”
“The reason Jung Hayan took her own life would not be because of her
guilt.”
“Don’t bullshit me.”
“If you say so, but I know she wouldn’t want you to do this. She indeed
suffered a lot, but I clearly remember Jung Hayan being happy about saving a
lot of people.”
“There is no exact will yet. Actually, we are not aware of even the possibility
of assassination. Perhaps there is indeed a clue in a sealed letter or will. If
after all investigations, it is revealed that Jung Hayan’s death is related to us,
then…”
“I will apologize for this with my death.”
“I’m not interested in your life.”
It felt strange, not knowing what Kim Ah-young wanted. With this, I opened
my mouth once more.
“The same is true of me. I will apologize with my death after all of this is
over.”
“Master!”
“That’s right, Hye-jin. Obviously, I am responsible, too.”
Perhaps I didn’t deserve to live. I had already made numerous mistakes in the
past. It felt funny apologizing for them now, but I had no choice but to do so.
However, I knew I still had work to do.
It was natural seeing Kim Ah-young’s conflicted expression in response to

my words. I patiently waited for her answer.
Bang!!
Suddenly, a loud noise resonated from somewhere.
“What?”
“We’re under attack!”
“Master!”
“We’re under attack! Hye-jin, behind the current wall… Ahh!”
It felt like a familiar yet disparate magical force that rained from the unseen.
We reflexively moved our body upon seeing this type of magic emanate from
Kim Ah-young.
As she slashed down the sword, the split magic began to break down the
walls of either side completely.
“I’m going to head to the wall now.”
Only
“Please don’t!”
“First, we must gather our strength. After everything is done, I will leave my
treatment to Kim Ah-young. Please lend me your strength for now.”
“Shit.”
“Hye-jin, is Cha Hee-ra still in the city?”
“Yeah. Signals keep coming from 12 o’clock. Perhaps the Red Mercenaries
also headed there…”
Qawahhh!
A blinding, white light engulfed the entire city of Lindel.
As the light burst from all the buildings and lit up the entire surroundings, my
eyes started to open.
Chapter 110 Recalling the Past (2)
Recalling the Past (2)
“It’s a dream…”
It was a dream that I had gotten used to now.
As I stood up slightly and looked out the window, I felt the roaring sound and
light of that time as vividly as it had ever been. I tried shaking my head, but
the feeling stayed.
As I swallowed, I heard a tapping on the door.
“Hyunsung, it’s time for the meeting. Lee Sang-hee summoned all the party
members and executives who are still in Blue.”
“Ah… Yes. I will go out soon.”
“Yes. In thirty minutes…”
“Yeah. I’ll be there in half an hour.”
I still had a lot of thoughts to sort through. I always ended up dreaming about
the past. Every morning was the same.
However, the moment I looked around, I would always come back to my

senses.
As I got up and headed for the bathroom, I saw a grim face reflected in the
mirror.
I haven’t been able to sleep well recently.’
I still had a lot of work to do. The Lindel terrorist incident never did exist the
first time around. I didn’t even think they would attempt to do anything this
early on.
‘This feels so uneasy…
I should have kept Lee Seolho’s temperament in mind. I knew his

relationship with Lee Kiyoung wasn’t good, but I would never have imagined
that he would go to this extent.
Thanks to this, he had helped me establish my position in Blue, but it had

been a painful occurrence as he had fatally injured Jung Hayan.
‘I won’t be able to do this without her.’
In the future, she would become a magician representing Lindel and even the
Holy Empire Benigore. Her appearance had been a big source of motivation
for everyone.
In fact, if she hadn’t died, the war could have ended with a human victory.
Lindel’s Archmage’s appearance, who was respected by everyone, would be

more overwhelming than any other hero, and thus, she played the most
important role.
Considering her recent growth rate, she really did have an abundance of
talent
She was born with a natural aptitude for magic. The more achievements she
obtained, the more her reputation grew as Lindel’s genius wizard.
In fact, there wasn’t much information about Jung Hayan during the first
time. She had joined the Magic Guild as a researcher on the condition that
she would not participate in any expeditions or wars, and for a long time, she
had not shown up.
However, given her personality, her lifestyle had been easy to predict. She
had refused to talk with people given her past experiences and had locked
herself up in a tower.
Perhaps her daily life had been very monotonous. Her hours probably
consisted of studying magic all day and then sleeping. She probably never
went out at all.
Other than Kim Ah-young, she refused to talk with others. I knew I was
probably right
‘She lacks social skills.’
If this was Jung Hayan’s shortcoming, then it could be called a disadvantage.

This was the reason why I took her as my companion on many adventures.
Growth does not end in an instant. Numerous characters have their own
stories, and each has achieved growth through their suffering.
Some grew from a co-worker’s deaths, some were betrayed by their lover,
and some were able to play their roles during their struggle to the death.
The same went for Jung Hayan.
Perhaps the reason why she had been so strong was that she had locked
herself up in the tower and refused to do anything else but study magic.
When I think about it that way, I thought it would be right to send Jung
Hayan to the Blue Guild. However, her mentality proved to be more
important than her growth.
That was the best choice I could make. After all, Jung Hayan was still
growing, both externally and internally.
And now, she had even started dating!
I would never have imagined it the first time around.
The relationship was obviously flawed as Hayan was evidently obsessed with
Lee Kiyoung, but the fact stood that they were dating.
By maintaining a lasting relationship with him, the future of extreme choices
can be avoided. The worst ending I had seen in my dreams could finally be
overlooked. Even if it came to the point where they would break up, I knew
Lee Kiyoung would never let anything happen to her.
Meanwhile, Lee Kiyoung was a completely different type of talent than any
other talent I had ever seen before, he was a very competent man. It would be
right for me to continue paying attention to both him and Jung Hayan.
Since I didn’t feel confident in myself, I needed their talent to prepare for this
kind of raid.
Deputy Hye-jin had been my right-hand man the first time around. With a
spear, she had managed to scatter the enemy, going as far as to call them
newborns.
‘Perhaps she has arrived in Lindel now…’
As I thought about this, I quickly washed my face and stepped out. The
familiar landscape came into view.
With the head of the guild gone, Blue seemed to tether on the edge of
ruination. It had maintained an alliance with the other guilds, but the quest
hall was closed, and most of the guild members already left.
Even some of the second unit members’ transfers had already been decided.
If this continued, then Blue would really dismantle.
Recently, as Lee Kiyoung spent more time with the Red Mercenaries, many
members were concerned about him leaving. However, I was certain that he
wouldn’t. It was because I was fairly certain of what it was that he really
wanted.
He wanted me to take over the Blue Guild.
‘How competent.’
Knowing Lee Kiyoung, he would be able to calm everyone down. I also
understood what I wanted. The steps had already been laid out before me. All
I had to do was take them just as I had expected.
Not long after I started walking, voices came to greet me.
“Kim Hyunsung.”
“Yeah.”
“I have some documents you need to look at.”
“Ah… Yeah.”
“There are issues you need to look at because Kiyoung hasn’t been here…”
“Did you tell Kiyoung that we have a meeting?”
“Yeah. I heard you were coming. Yesterday, the Red Mercenary took care of
Jung Hayan…
“Ah. I heard that too. Please leave the documents that require payment in my
room first. After the meeting, I will check it myself, so I can speak to the
Master separately.”
“Of course. May I post the announcement on the expansion of guild members
today?”
“I will be able to tell you this in person.”
The guild member continued to ask me questions as we made our way to the
meeting room. In fact, a lot of people had turned to me after Lee Kiyoung
decided to go for a temporary leave.
As we move slowly, it is no wonder that the conference room is in front of

us.
Upon opening the door, I caught sight of Lee Sang-hee, who looked
noticeably awkward, and Hwang Jeong-yeon, leader of the second unit,
staring up at me.
There were only three people in the meeting room that had once been full,
and they all looked terrible.
“Ah… You are here.”
“Yeah.”
“Mr. Kiyoung…”
“I heard he’s on his way.”
“I’m glad to hear that…”
“It seems like a long time since we hosted a meeting.”
“Yeah. Sorry. Actually, I should have called for one earlier, but things didn’t
go as planned.”
Lee Sang-hee’s eyes were lifeless. However, I knew she would be able to pull
through, just as she did during the first time.
“Mr. Kiyoung hasn’t arrived yet, but it would be nice to tell you in advance.”
“Yeah.”
“First of all, I am very sorry to see you put in a bad light. If I had thought of
you who were still in Blue, I could have made better decisions. I am very
grateful to the two of you, who served as the guild’s support even while I was
away.”
“I just did my best.”
“That… In fact, I was able to think of many things while I was resting. Of
course, I thought a lot about what to do in the future. Considering the guild’s
future, it would only be right to dismantle your unit and send you to another
guild… No, that would be the right way.”
“But… No, I couldn’t dismantle the place the Master built with his own
hands. I am very sorry to both of you, but please, I would like you to remain
in this guild.”
“Of course.
“Yeah… With the master…”
“I am not the master anymore, Jeong-yeon. It is only right that I step down.”
“W-What?”
“I not only endangered you during our expedition, but I had also let you
down while I was busy grieving for the Guild Master. Although Lee Seolho
had communication with a Japanese guild, I was not able to beat him because
of my affection for him.”
“I’m not the one who should take the lead. I am also included in the category
of incompetent people that Mr. Kiyoung has mentioned before. If I take
control of Blue again, nothing will change much from before. It is only
correct that I retreat. It may be difficult, but…”
“But, I…”
In truth, I had been expecting this kind of decision on Lee Sang-hee’s part.
She hadn’t finished talking, but Hwang Jeong-yeon had already expressed her
refusal.
Lee Sang-hee’s expression was also darkening. Around this time, it would
have been effective to have Lee Kiyoung around to diffuse the situation.
“If Jeong-yeon is reluctant…”
Only
“Yes?”
“I will temporarily keep the seat of power.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, it is impossible for me to do all the work by myself, from one to
ten. If you two help me in avoiding the wrong direction, it may not take long
for me to get it back to where it was.”
“Ah…”
“There are still many talents who remain within Blue.”
At the same time, a voice called out from outside.
“This is Lee Kiyoung. I’m going in.”

Chapter 111 Go to work! (1)
Go to work! (1)
“Kiyoung, you’re finally here.”
“Ah. clearly…”
“This is Park Jung-ki, a member of the Blue Guild.”
“Ahhhhhh… Jung-ki, yes. I remember. What happened?”
“The guild master has called for all the executives.”
“I see. Please go back first and tell them that I am on my way.”
“Yes, Okay.”
For an ordinary guild member, Park Jung-ki’s agility level was evidently high
as he quickly disappeared from view.
He must have been a designated messenger. Due to my ability, I managed to

view his stats.
‘Agility stat hero or less…’
“Huh. That’s not bad.”
“What?”
“Ah… It’s nothing, Hee-young.”

“Do you have to go now? I heard him say that there was a meeting.”
“I think I can go in a little late.”
“Ah… That’s fortunate. Then, how about drinking a cup of coffee?”
“Let’s stop by a nearby cafe.”
It felt weird because this felt like a date, but I didn’t think I needed to rush. I
knew why Lee Sang-hee had called for the meeting. She had made up her
mind.
She had probably called for us to discuss Blue’s current status and the Guild
Master spot’s vacancy. It was only right for her to do so.
Lee Sang-hee was, after all, incompetent as a leader. She was most likely
aware of this fact, and since I had been absent from the guild, I knew she felt
it even more.
It was difficult to see the majority of the guild members choosing to leave
rather than stay. At this point, it was no exaggeration to say that Blue was
already sinking underwater.
It was not a matter that Lee Sang-hee, with her troubled mindset, can handle.
It seemed that Kim Hyunsung had kept her sane for a purpose, but I couldn’t
help but feel like there was a hole in his plan. However, the current result
would not matter.
‘Because I can make the desired result happen later on, anyway.’
The fact that Kim Hyunsung was taking charge showed how much he had
contributed to Blue. Unlike Sang-hee, Kim Hyunsung was a competent leader
with both power and intelligence.
I knew that all members would turn to him if I were absent from the guild for
a long time.
‘I feel sorry for doing this, but…’

Surely he knew why I had done this.
‘That’s why I decided to stay silent.’
As I continued to talk with Sun Hee-young, I felt the time pass us by.
In fact, the conversation I had with Sun Hee-young was actually a little fun.
Among the women I knew, Lee Jihye was, of course, the number one, but
Sun Heeyoung had some parts that complimented me well.
It felt much better than having my brain picked at by someone like Cha Hee
ra.
“I have to get going now.”
“Ah. That’s a little disappointing. It felt good to be able to talk after so long.”
“I can say the same, Hee-young. Anyway, I’ll often go out on breaks.”
“Will you hang out with me sometime?”
At this, we both stood up.
In fact, while being with Sun Hee-young, I couldn’t help but worry about
Kim Hyunsung.
I didn’t know if I had done the right thing, but it felt like I had just given a
list of chores to someone who did not want to be part of the process.
I regretted not helping him out, but I knew Kim Hyunsung had probably done
a great job. After all, he was not a fool.
“Then, I’ll see you after the meeting.”
Though I tried to walk slowly, I arrived back at the guild in no time. It
seemed that I had walked faster than I normally intended.
I was worried that he would have done the job well.
After roughly bidding Sun Hee-young goodbye, I went straight to the

conference room.
After knocking on the door and peeking in, I could see three sets of serious
expressions inside the room.
“This is Lee Kiyoung. I’m going in.”
Lee Sang-hee wore a little glutinous expression, Hwang Jeong-yeon exhaled

a sigh of relief, and Kim Hyunsung smiled up at me.
It seemed that his work had gone successfully.
‘Good.’
“Forgive me for being late. There was a little accident on the way back…”
“It’s fine! The meeting was very sudden, after all.”
“By any chance…”
It was Kim Hyunsung who answered.
“We were discussing how Blue should go forward. Lee Sang-hee has
expressed her desire to retire from the front lines and was talking about the
vacant spot.”
“Ah…”
“Good, good.
“It’s not enough, but I think I’ll be in charge of the guild for the time being.
Of course, Lee Sang-hee will stand in the position of teaching various things
as an advisor.”
At this, I quietly nodded.
‘That’s not bad.’
Having Lee Sang-hee as an advisor was also an excellent choice. Though she
was an ineffective leader, it didn’t make her an incompetent person.
Perhaps she decided to make up for her incompetence as a leader by honing

her skills in other ways. In this case, she seemed to have noticed how the
guild members had been faring with the sudden power shift.
Anyway, it was clear that Lee Sang-hee would not be intervening much. It
wouldn’t make sense to corrupt such talent.
‘Yet you should still get to work, Lee Sang-hee.’
It felt like Kim Hyunsung had handled her a little better than I thought.
“You’ve made such a difficult choice, Lee Sang-hee.”
“No, Mr. Kiyoung. I felt like I was wearing clothes that didn’t really suit me.
It feels good to have taken them off. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
“Yeah?”
“I have to inform the other guild members about this.
“As you’ve ordered, they’re all in one place.”
“Then, I’ll head there right away.”
From the way she spoke, it was apparent that she had prepared for this
burdensome task. Naturally, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
Kim Hyunsung seemed to have asked Lee Sang-hee a lot of questions about
the new announcement.
One look inside the auditorium notified me of the people we had gathered
together. I could see Park Deokgu, Kim Ye-ri, and Sun Hee-young sitting in
the front row. This time around, it would not be me speaking in front of
everyone.
“Hyung.”
“How are you?”
“Oh, aren’t you too busy these days?”
“Various things have happened. Now, there will be a lot of time to be able to
do stuff together. After the guild has successfully recovered, we’ll have more
time to relax.”
“I hope that day comes soon… More than that, is Hayan okay?”
“Yes. She was even sleepwalking yesterday.”
“Ha, that’s a good thing.”
“Miss Hee-young also said she could move around soon, so don’t worry too
much. Instead, we should focus on the news I heard today.”
“I was surprised to see everyone gathered around… Did something

interesting happen?”
“You’ll know soon enough.”
It would not be a fun announcement, that was for sure.
After some time passed, Lee Sang-hee and Kim Hyunsung appeared on the
podium. The real reason why Lee Sang-hee had called everyone on such
short notice was that she wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. As
she slowly opened her mouth, a calm voice resonated in the auditorium.
“The reason I have gathered you all today is to resolve Blue’s current
problems for the betterment of its future. To start with the conclusion, I have
decided to step down from being the leader.”
She was calm as she spoke, but it did not stop the voices from rising. A lot of
people were concerned about what this meant for Blue.
“The new Guild Master of Blue has been determined. Kim Hyunsung, the
leader of the 7th party, is suitable, and all of the leaders of Blue, including
me, agreed. I understand that this is a confusing time. I am ashamed as a
former leadership to appear in front of you like this, but I hope that we can
overcome this crisis together.”
At this, a small round of applause filled the room. It was admittedly a good
speech, both short and intense.
As Lee Sang-hee quietly left the stage, leaving the stage to Kim Hyunsung,
who did not appear to be nervous or awkward at all. In fact, it looked natural
for him.
“Perhaps…
Perhaps he had held a similar position in the past.
“It is an honor to be seated in such a way. To address your concerns, Lee

Sang-hee did not come down suddenly. She has given a lot of thought
regarding this change, and has told me so in advance. Fortunately, Lee
Sanghee, who was the founding member of Blue, will continue to remain in
the guild as an advisor.’
‘Good. That’s the way you should go.’
“Blue has suffered a great deal. Most of the members here have probably
been in Blue for a very long time. Understandably, you are all agitated by an
event that happened a while ago.”
That was an understatement.
“Let’s think of this as a fresh start.”

Kim Hyunsung was amazing at this.
“I’m telling you that the change will start right from this moment. It’s
sudden, but I want to tell you my greetings and plans for future
development.”
I never thought that he would have prepared for this. When I looked at Lee
Sang-hee, I felt like she already knew.
I didn’t know when they had such a conversation, but what I did know was
that people weren’t good at handling change. They would probably receive
backlash, although not on a large scale.
However, Kim Hyunsung didn’t seem to think so. My heart pounded as he

opened his mouth once more to speak. I knew he would give me a solid seat,
given everything I had done so far.
Kim Hyunsung’s voice boomed over the crowd.
“First, I appoint Mr. Lee Kiyoung as the Vice Guild Master.”
‘I love you, Hyunsung!’
My eyes flashed. This is what I had been waiting for, though I was not
expecting to get it.
I am second-in-command in his kingdom.’
I knew he cherished me, but it appeared that Kim Hyunsung appreciated me

more than I thought. I couldn’t help but smile at this point or dance. This had
effectively brightened my mood.
“The Guild Secretary will temporarily also be Mr. Kiyoung for the moment.”
Being able to handle the guild’s funding would also give me an additional
semblance of power. I was not only the Vice Master but the secretary as well.
This meant that I would be busy for some time, but I knew I could handle
“After, a temporary personnel committee will be established to recruit the
most important personnel, Lee Kiyoung will also act as the chairperson for
that.”
Being able to pick people that would suit my tastes would definitely also
work in my favor.
“We will create a new strategy team for targeting the dungeon, and Mr. Lee
Kiyoung will be doing all the hard work temporarily.”
It was only after a little while that I realized something was wrong.
“The Guild Future Strategy Headquarters and the Damage Countermeasure

Committee have been established, and Lee Kiyoung will serve as the first
chairman for the time being.”
‘Wait.’
“We temporarily appoint Mr. Lee Kiyoung to the Chief Executive Officer
position to encompass the overall administrative work. We will continue to
work hard until the situation stabilizes.”
‘Stop.
“We also appoint Mr. Kiyoung Lee as the manager of the Pension Strategy
Planning Office.”
‘Stop.
“We have established a PR strategy team, and Lee Kiyoung will also
temporarily be in charge of promoting the guild.”
Only
‘Please stop already, you bastard!’
The problem was that my name kept popping out of Kim Hyunsung’s mouth.
Of course, in addition to my name, the names of Hwang Jeong-yeon and Sun

Hee-young also popped up in the middle, but it was me who kept getting
appointed to various positions with the strangest titles.
Eventually, the people around me started to give me pitying looks. At this

point, I was suspicious of whether Kim Hyunsung was trying to keep me
busy to prevent me from doing or saying anything else.
“I also appoint Mr. Lee Kiyoung as the interim chairman.”
‘Okay, I get it already…’
The room had gone silent at this point.
It was the first time I felt resentment for Kim Hyunsung.

Go to work! (2)
In the story, Hwang-hee asked to resign more than ten times, but Sejong
unethically ordered him to work until he died.
Whenever Hwang-hee asked for resignation due to health problems, Sejong

ordered him to work from home. When he asked for resignation, he sent a
kiln to the palace. He even sent officials to Hwang-hee’s house to handle
paperwork even as he lay on his deathbed, so the poor man really did work
until he died.
‘Fuck…’
I could definitely say that this was a similar situation.
It felt like Kim Hyunsung was trying to make me conform. If his kingdom
grew, and he left his name in history, it would be clear that my name would
also be mentioned next to his.
Albeit, I would be known as the stupid guy who overworked himself to death.
However, this didn’t mean that I would be left with nothing. Like Hwanghee,
who Sejong favored until the end, despite committing various corruptions, I
will also be able to gain unprecedented power
‘Ah, power…
My position within the guild had completely shifted.

Of course, my original position wasn’t low, per se, but now? Now, I had
gained enough power to control the guild itself.
‘The only problem is that I wouldn’t have the time to enjoy that power…
Considering that most of the positions entrusted to me were only temporary, I

knew this would soon be resolved. However, I also knew that handling the
administrative systems within Blue was a very important job to be given.
With this, I had come to realize that, once again, Kim Hyunsung was placing
his trust in me. I knew that the other guild members also saw this and would
now try to establish themselves in front of him.
Still, my job title would always be weighty.
Blue was not big, but it would reward me for all my work. I had become the
person who would receive the most salary among everyone else, even more
than Guild Master Kim Hyunsung himself.
The annual salary I received when I first came here was 10,000 gold, and
with less than a year passing by, it had multiplied by 12 times, perhaps even
higher.
Of course, the reality is that this would not be enough. The real problem lay
in the fact that Blue’s current status meant that I wouldn’t be able to receive
my full salary. Though my payroll had risen, it would be impossible to
receive it so long as the guild was still in a crisis. This was due to financial
and manpower shortages.
‘Alright, first things first…’
I knew I had to start with those two first.
As I read the report placed in front of me, I heard a voice speak up.
“Lee Kiyoung, this is a report from the Damage Countermeasure

Committee.”
“Leave it on my desk. I’ll take care of what we’re doing now and check it out
right after. Oh, and if you’re free, would you please call Jeong-yeon?”
“That… Hwang Jeong-yeon says she has something to do…”
“Yeah? I’m sure she just decided to take a break.”
“She says something urgent has come up.”
‘She definitely ran away.’
I shouldn’t have believed her when she said she was going to take a break. I
had only been here for a day, yet I’ve lasted even longer.
However, I had to admit that she had made things easier, seeing as she had
sorted out all the documents that had been piled up. This was a world that
struggled without the existence of computers.
Still, it was impressive that she had decided to show just how resourceful she
could be. Even then, I had not expected her to run away in the middle of it.
I understood that the pile of work on my shoulders was scary, but that wasn’t
a valid reason.
“The guild’s promotion…”
“As I said, we will give priority to posting the story of the change within the
Blue Guild in the article, and we will disclose the attack journal of the Cursed
Shrine. Please allow three days for the scheduling. No, I’ll do it again. It
would be nice to sell some of them after we released the free ones.”
“Are you saying that you’d be selling a strategy journal?”
“Yes, I will sell it.”
“Ah. So, this one goes to the business-“
“No. Just let it go. Business units have their work to do.”
“Yeah?”
That particular division was also under my jurisdiction, anyway. I noticed the
guild member’s pitying look as he, too, realized this sad fact.
“It will have to go through a little tweaking, but it will sell. The story of the
Cursed Shrine is very stimulating, after all.”
“I think I know what you’re talking about.”
“Before leaving the expedition, I think it would be better to include a story

about Lee Seolho. However, I’ll need to refine it a little bit. If any people say
that they write within the guild, we will collect all of them and put them into
editing. Let’s start that right now.”
“It’s a good idea… It may take longer if you think about publishing and mass
production, Vice Guild Master.”
“I will reschedule everything. Oh, it’ll also be a good idea to add a list of
items obtained from the Cursed Shrine in the article, along with the strategy
journal. I think it would be better to unravel information about Juliana.”
“The legendary item you have?”
“Yeah. Of course, I will not disclose the function of the item. Please
emphasize ‘legendary item holder’ and then start the promotion. It will be
fast and effective.”
“You must be more curious about the strategy journal.”
“Definitely.”
It would be better to disclose the strategy journal after informing the public
about where the legendary item came from. I wasn’t entirely sure, but I had a
feeling that it would make enormous sales. The public would surely have a
lot of questions about it.
The story of where the item was obtained and how I had become its rightful
owner would surely be the talk of the town once more.
It wasn’t every day that legendary items were found, after all.
And even then…
“The delivery time of the fantasy potion will be a little earlier than planned.
For the timing, I think it would be better to unpack it at the same time as the
strategy journal is sold.”
“Of course. I will adjust the schedule.”
This would also be a good promotion. The potions that worked tremendously
well within the Cursed Shrine would be a huge hit.
Overall, the plan itself was not bad. I just felt like something had been
severely lacking.
“Hm…”
“What’s the matter?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
I felt like I was somehow veering in the wrong direction. I must not only
promote the guild’s products. I had to find some way to promote the guild
itself. If I only focused on these, the guild would have only gained money,
not influence.
That alone could increase the guild’s value. However…
‘It won’t make the people want to join forces with Blue.’
I lacked that one decisive factor.
“Ah. What is the market price for a wagon billboard?”
“I heard that if you get it for a discount, it costs about 200 gold a day. Of
course, if the area had a large populace, the cost would…”
“Not bad. The cost-performance ratio is good, and above all, we can use it
right away.”
“Yes, perhaps…”
“It seems like a problem that we need to consider a little more. Aside from
that, have you organized all of the heroic-grade items?”
“I heard that it’s almost done.”
“There is not much left until the auction, so please tell them to bring it soon. I
will sell everything that we do not need.”
“Of course.”
I hated to admit it, but the work wasn’t that bad. This was my area of
expertise, after all.
If this were a typical company, these problems would have required

numerous meetings to coordinate the schedule. Adjusting everything by
myself meant that I did not have to go through all the tedious processes.
Of course, that didn’t mean that my work wasn’t difficult. My abilities were
already limited in the first place. My head had begun to hurt from trying to do
everything by myself. I wasn’t even familiar with the imperial laws of this
continent.
It was easy enough to deal with the usual things, but some sensitive tax issues
and imperial law-related issues were bound to take me some time to sort
through.
‘Also, our lack of talent within the guild has become our biggest problem…’
Blue was never a guild that was small in size. Sure, it looked like an
entertainment agency housing seven parties, but the number of plain guild
members and guild staff assisting them also played a significant role.
However, it was obvious that there were no significant talents among them.
This was no thanks to the old geezers, who hadn’t even thought about
reforming the guild.
‘They were useless from start to finish.’
In this situation, it was only natural for me to resort to some underhanded

tactics.
‘Cheap manpower.
What I needed was inexpensive yet competent manpower. The guild’s image
should attract them, and the promotion and marketing would determine the
guild’s future image.
I knew some capable people would apply, but their numbers would not be
enough. Thus, how could I solve this?
As I massaged my temples, I heard Park Deokgu’s voice from outside the

room.
“Hyung, it’s me.”
“You can come in, Deokgu.”
“No… Oh, aren’t you too busy?”
“Uh. Yes, I’ve been really busy.”
“I came because our Guild Master wanted me to pass something onto
you.”
“What?”
“It looks like a fatigue recovery potion…”
“Ah…”
Kim Hyunsung, you bastard.

At this point, I must have lost to an enemy like him in my previous life. I
broke out into a cold sweat as I realized I could have been the reincarnation
of Hwang-hee in that story.
“I’m so concerned about my Hyung’s health… I don’t know where he got it,
but it works great. With one potion, you can stay awake for about three
days…”
The more Park Deokgu spoke, the more I felt scared.
‘Do not do this, you bastard…’
If Kim Hyunsung continued to play the role of Satan, I would definitely

become his spawn.
‘Perhaps the best solution was simple…’
At this, I opened my mouth to speak.
“Deokgu, let’s talk for a minute.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“How is the image of our guild?”
“Well… Aren’t we a ruined guild? We’ve just started to recover again. We

will definitely be successful in the future, but for now… Goodness.”
That was the perfect answer.
“Then what do you think are the strengths of our guild?”
“Even if you suddenly ask me that…”
“I didn’t ask you seriously, so you can answer in any way you want. What
should I say to have competent human resources come into our guild?”
“I’m not sure about that… Well, if it’s the strength of our guild, of course,
isn’t it youth, passion, and ambition? And we have a capable Hyung!”
“Uh…”
That was an answer I never expected to receive. I couldn’t believe I had not
thought about this before. This made me smile, as Park Deokgu had actually
helped me!
After giving him one last glance, I spoke to Park Jung-gi, sitting next to
Only
me.
“Mr. Jung-gi.”
“Yes, Vice Guild Master.”
“Please contact the Lindel Shipping Association right now and have them
spread flyers everywhere.”
“Of course. I knew you’d be able to recruit more people…”
“No, no. For now…”
“I think I need to recruit some interns.”
I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle all this work alone.

Go to work! (3)
“I-Interns?”
“Yes, interns.”
Park Jung-gi, who had been helping me with things in the meantime, wore a
doubtful expression. I didn’t blame him for it. Will an intern be willing to
apply for a collapsing guild? That didn’t seem possible.
However, it wasn’t a bad choice in our current situation. We had the media
and masses on our side. We would still have some applicants willing to come
in, either way.
When public opinion and the media come together, applicants are expected to
come in anyway. This was how we could revive the image of our guild.
‘Young Company, Young Guild!’
What we needed was to capture the guild similarly to a venture company on

Earth. It should be seen as a free, creative environment everyone can enjoy.
Of course, the reality may be a little different, but the publicity had to be like
this to find more talent and noncombatant recruits who were both loyal and
okay with relatively low wages.
‘That’s where the interns come in.’
“First, it would be better to change the interior of the guild a little.”

“Yeah?”
“I think the office looks a little dull. This kind of guild isn’t what Lindel’s
young talents would want. It would be better to remove all the desks using
magic to change Blue’s interior.”
“I don’t… I don’t understand why we need to do that all of a sudden.”
“What Blue needs is innovation. In this kind of environment, it would be hard

to think of new ideas. This is why we need to change the environment and
make it livelier.”
“Ah… Yes. Okay.”
Nothing sounded better than the word innovation. This was another one of
my sleazy reasoning.
“It would be nice to tear down the offices used by Lee Seolho and the other
old people. The area would look better if it was open and have sofas where
the staff can rest. Oh, a sleeping capsule sounds like a good idea! We should
use an existing one rather than create a new one entirely to minimize the
budget. The important thing is the atmosphere. It is important to make Blue
look like the kind of guild that promotes freedom and activity to stimulate the
young ones.”
“Ah… Yeah…”
“It doesn’t matter if you install a pool table or a card game in the common
room where employees can use during breaks, just make sure to put
something. Oh, it wouldn’t be bad to have a board game like chess. The price
won’t be too costly, anyway. Also, let’s change the guild restaurant to a
buffet establishment.”
“Ah, but the restaurant’s budget…”
A well-fed slave worked harder, after all.
I didn’t know about the rest, but I was sure this particular area needed an
improvement for the sake of all the guild members and workers.
‘The executive dining room is too big in itself…’
“If you sort out the useless luxuries of the old men that were in place before,
we can pave out a plan.”
“It still won’t be enough. How much would you want?”
I knew I had to worry about that for a bit. However, the answer in itself was
simple.
“There will be no such thing as a maintenance fee in Blue from now on.
Please make sure to subtract the cost for the welfare of party members and
executives. You just have to put it in some of the remaining budgets.”
It would be better to run slaves with money.
The annual salary that the executives and party members received was
enough in terms of dignity. To use and receive benefits on top of that
sounded ridiculous. I bet that, if it weren’t for the guild’s old forces, Blue
would have been a much larger guild than it was now.
“The salary of the Guild Master, Vice Guild Master, and diplomatic officers
remains the same. We’re just going to cut the amount we will actually receive
by 30%.”
I was only being honest. There were many things to do, so much that they
would have to be written separately.
Perhaps sensing the workload this entailed, Park Jung-gi looked at me in a

tiresome manner, so I hurried to speak first.
“I’ll make sure not to set a lunch schedule. Eat what you want, and when you
want to. This also applies to all of the guild staff right now. Please notify me
about this tomorrow morning.”
“Of course.”
“We will also open all the amenities that were only used by executives in the
past to everyone.”
“Really? Won’t it be too small for all the guild members?”
“We will operate by reservation. Of course, it would be better if the party

members or executives have priority reservation rights. It is a facility
designed to be used, so it’ll be a waste if we don’t use it. During the
expedition, there weren’t any people who used it at all.”
‘Efficiently, might I add.’
“Oh, I see.”
“We will run a class where you can study magic, swordsmanship, or imperial
law for plain guild members or guild staff. Jeong-yeon will teach the magic
class. The swordsmanship class… Well, if Lee Sang-hee permits it… No, I
will speak directly about it to Lee Sang-hee.”
“Yes, sir.”
“How much do you think the budget will cost?”
At my question, Park Jung-gi began to do the math in his head.
Park Deokgu could do the work that required labor, and if one were to
consider the changes with the maintenance budget, there would still be some
money left.
‘If we’re going to be hiring interns, then the money will be enough.’
The cost of wages for a one-year hiring period for interns seeking free work
was much lower. This was the best environment in which slaves could be
freely enslaved in exchange for almost nothing.
In the first place, not a lot of people would understand this type of system.
“No, you don’t have to calculate anymore. Come to think of it. It will all be
okay. I’ll do the rest of the work today at the lodge. Please go home and bring
the documents I need to review directly to my room. Mr. Jung-gi can bring
it.”
“You mean, right now?”
“Yeah. Construction will start right now.”
“The Guild Master’s approval is…”
‘Not required.
“There is no need for his approval. I’ll tell him about it later.”
“Ah… Okay.”
In the first place, Kim Hyunsung had entrusted me with this task. It made no
sense to stand around, waiting for his approval when I could be as efficient as
possible with the allotted time.
He also had his tasks as the Guild Master, so it would be better not to bother
him.
“Then, let’s get started.”
“Of course.”
I tapped a distracted Park Deokgu on the back, and he was quick to nod in
reply.
As I had expected, the construction went very quickly. There was a lot of
manpower for such simple labor.
The Lindel trade union hired technicians at a low price and brought together
artists whose talents were wasted in the plaza. This wasn’t just a paid job for
them. It was another shot at bringing their careers to life.
The dull interior space began to be filled by the works of artists who wanted
to promote themselves for free, and because of that, there were even other
people who were willing to donate works that they did not manage to sell.
‘Ah, what a difficult world for artists to live in.’
Park Deokgu had been busy doing manual chores such as breaking down the
dividers of the old offices. Although he was the type who refrained from
using his head properly, this was still a plan that he was interested in. Thus,
the plan proceeded quite smoothly.
“Lee Kiyoung, how would you like to deal with the remaining space?”
“How is the child compensation in our guild?”
“Subsidies are coming out…”
“Oh, then, I think establishing a children’s home inside where they can safely
leave their kids is a good idea. If you have ever worked as a child care
teacher in your district, please report it to me. How many households are in
the guild now?”
“Three families.”
“I see. That’s actually very little…”
“I’m a bit reluctant to marry anyway…”
If a parent swore allegiance to the guild, there was a high probability that the
child would also be loyal to the guild. We weren’t just finding slaves for
shortterm work. We were finding slaves who would devote their whole lives
to working for the guild.
Thus, it was only right to expand on parental compensation and the maternity
leave system, thus abandoning the old corporate guild beliefs on pregnancy
and the like.
The guild’s appearance changed so suddenly that a lot of the existing guild
members felt confused. Of course, this was also for their benefit.
Promoting our guild was an indispensable opportunity.
In addition to contacting the Lindel Daily, I had to worry a lot about renting a
billboard. The title would be…
[The Dream Job: A Job In Blue]
Or…
[Completely Different: 23 reasons why Blue Has Become the Dream

Workspace]
Showing our concern for our employees’ welfare rather than our overall
dignity, creating an atmosphere where everyone can enjoy their work, and
focusing on developing each member’s capabilities—all these would be able
to move the people’s hearts.
The guild we were going to create would prove to be very satisfactory.
Of course, it was evident that Blue still had some incomplete areas, but it was
only human to show these. It would have a negative impact if we looked too
perfect
“We’re relying on word of mouth here. Please continue to educate our guild
members. Public opinion is more important than the press itself. Send some
members to the tavern to help pay their expenses. Due to the guild’s
circumstances, I will set a limit on what you can spend for dinner.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Enjoy as much as you can and come back. Of course, we cannot allow
anything to interfere with our work tomorrow.”
“Yes… Of course.”
“Innovation. What matters is innovation. It would be good to improve our

image. We are the guild of the young and innovative. That’s the image we
should maintain. In addition to this, we’ll also be supporting a variety of
activities. Don’t stop developing yourself. The same is true for Park Jung-gi.
I think you have good agility stats… It’ll be a waste to rot your talent.”
“Ah… Thank you.”
“So, why aren’t you all wearing the guild’s insignia?”
“Oh… It can only be worn by the executives as well as other party

members.”
“Ha… Those crazy old men…”
“W-What?”
“It’s nothing. In the future, all guild members and staff shall also wear the
insignia. Make sure to wear it outside, too. You represent the guild. That
means everyone should be on their best behavior unless you want me to blow
your head off. Make sure to remember that. I won’t even allow you to look
ugly. I’m not turning this into a fashion show, but you should at least look
neat.”
“Okay, thank you.”
“I’m not sure what you’re thanking me for. It’s only natural for you to wear
the insignia as well.”
The results were going fast, and they all led in a positive direction.
We were currently seen as extending our efforts in taking care of our

remaining members, all while changing the overall atmosphere of the guild.
Thus, the people’s opinions of us soared.
At this point, we were receiving inquiries even though our application

processes had not yet opened until eventually, a press conference was needed
to reveal the guild’s new interior.
I was surprised to see how much the situation had improved. The public’s
attention positively stayed on us, and I was sure talented people would come
knocking on our door.
Our previous events have become a thing of the past. And the past debates on
whether Blue would sink or not turned into people wanting to join the guild.
The Red Mercenaries and Black Swans, who never backed out on our
alliance, also began to reach out again, and we were soon emerging as a
promising guild with high potential. The old executives from the past were no
longer a concern.
I also liked the fact that our current staff was doing their best. Without their
organized skills, the rumors about Blue would not have settled down so
quickly.
Even the guides already belonging to the large guilds were interested in us,
which gave me a sense of how thorough the Blue guild was in terms of our
educational systems.
With this, our once-lazy guild members felt motivated enough to improve
themselves.
‘These days, reports are also coming up on time…’
Mistakes that were previously evident were now noticeably reduced.
Of course, many of our people had skills too low to be called competent
slaves, but it was nice that they were all doing the best that they could for the
guild. Everyone alternated between maintaining public opinion while dealing
with their guild tasks.
I endured as long as I could, but when I came to the point where I could no
longer handle the work with such a small amount of people, anxiety began to
well up within me.
Only
[Blue Internship Recruitment Announcement 1602]
[We are looking for someone to become a new family member in the Blue
Guild. Can become an official guild member in due time.]
The reactions turned out to be more passionate than I had expected.
“The Blue Guild has risen.”
“Did you see their recruitment notice?”
“Is it true that they are also electing a combat team?”
“Ah…”
Lindel became noisy once more.

Go to work! (4)
Lindel became noisy once more.
It felt rewarding seeing this kind of reaction. Perhaps the people had
familiarized themselves with the current guild system. We now looked like a
dream-like company that considered numerous welfare and convenient
benefits for employees.
It was basically the same type of marketing that worked back on Earth.
Numerous professional managers in this land who studied business

administration and knew entrepreneurship also knew which companies were
attracting talent. However, there was a difference between simply knowing
and practicing.
At least most of the companies I know don’t successfully apply what they
know. Perhaps it was because their greed got in the way, or it may be because
they internally abused their workers or caused internal problems within the
company.
The point was, there was no enterprise, here or back on Earth, that cared
about its employees to this degree. This was true, especially in Lindel, who
was known for its dangerous areas.
For large guilds such as the Red Mercenaries and Black Swans, the
circumstances are good, but it was a hellish experience for the rest of the
small and medium-sized clans.
What I did in the first place was far from being innovative. Recruiting an
intern wasn’t good at all, but I knew I would find someone desperate to work
because of the reward we promised.
‘They can become full-time employees.’

That would serve as the honey for the bees. My insistence upon the term
‘innovation’ was only just a cover-up, after all. It was necessary for our long-
lasting image, and soon, all of Lindel would link us to that word.
‘The most important thing is our image.’
It was no exaggeration to say that the public’s opinion of us could make or

break our guild. As I leaned back and massaged my temples, I heard someone
speak up.
“There are quite a few successful candidates.”
“It’ll take some time to sort them out.”
“Yes. The first test has already been taken, yet there are still so many. It’s
nice to have more talented applicants than expected… After all, the Vice
Guild Master is also exhausted.”
“No, no. I’ll see to them myself.”
It was better this way because I could check their status windows.
“I’m afraid you’re going a little too overboard.”
“Of course not. It is necessary for me to know who will be our future guild
workers.”
“I know.”
“It won’t take too much time anyway.”
The way to pinpoint talent was simple. There was nothing more effective
than an imposed test.
Those who applied for tests related to imperial law and tax management
questions and applied to the Pension Planning Office decided that it was best
to take an alchemy test, and it actually worked. They had heard the rumors
and blocked the crowds in advance.
The unfortunate thing was that, although some talented people had been
eliminated because of a momentary mistake, there was no time to embrace
them.
People who could be used for additional power were the more important
ones.
“Are all the interview applicants gathered?”
“Yeah.”
“Send them in one by one. I’ll be the one conducting the interview.”
“Will do.”
The first man who entered harbored a worried expression, seemingly too
nervous to sit down. From my first impression, he was already a dud.
It seemed like he wasn’t aware that he’d be meeting me for the interview, and
I was already known as quite the powerful figure in the city.
Laughing slightly, I checked his status window. His overall ability was low,
and his propensity was…
‘Indolent egoist.
Ugh, he was the type of person Sun Hee-young absolutely hated. He would
grow to become another thorn in Blue’s side. I found no reason to give birth
to another Lee Seolho.
“Ah. Kim Chul-soo?”
“Yes. Hello.”
“Ah. You do not need to introduce yourself. It will be a little different from
the existing interview. You supported the crisis response team…”
“Yes, that’s right. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but I was a team leader
in the Guardian Tree guild for a while.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of that. That’s very impressive.”
That was a lie. I’ve never even heard of it. It was probably one of those
guilds that eventually dissolved. Kim Chul-soo had an eager look in his eye,
but his disposition did not lie.
“I’ll ask you a simple question.”
“Of course.”
“Please design an evacuation plan in the event of a disaster that would affect
all of Lindel.”
“Y-You mean, now?”
“Yes. It’s okay if it’s not perfect. All of Lindel’s population must be
evacuated. How would you evacuate them?”
“Ah… that… First of all, I think using magic will be the most efficient
way…”
He had started rambling, far from my expected answer.
‘How stupid.
He hadn’t even wondered about what kind of disaster would take place. I had
given him a chance to redeem himself, and he just blew it.
“Lindel’s gate number three…”
“Ah, that was a satisfactory answer. You may head out now.”

“I will notify you if you managed to get in. The answer to your question was
impressive. Thank you.”
“Ah! Thank you.”
If the right person didn’t show up, it might be fun to keep him as a pet for a
year. The next person came in as soon as Kim Chul-soo headed out.
“Well…”
The woman who walked in looked very pretty. However, traces of suffering
were evident all over her body.
‘She looks quite old, too.’
Her status window presented itself to me soon after.
‘Name: Kim Mi-young, 39 years old, and is a working lawyer.’
Her intelligence was better than expected, and even her magical ability
reached thirty.
Her history looked pretty peculiar, as well. It seemed that she had worked for
a middle-sized guild, retired at the age of 30, and opened up a small general
store in the square after getting married.
Perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad to hear about her story.
“Miss Kim Mi-young.”
“Ah… Yes.”
“You applied for the Imperial Legal Affairs Team.”
“Yeah.”
“Your history is a little peculiar, but I would like you to tell me about it
yourself. You’re also married… It seems that the rest period is a bit long.
You took five years off as a result of it.”
“Ah… Yes.”
At this, her expression darkened. I was sure she felt overwhelmed at this
point. Thus, I decided to help her out by asking her a question.
“Your husband…”
“He is dead.”
“I see. I’m sorry. Have you ever had children?”
“I have two. However, it will not interfere with my work.”
“You must have been treated unfairly by your previous guild.”
She fell silent
At that point, I could already deduce what happened. She probably met her
husband in the guild, got married, and then got pregnant almost immediately
after.
After leaving the guild, she started a business with the money she had saved,
and when the business did not work, her husband must have gone hunting.
I didn’t know if he died from illness or a monster, but anyway, her dead
husband likely gave way to financial problems. She hadn’t been able to apply
for jobs right away because she first had to focus on parenting as well. She
must have had a hard time trying to find a job afterward.
“During the break, I spent a lot of time trying to not only challenge myself
but also to reflect inward. It was my intention to develop my skills through
various activities.”
That was a lie.

“I see.”
However, I saw no reason to point out her fibbing. That was because this
woman had the best talent I’d seen thus far.
‘Very good.
Having children may be seen as a fault, but in another perspective, it meant

that if I did something on behalf of her kids, she would become a loyal
worker for Blue.
Even her children might become future Blue guild members. Her only fault
was that her rest period had been long. However, I knew she would exert the
effort needed to adjust.
‘Because a mother will do her best for her children.’
More than I can even begin to imagine.
“Do you think you can work actively for us?”
“Yes, of course. I continued to study during my breaks, and I hold an

Imperial Law Level 1 Certificate. Of course, it needs to be updated, but… It
won’t be hard to do that.”
“I think you know what the situation of our guild is right now.”
“Yeah.”
“I would like to hear why you applied as the legal team of the Blue Guild.”
After a brief silence, she slowly opened her mouth to speak.
“I thought you would need people who are fluent in imperial law. With
imperial law not allowing disputes with other Free Cities, considering the
Blue Guild’s recent incidents, I thought you would formally protest against
the Japanese side. Of course, assuming that Blue has evidence.”
“I see. What if we don’t have any evidence?”

“You might think of a way to put pressure on them that won’t go against the
law. As there are loopholes in modern law, there are also obvious loopholes
in the imperial law.”
“Is there a way?”
She nodded but did not expound any further. She probably believed that this
would be one of her winning traits to get her the job.
I liked it.
“I see… Well, that’s interesting. No, more than that, this is great.”
“I think it’ll be nice to work with you.”
“R-Really?”
“I’m telling you I’m hiring you. As you may already know, you will have to
work unpaid for a year. Of course, it doesn’t mean that you won’t receive
anything. We will pay for your basic living expenses. Afterward, it would be
better to negotiate a salary again. Ah! And, if only you’d be willing to, I
would like to entrust the position of team leader of the legal team to you. Of
course, it will only be possible if you can obtain achievements during your
internship.”
“Oh?”
“You can leave your children at the Guild Facility while you work. Where do
you live now?”
“U-Um… On the outskirts…”
That meant she lived in the slums. That was even better. She had nowhere
else to go.
“It would be better if you live in the Guild House. We will arrange a room for
you and your children.”
“Ah…”
I placed the contract on the table, and her eyes immediately focused on it. She
would probably know more about this than I did. After all, she was more
well-versed in this field than me.
“Read it and sign it.”
I watched as she flipped through the contact, her suspicious expression

turning into joy.
“You will get busy. This means you probably won’t be able to see your kids
for a few days. Of course, we will prepare everything you’ll need, from
education to future career paths. If you manage to make a difference, I will
also send you to study abroad in the empire’s capital. Of course, it is
provided that your children will also join Blue. All of that is stated in the
contract, Miss Kim Miyoung.”
“Ah… Yes, of course!”
“If you also want to learn the basics of being an adventurer, the guild also
hosts simple swordsmanship classes and magic classes, so both you and your
children can participate.”
“Thank you… Thank you so much.”
There was no reason for her not to sign, considering her children and their
living conditions in the slums. It would be better to serve and stay in Blue
than to live in daily fear in the slums. It didn’t take too long for her to sign
the contract. At this point, I was already smiling,
“Then, I will go to work…”
“Starting now.”
“A-Ah, really?”
Only
“Find a man named Park Deokgu in the lobby, and then you can come to the
Guild House with your children. After organizing your luggage and going up
to the office, you can rewrite the employment contract you are holding. I’m a
little ignorant of the law. I made it by referring to what was in the past, but it
looks strange to me.”
“Ah…”
“Please submit it to me after you’re finished with your work, Miss Kim
Miyoung.”
Kim Mi-young stared at me, doubting if she had heard me wrong, but overall,
she wore a pleasant expression.
“W-Will do!”
Ideally, you should never let your employees know that you’d be treating
them as slaves. I couldn’t help but smile as I saw her joyful expression.
“If you show us acceptable results, we will convert you to a full-time

employee even before the year is up. Do remember that it must be a
convincing achievement.”
“Yes, I will do my best.”

Go to work! (5)
The interview proceeded smoothly and ended successfully. I was surprised to

find out that there were more talented people like Kim Mi-young than I had
initially thought.
Of course, I found no reason to fire her. I knew desperate people ended up

working better.
Meanwhile, some people found strange questions I asked to be unfair. I

couldn’t blame them. Even I didn’t know what the correct answer would be.
“All Blue Guild members fell into the water. Explain who you would be
looking for and why.”
“You had been asked to clean all the guilds in Lindel. How much can you say
is the appropriate amount to charge?”
“You went on a dungeon expedition with your colleagues. Unconditionally,

assuming that one person will die during the expedition, will you or will you
not work on this dungeon attack?”
“What would you explain to your 5-year-old child if they ask what alchemy
is?”
All my questions were ridiculous, yet all of them aimed for one
wordinnovation.
It didn’t matter in the first place because I initially asked these to people I had
no intention of keeping, yet some of their answers ended up surprising me.
Thus, I decided to keep some of them. In the first place, I based all my
questions on usual questions that companies back on Earth asked.
In the end, I was able to quell Blue’s previous controversy by establishing the
guild as the new dream workplace for everyone. The interview process made
sure of that.
“In case you do not get accepted, please contact me separately.”
“Why?”
“You may be wondering why you weren’t chosen. Please take a quick look at
your resume and tell me why you think you didn’t get chosen, and write me a
letter about it. This will probably help you out in your next job interview.”
“Ah, yes… Thank you.”
“No problem.”
I made sure Blue was also known as a guild who cared even for the dropouts,
that it was different from other guilds who sent these people home without
even telling them why they had been eliminated.
At the same time, I did not neglect to make use of my journalist friends.
[Why is Blue Different?]
I sent them an article in the form of an interview with this title, and I received
an embarrassingly hot response. Our followers made sure to spread the word
about our guild.
At this point, the former guild members who had deserted Blue after the
incident with Lee Seolho began to contact us again. Of course, I refused to let
them join once more.
‘I don’t need a bunch of migratory birds.’
It was better to hire a new batch of people who would surely love working
with Blue. This meant that they were swamped with work, sure, but they
were happy with the amenities and privileges that Blue provided. Plus, they
got rewarded whenever they showed good results.
This simple system encouraged Mi-young and the other interns. After they
had successfully adapted, they immersed themselves into their respective
tasks, thereby creating a strange atmosphere of competitiveness within the
workplace.
In short, everything was going smoothly. Nevertheless…
‘I still feel like I’m going to die.’
The fact that I was still busy was undeniable. My daily routine was simple, in
a sense.
I didn’t know why, but I always found myself making excuses just to be able
to see Jung Hayan in her hospital room, seeing as she still hadn’t woken up. I
felt like if I didn’t do this, then I wouldn’t be able to hold myself together
anymore.
There came the point where I felt so distressed that I had even slept right next
to her. I even came to the point of masturbating, thinking that Jung Hayan
would like it if she woke up. However, all I got from doing that was a sense
of self-immolation.
After taking a short break, I still had time to go to the workshop and study the
potions that would soon be shipped off as products. Although the
newlychosen alchemy planning team was doing a lot of work, it was difficult
to say that my burden had been reduced since there weren’t many things that
they could do in the first place.
Those who were still on their second jobs were not yet qualified to be
researchers. After that, meetings were held, the guild was organized, and
detailed work orders were given.
I particularly made sure to give Hwang Jeong-yeon a little more work and
allowed myself some time to resent Kim Hyunsung.
Next, to make it smoother, the public relations strategy, future planning,
imperial legal affairs, and the personnel planning for the future fighting force
were alternated.
I tried to finish the tasks that the interns could not do yet as much as I could.
Of course, I couldn’t ignore particular matters that required Kim Hyunsung’s
approval.
“Kim Hyunsung… You cock-sucker…”
As I muttered this almost unconsciously, I heard a voice speak up.
“What was that, Mr. Kiyoung?”
“It’s nothing, Miss Mi-young. I heard you are doing well recently.”
“Ah. Yes, I am. Thank you, Vice Guild Master.”
“How about your children?”
“It seems that they are very happy because of you. Thank you so much for
helping us out.”
‘Ah, no, I’m more grateful.’
It was interesting how grateful she was to me just because I had helped her
kids out. Among all the people I had chosen to work for Blue, Kim Mi-young
was the best. Given enough time, I was sure that she would be more than
capable of being the team leader.
“No, no. I actually want to thank you for coming to our guild.”
“Yes, of course. Anyway, here are the new files.”
“Ah. Well done. I think you should rest for today.”
“But the amendments…”
“I’ll have to consult with the Guild Master now. Anyway, you hardly spend
time with your kids.”
At this, Kim Mi-young’s face reddened.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
After Kim Mi-young left, I stood upright after organizing the new documents.
Some particular affairs still needed the Guild Master’s approval, especially
for the riskier matters.
At least, if the results did not turn out to be good, the higher-ups wouldn’t be
able to blame me.
As I made my way up with my head buried in thoughts, a peculiar scene

presented itself to me.
“Huh?”
I could see some Red Mercenary Guild members, the same ones Cha Heera
had sent to protect me in case the assassination would happen again.
One of the mercenaries opened his mouth, and I worried about why they were
here again.
“Long time, no see.”
“Yeah. It’s been a long time. What brings you here?”
“Our Master is here.”
“Cha Hee-ra?”
“Yes, she’s currently talking to Mr. Hyunsung, the Guild Master of Blue.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the door swung open, revealing Cha Hee-ra.
It had been quite some time since I last saw her, yet I still couldn’t adapt to
her smiling expression.
“Hey, there you are.”
“Hee-ra?”
“Perfect timing. I was just about to look for you.”
Kim Hyunsung’s voice rang out from the open doorway.
“Kiyoung, come in.”
“Ah, yeah.”
I didn’t know what was going on, but anxiety definitely coursed through my
body. I didn’t know what Cha Hee-ra would talk about with Kim Hyunsung
alone. Conversation between two Guild Masters was normal, but most
negotiations with the Red Mercenaries went through me. It didn’t help that
Kim Hyunsung’s facial expression looked as if the sky itself had collapsed.
‘What happened?’
I had never seen that kind of expression on his face before. What was strange
was that Cha Hee-ra’s expression was the exact opposite.
As my anxiety started to build up, Kim Hyunsung started to speak.
“Nothing happened. We were just talking about a particular meeting.”
“Is this an important meeting?”
“Yeah. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of it, so it would be nice to explain
it from the beginning. It is said that the Holy Empire Benigore holds a party
every year, inviting masters of large guilds belonging to each free city. It is a
social event, so to speak.”
“Okay…”
I definitely heard of this in the past, from Cha Hee-ra no less. Of course, this
had nothing to do with us.
Only guilds such as the Black Swans and Red Mercenaries were invited. Blue
was literally just like a newly-starting guild. However, judging from Cha
Heera’s expression, there seemed to be something amiss.
Upon seeing me looking at her, the woman in question started to speak.
“Of course, my Red Mercenaries as well as the Black Swans were invited.”
“Ah…”
“But I, the Red Mercenary Queen, have formally requested to bring Mr. Lee
Kiyoung with me to the social event.”
“It’s actually more of a plea bargain than a request…”
“A-Ah!”
I realized what had happened in an instant. I was also able to understand why
Kim Hyunsung looked as if he had lost face.
‘Damn! Cha Hee-ra, I love you!’
This meant I would get a break from my job!
I had to resist the urge to kiss her luscious red hair and smiling lips out of
pure appreciation.
“Ah, I see…”
I resisted the urge to control my facial expressions.

This would grant me the chance to take a breather from my tasks, enjoy a
social event, be able to spend some time with Cha Hee-ra and wander around
the empire itself.
I missed being able to rest so much.
“Cha Hee-ra…”
“But, if Mr. Kiyoung, who is in charge of the overall business in our guild,
goes missing… Our situation may become very difficult, but it would be
helpful for him to go to the capital to meet influential people.”
As he spoke, Kim Hyunsung’s expression was disastrous.
I was not overconfident of my abilities, but in fact, it was not an exaggeration

to say that the reason the guild was running well was because of me, Lee
Kiyoung.
It would be obvious as to what would happen if I fell out in this situation. The
tasks on the rest of the members’ shoulders would be even heavier.
Justice prevails.
It would be natural for Kim Hyunsung not to let me go, but it would not be a
bad exchange if it meant giving us some publicity. That was why his facial
expressions looked complicated yet subtle.
“The Red Mercenary Queen says that if Mr. Kiyoung refuses, she will not
take him.”
“Thank you for coming.”
“Yes, I suppose that’s true…”
Considering Blue, who was always being helped by the Red Mercenaries, it
was natural to accept such a simple request. I wasn’t doing this just because I
wanted to escape my duties.
“Is it then decided? Hyunsung?”

“Yeah. I actually want to thank you, Cha Hee-ra. Opportunities like this are
rare.”
“You look a little bitter, saying all that.”
“Because Kiyoung has so many roles in the guild… Haha. When he’s away,
our jobs will be much harder to do.”
‘Now, it’s your time to cry over work.’
At this moment, I felt very triumphant. My time as a housewife was over,

even if only for a short while.
**
“Hey, is she okay, Miss Hee-young?”
“Yes. I’m not sure why she isn’t up yet, but there seems to be nothing wrong
with her body.”
“It’s good to hear that she’s healthy, but it’s a little worrying that she’s not
waking up. Still, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with her vitals.”
Only
“You don’t have to worry. She’s as healthy as can be.”
“By the way, did you hear? It seems like Lee Kiyoung is going to the
Imperial Capital this time.”
“Ah, yes. Thanks to it, the guild’s swamped with work. Didn’t they say that
he’d be gone for some time?”
“Probably. I heard that he’d be going with the Red Mercenary Queen. It
seems like the fiery boss won’t be here for some time as well.”
“Ah… No!”
“H-Huh?!
“J-Jung Hayan?!”
“Please explain that to me in detail!”

Chapter 116 Waterway (1)
Waterway (1)
“Jung Hayan has awakened.”
The news came right after Cha Hee-ra had just left.
The timing itself seemed a bit odd, but I would be lying if I didn’t say that it
didn’t make me happy. What had happened to her still felt so vivid in my
head.
It was ridiculous, but I wanted to see her right away. Of course, it didn’t
mean that I was falling for Hayan, but I was allowed to be affectionate with
her, wasn’t I?
It was still a little too early to call it love. Plus, the fact that she had saved my
life was probably interfering with how I truly felt about her.
“Ah. I’d better go visit her.”
“I will allow the Guild Master to take over the acquisition of work today. Mr.
Park Jung-gi and Miss Mi-young, please review the instructions after you’ve
finished all the work.”
After I tapped them both on the shoulder, I left them to suffer with Kim
Hyunsung and began to make my way towards where Jung Hayan was kept.
Seeing that it was quiet inside, I was probably the first to get there.
“Hayan.”
“O-Oh…”
I’ve gone to visit Jung Hayan every day, but this was the first time I’d be
visiting her awake. However, Hayan looked depressed, scared even, and I
quickly formed a hunch.
‘Perhaps…’
It must have been because of the vulgar words I’d screamed at her before she
blacked out-me yelling at and telling her to get out of the way. Thus, it would
be natural for her to show such a reaction. Perhaps she felt like I hated her
now.
Jung Hayan was in a precarious state at the time, but she must have
remembered what I said.
For some reason, it felt a little embarrassing to say thank you due to the
awkward atmosphere. I knew she must be feeling the same way.
However, I soon realized I didn’t even need to say anything. The moment |
opened my arms, Jung Hayan bounced between them and hugged me tightly.
“O-Oppa… H-Hic…”
“Hayan, I’m very grateful and sorry.”
“Oppa…”
Jung Hayan thought of this as an excuse to rub her head against my chest.
Even her weird habits looked cute to me today.
As she looked healthier than usual, the worries in my heart began to fade
away.
“It hurt a lot, right?”

I asked her, stroking her back where there had been many scars. That was the
part that worried me the most.
However, as I slightly lifted her upper garment, a happy gasp escaped from
my lips.
‘There are no scars left.’
Meanwhile, Jung Hayan was staring up at me with a reddened face. I realized

what this looked like to her and promptly released her top, my cheeks
reddening.
Of course, her expression shifted into one of disappointment as I did so.
“You’re fine now, thank goodness.”
“Ah… Well, thank you for your concern, Oppa.”
“It’s natural for me to worry. You can’t do that next time, Hayan.”
“Of course…”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Yes, Oppa.”
As I stroked her cheek gently, her body trembled, much like a frightened
animal. Though it was not much different from the usual, I probably regarded
her a bit differently this time.
I felt sincerely grateful to her and worried about her wellbeing. She must
have had a hard time trying to adjust to the way I was looking at her now. I
could understand Jung Hayan’s feelings of affection for me now.
It was then that, all of a sudden, she let out a little scream.
“Ah!”
“W-What…”
Jung Hayan began to breathe harshly, embracing her stomach and seemingly
in pain.
“Where does it hurt?”
“I’m fine. I’m fine.”
Her expression started to change as she replied, and I could see her struggling
to calm herself down.
“Are you really okay?”
“Yes, Oppa. My stomach just hurts a little… The wound from the knife gets
sore a lot.”
“Wouldn’t it be nice to bring in Hee-young?”
“No, no, it’s fine… This is just a little pain…”
It felt unsettling to see her act this way. My feelings of worry came back, this
time, for a different reason altogether.
This was the same feeling back in the Cursed Shrine expedition. It felt like
Jung Hayan would start to harm herself if I left her alone. I knew she was not
really in pain.
Therefore, the only thing to do was to correct Hayan’s abnormal behavior

from the very beginning. What really annoyed me was the fact that…
‘My heart is weakening.’
My conscience kept replaying the memory of Jung Hayan holding onto me

while bleeding nonstop. I could still feel the hot blood and her voice,
whispering that she would protect me.
I guiltily wondered if I should doubt her acting. It wouldn’t be bad to play

along for once.
Jung Hayan got stabbed instead of you… Think of that.’

As I quietly stroked her head once more, Hayan continued trembling.
“Ah… It hurts…”
“I think I should call Sun Hee-young in now…”
“Ah, no… It feels better when Oppa strokes the affected area…”
At this point, it felt ridiculous to continue going with the flow.
However, it was then that Jung Hayan raised her top, exposing her bare flesh
to me. I reached out to stroke the skin, and her expression shifted.
‘Ah, is she expecting a prize?’
If so, there was no reason to hesitate.
I placed my hand on her stomach, and her expression changed completely.
All the while, Jung Hayan kept mumbling about being in pain, but I knew
that she was just pretending at this point. In fact, she looked as if she had just
been given the entire world.
“Are you okay now?”
“Uh, a little further down than that…”
“Here?”
“Further…”
“How about here?”
“Just a little further down…”
‘Fuck, how far do I have to go?’

“A little further down… Oppa, just a little more…”
‘Hayan, stop telling me to go further down…’
“Just a little more…’
‘Stop’
Something had changed in Jung Hayan. It felt like she had appealed to my
sympathy for her, turned it into some kind of trick, and used it to her
advantage.
Was she learning this from me? She had definitely changed. I shook my head
to rid myself of these thoughts. Jung Hayan was still a kid, after all.
‘Still, though, it wouldn’t hurt to try.’
In the first place, Jung Hayan didn’t have a talent for this kind of thing.
However, I felt like I could not stop at this point, even if I wanted to.
Seeing as she continued to goad me to trail my hand further down, she would
get what she wanted soon enough.
As I finally started to give in and give her her reward, I felt a voice speak up
from behind us.
“Where are you sick?” It was Sun Hee-young.
“I went to find my Hyung, but it appears as if he was already here.”
“Hayan, I’m glad you’re awake.”
It wasn’t just her.
There was Park Deokgu, who looked at us with a knowing expression, and
Kim Ye-ri, whose eyes were being covered by an embarrassed Kim
Hyunsung.
“I already know this,” Kim Ye-ri’s soft voice drifted out. “You’re about to
make a child…”
‘What is this kid saying?’
My face turned red in an instant. I quietly mumbled as I pulled my arm out,

hoping no one would notice.
“It’s because Jung Hayan had a stomachache. I was just checking it out.”
“Yeah… Oh, I’m sure we weren’t interrupting anything.”
“Would it be better for us to come back later on?”
‘Park Deokgu, you bastard.’
“No, no, I really was just checking it out.”
For the first time, I could understand why Jung Hayan liked to stutter.
Past the incident, however, our party seemed glad to be reunited once again.
Everyone laughed but did not say anything about it, happy expressions
apparent on their faces. Even Jung Hayan, whose cheeks were bright red,
seemed happy.
Of course, we couldn’t forget that the guild was still very busy. Nevertheless,
it was nice for everyone to stop by to spend some time together. It was only
for a short while, but I was happy that we could have a conversation together
once more.
Of course, as the chattiest one, Park Deokgu enjoyed this reunion the most.
My ears had gone sore.
“Well, I was really surprised! When I told her that my Hyung was going to
the capital, Hayan suddenly opened her eyes! I think this is what we call the
power of love! Ahh!”
“It was only a matter of time until I would wake up, Deokgu. It’s all thanks to
the perfect treatments I’ve been receiving.”
“Ah, I see.”
“I was really surprised to wake up, myself…”
‘Huh.’
Inferring from Park Deokgu’s story, I had doubts about whether Jung Hayan
had woken up earlier or not. However, that wasn’t important right now.
I felt more worried about her stable reaction. According to Park Deokgu, she
already knew that I was leaving for the capital.
At this point, I had already expected her to cry or to throw a tantrum. As

thought about this, someone else spoke up.
“Ah, it must be so hard for Hayan…”
‘Ah, shit.
“Shouldn’t she come with Hyung? Isn’t that a good idea?”
Only
This pig…’
“The Mercenary Queen has given her permission, Kiyoung. I’ve thought
about it a little, and I’ve decided on the fact that Jung Hayan is indeed still
unfit for
work.”
‘Ah, then you’re definitely blind.’
“I think being with Kiyoung will help her mentally.”

I knew they just didn’t want to deal with Jung Hayan after I left.
Kim Hyunsung, even you…
They were all definitely aiming for me.

Chapter 117 Waterway (2)
Waterway (2)
Kim Hyunsung’s expression notified me of his desperation.
I knew he wanted me to bring Jung Hayan along, for she wouldn’t be able to
help with the workload here anyway. Though she possessed high intelligence,
Hayan had no aptitude for work.
If she were with me, her efficiency would increase. If she stayed behind, she
would just end up being a hindrance to everyone. Kim Hyunsung, who had
already gone through an entire expedition with her without me, knew just
how stressful this was.
After all, Jung Hayan tended to throw tantrums and whatnot in my absence.
Hyunsung, with all his work, wouldn’t even be able to take care of her. Even
Park Deokgu seemed to side with him.
‘You bastard.
The problem was that it would be difficult to take responsibility for Jung
Hayan. As Cha Hee-ra’s Gigolo, it would be hard to bring her along to the
party.
Not only would it interfere with hosting a conversation with the Holy
Empire’s nobles, but it would also be hard to emphasize my friendship with
the Red Mercenary Queen.
Plus, this was supposed to be my vacation. I had to try and rebel.
“I think it would be nice to go together, but as you can see, Jung Hayan isn’t
feeling well. I’m afraid she wouldn’t be able to handle such a long trip…”
“Ah!”
“She was complaining of abdominal pain just now.”
“I’m okay now! Really!”
Jung Hayan!
Now I knew for sure that she was just pretending to be sick.
“No, Hayan, you still need to be stabilized…”
“Oh, but Hayan is the most stable when she’s beside you.”
“Ah, that’s right, Deokgu Oppa.”
It wouldn’t be too long before I had to leave. I wanted to find a way to make
Hayan stay behind, but I couldn’t find a counterattack for the logic they had
presented to me.
“Oh, and by the way, isn’t love the sweetest and most effective recovery?”
‘What kind of logic is that?’
“No, Deokgu. Actually, Mr. Kiyoung has a point. Although her body has
fully recovered, she will still need a stabilizer. Mhh, there doesn’t seem to be
anything wrong with her body and magic power….
“That’s why she just needs some peace of mind, Sun Hee-young.”
I could already feel that they had planned this setup right from the moment
Cha Hee-ra had decided to take me along for the event.
The tanking power of Park Deokgu, who ignored my remarks, coupled with
Kim Hyunsung’s logic, rendered me helpless.
At this point, there was nothing I could say to get me out of this situation.
The options were already set. I felt utterly bitter about it.
“I can’t help it then. We’ll go together.”
“Great…”
“You thought well.”
“Nice, Hayan!”
“Hehe…”
As the loser lowered his head, the winners openly celebrated. A sigh escaped
me. I had no other choice but to educate Jung Hayan.
‘In particular, I should educate her about Cha Hee-ra.
“Speaking of which, the time has already come.”
“Kiyoung and Jung Hayan need time to get ready.”
“Yes, but before that, I have to oversee the handover.”
“Ah, I see. Have you already packed your luggage?”
“Yes, of course. Just bring it right down.”
I felt like running away without settling things, but I knew the guild would
suffer if I did.
Although most of the tasks had already been relayed to Hwang Jeong-yeon,
there was a difference between having her tell them to Kim Hyunsung and
having me tell it to him myself.
Since there wasn’t much time left, all I could do was explain the best I could
while showing him the previously prepared documents. Kim Hyunsung
simply nodded.
Our Hyunsung was not stupid. He would be able to handle all the work. And,
in actuality, there wasn’t a lot for him to do.
“It won’t be that big of a deal. We have also hired new personnel, and the
division of work has been clearly re-established. You just need to understand
and organize the sorted documents, and you just have to confirm your
decision as the final manager of whatever needs to be confirmed.”
“Okay.”
“The Pension Planning Office can report to Jeong-yeon, and the Imperial
Legal Team can report to the newly arrived team leader Kim Mi-young. We
have prepared all guidelines for the work entrusted to the division, so please
check all production and distribution lines yourself.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
“You can also check the entire Crisis Response Committee, and…”
As I continued to talk, Kim Hyunsung’s expression began to change. He

probably only just now realized that I had done so much for the guild. I could
already guess what he was thinking of.
‘Lee Kiyoung is such a competent person.’
It wasn’t actually a matter of competence. I just needed to find talented

people to come to work for us. Though I didn’t like working, I did my best to
uplift our current situation.
However, the truth remained that this wouldn’t have been possible if we did
not have such talented recruits. We were able to settle to some extent because
of their hard work.
Whatever the reason, I was glad that Kim Hyunsung had, once again, seen
me in a new light.
“You can take care of Kim Mi-young yourself.’
At this point, Hyunsung’s expression turned to guilt. He probably felt bad for
forcing Jung Hayan on me.
T’ve already forgiven you, Kim Hyunsung. You don’t need to worry.’
“That… Thank you.”
“Jeong-yeon is already familiar with most of the guidelines.”
I wanted to say more, but I already felt sorry for Hwang Jeong-yeon, so I
refrained from doing so.
As I continued to explain, I felt the minutes tick by. Though I wanted to be as

detailed as possible, I knew I couldn’t make Cha Hee-ra wait any longer.
“I need to go, Hyunsung.”
“Of course. By the time you return, the guild will be a little more relaxed. On
the work side, of course.”
“I’m sorry for making you feel as if I’ve escaped from my work.”
“There is no need to be sorry. It will be a good opportunity for Blue as well. I

also had a bit of work to do, but… but so did Deokgu and Kim Ye-ri with her
training. I thought it’d be nice to get some new parties for any upcoming
quests or expeditions.”
“Hahaha, alright.”
“Thank you.”
“No. That was what I wanted to say.”
The warm farewell felt like a death flag to me, but I knew nothing would
happen.
As usual, Blue would focus on restoring previous damage and returning the
guild to normal, while Park Deokgu would continue to grow, as well as Kim
Ye-ri, who already had excellent potential.
From then on, it would be natural for more talented people to flock to Blue.
Perhaps Kim Hyunsung already knew about who to recruit. As Kim
Hyunsung looked at me affectionately, my heart squeezed.
Don’t stare at me like that. I know how you feel, motherfucker.’
As I held out my hand, Kim Hyunsung clasped it over his. As I stepped

closer, 1 thought about hugging him, but that felt awkward for some reason.
Resisting the urge to smile, Kim Hyunsung simply patted me on the back.
‘Ah, stop being so handsome.’
After that embarrassing moment, Park Deokgu approached me as well.
“Ah, Hyung…”
We settled for bumping fists. I had no intention of hugging Deokgu, either.

Considering his build, I would definitely get hurt.
“Always remember, Deokgu. If I can do it, you can do better.”
“It has already been engraved into my heart.”
“And share some meals with Jeong-yeon. She’s been eager to talk to you.”
“What?!”
“And Hee-young, take care of yourself. It won’t take long, but…”
“Of course. Just continue to work hard, Kiyoung.”
“Volunteer work is prohibited while I am away. Wait for me to return,

okay?”
“Alright…”
“You too, little kid.”
“Yes. Please be safe, uncle.”
I looked up to see Jung Hayan holding her bag and drifting by the sides,
unsure whether or not I would abandon her.
As we opened the door of the Guild House, I could see Cha Hee-ra waiting
outside. However, what caught my attention was the beast standing behind
her.
“Huh?”
This was an animal with large wings resembling a bird’s, paired with a
beast’s body. This was a monster that I had only ever heard in mythology.
“A griffon?”
“There are only two of these in Lindel. This guy is perfect for long-distance
travel. They even tried to mass-produce animals like him in the Holy Empire
but failed. That’s how rare they are.”
“Ah…”
“I didn’t know there would be three of us. I don’t know if he’d like that. This
was supposed to be a two-man ride.”
“Aren’t the other Red Mercenary members going?”
“The rest of the people will follow on land. Wouldn’t it be convenient for us
to go first? I’ve been to the capital, but I barely have enough time to enjoy it.
Get on quickly. I suggest you hold on tight because I’ll be the one in front.”
I nodded and followed her instructions, but I couldn’t shake my nerves away.
Of course, it was only natural for me to feel scared.
As the beast’s body trembled, I had no choice but to grasp Cha Hee-ra’s waist
tightly. She smelled good and was soft to the touch, but I couldn’t afford to
get drunk on her.
“Ugh…”
‘It hurts…’
“Yikes!”
Meanwhile, Jung Hayan angrily kept trying to pull me away from Cha Hee-
ra. If I did, however, I didn’t think we’d survive the fall.
‘If I fall, we both die, Hayan. Please stop pulling.
It already felt like I was going to die this early on.
As the Griffon slowly rose into the air, the guild members waving their hands
as a farewell gesture gradually began to minimize in size.
Hwang Jeong-yeon and Lee Sang-hee, who could not come out to say
goodbye, settled for waving from the windows. The same went for Park
Jung-gi and Kim Mi-young.
“It took you a while to say goodbye to everyone. I didn’t take you for that
type of person, sweetheart.”
“I’m a person, too, Nuna. A person.”
“I didn’t think you had a cute side. Hold onto me tightly. Be careful not to
fall off.”
She didn’t have to tell me twice. As I did so, a voice called out from below
us.
“Hyung! Hayan! Oh, when you return to the guild, you have to come back as
three people!”
Keep dreaming, Deokgu.’
Only
Even if we came back after two years, there would be no such thing.
Meanwhile, Jung Hayan nodded.
Don’t make any promises, Hayan.’
It wasn’t bad to hear Park Deokgu like that again. The first time I heard that
sound of his was when he first arrived in Lindel.
‘What did he say? World, Park Deokgu is here?’
I couldn’t remember properly, but I knew it was somewhere along those

lines.
As we continued to rise into the air, I mustered the courage to look below us
and understood why Park Deokgu had shouted like that.
‘It looks so small…’
The continent looked so small, almost as if it would fit perfectly in the palm
of my hand
Chapter 118 Shaman (1)
Shaman (1)
“How does it feel to fly high in the sky?”
“It feels good, Hee-ra.”
It was a little scary, but it didn’t feel bad. It certainly felt like a privilege to be
able to see the vast continent all at once.
Unlike other public transportation methods, it had the disadvantage of

discomfort, but the view made it all worth it. In particular, what stood out
was the magnificent, natural environment, the huge waterfalls, trees, forests,
and large cliffs.
I don’t remember seeing all of the tourist attractions on Earth, but I bet the
things I’m seeing up here are incomparable to those on Earth.
“It’s magnificent.”
“Because this is where the monsters are. It’s not an environment where you
can develop things like on Earth, right? Without the monsters, the trees below
would have been cut down and cleared immediately. It’s a valuable
resource.”
Cha Hee-ra was right.
It must be because of the ecosystem that the area had maintained its
astonishing beauty. In short, these monsters were the protectors of nature.
I’ve heard once that a writer compared humans to cancer cells on Earth. If
you think of it as a sympathetic statement, the monsters living here are
vaccines that eradicate cancer cells. Without them, I would never have been
able to witness this.
‘Is the tourism business worth doing?’
I felt embarrassed by my line of thoughts.
“Oppa…”
It was then that Jung Hayan spoke. She must have felt alienated during my
time spent talking with Cha Hee-ra.
Since I’m proud that she was patient thus far, I lightly stroked her hand.
I half-expected her to act similarly as to how she did back in the Cursed
Shrine, so it pleased me when she didn’t.
It was not clear as to why she was behaving, but I had a hunch.
‘Is it because Cha Hee-ra saved my life?’
Probably so. This was all dangerous, after all.
The danger was doubled – even tripled – once you stepped out of the city.
Jung Hayan knew this, as she had already been the victim of such an attack.
Either way, I was glad that we had gone past her plans of isolating us in the
dungeon forever.
‘A woman she could be anxious about, yet still, protect her man at the same
time…’
This was probably how Jung Hayan saw Cha Hee-ra now. As a result, I could
feel Jung Hayan evolving. On another hand, however, I still felt uneasy.
As I busied myself with my thoughts, the time passed us by. After flying for
over half a day, a landscape that was entirely different from Lindel’s
presented itself to us.
“Wow!”
Jung Hayan couldn’t help but squeal, and I couldn’t help but join her.
“Wow…”
“You’ve never seen it before, have you?”
At Cha Hee-ra’s question, it was only natural for me to nod.
The whole area displayed gothic architecture, with a huge temple reflecting in
the glow of the sunset, and even though I had only seen it from a distance, its
grandeur was visible.
“Huh. That’s great.”
I could see some griffons flying in the air to see if other people were coming
here besides us. Perhaps Guild Masters that were not from Korea were also
coming.
Looking down, I could see the inhabitants of the Holy Empire Benigore,
dressed up in style more sophisticated than I would have imagined. None of
them looked dirty or unsanitary.
“The civilization here is not as backward as we think it is. Rather, it has a

long history and tradition. Residents and nobles alike are proud of their
culture, and they have the power and intelligence to match that pride. In fact,
in the Holy Empire, there are strong people like me who stand out.”
“It definitely looks like that…”
“You better not look at them too stupidly, baby. There aren’t too many
players looking down at the imperialists.”
“Thanks for the advice, Hee-ra.”
Cha Hee-ra was right. Even when I checked the soldier’s stats with my
ability, I realized that their stats overpowered Lindel’s every time.
Of course, when we compared individuals, the power we had was better, but
the comparison was inevitable since there was a vast population difference.
I knew that they had power, but I didn’t imagine it to be to this extent.
‘If you had the same power as Cha Hee-ra…’
There would be no madman who would dare invade the Holy Empire. Sure,
there were some in the past, but they were all dead now.
“The restaurant over there is pretty good. The food they serve is delicious.
There are also a lot of quality goods in the blacksmithing shop over there.
Sometimes, weapons that are of heroic-class come out, and their price is
lower than Lindel’s. Oh, some players also have roots in the capital. Getting
permission is a bit tricky, but once you get a seat, you could believe that
you’ll enjoy the empire more.”
“People live the same wherever they live.”
Cha Hee-ra was more talkative than I initially thought.
Of course, it wasn’t because she was simply with me. She must’ve felt
excited to be able to tour the capital after a long time, considering her
spontaneous personality.
“And that’s what we’ll be doing for the time being, since staying indoors
would become very boring.”
Our griffon continued to fly towards the castle as Cha Hee-ra continued
explaining her capital tour plan in great detail. I alternated between listening
to her and assessing the stats of the people below me.
When the griffon landed in what seemed to be the landing site, some of the
imperial soldiers on standby came to greet us.
The eldest soldier was the most striking as he was adorned in luxurious,
heavy armor. Seeing him smile at Cha Hee-ra made me guess that they had a
good relationship.
“It’s been a long time.”
“It definitely has! You look more refined now. Are you still working?”
“Of course. There are more rumors than that… Let’s see. This is the man
who is reputed to be the Gigolo of the Mercenary Queen.”
“I am Lee Kiyoung.”
I immediately activated my abilities to assess him.
‘Victor Hart, 74 years old, his abilities…’
He was even more powerful than Cha Hee-ra. No wonder Cha Hee-ra liked
him. With just one strike of his palm, he could probably behead me.
Once he was done assessing me, Victor’s eyes landed on Jung Hayan.
“And that…”
“That is his lover.”
Jung Hayan bit her lips. Although she looked uncomfortable, she bowed her
head and introduced herself.
“Hello, I am Jung Hayan.”
‘Well done, Hayan.’
“The young man looks more capable than I thought…”
“That’s exactly why I brought him here. My baby, I’ll explain more to you
later on. Grandpa, how about a fight?”
“Sure. I have no intention of making the royal palace noisy, however. If you
have time later, please come to me. Tsu. You never change.”
“I haven’t been able to get any exercise. By the way, are we the first ones to
arrive?”
“No, unfortunately, you’re the second ones. Those from the Free City of
Celia have been waiting for a long time.”
“Who?”
“Kasugano Yuno.”
“The shaman?”
“Yes, I don’t know why…”
“For a woman who always came late, this is a first…”
The two seemed very invested in their conversation. The old man Victor
doesn’t seem to pay much attention here.
Actually, this was better.
Getting attention just for being the lover of the Mercenary Queen can make it
annoying to move around.
As they continued to talk, Jung Hayan slipped by my side, seemingly excited.
I wanted to say something, but I was more interested in trying to hear what
Victor and Cha Hee-ra were saying. The insignificant conversations of those
in power proved to be very good information for people like me.
Kasugano Yuno?
Perhaps she was the person who ran a large guild in Japan. At least, it does
not seem to be the Yamato guild, as Cha Hee-ra did not show much hostility.
As I decided to store this information in my head, a woman in a modest outfit
showed up.
‘Is she Japanese?’
No, she looked neat, not modest. Several people followed closely behind her,
as if ready to assist her at any given time. After all, the woman herself was
walking with her eyes closed. Her long, braided hair reached the ground, and
the calm way she presented herself was very impressive.
[Check player Kasugano Yuno’s status window and potential.]
[An eye that sees through the essence and the past and future resists the
ability.]
‘Shit…’
I instantly lowered my head. I had never expected to come across such a case.
However, the status window changed as soon as I felt scared about being
caught red-handed in stealing information.
[Player Yuno Kasugano opens her status window and potential ability by
herself.]
‘What is this?
[Check player Kasugano Yuno’s status window and potential.]
[Name-Yuno Kasugano]
[Title-Quiet Shaman]
[Age-20]
[ALIGNMENT-Fallen Seeker]
[Occupation-Shaman-Legendary Grade]
[Job Effect-Basic Magic Knowledge Acquisition]
[Job Effect-Advanced Magic Knowledge Acquisition]
[Occupational Effects-Advanced Magic Knowledge Acquisition]
[Job Effect-Acquisition of Advanced Astrology Knowledge]
[Capacity]
[Strength – 13/Growth Limit: Less than normal]
[Agility-20/Growth Limit: Normal growth limit or less]
[Health – 17/Growth Limit: Less than normal]
[Intellect-89/Growth Limit: Heroic or higher]
[Durability-15/Growth Limit: Less than normal]
[Luck-00/Growth Limit: Legendary or higher]
[Magic-96/Growth Limit: Legendary or higher]
[Equipment-None]
[Talent-Essence and eyes that see through the past and future-Legendary
grade]
[General review-This is a legendary shaman. She has a terrible level of

strength, agility, stamina, and durability, but her luck, intelligence, and
magical potential are high, so she has very good stats for the rear. Just
because she has less than normal stats, please don’t think you are similar.
She’s essentially a different kind of person from player Lee Kiyoung. It can
be said that the efficiency of the legendary trait and her occupation is good,
but her condition doesn’t look good because of contamination from
something. I wouldn’t recommend being too close.]
Only
‘What…’
Legendary traits, legendary jobs, and legendary potential stats. She was the
kind of person that could easily be classified as the strongest out of everyone.
It was the first time I had seen a person with such a high luck potential, yet I
was very worried about her other stats.
Of course, what was more worrying than that was…
‘What…’
She was facing my direction, even with her eyes closed.
‘What?
Tears fell down those shut eyes.

Chapter 119 Shaman (2)
Shaman (2)
‘What… Why is she crying?’
Her eyes were basically nonexistent. I wasn’t sure, but I had a feeling that she
was blind. Nevertheless, she was looking in my direction.
I could no longer comprehend the situation at hand. Seeing the tears

streaming down her face, I felt confused and distraught. I looked around me
anxiously, but it was obvious that she was heading towards me.
‘What…
She furtively avoided her gaze and stopped for a bit.
Seeing her quietly wiping her tears with a handkerchief, it seems she didn’t
even realize she was crying.
More than anything…
‘It’s hard just trying to read her expression.’
Of course, this might also be because I was trying my hardest not to look at
her. It was hard to grasp the concept of her having the propensity of a fallen
seeker, and I didn’t even know what kind of crazy trait was the eye that could
see through the essence, the future, and the past. All I knew was that her eyes
could see way further than mine would ever do.
In other words, I met someone I wouldn’t be able to understand at all.

‘Fuck…
There was nothing as annoying as meeting someone unpredictable.
I knew Cha Hee-ra felt uncomfortable, as she did not know how this
particular woman would behave. At least Jung Hayan was honest with her
feelings. How this shaman chose to react in front of me was already way out
of my expectations.
No wonder I couldn’t understand her. As I stepped back, Cha Hee-ra took a

step forward.
Ah, Cha Hee-ra…”
“What are you doing?”
“It’s been a long time, Cha Hee-ra.”
“Yea, it’s been a long time, whatever… What brought you here all of a
sudden? And with tears scattering like that….”
“Ah, it’s nothing. I just came to say hello.”
“To whom? We weren’t close enough to do that. No, it seemed like you had
some business with my baby rather than me… I’m not wrong, right?”
“It’s not like that. I just… I really just came to say hello, Cha Hee-ra.”
“You know we’re a bit sensitive because of those motherfuckers in Celia

right now, right?”
She fell silent.
“I don’t know if you’re involved or not, but honestly, the junk over there
doesn’t look very good. I should know what kind of rubbish you’ll be doing
again. You came to say hello to me in this situation… You stupid woman. If
it wasn’t for a strong castle, you’d be dead.”
“I don’t know what’s going on… exactly….”

“If you don’t know, shut up and get out of my sight. I don’t know if you
really don’t know or if you’re pretending not, but my baby seems to be a little
uneasy.”
I didn’t feel anything negative from Yuno Kasugano, so I felt like Cha Hee-ra
was too harsh. However, I supposed it was only right to feel sensitive from
the attack on Lindel.
Of course, assuming that the shaman is showing a different behavior than

usual, Cha Hee-ra’s reaction makes sense.
Considering the conversation between Cha Hee-ra and Victor, the shaman
herself didn’t seem very passionate about this meeting. However, she still
arrived early and had even come to ‘greet’ us, which was already quite
suspicious when assessed logically.
Soon enough, the people who stood close behind Yuno Kasugano did not
take to Cha Hee-ra’s words very kindly.
“You’ve always been so harsh, Cha Hee-ra.”
“Yuno-sama is always…”
“I said shut up, trash.”
As the situation escalated, magic power began to form in the atmosphere. It

was then that Yuno, who had been silent for some time, opened her mouth.
“Oh, no. Everyone, you can stop. I guess I really did act too abruptly.”
“To Cha Hee-ra, as well as to everyone else. We sincerely apologize for any
inconvenience we have caused. And if Celia has done anything wrong, then
we apologize on their behalf.”
As Yuno bowed down, her calm voice rang out towards us. Even Victor was
silently staring at Cha Hee-ra as if telling her to respond to the sincere
apology.
I could understand him. After all, a fight breaking out between two powerful
fighters right in the middle of the empire would not look good.
“I accept your apology.”
‘Not bad, Hee-ra.’
“Then I’ll take that as my cue to leave. Please have a good time…”
The Mercenary Queen nodded, and the shaman quietly began to go back the
way she had come. That was when a voice drifted into my ear.
-Please come to my room when you have the time. It is located on the 2nd
floor of the West Building.
‘What…’
As I looked around, I realized I was the only one who could hear the voice.
-I hope you come.
‘What a shitty situation…’
Nothing about this made sense at all. Why was she looking for me? Did she
actually shed tears for me?
Why would she invite me to her own room, feels like everything is shrouded
in a veil.
‘It isn’t to spend a heated night….’
I would have enjoyed receiving such an offer if this were at a bar in some
random hotel.
Obviously, I needed more information. At that moment, I heard Cha Hee-ra

looking here and whining.
“I can’t figure out what you’re thinking, it’s creepy.”
“Do you know her, Hee-ra?”

“This is our second conversation. It’s really amazing to see her talking like
that… It’s the first time she’s spoken so long.”
“I heard she entered this place about five years ago before establishing a
guild in Celia. She is the owner of Yozora, an emerging guild that is very
successful now. We don’t know much about her, to be honest. Some people
say that she can see the future and the past or see things that others cannot. It
sounds like bullshit, but from the way she acts… Well, I can’t exactly say
she’s lying, can 1? I hardly know a thing about her.”
“Don’t look at me like that, honey. My fellow Red Mercenaries and Black
Swans are sure to be familiar with them. Once they arrive, we can ask them.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, I know one thing about her for sure, though.”
“What’s that?”
“That woman is blind.”
“Um, yeah, I could tell that much…”
I felt like I wouldn’t be able to rely on Cha Hee-ra, information-wise. In the

first place, I should have prepared myself for this a little more accordingly.
“That woman is a little strange, Oppa.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. There’s something weird about her… Something I can’t explain.”
Jung Hayan didn’t really talk to people in the first place, but she already
appeared to harbor a deep dislike for Yuno Kasugano.
It felt embarrassing to see her sticking closely to my side.
“Old man, can we just go in?”

“Sure, sure. Now, where should we eat…”
“We’ll just grab a bite at this restaurant today. No, just have people send it to
the room. After two hours…I’m a little tired after a long distance flight.”
“You were saying something about dueling?”
“I’m not in the mood.”
“Well, do whatever you like. As I always say, making useless trouble…”
“I know, I know, I shouldn’t start fights. I couldn’t help but feel a little
sensitive, though… Do you even know what happened back at Lindel?”
“I know, but Hee-ra, if you have anything to protest, it is only right to make a
formal complaint through the agency. You are too hotheaded…”
“I know.”
“Tsk. Let’s go upstairs.”
“I’ll see you again tomorrow.”
Seeing how casual Cha Hee-ra felt as she moved within the place gave me an
idea of just how good the people here treated her.
“The food here is not bad. It’s a little greasy, but it’s fine eating once in a
while. Let’s go to the room first.”
Seeing as it was our first time, Jung Hayan and I had no choice but to rely on
Cha Hee-ra. I was sure we looked like two puppies chasing after our mother.
After going down a flight of stairs, we soon arrived in front of Cha Hee-ra’s
door.
When I opened the door, a colossal area greeted me.

The area looked so spacious, It could accommodate four or five people. I had
never been to an expensive hotel, but I knew none of their suites could
compare to this.
“I have a lot of rooms anyway, so just pick one. There are also two toilets.”
“It looks great.”
“That’s because this was the room I got from the empire… Isn’t it a bit
useful? Actually, it’s okay to stop by occasionally and stay for a while. I
don’t like these things very much, but it’s good to feel luxurious every now
and then. Help yourselves while waiting for the food. We have about two
hours. I have something to do now, so I’ll be going out.”
“Alright.”
“If you’re bored, you can roam around as well. No one will try to hurt you
anyway. It’s not dangerous in these parts.”
“Yes. Okay.”
Maybe there’s a reason why Cha Heera came so early. I don’t know for sure,
but she must have an urgent work-related thing. She seems a little
preoccupied while taking her stuff out and closing the door.
As soon as she left, Jung Hayan jumped onto one of the fluffy beds, reveling
in its comfort. I thought of taking a breather but stopped myself.
‘I might as well do something now.’
I couldn’t afford to pay attention to Jung Hayan for the moment, and the
reason for this was obvious. It was because of the shaman.
‘I would like you to come to my room when you have time. It is located on
the 2nd floor of the West Building.’
The voice that had whispered to me so earnestly kept repeating itself in my

head.
It could be a trap, but I doubted that someone would dare harm me being this
close to the capital.
More than anything, when I thought she knew about my mind’s eyes
attribute, it was inevitable that I should go find her.
No matter what happens it’s right to have a conversation at least once.
It’s no exaggeration to say that my mind’s eye is actually my breadwinner. It

was the only weapon I could use with various low stats, I honestly don’t like
the idea of people knowing the existence of such a weapon.
Since Cha Hee-ra went out…’
If I had a chance, now would be the best timing. In the worst case scenario, I
had to find a way to get rid of her somehow.
“Hayan.”
“Yeah?”
“I think I should head out for a while.”
“Oh, sure!”
“Can you wait for me here?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”
Though she looked reluctant, Jung Hayan did not try to stop me. I left quickly
before I could take in the sight of her looking like an abandoned puppy.
As I went on my way, I made sure to ask the numerous servants for

directions, leaving as much of an impression as I could. I needed them to be
informed of where I would be going in case I really was headed right into a
trap.
‘If it’s a trap…’

I felt anxious, but I knew this was unlikely. If something went wrong, I knew
a signal would be sent to Jung Hayan right away.
As I headed towards the shaman, I slipped a hand into my bag and stroked
the quiet Juliana.
‘Even Juliana didn’t react…’
It hadn’t judged Kasugano as an enemy.
Still, I refused to let down my guard. If I died now, all my work with Lee
Seolho would be for nothing, and the problems back in Blue would only
become bigger.
Eventually, I caught sight of members of the Yozora Guild guarding the area.
As if they were told to wait for me, they greeted me as I approached them.
“You can go into this room.”
“Oh, alright.”
“However, that weapon…”
One of the men looked warily at Juliana, but he couldn’t seem to get the
words out. It was at this moment that a voice rang out from the door they had
been guarding.
“It doesn’t matter. Please let him in.”
“Yes, shaman-nim.”
The moment they opened the door for me, I could see Kasugano Yuno
kneeling down, her eyes closed. I wondered if any danger awaited me, so I
gripped Juliana once more. Still, she was unresponsive.
“I have been waiting for you.”

“My…”
“…”
“Oh, Master.”
It’s a spectacle seeing her slowly bowing to me with her outer clothes off.
Tears once again poured down Kasugano’s face, which exhibited pure joy. It
didn’t seem like she was lying, but this whole situation just seemed bizarre to
me.
“Ah, my Master. I have been waiting for you for a long time.”
Oh no, she’s a crazy bitch.’
“Peal and punish this bad servant… My master.”
Only
‘Fuck…
As I glanced around, I caught sight of the strange tools that I had never even
seen before.
“Please punish me… My Master, my Master.”
“This is crazy!”
I tried to open the door behind me again, but it refused to budge open.
“Please punish this lowly pig…”
“Get me out of here!”
In this crazy situation, I had no choice but to scream.

Chapter 120 The Black World (1)
The Black World (1)
In this crazy situation, I had no choice but to scream. I couldn’t understand

what was going on around me.
‘She’s out of her mind!
The shaman in front of me was simply insane.
I kept trying to open the door, but it was still hopelessly shut. This hadn’t
been the kind of trap I was imagining, and I felt more confused than ever.
In the meantime, the shaman continued with her onslaught of nonsensical

ramblings.
“Master! Master! I have been waiting for this day for a long time.”
“F-Fuck!”
“My light, my love, my everything.”
“Don’t you dare come near me!”
Seeing her crawling this way made goosebumps rise throughout my entire
body. I had no idea how to respond to her.
‘Should I call Jung Hayan?’
It didn’t matter; if she tried to physically touch me, Jung Hayan would be
alerted anyway. She would realize that something was wrong and would
come to me right away.
No – it was highly probable that she was on her way here right now.
‘Nevertheless…
As I tried to figure out what to do, my lips formed a frown. With the
shaman’s sudden antics, I had completely forgotten the purpose of my visit. I
wanted to find out why she had called me here, and just how much she knew
about me.
With all the ruckus, I must have stepped back unknowingly, for I felt my
back hit the door. However, Kasugano had not gone too far from her original
position just moments ago.
The door was locked, but it seemed like she had no intention of harming me.
‘If she tried to do something…’
She would’ve done it already.
Even now, she seemed uneasy, her body trembling, but I felt like now would
be the right time to have a conversation. For a moment, I thought pretending
to be her so-called master would be more effective, but I quickly realized that
that would be a bad idea.
Considering her ability, she would see through me in an instant.
As I calmed myself and sat myself down on a nearby chair, I could see the
woman staring at me expectantly. It felt weird to be gazed at in that manner,
and as I looked behind me, I was reminded of the weird tools that had been
the first things to come into my sight ever since I entered the room.
‘Why are they here in the first place…’
“Ahhhhhh…”
Please don’t make that sound.’

“Master…’
Don’t even think about it.’
I soon regretted choosing to sit down. However, I really had to start a

conversation with her. The only problem was, I didn’t know how exactly
should start. Should I lead? Or should I go with her flow?
Meanwhile, the shaman kept crying for punishment, a miserable expression

on her face.
As I had apparently spent too much time mulling over my thoughts, she
opened her mouth first.
“Please, don’t be formal with me.”
That was better.
“Do you know who I am?”
“You are my only master.”
“That’s not the point of the question. I mean, do you know exactly who I
am?”
“I know nothing but the fact that you are my master.”
‘What kind of shitty situation is this?’
“I was able to realize it the moment I first saw you. You were the one I have
been looking for. And the mind that saw through everything…”
“So, you do know.”
“I’m sorry if I’m being too unpleasant…”
‘Stop.
“To be honest, it’s a little embarrassing. I don’t even know what you’re
talking about. I’ve never even seen you before. I wanted to know why, so I
came here, but your behavior… You’re right. It feels very unpleasant.”
“I’m sorry. My, I couldn’t figure out my master’s feelings… I’m so sorry,
I’m such a mistake… Please do kill me…”
“What am I going to do… I felt so excited and was unable to grasp the
situation properly… Please do forgive me!”
‘She’s not acting.
Those were genuine tears falling down her face, which confused me even
further. Because of this, I could tell that she wasn’t lying.
I just had to find out if she could really see the future or the past, as such an
explanation was already written in her ability’s description.
[Talent-Legendary grade: Eyes that see through the essence and the past and
future]
[You can have a glimpse of what others cannot see.]
Although it was described in a vague manner, it would be correct to think that

she could see the future or the past. The title of her ability was already quite
the telltale sign.
‘Perhaps…
“Have you ever seen me in the future?”
It was a good possibility, and it would explain why she kept calling me her
master, and why I seemed to have such an influence on her.
However, I would know the real answer only if she didn’t lie.
“That is…”
“Or have you met me in the past?”

“Neither, Master. To be precise…”
“To be precise?”
“To be precise, it’s neither the future nor the past. I don’t know how to say
this, but… I can certainly see things through my eyes. You might think it’s
strange, but what I see isn’t the past or the future. It’s more like… a memory
engraved on my body.”
“A memory engraved on the body?”
“Ah, no, I think it would be more appropriate to call it the memory engraved
in the soul. I don’t know how to define it, but I’ve been here for 6 years…”
“Didn’t you say it was 4 years?”
“That’s what the public knows, but it’s actually been 6 years since I came
here. l-if you want to go back four years ago…”
“No, it doesn’t matter. I’d like you to explain this to me first.”
“T-the first thing I saw as soon as I came here was my master and me
together. I’m not sure what happened, but I remember that I seemed very
happy. Of course, it was a difficult memory for me to accept at that time…”
“How are you so sure that what you saw isn’t the future?”
“Scenes from the future are usually in a white setting, while the past is gray.
For scenes that are neither from the future nor the past, the setting is black. I
call this the black world.”
“Right.”
That did sound convincing, even more so because the status window never
lied. If she saw was neither the past nor the future, then that could only be
one thing.
‘Was it from the first timeline?’
All I could think about was the first timeline that Kim Hyunsung had come
from. There was a high possibility that parallel worlds existed, yet! couldn’t
exactly disregard the possibility of her just having delusions.
‘However, the former just might be possible….
This girl seemed to know about me – and quite possibly, my own ability, too.
She didn’t seem to be aware of the fact that this was a different reality now,
or the fact that she was also a time returner, just like Kim Hyunsung. The
problem was – where did I fit in?
‘Did I survive?
I was sure I had also been present from the first timeline. In fact, I thought it
would be less likely for me to have survived.
Back then, Kim Hyunsung would not have been a returner, and I would not
have been intrigued with his ability. Therefore, I wouldn’t have chosen to
follow him. However, it was likely that I had still chosen to pair up with Park
Deokgu.
However, I had been saved twice by Kim Hyunsung in the tutorial dungeon
this time around. Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to get out of there.
‘And…’
If this woman really saw me as her ‘master’ from the first timeline, then it
must mean that I had managed to garner some talent for myself. I didn’t
know what exactly happened, but this all felt a little odd.
Of course, this was assuming that what Kasugano saw really was from that
time. I couldn’t confirm it yet, but it didn’t stop me from weaseling out more
information.
“Have you seen anything else? No, what else have you seen about me?”
“I couldn’t see much other than that. I’m sorry, but my ability doesn’t show
what I want to see. The future or the past sometimes shows what I want, but
in the case of the black world…”
‘Is there a penalty?’
“In the case of the black world, all I see are fragments of a scene. Of course,
tthe one I would always see was the scene with my master… No, in fact,
most of them are just memories of spending time with you.”
“What kind of memory are you talking about, exactly?”
“I-I’m ashamed to say it, but that… that is…”
I saw her looking at the things behind me. Only then did I begin to
understand this shaman’s reaction.
‘Lee Kiyoung, what the hell did you do?’
According to her status window, she was only twenty years old. I didn’t
know when I met her, but this situation felt so ridiculous that I couldn’t help
but laugh.
“No, you don’t have to say. I think I can kind of understand. Then, I’ll
change the question. How did the two of us meet in the black world? Were
you able to see this?”
“N-no. I could see to some extent anything related to the master. It’s
fragmentary, so it’s a little hard to explain in detail, but in the black world, I
remember that I myself went after the master.”
“What?”
“In the black world, I could see my ability showing me my future with the
master. I must have felt confused about seeing myself being very happy in
them, so I went after him. However, I also felt suffering with him. I am also
aware that I looked stupid back there in the black world. I even went so far as
to sympathize with the master. Even though I wanted to reject the future with
him, I couldn’t help but feel sorry.”
“Right.”
“At the time, I brought my master in, who had been injured at the time, and
devoted myself to treating him.”
“You’re a lifesaver.”
“Ah, I feel embarrassed… Anyway, after the master had recovered, I saw…”
“What did you see?”
“I saw the master choking me…”
“What?”
“My master was choking me. I wasn’t able to see it in detail, but I can clearly
remember the words he said.”
I got nervous for some reason.
“What did I say?”
“You said: Get rid of your pity, you damn bitch. All of you are the same.
And… In that way, my master and I became connected. The next scene
happened after a long time. That’s how our relationship in the black world
began…”
‘What the hell…’
How exactly would we have connected through those means? The story felt
so absurd!
As soon as I calmed my rapidly-beating heart, I began to piece what I had

found out so far.
First off, this shaman could see the future, the past, and the first timeline,
unlike before, when her abilities were only limited to the past and the future.
Second. She could not trigger her ability at will. The scenes came at random
intervals.
Third. What the shaman could see from the first timeline was very limited. It
seemed that only the memories engraved on her soul could be read.
Fourth. I don’t know why, but it seemed like she again wanted to be my
servant. Perhaps it was a side effect of looking into her ‘black world’ too
much.
Only
Fifth. She had saved me back in the first timeline.
Sixth. Back in the first timeline, she had seen herself having a future with me.
She decided to reject this.
Seventh. In the end, she felt sympathy for me and thus decided to save me.
How she found me, or where she saved me was not known. However, the fact
stood that she still took me in and nursed me to full recovery.
Lastly, the Lee Kiyoung from back then strangled her as soon as he had
recovered, yet she still refused to change the future.
Or perhaps she did, but couldn’t. In short, I had stabbed the person who had
decided to save me. There was no excuse for any of my actions.
‘I was a total piece of trash…’
I felt ashamed of myself back then. I must have been a real asshole.
‘This… bastard…
The Black World (2)
‘This… bastard…’
I couldn’t help but swear at myself, but in reality, my situation wasn’t all that
bad. I felt a little guilty thinking like this, but assuming that everything I had
judged so far was true, then having the shaman by my side would be similar
to having a strong alliance, as I did with Cha Hee-ra and Kim Hyunsung.
Plus, she’s unconditionally loyal…’
In other words, she was the perfect ally for me.
At this point, I was lucky not to have chosen the path of a Summoner when
the job presented itself to me.
‘This is a new class altogether.
This shaman was not only the owner of the large guild in the Free City of
Celia, but was also a non-standard existence whose power had a different
concept than her preexisting magic – and could also see the past and the
future!
I couldn’t accurately assess her strength, but based on her stats and potential,
she could be of greater use than even Jung Hayan.
Naturally, I had to smile.
‘I guess I’m the irresistible type of trash, then.’

Of course, I had to confirm my assumptions before I could even think about
reeling her in. Besides, I still had other questions on my mind.
With this, I had no choice but to respond to the shaman who was currently
looking at me with an impatient expression.
“I have a few more questions. How did I die in the black world?”
It was what I was most curious about.
“I don’t know that.”
“Do you mean you couldn’t see it?”
“I couldn’t. Perhaps it was because I died earlier than the master.”
“Maybe. How did you die?”
“I died for you. I haven’t looked in detail, but that was all I could tell in the
black world, I had no regrets at the end.”
“Well… Then I’m curious about how we got to know each other.”
“I’m sorry, but what do you mean…”
“It is just as you heard. As you know, I can see others’ information with my
ability. Thanks to you opening your own info, I was able to check it with my
own eyes…”
“Yeah.”
“You’re a wizard with a magical stat of 96, complete with a legendary class,
and a legendary ability. No, would it be correct to call you a sorcerer?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I can’t see the black world, so I can’t say for sure, but… I imagine I wasn’t
very strong there, was I?”
“No. The master is more dignified than anyone else…”
“It’s not what I’m saying. I am asking on the grounds of a physical

specification. Am I right?”
“Yeah… That’s right.”
“The question is, why didn’t you resist me? You said you saw me choking
you, but there’s an explanation missing in there, especially assuming that we
must’ve met each other at a later date back then compared to now.”
“That’s right. I haven’t seen the exact date, but I know that in the black
world, master and I will meet two to three years from now.”
“It means that you were 22 when we met.”
“Well, it doesn’t really matter when we met, but the point is that you were in
a stronger position than me.”
“H-how dare I say that?”
“You know I’m right. If you had the intention of killing me, I would’ve
already died. The same can be said here and now. Why didn’t you kill me in
the black world?”
My asking this question was inevitable. I didn’t know why, but it was clear
that I had been abusing her the first time around. Her mental state didn’t seem
to fare well because of it.
I thought about the possibility of her using drugs or indulging in other

methods, but I knew none of that could affect a person this strong. I knew
that she must have had a lot of opportunities to break free from me if she
wanted to.
That being said, there must be a reason as to why she chose to stay.
This shaman began to nod slowly, as if she was agreeing with my question. I
realize she had been waiting for me to ask this all along.
“That’s…”
“That’s?”
“That’s because… I, in the black world loved you.”
I almost fell off my chair upon hearing her answer. However, Kasugano
continued talking, her eyes directly meeting mine.
“It’s hard feeling emotions in the black world, but what I felt for you was
obvious. I was in love with you there.”
“Perhaps you developed it while you were nursing me?”
“It could be that. However, I think it has something to do with fate.”
“Right…”
“The more time I worried about you, the more I kept thinking about you. Of
course, that also meant I spent more time with you. After spending so much
time in the black world, I suppose the feelings transferred to me, so I can’t
help but feel this way now.”
Am I some sort of chic magnet or what?’
In fact, I had never even thought of myself as handsome. Although I had no

flaws except for my asymmetrically-shaped eyes, nonetheless, it was not
enough to say that I was handsome.
The word ‘handsome’ suited someone like our lovely Kim Hyunsung.
It was no exaggeration to say that he was the kind of person that could be
considered ‘perfect, due to those strong, big eyes, sharp nose, pretty lips, and
chiseled body.
‘His personality isn’t bad, either…’

If anyone was suited to be the object of people’s affection, it would be him.
In short, I did not understand why these women clung to me instead.
In Jung Hayan’s case, I had acted on my own accord to capture her attention,
but in the case of the other women? I had no idea.
I had even gotten the affection of a powerful woman in the first timeline just
by staying still!
Of course, this hasn’t been confirmed yet.
‘Isn’t this an advantage at this point?’
“Perhaps that was why I felt like I could accept anything from you.”
“What about the opposite? Was I in love with you?”
“I think you weren’t. But I must have been one of the only people my master
could lean on.”
I don’t know the past Kiyoung’s feelings, but she was probably right.
“I understand to some extent.”
“Then…”
“What you’re saying absolutely makes sense. It’s very impressive that you
revealed your own information and showed me your own status window. In
fact, I don’t doubt your ability to see the future, the past, and even the black
world. I don’t even have to check. I can see your ability with my own skill.”
“Ah.”
“But it’s still not enough.”

“This feels too suspicious. I’m curious about how you’re explaining what
you’ve seen in the black world, compared to what you really saw—the black
world me and the present me are not the same person. Likewise, the black
world you and the present you are not the same. Of course, I don’t deny that
you are affected. Still, it sounds absurd from my point of view. Do you
understand what I’m trying to say?”
“O-of course.” At this, the shaman trembled. It was as if she feared me telling
her to go away.
“It’s not just that. There is no guarantee that everything you told me is true.
I’m worried that you told me only the things you wanted. I don’t know what
being your master means, too… To be honest, it sounds unpleasant. How
many people in this world can accept this kind of story?”
“Ahhh…”
“How can I trust you?”
“That… that’s…”
“What you told me about the black world doesn’t do anything. With that
alone, I can’t be your master. How can we build the relationship you want?”
It sounded like a trashy deal, but it was the only thing I could work on.
“I-If you want, I can give you anything you want…”
“That’s not what I want. If this relationship is established, what you have is
mine regardless… Or are you looking for a relationship whose foundation is
based solely on words?”
“N-no. My… Everything belongs to my master. That… That’s right!”
“Is there any way I can restrain you? No, have you ever thought about how |
can take you in with no doubts in mind?”
“Of course. There will be a way. I know my master feels suspicious. Yes.
There is a way.”
She seemed a little excited as she spoke.
“I hope you can explain.”
“There’s an incantation.”
“Incantation?”
“Yeah. It’s a kind of witchcraft that helps my master own me. I can transfer
ownership of my body to you.”
‘Is that possible?”
I had never heard of this method up until now. Sure, I had thought about
creating magic that was similar to it, but nothing had come to mind then.
Perhaps it was she who had created it with her own powers. If I were to think
of it as her way of preparing the day when she’d meet me in this timeline,
then it would make sense.
“It’s a kind of incantation that I put on myself. I directly connect my body,

my master, and my mind…”
“I guess I know what you’re talking about. However…”
I wondered whether she was lying and that the magic would have the
opposite effect, but I didn’t want to think about the possibility.
Just as Kasugano Yuno was desperate, I also wanted to earn myself another
powerful ally. I wanted to be able to get her on my side as quickly as
possible, without all the headache.
I hated gambling, but just this once, I felt like the risk was worth it.
“Alright, let’s see.”
“Okay. Then I will quickly start the ritual.”
With her eyes closed, her smiling expression was apparent. It was almost as if
she had just gotten the entire world handed to her on a silver platter.
When she pulled a little dagger out of her arms, I flinched a little, but when
she hurriedly wounded her own arm with it, I realized that she was trying to
complete her incantation with her blood as the medium.
‘Is the process similar to alchemy?’
“Please wait a little a bit… It’s almost done. Almost!”
“It’s fine. You don’t have to hurry.”
Seeing her drawing the incantation on the floor was quite the sight to behold.
Even though I had told her not to hurry, she still seemed anxious to finish it
as soon as possible.
The process looked similar to most of the spells that I had dealt with, but the
truth was, I still felt confused.
Only one thing was for certain; this incantation was more difficult than 1
initially thought
It was a spell that could only be completed with blood as the medium, even if
the caster was a high-ranking wizard on her level.
I didn’t know anything else, but the effect of the spell was certain.
I waited for her to finish, a mix of anticipation and nervousness welling up

from within me. Soon, I saw her rigid figure settle down in the middle of her
incantation. She then looked up at me from her kneeling position.
“You can come this way.”
As I moved, a faint light glowed from the incantation on the floor.
There was still no reaction from Juliana. At least I knew whatever this was
wouldn’t hurt me.
After a faint red light embraced her, the shaman opened her mouth again with
a very satisfied expression.
“S-sorry, but I need to take my master’s blood…”
Almost as if in an enticed trance, I cut myself slightly on the hand and

reached out for her.
“I want to give my all to the one who is before me. This lock will be a blood
covenant that nothing can break, and no one can interfere with.”
The light burst out in an instant.
I somehow thought I had to grab her head, and so I did. Thus, I saw a
fragmentary, yet incomprehensible sight.
It was literally the scene where I was strangling her.
It must have been the black world she saw.
‘Get rid of your pity, you damn bitch. All of you are the same.’
‘Ahhh… Poor man.’
‘You think you have the right to pity me?’
Only
In the scene, Kasugano Yuno cried and hugged me.
Hwaah ahhhhhh!
When I opened my eyes again, I could see the incantation she drew being
absorbed into her body.
“It was a success, Master.”
As she spoke, Kasugano looked overjoyed, which in turn made me feel

guilty.
“Perhaps you really are a piece of trash….
If the Lee Kiyoung from before had seen me now, he would probably think
something along the lines of, ‘Isn’t this bastard a real piece of shit?’
Because of this, a sense of shame came upon me.

The Black World (3)
Because of this, a sense of shame came upon me.
However, it was only right to get this done and over with
“I’m thinking of doing some tests…”
“Sure… I’m looking forward to it.” Kasugano had an expectant look as she
spoke. One might even say she was overjoyed.
“I don’t harbor any negative feelings towards you.”
“Yes, I know you are punishing me, only because you care about me.”
“You can’t call it a punishment, but how you take it is up to you… First of
all, you won’t be able to breathe from now on.”
With widened eyes, Kasugano stared at me. With her stoic expression, 1
wondered if she had been scamming me all along.
However, I realized my mistake as I heard her voice again.
“You must speak with magic.”
I felt embarrassed at this point. The shaman opened her mouth once again,
and I saw her trying to breathe in.
“You won’t be able to breathe.”

A lot of my mana was used up in an instant.
I couldn’t even imagine that so much magic would escape, but it was a cheap
price for taking full control over another’s body. I hadn’t even noticed that I
was frowning.
The figure currently holding her neck and coughing was certainly not acting.
As Kasugano rolled on the floor, stretching her hand towards me, I could tell
how hard my order had been for her.
“Mas… Master… Cough…”
Against her will, air refused to enter her lungs, hence her struggle. Tears
naturally flowed down her eyes, and her tongue had rolled out, craving for
oxygen.
It would be a shame for her to die here.
“You may breathe from now on.”
And so, I ended the test.
With this, I could affirm that the contract between us had finally set.
After Kasugano regained her breathing, she spoke once more.
“T-Thank you. Master.”
I wasn’t sure why she was thanking me, but at least the spell was complete.
‘And so perfectly done…’
If there was one penalty after all this, it would be that I had to take
responsibility for Kasugano from now one.
‘However, it should be fine.’
If I had seen the scene just before the incantation, I wouldn’t have even
bothered doing the test. I didn’t even know why I had seen it in the first
place, but I didn’t think it was because of the incantation itself. It was
probably an occurring error during the connection of body and soul.
As I lifted her from the floor, I saw her looking at me with joy plastered on
that innocent expression. Upon seeing this, my guilt came back.
I’ll be nice to her from now on.’
I know that I did something worse that had surpassed my actions the first
time around. It felt like I had personally quided an innocent soul into the
depths of hell.
After seeing her expression in the black world, I felt even worse for her.
‘Fuck…
However, it was a reasonable choice, and the result wasn’t bad, either.
Kasugano looked happy with what had transpired, so it was probably a win
win.
“Of course, it’s reasonable, but still…’
The momentary guilt was nothing compared to a lifetime spent with an

additional, strong ally.
“I don’t know what to say, but…”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
“W-what is that…? That doesn’t even make sense.”
As Kasugano flipped her long hair, her embarrassed expression was apparent.
She laughed a little and tried to switch into a sitting position. For now, it
would be right to give her a reward for letting her come to me.
“Ah, master…”
I leaned in slowly, and she closed her eyes. As I kissed her on the forehead,
she fell apart.
“Thank you. Thank you.”
“Your actions in return for my trust aren’t comparable. And this is nothing
compared to the warmth you’ve given me in the black world.”
“Ah…”
“It was only for a brief moment, but I think I saw what you saw.”
“What?”
“Then… You said I was a guy in a poor situation, right?”
“Yes. I did. W-why…?”
“I can’t understand, but perhaps we really are fated to meet, just as you said.”
Her face turned ecstatic upon hearing this. I had said what she wanted to
hear.
It was then that I could hear noise from outside.
Jung Hayan?’
She had probably been alerted when I made physical contact with Kasugano
Yuno. She said she would tolerate it, but she probably couldn’t in the end.
‘No…
I still had more things to discuss with Kasugano.
However, I couldn’t let Jung Hayan inside.
“I’m only being curious, but have you ever talked to someone else about
me?”
“Of course not.”
“That’s a relief. So, that’ll be it for today’s meeting.”
“As you wish.”
“I know it’s already obvious, but please don’t tell anyone about our
relationship.”
“Yes, alright.”
Seeing how she so easily accepted my instructions, it was possible that I had
done the same back then.
| also nodded and went to open the door, and unlike before, it opened easily
for me now. At this point, I wondered how I should comfort Jung Hayan, but
then I saw a man I had never seen before I entered.
He was a little tall and had a long sword at the waist.
‘Is that a Japanese sword?
It looked ridiculous to carry a Japanese sword in a continent based on the

Middle Ages. Was it a custom order? I couldn’t really focus.
However, it was probably because I noticed the man in question staring at
me.
‘What?’
I decided to check his information with my ability.
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Ito Souta.]
[Name: Ito Souta]
[Title: Celia’s Wind]

[Age: 28]
[Class: Warrior (Legendary)]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of basic sword skills]
[Class Effect: Intermediate Swordsmanship Knowledge Acquisition]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of advanced sword skills]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of advanced magic operation knowledge]
[Stats]
[Strength: 81/Growth limit: Heroic or lower]
[Agility: 99/Growth limit: Legendary or higher]
[Health: 61/ Growth limit: Rare or lower]
[Intellect: 89/Growth limit: Heroic or lower]
[Durability: 66/ Growth limit: Heroic or lower]
[Luck: 34/ Growth limit: Common or lower]
[Magic 75/Growth limit: Heroic or higher]
[Equipment: Wind Sword (Heroic) 1602]
[Ability: Wind Blade (Legendary)]
[General review: This is a legendary class warrior. The overall high stats,
especially the high agility stats, stand out. His low durability is a flaw, but it
is unnecessary for him as an agile swordsman. It’s heartbreaking to see such
low stamina. It is also noticeable that he’s obtained a legendary class as well
as a legendary attribute. The only thing similar to our player, Lee Kiyoung, is
his disposition. Please try harder.]
‘Everyone I meet is a monster.’
This one was a swordsman focused on agility. I didn’t know who he was, but
he certainly didn’t look ordinary.
It was impossible for him to be an ordinary man. He was just as powerful as

Cha Hee-ra, if not more.
Being a Vice Guild Master, I thought my own stats weren’t bad.
What was funny was that his disposition was a careful strategist, like me.
Nevertheless, when I thought about the power he got, I felt like it was unfair
for some reason.
With these thoughts, I went to pass by him.
“Mr. Lee Kiyoung?”
I felt the man’s hand slightly holding my shoulder.
“Mr. Ito, what’s wrong?”
I felt wary of him. However, this bastard kept looking at me, smiling.
‘I don’t like this…’
“Nice to meet you. I’m Yamato Guild’s Guild Master, Ito Souta.”
I was speechless for a second. The Lindel terror incident had flashed in my
mind. Though it had not been enough for me to feel traumatized,
remembering it still felt annoying.
However, I swallowed and still decided to shake the outstretched hand in

front of me.
I couldn’t show any agitation in this state, lest he noticed this. Anyway, I was
safe for the time being. There was no way he could hurt me in a place where
conflict was completely forbidden.
I still had Kasugano in the room behind me, and Juliana was capable enough
of preventing any surprise attack.
‘If I think about his agility stat, it’s unlikely…’
For now, it would not be too bad to talk to him casually. We were fated to
meet anyway, and since I came here to formally protest against the Yamato
Guild, I had to extract as much information as possible.
“It looks like you’ve seen me before.”
“No, I haven’t, but I’ve heard a lot of stories about you. You were the
centerpiece of the recent Lindel terrorist incident, after all.”
‘This bastard…”
I could see a slight smile forming on his face as he spoke.
I thought it was only a pretense, but he was calmer than I thought.
‘A careful strategist?’
It was probably because he had the same disposition as mine.
“I was really surprised when I heard the news. An attack in the center of the
Free City? Although our cities are different, I was worried since we both
came from Earth to this place.”
“Ah… Right. Thank you for your concern.”
“By the way…”
“Yes.”
“They say that the Lindel made our guild the prime suspect in the attack.”
‘So what?
It felt too uncomfortable to talk about it here. Besides, Cha Hee-ra should
take part in the conversation.
“It would be better to set up a place for this conversation later. I don’t think
the timing is good now.”
When I turned to go, I felt a hand clutching my shoulder once more.
This time, it was Kasugano Yuno who came forward. Her quiet but heavy
voice echoed.
“What are you doing to my client?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. I just wanted to talk a bit more.”
“Please, don’t be rude.”
That was when I felt a pulsating energy resonating from somewhere around
me.
‘Shit.
I wasn’t the only one who felt the unusual energy, as I could see a hazy
curtain around me in an instant.
Looking sideways, I realized it was Kasugano Yuno who had memorized the
spell. I could see the motherfucker still smiling.
I didn’t think he would do anything crazy here, but since they were the ones
who had caused terror in Lindel, I had to think that they wanted to get rid of
me for sure.
Kasugano Yuno, on the other hand…
No matter how strong a shaman was, as a magician, it would be impossible to

win a battle. It wouldn’t take long to break through her shield and hit my
throat as a warrior with his skills.
‘Hyunsung…
For some reason, I missed Kim Hyunsung’s warm arms.
Woooooooooooong!
Juliana jumped out, yet Ito Souta’s smile never faded.
Something was wrong.
“No, Juliana!”
I screamed, but it was too late. Juliana had already pierced the swordsman’s
neck next to Ito.
‘What did the status window say? That he was a careful strategist?’
It was the perfect checkmate.
Only
‘Shit.
After the man whose throat got pierced fell to the floor, Ito Souta grabbed the
handle of the sword and began to speak.
“Well, well, well… What is this, Kiyoung-ssi? Threatening me with a sword,

hm? And in the throne of the Holy and Great Benigore Holy Empire, no less!
Pfft… And you killed one of my favorite subordinates…”
“Can I make a formal complaint on this?”

“If not… Can we take this as a declaration of war against our Yamato guild?”
It wasn’t only our dispositions that were similar.
We also acted in a very similar way.
I had no choice but to accept this fact as I looked into his provoking face.
Chapter 123 Strike back
Strike back
I had no choice but to accept this fact as I looked into his provoking face.
‘So annoying…
I didn’t know if I was being xenophobic or whatever, but looking at ito pissed
me off. I never imagined that I would get caught in his uncreative little trap.
‘He knew about Juliana.
He had even used the sword’s ability to detect danger to his advantage.
Although one of his underlings had died, it was nothing compared to what
would happen from now on. No – I couldn’t even tell if that had really been
his underling in the first place.
I also had no idea if he had planned this, or if he just made it on the spot after
meeting me, but I did know one thing – this wasn’t over.
It felt absurd to be caught, but Kasugano Yuno next to me could testify that it
had been a sudden incident. It would also be helpful to explain Juliana’s
skills to the investigators.
‘Do I have no choice but to disclose information about Juliana?’
It would be annoying, but it would not a bad deal if it meant I could strike
back at him.
However, it won’t stop there, either.

If I chose to assume that he had made connections with the Holy Empire’s
superiors in advance, then there would definitely be room for disputes in
future debates.
If a trial was held, it would likely put me at a disadvantage.
No matter what I could say, the fact that my underling killed his underling
wouldn’t change. If this guy really had the same disposition as mine, then it
must mean that he had already prepared everything in advance.
And if he hadn’t – then that meant he was envisioning the big picture as of
this moment.
‘That’s because even I would’ve done that.’
The only thing that he wouldn’t have calculated would be that Kasugano
Yuno, the lovely shaman, would take my side, but he probably didn’t think
that it was a threat.
As I mulled these thoughts in my head, I heard his voice right in front of me.
“What you’re going to do? My favorite subordinate has died, right in the
royal city of the Holy Empire.”
“Don’t mess around, Mr. Ito. It was your subordinate who threatened my
guests by showing bloodthirstiness. This case will be handled as selfdefense.”
“This is a little surprising, shaman. I didn’t think our relationship was this
bad.”
“That’s what you think. It is undeniable that your subordinate threatened my

client.”
“I would appreciate it if you could explain exactly how they threatened him.
No, even if he was threatened, would he throw a sword right away? No
matter how you view it, we are the victims here. I at least expect you to
maintain a good judgment as to who the offender and victim are. That’s an
action that will help your reputation as a shaman. Of course, it will also be
helpful to Yozora, which is under your control.”
“You…”
Kasugano Yuno was definitely a reliable ally.
It was clear that Ito wouldn’t be able to lure her in. She and her guild Yozora
would at least defend me with their power.
However, I didn’t know how to deal with this situation.
When I looked at Juliana, she hovered around me, almost as if she was aware
that she had done something wrong.
As the sword seemed depressed, I took it back to my belt, and I immediately

spoke.
“I apologize.”
“It is not something that can be simply solved by an apology, Mr. Kiyoung.”
“The armament I’m carrying, Juliana, the cursing sword, is a sword that
moves in response to anything that threatens her master.”
“Ooh, I see. I didn’t know there was such a weapon.”
“That’s surprising. I thought you knew about it.”
“Of course, I’ve heard rumors that a Lindel adventurer has acquired
legendary armor, but who knew it was this weapon?”
He knew, without a doubt.
I couldn’t tell whether he heard the rumors or whether he confirmed it for

himself, but I was almost certain that this nasty bastard was the main culprit
in the Lindel terrorist incident.
‘If not, there’s no reason for him to be provoking me.’
“Yes. I don’t know why your guild members threatened me, but…”
“Our guild members have never threatened you.”
“No. They threatened him without a doubt. If I take this case to court, I will
testify that your guild member threatened my client. Of course, our guild
members who are here now will testify the same.”
‘You’re cheering up your master! Yuno!’
“I can’t ignore the shaman testifying like that… That’s a little weird to me.
Right now, he seems to be in control of his sword. Even if you testify that my
side threatened him first, there’s no reason for my loyal subordinate to have
died. Perhaps Kiyoung and the murderer who tried to kill his comrade looked
a little alike, so I guess he unknowingly got angry.”
“To have a sword pierced in the neck for such a thing… What a pity. It is
also a sin not to properly control a weapon. The more I think about it, the
more my heart breaks.”
‘This bastard…
Seeing that he kept focusing on emphasizing himself as a victim, I knew he

was decided. He wanted to frame me, no matter what.
‘Should I just accept it at once?’
If it was about self-harm, I could do it, too. If I could poke myself with his
sword, I could also establish my side as self-defense.
The problem was, Ito Souta would not make this easy for me. His high agility
stats would make it impossible for me to do so.
My options were limited, and I hated doing setups, but I still had to try.
“Isn’t Souta-nim the one who caught me when I was trying to go my own
way in the first place? It happened suddenly, but I wonder if there was some
other meaning for one of your guild members was sacrificed.”
“No way. You have a lot of imagination.”

“No, I was just telling the facts.”
“You can explain that useless conspiracy theory to the Imperial Inspector.
First of all, someone died in the castle, so the procedure must be followed.
And look, they’re coming over.”
pretended to stay calm, but my insides were twisting. This was because I
could indeed see the castle guards running towards our direction. It felt
annoying to be treated as a suspect, when in reality, I had gotten caught in the
trap laid out by the bastard in front of me.
It was the shaman who answered. It was the second time she took the lead,
but then I continued her words.
“The guild member of the Yamato Guild threatened Mr. Kiyoung Lee and
died in a self-defense attack with a sword stuck in his neck.”
“To be precise, it wasn’t a threat. It seems that there was a little

misunderstanding between us, but all of a sudden, he had his sword pointed
right at us.”
“My sword is a weapon that is triggered by a threat. If you want to check the
item information, I can show you. I was threatened by a guild member of the
Yamato guild with no doubt, and that fact will be testified by Kasugano Yuno
of the Yozora guild and her guild members.”
Of course, the arguments of our two sides were different.
After whispering to each other, one of the guards ran in the opposite
direction. He was most likely calling up a senior.
Not surprisingly, a guy wearing fancier clothes came in a hurry not long after.
At this point, the incident was slowly becoming bigger.
This kind of situation was what Ito Souta probably expected, but my head
hurt just thinking about how things would work from now on.
‘I guess they will start an investigation.’
Of course, I would be labelled as the suspect. No matter the reason, no matter

what had happened, the fact stood that a man had died in the royal city of
Benignore, the Holy Empire.
Although we identified ourselves as free people, we were also affected by

imperial law.
Considering that excessive disputes between guilds were not allowed in the
empire, I, who committed murder, will most probably be treated as the
suspect.
As Souta had said, that was the procedure.
As expected, the man who had appeared before us stepped firmly in our
direction.
‘An imperial officer.’
“I am Carlton of the Empire’s Holy Knights. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to
follow
me.”
“Of course.”
It was annoying to do so, but I knew it would be fine. Now that there were
three different testimonies, Ito Souta may also become a perpetrator.
It was clear that the victim’s identity would be investigated right away, but
with our shaman’s testimony, public opinion as a killer could be calmed to
some extent.
‘Besides…’
Judging from Carlton’s attitude, I’m not completely confirmed as a suspect.
‘Rather, it feels like he respects me.’
Of course, that might change once the investigation took place, but I knew
would be able to reverse things afterwards.
“Yes. Okay.”
However, when I began to move in the direction Carlton showed us, heard
Kasugano Yuno speak, her voice sounding a little different than usual.
“Don’t move.”
“What…?”
“If you take my client and move even one step, I will make sure that you’d be
crawling on the ground in no time. Threatening my client is not allowed.”
At this point, the ground began to tremble. The unknown incantation from
before appeared and began to spread in all directions.
As she opened her once closed eyes, I could see eyes that looked like two
black holes.
Anyone could see that she had enormous magical power, enough to pulverize
the whole place.
I swallowed nervously.
“Shaman…”
Even Souta’s calm façade broke as the man gripped the handle of his sword.
He could sense that Kasugano was just seconds away from exploding.
“Get rid of the dirty hands that are holding my client.”
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

‘This is bad….
It was okay to defend me, but making a fuss about it would make things
worse.
Carlton of the Holy Knights also felt embarrassed by this scenario. He was
looking this way with a frown, pulling out his sword.
“I-I just want to act according to the procedure. And this kind of magic
within the royal city is forbidden. Even it is you…”
“I won’t say it twice.”
At this point, I had to do something.
“It will be fine, Yuno. First of all, I think it is right to follow. It’s just a
simple procedure.”
As the magic started to settle, the surrounding area, which had been shaking,
stopped.
“But… Kiyoung-nim…”
“It won’t be a big deal. You just have to testify the facts.”
The truth was meant to be revealed anyway.
Although the world doesn’t always work as we want it to, right?’
Souta’s expression, which had returned to smiling, seemed to be saying just

that. He would feel even more determined to mark me as the culprit now.
Out of curiosity, I opened my mouth to ask.
“Are investigations confined?”
“No. It is only procedural investigations. Of course, we will try to provide

you with the best possible convenience. I believe you will understand that
inevitably there may be restrictions on your movement.”
“Yes. Of course.”
“All those who were on the Yamato guild side will also be investigated.”
“It’s a little different position than ours, right?”
“I’m sorry, but it is. First of all, this was a murder case…”
“I see. Is it possible to testify through a representative?”
“Of course, that’s possible.”
“Okay. Then let’s go.”
“Atchoo.”
“Do you have a cold?”
“No, eunni. I’m sorry for suddenly sneezing.”
“It seems like you’ve been working too much these days… It’s good to work
hard, but you should prioritize your health. Anyway, I brought you with me
so you can take a well-deserved rest. What do you think about the capital?”
“It looks like a good place to live. It’s not bad considering this is my first
time here, and I can see the life in people’s eyes. I couldn’t even imagine that
the level of civilization in the Holy Empire would be this high, but I felt
surprised because it was more systematic than I thought.”
“I knew you would say that.”
“Rather than that, eunni, your makeup is really good today.”
“You…”
“Are you seeing someone lately?”
Only
“I don’t even have time for that! I’m super busy… No, I think rather you’re
the one who’s been dating… Isn’t it time to stop telling me about that kind of
stuff now? Well, I already know everything, but it would be nice if you
introduced me to him formally…”
“I will tell you when our relationship progresses a little more. Oppa still has
some things to deal with.”
“Well… Oh, it’s arrived.”
“Black Swans, I sincerely welcome you to the Holy Empire. It’s been a
while, Park Yeonjoo.”
“Yes. Long time no see.”
“Haha. I can see a familiar face for the first time. If it’s okay, may I ask for
your name?”
“Of course. Jihye?”
“Yes, eunni. Hi, everyone. I’m Lee Jihye, who joined the Black Swan Guild
during the last tutorial. It is an honor to meet the honorable and great
imperialists of the Holy Empire. Thank you.”
Chapter 124 Soulmate (1)
Soulmate (1)
‘Huh. This is comfier than I thought.’
My treatment had been quite comfortable if you think about the fact that I
was considered the killer of one of Yamato guild’s members.
The place where I was lying on was a comfortable bed, not a hard floor, and
the quality of the food served was excellent.
I had been worried about eating the same type of food as lowly criminals.
Seeing how I was being treated, I had no choice but to admit that both Cha
Hee-ra and Yuno Kasugano were a stronger influence than I thought.
If I had just been a lowly countryman, I would’ve been hung straightaway.

However, my position as the Mercenary Queen’s lover and the shaman’s
client imposed a certain influence.
I like having power because of this.’
It was safe to assume that I was safe.
Of course, it was unlikely that my neck would be hanged just by my position.

It would not be a pleasant story for those who want the empire’s power cut
off if they were to be oppressed by both the mercenary queen and the
shaman.
It was more important to protect me, than to blame me for the death of a
common member of the Yamato guild.
What I needed to know was what that bastard Ito Souta would do.
The intensity of the punishment I would receive would probably be

determined by how much he talks, but the conclusion was that I at least didn’t
have to worry about being in a real mess.
My only problem at this point was being at a disadvantage in terms of

diplomacy. My issue certainly was controversial at every angle.
After I ate, Cha Hee-ra appeared before me. Strangely enough, the woman
looked unwell.
“Honestly, I feel good.”
“Huh?”
“It’s not you who’s screwed, it’s that bastard.”
“I thought I’d be scolded. I’m actually surprised.”
“Of course, it’s not that I’m not feeling bad. It’s bad enough that my plan has
been ruined, and I feel even worse knowing you got humiliated after going up
to the shaman’s room without informing me. You know I secretly value
appearances. Nevertheless, you managed to kill a guild member of theirs.
And in an audacious manner, too…”
“Thank you for that…”
“What is your relationship with the shaman?”
“I never imagined that a woman who would stand by the Yamato Guild
would vouch for my honey in the end. You weren’t pulling strings behind my
back, right? If so, I’d feel a little sad.”
“You are free to believe it or not, but the other day was really the first time
that I met this shaman.”
“You know that if you lie to me, the things that’ll happen after won’t be
sweet, right?”
“Why would I lie to you? Remember when I first met Yuno Kasugano, she
saw me and cried?”
“Of course.”
“She can see the future.”
“What nons-“
“Of course, she can’t see what she wants, and even if she sees something, it’s
only a fragment. However, she can certainly see the future.”
“You’re not kidding, are you?”
“I checked it myself. In fact, if you give it a little thought, you have the
answer. How can a 16-year-old girl build a large guild in 4 years without that
kind of ability? I kind of know why she’s obsessed with me. I will get
connected to this girl in the future.”
“That’s nuts.”
“That’s why she was looking at me crying, and that’s why she defends me
this determinedly. You are free to believe it or not.”
Cha Hee-ra seemed annoyed with this. Knocking on the table for no reason
whatsoever, she spoke once more.
“Ha… This bastard, you are full of pheromones.”
“You know, I only have you.”
“It’s not good if you cross the line, honey.”
I could see a slightly distorted expression crossing over, striking the table.
She didn’t seem to like what she had found out. In fact, anyone could see that
she was angry.
“So… There is a way, right? Although I’m constantly making a fuss, the
public opinion isn’t very good. It’s the first time someone died from a quarrel
in the holy city of the Holy Empire. They won’t dare behead you, but the
guilds from Lindel can lose ground. Even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal,
the situation is actually very delicate…”
“I’ve been thinking. There will be changes in the plan, but the results will
still be the same.”
“It will be good for you to behave properly. The reason I’m looking after you
is that at some point, you’ll be of help. It’s always good to keep in mind that
your attractiveness is only a secondary reason.”
“I know. Thanks, Hee-ra.”
“…I’ll come back in the evening. Do not get stressed. Take a break and think,
honey.”
“You too.”
‘You seem to be in a good mood.’
I didn’t know if I managed to make her feel better, but a faint smile was
clearly visible.
Like Jung Hayan, Cha Hee-ra’s face was quite transparent. The only problem
was that her emotions changed fast, as her status window suggested.
I felt tired after dealing with all the women that came here today. In fact, it
felt more difficult to deal with Jung Hayan and the shaman than it was to be
investigated.
“Sniff… Oppa… Waaaah…”
As soon as Jung Hayan came, she broke down into tears, as if the sky had
collapsed. She seemed to feel heartbroken upon seeing me in custody, all the
while waiting to reunite.
Perhaps she thought I would receive a big punishment. It was evident from
the way she was crying and touching my cheek.
Anyone who looked at us would think I was already on death row.
Of course, after I explained the situation to her, her sadness turned into anger
towards Ito Souta. In addition to this, she also harbored anger towards
Kasugano, as she thought that this whole incident happened because of the
shaman.
Though Jung Hayan had gone into special treatment for her emotions,
nevertheless, the anger did not subside, so she asked Cha Hee-ra for
management
‘Isn’t she coming today?’
I shook my head as I felt as though I was waiting for Jung Hayan today.
Of course, in Kasugano Yuno’s case, the situation was not very different.
Since she had to do other activities for me, it wasn’t easy to come often, but
she still found the time to report to me.
Though I felt sorry for them, I was truthfully not waiting for either Hayan or
Yuno to come.
I was waiting for a lawyer who could successfully defend me.
Of course, it didn’t matter if I had to defend myself, but it would definitely be

better to have one of the main pillars of a large guild act as a representative.
What I needed was a smart and capable woman.
As I got lost in my thoughts, the door to my room opened. I wondered if it

was Jung Hayan or Yuno, and I looked up…
The woman in front of me turned out to be the woman I was waiting for.
‘Lee Jihye.’
She looked at me quietly lying in bed.
“Look at you… There is no better loser.”
“You got me.”
“You’ve been caught very perfectly.”
“Your pride must hurt a lot, right? It’s the first time I’ve ever seen such an
angry expression on your face.”
“Is that so?”
“I can tell just by looking at it.”
I didn’t know if she really knew me that well or was just quick-witted, but I
felt like I had gotten kicked.
I knew I should keep my composure as much as possible, but it was natural to

feel angry for various reasons. I was the one who had a talent for
backstabbing – how was it that I was the one who got backstabbed this time
around?
Some other monster managed to reel me in with a lousy trick.
I may be smiling, but inwardly, I felt furious.
I also felt embarrassed that Lee Jihye was able to see what Cha Hee-ra and
Jung Hayan failed to, but I felt like I knew why.
‘Soulmate.
I thought about it every time I saw her. Certainly, Lee Jihye and I were a
good match.
“I thought you would already be acting, but you’re not.”

“I was waiting for you.”
“Is the title of Red Mercenary’s lover and Shaman’s client still insufficient?”
She was right
The fact that the Black Swan’s executive, also a high-ranking executive
trusted by the Guild Master, would act as my representative was very
significant.
That was how relationships between the powerful worked.
Considering that there was a practice in Korea that gave preferential

treatment to the first trials of lawyers who were former judges or prosecutors,
the answer came to me quickly.
‘Keeping appearances is important.’
“I wouldn’t say that there wasn’t such a thing, but rather than focusing on
that, I needed you.”
“Well… That doesn’t sound so bad, oppa.”
“I’m glad you think so. Actually… you are right. It’d be a lie to say I’m not
angry. Also, my pride was indeed hurt, and my back aches a lot.”
“Shall we cry together?”
“No. I have a plan, and I hope you can help me. I’m not going to end up
simply getting back at the same level. Of course, you will be gaining
something with this, too.”
“I was thinking of helping you even if I ended up not get anything, since I’m
such a romantic. Personally, I’m also angry at the guy who threw dirt on my
own plans… The first thing to do will be to find your rights, is that correct?”
“My fate will be in your hands, deputy.”
“Don’t you worry, my client.”

Lee Jihye stood up as she spoke. She then walked towards the guard standing
by my door, and I could predict just what she was going to do.
After all, this was the role I wanted for her.
“Excuse me?”
“Yes.”
“Where is Lee Kiyoung’s weapon?”
“Ah. In the case of that armament… We are keeping it for investigation…”
“Please bring that to me right away.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I told you to bring that weapon to me right away.”
“B-but… Since it was a weapon used at the murder site, we are the ones in
charge of managing it. Even if you tell me to bring it all of a sudden…”
“Isn’t the investigation done yet? The function of the item was clearly
explained in words, and I know it was checked. I know they have already
experimented on it several times. Is that not enough?”
“We keep it for any sudden situation that might arise. It’s still considered to
be dangerous…”
“In that case, this is one of those sudden situations, and I’m telling you to
bring it to me now. First of all, you must know that the Yamato Guild’s guild
member threatened my client. This is directly testified by Yuno Kasugano,
who was there. He is half imprisoned even when they don’t know for sure
who is the victim and who is the perpetrator, and they even dared to take
away his weapon!”
“Someone has died. For now, we have to follow the procedures…”
“The cursing sword, Juliana, is our client’s minimal means of protecting his
body. If an accident happens to my client who has lost the means to protect
his body, can you take responsibility? The Mercenary Queen will not stand
and watch.”
“But…”
“You people… I’m asking nicely.”
“Do you know how much that weapon is worth? It is one of the few
legendary items on the continent. Do you think you can take responsibility if
a problem arose with its functions? As far as I can confirm, I know that
weapons that have been separated from their owners for a long time will
develop side effects. If there is any problem with Juliana, I will sue you on
behalf of my client.”
“We are just moving according to the procedures of the Holy Empire. Even if
you say you will sue us…”
“It’s not the Holy Empire I will be suing. I am suing you, people, for
neglecting management. It’s not the Holy Empire’s fault, but it is definitely
yours, the individuals who are oppressing my client.”
Only
“Ah…”
“The value of my client’s weapon is so high that it cannot be converted into a

meager amount. If you don’t properly manage such weapons, do you think
you can still be innocent? If I sue you, all of the guards here will quickly
drown into debt, and will have to fight long court battles against large guilds
to earn the money. It’s so obvious that I don’t have to say whose side the
Holy Empire you believe in will take. Are you still confident with your
answer?”
“I don’t know if you’re behaving this way because you believe that the Holy
Empire will protect you if things go wrong, but if not, shut up and bring my
boyfriend’s stuff. Tell your supervisor exactly what I said, and if the
supervisor doesn’t have the authority, ask them from a higher-up to solve the
problem. If that doesn’t work, you can come up with a solution yourselves
and bring Juliana here right away… Otherwise, the humans involved will be
bound together, and all will be sued.”
“T-that… Our authority…”
“Did you not hear me? Bring a superior or a supervisor! Who is in charge
here?! Who’s doing things this way?!”
Jihye, you’re so cool…’
At least by my standards, she was worthy of being a girl-crush.
That was the only way I could express this situation.

Chapter 125 Soul mate (2)
Soul mate (2)
That was the only way I could express this situation.
After Lee Jihye’s grand speech, the guards ran off to find their superiors.
Unsurprisingly, she laughed and turned back to me.
“Well then. Shall we tell each other what we’ve been thinking? I think you’ve
just noticed it… Is the answer a little easy?”
“Yes.”
“When I count to two, we will speak at the same time.”
“One, two.”
“Safety is the priority.”
“Safety is the priority.”
“It worked. You know that the public’s opinion of us is not very good,
right?”
“Of course.”
“The first thing we need to do is to get Juliana back. Aren’t you the victim? |
actually think it might be quite difficult to retrieve it. As the next best thing, it
would be better to get help from a powerful person from the Holy Empire…”
“Victor Hart.”
“Is he someone you know?”
“He is close to Hee-ra. I don’t know exactly, but he seems like the type of
person who would feel sad if he were to be the second in the Holy Empire.
With just this guy, we can get what we want. No, he’ll be more than enough.”
Of course, what Lee Jihye and I wanted was not simply safety. What we
really wanted was…
‘To overturn public opinion.’
That was the first goal.
Changes came even with the littlest things.
Public opinion was concentrated in the royal castle due to the sudden murder
case. Knowing that I was being held in custody by guards was not very
pleasant news.
‘However…
Everything would change when the perception that I was being protected
would spread, not by the guards, but by Victor Hart, one of the Empire’s best.
This was my only option, but it would be enough to flip the tables.
“That’s because it is you whose life is threatened.”
“Since I’m in a very dangerous situation, I can’t help it. It would be effective
to be protected by a Mercenary Queen or a shaman, but it would be better if
my protector came from the side of the Holy Empire. I don’t know when
Yamato’s assassin will come, so it would be better to use that as an excuse.”
“Do you intend to touch Lindel too?”
“That’s correct.”
“If you use the press, it’s not hard to even develop anti-Japanese sentiment
However, what you’re planning worries me.”
“The Yamato Guild, who was the main culprit in the Lindel terrorist incident,
persecuted and threatened the guiltless Blue guild member Lee Kiyoung. In
the process, an unavoidable incident occurred, and the victim, who had been
condemned, went on the verge of being tried. I think that’ll be fine. If you
want it said in a more provocative manner, an innocent Korean would be in
danger of climbing the guillotine. How about putting it like that?”
“That’s not so bad. However, the reactions will be big. You know that,
right?”
“Sure, that’s what I’ve been aiming for in the first place. If you punish me,
you will soon be punishing Lindel.”
“And thus, the Holy Empire, who prefers avoiding trouble, won’t dare mess
with you. You take care of your life properly. I like that, but…”
“You have a strange taste for men.”
“I told you. Ambitious men are my thing. I like a dirty, powerful man like
you.”
“You’re just the same.”
“They’ll be a little reluctant to touch you. Well, it would be better to wage a

war than have you dying.”
“War doesn’t happen that easily.”
“I think so, too… Come to think of it, it’s not my business. In fact, it didn’t
seem like it would matter if you prepared it alone, but if you are using me as
a representative, I think you have something else in mind.”
“Of course. I’m sorry, but I hope you can do this.”
“I was already going to. In fact, rather than the victim doing this by
himself… It is more effective to have a large guild’s representative. Take a
good rest.”
“It’s okay if I don’t help?”
“Of course. I feel more comfortable when I work alone when it comes to this
sort of thing.”
Of course, I already know that Lee Jihye was competent. However, I couldn’t
help but admit that I still felt nervous. This wasn’t something I could easily
control. In particular, I felt like it would be better if I could contribute in
being able to have Victor Hart vouch for us.
Less than two days passed, and I had no choice but to admit that Lee Jihye’s
influential power was indeed impressive.
“Will you take responsibility if there becomes a problem with my client’s

health? No, it looks like he’s already come down with something…”
‘That’s right.
“Ah. Are you Kendrick-nim? Are you in charge of this place?”
‘Well done, well done.’
“How are you going to compensate for the mental damage of his
halfimprisonment?”
‘You’re the best, Lee Jihye.’
“Is the investigation of the Yamato Guild being done properly?”
‘Way to go!
As she went about with her complaints, Jihye Lee’s appearance reminded me
of a particular foe from the previous Three Kingdoms period.
I predicted, but couldn’t even imagine, that she would be able to rob them
right from the very bottom. In fact, I even felt sorry for Kendrick and the
other guards. I knew how much they cared about me.
They were innocent, but I knew what Lee Jihye was trying to do.
‘We are the victims.
She was emphasizing this fact.
This press play, which started with the rumors that Ito Souta of the Yamato
Guild had tried to assassinate Lee Kiyoung of Blue for some reason, had been
very effective.
No, simply describing it as ‘effective’ was not enough.
Knowing that a member of the Black Swan had chosen to represent me, that
the Red Mercenary Queen protected me, and the shaman continued to testify
in my favor will not be pleasing to them.
The keywords we held were safety, threats, and life.
‘She is definitely talented.’
It was amazing as to how Lee Jihye knew what areas to tackle on. This
allowed me to focus on my own personal matters.
If it weren’t for her, it would have been a little more difficult to deal with the
Yamato Guild.
“My client is in a very stressed state.”
“Considering that we also give the most convenience…”
“Is this the best you can do? If you check the notes released by the Priest of
our Black Swan Guild, you can see how mentally uneasy the client has been
feeling. If I think about the post-trauma, I can see how much you pressured
and persecuted him.”
“But…”
“Why is Juliana so late? Is there any problem?”
“I’m looking for a room right now. The upper level is also having various
meetings… We would appreciate it if you could give us a little more time.”
“How long do you intend to repeat the same words? It’ll become really hard
if you keep doing this. Is there any problem with Juliana?”
“There is nothing wrong with the weapon.”
“That’s a problem we need to check, Kendrick-nim. Once again, Juliana is

my client’s private property and is the only way to protect him. We can’t
guarantee that there will be no second threat when he has already been
threatened once. It is undeniable that the Yamato Guild tried to threaten my
client’s life due to the circumstances of the incident. It would be nice if you
could fix this somehow.”
“In case you don’t know, we are on guard 24 hours a day.”
“Assuming Ito Souta is coming to hurt my client’s life, I don’t think you have
the power to stop him. Excuse me, but given the possibility that some of the
Holy Empires might have collaborated with them, we need a little more
absolute protection. The protective measures requested by Victor Hart are
still there. What should we do if you say that we can’t even get Juliana
back?”
“That is…”
“Are you saying that, if the villains come here like this, he must submit to his
death? It has already been 18 hours since the formal request for protection.
Our client is still very uneasy.”
“Well, that’s…”
“If a request from Victor Hart-nim is impossible, isn’t it natural to show

minimal sincerity? The Mercenary Queen is also very worried. With a
repetitive situation where you have to stay away from your desk, the victim’s
personal protection who is threatened with murder in the castle is so
inadequate. If I could, I would take my client to Lindel right now.”
“We are also making our requests as much as possible. Oh, as you may know,
Victor Hart is also very busy…”
“I feel like you’re just making up excuses.”
Lee Jihye had also been working hard, but Cha Hee-ra was also busy with
secretly asking the old man, her old friend.
I felt nervous, for it was taking such a long time, but I knew the end was near.
Of course, it didn’t take too long for the first piece to be completed, as
expected.
“P-permission has been passed. Kendrick!”
I could see a very happy expression from the guard who had made the
announcement. At this, the once-sweaty Kendrick began to smile.
“Victor Hart said himself that Lee Kiyoung was in his protection. Juliana is
also scheduled to be shipped again today.”
“Not at all, Kendrick-nim.”
“It’s a relief, Lee Jihye-nim. It seems that the permission has been passed. In
the future, Victor Hart will formally protect Lee Kiyoung. As you heard, the
investigation into the cursing sword is also over, so I will return it for now…
We believe that you will understand that in some areas, it will not be allowed
to be taken in. Especially when you are away from Victor Hart-nim, Juliana
should…”
“The first thing is to completely separate the guild members of the Yamato
guild from him, Kendrick. They are undoubtedly threatening my client’s life.
It is not Lee Kiyoung that must be repressed, but they.”
“Yes. I will try my best.”

I got a better result than simply getting Juliana.
After I heard the door closing, Lee Jihye popped her head back in. I smiled.
“Good work.”
“I didn’t know if you would be able to get Juliana back, but the results were
not bad. In the future, Victor Hart will protect you.”
“Just listening to that makes me feel better.”
One of the things we worried about the most since we came here had been
dealt with
“I’m worried about the movement restrictions, but it’s not a bad deal.
Anyway, our Jihye is on the move and the fact that Victor Hart will be useful
for my plans.”
“You won’t tell me about it yet?”
“It’s better if only I know. It’ll work better. As things go on, you will
naturally know.”
“I’m disappointed… Well, anyway, as you’ve heard, the restricted areas will
also start to loosen up, little by little. If you go out with Victor Hart, it will be
possible to go worship at a social church.”
“Doesn’t old man Victor have a close match with Yamato?”
“I know a little bit about that… Would you like me to tell?”
“Of course.”
“Did you know that the Holy Empire is divided into emperors and popes?
That old man is on the emperor’s side. As Yamato sticks to the Pope’s side,
they obviously don’t have a good relationship.”
“Well, that’s an interesting story. What happened to Lindel?”

“Causing some anti-Japan disputes won’t be a problem. If you are treated
unfairly, you don’t have to worry about it, because even war could happen.
Perhaps, with the old man sticking to your side, Lindel will have some
background.”
“Please keep track of the public opinion back in Lindel.”
“You don’t have to worry about it as it’s progressing quickly. But, more than
that, shouldn’t you go outside? They were working hard too… I’ve been
working on the Vatican’s side, but it’s not easy since they settled there first.”
Only
“On the emperor’s side, we will meet secretly one by one. You didn’t get the
composition of the delegation, did you?”
“The imperial figures are still working on it. I’ll leave this task to you.
Anyway, if you go with them, they will inevitably stick to you. It won’t be
difficult… Since we’re going to be with Victor Hart, it would be better to
maintain a close relationship with him.”
“You already seem close to Hee-ra… It won’t be that difficult.”
“Hmm… Then, are you coming to the party tomorrow?”
“I probably will.”
“A killer attending a party with an escort…”
“If anyone hears, they will misunderstand. I’m the only victim… You can be
proud of this. This is the result of your achievement.”
At this, a hint of a smile appeared on Lee Jihye’s face

Chapter 126 Soul mate (3)
Soul mate (3)
Of course, the solution that Lee Jihye and I came up with slowly began to
overturn the public’s opinion.
Bringing in Victor Hart as an excuse for the assassin actually managed to

quiet the rumors within the royal castle, and had the effect of keeping Ito
Souta in check.
Explaining Juliana’s functions and characteristics combined with Yuno

Kasugano’s, there was a lot to say about the case itself.
The question of whether or not I willed my sword to hurt was still

unanswered. Still, unless Ito Souma decided to make a solicitation to the
Pope’s side, even this was suspected of disappearing soon.
The reason why I still had a suspect label was nothing more or less than that
of the specificity of the case, which was the first murder case in the royal
castle within the Holy Empire, and that it defied the Pope’s attempt to make
the large Japanese guild look better.
Of course.
The reason all of this was possible lay in Lindel’s present state.
Originally, Lindel had a good relationship with Celia, but upon hearing the
Yamato Guild’s trap for an innocent victim did not sit well with most people,
especially since Yamato was suspected to be the main culprit in the Lindel
terrorist incident.
Of course, the fact that I was in danger was a lie.

Even now, I sat comfortably in my chair and could drink if I wanted to, but it
was important for Lindel’s citizens to believe the rumors.
Of course, that wasn’t all.
The real goal was to develop hostility within the Lindel citizens by spreading
the idea of the Yamato Guild’s planned invasion in their Free City.
In particular, Lee Jihye’s plan was so disruptive that I felt it a little more
radical than mine, so the possibility of a war between Lindel and Celia was a
worrying possibility.
The biggest problem among them was that the Red Mercenaries and Black
Swans did not intentionally suppress some radicals’ actions.
Even if I were to take a quick look at the current media, the answer was
splattered everywhere.
[Guild Ilsung conducts bombing magic training in the Ramadel Mountains

near Celia.]
[Today at 9 am, Lindel’s Guild Ilsung conducted bombing magic training in

the Ramadel Mountains. The ultra-long-range magic that hit the Ramadel
Mountains across Celia has not been seen in Guild Ilsung so far.
Accordingly, Lee Seol-Ju (21), the highest dignity of the Guild Ilsung, said
that the Japanese people’s arrogant behavior has reached the peak and are
constantly testing their guild’s patience.
Not only did he not hesitate to say that it would make the Free City Celia into
a sea of fire. But after three days, they were surrounded by Celia’s territorial
waters and trained for ultra-long-range bombing magic… and is expected to
proceed. – Lindel llbo, reporter Kim Sung-gyeong]
Among some of the radical factions, the actions of the Guild Ilsung were the
most embarrassing. I had to ask Lee Jihye about the truth.
“These motherfuckers, this is fine, right?”
“Yes. They’re asking for money. Then you can rest assured. I made a deposit
yesterday. Although all of these have been settled through agreements…
Well, seeing what they’re doing, I got a little nervous. I didn’t know they
would do this much.”
“Too much provocation is not very good…”
“The kids in their guild are weird, but you can rest assured that the Black
Swan will definitely stop them.”
“Do you know them?”
“Well… I guess we do, a little bit… We had a drink together once, and that’s
all. I thought it would be difficult to get along because I was a little bit dizzy,
but who would’ve thought that I could use them this way? They had crazy
guys singing war songs, so I tried not to get close… But after all, the more
connections you have, the better.”
“There are all kinds of people.”
“Yes. Rather than going for some weak actors, something like that works.
Thanks to this, rumors that a war is about to be waged is spreading
throughout Lindel. A reaction certainly will come.”
In other words, Lindel was a time bomb just waiting to explode.
In fact, the merchants from Celia were quickly leaving Lindel in fear, and the
innocent Taiwan’s large guild was also undergoing evacuation procedures for
their citizens.
However…
“There won’t be a war. How will a war happen when the Holy Empire is
preventing such conflict? Relations with the Republic and the Kingdom
Union are also skewed, and the head-on conflict between the two cities is
ridiculous. Tell them to enjoy doing bombing magic drills how much they
want. The more they do that, the safer you are.”
“Ah. As much as possible, Juliana’s information should be spread out,
especially towards Celia… State it as a wide-area curse that cannot be
purified even by divine power. Research on wide-area magic that can curse
an entire city by using Juliana as a medium is in progress. It’s paying off so
far.”
“That’s not bad.”
“External war reporters were also sent to Celia for a different plan
altogether… Oh, write a letter to announce that the Guild Ilsun is also
developing mental attack strategy weapons. It seems like they like talking in
this way. It would be more efficient for crazy guys like themselves to move
than for normal people to announce.”
“Yes, Yes. I get it. Are you working on the Japanese press?”
“I’m working on spreading anxiety, since our shaman is also working hard.
You don’t have to worry about the Japanese. No, don’t worry about Japan as
much as possible.”
“You sure are talented. How did you make connections with Yuno
Kasugano?”
“Do you really want to know?”
“No. It’s okay. As long she’s being useful, I don’t care who she is, or where
she lives.”
“I like this side of you.”
“Is this a confession at this timing?”
“Who knows?”
At this, Lee Jihye slowly leaned in.
It was then that we heard a thump outside.

“Oppa!”
“I guess it’s time.”
“Yes. I’ll have to start preparing as well.”
“I will help with preparation on my side. I already told the Mercenary Queen,
so please wait.”
The time to attend the social gathering this evening was fast approaching.
For now, I had to focus on Jung Hayan, so I stepped towards the door.
The door slammed open, and there stood Jung Hayan, who looked way
different from before.
I didn’t know if it was because I had seen her a lot as a wizard, a class who
wore hoods often, but her appearance for the social gathering looked quite
beautiful.
She was wearing a white dress, a necklace, and earrings.
Overall, she looked very neat.
As she had a very nice body, it looked like the dress was prepared for her,
and the makeup on her cute and blunt face looked a little sexy.
Overall, I had a strong feeling that she brought out her unique charm without
going overboard.
“You look pretty, Hayan.”
“R-Really?”
“Of course.”
“Hehehehe…”
While laughing, I could see her glancing at Lee Jihye sitting on the side of
the room. However, her expression showed gratitude, not hostility.
It was natural for Jung Hayan to show such a look, as Lee Jihye was the one
who made it possible to be with me by releasing me from the
halfconfinement.
“Oh, Hayan is so beautiful.”
“R-Really? Thank you, Jihye-ssi.”
“You look more mature today. Seeing you finished it so early, I think you
wanted to show it to Kiyoung quickly, too. Am I right?”
“Yes.”
“You’re a cute couple. Ah. I was just about to prepare Kiyoung… Would you
like to wait outside? Or you can sit here…”
“I’ll be sitting here!”
“Okay. Do whatever you feel comfortable with.”
When Jung Hayan settled, a full-scale renovation began.
I just wanted to go like this, but it was essential to wear clothes that suited the
formal occasion. Of course, what Lee Jihye was preparing for me felt a little
too much.
“Everyone, come in.”
“Okay.”
This is because I didn’t know that Black Swan artists, who were known for
having many female guild members, would appear.
“He’s not very handsome, but he isn’t that bad. Please do your best,
everyone. Kiyoung can’t go to such a place and be ignored, right?”
“Yes, Lee Jihye.”
I can’t deny that I wasn’t handsome. As these people clung onto me, I
couldn’t help but sigh and decided not to pay too much attention to them.
Lee Jihye would be doing most of it, anyway.
“It would be better to leave a little bang. I would like the makeup team to
create a good impression. It would be nice to go with a slightly weak, yet
charming disposition. The costume team should avoid strong colors as much
as possible… I think it would be good just to make him stand out.”
“Okay.”
“Alright.”
“Not red. Did you hear me? He has to look like a victim, enough to make the
nobles feel compassion for him. Make him look as young as possible…
Instead of a suit, he’s going to wear an imperial outfit. It’s good to make him
look friendly.”
“Yeah… Yes. Okay.”
I knew keeping appearances was important. This was also part of politics,
after
all.
However, the sight of the Black Swan staff sweating and moving to meet Lee
Jihye’s demands was a spectacle. Some of the world’s most renowned
makeup artists, coordinators, and even beauty creators were here.
I had been checking myself in the mirror, but I honestly couldn’t figure out
what was changing.
However, in Jung Hayan’s eyes; it didn’t seem that way at all.

Little by little, her gaze became blunt.
‘She’s always like that.’
“Hayan.”
“Hayan?”
“Hayan?!”
“Yes… Yes!”
It would be no exaggeration to say that my transformation was going

smoothly just from her reaction.
“Did you finish all the work I ordered you to do?”
“Yeah?”
“The thing you had to send to Blue and the letter you should’ve given to the
shaman.”
“Yes, I did it all. As you’ve said, I tied it tightly with magic and sent it.”
“Well done. After all, Hayan is the best.”
“But Kiyoung… So, from now on, you don’t have to stay here?”
“Huh. It doesn’t mean I won’t have any movement restrictions, but as long as
I can attend the gathering, it’ll be a convenience. It’s all thanks to Jihye-ssi.”
“Ah…”
“Perhaps, when the time passes, it will be completely removed.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
As I talked with Jung Hayan, I could feel the time pass us by. In the
meantime, Lee Jihye and the other Black Swan members continued to
struggle with my appearance.
After a while, even the physical change became apparent to me.
‘Huh…
I feel like I’d become a handsome guy for some reason. Not as much the
original face, but still…
‘It’s worth comparing with Hyunsung as well…’
I could now kind of understand what clothes, hair, and makeup were, and
how they were important.
When they said that most of it was finished, I got up and once again looked at
myself in the full-length mirror.
I had gone into a suit, but the aristocrats’ clothes, along with its many
cumbersome decorations, certainly did not make it easy to move.
“Turn around, Kiyoung. I want to see if it went well.”
“The decorations are a little crooked.”
Lee Jihye quietly pinpointed what was wrong, but the expression of the guild
staff told me they thought it looked good.
‘So sly.’
The sight of Lee Jihye coming to me to check my clothes for the last time
looked like a mother tying a father’s tie to work.
I don’t know if it was because she wanted to show off to Jung Hayan or
because she wanted to do it herself, but annoyance flashed onto Hayan’s
face.
‘If only they got on each other’s nerves openly…’
I would have felt a little more comfortable if they did, instead of going with
such annoying subtlety.
“Our oppa is so cool, right, Hayan?”
“Ah? Yes…”
Even with an important task ahead, Jihye still seemed to have some time for
provocations.
“T-The rest, I will…”
“Since you’ve been sitting so far, keep sitting. It’s better to leave this to an
expert, right?”
Even tidying up the back of my jacket seemed to bother Jung Hayan.
‘Stop, Jihye…
Only
“That’s right. All done!”
“Thank you, Jihye-ssi.”
“You’re welcome. Of course, this is something I should do. Since our Hayan
is still young and doesn’t know anything, shouldn’t I have to work hard to
support you? I’m having such a hard time because of this… Ah…”
The moment I saw Lee Jihye’s face, which seemed to provoke openly, I was
sure that we were soulmates.
‘This is my wife, kid.’
Lee Jihye’s expression as she taunted Hayan, was very similar to my usual
expression.
“Shall we go now? I also have to prepare. Hayan, please take care of our
oppa today.”
“Yes, of course…”
Chapter 127 Don’t Yield
Don’t Yield
“Then, I’ll see you at the meeting. Kiyoung oppa, Hayan-ssi.”
I felt a slight resentment towards Lee Jihye for leaving in such a heavy
atmosphere. Jung Hayan didn’t look all that good.
Fortunately, she didn’t seem like she was in the mood to kill anyone, but the
look of defeat on her face didn’t seem like it would go away anytime soon.
“The trimming’s c-crooked, oppa…”
‘It’s not crooked.’
“Ah… I think it’s fine.”
“No. It’s crooked. 1-I’ll fix it.”
“Ah… Yeah… Thank you, Hayan.”
She had just now realized the difference between Lee Jihye and herself.
Unlike she, who had come just to show off how she looked, Lee Jihye had
made sure to take care of me, so she must be feeling inferior.
Of course, I was not a child, and I didn’t find any reason for women to act as
pure housewives.
If Kim Hyunsung were the one to stand on the podium today, it would have
been me who’d be fussing over him to make sure he looked good. I certainly
wouldn’t put makeup on him, but I would definitely make sure he had on the
right clothes and the correct disposition.
As she the representative agent among the representatives, Lee Jihye’s

behavior was quite normal. The problem was Jung Hayan, who had no choice
but to accept all of this. Lee Jihye’s snide remarks all throughout must have
gotten to her.
‘Because it’s true…’
At this point, she’d forgotten all about Lee Jihye saving my life, for the
nervousness was evident on her face.=
“T-there’s some dust here.”
“Ah. Thank you, Hayan.”
“There is something on your head, o-oppa…”
Perhaps she was more affected than I thought, as she continued to smother
me. Seeing her tear-filled eyes, I felt a sense of discomfort, as I knew she was
on the verge of crying.
Jung Hayan was blaming herself. It shouldn’t have been Lee Jihye who could
take care of me, but her, who came from the same guild as I did. I personally
would prefer Jihye handling things over her, but I, of course, wouldn’t tell
her that.
“I’ve been b-busy since morning. I was also preparing… I would take care of
you if I had the time. Because of what you told me to do, I f-forgot…”
‘It’s okay. You don’t have to explain, Hayan…’
“No. It’s okay. I can see how hard you’ve worked. Seeing how pretty you
look makes me happy too.”
If Jung Hayan knew everything that Lee Jihye had handled, she would bow
her head in shame.
Unlike Jung Hayan, who only ran a very simple errand, Lee Jihye was not
only manipulating the masses in Lindel, manipulating the media, and
managing a personal network within the castle, she was also defending me.
However, what I wanted from Jung Hayan was not Lee Jihye’s role.
Each one of them had their own role to do.
“Jung Hayan is doing well. You don’t have to worry about too many things.”
She only needed to be patient as she was now, and to grow up as she had
done so until now.
This was not yet the stage for the out-of-standard great mage.
“O-oppa…”
‘This is the stage for my soulmate and !
As I snuck outside, I saw Victor Hart and some of his knights, whom I had
recently met. They were my guards for the day, to protect me from any
potential killer.
“Hello, Victor Hart.”
“You’re a little late, young man.”
“Thank you for taking care of all this.”
“I thought it wasn’t dangerous enough to call out this resting old man…
You’re more chicken-hearted than I thought.”
“There is nothing wrong with being careful.”
“Hee-ra said she would be waiting at the entrance. Then, will you go
slowly?”
“I’m just asking just in case…”
“I understand.”
“A citizen of Celia has been killed, after all.”
“Of course not, Victor Hart. I am only a victim of murder threats. Juliana was
just doing something her job to protect me.”
“Right.”
“Aren’t you familiar too, Victor Hart? It is only because Ito Souta is
collaborating with the Pope’s side and putting pressure on us by accusing me
of being a suspect. Everything has been a calculated move. It would be
retaliation from when we, the Blue, announced that the Yamato Guild was
the main culprit in the Lindel terrorist incident. He is either trying to
assassinate me or show me off as a murderer to conceal the truth.”
“Is that it?”
“Yes. Isn’t it a little more intriguing that he couldn’t stop Juliana in the first
place? What do you think, Victor Hart?”
“I don’t know what you’re asking, exactly.”
“If we assume that my sword was hurting someone around here, would
Victor Hart be able to block it?”
“Ito Souta also has the ability to stop Juliana. Most of the invited guests here
are probably able to stop Juliana. It is not true that I killed him on purpose.”
“But, you’ve been labeled a suspect.”
“That’s because the world doesn’t necessarily work with the truth. This is
already not a simple murder case. It has become a little more political.
Political battles within the Holy Empire were divided into the Emperor’s and
the Pope’s. It’s a fight for interests that has spread to Lindel and Celia.”
“So that’s why they’ve spread strange rumors over in Lindel.”

I knew he was an armed man, but it seemed he had a logical mindset, too. I
had to hold my breath, seeing him in such a bad mood.
“I’ve seen a lot of young people like you. The ones with snake tongues.”
And that’s why I don’t like quick-witted old men like you.’
As an old man who had gone through with all kinds of things, he was not just
an ordinary fighter. This was a man who hadn’t aged for nothing.
Before I could organize my thoughts, he spoke once more.
“Usually, those kinds of people have sacrificed countless people to protect

their own peace of mind, and they always don’t end well. They destroy the
people around them, as well as themselves in the end.”
“What are you talking about…?”
“Tut-tut. Don’t pretend like you don’t know. I’ve heard a lot of things. Aren’t
all of the provocations against Celia taking place at Linde all your doing?”
The old man’s eyes appraising me quietly were making me nervous.
Even if I kept playing innocent, I felt like there will be no results. I had no
choice but to answer.
“About half is correct.”
“I don’t know why you don’t like this, but it was an unavoidable choice for
me. If I must exaggerate a little, I wouldn’t be attending this meeting in
Lindel; instead, I would have been in court. Being caught up in Ito Souta’s
and Pope’s traps, I don’t know much, but I know I would suffer a lot of
damage.”
“You wouldn’t die.”

“Of course, because I am a lover that the Mercenary Queen cares about, and I
am a client of the Yozora Guild’s Shaman. But what do you think? If I were
an ordinary person who didn’t have any connections, are you sure I wouldn’t
get my throat cut in this situation?”
“Well…”
“It would be difficult. A concession is a word suitable for people like you.
Let’s suppose I gave them a hundred concessions to minimize conflict. I
mean to say, old man, that I’m only human. It’s so simple that if the favor
continues, they’ll think it’s a right. Then you’ll have to yield, and if you yield
this time, chances are you’ll have to yield the next.”
“Among the many free people, do you know why I can talk to you here in
less than a year after coming from the tutorial dungeon? How could an idiot
with no talent or special talent be here? It is not because I’m the one that
mercenary queen loves. It’s not because I’m the shaman’s client.”
“It’s because I didn’t yield; thus, I’ve reached this point.”
“Tut…”
“Because I didn’t yield, I’m being protected by the best-unmanned man in the
Holy Empire. Because I didn’t yield, I can be in a party venue and not in the
courtroom, and because I didn’t yield, I’m still alive. Special people will not
understand. Those who stand in a position that can concede don’t understand
guys like me.”
“That’s a unique way to think.”
“Anyone can think like this. The answer comes when you think about why
the Emperor of the Holy Empire gets conscious of the Pope’s side. You’ve
probably been making concessions for centuries. It’s because you kept
yielding that it has become this way. Humans or groups who avoid conflict
cannot speak out. I can understand you. Of course, I understand your love for
the empire. But that’s possible because you are in a position of power. There
are so many guys like me in the world – those who ravenously eat the ones
that yield and the ones who have fallen to the ground. In extreme terms, it’s
like you raised them.”
“That’s sophistry. All you say is sophistry.”
“I hear that often. Still, there must be something you agree with. If I had
swung my sword, had I coveted what was mine without conceding, what
would’ve happened?”
“There must have been a fight and a quarrel. There must have been a lot of
blood on my hands, and I must have lived a life stained with regret because
of
it.”
“Instead, the Emperor and his descendants, whom you love, would have lived
a happy life. Of course, I understand that harmony is important. I am not
telling you to defeat the Pope’s side right away. They are already part of this
Holy Empire. Still, to protect your rights, you must not yield.”
“I am not trying to start a war. I just choose not to give in to their own selfish
desires.”
“If…”
“Yes?”
“What would you do if the ones you were talking about also don’t yield?”
“I don’t know. I want to avoid war, too. One thing I can tell you for sure is
that I don’t mean to cause conflict. Stepping aside is something the other
person should do. I threw the card, and whether to take it or avoid it is in their
hands.”
“If they do not avoid it…”
“I told you, I already threw it.”
“You’re scarier than I thought… And also excellent… I can see why Hee-ra
likes you.”
“I will take that as a compliment, old man.”
“Tut. Do you even like Heera?”
‘Subtlety is not your strong suit, Victor.’
As we continued to walk, Jung Hayan stared up at me, almost as if waiting

for my answer. Of course, there wasn’t a right answer for this, but I had long
since prepared an answer for such a situation.
“About half.”
“It looks like you care about her a lot.”
“Of course. It may sound funny, but Hee-ra is like a daughter to me.”
I didn’t answer after that. I saw Cha Hee-ra waiting once we arrived at the
entrance hall. Her figure had been clad up in a red dress, alongside her red
hair and bright, red lips.
“Victor, honey, what did you two talk about?”
“Nothing much.”
“I’m happy to see the two people I like arriving side by side. Secondly… You
look a little pretty. You’ll make a good impression wherever you go. What do
you think, honey? It’s been a while since I wore something like this. Do I
look good?”
It wasn’t about looking good or not.
Only
I could see the numerous wounds that the revealing dress exposed, the
wounds that showed the struggles Cha Hee-ra had faced. Although we chose
different paths, I could see that she had lived a life similar to mine.
Until she got to her current position, she never looked back.
Cha Heera was fire – a blazing, unquenchable fire. She wore a confident
expression and an unrelenting attitude, unashamed to show off the wounds on
her body.
“You look beautiful.”
Upon hearing my words, Cha Hee-ra’s face turned red, and Jung Hayan’s
hand squeezed mine painfully.
And then…
“Guild Master Mercenary Queen Cha Hee-ra of the Red Mercenary Guild
and Victor Hart-nim, Knight Commander of the Imperial Knights. Lee
Kiyoung of the Blue Guild and Jung Hayan, also of the Blue Guild, are
entering.”
I heard a booming voice announcing our entry.

Chapter 128 Trap Card Invoked (1)
Trap Card Invoked (1)
I was not particularly interested. I had a plan to put into action, and making
my debut into the social world wasn’t part of it. However, it would be quite
beneficial.
Just do what you have to do.’
Being a new figure always earned attention, especially one known as the
lover of the Mercenary Queen, and the hot topic of this meeting. Simply put,
this gave me an advantageous position.
With that simple announcement, all eyes had gone to me.
There wasn’t such a daring person who would go so far as to mess with me,
someone who was currently being protected by Victor Hart.
I could see a luxurious interior as the door opened for us. Tables were
arranged on one side, with uniform-clad servants walking around carrying
trays filled with light desserts or wine. Asians with dark hair talking over in
one corner stood out.
Of course, the most eye-catching among them were the imperial ladies with
colorful hair.
Just by looking at the clothes, I could tell the fabric was luxurious, and the
accessories they were wearing were difficult to measure in terms of value.
‘Imperial nobility:
Those wearing the clothes of the priests of the Holy Empire were also
noticeable. Perhaps they belonged to the Pope’s side. What was confusing
about them were the clothes and ornaments they wore, all looking highly
expensive.
It seemed that their religion did not have integrity included in their motto.
Before I could take another step, I saw Cha Hee-ra reaching out to me, an
expression of guilt on her face.
“Hold it, honey.”
Even in the Holy Empire, it was common for men to escort women, yet Cha
Hee-ra took my hand and started to lead me in a provoking manner.
Although my arm hurt from the magic flowing to me, I kept my mouth shut
tight and moved on.
‘It fucking hurts. Fuck….
The Mercenary Queen’s gaze showed that she didn’t care about what people
thought of us as we walked. I didn’t know how this would look to the people,
a man being escorted by a strong woman, but…
‘It works.
This was helpful for my image.
“She is…”
“The rumor that the Mercenary Queen fell in love is true. Is this her first
time?”
“He looks a little different from what I thought. I thought he would look a bit
rougher…”
“It looks like he is a capable alchemist. He must be the academic type.”
“It’s a face that I can’t think of hurting anyone. And he’s cute…”
“Ah, I felt it too. Doesn’t it make you want to protect him?”
“Right. It makes you think exactly that.”
“The Mercenary Queen’s taste is great. At first glance, he looks ordinary, but
you can see some peculiar aura around him…”
“Yes. Yes, I felt that too.”
The women talking to each other had their mouths covered with the fans they
held, but I could still hear everything.
‘What are those ladies talking about?’
I wasn’t sure, exactly, but it felt like I had become a hit with the noble ladies.
Of course, this meant that the other men were looking at me in disgust. It hurt
my pride slightly, but it wasn’t too bad being known as the idiot following
the Mercenary Queen.
Anyway, my true prowess would be known someday. For now, it would be

best to appear as the victim.
‘That kind of guy?’
‘Ha, it must be a joke.’
‘A murderer, you’ve to be kidding?
‘There must be something in there.’
To instill this kind of perception was the first step. I didn’t know if Cha Hee-
ra intended for this to happen, but thanks to her bold actions, it was working
so
far.
Even though we had been here for some time, eyes were still on us. I could
see some people coming over with the intention to talk
I knew whoever you talked to first was a very important procedure. It would
be good if we could talk to someone powerful.
Once I settled in the right place, I could see Jung Hayan biting her lips
tightly.
“Our little Hayan looks quite miserable.”
“You can enter together tomorrow.”
“Ah… Yes.”
“I like being fair.”
Even in the midst of this, I felt grateful for Cha Hee-ra’s consideration for
Jung Hayan.
“It feels like all the main characters are gathered here.”
“It’s been a long time, Duchess Catherine.”
“It’s been a while, Victor Hart-nim. How is the Mercenary Queen?”
“I’m fine.”
‘Huh, not bad.
The one who had spoken to us was a woman with indigo hair. With just one
look, one could tell that she held a very high position.
‘Duchess Catherine.’
This was a woman who was said to be the center of the social church. Despite
her position as the Duchess, I knew that she had made many connections
because of her unique sociability.
She held a lot of influence even in the Holy Empire. That was because she
went on the front line for her old husband, who was currently lying in bed.
In other words, it meant that she was someone who was optimized for
working on sociability.
“Is this the protagonist of the buzzing rumors?”
“Hello, I’m Lee Kiyoung.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Catherine. You look a little different from what I
imagined.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I imagined someone a little scarier. I didn’t know you’d be handsomely tall

like this.”
“Thank you. Duchess Catherine is very beautiful, just as I heard.”
“Oh. You’ve heard of me?”
“Yes, of course. I always hear a lot of stories about you from Hee-ra.”
Smooth talk was my forte. As expected, I could see her smiling in response.
“If the Mercenary Queen doesn’t mind, is it okay if I borrow your boyfriend
for a while?”
“Of course, Duchess. I was worried that you would be bored of us, but I feel
relieved.”
“Thank you.”
There was frustration on Jung Hayan’s face, but I had gotten Cha Heera’s
okay sign. She had something else to do as well.
Perhaps we would talk about the current atmosphere of Lindel with the Black
Swan’s master.
Jung Hayan would also have to show her face to the court wizards, so it was
natural that I had to deal with her too.
As I extended my left arm to Duchess Catherine, I saw her face looking at it

unexpectedly.
In fact, it was only to protect my right arm that Hee-ra had caught earlier, but
in her eyes, it seemed that I was escorting her.
Of course, other noble ladies beside her had also begun to approach me
slowly. Since I was the center of gossip, it was natural for me to receive such
treatment. As I saw questioning glances on everyone’s expressions, wondered
about what to start with.
Above everything else, I knew it would help not to indulge into the topic they
wanted right away.
‘It is important to lay down some stable foundation for conversation, first.’
I couldn’t just talk about the incident right away.
“Oh… Then the Mercenary Queen…”
“Yes. Hee-ra and I have known each other back on Earth. From then on, she
helped me a lot.”
“Ahhh. So that’s it.”
“Where did you get the sword called Juliana?”
“I got it while trying to save a party member from an attack in a dungeon.

Originally, it was supposed to be owned by our guild master, Kim Hyunsung,
but Juliana didn’t choose him.”
“That’s awesome. I heard what the Blue went through because of someone’s
interest in the Free City. You found the treasure during the attack in the
Cursed Shrine, right?”
“You seem well informed.”

“Yes. I heard that the potion you made was used to successfully reduce the
curse’s effect, am I right? It was a hot topic in Lindel, as it was the first time
an alchemist made something to help with an expedition.”
“Ah, I feel embarrassed.”
“Oh, so that really happened?”
“How amusing…”
It seemed like some people already know about me. Of course, this didn’t
mean that they had researched about me in advance.
Surely Lee Jihye had been talking about me everywhere. I didn’t know how,
but she must have instilled only the good stuff about me.
From then on, we moved to talking and establishing friendships.
“Yamato Guild’s Ito Souta from the free city of Celia is entering.”
The guy who messed with me started walking slowly from the entrance. Of
course, gazes flew from all over the place.
A pretty sharp-looking face came into view. He must have been good at
keeping appearances.
He did not only receive favorable glances from the Pope and his underlings,
but also from the other nobles present in the party as well.
‘So he’s talented…’
There were already people coming to greet him. At first glance, it seemed
like he was intent on showing it all to me – his network, his talent, and his
established talent.
He moved with dignity and gave off a good impression. He didn’t seem to be
someone who had committed this kind of thing.
I didn’t know when he came, but if one were to assume that he had managed
the people here for a long time, their trust in him probably went beyond
imagination.
His situation was different from Cha Hee-ra, who only kept close to Victor
Hart.
Considering that Park Yeonjoo of the Black Swan has just become a guild
master and Yuno Kasugano didn’t have that kind of personality…
‘It means he’s a popular guy.
What was unexpected was that he was fast approaching me. At this, I
changed expressions at once, shifting into a slightly frightened stance.
“It’s been a long time.”
I couldn’t figure out why he was talking to me.
To simply show off? Or did he want to reconcile?
I doubted it was the latter.
“Yes… Long time no see.”
The noble ladies began to step aside, and Victor Hart began to get a little
wary of him. As long as he was acting as my escort, this kind of behavior
would be natural.
I could see a little bit of interest on his face.
‘Ha…’
There was amusement on his face.
‘That’s right, that’s it.’
Souta did not know much about me. He probably thought of me as an easy
win.
However, the results would be different from the one he was expecting.
I was not in the courtroom but in the social hall, and Lindel was on the verge
of exploding.
Even in the Holy Empire, I was in a position that was not to be messed with.
From his standpoint, I must have just seemed like an interesting toy.
“There seems to be a little misunderstanding, Lee Kiyoung.”
‘Son of a…
He wasn’t backing down at all.
On the contrary, he was definitely looking down on me, acting as if he had

already won.
‘You worked hard. That’s pretty good. So what can you do now? You know
you have no other option anyway. Hold my hand. That’s the best you can do.’
That was what he was trying to say. I would be lying if I said that didn’t hurt
my pride.
Suddenly, a voice spoke out from behind me.
“Saying it’s a misunderstanding now? Stop with the bullshit.”
“Cha Hee-ra-nim, we only want to keep a good relationship with Lindel.

Whatever the reason, the two groups are too heated up.”
“Are they?”
“In the Holy Empire, we do not want conflict. Whatever the case’s
circumstances, I think it would be a good idea to unravel each other’s
resentment. It hurts me to lose one guild member too… Isn’t it better to
collaborate than to be fighting within the borders of the Holy Empire?”
In summary, he was saying that he was willing to sacrifice, to yield in the

name of peace.
“You should be talking to my honey, not me, Ito Souta.”
“Yes. Of course, I’m also talking to Lee Kiyoung. I think it would be better
not to cause any more problems. We sincerely apologize if our actions felt
threatening.”
Only
His act of putting down his pride was indeed a spectacle. Upon the watchful
eyes of everyone, I had no choice but to reach out for his outstretched hand.
As I held out my hand unwillingly, Ito Souta squeezed my hand tight,

smiling.
If there was one thing he didn’t expect…
“Thank you for the rational choice… huh?”
“Ahhhhhh!”
Indeed, one of my arms had not been normal from the moment I entered this
place.
I invoked the trap card, you bastard!’
“Ahhhhhhh!”
Chapter 129 Card Trap Invoked (2)
Card Trap Invoked (2)
Of course, I never intended to end things on even ground. It was not a bad
idea to break an arm or dislocate a shoulder, but the gift I had prepared for Ito
Souta was a little heavier.
As I slipped my magic power into the pre-loaded magic from Cha Heera,
results better than I had expected began to appear.
I heard that it would hurt, but it was actually a lot more painful than I
thought.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!!”
The blood fountain popped out of my right arm instantly. At this, Cha Hee-ra
cut off my arm with an urgent expression.
Of course, she wasn’t attacking me. Amputating my arm was more of a first
aid.
Before we had entered, the magical power that she had planted in advance
had already come up through my body. Had my arm not been cut now, her
magic would have soon penetrated my brain.
Although I felt tremendous agony, seeing Ito Souta’s absurd expression was
more than worth it.
It’s a painkiller, a painkiller.’

“This son of a…!”
‘Huh, I like the acting.’
Cha Hee-ra’s acting definitely added more liveliness to the sudden event. In
the first place, the person who had objected to the plan and felt that it was too
dangerous was her, so this added more realism to her feigned urgency.
I wanted to laugh out loud. However, all I could do was scream.
My arm fell off in an instant.
Of course, it was painful. No, it would be correct to say that the screams that
I had endured so far burst out at once. I couldn’t bear it, as I had been
enduring the pain right from the moment that she escorted me into the party.
I felt like a newborn baby.
The group of noble ladies moved away from me as they screamed in unison. I
could see Jung Hayan running towards me with a startled expression.
At this, Cha Hee-ra clenched her fist and turned to attack Ito Souta.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Kyak!”
“Take this!”
In the first place, to pretend to be the real victim, it was effective to move
yourself. Though painful, it was the only reasonable option.
Even when faced with Cha Heera’s fist, I saw Ito Souta’s distorted face
staring at me.
It was only for a short moment, but as I rolled around on the ground, I let
myself smile.
“Stupid bastard!”
Kwajijijik!
With a loud sound, Cha Heera’s fist connected with his face, and his body
flew through the air
Baaaaaaang!
“This son of a bitch…”
“Cough…”
After the smoke had cleared, I could see Ito Souta spitting blood as he raised
himself up against the wall, with Cha Hee-ra approaching him.
I knew he would be experiencing pain beyond imagination, for his endurance

wasn’t that high.
Most of the attendees had a hard time following what was happening, but
most of their eyes had fallen on me. I had naturally gathered their attention as
I continued screaming in pain.
The priests flocked to my side in no time, and many started running towards
this side to check my condition.
“O-Oppa, are you okay? Oppa… Sniff… Oppa…”
“Uuggh…”
“Oppa…”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
Jung Hayan, who didn’t know how to react in these kinds of situations, was
holding my arm while crying, shedding large drops of tears. Lee Jihye, who
came running, was also tearing her dress and controlling the blood dripping
out from me.
‘Huh, this is a really great scene.’
I felt like I was an actor in a movie.
“How did this happen?” Lee Jihye asked an obvious question to the nearby
priest.
Of course, she knew. Her own acting skills were outstanding.
“No, please treat him first. You need to reattach his arm. What are you
doing? It’s not the time to falter! Call the priest right now!”
“Quickly, the priest… The priest!”
“If you dawdle for too long, it won’t only be his arm that would be lost!”
“Please tell me the symptoms.”
“S-someone intentionally put in magic power through him. Fortunately, Cha

Hee-ra prevented this by cutting off his arm, but he should be in a lot of pain.
1-I think the first thing is to suture the arm. Before it’s too late, you must
clear the remaining energy from the fallen arm. S-someone…”
“I-I’ll do it…”
“Please, Hayan.”
Thankfully, this priest’s remarks were falling in our favor. It would have
been better if I’d screamed even louder, but this was already quite effective.
The sudden flood of magical power that started from my right arm was the
cause of this situation, after all.
And, even better, the suspect was obvious.
It was our very own Ito Souta.
This bastard was the culprit, in any angle that one would choose to take.
Usually, those classified as strong had a class effect, the knowledge of

advanced magic power management. Being able to deliberately inject magic
into my arm and make it explode was only possible with those who had
earned this kind of knowledge.
The ones capable of that in this place were at most five people, and the ones
that come to mind first are Cha Hee-ra, Victor Hart, and Ito Souta.
In the first place, Victor Hart couldn’t afford to put magic power in me,
leaving only two suspects, and my beloved Hee-ra couldn’t possibly do that
to me, which left Ito Souta.
Perhaps he was aware that he had gotten himself into a trap.
As I lifted my head a little, I could see Jung Hayan grabbing my fallen arm
and pushing away the remaining magical power, and behind her, I could see
the bastard vomiting blood.
“Cough… Bleargh…”
It was a sudden attack, but he should have been able to avoid it.
It felt a little frustrating.
Although I was happy to see the guy vomiting blood, it would be better to see
him counterattack Cha Hee-ra. However, things were exciting as they already
were.
The Yamato Guild members around him tried to somehow stop Cha Heera,
but it was impossible. I wanted to see more, but…
‘It will be hard in this context.
Seeing the guards and Victor Hart blocking Cha Hee-ra, it seemed that I
wouldn’t be able to.
I could see the crumpled expression on Victor’s face as he quietly stared at

Cha Hee-ra.
“Stop. I won’t allow this to go any further.”
“Get out, old man. My business is not with you, but with the motherfucker
behind you.”
“This is not a training center, Hee-ra.”
“You probably know who started this nonsense! Still, seeing you blocking, it
looks like it’s me, not that bastard… The same goes for the other guards…
Are you still unable to distinguish who among us is the victim and the
perpetrator? Do you need other evidence? He was caught in the act. Dying is
nothing for this bastard who tried to kill my honey in front of me.”
‘Good.’
Though everything she had said was purely nonsense, her acting was enough.
No matter how crazy Ito Souta was, he surely wouldn’t be crazy enough to
burst my head with magic at such a place where all the executives were
gathered.
If one were to think calmly, it was possible to recognize that the culprit
wasn’t Souta Ito.
However, the same went for me.
Of course, I was also not crazy enough to kill his guild members in the Holy
City of the Holy Empire.
I don’t have the guts to do that…’
It would all lead back to the pain I suffered today. Just like what Souta had
done, I had made up my own truth.
“You know that’s weird. No matter how much he threatened Lee Kiyoung, he
is not stupid enough to do something in a place like this. Obviously,
something is wrong. The first thing to do is to listen to the story according to
the procedure.”
“Well. It’s up to you to think. We have pretty high-level information.”
“I can’t tell you clearly because there is no physical evidence, but it’s all
based on influence. I fully understand why Ito Souta did such a foolish thing.
Even in this situation, he wanted to cover our honey’s mouths. He knows that
if our honey opens his mouth, he will not be safe.”
‘That’s it.’
Cha Hee-ra was acting better than I had initially thought. I was worried about
her abilities, but it seemed like she was doing a great job.
‘Attagirl, Cha Hee-ra!’
“What…”
“He wanted to shut Kiyoung up so much that he did this in a place like this.
He has a motive for that. I will vouch for it.”
Of course, that’s a lie.’
“In the first place, he threatened our honey and used Juliana to incriminate
him for that reason…”
‘That was also a lie.’
“Can this also be explained if I say that the Lindel terror incident is also
related to this?”
‘Of course, that was also a lie.’
“If so, you know that you shouldn’t be punishing his crimes. I understand that
the person you love is injured and that you feel enraged, but please think
about what kind of place this is. Otherwise… I have no choice but to lift my
sword.”
Victor Hart looked pretty nervous as he spoke. It was clear that Cha Hee-ra’s
acting had him convinced that she might be telling the truth.
‘She’s like a daughter to him, after all.’
Considering his words, it seemed that he had tremendous trust in Cha Heera,
but they did say that raising a son or daughter might be useless in the end.
Victor Hart, who had his sword raised quietly, stood there with a crumpled
expression, so I had no choice but to open my mouth. There would be
nothing to gain if I failed to confront the situation any further.
“Hee-ra, I’m… fine…”
“Honey.”
Seeing Cha Hee-ra’s beautiful figure rushing to meet me, my heart pounded.
At this moment, she was more precious to me than Kim Hyunsung was. For
some reason, I felt sorry for Hyunsung, but anyway…
“Are you okay, honey? What about your arm?”
“I’m fine… You can’t make a fuss. Hee-ra…”
“Yes… Okay.”
As the excitement subsided, her voice returned to that cheap play tone again.
Fortunately, Victor Hart and the other guards had begun to encircle Souta Ito
at this point in time.
“I have to arrest you first. What is your reason for doing that in a place like
this?”
“I did not attack Lee Kiyoung.”
“For now, you will be investigated according to our procedure.”
‘That’s a good word. The procedure…’

“Yes. For now, I will accept to be investigated, but I attest that I have never
attacked Lee Kiyoung. I would like to tell the others here that I did not
approach him with the intention of killing, nor did I ever threaten him.”
“There will be a chance to make statements separately later. For now, come
with me.”
Only
“Yes.”
I saw him looking at me. It was only for a brief moment, but the anger on his
face was evident
He had thought of me as an easy win and was proven wrong. I knew he

would feel furious. I’m sure he would love nothing more than to destroy me
right now.
‘If you wanted to kill me, you’ve chosen the wrong place.
In the first place, he shouldn’t have gone for such a political fight.
‘It’s not over yet. Poor guy. This is just the beginning, so you can look
forward to more.’
As I slowly lifted my middle finger, a thrilling pleasure ran through my back.
‘Screw you.’
Chapter 130 Trap card invoked (3)
Trap card invoked (3)
‘Screw you.
Laughter came out of my mouth. I tried to resist it, but found that I couldn’t. I
was still surrounded by people trying to assist me, after all.
“H-He seems to be suffering seizures. Priests, please keep doing the spells,
and wizards, please check if his body has some magic flooding.”
“Yes.”
Lee Jihye, who realized about my situation, luckily made up a lie in time, so I
was forced to roll around once more as I held my arm. At this point, I could
also see Yuno Kasugano pacing around restlessly.
In fact, there was no reason for her to stay. My body was already recovering.
I was already craving to rest in my room than to stay here creating a spectacle
for the people.
However, I needed to continue the act for one reason, and one reason only.
‘We are the victims, you bastards!’
That was the message I wanted to portray.
Of course, the person who showed this even better than I did was Jung
Hayan.
“Waaaah, oppaaa! Waaaah…”
“I’m fine…”
“Sniff…”
Jung Hayan looked utterly lost and sad as she gazed down at me. For her, all
of this must’ve seemed real. Thus, her reaction was normal, seeing as she had
almost seen me die from the hands of that dirty bastard.
Anyone who saw her would think that I was already dead.
Because she was crying so sadly, she had managed to touch the hearts of
some of the noble ladies within the crowd.
Even Kasugano Yuno, who knew about the situation, had tears in her eyes.
This kind of situation probably felt unfamiliar to her.
My only role was to show how much pain I was feeling. At the same time,
however, it wouldn’t be good for me to overact at this point. As Lee Jihye
thought of the same, she shifted her effort into lightening the atmosphere.
It was then that Cha Hee-ra lifted me up. I knew this would prove to be
another spectacle.
She didn’t seem to care about the blood on my body and clothes. In an
instant, her body became covered in blood, yet this must seem like an
infinitely beautiful view to the nobles of the Holy Empire.
I really felt like I was being protected by this woman. Though I had not
touched her all over, I could feel her solid body.
Hee-ra wasn’t needlessly bulked like Park Deokgu. Her muscles were
perfectly compressed.
When I thought of Ito Souta, who was beaten up by this massive fist, laughter
came out again.
‘It’s great that you’re not dead.

At the right moment, he had probably protected his body with all his power.
However, seeing that he vomited blood, he must’ve suffered fatal injuries.
To put it plainly, Ito Souta had received double the damage that I had
sustained.
At this, we left the party hurriedly.
Jung Hayan was also following me while wiping away her tears, and Lee
Jihye stayed behind, as she felt like the duty fell on her to calm the people we
would be leaving behind.
Since she had confirmed that I was safe, she had moved on to the next part of
the plan.
I felt a little disappointed, but that was Lee Jihye for you.
‘It’s also an action that’ll work in my favor…’
Meanwhile, we were cruising straight into the medical wing.
As soon as we arrived, Cha Hee-ra placed me down onto the bed, her
expression serious.
Even as the priests came and began the treatment again, I couldn’t resist the
laughter.
Jung Hayan also took a step back and looked at me, and Cha Hee-ra quietly
opened her mouth.
“How is his state?”
“It seems like he’s gotten a lot better, Cha Hee-ra. I don’t think there will be
any other side effects if he continues to rest like this.”
“Good work. Now you may go.”
“Yes.”
“Hayan, you should go, too.”
“I don’t want to…”
“Hayan, if you go to my room, there will be a letter in the second chest of

drawers. You can go now and give it to the shaman.”
“O-oppa… Sniff…”
“My body is fine, so you should listen to me, alright?”
“Y… Yes…”
“You just need to come back after changing clothes and washing up. Just
deliver it to her, then we’ll stay together. You’re a good girl, right? Tell
Kasugano Yuno that I’m fine now.”
“Yes. Yes…”
I didn’t know why Cha Hee-ra asked even Jung Hayan to go, but the truth
was I also wanted her to leave for a while. The errand she must do was just a
good excuse.
I felt a little sorry, seeing her still crying, but I couldn’t openly laugh in front
of that worried face.
The priests had already left the room in a hurry, followed by a depressed
Hayan.
At this point, I had no choice but to let out the laughter I had been holding
back.
“Puh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.”
“Puh ha ha ha ha ha. Cough!”
I burst so badly that I began to cough. Cha Heera looked at me without

saying anything
“I feel like a decade-old congestion has gone down. Hee-ra, did you see Ito
Souta’s face? Cough. Puhaha.”
“It was much more perfect than I thought. Really… Actually, it would be
better if he avoided your fist there… That’s a little disappointing. Had you
beaten him to death there, it would have made things a lot easier. No, if I
think about it now, I’m glad he’s still alive. There are still a lot of gifts that
I’ve prepared, so he can’t die just yet. You controlled your strength, right? Or
was that bastard just quick to react? Puhaha. Anyway, it was successful in the
end. Cough.”
While I laughed continuously, Cha Heera’s expression began to change little

by little. I didn’t know why, but for some reason, I couldn’t get rid of the
feeling that she wasn’t happy at all.
‘Why is she like that?’
Obviously, I had no choice but to feel self-conscious.
At this point, Cha Hee-ra began to speak, anger laced into her tone.
“Honey.”
“Yes?”
“Is this funny?”
‘Why is she doing this again?’
“I’m asking if this is funny, you bastard. Fuck Ito Souta or whatever, are you
aware that you almost died?”
“I didn’t…”
“Don’t even say that it’s fine since you’re not dead. If things had happened a
little later, you could have died. You could have been crippled for your entire
life. If I hadn’t cut off your arm…”
“That’s why I said I believe in you, Hee-ra.”
“I’m not saying that. It’s about your attitude. I’ve seen many crazy guys in
my life so far, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen a crazy guy like you,
you bastard. I sometimes see people betting their lives, but this is the first
time see someone laughing over it. Do you really want to die?”
“No…”
“If you want to tell me anytime. I’ll beat you to death myself.”
“Why are you doing this?”
A strong, unusual feeling welled up from within me. I had initially thought
that Cha Hee-ra would laugh alongside me once everyone had gone, so her
reaction confused me.
However, as soon as she began biting her lips tightly, I could understand why
she reacted that way.
‘Huh…’
I never imagined that the Mercenary Queen would ever look like this.
‘No way…’
I thought about whether Cha Hee-ra was really into me, but I shook that
thought away.
No matter how much I tried to imagine it, the picture of her clinging onto me
just didn’t seem possible. It felt a little confusing, but at least her worry for
me didn’t seem that undeniable.
No, she indeed liked me, as she said. Whatever the reason, this could be
called a green light.
“Are you worried about me?”

“Shut your mouth…”
As I gently rubbed her face, she trailed off.
“You don’t have to worry, Hee-ra.”
“You…”
“It’s because you were there. That’s why I was able to laugh. I didn’t think
you would make a mistake. I was not betting my life. I knew I would never
die.”
“You…”
“Thank you, Hee-ra.”
I grabbed her face and pulled her closer, causing her to tremble.
‘She is nervous.
I would have never imagined it, but Hee-ra was actually nervous. At that
moment, seeing her desire for me, I knew I was half-right with what I had
been thinking.
However, when she squeezed my arm none-too-gently, I couldn’t help but let
out a scream.
“Ah!”
“S-Sorry.”
“No, Heera.”
Her reaction this time around was also a bit different.
Hee-ra looked a little embarrassed, as if she knew that she did something that
wasn’t like her at all. I saw her desperately trying to change the subject.
“Ah, I’m glad to hear that it went well as you thought.”

“Yes. This is enough. It turned the situation over.”
“You have other ideas, right? You screamed as much as you wanted, but
everyone will be wondering what it is that you know. They’ll want to know
why Ito Souta tried to kill you. Without solid evidence, he can be released
easily.”
“I know that. The Holy Empire hates conflicts, after all.”
“It is certainly an ambiguous problem to execute the master of a large guild…

Considering that the Pope’s side is also looking after the Yamato Guild, he’ll
probably be released a week or two later.”
“You don’t have to worry. I’m only telling you, but I’ve been working on
something separately.”
“What?”
“You can think of it as being related to the errand I sent Hayan.”
At this point, Hee-ra had donned a curious expression. I wondered if it would

be better to keep my mouth shut, but I felt like she had the right to know.
Telling her a little wouldn’t ruin it, anyway.
“That’s because I released the potion in Japan.”
“What?”
“I’m distributing potions from Blue to Japan through Yuno Kasugano. Of

course, externally, Shaman and Blue will take the position that they have
nothing to do with this potion… The people will know that a new clan in
Japan is developing and distributing this potion.”
Only
“You… bastard…”
“Of course, with the new clan as a distraction, rumors will spread that the real
distributor of this is Ito Souta. Now, because of these damn procedures, his
movements will be limited. This is a good time for the media to come into the
foyer. Of course, I’m not going to spread rumors directly here. It would be
too risky. The truth will be revealed little by little… That will eventually
choke him.”
“You do know that Ito Souta made a good impression not only for the Pope
but also for the nobles, right, honey?”
“That’s why It’s even better, Hee-ra. People don’t really care about the bad
guys committing crimes. Rather, it’ll be easier to work with if his appearance
is good. I don’t know exactly, but by the time Ito Souta appears in society
again, public opinion about him will be irreversibly deteriorating. I can
squeeze his image to the point where it will become impossible for him to
recover.”
“Do you know what these kinds of people find the most fun in the world?”
“What…”
“They find it fun talking behind other people’s backs.”
A disconcerted expression appeared on Cha Hee-ra’s face.

Chapter 131 Witch hunt (1)
Witch hunt (1)
Nobles who had nothing else to do liked to gossip about other people, and
this was a subject that I knew everyone would like talking about.
The news that Ito Souta, who everyone initially saw as a nice guy, tried to
assassinate an innocent to conceal his weakness; this was enough to shake his
social circle.
Because he had a good image and reigned as an idol in the social world, this
had created a larger impact.
After my conversation with Cha Heera was over, it felt a little wasteful to
spend the day by comforting Jung Hayan, but at the same time, I was in a
good mood over the things I was hearing. Knowing that Lee Jihye was
working hard was enough to make me happy.
Though talking was part of my skill, backtalk was Jihye’s specialty.
‘Today, I should backtalk too.
Anyway, it had been a while since Yuno Kasugano came here. She knelt
down quietly and bowed to me.
“You seem to be in a good mood, master.”
“Of course, there are no aftereffects like I thought, and the plan is proceeding
smoothly.”
“That… Did it hurt a lot?”
“It hurts, but it’s fine. I took painkillers beforehand… In fact, it wasn’t very
effective because it felt like the magic was turning my insides… Rather, how
is the distribution going?”
“We took care of everything exactly as the master said. It is already on the
market, and the sales rate seems to be good.”
“About how much?”
“As of today, the net profit has exceeded 20,000 gold, not considering what
was put on the black market before.”
“That’s not bad, considering the short period.”
“Yes. There are more and more people who purchase simply for personal
satisfaction… I am expecting it to increase little by little.”
“Good.”
I knew it couldn’t not be sold. Considering the price that could be easily
accessed by the general public, it was not strange that it would become a hit,
since its effects could make you forget the harsh reality for a while. It was an
improved version of the psychotherapy concoction that I had developed back
in the Cursed Shrine.
The problem was that the potion was very addictive.
There would be no big problem if you consulted with a pharmacist, but there
was no one who could handle the potion properly when I was the real
pharmacist in the first place.
“We won’t get caught, right?”
“Yes, of course, master. Items sold on the black market are laundered through
my personal business site, and the new guild selling potions is also moving
according to procedures. Even some among the Yamato Guild members are
using the potions…”
“That’s amusing. Any other news from the Yamato Guild?”
“I can’t figure it out exactly, but it seems that the guild’s mood has changed a
little after Ito Souta was taken in for investigation. They are refusing to trade
with our guild, and they are meeting with the other guilds.”
“Did you handle this?”
“Our guild is also constantly trying to contact the other guilds. You don’t
have to worry, master. Even in Japan, Ito Sota’s public opinion is not very
good.”
“Good.”
It’s been a while since I’ve heard some good news. It felt better knowing his
reputation was also dropping back in Celia. That was probably because
Yozora, another large guild, was directly accusing him.
Of course, I couldn’t say that the public’s opinion of Yozora was good either
because of their support in our favor. However, that would be resolved after
all this was over.
“If there is anything unusual, report it.”
“Yes, master. We will continue to watch closely.”
“Ah. Have you seen anything lately?”
“No. Until now…”
“You have a good yet annoying ability.”
“I’m sorry. P-Please punish me.”
Once again, Kasugano knelt even lower. However, this wasn’t the right time
to give her the punishment she wanted.
This was because I could hear Cha Hee-ra calling me outside.

“Honey? Didn’t you say you had an appointment with Duchess Catherine?”
“Ah. I’ll be out soon, Hee-ra.”
Her voice sounded a little uncomfortable.
Although the environment surrounding me had changed a little, what changed

the most was my relationship with Cha Hee-ra. Though she had forgotten that
little awkward scenario back in the medical wing, she had been talking to me
a lot more frequently, especially whenever she saw me with Kasugano. I feel
like she worried about how the shaman would be with me from now on
‘She just can’t show it.
She was the proud Mercenary Queen, after all.
I myself didn’t exactly know the cause for her changed attitude, but I knew it
was on a personal level. Liking someone wasn’t something that could be
explained logically
‘In any case, it’s a good thing.’
“I should get going.”
“Yes. Please do as you please.”
“I’m always grateful to you.”
Even with the Mercenary Queen being who she was, I never forgot to take
care of Yuno Kasugano. Just by gently stroking her hair, she already looked
as happy as Jung Hayan.
In other words, Kasugano Yuno was easy to handle, the lowest in terms of
difficulty.
Since she had already entrusted her body to me, there was no need to say
anything else.
“You look happy, Master.”

“Ah. Being with you isn’t boring. It’s only because it’s fun to curse Ito Souta
with Duchess Catherine, so don’t worry. Oh, keep getting acquainted with the
characters in the Holy Empire. I’ll see you next time.”
When I slightly opened the door, I saw Cha Hee-ra gazing at me for a
moment, before staring straight at the shaman with an odd expression.
At first, Kasugano Yuno kept her head bowed, but sensing Hee-ra’s
unrelenting gaze, she had no choice but to look up and meet the redhead’s
stare right-on.
“Can we talk for a minute?”
“Ah.”
“Go do your things, honey. The women have something to talk about. It’s
okay, right? Shaman?”
“Yes. Of course. I also have something to talk about with Cha Hee-ra. I’m
quite busy, but I think I will be able to make time if it doesn’t take too long.”
“That’s great. Then, see you in a bit, honey.”
I was a little scared about what they would talk about, but I knew it would be
better not to get myself involved. Besides, I had an appointment, and sharing
my joy was more important than indulging myself in what I knew would be a
stressful conversation.
As I moved with the imperial knights who came out on behalf of Victor Hart,
I saw the noble ladies having tea time in the garden.
“Ah, Lee Kiyoung.”
“Nice to see you, Duchess Catherine and Countess Elise. Ah! Marlin Young-
ae is also here today. It’s been a while, everyone.”
“Everyone wanted to participate when they heard you were coming today.
So? Are you feeling a little better?”
“Alas, it still feels very uncomfortable to move, but… I can’t miss the
opportunity to talk with these beautiful ladies. You must have been surprised
about what happened the last time… Thank you very much for calling me
again today.”
“No. At that time, we, too, were sorry for not being able to take care of you
properly, as we weren’t aware of the situation.”
“It was a situation that would scare anyone. Rather, you don’t know how
grateful I am that you visited me privately… Thank you so much for inviting
me to this meeting.”
“No. Talking with Kiyoung is very fun for us too.”
It couldn’t not be fun.
I would never say my speech skills were excellent. However, just by showing
my admiration or applauding whatever the noble ladies said, I had gained
their favor.
More than the conversation’s topic, I was the hottest person in this royal city
right now. Just talking with me gave them a sense of superiority.
‘The rumors will be quick…’
These ladies were said to be the center of gossip, so I knew the rumors would
spread within the castle instantly.
At the same time, I used this as an excuse in order to be able to relax and
have tea. Sure enough, seeing the ladies already chit-chatting made me smile.
Although they shifted conversations from one topic to another, in the end, the
conclusion of all conversations came down to Ito Souta.
“Oh… I didn’t see him that way, but he seemed a little scary.”
“Yes, that’s right. Who knew he would do that in social gatherings? If I think
about that day, I still become so restless!”
“So Countess Elise does that too. The same goes for me. I thought he was
trustworthy because he seemed to have a good relationship with the Pope, but
it’s so hard to see through someone.”
“Actually, there is a story I heard…”
“Ah! Did you hear anything, Marlin Young-ae?”
“Yes. It’s a bit of a delicate story… I heard it from a friend on the Pope’s
side. I’m telling this only because I trust you all; I hope you keep the secret.”
I bet that Marlin Young-ae’s story would spread all over the castle within
three hours after this meeting was over. Her secret would soon become the
next raging hot topic.
“Ito Souta and Sister Ariel from the Pope’s side…”
“Yes?!”
“Shh. Please lower your voice, Countess Elise.”
“There are rumors that they are in an inappropriate relationship. Of course,

it’s not exactly confirmed, but if you think about him going in and out of the
Pope’s side in the middle of the night, it does sound believable…”
“Actually, Sister Ariel doesn’t seem to be liked by many. To think that she
was doing something like behind our backs! I find her a little weird, but who
would’ve guessed Ito Souta would like her, out of all the people…”
“That’s because the Pope’s side is not the same as it used to be. Oh, of
course, I don’t doubt the hearts of those who serve God, but some people act
so crudely…”
“Actually, this is also a story I heard from a friend in Celia, but it seems that
Ito Souta doesn’t have a very good reputation in the Free City, either.”
“What?”
“They say he’s showed a lot of unknightly behaviors such as harassing

women and children, and harassing the weak. As the head of a large guild,
everyone pretends to be unaware, but they said that such criticisms have only
recently emerged because his influence has weakened.”
“Ah…”
“There is also a saying that he is the owner of the back world, that he runs a
black market and enslaves various races…”
“Oh… How scary.”
It didn’t even matter if I joined in the conversation or not. Ito Souta’s

reputation was still going down the drain.
Not only was he in a bad relationship with the Pope’s side, but strange
rumors about him had also started circulating. Most of them would be taken
as the truth and would impact him badly.
Of course, I saw no reason not to participate in the conversation.
“Ah. I’ve heard it before.”
‘Damn, Kiyoung. Lying again.’
“I mean, I’ve heard that he was running the black market.”
This is a rumor I spread, after all.
“Oh… Really?”
“Yes. They said that you could get a variety of things. In fact, from the free
people’s point of view, there are a few busybodies who evaluate the growth
rate of the Yamato Guild as abnormal. Of course, the guild’s achievements
are not being minimized, yet their growth rate is suspicious if you consider
all their expeditions and activities so far…”
“Oh, my…”
“It’s hard to say exactly what, but they say they’re growing in a bad way. Oh,
of course, the source is not confirmed…”
It didn’t matter; they would take it as the truth.
“I see. Just in case, the thing you know… Is it related to this?”
“Yes. However, it is not yet the right time to tell. I have to be a little cautious
as well… I’m worried about whether I’m creating useless trouble.”
“Seeing how hurt Lee Kiyoung was, I don’t think it’s just a rumor. He must
have a guilty conscience, right?”
“Oh yeah… In the meantime, the fact that we drank tea and talked with that
person…”
“There is no one in the world we can trust. Right, Marlin Young-ae?”
“Yes. Duchess Catherine is right. I certainly have to tell my father.”
“Me too.”
“The same goes for me. I must tell my husband.”
This was why I couldn’t stop coming here.
If Ito Souta were here now, he would laugh at the ridiculous situation.
As time passed, harsher criticism over his character became more apparent.
“Dirty trash.”
Only
“Isn’t it because of people like him that other innocent citizens are being
criticized? Of course, I’m not talking about Kiyoung…”
“No. I understand your feelings enough.”
How could I miss out on meetings like these?
‘It’s fucking fun!
Just imagining what other rumors I will spread tomorrow was enough to
make me smile.
I could enjoy the warm sunlight and delicious tea, and above all, a fun
conversation.
‘This is what motivates me to live.’
Gossip was indeed like a drug.

Witch hunt (2)
Gossip was indeed like a drug.
Of course, I wasn’t the only one who was intoxicated by it.
As the days would pass, Ito Souta’s reputation would eventually go down the
drain. Assuming that the material that made up this content was the same as
that of the Earth’s, his reputation would sink until it would reach the Earth’s
inner core.
‘What a piece of shit.’
Even before four days had come and passed, he went from being a
respectable figure to being a monster who did not hesitate to trade slaves,
organs, and the like, the type of cold blooded man who would sacrifice
others’ lives in order to maintain his power.
The probability that he tried to assassinate me in order to cover up his

operations helped the rumors grow faster.
‘Of course.
A few people did not believe in this fresh gossip, but that didn’t matter. I
knew most of them didn’t care enough to inquire if the rumors were really
true or not.
‘That’s because it distracts them from their own, boring lives.’

“This already seems like a proper witch hunt. Puhahaha.”
Rather than talking to those who actually held seats of power, I chose to talk
to the noble ladies instead. This was because, once they returned to their
respective homes, they would talk about Ito Souta’s stories all day long on
my behalf.
It was like finding workers without having to worry about their salaries.
Although our enemies were sending out their own people to clarify the
rumors, it was too late. No matter how much they defended themselves, the
public’s eyes have already gone cold.
If these were modern times, Ito Souta would probably have already held a
press conference to prove his innocence. However, since he was still being
investigated ‘according to the procedure,’ his actions were still limited, and
thus, it would not be possible for him to.
On the contrary, I continued to roam around, enjoying my freedom.
Of course, the Pope’s personnel who were quickly working on removing Ito
Souta from their roster also proved to be valuable customers.
“Ahhh. Vice-Diocese Glen, it’s so nice to see you again.”
“Haha. It’s been only a day.”
“Hahaha. I always want to meet you. It is a very beneficial and enjoyable

time for me to meet with you in order to talk about God.”
“Lee Kiyoung, you are flattering this insignificant priest.Oh, I have someone
to introduce to you today. Have you ever heard of Bishop Jessica…?”
“Of course. I guess today I can get closer to the Benigore’s Goddess.”
“First, you have to get close to Bishop Jessica. She is really looking forward
to
it.”
“Ah, I can already feel the pressure…”
“Hahaha.”
Today I was meeting Vice-Diocese Glen, and tomorrow I would meet with
Bishop Jessica. After that, I would immediately scout for more people.
“Ah, Kiyoung-ssi is here!”
“I came running because I wanted to see Bishop Jessica.”
“We decided that you would call me Jessica when there’s only the two of us.”
“Ah. We did, right?”
“Yes. Today, let’s go together to meet the Archbishop. I told Archbishop

Andrine about Kiyoung-ssi, and she definitely wants to meet you.”
“I feel a little pressured. However, I still have to be brave for our Jessica.”
“Kiyoung-ssi, stop.”
Likewise, after establishing a close relationship with Bishop Jessica, I gained

another step to power.
“It’s nice to meet you. Archbishop Andrine.”
“It’s such an honor to see a well-known man these days.”
“I am more honored to see you in person. I heard good things about you from
Bishop Jessica, but it seems you are more impressive than I imagined.”
“Ha ha ha ha ha. Our Lee Kiyoung is so funny. Come to think of it, it’s time
to eat soon, so how about we eat together? I have a meal scheduled with
Cardinal Basel. Bishop Jessica should come too, if you have time.”
“Thank you for your consideration. Archbishop Andrine.”
My steps to meeting the higher-ups just kept getting laid out for me. As
continued meeting more and more people, memorizing everyone’s names
became difficult.
However, compared to Souta’s predicament, mine was a blessing.
“It’s a little sudden, but I prepared a gift for you, Cardinal Basel.”
“Oh my, what did you prepare Lee Kiyoung? You don’t have to give
anything like this. Oh, well…”
“Stop. It’s just a little something. It’s a good drink, so it’ll be helpful when
you’re alone. Oh, and this is a donation I’m making directly for your cause.”
“Well, all this…”
“It may be insufficient to be offered to God, but I put in about 50,000 gold.
From now on, if there is an opportunity, I will continue to do my best to
donate.”
“I think I know by now how much Lee Kiyoung loves God.”
“Hahaha. In fact, this is not the only thing I have prepared. I would like to
give a separate donation to Cardinal Basel.”
“Well, what is that…?”
“I believe you will use it for God.”
“Hum…”
Cardinal Basel’s stunned appearance was quite the sight to behold, as he took
what I had given him. After all, the Pope’s side was already rotten.
When a religion becomes permanent, it automatically becomes corrupt.
It may be frowned upon by most, but this was the ideal place for me to
establish my position.
“We can’t stay like this, how about seeing the Patriarch as well, Lee
Kiyoung?”
“Yes, of course, I’ll have to meet him too.”
“Oh, I have someone to introduce you to before that. This is Helena, Director
of Inquisition.”
“Helena?”
“Yes. Cardinal Basel.”
“He is a precious guest. Shouldn’t you introduce yourself?”
“Nice to meet you, Lee Kiyoung. I’m Helena, the Director of the Inquisition.”
“Oh, I’ve heard about you. You are doing an honored job of cutting down the
throats of dirty heretics… It might seem rude, but I never imagined that you
would be so beautiful.”
“Ah…”
“Thank you for the hard work, doing what everyone doesn’t want to.”
Of course, I didn’t forget to cozy up to the lower groups. In fact, it wasn’t all
that easy to manage social networks.
It was because there were so many things we needed to take care of.
If someone were to say that making the first contact and giving small gifts
during important events were not a big deal, then I would have nothing to
say. However, there was a reason as to why most people were not good at this
sort of thing.
That was because most ended up getting tired of such a task. Their time was
more precious for them, and it was more important for them to protect their
own space and territory.
Rather than talking with others, they got stressed about self-development and
contacting useless people. I respected their value for their lives, but these
people tended to be at a disadvantage in most of their relationships.
‘Because the world is such a rotten place.
Making sure you’re known and having small talk was a way of setting your
own insurance. The shirt was always nearer than the coat, and in turn, one
would get fonder of people they’ve already seen and heard about compared to
those that they haven’t.
With one small mistake, everything a person had worked for could instantly
unravel.
It was my own opinion, but I felt like society’s system was specially built for
people like me.
I hadn’t been here for a long time, but my schedule was already bursting at
the seams. Of course, it wasn’t just me who was busy.
Cha Hee-ra was also busy meeting with business higher-ups.
She wouldn’t be happy about it with her personality, but showing her face
once a day, even briefly, was a necessity for her, an individualist.
In truth, however, Yuno Kasugano was actually the busiest.
It was natural for her to be busy because she was in charge of all the potions’
distribution and management. In particular, it seemed that she was not
adapting well to the fact that she had to manipulate the masses within the
Free City of Celia.
Jung Hayan seemed to have some spare time, but she used it to deal with her
stress about not getting to spend too much time with me. Fortunately, the last
incident seemed to shock her, so she chose to stay in her own room,
immersing herself in magic training.
Among them, Lee Jihye had also been forced into a grueling schedule much
like mine. She looked very tired on her way back after finishing her schedule.
“What did you do last night?”
“I was with Bishop Jessica and Helena, the Director of Inquisition.”
“You’ve got talents.”
“I just finished attending a prayer meeting.”
“It lasted all night?”
“Yes.”
“Who will believe that? I don’t care about that, so just take care of it.”
“It’s up to you to believe it or not.”
“They are useful people, right? Oppa?”
“They are, for now.”
“That’s all that matters. Did you get anything?”
“What I’m doing personally doesn’t seem to be bad… I didn’t bother talking
about Ito Souta. The donations overjoyed them. What about you?”
“I have some hot news. If you listen, you’ll be a little surprised…”
“What is it?”
“He got a trial schedule.”
“Surely… That’s surprising news.”
I thought it might not be easy to get to trial in the first place. That really was
unexpected.
Although Lee Jihye and I had been talking with many people, considering the
guy’s position, it was better late than never to stand on trial.
‘Because I’m being suspected, too.’
As I said before, the relationship between Ito Souta and I was like the
relationship between Lindel and Celia just before the explosion happened. If
Souta were to get an unfair trial, Celia would get upset.
From the Holy Empire’s standpoint, it would be better to smooth things over
with everyone, even if it meant walking on eggshells.
‘However, Ito Souta is not that stupid.’
If he found out that Lee Jihye and I have reduced his influence little by little,
then there would be no reason for him to choose an unfavorable battlefield.
sensitive to external gazes, was in a difficult situation to take care of him.
“What about the judges’ bribe?”
“I’m not sure yet. Some people have met me, and I think I saw people from
their side too… But there is something unusual about this whole thing.”
“Ito Souta himself asked for a trial.”
“Ahhhhhh…”
“I thought he might want to finish things on his own before things could get
worse…but It doesn’t seem like that as well. When I see that he has worked
hard in his own way, I think that he may have information that we have to
worry about.”
“Ahhh.”
Only
“It’s because you are not clean, either. Of course, I don’t know if the
information he holds will have any influence or not, but once you see him
trying to lead this to the court, then it’s likely not made up. Perhaps its quality
is so good that nobody will think it’s weird.”
“Really?”
“The reaction seems to be lukewarm… Have you ever thought about what to
do in this case?”
“Pff… Hhhh. Well, it’s similar. Remember when I said I had a little bit of
insurance?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve thought of dozens of options to prepare for whatever happens. Of

course, one of them was to deal with Ito Souta asking himself for a trial and
trying to attack us…”
“Hmm…”
“I can assure you that he has chosen the worst option among the list. If he
moves according to my plan… Pfft. You’ll know for sure what it’s like to be
backstabbed. You can look forward to it, Jihye.”
Witch hunt (3)
Ito Souta’s trial date was fast approaching.
The sentence was simple, but it meant a lot. The citizens of Lindel, who were
in a raging situation, clinked their drink glasses, saying that this was a way of
dealing justice, and the personnel in Celia were agitated by the sudden news.
Of course, Ito Souta was the one who had asked for a trial, but it was
impossible for people from Lindel and Celia to know about that. We
wouldn’t let the people know he was the requester, and likewise, Souta never
delivered this piece of news to Celia, either.
Last time, I became the victim, so it seemed that he wanted to be the victim
this time.
However, the only thing that mattered to us was the fact that he was being
tried, because Yuno Kasugano was already blocking his attempts at
manipulating the masses in Celia.
In fact, most of the people didn’t have to know about the real situation. They
only needed to know that he was standing in court as the perpetrator, and that
the good-hearted Lee Kiyoung was being taken in for attempted murder.
For now, this was enough. Anyway, the trial might not proceed normally.
What they knew about the trial was that the punishment level depended on
how much the offender Ito Souta harmed the victim Lee Kiyoung, but those
in an important position in this trial were aware that that place would also be
a battlefield of politics between us.
That was why Lee Jihye felt uneasy.

“It’s a little too sudden, so I don’t know if you’re ready, oppa.”
“Enough, Jihye. We had a nice talk with the judges and those under the
Pope.”
“That’s because I’m nervous. I think I know what you’re hiding, but I have
something that bothers me too. Even if you say that you have the insurance
prepared, I’m not sure if it will work… Perhaps the trial is just nominal. The
trial here is a little different from the modern trial. Thinking about what he
will say while defending himself… Isn’t it natural for me to worry?”
“You don’t have to worry. Our Ito Souta-sama can be just as smart as us.”
At this, Lee Jihye looked at me quietly. It was the first time I had ever seen
her so worried. It looked like she knew something, but it didn’t seem to be
too
bad.
“I will trust you.”
“Yes. You can trust me, Jihye.”
Although she felt uneasy, it seemed that she had decided to get rid of the
rising anxiety.
Good. The fact that Lee Jihye didn’t care as much as she should, meant that
things were going the way I wanted them to.
I was curious about how Ito Souta would try to attack me, but everything had
been calculated anyway. However, I still had to speak upon seeing Jihye’s
incessantly curious expression. I felt like it wouldn’t be bad for her to know
beforehand.”
“So, you’re curious, huh?”

“If I say I’m not curious, I would be lying. I’m only not bothered because you
told me not to care. Didn’t you say that I was getting in your way running
around? You said it would be more noticeable if many people move at once.”
“It’s not like that, exactly. In a normal situation, it would’ve been better to
get your help. That way, I could have made a more perfect trap. I kept it a
secret from you because I wanted to show Ito Souta that I was being careful.
That’s insurance. What do you think? How do you think things will go? Fine,
I’ll ask this first. How far have you reached with a simple mind? What do
you think was my original plan?”
Lee Jihye thought for a moment before speaking up.
“First…”
“Yes?”
“To end Ito Souta’s political life… You would have to isolate him from both
the side of the Emperor and the Pope. And the means were…”
“Yes?”
“It’s the drugs we are releasing in Japan. There are a few other things that I
can see, but I thought the rest were just fake rumors to draw attention. Most
of the rumors, like slave trafficking and organ trafficking in black markets,
are all made up.”
“You knew?”
“Of course, I don’t have any material evidence. Just by the flow and simple
thoughts… I just thought that would be it. Of course, I was the only one who
knew. I didn’t dig into it any further, and even if I had, it would be
impossible for me to know since my movements are limited. Wasn’t it your
plan to use the drugs as clear evidence and put it with all the offenses Ito
Souta had done so far and put an end to it?”
“Just use simple words, Jihye.”
“The original plan is to end him with fake information that the Yamato Guild,
run by Ito Souta, is selling drugs in Celia.”
“Yes, that’s the first. Then, why didn’t I tell you or others about this?”
“That’s because you have to be careful. There may be many reasons, but this
is the most obvious answer.”
“That’s also the right answer, Jihye. But, as I said earlier, the important thing
here is that I have to show that I am as careful as possible in this matter. I
didn’t even tell my representative, whom I trust the most, to make him think
that I’m preparing a big punch.”
“That…”
“Of course, the information I made up is actually a heavy hit. The Lee
Kiyoung’s attempted murder case isn’t just a rite of passage that he has to go
through… If he doesn’t know that a new potion is in circulation in the city,
he will be fatally hit by the crime of drug distribution. We’re making him
take the crime of distributing illegal potions in the city. This was the first
route.”
“I got it.”
“Let’s think of one more case here, this time when if he knows the existence
of the potion.”
“Yes.”
“He might find out that the potion I put in circulation was a trap because it all
looks suspicious. Personally, I think this is a bit more likely, since he asked to
hold a trial first.”
“I think so, too.”
“It will be hard for him to find. This is information that only Yuno Kasugano
and I know… If he’s competent, he could’ve reached out to the fabricated
information. Still, he probably had a hard time getting through the
investigation. As I said earlier, this was the kind of work that even you did
not get involved in. He must have thought about many things while digging.
Since there was no evidence, he would think it was suspicious. For
example…”
After I took a moment, I saw Lee Jihye hurriedly opening her mouth.
“For example, that this is the only thing you’ve prepared?”
“Yes.”
“I see what you mean. But what if Souta Ito was expecting a second? He
already knows that you are going to send him off with the potion thing…
What would you do if he knew your next move?”
“What do you think it will be my next move?”
“If I were you, I would incriminate Yuno Kasugano. It would be the most
reasonable and worthwhile idea to send Yuno Kasugano and Ito Souta off,
together. If Ito Souta speaks in court that it was not him who is currently
distributing potions to Celia, but Yuno Kasugano and Lee Kiyoung, she
would be your only means of escape, right?”
“Pfft, haha.”
“It is the right thing to testify falsely and send them both off. But it’s a waste
to throw away Yuno Kasugano here, oppa. If I’m right, I’d rather revise the
plan now. I understand that you’re angry, but wasting that shaman on that
bastard… It’s not a business that fits the budget.”
“Do I look like that kind of bastard?”
“I just thought about what I would’ve done if I were you. That’s the most
reasonable option.”
“You’re right. It’s certainly reasonable, but I don’t intend to abandon Yuno
Kasugano. Let’s say that Ito Souta succeeded in digging about the potion and
brought information to the court that I was circulating the potion. Let’s say
I’m in a critical situation.”
“Yes.”
“It was wrong from the beginning, Jihye.”
“This is not a drug.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“This is not a drug… To be precise, if I say it is a drug, it becomes a drug,

and if I testify that it is not a drug, it will not be a drug.”
“Ah…”
“If Ito Souta doesn’t know about the existence of this potion, this potion will
be a drug. He would become a drug offender in no time, so his neck would be
severed, or he would receive a fatal blow. On the contrary, if Ito Souta’s
evidence about the potion pushes me into a drug offender, this potion will not
be a drug.”
“How is that possible?”
“Why do you think that is not possible? I’m the only one who can detect the
ingredients of this potion. No one knows alchemy better than me on this
continent, Jihye. I made this potion, and you won’t know the recipe unless
you open up my head.”
“Ah…”
“I’ll tell this only to you…”
“Yes.”
“Do you know what the base catalyst of this potion is?”
“Holy water.”
“It’s holy water, the kind of holy water officially handled by the Holy Empire
Benigore Kingdom. The moment Ito Souta says that this potion is a drug, the
game is over. A potion made of holy water, said to be a drug? If this is not
blasphemy, what would it be? Puhahahahaha. What can he do if he knows
about the existence of this potion? What can you do? He won’t know even if
he dies that this potion is made of holy water.”
“Puhahahahaha. It would be better to just die as a drug offender without

knowing anything. The moment he pushes me to be the one who distributed
drugs trying to turn the situation, the heresy interrogators will be dispatched!
Puhahaha. Cough, cough. Yeah, I admit he’s smart, Jihye. And what?
Whether Ito Souta is smart or stupid, the game was over from the moment my
potion entered Japan. He’s not an alchemist.”
“Ah…”
“It’s a story that the choice is decided anyway. Puhahahahahaha! That’s why
I said he made the worst choice, Jihye. If it’s correct that he will attack me
with the potion I distributed, he made the wrong decision. For heresy, from
his family members to the guild members will be screwed … Because this is
the Holy Empire.”
I saw Lee Jihye, quietly looking at me. Perhaps now she was organizing the
information in her mind. There were many possibilities, but these two were
the most representative.
First, if Ito Souta didn’t know about this potion, we prepared the fake
evidence that the Yamato guild was distributing drugs. He would end up as a
drug dealer.
Secondly, if Ito Souta knew about this potion and brought evidence that
would drive me as a drug dealer, I prepared this potion’s recipe. I can calmly
say that I am the one who distributed this great potion. It will end in
blasphemy.
Either way, hell would await for him. It was hard to rein in my laughter.
“Puhhahahahaha!”
Lee Jihye’s face upon looking at me had turned red.
Only
“Oppa.”
“Yes?”
“You are really sexy.”
“You have such weird taste.”
“You are also an awesome piece of shit. It’s really attractive.”
I was speechless with her comment. As I looked at my watch, I saw that the
time to head to court was approaching. As I got up and opened my mouth,
Lee Jihye nodded.
“Let’s go finish this, Jihye.”
“I’m really looking forward to it, Kiyoung oppa.”

Chapter 134 Lies Mixed in the
Truth (1)
Lies Mixed in the Truth (1)
As I would be standing in a court, I would have to keep my body and mind in

order.
I didn’t know about my mentality, but my external appearance was bound to

be important
I needed to prepare myself better this time around, compared to going to a

social event.
It was Lee Jihye who took care of me this time, but Jung Hayan, who learned
a lesson from the last incident, was also snooping around and disturbing the
Black Swan’s Guild staff with all her might.
She looked at me with satisfaction only after receiving I thanked her, but in
fact, Jung Hayan’s stake in this work was less than 1%.
As I stepped forward with Lee Jihye, my delegation representative, I saw the

courtroom in all its silent entirety.
Meanwhile, my representative was already taking a seat. Over at one side, the
religious leaders were doing the same.
When I saw Bishop Jessica and Helena, the Director of Inquisition, and other
important contacts, a satisfactory smile blossomed from their mouths as I
slightly greeted them.
‘They’re important… The religious leaders.’

I didn’t know why, but Cardinal Basel, who was always smiling, looked a
little serious.
As she was one of my precious insurance, it would require careful

management
‘That’s because a priest can only hold a religious trial with a cardinal level or
higher.’
On the other side was the jury. Originally, it was the right thing to be invited
to such an event, but in Duchess Catherine and Marlin Young-ae’s case, this
did not seem all that necessary.
Since this was not a jury system, it cannot be said that they had great
authority, but it was still good having a supportive audience.
When I made eye contact with them, the two began to smile.
This place began to feel more and more like the Colosseum, and we were the
gladiators ready to fight to the deaths. All things considered, this was not
such a bad metaphor.
“Because this is also a fight.”
“Yes?”
“Nothing, Jihye-ssi.”
“You’re so cold.”
As I shook my head as if it was nothing, I saw Lee Jihye immersing herself in

her papers again.
As we didn’t know what would happen, she was trying to check other
countermeasures as well as other factors in various ways.
After some more time, people started to fill up the empty seats, appearing one
by one.
The judges we already talked with had already entered, followed by Cha
Heera and Yuno Kasugano in the witness stand, and…
“Please let the defendant in.”
There stood our lovely Ito Souta.
He looked quite confident as he entered through the door.
As if to appeal that he was not a sinner, he was casually looking around, but
the handcuffs on both hands showed that he was the perpetrator.
Precious colleagues who I planted in the audience were slowly opening their
mouths to speak.
“That… That piece of trash…”
“Do you know where we are, for you to come like that?”
There was no need to explain for the sudden pressure and intensity within the
room.
As the people on Ito Souta’s side started screaming, the ones who had spoken
only a couple of words started yelling and pointing at each other as well.
However, the uproar didn’t last long, for the Supreme Court Justice had
begun to speak.
“I ask everyone to be quiet. Anyone who makes a fuss in the sacred court
from now on will be dismissed.”
“This trial was held at the request of the defendant Ito Souta, the Guild
master of the Yamato Guild. Before we start with the trial, I will give a time
for Benigore’s goddess prayer. Cardinal Basel will carry out the prayer.”
“Let us pray.”
I could see complex and annoying procedures everywhere. I wanted to start
the trial right away, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.
While everyone had their eyes closed, I let my eyes drift over to Ito Souta,
only to see him staring right back at me.
‘He’s angry.
I could tell that with just one look. It was, of course, natural for him to
remember what I had done to him during the last time we met.
The eyes that were directed at mine looked like the eyes of a demon, ready to
tear me apart
Of course, he was scary. However, knowing that he can’t move, there was no
reason to be scared. In any case, Victor Hart and the Imperial Knights were
guarding me, and there was no way a guy with his hands tied up could hurt
me.
It was only natural for me to raise the middle finger once again. As I stuck
out my tongue with the corners of my mouth raised as much as possible,
blood oozed from the lips that Ito Souta had been biting.
‘What are you going to do, you bastard?’
“Pff…
Once again, it was proving to be hard trying to rein in my laughter. I knew

that one had to be quiet when they prayed, but riling Souta up was so much
fun.
Plus, that was the evilest look I had ever seen.
“Give us the blessing for a fair trial…”
“I would like to express my sincere thanks to Cardinal Basel for your hard
work. The trial will last 60 minutes….”
I nodded as the Supreme Court talked about how the procedures would go. I
already knew about it, anyway.
It would take place several times, but I could squeeze Ito Souta out if this
went according to my plan, but the time I needed would not be enough for
one day only.
“Then first, the plaintiff’s testimony… This trial will begin with the
statements of Lee Jihye, the representative of Lee Kiyoung’s delegation.
Plaintiff?”
“Yes. Honorable Supreme Court. Before I start speaking, I would like you to
look at the data we have compiled.”
“Please bring it in.”
“The incident didn’t happen for the first time at the church on the 18th. My
client, Lee Kiyoung, has been under constant threats of murder and unknown
threats. This was the reason for some transactions between the Blue Guild’s
Lee Seolho and the Yamato Guild.”
“Please continue.”
“My client, Lee Kiyoung Lee, was directly harmed on October 1st, and you
all probably remember the Lindel terrorist incident. This terrorist incident,
contrary to what is known, was not a terrorist attack, but an assassination that
specifically targeted my client, and the incident involved dozens of innocent
Lindel free people. When the Blue Guild, the Red Mercenary Guild, and the
Black Swan Guild were investigating Lee Seolho, they found that he had
contact with Ito Souta of the Yamato Guild and even secured testimony. Still,
a few days later, on October 7th, his corpse was found near Ramadel
Mountain.”
‘You’re speaking so well, Jihye.”
“The corpse of Lee Seolho found near the Ramadel Mountains was damaged
by numerous torture wounds, but in the wounds, traces of the katana used by
the Yamato Guild were found. I will present the data submitted and the
conserved body of Lee Seolho as evidence.”
Of course, everything was fake information. It was me who killed Lee Seolho
in the first place. However, it wasn’t all that bad to use a few tricks with Lee
Seolho’s body, which was with us.
“Apart from that, most of the pleural fluids of the Lindel terrorist incident
killed themselves before being caught, but we were able to confirm that the
poisonous ingredients detected in their bodies were the main methods used by
Japanese assassins.”
“I have objections. There is no evidence that the poison found in the assassins
in the terrorist incident belongs to the Yamato guild. It is unsuitable for use as
evidence.”
“First, I will take it as evidence. Please bring in the related materials.”
“Yes, Honorable Supreme Court.”
That was not fake information. Of course, there was no evidence that the
assassins were sent from the Yamato guild, but depending on how you
fabricated it, not having evidence was also evidence.
“It was not possible to check the exact background of the effluents, but it
turned out that most of them were Japanese from the free city of Celia. I will
also provide the evidence that the form of the weapon they were holding and
the magical mechanisms was largely from the Free City of Celia.”
As expected, from the other side, Ito Souta’s representative eagerly started
talking.
“I have objections. There is no evidence that they really came from Celia,
even if they say that the magic mechanism or form of their weapon is from
the Free City of Celia. Other groups trained professionally in order to
condemn Yamato…”
“I will first take it as evidence.”

“That’s ridiculous!”
“Please be quiet. All of the plaintiff’s statements have not yet been
completed.”
Our Supreme Justice was eagerly taking evidence where our argument felt
lacking. At some point, he would begin to feel that something was wrong.
‘Puhahahaha.
This only meant that Lee Jihye had already met with the Holy Empire’s
Supreme Court Justice several times before. Of course, I had no idea what
they had talked about, but he had received a lot of bribes, so he must be
willing to close his eyes to some extent.
There would be no fair trial within this courtroom.
“I have objections! That evidence is…”
“I think it’s evidence good enough to be taken. Please bring in the related
materials.”
“Yes, Honorable Supreme Court.”
“I have objections! It is not physical evidence; it is more of a belief. Please

reconsider the possibility of this being fabricated material.”
“Stop! All statements to the plaintiff have not yet been completed. First, let’s
read the related materials. Representative, please bring in the materials.”
“Yes. Thank you, Honorable Supreme Justice.
And Souta’s representative again began to shout.
“I have objections!”
“I will take it.”
“Thank you, Justice.”

Everything was full of evidence. For him, this was a faux trial.
Those who I had planted here were applauding whenever the Supreme Court
nodded, and every time Ito Souta’s side opened their mouths, they all threw
them a cold gaze.
There were no holes in this plan.
No matter how much they stated that our information was fabricated, it was
too late – it had already been taken as evidence. Everything indicated that
everything was indeed the work of the Yamato Guild.
“The Juliana case is in a similar vein, Justice. In order to accuse my client as

a killer, Yamato Guild’s Ito Souta made a plan based on information obtained
from the terror attacks of Lee Seolho and Lindel. If you look at the item
information of the legendary item, Juliana, as you can see, it only moves if it
poses a threat to my client.”
“I see.”
“Kazuma Hiroyuki of the Yamato Guild was ordered by Ito Souta to act as a
direct threat to my client. I will present as evidence the materials with the
analysis of Juliana’s reaction pattern and Yuno Kasugano’s testimony.”
“I’ll check. Yuno Kasugano of the Yozora Guild, please come to the witness
stand.”
“Yes… The first thing I saw…”
Could this get any smoother? Yuno Kasugano’s testimony was also very
reliable.
The jury and the religious people nodded at her testimony, and after it was
over, she began to speak once more.
“Let the plaintiff take the last statement.”
“Yes, Honorable Supreme Court Justice. As everyone knows, you will

remember the attempted murder case at the last social gathering. Fortunately,
thanks to Cha Hee-ra, it became an attempted incident, but I don’t think I
need to prove this because he committed the sin of anger in a place where all
nobles and religious people gather. It is undeniable that Ito Souta has evil
intentions towards my client with all the evidence and circumstances that
have been said so far, and everyone has confirmed with their eyes that he
intentionally put magic into my client’s arm that day.”
“Yes.”
“I won’t bother presenting evidence separately because everyone here is a

witness. That is all.”
Even the ending was good.
Ito Souta’s representative also made a few statements in the middle, but it
was a futile attempt that managed to sway no hearts.
I don’t know how he’ll refute this, but…
‘This isn’t the end, is it?’
This was to Souta we were talking about. It wouldn’t end so easily.
He was competent and smart, so he certainly wouldn’t collapse like this.
‘Show me what I’ve expected.’
It’s obvious that had fake evidence or whatever, and as I expected, Ito Souta
began to speak.
“It’s not true. The words of representative Jihye Lee are a little different from
the truth.”
‘That’s it.’
“I didn’t commit the Lindel terrorist incident, the Juliana incident, and the
attempted murder incident either. To be precise, it was done on our side, but I
can affirm that I have nothing to do with any of these.”
“Please refrain from statements that make no sense, defendant.”
“This is not a ridiculous statement. Everyone, and the Honorable Supreme

Court Justice. It’s a little bit sudden, but the potions that are currently being
distributed in Japan… Have you ever heard of fantasy potions?”
Only
As expected…
He bit the bait.
He bit it very properly.
‘I am so glad that he’s competent.’
Fortunately, you noticed the detailed changes happening around you.

Fortunately, you have reached results that could not normally be reached. It
was fortunate of him to have dug into the relationship between the fantasy
potion and I as fabricated evidence.
‘Puhhahahahahaha.’
Laughter was already busting inside me. However, I quickly resisted it.
‘Thank you, you smart motherfucker!

Chapter 135 Lies Mixed in the
Truth (2)
Lies Mixed in the Truth (2)
‘He knew about it!’
If he were an idiot with nothing but air in his head, he wouldn’t be aware of
what was happening around him. However, due to his cautiousness, he had
indeed noticed this.
His timing was also not bad. He probably thought he was one step ahead of
me.
Seeing his arrogant expression made the urge to laugh noticeably harder to
resist. However, I knew I should stop acting so awkwardly.
‘I should look surprised.
It was good to bring about a sense of realism to the situation. However, it

wasn’t easy to contort my expression the way I wanted it to.
‘Should I take an acting class?’
I could probably find a suitable tutor within Lindel.
Even as I held back my laughter, Ito Souta was preparing himself to deal
another blow. He looked around the audience, aware that everyone’s
attention was on him.
With his relaxed demeanor, it would be hard for everyone to think of him as a
sinner. Meanwhile, one of his delegates could be seen pulling out a familiar,
tiny potion. Without a doubt, this was the product I had made.
“This potion is currently circulating.”
“Please refrain from making a statement that has nothing to do with the trial!”
It had been good of me to tell Lee Jihye beforehand.
She stood up while hitting the desk with a bang. Anyone would think that she
did so in panic.
“I have objections! Supreme Judge, that person is talking about something

that has nothing to do with this trial!”
“No, Supreme Judge. The story I’m going to tell you from now on is,
undoubtedly, a key issue that will play a major role in this trial, and it is a
subject that should not be left out. Honorable Supreme judge, please allow
me to speak.”
The Supreme Judge shook his head slightly at Ito Souta’s remarks, but the
Yamato Guild Leader seemed to have one of the other judges on his side.
As he whispered to the Supreme Judge, he eventually nodded.
“I will allow you to speak.”
“Thank you.”
‘Good. Good
“As I said, this potion is currently in circulation. It hasn’t been long since it
started selling, but it was already being sold on the black market for a long
time. The price is about 20 gold per person; you can say that it is cheap, and
you can also say it is expensive.”
“So what’s the problem, defendant?”

“The problem lies in the effectiveness of this potion. Honorable Supreme
Judge, just as it was named a fantasy potion, it was designed to allow humans
to see the fantasy they want to see. It’s a kind of hallucinogen. It’s not just
that. It’s also deadly addictive.”
“I have objections, Supreme Judge.”
“I’ll listen to his explanation a little more.”
Ah, Jihye’s timing was impeccable, and not to mention – her acting skills
were amazing.
After analyzing her expression and finding nothing wrong, Ito Souta
continued to speak.
“Yes. You are right. This potion is addictive. Like… Just like drugs.”
‘Bingo
‘Well done, my child!’
At this point, I wanted to cheer for him.
The question now was how he was going to link this potion to me. If he
linked it forcefully, it would look like he’d gone down the wrong path.
However, looking at his determined expression, it looked like he had
something more to say. I continued to watch him.
“Our Yamato Guild has been paying attention since this potion was being
sold on the black market, and a tremendous effort has been put into finding
out the source of this potion. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a drug,
and I was curious about who was trying to make the Free City sick.”
“The first traces were found on October 1st of the Lindel terrorist incident.
The plaintiff pointed out and misunderstood us as the culprit of the case, but
as a result of our guild’s investigation, it was Kake, a small guild in Celia, the
Free City that attacked Lee Kiyoung.”
‘Huh, he does have a way with words.’

“You mean you have related evidence? Defendant?”
“Yes. I do, Supreme Judge.”
When I saw the Supreme Court carefully reading the document he prepared,
it indeed looked very well fabricated.
It would probably have been difficult to gather information about the small
guild Kake in a short period, so it was highly likely that the existing guild
was used as a victim.
“Small Guild Kake is a criminal guild that makes profits by distributing

illegal items and unauthorized items such as drugs. It’s spread out in the city,
so you can think of it as a nuisance group even in the Free City of Celia. At
first, it was a simple guess. Even with our guild’s intelligence, we couldn’t
figure out why the Kake guild attacked Blue Lee Kiyoung, but we could find
a very small hint.”
“What is that, Defendant?”
“It was evident that the Lindel terrorist incident was not just a terrorist
incident, but a territorial dispute between drug groups.
‘Whoa…
“Is this true, Defendant?”
“Yes. The person I mentioned, who distributes the fantasy potion in Japan, is
the person who turned the power struggle between drug gangs into the Lindel
terrorist incident. And the owner of the new guild Sora is Lee Kiyoung,
sitting by the plaintiff’s table.”
‘Perfect
Ah, this had gone the way I wanted it to.

So now, I was the owner of a new guild called Sora. I was also the one
distributing fantasy potions in Japan.
What was not true was the fact that the Lindel terrorist incident is a power
struggle between drug organizations. Everyone was looking at me as Ito
Souta mixed the lies within the truth.
The question was whether or not they would take the fabricated material as
evidence, but I knew it was likely from how good its quality was.
“Lee Kiyoung-ssi, who is still sitting by the plaintiff’s table and frowning,
formed a new guild in collaboration with Yuno Kasugano of the Yozora
Guild, whom he had previously known. The guild’s name is Sora. Kasugano
Yuno was brought in to distribute the potion sold only in the black market,
and their plan was a great hit.”
‘Correct.
“We have created a system that allows a drug called a fantasy potion to be
deceived as a medical potion to go through distribution procedures and
distribute it legally.”
‘It’s not a drug, but, yes, that’s correct.
“In less than a few days, they succeeded in making a net profit of tens of
thousands of gold.”
It wasn’t just tens of thousands of gold.
Already, a huge amount of money had been rolling in my way. Anyway, it

was quite surprising.
In just a short time, I never imagined that he would come so close to the truth
like this – and create fabricated evidence with his limited movement!
He was certainly competent.
As I slightly frowned, I could see Ito Souta carrying on with renewed vigor.
“I think you may be aware that the Juliana’s case that happened the other day
was also investigated separately by the Holy Knights and our guild. Another
interesting fact came out as a result of the investigation. Hiroyuki Kazuma,
whose throat was pierced by Juliana’s cursing sword, actually tried to kill Lee
Kiyoung. It is certainly true that Juliana, who really sensed the threat to the
owner, attacked Hiroyuki Kazuma.”
“Defendant. If so, are you saying that you admit to the crimes of the Juliana
case?”
“Yes. It is my fault for not properly managing the guild members. Hiroyuki
Kazuma, who was a regular member of the Yamato Guild, had two identities,
but first of all, since he was indeed in our guild, I should be punished.”
“That means…”
“Yes. Hiroyuki Kazuma, who died, was also a member of the Kake Guild.
When the assassination at Lindel ended as an attempt, he tried to assassinate
even within the royal city. Perhaps it was an unavoidable choice for the Kake
Guild. It’s because they knew that the drugs they were selling wouldn’t sell if
fantasy potions were on the market, just like the case with drug disputes.”
“At any cost, they would’ve wanted to get rid of Lee Kiyoung-ssi, who is
running the Sora Guild.”
That was such a great script. At this rate, Souta could be called a playwright.
Leading the two assassination cases into the fight of the drug cartel…
Anyone could see that things were about to get fun.
“Do you have any evidence that Lee Kiyoung-ssi is making and distributing
fantasy potions?”
“Of course, Honorable Supreme Judge. Fantasy potion is actually a variant of

the mental healing potion that played an important role when the Blue Guild
attacked the Cursed Shrine. If you take a closer look at the Cursed Shrine’s
attack log sold by the Blue Guild, you will realize that much of it is similar to
the fantasy potion.”
“Keep talking, defendant.”
“If you look at Blue’s strategy log, the dungeon called the Cursed Shrine is
described as a dungeon where you will gradually experience and see
hallucinations after a certain period. As a means to suppress hallucinations
that have a negative effect on us, Lee Kiyoung decided that the means is to
see a new type of hallucinations. It is the mental healing potion that was born
of this kind of theory. The only thing that can be said to be different from the
fantasy potion on the market is whether they are addictive or not.”
“I have objections. Supreme Judge! The defendant is turning to a different

story after the most important case; the attempted assassination has been
carefully ruled out. The main proposition of the trial is not the fantasy potion,
but an attempted assassination at a social gathering.”
“No, Supreme Judge. Obviously, all of this is related. The attempted

assassination at a social gathering, I swear to Benigore’s Goddess, was not
something I committed. It was difficult to draw an accurate conclusion about
why such an abnormality occurred in Lee Kiyoung’s body, but I think this is
also related to the Kake Guild. If you think about the connection between this
fantasy potion and Lee Kiyoung, it’s not weird to be aimed for your life when
and where you are. Knowing that fact, Yamato Guild and I were framed
because he knew that I was digging about the fantasy potion. I think you
should also consider the probability that the attempted assassination case was
his doing.”
Good, good.
“I know that this trial is not a trial for the fantasy potion, Supreme Judge.
However, it is undeniable that this potion is involved in all of this. Also, if
you think about the dangers of this potion, I think you should hear about what
the truth is from Kiyoung Lee sitting by the plaintiff’s table.”
Ito Souta was perfect.

At this point, the man himself was nodding in satisfaction as the audience
around us became agitated.
Of course, this was natural. He had successfully manipulated them into

thinking that I was the bad guy. It wasn’t a full fabrication.
Only
More than half of it was true. I didn’t know how he dug this so well, but |
wanted to applaud the guy for coming to his inevitable conclusion.
Now, it was my turn.
As I looked at Ito Souta, smirking, I knew he thought he had won. Of course,

this was the moment I dropped the act.
I drew my eyebrows in a grimace, and let my lips droop to its fullest extent.
‘Puff.
And then I looked at him, smiled, and nodded as a thank you. The more my
expression changed, the more confused he looked.
The moment I opened my mouth to calmly respond, Ito Souta’s expression

had crumpled.
“It’s correct to say that I am the distributor, dear Supreme Justice Court.”
Chapter 136 The Third Card (1)
The Third Card (1)
“It’s correct to say that I am the distributor, dear Supreme Justice Court.”
| swallowed the laughter that was about to rumble out of me.
As soon as I finished speaking, the audience was up in an uproar.
Cardinal Basel looked calm, but others seemed to be disconcerted by the

sudden change.
It was, yet again, a natural reaction. It was the same as finding that a neighbor
who had been sending out a good smile one day was found to be a drug
offender in the next.
It was a little embarrassing for me to admit this, but my image within the
Empire was good enough to penetrate the sky itself.
Perhaps thinking I had something up my sleeve, Ito Souta started to speak

once more. However, what the public was waiting for were my next words,
not his.
“It’s too shameless to confess his sins so calmly. Supreme Judge, would you
still need to listen? At present, the plaintiff and the defendant are clearly
interchanged. Go ahead and arrest him as per the procedure…”
“Arrest as per procedure? I indeed distributed it, but I have never admitted
my crimes with my mouth. You are still the defendant in this case.”
“If it is not a sin to distribute drugs in a free city, then what is? If you say that
trying to drive an innocent person as an offender is also a sin, you can say
so.”
“I’m saying that I have no idea what you’re talking about now. This is what
I’m saying, Ito Souta.”
“It is as it is shown, Lee Kiyoung-ssi. Didn’t you admit to your doings

yourself?”
“What are you talking about, Souta-ssi?”
“If you are thinking of playing innocent…”
“The fantasy potion is not a drug.”
Seeing his disconcerted expression, the urge to laugh only grew stronger. He
had no idea what I was thinking, and what I was trying to do. Perhaps he
thought I was only bluffing, as he had taken the necessary and cautious steps
with the assumption that I had an ace.
“Dear Supreme Justice Court, the fantasy potions that I have distributed are
not something that can be called drugs. I hope that you will allow me to
clarify about the fantasy potions in circulation to the citizens of the Empire
here.”
“Certainly… I think this needs an explanation.”
“Supreme Judge!”
“I will allow you to speak.”
Very good.
“Most of Ito Souta’s testimony is true. It is also true that I made a mental
healing potion at the Cursed Shrine and actually made a fantasy potion
deriving from the former. I also created with Yuno Kasugano, a new guild
called Sora, and distributed potions through this. I haven’t been able to
confirm that it’s being sold on the black market, but that is probably true as
well.”
“Please continue to testify.”
“Of course, there are other testimonies that are not true. Saying that the
Lindel terrorist incident was a fight between drug gangs and that Hiroyuki
Kazuma was a member of the Kage Guild are all false. Of course, it is also
false that the attempted assassination case was my own doing.”
“Supreme Judge!”
“Be quiet for a moment, defendant. As the defendant said before, what the
plaintiff will testify from now on is very important in this trial.”
The Supreme Court Justice, who had maintained a good relationship with my
side, was also hoping for us to win the trial. Seeing him cheering me on
silently, I felt more confident.
“Of course, the biggest lie among them is the statement that fantasy potions
are drugs. It’s an empty story that doesn’t make any sense.”
“Do you have any evidence?”
“To be precise, the fantasy potion is a potion made for healing purposes.”
“You mean treatment?”
“Yes, treatment. Like the mental healing potion used for the Cursed Shrine,
the fantasy potion was created for healing purposes and then distributed for
healing purposes. The defendant testifies that incidents occur due to the battle
between the Kake Guild and my territory, but the truth is completely
different. The Yamato Guild, in which Ito Souta is a member, is holding
hands with the Kake guild.”
Yamato Guild and Kake Guild holding hands was something I had made up
on the spot. Of course, I didn’t have any evidence to present right away, but I
thought it would be more efficient to talk like this.
“Everyone has heard of it somewhere.”

‘That’s because of me.’
“It is rumored that the Yamato Guild’s Ito Souta handles slave trafficking,
organ trafficking, and illegal drugs, as well as running the black market.”
“I have objections. Supreme Court! Those rumors have no basis, and the
content of the evidence to be presented is very poor.”
“The greatest evidence will come in a moment. Here is the start. Supreme
Judge, the story begins when Yuno Kasugano of the Yozora Guild visited
me. It was about a drug that had been illegally circulating in Japanese
markets for a long time. Yes. It’s not a fantasy potion; it’s a real drug. I heard
directly from her that Celia, the Free City, was already exposed to illegal
drugs and that many people were suffering from them.”
“What she asked me to do was make a cure.”
“Ah…”
“Yeah. As you all might think, fantasy potions are a cure for illegal drugs that
are now hard to find in Celia. We, the Blues and Yozora, wanted to cure drug
addicts and wanted to know where these illegal drugs were circulating. That
was probably where everything started.”
“What started, plaintiff?”
“I was constantly under threat of assassination. They seemed not to want me

to approach the truth. In addition to the Lindel terrorist incident, there have
been many threats that continue to target me. In fact, we weren’t able to find
about the group that was controlling the Japanese drug market, but we
learned a lot thanks to the ongoing assassination attempts. As I said at the
beginning of the trial, the Yamato Guild tried to assassinate me. Oh, maybe it
was the Kake Guild too. I mean a guild member of the Kake Guild who was
ordered by the Yamato Guild.”
“Everything is a lie under the guise of sophistry, Supreme. The statement that
fantasy potions are the cure for existing drugs is unfounded. I wonder how a
fantasy potion, which is addictive in the first place, can be a cure for drugs.”
“Why are you saying that it can’t be a cure, Ito Souta-ssi? The fantasy potion
has already proven its effectiveness with the cursed shrine. And to say that is
addictive… Please be careful. It is true that fantasy potions have some
addictive properties, but calling them drugs is no different from calling
favorite foods such as wine as drugs.”
“That’s…”
“It is a product that was originally released as a treatment. If someone

somewhere did not intentionally block the distribution, it would have already
been in circulation. Supreme Judge, the reason Ito Souta continuously
threatened me was to prevent the circulation of a remedy called the fantasy
potion.”
“It’s ridiculous. Your Honor, the alchemists in our guild, discovered the
Weed ingredient that induces addiction and hallucinations in fantasy
potions.”
This is really surprising.
Of course, I knew he would do the component analysis to get some solid

evidence, but I didn’t think he would hit exactly one of the catalysts in it.
Bringing alchemists who could be said to be competent in their own way was
certainly a thing to have my head cut off.
However…
There was no alchemist better than me on the entire continent.
“You have already finished detecting the ingredients. This is where you can
get a little more curious, Supreme Judge. To be calling the fantasy potion a
drug even though the ingredients analysis has ended.”
“If you don’t call a potion containing Weed ingredients as a drug, what
should you call it, Lee Kiyoung.”
“Ito Souta-ssi. Is it correct that you have properly detected the ingredients? If
it is correct that you fully know about the fantasy potion, the same words
cannot be said. No, they shouldn’t come out.”
“What…”
“The fantasy potion is an object made of holy water, Ito Souta-ssi.”
It wasn’t just him. The entire courtroom had gone silent.
This entire situation has just gotten a lot more interesting.
Ito Souta’s face was already very distorted. I saw him turning his head in a
hurry to check the faces of Cardinal Basel, as well as the other religious
people.
‘Pfft.
He didn’t look like a powerful person who could control a city.
“Originally, that’s what healing does, Ito Souta-ssi. Putting Weed as an

ingredient was with nothing more than or less than the purpose of treatment.
Benigore’s Goddess holy water purifies all harmful ingredients. It was a little
easy for me, seeing as I am an alchemist.”
“In fact, I didn’t even need to make a separate treatment. The goddess’ holy
water was enough to clean up; it wasn’t just illegal drugs that were eating
away the Free City Celia. What the fantasy potion shows is a gift from the
Goddess for us, Ito Souta-ssi.”
“You dare call the Goddess’s gift a drug. If this isn’t blasphemy, what is it?
Isn’t that right, everyone?”
Some still had their mouths closed tightly. However, it didn’t take long for
the silence to be replaced with agitation.
The first to shout out was Helena, the Director of the Inquisition, and one of
the people who had maintained a close relationship with me.
“It’s blasphemy!”
This triggered the rest of the shouting.
“It is blasphemy! Blasphemy!”
“It’s heresy! It’s heresy!”
“It’s blasphemy!”
I thought that heresy was a little too far, but that definitely went in my favor.
‘Pfft.
Ito Souta spoke in a hurry.
“‘T-That is because I didn’t know the fantasy potion was made of holy water.
If I had known, I would never have said that. Honorable Supreme Court. No,
Cardinal Basel, don’t you know how much faith I have in Benigore’s
Goddess?”
‘It is better for him to make excuses like this.
“I want you to forgive my ignorance, dear priests. There was absolutely no

other intention.”
Cardinal Basel was currently the highest religious person here. Considering
that only the Cardinals could hold the Inquisition, it was not unreasonable for
him to be begging to Cardinal Basel. Still, unfortunately, Cardinal Basel had
been on my side for a long time.
Well, apart from that, in fact, his excuse was reasonable.
Saying again that the fantasy potion was not a drug is like denying the
testimony he had given so far. In other words, he was more likely to survive
if he denied his former testimony.
‘There is a possibility.’
If he said that he didn’t, then there was room for more excuses.
‘The problem is…
This wasn’t the end of everything that I had prepared. What else did I have
up my sleeve?
Of course, the precious wine I had prepared.
‘It is also a special product. Puhahahahaha.’
The fantasy potion basically makes you see what you want to see, after all.
Perhaps some religious people might think that what they see after drinking
the holy water from the Goddess is a divine revelation.
Only
The same was true for Cardinal Basel, who was very religious.
‘What do you think Cardinal Basel had seen after drinking the wine I
presented? Idiot.’
Ito Souta couldn’t even begin to imagine.
“At this time, it is judged that this case is out of the authority of the imperial
court, and under the authority of the Second Cardinal of the Holy Empire, I
formally request Judge James to hold an inquisition here and now.”
“What…”
That would be a little secret only Cardinal Basel and I would know.
‘Take this, Ito Souta!’
This was the most heartfelt gift I could ever give him.
The Third Card (2)
“At this time, it is judged that this case is out of the authority of the imperial
court, and under the authority of the Second Cardinal of the Holy Empire, I
formally request Judge James to hold an inquisition here and now.”
Cardinal Basel’s stiff voice echoed throughout the courtroom. I knew Ito
Souta felt confused about everything that was happening. The fact that he
became a blasphemer was undeniable, but it was also true that this had
stemmed from his ignorance.
‘What a stupid guy.’
His ignorance would be the very cause of his downfall. This all happened
because he had inevitably called the fantasy potion a drug. Considering that it
had been a mistake on his behalf, there may have been room for an
extenuation, at the very least.
However, the problem lay with Cardinal Basel, who was now trying to hold
the Inquisition trial.
Of course, the reason why I had met with cardinal priests wasn’t just to build
friendships. Of course, establishing a relationship with them was by no means
a bad thing, but it also created amazing opportunities for me.
For example, it gave me an opportunity to screw you over.’
It was not a big deal to experience hallucinations after presenting the wine
made from holy water. Of course, the wine I had given to Cardinal Basel had
been specially made by me.
It had the same mechanism as the fantasy potion, but it was a luxury item that
could not be said to come from the same roots.
[Sacred Wine: Heroic Grade]
[It is a wine made from holy water, called a gift from God. This wine, which
is a mixture of several complex ingredients, has the effect of permanently
increasing the Holy Power stat by 2 and recovering the consumed Holy
Power, limited to the first glass. Sometimes it shows something special.]
‘There’s no need to say anything else.
Only about 8,000 gold was needed to make the bottle.
Of course, it hadn’t been that complicated to make, but the situation I was
trying to create was a bit difficult in itself. The fantasy potion was out of my
control not in its creation – there was an alchemy factory in Blue – but in its
gathering of ingredients. It might have been impossible, if Ito Souta had not
been under investigation.
No, it was definitely impossible.
What I did after making the holy wine was very simple. I simply had a meal
with Cardinal Basel and drank the wine together. The scene that unfolded
afterwards had been even more elaborate.
‘Puhahaha.
It was something that would happen after 20 years.
The scene had showed to Souta, who eventually signed a contract with a
demon summoned from hell. In short, I had showed Cardinal Basel a
gruesome scene for someone of his profession.
Of course, the man himself struggled to protect both the Holy Empire and the
Goddess of Benigore. Thus, it would be natural to think of Ito Souta as an
enemy.
The cardinal would’ve seen Souta slowly and carefully entering the Pope’s
fold, and, five years later, controlling the Pope himself. At this point, Basal
would have also seen himself as the church’s only hope, and the only one
who would dare stand against the Yamato Guild leader.
‘Very good.
What he had seen was a lonely fight between Cardinal Basel and Ito Souta
that lasted a very long time. As with any Apocalypse, Cardinal Basel would
lose everyone he loved, and he would eventually face a very miserable and
painful death.
He would’ve seen himself with a sword stuck in his heart, looking at the
Pope’s members surrounded by demons that had climbed up from hell. These
people, in turn, would be crying and looking at ito Souta, who would be busy
killing off their Goddess.
After seeing the hallucination, Cardinal Basel’s expression proved to be

unforgettable.
He seemed to doubt whether what he saw was a divine revelation, but the
man had to admit that he had accepted the will of the Goddess with a firm
face the next day.
‘This is simply because he has great faith.’
To our Cardinal Basel, Ito Souta was an enemy that needed to be removed
right away. It was nothing more, nothing less than that.
‘Like when Hyunsung saw Jung Jinho for the first time.’
There was no chance of escape for them. This was the last insurance
prepared.
Of course, I had a few more, but I felt like this would be enough.
“Judge James?”
“Okay. I will formally accept Cardinal Basel’s request. As of this time, it is
judged that this case is out of the authority of the imperial court, and under
the authority of the Supreme Court of the imperial court of the Holy Empire.
Thus, I will close this trial here and now.”
Ito Souta’s face looked overly disconcerted.
“Honorable Cardinal Basel, I understand what you are feeling, but I don’t
really understand this situation right now. I said I didn’t really know about
the fantasy potion; I never meant to insult Benigore’s Goddess. Rather, it is
Lee Kiyoung in the plaintiff’s seat that should be punished!”
“Why should I be punished, Ito Souta-ssi?”
“Did you not commit a disrespectful act of mixing Weed ingredients with the
holy water of the Goddess?”
This was proof that he was indeed in a crisis. He was trying to find anything
he could use to his advantage.
“Why is that disrespectful? Ito Souta-ssi, I have been through the purification
process. The great power of the Goddess can bring anything back to a clean
state. Of course, it can purify your disrespectful heart, too.”
“I-It’s not just that. Cardinal Basel! Lee Kiyoung of the Blue Guild used the
Goddess’ gift to take advantage and gain an undeserved profit.”
“Some of the profits of the fantasy potion go to the Pope’s side as donations,
so you don’t have to worry about unfair gains. Another part will go into
rehabilitation treatment for real drug addicts. It is an object made as a gift
from the Goddess. There’s no way I’d use it for private things. I’m not like
you, criminal Ito Souta.”
“Who are you calling a criminal…?”
“Yes, of course, you are the current criminal. If the fantasy potion isn’t a
drug, aren’t all the testimonies you’ve given up till now a lie? Having
confessed your sins with your own words, you would have been convicted
even if you had not passed on to the Inquisition. Oh, if you’re regretting what
you’re saying right now, I definitely want to ask you again. Is the fantasy
potion a drug? Is it?”
“Our proud to Souta-ssi of Yamato Guild. You have to answer my question.

Is the fantasy potion a drug? Or is it not a drug?”
“It’s not worth answering the question.”
“The Goddess’ gift can’t be? Asking questions is in itself disrespectful.

Supreme Judge, Cardinal Basel. This is a trap and a setback. Once again, I
ask for a formal trial. No, I will request an adjournment. Supreme Judge!”
He tried yelling at the Supreme Court eagerly, but there was no way that the
Supreme Court would be positive in his response. Already, Cardinal Basel
had gained the authority.
“The power of the current court is not on me. Defendant, please send the
request for adjournment and appeal after the Inquisition is over.”
“Then… Cardinal Basel, this is a frame. This is a dirty masterpiece of Lee

Kiyoung of the Blue Guild, who tried to trap me in the first place. If you give
me a little more time, I will be able to bring you convincing evidence.”
It was impossible to understand why those kinds of people transformed into

parrots shouting about setups at this point, but this was evidence that he was
now desperate.
While looking around with an unfair expression, the public’s reaction to him
was quite cold. It was revealed that he had already lied once. Now, there was
no way they would listen to him, testifying that he had fallen into a trap.
Rather, he was only making Cardinal Basel angrier.

“Shut up!”
“Cardinal Basel?”
“Shut up, you filthy heretic!”
“I-I am not a heretic. Cardinal Basel, Chief Inquisitor Helena. There were
some misunderstandings, but I never thought of betraying Benigore’s
Goddess.”
“Don’t lie, you dirty heretic. Y-You think I don’t know how dark you are on
the inside?!”
“That’s unfair.”
“From the very beginning, when you were going in and out of the Pope’s side
incessantly, I felt something was weird.”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“I told you to shut up. You dirty heretic! Did you think I didn’t know that you
were collaborating with the demons from Hell?”
“What?”
“Since you came here, I knew, by receiving a revelation from the Goddess,
that you were trying to dominate the Holy Empire with the demons.”
“That…”
“You dirty demon worshipper.”
“What are you…?”
“I’m saying that I heard from the Goddess that you wanted to corrupt and kill
everything in the Pope’s side by slowly dominating from the inside!”
“T-There’s some misunderstanding. Collaborating with the devil, that is not

true. I understand that you’re angry…”
“No matter how many excuses you make, the fact that you tried to assassinate
Lee Kiyoung in order to stop the distribution of the potion made with the
holy water of Benigore’s Goddess in Japan does not change.”
“Once again, we never did the assassination. It was the Kage Guild that tried
to assassinate Lee Kiyoung.”
“Are you saying that’s a dispute between guilds?”
“N-No. The Kake Guild probably did not want to distribute a remedy made
from the Goddess’ holy water in Japan, so it attempted to assassinate Lee
Kiyoung…”
“Your words are now different from before.”
“It is because I was ignorant.”
“You always have been. Hey. What is the Chief Inquisitor doing? Helena!
Helena!”
“I’ll start preparing right away.”
“Arrest that devil worshipper right now, and interrogate and judge him!
There is no need for an inquisition. Even the means for a trial is a waste for
that heretic. No, it’s not just him. Take all the filthy demonic groups in the
Holy Empire now, and the filthy heretics in the Free City of Celia.”
“Yes.”
“I will send Heretic Inquisitors and the Holy Knights to Celia right away. I’ll
cut off the sprouts of the filthy demon worshippers!”
It seemed that Cardinal Basel had reminisced about what he had seen and
now felt angry. Of course, I could understand his feelings.
Wasn’t the future destroyer of the Holy Empire in front of him, after all?
Of course, he would want to have him removed right away.

‘I didn’t expect that there wouldn’t be a trial…’
Ito Souta’s defeat was inevitable, but I had wanted to play with him a little
more.
In the second half, he collapsed, but I still want to know what else he had
prepared. It would have been a good source of entertainment.
Even amidst the confusion in the hall, you could see Ito Souta looking at me.
‘So, you noticed?’
He seemed to have understood a bit about how things were going, why he
was stuck in such a situation, and why Cardinal Basel felt so angered.
He looked as if he had something to say, but did not say anything.
Logic never worked with religion.
‘He must know that too.’
“Put him on the fire right now! That demon worshipper!”
“Kill the heretic!”
“Execute the blasphemer right now!”
After being cornered, he only had two options.
Would he be interrogated by a heretic inquisitor, which was like

witchhunting? Or would he resist or run away from this unfair situation?
Only
The first option had little chance of survival. He would have been tortured
and then died, but there may be a tiny hope.
However, the second option was a different story. It was natural to be labeled
as a demon worshiper and a heretic at the moment of resistance.
The fact that he resisted the Pope’s side proved that he was indeed a demon
worshipper.
‘What’re you going to do?’
I was very curious about which one he would choose, but sadly, the only
option he had seemed to lean on was the latter.
Why?
This was because I saw the Holy Knights and heretic inquisitors running
towards him.
‘Bingo.
The Third Card (3)
“Catch the heretic!”
“Execute the demon worshipper right now!”
Of course, there was no way he would come back obediently. No, it seemed
hard to come up with a positive result even if he didn’t resist, so this would
be a natural choice for him.
As such, our priests in the court were engulfed in pure anger.
Pfft.
Simply put, he had no choice but to resist.
“Just obey and get right onto the interrogation, you devil worshipper!”
“Shit!”
The two people around him fell out in an instant
The restraints on his hands were broken so easily that it was futile. He wasn’t
even properly trapped in the first place. He must have taken over some of the
Imperial Knights.
“That… Catch and kill the demon worshipper right now!”
“Catch him! It’s heresy! Bring that heretic to this place right now! Helena!
Get that guy’s neck! The neck!”
“Yes.”
In an instant, our surroundings fell into chaos.
The problem was that no one there was on a level that could harm Ito Souta,
but seeing them rushing to fill the courtroom seemed quite unwise.
The guy had to make a decision quickly.
‘He has to decide whether to fight or avoid.’
Even Gandhi, who shouted about nonviolence, eventually made the Holy
Knights’ side scream when he pulled out his sword to protect himself.
Ito Souta wounded a knight when trying to take down the sword flying
towards him.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“That dirty heretical bastard!”
Lee Jihye, who saw it, quietly looked this way and muttered.
“Oppa, I think it would be a little dangerous to stay here.”
“No. It’s not dangerous; you just have to watch the situation. I think things
will get a little fun.”
“Ahhh… I see.”
Some were already leaving. The Supreme Court or those in high positions
were preparing for any possible danger in the Imperial Knights’ warm arms.
It was a bit fun to watch Cardinal Basel.
The sense of duty to save the Holy Empire from danger seemed to move him.
“Get him here right now! Director of Inquisition Helena! Doing that kind of
thing in the sacred inquisition… It must be heresy. You must be a demon
worshipper!”
“Yes!”
“No! I’m going myself. I will kill him myself! Bring my mace! Right now!”
“It is not wise for you to move.”
“If that’s the case, hurry up and catch him!”
It was more scary than ridiculous to see an old man who seemed unable even
to walk properly. After all, the chosen warrior who received the revelation of
the Goddess was truly different.
Eventually, as Helena, the Director of Inquisition, quietly moved her body,

the war situation began to grow slightly.
‘She is a powerful woman.’
It was not comparable to Victor Hart or Cha Hee-ra, but she was powerful
enough to lead the armed group. She would probably be on the same level as
Lee Sang-hee or Hwang Jeong-yeon.
Seeing her running with a mace reminded me of a holy warrior preparing to

go to war.
Seeing Archbishop Jessica doing all sorts of divine spells, putting shields and
buffs, the Holy Knights once again struck at Ito Souta.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
‘This is a spectacle, a spectacle.’
At first, Ito Souta was stopping those who kept running towards him, but how
far could he go while still maintaining his pace?
I thought he wouldn’t last long, but Agility 99’s abilities were more than 1
imagined.
‘He won’t be able to resist any longer.’
Seeing dozens of knights rushing at once, Ito Souta moved his body
backwards. Of course, there was also a knight behind him getting ready to
rush him.
After pushing the knight with his arm, he took down the sword flying down
from the side.
It was certainly incredible for him to avoid all attacks in such a situation, but
I could definitely see his crumpled face when Helena jumped into the front
line.
All this was because of my doing.
Laughter burst out of me for no reason. His desperate voice felt like a catalyst
that would summon my laughter.
“Cardinal Basel! All of this was planned!”
“Shut up! You dirty heretic!”
“Everything is a misunderstanding. For now… Please tell them to stop!”
“Shut your dirty mouth!”
“Helena-nim, you know well enough that I’m not that kind of guy!”
“Don’t call my name, you devil worshipper!”
“Bishop Jessica, please say something…”
“What are you doing?! Are you thinking of watching that devil worshipper
teasing us with his cunning tongue?! Go ahead and shut his mouth!”
I felt a little sorry for the guy, but the Director of Inquisition Helena and
Archbishop Jessica were already on my side. I didn’t even have to use the
sacred wine. They spent a long time eagerly discussing about Ito Souta with
me.
Cardinal Basel’s wrath was decisive.
This breathtaking game was fun no matter what, but it needed new winds.
As I looked at Jung Hayan, I saw her chanting a spell.
“The magic chain.”
A chain made of blue magic power eventually wrapped around him.

However, Ito Souta destroyed it with ease.
Although Jung Hayan seemed a little disappointed, I nodded and clapped my

hands to encourage her. Praise bred both willingness and desperation within
Jung Hayan.
“Wind blade! Magic chain! Air boom!”
I hadn’t expected her to cast a triple-effect spell.
She had reduced the output a lot, considering that others got caught up too,
but as raid’s main damage dealer, Ito Souta was in perfect condition.
I felt like I needed to pitch in as well. Since my magic would be of no use

here, I decided to call upon Juliana.
“Juliana!”
Juliana, shooting out according to my gestures, was faster than most of the
knights’ movements. She moved on her own, towards Ito Souta.
The tanker group of the Heretic Inquisitors and Holy Knights were in the
front line, so the main damage dealers like us were at ease in the rear.
Moreover, Ito wouldn’t be able to get past them.
I didn’t know if he would attack me or not, but seeing that he was still
eagerly claiming innocence, it looked like I wasn’t safe anymore.
Ito Souta didn’t want the dispute to get any bigger. He believed that if he
continued to persuade, this madness would calm down.
“Ah… This is not easy?”
“I know, right.”
“I couldn’t really imagine him to be this strong…”
“How about getting the Red Mercenary Queen and the shaman?”
“No, I don’t think they’re needed… First of all, I have to protect the VIP
guests if anything happens. Hee-ra seems to be enjoying herself… If
something happens, she’ll join the war.”
“Ah. I avoided it! Please, focus.”
“He’s not easy to catch even with Juliana’s speed. He’s really fast. Are all
those who are masters of large guilds like that?”
“It would be nice trying to connect with Hayan-ssi. Or perhaps we can look
for another way to attack. You said that if one gets hurt by Juliana, he will be
cursed? I think it would be better to start by making shallow wounds one by
one rather than aiming for the big one from the start. And didn’t you say that
she can directly curse and move things like black tentacles?”
“Oh, that’s a feature that is currently unavailable. I think I can use it when
Juliana’s ego awakens…”
“Then it can’t be helped. Since we can make the mental attack, try talking to
them first. It wouldn’t be bad to lead the Heretic Inquisition or the Holy
Knights.”
This was an excellent suggestion from the Strategy Team Leader Lee Jihye.
Originally, a raid had to be done regardless of means and methods. My mouth

began to open before I even finished thinking.
“We must capture that dirty heretic. He has been rendered strong under the
power of the devil, so I think we should join forces as well!”
As expected, I could see him staring at me. However, what else could he do?
As soon as I said this, we clearly got in a systematic formation. The

excitement had encouraged everyone to clear their minds and focus.
“Good! Let’s kill that demon right now! Everyone!”
“Kill the heretic!”
“You mustn’t let him run away. If you block the door and stick to it, you will
soon weaken the filthy demon’s power attached to him. Let’s try a little more,
everyone! For Benigore’s Goddess!”
“For Benigore’s Goddess!”
Ito Souta was still staring at me.
That was when Jung Hayan’s magic hit his arm.
It was just bondage magic, but taking advantage of that, Juliana passed by his
arm.
“Damn!”
‘Good’
At this point, I was unconsciously clenching my first. If the setting had been
outdoors, Souta’s agility would have helped him, but since we were inside, he
was put at a disadvantage.
Countless humans who are blocking him, he can’t even attack properly.
Of course, as time passed, he also started to change.

I didn’t know if it was because he decided that he had no hope anyway or
because he wanted to rip my talkative mouth off, but the important thing was
that he was resisting with all his might.
In the meantime, it was his condition that caught my eyes.
‘It’s not ordinary
The damage that almost killed him from Cha Hee-ra still remained.
In that condition, he had to face Helena, the Director of Inquisition, buffed by

Archbishop Jessica. Jung Hayan’s chains holding him in place also played a
huge role.
“We must punish that heretic! Everyone!”
“He is the cancer of the Holy Empire! No, he is the Free City’s Cancer! We
must remove him! The sprouts! The roots.”
“Let’s all gang up together and do it!”
“S-Shut up…”
“The finish line is right in front of you!”
“Shut up! Please, please shut up!”
“You should be the one to shut up, not me. This filthy demon worshipper!
Benigore’s Goddess will punish you!”
“This… This motherfucker! Motherfucker!”
“It is God’s judgment! You dirty heretic! Benigore’s Goddess, give me

strength!”
He certainly wouldn’t be able to come to me. It wasn’t just that.
Not only was he noticeably anxious, but he responded with insults to me,
who he had initially ignored.
He looked angry, but that wasn’t all. This was because of Juliana’s curse.
“Receive the power of the goddess!”
“Goddamn it!”
“Everyone, the filthy devil’s power is gradually fading away. You must be
tired, but we’re almost there. Let’s try a little more!”
“This… This weak trash! These pieces of shit!!”
“The devil is revealing its true color!”
“Shut your mouth!”
“You are finally revealing your true color! You dirty devil’s servant!”
As time went by, the more wounds accumulated on his body, the angrier
Souta got. I once again felt like the chemistry between Juliana and I was quite
good.
In the end, Souta’s gaze fell on me once more.
‘Ah.’
The explosive magic power began to spread in all directions. This meant Ito
Souta had given up on trying to persuade and defend at the same time. He
had already made his decision.
No, perhaps because of the curse, he couldn’t figure out the situation, but no
one would ever know the truth. It could simply be because he wanted to exact
revenge on me, or perhaps he thought it would be better to render the Holy
Knights incapable of combat first.
One thing was certain, however.
‘He’s very strong.’
He was stronger than I thought.

I heard screams from everywhere. It was already hard to see him, but the
Knights and the Heretic Inquisitors fell ridiculously.
If he had a sword in his hand, his arms and legs would have been flying in all
directions.
The divine power that filled the area retains the existing troops, but in fact,
their role was only to limit his movements.
The Holy Knights and Heretic Inquisitors were by no means weak.
The armed groups that the Holy Empire considered as the elite, Helena and
Jessica, and some visible people, also had considerable stats.
The fact that ito Souta is holding up so far doesn’t make sense.
‘In a wounded body condition? With no equipment? Are you serious?’
I could understand why the Holy Empire was sure to respect such strong
people.
I felt it with Cha Hee-ra last time too, but there was definitely a reason for
calling non-standard beings out of standard.
“Catch him! Ahhhhhh!”
“Don’t let him move! Surround him as much as possible!”
“Helena-nim!”
“Don’t make space for him!”
“Everyone, please give me a little more strength!”
The road opened up in spite of me talking. Ito Souta was now running
towards me.
‘Whoa!’
I was surprised but not disconcerted.
There were still many rough mountains left for him before hitting me.
I could see Cha Hee-ra, who approached quickly, kicking him on his side
even before he came to me.
Baaang! With this sound, he got stuck in the opposite wall while screaming.
He succeeded in breaking through the first gateway, but unfortunately, he did

not pass through the second gateway.
“Ahhhhhh!”
“Stop him right now!”
Only
“Cough. Let me go! Let me go! I will kill you! Blaaargh… Kill you! I’ll kill
you no matter what. At any cost! At any cost! Lee Kiyoung. Lee Kiyoung!
Let go of me right now! Cough!”
“Tie up his arms and legs!!”
“Let go of me. Blaaargh! I will kill all those who approach me.”
It wasn’t intended, but the appearance of Ito Souta, who had been influenced
by the curse, now looked like he was really drunk by the power of the demon.
Seeing him spit blood out of his mouth after getting hit by Hee-ra, the
possibility of him being affiliated with the devil became even more
believable.
This was a fitting end for a guy who pretended to be nobler than he really
was.
“Whoo… I’m feeling way better now.”
I had to nod at Cha Hee-ra’s words

Chapter 139 The Verdict (1)
The Verdict (1)
I felt as refreshed as if I had gotten rid of a 10-year indigestion.
Seeing him already surrounded by Heretic Inquisitors, I felt that all the
hardships I had to do had been rewarded. I felt happy.
Of course, Cardinal Basel, a warrior who felt like he had received a

revelation from the Goddess, showed more joy than I did. Since he could
change the dark future he saw, he may be thinking that he had accomplished
his assigned mission.
“Good job! Well done!”
Of course, this was not the end.
“No. It’s too early to celebrate! I have to send the Holy Knights and Heretic
Inquisitors to the Free City of Celia right now. Archbishop Jessica, take the
lead on the Holy Knight’s official dispatch.”
“Yes, Cardinal.”
“It is a Holy War. A Holy War.”
What I said earlier was also a fact, but what Cardinal Basel wanted was not
just the death of Ito Souta. He wanted to find the other ‘demons’ rooted in the
Free City and eradicate them.
Of course, I didn’t want to miss out on such a big event.

As I subtly glanced at Yuno Kasugano, I saw her nodding as if she knew
what I was thinking.
“Cardinal Basel, if it’s okay, can we, the Yozora Guild, join in?”
“Ah!”
“It’s a situation where we don’t know when the demon’s trumps will escape
the Free City of Celia. It will surely be helpful as time is urgent.”
“Oh… thank you. Yuno Kasugano-nim. Thanks for the help. The Goddess
will never forget about this.”
If I were the Guild Master, I would have participated in the heresy judgment
parade, but our Hyunsung and Deokgu both had many things to do.
I didn’t know about Kim Hyunsung, but Deokgu, who was soft, may have a
hard time doing this.
“We, the Black Swans, shall help too.”
“The same goes for the Red Mercenary. Of course, since it is a Free City, we
will require permission from the Yozora Guild, but if it is okay, I would also
like to send troops.”
“Of course, everyone.”
‘Whoa.
Of course, the Black Swan and Red Mercenaries were also going to
participate in this big event.
It was time for a whole large guild to disappear from the map.
I can tell that I, the number one contributor, would get a big share out of this
entire event.
Anyway, most of what Yuno Kasugano would get was supposed to come to
me.
Lee Jihye would also have something to give me, and the Red Mercenary was
sure to give me some of their bounty, too.
Actually, various businesses in Blue were on hold due to capital issues.
I thought that if I combined all the gold from the fantasy potion and the ones
from the Yamato Guild, I would still have some leftover gold if I were to
screw up a few times.
“The future of the Holy Empire is bright because of all of you.”
“Of course, Cardinal Basel. This is a great opportunity to pull out the
cancerous roots in the Holy Empire. I am very glad to be able to lend a
hand.”
“Hohoho.”
“I will send a letter to the Yozora Guild.”
“Thank you very much. It’s not a situation where you can afford to be at ease,
but thanks to you, I think I can calm down a little bit…”
It would also be good for me to stay on the down-low.
Ito Souta, who had been alternating between groaning, screaming, and
resisting the Inquisitors’ arrest, was already out of my sight.
I wanted to talk with him at least once, but this came first.
I have to take care of my achievements.’
It felt right to calculate what I can receive rather than indulge in a brief
satisfaction. Everyone’s gazes eventually focused on me as I began to move.
In particular, Cardinal Basel greeted me with a very happy expression.
“Ah. Lee Kiyoung!”

“I think you have relieved the burden on your heart a little, Cardinal.”
“Ahem… Ahem…”
“For the last few days, you didn’t look so well. I am a little relieved to see
you are doing better.”
“There is still a lot of work to do, but at first, I have eased my biggest burden.
This is all thanks to Lee Kiyoung. Hohoho.”
“Haha. All I did was move according to the will of the Goddess. Wouldn’t all
of this be the will of Benigore’s Goddess? In fact, it would have been nice if
our Blue Guild could also participate in this Holy War… But we still aren’t
in a position to move, I’m sorry.”
“No.You’re sorry? Lee Kiyoung is the biggest contributor to this event. If it

weren’t for Lee Kiyoung, we wouldn’t have been able to find out about those
demons. Haha.”
I had done a lot, indeed. Not only did I cure a city that was about to be
contaminated by demons, but also helped uncover Ito Souta’s real identity.
I presented the revelation of the Goddess to Cardinal Basel with sacred wine,
and at this trial, I also provided good pieces of evidence.
To exaggerate a little, everything had gone as smoothly as I had expected.
“I’m really embarrassed.”
“No. You have accomplished an achievement that deserves much praise.

Besides, isn’t it because of the Yamato Guild that the Blue Guild’s power has
been reduced? Governing internally comes first. I understand Lee Kiyoung
better than anyone else.”
What I wanted were not just words of praise.

“Give me a reward” lingered around my throat, but it appeared that I had no
need to speak up.
“There will be a reward from the Pope’s side.”
“Ah.”
“No, it’s not just the Pope’s side. You’ve done a great job for the Holy
Empire, so you’ll be rewarded by the royal city itself. It would be nice to talk
to everyone else. Ah! If you have any questions, you can tell me.”
“I wasn’t hoping for compensation, Cardinal Basel.”
“Hoho. Lee Kiyoung, don’t you think that I know that? However, you are
right to receive a decent reward for what you have done. Only then will my
mind feel at ease.”
“Ah…”
“You have gone through a lot of trouble, Lee Kiyoung.”
“No. Hahaha. Cardinal Basel faced a lot more struggle than I did.”
‘Good
This situation was progressing beautifully.
If it is enough for the Cardinal-Priest to make a rant like that, I think I can tell
what I can receive.
It’s hard to predict exactly, but maybe…
‘Ministerial-level treatment?’
I can be sure that I can receive such a reward. Of course, I’ll know only after
opening the gift box, but at least I’ll be treated as a guild master of a large
guild.
I still do not know exactly about the privileges they receive, but I might get
my own room in the palace and a Griffon payment for now.
Of course, it is undeniable that other options will come with it.
‘This is sweet.
It was worth it to risk my life.
I had to smile comfortably in a situation where a smile was on my lips even

when I was still.
Looking aside, Ito Souta was being trapped by other Heretic Inquisitors,
including Helena, the Director of Inquisition.
The surroundings are very agitated.
Only
I could see those cleaning the hall due to a sudden fight, and the Holy
Knights were busy running around to arrest the remaining Yamato Guild
members in the castle.
There’s nothing to do, but it’s okay to pretend to also be busy in the current
situation.
“Let go of me! I am innocent! Let me go! Cough. Cough.”
“This filthy demon worshiper. If you make fun of your tongue anymore, I
will crush your mouth.”
“Shit… Shit!”
In the meantime, Ito Souta’s voice continues to be heard.

He looks miserable.
It doesn’t look like a guild master who once was loved by everyone and
wielded
Chapter 140 The Verdict (2)
The Verdict (2)
“I think it will be a very good method for a guy who blasphemed, speaking ill
of the Goddess’ holy water saying that it was a drug.”
“Oh…”
“Since the devil contaminates the whole body, it will be a ritual of

purification.”
“Yes, that seems to be a very good method. If the execution were made
carelessly, the demon’s energy in his body would pollute the castle. That’s
right! Just as I expected from Lee Kiyoung.”
I had just thrown him a curveball, but the Cardinal’s reaction was very
enthusiastic.
If I thought about one of the punishments faced by witches in the Middle

Ages, the one where they threw them into the sea with them tied to a stone.
thought they had a similar method, but it seemed like they didn’t.
They must have their own methods, but at least, Cardinal Basel looked happy
with the idea.
‘Hmm. It’s not bad.’
Ito Souta’s case was completely different from Lee Seolho’s. He was already
completely in trouble, but as one never knew what could happen, it was right
to deal with it when you had the opportunity. There was no need to wait
around.
At this point, I was sure Cardinal Basel felt more eager than I was.
‘Considering what he had seen, that’s understandable.’
“W-what…”
Of course, Ito Souta’s reaction was to feel very disconcerted. Up until now,
couldn’t believe he had been throwing insults my way just a few minutes ago.
He must be realizing what the reality truly was.
Dummy.
Even though he was exposed to the curse, seeing him laid down flat and
struggling madly made me realize that pride usually didn’t help at all.
When he saw Cardinal Basel opening his mouth, his face turned pale again.
“Bring the bronze statue right now! A bronze statue!”
“Yes!”
“Bring the empty bronze statue! That’s a bronze statue filled with holy
water!”
“I’ll honor your order.”
He indeed moved very fast. I didn’t know what he had done in the past, but I
knew I had made the right decision in choosing Cardinal Basel as the receiver
of the ‘Goddess’ revelation.’
I thought he had a personality that preserved dignity and elegance, but it

looked like he had a fiery spirit hidden inside. Of course, this worked to my
advantage.
“Lift the very demonic worshipper, Heretic Inquisitor.”

“Yes.”
“The trial will proceed quickly. No, it cannot be called a trial. It is a good
idea to ask the demon worshipper whether he is guilty of sin or not. It will be
a simple execution.”
“Damn it… Damn!”
“Even if you regret the sin you have committed now, it is too late, devil
worshipper. Now, please, clear up the messy hall, Holy Knights.”
“Yes. Okay.”
“It would be better to make space for the statue to come in. Yes. This way.
This way! Everyone here now will be an observer of this execution. You will
be the eyes and mouth of the Goddess to testify of this execution, seeing what
the words of the wicked, who not only committed the crime but also betrayed
God, are.”
It was at this moment that Cardinal Basel would prove to be very useful for
me in the future. If he were to get promoted one day, I, who would already
have established a considerable acquaintance with him, would be able to
wield unprecedented power.
‘I have to be good to him.’
It would be good to bring him a few more bottles of sacred wine.
Shortly after that, the former courthouse’s door, the current execution site,
began to open.
What caught my eye was a large statue, a statue of a woman with large
wings. Of course, I know who it was. In order to impress these people, I had
to gain some knowledge of theology.
‘Raquel
She was an angel that was considered the right-hand woman of Benigore’s
Goddess.
I didn’t know whether it was a good end or not to die inside such a statue, but
the statue, which was made very beautifully, seemed more than enough to fit
two adult men at once. It looked grandiose at first glance, but I soon realized
it was a torture device.
Or perhaps it was made just for storing items. Of course, its usage had
nothing to do with me. Currently, the priests were busy pouring holy water
inside the statue.
As if they had practiced this beforehand, the whole thing looked sacred.
Of course, it wouldn’t look that way to Ito Souta.
“Crazy… These crazy guys! These savage guys! Cough…”
“Marlin Young-ae! Duchess Catherine! Cough! Will you just be watching

this madness? Judge James! Cough… in the heavenly court. Execution?! Are
you insane? Yuno Kasugano! Are you really betraying your country now?”
“What do you mean by betraying my country? This is not the Earth, Ito
Soutassi. We are now the imperialists of the Free Cities of Lindel and Celia.
If you sinned, you must be punished. This society, which is fair to all, is very
equal to sin.”
“Kiyoung you… Cough…”
“So why did you do that? Why did you collaborate with the devil?”
“No. I am not like that. Wasn’t all of this something you made up…?”
“If anyone hears, they will misunderstand, Ito Souta-ssi. You have instincts,
right? The wrong choice in an instant is what makes this result. You
shouldn’t have turned the Goddess as an enemy.”
To be precise, you shouldn’t have turned me into an enemy. I knew Souta

would understand this.
“Benigore’s Goddess never forgives enemies. She shows mercy only to the
believers who turn their heads toward her.”
“You… you!”
“She will never forgive those who oppose her.”
“Cough… you…”
“You came too far to repent, Ito Souta-nim. I will not lie about you going to a
good place. Since you have committed numerous sins, it would be hard to go
to Heaven. I hope you don’t make the wrong choice in the next life.”
Though I knew I was speaking too much, I felt like it was only right for me to
repay him for what happened in front of Yuno Kasugano’s door.
When he first backstabbed me, he wouldn’t have imagined that the result
would be this way.
“Pfft.”
It was heartbreaking to see him tied up tightly, but this could also be seen as
the perfect end for such an opponent.
Cardinal Basel then spoke up in a solemn tone.
“Shut his mouth so that the sinner does not play with his cunning tongue.”
“Yes.”
“These savage guys! Let go of me! I said, let go of me!”
He was resisting, but there was no way that a tightly tied up guy could do
something.
Eventually, he got gagged, muffling his directed curses.
“Mhmpf! Mhmpf!”
Of course, this only served to anger Cardinal Basel further.
“Verdict! Guild Master Ito Souta of the Yamato Guild, the perpetrator of the
Lindel terror incident, inflicted great wounds on the citizens of the Free City
of Lindel and caused dozens of casualties due to personal greed. Not only
that, he committed a crime of anger in the Imperial Palace, threatening and
assassinating the Holy Empire’s guests. He is an imperial sinner who broke
the imperial agreement to minimize conflict.”
“But.”
“This is not the primary reason to condemn the execution of the criminal Ito
Souta. He made plans to dominate the Holy Empire through the demons,
traded illegal drugs in the Free City of Celia, and committed the sins of
anger, such as slavery and organ trafficking. In the heavenly court, he
blasphemed about the holy water of Benigore’s Goddess, saying that it was a
drug, and then betrayed his oath with the Goddess with false testimony.”
“Ito Souta, a sinner that has sinned against the God and man with adopting
the disobedience to the interrogation of the Heresy Inquisitors as evidence of
being a demon worshipper…”
“I’ll sentence you to death.”
People began to applaud as Cardinal Basel gave his verdict.
Ito Souta, who was delivered to the statue with his limbs tied up, was
struggling as much as possible, but there was no way he could resist at this
point. However, his body was eventually squeezed into the dark and cramped
door. “Mhmpf! Mhmpf!”
A small splashing sound was heard, and the statue closed.
I heard a continuous thumping sound hitting the wall, but slowly, very
slowly, it started to calm down.
What was he thinking in there?
Was he having regrets by now?

I decided not to think about it. He tried to kill me, and I only paid it back.
That was all.
Thud
I couldn’t see the end personally, but well, this was not a bad result.
Thud
It was actually good.
Thud
This was the story that had been written down for him.
After some time, the thumping sound from the inside disappeared. It was
such a shabby end for what could have been such a powerful person.
I stepped forward after greeting the people around me.
You had a hard time.
Thank you.
Justice has won.
The Goddess will bless you.
These words enveloped the whole room. However, Lee Jihye and Cha Hee-ra
still seemed like they had some more tasks to do. Now was not the time to
talk to them, though.
Holding Jung Hayan’s hands, I passed through the chaotic place, and soon
after, a voice called out for me.
“The royal castle is going to pronounce the Griffon.”

“Is that so? That’s good news.”
“Yes, young man. Not only that. As Cardinal Basel said, there are several
rewards planned for you. Representatively, tens of thousands of gold coins
and items will be paid. There will be a room just for you in the castle, and
you can use all kinds of luxury items. Perhaps you’ll be awarded a title… It is
almost certain for you to take a position at the Pope’s side.”
“Ah, that’s great.”
“Are you happy? Are you satisfied?”
“Of course. That wouldn’t be bad news to Victor Hart either. Everything was
put together without war between Celia and Lindel, which you were worried
about.”
“The war is not a problem. Innocent people may die…”
“Victor Hart. The guild members of the Yamato Guild are not innocent
people. Ito Souta is a criminal who committed a crime, a vicious man who
blasphemed and charged as a demon worshipper. The same goes for those in
the Yamato guild. These are the ones who have become his hands and feet.
You have to be careful with your words.”
“I say once again, but if it were me who yielded, I would not have been
here.”
“I understand what you are saying. There must be circumstances that I do not
know. But that way is too much.”
“No, Victor Hart doesn’t understand me. If you think there is an enemy, you
should not show mercy. Mercy is an emotion that the strong can have
towards the weak, not the weak.”
“Who would see you as the weak? You are not the weak.”
“But I feel that way. Perhaps Victor Hart will never understand me.”
“That’s the same for me. I… I don’t think I can like you.”
“But, we will be able to get along.”
I saw Victor Hart smiling at this as he eventually nodded.
That was not a bad reaction.
“How is it? Let’s have a drink. I have some very good wine.”
“I’m good.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
I watched Victor Hart as he stepped away. I had been worried as to how he

would treat me afterwards, but there seemed to be no hostility in his eyes.
Only
On the part of the Emperor’s side, I was not a person who can be rid of, so
Victor Hart would have to stay close to me. Apart from that, the old man’s
eyes somehow annoyed me, but…
“Hayan.”
“Yes?”
“Shall we drink some wine together?”
“Y-Yes, I would love that!”
I wouldn’t care about such trivial things. Today was a pleasant day, made to
be celebrated.
As I looked behind me, I gave one last glance at the ominous statue, sitting
there in such an innocent manner.
“Thank you, you asshole.”
Chapter 141 Going Home (1)
Going Home (1)
It was the same day as per usual.
Of course, this was not the case for the others. After all, one of the largest
guilds within Celia had disappeared instantly, so I knew that the possibility of
an uproar was probable.
The Lindel Daily had also been diligent with dealing with the story, so
wherever one would go, the topic of discussion would be about Ito Souta and
the Yamato Guild. All the members of the Yamato Guild had also been
executed the same day Ito Souta had died.
The Pope’s personnel, joined by the Yozora, Black Swan, and Red
Mercenary Guild, had done their job, and the whole of Celia simply watched
them do so. Of course, not everyone died.
Those who thought that there was room for extenuation had their lives
spared, but these were a sparse few. Most of the members dedicated to Ito
Souta ended up dying.
It was quite a disastrous result, simply for taking the wrong side.
‘Tut-tut…’
I wasn’t able to witness the scene myself, and therefore did not know the
exact situation. However, I knew this had put me at an advantageous position.
I could build up both mine and Cha Hee-ra’s reputation, slightly crumpled
from the Lindel terrorist incident, and also gain power by chumming up to
the Pope’s members.
The alliance between our three guilds and the Yozora Guild had also been a
great achievement. This had created great repercussions within the Holy
Empire, and everyone had to admit that this was the first time that this had
ever happened.
Though the two Free Cities maintained a comfortable relationship, this was
the first time that there had ever been such a close alliance. This showed quite
the beautiful image, of guilds from two different cities yielding to one
another.
Of course, this had not been the only case to happen.
“T-Then, will you become a priest?”
“Probably. Who knows?”
There was also the case of a freeman earning an official title granted by the
Pope. That freeman was, of course, me.
‘Ah, how beautiful.’
I knew gaining a position was a good possibility, but I never thought I’d
achieve a position better than what I had initially thought. Being granted the
title of Honorary Bishop, which was considered to be of the same ranking as
that of the Archbishop, felt quite excessive for me.
If one were to compare this position to the positions within a royal family,
would be of the same power as a count.
I would be well-treated no matter which church I would go to, for I was now
known as the Benigore Goddess’ Honorary Bishop, a god that was
considered one of the best among the few gods that did exist within this
world.
It felt amazing, just thinking about it.
As I came to my senses after a while, however, I noticed Jung Hayan’s pale,

worried face. I felt like I knew what she had been worried about, and it would
only be right for me to clarify things before the problem could get bigger.
“You don’t have to worry. It’s just an honorary position… It doesn’t come
with any responsibility, only rights. I don’t have to attend prayer meetings,
and I don’t have to answer to the Pope.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, marriage and dating are also possible.”
“Ah!!!”
As expected, it seemed that this was the problem. This had been Jung
Hayan’s concern.
Unlike the Free City priests, marriage was taboo for those who served the
Benigore’s Goddess. However, this didn’t seem to apply to the Honorary
Bishop of the Free People.
“There are conditions for me to be able to distribute sacred wine periodically,

but there are no other restrictions. It’s not a free delivery too… Rather, it’s
nice because I can make money.”
“Y-You’re right.”
“It’s so good to be close to the church. Especially in the Holy Empire…”
“What exactly is so good about that?”
“There are many things. First of all, the most obvious is the treatment I’d
get.”
“Ah.”
“I am considered to be one of the highest at this point. If you think about

being the Pope, the Cardinal, the Patriarch, and the Archbishop, it makes
sense, right? Of course, there are positions such as Director of Inquisition or
Commander of Holy Knights found within the middle, but the ranks of armed
groups in the Pope’s side only come in second.”
“I see.”
“Yes. The position of Honorary Bishop can be considered the same as

Archbishop’s position.”
“Then that’s actually quite high.”
The rights that went with the title were not yet distinguishable, but I felt like
it would be enough to move the Heretic Inquisitors and Holy Knights around.
Basically, I could use them at my disposal if I ever came across a problem.

Though this did not reach the scope of having them accompany me in
dungeons and the like, the fact that I could seek their help or support should
any external disputes occur was already more than enough.
‘If I can go up to the Cardinal’s rank…’
If I did, then the three Templars in possession of the Pope’s side would react
if I got in danger.
I haven’t confirmed it with my own eyes yet, but as they were the monsters
the Pope’s side was so proud of, they would be at least similar to or better
than Cha Hee-ra and Victor Hart.
T’ll get there soon enough.’
Since I was a free citizen, it may be hard to become a cardinal priest, but
anything can happen.
Anyway, who would have known that I would have a position similar to that
of Archbishop right now? if the right opportunity arose, I know I’d be able to
achieve the position.
In conclusion, what I got was several hundred times better than earning the
noble title of the kingdom, which was only superficial. The real nobility lay
not on the Emperor’s side, but on the Pope’s. However, this did not mean that
the Emperor was to be taken lightly.
Because I gained a lot from them too.’
First, as Victor Hart had said, the royal castle gave me a griffon, a white one
that was a little different from Cha Hee-ra’s. I felt like they had given it to me
while thinking of my position as an Honorary Bishop, as religion was a
symbol of pure whiteness.
I had examined the griffon to be of a suitable size to be called an adult. It was

smaller than Cha Hee-ra’s, but it could fly with no problem whatsoever.
Pride filled me every time I looked at it. It felt like owning an expensive,
foreign car.
In fact, considering the high value of griffon in this world, it was

incomparable to the mass-produced products at a factory.
“Whoo…”
Who would have thought that when I came here, I would get a griffon? And
not only one!
‘I got two.
The other one was taken rather than gifted. It had been owned by Ito Souta
himself, and was the thing that I wanted the most.
I only had to spread rumors about wanting it, and I had naturally obtained it.
The reason why I wanted him was obvious.
‘I can’t just forget about Hyunsung.’
It was a perfect gift for my Guild Master, who would still be suffering back
in the guild.
The black guy was definitely a male. My griffon was a female, so perhaps
they would make a good pair. We could even produce another griffon in the
future if possible. Though it was said to be theoretically impossible, I felt like
it was still worth a try.
All in all, I was happy.
“Ah, oppa. Cardinal Basel is here.”
“Ah… Alright.”
Seeing him coming all the way here when I was about to leave revealed that
he surely liked me.
Even though we talked all night last night, I was grateful for him showing up
like this. I can even see the others hurrying right behind him.
There were Duchess Catherine and Marlin Young-ae, Countess Elise,

Archbishop Jessica, Director of Inquisition Helena.
Of course, Cardinal Basel reached me first. His face showed his displeasure
at me leaving.
“You haven’t left yet, Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.“
“Hahaha. That’s because the Mercenary Queen hasn’t come yet.”
“Ah…”
“I expected Cardinal Basel to see me off.”
“Hohoho. Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung always seems to be good-natured.

Haha.”
“I am so grateful that you came out to see me off so early in the morning.”
“It is not just a regular man, but Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung that is
leaving, so of course I have to see you off. I’m worried that this old man has
been holding you too much.”
“No. I enjoyed it a lot too. I’ll see you again soon. Cardinal Basel.”
It was certainly interesting to see Cardinal Basel holding my hand tight. In
his eyes was the kind of insurmountable trust no one could ever dare to reach.
If this man became the next Pope, perhaps become a cardinal. With this
thought in mind, I held his hand just as tightly.
Of course, Cardinal Basel was not the only one who did not want me to leave.
“Lee Kiyoung-nim.”
“Oh, Duchess Catherine.”
“I’m sorry, I have come at slightly bad timing. It seems that you didn’t enjoy
the social gathering properly…”
“No. Actually, I was a little busy before, but the last days have been really
fun. It was really exciting to meet and talk with the people to who you
introduced me to. I seem to have met all the people I could ever meet in a
lifetime. It’s all thanks to you, Duchess Catherine.”
Even Marlin Young-ae was crying, strangely enough.
‘What’s wrong with that one?’
She made me remember Yuno Kasugano, who I had left two days ago. She
had sobbed to me before she had left for Celia. I had to promise to stop by
once a month, which barely even calmed her down.
Of course, I understood her feelings. It would hurt to keep living separately

from me. However, I couldn’t take Yuno Kasugano to Lindel since she had
some more work to do for me at Celia.
“Sniff… Snife…”
“It seems that Marlin Young-ae is very sad. Hoho.”
“L-Lee Kiyoung! You must come again. Sniff…”
“Yes, Marlin Young-ae. Of course, I’ll visit you. I will come as soon as
possible, so you don’t have to be sad. Countess Elise too, we will definitely
meet
again.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll make sure to visit Archbishop Jessica and Director of Inquisition Helena
as well.”
“Yes. Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung. We will also visit you at Lindel.”
“That would be an honor.”
There were a great many people besides them who had arrived, and it was
hard bidding them goodbye one by one. Though I was mainly focused on
those who held a high rank within the society, I knew I had to value each and
every one. Each of those here had their own set of networks and connections
that I could surely make use of. I couldn’t throw anyone away.
Managing a human network was certainly difficult.
Although I felt like I had become a popular person in no time, well…
‘It’s a little tiring.
I couldn’t show my exhaustion, however.
“If this is your first time riding a griffon, the Pope’s side will send you a
driver.”
“Hahahahaha. Thank you for the offer, but it’s fine, Cardinal Basel. I’ve
already flown in the sky a few times, and it felt okay. I think the Goddess has
helped me in advance.”
“If you are an Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung, that is more than likely.”
“That’s such a big praise, Cardinal Basel.”

When I thought it was getting boring, Cha Hee-ra and Victor Hart arrived at
the Griffon take-off.
They stopped by to greet everyone, too.
After glancing at me, Cha Hee-ra couldn’t help but smile.
“Shall we go, honey?”
“Yes, Hee-ra. Thank you, everyone, for seeing us off.”
“You are always welcome here, Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.”
“Hahaha. Thank you so much.”
As I climbed onto my griffon’s back, Jung Hayan took the spot behind me.
Only
Cha Hee-ra placed herself on her griffon, and on top of Ito Souta’s griffon sat
an executive of the Red Mercenary Guild.
It would seem like he would be the current driver on the way back.
After a slight nod, griffon slowly started to flap its wings.
I’m going home.
As the background surrounding me changed, the place I thought was my

home also changed.
I felt a mix of relief and disappointment,
I wanted to see my family back at home. No, rather than that, I was curious
about Hyunsung’s reaction to my various gifts.
‘Hyunsung! I’m going!’

Going Home (2)
I was looking forward to going home. It had been fun staying in the city, but
now I missed the guild more than anything.
‘Ah…
Of course, I was afraid of the upcoming work stress, but I knew it would have
been sorted out to some extent by now.
Thinking of Kim Mi-young, Park Jung-gi, Park Deokgu (whom Hwang

Jeongyeon was in love with), as well as other members of what could be said
as a competent administrative team working hard made me smile.
I began to wonder how everyone was faring – from Kim Hyunsung to Park
Deokgu, Sun Hee-young, and even little Kim Ye-ri.
Though I missed everyone, I thought of our party members the most. It

seemed to me that I had gotten attached to them. It wouldn’t be bad to hang
out as a group once I got back.
‘Shall we go into the dungeon?”
It might not even be bad to travel to Celia as a group. Of course, I didn’t

know if everyone would have the time to do so, but I could probably
convince them to take time off to relax.
Meanwhile, I had named my griffon White Paul.

There had been no other reason for its name other than its obvious color.
Though I initially felt uncomfortable getting on top of it, I could see that it
acted in consideration of me.
After crossing a small mountain, I finally saw the Free City of Lindel. This
meant we were close.
‘We have arrived.’
I was finally back.
Of course, the place we arrived at was the landing site of the Red Mercenary
Guild. There was still no space within Blue to accommodate griffons.
Sadly, Jung Hayan fell apart from my back and got off the griffon, and I
stroked White Paul’s head once.
“Krook.”
It’s definitely a cute guy.
“It’s okay if I leave it with you for a while, right Hee-ra?”
“Of course.”
“Take the other griffon, too. There is still no space in our guild to
accommodate these children.”
“It’s not difficult, honey. Why don’t you take a break for one night before
heading back.”
“No, it’s fine. I should stop by the guild first.”
“Really? That’s sad.”
“I’ll stop by tomorrow or the day after. When I have time… I have some
things to talk to you about.”
She seemed a little sad, but I knew she must have other things to do on her
end. After all, she had been gone from the guild for quite a long time as well.
Jung Hayan and I eventually left the Red Mercenary Guild. Though it
appeared that we had been gone for some time, Lindel still seemed about the
same. I
party members, while others were conversing.
‘Ah, it’s good to be back.’
It was then I saw a strangely large and familiar figure.
‘That bastard…
Even the back of the woman next to him was familiar. I didn’t know what
they were talking about, but they both seemed quite happy.
“Ah!”
Jung Hayan, who was beside me, uttered a small exclamation as if she was
surprised to see who was in front of her. I didn’t even have to explain.
I wasn’t sure if the two were already in such a relationship, but they looked
very friendly from where I was standing.
Smiling, I called out for the guy. He jumped in surprise and looked in our
direction.
“Deokgu!”
“Huh?”
I could see Park Deokgu smiling, as if I was someone who had died, but then
came back to life. Then, his expression shifted, distorted, even, not in an
angry manner, but in a manner that made him look as if he was trying to hold
back his tears.
“H-Hyung-nim!”
His vigor was like an 8-ton truck with a broken handle. It was as if a bull was
charging towards me. I thought about dodging, but I felt so glad to see him
that I stood still.
That was a mistake on my part.
“Hyung-nilim!”
When I opened my arms a little, he looked a little more moved. As he hugged

me tightly, I was instantly breathless.
‘Fuck… I shouldn’t have let him hug me.’
I think some part of my back had broken.
However, I also patted Deokgu on the back. People around us looked

confused with our passionate embrace, but Park Deokgu was not conscious of
it at all.
Eventually, he began to speak.
“Hyung-nim! You should’ve told me that you came back…”
“Puhahaha. Everyone else knows already. Didn’t you see the griffon flying
here?”
“Ah! Was it you riding that white griffon?”
“Yes.”
“I think I heard about hyung-nim’s success… Whoo… Did you have any
other hard time besides that? You look a little tired.”
“It’s not like that. The last few days were quite comfortable.”
“Speaking of… The newspaper said that you were framed. Do you know how
much my heart fell? Is that all solved now?”
“Of course. It was a story to be revealed in the first place. It wasn’t a big deal,
so don’t worry. Didn’t you know since you got the letter?”
“No, of course, I know something, but I didn’t really know what was going
on there from here, so I couldn’t tell how things were. I wanted to go if I
could, but every time I got a letter… Oh, I just thought you would ignore it. I
was so worried that I couldn’t sleep at night.”
“Puhahaha.
“There’s nothing to laugh about, Hyung-nim. Really! He doesn’t say

anything but, Hyunsung-ssi wanted to go too. Oh, and it turns out that I
forgot about Hayan. How are you?”
I found this to be good news.
“Yes. Deokgu. W-We’ve been doing well.”
“No. We shouldn’t be like this; you have to go back to the guild. Everyone
will be happy to know that hyung-nim is back.”
“Rather than that, what were you doing here with Jeong-yeon?”
At this, Park Deokgu hesitated. A shy expression crossed his face.
Seeing Hwang Jeong-yeon blushing and turning away revealed that

something really did happen between the two.
“R-Rather than focusing on that, return to the guild quickly, Kiyoung-ssi. It’s
so good to see you after a long time.”
“Ahem. Let’s go quickly.”
He looked so cute, trying to change the subject. At this point, I knew that the
way back to the guild would not be boring at all.
Meanwhile, Jung Hayan and Hwang Jeong-yeon seemed to be catching up as
well. As they did, I continued to converse with Deokgu about the guild’s
current situation.
“How are Hee-young and Ye-ri?”
“Hee-young seems to be the same every day… Ye-ri, that kid, is growing
up.”
“Huh?”
“They grow up differently from day to day at that age. In fact, as I see her
every day, I can’t tell, but the other people in the guild say that she’s grown a
lot. Oh, and she seems to be getting stronger very quickly… That… You will
probably be surprised when you see it.”
“Ahhh…”
“You don’t look so interested, hyung-nim.”
“No. I was already expecting that Ye-ri’s growth would be fast. How are you,
Deokgu?”
While speaking, I looked at Park Deokgu with my Mind’s Eye, assessing his
stats.
It was not that impressive because I had already seen more monstrous stats
than most would ever see in their lifetime, but his progress seemed to be
going quite smoothly.
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Park Deokgu]
[Name: Park Deokgu]
[Title: None. You should try a little more.]
[Age: 23]
[Disposition: Simply ignorant enthusiast]

[Class: Steel Shield (Rare)]
[Stats]
[Strength: 67/Growth potential: Heroic or higher]
[Agility: 34/Growth potential: Rare or lower]
[Health: 70/Growth potential: Heroic or higher]
[Intelligence: 27/Growth potential: Rare or lower)
[Durability: 71/Growth potential: Heroic or higher]
[Luck: 23/Growth potential: Rare or lower)
[Magic: 22/Growth potential: Normal or higher]
[Overview: He is showing decent growth due to high strength, endurance,

and stamina. Endurance and stamina stats beyond 70 stand out. I feel bad for
the relative lack of magic power, but if he tries hard, he might be able to rise
to become the top player. However, I still feel quite sorry for his magic stats.]
‘Endurance is 70…
That was actually great. 70 was not low, by all means.
‘You worked hard, Park Deokgu.’
It appeared that he could still catch up with the rest of the geniuses in the
party.
However, I knew that this would be a difficult feat. There was still a
distinguishable difference between working hard and having natural talent,
yet I knew Deokgu would be able to do it.
“Ah, nothing great… I worked just as hard as everyone else…”
“Really?”
“It’s the usual training. My stats have risen, and I tried to visit the veterans |
saw at that time to learn a lot, but I don’t think I’ve grown as good as I
wanted to.”
“How much is it?”
“I have over 70 endurance and stamina, and my strength is still 67. My

magical power stats won’t grow no matter what…”
“You’re doing well.”
“What?”
“You’re doing well, so you just have to do as you do now.”
“Ah…”
“You don’t have to compare yourself with other people, Deokgu. If you work
hard as you do, someday you will surely be rewarded. It’s good to think
about it, but don’t go too deep. If it’s too hard, come to me. If you look at the
stats of the other free peoples we started with, or the people who have no
choice but to choose the non-combat army, you can understand how fast your
growth is.
“H-Hyung-nim…”
“Your efforts will never betray you. There is a quote that says that.”
I felt guilty as I spoke. I knew that effort too easily betrayed human
expectations. However, I knew I had to say it for the betterment of Park
Deokgu. The man was already feeling emotional.
“Anyway, is everything I ordered done?”
“Ahhh. Probably so. Actually, I’m not sure, but I don’t think that the person
named Kim Mi-young, chosen by you, controls other tasks besides her own.”
“That’s a good thing.”

“Well, of course, you have to check it yourself… Hyung-nim didn’t seem to
have any problems either.”
“Anything special?”
here?”
“A new person?”
“It seems like Hyunsung-ssi brought him personally, but I think it’s been a
while since he joined the Blue. He’s a kind man, and he’s also very strong.
Ah! While he was away, he organized the guild, making him general
manager of the administration… He hangs out every day with our Hyun-ssi.
They get along really well.”
Against my will, I began to feel very nervous.
“And?”
“I am not sure what to say… It feels like he’s combining those things. He is
smart and fights well.”
I knew someone would fill in for me, but I didn’t even think a new person
would come. When Deokgu said that he was close to Kim Hyunsung, my
heart squeezed.
Only
‘Fuck… Hyunsung…’
It was natural for me to feel anxious. I knew Kim Hyunsung would be able to
attract talent to our Guild, but this was earlier than I had expected.
As Kim Hyunsung’s closest friend, I felt a bit uneasy.

It was then that I could see the man himself from afar – what a joke of fate!
He had a person right next to him. I could see Hyunsung smiling widely.
“Ah… It looks like Hyun-ssi came to meet you. Hyung-nim.” Park Deokgu
eagerly told me, but I couldn’t focus on his words.
It was obvious why.
It was all because of Kim Hyunsung. Anyone could see that he was having
such a pleasant conversation.
‘You never laughed like that with me, you bastard…’

Going Home (3)
I felt incredibly disappointed,
I didn’t know if this was the right way to express it, but it felt like seeing
your beloved wife flirting with someone else on your way home from a
business trip.
Plus, I had even prepared gifts, so the heavy feeling had doubled.
‘I worked really hard…’
I even pulled a griffon for him.
Of course, Kim Hyunsung could obtain it on his own in a few years, but it
was I who had made it possible for him to acquire one earlier.
Few people owned one in this entire continent; its value was beyond
description. Of course, that was not the only thing that I’d brought home for
him.
Currently, the items brought by the Red Mercenary Guild members could fill
up a small room. It had all sorts of goods, including good quality items.
I could take all these things as my possessions, but I had set them aside for
Hyunsung.
Seeing the bright smile he directed to her, one that he had never shown me, it
was no wonder that the desire to give the griffon to him faded away in no
time at all.
Kim Hyunsung was already waving in my direction. He was smiling happily,

but it wasn’t on a level to be compared with the sincere smile from earlier.
Still, I decided to act naturally and waved back.
“Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Ah, Hyunsung-ssi.”
He didn’t come running like Park Deokgu, but he walked quickly and hugged
me, which made me feel a little better.
Nevertheless, the doll next to him bothered me.
“I found out that you came back after seeing the griffon returning. It’s good
that I came out in advance.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“No. Of course I had to. Kiyoung-ssi must have gone through a lot too. I
already knew that you were involved in various things… You’ve done really
well.”
“Haha.”
“What happened to Ito Souta of the Yamato Guild?”
“He was executed, just as you heard. He didn’t have any holes to escape
through because there were various charges on him. Actually, I wanted to
free him of the death penalty as well, but Cardinal Basel’s will was so
stubborn.”
“I see.”
“There seemed to be an underlying situation besides what had happened, but
I didn’t exactly get to find out…”
As I spoke, Kim Hyunsung’s relaxed expression did not change. In fact, it

felt as if he was glad to hear that Ito Souta died. From this, I gathered that the
man did not play a positive role in the future.
Considering Souta’s personality, that was highly possible. He was an

arrogant guy, and he had attempted a preemptive attack on Lindel.
Of course, he wouldn’t be conspiring to overturn the Holy Empire by

becoming a demon worshipper as I showed Cardinal Basel, but at least he
was out of the way now.
‘It was a good thing I killed him.’
“Have you ever heard about Ito Souta?”
“Yes. If you talk with many people, stories about other cities come out
eventually. I just know that he was a guy with poor qualities. It was a rumor
that had been openly spread before this case broke out, so you can assume
that he was punished. It is not something for Kiyoung-ssi to feel guilty about.
‘I don’t feel that way, Hyunsung.’
It may be the starting point of backstabbing the Holy Empire or the war
between Lindel and Celia, but the important thing was that his death had
made the future a little more beautiful.
Whatever he did in the first timeline did not matter anymore.
“How has Hyunsung-ssi been doing?”
“It was always the same for me. First, I had to stabilize the guild. In fact,
when we heard the bad news, most of the work that Kiyoung entrusted had
already been finished… … If Kiyoung-ssi hadn’t sent a letter stating that I
didn’t have to come to the Holy Empire, I would certainly have headed over
there right away.”
“Hahaha. There was nothing to worry about. Rather, things went smoothly. I
don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but this time I got an official position from
the Pope’s side.”
“What?”
“It was because Cardinal Basel liked me. I was given an undeserved position
of Honorary Bishop.”
“Ah. I see.”
“Perhaps you haven’t heard of it in detail. I heard it’s been a while since the
Pope’s side gave an outsider an official position. It has been more than 254
years. The rank itself is the same level as the Archbishops, and there are
various benefits… It will also help our guild out.”
“Ah!”
It seems that no one had ever obtained the title of Honorary Bishop the first
time, or perhaps Kim Hyunsung really wasn’t just interested in that sort of
thing. However, when I mentioned that it was on the same rank as the
Archbishop’s, his face began to brighten.
His reaction was only natural. There were a lot of benefits aside from being
able to control the Heretic Inquisitors and the Holy Knights, especially when
it came to the Holy War.
‘What can I say? I’m talented.’
“I didn’t expect anything like this at all… It’s more than I imagined. You did
a really good job.”
‘You think that’s all, right?’
As I was thinking about informing him of the gifts, Hyunsung began to speak
urgently. I already knew what he was going to do – he was going to introduce
this unknown person to me.
In his own viewpoint, this was his achievement, and he wanted to show her
off to me, but I couldn’t help but feel a little bitter.
“Actually, we have something new, too. I don’t know if you’ve already heard
from Deokgu, but while Kiyoung-ssi was away, I recruited a new person.”
“Ah… So this is her.”
“Yes. This is Cho Hyejin, who just joined Blue.”
The person standing next to Kim Hyunsung was a woman holding a long
spear. The hair tied to the back, coupled with her tall height, somehow
reminded me of an old samurai.
She had distinct features, but she seemed to have a strong-minded personality
for some reason.
‘It seems like she actually is….
“I’m Cho Hyejin. I heard a lot about you, Vice Guild Master Lee Kiyoung.”
“Ahhh. So you’re Cho Hyejin. Nice to meet you. I am Kiyoung Lee.”
“Yes. It seems like you’re exactly what I heard. I’m looking forward to
working with you.”
Of course, I immediately assessed her with my Mind’s Eye.
[Name: Cho Hyejin]
[Title: Castle Rock’s Stubbornness]
[Age:25]
[Disposition: An Inflexible Woman of Principles]
[Class: Spearmanship Expert (Heroic)]

[Class Effect: Acquisition of basic spear skills]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of intermediate spear skills]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of advanced spear skills]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of advanced magic power management skills]
[Stats]
[Strength: 75/Growth potential: Hero or higher]
[Agility: 82/Growth potential: Hero or higher]
[Health: 87/Growth potential: Hero or higher]
[Intelligence: 51/Growth potential: Hero or lower]
[Durability: 71/Growth potential: Hero or lower]
[Luck: 50/Growth potential: Hero or lower]
[Magic: 60/Growth potential: Hero or lower]
[Attribute: Hard-worker: Legendary]
[Overview: Nothing stands out, but before the growth potential, she knows
about the military more than anyone else. Also, due to the influence of her
disposition and attribute, she has the capacity to grow even more than her
supposed potential. She is a different type of genius than the other genius
players Lee Kiyoung has seen so far.]
‘There’s nothing that stands out, my ass…’
Many people lived in Lindel, but this was the first time I’d seen someone
with these stats and talent levels, all except for people on Cha Hee-ra’s level.
Of course, there were no stats beyond legendary, but her potential was
already enormous.
I already knew she was strong, just by looking at her stats. They were either
Hero or higher or Hero or lower, and it felt unfair that I had been stuck with
such sucky stats on my end.
“I think it’s my first time… seeing you in Lindel. Of course, I haven’t seen
all the people in this wide area…”
“Ah. Yes. Kiyoung-ssi is right. Cho Hyejin is from Castle Rock and not
Lindel. Due to unavoidable circumstances, she left her previous guild and
made connections with Blue when she came to Lindel.”
“Castle Rock”
“Yes.”
Castle Rock was not a free city where free people settled. It was a territory
contained within the Holy Empire.
Since there were many hunting grounds and dungeons that could be used in
its surroundings, I had also heard that some free people had settled over there.
Considering that it was a little further south and close to the Monster Forest,
it certainly didn’t seem like a bad place to settle in.
Of course, some disadvantages certainly existed. First of all, as it wasn’t a

free city, the tax rates were higher, and there were significantly more
restrictions. Free people were somewhat free from imperial laws, but that
only applied to areas such as Lindel.
“I see.”
‘Was Marlin Young-ae from Castle Rock?’
I felt like I was right. Anyway, it wasn’t my business if she came from Castle
Rock or Camp Rock, for that matter. The important thing was, Kim
Hyunsung seemed to have known Cho Hyejin from the first timeline, and
even trusted her quite a bit.
Her title was Castle Rock’s Stubbornness; the disposition being Inflexible
Woman of Principles.
No matter which angle I tried to see her in, I didn’t think we would have any
affinities. I can tell she was just straightforwardly inflexible. To work with
me, who throws principles in the trash, there was no way we could have good
chemistry. However, I knew Kim Hyunsung wouldn’t know about how I was
feeling.
I began feeling nervous for some reason.
I really don’t think we’re compatible…’
It wasn’t just prediction, it was conviction. Her disposition had already

spelled it all out for me – we wouldn’t fit well together.
“Actually, Hyejin helped with the work that Kiyoung-ssi entrusted to us.”
“Ah… Yes. I see. There was a lot to do, but thank you very much.”
“No. I just did what I had to do. I simply handled it according to the
documents you had organized.”
“She’s a really competent and kind person. If you talk to her, you will
understand what I am saying.”
“I see.”
“She also has a lot of power. I wanted to appoint her a key position in the
guild right away, but I think it’s a matter that requires Kiyoung-ssi’s consent,
so it’s been pending.”
“Ah…”
I at least appreciated this. I had no reason to reject her appointment, but I

appreciated the fact that Hyunsung respected my authority.
Even so…
“No. The offer is still overwhelming.”
Only
It felt nice seeing her reject the position.
“We can’t be like this, let’s go back to the Guild House quickly. Ye-ri and
Heeyoung will also come right after work.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Master.”
As anyone could see, Kim Hyunsung was very excited about the idea of
introducing new friends to an already-existing group.
Although he was evidently hoping for some synergy between the two of us, I
could already roughly predict how things were going to be from now on.
For me, who wanted to remain as the closest person next to Hyunsung, this
was quite the crisis.
‘Hyunsung… I’m going to believe in you.’

Going Home (4)
On the way back to the Guild House, we were able to talk about various
things. We mostly caught up on what had happened with each other, but it
was fun overall.
At first, Jung Hayan eyed Cho Hyejin cautiously, but immediately lost
interest when it appeared like there was no connection between her and me.
My only problem was…
‘A new person has entered.’
My thoughts kept repeating themselves as I continued to observe her. In

short, my initial reaction of her was similar to Jung Hayan’s.
Park Deokgu seemed to respect Cho Hyejin a lot, though. It seemed like the
two had gotten close while I had been away.
Of course, the conversation in itself wasn’t bad.
“Hey, Hyejin-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“What do you think about our hyung-nim?”
“He seems to be as wise as I’ve heard. In fact, I was always curious about
who was able to organize the papers so well…”
“Without Lee Kiyoung, it would have taken longer for the guild to establish
itself.”
“Yes, Master. I thought… it definitely wasn’t an amount that could be solved

by himself…”
“You’re exaggerating. I didn’t do it alone. This was possible because of the

help of others. There are many talented people within Blue.”
Having Kim Hyunsung and Park Deokgu chattering made me feel happy. The
fact that there was someone I didn’t know hurt a little, but I gave way simply
because I saw how happy Hyunsung was.
Cho Hyejin was still growing. She didn’t show her full potential yet.
Nevertheless, it had already reached this much. She had a lot more room to
grow in the future. She might even be able to grow into having a Guild
Master-level power in the future, considering her attributes.
Assuming that Kim Hyunsung had indeed come from the first timeline and
had met her before, then it would surely be beneficial to have her on our side.
The only thing I had to focus on was which position I would take.
Should I push her away, or accept her?
The latter, of course, was reasonable. The fact that there were people like this
would help the guild itself. If Kim Hyunsung’s kingdom were to grow bigger
in the future, having competent members like her would surely be useful. She
was knowledgeable in both literary and martial arts, and her power and talent
levels were way beyond the ordinary.
There was no reason for me not to accept her.
The problem was that my influence would be reduced. Until then, for me,
who had monopolized the love of Kim Hyunsung, having a sudden rival did
not sit well with me.
‘Although, it’s pretty hard to imagine Kim Hyunsung being crazy about a
woman…
He wouldn’t probably be like that. Of course, if colleagues from the first
timeline like Cho Hyejin continue to come in, I felt worried that our
Hyunsung would neglect our already-existing party.
In Park Deokgu and my case, who had relatively low stats, we might be left
in the dust.
Of course, if I were to think about it in another way, the division of power

was necessary. I had to reject having too much power on my side.
However, I had to think that it was also a little too early. Even if forces that
could keep me in check appear after Kim Hyunsung’s kingdom had been
established, it would not be late. There was no room to be worrying about
principles; now, rapid growth was needed.
Of course, it was all my brain’s delusions that Cho Hyejin will tackle me.
Because of my tendency to always think about the worst, I could readily

think of various solutions if anything were to happen. Still, Kim Hyunsung’s
happy disposition, which I had never seen before, continued to bother me.
‘First, let’s just act normal.’
There were times when worrying ahead could be a big help, but that was not
the case now. An unimaginably strong person had joined our Guild, and it
was only right for me to feel happy.
As we continued to move, the Blue Guild House slowly came into our view.
I expected that I would be welcomed to some extent, but everyone looked

busy thus far. It seemed like the guild staff had been working hard to prepare
something.
I instantly realized that it was a party, and I felt better. Sun Hee-young, Kim
Yeri, and Lee Sang-hee, whom I had not seen for a long time, ran to me and
began to say hello in turns.
“Welcome back…”
“It’s been a while, Ye-ri.”
She didn’t say anything, but she looked at me quietly and said hello.
“Kiyoung-ssi! You are finally here.”
“Yes. Hee-young-ssi. Long time no see.”
Sun Hee-young greeted me brightly, on the other hand.
“Thank you for your hard work, Vice Guild Master.”
“Thank you. Lee Sang-hee-nim.”
Even Lee Sang-hee greeted me with respect, along with Kim Mi-young, the
manager, and Park Jung-gi of the administration team. Seeing their reactions,
I realized that they were able to successfully conclude their work with ease.
After greeting me, everyone started talking to Jung Hayan, and the
atmosphere quickly became noisy. At the same time, food constantly sailed
through the guild’s yard. The person who prepared all of this was obvious.
‘Hyunsung…
This bastard clearly understood how to push and pull. Though all the
disappointment did not go away, the welcome party clearly lessened it to an
extent
Now I felt like I really was back home. Seeing my reaction, Kim Hyunsung
smiled.
“Welcome back once again, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Welcome, Vice Guild Master.”

And just like this, the short party started.
There were many people who got moderately drunk, but all in all, everyone
seemed to be enjoying.
If I were to think about it, this was the first time I could have fun ever since
joined Blue.
Jung Hayan still stuck to me, sipping juice, and Park Deokgu busied himself
by walking around and shoving food into his mouth.
Of course, Hwang Jeong-yeon was sitting next to him. It was obvious that the
two really did grow closer, as they were already acting like a couple.
As the time passed by, some of the people began to fall prey to their
inebriated state. The guild staff was no exception to the drunkenness.
“Ugh… Do you know how hard it was? In fact, I kind of resented the Vice
Guild Master.”
“You’ve been through a lot, Mi-young-ssi. Ah! Now I should call you
Manager Kim Mi-young.”
“What?”
“I’ve only been postponing your appointment. I know best how hard Kim
Miyoung has been suffering. Let’s do the salary negotiation tomorrow.”
“Ah!!”
“You will be able to work with a better treatment. I’ll also keep your children
in mind.”
“Ah!!! T-Thank you. Thank you.”
I also did not forget to take care of my administrative team. Of course, Kim
Mi-young, the best among them, immediately got promoted, which led to
Park Jung-gi looking at her with undeniable envy. I knew I had to take care
of him to some extent as well.
“It is only natural to do so. Ah. I heard that you received a lot of help from
Cho Hyejin.”
“Yes. She’s a bit stubborn, but… she is a good person.”
Her reputation is good.’
It seems that she was loved by many people. As we continued talking, a loud
voice came from the side.
“Hyung-nim! Try this once! Hyung-nim!”
“Please try this, too, Hayan-ssi.”
Sun Hee-young and Park Deokgu approached this way, both bringing plates
of delicious-looking food.
“It’s really good, Kiyoung-ssi. Much more than the food the restaurants here
sell…”
“Ah, is it?”
“Please try this, Hayan-ssi.”
“Yes. T-Thank you.”
“It really tastes great!”
What he had in his hand was a simple stew served in a small bowl. It looked
a little different from the fancy food that had been served so far. From its
unsophisticated serving, I knew it was not the Blue’s chef that had prepared
this.
Although the thickly-sliced beef looked delicious, I was confident that it

would not exceed the food level that we could eat during the expedition.
I couldn’t understand why they were fussing over it so much.
“Try it quickly! Quickly!”
“Alright.”
I couldn’t win over Park Deokgu’s enthusiasm, so the moment I took a

spoonful, I thought something was different.
“Huh?”
The different taste instantly made me alert.
“Isn’t it delicious?”
‘It’s delicious.
I didn’t answer Park Deokgu, but my reaction said it all.
“Who made it?”
“Our Guild Master Hyun-ssi and Lee Sang-hee-nim made it. He went to the
kitchen and made it, but who would have thought? Doesn’t it just melt in
your mouth?”
“Huh?”
“It really does!”
“Ah, it’s so good!”
“How about you, Hayan?”
“I-It’s delicious, D-Deokgu. This… is really good.”
There was an unknown feeling of defeat in Jeong Hayan’s voice.
“You can cook, too, right?”

“Huh? Ah… That… Yes! I have learned a little…”
Her reaction betrayed the insecurity Jung Hayan felt. She reluctantly headed
to the kitchen, her facial expression similar to that of Ito Souta’s before he
entered the statue.
I made a mental note not to try out any of the dishes Jung Hayan would make
today.
Everyone in the party was in pairs and were enjoying the party in their own
way. What stood out was Cho Hyejin, who was sitting down by herself.
As she quietly chewed on her food, I decided it would be better to try and talk
to her. I was curious about what kind of person she was. As Jung Hayan was
in the middle of an infinite challenge, it would be the right timing to do so.
After excusing myself from Kim Mi-young, who expressed the desire to talk
a little more, I saw Cho Hyejin looking my way.
“What do you think of Blue?”
“It seems to be a good place. I expected it from the rumors, but it was even
better than I first thought.”
“Ah.”
“Especially when the Vice Guild Master entered, the atmosphere looks a little
better.”
“It’s not like this every time. This is actually the first time I’d gotten to
enjoy…”
“You can see how much the members of this guild trust their Guild Master
and Vice Guild Master.”
“Ah…”
“I also had the tutorial with some people, but because of various minor events
after entering the continent, we split up, so it’s definitely nice to see Blue
being like this.”
Though she was calmly eating her food, her words were quite sentimental. I
thought about the possibility of her being drunk, but it certainly didn’t seem
that bad to me.
I felt like I knew how her first party had ended, and why she left Castle Rock
and came here.
‘That’s how people live in the first place.’
“It especially seems that Hyunsung-ssi really trusts Kiyoung-ssi. Even when
we were on the way to meet Kiyoung-ssi, he kept talking about you.”
Only
“Ah.”
“I thought you didn’t laugh very often, but that was a little unexpected.”
Cho Hyejin’s words surprised me. I realized I had misunderstood the

situation completely
Looking at Kim Hyunsung, who was still busy cooking with Lee Sang-hee,
the corners of my lips went up.
‘I trusted you, you bastard!’
This was the moment where I felt like my loyalty to my returner had been
properly rewarded.
No more confirmation was needed.
Kim Hyunsung trusted me, as much as he trusted the people he had been with
the first time around.
Going Home (5)
Until recently, I was on the verge of throwing away the idea of giving a
griffon, but upon coming to terms with this realization, I had gone back to
wanting to present the gift.
I knew that Kim Hyunsung was not good at expressing himself, but who
would have known that he harbored such a bright smile?
Honestly, I was on the verge of feeling pure disappointment. Though a year

was only a short time, I had endured so much for Hyunsung. I was worried
about my efforts being disregarded, but it appeared that I had nothing to
worry about at all.
It would be weird if he didn’t return any of my affections. However, I could

understand him to an extent.
Of course, when I saw his expressionless face the first time we met in the
tutorial, I had to think that this guy, who had returned for a reason, had
abandoned his humanity, but the power of friendship had gently melted his
frozen heart.
Come to think of it, the variety of his facial expressions had increased quite a
bit recently.
At first, this guy had always treated us in a businesslike manner. The proof
lay in the fact that we still talked to each other formally. Though he joked
with us quite a bit, I felt anxious because it felt like the distance between us
wasn’t shortening at all.
But, thinking about it in the logical sense, our relationship was indeed
progressing
‘It’s not good to be too inhuman.’

Between a colleague in crisis and an about to end world; if Hyunsung was
given the chance to choose, all I wanted was for him to choose the former.
‘You have to save me first.’
I wanted him to prioritize me, too. I had no plans of leaving him at all. After
giving the best of my allegiance, if he were to say, “I’m sorry,” and chose the
world instead of me, it would feel like doing all the work and having
someone else take all the credit
However, it looked like all was doing well – Hyunsung was indeed becoming
affectionate towards me.
Because of this wonderful realization, I lost control over my facial

expressions. Cho Hyejin noticed this and smiled in return.
“You look happy.”
“I didn’t know how Hyunsung thought of me. He doesn’t usually express his
emotions well…”
“Of course, he thinks highly of you. You’re colleagues, after all.”
“I think of him as a friend or a brother rather than a colleague. Of course, I

don’t know if Hyunsung feels the same, but I consider him like that anyway.
The same goes for the other people who are with me in Blue.”
“Ah.”
“In fact, I can’t say that we have been together for a long time, but there is a
bond that the party members have built up.”
“Bond…”
One would be amazed to find out the effort I’ve exerted to build this bond. If
it wasn’t fatal, I would take a knife wound for Kim Hyunsung, Jung Hayan,
and Park Deokgu.
“And that’s what I’ve been actually doing.
“I heard that there was a problem in Castle Rock, and you came here. Can I
ask what happened?”
“Ah, that’s…”
My curiosity about Cho Hyejin naturally came back after a while. However,
Hyejin hesitated, as if she did not want to disclose what had happened.
As she continued to stutter, I knew I wouldn’t be able to get anything out of

her. This didn’t matter, however.
T’ll have to write a letter to Marlin Young-ae.’
Something indeed smelled fishy.
Her reluctance was enough for my suspicion to rise. This meant that she had
either made a mistake, or had faced a situation she wanted to hide.
The fact that she had chosen a risky guild such as Blue was also strange in
itself.
Of course, Kim Hyunsung had to move around to recruit her… Still, I had to
think that there was something she felt guilty about.
‘Hyunsung would have still accepted her despite knowing that…’
This meant that he had thought she would be worth it.
At this, I immediately decided to try and find out. There was no need for me
to be scared anymore. I could use my newly-formed connections for this kind
of situation.
“If you do not want to tell, you do not have to. You don’t have to be nervous,
since this isn’t an interrogation. I’ve read the profile of Cho Hyejin upstairs.
It’s almost excessive for us that you came to our guild since you’ve been so
active here.”
“You’re over complimenting me.”
“It seemed like I was the only one who didn’t give you the welcoming.
Hyejinssi, welcome to Blue.”
“Thank you, Vice Guild Master.”
“Alright.”
That marked the end of my short conversation with her. I wouldn’t have to
worry about the division of power right now. It would probably happen after
a year or two… I would just have to continually remind her that I held a
higher position than she did.
Not long after we’ve said our goodbyes, I saw Jung Hayan approaching me.
She was holding a plate with an original dish in hand. Not too far away, I
could see Park Deokgu and Sun Hee-young quietly making their escape.
From this, I surmised that I should never eat whatever Hayan had prepared.
As I tried to look away, Jung Hayan finally reached me.
“O-Oppa. Would you like to try it?”
“Ah…”
I would gamble if necessary. However, this seemed like something that

wasn’t worth even throwing a dice for.
The outcome was fixed, anyway, so I had to quickly change the subject.
“Would you like to head to the Red Mercenary now?”
“What?”
“Since the party’s reached a lull, I think it’s better to give the present today.”
“Yes…”
It was already 10 pm, and the atmosphere had changed significantly. It was
quite a good time to present the griffon to our dear Hyunsung.
The problem was that Jung Hayan looked sad at having her culinary efforts
ignored. Considering the fact that she herself hadn’t received any gifts from
me, I knew just agreeing to take a bite of her food would make her happy.
With this in mind, I instantly picked up a nearby spoon, took a portion, and
swallowed it as quickly as I could. However, the taste still lingered in my
mouth.
‘Fuck
I felt worried about what I had just eaten, but there was no getting out of this
situation at this point.
“It’s delicious.”
“Ah!”
“Shall we go, then?”
“Yes, of course!”
Though Jung Hayan seemed excited at the prospect of us sneaking away, we

were doing this for the sake of business.
In short, we were to retrieve our gift from the Red Mercenaries.
It had been quite a long time since I’ve seen Lindel in its evening charm. The
streets were still quite lively at this hour.
I thought the security would be bad, but it seems that I was mistaken. Of
course, the slums were dangerous, but the plazas and areas where the guild
buildings were found were as safe as the streets in the daytime.
There were shining pearls that stayed lit until dawn, and there were
merchants who ran night markets. Every house had its light on, and of course,
the Red Mercenary Guild was no exception.
I went back and forth for a short time, but I couldn’t call the Mercenary
Queen. I stopped by the stable for a while and came out with the items left in
the warehouse as well as the griffons, and then everyone’s eyes were focused
on me.
“Krook.”
Everyone looked at me in amazement as I dragged my two griffons along. It

was like riding a foreign car in the countryside. As there were only four
griffons within Lindel, their awed expressions were natural.
‘This is the gift I’m giving you, Hyunsung.
Kim Hyunsung was no different from them. Of course, he could have ridden
his own a lot of times back in the first timeline, but this was a different
period.
These guys were practical and could be used in combat. The black one, which
I planned to gift to him, looked quite sharp and charismatic. As Ito Souta was
a man who valued his appearance, even his griffon was well-maintained.
The murmurs around me soon became louder, and people crowded around
me to get a closer look. I would never have imagined to receive gazes such as
these back on Earth.
I felt uncomfortable with how their gazes never left me until I arrived at the
Blue Guild house, but Jung Hayan continued to look back at them with an
expression of pride, as if to announce that I was her boyfriend.
‘For some reason, I feel ashamed.’

She even seemed to be enjoying it.
Once we got back, the people who were no doubt looking for us had on
surprised expressions.
“Hyung-nim. Where have you been… Huh? That is…”
“Actually, I was going to tell you about it separately…But I think now is a

perfect time. We’re also at a party, and I think it’s very suitable to give a
gift.”
“Wow!”
No one hated gifts.
The guild staff did not have much interest, already assuming that they were
not included, but obviously, I had gifts even for them.
“I couldn’t prepare a gift for the staff, so I got you simple things sold in the
capital.”
“Wow!”
Even though I had phrased it like that, it wasn’t a simple gift. What I had
given them were valuable items that were treated as high-end brands in the
capital.
There were fountain pen sets and watches for the men, as well as cosmetic
sets and bags for the women. Although they were quite expensive, they cost
nothing compared to all the money that I had earned. Of course, also had
handwritten letters for all of them.
It was only right for me to give them personal keepsakes, after all.
That was how one maintains his social life. Simply letting someone know
that you have not forgotten them was already a huge boost.
I nodded approvingly as Jung Hayan began giving them away one by one.
“I am not discriminating, but I prepared a separate gift for the executives, so
hope that the staff doesn’t get sad.”
Of course, these people had no reason to be sad. In the first place, the
noncombatants would feel happy to have even received a gift in the first
place.
“Deokgu obtained a shield from his last expedition, so this sword…”
“Huh? T-Thank you. Oooh!”
Park Deokgu’s eyes, who had confirmed the function of the item, were huge.
The heavy weight didn’t disconcert him. He must have been surprised to see
its stats.
That was a natural reaction. This was, after all, an item considered to be
superior among all the heroic-grade ones.
[Giant’s Great Sword: Heroic Grade]
[Now, it is a great sword made of fragments of small daggers used by giants,

a forgotten race. There aren’t many people who can handle the master
Kahalas’ work properly, but you will have a sinister destructive force if you
can handle this heavy greatsword in the correct manner. Just owning it will
increase your strength by 6. There are no other add-ons.]
“I also prepared a heroic grade necklace to Lee Sang-hee and Jeong-yeonssi.”
“… Thank you.”
[A necklace with the blessing of the Benigore’s Goddess: Heroic grade]
[This necklace contains the blessings of the Benigore’s Goddess.

Intermediate curse cancellation, intermediate detoxification, and advanced
healing magic are enshrined. All stats will increase by 1.]
“To our little one is a dagger…”

“Thanks…”
[Archmage Isaac’s Throwing Dagger: Heroic Grade]
[It is a dagger that can both summon and unsummon. It is not known from
which path it came in, but some experts are open to the possibility of whether
this dagger has crossed another dimension. It contains traces of many years.
On the back, there are letters that are not recognizable. Agility stat increases
by 3.]
“To Hee-young, I prepared a ring for you.”
[Queen Carlena’s Wedding Ring: Heroic Level]
[It was a wedding ring that Carlena, the Queen of the Ruin, had kept her
whole life. This very modest ring describes the character of Queen Carlena
better than anyone else. Through the effect of Queen Carlena’s sincere
prayers, it was given divine power. The effect of all holy spells slightly
increases.]
All of them had received special items.
Some were received gifts from the shrine, and some were brought over here
after the Yamato Guild was destroyed.
In fact, besides this, there was also the Sword of Wind that Ito Souta owned
and some items used by the executives, but I thought it was right to distribute
them later on.
After I gave everyone presents, only Kim Hyunsung was left.
Just remembering the fact that I used to be the one receiving gifts from him a
few months ago felt absurd. Our returner definitely deserved his gift.
Only
“The gift I prepared for our Blue Guild Master is this griffon.”
“Ah!”
Whether he noticed I was talking about him, the black griffon opened his
black wings widely. Kim Hyunsung looked stunned, as it was obvious that he
was not used to receiving anything.
‘His mouth is almost tearing.’
I knew he would like his gift, but I never imagined that he would show this
kind of reaction.
Of course, it seemed as if he was trying not to smile, but just to elicit this type
of reaction from him already felt like an achievement in itself. The smile on
his Tips seemed to be planning to stay stuck on his face for a while.
I’m offering you my heart, you bastard.’
This could be said to one of my proudest moments.

Chapter 146 Whistleblower (1)
Whistleblower (1)
Kim Hyunsung was not used to receiving gifts.
I didn’t know how it had been like for him during the first timeline, but if one
were to think about his high-level talents, it would seem like he was the giver
rather than the receiver.
This seemed to be the reason as to why he was unable to hide how he felt. He
wasn’t wearing a smile, nor was he laughing, but his expression was one of
pure joy.
‘He likes it.’
This was a well-maintained black griffon. I would have been disappointed if

he had not made that expression. Because of its rarity, you couldn’t dare to
measure it by value. If this was rated using artifact ranks, this would
obviously be a legendary-grade gift.
This was also the reason why everyone around us looked very surprised.
“Wow…”
It was hard to accept the fact that this gift had come from me, and not from a
guild. It had been quite easy for me to acquire, which wasn’t the same for the
others. The fact that I had made my gift public meant there was a lot for me
to gain.
‘In this way, I’m able to show how good the relationship between the Guild
Master and Vice Guild Master are.’
This was also a reaffirmation of my power. It meant I was very loyal to
Hyunsung, and this would be the image engraved on everyone’s minds.
As expected, Kim Hyunsung shook his head, looking as if he was

overwhelmed.
“l-I’m fine, Kiyoung-ssi. I am grateful for the offer… but it’s too
overwhelming.”
‘You should definitely be overwhelmed. This is very expensive…’
“You don’t have to be overwhelmed, Hyunsung-ssi. Since I have received so

much from my trip, it was only right of me to do so. Ah! And I’ve received
this through sheer luck, so…”
Of course, I knew he would react like this. This was a very big gift, after all.
However, anyone could see that he really wanted it, and that he was only
refusing out of courtesy.
Hyunsung simply refused because he knew he would still get the gift,
nevertheless.
“This is also for letting me acquire Juliana. I have my own griffon, so don’t
worry!”
“Ah…”
‘Take it quickly, you bastard. You’re going to take it anyway.
In the end, Hyunsung conceded. “If you say like that, l-I will take it
gratefully.”
‘Do not stutter…
“You don’t really have to feel overwhelmed. Haha. You can think of it as my
payment for the things you have given me.”
“No. The one I’m receiving is bigger. I will definitely repay this kindness.”
‘That’s how it should be!’
As I slipped over the black griffon, I saw Kim Hyunsung stroking him
happily. As the giver, I felt pretty good about myself, and it wasn’t just
Hyunsung who had such a happy expression.
Park Deokgu, Sun Hee-young, Kim Ye-ri, Hwang Jeong-yeon, and Lee
Sanghee all wore a similar glow on their faces.
I thought that, with the gift ceremony done, the party would also end, but it
appeared that this was not the case.
“We have to party all night today since we’re here. Ah! Hyunsung hyung-ssi,
can we do that?
“Sure. Let’s just resume working tomorrow afternoon!”
“Ah…”
“It’s a joke. It wouldn’t be bad to take a day off. It’s a great day, so we can
get a little drunk. Hyejin-ssi, come here and hang out with everyone else.”
“Yes, Master.”
I actually felt tired from the trip back, but I knew I could hold out for a little
longer.
“Ah! Oppa. Try this too.”
“Okay.”
“Kiyoung-ssi, about the next volunteer schedule…”
“Yes. I’ll try to make a schedule and go.”

“Can’t you tell me about what happened first?”
“It’s a bit too long to talk about.”
The night was long, and we had time, drinking the whole time and catching
up on each other. Kim Hyunsung did not say much, but he kept looking at us
whilst smiling. Park Deokgu busied himself with dancing.
Though Cho Hyejin was unable to adapt, she got along very well with
everyone in the end.
Both Jung Hayan and Sun Hee-young bombarded me with questions, and
Kim Ye-ri was forced to head to her room by Hyunsung, seeing as she was
still a minor.
For a while, I forgot about all my worries.
It was only after I saw the sun beginning to rise that the party ended, and I
closed my eyes, indulging myself in the happiness that I felt.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
After a while, I woke up at a sound from outside the window. I thought, It

would have been nice if I slept a little more’, but I had to lower my head
because I felt heavy for some reason.
“Ah…”
Half of Jung Hayan’s body was on me.
I seemed to remember taking her to her room yesterday. I didn’t know why
she was here now, but she probably snuck here under the guise of being
drunk.
Perhaps she thought I wouldn’t remember, but I didn’t care at that point. My
body was tingling. I didn’t know how long I had maintained this posture, but
my arm felt hopelessly numb.
I didn’t feel embarrassed as she had already pulled this tactic during our
expeditions, but seeing as she was still pretending to be asleep, it seemed like
I had to lie like this for a little longer.
Tap.
Tap.
In the meantime, the sound continued to echo through the window. As I

turned to look for its source, I saw a little bird constantly pecking at the
window.
It appeared that Marlin Young-ae’s letter had already arrived.
‘Good.’
I knew her reply would be quick, but not this quick. This proved to be quite
advantageous for me, as I had so much I wanted to learn about Cho Hyejin.
What had happened at Castle Rock was a mystery I wanted to unravel.
I didn’t want to pinpoint her weakness; I just wanted to know what she was
hiding.
I quietly opened the window so as not to wake Jung Hayan, and the bird
entered the room. After I took the letter that was tied to one of its feet,
quickly wrote down my reply, telling her I would meet her soon, and sent the
bird out once more. That would surely satisfy Marlin Young-ae.
I then opened the letter carefully.
[I am very happy that you gave me this sudden letter shortly after goodbye. It
was less than a day, but I was secretly thinking about you in my heart. In
such a situation, this letter moved me as if it was warming my heart that was
abandoned by the bleak winter breeze. Is it my mistake that you read my
mind?]
‘Why is this so long?’
I felt expectant upon seeing how long the letter was, but most of the contents
were written in this manner. It seemed that Marlin Young-ae had exerted a lot
of effort writing this.
[I am ashamed to say this as an aristocrat, but the dreamlike times I had with
Lee Kiyoung in the royal castle keep replaying in my head. What if I could
have been able to fly in the sky like a bird? Please, I hope that my heart will
be conveyed with this letter.]
I didn’t understand. We’d never met alone. Duchess Catherine was always
with us.
Of course, considering the number of times we’d met, it could be a

possibility. However, there was no incident wherein I could’ve possibly
captured her heart. I had tried my best to be on my most polite behavior, but
it appeared that my efforts were not effective.
The more I read through the letter, the more disconcerted I felt. I skimmed
through the pages before finally finding what I had wanted to know about.
[I haven’t been able to research much because of the lack of time, but I think
this is the information Lee Kiyoung wants. Since I was in a hurry, I gathered
the free people and conducted an investigation. I called upon an employee
who formerly belonged to Cho Hyejin’s guild and asked about her. With this,
I learned that the Little Rock Guild was closely related to our Castle Rock
Estate.]
Oh’
Things were getting more interesting.

[To conclude, the inspectorate of our estate has investigated the Little Rock
Guild to which Cho Hyejin belonged. Although it was an investigation
involving various things, I remember that the guild was mainly suspected of
smuggling monster by-products and tax evasion.]
Considering Cho Hyejin’s disposition, it didn’t seem like her at all. I

continued reading through the letter in order to find more information.
[The reason for the investigation was that a conscientious free citizen
belonging to Little Rock first made a report to the inspectorate. At that time, I
was too young to participate in the family event, so I only heard about it, but
I know it was Cho Hyejin who helped at that time. Even though she belonged
to Little Rock, I heard that for the sake of her conscience, she reported
directly to our estate.]
‘Whistleblower?’
I was able to realize why Cho Hyejin came to Lindel, especially Blue.
For me, this was a bit of a headache. I didn’t mean to blame or criticize her
actions. She did the right thing and deserved to be praised. It was indeed a
courageous act.
However, the problem is that her former guild members did not think so.
The story must have come out.
Some free people don’t think they must obey the laws of the Holy Empire.
That was why they did not become imperial citizens.
It would be easy to understand if you were to think that the Free City of
Lindel was created for such people. Due to the nature of these people, they
were often stingy about taxes.
To some extent, a lot of people resorted to tax evasions, and ignored most of
the imperial laws. Cho Hyejin’s old guild was probably the same – or even
worse. If they committed the act of smuggling monster by-products, then they
must have dabbled in worse things.
‘For example, the trade of interracial slaves…’
The truth remained unknown, but the important thing to note was that Cho
Hyejin was a whistleblower who reported her guild’s internal corruption.
What happened to her after was obvious.
She was probably branded as a traitor, and was used as the scapegoat for
many of their failures.
‘That’s how our society works.’
And, with that line of thought, that was also how whistleblowers were treated
in modern society.
Because of this, she probably couldn’t join any other guild, as everyone else
saw her as a potential harm to their own groups.
Only
Even those who knew she had done the right thing would still hate to be seen
with her. I was completely sure of this.
Shaking my head, I continued reading.
[In fact, the Little Rock Guild was able to avoid punishment due to
insufficient evidence, but when I asked the former guild staff, I heard that
Cho Hyejin left the guild because of unavoidable circumstances. The last
thing I heard was that she left for another city because she couldn’t find a
place at Castle Rock. I thought she would have gone to Lindel, but I couldn’t
even imagine that Lee Kiyoung knew Hyejin. I think it can be called fate.]
“So, I’m right.”

Cho Hyejin acted according to her conscience, and it ended her reputation.
Everyone had seen her as a dangerous bomb, ready to expose the guild’s
secrets should she deem it fit to do so.
Though I personally understood and respected her way of life, it would be a

lie to say I did not think the same as these people.
‘Ha… We’re in trouble…’
Due to my anxious nature, worry began to bubble up inside me.

Chapter 147 -Whistleblower (2)
-Whistleblower (2)
Of course, everything was legal to a certain extent. The reason for trusting
Kim Mi-young manager, an expert in imperial law, was that she made good
use of the law. This was because there were secretly many ways to avoid the
dense net known as the Imperial Law.
There was no room for a problem once the investigation came in, but this in
itself might already seem a little dangerous from Cho Hyejin’s eyes.
If she was a woman of principles, then perhaps she noticed the ills within the
guild while I was away.
‘That’s not the only problem…’
Sun Hee-young’s volunteering service could also be a problem. The work of

removing garbage in slums may be viewed as contributing to society by
catching and killing criminals from the point of view of some people, but to
be precise, it was also a crime.
The fact that I could control the media on my own might not sit well with
people who adhered to their own values. People like Cho Hyejin would
probably think that the press should be transparent.
From my standpoint, she would be a hindrance. As her authority and

influence within the guild increases, I would become more limited with what
can do.
‘Hyunsung…
Why did he have to do this now? For a moment, resentment filled me up.
However, this was no time to be picky. I needed Blue to grow as much as
possible. Though it sounded selfish, I didn’t want to be held back by my
conscience.
I thought Cho Hyejin would refrain herself from doing the same due to her
past experience, but I knew it would not be easy to change personal values.
She might overlook my activities the first few times, but I knew she and I
would not get along in the end.
First, I had to gauge how things would go.
With this in mind, I gently disentangled myself from Jung Hayan, heading to
the bathroom to wash up. In no time, I was dressed and on the move. I’d
initially thought that Jung Hayan was only pretending to be asleep, but it
appeared that she genuinely was still unconscious.
Right off the bat, I decided to visit Kim Mi-young. I felt a little sorry, seeing
as it was her day off, but it would certainly be better for me to take care of
things in advance.
The whole Guild House was quiet, as if everyone was still sleeping. When I
went to knock on Kim Mi-young’s door, a little kid opened up.
“Ah!”
“Hello. Is your mom here?”
“Mom! Uncle is here!”
“Mom!”
I knew I wasn’t old enough to be called an uncle, so that definitely hurt.
As the children frantically called for their mother, I had to shake my head. I
knew nothing felt more uncomfortable than having a boss suddenly call on an
employee during a holiday. The sorry feeling came back again, but there was
nothing I could do.
‘You have to suffer as much as you receive.’
Since she had been promoted to manager, situations like these were
inevitable.
After some time, Kim Mi-young had come to the door, obviously having
done so in a hurry.
“V-Vice Guild Master. Why did you come?”
“I’m sorry for bothering you on your day off, but I have something to talk
about. And I have to write a new contract too. I actually came to do both…”
“If you could tell me…”
“Ah. It’s a personal affair that I don’t want to tell others about.”
“I’m sorry?”
“It’s work-related. Will it be okay for me to come in?”
“Yes. It’s shabby, though…”
This was the first time I had entered a room used by one of our guild staff,
and it was definitely better than I had initially thought. It appeared that we
treated our members better than I had first thought as well.
Of course, Kim Mi-young had been given a better room because of her
children, but the interior, as well as appliances, looked to be in very good
condition.
As I looked around, I noticed her children staring up at me, looking daunted

by my presence. Pretending not to notice their wariness, I sat down on a
nearby chair.
“Have you eaten?”
“No. Not yet. I came as soon as I got up.”

“If you’re okay to…”
“It’s fine. It looks like you’ve already eaten; I can’t bother you. And the
children…”
“Ah! Yes. Can they go to their room for a minute?”
“Yes!” came the immediate response, and they went and followed my
request.
“Ah, they are very obedient.”
“‘They’ve matured at such an early age. It’s comforting, but it also makes me
quite sad. Anyway, may I ask what kind of business you came for?”
“I just have a few things to check. As I said, I’m also going to proceed with
the contract part again. The annual salary is 700 gold.”
“I’m sorry?”
I knew Kim Mi-young would feel disbelief at this. It was difficult for an
employee to receive 700 gold per year. That was equivalent to about 70
million won in Hanwha, which wasn’t easy to receive even back on Earth.
“Your annual salary is 700 gold, and you may receive a salary increase
depending on your performance.
“T-That’s too much…”
“It’s not.”
‘That’s because the amount of work you’ll do is roughly that much.’
“I already know that you’re doing more than your annual salary. If you look
at the contract, the welfare conditions have also changed, so I think you
should go over those as well.”
“T-Thank you.”
“Please read it slowly and sign it. It doesn’t have to be today.”
“Okay.”
“Ah! And another reason for coming here today…”
“Yes.”
“I would like you to tell me about Cho Hyejin.”
“Uh… As I said yesterday, she works well, and…”
“Not like that. I want you to tell me what she had been doing and handling in
my absence. If she made some payments, inform me of which document she
paid for, and if there were any problems in the way she handled things. Tell
me even the smallest detail – from her personality, behavior, or anything,
really.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, the fact that I asked about her is a secret.”
“Yes, of course…” Kim Mi-young’s eyes had widened at this point. It was
evident that she was not sure about what was going on.
“Is there something wrong with Cho Hyejin?”
“It’s not really a problem. Rather, she’s too clean. Oh, I think I need to
explain her background first.”
“Okay.”
“Cho Hyejin moved from Castle Rock to Lindel because she’s a

whistleblower. She exposed her previous guild’s corruption and was then
forced to leave. As the rumor spread, she could not join other guilds or clans
in Castle Rock, and was forced to come to Lindel. She probably knew that
Hyunsung-ssi was recruiting. I got the information from another source.”
“Yes…”
“Of course she’s right, but that doesn’t mean it’s something I can’t worry
about. I asked because of what I’ve been telling you. Do you understand what
I’m talking about?”
“Yes… Yes.”
Of course, she knew what I meant. The conclusion of my question was, did
she ever do something that would make her guilty? If so, did Cho Hyejin
know about that?
“I know why you are concerned. Vice Guild Master.”
“I’m relieved.”
“You can relax, you don’t have to worry too much. First of all, I was dealing
with the part that seemed to be a problem… Some things related to the potion
factory, taxes, and the Free City of Celia, I’ve taken care of and reported it to
the Guild Master.”
“Ah!” That was indeed a nice thing to hear.
“Cho Hyejin mainly handled tasks in a more direct field, such as the Crisis
Response Team and the Dungeon Strategy Team. I didn’t know what
specifically, however…”
“No. That’s okay.”
“The guild itself is transparent and very clean. You can rest assured that you
haven’t broken the law, and everyone is working according to the law.”
“That’s a relief. So what about the moral part? Ah! Just honestly tell me what
you felt.”
As I glanced at Kim Mi-young, I could see her nodding again and opening
her mouth.
“In the case of the potion market, small clans and private pensioners have a
monopoly that makes it difficult to move, but… There are no legal problems
either. If you start the Lindel Alchemy Assistance Project this time, there
won’t be any dispute. Actually, our guild image is pretty good. Everything
seems to be working out fine.” At this, Kim Mi-young bowed her head in
embarrassment. I had done the right thing picking her – she was definitely
competent
She was different from shit like me. Compared to me, who only knew how to
agitate, fabricate, and cheat, she was a genuine intellectual. However, it was
good to have her by my side, for she would make me look a lot more
competent as well.
“Good.”
“Thank you.”
‘Because of that, you can take a little more.’
With this in mind, I changed her salary to 1000 gold, 300 higher than her
initial one. I could see Mi-young’s eyes widening, but I continued to talk as if
nothing big had just happened.
“I give you an annual salary that fits your capacity. I really like that the parts
that are likely to have problems were pulled out beforehand and processed.”
“That’s… Nothing compared to your kindness…”
“No. No. There is no such thing as kindness. It’s ridiculous to say that it’s
kindness to pick up a rolling gem. Oh, are there any other specifics? For
example, something about how much authority the Guild Master gave
Hyejin?”
“If I may speak objectively…”
“Yes.”
“I kind of feel like it’s too much. When I think about her ability and
character, understand that it is better to be in a good position, but she has
more authority than what I was expecting.”
“Strictly speaking, is she on the same level as our Manager Kim Mi-young?”
“Well, I’m just acting as a representative for the Vice Guild Master, nothing
more or less.”
“Hmm.”
“Hyejin is different. After recruiting Cho Hyejin, the Guild Master put her
into work right away and handed over various positions. It was just a story,
but I heard that Cho Hyejin would be serving as the guild’s secretary as well.
I understand the Blue Guild motto, but there are many comments that it
seems she has given the authority to outperform other party members. A lot
of members are concerned.”
“I see.”
“Apart from Cho Hyejin’s character and ability…”
“Ah. I understand what you’re talking about.”
Of course, this did not mean that Mi-young was jealous of Hyejin. She wasn’t
that type of person, and they were on different levels. No matter how good
Mi-young was, Cho Hyejin was far stronger in terms of stats, with one of the
best powers. She was the type of person who was already guaranteed success.
From this, I knew Kim Mi-young was just concerned about Hyejin’s sudden
surge in power.
“Ah, but for our Vice Guild Master…”
The fact that she was looking out for me surprised me and pleased me at the
same time.
“Thank you for worrying about me.”
“I-It’s only natural.”

“Of course, the Guild Master said that he would decide about Cho Hyejin’s
key position after discussing with me, but I think he’s already made up his
mind.”
“Hmm.”
Only
‘Guild’s secretary…’
In terms of position, she had the same power as 1, the Vice Guild Master, did.
Of course, my title was a notch above hers, but she had just as much authority
as I did.
I knew Kim Hyunsung was not trying to create a division of power. He was
probably looking forward to how Blue would develop if Hyejin and I worked
together, but she and I were as compatible as water and oil.
I did not blame him, however. Hyunsung couldn’t read status windows like
could, and therefore was likely to not have noticed how incompatible she and
I were.
‘Ah, this is bad…
I was beginning to realize just why Hyunsung had failed back in the first
timeline.
Perhaps he had gotten backstabbed by guys like me several times.
I’m sure of it.

Chapter 148 Whistleblower (3)
Whistleblower (3)
I didn’t know what exactly had happened the first time around, but
considering his stats, I knew Kim Hyunsung had been granted a high position
back then. Assuming that Cho Hyejin was his lieutenant, the guild that he had
led in the past must have been straightforward and inflexible.
If their enemies had been like Lee Jihye or me, it would have been easy for us
to defeat them. In this way, I could guess just how Hyunsung had failed.
It was very simple to beat humans who weren’t used to backstabs, for they
were unaware of the complexity that humans like me possessed. With this in
mind, I surmised that Kim Hyunsung must’ve been hit by Jung Jinho, and
then had probably gotten harassed by Ito Souta.
‘What would you do if you didn’t have me, Hyunsung?’
No, perhaps Lee Seolho would have been enough to humiliate him.
Assuming that Ito Souta managed to settle in Lindel through that old geezer,
he would’ve been able to wield great power as well.
Returning to my senses, I realized that Kim Mi-young was staring at me.
“If you have any instructions…”
“No, no, it’s fine. I think it would be nice to wait for now. Oh, but you’ll still
have your insurance, so it would be beneficial for you to have books and
materials that could be used when the Imperial Auditor strikes.”
“Ah! Of course, sir.”

“It’s very reassuring to have you here, Kim Mi-young.”
“T-Thank you.”
“I’m sorry for taking your time on a day off. I’ll best be off now.”
“No. I’m glad to have been able to help you.”
Cho Hyejin had not left my mind the whole time I conversed with Kim
Miyoung. Though nothing about her had been officially decided, I had
already made it my plan to control her.
Blue had already accepted Cho Hyejin, and I had already affirmed as to how
much Kim Hyunsung trusted her. Considering that they had been together
back in the first timeline, there was a high probability that I wouldn’t be able
to break the trust they had for each other.
Considering Cho Hyejin’s growth potential, it would also be hard to find

faults with her.
The most appropriate way to make her interested in me was to turn her into
the same way as I had done with Hayan. However, just thinking about it
made me self-conscious. I had already seen the side effects from Hayan and
Heeyoung, and they weren’t pretty at all.
Plus, I don’t think I’d be her type…’
After I bid Kim Mi-young goodbye and left, I walked around the halls,
feeling lost for some reason. It would be nice of me to take a break without
worrying about anything, but with the sudden events, I knew it would be
impossible for me to relax, given my personality.
Of course, it didn’t take long for me to decide on my next destination. I could

only think of one place to go.
‘Hyunsung.’
It would only be right for me to talk to Kim Hyunsung, the Guild Master of
Blue, about the guild’s future plans for Cho Hyejin. If he knew what the
future would hold, then he would probably make the most rational decision
based on that future.
‘How is this a holiday?’
I had been busy the moment I had woken up.
“Is Guild Master there?”
“He is probably in the office right now.”
“Ah, okay.”
I didn’t know if I should feel comforted, but at least I wasn’t the only one
working hard. This would definitely be a great time to talk about work.
As I knocked on the door, I heard a familiar voice.
“Come in.”
I walked in and found Kim Hyunsung seated on his desk. Cho Hyejin was
also there, and the two of them looked at me as I approached them.
“Ah…”
I didn’t expect to see her there.
“Good, you’re here! I was about to call you soon enough.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Have you eaten already?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Then, let’s have a meal together…”

‘This is more bothersome than I thought…’
I was beginning to understand why Jung Hayan got so angry seeing me with
other women. Of course, this situation was different, but the fact that Hyejin
and Hyunsung talked to each other in private bothered me. In Jung Hayan’s
case, she was worried about what I did with other women. I now felt sorry for
her.
I’ll be more careful in the future, Hayan.’
As I sent an apology to Jung Hayan in my heart, Kim Hyunsung cleared his

throat.
“Did you have some business with me?”
“Yes, but it’s no big deal…”
Kim Hyunsung spoke with affection evident in both of his eyes. Of course,
this was a natural reaction. Before I had even gifted him the griffon,
Hyunsung already trusted me a lot.
“I was just curious about any future plans or schedules we had in store…”
“Ah.”
“Thanks to Hyejin, the stabilization of the guild is being finished to some

extent. It seems okay for us to go on an expedition. It’s time for me to get
back to my job. I wonder if you’re thinking the same as I do.”
“Yes, in fact, I had been thinking of that, too.”
‘As expected.
“I think it’d be better to tell you in advance. In your case, you’ll need to
prepare a schedule in advance, as you’re handling several jobs at the same
time.”
“Yes. Hyunsung is right.”
Of course, Kim Hyunsung had no intention of abandoning me during this

time’s expedition. I had proved my worth in the previous one, and he had
judged that having me with him would prove to be an advantage. Though my
attack power was insufficient compared to other wizards, I had the ability to
handle Jung Hayan, the flexibility to adapt to sudden situations, and the drive
to carry the party should the need arise.
He must’ve felt like I needed to work more than expected, as he also wanted
to see my growth as an alchemist. For this reason, he wouldn’t leave me
behind. The most important thing for me to focus on was to not fall behind
during this time’s expedition.
“There have been no definite decisions yet, but I think you’re right. It’s
important for us to expand our funds through various businesses, but thanks
to Kiyoung-ssi, we can now afford to go out. I’ve also been focusing on a lot
of things, but I think it’d be better to tell you in advance.”
“Ah…”
“I think our next destination will be Castle Rock.”
“…Castle Rock?”
“Yes.”
‘Marlene Young-ae will definitely be happy.’
“I don’t know exactly, but I heard that they’ve seen signs of abnormality with
the monsters in Castle Rock. Either a new dungeon appeared, or a hero-grade
monster had made the area it’s home.”
“Hmm…”
“The probability is small, but this could also be a monster wave. There are
many hunting grounds near Castle Rock, so it would not be bad to go on an
expedition around it. I want to hear what you think, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Ah, it also sounds good. I’m a little surprised to find out that it’s not near
Lindel. Come to think of it, Cho Hyejin said she was from Castle Rock, so I
think it’d be a little easier with her help, right?”
“Yes, Vice Guild Master. I know its geography.”
“I neglected to tell you, but I was thinking of expanding our sales with the
basic potion. Of course, we’ll prioritize the expedition, but it won’t be bad to
sign supply contracts with stable guilds within Castle Rock, am I right?”
“…Yes, Guild Master. Though it’s not larger than Lindel, the market itself is
good. Most guilds there make a living out of going on expeditions. There will
also be fewer priests there than here in Lindel.”
‘That’s right.
I glanced at Cho Hyejin and saw that she wasn’t looking too well. She had
settled for guiltily biting her lip as she answered my inquiries, and it seemed
as if she wasn’t expecting us to head to Castle Rock for our expedition,
either. However, Kim Hyunsung seemed to think he had to bring her along.
‘Will this expedition be that hard?’
The answer lay in Hyunsung’s answer. It could be a simple dungeon

expedition, or it could turn out to be a hero-grade monster raid.
Then there’s the possibility of encountering a monster wave…’
At this point, I was beginning to feel like we were heading to Castle Rock to
take care of whatever would happen in the future. In any case, I would be
able to benefit from this expedition. I was going in order to improve the
quality of our party, after all.
What I liked most, however, was the fact that I’d get to learn more about Cho
Hyejin.
‘Yeah, that’s definitely the best part.’
I would have a chance to talk directly with the leader of Little Rock under the
guise of visiting for business purposes.
Although Hyunsung looked sad upon seeing Cho Hyejin, who suddenly
stopped talking, he seemed to have no intention of changing his mind.
“When can I prepare for the expedition, Hyunsung-ssi?”
“Hmm…”
“How about leaving immediately tomorrow? In the case of commodities, they

can be procured later, but I think I’ll personally need to find out about how
we’ll be distributing the potions.”
“I see. In fact, I thought we would leave within a month or two, but there
seems to be nothing wrong with doing that. The problem is where we’ll be
staying.”
“I don’t think you need to worry about accommodation. I’m a little intimate
with the daughter of Lord Castle Rock… Perhaps we could make use of
that.”
“Ah!”
Marlin Young-ae would definitely welcome me with open arms.
Even after we had arrived at the restaurant for our meal, our conversation
revolved about our Castle Rock expedition. Cho Hyejin wasn’t as
participative, and though Hyunsung noticed this, he chose not to point it out
‘She evidently has bad memories of the place.’
Though Hyejin knew she’d come back there at one point, she wasn’t
expecting to come back this early. Considering that she had only been in
Lindel for a short while, she was still likely to be one of Castle Rock’s hottest
topics.
Other than that, the conversation was a bit plain. It felt like routine
pleasantries.
Kim Hyunsung seemed to praise Cho Hyejin consciously and seemed to

appeal to me about her good points, but by the time the meal was almost
finished, I was able to realize why he had said these kinds of things to me.
When Cho Hyejin had gone for the loo, Kim Hyunsung spoke to me.
“What do you think, Kiyoung-ssi?”
“I mean, about Hyejin.”
Only
“She doesn’t seem to be a bad person. She is capable, and her disposition is
fine. I think I know well why Hyunsung-ssi recruited her. Given the strength
and potential for future growth, she is a coveted person everywhere.”
“That’s a relief. I was worried that you would be uncomfortable.”
‘Would I openly say I’m uncomfortable if I really were, you bastard?’
“It feels like the timing is a bit early, but as I said yesterday, I would like to
appoint Hyejin to a key position… I’m curious about what you think.”
This may very well be the reason as to why Hyunsung had tried to call me
today. As he looked at me expectantly, I felt happy that he respected me
enough to ask me, yet I also felt a little uncomfortable.
‘Ha…’
“Well, I am…”
I had to think about this thoroughly before I could even give a reply.
Chapter 149 Don’t You know why
I’m Disappointed? (1)
Don’t You know why I’m Disappointed? (1)
“Well, I am…”
I had to think about this thoroughly before I could even give a reply.
The kind of answer I wanted to give was quite obvious. Of course, I didn’t
want her to gain any more power than what was necessary, but I also didn’t
want to show my contempt for her.
It wouldn’t be easy to achieve both, but I decided it was worth trying. I didn’t
want to give Kim Hyunsung the impression that I was someone who was
greedy for power.
‘It’s a good thing that he’s asked for my opinion.’
“Before that, I am curious to know exactly which key position you are going
to give her.”
| already knew that the position would be for guild secretary, but of course,
had to ask again.
“Ah, in fact, I’ve been thinking about this a lot…”
“Yes?”
“If it’s okay, I’m thinking about what it would be like for her to be the guild
secretary.”
“I’m sorry?”
“The guild secretary.”
“Ah… I see.”
“That… well, I’ve thought about it a lot, but I think your life will get a lot
easier because of this too. Since you have so many tasks, Hyejin will be able
to help
you.”
“Hmm…”
“You’ll probably be amazed if you check out how she handles things.”
“Yes…”
“She has helped in all kinds of aspects that you can’t even begin to imagine.”
“I see.”
Honestly, I was against this, no matter what Hyunsung said. I could also see
him nervously fidgeting as I thought about how to respond.
Ah.
I was able to realize why he had on such an expression. First, he could see
that I was not happy about it. Secondly, he seemed to feel guilty about trying
to place her in a high position without even consulting me properly.
Of course, he was asking me now, but the fact that he was bothered was still
evident.
‘What a cute bastard…’
My unpleasant expression must have barred his idea of me liking his plan. He
must’ve felt embarrassed to see that I, the star of his supposed gift, did not
look happy after opening the present he had presented.
No, he must’ve noticed my discomfort as well. By this point, Kim Hyunsung

must have realized that he had made a mistake. That was because he was not
a stubborn type of person.
My unpleasant face blocked his idea of me liking this or agreeing or being

happy about it.
I didn’t know how Hyunsung had failed in the first timeline, but thanks to
that, he seemed more attuned to his party members’ psychological and
physical conditions.
‘Especially about mine.’
That had been made obvious to me as I remembered his devastated

expression back when I was asked to go to the Holy Empire – Kim Hyunsung
was not a dictator.
Though he was our Guild Master, he acknowledged his shortcomings and

knew when he needed help from the people around him.
What mattered was the fact that I was one of the people he looked to for
advice.
‘That’s right.
After assessing him carefully, I began to speak.
“I do not know…”
“Ah.”
“I can see how competent Hyejin is, but I think it is a little too early. I think
it’ll be better to watch her a little more… Ah! First of all, I understand how
Hyunsung-ssi thinks. You made such a decision because of me, who is under
pressure… That’s very considerate of you.”
“Yes…”
“But I think that if she suddenly gets the guild secretary’s position, it will
instill a sense of discomfort in other guild members. Of course, this is only
my personal opinion… But perhaps this needs a little more time. From a
guild employee’s point of view, it will look as if a CEO who has never been
related to the company has appeared to suddenly take control.”
“Ah, I didn’t think of that at all… But when you weren’t here, she seemed to
fit in well enough.”
“So I was the only one who didn’t see it…”
“Ah.”
Though I didn’t show my direct intention, I used my skill to make him grasp
my mood. The moment I shot Hyunsung a disappointed look, he flinched by
reflex.
I’m a little disappointed in you, Hyunsung,’ my expression seemed to say.
Of course, this was only acting on my part. Kim Hyunsung seemed more
embarrassed than before. He had not expected his question to receive this
kind of reaction from me.
In a way, I was happy because he had done this with his concern for me in
mind. It showed that he cared about me, yet I didn’t show this. I was kind of
happy because Kim Hyunsung did this because he cared about me, but I
didn’t show it.
Even the littlest sigh on my part seemed to work. Slowly, Hyunsung was
realizing that the topic of Cho Hyejin’s appointment was a delicate topic.
“I didn’t mean that.”
“No. I believe in Hyunsung. You have never made the wrong choice until
now. Personally, I think it’s a bit unreasonable, but I trust your judgment.”
“No…”
“I think it will be okay. Thank you for asking me, but the Guild Master of the
clan is Hyunsung, so you can do whatever you want.”
“You seem to have misunderstood something.”
“No, this isn’t a misunderstanding.”
“Well, I was thinking about this because Kiyoung-ssi looked tired. I don’t
have any plans to appoint her right now, and because Hyejin-ssi is very
uncomfortable with this…”
“I see.”
“Yes.”
I had expected him to react like that. Normally, what people would say in this
situation was, ‘I did this for you.’ However, that didn’t happen. I wasn’t
angry or annoyed, but as I continued to send out a strangely disappointed
attitude, could see his frustrated expression.
‘You don’t even know why I’m doing this.’
To express an example, I cast a special move, one known as ‘Don’t you know
why I’m disappointed?’
Of course, the effect was better than I imagined.
It hurt me to hurt Hyunsung’s feelings, but I had to delay Cho Hyejin’s

appointment as much as possible.
“Uh, Hyunsung-ssi… You can forget what I said before. It’s just a personal
thought. If you think Hyejin is suitable for the job, you can appoint her
without any rejection on my part.”
‘Get all the burden!’

“Ah! I’m just telling you, but there is nothing misunderstood. Of course, you
can think like that from your point of view.”
“I’m not disappointed.”
I’m disappointed! I’m really disappointed.’
I was twisting everything I said. Though he may think that I was okay with it,
it would be difficult for him to appoint Cho Hyejin now. No matter how
stupid Hyunsung could get, I knew he wasn’t that slow.
‘I think I’ve managed to delay it a bit…’
I knew Cho Hyejin would end up securing a high position for herself anyway.
I also knew I would have the authority to use her properly. It would be such a
waste to remove a capable member.
Her image as a whistleblower would also be helpful for our publicity. It

would be ignorant for me not to use someone strong and smart as a party
member.
The only problem was when she had come in.
It almost felt like playing a game of tug of war for power. However, once the
problems around her were resolved, I was ready to work harder than anyone
else to exploit her talents.
Just like a dog.
“Hmm. I’ll be going, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“Ah?”
“The meal is over. I need to get ready to go to Castle Rock.”
“Yes, okay…”
“I will order the basic items first, but if there is any additional need, I would
like you to instruct and send it as a document.”
“That…”
It was time for me to go, and as I opened the door, I saw the guild staff just
about to enter.
“Oh. Kiyoung-ssi!”
It was then that Kim Hyunsung decided to grab onto me as he called out for
me in a loud voice. In that instant, all eyes focused on us. I could see most of
the guild members blushing. Some of the female employees had even started
squealing.
‘What…
“I still have something to say!”
The atmosphere around us had become very unusual. I heard a few ‘I told
you so’s and a few ‘Oh’s.
I immediately realized what all these people were thinking.
‘It’s not that… Fuck…’
“That… I guess I didn’t think this through, Kiyoung…”
I got it. Let go of my arm.’
“I only wanted to ease your burden…”
That sounds even weirder!’
Kim Hyunsung seemed to struggle with himself for a bit before speaking
once more.
“As Kiyoung-ssi said, it would be better to delay the timing a little. If you
feel confused, then I sincerely apologize. I know the timing was strange,
considering that you’ve just returned.”
“No, that…”
“Kiyoung-ssi also needs time to get to know Hyejin-ssi. I also understand that
the other guild members may feel uncomfortable. Of course, Kiyoung-ssi
may also feel a sense of incompatibility. Naturally, you are a little
embarrassed, and, naturally, you are disappointed. I didn’t think this
through.”
That did feel like a sincere apology.
It seemed like a strange misunderstanding had occurred, but it wasn’t bad.

Jung Hayan was not the only one that was poor when it came to human
relationships.
My dear regressor, who had lived more lives than me, was also quite clumsy.
He was like a train – simply straightforward, and generally inflexible.
‘He’s a well-meaning arbitrator.’
Only
The fact that this guy had gone through a lot and still maintained his
humanity was amazing. The Kim Hyunsung I met in the tutorial was different
from the Kim Hyunsung now. He seemed to have been slowly recovering.
The fact that he was a kindhearted person comforted me. If I were him, I
wouldn’t have apologized for this ambiguous situation.
‘It’s really not bad at all.’
I looked up at him before I spoke up once more.
“No. It’s really fine, Hyunsun-ssi.”

Half my words were sincere.
I’ll forgive you, you bastard.’

Chapter 150 Don't you know why
I'm disappointed? (2)
Don’t you know why I’m disappointed? (2)
“So, what happened, Hyung-nim? Did everything go well?”
“Can’t you tell? It went very well.”
“Ah…”
“Why do you ask?”
It had been a few days since my serious conversation with Kim Hyunsung. It
was Park Deokgu now who had deemed to ask me, as we both packed our
luggage.
“Nothing. It was just a little unexpected. Ah! How’s our hyung-ssi?”
I didn’t know what to say. I’ve only been noticing that Kim Hyunsung
seemed a little depressed from our interaction. I couldn’t figure out what Cho
Hyejin meant to Kim Hyunsung, but the man must have realized that he had
put her in a position I could not accept.
I knew he gave it the excuse of preparing this for me, but I knew there was
something else underneath. As a result, he had realized his fault.
‘He looked like a dejected puppy.
I knew Hyunsung had expected a positive reaction from me. However, if it

was up to me, I would do my utmost to reduce Hyejin’s authority. At the very
least, what power I currently had should remain until Kim Mi-young can
finish her job.
All this I had disguised under the guise of Cho Hyejin being an entirely new
member. In fact, apart from her abilities, there had been a lot of speculations
about her and Hyunsung being in a relationship.
‘It seems like he doesn’t know.’
Personal reasons aside, I knew it was not the right time for Cho Hyejin to be
put in a position of power. However, it wouldn’t be good for me to be too
openly discriminating.
At this, I looked at Park Deokgu and spoke once more. “Well, he seemed a
little sad about it, but he agreed with me in the end.”
“I’m glad, then…”
“What’s with that face?”
“No, it’s not a big deal. I’m just surprised at the fact that you two had
different opinions.”
“There was no trouble.”
“I know, I only heard things.”
“What did you hear?”
“Well, what the female guild employees are saying is one thing, but the
rumors state that hyung-nim and hyung-ssi fought. Is that true?”
“Ah…”
“Wait, wait! Did you actually fight?”
“It’s not as big as you think. We just had some misunderstandings, so you
don’t have to worry about it. I felt disappointed that he made an important
decision and only said it last…”
“So…”
“As a result, I got an apology, and everything is normal. If I keep going

against it, there may be friction, but it won’t happen. In any case, I think Cho
Hyejin is competent, and in Blue, we need talents like her. Ah! I’m just
telling you, don’t go anywhere and talk about this…”
“Mm. My mouth is as close as an oyster.”
“Did you prepare everything you need?”
“Almost everything.”
“Can I check it once?”
“W-Wait just a little more.”
“It’s been a while since we had a long expedition. There can’t be any
mistakes.”
As I looked around, I saw other people busy preparing for the expedition.
Hwang Jeong-yeon had come to help Park Deokgu with his belongings. Jung
Hayan, Sun Hee-young and Kim Ye-ri were also taking quite a long time in
organizing their luggage.
Most of the members were disconcerted by the news that they were suddenly
leaving for Castle Rock. Still, they were experienced, and in no time, I saw
them transporting all the items without missing anything in a carriage.
The guild staff proved to be busier than the party members. Loud voices
echoed everywhere.
“Are you sure you packed the supplies there?”
“Yes, Park Jung-gi! The last one is entering.”
“You have also arranged for the items to be sent later, right?”
“Yes. So… Alchemy kits, consumable catalysts, and spare equipment were
first put in the warehouse.”
“Put the griffon feed in there as well.”
“Okay.”
“With basic protection magic, manage the items so that they don’t get
damaged. I’ll check and tell the team members to be on standby.”
“Yes. Okay.”
It felt good to see them preparing for the expedition on their own, without me
having to take care of everything.
“But, manager… I heard that it’s going to be a long expedition, but there
seems to be too much supply. There are many lists to purchase at Castle
Rock… The organized supplies are more than what our budget can handle…”
“This is a matter directly requested by the Guild Master, so just follow the
orders. It’s not our job to be curious, or to have futile questions. All we have
to do is deliver the supplies without error.”
What was interesting was that the supplies that were going to the Castle Rock
expedition, in fact, felt excessive compared to the usual expedition. I felt
certain that Park Jung-gi, deemed Head of the Expedition Support Team,
understood this the best.
He couldn’t say anything because the Guild Master directed it, but even if I
were to think about it, the items that did go into this expedition were a bit
strange. Of course, considering the current situation in Castle Rock, it made
sense to an extent.
I didn’t know if the citizens over there were aware that something was indeed
happening in their city, but Kim Hyunsung had clearly stated that something
was happening in their area.
‘A new dungeon appearance? Monster wave? A hero-grade monster?’
Considering the supplies, I knew which among these was most likely.
‘You’re so obvious, Hyunsung.’
It was necessary to prepare for any situation in an expedition, but it felt weird
preparing a thousand arrows for Kim Ye-ri, who wasn’t even a pure archer by
default.
And it wasn’t just this, either.
Basic stamina potions were being massively produced in our potion factory,
all in order to reach the quota Kim Hyunsung had set for them. At this point,
it was easy to predict about what was going to happen in Castle Rock – we
were preparing for a massive battle.
Of course, as Kim Hyunsung said, it was to prepare for anything, but seeing
that the guy who knows the future is preparing too much, I could at least
realize that the purpose of this expedition was not a simple dungeon attack.
‘We’re either going to face a monster wave, or a raid.’
Personally, I hoped it was the former. I was anxious, but I was also excited. If
Kim Hyunsung was willing to dive into such a situation, it must mean that the
reward was great.
“Not to mention, the experience….
“What?”
“Oh, nothing. Hee-young, did you pack all our luggage?”
“Yes. I’ve packed all my personal belongings.”
“What about the others?”

“We packed everything and checked Ye-ri and Hayan’s luggage. Hyejin
seems to have finished preparing as well. Everything is going well.”
“Good. Then I will tell our Guild Master that we are ready to go.”
“Yes.”
My job here was done. Next…
“Manager Park Jung-gi?”
“Vice Guild Master.”
“I believe you have handled everything without errors according to the list.”
“Ah. Yes. There are a few things that are missing from the sudden
preparation, but when all the supplies are in place, you can head to Castle
Rock. This is one last check, but do I really have to send all of these
supplies?”
“Yes, Manager Park Jung-gi. Please send it without any error. No, it would
be nice to send additional supplies if you still can. You did a really good job.
Ah! If there are more items to be needed in the future, I will tell you again
using a carrier pigeon.”
“Okay.”
This part also seemed ready.
Kim Hyunsung appeared then, at what I’d call a perfect timing. There was no
more need for me to find and report him about the finished preparations. We
were set to go.
“I think we can leave right away, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“Yes, thank you. You don’t have to come out and check every time…”
“I get a bit nervous if I don’t check it personally, anyway.”

“I feel reassured to have Kiyoung-ssi.”
‘You have to, you bastard.’
“It’s not hard work. The number of expeditionary members is 13, including
me, Hwang Jeong-yeon, Park Deokgu, Jung Hayan, Sun Hee-young, Kim
Ye-ri, Cho Hyejin, and five other guild employees. Except for some items
that need to be adjusted, everything else is loaded onto the wagon. Later, as
soon as the quantity is met, the other wagons will depart.”
“Yeah.”
“The guild is planned to be handled by advisors Lee Sang-hee, and manager

Kim Mi-young, among many others.”
“Yes. I confirmed. Then let’s go.”
“Yes.”
After the guild members slowly entered the carriage, I also went to enter. It
would be quicker if I went on a griffon, but there were a lot of supplies. It
was unfortunate that the road to Castle Rock was a little rough in itself.
Considering that it was a place that had already been stabilized, I didn’t have
to worry about monsters attacking us, so the journey would be like going on a
picnic. In short, I could relax.
“Well, it’s been a while since we went on an expedition, so I’m excited.”
“We’re not going for fun, so you better be tense. You can rest until we get to
Castle Rock.”
“Ahem, isn’t hyung-nim being too tight?”
“Ha ha ha ha ha.”
At Park Deokgu’s words, Kim Hyunsung spoke up.
Whenever it rained, the ground would harden. The same could be said
between Hyunsung and me, who had just gotten out of a dispute.
Perhaps I was just imagining it, but I felt like our relationship had gotten a
little stronger compared to yesterday. Just thinking about his nervous
expression made me laugh.
I already knew Kim Hyunsung wasn’t a bad person, but yesterday’s incident
seemed to make me trust in him a little more.
Only
That aside, we had a lot to do.
On my side, I needed to find out some more information about Cho Hyejin,
as well as find a way to distribute my potions in Castle Rock. Not only did I
have to meet with Marlin Young-ae, I might also have to visit the church.
Never mind a possible raid or monster wave – I had enough to do in the city.
Out of everything, however, there was only one thing I considered the most
important
That was to protect Kim Hyunsung.
It was then that something happened.
[Your Hero-grade attribute, Mind’s Eye, increases its grade.]
‘What is happening?
Chapter 151 Marlin Young-ae (1)
Marlin Young-ae (1)
This should have been a trip where I could finally get some rest.
“Whoo…”
My body had already gotten into a comfortable stance. The problem was that
this sudden development had me feeling constantly worried. I did not know
why Mind’s Eye’s level suddenly evolved, but I found myself feeling
expectant.
It was only my hypothesis, but it felt reasonable to assume that it was because
of Kim Hyunsung.
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Lee Kiyoung.]
[Name: Kiyoung Lee]
[Title: Mercenary Queen’s Gigolo, Honorary Bishop of the Holy Empire of

Benigore]
[Age:25]
[Class: Living Alchemy Summoner: Unique Heroic Grade 1602]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Basic Magic Knowledge]

[Class Effect: Acquisition of Basic Alchemy Knowledge]
[Class Effect-Acquisition of Intermediate Alchemy Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Special Summon knowledge]
[Stats]
[Strength: 21/Growth potential: Common or lower]
[Agility: 22/Growth potential: Common or lower]
[Health: 30/ Growth potential: Common or lower]
[Intelligence: 72/Growth potential: Heroic or higher]
[Durability: 22/Growth potential: Common or lower]
[Luck: 60/Growth potential: Heroic or higher]
[Magic: 33/Growth potential: Common or lower]
[Equipment]16021602
[Cursed Sword Juliana: Legendary: Ownership]
[Ramus Tucker’s Introduction to Alchemy: Heroic: Alchemist Only]
[Magic Shield Ring: Rare]
[Attribute: Mind’s Eye: Legendary]
[General Review: You’ve grown up to the point where you can act as a
person. The intelligence stats and high luck stats that are already high are
very impressive. Needless to say, the rest of your stats are trash, but it is still
commendable that your magic power stat is over 30. Of course, among them,
the Unique Hero Grade class and the Legendary Grade item stand out the
most. There may be limitations, but try to struggle hard. I’ll send you a little
cheer.]
‘Ah, it’s become friendlier.’
It may just be an illusion, but it did feel like the General Review had become
amiable towards me. Instead of telling me to die, it was actually cheering me
on.
Of course, I didn’t know how this system worked, but it probably developed
further due to my oath of allegiance towards Kim Hyunsung.
It could be just a coincidence. However, considering the fact that Kim

Hyunsung was a returner, it definitely didn’t feel like one.
You couldn’t go back in time just because you wanted to.
Looking at his status, I noticed that one of Hyunsung’s titles stated, “The
Regressor of Altanus.” Perhaps he had received someone’s help in the
process of going back in time. Was it from supernatural beings? Perhaps he
had even received help from God.
The deity called God may be the guy who had made this system and watched
us from afar, but he might also be the one responsible for imparting power
that ordinary people couldn’t normally use.
Whatever the case may be, the fact stood – this was a timeline different from
the first
The problem is…
Why did he turn Kim Hyunsung’s time back?
The answer was simple.
He must’ve wanted something in return, and, in doing so, granted

Hyunsung’s wish. I didn’t know what he wanted, but our dear regressor
seemed to be someone loved by transcendental beings, so perhaps skill level
up was a gift just by being in his presence.
It was a gift meant to comfort one’s hard work, and to encourage them to
look forward to the future.
[Attribute]
[Mind’s Eye: Legendary Level]
[You can view the status window and hidden talent level of yourself as well
as others. It is a legendary attribute, but an unknown force locks most of its
functions.]
[Addition: You can check the hidden uniqueness of yourself and others. A
unique characteristic is a type of stat that the player cannot directly check and
can only be checked with the legendary Mind’s Eye, an attribute that only the
player Lee Kiyoung has.]
Knowing this, I knew that if I continued to work hard in the future, I may be
able to release these said limitations one by one. Of course, everything was
just my hypothesis. One could even say it was my brain deluding itself.
However…
‘Yes! I will pledge my allegiance! Thank you! It doesn’t matter if I have to

think of you as ‘God!
The important thing was that I had gotten new abilities. This was the most
important part.
I thought about the difference between my unique characteristics and the

attribute, and why it would be important to see this, but I realized that it could
be more useful than I thought.
Suppose an attribute was a power given by the system. In that case, the
unique characteristic would be the power of an individual who did not rely on
the system, and had a different personality other than their original
disposition.
Most of my attributes had a positive effect, but perhaps my unique

characteristics would not.
On the contrary, it could be very negative.

[Checking the unique characteristics of the player Lee Ki-young.)
[The Liar’s Temptation]
[Seduces the other person and makes them listen to you. The probability of
being loved by a dangerous opposite sex increases.]
This was a prime example. Of course, there were also others.
[Checking the unique characteristic of the player Jung Hayan.]
[Love overflowing with blood]
[You can dedicate everything to your loved ones, even your own life or
conscience. The probability of awakening in certain situations involving the
target increases. Please be careful of side effects.]
In conclusion, I could deal with the people around me a little easier than
before.
I didn’t know how much of this unique characteristic could affect individuals,
but just looking at Jung Hayan already gave me a good idea.
If Jung Hayan saw anything related to me, it could be classified as an

individual’s ability to exert power beyond imagination or to have strange ties
to me.
Anyway, while others enjoyed the trip, I had no choice but to work hard on
what I had just gained. I felt mentally exhausted from researching new stats
and analyzing the current situation rather than analyzing them one by one.
‘But I like it.
If I could lift all of Mind’s Eye’s limitations, I could confirm almost

everything about a person. Perhaps I can even learn to read someone’s mind,
and extract all the information they knew!
‘Goddess Benigore! Altanus! I will be loyal to our returner! You can give me
more! Please give more!
I cried out in my mind again, but nothing changed.
Instead of the Goddess’s voice, however, I heard Jung Hayan speak as she
worriedly looked at my face.
“You look a little tired.”
“Ah. Is it because I couldn’t sleep…? I’m actually a little tired. How far until
we arrive at Castle Rock?”
“I heard that we just need to go a little more. No… we’re almost there.”
“O-Oppa.”
“Yes?”
“That… That… Isn’t Castle Rock where Marlin Young-ae is?”
“Ah… Yes.”
“I’ve heard it somewhere… That… She likes you…”
Park Deokgu, you bastard…’
It feels like it was him who had told her that.
I thought that Jung Hayan had had more time to think alone for a few days,
but she seemed to feel guilty about something. I wasn’t sure as to why Jung
Hayan was conscious of Marlin Young-ae, but something did come to mind.
‘The letter… Did she read it?’
It turned out that after reading the letter, I left Jung Hayan sleeping and left
the room. If Jung Hayan had indeed read Marlin Young-ae’s letter, this could
be a useless misunderstanding.
Even more, if she visited Park Deokgu for consultation and Park Deokgu said
weird stuff, things could get even more complicated.
Still, it was not good for Jung Hayan to start acting up now, especially since I
had a lot of things currently giving me a headache.
‘Ugh, and it’s all this pig’s fault…’
I had no choice but to stroke Jung Hayan’s hair while speaking soothingly.
“You can rest assured that I’m in no relationship with Marlin Young-ae.”
“Ah!”
After the Cursed Shrine incident, Jung Hayan had mellowed down and the
incidents had decreased, but of course, she was still being herself. Continuous
psychological management was required. I didn’t even need to look at her
unique characteristics to know this.
“Hyung-nim! Come out. Hayan, too!”
“Huh?”
“I think we’re already in Castle Rock. Whoa…”
“Okay.”
When I went outside while holding Jung Hayan’s hand tightly, I saw large
walls built entirely of rock.
“Wow…”
“It’s something worth seeing, right?”
“It’s truly magnificent to see.”
These barrier walls, all standing high, seemed as if they could withstand any
attack without collapsing. I felt a little frustrated upon being unable to see
what was within the walls, but just having this as my welcoming sight was
already enough to make me fall in love.
Lindel, for me, felt slightly modernized, and the Holy Empire’s capital felt
too fancy. However, the castle-like walls in front of me represented the
fantasy world I had always imagined.
I found myself unconsciously remarking.
“That’s cool.”
“You think so too.”
“Ah, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“As I heard it, Castle Rock in the past is said to have been the most important
and strategic location in the Holy Empire of Benigore.”
“Hmm.”
“The high walls were designed to keep out the monsters, and prevented them
from invading the Republic. Of course, no monsters dare to hit the wall now,
but it’s still considered as Castle Rock’s pride and joy.”
“That’s understandable. Because the location is good, it is also the closest to

the border, with a large forest next to it… Ah! If so, has the condition of the
forest only recently started to become a little weird?”
“Yes. I have to check for further details, but I heard that the exchange rate of
the mercenaries and free people staying in Castle Rock is constantly falling.
Sometimes they see monsters popping out of the forest. I don’t know exactly
what it is, but it’s not a good sign.”
Don’t know exactly what it is, yeah…’
It felt ridiculous to hear him say that after seeing just how much he had
prepared for it.
‘Cute bastard.’
While gently stroking Jung Hayan’s head, the wagon continued to head
towards Castle Rock. The closer we were, the higher the walls became.
It was then that a familiar figure came into sight.
‘Ah…’
Marlin Young-ae, accompanied by her many knights, came out to meet me.
I didn’t know why she had come, but just looking at her made me feel
worried.
I didn’t want to upset Jung Hayan. I could also feel Kim Hyunsung staring at
me questioningly, wondering if it was because of me that they were here,
waiting for us.
At this, I was stuck between showing him my competence and soothing Jung
Hayan’s psychological needs.
However, the decision was taken entirely out of my own hands.
“Lee Kiyoung!”
I saw Marlin Young-ae running towards me, tears streaming down her
cheeks.
‘Fuck… Hayan, it’s nothing this time.
I made a show of pointedly talking to Hyunsung, making sure Hayan could

hear.
“I never told her I was coming… I guess she saw us coming from a distance.”
“I see.”
“Ahem. I think it would be better to say hello first.”

“Yes, yes.”
I waved my hand after getting off the carriage.
Only
“Ah! Marlin Young-ae!”
The moment I tried to act as formal as possible, her breathless figure

appeared in front of me.
“Lee Kiyoung-nim!”
Embarrassment flooded into me as she hugged me tightly, acting as if we

were a long-distance couple that had only managed to meet again. As her
knights watched us warily, I worried about whether I could push her away, or
leave her be.
‘Ha…
As Jung Hayan bit her lips in silent agitation, Cho Hyejin and Kim Hyunsung
both sported surprised expressions.
It was then that I heard Kim Ye-ri speak, a surprising turn of events as she
was always the quiet one.
“Womanizer.”
Marlin Young-ae (2)
I felt guilty hearing that, for some reason. However, this situation was more
important than Kim Ye-ri’s words. The only problem here was how Marlin
Young-ae had chosen to treat me.
“It’s been a long time; it’s a pleasure to meet you, Marlin Young-ae.”
“The same is true for me. Lee Kiyoung.”
“I didn’t know that you would come to meet me in advance.”
“Actually, after receiving a letter saying that you would come here once, I
waited only for the day Lee Kiyoung would be coming.”
“What?”
It took about 15 days from the time I sent the letter about maybe coming
here. I felt a little disconcerted about how she had chosen to react.
‘She’s a little weird, too…’
[Checking the unique characteristic of player Marlin Young-ae.]
[The Obsessed Girl]
[She gets really obsessed about something she’s interested in.]
‘Fuck…
It would be better for me to keep my distance in the future, considering her
disposition. Back then, I didn’t think there would be any problem with her,
but I ended up being mistaken.
I didn’t know what was with her, but she was definitely not normal. I also
found no other advantage to her than the fact that she was the Castle Rock
lord’s daughter, but I still had to play my cards right.
‘This will get me a headache.’
I didn’t want to gain a new Jung Hayan.
“I have always been waiting for news from Lindel. I knew you would come
here someday.”
“Right…”
“I’ve been keeping tabs on Lindel’s press.”
“Ah… Right…”
“You don’t know how happy I was to see a carriage coming from afar this
morning. Ah, that reminds me… Where are my manners? Hello, everyone
that came to Castle Rock. I am Marlin Young-ae, but you can call me
Marlin.”
“Nice to meet you, Marlin Young-ae.”
“This is Kim Hyunsung, our Blue Guild Master. Say hello to everyone else,
Marlin Young-ae. Have you ever met Hayan?”
“Yes. It’s also good to meet you. I heard a lot about you, Blue Guild Master.”
“I have heard of Marlin Young-ae often too. It’s only for a short time, but
thank you very much for your willingness to take care of us during our stay.”
‘Ah, it’s not good to talk like that…’
It wasn’t a good idea to inform Young-ae about that, given her tendency to
misunderstand the situation. Already, Jung Hayan’s expression was slowly
worsening.
As I thought about whether or not to make excuses, a different voice piped up

from a distance.
“Whoo… Whoo… Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung!”
“Archbishop Judah! You were in the Castle Rock Temple.”
This was also another acquaintance I had made back in the Empire. Though
all we did was drink a cup of tea together, the Pope’s members tended to be a
little tight.
“If you had contacted me in advance, I would have come to meet you.
Hohoho.”
“Hahaha. I can’t keep a busy guy waiting. If I knew that Archbishop Judah
would come, I would have brought a gift. I didn’t even know that you would
be in Castle Rock.”
“Haha. It looks like I didn’t tell you. The gift is… Ahem. I am already
grateful for the thought alone.”
“So. How is Cardinal Basel?”
“Haha. He is still the same. He is so busy with serving Goddess Benigore…”
“I see. Hyunsung-ssi. Come here for a minute… I told you, right? This is
Kim Hyunsung, the Guild Master of my guild, Blue. And this is Sun Hee-
young, the priest of our guild. She has been working hard enough in the
service to be called the Saint of the Forsaken. She is one of the few priests
who are preaching the will of God at Lindel.”
“Oooh. So this is Kim Hyunsung. And this is the priest Sun Hee-young…”
“Yes.”
“I heard a lot about you, Kim Hyunsung. How many times have I heard of
you being impartial, just, and strong? I can see why Honorary Bishop Lee
Kiyoung praised you so much. Your eyes are very deep.”
“That’s such big praise, Archbishop Judah. I’m Kim Hyunsung, the Blue
Guild Master.”
“Bishop Victoria! Come over here and say hello to Priest Sun Hee-young!”
“Yes, Archbishop Judah!”
“We are blessed to have such a priest among the free people.”
“Hahahahahaha.”
They greeted each other instantly, and because of the noisy atmosphere, we
were able to get rid of Marlin. People who had made acquaintances with Jung
Hayan in the past rushed to greet her, but she didn’t seem very interested in
greeting them. Instead, she clung onto me tightly.
Kim Hyunsung, on the other hand, was the busiest among everyone else. He
looked a little embarrassed with everyone who had come to greet him.
However, he knew that he could make some useful connections here, which
in turn would lead him to newer connections.
Just the simple task of my talking about Kim Hyunsung to everyone in the
Empire had guaranteed that he would receive a positive atmosphere.
This was really no big deal, but this could also be called a talent.
Our old members didn’t look that confused, yet Cho Hyejin looked as if she
couldn’t comprehend the situation.
‘It’s understandable.’
Blue was a guild with a high potential. Externally, it was allied with the Red
Mercenary, Black Swan, and Yozora Guild, and it dominated the potion
market. Though we were just a medium-sized guild, we were in a good
position altogether.
Of course, we had the money, but we still had to be careful, lest we lost value
in a place where power reigned. Considering this, it was surprising to be
treated in this manner.
Even if Cha Hee-ra and Yuno Kasugano visited Castle Rock together, the
Archbishops wouldn’t bother greeting them. However, they did so for our
sake. It was only normal to feel disbelief.
‘Hyejin, take care of this, please.’
“It’s better not to be outside; we should go inside first.”
“Hohoho. Let’s do that. Marlin Young-ae, it was so nice to hear that

Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung was coming, so this old man ended up taking
away your time.”
“It’s not like that. We are happy that you welcomed us. Archbishop.”
“It seems like our Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung’s still very sweet with his
words. Haha. Then let’s go inside quickly, as Marlin Young-ae said. First of
all, you must stay at Yeongju Fortress and rest, then stop by at the church.”
“Yes, of course, Archbishop Judah.”
“The believers will be happy. Haha.”
At this, the huge gate before us opened, and the interior of Castle Rock
showed itself to us.
Although the nation we lived in was diverse, I could see that most of the
citizens here were Asians with black hair.
“You don’t know how surprised I was to have you visit Castle Rock like this,
Lee Kiyoung.”
“I didn’t know we would be reunited so soon, Young-ae. Isn’t it right?

Hayan?”
“Yes. Oppa!”
“Ah…
Little by little, Hayan began to brighten up with my constant attention. On the

contrary, Marlin Young-ae began to feel a little depressed.
Kim Hyunsung, however, was busy talking with Archbishop Judah. The rest
of our party members busied themselves with looking around Castle Rock’s
amazing infrastructures.
However, what was more interesting to me than our party members were the
players that had settled within Castle Rock.
Seeing that they harbored the same expression as Cho Hyejin made me smile
a little bit.
“Pfft.”
What they were thinking was obvious.
They were probably wondering what kind of people were coming in now for
them to be personally greeted by the Archbishop of the temple, as well as the
Castle Rock Knights. Seeing them straining to see who we were was truly
amusing.
‘Tut-tut.
However, the closer we headed towards Yeongju Tower, the more I realized
that only one person among us was garnering the most attention.
‘Cho Hyejin.
Cho Hyejin made sure not to appear affected by the constant stares, but her
discomfort was evident to me.
So, it was true that she left Castle Rock on bad terms.
As I continued to watch Hyejin, I saw her inconspicuously looking through
the crowds, thinking of seeing a familiar face. I didn’t know why she, who
did the right thing, looked as if she was a sinner. However, it was interesting
to see her uncaring façade.
“Marlin Young-ae.”
“Yes, Lee Kiyoung?”
“Do you remember Cho Hyejin? The one I talked about last time…”
“Ahhh! I see. I heard a lot from you from my father, Hyejin.”
“Right…”
“A few years ago, I was at the academy, so we never met. I heard you were
active in Castle Rock. You did a very impressive job…”
“That… It’s not impressive. Just like other free people do…”
“Thanks to free people like Cho Hyejin and Lee Kiyoung, our Holy Empire
can develop further. On behalf of the nation, I would like to say thank you.”
When Marlin, a person of royal birth in the Castle Rock estate, stuck to Cho
Hyejin and chatted with her, it felt like the gazes had gone back to focusing
on her.
Things were getting a little more fun.
Some of the onlookers stood out.
They had looks of distaste on their faces, yet the guild insignia on their chests
told me what guild they came from.
‘Little Rock
I was sure of it.
Among all the guilds located in Castle Rock, they were the largest. And…
‘They were who Cho Hyejin reported in the past.’
While passing by, our eyes continued to meet. To be precise, I was conscious
of them, and I was only looking at them once, but whether they knew it or
not, they kept looking at us heading to Yeongju Tower.
‘Should I talk with them?’
I indeed wanted to have a conversation at least once. I wondered exactly what

happened and what position they were taking.
“Yes, Lee Kiyoung-nim?”
“I have a little question, but… How is the relationship between Castle Rock
and the free people here?”
“I think it’s a little friendly. We invited them to Yeongju Tower to spend time
together… Our Castle Rock is also being helped by the free people settled
here. As well as reducing the number of monsters, we are grateful that they
share our knights’ work.”
“I see.”
“It’s not as good as the Free City of Lindel, but in Castle Rock, we have a lot
of benefits for free people, and we have various policies set in place. They are
indeed concerned with the citizens’ welfare – not only the permanent
residents but also the free residents.”
“Oooooh.”
“Do you have any more questions?”
“No, Young-ae, rather than that… It’s sudden, but I want to ask you for a
favor.”
“Yes?”
“In fact, the reason we came to Castle Rock was to sign contracts with some
of the guilds here. If we can sell the potions distributed by our guild to Castle
Rock, we’ll be able to help each other.”
“I see.”
“If it’s okay, I would like you to set the bridge free.”
Only
“Yes! Of course! It’s Lee Kiyoung’s request, after all…”
‘So the contract part is resolved….
All that’s left was to meet them. As I kept writing the screenplay in my head,
I heard a voice.
It was the first time I heard his voice. The guy looked a little taller than I did.
‘What, this guy suddenly…’
In an instant, I figured out who he was.
Cho Hyejin’s rapidly darkening expression was a dead giveaway

Marlin Young-ae (3)
‘Ah…
In front of me stood the Little Rock Guild Master, the guild who had kicked
Cho Hyejin out. Instantly, I activated my Mind’s Eye in order to read into his
stats and attributes.
His stats weren’t bad, but they weren’t great, either. Nothing was notable
enough to be remembered. Of course, I wasn’t in a position to say that, but
after seeing a lot of great people, he didn’t look impressive to me at all.
Meanwhile, his disposition was…
‘A Passionate, Ambitious Man.’
What a unique characteristic. He was definitely a leaf with different sides to

him, though I had to admit it sounded awkward for some reason. It sounded
like an ability that didn’t really have any bonus effects. With this, I tried to
picture what kind of person he really was.
‘Aha…”
It was just a guess, but I think I knew how he got entangled with Cho Hyejin.
Just looking at him talking to us in this manner gave me some sort of answer.
Simply speaking, he saw an opportunity, and decided to take advantage of it.
He probably wanted to make his presence known, or know more about us in
turn.
He didn’t seem to know that it was rude to barge in on Marlin during this
time. perhaps it was even planned. It seemed like he could choose whether or
not to welcome any newcomers in the area. I wasn’t a judger, but I found it
quite annoying.
“Ah, Song Jungwook-nim.”
Though she acknowledged him, she didn’t pay much attention to him.
Instead, she wrapped an arm around Jung Hayan’s shoulders and passed by
him. For her, it was more important to focus on us.
“Who was he?”
“Ah. He’s Little Rock Guild’s Master Song Jungwook-nim…”
As I looked back, I could see Song Jungwook harboring a bitter expression,

which was natural, considering he had just been humiliated.
Obviously, I had nothing to do with it. It wasn’t as if he had spoken to me

first, and it was Marlin Young-ae who had decided to run to our side alone.
Meanwhile, I was just on my way to Jung Hayan. Therefore, the
embarrassing situation that happened was not my doing.
Of course, he would show that face, considering that he was humiliated.
“Ah. You mean Little Rock.”
“Yes.”
“I heard about them. I heard that their scale is quite large in Castle Rock.
Their adventure performance is also good. Did you say that they’ve attacked
three rare dungeons and one heroic dungeon?”
“Ah… I-I don’t know the details…”
“It’s okay, Marlin Young-ae. We almost passed by a nobleman. Could you

please call him if that’s okay?”
“Yes, of course. Lord Rodrick? Could you please call Song Jungwook here?”
“Yes, Young-ae.”
Song Jungwook’s complexion still hinted at how hurt his pride was.
However, it could not be avoided. That was, until Marlin Young-ae called for
him.
Eventually, I saw him approaching us, biting his lip in an unsure manner.
“I’m sorry for earlier, Song Jungwook. I was too busy.”
“No. It’s okay, Young-ae.”
“This is Lee Kiyoung Lee, Vice Master of the Blue Guild from Lindel. He
really wants to talk with you…”
“I see.”
At this, he glanced at me with an expression that seemed to say, ‘of course

you do.’ He seemed to think I had a special intention for doing so. With this,
Song Jungwook held his hand out for me to shake.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Song Jungwook, Guild Master of Little Rock.”
‘Ha…’
“Where is the Blue Guild Master?”
“I tried to greet you once officially, but that’s great timing.”
‘How dare you talk informally to me?’
“And… It’s been a while, Hyejin. I never thought you would be in Blue.”
“Ah. It’s been a while, Song Jungwook-nim.”
‘Are you looking down on me?’

It felt absurd that he was treating me in this manner. Of course, I was only the
Vice Guild Master, so if I were to classify us by rank, then this meant he was
a notch above me. Not only was I younger, but he had been on this continent
longer than I have.
Therefore, talking to me informally would have felt okay for him.
‘Are there any humans who still don’t know that I have become an Honorary
Bishop?’
It seemed that the Free People of Castle Rock had not heard of this yet. I
should have that fact advertised on their newspaper at least once.
I indeed came here for business, but it didn’t mean that I would be the one to
bow down. There was no law that stated that a salesman was necessarily
weaker. I didn’t intend to do as he pleased, as he was not as powerful as Cha
Hee-ra, or as talented as Cho Hyejin.
However, it also felt stupid to fight at this point, so I didn’t deem to answer.
As if to ask silently about what was going on, I looked towards Marlin
Youngae and found her looking surprised.
“P-Please do be polite.”
“Young-ae?”
“Lee Kiyoung is a guest of the Castle Rock estate. That’s just rude.”
“M-Marlin… Young-ae.”
“I didn’t see you that way, but I’m disappointed, Song Jungwook-nim.”
“That…”
“I’ll apologize instead, Lee Kiyoung-nim.”
“Ahem. Well, that’s okay. You shouldn’t be the one apologizing, Young-
ae… Would you forget what I said earlier?”
“Yes?”
“The thing I said about potions. Originally, I was going to enjoy for a while
and go… I think I’ve changed my mind. It would be better to leave as soon as
possible after finishing my business.”
“Ah!”
Marlin Young-ae’s expression was wrinkled, while Hayan brightened up. As

gently pulled Jung Hayan towards me, her expression became smug.
‘This expression doesn’t suit her at all.’
She evidently wanted to let everyone know that I belonged to her. She must
have been aiming for a dangerous look, but she only looked cute in my eyes.
Naturally, Marlin Young-ae paled. It was not because of Jung Hayan. It was
probably from what I had just hinted – that I didn’t care about sales, or
potion-related contracts, none of that. I would just go back after doing my
business. I had been so excited to travel to Castle Rock, yet it had not met my
expectations, simply because of such rude people. That was the hidden
meaning behind my words.
“Lee Kiyoung-nim, that’s…”
“Let’s just head back, Young-ae.”
The choice she would make was quite obvious. At this, Young-ae turned to
Jungwook.
“Please formally apologize.”
“What?”
“Please formally apologize for the rudeness you just showed to Lee
Kiyoungnim, Song Jungwook-nim.”
“That… To say I was rude.”
‘It’s indeed not like me to overreact.’
“I think Song Jungwook-nim knows better what I’m talking about. Please
formally apologize for the rudeness you showed to Lee Kiyoung-nim earlier.
If you don’t, I’ll never see your face again.”
It was fortunate that Archbishop Judah was not here. If he hadn’t been busy
talking with Kim Hyunsung, Jungwook would have been surrounded by the
members of the temple.
“It’s okay, Marlin Young-ae. You don’t have to do this.”
“No. Lee Kiyoung-nim is a guest of our Castle Rock.”
I didn’t come as a guest, but…’
“To show rudeness to Lee Kiyoung-nim is like showing rudeness to our

family. I don’t know what your father will think, but I think he must get an
apology.”
“Young-ae.”
I couldn’t help but feel impressed. She was doing so much for me, for ruining
a good relationship with a guild like Little Rock would not be good for Castle
Rock, either. It had just been because of her immaturity that she dared to act
in this manner.
Of course, in comparison, Marlin Young-ae’s family was stronger.
‘This means it will hurt his pride.’
“Song Jungwook-nim. Really!”
“Marlin Youngae, that’s okay.”
This situation looked pretty bad. Both the free and imperial people were now
looking at both of them. Song Jungwook, who at this point represented the
free people, had to bow to me.
‘Good.’
It would definitely clear up the misunderstanding of power between us. The

question was, would he really bow to me?
‘His pride is quite high.’
I had no choice but to think that he would try to pass this evasively. If I were
him, I would have made the same choice. Cho Hyejin was also watching,
along with our other guild party members.
Finally, Song Jungwook finally bowed.
‘Wow…’
I knew he would gain nothing from me by doing this, but I knew why he had
done so.
‘It’s because of Marlin Young-ae…’
He just wanted to look good in front of her. There was no other reason.
“Please forgive my rudeness, Vice Guild Master Lee Kiyoung.”
“Ah. It’s okay, Song Jung-nim.”
“I’m sorry to cause you so much trouble when we’ve just met.”
“Hahaha. The same goes for me. There must have been a misunderstanding.”
“Marlin Young-ae, it’s okay now. It’s a misunderstanding caused by mistake.

I think it’s only right to forgive him.”
The picture that I, the Vice Master Guild of the Blue Guild, had forgiven the
Guild Master of the Little Rock Guild, would prove to be quite a beautiful
scene for our onlookers.
At this point, they were probably thinking, ‘We can’t mess with that bastard.’
Of course, I had gained more than that.
“I was planning to visit the Little Rock Guild even just once, Song
Jungwooknim. I hope you can visit Yeongju Tower soon and find me. No, I
will go.”
“Hahahaha. It seems like I made a happy relationship today. Well, if you

have nothing more to say, I’ll be going. Doesn’t Marlin Young-ae have
anything more to say?”
“No, Lee Kiyoung-nim. I don’t think it’s important… Song Jungwook-nim,

see you next time…”
“Hayan? Hyejin, move, quickly.”
“Yes, oppa.”
Only
“And… Well. Hyejin?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know what happened when you were in Castle Rock, but you don’t
have to look down.”
“And there is no need to treat other guilds’ Guild Masters. Hyejin is now a
member of Blue. Always keep in mind that if you bow your head to another
guild or clan, it means that Blue is bowing down to them.”
“Ah…”
“I don’t want for much. But that’s enough for now.”
“Yes. Okay.”
I now had a plan for Cho Hyejin. When I saw Song Jungwook failing to grab
onto Marlin Young-ae, a lot of good ideas began to emerge.
Chapter 154 Little Rock (1)
Little Rock (1)
Blue had adapted well to Castle Rock. Marlin Young-ae threw a grand party
for us, and we were able to take a break, complete with delicacies and good
drinks. Our fatigue was slowly going down the drain.
Of course, I had a lot of work to do, but the special treatment I was receiving
made the whole ordeal feel like a vacation. Of course, Kim Hyunsung was an
exception.
It was understandable, though. He had his own job – to greet other influential
nobles.
‘He looks tired.’
At the news that I was coming, bishops and nobles from other cities also
headed to Castle Rock.
During the five-day banquet, Hyunsung had to learn about them and greet
them, and as a result, exhausted himself from doing so. He was not like me,
who was accustomed to this sort of thing.
Among them, it must have been a little harder, especially because of Count
Castle Rock.
In the end, Kim Hyunsung had to talk with Marlin’s father the most. This was
because this noble, who was more like an armed officer rather than a civilian,
really liked him. In fact, his stats would put most of the free people to shame.
As a result, I had the burden of having Marlin Young-ae cling onto me.
“Ahem. I think my daughter is troubling you, Honorary Bishop.”
“It’s okay, Count Castle Rock. I also enjoy talking to your intelligent
daughter. There have been many things I can laugh about these days because
of Marlin Young-ae.”
“Thank you very much for saying so. Ahem… In fact, she’s the type that
when she gets absorbed into something, she can’t think of anything else…
Looking at her recently, it seems that she really cares about Lee Kiyoung-
nim.”
“Haha…”
“I’ll say this because there’s only us, but I’m so embarrassed because of her
asking me to proceed with the marriage. Oh, this is a secret from Marlin.
Honorary Bishop. I was asked just to feel you out….”
“Right. I… I see.”
This was the kind of dangerous situation I did not want to entangle myself in.
“I’m ashamed to say this, too… Hmm. I can’t deal with my daughter’s
stubbornness. I’m sorry to keep saying this.”
“No. I understand, Count.”
This was already my second defense. Since Marlin was his only child, Count
Castle Rock would normally want to grant anything his daughter would want.
At first, he had looked at me as if I was a thief, but then proceeded to

pressure me as if he wanted something from me, or had something planned.
In fact, I wasn’t that bad at all. I was a Vice Guild Master of an influential
guild, and I was known as an Honorary Bishop on the Pope’s side. Nobles
such as him were known to be calculative people.
In Count Castle Rock’s case, he was more or less forced to grant his
daughter’s wish. However, he must’ve thought it wasn’t such a bad thing to
connect her to me.
“Speaking of it, I heard that you are in a relationship with the Mercenary
Queen.”
“Yes. We have a small relationship.”
“Even with the mage who always hangs around with you?”
“It’s embarrassing, but yes.”
“I see. Hmm… Does my daughter…”
“She probably knows.”
Count Castle Rock had taken on a debating look. I had to speak up at this
point.
“That… Marlin Young-ae may still be confused because her coming-of-age

ceremony has just passed. To the imperial people, the free people look a little
different and special. Of course, I would like to have your beautiful daughter
as a companion, but I am very worried that a momentary mistake will ruin the
future of Marlin Young-ae. The free people have a different way of living,
and Marlin Young-ae’s future is bright.”
“That’s true, but…”
“As Marlin Young-ae will have to inherit Castle Rock in the future, it would
be better to observe her calmly rather than proceeding too quickly.”
“Ahem.”
“I will talk to Marlin Young-ae.”
“If so, then, please do. You seem to be a better person than I thought,
Honorary Bishop.”
‘Fuck… Did I get some brownie points?’

“No, Count. Anyone would do that.”
“Haha! You don’t have to be shy. Rather, how about we have dinner
together? I just got a good drink… My daughter is also looking forward to
it.”
“Thank you for the offering, but I have something else to do today… How
about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow sounds good, too.”
“Then I’ll be going, Count.”
“Okay, thank you. I had fun today.”
I felt exhausted as I closed the door. Most of my luncheons with Count Castle
Rock had gone in this manner. Just from his expression, I could tell just how
often Marlin usually harassed her father.
It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing to marry Marlin, if only there was not a
precondition stating that I always had to stay at Castle Rock. On another
hand, a noble meant one could also become a noble. This wasn’t that
important for me, however.
I was already an Honorary Bishop of the Holy Empire, a rank above a noble
position, and this position could even rival the Count’s.
If Castle Rock’s sovereignty was transferred to Marlin after Count Castle

Rock’s death, I could think about it a bit, but Marlin proved to be a burden in
my current situation.
The imperialists’ marriage customs were enough to give me a headache.
‘It is correct only to manage this to a certain extent.’
This was right when you were to think of Jung Hayan, Cha Hee-ra, and Lee
Jihye.
As soon as I got out of the room, I saw Marlin Young-ae approaching.

Her face express she doesn’t know anything.
It’s pretty ridiculous to show that expression when she has designed
everything from scratch.
“Lee Ki-young! How was your lunch with my father?”
“The Count of Castle Rock treated me comfortably, so I was able to enjoy the
meal with ease.”
“T-That’s fortunate. Did he say something…”
“I’m a little embarrassed to tell you, but Count Castle Rock seems to be
thinking that it would be nice for us to marry.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. Haha….”
“Of course….my father… Please understand, Lee Kiyoung. My father seems

to like Lee Kiyoung very much….”
‘Ah, that bashful face.’
“It seems that Count Castle Rock cares about Young-ae very much.”
“Yes. He does. R-Rather than that, t-the answer… How did you…”
“I told him that I should think a little more. I have my life as a free citizen,
and marriage is still early for Marlin Young-ae and me.”
“First of all, it would be better to get to know each other gradually, Young-
ae.”
“Ah!! Yes… Yes!”
“And I told him to postpone today’s meal for tomorrow. I have something to
do.”
“Yes, Lee Kiyoung-nim. If you ever need help, feel free to contact me.”
“Yes. Okay.”
My job here was finished. I’ve enjoyed it as much as I had to, so now it was
right to go to work.
As I moved on, I caught sight of Jung Hayan. Kim Ye-ri’s voice echoed in
my ears, but I tried to ignore it.
‘Womanizer.
“Oppa!”
“Let’s go, Hayan. You waited too long, right?”
“N-No, I haven’t.”
“Did you have lunch?”
“Yes. With Hyunsung, Deokgu, Ye-ri, Hee-young, Hyejin, and Jeong-yeon.”
“I’m glad. Hyunsung is…?”
“He said he would come after he finishes investigating something…”
“Wel, then. Let’s go?”
“Yes!”
“Did you bring the documents?”
“Yes!”
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
“It’s… It’s been a long time since I can go out with oppa…”
“When I think about it, it really is.”
Although I was only taking Jung Hayan as my escort, she wasn’t the only one
who accompanied me. There were also Castle Rock Knights as well as some
Heretic Inquisitors by my side.
However, in a way, this was also another manner of rewarding Hayan, for
being able to withstand all the difficulties that came in her way.
T’ll take care of you little by little, Hayan.’
As if taming a puppy, the notion of being rewarded for her endurance had to
be put into her head. It would be trouble if she ran runs away from Castle
Rock.
Lee Jihye didn’t go far as to make Jung Hayan angry, and in the case of Cha
Hee-ra and Yuno Kasugano, they were far stronger than Jung Hayan in the
first place.
However, in the case of Marlin Young-ae, she was just a common person
who had no power.
There may be cases where she could vanish depending on Hayan’s mood.
‘It’s a good thing that I kept her from having a mental breakdown in the
regression case.
“Then, where are we going now?”
“Let’s have a date first, and then we’re going to Small Rock.”
“Date…”
“It’s because Hayan has been working hard.”

Hayan brightened at this looking all the more cuter.
“Then let’s go.”
“Okay.”
“I think there are more things to see near Castle Rock than I initially
thought.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Though we were only going for a short time, I might as well enjoy our time
together.
“Oppa! Look at that! The tree is shaped like a turtle.”
“Ah. Yes.”
We went to see wonderful scenery.
“So cute.”
“How much is this?”
I presented her with some pretty accessories that we happened to pass by.
“Shall we go see the play?”
“Yes… of course!”
Our course was no different than that from Earth’s.
“You can even ride a boat over there!”
“Let’s go ride that, oppa.”
“That… Let’s ride later.”

“But, I want to ride now….”
“We don’t have time; we will have another chance later on.”
Although their culture here was backwards compared to Earth, there were
still plenty of things to enjoy here.
“Hehehe.”
Seeing the happy and smiling Junf Hayan, I wondered why I didn’t do this
right away. Of course, I had been busy, but I thought it would be right to take
a little time in the future to do this again.
‘If she gets stressed out, I can relieve it.’
“This is so good. Hehe…”
“I’m glad.”
I held her hands, hugged her occasionally, and kissed her slightly at sunset.
Only
‘Was she this pretty?’
In fact, I had been aware that I was falling for Jung Hayan since before, but
when I faced her seriously like this, I felt like I was being drawn in even
more.
I had recently started liking the fact that she had begun to act normally.
“I’m always grateful for you, Hayan.”
“I’ve always been grateful for you, too…”

It sounded crazy, but if I were to get married, a girl like this wouldn’t be bad,
either.
“Then, shall we go to Little Rock?”
“Yes!”
Chapter 155 Little Rock (2)
Little Rock (2)
The short date was over. Thanks to that, I was able to have a good time with
Jung Hayan, as well as find out how Castle Rock worked – almost like
market research.
I was able to check how much their commodities were priced, and I was very
satisfied. It seemed as if Castle Rock had a better condition than what initially
thought.
‘Ah, but the reason why is obvious…’
Most of the hunting grounds around Lindel were already saturated. Of course,
it had many jobs, but there was no shortage of unemployed citizens, either.
Compared to that, Castle Rock was still full of jobs, and as a new city, it was
definitely not lacking.
Its resources were abundant, and it was considered both a strategic location
and the ideal economic hub.
‘It’s more useful than I thought…’
It didn’t seem like a bad idea to buy some land. Both the merchants and
adventurers were active, and there was sufficient demand for certain
necessities.
What was a little funny was…
‘Signs of danger?’
It didn’t look like a city where big things were going to happen.
According to Kim Hyunsung, something will happen in this city within the
next month.
Our returner told me that there would be an imminent danger to Castle Rock,
based on some data, and that was why we went on an expedition here in the
first place. However, everything seemed peaceful, which meant that the
people were blissfully ignorant of what was about to happen.
In the first place, the sign itself may have been a story that Kim Hyunsung
made up, but one could never be too sure. Things might have been similar
back in the first timeline, so it might prove to be a mistake not to prepare for
such an event.
‘Most of the people here must have died…’
I thought Marlin and Little Rock were no exceptions.
“They’re lucky.”
“Yes? Did you say something, oppa?”
“After looking around a bit, I think we can definitely distribute our potions
here.”
“Ah! You said they were lucky that people could use the potion you made!”
“Yes. As I said before, Castle Rock lacks priests. The potions here are of
poor quality. Even more so when compared to the potion I made.”
“I see.”
“Of course, my overall level of alchemist has not risen by much, but… Since
there is a lot of demand, it means that goods of that quality are also sold.
Castle Rock is ideal…”
“I agree.”
“I didn’t think they were making potions in the Little Rock Guild.”
“I don’t think so, either.”
I smiled a little at Jung Hayan, who was constantly giving me encouraging

replies. As we continued moving, Little Rock Guild slowly came into view.
‘It’s pretty fancy.
The Guild House itself was better than Blue’s. I could see that they were
using a fairly large site.
I didn’t know about the architectural details, but it felt like a good quality
material was used. Overall, the impression of showing off was strong.
‘Even the Red Mercenary is not that bold…’
Song Jungwook’s disposition definitely did not lie. He was the type of person
who valued his appearance and was faithful to his ambition.
When we stepped inside, everyone’s gazes focused on us. I made sure to

appear as confident as possible, responding calmly to the guild’s staffs
greetings.
After talking with the guide who came to us right away, we headed to the
parlor, where Jungwook had been waiting.
Of course, there were also some guild members next to him. Was this some
sort of demonstrative show? They all had a certain vigor to them.
Anyhow, this was the first time we met again since the incident back on the
boulevard. Jungwook’s expression didn’t look so good. He had been
humiliated that day, after all.
As much as he was ambitious, I was sure that he valued reputation. If I had

his personality, I would hold a grudge about this.
‘So what? So what are you going to do?’

Pretending to be weak here was unnecessary, especially when our power
relationship was made clear.
“It’s been a while.”
“Yes, Vice Guild Master of Blue. Long time no see.”
“Hahaha. This first meeting wasn’t very good, but it’s nice to see you like
this.”
“Yeah. Very nice to see you, Lee Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Hahaha. Come on, loosen up, Little Rock Master. Someone will think that
you met an enemy.”
“Well, I’m hurt. Jungwook. If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to
feel bad.”
“It’s an important meeting, after all.”
“You seem pretty relaxed for someone who is about to have an important
meeting, Blue Vice Master. Having a leisurely date during the day… I’m
feeling like a fool for preparing like this. No matter how prestigious you are
in Lindel these days…”
“Our Castle Rock is not a subcontractor, nor is it subordinate to Lindel. Isn’t

it correct to be polite, Lee Kiyoung-ssi?”
“It looks like there’s an edge to your voice, Jungwook-ssi. Hahaha.”
“I am not kidding right now. Blue Vice Master.”
“There seems to be some sort of misunderstanding.”

“What misunderstanding…?”
“This will be an important meeting for you, but not for me. Are you saying
it’s rude for me to have a date with someone I love before joining a meeting
like this? Pfft.”
“You…”
“And… I don’t know if you’ve tailed me, but… I’m a little disappointed with
Jungwook. Isn’t this an invasion of privacy?”
His expression distorted. He didn’t even know what I was talking about.
‘I miss Ito Souta.
An ambitious guy who can’t even smell power like this… It disgusted me.
Even though I had already given various hints, it seemed that he had already
made up his mind to hate me as he continued to maintain that attitude. For a
guy who raised a guild this big, his scope of thinking was very narrow.
I did something that could’ve made him hate me, but I felt like there was
more to this than I had initially thought.
For example…
‘Marlin Young-ae?’
It was not entirely impossible. It would happen everywhere that a man with a
strong desire for power would use the immature aristocratic as a means of
success.
I realized that we had been entangled in an interesting manner.
‘It was Cho Hyejin and now Marlin?’
As I laughed, I could see him opening his mouth in surprise, looking

dumbfounded.
“Please go back. I thought it would be better to meet with you at least once
for Marlin Young-ae, but I don’t want to work with someone who is not
polite.”
“Ah, are you sending me back like this? Little Rock Guild Master?”
“I have said it politely, Blue Vice Guild Master. Our Little Rock is not going
to trade anything with Blue. No, it’s not just Little Rock. All the guilds and
clans in Castle Rock will not want to work with Blue.”
“You will regret this.”
“I will not be polite to you twice. If you don’t want to be forced out, please
just go quietly.”
“I’m the one who is not going to be polite to you twice, Little Rock Guild
Master. I would like you to listen to what I have to say before getting upset.”
“I’ll assume that you have consented, then. In that case, I’ll tell you slowly.
Hey. Song Jungwook-ssi. Have you ever heard of a case such as young
people or artists starting to gather in a specific area?”
“What are you…”
“Please listen first. Puhaha! I don’t know what happened, but anyway, the
young people and artists that had gathered coincidentally slowly developed
the area and the streets. Each way was different. They painted murals and
opened shops with unique and distinct concepts, and gradually changed them
as they create their own festivals and cultures.”
“The press quickly focused on the area. An area where artists work! They say
it’s a neighborhood with lots of good restaurants… Pfft. Celebrities or social
media stars, who are self-proclaimed celebrities, would go around the places
created by artists and young people as if it was their own property. You’ve
probably seen similar situations a lot.”
“So… What does that have to do with our situation now?”
“The same will go for a place like this. It might seem pretty plausible at first.
However, in the end, it will have a heartbreaking ending.”
“This is because they come in with bread.”
“By this, I mean big capital or big companies.”
“That…”
“The landlords, who at first have done nothing, will immediately raise their
rent and drive out the young artists who created that glorious place. They will
expel shed bloody tears, but there’s nothing they can do. That is because they
are in a weak position. Well, the explanation is long, but in the end, they lose
the place they live.”
Song Jungwook’s expression began to distort once more.
“As if waiting for this moment, large franchise companies and self-employed
people who want to taste the money rush in, and eventually the streets of
young artists are occupied by the current vested interests with large capital.
The problem stands here! Who is the young artist in this situation? Who are
the big companies with huge capital?”
I could see his mouth shaking.
“Who has the capital and influence that can shake your home?”
His pupils had begun to largen.
“Who has a product that can shake the market’s economy?”
He flinched.
“Who has a close relationship with the Red Mercenary and the Black Swan,
who is the Honorary Bishop appointed to the Cardinal of the Pope’s side, and
maintains a very close relationship with Castle Rock’s daughter?”
Of course, his reaction came right away. At this point, he would either bow in
submission or fly into a rage. It seemed that a lot had chosen the latter.
Though Song Jungwook quietly looked at me, the guild members behind him
began to spit out disbelieving remarks complete with reddened expressions.
Only
“What nonsense!”
“Shut your mouth!”
After a while, however, their angry expressions paled. They trembled as if

threatened—an expression of fear formed on their faces.
Of course, they were not trembling at what I had said. Following their line of
sight, the source of their fear was soon evident.
They had been staring at Jung Hayan, who quietly stood behind me.
‘Wow… Fuck, that’s creepy.’
Jung Hayan had been staring at them with an expression that could be called
terrifying, even by my standards.
‘It would be better to cancel the thought of marriage.’

Chapter 156.1 Hypocrite (2)
Hypocrite (1)
“Hahahaha. I think we understood each other better than I thought.”
“I think so, too. Blue Vice Guild Master.”
“There will be a lot of business meetings in the future. You’ll be sure to

benefit a lot from this agreement.”
“Yes…”
“Wow… And the stories I heard today was very interesting. In particular, the
one related to Hyejin.”
“Yes. In fact, I was a little surprised that she was in Blue. I told you today,
but as you heard, she is not a good quality person. Some talk as if she is an
apostle of justice… Tut-tut. It must have been because of their personal
grudges. Actually, our guild was cleared of its charges.”
“Ah! I see.”
“Actually, we didn’t agree with each other in almost every case. At first, I
thought she was a little complacent, but she started intervening in everything
as soon as she got the executive position. I didn’t know if she was asking me
to raise her salary or to do something else, but it was very difficult because
this happened constantly.”
“What were you accused of?”

“That’s…”
“If you don’t want to tell, there is a way for me to find out personally, Song
Jungwook-ssi.”
“Ha… Haha. Of course, I can. The charges were cleared anyway. It was a
monster deal.”
“Ah.”
“Apart from the tax issues… There was a problem with the treatment of the
guild staff, but the most important thing was the charges of illegal monster
trading.”
“I see.”
“She turned small things into big problems, and she is not flexible enough.
There were a lot of problems in the dungeon and elsewhere. She also caused
various troubles with other guilds.”
“Ah. She looked a little like that. There was a strong feeling of being
stubborn.”
“She is a person who has a lot of problems in many ways. Ah! You should
also have a drink, Hayan-ssi.”
“N-No… I’m good, Song Jungwook-nim.”
“It seems that Hayan-ssi doesn’t like alcohol very much.”
‘This guy lays flat better than expected.’
His arrogance from before had completely dissipated. He was now like a dog
wagging its tail.
His ability to suck up to me certainly stimulated my sense of superiority.
‘Well, I still don’t know if it’s real or not.’

If one were to think about his unique characteristic, there was a high
probability that he was planning something. He was either going to backstab
me, or find a way to use me properly.
‘That’s why it’s more fun, but…’
Particularly, it felt amusing seeing him badmouthing Cho Hyejin. I’d have to
filter half of it, but I could still get a rough idea of what kind of situation she
had been in. Jungwook had probably manipulated the public’s opinion of her.
I thought he would have isolated Cho Hyejin with words such as ‘I don’t like
her’ or ‘She a bit suspicious.’ The words of those in power garnered the most
trust, after all.
It would have taken less than a few months to isolate a woman like Cho
Hyejin.
As the conversation dulled, Song Jungwook glanced at me.
“It’s late. How about sleeping here tonight, Lee Kiyoung?”
“Ah! It’s already this late. Thank you for the favor, but I think it would be
better to return. Marlin Young-ae will be worried. Haha.”
As expected, his expression dimmed. It was only for an instant, but the brief
frown that flashed across his face was an expected reaction on my part.
“Then, we’ll be going now. I also drank a lot… We’ll talk about the
unfinished stories later. Oh and… Can I trust you with the work I asked for?”
“Yes. As you said, I will contact all other guilds in Castle Rock to proceed
with the contract.”
“Thank you. You’re a little more competent than I thought, Little Rock Guild
Master…”
“Thank you. Ahem… Rather than that, it’s late. Should I assign you an
escort…?”
“Ah. I’ll accept if it’s an escort. Hahaha. I understand what you’re worried
about, but I am safe.”
“What?”
“I haven’t told you. Last time, about the Lindel terrorist incident. I don’t
know if you remember, but I’ve become a bit sensitive to safety since then.
My sister Hee-ra pays a lot of attention… The shadows of the Red
Mercenaries are escorting me.”
“What?”
“Of course, since I came to Castle Rock, the knights of Youngju Tower and
the Heretic Inquisitors of the Pope’s side have also been helping me. I am not
an important person, but it seems that I am loved by many people. Hahaha.
I’m joking, but if the Little Rock Guild Master would dare to harm me, you
would have been in a very difficult position.”
“I-I see.”
Seeing that he was sweating, he seemed to have something planned for me.
“Of course, that won’t happen. Then I’ll be going. Hayan, let’s go.”
“Yes, oppa!”
As soon as I went outside, I saw what Castle Rock looked like at nighttime.
Though it was marvelous in the day, it wasn’t bad during the evenings, too.
This medieval-styled city, looking a little rugged, certainly seemed very
attractive to me.
As I mulled over these nonsensical thoughts, I realized that I’d drank a little
more than I expected. No, if it was Little Rock that had prepared it, it was
probably stronger than what I was accustomed to.
As I slowly grabbed onto Jung Hayan, she automatically moved to support

me.
“Y-You can lean on me.”

“Then, I will. When I stood up, I suddenly felt dizzy.”
“Are you having trouble walking, too?”
“No. I can still control my body. Thank you for your work today, Hayan.”
“No. That’s all I do anyway. Anyway, there’s something a little more

surprising than that.”
“What?”
“I mean, Hyejin.”
“Oooh.”
Come to think of it; this was the first time that Jung Hayan had heard about
Cho Hyejin. Unlike me, who knew about the situation roughly, it must’ve
been fun for her hearing about Hyejin.
“I didn’t know she was such a person…”
“Ah. That’s not a bad thing. And to be precise, I’ve only heard the story from
the standpoint of Little Rock. Shouldn’t I have to listen to Cho Hyejin’s
words at least once?”
“Ah, yes, you’re right. That’s the right thing to do.”
“But that fact alone makes us feel a little awkward. I hate to think of this, but
it sounds a little awkward to be a whistleblower.”
“Yes! I feel the same way too. It is awkward, indeed. Oppa.”
“But it’s not easy to act according to your conscience.”
“Right! Y-You still have to take care of your conscience!”

Jung Hayan hurriedly agreeing with whatever I said made me smile. I was
curious as to what she really thought about the matter, but she probably
wouldn’t bother with it that much. It wasn’t like her to think deeply about
other people. What mattered for her was gaining my approval.
The story of Cho Hyejin I heard from Song Jungwook was simple. It was
nothing more than I had already thought. If Song Jungwook hadn’t been
exaggerating in some parts while telling me, the story would have become
boring.
‘Of course, I don’t think he told me everything.
Anyway, what was interesting among them was that the majority of those
who joined Little Rock were the companions who completed the tutorial
dungeon with Cho Hyejin.
The guild was literally composed of friends and acquaintances, just like Blue.
It was like having Jung Hayan expose all of Blue’s corruptions. It was easy to
understand how her colleagues would’ve thought she was a traitor.
‘Illegal monster trading.’
Although they turned out to be innocent, I thought that Cho Hyejin was
probably right.
I’m sure of it.
Little Rock had many things to hide. Of course, there was no evidence, but
looking at the dispositions and characteristics, the answer came quickly to
me.
Little Rock was illegally trading monsters through a route that I didn’t know.
Some of the lord’s castles may be involved, as well as some other guilds and
clans.
‘He’s a scammer.’
If possible, I would like to hear about Cho Hyejin’s statement.

As I walked while thinking about various things, we reached the square.
“Are you drunk?”
“I’m just a little dizzy, but I’m fine.”
“You seem to be very tired.”
“No, Hayan.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to rest a little and go?”
“I said I’m fine. We’re close anyway.”
“I-I’m a little tired, too.”
Following Jeong Hayan’s gaze, what I could see was a luxury motel. I
instantly realized what Jung Hayan meant.
I… Oh my.
“L-Let’s take a break for a bit.”
I thought she wanted to be together with me by taking the long way, but it
seemed that her real purpose was this.
“I think you are tired. You must be.”
She was even forcibly making me think I was tired. What made me
embarrassed was the fact that I wanted the same thing as she did. I wondered
if it would be nice to spend a little more time together.
“Hmm…”
While I was trying to make my decision, I heard a voice call out to us.
“You are here.”
“Ah…”
Jung Hayan stiffened as an unwelcome guest made itself known, yet I peered
over her to find out who it was. My current position with Hayan looked
somewhat tricky.
“Hyejin. What are you doing here?”
“I came to pick up Kiyoung-ssi and Hayan-ssi.”
“What?”
“To be precise, it would be right to say that the escort car came. It’s a dark
night. Castle Rock is more dangerous than Lindel. There are also imperialists
of poor quality in narrow alleys. Of course, it’s hard for something to happen
when you think of Hayan-ssi, but I think I’ll be relieved to do this as I’m the
escort.”
“There must be a knight of Youngju Tower.”
“Ah. I don’t know if you’ve heard it, but in this case, the Guild Master
entrusted me with being Lee Kiyoung’s escort. He was worried about the
Lindel terrorist incident.”
“Ooooh…”
I realized once more that our returner cared for me.
“Since it’s dark, I thought it was right for me to come out. I was worried…
Then let’s go together.”
“Yes. Thank you for picking us up. Hmm… But when I think about it, I don’t
think I had a long conversation with Hyejin.”
“Ah…”
“I’m sorry?”
“About going somewhere to spend a little time.”
I just thought it wasn’t a bad idea. Anyway, it was time to conduct at least
one frank conversation with Cho Hyejin.
Only
Jung Hayan pouted her lips, but it would not be bad to drink at a nearby bar
for a while.
I thought Cho Hyejin would accept my offer. However, the reaction she
showed was different from what I thought.
She stared at me as she trembled.
“T-That’s rude.”
“What?”
“I didn’t see you that way. Were you such a rude person?!”
Something unexpected just happened.
‘What bullshit are you talking about?’

Chapter 157 Hypocrite (1)
Hypocrite (1)
“Hahahaha. I think we understood each other better than I thought.”
“I think so, too. Blue Vice Guild Master.”
“There will be a lot of business meetings in the future. You’ll be sure to

benefit a lot from this agreement.”
“Yes…”
“Wow… And the stories I heard today was very interesting. In particular, the
one related to Hyejin.”
“Yes. In fact, I was a little surprised that she was in Blue. I told you today,
but as you heard, she is not a good quality person. Some talk as if she is an
apostle of justice… Tut-tut. It must have been because of their personal
grudges. Actually, our guild was cleared of its charges.”
“Ah! I see.”
“Actually, we didn’t agree with each other in almost every case. At first, I
thought she was a little complacent, but she started intervening in everything
as soon as she got the executive position. I didn’t know if she was asking me
to raise her salary or to do something else, but it was very difficult because
this happened constantly.”
“What were you accused of?”

“That’s…”
“If you don’t want to tell, there is a way for me to find out personally, Song
Jungwook-ssi.”
“Ha… Haha. Of course, I can. The charges were cleared anyway. It was a
monster deal.”
“Ah.”
“Apart from the tax issues… There was a problem with the treatment of the
guild staff, but the most important thing was the charges of illegal monster
trading.”
“I see.”
“She turned small things into big problems, and she is not flexible enough.
There were a lot of problems in the dungeon and elsewhere. She also caused
various troubles with other guilds.”
“Ah. She looked a little like that. There was a strong feeling of being
stubborn.”
“She is a person who has a lot of problems in many ways. Ah! You should
also have a drink, Hayan-ssi.”
“N-No… I’m good, Song Jungwook-nim.”
“It seems that Hayan-ssi doesn’t like alcohol very much.”
‘This guy lays flat better than expected.’
His arrogance from before had completely dissipated. He was now like a dog
wagging its tail.
His ability to suck up to me certainly stimulated my sense of superiority.
‘Well, I still don’t know if it’s real or not.’

If one were to think about his unique characteristic, there was a high
probability that he was planning something. He was either going to backstab
me, or find a way to use me properly.
‘That’s why it’s more fun, but…’
Particularly, it felt amusing seeing him badmouthing Cho Hyejin. I’d have to
filter half of it, but I could still get a rough idea of what kind of situation she
had been in. Jungwook had probably manipulated the public’s opinion of her.
I thought he would have isolated Cho Hyejin with words such as ‘I don’t like
her’ or ‘She a bit suspicious.’ The words of those in power garnered the most
trust, after all.
It would have taken less than a few months to isolate a woman like Cho
Hyejin.
As the conversation dulled, Song Jungwook glanced at me.
“It’s late. How about sleeping here tonight, Lee Kiyoung?”
“Ah! It’s already this late. Thank you for the favor, but I think it would be
better to return. Marlin Young-ae will be worried. Haha.”
As expected, his expression dimmed. It was only for an instant, but the brief
frown that flashed across his face was an expected reaction on my part.
“Then, we’ll be going now. I also drank a lot… We’ll talk about the
unfinished stories later. Oh and… Can I trust you with the work I asked for?”
“Yes. As you said, I will contact all other guilds in Castle Rock to proceed
with the contract.”
“Thank you. You’re a little more competent than I thought, Little Rock Guild
Master…”
“Thank you. Ahem… Rather than that, it’s late. Should I assign you an
escort…?”
“Ah. I’ll accept if it’s an escort. Hahaha. I understand what you’re worried
about, but I am safe.”
“What?”
“I haven’t told you. Last time, about the Lindel terrorist incident. I don’t
know if you remember, but I’ve become a bit sensitive to safety since then.
My sister Hee-ra pays a lot of attention… The shadows of the Red
Mercenaries are escorting me.”
“What?”
“Of course, since I came to Castle Rock, the knights of Youngju Tower and
the Heretic Inquisitors of the Pope’s side have also been helping me. I am not
an important person, but it seems that I am loved by many people. Hahaha.
I’m joking, but if the Little Rock Guild Master would dare to harm me, you
would have been in a very difficult position.”
“I-I see.”
Seeing that he was sweating, he seemed to have something planned for me.
“Of course, that won’t happen. Then I’ll be going. Hayan, let’s go.”
“Yes, oppa!”
As soon as I went outside, I saw what Castle Rock looked like at nighttime.
Though it was marvelous in the day, it wasn’t bad during the evenings, too.
This medieval-styled city, looking a little rugged, certainly seemed very
attractive to me.
As I mulled over these nonsensical thoughts, I realized that I’d drank a little
more than I expected. No, if it was Little Rock that had prepared it, it was
probably stronger than what I was accustomed to.
As I slowly grabbed onto Jung Hayan, she automatically moved to support

me.
“Y-You can lean on me.”

“Then, I will. When I stood up, I suddenly felt dizzy.”
“Are you having trouble walking, too?”
“No. I can still control my body. Thank you for your work today, Hayan.”
“No. That’s all I do anyway. Anyway, there’s something a little more

surprising than that.”
“What?”
“I mean, Hyejin.”
“Oooh.”
Come to think of it; this was the first time that Jung Hayan had heard about
Cho Hyejin. Unlike me, who knew about the situation roughly, it must’ve
been fun for her hearing about Hyejin.
“I didn’t know she was such a person…”
“Ah. That’s not a bad thing. And to be precise, I’ve only heard the story from
the standpoint of Little Rock. Shouldn’t I have to listen to Cho Hyejin’s
words at least once?”
“Ah, yes, you’re right. That’s the right thing to do.”
“But that fact alone makes us feel a little awkward. I hate to think of this, but
it sounds a little awkward to be a whistleblower.”
“Yes! I feel the same way too. It is awkward, indeed. Oppa.”
“But it’s not easy to act according to your conscience.”
“Right! Y-You still have to take care of your conscience!”

Jung Hayan hurriedly agreeing with whatever I said made me smile. I was
curious as to what she really thought about the matter, but she probably
wouldn’t bother with it that much. It wasn’t like her to think deeply about
other people. What mattered for her was gaining my approval.
The story of Cho Hyejin I heard from Song Jungwook was simple. It was
nothing more than I had already thought. If Song Jungwook hadn’t been
exaggerating in some parts while telling me, the story would have become
boring.
‘Of course, I don’t think he told me everything.
Anyway, what was interesting among them was that the majority of those
who joined Little Rock were the companions who completed the tutorial
dungeon with Cho Hyejin.
The guild was literally composed of friends and acquaintances, just like Blue.
It was like having Jung Hayan expose all of Blue’s corruptions. It was easy to
understand how her colleagues would’ve thought she was a traitor.
‘Illegal monster trading.’
Although they turned out to be innocent, I thought that Cho Hyejin was
probably right.
I’m sure of it.
Little Rock had many things to hide. Of course, there was no evidence, but
looking at the dispositions and characteristics, the answer came quickly to
me.
Little Rock was illegally trading monsters through a route that I didn’t know.
Some of the lord’s castles may be involved, as well as some other guilds and
clans.
‘He’s a scammer.’
If possible, I would like to hear about Cho Hyejin’s statement.

As I walked while thinking about various things, we reached the square.
“Are you drunk?”
“I’m just a little dizzy, but I’m fine.”
“You seem to be very tired.”
“No, Hayan.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to rest a little and go?”
“I said I’m fine. We’re close anyway.”
“I-I’m a little tired, too.”
Following Jeong Hayan’s gaze, what I could see was a luxury motel. I
instantly realized what Jung Hayan meant.
I… Oh my.
“L-Let’s take a break for a bit.”
I thought she wanted to be together with me by taking the long way, but it
seemed that her real purpose was this.
“I think you are tired. You must be.”
She was even forcibly making me think I was tired. What made me
embarrassed was the fact that I wanted the same thing as she did. I wondered
if it would be nice to spend a little more time together.
“Hmm…”
While I was trying to make my decision, I heard a voice call out to us.
“You are here.”
“Ah…”
Jung Hayan stiffened as an unwelcome guest made itself known, yet I peered
over her to find out who it was. My current position with Hayan looked
somewhat tricky.
“Hyejin. What are you doing here?”
“I came to pick up Kiyoung-ssi and Hayan-ssi.”
“What?”
“To be precise, it would be right to say that the escort car came. It’s a dark
night. Castle Rock is more dangerous than Lindel. There are also imperialists
of poor quality in narrow alleys. Of course, it’s hard for something to happen
when you think of Hayan-ssi, but I think I’ll be relieved to do this as I’m the
escort.”
“There must be a knight of Youngju Tower.”
“Ah. I don’t know if you’ve heard it, but in this case, the Guild Master
entrusted me with being Lee Kiyoung’s escort. He was worried about the
Lindel terrorist incident.”
“Ooooh…”
I realized once more that our returner cared for me.
“Since it’s dark, I thought it was right for me to come out. I was worried…
Then let’s go together.”
“Yes. Thank you for picking us up. Hmm… But when I think about it, I don’t
think I had a long conversation with Hyejin.”
“Ah…”
“I’m sorry?”
“About going somewhere to spend a little time.”
I just thought it wasn’t a bad idea. Anyway, it was time to conduct at least
one frank conversation with Cho Hyejin.
Only
Jung Hayan pouted her lips, but it would not be bad to drink at a nearby bar
for a while.
I thought Cho Hyejin would accept my offer. However, the reaction she
showed was different from what I thought.
She stared at me as she trembled.
“T-That’s rude.”
“What?”
“I didn’t see you that way. Were you such a rude person?!”
Something unexpected just happened.
‘What bullshit are you talking about?’

“Did you have any strange thoughts?”
I wondered if I had made a mistake, but nothing came to me. It didn’t help
that I currently felt dizzy.
“Is it a problem that Haitian is here?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not sure what was wrong with what I’ve said.”
“Yes? There’s no pub in this motel?”
“A-Are you being serious right now? Jung Haitian is right next to you…”
‘Was I rude?’
‘What is this kid talking about?’
In the first place, I wasn’t his type. Upon opening the door, the motel’s guide
approached us.
‘What a welcomed situation!
‘Your innocent imagination….’
“The male employees were driven to the streets, and the heads of households
became unemployed and headed to the hunting grounds in order to feed their
children. Even a young man who had just gotten a job is living and begging
in the slums because she was fired.”
“That… That’s good.”
“Are you criticizing me?”

As I continued to show a disbelieving expression, Cho Hyejin blushed as if
he became even more embarrassed. As he started to realize her mistake, Jung
Haitian spoke.
“Their number of guild staff has decreased a lot. Many people lost their jobs
overnight. I heard that most of them are in a bad situation either by taking
their own lives or by forcibly hunting.”
“I don’t…”
“Ah…”
“…”Cho Hyejin busied herself with looking around, realizing what he had
done wrong.
“That… That….”
Cho Hyejin sat quietly and looked at me with an awkward expression. This
seemed to be the first time he came to such a place. It was a little luxurious,
but it was not so much that Cho Hyejin, who was once a Litte Rock
executive, couldn’t have passed by.
Though I was just teasing her, I could see I wasn’t someone he trusted.
Though polygamy and polyandry were commonly seen here, my
relationships were indeed messy. It seemed like he was wary of the fact that I
might try to possess her, too.
“What things?”
“Yes. We will guide you right away.”
“That…”
“It’s a little disappointing.”
“Should I care about that too? They committed a crime!”

“I must have told you earlier. I salad that you should always be aware of
which position you are in. Have you ever thought about the consequences of
whistleblowing?”
“Yes. Okay. Then have a good time.”
“Hahaha. It’s not useless.”
“It’s…not like that.”
“Ah…”
“If you could get us a quiet place, I’d really appreciate it.”
Even if he gave him only one, she would be remarkably happy, but when he
just grabbed what his hand could get, it seemed that the guide had received at
least five. her face showed her disbelief at her luck.
“You don’t have to worry about it. I’m quite familiar with this kind of
thinking…”
“Then… How about killing some time with me for a while, and then go?”
“That… Is that true?”
“If it’s only for a while…”
“Ah. I am not here to stay. I want to spend a little time at the lounge bar or
pub.”
Cho Hyejin went silent for a moment before he nodded.
Even Jung Haitian wouldn’t misunderstand that.
“I think I can tell how Cho Hyejin sees me now…”
Personally, I chose to believe in the latter. It was hard to imagine his being
underpaid.
‘It’s not that I didn’t think about it…’
At this point, Cho Hyejin had on a disconcerted look, which was only natural.
“I think I’m a little tipsy and have salad useless things. I didn’t call you to
talk about this. In a way, it can be seen as an extension line. Ahem. I don’t
know if you know, but today, I signed a contract with the Master of Little
Rock.”
The problem was not in my words, but the environment surrounding us. It is
clear that he misunderstood what I had meant, as we stood in front of a
luxury motel on a dark night.
At my words, Jung Haitian took out a bunch of gold coins from his purse. I
tilted my head.
Either Song Jungwook was stingier than I thought, or Cho Hyejin chose to
live a modest life.
“Are you really sorry?”
“N-no, it’s not that.”
“Yes.”
Certainly, having money was convenient. As I went upstairs, I noticed a nice

seat where we could observe the city from above.
“I’m sorry?”
“Yes.”
“What about the order?”
“You can bring anything that tastes good, regardless of the price.”
The fact that I could make fun of his was an advantage. There was always a
good chance that Cho Hyejin would reject any offer I make with her, but
since he had committed a mistake this time around, I knew he would feel
guilty if he dared rejected me this time around.
“Yes.”
“A modest… I think you can say that. I certainly don’t remember spending
gold coins in useless places.”
‘Why give him so much?’
“N-Nothing. I guess I was seeing things for a moment.”
“Huh? Yes…”
“Have you heard?”
“You have not contributed anything. Even in the development of Castle

Rock, nothing has been done properly in carrying out your beliefs. I couldn’t
find the evidence, and I was just thinking about it. You didn’t do anything
other than resolving personal remorse. Even if the plan were successful, I
would have called you an idiot.”
“Well, I’m joking. I salad something that could be misunderstood. My

relationships are not so clean, so It would be natural for you to think of me
like that.”
“What?”
“It is not a good thing to stack gold coins. It means that you have to consume
it to use its function properly. People who have gold coins must sprinkle gold
coins in society for society to work properly. I think you understand what I
mean.”
“The issue of the interracial slave trade was also entangled.”
“The guide who we just tipped will also spend it, and the gold we spend here
today will be spent somewhere else. You go into a restaurant or shop run by
an ordinary free man or poor imperial man, and someone else spends again.
As you may know, the person at the top of the pyramid must reasonably roll
down gold coins to make the economy more active.”
“I know what you mean, but…”
“Yes?”
“I don’t know if I’m mistaking, but your tone sounds like you’re looking
down on me…”
“Vice Guild Master. T-that way…”
“You mean the Vice Guild Master is on top of them?”
“Yes. Personally, I think that having such awareness makes it a little easier to
face. You have to keep thinking about where you are, and what impact you
can create.”
“It’s hard to understand what you want to talk about. Vice Guild Master.”
“Hello. Do you have a reservation?”
he had seen me as a person who had just molested his junior at work.
As expected, Hyejin sported a dissatisfied expression. At this point, I no

longer found a reason to hide the fact that I knew about her. In fact, I wanted
to discuss it in detail.
“I heard you’ve been in Castle Rock for a while, but that’s surprising. I
thought you would have visited many good places because you were an
executive in Little Rock… It seems that you lived a modest life while you
were here.”
“Are you talking about you being a whistleblower?”
“No. I made all this up.”
“Yes, I heard about why you left Little Rock, and why you left Castle Rock
and came to Lindel. I didn’t even ask; he told me first. It seemed that you
were being resented a little. And it is understandable. You’ve been betraying
your colleagues that you have been together with since the tutorial.”
“Is this your first time in a place like this?”
I noticed it slowly, but Kim Hyunsung was not a simple boss to this woman.
Was it really necessary for his to react that way to my offer? I could see why
Song Jungwook had salad he was an inflexible person.
“What did Hyunsung-ssi say when brought Hyejin-ssi to the guild?”
“He salad it didn’t matter.”
I could see that his expression was slightly relaxed.
“I just salad you are stupid for the same reason. It means that leaving it to
your conscience does not solve everything, Cho Hyejin-ssi. You have to
strangle a little more if you wanted to end it. In the end, you did something
that was enough for you to be hated by many.”
“It seems that almost everyone knows. I don’t know why you tried to hide it
in the first place, but it is something that I would find out anyway.”
‘He did it.
“What are you t-talking about?”
“Rather, she salad I did well. It is important to carry out your own beliefs…
That’s what she said.”
“That’s a reasonable argument. This is like Hyunsung-ssi. The same goes for
me. I don’t blame you either. Didn’t you accuse them of illegal monster
trading and tax issues?”
“Ah…”
“Oh, that’s news I haven’t heard. Well, it’s okay. I will talk openly. I don’t
blame you, but I do think you’re stupid.”
“This society is not very friendly to whistleblowers. No matter how much
you carried through your convictions, you are really stupid when you look at
the results. Why did you do that?”
“You are stupid.”
“I don’t mean that!”
“Let’s go there.”
“It’s hard to understand what you’re talking about. You certainly have said
earlier that you are not criticizing.”
Upon seeing his reddened face, I understood what Cho Hyejin had been
thinking.
‘Huh….’
“Is there any problem…?”
“It was not about them that you were told to think. I’m talking about a lot of
people who will be hurt because of you, and that is Little Rock. After that
happened, they salad they were forced into restructuring. The charges were
cleared, but the tax issue was indeed entangled.”
“Yes.”
“That…”
“I am not. But it is necessary to be aware.”
“Good. Then let’s go in.”
“V-Vice Guild Master? Are you playing with me?”
“However, it’s not a story without reality. In fact, it may not have been as
said, but some may really be living that way. I just didn’t look it up. If you
decide to find it, you can easily find it. The dear old colleagues you really
wanted to accuse are still eating and living well, but only the tough people
were hurt.”
I didn’t know if it was intentional or not, but Kim Hyunsung certainly

flagged this woman.
‘Ahhh.’
“A-Ah. Maybe there is.”
“Do you know how many employees Little Rock Guild has? This includes
those who do not participate in work, or are forced to cooperate with the
Guild Master to live and eat. You are not the one who can take responsibility
for their lives. At this point, it is time to think that it is fortunate that it has
failed. Hundreds of unemployed people were not driven into the streets.”
“Have you ever thought about this type of problem at all?”

Hypocrite (3)
“I... haven't“
She wouldn't have. If she had ever lhuught about it at least unce, she
wouldn‘t have done anything like (his.
“Everything is about thinking first, and then acting. Erogs die by the stones
thrown for fun. In the end, there are many humans out there who can die if I
just
cough:
"Vau always have to think about the position you are in, and how many
wavelengths you're going to cause when you talk Peuple like us... Ah, have a
drink-
"No... I will not drink Vice Guild Master:
"l‘m embanassed because I've been drinking by myself. I will formally

request an escort to Veongju Tower, so I hope you will follow me:
-Then, perhaps just a little...-
-Thank you for that. Well, anyway. If I were Hyejin, I would have done it a
little more boldly. Someone like you would probably have thought of it like
me.-
-what are you saying...?~
"Vau are aware that simply whistlesblowing doesn't solve the problem. right?
Vau can solve the problem step by step from the inside and blow Song
Jungwouk's and your colleagues heads off. The guild will run normally, and
there will be no damage to the guild staff, so there must be no problem:
“It’s a personal idea, but I‘m guessing you‘ve thought about this at least once
in this room:
'Thzt’s because you're not slupid.‘
“Perhaps you didn't do that because you didn't want to create confiicts with
your old colleagues. Vou don‘t want to blow their heads off, and you want to
keep your conso'ence. Vou wanted to do it without crossing the line, so you
chose the whistleblower route. what do you think? ls it my delusion? I tried
to persuade you in various ways, but it didn‘t work. and in the end, you went
with the last IesurL“
A strange silence sank in the interior of the bar. Jung Hayan looked straight at
cho Hyejin without saying anything, and Cho Hyejin settled for quietly
sipping
her alcohol.
silence was a positive thing in this situation. I spoke once more.

"As a result you were abandoned by them:
-That criticizing expression doesn't suit you:
"No. I'm right This is the first time I have seen a person named Song
Jungwook of Small Rock. but I can tell what he did. oh, even the friends you
did the
tutorial with:
“How...”
“They are greedy people. They are the kind of humans who constantly want
to climb up. They don‘t care much about conscience or morals. More goods
and
more money means more power for them:
"Vou can't know that for a fact“
~Theyre very different from you. Perhaps they pulled some strings to get you
out. Eirst to spread bad rumors on Castle Rack. Second, to ask other guilds
and
clans not to accept you. To have their plans hindered wouldn't have been so
pleasant:
"I know hat much."

"I heard a lot of stories from everywhere. They say you‘re a person who has
used her body to gain her cunent power, or that she frequemly caused friction
with other guild members. It's really funny. They‘re still doing what they did
back when they were students. I don't know if they want to bully you, but it’s
so
unsightly for adults to act like kids.-
“It’s a simple rumor. I don‘t care about rumors:
“They can still harm you. As a result, these rumors mined your position and
reputation. what do you think? How do you feel about getting a betrayal in
return for a good deed?~
“I‘m fine with this. I was prepared for iL“

“So, what do you think about your choices? I mean, about this situation
where nothing has been resolved. People in the world will see it and call it
hypocrisy:
“It’s not hypocrisy!“
Bang!
Cho Hyejin slammed her palms onto the table, panting heavily and looking
angry. However, this reaction only meant that I had hit the spot
Meanwhile, Jung Hayan grew disoonoerted. she started getting up from her
seat but when I raised my hand, she reluctantly sat down again.
"Anyune can say that except you, Lee Kl'young vice Guild Master. You are
the hypocrite:
-Ah:
"I am not a fool. I know how different you are from the stories I heard about
you:
"Vau are sharp:
'I didn't think she knew...’

"So?"
“That's exactly what I mean!’
"I know what Hyejin is talking about obviously. I'm not all clean. The
business I'm doing and what I actually do are subtly across the boundaries of
the law.
So what do you mean?~
“That's what you call real hypocrisy, Lee Kiyoung:

"I donate tens of thousands of gold to the Pope‘s side once a month.-
-The donation is used into various parts of the Holy Empire and becomes a
fund to help imperialist believers in need and free people who have a hard
time in
settling themselves.
"Barely!’
“Not atall. I also run a soup kitchen in a slum in Lindel. Vau may remember
Manager Kim Misyuung. Not long ago, she was a poor woman begging every
day
in a slum. she was a woman struggling with poverty with two children. who
do you think saved hef?“
“That's...“
“It’s not just her. Blue doesn't choose only talented people. We may also
choose a disabled person or a single mother, perhaps a warrior who suffers
from sequels from a major injury in battle. lt was also my order to tell them
not to discriminate against them. of course, it’s an act that benefits Blue, but
it‘s a
great social activity itself:
"How would you explain that you are controlling the media in collaboration
with a large guild?-
"Vau know more than I thought
"I just happen to know. when you work in a guild, you end up seeing things
you don't want to see:
“Is there a law in the Holy Empire that states that individuals should not
control the media?~
“In the Holy Empire, the concept of the press created by Lee Kiyoungsssi is
still not well understood. Eorthem, the press is just a newsletter. Most people
don't understand the seriousness of what Lee Kiyuungsssi is doing right now:
she was definitely a sharp knife.

-vice Guild Master, this is a matter of basic common sense. what you are
doing is wrong:
“Well, I don't know. Then, why doesn't Hyejinsssi comment about the
problems of the current Holy Empire?”
-what are you talking about...?-
-why are you dosing your eyes to the aristocratic or royal system that believes
that destiny has been dedded since birth? It you think about this, too, it isn't
unacceptable by the common sense of the Earth, as Hyejin said:
“That's lheif Iife...’
"If you really want to keep morality, shouldn't you have to start the Erendr
Revolution here? Marlin Vuungsae can eat cake ifshe doesn't have bread,
right?
chances are, she doesn't even care about the poor people in Castle Ruck. How
about leading the people and making a guillotine right now?”
"This Is... choplogic:
"I am aware of it to some extent. lt is a choplogic. However, it is obvious to

shout choplogic in this situation. The boundaries of the law are very vague in
the
first place. whether to follow the common sense of the Earth or the common
sense of this continent is what confuses all free people:
“That's choplogic too:

-There are so many intertwined values to behave according to an individual's
conscience. Even if you just think about the death penalty right now... Isn't it
unethical to burn someone who commits a crime? A Japanese man named lto
Souta lto drowned in a statue filled with holy water on charges of being a
demon worshipper. Isn‘t this unethical?-
-The death penalty itself is unethical. But such a pmctice is natural in this
continent Let's think once again. Who is the bigger hypncrile?’
"TlTal's...dToplugic."
“Is it me, who is contributing to this society while remaining within the
boundaries of the law? or Hyejin, who ran away as a whistleblower because
she was
afraid of being confronted by her colleagues? who is the bigger hypocrite?~
“I‘m not saying we should argue right now, Hyejinsssi.”

-lt doesn't seem like that Anyone can see that the vice Guild Master is
provoking me:
“It’s a common matter that can be debated about while drinking. Think of it
as a simple exchange of opinions. I‘m not taunting you, but in fact I don't
think
Hyejin looks that bad. It‘s wonderful to keep your personal beliefs:
"If you're teasing...-
"No. I'm not teasing. You are a closer human to Kim Hyunsung than I am,
but I long for those who adhere to that method. I admire upright people.-
"Vou say that too easi .'

“It’s my role to help the upright people from breaking:
“Lee Kiyoung... Vice Guild Master.. -
"I am a helpful human being. Oh, let’s turn the subject once again and talk
about Sung Jungwuok. Assuming that they‘ve still been dealing with
illegal monsters and trades of intenadal slaves. what would you do if I had a
way to decapitate them?-
At this, cho Hyejin took on a serious expression.
"I think I can take your revenge:
Her expression deepened.
she was usually pokersfaoed, but now I could understand why she was acting
this way. I already knew what she would choose in the first place.
"I don't need help, vice Guild Master... You should just focus on your job.-
"Ah. I see."
“I‘m sorry, but I'll be going first I will ask the knights in Veongju Tower to
escort you. I‘m sorry.-
I saw cho Hyejin standing up quickly, looking deeply offended. I knew she
would have a lot of things to think about now.
'Hypucrile.’
It was a word that suited her a little. she may be aware of it too, which was
exactly why she had on such an expression.
'She wants to implement justice, but doesn't want her colleagues to get in
trouble:
There was no pushover like her. As cho Hyejin left, Jung Hayan opened her
mouth.
“She's a selfish person. she said she'd escort you and went first...-
"Huh?"
“I‘m talking about Hyejin"
"Ahhh. Don't hate her so much. She's actually very kind"
“Even if she acts like that now, we‘re going to be very close friends later"
"What?"
“Friendships only get stronger after resolving disputes:
[Cheddng the unique characteristic of the player cho Hyejin]
[Elower that Bluoms in Eriendship]

Chapter 160
What Money Can’t Buy (1)
A few days had passed since the day I spoke with Cho Hyejin. I started to get
serious about my work, and although I tried to get around by myself, it was
Song Jungwook of Little Rock that proved to be a harder worker than me.
He started promoting my potions to other guilds and clans as if he had

pledged his loyalty to me, and before I could even make a move, he brought
the signed contracts to me.
It seemed like he wanted to get close to Marlin Young-ae and other nobles by
visiting Yeongju Tower, but he was free to use his spare time the way he
wanted, anyway.
Rather, there was one time when he introduced me to the lower aristocracy
with a feeling that he wanted me to take advantage of his connections, so he
must feel that we were even now.
Seeing him transforming into a loyal person was certainly disconcerting. Of

course, that wasn’t the only reason Song Jungwook continued to visit
Yeongju Tower.
‘Marlin Young-ae.’
He moved as if he had a deadline. The fact that he wanted to use Yeong-ae

was a matter that I already noticed before, but since he was being obvious
about it, I couldn’t help but laugh.
‘Do your best.’
Certainly, if Song Jungwook connected with Marlin Young-ae, there will be a

lot to gain from his perspective. He could become an aristocrat, buy some
land, and thus be freer about taxes. I didn’t really know if he loved her or not,
but the closer he could get to Marlin Young-ae, the closer he could become a
part of the big-time capitalists that I had mentioned before.
I didn’t have to say anything because it wasn’t really something that would
go against me, but I could tell that his intentions weren’t good. Though Song
Jungwook wanted to be close to me, he didn’t want Little Rock to be under
Blue’s influence. On the outside, he planned to pretend to swear allegiance to
me, and on the inside, he planned to somehow move around to reverse the
situation. He was definitely a leaf with two sides.
‘What a dishonorable guy.’
I had no intention of taking care of him, either.
All one had to do was wait for the moment to cut the line while not
compromising too much. Of course, I planned to take everything I could
before that. It was not only Song Jungwook who had been busy.
My other party members had also been busy. As I continuously went out for
work every other day, I saw Kim Hyunsung busy evolving both Park Deokgu
and Kim Ye-ri. Perhaps one of the other things Hyunsung had to do was
persuade people by bringing the monster wave signs.
“Then I will be going out today too, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Okay. Hyunsung and Deokgu, be careful.”
“Oh, I already told you that you don’t have to worry. Anyway, it’s okay
because we’ll just wander outside and do some investigating.”
“If so, I won’t worry. Hee-young-ssi, please also be careful.”
“Yes. Do not worry.”
“Hayan too.”
“Yes… Sniff!”
“Stop crying.”
This time I didn’t have to take any measures, Kim Hyunsung would take care
of this, and I trusted him. It was quite a pleasure to have a colleague you
could rely on.
Based on what would happen in the future, Kim Hyunsung would collect
information step by step and officially announce that information within
Castle Rock.
Unlike the previous timeline, Castle Rock, which entered into a state of war,
would prevent the attack from monster waves or named monsters, and our
regressor may stand up as the hero who saved Castle Rock.
I didn’t know if it would go as planned, but I knew it was my job to make it

happen. I was also busy in many ways, but I could handle that much.
“Wait a minute, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Yes, Hyunsung-ssi?”
“That…Did something happen between you and Hyejin?”
“What?”
“It seems like you’re not getting along well recently…”
“Ah, it was just a little dispute over work. You don’t have to worry about it.”
“I see.”
“I think I know what Hyunsung-ssi is worried about, but that will not
happen.”
“Ah. Yes… That… I just want for you to get along…”
“Yes. I want to be close to Hyejin as well. Since Hyejin-ssi is not going on

the expedition this time, I will approach her carefully. Haha.”
“Haha. That’s fortunate. Since you said so, I’m relieved. Then I’ll be going.”
“Okay. Be careful today as well…”
“Okay.”
‘I guess he’s worried.’
Of course, I was also worried. Since the last incident, Cho Hyejin had been a
little cold to me.
However, the conversation window had not been cut off at all.
This silent Cold War proved to be more terrifying than petty arguments.
As I waved goodbye at the party members, I could see them waving back at
me as well.
Time had passed since we arrived at Castle Rock. It seemed that I got some
outline of the things I had to solve.
‘The first thing I need to do is to prevent a crisis that is about to come to the
city.’
In fact, it was the main purpose of this expedition. It was also the goal of our
lovely regressor, and the reason as to why our party came to Castle Rock.
Additionally, we needed to announce the danger and establish our guild’s

position in Castle Rock. Right now, Kim Hyunsung was working on this, so
there was nothing for me to do, but I must thoroughly prepare for all kinds of
possible situations.
‘The second thing is about Song Jungwook of Little Rock.’
I had to think about whether to keep him and continue, or to cut him off in
the proper line.
In fact, in this matter, the first thing was to know what Cho Hyejin will do,
but for now, it was correct to prepare a paddle that could be used while
maintaining the current situation. And…
‘The third one is improving the relationship with Cho Hyejin.’
I needed to create a bond of friendship between her and me. Unlike the first
thing, the two other tasks were not to be done as a party, but were supposed
to be done personally.
I thought I should at least be able to control Cho Hyejin if I was going to

work with her in the future. I needed to let her know I was a friend she could
trust.
Of course, it was not easy to get close to her when she kind of already knew
about me, but by no means would this be a difficult job. This was because I
had already caught some strands.
In that sense, the time when other party members were away was always an
opportunity.
It was better to try to get closer by talking to her at least a little. Even if we
didn’t become friends, it was important to make her see me in another way by
doing something to own her a debt or anything.
While Song Jungwook was working for me, I didn’t stay still.
Looking ahead, I saw Cho Hyejin, who had been seeing off the outgoing
party members.
“It seemed that Hyunsung-ssi was worried.”
“…”
“He wondered if you and I had a fight.”
“I don’t want to have conversations other than about business, Vice Guild
Master.”
“This is within the boundaries of business matters, Hyejin-ssi. It is very

important to promote friendship between guild members.”
“If you’re going to say weird things again…”

“No. It’s not like that. Although we’ve had some misunderstandings with
each other, wouldn’t it be better to resolve these misunderstandings in
advance?”
Although her reaction was a little cold, she had been like that all the time
recently. Perhaps she, too, had a lot on her mind. What I had said in the past
struck deep in her heart.
“When I talked about revenging you, it was for you, but it was also related to
work. Regardless of personal grudges, if they’re still trying to do something
illegal, I’m going to have to be taking measures about this eventually.”
“…”
“If you are not busy, there are places I would like you to come with. Oh, of
course, if Hyejin-ssi refuses, I will go there by myself. It’s a pretty dangerous
place, but I’ll be able to come back alive somehow. If I’m not lucky enough,
I’ll be kidnapped and have an arm or leg cut off. Hyunsung-ssi will be very
happy.”
“You are…”
“I am not a bad guy, Hyejin-ssi. This is all work. All the other party members
are out and working hard, so shouldn’t we be doing our job too? Ahem. Will
you come with me?”
“I don’t think you’re giving me a choice. I’ll go with you.”
“Thank you.”
In a way, I was lucky that Kim Hyunsung had entrusted her with escorting
me. In this way, I could spend some more time with her.
“Ah. It is not a place where you can enter with the clothes you are wearing,
so you should change your clothes.”
“What?”
“You don’t have to worry, because I prepared everything in advance.”

“Can I ask you about the destination?”
“You will see. It’s not fun if I tell you in advance. We will leave in an hour,
so please do hurry.”
“You have already decided this beforehand. You really do as you please.”
“That’s because I have a good initiative. Thank you for the compliment.”
She still didn’t look very happy, but seeing her go inside, it seemed like she
was willing to follow my suggestion. On the other hand, I thought it wasn’t
bad to go on a date with someone who could be called beautiful.
While she was getting ready, I, too, started getting ready. I changed into
clothes prepared beforehand and groomed my hair properly, and then I was
finished.
It wasn’t the clothes I had when I was at a party at the royal castle, but I
smiled when I saw myself looking quite human.
She soon came out onto the lobby, her face red.
“Do I really have to wear this?”
“Didn’t you already change them? You don’t have to be shy, Hyejin-ssi.”
“B-but… They’re too revealing…”
“You don’t have to worry because it looks beautiful on you.”
My prediction that the blue dress would look good on her was correct.
It felt valid to tell the guide of Yeongju Tower to make her look good. It
didn’t matter if she was wearing makeup or not, but the finely tied hair
looked really good with the dress. She looked uncomfortable as it showed off
one of her legs and her back, but it had a sexy feeling overall.
‘I thought she was a woman who was far from colors…’

She was attractive in her own way.
“Are you going to a party? If you need a partner, you could ask someone
else…”
“It’s not just a party, so just trust me. I have a wagon outside. Let’s go?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, I have a question before that.”
“Yes.”
“It’s about Little Rock… Have you ever seen them illegally trading monsters
or trading slaves between different species?”
“Yes. I saw them trapped inside a wagon.”
“You’ve never seen how the deal actually works. You probably found out
about it by looking at the tax issues or monster trades.”
“How did you know…?”
“There must be a reason that the charges were cleared even with insufficient
evidence.”
“…”
“You asked for the destination, right?”
“Yes.”
“We are going to visit that site from now on.”
“What…”
“I’m trying to find out how the illegal activities are happening. That’s what
I’m saying.”
I could see Cho Hyejin looking at me with a blank expression as if she was
speechless.
There was no need for her to understand now. She only needed to come with
me at this point to see.
At this, I handed her one of the two objects I had in my hands.
“Take the mask.”

Chapter 161
Cho Hyejin settled for silently sitting in the wagon, wearing the mask.
However, I could tell she was nervous, and I knew what she was thinking.
“Is there really such a place?”
“There is a supply only when there is demand. People only sell when
someone needs it.”
“I haven’t even heard of a place like that in the three years I’ve been in Castle
Rock.”
“It is not a black market that is common in some cities. It is a little more
luxurious and operates as a VIP-only place. Such black markets can be found
in Lindel.”
“Still it is…”
“The most active place in the drug trade is usually at the border. On Earth,
there are relatively many cities close to the border between the United States
and Mexico. Castle Rock’s geographic requirements aren’t bad. I think it’s
because it is close to the Republic.”
“To the Republic…”
“They’re in a cold war, but… In the meantime, items that can be sold are
selling well. Human beings are animals that can commit crimes anytime,
anywhere, in any situation. To put it a bit exaggeratedly, the market will still
operate even during a war.”
“How did you-?”
“How do I know this? I have purchasing power. Nothing is impossible with

money in this world.”
In fact, it was not just money. The truth was, I had gone through hell to find
the route.
Obviously, I was convinced that there was a market or auction house within
Castle Rock, but it wasn’t easy to discover the route that had formed over the
years. Truthfully, it would be simple with the help of Song Jungwook, but I
wanted to hide the fact that Cho Hyejin and I were planning on entering the
underground auction house.
In the end, it was Yuno Kasugano who helped me while I was working hard
looking for this.
Who would have known that one letter would solve everything?
Thanks to that, I made a promise to stop by Celia after my work was over,
but it was a promise I didn’t know when I could fulfill.
“Even Count Castle Rock or Marlin Young-ae probably don’t know about
this. The same goes for Hyunsung.”
“The Guild Master, too…”
If I were to consider things during the first timeline, it was about this time
that Kim Hyunsung struggled to increase the armed forces within Lindel. He
may have encountered it after work, but the illegal auction house was a bit far
away for people like Cho Hyejin.
“It’s because Hyunsung seems to have a fairly solid goal. There is a high
possibility that he is missing these details. To put it nicely, he’s looking at the
forest, not the trees.”
“You mean, he’s looking at the big picture.”
“Yes. For example, he focuses on events that could directly impact the
continent, such as war or monster waves. You are more concerned with the
comfort of Castle Rock rather than the underground auction house of Castle
Rock. That’s the reason why I am searching through the forest now. If you
have someone who sees the forest, you need someone who sees the tree.”
“…”
“That role can be played by someone like Hyejin or me.”
“But…”
“Of course, I will report it, but I don’t think there is a need to show our Guild
Master the rotten wood. He already has too much on his mind.”
“I can understand what you mean. Then the reason why you asked me to
come with you…”
“I’ve said this before, but I like you, Hyejin. I can also agree with the reason
why Hyunsung wants to make you the guild’s executive. Wouldn’t it be
easier for us in the future if we can understand each other well? Ah. It seems
that we’ve arrived. Let’s get off. Until you enter the underground auction
house, you should save your words.”
“Okay…”
“Ah! My name here is Kasugano Haruka. You can call me Yuka.”
“Ah. Okay.”
As we got off the wagon, I saw a rather quiet banquet hall. Cho Hyejin
looked nervous for some reason. I wondered if it was due to our sudden
departure, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
She wore a mask, but she must be thinking about whether she would be
noticed.
“The other people…”
“The entrance is not only here, Yuka.”
“What?”
“Stick a little closer to me.”
“Ah… Okay.”
‘Hyunsung, I’m sorry.’
As I gently grabbed her waist, I felt her tense up. Of course, I had no hidden
intentions. We just needed to look like a Japanese couple with a load of
money.
Soon after, I saw a guide approaching our way. I could tell that he was strong
just by looking at him, but he wasn’t hostile. It would be strange to show
hostility as we were customers who were also potential buyers.
“The Invitation.”
As I took out what I had prepared, I saw him nodding.
“You just have to get in the carriage.”
“How is it today?”
“You will probably be satisfied.”
“That’s good.”
Once again, we got on the wagon covered with blackout cloth, and the wagon
slowly departed.
“Is it safe, Vice Guild Master?”
“It’s Haruka, Yuka.”
“Is it safe, Haruka?”
“Of course. Your heart is as big as beans.”
“It is because Haruka is here. I can’t help but think about safety.”
“It’s safe, so you can rest assured, Yuka. It’s a matter of trust. I bet the guards
here are more concerned about my safety. They can’t lose their valuable
customers.”
“You said it was dangerous before departing…”
“It was a lie.”
“What kind of person…”
“Why don’t you just enjoy and stop trembling? Have you ever drunk wine in
a carriage?”
“…”
I saw Cho Hye-jin quietly biting her lips, but she remained tense. It was
natural to feel this way when going to an unknown place. She had no way of
telling if we were walking right into the mouth of a tiger.
Though she was like this, her wariness wasn’t a bad thing. It would not be
needed here, but being prepared at all times was never a bad thing.
Soon after, we got off the wagon, only to be led into yet another wagon. After
some time, I could feel that we were almost at our destination.
I heard a voice from outside as I sipped the wine in my glass for the last time.
“We’re here.”
“Let’s head out, Yuka.”
“Yes, Haruka.”
“Just in case, don’t look around in awe like a country bumpkin in the city.”
“I know.”
When I opened the door of the carriage, the scene before me caught my
attention.
Seeing orange lights shining brightly inside with all sorts of luxuries felt as if
I was in the capital of the Holy Empire of Benigore.
Cho Hyejin also seemed amazed, but as I had warned her beforehand, she
restrained herself. Nevertheless, I could see her pupils spinning.
She flinched once again when I sneakily grabbed her hand, but I felt like she
was adjusting quite well. It was quite fun teasing her.
“Let’s head in.”
“Yes.”
We weren’t the only ones wearing masks. The other people around us were
also wearing fanciful clothes and colorful masks. Though I was making a lot
of money from my potion business, it was still in its initial stage. If I didn’t
have the allowance from Hee-ra and an ATM machine in the form of Yuno
Kasugano, I wouldn’t have been able to get here in the first place.
“Is that person managing this place?”
“That’s ridiculous. Song is just one of many merchants here. Do you think
that moron could really manage this kind of place, Yuka?”
“No…”
“There are quite a few things to see. Let’s just enjoy the tour.”
“This is not the atmosphere Haruka was talking about. It feels like I’m in a
masked ball.”
“Appearances can be deceiving. Anyway, if you go in, you’ll know what I

mean.”
I raised my hand slightly and saw a guide carrying a glass of cocktail

approaching us.
“Take a glass, Yuka.”

“…”
“If you don’t want it, I’ll drink by myself.”
As Cho Hye-jin had said, this place was more of a social church than a black
market. However, that was only on the surface.
Of course, it was a little different if I were to see with my Mind’s Eye. I can
see that these people’s dispositions or unique characteristics were not normal
just by looking at them.
‘Men and women…’
There were sexual perverts, ambitious people that simply wanted o show off
their strength, and people who had the same disposition as Ito Souta and I.
‘Even…’
I could even see a murderer just like Jung Jinho. It was obvious why they
visited this place. It looked like murder was an option here.
I could see for what purpose so many spaces that I could see were being used.
People’s tendencies were quite easy to predict, depending on where they
went as well.
‘What should I show her first?’
Showing the weak ones step by step would be good for her mental health. It
might be too disturbing to see something too strong from the beginning.
Of course, it was natural to see the market managed by Song Jungwook.
Just when I was about to go, an unknown voice came from the side. It was
from a woman.
“There.”
“Yes?”
“Would you mind for a minute? If only your wife, who’s next to you, is okay
with it. I want to spend a moment together…”
“W-Wife…”
“Ah. You must be a girlfriend. It doesn’t matter whatsoever, but…”
I couldn’t see her face because she was wearing a mask. However, just by
looking at her, I could see how high her stats were.
‘She’s strong.’
She was wearing a Chinese dress, which was a little unusual. She was
probably a Chinese from the Republic or a Taiwanese staying in the Holy
Empire. She looked great enough for me to deal with if I had the time, but
now was not the time for useless small talk.
“No. We’re good.”
“No… Don’t do that. I’m okay with three, too.”
“Ah, I’m a little busy.”
What bothered me a little was her eyes that reflected behind the mask. I
didn’t know exactly how to describe them, but they were enough to give me
goosebumps in an instant.
[Checking the unique characteristic of the player Shaolin.]
[Strangler Romanticist]
‘Fuck.’
“Don’t do that.”
“No, no. We’re fine.”
It was then that I came up with my own unique characteristic for a moment.
[Checking the unique characteristic of the player Lee Kiyoung.]
[The Liar’s Temptation]
[Seduce the other person to listen to you. The probability of being loved by a
dangerous opposite sex increases.]
‘The probability of being loved by a dangerous opposite sex increases.’
Come to think of it. It felt like eyes were focusing on me from everywhere.
There was only one crazy woman brave enough to confront me head-on, but
many other women were also staring at me with fans covering their faces.
‘Ah… Am I in danger…?’
It felt like all the women that the system would judge as dangerous were
clustered here.
‘What the f…’
As anxiety began to grip my entire being, I had no choice but to grip Cho
Hyejin’s hand.
Chapter 162
As anxiety began to grip my entire being, I had no choice but to grip Cho
Hyejin’s hand.
“Don’t do that. It may not be obvious, but I am pretty attractive. You can’t
check my face because of the mask. This is uncomfortable. I can’t even take
it off…”
“We’ll be with you next time when the opportunity comes. I am sorry, but I
have an appointment today.”
“Even just for a minute? I’d like to talk in a quiet place. I don’t do this to
anyone… Really.”
“I’m sorry.”
I glanced at Cho Hyejin helplessly, as if telling her to handle this insane

woman in front of me. Seeing this, she stepped forward, still holding my
hand tightly.
“I don’t know who you are, but I think that’s enough. He has clearly refused.
Don’t be rude.”
“Ahhh…”
“Let’s go quickly, Yuka.”
“Yes, Haruka-nim.”
“What the… She was a subordinate and not a girlfriend?”
“Our relationship is not your business. Would you step aside? If you keep
bothering us, I’ll call security. I don’t want to cause any problems, so please
just go away. It’s also quite unpleasant that you keep blocking our way.”
“Your subordinate is more possessive than I thought…”
“It’s not about being possessive or not. It’s about basic etiquette.”
“…”
“…”
I could see the two women staring at each other. I felt a little nervous, but
what could this crazy woman do? She knew that she couldn’t make a fuss
here.
Cho Hyejin pulled me towards herself once more, but I knew she did not
mean anything by it except to protect me. However, to everyone else, it
looked like she was marking her territory.
She must not mean anything strange.
Thus, a woman with a unique characteristic of Corpse Lover looking at me

slowly moved away from the crowd. Another woman, whose unique
characteristic was A Master that Causes Pain, also lost interest.
‘There are so many crazy women here.’
There were also many crazy guys, but they were irrelevant since they didn’t
care about me in the first place.
In the end, Shaolin slowly started to move away from us as well. Seeing
some of the men nearby running towards her, I could guess that they were her
subordinates.
“Paper and pen.”
“Yes.”
“This is the address where I can receive the letter. I hope you will contact me
soon.”
“I will contact you if I have the time.”
“It seems that the people who do not want to reveal their identity to each
other are all equally ordinary… Seeing that you’re here, you seem to be the
same, but I’m more capable than you think. Perhaps I can be helpful. In many
ways, even…”
“It’s hard to promise that I’ll contact you, but I’ll see you someday.”
‘I’ll never do that, bitch.’
“You must. You made a promise, okay? Then, I’ll be going…”
‘Please, go away quickly. Please disappear. Disappear from the continent…’
As if unsatisfied, I felt her gaze continuously followed me. I could feel

goosebumps rising on my skin. I tried to avoid her gaze as much as possible,
yet at some point, I could affirm that she was indeed completely gone.
“You’re very popular.”
“It’s undesirable popularity in a place like this. I wish you could walk a little
closer.”
“…”
“I don’t want to pretend to have a good relationship with you either, but can’t
you at least make it look like you’re marking your territory? It’s
uncomfortable to have eyes focused on me from everywhere.”
“Are you spraying pheromones?”
“I think that’s similar. It’s a little bit painful to say that these are the ones
who get affected, but… Anyway, walk a little closer…”
“It’s a bit unpleasant being so close.”
“It hurts quite a bit to hear that right in my face.”

“…”
However, it worked. As we walked like a couple in a romantic relationship, I

felt safer, as if I was out of these women’s range.
In the first place, talking to others in this kind of place was not a
commonsense behavior. It was clear that the woman I just saw had been a
little too active.
As it was a place where customers’ security and safety should be thorough, I

could reduce my worries about anything happening.
‘Let’s never meet again.’
I had no plans of meeting any of the women here.
Of course, it was undeniable that everyone here was also capable, but I didn’t
want the number of women I had to deal with to increase.
Anyway, as I still had a purpose, I had to look around slowly once again.
Cho Hyejin also started to snoop around as if she was getting used to this
place. Right now, her curiosity seemed to triumph over her discomfort.
However, the more we went inside, the more she noticed that the atmosphere
was changing, so she naturally became cautious.
When one could see people disappearing one by one in the corridor that was
once full of guests, it seemed that everyone had gone for their own personal
affairs. That meant we should, as well.
When I glanced at the security guarding one of the doors, they went and
opened it for us.
Inside was a typical slave auction house. Numerous people were sitting in
luxurious chairs, indicating that they were regulars in this place.
‘Is it her first time seeing a different species?’
When I took a seat with Cho Hyejin, I saw a guide approaching us. He must
have come to ask what we were going to drink. Meanwhile, I felt like I could
fall asleep just sitting in this luxurious and fluffy chair.
As if it hadn’t started yet, I could see more people coming in and taking seats
one by one.
“What is this place?”
“Well, I did not check before coming in… It looks like a slave auction house.
I’m just saying this, but let’s not make a fuss.”
“I know that much.”
“I’m glad to know that. Do you know anything about different races?”
“No. I only heard them through stories. I just saw it once during that time.”
“Really? It’s a little disappointing. I don’t know much about it, either.”
“Rather than that, look at that woman sitting farther. Isn’t that the same one
from earlier?”
As I followed her gaze, I could see that it was definitely that woman.
‘Fuck…’
“She probably didn’t follow us. Don’t look at her. I don’t want to announce
that I’m here.”
Apparently, she had been here even before we came in.
I tried to turn my gaze away from her, and after a while, someone stepped
onto the stage. Bright lights poured down from across the room.
Then, a voice spoke.
“You’ve all been waiting for a long time. Today, I would like to express my
sincere thanks to all of you for visiting our auction house. You can look
forward to the quality of today’s products. We have our heart in our club,
which always delivers sincerity.”
These cheap comments were typical of such a place. I was expecting more for
such a luxurious atmosphere, but this part seemed to be inevitable.
“It wouldn’t be nice for me to take too long, since you are all busy people.
It’s sudden, but I’ll start the auction right away. First, we have the 54-year-
old Elf Rumenia.”
A woman with long ears on one side slowly stepped onto the stage.
I hated this, but my own eyes widened. This was because she had the most
beautiful face than anyone I had seen so far.
However, I was only fooled for a short while.
Seeing the elf looking up at the stage with a terrifying face, I frowned. Her
body was not wearing a single thread, and her hands and feet were wearing
restraints. Her trembling figure was enough to induce sympathy.
Greed quickly filled the eyes of those sitting in their seats.
She was puffing her mouth, but I couldn’t hear her voice, so she seemed to be
under some spell.
“This is a hard-earned object. She has unusual emerald-colored hair, and, as

you can see, she is in great shape. It’s a clean product that’s very well
maintained, as well as its nutritional status.”
As two people who came together slowly grabbed the elf’s body and arrested
her, she screamed and opened her mouth, but I still couldn’t hear her voice.
It seemed like they were trying to show us her back, but she trembled as if
that alone was terrifying. Big tears popped out of her eyes, and she couldn’t
even stand as if her legs gave out.
“As she doesn’t have any fighting ability, we didn’t train her. I think it might
be a necessary item for customers with a sadistic personality. It’s also quite a
young age for an elf.”
“I want to hear her voice.”
“Ah. If you want, of course, I have to show you. I need to ask for the other
customers’ consent. From now on, I’ll only release the magic that she’s been
under for a while.”
The wizard on one side of the stage slowly chants a spell, and immediately a
voice similar to a scream burst out.
“Help! Please… Help. Someone… Please help me.”
The voice itself was clear and crisp, but the content was not clear. She looked
around with a crying voice, but there was no way that there would be a
reaction.
In the first place, some nobles of the Holy Empire did not see other races as
human.
“She has a nice voice.”
“Hahaha. Of course, I thought you would feel that way.”
As I looked beside me, I saw Cho Hyejin shivering. Her crumpled face and
clenched fists seemed to represent her feelings. I knew she would be a little
angry, but I couldn’t even imagine that she would be this furious.
Cho Hyejin’s personality was a little better than I thought.
“I say it once again, but if you cause a fuss….”
“I… know.”
In other words, this was the scene depicting human rights violations.
Definitely, the common sense of modern people could not be understood.
There is no way the righteous Cho Hyejin can understand the low people who
sent cheers or raised their fingers to express purchase intentions. They didn’t
even care about the pain of others. No, to be precise, they enjoyed seeing
others in pain.
“What do you think is the problem? What do you think can solve the
problem?”
“What do you want to hear?”
“Nothing, Yuka.”
It seemed to me that she was regretting this and was feeling stressed. Maybe
she couldn’t even imagine that something like this existed. She didn’t really
understand how this place worked.
“This is normal. Honestly, it’s surprising that it’s a little cleaner than I
thought. Well, there may be places dealing with special slaves, but there is no
time. You better pass it over.”
“…”
“I checked the reality of the slave trade myself. So, aren’t you curious about
how the monsters that they caught illegally will be used?”
“That’s…”
“Let’s stand up.”
I saw Cho Hyejin’s face with her lips tightly closed.
“Give me a glass, too.”
I knew she would react like this.
“Let’s go to another place, Haruka.”
“Okay, Yuka.”
Chapter 163
“You don’t have to feel guilty.”
“Well… I feel like I know what you’re thinking about. ‘If I had done the
right thing…’ Are you not thinking like this?”
“I’m… not.”
‘You’re not, right…’
I already knew what she was thinking. Wouldn’t this have happened if the
work hadn’t been done lukewarmly?
Of course, even if she’d handled the Little Rock matter properly, nothing
would have changed. I could assure that it wouldn’t affect even 1% of this
place.
“Even if you had handled the matter properly, nothing would change.”
“…”
“Song is a part of this place, not all… As you can see, this place is working
without any external influences. I told you, even the Lord of Castle Rock
wouldn’t be able to predict that there would be such a place.”
“How can you not know what is going on in your estate?”
“Do you think the mayor of Seoul knows everything that happens in Seoul?
Perhaps some of the people related to the Castle Rock’s Lord have joined this
place. Some people know and cover it up. And can you be sure that the place
we are in is Castle Rock? Perhaps it’s a border close to the Republic. It’s in a
secret location, after all.”
“Why…”
“It may be entangled in but it’s not something Yuka should bother with.
What you need to know is simple. It is a part that needs to be cut out, but this
reality is definitely part of society. And the people in these seats are also
members of society.”
“What…”
“There is no such thing as a world without crime.”
“You will, eventually.”
While we talked as we walked, Cho Hyejin continued to frown. Her tone was
a little cold, and she seemed to be doing her best to hold back her anger.
Of course, she wasn’t angry with me. The only thing she was angry with was
this environment and herself, who could not do anything.
It was only now that she had faced reality, and it had slapped her right where
it hurt.
Thinking that now was the perfect time to talk to her a little more kindly, I
spoke up once more.
“Don’t you think there’s really nothing they can’t get?”
“They think they can buy everything with money. It’s obvious what these
people think.”
“That’s right. If you have money, you can buy everything. Not only slaves
but drugs or sex. You can even buy experience.”
“You mean experience?”

“Yes. Experience. I’m just asking… Have you ever killed someone, Yuka?”
I thought that maybe she did.
If she had rotted in this place for quite a long time, there was no way she
wouldn’t have experience. Perhaps her first experience was in the tutorial
dungeon. In places where food was limited, there were many instances for
brawls to break out,
Our party also had this experience, all except for Park Deokgu. The same
went for Jung Hayan as well as Kim Hyunsung.
I also killed some in the tutorial dungeon, though I could no longer remember
their names.
As I stared at Cho Hyejin, she stared back at me for a moment before

replying.
“I have…”
“I guess it’s not a very good memory.”
“If it were a good memory… It must be weird.”
“You’re right. It’s not a good memory. However, people who think of it as a
good memory pop out often… Free people like us all have some experience,
but it’s difficult for ordinary nobles to experience it, right? In particular,
murder among imperialists is absolutely illegal. Nobles can punish
commoners, but they cannot kill them without sin. Where do you think crazy
humans go to satisfy their needs? I’m sure it will happen here, too.”
“No way…”
Upon seeing Hyejin’s doubtful expression, I couldn’t help but laugh. She still
seemed to have hopes for humanity.
At this, I raised my hand, and the guide headed straight towards me. Of
course, she started looking at me as if to see what was going on.
‘If you see it, you will know.’
Trying to explain in words would prove to be fruitless.
“How can I help you?”
“I need help with directions.”
“I want to try this sword… Is there a suitable place?”
“Of course. Will it be against a monster? Or…”
“I have something to do now, so if you can tell me the way, I will go there on
my own. Oh, before that, if there is a place where I can see a large monster,
please do guide me as well.”
“Am I allowed to guide you directly?”
“No. Just explaining it is fine.”
“Go straight down this road and continue to the right; you will get to exit 3.
Walk over there, and you’ll see a circular arena. The admission fee is
separate…”
“Yes. Okay. You can go now.”
“Thank you.”
When the guy disappeared, I saw Cho Hyejin with a disbelieving expression.
“Did you see?”
“…”
“There is nothing that cannot be bought. Experience can also be bought with
money here. The same goes for illegal experiences.”
“…”
“Is there anything you usually want to do, anything that you have only
pictured in your head? I’ll pay the money here, so why don’t you look it up?”
“You…”
“I’m only kidding. Relax.”
Whatever she would want, it would probably exist here.
I continued to step forward, ignoring her, and I saw the circular arena, just as
the guide said. It was bigger than I had initially thought.
It was almost as if the former Colosseum had been moved underground.
I could see some people waiting to enter, while others talked to each other.
As soon as we gave out the gold we had prepared, one of the guides nodded
and directed us.
“To the VIP.”
“Additional charge is applied.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Alright, then.”
“Is the game about to start?”
“We’re on a break. The next match is scheduled to start in 5 minutes.”
“Okay.”
After the guide left, Cho Hyejin immediately opened her mouth, curiosity
evident on her face.
“Haruka-nim, what game?”

“Well… Didn’t I say it was the first time I came here? If it were a game with
large monsters, it would be obvious what kind of game it would be.”
“Do you mean that this is a hunting game of some sort?”
“I don’t think it’s something boring… Do you think the people gathered here
just because they wanted to see an adventurer beating monsters?”
“Then…”
“You’ll see.”
As soon as I finished speaking, a voice resonated within the arena, signaling

the event’s start. Though no one screamed outright as they had to maintain
their appearances, a few of them had settled for applauding.
Among them, the one that stood out was the woman we had seen earlier. It
felt like she was looking our way, so I averted my gaze.
‘I must not give her any attention.’
As I lowered my head, a large monster soon entered the arena.
‘So big…’
I couldn’t even express it in words. The monster’s head was similar to that of
a lizard, but it had six legs. It was drooling at the corner of its mouth, and its
scream was so loud that it hurt my ears. The audience, who had been quiet at
first, also began to cheer as they saw it.
Of course, someone else appeared on the other side. They were probably the
humans who would have to deal with that monster. They were about thirty.
These were ordinary people who would face monsters without even having
basic equipment. I could also tell that these people were of different races,
and therefore had no product value.
The beautiful elves, perhaps reflecting the tastes of various audiences, stood
out.
Naturally, I looked at them through their status window, and of course, their
stats were terrible. Those who had signs of fighting among them could be
noticed, but of course, this wasn’t enough to deal with such a monster. They
were definitely going to face their deaths soon.
After the chains holding the monster were broken, the monster rushed toward
these thirty humans instantly. The said humans, who had all lost the will to
fight before the match even started, began to scatter, fleeing through the
arena.
Voices erupted from everywhere.
“Hold on!”
“I told you to hold on a little more!”
‘Are they even betting?’
The appearance of a monster crushing humans like a fish in the water looked
so ridiculous that sudden uncontrollable laughter came out of me.
Blood spurted out continuously, but there were no people in this place who
cared about them.
“Kie-e-e-e-ee!”
“H-Help me!”
“Help me! Ahhhhhhhhh!”
Their gruesome drama was unfolding, but those present here would not be
interested in their documentaries. In fact, everyone would see this as a form
of entertainment.
As I found the scene quite gruesome, it appeared that I was not yet as rotten
as these people. Seeing that more than half of the humans had already died, I
began to feel uncomfortable.
‘Tut-tut.’
Since I was feeling this way, Cho Hyejin should be even worse. She frowned
at what we just saw at the slave market. I turned to look at her.
‘Is it too strong?’
I could see rage shining from deep in her pupils. Blood dripped down from
her lips from her incessant biting, as well as from her clenched fists.
‘I think she will do something.’
“You can’t make a fuss here…”
“I know.”
“You can’t.”
“I… know.”
I knew she was not registering what I was saying. I began to feel anxious
about what she might do next. When I went to hold her hand, I could feel her
trembling.
In the meantime, the screaming continued. Now, only five humans remained
in the stadium.
“H-Help me.”
“Please help me!”
“Please! Someone… Somebody help!”
“I don’t want to die… Sniff…”
“I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die here like this… Please… Please…”
The victims’ begging were hopelessly drowned out amidst the shouts of the
insane audience. However, it seemed as if Cho Hyejin could hear them
clearly.
‘Son of a… Fuck…’
My anxiety spiked at the possibility of her running out. If that happened, it

could escalate to a situation that even I would not be able to handle.
I saw Cho Hyejin getting up slowly, and I held her hand tightly once again,
but in the eyes of Castle Rock’s Stubborn Woman of Principle, I seemed to
be invisible.
‘Was the provocation too much?’
“Don’t do anything crazy.”
“I know.”
“If you jump in, I’ll die too.”
“…”
“Do you still want to save them?”
It was a little too soon, but it was only right that I did it now.
“Think harder. How do you think you can save them?”
The correct answer had already been decided. What was important now was
if the answer would come out of her mouth or not.
I stared up at her for a long time, waiting for her to respond to my question.
After what seemed like forever, Cho Hyejin finally spoke.
“I…”
“…”
“I will buy them.”
Chapter 164
I had to admit that her learning ability was better than I thought. If one were
to look at this place, the reality would be much faster to accept.
As soon as I raised my hand, the other mercenaries came into the

amphitheater in no time.
Several humans with shields approached the survivors while casting spells on
the monster.
Some people in the stadium wrinkled their faces in the sudden situation, but
some were interested in the change. Arrows and magic were gradually
embedded within the monster’s body. Of course, it was natural that some got
injured in the process.
It seemed that they had to go overboard on this a little to save the item I was
buying.
In the end, however, the monster who had torn and killed humans soon
stopped moving.
I thought they would finish stunning it, but it seemed like there was no way
to stop the enraged guy except by killing it. There was no use crying over
spilled milk, however.
‘I guess I’m going to have to pay for that, too.’
Not only that, I feel like I’ll have to pay to treat the injured.
Unlike me, who worried about useless things, Cho Hyejin muttered quietly as
she continued to watch. I could tell what she was thinking.
“Like this…”
She wouldn’t have imagined it would be solved so simply.
“Like this…”
She wouldn’t have expected it could be ended so easily.
While she muttered out from the stands.
“Kill it!”
“What are you doing! Kill it!”
“You think I’m paying to see something like this?!”
“Kill it! Kill it!”
‘I think I’m going to lose some money.’
However, it wasn’t such a bad end.
“Simple, right?”
“…”
“I’m saying that it’s just like that. It wasn’t this simple to solve because we’re
in this place, Yuka. The problem was solved easily because I have purchasing
power. Not only here, but also out there. Most of the problems around us can
be solved with these shiny objects.”
“This…”
“Perhaps Yuka can’t afford to pay for that, so I will lend you the money. I
think it will be more expensive than I first thought.”
“…”
“I have one condition, however… that you become my friend.”

Cho Hyejin didn’t dare open her mouth. She just looked at me quietly.
Of course, one of the guides started approaching us. Probably, he was

calculating what just happened.
“How would you like to pay?”
“How much is it, exactly?”
“The cost of the surviving slaves is 50 gold each for four people. One is a
different species. An elf will be up to 500 gold…”
“No problem.”
“The cost of a dead monster is 10,000 gold.”
“Good.”
Monsters were worth a lot more than dead slaves.
I had expected this, but for Cho Hyejin, I could see that she wasn’t convinced
as she looked at the guide, who had brought the slip with a blank expression.
“Also, the cost of the mercenaries invested in the rescue is 600 gold. Oh, the
price includes treatment for the injured.”
“Okay.”
“The total admission fee for the audience in the stadium is 40,000 gold. In
addition, the damage compensation amount is 20,000 gold, and the base cost
is 50,000 gold. This will be a total of 121,250 gold.”
‘Ah, it is more expensive than I thought.’
However, I would still be able to pay for it. Though it was a tremendous
price, I knew Yuno Kasugano would end up paying it for me.
‘I’m sorry, Yuno.’

Even for a large guild, it didn’t feel good that this much money went out at
once. It would only be right for me to pay her back someday. For that, I
needed to write her a letter.
“I will take the payment slip.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“I’m sorry for these 3333 sudden events.”
“It’s okay.”
“I am a lover of different races, and it hurts to see the elf dying. Elves aren’t
born to die. I haven’t heard in advance that there were elves on the prey
side… Doesn’t the original vendor provide advance information about the
show?”
“Oh, we’re sorry, sir…”
“I think it would be okay to make a brochure. Tut-tut.”
“Well, I can’t call this to be an apology, but I’ll provide you with some of the
remaining elven slaves.”
When I looked at Cho Hyejin slightly, I saw her slowly nodding her head.
It would be strange to refuse to get the elves for free when we could free
them from pain.
“Hmm. Alright. I hope they are those who have even a little combat ability.
Oh, I don’t want elves that are too educated. If you were serious earlier about
apologizing, you’d better show your sincerity. I also want to keep a good
relationship with this place.”
“Yes. You don’t have to worry. Our company always acts only for your
satisfaction. When are you going?”
“I will go after looking around for a bit. I’m not really in a good mood.”
“We apologize once again for our inexperienced management of a company.”
“It’s fine. I can understand. Then, we’ll be going.”
“There are a lot of good elves in the central auction house today… If you are
interested…”
To be doing business at such timing, this guy had some nerves.
“Are there any special items besides that?
of items will be auctioned, including a monster egg and heroic-grade items.

that are not available anymore…”
“I’m not interested in art, but… Hmm, did you say that a monster egg is
coming out?”
“Yes. They say it is a special item that was very difficult to obtain.”
“Although it is interesting… Unfortunately, we’ll stop by at the central

auction house next time.”
I didn’t know what kind of egg it was for the central auction house to be
selling, but it was better to get out of here right now.
If we spent more time here, I might have to spend more than what I could
afford. Cho Hyejin seemed to want to leave as soon as possible, anyway.
Seeing her not saying anything until she got up from her chair and went out
of the circular arena, she must’ve been really shocked. The provocation was
too strong for an innocent person.
“It’s 50 gold.”
“What?”
“The value of those who have just died is only 50 gold. Only… Only… 50
gold…”
“To be honest, it was more expensive than I thought. I guess that’s not like
that to Yuka.”
“That damn monster cost 10,000 gold.”
“Don’t you think it’s a reasonable price? I heard that it is difficult to capture
that kind of monster… Of course, it will be more difficult to manage. It is
quite natural for them to be of higher value than humans assigned to be food;
this is natural from their perspective. If you disassemble the corpse of that
monster right away, the price of the things that can be used as catalysts will
be over a few hundreds of gold.”
“I’m still not convinced.”
“No one cares about whether or not our Yuka is convinced. The only thing
that matters is the fact that monsters are more expensive.”
“You…”
“I’m not saying what I think; I’m telling you a fact. It is not me who set the
price; it’s them. You’re free to get drenched in your emotions, but I think it’s
time to wake up to reality… Or are you a little more naïve than I thought?
You’ve seen it with your own eyes. Isn’t that what you would call injustice?”
“I… understand, too… I definitely understand, but….”
“Is it not convincing?”
“Let’s… just say so.”
At this, Cho Hyejin closed her mouth, looking deep in thought. At this point,
I knew it would be fine to end the conversation. Just the fact that she was
thinking was a good thing altogether.
I had come this far. It felt embarrassing just to leave. I went inside again and
looked around slowly, but the other features didn’t seem like they would
provoke her much. Of course, she would show a shuddering reaction, but that
would be all. It seemed that the scene she saw in the amphitheater would not
be leaving her mind.
Eventually, we ended up heading outside, where a wagon waited for us.
Several elves looked our way, trembling, but I had no particular interest in
them.
‘Five people.’
Although the numbers were small for those who said they would take care of
me, their condition didn’t look bad. The restraints completely constrained
them, and there was a feeling of fear rather than hostility in the eyes looking
at me.
“They’re fine.”
“This is sincerely for customer satisfaction.”
“I am definitely satisfied. I shall visit again next time.”
“That is noted. Please do have a comfortable trip back.”
“Ah. Those elves can be loaded onto the wagon.”
“Alright.”
After getting on the carriage with Cho Hyejin, the elves with trembling ears
began to enter as well. When the carriage door closed, I could see Cho Hyejin
carefully reaching out for one of them.
“Kyaak!”
I cringed at the sound.
From their perspective, Cho Hyejin would not be seen as a brave knight who
saved her, but a crazy human.
Cho Hyejin quietly spoke up as she watched the five people shaking together.
I realized she was talking to me, not to them.
“What do you…plan to do with them in the future?”

“Well… In fact, one can be said to be yours… I need to think about it. I don’t
think it’s good to go with them to the Yeongju Tower or release them in a
reasonable place. I must find a place where they can be safely stored. Perhaps
it makes the most sense to send them to Blue.”
“You are not going to release them?”
“Even if I release them right now, it doesn’t change much. Soon after, they’ll
be caught again, and they’ll be humiliated in the same way once again. Do
you think elves, who can’t do anything, will find their forest?”
“…”
“For now, I have something important to do, so it’s impossible right now. I
will take them to the Elven Kingdom when I have something to do there. It
wouldn’t be bad to visit once the work is done.”
“That’s… a relief.”
“I’m not as bad as you thought, right?”
“I don’t want to answer that.”
“I will take that silence as a positive sign.”
“Why did you bring me here?”
“You needed to understand. You needed to see the result.”
“The result… What do you mean?”
“Yes. The result. The result of your judgment and the results you see now.
The difference between what you previously did at Castle Rock and what you
did today. Think for yourself which one is the right solution, Hyejin-ssi.”
“That’s…”
“It was me who saved them, but it was you, too. Your right choice saved
them.”
“I don’t necessarily think so…”
“The results you see are different, but… If you say you don’t think so, then
I’ll respect that.”
Cho Hyejin shut her mouth at this. She seemed to be in denial about it, but it
didn’t matter at this point. What mattered was that I was able to get my
thoughts through to her.
By nature, bonds could not be formed in a short period. A bond was formed
only when each other’s values and ideas were exchanged and accumulated
over a long time and when they can understand each other.
Personally, I didn’t think I was going to be influenced by her stupid ideas, but
I at least had to show that I understood her. I was not hoping for something
dramatic. I just needed to understand her for her to understand me.
For now, this was enough.
“I don’t necessarily think so… but… About today… Thank you, Vice Guild
Master.”
‘As expected, I’m right.’
There was nothing that money could not buy.

Chapter 165
Monster wave (1)
“For now, you will be heading to the Free City of Lindel. If you stay in our
guild, I will definitely send you back to your hometown later on.”
“R-Really? Just in case…”
“You don’t have to worry. I wouldn’t have used this complicated method in
the first place if I was just going to harm or defile you.”
“Ah…”
“I wouldn’t have saved you from monsters in exchange for a huge loss. As
soon as you go to Lindel, you will receive a new ID, and you will be acting as
a Blue guest. As long as you do not go outside the city, you are free to go out,
and no humans will harm you. Of course, if you are afraid to go outside, you
can only stay within the Guild House.”
“Thank you.”
“You should thank Cho Hyejin here rather than me. She was the one who
wanted to save you.”
“Ah! It’s only for a short time, but thank you so much for taking care of
us…”
“You will definitely be able to go back home. I promise.”
“Sniff…”
As the elves cried together, Cho Hyejin busied herself with comforting them.
It looked like a beautiful scene overall.
The reality of having to return 120,000 gold worth of elves to their hometown
for free felt heartbreaking, but right now, this is better.
They weren’t useful anyway. Although their stats weren’t bad, their talent
levels would not be enough to nurture them into adventurers. They were
meant to be normal villagers.
This was a case where if they have no luck, they would again be caught by a
hunter while trying to lead a normal life. It would be better to return them as
fast as possible.
This was because the news that I had obtained five elven slaves would come
to Yuno Kasugano.
For her, who still called me Master, that would lead to inevitable conclusions.
I had to make sure I sent them out as soon as possible because she had just
sent a letter, making a fuss about coming to Castle Rock herself.
As I mulled this over, the elves looked at me warily. They must still be
worried about whether they were being sold elsewhere, but they would
understand me as soon as they arrived in Lindel safely.
“I’m telling you just in case, but it would be better not to get out of the
wagon until you arrive. It’s not dangerous inside the wagon with the guild
insignia, but outside it will be.”
“Yes. We will keep this in mind, dear benefactor.”
“Well, it’s embarrassing to call me a benefactor. Rather, I feel sorry that I can
save only you. On behalf of all human beings, I apologize.”
“A-Ah, but in case…”
“Yes. If I see another elf, I will try to help them as much as I can.”
“Thank you.”
“Then, let’s get on.”
As the elves got into the carriage, they bid me goodbye. Cho Hyejin fussed
over them one last time before she stepped back. She seemed a little bit
relieved.
“Are you relieved?”
“I’m not.”
“Have you grown attached to them in the meantime?”
“Yes. Though it was only a short time… I must’ve grown attached to them.”
“As a human being, you did everything. Not only did you save them, but
you’ll also hide them in a luxury inn and take responsibility for them in Blue,
so I think you did more than that.”
“Thank you for your kindness, Vice Guild Master.”
“To be precise, it was you who showed kindness. Anyway, if you save the
elves, you might get something in return.”
“…”
Her fed up expression was highly evident in my eyes. To be fair, it wasn’t

exactly what I wanted to do, but it wasn’t a bad idea overall. There was
nothing bad about having elves feeling indebted to us, as their gratitude for us
was immense. I didn’t know when that would happen, but it was good to
have them in our debt, just in case.
“Then let’s go get something to eat.”
Of course, I wasn’t being nice just with the elves. I had conversations with
Cho Hyejin several times and succeeded in getting closer to her to some
extent.
She hadn’t changed as extremely as Sun Hee-young or Jung Hayan, but she
was slowly starting to understand me. Of course, I was also in a situation
where I had to understand her. Cho Hyejin might’ve thought about becoming
closer, but I felt like she had decided to draw a line.
It seemed a little difficult to make me look more favorable to her than a

certain level because she was not included in what the system categorized as
dangerous or crazy women.
The most important thing was that I had gotten through to her.
We still had a long way to go, but at least the worst was over. The proof was
that, even though we kept hanging out together like this, she no longer felt
any other discomfort.
‘It’s enough just by being friends.’
I much rather preferred this kind of relationship, anyway. Aside from that, I
was sure I wasn’t her ideal type of guy at all.
“So… Have you thought about it?”
“About what?”
“You know what I’m talking about. We need to take care of this quickly
before a new victim emerges.”
“I’m not sure about that.”
“What?”
“Ah. Of course, it doesn’t mean I don’t intend to punish them. They have to
be handled by the law. I have believed in that so far, and I still think like that,
but…”
“You don’t know if you’ll be able to handle it well. Is that what you’re
thinking?”
“It’s embarrassing, but it is. Even if you inform the others about this, there is
no guarantee that we will not get the same outcome as before.”
“Perhaps Hyejin is right. If you move blindly without having the right
evidence, it will certainly be the same.”
Though she was not overly friendly with me, we had progressed enough to
address each other’s concerns. Even the smallest change helped.
While we continued to walk, Cho Hyejin continuously participated in the

conversation. This was good. It was an opportunity to let her know that one’s
way of life was diverse.
“Are you abandoning your compassion for your precious colleagues from the
tutorial?”
“Now, I don’t want to forgive them.”
Her standpoint on this had changed as well, which was only natural.
“I don’t think they did something wrong, but… It was a bit confusing
because they were very different from what I imagined. No, I doubt that the
people I knew are even involved in that.”
“The environment changes humans. Neither my friends on Earth nor Hyejin’s

friends would think we have committed murder. Well, it was self-defense,
but your hands are indeed dirty. They just throw away one of their
possessions to go up. Even if they don’t know that the elves or monsters
they’ve caught are being used for that purpose, the sins they commit will not
disappear.”
“Vice Guild Master is right. It is not the right thing to do; it is only right to be
punished. I’m talking about that method. It looks like the Vice Guild Master
has a plan in mind, but…”
“Yes. I like solving things personally.”
“I’ve also been thinking about it, but I started thinking about whether it was
right for an individual to punish another individual. Do we really have the
right to punish them?”
“Why wouldn’t we have? They, including the Little Rock, wielded their
power and achieved its corresponding results. An eye for an eye and a tooth
for a tooth is still my favorite proverb. If you commit a crime, you are
punished. That’s all. Having many thoughts is good, but drowning in them is
not. Think it over. What do you want to do, Hyejin?”
I could see Cho Hyejin looking at me quietly. I didn’t respond, but the
answer was fixed.
‘That’s right… Of course, you’d think so, too.’
If she could, she would kill all the guys in that disgusting place.
These conversations were annoying to handle, but they were helpful enough.
It was not about being stubborn. It was a process of constantly exchanging
values we each had.
She unknowingly accepted some of my values, like the one where money
could solve most problems, and thus had been influenced little by little after
that.
Of course, I also had a lot of thoughts about her words. My relationship with
Cho Hyejin was a little different from my relationship with Lee Jihye.
Black Swan’s Lee Jihye and I were called soul mates by the system because
we had almost the same way of behavior and values. Of course, there was a
synergy effect that came out of it. It was almost certain that our efficiency
will more than double.
Cho Hyejin was completely different from Lee Jihye. She was a person who
could hinder my efficiency, but she certainly made me think a lot. A different
type of synergy emerges whenever one’s opinions and values differ from
another’s.
‘This is called harmony.’
Of course, this was a little more advantageous to me. I didn’t want Cho
Hyejin to block me and become a wall.
In comparison to a car, she was a brake and a black box. She was someone
who could block accidents in advance and take care of me even after an
accident.
In short, she was someone I could control.
Even after Kim Hyunsung’s kingdom expand and become huge, she, as my
friend, will be the brake on the other side whenever I want.
To really move the way I want, I had to decide who would be the person on
the other side.
‘I’m looking forward to working with you, Hyejin.’
She and I would last long.
“I also think the same as you, Vice Guild Master.”
“Since society doesn’t solve it, the individual should move. That is the first
step of a revolution.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“I’m telling you that it won’t end by just pushing them away. Crime doesn’t
go away, anyway.”
“What…”
“It is impossible to create a perfect society. I haven’t been living for many
years, but I do think that. Wherever humans live, sin always follows. Even if
the Little Rock and that place disappear, a second Little Rock and
amphitheater will eventually be created. If you destroy them, a third Little
Rock and amphitheater will be created. There is demand, so there is also a
supply.”
“You’re saying…”
“I will control the ills of society.”
“That’s a dangerous idea…”

“It’s better than just looking and do nothing. After pushing away the existing
one, I will build a tower on top of it once again. The same is true for Lindel
and Castle Rock.”
“How?”
“I do not know. How would it be?”
“Are you thinking of buying the whole place?”
I couldn’t even imagine that she would tell me to buy it. Laughter burst out of
me.
“No. I intend to push it all at once. I will push away all of them without
leaving a weed.”
Of course, this would also work in my favor.
After I finished speaking, I noticed Cho Hyejin was looking at me with an

expression of mixed feelings. Perhaps she was thinking about everything I
had done and said.
Perhaps she even thought about not stopping me. It was because the sight she
saw was very shocking for her to stop me simply with humanity. She might
even be wishing to act by my side.
The question is, how could I, who had no power, push all of this away?
Although Cho Hyejin seemed to be feeling doubts, it was not impossible if

the situation helped.
‘The monster wave will also happen soon…’
Unfortunately, I did not know the location of that place. After all, Cho Hyejin
and I had been blindfolded all the way to the black market, so we did not
know where it was.
However, I knew exactly who did.

It would be someone who had been tracking my location from start to finish.
‘Hayan, you must know it, right?’
Being stalked by the Archmage was more helpful than one would think.
Chapter 166
Monster Wave (2)
‘Am I right, Hayan?’
Actually, I was worried about the possibility of the guards discovering a

location tracker’s presence on me. However, I knew there was a good chance
that it would stay hidden. After all, the magic used was of a type that even
Hwang Jeong-yeon, someone considered as a high-ranking wizard, could not
notice properly.
Using catalysts to track locations was also a magical idea that hadn’t yet
appeared on the continent. Jung Hayan’s tactics had slowly become more
sophisticated over time. It would indeed be difficult to notice the magic on
me unless another Archmage was in the vicinity.
Although we went through an unknown location where one’s magic might

stop working, I think that the location tracker would not have stopped its
function. This was the whole reason why I waited for Jung Hayan.
Of course, the information that Kim Hyunsung would bring would also be
expected. The puzzle I had been solving this entire time would soon be
finished. The whole reason why I couldn’t complete it by myself was that I
couldn’t fit the last piece in.
Those who were each bringing a piece of the puzzle hadn’t yet returned from
their expedition, so there was nothing I could do right now.
‘When are you coming back, guys?’
The big event about to unleash onto the city would be a golden opportunity
for a person like me to move easily. Waiting for it proved to be a hard feat,
given by impatience.
Honestly, it was also because I had nothing to do at the moment. I either

spent time with Marlin Young-ae and Cho Hyejin or busied myself with
managing the guilds and clans that had agreed to sign a contract with me.
Of course, I didn’t forget to manage each key character continuously.
The representative one was Song Jungwook of Little Rock. The man in
question still seemed to love pestering Marlin, but his anxiety about things
not going as planned was evident.
I knew I should sort this out after seeing this. Though Jungwook was loyal to
me now, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t backstab me when it came
to Marlin Young-ae.
Though he had sworn his allegiance, it would not be strange for him to betray
me when the right time came, given his characteristic.
‘Even if it were me, I would want to do that…’
It seemed that I was the biggest obstacle in his plans to become a noble. Of
course, even if I were not in the way, there was no guarantee that Marlin
Young-ae would choose him, but…
‘It’s not something I should care about.’
Unlike Marlin Young-ae, Song Jungwook’s value was slowly decreasing

over time. Once I had taken everything I needed, I would drop him
immediately.
‘There’s the thing with Hyejin, too.’
Spending my time with Jungwook was proving to be wasteful at this point.
Besides that, in my spare time, I exchanged letters with the Strategic Planning
Teams of Blue and discussed Castle Rock’s defense system and siege battles,
and I didn’t stop talking with Cho Hyejin about this topic. It was also an
opportunity for me to learn battle tactics from her.
In any case, I tried to organize and calculate the status of Castle Rock’s
troops while considering the appearance of raid monsters, and it was a simple
everyday routine where I was constantly checking goods and supplies.
It was around this time that Kim Hyunsung returned to Castle Rock with our
party members.
“Lee Kiyoung-nim! Kim Hyunsung-nim just came back.”
“Yes. Thank you so much for coming to tell me, Marlin Young-ae.”
“N-No. It is only natural for me to do so.”
“Then I’ll be heading out for a while.”
“Okay.”
For others, they were just coming after hunting as usual, but this meant a lot
to me. Kim Hyunsung’s return meant that the changes would make
themselves known soon.
‘Good. Good.’
With these in mind, I headed out to meet the rest of my party members. Jung
Hayan automatically ran towards me, and Park Deokgu greeted me with a
wave of his hand. Kim Ye-ri, Sun Hee-young, and Hwang Jeong-yeon
definitely looked tired.
With this, I was able to realize that everyone had experienced a very tough
schedule.
“Oppa!”
“Ah, Hayan. How have you been?”
“I’ve been doing well!”
“Did something special happen during the expedition?”
“Well, I don’t know if it should be called anything special or not, but I guess
what our Hyung-ssi said last time is true.”
“What he said?”
“You know, about a monster wave or something.”
‘As expected, you brought in the information I needed.’
“Is it true, what Deokgu said?”
“Yes, Kiyoung-ssi. It would be nice to tell the details later.”
“Ah, so it is true…”
“Yes. It has been difficult to make accurate judgments, but I could get some
strands with this expedition. First of all, it would be nice to meet with Count
Castle Rock. As soon as I get back, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to head to the
office first. Perhaps…”
“Yes. I will join you in a little while.”
“Okay.”
A whole meeting would ensue later on. For now, it would be nice to have a
casual conversation with Jung Hayan.
“Come with me for a minute, Hayan.”
“Ah… Okay!”
“I’m sorry to do this as soon as you came, but I have to ask for Hee-young-ssi
and Jeong-yeon-ssi to check the supplies and place an order for items to be
requested separately from Lindel. Hyejin must know.”
“Yes, Kiyoung-ssi.”
As soon as they left, Jung Hayan went to follow me. I didn’t know what she
was thinking, but she seemed to be in a good mood. As she went to hold my
hand, I smiled.
‘How can I talk to her about it?’

As of now, Jung Hayan was not aware that I knew about her secret. It would
not be good if she tried to hide it, so I had to approach her as positively as
possible. When I opened the door to my room, she started to smile like a kid
receiving her Christmas present.
Her face had reddened as if she had been expecting something.
“Come in.”
“Yes, Oppa.”
At this, Hayan came in, shutting the door with a click.
‘Why is she locking the door?’
I didn’t know what she was thinking, yet I still went to sit down, gesturing for
her to sit beside me.
“W-Why did you call me?”
“I have a question.”
“Ah. A-A question?”
“Yes. It’s actually no big deal. By any chance…”
“Yes?”
“Are you hiding anything from me?”
“Huh? Of course not, Oppa. What’re you talking about?”
It felt disturbing to see her lying to me so confidently. Now would be the

right time to talk to her a little more directly.
“I’m asking because it’s about something absolutely necessary. Hayan, do

you know where I went the day you left for the expedition?”
“I’m sorry?”
“The day the party members left for the expedition, you know where I went.
Am I right?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. How would I…”
“I’m not trying to blame you, Hayan. You know that.”
“W-Well. I don’t…”
As she spoke, Hayan averted my gaze, her confident façade now torn apart.
She really didn’t have a talent for lying now, did she?
“I know everything. You can speak comfortably. I’m not trying to condemn
you. I’m asking because it’s really necessary.”
“I-I’m not sure. R-Really…”
‘You’re so obvious…’
It felt like we would get nowhere if this continued, so I decided to exert a

little more pressure.
“Hayan.”
“Ah… yes?”
“I hate people who lie the most.”
“Ah…”
“Everything else is fine, but I really hate people who lie.”
“T-That…”
Of course, seeing her shivering didn’t sit well with me at all. Tears had even
begun to pour out of her eyes, much like a child who had gotten caught lying
by his mother.
“Hic.”
She even started to hiccup.
“Hic.”
I thought she would be a little scared, but her reaction was a little harsher
than I thought.
“Hic.”
“You knew where I went, right?”
“…”
“I’ve known about your location-tracking magic for a long time now,
Hayan.”
“…”
“One. Two.”
“Yes…”
As soon as I gave a small threat, she had immediately admitted to it. Though
it hurt to see her crying, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find her reaction fun.
Although I wanted to make fun of her a little more, I had to get this over
with. At this, I began to stroke her hair.
“I’m not angry, so don’t worry. I didn’t like it a little at first, but I know that
Hayan did all of this while thinking of me. Am I right?”
“Of course, Oppa…”
“You put that spell in case it would become dangerous for me, right?”
“Ah, yes, I also did it because of that…”
“You did it because you were worried that I would be attacked.”

“Yes. Y-You’re right.”
“Your method is a little wrong, but I know that Hayan did it thinking of me,
so I can understand.”
“Ah…”
‘It’s actually helpful and…’
A location-tracker was the most reliable insurance for me, who was
continuously exposed to external threats at any time due to my poor
specifications. Though there were some problems regarding personal privacy,
it more than made up for my safety.
“It’s okay, just don’t lie. Of course, this doesn’t mean that Hayan’s actions
were good… You know it wasn’t good, right?”
“Yes… Oppa, I…”
“I’m not trying to blame you. Stop crying.”
“Alright.”
“Good. Then, shall we look at the map together?”
“A-Ah, of course!”
I could see that she was definitely relieved, bouncing back immediately. I
didn’t know if it was due to her intelligence, but she seemed to have realized
that she could be of help to me now.
I even thought about whether I had done this correctly upon seeing her so
happy, but I also pinpointed that she was wrong, so the result wasn’t bad
overall.
Of course, I couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t lie again.
“Can you point it out with your finger?”

“I-I don’t know the exact location. I don’t know the geography of Castle
Rock.”
“It’s okay.”
“However, it is definitely about 500 meters to the left from this side…”
Even though she didn’t know the exact location, the fact that she had
managed to track down all the roads I had taken was creepy. Looking at her
so focused on finding the way with a smile even before her tears had
completely dried, I couldn’t help thinking that this was so like her.
‘She is really….’
“This was a magic power freeze area. Still, that can’t block the magic I put on
Oppa. It’s stronger compared to before.”
“Ah… Yes…”
“This must be a closed space, but it’s strange. You definitely went this way…
And… After stopping here for a while, it seemed like you went
underground.”
“Don’t worry about the road that was blocked. Just keep pointing.”
“Ah. Alright.”
“Here, like this…”
“Yes.”
“Like this…”
“Yes.”
“It’s here!”
As soon as she finally pinpointed the exact location where we had gone, I
couldn’t help but smile.
‘The place is within the city.’
Chapter 167
Monster Wave (3)
‘The place is within the city.’
This worked in my favor. It would make it a little easier for my work.
‘The western area, huh.’
Except for the fact that that was where the upper classes of Castle Rock lived,
there was nothing special about it. It was hard to imagine that there was such
a large site underground, but seeing that Jung Hayan pointed this out with
confidence, it seemed that I would not have to worry about an error.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Alright. Thank you, Hayan.”
“Hehehe.”
‘I think it’ll be okay…’
The location wasn’t bad. There were some things I was worried about, but to
be honest, it didn’t matter if the underground site ended up getting swept
away.
‘It’s also far away from Yeongju Tower…’
Considering the fact that it was also on the opposite side of the church, it
really wouldn’t mean much if it disappeared off the map.
‘Not bad.’
Even as I mulled over my thoughts, Jung Hayan continued to stare at me.
Since I had this settled, it would be prudent for me to join the meeting.
“Good job, Hayan.”
“Ah… It was no problem at all!”
“I’ll see you later.”
“Alright…”
I personally liked putting together puzzles. As one more piece fit in, I began
to feel better. Anyway, even if I did not move, the situation in Castle Rock
would continue to change.
After praising Hayan and stroking her hair, I was immediately notified of
Count Castle Rock summoning all guild and clan masters in the territory.
This only made me smile.
I knew a situation similar to this would happen if this were the Holy Empire.
Although similar in its conscription, it was the free people’s duty to fight for
the empire as they themselves were living within its borders.
‘It’s actually a very good situation.’
After all, it was Blue that had informed them of the impending danger. If I
had to explain it, it would mean that we were in a pretty good situation even
before the wave had started.
As I moved towards the conference room, I saw Count Castle Rock and Kim
Hyunsung talking. They both wore serious expressions, but this did nothing
to alleviate my happiness.
“Is that true?”
“Yes, it is. There are many similar situations already appearing in the forest.”
“This hasn’t happened in decades…”

As soon as I snuck into their conversation, their eyes began to focus on me.
“Normally, a threat sends a warning and doesn’t come. Then, at some point,
it suddenly comes in. I think we should prepare for it.”
My role was to support Kim Hyunsung’s opinion and have the others believe
in him.
Even if something suddenly happened, there would not be many people to

trust. Whatever would come out of the mouth of the Honorary Bishop of the
Holy Empire would be different.
At my open, trusting expression, Hyunsung nodded at me with an expression

of gratitude. Building up his courage, he began to talk once more, looking
every bit like the man I admired.
“I have already told you, but signs will continue to appear. We checked it
personally during our hunt. It is surprisingly similar to the signs that occur in
cities that receive monster waves.”
‘So we are indeed experiencing a wave.’
“It’s strangely quiet, and the ecology of most monsters is abnormal.”
“It certainly seems like that. It’s also suspicious that they are out of their
territory… First of all, it would be nice to have a meeting and come up with
measures.”
“If there is a countermeasure, there’s some data that have already been
organized.”
“Ah, Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.”
“Of course, there may be a manual in case the situation breaks out in Castle
Rock, but we have something personally prepared. In fact, this is because we
received the news that abnormal signs appeared in the monster forest even
before we came to Castle Rock.”
“What? I haven’t heard of it…”

Of course, you wouldn’t have heard it. There was no news like that in the
first place.
“It’s a rumor spreading secretly among free people… I understand that you
haven’t come across it, Count Castle Rock. As a free citizen, it’s a little
embarrassing to say, but… Many people do not like this situation.”
“I think I can understand what you’re talking about.”
“Yes. Despite living in the Holy Empire’s land, many claim only freedom
and do not take responsibility for their obligations and rights. Some free
people aren’t very happy with this situation of being drafted. ‘Why should we
fight for Castle Rock?’ There are certainly people who think that.”
“…”
“Most of them are the ones who will run away if the wave suddenly were to
occur.”
What I just said was not a lie. I knew there would be people who would try to
flee. Count Castle Rock was no fool, so I knew he would understand what I
was talking about.
“We need to declare martial law right now to ensure people’s safety. It is
better not to end with convocation, but to organize troops and wait for it on a
war footing.”
‘So, the motherfuckers at the auction house can’t get out. Them and their
money.’
Besides, the motherfuckers who would try to run away at this opportunity
should also be properly stopped.
“I am worried that it may create anxiety for permanent residents, but… This
makes sense.”
“Feeling anxious is normal. It’d be worrying if they didn’t feel nervous at

all.”
Before I even finished speaking, other people had started to enter the
conference room. These were all faces that I had seen at least once, due to
Song Jungwook’s introduction of them.
It looked like Count Castle Rock didn’t like them, however, and if one were
to think about what I had just said before, then the reason why would be
understandable.
“You can sit down.”
“Yes, Count.”
“It’s been a long time, Count Castle Rock.”
“Hem.”
Although they greeted him one by one, this was, by no means, a social
intervention.
The guild masters and clan masters all sat down with a puzzled look. Song
Jungwook started looking at me as if asking what was going on.
He looked funny, looking as if he could get something out of this.
As the Honorary Bishop of the Holy Empire, he may already know that I was
close to Count Castle Rock, so he, who had maintained a close relationship
with me, felt that he was safe, no matter what would happen.
‘He’s cute.’
I couldn’t tell if he was quick-witted or not. He knew that the case had
happened, but he didn’t seem to think about how his treatment will change.
I sat in a nearby seat next to Kim Hyunsung, and after a while, Count Castle
Rock began to speak. I already knew what this would be about, but not what
he would say in detail. Whatever the choice, Count Castle Rock was free, but
I knew that Marlin Young-ae’s father, who now stood in front of me, would
respect me to some extent.
‘Right?’
Once the meeting of the day was over, after telling that a monster wave
would be happening, there would surely be an expedition, a trip, or some
guys choosing to flee from Castle Rock.
It was unacceptable even for the Count, who must protect the resident people.
It would be reasonable to accept my opinion in many ways.
“From now on, Castle Rock will enter on a war footing.”
‘Nice.’
“I think there will be a monster wave within the next month. While
requesting assistance from other cities, after blocking the exit, I will integrate
the forces of the free men in Castle Rock with the forces of Yeongju Tower.”
“What…”
Everyone’s expressions had gone blank. In such a sudden situation, some of

the faces began to crumble.
“A monster wave will occur?”
“That’s… Where did this information come from?”
It was Kim Hyunsung who answered that bullshit.
“This is the information we have managed to investigate during our stay.”
“A-Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’ll tell you again later in the briefing. We are sure about this fact.”
As soon as our returner stopped speaking, panicked voices began to fill up

the room. In lieu of such a terrifying situation, it was natural for these people
to feel anxious. Even hearing about Count Castle Rock’s plan seemed to do
nothing but heighten their panic.
‘Tut-tut.’
I thought something would come out of dissatisfaction, but Count Castle

Rock’s attitude was much stronger than expected, and all the guild masters
here didn’t dare say anything.
It was at this time that Song Jungwook, of the Little Rock, quietly opened his
mouth.
“Count Castle Rock.”
“What is it, Little Rock Guild Master?”
“It makes sense to say that you’ll be on a war footing and that you’ll declare
martial law… but incorporating us with the Yeongju Tower forces in order to
fight, that’s…”
“Is there a problem?”
“Perhaps it won’t work properly. In the first place, it is stated that the guilds
and clans act as independent units in the event of a dangerous situation
similar to that of war under imperial law. This same rule is also applied in
Yeongju Tower…”
“No. To be precise, imperial law states that the troops’ organization can be
changed at the Supreme Commander’s discretion. There is nothing wrong
with imperial law.”
“But…”
Other voices began to pop out from everywhere.
“When it comes to the discretion of the Supreme Commander, I would like

you to consider the choice you just made. We, too, are aware that we, as free
people in Castle Rock, must join the threats that come, but… Perhaps…”
“It seemed that a lot of fighting would happen with the Knights of Yeongju
Tower. Do you mean for this to happen?”
“I don’t mean that. I was just telling you that free people have their own way.
Please make a more rational choice.”
“About the free people’s way… I don’t know what you’re talking about.
What is the free people’s way? Is it the free people’s way to put the
imperialists at the forefront and only survive?”
“No, Count. At least I think that it should be a free citizen that should
command the free people…”
“So, the Little Rock Master will use his own troops. This is what you mean.”
“No…”
“If not, what is it, Little Rock Guild Master? I am not stupid. I know why you
are staying in Castle Rock, and I know why you want an independent unit. I
know you would hate to give your life for this place.”
“I never mean that. But the situation…”
It felt like neither of them would yield. This was not a helpful image for both.
It was imperative that free people and imperialists maintain a peaceful
symbol of friendship.
From the Count’s perspective, he might think that this was a temporary
dispute, but this would definitely create a rift in the future.
‘Their relationship might break at some point.’
Even if I didn’t like it, I had to find some agreement. It was then that an
unexpected response came out of Count Castle Rock’s mouth.
“If you think so, then I’ll leave it to Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.”
‘That’s it!’
Of course, it was not a good thing for the free people living in Castle Rock. I
was just a guest, after all. As expected, I could see some of the guild masters
opening their mouths to protest.
“But Lee Kiyoung is not even from Castle Rock.”
“It’s the maximum concession that I can make.”
“I think that would be nice, too.”
What was a little surprising was that Song Jungwook had agreed with the
Count’s decision. He was now looking at me, smiling.
He seemed to think that I would take his side in this discussion.
‘No matter how much you beg, you’ll be at the forefront, Jungwook.’
That had already been decided since the start.

Chapter 168
Monster Wave (4)
‘No matter how much you beg, you’ll be at the forefront, Jungwook.’
I could understand his thoughts. Of course, there was a difference between

fighting and being commanded while being incorporated into a separate
command unit.
He wanted to keep his guild intact. No, to be clearer, this in itself was already
a matter of survival. This was confirmed when he had agreed with the Count.
It seemed that if he sided with me, I would hand over a suitable position for
Little Rock.
Perhaps…
‘He probably wants to be placed in the rear.’
Count Castle Rock had made up his mind, anyway. The entire Castle Rock
estate was turned into a war footing, and martial law was declared to block
the free people from fleeing the city.
He already knew that the Count would not give way. If he said that he was at
the top of the command system, it might give a sense of incongruity.
However, standing in the position of Honorary Bishop, things would be a
little different.
I had a plausible position as a free citizen, and the position of Honorary

Bishop received by the Pope’s side was enough to grant me the needed
authority.
Choosing me as the person to be the shield of Little Rock was a great choice,
but not grasping my intentions was the worst mistake he could have ever
made. It seemed like he still thought that I cared about him; seeing him
desperately agreeing was kind of fun.
Naturally, some of the other guilds began to support his opinion.
“It is said that guilds and clans can operate independently, but… we need to
be on a war footing anyway. The Count’s words seem to make sense.
Although Lee Kiyoung is not from Castle Rock, isn’t he from the Holy
Empire just like us?”
“Hmm…”
“I don’t think it’s a bad decision.”
“In fact, it’s not that we didn’t think…”
Sensing an opportunity for escape, others began to agree with the Count’s
proposed notion.
“I think Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung should lead this…”
As some guilds began cooperating, the other existing guilds and clans who
wanted to receive benefits also began cooperating. They instinctively
understood that they could get something out of this. Instantly, the public
opinion that ‘this was a bad choice’ changed.
Seeing them wagging their tails as if this was their chance was ridiculous. It
was like seeing domesticated dogs beg for their treats.
‘The Count made the right choice.’
Coercive dealing with free people would help solve the crisis right now, but it
was not a smart way if one were to consider the future. Compromising on the
right line was an obvious step in the first place. Choosing me as a connection
point to connect him and the free people was a good idea for both him and
me.
‘It’s reasonable.’
This was a situation where none of the free people in Castle Rock could be
trusted.
I didn’t know if it was because of Marlin Young-ae or because of his
heartbreaking attitude to Castle Rock, but it seemed like the Count had placed
his trust in me.
‘It’s not that I don’t understand when I think about the rumors that are
spreading within the royal castle.’
My position meant I had a pretty good evaluation of the situation.
Seeing that Kim Hyunsung also quietly nodded, it seemed that he also agreed
with the Count.
‘Of course, it’s a good thing for me, too.’
“I am… It’s overwhelming.”
“No. Lee Kiyoung. I will provide you with my full support.”
“If Song Jungwook says so… ahem.”
Anyway, I wanted to do the commanding of the large-scale troops. Of course,

theoretically, I had to study, but practice was different from theory. If I
missed this opportunity, I would be no different than a fool, but humility was
a virtue of Koreans.
As soon as I opened my mouth, intending to say that I was struggling with

the premise of not being good enough, I immediately felt all gazes focusing
on me.
‘Good.’
“If so… I will do my best to organize and operate units together with Castle
Rock’s Yeongju Tower. Thank you very much, Count Castle Rock.”
“Please take good care of it, Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.”
Now it felt like the atmosphere had calmed down. Seeing that all eyes were
on me, it seemed that I had a lot of things to say. Considering that unit
formation was of the utmost importance, it was only natural for them to look
at me in this manner.
‘Who would want to go to the first city wall?’
Although the protagonist had already been decided to fill the position, it is a
position that I would have to consider until the end.
While the briefing continued, I could see that some people were thinking
about completely different things. Of course, many of them had doubts about
whether the monster wave will really happen, but Kim Hyunsung proved to
be quite good at answering their questions.
“Most people who have been hunting recently can feel it. It means that there
is a problem with the monster’s ecology living in the forest in front of Castle
Rock.”
“I’ve definitely… felt it. Basilisks living in swamps suddenly appeared in the
woods, and so on. Higher monsters also appeared outside the forest. Even in
our clan, we have been refraining the new guild members from hunting.”
“If you look at the signs of the monster waves that hit Castle Rock decades
ago, you can see that they are surprisingly similar.”
“What is the cause?”
“It would be correct to think that a population saturation or a new monster

that may threaten an existing monster is moving its habitat.”
“But can you judge with just that as a sign of a monster wave? It is only after
the situation becomes clearer that war footing and martial law can be
implemented…”
“By then, it will already be too late. I think there is a difference between
knowing and preparing and not knowing and preparing. Besides, if you look
at the graph here…”
“Hmm… I see.”
Now was not the time for me to intervene. It may seem that the information
in the data presented by our side was a bit lacking, but all the evidence clearly
testified that something would happen. Those who harbored doubts were
either dissatisfied with the sudden war footing or just didn’t want to admit it.
In fact, I was also having doubts.
Looking at the circumstances brought by Kim Hyunsung, it was almost

certain that a monster wave would indeed occur. I didn’t even have to look
for evidence. If it happened in the first timeline, it would definitely happen
here, too.
However, the reason was not clear. Kim Hyunsung did not seem to know for
sure why the wave had occurred.
‘Does that matter?’
Anyway, what we had to do was obvious.
‘To catch incoming monsters. That was all.’
Most people besides me could understand this very well. Even after the
briefing was over, conversations continued to take place. At this point, it
would be prudent for me to speak. If I didn’t, this would go on for a longer
time.
“Then, I will speak as a commander. I would like you to submit information

about each guild and clan’s unit formation and major classes. There should
not be anything hidden because it is possible to have a reasonable
arrangement only if it is accurately described.”
“What?”
“Supplies held by each guild are integrated. We, the Blue, will also integrate
and operate the items we have brought.”
“That’s…”
“Support will also come from Lindel. I hope you follow along as we plan to
integrate the supplies arrived from Lindel. We intend to leave the
management of supplies to the Castle Rock Merchant Guild and Castle Rock
Merchant Group. You don’t have to worry too much, as we will distribute the
supplies left reasonably after the work is done.”
“Still… Each guild or group has its own circumstances…”
“This is a list of supplies to be paid for free from the Blue. It will be more
than the total amount that some small and medium-sized guilds can afford. It
would be nice to consider each of the guild’s circumstances, but I am not in
this post for your convenience. Of course, I’ll take some into account, but if
you don’t want to follow it, you should go under the command of Castle
Rock and fight together with them.”
“It’s not that I won’t follow…”
The first thing I had to do was control the idiots who refused to listen. As for
the supplies, it would only be right for me to guard them.
At this, Song Jungwook from Little Rock also spoke up while nodding.
“I also agree with Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.”
Though I knew he wasn’t sincerely loyal, this was good of him to do.
“Only the minimum number of troops will be left in the Guild Houses, and all
guilds, for the time being, will use the barracks inside the walls and always
wait by these areas. Also, the whole training will start tomorrow. Those from
the Red Mercenaries will be in charge of training.”
“Ah. Are the Red Mercenaries coming, too?” A hopeful voice inquired.
“Now, we are constantly in communication with Lindel. Perhaps, if the

timing coincides with hers, Cha Hee-ra will be able to fight together with us.”
“Oooooh.”
Hearing this had successfully eased away their anxiety. I knew what they
were thinking. They were glad that the Red Mercenaries would be there,
since it would help them overcome the situation.
I knew Cha Hee-ra was one of the reasons why most of these people looked
up to me, too. Of course, the fact that I was a personally prepared commander
was also a reason why they liked me.
From the time Kim Hyunsung asked to go to Castle Rock, he had done
nothing but gave orders and information. Still, it was the commander’s
confidence in uneasy situations that, in turn, also gave confidence to those
under him.
Meanwhile, I had made sure to let them know of the consequences of

disobeying me.
“Hahaha. I don’t know how fortunate it is for having Lee Kiyoung at Castle
Rock.”
In the meantime, Song Jungwook busied himself with constantly kissing my

ass in the hopes of getting the rear placement.
“The Castle Rock Merchant Guild will start sorting after receiving all
supplies within today. Other guilds will also be armed and move their
residence to the walled barracks.”
“All of this will happen today?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll have to move quickly, then.”
“If something happens, you must report it directly to me.”
“Yes, alright.”
“Well, what kind of barracks can I go to?”
“When you come back, everything will be ready.”
They would need time to organize, so it was only right to give this amount of
time.
As I continued to talk about the plan as if everything had already been
prepared, the expressions of those listening to me began to change.
They had started to look glad that I had taken command.
‘And that’s what I want.’
As an Honorary Bishop of the Holy Empire, I could get help from priests in
other cities, and I could also get help from the Red Mercenary because I was
the Mercenary Queen’s Gigolo. Perhaps considering that I could also get the
Yozora Guild’s help in Celia, my background alone might make me look like
a rather competent commander.
“We will try to complete the formation of the unit in consultation with Count
Castle Rock as soon as possible. Let’s dismiss the meeting at this point.
Personal arrangements should be made as soon as possible. As Count Castle
Rock said, we’re placing on a war footing now. I’m not a person who likes to
make useless troubles, so if you follow me well, there will be something for
you to get, too.”
“Ah…”
“It would be a good idea to think about what would happen after the wave is
over instead of just thinking about what’s going on as of the moment.”
“Alright.”
As I stood up, all of them stood up as well. They approached me as soon as I

left the room.
Of course, the most active one among them was Song Jungwook, the number
one contributor who had placed me on my current pedestal.
“Lee Kiyoung, what time can I come in?”
“In fact, I would like everyone to gather by the afternoon, but…”
“I think it will take a little longer…”

“Then, it’s a bit, but I’ll give you this convenience.”
“Hahaha. Thank you.”
“No. I can’t be too inflexible.”
“As expected from Lee Kiyoung. When you first came to Castle Rock, did
you feel that you were the one who would be the light to Castle Rock?
Hahahaha.”
He wasn’t the only one wagging his tail. Most of them threw me praises in all
directions.
It took me quite a while to get rid of all of them. My conversation with Jung
Hayan about the location-tracker on my body would have to wait at a later
date.
‘I have to organize the troops, too…’
This would not be a big problem as long as Cho Hyejin could help me with it.
“Hyejin-ssi?”
“Yes, Vice Guild Master?”
“I have to go to do something now. I have things to organize, too… Hyejin

may be able to organize the troops on her own.”
“What?”
“Little Rock and Song Jungwook will be on the first wall, so just get the
strands for the rest, please.”
“Ah…”
“If one has sinned, shouldn’t they be punished?”
Song Jungwook should definitely be on the lookout now.

Chapter 169
From Trust to Betrayal (1)
“Uhm, Master. Is this really okay?”
“What?”
“That you entrusted Lee Kiyoung of the Blue as the general commander this
time…”
“Ah. You don’t have to worry.”
“What? But… The thing you’re planning…”
“First of all, we have to deal with what’s coming. Anyway, Lee Kiyoung is
from Lindel, and even if his influence at Castle Rock expands, there will still
be a limit to it. No, rather, it’s good for me. There are still a lot of benefits to
gain.”
“Ah…”
“He’s a human who clearly understands what a give and take relationship is.
Lee Kiyoung from Blue… Hahaha.”
I definitely thought he was. He had surprised me the more time he spent

within Castle Rock.
At first, I only thought of him as a lucky kid. It seemed to me that he had

acquired the current status by using his title of the Mercenary Queen’s
Gigolo.
However, as time passed, I had to realize that the skills he showed were
unusual. I was wondering how he got his current power, but that didn’t
matter. More important than that was his attitude toward the use of power.
‘He understands.’
I felt like he understood better than anyone how to deal with power and use
his position.
In fact, it hadn’t even been a few days since he came to Castle Rock. He got
acquaintances with the clan masters of almost all small and medium clans.
‘Of course, this was because of me…’
One clear indicator of what kind of person he was had been coming to find
me right off the bat. I found it a little funny, but perhaps he found me
somewhat respectable. As a person, Lee Kiyoung valued efficiency and could
draw whoever his opponent was to his side. He also rewarded loyalty,
making the people feel just how helpful he was.
It was obvious what the consequences would be.
Castle Rock’s situation had changed a lot, from big aspects like economy and
politics to the smaller ones that would initially not be worth mentioning. It
had already reached the point where Castle Rock matters could be discussed
without Lee Kiyoung.
‘That’s all abilities.’
As I thought about this, I saw deputy Park Ga-eul approaching me.
“I understand the Guild Master’s thoughts, but strangely, I’m a little worried
about it…”
“There’s need to worry.”
“Okay…”
“Regardless of what you’re thinking, I am not so stupid… I heard that he is

also not very close to Cho Hyejin. What does that mean?”
“Ah.”
“That he is also a human like us. Most of the businesses undertaken in Blue
are of the kind that has a foot wedged into the law. The contract he signed
with me in the first place wasn’t that legal, right? It was forced.”
“Ah, it… definitely was…”
“If you put together all the stories that we’ve heard, it seems that he also
showed a lot of actions that indicate his lack of conscience. He’s closer to me
than to Cho Hyejin. In fact, I think I can keep a closer relationship with him
without any consequences.”
“Master… Are you going to tell him about our business?”
“No.”
“Whoo…”
“It’s still too early.”
“Well, then… You mean you’re going to say it in the end?”
“The more I think about it, the more I think it won’t be that bad. It will
probably be worth seeing when he gets in. Can you imagine what kind of
attitude Lindel’s Lee Kiyoung will show us when he goes to the
underground? We could get a little bigger, too… He can hold onto the
amphitheater tightly. He can teach a lesson to those who looked down on
Little Rock. That’s it.”
“Certainly, the Master’s words make sense, but… I’m still a little nervous. I
kept thinking that it would not be good to get too close with him…”
“Ahhh. I’m being careful, so you don’t have to worry too much. Ahem. For
now, let’s keep moving just like we are now. Who knows? Lee Kiyoung just
might pass Marlin over to me… For now, if I pretend to be loyal, there will
be plenty of benefits. You don’t have to worry too much because I know
what I’m doing, Ga-eul.”
“…”
“I was a little worried when they said that I have to live on the wall. It’s
definitely good to have a network.”
It certainly was. My room was so spacious that it could not be called a

barrack, and it felt more pleasant than the room I had been sitting in.
Though this situation could not be called extravagant, it was still better than
what I would get on average after the city changed into a state of war. Lee
Kiyoung was definitely being considerate.
“Even if you look at the room where we are now… Can’t you see how much
he cares about me? Heh, he needs me, too.”
“Yeah.”
“By the way, Park Ga-eul. You’ve had that expression since a while ago.
What is it?”
“Do you have any complaints?”
“No. It’s not like that. However, it seems like things are going too well…”
“There is no need to be anxious.”
“That person somehow seems…”
“Yes?”
“I should say that it feels a little ominous… Of course, it’s just a feeling,
but… I really feel like there’s no good in getting close to him.”
“Tut-tut. You’re being careful to a fault.”
“I’m sorry, Master.”
“It’s not something to be sorry about. I also like that. Of course, it may be
unreasonable to believe in a crazy guy who just suddenly appeared, but I
heard something the last time I had a drink with Lee Kiyoung.
“Yes?”
“I don’t like gambling. But when you think it’s worth it, then you must throw
the dice.”
“Ah.”
“Whoo… When I heard the story, I thought that he could do anything and be
successful about it. Although he is younger than me, I still learned something
from him. There’s something in him to be respected. I don’t like gambling,
but my sense is telling me it’s time to roll the dice.”
“I see…”
“Of course, I understand your worries, but it’s not good to shrink in fear too
much. What do you think is the difference between him and me? Look at
what he has accomplished. Can you believe that Lee Kiyoung has only been
here for a year? Of course, there may be reasons for being close to the
Mercenary Queen, but there are obvious differences between us.”
“What differences?”
“Every time the moment of choice came, I didn’t throw the dice, yet Kiyoung
did. That’s why I’m shilly-shallying in Castle Rock right now, and that’s why
Lee Kiyoung has Lindel in his hands. Do you understand me?”
“Yes. Of course, Master.”
“It means that you can’t get anything without betting anything. Oh, this is
what he said, too. Perhaps he seemed to be telling me to follow him. Ahem.
Let’s stop with this talk here. It’s time for the meeting, so I have to head out.
Just in case… The things are stored properly, right?”
“Yes, Master. All of them are being kept in the guild warehouse.”
“What about the egg?”

“You can rest 3333% assured that we are managing it properly.”
“Ah, that’s right. That way, l can rub it once when work is over. Keep caring
about the outside as well. At times like these, we have to work harder. Make
sure to take care of the guys, too.”
“Yes.”
After a long conversation, I came outside, only to see a huge wall.
I could see the soldiers patrolling the exterior from the top of the wall, as well
as the guild members for joint training, as well as those wearing the Red
Mercenary’s insignia.
Of course, the most striking thing was a woman with red hair mixed with
them.
‘Cha Hee-ra?’
Although Lee Kiyoung said he could get the support of a Red Mercenary, I
didn’t even think they would really come.
Considering that bursting, solid body and strong impression, this was really
the Mercenary Queen, just like I had heard. Just looking at her was enough to
make my heart pound for nothing, so I didn’t need to say anything else.
‘Didn’t he say that he knows her from Earth?’
To be honest, if someone asked me if I was jealous, I would definitely say I

was.
The Mercenary Queen was really powerful, but her exterior beauty also made
me speechless. Her red lips, strong eyes, and flaming red hair felt like a
goddess from a myth.
As I stared at her blankly for a while, I could see her looking at me, waving
her hand. I righted my posture right away. It was correct to be as polite as
possible. When I turned back, she had disappeared. I guess she had headed to
the conference room.
To enter the conference room after the Mercenary Queen was, of course,
unimaginable.
Holding on to the runaway spirit and running to the conference room, I could
see that everyone had already gathered and conversations.
‘Am I a little late?’
It was natural to feel as if I had made a mistake.
In fact, a little bit of tension was relieved. Considering that we’re on a footing
war, it was no different from making a big mistake.
“You are a little late.”
“Ah… Yes, I’m sorry.”
“Well, that’s okay, Little Rock Guild Master. The unit formation has not yet
been completed. Still, I hope you move with a little tension starting today.”
‘That’s it.’
“I’m really sorry about this.”
Looking at Lee Kiyoung talking as if it wasn’t a big deal, it certainly felt

good.
‘It’s nice to be a friend of a man of power.’
“Then, it would be better to continue what we were talking about.”
“Yes.”
“Ah. Little Rock Guild Master should sit down quickly, too. We were in the
middle of forming a unit.”
“Yes. Okay.”
“We have decided that guilds or clans that are a little smaller in size will be
integrated. Although we have tried to give autonomy as much as possible, we
ask for your understanding on the aspect that this had to be organized due to
the structure.”
“Why do you speak with so much consideration, honey? If a general

commander orders it, then it’s done. Right? Disobedience to orders can be
punished by military law. All you have to do is cut their throat. Does anyone
think I’m wrong?”
“Yes. You’re right, Cha Hee-ra.”
“Ah… Yes, absolutely. The Mercenary Queen’s words are correct.”
“See? Everyone agrees. In wartime situations, the commander’s order is the

law. This is the same with Lindel and Castle Rock, so it doesn’t matter where
you came from. I am not as soft as my honey. Disobedience means that you
will die.”
“Yes… Yes!”
“Good.”
“Hee-ra…”
“Okay. Okay. I’ll be quiet. Don’t look at me that way, honey.”
As I looked around, it was clear that almost all clans and guild masters tried
to avoid making eye contact with the Mercenary Queen as much as possible.
However, she was only noticing it now. Perhaps it was a natural reaction.
She was the most powerful person in Lindel, and one of the five most
powerful people within the Holy Empire, so it would not feel right to the free
people in Castle Rock to be at the same place with such a woman.
However, when I remember how she waved her hand, it seemed that she was
willing to welcome me. That was probably because the Gigolo of the
Mercenary Queen spoke to her in advance.
‘I will be safe. Thank you, Lee Kiyoung. Heh heh.’

I was one who played a decisive role in honoring Lee Kiyoung as the
commander, so I may be able to receive sweeter rewards.
“Ah. It would be better to announce the schedule first. First, I will announce
the ones from the First City Wall.”
“Yes.”
“In First City Wall’s case, I thought that it would be best to have someone I
trust as it is a strategic point that is exposed to many risks.”
‘Right.’
Perhaps one of the guilds with a size similar to that of Little Rock would
enter.
Being able to reduce the size of your rivals was a huge advantage here as
well. I had to smile.
“Little Rock will take over the First City Wall.”
“Yes?”
‘What…’
My head snapped up in an instant.
What caught my eye was Lee Kiyoung, who shot me a look while sending me
a bright smile.
‘That… That son of a bitch!’

Chapter 170
“Little Rock will take over the First City Wall.”
At this, Song Jungwook’s expression trembled. It was surprising to see that

he could sport such an expression. One would think that this situation is
funny, but I thought it would not be fun for him either. If he could, he would
scream right now. It was obvious why he was suppressing the urge to swear.
‘Cha Hee-ra is an effective anger control disorder therapist.’
The biggest reason was that the lovely Cha Hee-ra was right next to me.
‘In a war situation, the commander’s order is the law. This is the same in
Lindel and Castle Rock, so it doesn’t matter where you came from. I am not
as soft as our honey. Disobedience means that you will die.’
I wasn’t sure if this was calculated or not, but it was easier to move thanks to
the groundwork prepared in advance. She was the reason why I, who had
only been here for one year, could have the seniors in my hands. It meant that
she could solve everything that stood in my way.
I thought that I might look like a fox that sponged off Cha Hee-ra’s power
and force, but who cares about what others think?
The only thing that mattered was that they elected me as commander and that
Cha Hee-ra was next to me.
Taking another look at Song Jungwook’s face, I felt extra-grateful that she
was beside me.
‘His face shows that he’s been betrayed.’
We were going to go different ways anyway.

The answer came when I thought about his characteristic. In the first place,
he couldn’t be considered competent enough to be carried. It would be better
to offer him a sacrifice for Cho Hyejin’s peace of mind rather than dry him
out.
‘I’m sorry, Jungwook.’
“The Second City Wall is the Giants Guild and the Peppermint Candy Clan…
The Third City Wall is in Yeongju Tower’s care. Subsequently, the Fourth
and Fifth walls are formed by the Clan Alliance in the northern region of
Castle Rock. As I said before, the Castle Rock Merchant Group will be in
charge of the supply.”
“Alright.”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
“After establishing the central command center centering on the Blue and
Red Mercenaries, we will unify the reporting system.”
“Ah… Yes.”
“Thanks to the Mercenary Queen, the atmosphere seems to be tenser. I

apologize again for this. Hahaha. It’s only right to be nervous, but in fact, I’m
looking for a more relaxed atmosphere.”
“Hahaha.”
“Hahahaha.”
I didn’t say it to be funny. I didn’t mean to make jokes, but I could see
everyone quick to react.
‘Puhaha.’
Everyone was absorbed in acting carefully in front of me. They were

probably thinking of the possibility of getting sent straight to the First City
Wall once they made a mistake. Some people seemed a little disconcerted by
me, who suddenly abandoned Song Jungwook, but it was not Song Jungwook
that was important to them.
I just announced the end of his modest power, and he was forced to accept it.
As the rest of the guild masters looked at me warily, I couldn’t help but
smile. It seemed that their relationship was not as close as I had initially
thought.
“Ah. If you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me.”
“Hahaha. Of course.”
“If you are dissatisfied with the schedule, we will accept it after careful
consideration.”
“That… Honorary Bishop…”
“Yes. You can talk.”
“That… First of all, I am not dissatisfied with the organization, but I think
you should pay more attention to the western area walls. Of course, it’s only
my personal opinion.”
“Ah. Thank you for the great comment.”
‘He’s sharper than I thought.’
When I opened my mouth to speak the line I had prepared in advance, Cha
Hee-ra, sitting next to me, spoke first.
“You thought you had to put a little more strength on the First Wall that faces
the forest, right, honey? That’s why the Little Rock Guild took that heavy
duty… In the case of the west wall, if the first row is opened, Yeongju Tower
and I will support you after that, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Ah… Yes. Okay. That… Sorry for the useless comment.”

“Well, there’s nothing to be sorry about. You’re asking because you don’t
know…”
“The Mercenary Queen’s words are indeed correct. You can feel free to ask
questions. As I am still lacking, many of your opinions will be helpful.”
“You’re not lacking. It’s great to be able to do this in a short period, and at
least, I don’t think you lack in any way… we couldn’t have done this if it
wasn’t Blue anyway.”
“…”
“The pre-war defense wouldn’t happen properly. I can bet on it. After
discovering the monsters belatedly without any preparation, you would
prepare for it, but it wouldn’t be enough. Eventually, you would have
abandoned Castle Rock and run away, or would get eradicated right away.”
“T-That…”
In fact, I also agreed with Cha Heer-a’s thoughts. However, I couldn’t just
say it like that.
“Hee-ra.”
“I know. I know.”
It was good of her to work hard for me, but she was working too hard. The
atmosphere was a bit weird, so I thought it would be better to end the meeting
at this point.
“We didn’t progress that much, but since the organization is complete, I think
it’s better for all of you to settle down. Details can be communicated to each
group later… And about work, the guild masters can do it at their discretion.
Everyone will participate in the afternoon’s training.”
“Yes.”
“Alright.”
“Thank you for coming here.”
At this, everyone slowly started to head out, their friendly facades still in
place.
‘They don’t feel the danger.’
In fact, a lot of them didn’t feel nervous at all. Of course, I could see those
who took the current situation seriously, but I felt that some people were
more interested in the benefits that would come after that rather than stopping
the monster wave.
Wherever one would go, people’s vested interests were similar. Indeed,
commanders who gave orders from behind in such a war were relatively less
exposed to danger.
As I exchanged greetings with everyone, Song Jungwook approached me.
“Uhm. Lee Kiyoung-nim…”
“Ah, Song Jungwook-nim.”
“Uhm…”
“You can talk comfortably. Little Rock Guild Master.”
“B-By any chance…”
“Yes?”
“Did I do anything wrong…?”
“I’m not sure why you’re saying that…”
“What?”
“Hahaha. What could the Little Rock Guild Master have done? Rather, I want
to express my gratitude here. You took over the wall that might be relatively
dangerous.”
‘To be exact, that’s what I told you to do.’
“Perhaps the Little Rock Guild will be a great example for the knights of the
Yeongju Tower and other imperialists. We plan to provide as much support
as we can, so don’t worry about anything else. Just focus on protecting Castle
Rock.”
I could see him staring at me with a blank face as he found this absurd. I
didn’t think there would be a need to talk about anything else.
“Is there any problem?”
“It’s… nothing, Lee Kiyoung.”
“As you may already know, the Little Rock Guild Master’s duty and
responsibilities are enormous. I hope you will do your best.”
“Yes…”
Of course, he had to do his best. If not, he would die.
“Ah. And in the future, if you have any questions or needs, you can tell me
through my lieutenant.”
“Your lieutenant…”
“Lieutenant!”
“Yes, Vice Guild Master?”
“It’s Cho Hyejin.”
Upon my call, Cho Hyejin quickly approached. Song Jungwook bit his lips
tightly.
It seemed that he thought that the reason that he’s been had was because of
Cho Hyejin. I didn’t mean to come between, but I feel like this was not bad,
either.
While looking at Cha Hee-ra and slowly walking away, I could see him
clenching his fists.
‘He’s not all that wrong.’
Cho Hyejin was right about half of the reason he’s been had.
There was no reason to resolve the misunderstanding as it was better for him
to resent her rather than me. Even if he tried to overturn something now, the
tide had already been turned.
He had no choice.
“Hyejin will manage the major events of the unit from now on. Well, even
the smallest events will be impossible for me to manage. Come to think of it;
you two already know each other… This will be easier, then.”
“Hahaha. So I’ll trust you, Hyejin.”
As I moved slowly, I could hear the two talking behind me, but I didn’t pay
much attention.
‘They must be resenting and fighting with each other by now.’
It was obvious as to what kind of situation would unfold. What was more
important than their conversation was what I could get from this big event
and how I could execute the plan according to the strategy.
Now, that alone gave me headaches.
“Are you trying to make them fight, honey?”
“It’s not like that, Hee-ra. More than that, thank you for coming.”
“No. Rather, I want to say thank you for calling me from here… I was
waiting for an event like this.”
“It’s nice of you to say that.”
“It would be nice if a monster wave happened, but there is a chance that it
will not. So you can say that I came to see you instead. At the same time, I
came to instill tension in the guild after a long time. It’s not bad.”
“What does that mean?”
“There is a chance that the monster wave will not happen, honey.”
“No way.”
“I don’t know. Looking at the circumstances Kim Hyunsung brought, it

seems almost certain, but… Should I say that the evidence is a bit lacking?”
“Huh?”
“Well, you don’t know because you haven’t been here for a long time, but the
usual signs of monster waves are saturation of the forest or destabilization in
the dungeon. It means that monsters that don’t have enough food or places to
stay in the forest pop out. However, no matter how much I search through the
data, there is no indication that the forest is saturated.”
“Really?”
“There was no dungeon found nearby that could stimulate other monsters…
If I say that there are signs, then the cause wouldn’t be visible, would you
understand?”
“I know what you mean.”
Of course, this was the part where I also had questions.
Unlike Cha Hee-ra, who seemed to have actually experienced a monster

wave, there were times when I felt like I was missing something, although I
could not pinch it properly because I had no experience.
Of course, I felt like I was not the only one missing out.
Kim Hyunsung, who seemed busy preparing for the monster wave, also
seemed to be looking for the reason as well. In the first round, our lovely
returner, who didn’t have much to do with Castle Rock, was also unable to
answer the reason as to why the wave started.
‘But this is already confirmed.’
Whatever the reason, the wave would happen. It wouldn’t end as to how Cha
Hee-ra would describe it.
As I thought about letting her in on what I knew would happen, a faint sound
echoed.
“Kieeek.”
‘What is this?’
What I heard faintly was the cry of a monster. It was a voice that came from
inside, not outside the city.
“What… What is this noise?”

Chapter 171
What I heard faintly was the cry of a monster. It was a voice that came from
inside, not outside the city.
“What… What is this noise?”
As I shook my head at Cha Hee-ra’s question, I heard another cry resonating

from somewhere. It was a long, thin, high-tone cry, too distinct to be
considered a human’s.
“Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeek!”
‘Did the monsters in the basement jump out?’
It was not impossible, yet it sounded a bit pathetic to say so. Whatever the
reason, it would be right to identify the sound. As I opened my mouth to
speak, Cha Hee-ra cut me off.
“Honey. Could you be quiet for a minute?”
“Huh?”
“Just pipe down.”
At this, she closed her eyes, trying to detect the sound. Though I couldn’t
understand her behavior, I could understand why she had told me to be silent.
The floor had started to shake, and it felt scary to look down. Though it was
subtle, the vibrations were similar to that of an earthquake. In an instant, I
sensed the incoming danger.
‘What… is it?’
“Should we get ready?”
“What?”
“I think it really is coming.”
“What?”
“I’m not kidding. I guess I was wrong. It’s coming now, so get ready as soon
as possible. It seems that it is still a little far away… However, it will
probably come soon.”
“Why is all of this suddenly happening…”
The situation felt so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but laugh. I hadn’t
expected it to happen this soon. Though Kim Hyunsung had busied himself,
he didn’t move with a sense of urgency.
‘Did it happen earlier than the first round? Did Kim Hyunsung know that the
monsters would be coming in today? At this timing?’
As if I had conjured him, I could see Kim Hyunsung running towards us, a
clear, disconcerted expression crossing his face.
‘He didn’t know.’
I could confirm this with the genuinely disbelieving expression he had on.
Something must be wrong.
“Kiyoung-ssi”
“Yes, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“Quickly prepare for battle… The monster wave seems to have started.”
“Ah… Yes, alright.”
Though I had wondered about the possibility of twisting the future, I didn’t
think it would change so much. At least we had done our best to prepare our
troop formation.
However, as I continued to think hard, I was able to get a glimpse of the fuse
of this sudden bomb. No, I didn’t even have to think harder. The answer was
decided on the circumstance.
‘The sound of that cry just now…’
I didn’t know how it rang out of the city, but I was sure that the protagonist
of this situation right now came from that cry.
“I think the scale is… a little bigger than I thought.”
“I see. I’ll get ready for battle right now. What about Hyunsung-ssi?”
“I will inform the Yeongju Tower directly. Kiyoung-ssi can continue to

monitor the situation at the Central Command Department and operate a
conservative reserve force. All Blue members will move at once.”
“Ah… Yes. Then I will load all the arrows and cast magic, then lie in wait.”
“Yes. And the sound we just heard…”
“We’re working on it. If something strange happens, I’ll report it

immediately.”
“And… Kiyoung-ssi?”
“Yes?”
“I trust you.”
At that, I felt better. I knew Kim Hyunsung’s words were not just mere
pleasantries, especially during an event he considered important. This would
be an excellent opportunity to accumulate a good amount of experience.
Due to the circumstances, I was entrusted to command, but it also would have
been hard for Kim Hyunsung to trust me, someone, who had no experience.
Of course, I felt grateful for his continuous, silent support. Although I had
blanked out for a while, I knew I should not idle like this.
As soon as I started running to let the rest know that the situation had
erupted, the soldiers quickly began to spread in all directions.
A loud bell started rattling, and the surroundings become noisy in an instant.
“Ready for battle.”
“Ready for battle!”
“Get ready for battle! Ready for battle!”
At this point, I opened my mouth once more.
“All forces hold the position, and the magic corps shall wait after casting!”
“It’s a monster. All troops prepare for battle! Hold the position! Magic corps
on standby!”
It was certainly comfortable to have a messenger who would scream out for
me.
It seemed that Castle Rock wasn’t completely a mess, as it entered a war state
in no time.
Since the monsters were not visible, our fighters cast their spells and loading
arrows without knowing why, but the anxiety was evident on their faces. Of
course, in my case, I was still in a situation where I couldn’t think of where
the sound would have come from.
However, the cry was a hint in itself. It sounded like a puppy crying out for
its mother.
It was momentary, but the egg of the monster that would come out for sale at
the auction house popped into my mind.
‘It must be that, right?’
I hadn’t checked it properly, but if the egg was sold or kept by a guild with a
different purpose, I couldn’t help but keep in mind the possibility that the egg
had hatched.
‘I should have checked a little more carefully.’
In the first place, I should have been more suspicious when a monster’s egg
appeared in the central auction house. The puzzle seemed to fit perfectly
when considering that.
If the wave would start faster than expected, it was correct to assume that the
cause would be that cry. I needed to find this out for myself first.
“Hee-ra.”
“What?”
“The sound we just heard came from within the city.”
“Do I have to check it?”
“Yes. You don’t have to go there yourself. No, you better protect this place.
The Mercenary Queen’s name helps increase morale.”
“Of course.”
“What about the western area?”
“When the wave starts, we’ll start the operation right away, so you don’t have
to worry, honey. There’s no problem here, so it’s good to think carefully
about what you’d like to give me as a reward for this job. Because if it’s
money, I have too much already. Don’t think about giving me gold coins.”
“Hmm…”
“Are you thinking about solving it with money this time, too?”
“About half…”
“I knew it. This is our maiden battle… I mean. How about doing a short
speech or something?”
“…”
Everything felt so sudden that I felt unsettled. I already knew the importance
of the commander’s role. It was not a human-to-human war, but it was also
important to promote morale as this could be classified as a large-scale battle.
However, this was not a good time to make any risky decisions.
It wasn’t long after the formation was over, and everyone else had gotten
busy.
However, it was evident that everything had been firmly established.
Little Rock, which I worried would escape through a chaotic gap, was also
looking down from the First City Wall’s top.
The Merchant Union that delivered supplies was moving consumables such
as arrows and potions to each location, and some of the imperial people, who
were weak at heart, busied themselves with their prayers. Perhaps…
‘They must’ve realized it.’
The vibrations on the ground had slowly begun to get worse. The earth itself
had started to shake, its magnitude slowly increasing.
From far away came the echoes of monsters crying.
‘Hmm…’
If someone were to ask if I was scared, I would say that, indeed, I was.
Everything felt so unrealistic. I wondered if I would be able to do my job, and
my anxiety spiked from there.
‘Fuck… It’s scary…’

Of course, I had my own source of strength – the lovely leader Kim
Hyunsung, the meat shield Park Deokgu, the adorably obsessed Jung Hayan,
and the high-quality priest Sun Hee-young.
Little Kim Ye-ri and Hwang Jeong-yeon were a little too considerate to be in
my line, but they were still colleagues who could save my life if ever I’d be
in danger.
The most reliable one right now was Cha Hee-ra, who was here beside me.
It was undeniable that I was safe, watching the situation safely from the rear.
Besides these, there were thousands and tens of thousands of soldiers who
could throw their lives for me.
“Ah… you bastard, there is no need to be anxious.”
“Huh?”
“Voice magic, please.”
“You want to say something?”
“Of course, Hee-ra.”
I began to speak as the screaming grew. The voice I spit out wrapped around
the entire castle wall and the castle through amplification magic, and for a
while, my voice was louder than the cry of the monsters.
Perhaps it was my voice, not their shouts, that they heard was trembling.
“Our hometown is not here.”
“…”
“Strictly speaking, we are people who have nothing to do with this place.
Most people have been brought here without knowing why, and some have
come to Castle Rock to survive. Some came to find work.”
“…”
“There are probably many people who have their own share of bad memories.
The environment here is not friendly to us. Some of you may have lost your
friend, and some may have lost your lover. There may be some who spend
their nights with alcohol because each day is so difficult, while others are
worried and wondering about whether to take their own lives.”
“Honey?”
“But everyone… Take a moment to look back and see the output behind you.
You are the one who made the current Castle Rock. It is the free and imperial
people who changed Castle Rock, which previously functioned as a military
facility. Since everyone thought it was dangerous and was busy migrating
and evading, Castle Rock is now a tourist attraction and hunting center for
many tourists and free people. It’s the result of your lost friends, lovers, and
family.”
“…”
“All of you have accomplished and built this up. This high wall we are
stepping on, the arrows we hold in our hands, everything you are in. It is you,
not anyone, who have built these. It is a precious place made with your blood
and sweat. This is our shelter and home. It is a home with our loved ones and
friends.”
“You’re good at talking, honey.”
“I will ask you guys. Isn’t Castle Rock really our hometown? Do you really
think it has nothing to do with us?”
“…”
“Castle Rock will be safe. If you lift your weapons with the will to defend,
our homeland, where we work for ourselves, will be safe! Everyone, we are
not forced to lift our swords because of our contract with the Holy Empire.
We lift our swords to protect our hometown ourselves. Let’s protect the base
of life together! Everyone!”
Though my speech was sudden, it didn’t sound bad at all. The human mind
would easily be impressed by this kind of speech when faced with extreme
conditions.
Some may be swearing at what bullshit I had just spouted was, but some who
were touched may shout to forget their fears.
“L-Let’s protect our hometown!”
‘As I had expected.’
“Let’s protect our hometown! Let’s protect our living base!”
‘Good. Very good.’
“Let’s protect our hometown!!!”
Shouts of defiance began to spread throughout the entire area. It felt

ridiculous to hear it resound from the First City wall all the way here, but it
appeared that even Little Rock had garnered courage from my words.
‘You’ll have to protect it harder, you bastards.’
“Gwooooooooaaa!”
Soon, monsters began to file out of the forest. Although the soldiers flinched,
they soon recovered and readied their stances.
“Today, Castle Rock will be safe, everyone!”
“Let’s protect Castle Rock!”
“All forces on standby!”
“Launch!”
Magic and arrows covered the sky.

Chapter 172
I never imagined that I would see this kind of scene with my own eyes. I had
only ever seen such in war movies and cartoons.
What was more unrealistic than that was the presence of monsters constantly
running towards the wall.
“Ah uh uh uh uh!”
‘There are so many of them…’
I didn’t go hunting a lot, but the ones I saw for the first time definitely stood
out. These were medium-sized monsters, which were about five times larger
than humans, to small monsters that were continuously being stepped on by
the bigger ones.
The monsters may each have their own purpose and size, but the ones with
only one purpose of crossing the walls certainly felt terrifying.
As they stood there, magic and arrows began to fall upon them.
There was a momentary yet loud roar.
Kaw-ahhh!
Kwajiik!
Kaduuuk!
An explosive sound was heard, and debris spread to the ground in all
directions. The small monsters quickly got caught in the fire.
Arrows were embedded in the whole body of medium-sized monsters, and

thus, they fell. Arrows with magical power on each one of them were steadily
blowing the heads of the small monsters.
However, the number of monsters in the crowd was more than I had first
imagined. It was ridiculous to see that they all protruded from the forest side.
‘Where are they coming from?’
It was clear that even the monsters residing within the deepest forest also
popped out. As the forest was so large, their numbers would also, no doubt.
“Launch!”
When I went to speak once more, the secondary bombardment hit the ground
from the wall. Once again, the same thing happened.
The monsters that ran towards us got knocked down, and the others tripped
over the already fallen bodies. When I raised my hand, the wizards who
specialized in handling the earth’s properties cast their spells, and spears
made of soil and rocks started to pop out from the ground.
The rest of the screaming mob got pierced by the spears.
‘Good.’
Though it didn’t show off very much, it proved to be quite effective in

clearing up the monsters’ forefront with a minimum attack.
‘It’s barely noticeable.’
The only thing we could do here was to use our arrows and magic efficiently.
I thought about at least getting the experience by chanting spells, but I gave
up on this thought immediately.
To efficiently take care of this large event prepared by the returner, it would
be good to leave the common-grade monsters or rare-grade monsters to the
unimportant people.
‘I have to save up my magic power in case of a formidable enemy later on.’

“It was easy.”
“Really?”
“Yes, honey. This is a good start. It is impressive that you put the brakes with
earth magic. There are not many flying monsters in Castle Rock, so if you
keep blocking and defending the entrance, it’ll be easier in the long run.”
“That’s good news.”
“I’m just saying this, but you’d better save your magic power. Opportunities
like this are rare.”
“I know.”
I could see the reality here; the guys who had more power were taking more
than those who didn’t. Unlike those under orders, setting rare-grade and
common-grade monsters, who didn’t want to die, on fire, those who could be
classified as commanders were saving their magic power and stamina for
later.
“They’re attacking the First City Wall first.”
“Yes, they are.”
During a pre-war defense, the monsters that entered in the first wave began to
bump into the city walls. Their vigor alone seemed to create some damage,
but the massive walls that had protected Castle Rock for hundreds of years
could not possibly fall.
At this, the monsters decided to use their fallen comrades as some makeshift
staircase.
“Block them out!”
“Quuuuh-uh!”
“Shoot your arrows! Shit! Arrows!”

“Push them away with magic!”
The Little Rock Guild maintaining the front line was showing quite an
impressive performance.
‘Whoa… They’re desperate.’
It would only be natural for them to feel this way. If the monsters broke
through, they would die.
If I could, I would leave them to die right now, but there was no way I can do
that.
We were still in the early stages of the wave, so it was only right for them to
keep holding on.
Looking at Song Jungwook, who was doing his best to protect the guild
members from afar, was enough to strengthen my resolve.
‘Noble guys.’
If that wasn’t a sacrifice, what would be a sacrifice?
They were guarding their hometown, but they would not be able to protect
themselves.
Archers were shooting arrows constantly, as their wizards were already in

danger of exhaustion.
Some priests did not miss the tension, and the warriors were trying their best
to drop the monsters that have started climbing up.
Among them was Song Jungwook of Little Rock.
“Don’t let them come up!”
They might want to run away at this point. However, it seemed that they
couldn’t do so because of the Red Mercenaries on the ground.
It would have been difficult even for me to throw everything away and run
alone.
Considering the guild members that they cultivated and the locations in
Castle Rock they had made so far, there was no way they could make such a
choice. I used the hometown reason for that speech, but in truth, this was a
more precious place than their real hometown.
‘Wow…’
This was different from what I had expected; I thought they would collapse in
an instant. The power of Little Rock was stronger than I thought. Naturally, I
was happy as a commander for their hard work.
“Support the First City Wall.”
“Yes, sir. The reserve squad should head straight to the First City Wall!”
What was needed in this situation, which may be a prolonged war, was how
to use adequate physical distribution and reserve forces.
It was burdensome to have hundreds or thousands of lives in my hands, but it

was more efficient to think of human lives as mere numbers on the
battlefield.
The damage would definitely occur to the other city wall, but now it was
efficient to give a little margin to the first wall side. I could see that the
wizards included in the reserve troops were running quickly.
“Hmm…”
“What, Hee-ra?”
“Nothing… I just think you would be a competent commander.”
“…”
I didn’t answer because Cha Hee-ra seemed to understand my thoughts.

“Do you like giving people hope?”
I did not look at her. Instead, my gaze rested on Song Jungwook.
With the sudden help from the reserve forces, I could see him looking this
way, even from a distance. In an instant, hope came into his tired face.
I could take this to mean that he had not given up on the First City Wall.
“The reinforcements are here! Hold on a little longer, everyone!”
“Yes, Guild Master!”
I didn’t know what he was imagining, but it was impressive that he was still
doing his best as if he hadn’t gotten abandoned.
As soon as I started to focus support towards the First City Wall, the
monsters’ movements that were constantly climbing up began to take a break.
“I don’t like it, Hee-ra. I think it would be better to use it as much as possible
to make the most of it.”
“Huh.”
“Anyway, the First City Wall will inevitably get pierced after some time.
According to Castle Rock’s pre-war defense records, there has never been a
First City Wall that hasn’t been pierced during the pre-war defense that lasted
for hundreds of years. Of course, the wall has never been completely pierced,
but it has always sustained serious damage.”
“You studied hard.”
“It’s a simple fact you can learn just by reading the record. I don’t know what
Castle Rock’s wall architects thought when building this wall, but they
seemed a little bit crazy.
“Why?”
“It is made to force sacrifices on the pre-war defense itself. The man who
built the wall originally designed this wall under the premise that humans in
the first wall could not survive… Well… That’s why the rest of the bases
surround the First Wall. For example, the background of Castle Rock, which
has never collapsed until now, was based on the sacrifices of numerous
people.”
“You are saying that this time, the scapegoat is Little Rock?”
“Of course. Perhaps they can withstand the offense a little more. I just need
to use them through, and after I have extracted all the magic power, I can
throw them out. It would be unfair for them to die with the remaining magical
power, and it would be a loss to this side as well.”
“You look so trashy…”
“I thought this was the reason you said I was going to be a competent
commander.”
“That’s right… Still, you’re really fucking crap.”
“These are criminals who would have had to die anyway. I gave them a
chance to die like this, so they have to thank me. Isn’t it what one would call
a so-called honorable death?”
It was, indeed. I could easily find evidence of the crimes they had committed.
Even if he were to survive, Song Jungwook would end up dying in one way
or another.
There was also a possibility of him suffering severe torture, so it would be

best to die surrounded by monsters. His death would work in my favor.
“Fight them back!”
“Don’t let them come up! Never! What are the warriors doing?!”
‘They’re holding on better than I thought.’
Having the First City Wall precariously preserved was an impressive feat in
itself.
Of course, these were still only rare-grade monsters, yet it was not an
exaggeration to say that just by holding on was enough for their role.
If they blocked higher-grade monsters once, Little Rock would be doing

more than their value, so I thought it wouldn’t be bad to support them a little
more. When the arrows intensively fell on the monsters under the first wall,
they screamed out and gave room once more.
Hope once again was shown on Song Jungwook’s face, and he was sending a
look of complete trust to me.
‘This stupid guy.’
It seemed as if he thought Little Rock was placed on the first wall to make it
active.
It was at this moment that rare-grade and higher-grade monsters appeared

from the back.
‘The full-scale battle begins now.’
A distinct four-legged monster jumped out towards the wall at once, climbing
up with ease. Magic intensively poured out towards it.
The primary goal was to reduce stamina by urgently integrating the reserve
troops.
In the meantime, seeing that Jung Hayan’s and Hwang Jeong-yeon’s magic
had mixed into the fight, it seemed to me that now was the time to take a little
more action.
As the support to the First Wall was cut off due to new monsters’ appearance,
our proud Little Rock had settled for fighting hand-to-hand with the monsters
coming in.
‘It won’t make sense to support that.’
The thought of throwing them away had now crossed my mind.

While slowly draining the remaining troops, I continued to support the First
City Wall only from a distance. Screaming had already enveloped some of
the areas.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Help me! Help…!”
Song Jungwook of Little Rock had also started to feel impatient. I could see
him staring at me with a pathetic expression, but what he saw when he turned
his head was the support team already retreating.
“Lee Kiyoung, you motherfucker! Re-Retreat! Troops, head back…”
However, they couldn’t. It was impossible to turn their back against the
monsters that had already flocked in. Song Jungwook only continued to
scream.
“Lee Kiyoung! You motherfucker! Lee Kiyoung! Lee Kiyoooouung!”
‘Bye.’
“Lee Kiyooooouung!”
Eventually, a large number of monsters penetrated the First City Wall, and
his voice got blocked out.
I opened my mouth as I memorized the numbers.
“The sacrifice of Little Rock must not be in vain!”
Tears fell down my cheeks as I spoke this.

Chapter 173
“The sacrifice of Little Rock must not be in vain!”
Tears fell down my cheeks as I spoke this.
I thought the troops would get it together upon hearing my trembling voice,
which spread out loudly due to voice amplification magic. Although some of
them knew they could also die, Little Rock had not gone down running away.
They probably hadn’t even heard Song Jungwook’s scream.
Unlike me, who could identify the battle situation with magic, ordinary
soldiers busied themselves with dealing with the monsters in their way.
Therefore, Song Jungwook’s incessant cursing of my name must’ve looked
like a war cry to them until Jungwook had died. For them, Jungwook had
died a beautiful death.
He and Little Rock had become heroes of this pre-defense war.
‘I did you a favor, Song Jungwook.’
I had no intention of doing the same for myself. It would be better for me to
survive through dirty tactics.
Not surprisingly, many troops were impressed by Little Rock, one of the
guilds representing Castle Rock. One by one, they echoed my words.
“Do not let the sacrifice of Little Rock be in vain!”
“Kill these dirty cubs, you bastards!”
“Let’s protect our hometown!”

In the last moments of his death, the pre-defense’s troops got alive once again
from archers who had fire in their eyes as if given a buff, to warriors who did
not spare themselves, and to priests who constantly exuded divine power.
I had to set an example too, so I also slowly started chanting a spell.
It was time to show the dirty monsters that filled the First City Wall how big
Castle Rock’s united power was.
“Let’s protect Castle Rock!”
‘Puh hihahiiihat!’
As if she felt my magic, Jung Hayan also started to chant spells from a
distance.
If I were alone, it would be difficult to do great damage to them, but with

Jung Hayan’s magic, I could do a lot more damage than imagined.
‘I have to gain more experience.’
The moment the spell was completed, I could see a large hand descending
from the sky to the First City Wall. The massive hand of the catalyst that had
been reconstructed instantly continued to expand; of course, the magical
power supplied from Jung Hayan constantly infused it with magic. With a
‘Kwaang!’ sound, the monsters in the First City Wall were immediately
crushed.
Little Rock seemed to have been crushed, too, but a small sacrifice was
necessary for the cause. Eventually, the huge hand expanded and burst,
causing an explosion.
It was not my work, but it was obvious as to whose it was.
‘Hayan!’
“Kaw-ahhh!”
“Kadududukkk!”
“Kuh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh!”
‘Nice!’
You couldn’t hear any experience bar rising, but it felt like hundreds of
monsters were swept away by the magic that we had chanted just before. As a
result, part of the wall collapsed, and the number of monsters that fell under it
was quite large.
[Some classes have been opened. Please choose the class you think you
need.]
‘Already?’
Considering that the higher ranking one got, the more difficult it was to grow,
this was a great achievement. It seemed like I had managed to kill quite a few
monsters, but I didn’t expect to get a new class this early. A smile formed on
my face.
Upon seeing this, Cha Hee-ra spoke.
“New class?”
“Yes. I never thought I would rank up this fast.”
“How many times has this been, honey?”
“This is the fourth.”
“I think that one just now was good, but it appeared pretty fast… I think the
experience points from Ito Souta were also counted. Basically, combat gives
one the greatest experience, but usually, all actions give experience in one
way or another. I’ll choose my new class after this wave is over. I’ll
accumulate more experience that way, anyway.”
“Thank you for the tip.”
“It’s a fact that we all know. Rather than that, you should control your facial
expressions.”
“Of course. Let’s focus our magic power on the First City Wall, where
monsters are being concentrated! This is the last message from the Guild
Master Song Jungwook!”
Of course, he had never said that.
“We must not let the will of the Guild Master Song Jungwook to protect
Castle Rock in vain! Everyone! Let’s hold on a little longer. Nothing can be
saved without sacrifice. Let’s fight together for the hero who lost his life
while protecting Castle Rock! All forces, fire!”
After all, I also wanted to get rid of any possible Little Rock Guild survivor.
At my words, magic and arrows descended upon the area.
A lot of magic was poured onto the battlefield, making it scary to calculate.
“Kaw-ahhh!”
“Kwajijijijijijijiji!”
The roaring sound that rang through my ears sounded just like music. As
much as I had to focus on reserving magic power, chanting flame-based
magic was worth it. As a result, everything within its path burned into ashes,
setting off an array of mini-explosions.
‘Whoa…’
“Kieeeeeek!”
“Kuh-uh-uh-uh-uh!”
In an instant, a huge hole filled up from within the mob of monsters trying to
get past our defenses. Of course, the rest of them continued to run, yet they
had also gotten inflicted by tremendous damage.
‘All of this is thanks to Song Jungwook!’
At this thought, a smile formed on my face.

“This might be easier than I thought…”
I couldn’t deny Cha Hee-ra’s words.
Our people were effectively driving away the monsters, though new ones
kept appearing.
Some of them had managed to climb over the wall, but they were quickly
taken care of. Even my own Blue party was doing the same thing.
Kim Hyunsung flew from wall to wall, steadily arranging the monsters just
like a god of war.
I didn’t know how he managed to cut off the neck of such a large monster
with a single sword slash, but he managed to do that and much more.
‘Kim Ye-ri, too…’
Even the kid was showing off his immense talent. Jung Hayan’s magic
accurately hit the monsters, and Hwang Jeong-yeon assisted her as much as
possible. Sun Hee-young focused on sprinkling her divine power in all
directions.
The only commoner at our party was Park Deokgu. However, even he was
doing more than average, so I could feel the impact of such a well-trained and
capable party on the battlefield.
‘They’ve grown a lot.’
I could say the same about me, but our party was completely different from
before.
It was then that a man wearing a Red Mercenary’s insignia quickly

approached us.
“Cha Hee-ra-nim.”
“Huh? Oh. Did you take care of it?”

“Yes. As you said, we’ve got all the remaining items in the underground
auction house. Besides, I also checked the cry of the monster we heard
before.”
“Report it.”
“In the guild warehouse of Little Rock, I found a baby born from a monster’s
egg in a form I have never seen before…”
“What?”
“It was a type of monster that I have never seen before. First of all, we are
securing new recruits since we occupied the Little Rock Guild House… You
will have to come and check it out yourself. Perhaps…”
‘Hm?’
“Perhaps it is the cause of the monster wave.”
The Red Mercenary member nodded as I made this assumption.
‘I was right.’
There would be no effect without a cause.
When my speculation was confirmed, my head started to ache. If we were to

assume that the wave started because of a monster’s egg, we might have to
deal with its parents.
Cha Hee-ra appeared to have thought of the same thing.
“Did you check where the eggs were found?”
“I interrogated the Little Rock warehouse manager, but he gave no clue other
than finding it in a deep forest.”
“Huh… They’re crazy guys. It is not illegal to bring in monster eggs, but it’s
still taboo. I knew they were doing illegal things in the first place, but I didn’t
think they were stupid enough… At this point, I feel like those damn guys
died too honorably…”
“Then, the monster wave….”
“There is a high probability that it’s happened because of that baby, only now
it can be explained. The beginning of the monster wave was clearly that
howling…”
“Is this a dangerous repayment?”
I could realize it was a stupid question even as I spit it out.
Of course, it was dangerous.
“No. There won’t be a big problem. First of all, it would be nice to go inside
the city and check it out. I think I need to sort out a bit of appetizer before the
main dish comes. Don’t worry too much. Now, we have to deal with just one
more guy.”
I was a little disconcerted to hear that Cha Hee-ra had to start moving now.
Of course, it wasn’t bad timing, but it was evident that the situation was
urgent.
“I’ll come back.”
“Ah… Yes.”
She waved as if it was not a big deal and jumped down the wall. Just in case
it wasn’t dangerous, I looked at the member of the Red Mercenary. He spoke
right away.
“She prefers to fight alone.”
“I see.”
“The master often shows excitement when she concentrates… It would be

better to say that she actually ends up losing her head.”
I knew that much. If one were to think about Cha Hee-ra’s attribute, the
answer came quickly.
[Attribute: Bloodthirsty Woman (Heroic)]
[Intelligence stats are temporarily reduced to increase attack power.]
This attribute made Cha Hee-ra the way she was. Considering that her
original strength was already 97, her appearance in a state of increased attack
power was like a god of war, and even that was not enough.
Kaaduuuuuk!
Baaaaaaanng!
As I looked down at the bottom of the wall, I saw the monsters being ripped
apart, just as I had expected. Though Cha Hee-ra calmly picked them off at
first, her disposition gradually changed into something as similar as a beast’s.
It was like she was never a human in the first place. The way she tore apart a
medium-sized monster with her own hands made her look terrifying.
‘She is strong…’
I knew how strong guys like Ito Souta were, but they were nothing compared
to Hee-ra.
Seeing her laughing while covered in intestines definitely made her look
insane.
‘It’s scary…’
It was then that Cha Hee-ra’s gaze, whose eyes seemed to have lost all
reason, moved onto the wall.
“Uh?”
It was not an illusion. Her gaze had rested on me while holding a monster’s
head in one hand.
Her expression soon turned into an eager one.

‘No way…’
[Checking the unique characteristic of the player Cha Hee-ra.]
[A Lioness Faithful to Instinct.]
‘No way…’
What I had only been imagining had come true.
Seeing Cha Hee-ra running to me suddenly, I had to admit that something

was really wrong.
“Fuck… Shit!! Run!”
I didn’t know why, but Cha Hee-ra was definitely following me.
Chapter 174
A Lioness Faithful to Instinct (1)
“Fuck… Shit!! Run!”
I didn’t know why, but Cha Hee-ra was definitely following me.
Those bloody eyes gave me goosebumps. I didn’t know what she was
imagining, but she was groaning with the sound of a beast, and a smirk was
plastered on her face.
‘Shit…’
She had become an actual bomb.
Unlike Jung Hayan’s, Cha Hee-ra’s case was completely unexpected.
Usually, when one did something, there were things within the range that
could be expected. The same could be said for most things.
The same was true for this expedition alone. Although I was a little late to
realize, the wave’s cause could actually be inferred, and the collapse of the
First City Wall was already predictable.
In this pre-war defense, we had prepared for a lot of variables, many of which
I had thought up on my own. However, I never imagined that there would be
a crazy situation where my own allies would be chasing me.
I never expected this type of situation.
‘This was not in my calculations.’
Having her chase after me was definitely terrifying, especially as she climbed
up the wall with ease. I felt like I could understand why she had focused on
me rather than the enemy.
The answer came quickly if one were to think of her attribute, Lioness
Faithful to Instinct.
Cha Hee-ra had lowered her intellect for heightened offense, probably not
thinking of this situation happening.
In normal circumstances, she would have wandered the battlefield like a

Bloodthirsty Madame. She would have focused on exuding the violence that
was inherent in her.
This time, it felt like something else had exploded instead of her violence.
If this had happened before, I knew she would have warned me at least once.
‘This is her first time.’
It definitely was.
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Cha Hee-ra.]
[Name: Cha Hee-ra]
[Title: Bloodthirsty Madame, Red Mercenary, Red Madame of Holy Empire]
[Age: 28]
[Disposition: Unpredictable Innovator]
[Class: Mercenary Queen (Legendary)]
[Class Effect-Acquisition of Basic Sword Knowledge]
[Class Effect-Acquisition of Intermediate Weapon Knowledge]
[Class Effect-Acquisition of Advanced Weapon Knowledge]
[Class Effect-Acquisition of Advanced Dual Weapons Knowledge 3333]
[Class Effect-Acquisition of Advanced Magical Power Management

Knowledge]
[Stats]
[Strength: 117/Growth potential: mythic or higher]
[Agility: 90/Growth potential: Heroic or lower]
[Health: 90/Growth potential: Heroic or lower]
[Intelligence: 00/Growth potential: Rare or higher]
[Luck: 56/Growth potential: Rare or higher]
[Magic Power: 82/Growth potential: Heroic or lower]
[Equipment: None]
[Attribute: Bloodthirsty Madame: Heroic]
[Intelligence stats are temporarily reduced to increase attack power.]
[General Review: Intelligence stats are temporarily reduced. The strength stat
has increased by 20 to 117, which is only temporary, yet exceeds the
legendary stat. She had lost all reason, so it would be better not to get too
close. In particular, player Lee Kiyoung’s endurance, such as a piece of
paper, may fly away with player Cha Hee-ra’s one gesture, so be careful. I
hope this meeting is not the end. Please survive…]
‘A general review that doesn’t even help! I’ll rip you off and kill you.’
As I expected, she was already and completely swallowed up by instinct.

What stood out above all was that the ridiculously high strength stat and
growth potential were written as higher than mythic.
‘Is that even possible?’

At this point, Cha Hee-ra’s sneeze would be enough to kill me.
The Red Mercenary member who had been beside me had confusion written
on his face.
“W-Why?”
“First, run!”
There should be at least one shield to protect my body. With this, I glanced at
the status window and checked out his stats.
‘Not bad.’
“Has she ever been like this?”
“N-No. This is the first time she’s ever been…”
Cha Hee-ra is continuing to climb the wall even as he spoke. I ran as far as I
could until she finally got over the wall, but considering agility and stamina
stats, I wouldn’t be able to hide.
“Block me!”
“O-Okay!”
As if possessed by my words, he held out his shield and tried to stop Cha
Hee-ra, but he could not block her outstretched foot and crashed through the
nearby wall.
Crack!
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
His bone had definitely gotten crushed.
Cha Hee-ra would definitely not make the mistake of killing her
subordinates, but if he were a normal person, his whole body would have
burst, and he would’ve died before he could even fly away.
“Juliana! No! White Paul! White Paul!”
The thing that came to my mind instantly was Griffon White Paul, who had
come with me.
I didn’t know if he heard my voice, but for now, there was no other way than
to call him eagerly. However, the blasted creature ignored my calls. I didn’t
know if it was because he couldn’t hear me or if he found it too dangerous,
but if it was the latter, then he was perfectly my griffon.
I thought it would be okay if Cha Hee-ra caught me, but there was the
possibility of her crushing my entire body, and I would rather not take that
chance. Fortunately – or unfortunately – I saw Juliana rushing my way.
‘That would slow her down for a while.’
She surely would. In the first place, this was a ridiculous, unexpected
situation.
One of the walls would not be able to properly play the pre-war defense role
thanks to Cha Heera, who had lost all reason. Whether I sink or swim, it
would only be right to bring her into the city to lead this pre-war defense to
victory.
‘At first, I should head under the wall.’
Even without Cha Hee-ra or me, the pre-war defense would proceed
smoothly. Of course, the story may be a little different if the mother of the
baby that Little Rock was holding appeared, but the troops who were already
struggling to protect Castle Rock knew that the victory of this battle was in
our favor.
If the remaining commander were not an idiot, there would be no problem

right now.
As I ran, I could hear screaming from behind me. Cha Hee-ra was probably
striking everything that stood in her way. Given her power, she might exude
damage that other people can’t handle, but now was not the time to worry
about others.
“Grrrr…”
‘What is she, a monster?’
I felt like she was getting closer. Tens of thousands of thoughts passed
through my mind about what would happen if I got caught, but no one could
guarantee that my body would be safe.
That was when I got lifted into the air.
As I screamed without my knowledge, I soon realized that a different

situation greeted me.
After opening my eyes, I saw that it was not Cha Hee-ra, but Cho Hyejin,
who had me in her arms.
“Whoo!”
“This… What the hell…”
“It’s a long story. For now, it would be better for us to run into the city.”
“Ah… Yes.”
“You must be careful, Hyejin-ssi.”
“Okay.”
“How is the situation at the pre-war defense?”
“It seems to be going well. However, I saw that Cha Hee-ra-nim was chasing
the Vice Guild Master…”
“It’s okay. Does the command team know about this situation?”
“I told them that to prevent monsters from infiltrating the underground water,
the Vice Guild Master and Cha Hee-ra would be moving with some troops.”
“Who?”
“It’s only just a ruse I made up… Ah! The total command of pre-war defense
was entrusted to the Giant’s Guild Master.”
It appeared to me that Cho Hyejin had become a little more flexible now.
I know she did that not to confuse the troops, but I would like to praise her a
little for her willingness to lie. I also liked the fact that the Giant’s Guild
Master is in command.
He was a guy with a good sense and had asked sensible questions about the
formation of troops on the western wall, so he would definitely lead the pre-
war defense according to the manual.
“By the way… Why did Cha Hee-ra suddenly…”
I struggled to find the right explanation, fighting through my embarrassment.

Even I couldn’t genuinely understand what was happening.
Seeing my reluctant expression, Cho Hyejin decided not to ask further.
In fact, I might’ve looked out of my mind now because of how Cha Hee-ra
was chasing me.
As the stats themselves were so different, we settled for drifting past alleys,
but she continued to destroy everything in her path in her fear of missing my
location.
At this, Cho Hyejin struggled to avoid all the debris falling onto the ground.
As we moved at high speeds, my sight began to blur.
“Grrrrr…”
Despite my unsettlement, a laugh bubbled out of me. This situation felt so

absurd. I had not expected this completely different
At this point, I felt pretty sure that Song Jungwook had placed a curse on me
before he died.
This situation did not feel realistic at this point.
However, since this was only an attribute, I knew Cha Hee-ra’s behavior
would soon revert to normal. All attributes had a time limit, after all.
When I looked at Cha Hee-ra with my Mind’s Eye once more, I could see her
attribute information. I remembered that there was no such function until
then. It looked like it had come with the evolution of my own ability.
[Checkind the details of the attribute, Bloodthirsty Madame, of the player

Cha Hee-ra.]
[Intelligence stats are temporarily reduced to increase attack power. Time

limit 1 hour: 49 minutes remaining]
‘Time limit, 1 hour?!’
It had only been only 11 minutes!
It personally felt like 30 minutes have passed. Still, it was fortunate that a
time limit even existed. If there was a condition written like, until Cha Hee-
ra’s stamina was exhausted, I might have to make a little extreme choice.
“You have to last for about an hour.”
“What?”
While Cho Hyejin replied, I could see Cha Hee-ra heading right in our
direction.
“Careful!”
Cho Hyejin hurriedly turned around at the cry, but it felt like it was too late.
I saw her biting her lips tightly, throwing me outward before pulling out a
spear. She had realized the difference in stats.
However, my predictions were wrong.

I heard a bang, but Cho Hyejin did not bounce outward. After hearing a voice
that seemed to cut through the air once, what I could see was Kim Hyunsung,
who had gone to block Cha Hee-ra.
‘Hyunsung!’
Our Hyunsung had saved Cho Hyejin and me from danger.
Of course, the difference in stats was still absurd. However, seeing divine
power being poured into him, I could see that Kim Hyunsung was not the
only one who had arrived here on time.
Looking back, Sun Hee-young was reaching out to Kim Hyunsung, and Jung
Hayan was staring at Cha Hee-ra quietly. Even Kim Ye-ri and Hwang Jeong-
yeon came. I felt shocked.
“What is this suddenly? Hyung-nim?”
Park Deokgu, holding a shield, had stepped in front of me.
“I don’t know well either. I don’t know why, but she suddenly started to run
towards me…”
“Ah. I know about the Mercenary Queen’s attribute, having heard of it.”
“I see.”
“It is a kind of attribute that improves attack power by reducing intelligence,

and the estimated time is about an hour… A little bit of time has passed, so
we’ll have to hold on a little. I don’t know why this happened, but I think the
first thing to do is to stop Cha Hee-ra.”
“What about the walls?”
“The pre-war defense itself has been fine so far. It would be okay to leave it
for a while.”
“Ah… Yes.”
“Let’s hold her down instead of killing her.”
Jung Hayan shook her head at Park Deokgu’s question. I didn’t know if she
saw this as an opportunity to kill Hee-ra, but her bright eyes looked creepy to
me.
Of course, if Cha Hee-ra died here, things would get more complicated.
Honestly speaking, our party was severely lacking in power.
The balance of power could be maintained because of Hwang Jeong-yeon,

who can be said to be a high-ranking wizard, and the returner, who was
performing way better than imagined.
Cho Hyejin was also one of the talented people who could maintain balance.
Assuming that these three people were not here, the meat shield, Park
Deokgu, would only last for about 3 seconds. Kim Ye-ri, meanwhile, would
last about 15 seconds.
If the front row collapsed, the back row would be pushed away in an instant.
“I don’t know what kind of situation this is.”
I was not the only one who sounded disconcerted.
All of the people here would not have expected that they would also have to
stop Cha Hee-ra when they came to stop this monster wave.
‘This is such an important event…’

Chapter 175
A Lioness Faithful to Instinct (2)
“We will fight with the idea of dealing with at least a legendary-grade named
monster. Hee-young-ssi will buff the close-ups. Deokgu-ssi and Hyejin-ssi
need to focus on not breaking down the back row. Ye-ri and I will block the
front as much as possible, so I think, Kiyoung-ssi and Jeong-yeon-ssi should
cast magic to stop her.”
“Yes. Okay.”
“Understood.”
Sun Hee-young and Park Deokgu nodded in reply.
Normally, it would be the standard to add buffs to the rear, but I felt like he
was trying to focus the buff on the front line to not let the melee forces
collapse in vain. I knew I would have made the same choice.
What was a little exciting about this was that Kim Hyunsung looked quite
familiar with this situation. In the future that would happen from now on,
there seemed to be a few things that would cause Cha Hee-ra to stray.
‘Of course, it will not be this kind of case…’
At least I knew Kim Hyunsung had been through this situation at least once.
“Grrrrrr…”
Cha Hee-ra, staring at us quietly from a few meters from here, felt a bit scary.
Her entire self was doused in red from the blood of the monsters that she had
torn apart. I began to tremble.
‘Whoo…’
The good news was that she could clearly separate allies from enemies. If she
didn’t kill a member of the Red Mercenary, she wouldn’t launch a dangerous
attack on us, either.
Of course, even a stone that she would throw would be enough to behead me,
but it as merit enough not to make a fatal attack anyway.
“She’s coming.”
“Grrrrrr!!”
In the meantime, debris from a large building started flying in our direction.
‘She doesn’t mean to kill, right?’
In an instant, the shadows cast upwards swallowed up our party members, but
as Hwang Jeong-yeon recited the spell, the fragments paused in the air.
It seemed to be a magical shape that used telekinetic power. Cha Hee-ra

disappeared among the thrown rubble.
However, she appeared at the side in no time, her arms stretched out.
It was surprisingly Park Deokgu that stopped Cha Heera.
“Don’t even touch Hyung-nim… Aaaak!”
As soon as he blocked her attack with his shield, he bounced off to the other
side. Though I knew he wouldn’t die, his arm had probably gotten crushed.
‘Wow, he only lasted for one second?’
Taking advantage of this, I could see Cho Hyejin, Kim Hyunsung, and Kim
Ye-ri rushing to her.
Cha Hee-ra struck Kim Hyunsung, who wielded his sword, with her arm as if
she found him annoying, but our lovely returner avoided the attack by
twisting his body.
Cho Hyejin’s spear then extended through that gap. A piercing sound rang
through the air.
‘I see.’
The strange thing was that I could see their attacks in detail. Perhaps this, too,
was the effect of Mind’s Eye evolution to a legendary level.
However, when Cha Hee-ra punched through the spear that pierced her, Cho
Hyejin’s balance was thrown off. As the crazed lioness prepared to land a
blow, Kim Ye-ri, holding a dagger, appeared behind her. The kid’s advanced
ability left me open-mouthed.
Assuming that they worked this well together during the first round, I knew
Kim Hyunsung’s efforts in finding them had not gone to waste.
“Hmmmm-ahhh!”
Kim Ye-ri hurriedly threw her dagger, but as soon as Cha Hee-ra moved, the
three members were swept away by the shock of her magical power. Seeing
this as an opportunity, Jung Hayan cast her magic.
“Iiiik! Disappear!!”
‘We’re not supposed to kill her!’
It seemed that her true intentions had come out without her knowing, but it
was hard to imagine that Cha Hee-ra would take damage from Jung Hayan’s
magic.
Jung Hayan hurled a magic elemental bomb at high speed towards Cha Hee-
ra.
powers completely turned the ground into a powder that tried to swallow Cha
Hee-ra.
“Hiss!”
However, the lioness simply struck the magic with her hand as if she found it
annoying. The elemental bomb, created by Jung Hayan, struck the opposite
building with a loud roar.
Baaaaaaanng!
Kaduuuuuk!
‘Motherf…’
Seeing the buildings falling like dominoes reminded me of myself saying that
Castle Rock would be safe, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
First, we had to sort out this situation.
Kim Hyunsung, as if thinking the same as me, immediately rushed to Cha

Hee-ra with his sword, with Cho Hyejin and Kim Ye-ri right behind him.
Once again, swords, spears, and daggers were shot at her, but everything
proved to be useless. Meanwhile, Cha Hee-ra had focused on Kim Ye-ri.
‘Isn’t it dangerous?’
Kim Ye-ri’s endurance was not high. When I tried to chant a spell in a hurry,
Park Deokgu, who had popped up from nowhere, again blocked her attack.
“Nice, Park Deokgu!”
“Uuuuuuuhhhhhk!”
I could see him being thrown back naturally into the opposite building. He
rushed out as soon as he returned, but he at least prevented Kim Ye-ri from
getting killed. His guts and strength were not bad. However, I felt like there
would be no end to this.
‘The problem is…’
I did not know for how long Cha Hee-ra would go easy on us. Even now, it
seemed that she felt quite annoyed. Though the remaining reason within her
told her not to kill us, she might be unable to hold herself back if this went
on.
If one were to face a mythic-grade stat, being bounced off to the opposite
building will not be the end. Chances were, one would explode into a bloody
mess.
‘This is not good…’
I, Hwang Jeong-yeon, and Jung Hayan continued to pour out magic, but we
achieved nothing with our efforts. Kim Hyunsung himself looked anxious.
Cha Hee-ra and I still had plenty of strength. It was annoying to realize that I
had to use my reserve of stamina and magic power I could’ve used to gain
experience with, but if this could be considered as an experience value, then
it would not be so bad.
‘Still…’
‘We can’t keep going like this.’
Actually, the experience was not a problem.
If the monster’s mother appeared while Kim Hyunsung and Cha Hee-ra were
away, we could be annihilated along with Castle Rock’s imperialists within
the city.
As I thought of a way to escape, a huge cry came from outside the wall, as if
it had been waiting this entire time.
“Gruuuuuuuhhhhh…”
A low cry resounded. However, it was enough to shake my entire body.
‘We’re doomed.’
I couldn’t see it from inside the city, but I thought I could predict what was
going on. Seeing that I saw no figure hovering in the sky, I could tell that it
wasn’t a flying type, but upon hearing the chaos that had suddenly erupted, I
had to admit that the situation had worsened.
Of course, I was not the only one who had heard the cry.
Kim Hyunsung’s expression had distorted, and Hwang Jeong-yeon also

looked surprised.
The impact in the voice was different from that of a heroic-grade monster’s. I
didn’t know what kind of monster it was, but one thing was for sure—our
wall needed support.
Cha Hee-ra was indeed a problem, but the city wall was of greater importance
for now.
‘I have to stop it.’
“First, to the wall! Hyunsung-ssi! I think it’s right to head towards the city
wall first.”
“B-But…”
“No, go west!”
“What?”
“I don’t have time to explain. After taking me west, you can go straight to
clean up the monsters on the wall.”
“T-That’s too dangerous, Oppa…”
“The party members are heading to the wall right now. Hyejin is in charge of
the command and should focus on blocking the monsters approaching the
wall. After you take me to the western area, I will head straight to the wall.”
“But.”
“No. This is our top priority. I’m going to be okay, Hayan.”
Jung Hayan looked surprised, but Kim Hyunsung quietly nodded, at once
knowing what I had in mind. The order had already been given, after all.
Kim Hyunsung came to me in an instant, grabbing my hand and running
straight to the west. Thanks to his high agility stats, we arrived there in no
time.
The feeling of being in his arms was strange, but his speed was vastly
different from Cho Hyejin’s. I could see Cha Hee-ra running this way,
screaming as if he had just stolen her lover, but it proved to be hard trying to
catch up to us as we ran through different alleys.
“What do you have in mind?” Kim Hyunsung then asked, panting heavily.
I knew he would be curious. It definitely seemed strange for me to suddenly

want to head west.
In some ways, what I was doing could be considered a gamble.
I couldn’t guarantee it, but if my predictions were correct, there was one
more person in Castle Rock capable of fighting right now.
“I’m not sure, but maybe… I might be able to get support there.”
“What?”
“There’s this person I met a few days ago by chance…”
“What?”
Kim Hyunsung’s expression told me that he found me crazy. I wasn’t all that
sure, either. However, it was not impossible.
If that person left the city immediately after exiting the underground auction
house, it was possible that I would be wrong. Still, martial law was dropped
on Castle Rock immediately after our trip to the black market.
Of course, security was tight, and the Red Mercenaries had encroached upon
Castle Rock so that a single ant couldn’t escape.
If there were a separate underground entrance that I didn’t know, it would be

unknown, but as a result of an investigation centering on the underground
auction house, no exit to the outside could be found.
That was not all.
If there were any lingering attachment for me, it would be impossible to get
out of the city that easily. I knew that there was a possibility that this person
would have been snooping at the underground auction house in the hopes of
meeting me again.
As I rummaged through my pockets, I saw the notes I had received before. I

thought we would never meet again, but I couldn’t even imagine that I would
actually look for her.
“How far do I have to go?”
After we continued to run on, I called out the name I had never thought of
calling out before.
“Shao… lin!!”
“What…”
“Shaolin! Come out!!”
The returner’s face looked disconcerted.
His strangely twisted eyes seemed to be asking why I knew the name, but I
could see that he was biting his lips and not asking anything else.
‘Fuck… You know who it is.’
It felt like he had been entangled in a bad situation with her. It wasn’t the
same reaction as Jung Jinho, but their relationship didn’t look all that good,
either. Considering Shaolin’s characteristics, it seemed that she was not on
the side of justice very much.
‘She may be from the Republic, so this would only be natural.’
“Shaolin! Come out!!”

“Is she really there?”
“I’m not sure, but perhaps… No, she will be.”
If she was really here, I was willing to bow down to her and ask her to come
out. There were still 34 more minutes until Cha Hee-ra could regain her
sanity.
Seeing her still frantically chasing us, I knew this was our last hope.
I could not depend on Hyunsung to keep running forever. Until now, we had
managed to avoid her somehow, but to be honest, we would not last that
much longer.
Suddenly, an explosive sound rang through the air.
“Ah.”
“I never thought I would meet you so quickly… And in this situation… Ah,
what should I make of this… masked man? Can I call you that?”
The woman I was looking for appeared right on top of one of the nearby
buildings.
It is impressive to see her wearing a Chinese dress, just like the day we met
before. She indeed looked beautiful without her mask. A smile appeared on
my face.
‘This is it!’
It would be most effective to make a crazy deal with a crazy bitch during this
time.
‘The balance of power must be maintained!’
“It’s an honor to meet you again, beautiful Shaolin-nim.”
Her face took on an expression of shock at my greeting.

Chapter 176
Chapter 176: A Lioness Faithful to Instinct (3)
“It’s an honor to meet you again, beautiful Shaolin.”
Her face took on an expression of shock at my greeting.
“Really? Well… this is my first time meeting you, so how do you know my
name?”
“Of course, it is because your beautiful figure never left my mind. I kept
looking for you.”
“Liar.”
“I’m not lying, Miss Shaolin.”
“Ha…”
“Aren’t you coming out because you’re thinking of helping?”
“I’m not in a good mood because I’ve gotten dumped… To be precise, I

came out to witness a death.”
‘This bitch!’
I had expected her to act like this. However…
‘She will definitely help.’
If she didn’t want to, there was no reason for her to show up. She was playing
hard to get because she wanted to get something out of this. After all, the fact
that she, a member of the Republic, responded to my call and appeared within
the Holy Empire’s borders was already a penalty in itself.
Of course, the ones who had seen her were me, Kim Hyunsung, and Cha
Hee-ra, who was still on a rampage. However, her greed was still apparent,
considering her reaction during our encounter at the underground auction
house. However, there was a possibility that she had gone out to land herself
a negotiation with me.
‘I’m not sure what negotiation is, but…’
What surprised me was Kim Hyunsung’s reaction. The man looked angry as
he gazed at the woman adorned in Chinese garbs. He then stared at me, not
with hostility, although he appeared to be asking for an explanation.
“We met at a masquerade ball.”
“Ah… I see.”
“This is the person who once I met with Hyejin while the party members
were out hunting.”
I knew Cho Hyejin would make the alibi with me.
“With Hyejin?”
“Yes. Previously, I received a slightly awkward proposal… I remembered

refusing, though. Do you have any idea who it is?”
“No… I don’t know.”
While I tried to convince Hyunsung of my innocence, a voice rang above us.
“Will you ignore me like this after calling me? Perhaps it would be better for
me to go.”
“O-Of course! It’s been a long time since we met. How can you talk like that,
Shaolin-nim? I’m really sorry about last time. At that time, my partner next to
me was a little sensitive for my safety…”
I felt sorry for putting Hyejin on the spot like that, but I had to appeal to
Shaolin first. Even as I spoke, Cha Hee-ra continued to follow Hyunsung and
me.
“In my memory, the one who looked uncomfortable was you, am I right?”
“Hahahaha. Why would I reject such a beautiful woman? I knew you would
be beautiful, but you exceeded my expectations. Staring into your eyes will
surely drown me.”
“Huh. What a smooth talker.”
“Why would I be lying?”
“Easy. It’s because you’re in a desperate situation right now.”
“In the first place, a desperate situation is the best background to feel good
about each other. Usually, all the main characters in movies act like this. Why
don’t you stop looking around and help me out? My situation isn’t so
good…”
“It’s not a problem for me to help, but it’s a bit of an expensive order to stop
the Mercenary Queen from the Holy Empire. I’m not sure if I can stop her or
not, and there must be something I can get in return.”
“I am not asking you to do your best to fight. I would be really grateful if you
could help us against her for about 30 minutes… If there is anything you
want, we will do as much as possible to grant it. Of course, this includes
safely exiting Castle Rock.”
“Hmm… 30 minutes is by no means easy.”
“How about gold coins?”
“Well…”
“If you want material things…”
“I’m not a person who lacks money…”
“I’ll officially serve you a meal. Not only that, but we will be able to give
you anything we can give.”
“Hmm…”
“Please help us, oh, beautiful Shaolin-nim.”
“First of all, since it looks urgent, should the contract be concluded with
this?”
“You just need to hold off against her without actually killing her.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. She won’t die even if I wanted to kill
her anyway. That crazy gorilla… Ah, well, it won’t be bad to have you lot
feel indebted to me.”
I didn’t know how, but she seemed to be acquainted with Cha Hee-ra. If
Shaolin really held a seat of power, then it was possible that she would’ve
met Cha Hee-ra at least once.
‘Does this make things better?’
It didn’t matter. The only thing that did was that she had decided to help us,
though it didn’t seem like they were very close.
‘Not bad.’
As Shaolin quietly reached out, a man appeared from behind her and handed
her an armament from within the box he was holding. Shaolin accepted the
weapon quietly.
‘A whip?’
It really didn’t feel like she cared much about Cha Hee-ra.
A second later, enormous magical power flew towards Cha Hee-ra, who was
still charging towards us. An explosion resounded, and Cha Hee-ra was
struck to the side.
Baaaaang!
I found myself staring, mouth agape.
‘Was she really that strong?’
Previously, I had not been able to check her stats properly.
[Checking the status window and the talent levels of the player Shaolin.]
[Name: Shaolin]
[Title: Sadist]
[Age: 22]
[Disposition: Curious Seeker]
[Unique Characteristic: Strangler Romanticist]
[Class: Whip Engineer (Heroic)]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Basic Swordsmanship Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Intermediate Whipping Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Advanced Fighting Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Advanced Whipping Knowledge]
[Class effect: Acquisition of Advanced Magic Power Management

Knowledge]
[Stats]
[Agility: 89/Growth potential: Legendary or higher]
[Stamina: 71/Growth potential: Rare or higher]

[Endurance: 64/Growth potential: Rare or higher]
[Luck: 81/Growth potential: Heroic or lower]
[Magic Power: 89/Growth potential: Heroic or higher]
[Attribute: Vibrant Lash (Heroic)]
[Restores stamina in proportion to the damage done with the whip.]
[General Review: I feel sorry for the low stamina and endurance stats, but she
has overall stats that are faithful to the basics. She has a good disposition, but
her characteristic is not very good. It would be right to say that she is a player
who possesses dangerous curiosity. One thing I’m sure of is that she is not a
good person to get close to.]
Certainly, she was a kind of human that could be classified as a strong man,
but she was nothing compared to Cha Hee-ra. The difference in stats was still
evident.
However, it was the whip she was holding that bothered me.
[Equipment: Whip Woold That Punished a Goddess (Legendary)]
[This is a weapon found in an ancient shrine. We don’t know how and who
used it, but rumor has it that it was made to punish the goddess. Although
buried for a long time, it retains most of its power. Ten points permanently
reduce the owner of the item at random. As a result, the magical power of the
whip increases.]
‘As expected.’
Though most of its functions still appeared to be locked, it was entirely

different from my Juliana, who still had not awakened yet. However, if one
had a legendary item, it would make sense to try and stop Cha Hee-ra with it
alone.
‘At the cost of 10 stat points…’

Shaolin seemed confident with her ability, as the subordinates she had
brought along stood still, not helping. If something dangerous happened, they
would probably move, but as of the moment, she could still deal with Cha
Hee-ra as she was still a considerable distance away.
Meanwhile, her whip continued to create sharp, piercing sounds that seemed
to cut through the air.
“Grrrrr!”
Cha Hee-ra no longer focused on me, as she had sensed an imminent threat.
She changed direction right away and rushed towards Shaolin. Because of
this, Kim Hyunsung must’ve thought that he didn’t need to carry me
anymore, seeing as he had started running towards the wall.
However, I had no intention of going with him.
“I think you can head to the wall first. I need to stop by somewhere first…”
“What?”
“I have some insurance in mind. Ah! Rather, just in case, I would like you to
send the Red Mercenary members here. So far, it looks like it’s going to be
fine, but if things continue like this, we’ll have to stop one of them.”
“Yes. I see what you mean. I’ll head to the wall now, then.”
“And…”
“Yes?”
“I would like you to explain in detail about today.”
“Of course.”
Once more, Kim Hyunsung’s expression did not look good.

‘He must be suspicious.’
It was understandable. He obviously hadn’t expected me to know someone

from the Republic, much less ask them for help. Of course, I didn’t know
where Shaolin lived or what she did, exactly, but I had still called out her
name, and she still responded to me.
To be honest, I had completely forgotten about meeting her back at the

auction house.
Anyway, I was in no panic about the monster wave. Currently, anyway. Since
the Giants Guild Master was in command, the Western region forces may
have been reinforced. I didn’t know what would happen, but it at least eased
my worries for the time being.
“Gwuuuuhhhh…”
Of course, if the crying, crazy monster outside went on a rampage, it would

be a whole different story.
“Then, I’ll see you in a little bit.”
Kim Hyunsung looked worried, even as he flew off. Meanwhile, I still had
one more place I needed to stop by at.
‘Of course, it’s a little scary to go outside…’
In case Shaolin did something to Cha Hee-ra, I would have to hide here and
watch her until the Red Mercenary members arrive, anyway.
It’s hard to imagine Cha Heera being killed or injured, as Shaolin had said,
but…
‘Anything can happen.’
Therefore, I owed it to Cha Hee-ra to watch over her for now.

“Mad bitch!!”
“Grrrrrr!!!!”
A chaotic fight had broken out both outside and within the walls.
Thinking about the pre-war defense, where all I had to do was command
safely from the rear, I realized things had just gotten a lot harder for me.
This did nothing but make me feel sad.

Chapter 177
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will help get more readers, thanks!]
Chapter 177: A Lioness Faithful to Instinct (4)
Thinking about the pre-war defense, where all I had to do was command
safely from the rear, I realized things had just gotten a lot harder for me.
This did nothing but make me feel sad.
Still, to some extent, it felt like the situation had been cleared up. However,
this did not mean that I was free to feel at ease. There were still many
unstable factors. There was still the western wall that was scheduled to
collapse in advance, as well as the existence of a raid monster that would
probably be classified as legendary, at the very least.
Of course, remembering that time has passed since we first heard the
howling, I had good reason to think that our troops were holding on well
enough. The side where Kim Hyunsung had gone would regain its vitality
with his help. Thus, our pre-war preparations would not be for nothing.
‘However…’
It was always natural to think of the worst-case scenario. One would never
know for sure when and how a war situation would change. Cha Hee-ra had
changed unexpectedly, for one, as well as the baby monster’s howling.
‘Therefore, the more insurance, the better.’
To successfully solve this crisis, I had to keep thinking hard. With my limited
skills, I had to rack my brains out to find more solutions.
As I mulled these over, the battle in front of me continued to rage.
Shaolin was strong enough, but I began to understand why she didn’t seem
confident about being able to kill Cha Hee-ra.
Sure, her legendary item Woold was certainly powerful, enough to sweep
away small buildings with one whip. However, Cha Hee-ra had successfully
managed to stay on guard right after the first surprise attack.
“Grrrrrr!”
Bang! Bang! Seeing Cha Hee-ra being able to dodge all incoming attacks
didn’t seem to be the work of someone who had a 90 agility stat. This only
proved that she had indeed lost all reason, and all that was left to her was
instinct. I could see all of this with my own eyes, and yet…
‘It’s sense.’
She had both sense and instinct. Cha Hee-ra couldn’t have possibly reached
that area if it weren’t for all her training.
Just like Jung Hayan, she was also a kind of genius. Of course, it would be
faster to find a player who did not have a special talent among the players
who have reached that level, but in my view, Cha Hee-ra was clearly unwise.
Shaolin somehow managed to keep their former distance in an attempt to tie

her up, but the beast would never follow the trainer, and so, the battle ensued.
‘She’s holding on well so far.’
Contrary to my opinion, however, I felt like Cha Hee-ra allowed Shaolin to

keep that distance. Though the presence of magic could offset the weapon’s
shortcomings, the fact remained that it was still a whip. This meant that
engaging in close combat would be very disadvantageous, especially if the
opponent was Cha Hee-ra, someone who specialized in close combat.
When the beast rushed right in front of Shaolin with murderous intent, the
other woman ended up dropping her whip.
After settling into a strange posture, she struck Cha Hee-ra’s arm before
striking her solar plexus using her elbow.
‘Martial arts?’
Seeing Cha Hee-ra bounce off from the impact looked very much unrealistic
to me.
‘Fuck… what’s with those moves?’
It would be natural to think that a person wielding a melee weapon would

lack combat power. However, I was surprised to find that this was not the
case at all.
‘Why is she so strong?’
No matter how fast Kim Hyunsung himself grew, he still struggled to keep up
with Cha Hee-ra.
Shaolin was the kind of person who could be classified as a strong woman.
She perfectly accustomed her body from medium to long-distance battles and
even super close-battles using legendary weapons.
Although her stats seemed to be a little lower, she seemed better than Ito
Souta. After all, she managed to fend off against Cha Hee-ra pretty well.
However, it appeared that Shaolin did not think the same. I could see her
displeasure at having only inflicted this much damage on her opponent.
Following her gaze, all I could see was the red-haired beast once again
standing, this time holding two cheap-looking weapons. It appeared that
Shaolin had struck her right into a weapon shop.
‘Come to think of it…’
This was definitely the first time I had seen Cha Hee-ra wielding a weapon.
Yes, this was definitely the first time. I didn’t know why she, who had
acquired knowledge of advanced dual weapons through her class’s effect, did
not carry her own armament, but the fact that the tides of battle would change
from here on out was apparent.
I started to worry about Shaolin.
“Isn’t she dying, just keeping up like that?” I found myself wondering out
loud. Someone answered me, however.
“It will be dangerous. Sure, she’s strong…”
“You scared me!”
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
“No. You came sooner than I thought.”
It was the Red Mercenary I told Kim Hyunsung to bring over. He was
currently standing behind me, staring right at me.
“Currently, there aren’t a lot of troops on the wall, so I brought six members
along. We came because they said that we had something to do together… I
guess now I know what it is.”
“Yes. That woman with a whip is now fending against Hee-ra. I would like
you to watch her so that other accidents do not happen. I was worried that she
might get hurt…”
“You don’t have to worry about that… First of all, it is our job to protect the
master, so we will follow your orders with gratitude. What about that other
woman?”
“It’s confirmed that she has subordinates with her. They’re about five. They
seem to be from the Republic, but they have decided to cooperate with us, so
please take care of their safety as well. Make sure that they don’t die to the
best of your powers.”
“Yes. I see what you mean. Usually, It’s not easy to stop the master in that
state… Until her reason comes back, I think I should support that woman. If
she hadn’t come, another accident would have happened. She hasn’t been like
that recently…”
‘I can’t say that the cause is me.’
“Has she ever become like that in the past?”
“There have been several occurrences back when she was new here on the
continent, and only once when she became Guild Master. Of course, this
wasn’t the same feeling back then…”
“Back then?”
“I remember her attacking both enemies and allies with no ability to

distinguish them. I’m glad that that part’s changed now, at least.”
If that was the case, then that indeed eased some more of my anxiety. I was
still curious about the news on the wall.
“I see. Ah. What is the current situation of our pre-war defense?”
“Fine. Although a legendary-grade named monster appeared, it was a little

passive.”
“Aha…”
“Until then, only heroic-grade monsters or sub-species have been sent, but
they have not made direct attacks on the walls. If the guy comes in pushing,
we would definitely take a lot of damage, but in the previous battle, our
wizards saved up a lot of magic, so we can afford to fight. Defeating the
monsters all at once on the First City Wall was definitely effective…”
I nodded slightly. I had expected the named monster to stop moving at some
point. However, I still didn’t know why it would stop moving. It was not easy
to wonder about.
It would be a strange situation if I didn’t smile.
‘I can move comfortably for now…’
My prepared insurance garnered me some additional safety.

“What about the western wall?”
“The western wall also hadn’t faced any difficulties. Although there were
many deaths, reserve troops were quickly put in to fill the void. Of course,
compared to the other wall, it is true that their power is being pushed down…
Is there anything wrong with the western wall?”
“No. Listening to you, I think it will be okay. If you have any problems, you
can evacuate to the eastern area.”
“Alright.”
“Are there any wizards capable of voice amplification magic?”
“Ah… Yes.”
Even though the Red Mercenary’s Wizard Squad was weak, seeing him here
confirmed that our Kim Hyunsung really felt considerate for my wellbeing.
‘Good.’
“Apart from the wizard, everyone else can perform the mission I just
mentioned. If by any chance, after the end of the runaway state, Hee-ra is…”
“There won’t be any other side effects. You can assume that she will
immediately return to the same state as before.”
“That’s a relief. Then, I’ll send the signal from this side.”
“What signal?”
“Hee-ra can tell you. From now on, I’ll be heading towards the Little Rock
Guild House. It looks like it’ll be safe, so you don’t have to escort me.”
“Please take one more person with you.”
It seemed that they really cared about my safety. I know it was because of
Cha Hee-ra’s past orders, but I was indeed thankful. At my nod, a warrior
sided up next to the wizard.
’15 minutes remaining.’
It was nice to be able to watch the fight, thanks to Shaolin’s capabilities.
Being able to be escorted like this also made me feel comfortable. Seeing my
escort wizard cast illusion magic as we headed out for fear of being
discovered, I knew they were afraid of Cha Hee-ra stalking after us.
However, the woman in question didn’t seem interested in going after us.
As we moved, I heard explosions and roars resonating from everywhere.
Nevertheless, the situation on our side was very comfortable. It made me feel
very good, and it was obvious why.
‘It feels like all the puzzle pieces have been gathered together.’
We made good time moving as fast as we could while Shaolin and the others
distracted Cha Hee-ra. Of course, when she realized that I was gone, I could
hear a louder roar than before, this time angrier, but I couldn’t find it in me to
care.
’10 minutes remaining.’
“Can you hold me and run?”
I felt sorry for the warrior who would bear the physical burden, but he was
way faster than me. It would take us a little more time to reach the Little
Rock Guild House because of its location.
‘2 minutes remaining.’
If I had been with Kim Hyunsung, we would have already arrived. Since I
was with a warrior who invested in endurance and strength rather than agility,
I still found it impressive that we could move at this speed.
Soon enough, the Guild House came into view.

On cue, as if Cha Hee-ra had woken up, the explosions in the western area
decreased.
After a few more seconds, I could hear her screaming. I felt like I knew why,
but it would be better to pretend that I didn’t hear that.
As I got closer to the Little Rock Guild House, a team member approached
us.
“So, you were there?”
“Ah, Lee Kiyoung-nim.”
“Is there anything special here?”
“Yes. Rather than that, why did you come to this place?”
“The newborn baby of the monster, is it here?”
I knew I was being rude, but pleasantries were out of the question. The Red
Mercenary members had already wandered around, finding what it was that I
was seeking.
The creature looked like a little dragon. The only difference was that its
wings had not yet sprouted. To be precise, there was something attached to its
forelimb, but no one could see it; I realized it was not meant to fly.
Anyway, its appearance didn’t matter.
As soon as I removed its mouthpiece, the little guy’s sad cry filled the city.
“Kie-e-e-e-e-ee-eek…”
Bang! With this sound, I could see the mother monster smashing the western
wall, this time looking directly towards me.
“Oh? What’re you going to do, you bastard? Puhahaha!”

Chapter 178
Chapter 178: The Result of the Hostage Crisis (1)
“Oh? What’re you going to do, you bastard? Puhahaha!”
My prediction proved correct. For someone who appeared so proud,

embarrassment lingered in the eyes of the mother monster. She evidently
hadn’t expected us to hold her baby as a hostage.
Although this made me the villain, this tactic worked in my favor.
“Guh-uh-uh-uh…”
I could see her trying to move towards us. However, I moved Juliana close to
her poor baby, and she ceased her movements immediately.
It wasn’t just her. The other monsters had also stopped moving.
‘Did she signal for them to stop?’
She seemed to understand me better than I thought. Thanks to this, I could

observe her closely. She was bigger than I thought, and although she stood a
good deal of distance away, I could still scrutinize her figure.
Even though I looked at her from a distance, I could see her figure exactly.
There were two huge horns on her head, yet I knew they were not just
decorative. Those horns must have played a decisive role in smashing the
western wall just before.
‘They can be sold expensively.’
Her horns weren’t the only ones that looked expensive. Her dark hide looked
intimidating to anyone. Even from a distance, the shiny leather seemed
impenetrable to rare-grade spells or lower. It would certainly make great
quality armor.
This creature was definitely a type of dragon, with its long tail and all.
‘I think that could also be turned into a weapon…’
Of course, I had never thought that dragons would appear here. It didn’t seem
like the type of creature that sat on top of mankind, freely using its magic.
However, even if one were to look at it simply, they would still be able to
feel its enormous magical power. I didn’t know if all legendary-grade
monsters were like this, but this one seemed to harbor both emotion and high
intelligence.
Thus, it was also capable of maternal love.
As soon as I looked at her with my Mind’s Eye, information about her spilled
out.
[Dark Dragon Dialugia (Legendary)]
[This is a legendary-grade monster that lives deep within the Rock Rebel
Mountains. As a dragon-type monster, it has a certain level of intelligence
and lives by hunting medium-sized or higher monsters using its huge horns
and long tail.]
[Checking the status window of the legendary-grade named monster, Dark

Dragon Dialugia.]
[Name: Dialugia]
[Title: Ruler of the Rock Rebel Mountains]
[Age: 4,036]
[Disposition: A docile mother]
[Category: Dragon]
[Stats]
[Strength: 105/Growth potential: Legendary or higher]
[Health: 123/Growth potential: Legendary or higher]
[Intelligence: 100/Growth potential: Legendary or higher]
[Durability: 132/Growth potential: Legendary or higher]
[Luck: 101/Growth potential: Legendary or lower]
[Magic Power: 125/Growth potential: Legendary or higher]
[General Review: She is very angry because her child was stolen. You should
be careful.]
‘The stats…’
Her stats were ridiculously high. Assuming that the method of calculating
stats for monsters and humans was different, her stats far exceeded my
expectations.
Although her strength points were lower than those of Cha Hee-ra after a
runaway, the two were vastly different in the weight division. It would not be
an exaggeration to say that she had at least several times the efficiency if her
strength depended on sheer size.
Her endurance was 132, while magic power was at 125. I hadn’t yet raided a
legendary-grade monster, but I doubted the power of a city would be enough.
‘It should be possible…’
It probably was. Of course, if they were to confront her, Castle Rock may be
put at a disadvantage.
However, I was holding her precious child as a hostage.
The now silent legendary-grade monster’s voice and reduced pressure gave
Castle Rock a momentary silence, but there was no problem. Her intelligence
proved to work in my favor.
The answer came when I thought about why she didn’t move actively in the
first place. There was a reason why someone who could easily break down
the city walls would stop her rampage.
‘Because the location was not confirmed.’
The body of the baby next to me was very much fragile. This made the
mother monster anxious for the wellbeing of her lovely little child. She was
probably thinking that we’d whisk her baby away if she continued taking
down our walls.
There was no reason to directly confront a monster of such high intelligence.
As the angry and anxious mother continued staring at me, our troops also
looked confused and disconcerted. They tried to analyze why this non-
standard monster suddenly stopped all movements.
Of course, it was my mission to command the troops that seemed unable to

cope with the sudden situation. Their reactions proved to be interesting when
I spoke.
“Let’s protect Castle Rock, everyone!”
My voice spread out with the voice amplification magic, clearly reaching
every wall.
“It’s just a monster. We have to show how strong our powers are to the dirty
monsters who try to invade Castle Rock! The defense team shall chant shield
spells in case of any situation, and all other troops should attack the monsters
in front of you. Concentrate magic and arrows on your right arm! Melee
ranks must protect the distant ranks and take down monsters that are still
outside the walls!”
“Wahhh!”
“Victory is right before your eyes, everyone! All forces, fire!”

Flashy-colored magic flies from the wall and fell on her in no time.
Although her stats were high, the amount of magic they had gathered to
direct at her would be enough to penetrate her hide.
Sure enough, the mother monster staggered. This could not even be called a
raid. She was being treated as a punching bag.
Because of her defensive instincts, her tail swayed, but she knew it would
risk her baby, so she kept quiet and quelled her rebellious streak.
“Kie-e-e-e-eek…”
Once again, the baby started crying softly. It was impossible to tell if it could
sense its mother, but it indeed sounded sad. This only served to disconcert the
mother monster even more. Seeing her constantly getting pelted with magic
and arrows was very amusing.
“Let’s do our best, everyone! The enemy is now in an irresistible state.

Victory is at hand!”
‘She can’t resist!’
“Today’s victory will be remembered forever in Castle Rock! It will be a

victory achieved through sacrifice! Let’s speed up!”
‘This is the power of humans! You savage monster!’
“Let’s protect our hometown!”
Through my exhilaration, however, I felt a little guilty. Dialugia had gone

into a pitiful state, given the countless attacks she had been receiving.
Whenever she threatened to move, I brought my sword closer to her baby,
effectively stopping her in her tracks.
She hadn’t seemed to realize that, if she were to die, her baby would be next.
Of course, even if she were aware of this, she wouldn’t be able to do

anything.
This was what maternal love was. No parent would want to see their child get
hurt.
‘Whoo… I’m a little sorry, but…’
The guilt continued to stab my conscience, but I naturally had no intention of

stopping. If I did, all of us would get hurt.
This was an easy way to win, and I was going to take that chance.
Half of Castle Rock’s population might die if I didn’t, and we were not
unlikely to be pushed back. Though it was a sorry situation for this docile
mother, whose egg had gotten stolen, there was no other option available.
‘It can’t be helped.’
She looked so helpless right now that it was impossible to believe she was a
legendary-grade monster.
It was then that I could see her looking up, her mouth still shut.
‘What…’
It felt like strange energy, different from magical power, was flowing in this
direction before I could even blink.
Nothing felt wrong with my body. However, I felt my energy continuously

sapping away. Worry began to gnaw at me.
My status window popped up.
[Title has been created.]
[Dragon Spouse]
‘What… This is bullshit.’
[It is a title that can only be received by those who have been chosen as
spouses of dragons who die and live together at the same time. You have
been chosen as the spouse of Dialugia. From this time on, as Dialugia’s
spouse, you will live and die together. Magic Power will increase by 5.]
‘This… crazy…’
It’s obvious what the debilitating feeling that suddenly came to me was.
‘Shit.’
Though I should be happy that my magic stats had increased, this also proved
to be a disadvantage. As the troops prepared their final blow, I knew I would
die alongside her.
“S-Stop the attack! Stop the attack!! Stop the attack!!”
First of all, I had to prevent her from getting killed. Logically speaking,
considering the dragon’s endurance, she probably would’ve still survived, my
anxiety-ridden nature couldn’t get rid of my worries.
As if they understood my orders, the magic attack stopped, yet Dialugia

staggered. It appeared that she had fainted. Since the buildings covered her, it
was hard to tell.
My mind flashed at the possibility of some troops planning to deal the final
blow for some added experience points.
‘N-No…’
“Toward the monster!”
“What?”
“I need to head to the monster right now!”

‘What the hell, you are going back and forth several times.’
Scooping me up, the Red Mercenary member began to run again. This time, I
had the baby monster in my hands.
Meanwhile, the battle resumed once more.
The monsters that had stood on standby began to rage again, perhaps because
Dialugia had lost consciousness.
“Capture the named monsters! Focus on clearing up the monsters outside the
walls!!”
‘Please don’t kill her…’
“I say it again! Capture the named monsters! After blocking the collapsed
walls with shield magic, enter the water system once again! Capture the
named monsters!”
‘Where is she?’
Despite reaching almost all the western regions, the shadow of Dialugia was
not visible.
Feeling frustrated, I ran down from the arms of the Red Mercenary warrior.
However, I still couldn’t see anything.
No, what stood out was a human with a large horn on her head. It was
noticeable that she was looking at me pathetically while being suppressed by
several troops.
I felt a little disconcerted, but I instantly recognized her to be Dialugia.
“Ba… Baby!”
Whoever would see the scenario would see her as the victim and me as the
villain.
“You were okay… Baby… You’re okay…”

When I saw her vomiting blood, I hurriedly began to shout.
“Hands… Hands off, you bastards!”

Chapter 179
Chapter 179: The Result of the Hostage crisis (2)
When I saw her vomiting blood, I hurriedly began to shout.
“Hands… Hands off, you bastards!”
I had no choice but to put on a furious expression. Dialugia looked as if she

would die on the spot if someone were to touch her. The soldiers around me
looked disconcerted, wondering what this was about. However, I didn’t have
the time to explain.
“You need to return to the front line. I will detain her, myself.”
“Yes… Yes!”
There was nothing they could do but follow my orders at this point.
Meanwhile, I didn’t know if Dialugia would recover with the potion I had,
but this was the only one that could heal her. Currently, she continued to
mourn over her child with what little energy she had. As I approached her
with the baby in one arm, she reached out.
I worried about her attacking me, but I knew she wouldn’t dare try upon
checking her status window.
‘I was completely fooled.’
The fact that she could transform into a human form was less important than
the fact that she tied my life and hers together; I had been lured into a
complete checkmate.
The only explanation was that Dialugia had really used her brain. She knew
that, if she died, her baby was likely to die as well. Thus, she tried to
conserve her life by choosing me, the one who had held her baby hostage,
and the one who commanded the enemy forces, as her spouse.
I didn’t know if she had realized that I was the type of person who wouldn’t
sacrifice my life for the sake of mankind, but her gamble proved to be
successful.
As she had expected, I didn’t want to make any sublime sacrifices.
She understood that saving herself was the way to save her baby; and that
holding my life would be the most reasonable way to survive.
‘There was too little information about her in the first place.’
What I missed was the ecology of a race classified as a dragon.
I at least learned four facts about them with the day’s events. Of course, I
didn’t know if this was applicable for all dragons, but it was at least
applicable to Dialugia.
1. A female dragon can produce children on her own. In the first place,
their sex might be meaningless to them. Considering their sparse
population, this was probably the case.
2. Dragons had a way to transform into a human form. It was not magic. It
would be correct to call it their race’s unique ability.
3. Though the means were unclear, a dragon has the right to choose their
spouse. I didn’t know if I’d be able to resist it or not, but it was
meaningless to try, as my resistance was comparable to that of an
automatic door.
4. A dragon’s spouse shares its life with the dragon.
‘My body is evidently the biggest evidence.’
Though I did not understand them, I knew they were not simple creatures.
They lived a life that had evolved in a different direction from humans.
‘In a way, they should be called high-ranking individuals.’
I had a lot to research about this, but for now, I had to save Dialugia.
As I poured the potion over her wounds, she started to recover, albeit very
slowly.
In the end, it didn’t seem effective at all.
As her original body was enormous, recovering in human form had massive
drawbacks. If an actual human needed one potion to recover, this one would
need at least a few hundred.
Though Dialugia drifted in and out of consciousness, I could see that the
potion had at least helped somewhat, as liveliness was gradually returning in
her eyes.
Instantly, she turned her attention to her precious baby, still in my arms.
“Ba… Baby!”
“Kie-eh-eh-eek…”
The thought of granting their reunion crossed my mind, but as I didn’t know
what action she would choose to take right after, I had to be cautious. I
approached her slowly, and she looked up at me before speaking in a sad
voice.
“P… Please return it. My… child… Please return my child.”
‘Fuck…’
“Please. Please return my child. Please.”
‘Do not cry…’
“Please…”
Her tears flowed down freely, like a waterfall. I felt like such a shitty person.
I had expected her to rush into me as Cha Hee-ra did, but she lay flat as if she
knew her situation well. I had also expected her to threaten me by taking both
our lives, but she deviated from my expectations. She knew that choosing me
as her spouse was her last resort.
‘Is this her original personality?’
Perhaps it was, considering her disposition as Docile Mother. Seeing that

there had been no record of her invading Castle Rock while being over 4,000
years old, it was right to think that she only came here in the first place
because of her child.
‘Song Jungwook, you evil bastard.’
To feel less guilty, there was no choice but to blame Song Jungwook. As I
mulled over what to do, a Red Mercenary member approached me before
speaking up warily.
“This person is…”
“It’s that monster from just now. Apparently, she can take on a human form.”
“I haven’t heard of anything like this…”
“I can’t believe it either. I’ve never thought anything like this would be
possible. Perhaps it was because of this child that she invaded Castle Rock.”
“I-I see.”
“The pre-war defense is still going on. First, I will detain that monster, no,
that woman. The situation at pre-war defense…”
“I think it’s almost cleared.”
Dialugia continued to reach out to me even as I spoke with him. She proved
to be hard to ignore. I felt pity for her even when she was still in monster
form, so my guilt only doubled upon seeing her as a human.
Dialugia’s situation was indeed heartbreaking.

Not only was her egg stolen, but her baby had also been taken as a hostage.
Humans had also almost beaten her to death.
“P-Please, return…”
“…”
“Baby… Mom is here…”
“… …”
“Everything will be fine. You can rest assured. Baby… You can rest
assured.”
“…”
“Baby…”
“Kie-eh-eh-eek…”
As much as I had to avoid returning her child, this scene was just too
heartbreaking to bear. Dialugia’s whole body was a wreck, and although the
possibility of her returning to her original form and destroying us after we
gave the baby back crossed my mind…
‘There was no possibility.’
Dialugia had already lost most of her combat capabilities. The potion I had
given her was just for first aid purposes. She knew that if she ended up dying
now, her baby would be next.
With this thought, I knew it wouldn’t be bad to let her hold the baby. For
now, I had to form some semblance of a good relationship with her.
I didn’t say anything; I just placed the little monster into her arms. At once,
Dialugia cradled the baby tightly to herself.
“My baby… My baby!”

“Kiek!”
The Red Mercenary member next to me looked worried.
“Will this be okay?”
“There will be no other problems. She has already lost almost all her fighting
abilities, and holding a baby wouldn’t make any difference. Rather, it will
help her mental state.”
“I see.”
Already, I could feel her mental state improving.
After a few moments, Dialugia’s eyes snapped to us, evidently wary of us

possibly taking her baby away again. She was more sagacious than I had
initially thought.
At this point, it wouldn’t be bad to have a conversation.
She was definitely different from us. There was no way that those two big
horns on her head were human. Neither were her eyes.
“Can you understand me?”
“…”
“Excuse me?”
It took her a while to answer.
“I can…”
“That’s fortunate. It would be better to introduce myself first. I am Lee

Kiyoung.”
“Dialugia…”
“Well, there seem to be some misunderstandings between us. I want to give

you several explanations, but not right now. For now, I think you should
follow our constraints.”
“…”
“I don’t know if you believe it, but it wasn’t us who stole the child. From our
perspective, Ahem… The obvious thing is that you attacked us first.”
“…”
“If you don’t follow the constraints, we may have to use a somewhat rough
method. Of course, your child will be safe the whole time. I promise I won’t
do any harm to the child.”
“I-I can’t believe in humans…”
“You have no choice. Whether or not you choose to believe, you can only
follow what we say.”
“Ah…”
Dialugia’s expression harbored serious doubt as she stared at me. If I were in

her shoes, I would’ve felt the same.
I decided to look at her with Mind’s Eye once more. I had to find out what
type of attitude she had to make it easier for me to talk to her.
[Checking the unique characteristics of the legendary-grade monster

Dialugia.]
[The Giving Tree]
‘Huh?’
It had been a while since I’d seen a normal characteristic. As her existence
itself was dangerous, I was worried about whether she was kind of like Jung
Hayan or Cha Hee-ra, so this came as a surprise.
‘That’s good.’
Until now, I couldn’t figure out the situation, but, naturally, various thoughts
came into my mind as soon as I saw her characteristic. Dialugia had Docile
Mother as a disposition and Giving Tree as a unique characteristic. I couldn’t
remember the last time I had seen someone with such a normal combination.
‘Isn’t this a very good thing?’
Considering the fact that she and I now shared a lifeline, this proved to be
very advantageous to me. Although I wasn’t sure as to whether my life
expectancy would increase or not, Dialugia was in a position where she had
to keep living for the sake of her child.
If I died, her precious child would be thrown in immediate danger. Thus, to

care for her child’s life was to care for her own. She could create monster
waves, possessed huge magic and high intelligence, had steel-like horns and
tails for an appearance, and had a breakthrough skill that could pierce the
western wall.
In short, she had successfully fooled me. However, I saw this as an

opportunity.
‘Dragon spouse!’
Because of this, I had received 5 points in magic power, which was difficult
to obtain given my stats.
‘It’s not just that.’
As an alchemist, who else would get the chance to study a living dragon?
If I could get Dialugia’s cooperation, I would have a living subject instead of

a corpse. Of course, considering the fact that she and I now shared a life, it
would be impossible to do rough things to her, but this would still be of great
help.
A smile formed on my face.
Dialugia stared at my sudden change in expression warily. At this, I gently

grabbed her shoulder. She groaned a little, but I was able to lift her.
“Let’s keep the promise.”
“Yes…”
“Many humans died here, too.”
“…”
“Of course, I understand the situation, but I was in a position wherein I

couldn’t help.”
“Yes… Okay.”
“First, I will go and arrest the recruits. I hope you understand that we have
also been very considerate.”
“My child…”
“You don’t have to worry about your child’s safety.”
“…”
“It’s my child now as well, after all,” I whispered this part into her ear.
Realization dawned on Dialugia’s face, and she began to get pale. Of course,
it would be better to keep this fact a secret. I didn’t want to acquire any more
trouble.
However, love for this baby monster had genuinely bloomed in my heart.
In the end, it was Dialugia, not me, who had been checkmated.
‘Dad will be good to you!’

Chapter 180
Chapter 180: The End of Pre-war Defense (1)
‘Dad will be good to you!’
It was originally an unwanted child, but that did not matter anymore. I now
considered it as solid insurance, as it could protect me once I became too old.
Meanwhile, Dialugia still looked speechless, her face taking on a complex

expression. However, the answer had already been decided for her.
“It was an unwanted situation, but I will do my best. Oh… well…”
“Ah…”
“I’ll head in first and finish my work, then go right after you. Pfft. See you in
a minute. My baby, you should also stay there and listen to your mother.”
“W… Who… What baby…”
“Who would it be? Anyway, let’s talk about it after work. Again, don’t make
a fuss about it. I don’t want to employ the rough method either. What parent
would want their child to get hurt?”
“…”
I left quickly right after saying that. Though I didn’t need to be present if the
pre-war defense was coming to an end, it was mandatory since I was still the
troops’ general commander. It would only be right to be present when they
celebrated their victory.
I didn’t do much, but I still had every right to show off.
As much as I wanted to be with Dialugia, I knew the Red Mercenaries would

be enough to guard her. I nodded in thanks to them, and they nodded right
back as if telling me not to worry.
‘Hmm…’
As I slowly climbed up the wall, I saw the monsters’ bodies lying underneath.
It didn’t feel like more waves could come. None at all, as long as I had
Dialugia and the baby here. Most of the humans on the wall looked
exhausted, yet they pushed on to clear the few final creatures.
“Don’t be pushed!”
“Let’s end this!”
Baaaaaang!
It was nice to see the troops trying their hardest to finish them off. I could
even see my party in the distance running along the walls.
Jung Hayan was still spreading magic while biting her lips tightly, and Kim
Hyunsung busied himself with cutting the throats of the guys trying to come
up with his sword.
It is natural that I, who had not gotten a lot of experience, was in a hurry.
It was not a big spell, but I was forced to continue to attack the guys down
there.
“Tankers, block the road to prevent the remaining monsters from entering the
collapsed western wall!”
I had to show them that I did something, too. The conclusion of this battle
was important.
Crack!
Crash!
“Groooooaaar!”
Whoosh.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Block!”
The huge hand summoned by me fell, and the monsters screamed.
I was not good physically, but my magic power was fine. I had to show a
suitable example of what a competent commander was for everyone.
My overall appearance did not look bad. My whole body was covered in dirt,
and I had wounds from running away. I looked no different from those who
had genuinely battled hard.
Of course, the truth was far away, but who cared about it?
Unlike the command unit, which looked relatively clean, my appearance was
very dirty.
Sneaking up to the front of the wall, I thought about showing myself holding
Juliana in my hand and cutting through some of the monsters.
The way I held a sword was still awkward, even though I had learned from
Kim Hyunsung when I had gotten Juliana. To be precise, it would be correct
to say that my body simply moved in the direction Juliana would move.
After cutting the throat of a small monster coming up, I once again activated
my voice amplification magic before shouting loudly.
“Don’t let your guard down until the end! Wizards who have run out of
magic should lift their swords and spears! Even the priests who have lost
their divine power should throw stones under the walls. This is our
hometown!”
Of course, this was not my hometown.
“Victory is right before your eyes!”

This was an undeniable fact. I knew the image of me struggling would prove
to be an inspiration for our troops.
‘Good.’
“Stay strong, comrades!”
“General commander.”
Of course, I didn’t forget to encourage them. I patted them on their shoulders

to show support.
“Do not let the sacrifice of Little Rock be in vain!”
It was then that a small monster ran into the soldier next to me. I knew that I
would not receive severe damage if I were to get bit. Thus, I pushed the
soldier away and let myself get attacked instead. Its sharp canines sunk into
my flesh.
‘It fucking hurts!’
This marked the first genuine wound I got in this pre-war defense.
As soon as I let go of Juliana, the sword flew and pierced the monster. The
guy I had saved looked at me in bewilderment.
“Lee Kiyoung-nim! We must treat that wound!”
“It’s not a big wound. Save your divine power.”
“And… And the potion…”
Of course, I had one with me, but I was not stupid enough to use it right
away.
“I’m fine. Divine power or remaining supplies must be used for the seriously
wounded ones. I can bear such a wound.”
“Lee… Lee Kiyoung-nim…”

“We have to live and meet our precious family again, right?”
“Yes…”
If my endurance stats were a little higher, I might not have been able to fake
the blood.
Due to my low stats, my wounded appearance looked convincing.
Anyone who sees me wielding my sword while grasping one arm would say
that I indeed looked sorrowful.
‘Good.’
It really hurt, but it was necessary for my façade. Although I could still move
my arm, my sloppier movements proved to emphasize my struggling form.
I didn’t necessarily ask them to look at me. Instead, I chose to fight in the
most desperate way in an area that didn’t seem so dangerous to be in. Though
I could not achieve as much as Kim Hyunsung did, I had to show that I was
doing a lot, too.
I shook my head when the priest said he would treat me.
“This kind of wound is okay.”
“General commander…”
At this, I took the potions I had with me and treated the others first. It was no
big deal to me if it meant this would boost my reputation a lot later.
‘There are quite a lot.’
At some point, the shouts of humans became louder than the shouts of
monsters. This meant we were on the verge of victory.
It was worth saying that the victory or defeat had already been decided to
some extent from the moment I joined. Unlike those who were busy dealing
with the enemies right in front of them, I had already checked the overall
situation and knew that we would emerge as the victors.
“Waahhhhhhhhh!”
“Don’t give up!”
The archers who had run out of arrows pulled out their swords and were now
stabbing the monsters. And the warriors were now knocking the medium-
sized monsters askew since their weapons had now become blunt.
“Waahhhhhhhhhhhh!!”
After the cleanup, the soldiers in the third wall dropped their weapons and
cheered, and the people in the fourth and second walls dropped their weapons
and hugged each other.
I also wanted to congratulate myself on the victory, but it was only right to
return to an area that had not yet been cleaned up and show a little bit of
despair.
It seemed like the arrangement would be over soon, but I still had to stay
until the end. I guess I overdid it a little since I was out of breath, but did that
matter? My fellow party members were also on the way.
I threw Juliana, who instinctively flew and pierced the neck of a monster that
had been fighting with another soldier.
‘Whoa!’
That would mark another soldier who felt grateful upon being saved.
My breathing had become rough at this point – I didn’t have to fake looking
so tired. At this point, I was really gasping for air.
‘Accumulating beautiful stories!’
For later evaluation, the more I upped my reputation now, the better.
“T-Thank you.”
Kim Hyunsung must also be working hard. One by one, the monsters
collapsed, and a shout echoed from almost all walls. Most of the monsters in
the western wall were almost cleared.
‘We won.’
Of course, in my case, the aftermath was the problem. There were quite a lot
of things to do.
The thing with Hee-ra had to be solved, and I had to settle things with
Shaolin. I also had a lot of explaining to do with Kim Hyunsung, and above
all, it was important to secure Dialugia and my lovely child.
Of course, other guilds in Castle Rock could not claim ownership of her, but
that was why I had to think about what to take care of first.
‘I also have to decide on my class.’
The post-war readjustment was also a problem.
It meant that I had to settle those many monsters’ corpses and have a meeting
about the damage situation and the kind of benefits I could bring.
Originally, guys like me were way busier after than during the war.
“Waahhh!”
“I lived! I lived!”
“Fuck! We did it!!”
“Wahhhhh!”
In the meantime, the shouts were getting louder and louder. Each person’s
appearance was different.
Some were crying because of the loss of a colleague, while others shouted
with joy.
Of course, most had gone with the latter. It would be right to give a
conclusive speech now. It was time to declare the end of the war.
“We are…!”
When I opened my mouth to speak, all eyes naturally fell upon me. However,
it was here that the dizziness hit me.
‘Huh?’
I felt like my head was spinning. I tried to open my mouth again, but my lips
refused to move.
‘Fuck…’
I wondered if someone had killed Dialugia, but that did not seem to be the
case.
‘Did I bleed too much?’
I didn’t, not that much. It was then that I realized that the troops had inflicted
so many scars on Dialugia before, and it seemed like some of the damage had
already been passed to me. In the meantime, I had used my magic power a
lot, so it was not unreasonable to look like this.
‘Ah…’
I struggled hard, but my eyes gradually became blurred and dark.
I keep staggering. I tried to stay focused, but nothing happened.
‘No… Will this even look good?’
Everyone was already at me.
“Oppaaaaaaa!”
“Hyung-nim!!!”
“Kiyoung-ssi!”
As I listened to the party members’ voices screaming, I closed my eyes.
‘Ah, perhaps this still looks good…’
It would be nice if they settled all the post-war preparations for me before I
woke up again, but I knew that was useless wishing.
This was the Battle of Castle Rock, a city that suffered an enormous number
of fatalities and serious injuries. The General Commander became a role
model for those who passed out due to exhaustion, yet the wound he had on
his body was only one wound and that from a small monster.
Chapter 181
Chapter 181: The End of Pre-War Defense (2)
When I opened my eyes, brightness filled my sight. Though I still felt a little
dizzy, it seemed as if only a little time had passed. I also felt a little refreshed,
as if I had just woken up after a nap.
The wound on my right arm was also healed, and my entire body felt clean.
‘It looks like someone washed me.’
They probably washed my body with magic. I felt better all in all.
Seeing that I had been left alone in a large room, I gathered that I was staying
at a hospital of some sort. Of course, the room felt too luxurious to actually
be a genuine hospital room.
It was then that the door slowly opened. I turned my head, thinking it would
obviously be Jung Hayan, but who I see was, surprisingly, Marlin Young-ae.
It was a spectacle to see her running to me, with tears running down her face.
My face flushed with embarrassment. This was definitely not how a
noblewoman was supposed to behave.
The remarkably embarrassing appearance was likable, but unfortunately, I

was not interested in Marlin at all.
‘She is cute, but…’
There weren’t many benefits that came with her, and it felt like it would be a
huge headache to take care of her and her antics.
“Ah, Marlin Young-ae.”

However, this didn’t mean that I shouldn’t still get on her good graces.
“What day is it?”
“Exactly three days have passed since you passed out. I was worried that you
wouldn’t wake up…”
“Three days?”
“Yes, Lee Kiyoung.”
It seemed that I’d been unconscious for longer than I had initially thought.
Hope began to bloom from within me.
‘The cleanup must be almost over…’
No, even the task of cleaning up the monsters’ corpses was not something to
be done overnight, so the work was probably still going on.
I had to realize why my party members didn’t show up.
Seeing that there was nothing wrong with my body, Dialugia seemed to be
doing well. I was curious about where she was, but there were many other
things I was also curious about.
“I see…”
“Thank you very much, Lee Kiyoung-nim.”
“Marlin Young-ae?”
“You worked hard for Castle Rock until your body was broken like this…
You don’t know how resentful I was for being unable to do anything.
Sniff…”
“Hahaha. I’m fine. The other people did the hard work. I didn’t do much.”
“Lee Kiyoung-nim did a lot! Not only did you command the free people of
Castle Rock, but you prevented the monsters from coming from the
underground waterway… All the imperialists in Castle Rock watched as you
spared no effort on the battlefield! Sniff…”
“That’s… Ahem. The Little Rock Guild and Song Jungwook, who sacrificed
themselves for Castle Rock, are the true heroes. I just…”
“O-Of course, they’re also appreciated… Rather, are you… Are you feeling a
little better?”
“Yes. There seems to be no other injury.”
Song Jungwook seemed to be irrelevant now. I could say that this entire thing
was a success.
As Marlin Young-ae said, there was no such thing as a monster coming over
from the underground waterway. It was a lie made by Cho Hyejin to escape
from Cha Hee-ra, but to make the lie true, some of the Red Mercenary
members even threw a few monster corpses there.
The fact that Cha Hee-ra’s plans for the pre-war defense were smashed
because of a runaway was a story that shouldn’t be known except for the Red
Mercenary members.
The same went for the part where I tried to ‘fight’ on the battlefield myself.
‘It’s good.’
If Young-ae thought of me in this manner, then the rest of the imperialists

must be thinking the same, too. There would be no red light on the benefits
that Blue and I will take.
“Where are the others…”
“Which one?”
“My party members and Cha Hee-ra. And what about Dialugia? Has the
cleanup been all over? What happened to other things?”
“Ah! I’m really sorry, Lee Kiyoung. My first step was to explain what
happened while you were lying down…”
“It’s okay, Marlin Young-ae. It’s nothing to be sorry for. I just wondered if
the battle had been properly finished.”
“I-I didn’t know you would care for Castle Rock that way…”
“Hahaha…”
“Sorry. I got distracted again…”
“No. It’s really okay.”
Marlin Young-ae definitely looked a little excited. She must’ve thought that I
had risked my life for Castle Rock in an effort to gain her affection. It was
just my guess, but it would be right to block this misunderstanding
beforehand as soon as possible.
“After Lee Kiyoung-nim passed out… Ah! They started cleaning the corpses
of the monsters right away, and that’s still in the process.”
“I see.”
“There is a possibility that there may be monsters that have survived, so the
free people first sorted it out… It’s taking a little longer. Perhaps the Blue
party members…”
“They must be working hard.”
“Yes. Together with the Red Mercenary Guild, they are protecting the
workers from being injured in the front line.”
“Is Cha Hee-ra also joining them?”
“Cha Hee-ra hastily returned to Lindel. I’m not sure what’s going on, but she
seemed quite busy, so I didn’t even have time to say thank you. She’s a hero
that gave her time for Castle Rock… It just hurts because I couldn’t even
treat her properly.”
‘Did she run away?’
“What do you mean by her being busy with work?
“Ah, she apparently had an issue that needed to be dealt with urgently…
Also, this is the letter Cha Hee-ra asked me to deliver.”
“Thank you, Young-ae. If you’ll excuse me…”
“Yes. Of course, you can read it right away, Lee Kiyoung-nim.”
After dismantling the cryptographic magic on the letter, I looked down

quietly and saw Marlin Young-ae trying to peek at the contents. Of course, I
had no intention of showing it.
I thought that there would be an apology written on it, but the result was
slightly different from what I thought.
[Do not forget and do not ignore Vice Guild Master Lee Kiyoung-nim, living
in Lindel. I believe that you will keep your promise. I’m waiting for a good
invitation at good timing. -To Honorary Bishop of the Holy Empire, Lee
Kiyoung-nim, From Miss Shaolin, Chief General of the Republic]
‘Shaolin?’
She had probably delivered a letter to Cha Hee-ra after the debriefing with
her was over.
If I could, I would ignore it, but I couldn’t even imagine that she would be
revealing her identity like this.
‘General, huh…’
I didn’t know the details, but the Republic didn’t seem to think badly about
giving such positions to free people. Her position was a little higher than I
had expected. There were at least five more powerful people like her.
I didn’t know how the Holy Empire and the Republic’s relationship would
flow in the future, but I got some good information.
‘I think this can be used…’
I had to take risks on my side as well, but there will be some proper use for
her later on.
Anyway, I had to meet the Republic once, whether in a good or bad way.
‘I don’t think it will be very positive, based on what I do these days…’
Right now, I didn’t even have the time to think about the Republic. It was
difficult even to take care of myself right now. Just thinking about my work
within the Holy Empire was enough to give me headaches.
Cha Hee-ra was my immediate concern.
Seeing that she exited from Castle Rock without meeting me first, she was
definitely embarrassed about what had happened. It would be natural for her
to feel this way, seeing as she had made quite the mess after leaving the front
line.
She would have the courage to appear to me again after some time, but it
surprised me to know that she had such a feminine side.
“And!”
“Yes?”
“That… Although the event to grant honors has not been properly carried out,
it seems that our Castle Rock Yeongju Tower will directly reward Lee
Kiyoung, Kim Hyunsung-nim, and the other members of the Blue Guild.”
‘Ah’
“I wasn’t hoping for compensation.”
However, I was smiling. I had naturally ditched my cold exterior and became
friendlier as I processed the news. Seeing this, Marlin Young-ae brightened
and began to speak again. She had realized what I wanted.
“Castle Rock overcame this crisis because of Lee Kiyoung and the Blue
Guild. I can see that my father is things…”
“Hahaha…”
“If you think it’s not enough, I will…”
“No. Marlin Young-ae’s heart is good enough. I didn’t really ask for a
reward. As a member of the Holy Empire, I just wanted to help.”
“No. Let us repay you.”
“If Marlin Young-ae feels like that… then I can’t help it.”
“T-Thank you.”
“No. Rather, I am more grateful to you for compensating for the obvious.”
It appeared that Marlin had such a pushover side to her. In this manner, I
could get something better than what I had initially expected.
As I sat up in my bed, Marlin Young-ae’s face reddened. However, I had no

intention of doing anything to express my gratitude. My mind was already set
on the work I needed to do.
“The monster we caught…”
“Yes?”
“Did you see a woman with horns on her head?”
“Ah… If it’s that woman….”
“Anything happened?”
“She’s probably in the Castle Rock Dungeon. In fact, we were also thinking
about how to deal with her… And…”
“Yes. You can talk freely.”

“That monster talked nonsense about her sharing a lifeline with you…”
‘Did she actually reveal that much…’
I thought it was a reasonable judgment. It seemed like she didn’t say that I
was her spouse, but she and her child should have their lives spared for now.
I also liked the fact that she was waiting quietly for me. She herself must not
have recovered properly yet.
I didn’t know if she was with the baby, but I knew I had to check.
“I think I’ll have to go there.”
“What?”
“What Dialugia said is true. Actually, I don’t know about what has happened
in detail… For now, I know nothing but the fact that she and I share one life.”
“Ah!”
“Thank you for letting me know, Young-ae. Let’s have a meal with Lord
Castle Rock.”
“Yeah, Lee Kiyoung-nim! Of course.”
It was only natural for me to move as fast as possible.
‘Shall I see if my child is doing well?’
That was my top priority as of the moment.

Chapter 182
Chapter 182: Bright Child (1)
When I went outside, I could see the scenery through the window, reflecting
a completely ruined portion of the city. Of course, they intended to demolish
the entire western area from the start, so seeing the slow restoration process
reminded me that the battle was indeed over.
‘The underground…’
The original plan for it had been to break it down and make an entirely new
pathway.
I realized that the work was being done vaguely. Of course, a simple
organization would be enough, but I knew things wouldn’t always go as one
would plan for it to be.
‘While the restoration work is in progress…’
I could proceed with my plan, albeit a little late.
‘My head hurts.’
In many ways, various reasons were causing me to have a headache. Though

my primary objective was to head to where Dialugia was being held, I could
see various tasks that needed focus on every window I passed through.
There were people still cleaning up the corpses of monsters, as well as

eradicating the splattered blood from the walls and buildings. However,
despite these mundane tasks, the workers were all wearing a smile.
From everyone’s standpoint, everyone had grown, one step at a time. This
meant that even the low-level players would have a chance to finally level up
and get themselves another class.
The same went for my fellow party members and me.
Hwang Jeong-yeon, Cho Hyejin, and Sun Hee-young, who already had high
growth, may not have noticeable changes, but I knew that Jung Hayan, Kim
Ye-ri, Park Deokgu, and Kim Hyunsung would have benefitted in terms of
both stats and class.
“I have to talk about this with them…”
As this expedition’s purpose was to level up, everyone must have achieved a
result that they would find satisfactory. Park Deokgu may have even obtained
a heroic-grade class. A smile dawned on my face.
It was then that one of the guards guarding the dungeon approached me.
“Lee Kiyoung? You woke up.”
“Ah… Yes. So, you are Baran-nim.”
“Y-Yes!”
He looked surprised to find out that I knew his name. He might have felt like
he wasn’t important enough to be remembered, but the truth was, I was being
aided with Mind’s Eye.
This would definitely garner me some more positive reviews.
“May I ask why you came here?”
“Of course. I have some business in the dungeon.”
“Ah, perhaps…”
“Yes. It’s exactly what you’re thinking. I don’t really know how to get there,
so I would appreciate it if you could guide me.”
“Ah…”
“It’s okay if you’re busy with something else.”

“No! No. Of course, I have to guide you. Just trust me and follow.”
“Hahaha.”
“By the way, coming here, as soon as you wake up, you’re really amazing.
You should be resting…”
“I’ve been unconscious for too long, and I don’t want to sit around while
everyone else is working.”
“It is all thanks to Lee Kiyoung and the Blue Guild that they can be like that.”
“You are over complimenting me. Rather, how are you managing that
monster?”
“Actually, I do not know the details. My job is to guard this place, but other
than the wizards coming and continuing to check on it, I don’t know what’s
going on. At first, they put the restraints and bound them, but I know that at
some point, the straps were dismantled.”
“I see.”
“It’s not a space allowed for me, but you can check it out for yourself. I think
you can go in alone from here. Hey, open the way.”
“Yes. Okay.”
“Thank you.”
The guards stationed from within bowed to me before doing what they were
told to do, chanting the required magic. The door began to open with a
clanking sound.
I thought Dialugia’s environment would not be good, but it looked better than
I thought.
Complex magical techniques were felt everywhere, but it was not the kind of
magic that bursts if not stimulated.
It was then that I saw a familiar doll, with horns on her head.
‘My child is here, too.’
Dialugia was hugging the baby tightly. I was worried about them being
detained separately, but everyone seemed to deduce that this would be the
best solution in appealing to her docile side. Currently, Dialugia was wearing
magical restraints, with numerous magic circles on both her hands and feet. It
appeared that they had found other countermeasures.
There was even a complex-looking magic circle drawn onto her neck.
‘Ah, but can they really control her with all that?’
Her body was not in normal condition, so it should be okay for now.
“Kiek!”
“Ah, yes, Dad is here!”
The little dragon who cried shortly as it looked at me looked pretty cute. I
didn’t know what was going on, but it felt like it was glad to see me. It
appeared that my standing as Dialugia’s spouse was influencing it.
Seeing the tail waving softly gave confidence to my theory.
Of course, unlike my precious child, the woman was still wary of me, holding
her child tightly. However, it was obvious that the baby wanted to come to
me.
As I clapped my hands, Dialugia shrunk a little more. I could, however, see

evident relief on her face. It seemed that she was worried as to whether I
would die or not. If I did, then she would be in trouble.
It seems that she was worried about my death.
“Who did you say was the father last time?”
“Ah, I’m disappointed to see you’re acting like you don’t know. We’re going
to be a family, and you’re still so hard on me. Ah, baby! Did you miss
daddy?”
“Kiek!”
“Our Tol To-ri (bright child) is also going crazy, wanting to see me.”
“He is not Tol To-ri…”
“Have you just made up his name without consulting? I’m a little
disappointed.”
“In the first place… You…”
“This all happened so suddenly, but wasn’t this your choice to do so? It won’t
hurt me to become a father suddenly. This little baby is such a good boy.
Well done!”
“Kiek! Kiek! Kiek!”
“Well done! Well done! Well done!”
“Kieeek!”
“The reason Dialuria is friendly with you is only because I chose you as my
spouse!”
“Ah, you named it Dialuria? You should have discussed with me first…
Well, that’s okay. I’m a faithful spouse, anyway. By the way, it’s really
fortunate. It seems that these additional functions were also implanted in me
because I became your spouse. I was worried that my child would hate me.”
“Chomp…”
“Our Dialuria should be held in daddy’s arms once!”
“Kiekeek!”
She was still holding our Tol To-ri, who was going crazy with excitement. It
didn’t take long for the overly excited guy to get out of its mother’s arms. It
looked pretty cute, wagging its tail and jumping in and licking my face.
Meanwhile, Dialugia sported an amusing expression of betrayal.
“Ah… Baby!”
“Oh, dear! Our Tol To-ri!”
“My baby has to come back to his mother!”
“Oh! Oh! Our Tol To-ri is so good! Well done!”
“Kieehek!”
“Baby! Can’t you hear your mom tell you to come back?!”
“Our Tol To-ri’s daddy will drive you an airplane!”
“Kiek! Kiek! Haa! Haaa!”
“Ba… Baby…”
“Oh! Oh! Are you excited? Our Tol To-ri?”
“H-He’s not Tol To-ri! D-Dialuria…”
“Tol to-ri!”
“Kiek! Kiek! Ahhh!”
‘This child likes me too much.’
I worried about it harboring a dangerous characteristic, but it seemed that

even its characteristic and disposition had not yet been created when I
checked with Mind’s Eye.
In the first place, I still didn’t know its gender, and I didn’t know anything
about dragons, so my lack of understanding was understandable. It felt right
to think that the baby felt pleased to meet its dad after such a long time. It felt
more like a puppy than an actual child.
Fortunately, I already knew how to deal with these kinds of guys.
To be in this small place, it would have been bored alone with his mother, so
it was understandable for it to feel excited when I showered it with treats.
In short, Tol To-ri wanted to be with me more than it wanted to be with its
mother.
“B… Baby…”
However, Dialugia’s depressed appearance could not be ignored. Seeing as

Tol To-ri tried to pull me towards her, it seemed as if it wanted me to get
along with her.
“Isn’t this like telling us to get along? Our cute little boy…”
“It’s not Tol To-ri. It’s D-Dialuria.”
“Haha. This is only a nickname, so don’t worry. It looks so cute, doesn’t it?”
“Kiek! Haa! Kie-eh-eh-eh!”
‘Ah, it’s so cute.’
At first, I didn’t think I could get used to it, but the more I looked at it, the
more I fell in love. It had adorably big eyes and a little tail that swung
excitedly like a propeller. It held onto me as if it didn’t want to be separated
from me.
For some reason, I felt my heart squeeze.
Eventually, Dialugia could no longer watch me act friendly with the baby.
“Why did you come here?”
“Does the breadwinner need a reason to come to see his wife and child?”
“I-I couldn’t help it back then. However, I have no intention of
acknowledging a human like you as the father of Dialuria, nor as my spouse.”
“Whether you acknowledge it or not, I am already the father of this child as

well as your spouse. Isn’t that your choice? I believe this type of pact is
irreversible. Above all, our Tol To-ri likes me. Saying that you have no
intention of acknowledging me… Tol To-ri, do you like me as your father?”
“Kiek! Haaa!”
“B… Baby…”
“Ah. I’m only curious, but is it possible to cancel the pact? I don’t know
much about dragons yet.”
“…”
“So, it cannot be canceled.”
“…”
“I can’t help it. I’m still a young man with a bright future, but I can’t pretend
to be aloof when I see such a cute baby.”
“You don’t have to be responsible… It was my m-mistake, and it was just an

unavoidable choice for my child. In the first place, you took Dialuria and
threatened me!”
“You shouldn’t say that in front of the child!”
“Ah… D-Dialuria, it’s not like that.”
“Tut-tut. Didn’t I tell you clearly that it was not us who kidnapped Tol To-ri?
Even in human law, it is taboo to kidnap monster eggs or children. The
criminals are already being punished well, except for a few. At that time, I
was just protecting our Tol To-ri, and I never thought of doing anything.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m serious. Why else would I care for Tol To-ri like this?”
“I can’t believe in humans.”
“Then what will you do?”
“After I recover, I will go back into the forest with Dialuria. I no longer want
to be involved with humans.”
“Do you think you can get out of this place?”
“I can…”
“Ah. I see. I am very sorry about this.”
“That… What are you saying?”
“Did you know that I passed out for three days?”
“…”
“It felt really painful. The blood didn’t stop flowing just from the bite of a
small monster, and I almost died from the side effects of excessive bleeding
and using a lot of magic power. Isn’t the human body very, very fragile?
Passing out and dying even from minor wounds…”
“Ah… “
“If you and the baby go to the woods and I suddenly end up dying, it would
be very dangerous for our Tol To-ri. He would have to grow alone without a
mom and dad… Now, isn’t that such a pitiful scenario?”
Dialugia’s pupils had begun to sway at this point.

Chapter 183
Chapter 183: Bright Child (2)
“If you and the baby go to the woods and I suddenly end up dying, it would
be very dangerous for our Tol To-ri. He would have to grow alone without a
mom and dad… Now, isn’t that such a pitiful scenario?”
Dialugia’s pupils had begun to sway at this point.
At first, she seemed bewildered, but then slowly, her eyes became alive.
I could tell what she was thinking. Due to her docile disposition, she was
what one would call a pushover. However, it was natural for a mother to act
for the best interests of her child.
“I believe that, in any case, you won’t pick the option of keeping me captive
for life. And to grow without a dad, I pity our Tol To-ri. I’m not foolish
enough to not provide safety.”
“That thought…”
“I don’t know if you understand the dynamics of power, but I am a very

important person, even among humans. There are a lot of people who care
about me… It will be a little difficult trying to achieve what you’re thinking
of.”
“I didn’t… think that.”
‘Of course, you did.’
I knew I needed to explain a little to help her understand. When I gently

pulled Tol To-ri to me, the little baby didn’t hold back, its tail wagging
incessantly as it panted eagerly.
As I drew a small circle on the floor, I could see Dialugia looking at me

curiously.
“This is the city of Castle Rock, where you are located.”
“…”
“And this medium-sized circle is called Lindel, the free city where players
live… The largest circle that contains all of this is the human country, known
as the Holy Empire of Benigore.”
“What does that have to do with the story now?”
“It’s not just the size of the land you have. The population is as large as the
size of the land, and of course, there are differences in the quantity and
quality of troops that can fight. Whatever the reason, you’ve touched Castle
Rock, and you’re here after losing a battle against a city.”
“If we fought with all our strength, it would have been different.”
“Humans are basically persistent. And mean as well. Ah! It’s not my story, so
you don’t have to look at me like this. The story might be different, assuming
you could kill all the personnel in this huge country, but I don’t think so. In
other words, I am in a rather high position on this huge land. You understood
that, too, so you chose me as your spouse.”
“Humans are…”
“Let’s suppose you kidnap me and lock me up somewhere. They will

inevitably come and save me. Of course, Dialugia’s fierce attack will oxidize
most humans, but we are a very persistent species. They know your value
very well.”
“What value are you talking about?”
“The value of your body.”
Dialugia looked surprised, her face reddening. She had not expected me to
say this.
“To put it plainly, what’s more important than the fact that I was kidnapped is
the discovery of a legendary-grade monster, which is you. Your high horns,
beautiful, sturdy scales, and a sharp tail, even your jewel-like eyes, will be
coveted by many.”
“Even if you praise me that way…”
“I am not praising you. Haha. Everything I’ve explained earlier is useful to

humans. And uhm… We can also get enormous goods. Do you know the
concept of goods?”
“I don’t know it that much, but I know what you’re talking about.”
“Your body is money. Your leather can make armor, and your horns can
make weapons. All of the organs that make up your body are good materials
for experimentation and have astronomical value. The reason humans haven’t
visited you until now is that they were not aware of your existence until
now.”
“…”
“Humans are greedy. The moment you showed up, you put yourself at
inevitable risk. Many humans will hear of you, and they will stop at nothing
to get you.”
“…”
“It will be a long fight. I won’t put it past them to try and take Tol To-ri
hostage, too.”
“I-Isn’t that what you did? And as I keep telling you, it’s Dialuria.”
“Anyway, the result is that whatever you choose, things aren’t going to be
very good. You have already stepped deep into human society. You are free
to come, but not free to exit.”
“That’s absurd.”
“Yeah?”
“It was humans who first persecuted us. We have nothing to do with them.
Humans stole my egg and separated my child from me. I didn’t want to
fight.”
Anger was evident on Dialugia’s face.
“I just want to live quietly with my child. I don’t want to go to war with
humans.”
“Have I already told you that it’s not your choice? It’s not a good example,
but aren’t you hunting other monsters to live on?”
As I slowly stroke Tol To-ri, he panted again and clung to me tightly. At this,
Dialugia huffed and took Tol To-ri from me, not liking this any further.
“It is a very different act from selfishness that is simply made out of greed.”
“It’s not so different, in my opinion. If we dig too deep, the story will be too
long, so let’s stop this story here. Let’s change the subject for a moment. Tol
To-ri, come here.”
“Kiek.”
“Why do you think you are alive now, thanks to whom?”
“That’s…”
“You know it. The legendary-grade monster Dialugia invaded Castle Rock,
inflicting numerous casualties and inflicting astronomical damage. Of course,
you can take advantage of the side effects such as the corpse of a monster,
but to be honest, you are an enemy to humanity.”
“How many times do I have to tell you? It was humans who persecuted us
first.”
“That doesn’t matter to humans. To them, you are not an intelligent being but
a monster. Strictly speaking, I am taking your side. We say we share our
lives, but being able to spend time with our Tol To-ri and being able to live
your own lives in a dungeon is because of one reason, that you are connected
to me.”
“…”
“In extreme terms, if you hadn’t chosen me as your spouse, you and the
lovely Dialuria would have died. Because you understand that too, you have
connected me to your life. In other words, you not being killed, well, it’s the
same for me.”
“Chomp…”
“If you just have your life, there would be no problem, right? We already
know that cutting off tails or horns or peeling skins won’t kill you. Assuming
that I take Tol To-ri with me all the time, what could you do? As a result, I
am treating you in a gentlemanly manner. Am I right?”
“Kiek! Haaa!”
“I want you to live a life with your child without causing any pain.”
I knew she would realize this soon enough. I wasn’t saying anything wrong.
She hadn’t fully recovered yet and was in a special situation where she must
protect her child.
“I don’t know anything about a dragon’s ecology. However, there are a few
things that can be inferred. For example, why the dragon needs a spouse.”
“…”
“Why was your egg stolen in the first place?”
“That’s…”
“You probably needed nutrition. Dragons are entities that consume energy,
and it would have been difficult to be attached to a child for 24 hours straight.
You might have had to prepare for parenting, and you might have had to
prepare for winter. Perhaps you had to build a nest and do several things at
the same time.”
“You’re right.”
“Parenting is not something you can do alone. There was no problem in the
forest if you live alone, but seeing as you had something to protect, it must’ve
been different. For this reason, the dragons, which can have children alone,
can choose a spouse. Am I right?”
“Co—rrect.”
“That’s fortunate. I can also see why a spouse who is unlikely to need it
appears. You will have to protect your child from enemies around you, so
don’t you need someone to raise and protect your child together?”
“Yes.”
“Now, it’s your turn to tell me the right answer. As I said earlier, you are
already in a relationship with humans. Whether you don’t want to get
involved or not is not up to you. When the environment in which you will
live is moved from a deep forest to a human city. Who do you think would be
your ideal spouse?”
“…”
“Who do you think will be able to keep our Tol To-ri safe, guarantee a
minimum of freedom, provide the education you want, and supply them with
good quality and large amounts of food? Where is the household capable of
presenting a hard and safe nest to loved ones? Who is the ideal spouse you’ve
been looking for?”
Dialugia still looked too hesitant to admit it. Tol To-ri, who could not
understand what I was saying, innocently started licking my hand.
If she decided to live in the woods, of course, she wouldn’t need a spouse like
me. By the standards of this beast, I was a weak, selfish, and powerless
human. I didn’t know if there were more dragon races, but perhaps she
would’ve preferred another dragon of higher stats.
However, things had changed a lot. Not everything will be as I said, but she
had already given herself this situation. As a result, she chose the next ideal
spouse she could find.
“It’s… you.”
“Correct!”
As I approached her slowly, she flinched. However, I had no intention of

hurting her. Since she didn’t know why I was lifting her, she let herself be
dragged by me.
“First, let’s get out of the dungeon. It will be frustrating if Tol To-ri is kept
here.”
“Yeah?”
“Since you’ve suffered so far, shouldn’t you relax and eat delicious food?”
“But…”
“It would be uncomfortable to explain that I’m your spouse, so it would be

better to think about something that people would understand when they see
you outside. This is sudden for me too, so please be considerate of me. There
are also women that I’m going out with… It’s complicated in many ways. I
may not be a good husband, but you can be assured that I can be a good
father. You would like that better, won’t you?”
“No…”
“There is a lot to be done. First of all, I have to get a document stating that I
own you… You also have to deal with what to do with the damage you have
done. The human world is a little complicated. Right. Tol To-ri, let’s go
outside.”
“Kiek! Kiek! Haaa!”
“Our cute Tol To-ri also has a lot of problems to deal with.”
The sudden change of posture made her disconcerted. However, she seemed
to be aware to some extent that she and Tol To-ri were safe now.
Her thought process must be complicated by now. I, who she viewed as a

nasty human being, had been showing her what a dedicated spouse should
show.
“One thing… I want to ask you something.”
“You can talk.”
“Humans are greedy.”
“Yes. Yes, they are.”
“That’s the same for you. You don’t have to lie. There are things I can see
with my eyes.”
“Yes. I am also a greedy human being.”
“What do you want?”
“Ah, that’s no big deal. To take care of your safety is to take care of mine.
You can join me in my experiment. At best, it’s all about being stabbed with
a needle, and there’ll be no harm in life. It ends with lying still.”
“Experiment?”
“Ah. I didn’t tell you. I am an alchemist.”
“I’m not sure what an alchemist is.”
“Let’s get to know that slowly together.”
“Is that really all that is required?”
“What?”
“Will you only provide nests, food, and safety for our Dialuria?”
“If you follow the procedures well, we can provide you with more. I was
thinking of that in the first place… I also want to be a good father to cute Tol
To-ri. I will do my best to make this a happy family. And again, you have no
choice. Didn’t I already say this?”
“…”
“Your body is money. However, if you lie still, everything will be solved.
Hahaha.”
Even I knew how shitty that sounded.
At this, Dialugia began nodding her head, as if she had decided upon
something.
Chapter 184
Chapter 184: Empire’s Eight Seats (1)
A lot had changed.
No, to be precise, it would be correct to say that we were in the middle of a

change. My top priority was to gain ownership rights over Dialugia.
This proved to be an easier process than I thought.
Originally, Castle Rock had already decided to reward me; and the idea that
the most active group of this expedition was the Blue Guild spread
everywhere.
Some guilds and clans felt regretful, but they decided not to complain. The
fact that we had saved their hometown was indeed true, and we had no
obligation to provide them with Dialugia’s precious scales or leather.
It was a little selfish, but Dialugia was definitely by my own achievement.

Just the idea of sharing her already felt strange.
The only problem was the damage Dialugia inflicted on Castle Rock.
Although the bereaved family should be given sufficient compensation, it is

natural that this alone would be insufficient.
I solved that by expressing my gratitude to Castle Rock for giving me enough

rewards privately.
Of course, it couldn’t be finished, but I was able to somehow get it done.
There were suspicions about whether Dialugia was the main culprit of the
monster wave, but of course, the Heretical Interrogators ruled out this
suspicion for my sake.
‘Having power is good because of this.’
With this matter, I properly used my Honorary Bishop position, which had
not been used until now. Starting with the Archbishop of Judah, whose roots
were in Castle Rock, I sought help from those in high positions of the Pope’s
side, whom I had stayed in touch with. This resulted from constant petitions
to Bishop Jessica, Director of the Inquisition Helena, Archbishop Andrine of
the Pope’s, and Cardinal Basel, who all loved me.
Since I thought that the secret auction house in Castle Rock’s underground
should be maintained, I had to hide the fact that Little Rock kidnapped Tol
To-ri and that Tol To-ri was also an entity affected by the monster wave.
I was in a situation where I had no choice but to find a cause other than
Dialugia.
The Heretical Inquisitor and the Holy Knights concluded that the monster
wave’s cause was an unknown dungeon in Castle Rock’s deep forest. Of
course, most humans who did not want to be branded as traitors did not argue
with their supposed findings.
All in all, this was an efficient ending.
Of course, the prerequisite for all of this was possible only because Dialugia
and I had an official relationship.
‘I am the one who has been chosen by the dragon.’
Officially, Dialugia was a pitiful dragon that had come into the city under the
control of an unknown dungeon, which gave her no choice but to choose me
to save herself.
Though it sounded terribly cliché, it didn’t sound bad at all. It was certainly
better than saying that she had chosen me to save her baby. Besides, there
had always been stories of humans being chosen by legendary entities.
Since a legendary-grade named monster came rolling into the arms of the
Holy Empire, it was no wonder that the Emperor’s side also actively
supported my case. I knew that, though the Imperial Knights were wary of
such a creature, they were also hoping that Dialugia would someday become
a dragon that would defend the empire.
“Because dragons are precious.”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
“Er…”
“Yes?”
“That… Thank you.”
“I’m not sure what you’re expressing gratitude for.”
“In many ways…”
“You don’t have to worry. It’s because of you that things went well.”
“What?”
“Dragons are precious. Since your personal history is longer than the history
of the Holy Empire of Benigore, humans feel that your existence is amazing.
You have been living for 4,000 years. All the books about dragons are almost
lost. The Holy Empire wants to have an intact dragon, just as I want to hold
you.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, the power I have has indeed been helpful, but this result is a great
result from interests, so you don’t have to thank me. Right, Tol To-ri?
“Kiek! Haaa!”
“Oh, come here, Tol To-ri.”

“Heck! Heck! Heck!”
“Shall we play airplanes with dad?”
“Haaaa! Kiek!”
“Oh! Our Tol To-ri is good! Well done! Well done!”
‘This kid… is so cute.’
I tried not to get too attached, but this baby monster was much cuter than I
had expected. Anyone would find it cute, given that it would run as soon as I
clapped my hands. Its adorably big eyes kept blinking as it wagged its tail
eagerly.
Even its cry, which at first sounded annoying, now sounded like the cutest
thing ever.
In his own way, Tol To-ri had secured a permanent place in my heart.
Of course, based on his appearance, it felt like having a pet rather than a real
child, but I could now understand why people on Earth were obsessed with
keeping animals, like dogs and cats.
“Oh! Come here, Tol To-ri!”
“Haaa!”
“Shall we eat a snack?”
“Kiek! Kiek! Kiek! Haaa! Kiek!”
The way it went all crazy when I said something about snacks and walks
made me want to hug the heck out of it.
“D-Didn’t he eat snacks before?”

“In the first place, kids only grow by eating. Right, Tol To-ri?
“Kiek!”
“You’ll eat snacks twice a day. It’s decided.”
“Tol To-ri likes eating this much, so what’s wrong with a snack? Rather, isn’t
it good that he can accumulate nutrition?”
“His nutrition intake is already too much. And candy can’t be called good
food. It’s a human-made food… After a few years, he can eat as much as he
wants, anyway, so it’s good to keep his intake in the right amount now.”
“You don’t like that your mother is too strict, right?”
“Kiek!”
“Dialuria… M-Mom is only saying it for your sake…”
“From tomorrow, I will feed him only two. Let’s eat only one more today,
okay, Tol-Tori?”
“Kiek! Haaa!”
The cute kid’s eyes widened as soon as I pulled out another candy from my
pocket. As the candy rolled back and forth in front of its eyes, I saw its pupils
constantly moving.
Its body was still, but its tail was hitting the floor without mercy. It was also
cute to see it running around the room mercilessly once I placed the little
candy in its mouth.
“Kiek! Haaa! Haaa!”
“Oh, is our Tol To-ri excited?”
“Haaa! Haaa! Kiek!”
“Well done! Well done!”

Once again, I clapped my hands, and it jumped on the sofa.
It was no exaggeration to say that I gave snacks just to see it react. Dialugia,
who claimed that three snacks were not allowed, smiled upon seeing how
delighted it was.
It still felt like she was wary of me, but at least now she seemed convinced
that I indeed liked Tol To-ri. Anyway, it was natural for her to feel that way.
Without trying hard to imitate being a good father, I was showing the family
she had dreamed of.
‘This guy is so cute.’
What she was thinking was so obvious, as I also thought about whether I was
giving Tol To-ri a little too much love. Recently, her quietly laughing and
looking at me and Tol To-ri became a frequent occurrence.
“Tol To-ri is standing!”
“Oh my, Dialuria!”
Currently, the baby, who had always been crawling on all fours, had now
managed to stand firmly on its own two feet. This baby never failed to
surprise me with each day that passed by.
‘Grow up quickly and take care of your daddy when he gets old!’
Though I still hoped for that, it didn’t mean that I didn’t genuinely care for
Tol To-ri.
The other party members in the Blue were also very fond of him, so it wasn’t
unusual for me to feel this way.
Of course, not all the party members found him cute.
“O… Oppa.”
It was that Jung Hayan who had opened the door and came in.
“Ah. Is it Hayan? You worked so hard today.”
“N-No. It wasn’t much. I was just watching the people working… Now,
we’ve almost finished clearing the corpses. Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes, I’m healthy now. I only fainted because I exhausted my magic, and I
hadn’t received any special injury. What about the others?”
“I think everyone will gather in a bit. Hyunsung asked for a meal with the
party members…”
“Okay.”
“Are you free today?”
“Ah, I am.”
“T-That’s fortunate…”
I knew she was thinking that Dialugia and Tol To-ri had managed to take me
away. Because of this, I knew I had to start working on bringing Dialugia to
my side without making Jung Hayan cry about this new development.
A few days ago, I had enough time to spare for her, but now I was so busy
that I couldn’t even sleep properly.
As work was work for me, it wouldn’t have been strange for Jung Hayan to
feel robbed.
Dialugia was a monster, but her appearance in human form was quite
beautiful, and although I said I would be careful, I knew Hayan would have
seen me holding Tol To-ri.
She didn’t say anything but…
‘She may have felt like we were acting like a family.’
What was decisive was the announcement that Dialugia and I were sharing
life.
I didn’t know why, but perhaps she was feeling a tremendous sense of loss.
This was proven when she refused to come out of her room all day long.
Even when I came to visit, she refused to open the door.
She seemed to now devote her time to studying magic, but the results did not
appear. No, it would be right to say that they had not yet appeared.
If Jung Hayan was studying magic now, it was inevitably to find a way to
connect her life with mine as well.
It was impossible in theory, but perhaps…
‘If it’s her, it could be done.’
She might even conjure up something worse.
Originally, her talent for magic was on the level of genius, and through this
wave, she had grown tremendously.
Jung Hayan was also a person who needed management as much as Tol To-
ri, so I knew I had to pay more attention to her. Had it been announced that I
became the dragon’s spouse, it would have been much more difficult to
control her.
Just looking at her willfully ignoring Tol To-ri and Dialugia could tell me
that much.
At this, Jung Hayan stepped closer to me.
“Let’s go together now!”
For some reason, I was very much aware of Dialugia and Tol To-ri’s
presence. It felt like I was cheating on them both. However, I had no choice
but to go along with what Hayan wanted.
“Then I’ll be back, Dialugia.”
“…”
“Dialuria should also stay quiet.”
“Kiek! Haaa!”
“L-Let’s go quickly, Oppa! Everyone might be waiting.”
Though Jung Hayan kept urging me to hurry along, I couldn’t help but notice
Tol To-ri’s eyes, which were currently filled with anxiety.
Unfortunately, it would be best to ignore it here.
“Kiek! Kiek!”
“Let’s go quickly, Oppa!”
After closing the door, Hayan breathed out, as if she felt relieved.
Instinctively, I too felt anxious, as if she noticed something. I knew I should

be more alert.
“Is there any reason that Hyunsung-ssi said we should meet today?”
“Yes.”
“Eh?”
“Oh, Oppa still… I guess you haven’t heard it.”
“I haven’t. Is there any news?”
“I’m not sure about the details… They’ve been saying that the Holy Empire
will elect the Eight Seats this time.”
“What?”
“Rumors say that they’ll be choosing around two people from the Blue
Guild.”
‘What’s happening now?’

I felt a little disconcerted by the sudden news.
Chapter 185
Chapter 185: Empire’s Eight Seats (2)
I think I could understand what that meant.
‘The Eight Seats?’
What was the intention of the Holy Empire to create such a system?
The Holy Empire did not give such high positions to players. It was already
unusual for me to be appointed as Honorary Bishop of the Pope’s side, and
this alone had brought great tumult to the Empire. In simple terms, it was not
an exaggeration to say that players other than me had nothing to do with the
imperial officials.
Though Guild Masters of large people were also considered important, there
were boundaries in place so they wouldn’t be able to intervene in the actual
politics within the Empire.
With this, I could understand the Empire’s position.
It wouldn’t be nice for the Empire if the players got too deeply involved in
their work.
‘But now…’
Perhaps this new development was brought by the players who tried to
protect Castle Rock by risking their lives, but then again, perhaps it wasn’t.
Although this may stem from an external reason, it was a business that did
not make sense if it had been brought about by the occurrence of just one
monster wave.
‘Have they become conscious of the Republic?’

That was not a bad guess. The Republic and the Holy Empire had been in a
strange rivalry since a long time ago. When the Holy Empire raised tall
buildings, the Republic also raised tall buildings. When the Republic
published research on new magic or dungeons, the Empire soon published a
similar kind of literary work.
This meant that there was always such a struggle in international relations. If
I were to think of Shaolin, who had a high position as the Five Tiger General
of the Republic, there was a high probability that the Holy Empire had
chosen to take action.
Whether or not there was an official announcement about the generals of the
Republic, I had not heard anything about that. Still, it was a good possibility
since I had planted some of my own spies into the Republic. Besides that,
there must be a strange tug-of-war and conflict of interest between the
Emperor and the Pope’s forces, as well as political factors that I did not know
about. They might have given me, a player, the Honorary Bishop position as
a way to spite the Emperor’s side. Considering that they might be picking
someone from Blue…
‘Won’t they still pick an imperial person for the position, though?’
Whether my predictions were correct or not, I would be able to find out by

talking to Kim Hyunsung. Because of our past misunderstandings, it would
be awkward to meet with him now, but it wouldn’t matter much as this was a
meeting where everyone would be present.
“Hehehehe…”
“Why’re you laughing?”
“It’s good to have everyone here again.”
“Ah, you’re right.”
Jung Hayan laughed, evidently unaware of my complex thoughts.
‘It wouldn’t be Jung Hayan.’

Most likely not. No, in fact, it would be difficult to find a person who would
be fit to take on the position in Blue. Obviously, people saw us as rookies
with rising potentials, and this was mostly due to Jung Hayan, Kim Ye-ri,
Sun Hee-young, and Cho Hyejin.
‘They’ll probably pick Hyunsung.’
If only one person would be picked, it would undoubtedly be Kim Hyunsung.

Of course, he hadn’t shown anything big yet, but if I were to think about him
filling up the position Cha Hee-ra had left vacant during the monster wave, it
made sense.
I, who had been busy wandering around, could not properly see what
Hyunsung had managed to do. Still, unlike me, who had been busy raising
my reputation, he had imprinted his strength onto the imperialists and the free
people.
‘Can I say that I’m relieved that Hee-ra didn’t participate?’
If Cha Hee-ra had been there, it would have been relatively difficult for Kim
Hyunsung to be at the center of the Castle Rock City Wall battle.
Whether she knew my complicated thoughts or not, Jung Hayan continued to

smile, clinging tightly to me. It felt a little annoying, but it was good to walk
with her all in all. The usual Jung Hayan was still pretty cute, after all.
Before long, we arrived at the restaurant’s entrance. I first caught sight of

Hwang Jeong-yeon, who had been talking with Park Deokgu. Sitting next to
her were Sun Hee-young and Cho Hyejin, drinking tea quietly.
‘They look alike.’
Then there was Kim Hyunsung, who was taking care of Kim Ye-ri. He was
the first to notice me. His expression as he waved us over certainly didn’t
seem all that bad. Contrary to my expectations that he would ask all kinds of
questions as soon as his work was finished, he seemed to observe me closely,
saving the asking for later.
‘Although this is exactly like him…’
I knew I had to find a way to isolate both of us so we could talk, as I did not
want any unpleasant feelings to remain within Hyunsung. Park Deokgu
noticed us as well.
“Oh my, Hyung-nim!”
“Yes.”
“Whoa… Just having a dragon choose you makes it harder for the rest of us
to see you!”
“Don’t make a fuss. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“No. It’s great enough. This is because Lee Kiyoung lives with a heart of
gratitude to God…”
“It’s really not a big deal, Sun Hee-young-nim.”
At Sun Hee-young’s words, Cho Hyejin stared up at me with a strange

expression. However, she soon avoided my gaze, apparently not wanting to
get involved. Instead, it was Hwang Jeong-yeon who spoke up.
“You two are so close together today. It’s romantic.”
“Ah… T-Thank you.”
“Please sit here, Hayan-ssi, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Alright, Jeong-yeon-ssi.”
It had been a while since I had seen the party members, but the atmosphere
wasn’t all that awkward. Kim Ye-ri nodded a little, and I, knowing this to be
a greeting, nodded back in reply. The rise in power among my party members
looked obvious.
I had not yet decided on a class either, but I would have to focus on it soon.
Kim Ye-ri, Kim Hyunsung, and Jung Hayan had already finished their class
changes. I thought it was right to take a closer look at these when I had the
time. Contrary to my thoughts that all party members would have changed
classes, Sun Hee-young, Hwang Jeong-yeon, and Cho Hyejin only managed
to increase their stats, yet no class change occurred for them.
‘These guys… It’s because their growth levels are already high.’
Park Deokgu was the problem.
‘It’s a pity. This guy…’
I didn’t know if he was procrastinating on changing his class or if he simply

couldn’t get one, but he still had the same rare-grade class. His endurance and
stamina stats rose, but the overall growth wasn’t that great. Of course, his
stats were great compared to ordinary people, but he was among the lowest
ones when it came to our party of geniuses.
‘I think I should give him therapy sometime soon…’
Park Deokgu was working hard. I was the one who knows that best.
However, it felt as if a wall was blocking him. I wanted to solve his problem
right away, but for now, I had an urgent task. I turned to look at Kim
Hyunsung.
No wonder everyone’s eyes were on him. They were hoping that the guild
leader would be the first to speak.
His voice then echoed as if meeting everyone’s expectations.
“It’s been a while since everyone’s been gathered like this. It seems like the
aftermath of the battle is busier than the preparation beforehand. Hahaha.”
“…”
Though this was clearly a joke, no one laughed. Kim Hyunsung certainly had
no talent in that. He cleared his throat before speaking again.
“Ahem. Anyway, I-I’m glad that everyone is safe. And… Thank you so much
for trusting me and following me.”
“Ah, but it’s only right to do so. You’re our Guild Master.”
“No. Hyejin-ssi. It’s not like that. This was probably the first major battle for
you all, especially for Hayan-ssi and Deokgu-ssi… And even Ye-ri and
Kiyoung-ssi. I know best than anyone else that it’s hard to stay on the front
line even though you’ve only been here for about a year.”
“Ah… I didn’t know that this was the four’s first time.”
“It is.”
‘I see.’
This was common sense. Park Deokgu scratched his head, evidently feeling
shy.
‘They were scared.’
If I, who believed in Hyunsung and Hee-ra, still felt scared, it would be

normal for Deokgu to be as well. Kim Ye-ri was still expressionless, so I
couldn’t figure out what she was thinking, but Jung Hayan didn’t seem to
understand what Kim Hyunsung was talking about. I was sure that among all
of us, she definitely did not feel an ounce of fear.
“No. Basically, we were able to stand on the wall because we had the belief
that Hyunsung-ssi would not leave us alone. Actually, Hyunsung-ssi saved
my life several times.”
“Kiyoung Hyung-nim is right. In fact, if it weren’t for our Hyung-ssi, I would

have died several times already. I admit that I was scared, but… It was a
good experience… It is only right for us to thank you.”
“Yes. Right, Oppa is right.”
“Yes. Kiyoung-ssi is right.”
As the party members shook their heads, Hyunsung appeared to feel moved.
His sensibility was rich. As he bowed his head and thanked us, I realized his
genuinely good nature once more. Seeing Hyunsung appear all embarrassed
just made him way cuter.
“Thank you, everyone. Ah! My reason for calling everyone today was to talk
about the Empire’s Eight Seats, which will be announced soon. I didn’t know
if Kiyoung-ssi has heard, but…”
“Ah, I heard it from Hayan on the way here. This was so unexpected…”
“Yes, it felt a little sudden for me, too. I knew it would eventually happen,
but it’s so sudden…”
“Has Hyung-ssi ever heard anything related?”
“I haven’t. Likewise, Kiyoung doesn’t seem to have received this news in

advance. It’s not unnatural not to have heard of it, but the fact that even
Kiyoung-ssi doesn’t know…”
It was true that this had been hosted by the Emperor’s side, not the Pope’s.
This didn’t mean that the Pope had been inactive. However, this affair was
not under their jurisdiction.
“First, I have to explain about the Empire’s Eight Seats. To put it simply,
Empire’s Eight Seats refers to a system that selects the eight people they
think are the strongest in the Empire and gives them positions and authority. I
think we need to find out a little more about it, but in comparison, it’s like
giving the title of a noble.”
“Then, we’ll have to accept it. No, I mean, do they really think that there are
two people in our guild who they consider as the strongest?”
“It might be about how strong we are, but there are also probably many
political reasons.”
“It is undeniable that Hyung-ssi is strong, but…”
I agreed with some of Park Deokgu’s words. It was true that Kim Hyunsung
was strong, but it was still unreasonable to place him among the eight
strongest in the Empire. I tried to explain, but Cho Hyejin cut me off.
“Maybe the imperialists have been excluded. If they include the imperialists,
the number of 8 is too small. There’s Victor Hart of the Royal Castle. And I
heard that the three Templars from the Pope’s side are a little stronger or
similar to Cha Hee-ra. They already make up four people…”
“That… Do you mean the red-haired lady? I’ve heard of the old man Victor
Hart before… Tem, what is a Templar?”
“It refers to the three strongest knights that the Pope has. I’ve heard that their
power is of the legendary-grade, and they only move as a group when danger
is posed to a priest above the cardinal-grade. Hee-young, a priest, must know
this well.”
“Yes. Cho Hyejin is correct. Cardinal-grade priests play a big part in the
Pope’s side. Perhaps, if Lee Kiyoung also reaches that position…”
If that happened, then it would definitely be a good day for me. As it was still
a distant story, I didn’t dare to answer, and Cho Hyejin once again spoke.
“If you think about it without the imperialists, it may seem right. First, there’s
Cha Hee-ra of the Red Mercenary Guild and Park Yeonjoo of the Black
Swans. There’s Yuno Kasugano from the Yozora Guild. In return, another
strong player will come out of Celia to replace the dead Ito Souta…
Likewise, in the Free City of Dawan, where the Taiwanese live, two people
from the large guilds will be chosen.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, there are a lot of players in the Empire who are said to be strong,
but it is very likely they have ruled out some of those who live a secluded life
or those who did not maintain seats of power. Perhaps, if some of the people
refuse their seat, our Blue could have a chance.”
“Is there any reason to refuse it?”
“As much as you have authority and position, responsibilities will also come
with it. Most people who want to be free from those shackles will not accept
it. When they were about to announce the Eight Seats of the Empire, the
monster wave took place in Castle Rock, so it would only be natural for them
to pay attention to us. Probably…”
At this, Cho Hyejin hesitated. Kim Hyunsung now took over.
“Yes. Kiyoung-ssi and I were asked to join as members of the Eight Seats
together.”
“Y-You mean, Hyung-nim?!”
Park Deokgu stared at me in shock.

Chapter 186
[Merry Christmas! Here are some extra chapters!]
Chapter 186: Empire’s 8 seats (3)
“Yes. Kiyoung-ssi and I were asked to join as members of the Eight Seats
together.”
“Y-You mean, Hyung-nim?!”
It was easy to tell what Park Deokgu was thinking. Though he admired me,
my strength was an entirely different story.
‘Hyung-nim? Hyung-nim to be one of the eight seats?’
This was probably what Deokgu was thinking now. My physical ability was
basically insignificant. A simple punch would be enough to wound me. Of
course, I had Juliana, but this didn’t count when it wasn’t active. Sure, I also
had a lot of alchemy magic considered tactically useful, but this was nothing
compared to someone like Jung Hayan.
Simply put, my individualistic power was less than a maggot’s. Of course,

Park Deokgu may not be thinking like this, but I knew he was wondering
how someone like me could be recommended to the Eight Seats of the
Empire.
“Hyung-nim too…”
“In Kiyoung-ssi’s case, perhaps…”
“Yes. Dialugia’s existence would have been decisive. From the Empire’s
standpoint, there’s no reason to exclude humans who had been chosen by a
legendary dragon. If one were to think about it, Dialugia’s power would be
more than enough to occupy all eight seats in the system. Considering that
Kiyoung-ssi is the one responsible for such a creature, it would be strange for
him not to get chosen.”
“Ah…”
“In simple terms, they would need to get the dragon’s tamer before they can
place the dragon in their favor. Plus, Kiyoung is also a well-known Vice
Guild Master. And…”
“Huh?”
“It might be unlikely, but he holds a unique position as an alchemist.

Currently, he is almost the only one that can make potions of heroic-grade or
higher. Of course, since the class itself can be said to have nothing to do with
combat, it wouldn’t have much of a big impact.”
“I-I see…”
“I can’t control Dialugia at my own will like a tamer or a summoner.”
“B… But even that is great, Hyung-nim! Isn’t it?”
Sure, one could describe it as great. As Cho Hyejin had said, Dialugia’s
existence was extraordinary. Though she was currently in a very unhealthy
state, she was still powerful enough to cause destruction with one simple
sweep. Of course, she had a free will of her own, but what would these
people know about it?
What was important was the fact that she had chosen me and that I could
borrow her powers. Park Deokgu kept up the chatter, but he now sported a
very bitter expression.
‘Ha… This bastard…’
The reason why he was acting this way was obvious. He felt as if he was
falling behind. The gap between him and the rest of the members had become
way too evident. To put it simply, what he was feeling was more of shame
than jealousy.
He was continually surrounded by monsters, which was why he failed to

recognize his rapid growth. Now would be the right time to comfort him.
“It’s only because of political reasons that I was given the high position. The
Yeongju Tower may have been conscious of the Pope’s side and had taken
action. However, nothing will change, Deokgu.”
“But it’s great enough to be chosen. Hyung-nim is already an Honorary

Bishop of the Holy Empire… I really believe that you are the smartest person
among everyone on this continent…”
“I am not smart; I just move a little more carefully than others.”
“That’s not it. Besides, since you conducted the pre-war defense brilliantly,
they must’ve also considered that. The Guild Master Hyung-ssi also…
Anyway, I’m glad there are so many things to celebrate about… Everyone’s
on a roll!”
“I have not yet decided on whether to accept it or not, but…”
“Yes. This will depend on the thoughts of the Guild Master and the Vice
Guild Master.”
At Cho Hyejin’s words, my gaze fell on Kim Hyunsung. Jung Hayan looked
disinterested in the topic, but the rest of our party members looked serious.
This would determine our future.
‘Perhaps…’
There didn’t seem to be anything bad by accepting it.
“In my case, I think it is only right to accept it. We’ll have a lot of
responsibility, but it won’t be profitable to refuse both as an individual and as
a guild. In the future, it will be of greater help for Blue’s growth. In Kiyoung-
ssi’s case, I think it is a matter to be decided by Kiyoung-ssi, but… I would
like to recommend you to accept it.”
He was right.
“I don’t think I need to refuse, too. Representing the Empire will be

advantageous for my activities.”
“I knew you would say so.”
“Haha…”
“Then… Kiyoung-ssi and I will have to visit Yeongju Tower for a while.”
“What?!”
At that moment, Jung Hayan looked horrified. Of course, she immediately

went silent, but Kim Hyunsung seems surprised by her sudden reaction.
“Ah. You don’t have to worry, Hayan. You’ll be going with us.”
“Ah… Okay…”
“I hope that Hyejin-ssi will remain here to clean up, and Jeong-yeon will take
the rest and return to the guild. Prepare for the command of advisor Lee
Sang-hee.”
“Ah… It seems we have to start to prepare for it slowly.”
“What’re we preparing for?”
“The next group will come soon.”
“Ah!”
I had completely forgotten this. I knew it was usually held once a year, so
considering the timing, it would definitely happen again soon. The tutorial in
itself was probably already in progress, and depending on how quickly they
would pass the exam, this might take from a few days to several months
longer.
‘Time goes by so fast.’
“The Red Mercenary will be in charge of this tutorial dungeon, but… Even if
it’s not our turn, recruiting new recruits is essential.”
“By how much will you increase the guild members?”
“That hasn’t been decided, but… if we can find a talented person who can
understand and blend well with us, then we’ll accept them.”
“Alright.”
“I’ve also been thinking about the direction of getting the priority to recruit
under discussion with Cha Hee-ra… This time around, we’ll be busy again.
Of course, even so, you should not neglect training and hunting. Anyway,
let’s skip the boring talk. Let’s talk about this in further detail while we eat.”
As soon as Kim Hyunsung finished speaking, the atmosphere became a little

noisy. I knew this would eventually happen, and I admit that I did miss
getting to talk with everyone.
However, knowing that Tol To-ri was waiting for me made me feel a little
guilty about chatting with everyone. I was worried about Park Deokgu, too,
but he was doing his best to show his eagerness.
“Please have another drink, Oppa.”
“No. This is enough for me.”
“T-This is a good day.”
“Then, should I have one more drink?”
“Yes!”
In the meantime, I didn’t know what Jung Hayan was thinking, but she had
been actively urging me to drink. It was good to drink in moderation, but I
knew I shouldn’t drink any more than I already have. Of course, it was
difficult trying to refuse Jung Hayan continually.
I didn’t know what Deokgu was thinking, either, but he didn’t seem to be in
the mood to drink. He had refused with a smile when I offered him one, but
he was evidently distracted. I thought about whether or not to talk with him,
but he had managed to sneak away at one point.
It wasn’t just him. Kim Ye-ri, a minor, and Sun Hee-young, a priest who
didn’t enjoy alcohol in the first place, had already gone away. This was okay
because it was already late, but…
“Then, I will also be going, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“Yes.”
The drinking session eventually ended. Jung Hayan was still guarding my
side, and now it was only right for me to head back to my room.
“Let’s go too, Hayan.”
“Ah, alright! Are you perhaps feeling drunk?”
“No. I’m still fine.”
“Ah…”
‘Why do you look so sad?’
“It’s late now, so you should go to sleep.”
“Ah, yes…”
“Or would you want to go for a short night walk?”
“R-Really?”
“Sure.”
I had recently been neglecting her, and now seemed like the right time to
reward her. I knew Hayan must feel stressed, so it was only right that I ease
her impatience before she burst.
It was a bit chilly now, but it still felt nice enough to walk. The moon was
high up in the sky, and just about anyone would consider this a romantic
atmosphere. I could feel Jung Hayan’s hand, which was holding mine,
trembling. Though we were just walking around the gardens in Yeongju
Tower, she already seemed happy. It was then that I heard a sound resonate
from the area.
“Did you hear that just now?”
“Yes.”
No wonder I felt curious. I grabbed Jung Hayan’s hand, who had been trying
to lure me into a secluded area.
‘What the…’
Though I felt puzzled for a while, I began to realize what they were doing.
Kim Ye-ri was currently running towards Park Deokgu with a dagger aimed
at the latter’s neck. Deokgu, in turn, lifted his shield as a reaction.
“Hup!”
The sound we had heard was Deokgu’s brief shout of concentration, yet his
attack didn’t faze Kim Ye-ri at all. The kid had successfully avoided the
attack.
‘What is she, a cat?’
It felt like she could stay in the air longer than the others. Deokgu tried to
swat her away mid-air, but she twisted her body just in time. As if this wasn’t
enough, she landed by sitting on his shield, and even I couldn’t understand
how she did it.
Even Park Deokgu seemed both bewildered and perplexed about her
incomprehensible actions.
Taking advantage of his distracted state, Kim Ye-ri landed a kick. As she
kicked his head, Park Deokgu hit the floor. The short match was over with
her holding her dagger right against his neck. The quiet voice of Kim Ye-ri
echoed in the hall.
“You’re weak.”
“It’s not over yet.”
“It’s already over… If I don’t head to bed now, I’ll get scolded. Anyway, it’s
already late.”
“No… Let’s do it one more time.”
“No. It’s not fun anymore.”
“Just one last time!”
“Uncle Deokgu, if I had done it seriously, you would have died several times
already. This will be the end for today. We’ll train again tomorrow, even
though it’s not fun.”
Her words weren’t intended maliciously. The kid was horrible at

communicating. However, it appeared that her words had struck Deokgu
right into her heart.
“Then, ahem… I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Wrong. I am sorry, uncle. I’m helping you practice.”
“It’s the same thing. You should head in first, Ye-ri.”
“Yes. Uncle should also rest well.”
“And… It’s not uncle, but Oppa.”
“Huh. But you look like an uncle.”
“…”
This made me wonder whether Kim Ye-ri was inciting him on purpose. With
a blank look, Park Deokgu watched Kim Ye-ri quietly leave. Even I had not
spoken to that kid in forever. Perhaps Park Deokgu and Kim Ye-ri had
already conducted a lot of these meetings.
‘Tsk…’
Even after Kim Ye-ri left, Park Deokgu did not leave his seat and sat down,
leaning against the wall. Jung Hayan, who had constantly been pulling me,
was now looking at Park Deokgu seriously. His whole body was already a
disaster. Not only was he covered with sweat, but he looked entirely dirty.
Assuming that he had continued to do this after he quickly got out of the
drinking table meant he had already been beaten by Kim Ye-ri several times,
so this was natural.
I didn’t like seeing him burying his face between his knees. I thought about
approaching him and talking to him, but he didn’t seem to want that right
now. Soon enough, he stood up and once more began to swing his sword in
the air.
Hoowook.
His body trembled, showcasing his exhaustion.
Hoowook.
However, he continued to swing his sword over and over again. I honestly
wanted to tell him that this was meaningless. He wouldn’t be able to catch up
with the others with this useless training regime. If one could become
powerful by simply swinging a sword in the air, then almost everyone on this
continent would have become powerful.
The problem with Park Deokgu was not a lack of effort but a lack of talent.
Even if he were to exert double the effort, the gap between him and our party
members would continue to widen. Once he could catch up, the gap would
soon widen once more. It’s a vicious cycle.
I wasn’t in the right position to say this, but people like Park Deokgu simply
cannot compete with people like Kim Hyunsung or Kim Ye-ri. Or so the
system says.
No matter how hard he would try, it would be those blessed with talent that
would eventually rise to the top. To put it plainly, the probability that Park
Deokgu could catch up with those above him was close to zero.
However, I didn’t want to point out how stupid this was. I could hear him
muttering all the way from where I stood.
“I can do better…”
Chapter 187
Chapter 187: Foolish Guy (1)
“Let’s head back, Hayan.”
“Alright…
Though I wanted to comfort Park Deokgu, now was not the right time.
Nothing would get to his head, considering his current state of mind.
Even Jung Hayan, who spent a lot of time with him, looked bummed. I knew
she cared about the party members in her own way, but Kim Hyunsung and
Park Deokgu were the most important for her. They were the ones we had
been with since the start and had taken care of her, who had been a lonely
person.
In particular, Park Deokgu had been the one who had beaten up her molester,
so he must be the one she was most fond of aside from me.
‘He also played matchmaker…’
We took care in quietly heading back, in case he would hear us. What he had
muttered still bothered me up until now.
‘I can do better.’
He was obviously reflecting on what I had told him when I first met him. At
first, it had only been to make him take action, but this appeared to be his
pillar of support now. I felt embarrassed as I realized this.
Of course, I believed in Park Deokgu. However, the reality shown by the

status window was cruel.
‘It’s such bullshit for his effort not to count.’

Of course, for some, this may result in a big gift. However, some situations
could not be reversed with effort alone. One example would be if the genius
level were what Deokgu had been aiming for. When I looked behind me, I
could see him mercilessly swinging his sword. And though I looked away,
the scene never left my mind.
Of course, I didn’t want his efforts to betray him. However, upon concluding
that his growth was really hitting its limit, I didn’t know what to do.
‘He might die.’
This wasn’t the case of abandoning him in the worst-case scenario. Unlike
me, whose position was in the rear, his position was on the frontlines. If he
fought against something that he wouldn’t be able to handle, Park Deokgu
would surely die.
This was proven back when Cha Hee-ra had gone berserk. If she had not been
able to distinguish between enemy and allies, Park Deokgu would have died
instantly on the first blow.
Considering that our party’s path would be quite difficult in the future, it
might be better for Park Deokgu to stay put.
‘My head hurts. Fuck… I still have to change my class…’
Still, I had a lot of things to worry about now, one being my fourth class.
***
“Then, we’ll see you later.”
“Yes. I’ll finish the cleanup.”
“You can do it slowly. Hyejin-ssi.”
“I’ll finish Lindel’s affairs too, so you can go with no worries, Hyunsung-ssi.
Kiyoung-ssi, please also have a nice trip with Hayan.”
“See you at Lindel. Jeong-yeon-ssi.”

“Goodbye, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“I will be back soon. Thank you for taking care of the slums, Hee-young.”
“Of course.”
Before leaving for the capital, I was given a short time to say my goodbyes to
the party members. However, I could feel someone gazing at me sharply. It
was not Cho Hyejin, who had to do all the remaining work, nor Kim Ye-ri
who did not feel happy to be apart from Kim Hyunsung. It was Dialugia, who
had Tol To-ri in her arms.
Although she was expressionless as usual, I felt like she was not in a good
mood, and seeing that she had a dissatisfied expression, I could tell she
wasn’t happy about me going to the capital. I said I would only be there for a
short time, but nevertheless, she still seemed angry.
She had raised her voice at me when I had returned the night I witnessed Park
Deokgu’s breakdown. To her, it felt like I had neglected the family and
wandered outside.
I knew that if she had her way, she would tie me up. Tol To-ri struggled
through his cries, realizing that we would be apart for some time. Naturally, I
knew I had to say something. Since Jung Hayan was still busy talking with
the other party members, I had some time to talk to her.
“I will be back, Dialugia.”
“…”
“Dialugia, didn’t you hear me?”
“…”
“Don’t worry, it won’t take long.”
“I don’t know why you’ve chosen to report to me. Won’t you be satisfied
only by doing everything you want to do, anyway?”
“I want to be with Tol To-ri too, but I don’t have a choice in this situation.”
“Then what is the situation?”
“I gave you a clear explanation last time… I hope you know that these are all
efforts to provide a safe nest for both of you.”
“Well, I know what you think. All you talk about is providing a safe nest for
us. That’s good. However, the safest nest for Dialuria is one with you in it.
As I said, I can’t understand you whenever I think about how important this
period is for Dialuria’s growth. Don’t you see Dialuria is also feeling so
anxious?”
“Kiek! Kiek! Kiek! Kie-eh-eh!”
‘Tol To-ri… You… Don’t exaggerate, you fool.’
“The human mind is so obvious. Anyway, you were already out of your
mind, drinking that night. I think you’ll know better how badly it affects our
Dialuria’s education, as well as your health, too. I don’t care whether you
hold hands or kiss other women, but you should at least be faithful to
Dialuria.”
‘Fuck… she’s scary…’
“I knew well that humans are liars anyway. Nothing but good contractors…
A human who has promised not to get a shot of water on his hands throws
away his nests easily. In the first place, you lack awareness.”
“Human society is complex. Communication is important, and drinking is

indispensable.”
“You always talk like that. ‘It’s complex. Human society is dangerous.’
Could you first explain why you have chosen to leave Dialuria alone in that
complex and dangerous society?”
“I’m telling you. It’s because of work.”

“Your job is not to get distracted by drinking, but to protect and love
Dialuria.”
“…”
“…”
“Oh, come on, our Tol To-ri!”
I did not know what to reply with, so I naturally switched my focus. I knew
very well that none of my explanations would work on Dialugia. For now, it
would be best to be kind to Tol To-ri before I left.
“Kiek! Haaa!”
“Oh! Our Tol To-ri, good! Oh, right! Wait for two days. I will come back
quickly, okay?”
“Tol To-ri! Don’t scream!”
“Kie-e-ek…”
“I’ll be coming back soon, so can’t you wait a little bit?”
“Ahhh… Haaa!”
“You must listen carefully to your mother and wait quietly.”
“Heck! Heck!”
“Our Tol To-ri has grown a lot.”
“Kiek!”

As the little guy started to jump again, the dragon’s anger seemed to lessen.
With Tol To-ri looking so cute, it would only be natural for her expression to
soften. Although she was still in a bad mood, her baby was the best way to
melt her frozen heart.
That was when I felt a strange gaze. It was Jung Hayan, whose stare was a
stark contrast to everyone else, who had been staring at us with warm gazes.
Of course, it was only then that she realized that the scene Dialugia and I
showed was unusual. Dialugia didn’t seem to care very much, but I, who was
conscious of Jung Hayan, had no choice but to be concerned about this.
However, most of the female crews just thought that Tol To-ri was cute. In
particular, the eyes of Kim Ye-ri, who was seeing Tol To-ri jump for the first
time, were shining brightly. Of course, Dialugia, seeing those eyes, hurriedly
and warily lifted Tol To-ri.
“C… Cute.”
“You must come back as soon as possible.”
“Okay. Ah. And after arriving at Lindel, the construction of the nest will
proceed immediately. You should find a human named Kim Mi-young and
tell her what you need.”
“An actual nest?”
“Yes. Actually, I don’t know what a dragon’s nest looks like… I told her to
start work immediately after consulting you.”
“Ah…”
“It’s custom-made, so you can choose whatever you want.”
Dialugia’s expression was still full of dissatisfaction, but hearing the news
that she would have a new nest seemed to make her feel better. However, this
came at the expense of Jung Hayan. It seemed that, after crossing one
mountain, I had to cross another one. However, I would be going to the
capital with Jung Hayan anyway, so there would be many opportunities to
work with her.
Jung Hayan also knew this, so she also looked a little happy. Soon enough,
she ran up to me and hugged me a little tightly. At this, my worries shifted to
Park Deokgu, who now approached me with a casual expression.
“Well, Hyung-nim, have a good trip!”
“Yes. Please do take care of Dialugia and Dialuria while I am away.”
“Ah…”
“It’s because we share one life. Can you understand what I’m talking about?”
“I think I know.”
“Deokgu.”
“Huh?”
“I believe you. And if I do…”
“I know. I can do better. Are you going to keep saying that? I think it’s going
to create a crust on my ear. You don’t have to worry about it, so you can just
go.”
“You should get along well with Jeong-yeon.”
“Ahem. It’s not like that with Jeong-yeon, so Hyung-nim should better be
nice to Hayan.”
“Cheer up! Deokgu Oppa.”
“Am I not Park Deokgu, who is always full of energy?”
At Park Deokgu’s words, I smiled and stroked Jung Hayan’s hair. I had to
pretend that I believed him. While I didn’t know much about him, I still had
every right to be bothered because the signals were still noticeable. He had
definitely swung his sword all night. He may think that I had not noticed it,
but I could smell his sweat just by being near him.
He had changed his clothes, but he didn’t have time to shower.
“Kiyoung-ssi, we should…”
“Ah… Yes, Hyunsung-ssi.”
We got on our respective griffons. Jung Hayan, too, stuck to my back like
gum, and I waved my hand towards the people who were still greeting and
Tol To-ri, who cried after me. To me, it felt like Park Deokgu had clenched
his fist when I ascended to the sky alongside Hyunsung.
Before I disappeared from their sight, I turned around, just in time to see him
running off somewhere.
‘Foolish bastard.’
He was the most foolish human I had ever seen.

Chapter 188
The capital, which had seemed quite amazing when I first saw it, was not
very impressive when I looked at it the second time. Though the view was
stunning, my eyes could not register its beauty. This was because Park
Deokgu kept popping up in my mind.
‘This bastard can really make a person feel upset…’
However, I had no choice but to discard these thoughts for the time being. I
understood better than anyone else that I had come here for work. However, I
had to make sure not to neglect the management of connections, either.
This was the second time, but as soon as I got off at the familiar Griffon
landing area, I immediately heard a cheerful voice calling out to me. I knew
who it was, as I knew who liked me the most within the royal castle.
“Cardinal Basel!”
“Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung! Ah, you look so different! I’ve heard about
what’s happened at Castle Rock.”
“Hahaha. It’s all thanks to Benigore’s Goddess. Bishop Jaina! And it’s been a
while, Director of the Inquisition Helena.”
“Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung, long time no see.”
“Ah. Please say hello to Kim Hyunsung, the Blue Guild Master who was
recommended to take part in the Empire’s Eight Seats.”
“Ooooh. I’ve heard a lot about you, Believer Kim Hyunsung.”
“Yes, I also heard a lot about you, Cardinal Basel. I’m Kim Hyunsung. Please
take good care of me.”
These three had greeted us the moment we had arrived, giving time for a
short discussion. It felt like Cha Hee-ra herself had not arrived yet. In the first
place, the official announcement for the Eight Seats was still scheduled later
on, but it wasn’t like her not to be here yet.
‘Is she still embarrassed?’
Considering this, she may have already arrived at the Royal Castle, quickly
made her pledge, and then went away. I had heard that a few others had
arrived earlier than us. Anyway, the Red Mercenary Guild was undoubtedly
busy preparing for the new recruits, leaving no time for leisurely activities
within the Holy Empire.
While it had been fun talking and catching up with the members of the
Pope’s side, I was surprised to find out that it had been Cardinal Basel who
had recommended me to take part in the Eight Seats of the Empire. I thought
they would actually discourage me from being a part of it, but it seemed that I
was wrong.
They seemed convinced that I would remain faithful to the Pope’s side than
to the Royal Castle. If Cardinal Basel thought so, it would be natural to earn
myself a spot within the system. The fact that the Honorary Bishop had been
elected as one of the eight strongest in the Empire could be a form of
publicity in its own way, after all.
With Bishop Jaina and Director of Inquisition Helena, we had a short and
interesting prayer meeting of only three people. Afterward, I continued to
meet with the nobles I hadn’t seen in a long time. All I did was greet the old
man Victor Hart, but I also ended up chatting with Duchess Marlin, Duchess
Catherine, and Marlin Young-ae, who had already come to the castle.
The conversation mainly flowed toward Marlin Young-ae, who explained my

saga about the Siege of Castle Rock to the other noblewomen. Since the other
Blue Guild members were mentioned, my mind naturally flashed back to
Park Deokgu, annoyingly enough.
Of course, I realized just how interested everyone was in Dialugia.

‘It was good of me not to bring her.’
If Dialugia had come at this busy time, bringing Tol To-ri with her, an
incident would most likely have taken place.
Like me, who was very busy, it was no wonder that Kim Hyunsung also had
a busy time. As this was his first time in the Royal Castle, he spent his time
building a network with Jung Hayan and me. Unlike me, who spent time with
the noble ladies and the Pope’s side, he spent his time drinking alcohol or
competing for martial arts with the Royal Castle’s powerful people.
Contrary to me, who was being supported by the Pope’s side after being
chosen by a dragon, there were still doubts about Kim Hyunsung everywhere.
It seemed that talking about swords with important characters from the Royal
Castle like Victor Hart helped raise his evaluation.
Though I knew I would be busy upon my arrival here, I had not expected it to
reach this extent. Therefore, it was not unreasonable to find Kim Hyunsung
looking even more tired than I was.
Only two days had passed since we arrived at the capital. Unlike Jung Hayan,
who always seemed to have a reserve of energy, Kim Hyunsung looked
exhausted.
‘Of course, I am the same, but…’
I had a lot to worry about, like Blue’s future, my next class, and my
relationship with Kim Hyunsung. Having too much to think about was also
work in itself. Of course, I didn’t even have to mention what I was most
worried about.
Though he had a different mindset, Kim Hyunsung was also in the same
situation. As the tutorial dungeon’s timing would be open soon, I knew that a
lot of talents that Kim Hyunsung would be expecting would arrive.
He had to select people who would play an active part in the future, and he
would have a lot to think about his position, which would soon change
externally. I didn’t know what will happen in the future, but he did. There
would be many situations in which mutual agreements were required, and
their interests would be consistent. This was what tired him out, day and
night.
Though it felt like we had been avoiding talking seriously with each other,
our conversations still flowed smoothly. After all, he and I were still friends
as well as colleagues who trusted each other.
“Whoo… It’s been a long day.”
“Perhaps it will be a little busier tomorrow. I have to prepare for the

ceremony… Maybe we really were the last ones to arrive. In any case, there
are a few more people Hyunsung-ssi needs to meet.”
“…”
“You should also meet Archbishop Andrine, as well as the noblewomen from
influential provinces…”
“Ah…”
His expression pleaded with me, asking me not to push through with this. He
didn’t mind meeting Archbishop Andrine, but he didn’t seem happy about
meeting the young ladies. His reaction made me smile.
“Ahem. If Hyunsung-ssi is uncomfortable, I will take care of the meeting

with the ladies.”
“You don’t have to… “
“Don’t worry. I have some time to spare.”
“T-Thank you.”
It had been a while since someone had sincerely thanked me. As Jung Hayan
dozed off next to me, Kim Hyunsung spoke again.
“It’s already been a year.”

“Yes. Time seems to be passing faster than I thought. I was so busy that I
didn’t even notice that we’ve been here for that long. In fact, you don’t know
how surprised I was when I heard from Hyunsung-ssi that we had to prepare
for the next group.
“Hahaha. So there is something that Kiyoung-ssi does forget.”
“What? I’m just an ordinary person. It’s honestly overwhelming to only deal
with what’s happening right away.”
“No. I’m… I don’t think Kiyoung-ssi is ordinary at all.”
“I was just lucky. If I hadn’t met Hyunsung in the first place, I wouldn’t have
been able to survive the tutorial dungeon. And that’s the same for Hyunsung-
ssi.”
“Ah, I know I sound so serious, but Kiyoung-ssi actually gives me a lot of

strength.”
I was proud to hear him say this so openly. The atmosphere wasn’t that bad,
and I had a drink beforehand since I had just attended a meal, but it appeared
that I was still having difficulties trying to say what I really wanted to tell
him. At least things were okay between us.
“Er…”
“Say it to me, too. Well done. Well done…”
Jung Hayan’s sleepy voice resonated from beside me, which naturally caused
us to laugh. It was slightly different from what she usually said, but her tone
of voice sounded serious.
“Come to think of it, I’ve thought about something.”
“Yes?”
“It’s about how Blue currently is.”
“Ah. I see. Perhaps it’s about the problem related to the expansion of guild
members?”
“Yes. That’s correct. It will still take a little more time, but I feel the need to
revamp the system and the party now.”
“Hmm…”
“I like how we are one big party now, but when the new party members come
in, it feels inefficient to stay as one group. I’m still thinking about it, but
perhaps it would be better to set up a second party and entrust it to Deokgu
and Jeong-yeon.”
“Ah…”
I shut my mouth. It turned out that Kim Hyunsung and I were thinking the
same thing. Though Kim Hyunsung did not say it outright, it appeared that he
had realized how difficult it would be for Park Deokgu to keep up with the
current party.
‘Are there any good tankers among the newcomers?’
I thought there might be. If a good front-liner were active in the future, it
would be more efficient to accept him as a party member. Although this felt a
little too sudden, I knew that Kim Hyunsung was not looking down on Park
Deokgu. He had made his decision based on his understanding of Deokgu’s
limitations, and it was a reasonable choice at that.
Making Deokgu a party leader would be the best way for him to gain
experience.
Park Deokgu’s prestige and position in the clan would increase, but as a
result, he would move away from Kim Hyunsung’s party. In fact, there was
no reason for Kim Hyunsung to insist on Park Deokgu, considering that Lee
Sang-hee’s immediate return to the front line could lead to her joining our
party.
‘I know he’s thinking about Deokgu’s safety as well.’
Kim Hyunsung’s party, which had gained momentum from growth, would
continue to set foot in new places, and Park Deokgu would still continue to
face new dangers. Considering the guy’s specs objectively, it would be
detrimental for him to stay with us.
‘His role is different from mine, after all.’
However, it was natural to understand that keeping Park Deokgu in Kim

Hyunsung’s party and placing him in the rear would rather hinder his growth.
Kim Hyunsung must have considered all these things. I knew he had brought
his suggestion up to me because he considered me as Park Deokgu’s closest
friend.
‘If you put everything together, such as Park Deokgu’s growth and safety,
and the fact that he wants to raise him as an executive in the future clan, Kim
Hyunsung’s suggestion may definitely be better…’
For some reason, however, leaving him behind felt a little cruel.
‘Fuck…’
It wasn’t just me who knew about his limit. Though Kim Hyunsung could not
see status windows like I did, he had fought alongside Park Deokgu enough
to realize his growth potential.
“I know what you’re trying to say, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“Yes.”
“If I’m not mistaken, perhaps… You seem to be talking about Deokgu. Am I
correct?”
“Yes. I’m curious about what you think. In this case, I mentioned it first
because I think Kiyoung’s judgment is more important than my own. I think
that Kiyoung-ssi… knows him better than I do. It would be more dangerous
for the party as time will go on…”
“Well…”
My head already knew the answer, but my lips refused to move.

‘This is annoying… fuck…’
It felt good of him to ask about my feelings, but I hated Kim Hyunsung for
this particular one. It felt like he was leaving the cruel decision to me.
However, this was a situation where I had no choice but to answer.

Eventually, I had to tell him what I thought was best.
“I…”
Chapter 189
“I…”
“…”
“I think it would be better to wait and see how things go first.”
Honestly, that was a lie.
I didn’t think it’ll be okay. Of course, I knew Park Deokgu was doing his
best, but if the discussion was whether or not he could keep up with our
party, that was a definite no.
No, forget Kim Hyunsung. He wouldn’t even be able to catch up with Cho
Hyejin.
No matter what one was to think about this, the best option was definitely to
kick him out.
‘Have I become too affectionate?’
I thought this was the case. I was making excuses, which was unlike me at
all. In any case, Park Deokgu relied on me in many ways, and he saw me as a
trustworthy person. Someday, I would definitely kick him out, but not now.
I hated the thought of having a new tanker join us, thereby decreasing my
influence within the party, and I also hated the thought of possibly spending
my time taming whoever would be our new member.
At least Park Deokgu was the type who would be willing to risk his life for
me.
Of course, it was unclear as to how this fearful guy would behave if that ever
happened, but at least he wouldn’t leave me alone.
‘It’s because he’s working hard.’
It wouldn’t be bad to believe in him a little more.
“I see.”
It felt like Kim Hyunsung sighed briefly with what I said. I was forced to
speak once more.
“Of course, we know very well that if the front-line collapses, the whole
party will be at risk. But I think that there are still areas that can be filled.
Items, or… There will be many ways. Most of all, Deokgu himself is
working hard, so even a small achievement can be gained.”
‘The outcome may be very small, but… Honestly, I’m not expecting too
much.’
“I feel like he’s training every day, and no one has noticed. Recently, I saw
him sparring with Ye-ri. Of course, I can’t really evaluate them, but they
seemed to be having a good fight.”
‘He was beaten to death.’
“He definitely has enough willpower.”
‘Useless and needless willpower.’
“He might be slow, but he’s still growing.”
‘The problem is that his growth is too little.’
“I think he would change a little on the next expedition. Definitely.”
‘I can’t be honest. Hyunsung… Shit…”
I was used to lying, but this was definitely not one of my best ones. I was too
busy making up excuses for him that I had forgotten to rely on logic. It was
definitely not something that suited me. However, I could see Kim Hyunsung
smiling as he nodded.
“Okay, got it.”
He looked happy, almost as if I had relieved him of a burden that I didn’t

know about.
‘This bastard… No way…’
I began to wonder if he had just tested me. Considering that he had felt wary
of me due to recent events… then that was definitely a possibility. If so, then
Kim Hyunsung was way foxier than I had given him credit for.
Perhaps he was suspicious as to how inhumane I could get.
Seeing the bright expression on Hyunsung’s face, however, it felt like he had
succeeded in getting something. I then began to wonder if this had also been
a scheme of Deokgu’s.
‘It mustn’t be a plan.’
I firmly believed that it wasn’t. Before I could even respond, Hyunsung had
spoken once more.
“I know well what Kiyoung-ssi is thinking. In fact, I said earlier that I believe
in Kiyoung-ssi’s judgment, but there will certainly come a day when, not
only our party members but also Deokgu-ssi himself, will be in danger.”
“Yes… I know that, too.”
“Let’s wait and see for now, but if his growth level or training results are not
satisfactory, as I suggested… It would be nice to form a second party. Of
course, it would be better for Kiyoung-ssi to decide the timing. You have a
better feel for this than I do.”
“Yes. Okay. Then, let’s do that.”
‘Does he mean he’ll give Deokgu more opportunities?’

Whatever, I had still gotten what I wanted.
Of course, if Deokgu did not perform to his standard, he would definitely get
kicked out, but at least he would still be given more chances to improve.
That meant I could only take one position at this point.
‘I have to strengthen him.’
I had to find a way to make Park Deokgu improve. Though I didn’t know
exactly how, I knew there were many ways for one to get stronger. As I had
mentioned earlier, I could get him some items or use my alchemy to
strengthen his body.
Of course, I doubted whether or not I could do this. However, this could grant
me the needed step in obtaining my legendary class.
That was my first step.
Considering that I, who had no talent in the first place, had found a way to
grow, Park Deokgu, who was undoubtedly better than me, could also do it.
Though I found it funny that I felt concerned to this extent, I felt as if Kim
Hyunsung was still testing me up until now. This meant I had to tackle this
matter with all my might.
‘This is the last time I’ll care about you, Deokgu.’
I was not doing this because I cared about him. I already had a lot on my
plate, and it would be better to focus on my work than spend my time
remembering that bastard’s face.
“Then, I’ll be going, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“Okay.”
“Also, what were you trying to say earlier?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. Next time, we’ll have a drink and then talk about it.”
“Kiyoung-ssi, I trust you.”
‘You foxy guy… Now I know this is definitely a test.’
“Haha… Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
After picking up the dozing Jung Hayan, I left Hyunsung’s room. Though
Hayan herself was quite heavy, I could carry her without much difficulty,
seeing as I at least had superior muscle strength compared to the ordinary
people living in this continent.
Having moved around all day, it seemed that she was in no state to wake up.
This freed my limitations a bit, seeing as Jung Hayan hated it whenever I had
to head out somewhere.
After depositing her in her room, I moved as quickly as I could.
I had wanted to visit someone, and this was the perfect timing. I had
postponed this because I felt both annoyed and busy, but now I had a good
excuse to go.
I had already decided that I should do something for Park Deokgu, but
honestly, I didn’t know how to do it. I didn’t even know what had been
hindering his growth!
I was not a personal counselor. I just knew how to read status windows and
dispositions.
His magic power growth was ridiculously low, but his stamina and endurance
were higher than heroic. The problem was that, even so, his overall growth
had been progressing too slowly.
Of course, that was not the only problem.
Though it hurt to admit this, his combat ability as an individual was lesser
than the simple monsters that Kim Hyunsung had slain in the past.
‘To be honest…’
Even if Kim Ye-ri had lower stats than Park Deokgu, she would still be able
to beat him.
They had different abilities, after all. It was the same as Jung Hayan being
able to defeat people whose magic and intelligence stats were higher than
hers, all because she understood magic better than they did.
In short, Park Deokgu lacked both experience and abilities. His class was still
of the rare-grade, and he hadn’t even obtained an attribute yet.
‘It’s a total disaster…’
Of course, his potential attribute could still provide some hope for Deokgu,
but his ability wasn’t really something that one could hone through luck.
In the meantime, I had to know what Park Deokgu had been like in the first
timeline. After a few years, he must have grown more than he had in this
timeline, but I wasn’t yet sure. I had to check to understand how I could make
him grow.
Though Kim Hyunsung did not know Park Deokgu and me in the past, I
knew Yuno Kasugano did.
Before even reaching the room, the guild members of the Yozora Guild had
come to greet me.
When I waved my hand, the door opened on its own, and I could see Yuno in
the same position as she was in the last time.
‘Yuno Kasugano.’
She still had her long hair down, her eyes closed. She then spoke.
“I’ve been waiting, Master.”

“I’m sorry for coming to visit late.”
“No. Just you coming is infinite glory. I know better than anyone else that the
Master is busy. Come inside.”
“Did you know I was coming today?”
“T-That’s not it.”
“Then…”
“I had been waiting for your arrival. I knew you would definitely come…”
I didn’t know how to respond.
“It must have been hard.”
“It wasn’t. Thinking I would be waiting for the Master made me feel a little
better… It was rather a fun time.”
‘This is why I can’t deal with her.’
“Ahem.”
“I’m sure Master is here for something.”
Seeing Yuno Kasugano’s disappointed yet unsurprised expression, I felt a

little guilty.
However, I couldn’t really lie to her. I had business to attend to, and it felt as
if I was running out of time.
As I sat down quietly, Kasugano inched closer to me, looking incredibly

happy.
Of course, she didn’t smile openly as Jung Hayan did. It felt like she was
doing her best to control her facial expression but was utterly failing.
“Well, at least I came, right?”

“Master, please just tell me what it is you want.”
Since she said that, it wouldn’t matter if I cut down to the chase. Anyway,
just the fact that I was here seemed enough to make her happy.
I had a lot of questions in mind.
“It’s about the black world.”
“Yes.”
“You said you clearly found me in ruins.”
“Yes. I saw a dying version of Master.”
“So… That was supposed to happen two years from now?”
“Yes. The exact date is not known, but I think it would happen after two or
three years.”
“Was I the only one you found in ruins? Maybe others… For example…”
Yuno Kasugano cut me off before I could finish my sentence.
“I think Master is asking about a big man.”
“Do you know him?”
Yuno Kasugano’s closed eyelids opened, and she looked at me.
In the place where her pupils should be, there was only black darkness. It
looked like a scene straight from a horror movie, and goosebumps naturally
rose on my skin.
‘Don’t look at me.’

Chapter 190
Yuno Kasugano’s closed eyelids opened, and she looked at me.
In the place where her pupils should be, there was only black darkness. It
looked like a scene straight from a horror movie, and goosebumps naturally
rose on my skin.
‘Don’t look at me.’
Though I wanted to say this out loud, it felt as if Yuno Kasugano couldn’t
really see me. It felt as if she was seeing something different. Perhaps she
was in the black world now.
Suddenly, her facial features, shaking with her lips tightly closed, looked
very different from before. Though I knew her ability was very limited, there
was a possibility that she could see what I wanted to know, and that in itself
would be able to make me happy.
‘Huh, not bad.’
Seeing that she knew about Park Deokgu, I felt as if my guess was correct to
an extent.
I couldn’t confirm how I had lived in the first round before meeting Yuno
Kasugano, but considering my disposition, I must have gone through a
similar pattern. Therefore, I could at least predict that I had still gotten stuck
with Park Deokgu back then. He must have really been someone I could rely
on.
It was not a big deal right now, but it was only natural to think this way since
his initial stats were pretty good as they were.
‘Since Hyunsung wouldn’t have been a returner then, it would have been
more likely that he did not try to contact us…’
I did not know whether or not Hyunsung’s talent levels were high back then,
but they probably weren’t, seeing as I did not stick to him during the first
timeline. Rather, I had chosen to cling onto Park Deokgu. That was until I
met Yuno Kasugano.
Did I end up backstabbing Park Deokgu in the end? This thought alone
worried me.
‘At least Park Deokgu wouldn’t have abandoned me first.’
This fact was, at least, undeniable.
As I mulled over my thoughts, Yuno Kasugano reached out to hold my hand.
‘That scared me.’
When I turned to look back into her black eyes, I could see something shining
through.
‘Huh?’
[Access limited information due to external intervention. Checking the

activation of the legendary-grade attribute, the Mind’s Eye.]
‘Wait…’
[Player Kasugano Yuno’s attribute, the eyes that see the essence and through
the past and future, do not resist.]
“What…”
Before I could even form my own thoughts, I suddenly found myself being
able to see the black world, as Yuno Kasugano mentioned it.
Now I realized why Yuno Kasugano called it that. I could also confirm the
fact that I was currently seeing what she was seeing. I didn’t know how this
was possible, but I had been able to look at her memories in the past, so
perhaps…
At the time, it was a scene where I had been strangling her, but she was not in
this particular scenario.
What I was seeing now was Park Deokgu and me.
As Yuno Kasugano described before, it was as if unedited videos or pictures

had been mixed up.
The Park Deokgu and I, in this version, looked entirely different, in a shabby
kind of way. I looked like a third-class adventurer who had just left the
slums. Not only did I look miserable, my entire body felt frail and weak.
‘Hey… I’m sorry…’
‘For what?’
‘Today’s hunting. I should have performed a little better…’
‘You don’t need to worry about it, Deokgu. It was our first time anyway, and
we still got paid.’
‘It was a good party…I don’t think they’ll call us from now on.’
‘I told you that you don’t have to worry about that. I will do the rest on my
own.’
‘Still…’
‘And oh, you can go first today.’
‘Do you have any other appointment?’
‘I have one with the Geumma Clan Vice-Director.’
‘Are you having dinner with her again?’
‘Don’t be too upset. This will be helpful for both of us.’

‘That woman… The rumors about her are not very good…’
‘It’s not something you should care about. You just train hard. Remember
what I told you.’
‘…’
‘If I can do it, you can do better.’
‘…’
The scene changed once more. This time, I didn’t know where we were, but I
could tell that we were definitely not in Lindel.
At least, as far as I know, there was no hunting ground in Lindel. I was now
out of my cheap clothes at this point, seeing as Park Deokgu was dressed like
a warrior, and I, a wizard.
I didn’t know what I had chosen for my next class, but I had definitely not
chosen alchemy. In the first place, I would see no reason to choose it, as I had
not received Ramus Tucker’s Introduction to Alchemy from Kim Hyunsung
in the first place.
‘Hyung-nim!’
‘You bastard! I told you to focus! Didn’t I say that if you slack off, I will kill
you?’
‘But, Hyung-nim… your magic power.’
‘Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself.’
‘O-Okay.’
My movement didn’t seem that bad, either. I appeared to be a wizard

wielding a spear, and Park Deokgu looked like every bit a foolish frontliner.
It seemed as if our relationship with the people nearby wasn’t too bad. I
didn’t know if the others belonged in a clan, but it didn’t seem like we
belonged with the rest of them, either.
I alternated between using my spear and chanting spells, but Park Deokgu
himself seemed to commit many mistakes. It was as if he had not managed to
overcome his trauma, as he had when we had first entered the Garden of
Terror.
Eventually, a monster passed through the front line and had aimed to hit the
priest in the rear, but I had chosen to block its way. As a result, I got hurt by
the monster, though it was me. However, the battle soon ended.
As I tried to comfort the angry priest, Park Deokgu bowed his head in shame.
‘How can you say you’re sorry? I believed in your endurance ability and
followed you…’
‘That… that…’
‘Excuse me. Please say it directly. Don’t hesitate. It’s really annoying. Did
you know I’m being patient because of Kiyoung-ssi? Do you know how
many times this has happened already? If you’re going to be like that, I don’t
know why you chose to be a tanker. It looks like Castle Rock is looking for
more workers. Go there and do some physical labor. After Celia’s guys came,
the situation has gotten a lot worse. They say that anyone can go hunting
these days… It’s so ridiculous, really…’
‘Ah… I’ll apologize for this, Gahee-ssi. He’s not usually like this.’
‘I’m only being patient because of Kiyoung-ssi. For Kiyoung-ssi…’
‘He’ll be able to adapt soon. I’ll buy you a meal later. How does that sound?’
‘Lunch? Dinner?’
‘Of course, it’ll be dinner.’
‘Then… I’ll extend my patience. Ah. Have you given my guild proposal
some thought?’
‘I still have some work to do, haha… I will give a definite answer as soon as
I am done.’
‘I’ll be waiting.’
Once again, the scenery changed. This time, it appeared that we were on our
way back from the hunt.
‘Hyung-nim…’
‘So, didn’t I tell you not to look back and focus? You bastard.’
‘That… That… I’m sorry…’
‘There’s no need to be sorry. Hunting wasn’t really our purpose anyway…

As a result, we got some stuff.’
‘Where are you going?’
‘You don’t need to know.’
‘Are you sure…?’
‘Shut your mouth.’
‘I… I’m sorry.’
‘You just have to follow me without worrying about anything. I’ll do the rest
for you. Everything will work out in the end.’
‘Still… Getting in the right guild is more…’
‘You just need to shut up and remember one thing. If I can do it…’
‘I can do better.’
‘That’s right. And… Think about what I said a little more, Deokgu.’
‘T… Thank you.’
More scenes flashed after that. They weren’t very useful, but they depicted
me drinking with him, screaming at him, kicking him with my foot, etc.
Everything passed by so quickly, so even the scenes that looked important
had gone by in a blur. It was a shame all in all.
‘Don’t forget, Deokgu.’
‘I know.’
Interestingly enough, Deokgu’s growth didn’t seem that high, even during the
first timeline. At this point, I wasn’t surprised to come to this conclusion.
‘Don’t forget.’
‘I know. If Hyung-nim can do it…’
‘That’s it.’
I had been curious about how he would grow in the future, and these
memories were all useless.
‘Are you tired?’
‘Hyung-nim, how can you be so cold?’
‘Because I have to kill to live. That’s why I’m being cold. I don’t think it’s a
big deal. This is the type of place where you either kill or be killed. Do not
forget it. If I can do it…’
‘If Hyung-nim can do it… I can do better.’
Once again, the scene changed. This one portrayed him carrying me around
and running without any hesitation.
I wore classy-looking clothes, and Deokgu had on fine armor, but what really
registered in my mind was the fact that I was bleeding.
It didn’t seem as if we were in Lindel. I would have gloated on the fact that
we looked quite successful now if it weren’t for the fact that I was bleeding.
‘Can you hear my voice?’
‘Yes…’
‘If you die…’
‘Don’t say that shit. I don’t want to die.’
‘I’m sorry, Hyung-nim. I’m sorry.’
‘What are you sorry about?’
‘Because of what I said…’
‘Stop. I didn’t really follow your words, so don’t worry. There was only an
error in my calculation. I was wrong for believing at least a little in those
hypocrites. You didn’t do anything wrong.’
‘But because of me… because of me… H-Hyung-nim, as you thought… I

should have done….’
‘Yes, you bastard. I think it’s because of you, so run faster. Seeing you
regretting it like this, you can do better next time. Right?’
spells came our way, as well as a multitude of spears and arrows. Park
Deokgu continued to run, looking really desperate.
I wasn’t sure about what had happened, but it seemed like Deokgu had made
a suggestion, and I, for some reason, chose to act upon the said suggestion.
As a result, things had backfired.
Anyway, it appeared as if this whole game of tag had been going on for some
time now. Park Deokgu alternated between trying to escape the siege by
blocking the arrows with his body and beheading the people trying to block
our way with a sword in one hand.
However, his limit was coming. Although he could stop the combatants, he
couldn’t stop the multitude of spells and arrows falling from above.
‘I can’t tell you to abandon me and go, you bastard.’
‘I thought you would say that.’
‘But it would be better to leave me. Your body is ignorantly strong. You can
live. I don’t really care about dying, but I’d appreciate it if you get revenge
for me…’
‘Isn’t this a plan to prevent me from abandoning you through sympathy?
‘You bastard….’
‘No matter what you say, I won’t abandon you, so don’t say that bullshit. I
will save Hyung-nim.’
‘Stop with the bullshit, put me down.’
‘I’m not bluffing. I will save Hyung-nim. Don’t you remember?’
‘What?’
‘How many times Hyung-nim saved my life. I remember it all.’
‘I haven’t really moved to save your life. You looked to be promising, and
that’s why I took care of you…’
‘I don’t necessarily think so. No matter what you say, the fact stands that you
still saved me. Thank you for taking all those hits instead of me…’
‘You couldn’t die because I invested in you so much.’
‘I was grateful to you for defending me when we went to the dungeon and
grateful to you for choosing me. No matter how much I try to remember, it
seems that I was only saved by Hyung-nim. No matter how many memories I
go through, you’re the only one in them. I owe you so many things. It’s my
turn this time.’
‘You will die, too…’
‘I told you that I would definitely save Hyung-nim. Don’t forget, Hyung-
nim.’
‘What…’
‘If Hyung-nim can do it… I can do better.’
‘… ‘
‘If Hyung-nim can do it… can do better.’
‘…’
‘If Hyung-nim… can do it… I can do….’
‘…’
‘Better… I can do…’
‘…’
‘If hyung-nim… can do it…’
‘…’
‘I… can… do…’
‘…’
‘It… I…’
‘…’
‘…’
The scene changed.
This time, I could see the face of Yuno Kasugano.

Chapter 191
I could see myself in an unfamiliar scenery, and Yuno Kasugano was also
there.
Unlike the explosions and screaming just moments before, I could only hear
the chirping of birds here. Though the room I was in was definitely not
luxurious by any standard, it still seemed neatly organized.
The Kiyoung in this scene didn’t seem capable enough to move his body. I
felt like I had seen this room before.
When Yuno Kasugano let me see through her memories, I had also been
lying in this room.
It seemed like she had made me stay here for the whole duration of my
recovery. I didn’t know how much time had rolled by since I passed out, but
what I could tell was that the black world definitely didn’t look normal.
Though I couldn’t move my body for half of it was broken, I could see the
intensity of the attacks that Deokgu had blocked for my sake. It was a miracle
that I could even survive the attack. If Yuno Kasugano had not found me, I
would have eventually died.
Upon closer detail, I realized that I couldn’t even move a single finger. Only
my consciousness remained.
Eventually, the door opened, and Yuno Kasugano came in and approached
me.
‘Poor person.’
‘…’
‘What a pitiful person.’
Yuno Kasugano looked a little more mature than she was now. Since two
years had passed, her hair was a little longer, and the atmosphere itself felt a
little calmer.
‘I know you must have a lot of questions. I can’t answer them, but for now, I
think it would be better for you to focus on your recovery.’
‘…’
‘Ah, it turns out that I still haven’t introduced myself. My name is Yuno
Kasugano. I think you’ve probably heard of it at least once, although I don’t
think my reputation is a good thing…’
‘…’
‘Yes, you probably know me. I’ll eventually tell you why I brought you here.
Though I can’t guarantee that your body will recover, I know that if you
harbor the will, you’ll be able to do normal activities.’
‘…’
‘It seems like I’ve been talking too much.’
‘…’
‘I’ll be heading back now, but I’ll see you tomorrow.’
The Kiyoung in the scene didn’t even register Yuno Kasugano heading back
out. My gaze had been fixed on the ceiling, so I probably hadn’t even seen
her face.
However, as I watched him, it seemed as if the Kiyoung in this timeline was

thinking about made me realize something.
Park Deokgu was dead.
This was probably the entire reason why I looked so upset here. It was
uncomfortable seeing myself cry continuously without either moving or not
making a sound.
Anyone could see that this was a tragic scene. I probably was a little more
emotional in the first timeline than I was now.
Honestly, I had to admit that I felt shaken just by seeing this scenario.
The tears running down the black world Kiyoung’s face didn’t stop, yet I
continued to watch her.
After a moment, the scene fast-forwarded a few days, depicting Yuno

Kasugano looking for me to check on me once more.
I couldn’t tell why she was being so kind to me, but it appeared that what she
felt was more complex than it appeared on the surface.
In the black world, she probably knew that she and I would be together in the
future. Taking this into consideration, then I could see why she was so
dedicated to me. Her sympathy for me went beyond words, and she probably
wondered if she would be able to change me in the black world.
Once again, the scene changed. Though the background itself did not change,
it at least appeared that I could speak and move my body to some extent.
‘Are you feeling better?’
‘…’
‘I brought you a meal.’
‘Now… I can eat it.’
‘It will be a little difficult to move your body yet.’
‘No need…’
‘Haven’t I told you that it would be difficult to do so? Please let me. I’ll feed
you.’
‘…’
Though Yuno Kasugano’s devotion was evident, the black world Kiyoung
didn’t seem to believe her, which felt natural to me. If I were in that state, I
wouldn’t have believed in Yuno Kasugano either. I didn’t know if Yuno was
aware of it, but my eyes did not reflect friendliness.
‘Why did you save me? No, I will change the question. What kind of ability
is an eye that sees through essence, future, and past? Do you know about the
future? Or did you know it was going to be like this?’
‘The information I can know is limited. You can’t know all the futures, and
you can’t know all the pasts.’
‘If so… Why did you save me?’
‘That’s…’
‘You know the future me.’
Yuno Kasugano did not answer. I took that as a positive sign.
Perhaps in the black world, I was constantly thinking hard. I would continue
to question why she saved me and what she expected from me by doing so.
In the meantime, the scenery changed once more. Yuno Kasugano continued
to care for me. While I seemed to be opening up to her, I still questioned her
favor.
This entire time, Yuno Kasugano told me useless stories as her way to pass
the time. She narrated stories about her childhood, her current life, and her
personal story.
Through her constant chatter and determination, I could tell Yuno Kasugano
was in love with me.
She seemed to think of me every day, coming to spend time with me after a
day of hard work. Sometimes, she shed tears right after exiting the room
where I stayed in.
She became happy with the smallest compliment that came out of my mouth
and saddened by the smallest jab that I uttered.
‘Why are you doing so much for me?’
‘…’
Whenever I asked this, she couldn’t give me an accurate answer. She simply
blushed.
A little bit of time had passed in the black world, and the pain of the past
began to heal alongside the recovery of my body’s wounds. Of course, Lee
Kiyoung of the black world didn’t seem to like this fact, for this meant that I
had more time to drink alone, thus more time to feel angry.
It was evident why Yuno Kasugano was obsessed with the future. She
probably saw hers with me, which was the whole reason why she had
dedicated her entire time to taking care of me.
The ‘me’ now wanted to tell her that I found this whole thing stupid, but
since I was just an invisible audience, I couldn’t.
A little more time passed.
I recovered enough to move my body completely in the black world, and

Yuno Kasugano’s visits became less frequent. Her conversations had dulled,
leaving me more time to mull over my thoughts.
I couldn’t figure out what black world Kiyoung was thinking, but if I were to
guess, he was probably debating whether or not to use Kasugano or just
simply accept her kindness. My first timeline version looked very much torn
between these two options.
Out of all the uncertainty, I seemed to be sure of only one thing. I relied
heavily on her.
‘Lee Kiyoung-nim, it’s time to have some tea.’
‘Ah. Thanks.’
‘I think it would be a good idea to take a look at your body today to check on
its recovery.’
‘I’m fine. I can move now.’
‘Nevertheless…’
‘Do you have a hobby of taking caring of children?’
‘That’s not it. I just…’
I had also made it a pastime to crack useless jokes. The atmosphere between
us was so good that it felt ridiculous, even to me. However, I knew this
inevitably would happen. Yuno Kasugano had devoted all her efforts to me,
and I was stuck in this room, with only her for company.
With all the time we spent together, it appeared that her feelings were only
strengthening. From my standpoint as a third-party audience, this was indeed
dangerous. The best option at this point would be to leave Yuno Kasugano.
Though the black world Kiyoung didn’t show this outright, I could still see
what he was thinking.
Black world Lee Kiyoung was afraid of forgetting.
Yuno Kasugano evidently hadn’t noticed this, but I could see this as bright as
day. Black world Lee Kiyoung was a ticking bomb.
A bomb that could explode at any time.
The scenery changed once more.
This time, the two seemed to have gotten a little closer, yet black world
Kiyoung seemed to still actively reject this development.
Winter had ended, and spring had come. Spring had ended, and summer
approached. Once again, the seasons changed, and fall arrived.
‘I am going out.’
‘I… I’m not sure what you’re talking about.’
‘I think you know what I’m talking about.’
‘Y… You can stay a little more.’
The leaves continued to fall.
‘Y-Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet.’
‘I’m sure my body can function normally now.’
‘It… cannot. You still have to take care of yourself a little more.’
‘…’
‘Don’t… Please don’t go, Lee Kiyoung-nim.’
More leaves continued to fall.
‘I’m grateful to you. I refrained from asking why you have been so kind to
me, but now I know why.’
‘…’
‘I’m grateful to you, but that’s all. I will correct my mistakes by killing many
people. I will become more heartless and cruel. I know this is the future
you’ve seen.’
‘It’s not like that. That’s not what I saw, Lee Kiyoung-nim. What I, I saw,
was me and… I was with you.’
The fall air grew colder.
‘You and I were together. I… I checked it myself. I saw you and me together
in this house. We looked happy. We had two children, and though I didn’t
catch their names, they were good kids.’
‘…’
‘You cared for me and loved me.’
‘I… I-It’s true. You and I were having a peaceful life. Yes. Both of us looked
happy. Not only me, but you looked happy, too, no doubt about it. You were
living a normal routine. I’ve been looking for you because the future I’ve
seen over and over had been bothering me. It didn’t mean anything else.’
‘You are lying. I can see that for myself. I see no opportunity to waste any
more time here.’
‘You stroked my head and whispered to me that you loved me. Y-You were
living happily after forgetting everything. D… Destiny! That’s right. This…
is destiny. You and I, free from all pain, oppression, and the bonds of the
past, just to be happy.’
The air grew colder and colder.
‘Forget what?’
‘The pain… It seemed that you had forgotten the pain. In the future I saw, I
didn’t see Lee Kiyoung suffering. He didn’t even try to wash the pain away
with alcohol. He did not suffer and always laughed. You looked really happy.
A-And also, about him…’
‘What?’
‘Ah…’
‘Do you think I would have forgotten him?’
‘L-Lee Kiyoung-nim… It’s… Not…’
‘I’m asking if you think I would have forgotten him.’
‘Lee Kiyoung-nim… That, that…’
‘Just because I wasted so much time here and even gotten around to smiling
and laughing, you really thought I would’ve forgotten all about it? Do you
think I would’ve forgotten what those damn hypocrites did? Did you really
think I would forget about that stupid bastard who risked his life for me? Are
you really saying this is the future you saw? Huh?!’
‘That…’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. I would never forget. Yuno Kasugano, you are poison. I
thought you were medicine, but I was wrong. You are poison to me. Destiny?
I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I know one thing for sure, true
destiny’s the reason why I came here.’
‘Ah…’
‘Because of destiny, I’ve been able to detoxify the poison that threatens to
drown me.’
‘Lee Kiyoung-nim… Sniff….’
Harsh winds picked up.
‘Get rid of this cheap sympathy, you dirty bitch. All of you are the same.’
‘Ah…’
‘Do you think you deserve to sympathize with me?’
The lights had begun to dim down.
‘Cough… Cough…’
‘Thank you. Because of you, I know what to do. You will be an indicator.’
‘Cough…’
‘You will be an indicator that can show how cruel I can be. This is the
conclusion you want, huh? It is not so? It may be a little far from the happy
life you want, but… Still, you will be by my side.’
‘Cough… Cough….’
The leaves continued to fall in a haunting symphony.
‘I will never forget him for as long as you are with me. You will be the
medium that keeps me from forgetting him. It’ll be good for you, too, huh?’
‘Don’t… cry. My… love.’
‘…’
‘Don’t cry, my love…’
The haunting tone had reached a crescendo.
The foolish guy stepped on the fallen leaves.
Once again, the long winter had come.

Chapter 192
Chapter 192: Nothing Happened
All of a sudden, I was thrown back into the throes of reality.
I could feel it without having to look around. I was out of the black world.
As soon as I tried to refocus, I felt tremendous pain, so intense that I couldn’t

even scream. My brain blacked out, and I had no choice but to grasp at my
face.
‘Shit… Fuck…’
Perhaps this was a side effect of going into the black world with Yuno
Kasugano. It felt like my eyeballs would pop out at any time, and a scream
lodged itself into the back of my throat.
In the first place, I didn’t even know it was possible to head into the black
world as well, so having dire side effects was natural. I didn’t know if the
tears that streamed down my face were because of the pain, but they
continued to run down my cheeks all the same.
My current body seemed to have forgotten the first timeline, but my tears
flowed all the same.
‘What is this… shitty situation?’
Of course, I was impressed. I didn’t really care about the black world. All I
wanted to know was when and where I would die and what I had done with
my life. What was important was not me as a whole, but how I had chosen to
survive.
I had come here only intending to know how to strengthen Park Deokgu, but
I had ended up seeing more than what I had bargained for. I got to learn more
about Yuno Kasugano.
The problem was that I couldn’t remember my own life from the first
timeline, but I at least got a glimpse of what happened during that particular
winter back in the black world.
Once again, I had to turn the story back to its origin.
I heard Yuno Kasugano’s story straight from her, so I already knew about
this, but I didn’t think I would be able to witness this in detail.
The contents were ridiculously catastrophic. Park Deokgu died while

protecting me, and I had betrayed Yuno Kasugano.
‘I really was a piece of shit…’
If Yuno Kasugano had decided to kill me right then and there, I would surely
have died. Even though the black world Lee Kiyoung was sure that Kasugano
would not kill him, he was still brave enough to take a risk and gamble the
odds.
Meanwhile, Yuno Kasugano was staring at me, her tears streaming down her
face.
‘How does she die?’
I didn’t exactly know what the shitty version of myself was thinking, but due
to her pitiful state, I at least gathered that it wouldn’t be him who would’ve
killed her.
‘Because he said he’d let her be with him.’
Chances were, I had made this decision since she had proven herself to be
useful to me.
Based on Kasugano’s story, it seemed as if I had been with her for quite a
long time, so I definitely wouldn’t have chosen to kill her. Therefore, it was
only natural to conclude that an incident fell upon us, resulting in her
eventual death.
It wasn’t just Yuno that lingered in my thoughts. The fact that Park Deokgu
had died protecting me in the first timeline continued to bother me as well.
‘This stupid guy…’
I had already assumed that he would be dead by the time Yuno found me, but
I had not expected him to die a heroic death, and all because of me.
I shook my head as I rubbed at my reddened eyes; my emotions were

bubbling up from within me.
Park Deokgu was alive this time around.
I had at least managed to find some hints about his growth, so this didn’t
seem to be all for nothing.
However, only one more question remained.
‘Access limited information due to external intervention. Checking the

activation of the legendary-grade attribute, the Mind’s Eye.’
What external intervention?
Up until now, I had never heard or seen such a phrase while using my
attribute. I didn’t know who it was but considering that I hadn’t even
triggered Mind’s Eye, there seemed to be someone who wanted to show me
something. Due to common sense, it was unrealistic to intervene with this
legendary-grade attribute. Both Mind’s Eye and the Eye that could see
through essence, past and future were not humane, ordinary attributes.
Therefore, I had no choice but to think that some transcendental had shown
me this scene.
‘Why?’
Did they want to let me know that Kasugano and Park Deokgu were both
important people to me? That wasn’t a bad hypothesis.
I at least was able to realize just how shitty black world Lee Kiyoung was.
‘Perhaps whoever wanted to show me is supporting me?’
It turned out that I was not the only one who didn’t want Park Deokgu to die.
‘Is it because that foolish bastard is my best form of insurance?’
That might be the correct answer.
One thing was certain: whoever had intervened here didn’t want a repeat of
the first timeline’s events. This was a situation where our interests had
coincided.
I had come to visit in a light state of mind, but what I had witnessed was a
tremendous scene.
When I turned to gaze at Yuno Kasugano, my eyes widened.
“Uh… Huh…”
“Ah…”
She was lying next to me, completely naked.
‘What….’
As I turned to look out the window, I saw the sun starting to rise.
I knew that I’d spent quite some time in the black world, but I had no idea
that it would take me all night. I wasn’t expecting this situation at all.
‘Shit.’
It couldn’t be. I pulled up the blanket, yet all the evidence pointed to the fact
that Yuno Kasugano and I had indeed made love.
Yuno herself looked happy, yet tinges of sadness were still evident.
I didn’t know if the last scene I had seen was of her intent, but the fact that
she and I had explored each other was undeniable.
Not wanting to think about this in-depth, I shook my head, which prompted
the woman beside me to awaken.
“Ah… Master.”
“You woke up.”
“Yes… I have.”
Her face was strangely red, but the smile on her face was evident. Her
expression contrasted oddly with what I had seen in the black world, but if
she seemed happy, then this wasn’t such a bad situation at all.
Since she lived in Celia, I had neglected her. I didn’t know if yesterday’s
events influenced me, but she seemed a lot cuter to me now.
Most of all, I was also responsible to a certain degree as her life had gotten
twisted due to my doings. She had a completely different personality from
Yuno in the black world because she had chosen to take a whole new
approach.
I could say she felt quite ashamed of how she had chosen to act back then.
With these thoughts in mind, I patted her head for a moment, then began to
ask her a question I felt the most curious about.
“I’m just asking, but…”
“Yes. Please do speak your mind.”
“Is it correct that you showed me the black world?”
“Oh, no, Master. I also couldn’t imagine you having the ability to do so. The
Master came into me without any time for me to resist.”
Something seemed off with her reply, but I decided to play along.
“I see.”
“A deterrence of power that I couldn’t understand suddenly rushed in, like a
flood. I didn’t know if the cause was Master or something else, but it was my
first time being in the black world for such a long time.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It’s embarrassing, but I can usually only see one scene in fragments. Of
course, if my ability grew a little more, this would improve, but… Ah! Does
the Master know something?”
“No. I haven’t heard or seen anything like this. One thing is for sure. I’m not
the one who triggered the Mind’s Eye. The attribute was already activated
before I even looked into you with those eyes. Other than that, nothing
changed, but… Anyway, it was a bit of a fresh experience. My greatest
achievement is being able to understand what the world you are seeing is
like.”
“Have you gotten anything?”
“I have. Thank you.”
“Ah…”
“And thank you for informing me about the black world.”
“M-Master.”
“I have one more question I wanted to ask.”
“Yes.”
“This is nothing but… Was the future you saw in the black world really the
future with me?”
“I can’t confirm it. However, I think that that stupid Kasugano, in the black
world, would have lied to capture her Master.”
“You think?”
“Yes. I don’t doubt it. She probably didn’t know that she would have
disgusted her Master. Oh, I think maybe it was part of it.”
“Hmm?”
“It must have been because she wanted to be with the Master in the black
world.”
In summary, she had lied in an attempt to draw black world Lee Kiyoung to
her, for fear of me straying away for her. In this context, I could believe that
Kasugano’s guess was indeed correct.
Anyway, the situation itself wasn’t that bad.
As I tried to recall what I had seen, I remembered something I had forgotten

about up until now.
However, before I could voice it out, an explosion ensued.
‘Fuck…’
Realizing that I was indeed right about what I was thinking of, a frantic,
familiar voice echoed from the outside of the room.
“Oppa! Oppa!”
‘Shit!’
I had forgotten that I had put Jung Hayan to sleep in my room.
“You shouldn’t do this.”
“Let… go of me!”
Crack! Crash! Based on this sound, I could hear Jung Hayan fast approaching
with the use of her magic. I didn’t know if she was reacting in this manner
because she thought I was in danger or because she had realized that I had
been in contact with someone, but whatever the reason, I was not in a very
good situation.
“Y-Yuno.”
“Yes, Master…?”
The wall next to me collapsed, and a familiar face peeked in before I could
even think about how to go about in this situation.
There was an indescribable madness in Jung Hayan’s eyes, who had her hand
outstretched, a ridiculous amount of magic all over her body.
Her eyes are swollen and red as if she had cried a lot.
Her hair was a mess, and she seemed to be staring straight at Yuno
Kasugano. I cringed with guilt.
‘Fucking shit…’
I didn’t have much interest in Jung Hayan’s thoughts, but I knew this did not
look like a good situation. Just a few minutes ago, I was thinking that letting
Kasugano cling onto me was my karma for everything I did to her in the first
timeline.
The same went for Park Deokgu.
When I thought about inflicting hurt upon Jung Hayan in the same manner, I
knew I had done something wrong to her.
“Eeeeek!”
Blood oozed out of her clenched fist as well as her tightly clenched mouth.
Jung Hayan was trembling all over, and seeing her in this manner was
terrifying.
Before I could even think about this properly, a defensive statement erupted
from my mouth.
“Nothing happened.”
“Ah…”
What nonsense bullshit.
However, the way I spoke seemed so transparent, almost as if I wasn’t lying

at all.
Chapter 193
Chapter 193: Dragon’s Nest, Experiment, Change, Enhancement (1)
Upon seeing Jung Hayan constantly crying behind Kim Hyunsung, my

conscience stabbed at me.
She cried the whole way the entire time we rode back to Lindel, so it was
perfectly reasonable to feel guilty. However, I had no choice but to maintain
my serious expression.
‘I’m sorry, Hayan.’
I had to show her that I was still angry. If I didn’t, I would get myself into an
unpleasant situation.
Not only did she suddenly crash into Yuno Kasugano’s room, but she also
harmed the other guild members of the Yozora Guild.
She even deemed to use magic inside the castle. Though it was not intense, it
still had the power to destroy the castle. From the standpoint of the
aristocracy that had been present, it was a pretty serious incident considering
it hadn’t been a long time after the Ito Souta incident.
They wondered if there was something wrong between Yozora and Blue,
trying to catch the most popular rumors, but that proved to be an impossible
feat.
Since this was an accident that happened in the castle, it would not be
possible to hide this.
Since Yozora Guild and Blue were in an alliance, however, we could easily
cover up the event.
If Yuno Kasugano didn’t have full control of Yozora, it would have been a
big incident that could cause irreparable damage to the relationship between
Blue and Yozora.
‘Fuck…’
Of course, it was evidently a big incident for me as well. I had to convince

Jung Hayan somehow, but there was no way I’d be able to convince her. It
was clear that logic wouldn’t work on her, which was why I took the option
of acting all angry.
I was able to end the case by acting as if nothing had happened and getting
angry instead over how rude Hayan had been. I knew there were many more
options I could have taken, but I didn’t have the time to think about it
because I felt embarrassed enough about the entire situation.
Though we were covered by one blanket and had evidently spent the night
together, I continued explaining that what Jung Hayan thought had happened
did not actually happen.
Although I was almost naked, I made an excuse, saying it was needed for the
ritual to do magic.
When I managed to lie without batting an eyelid, I surprised even myself by

how naturally I seemed.
‘I really am complete garbage.’
For a moment, I felt similar to the shitty black world Lee Kiyoung. The
reaction my acting incited was even more impressive.
Jung Hayan began to look doubtful at how convincing I sounded.
I knew that to keep up with the act, I had to successfully maintain my acting.
I started by telling her how disappointed I was in her, then informing her of
how rude she was. I then told her that she needed to reflect on her actions.
Afterward, I asked her to apologize to all the Yozora guild members.
Yuno Kasugano, who was quick to notice, jumped on the acting, thereby
making Jung Hayan seem like the traitor among us.
As a result, I had to keep the cold façade up until now.
‘Sorry, Hayan…’
Didn’t they say that the one who loved more was also the weaker one in a
relationship? This event proved that.
With embarrassment, guilt, and realization over how impulsive she had been,
Jung Hayan remained shell-shock in that situation, not knowing how to react.
Of course, I did not contact Yuno Kasugano after that.
After the ceremony was over, I decided to leave without saying anything.
This was because I thought Hayan would ride behind me, but she instead
chose to ride behind Kim Hyunsung.
I had pushed Jung Hayan to this extent just so she wouldn’t cause any
accidents later.
Kim Hyunsung thought that we just had a lovers’ quarrel. If only he knew…
‘This shouldn’t happen the next time.’
I eventually realized that Jung Hayan wanted me not to hate her more than
she wanted to prove her doubts wrong. Back then, I had forced her to
apologize, choosing not to acknowledge her trembling form. Of course, she
had to concede to my orders.
This emphasized the fact that I really was a piece of shit.
After that, not a single day passed where Jung Hayan didn’t cry.
When I looked back at her while riding White Paul, I saw her continuing to
wipe her face with one hand. Until now, I had been doing well, but I was
soon reaching my limit, too.
“Let’s take a break and go.”
Due to Hyunsung’s excellent five senses, he understood the atmosphere and

had chosen to act upon it. Upon his suggestion, I followed him into landing
on a nearby cliff.
Afterward, an awkward silence ensued.
Actually, it was Kim Hyunsung who acted more awkwardly than I did.
‘This bastard.’
I knew he was quite insensitive in this aspect, but it was very unfortunate
seeing him look between Hayan and us in such an obvious manner. From his
perspective, this strange silence probably felt as striking as if a thunderbolt lit
up the sky.
If this were a mistake between the party members, he would try to mediate
somehow, but as Jung Hyan and I’s personal problems were entangled, it
seemed that he didn’t know how to go about this situation.
‘I wasn’t expecting anything, anyway.’
“Let’s have a quick meal and move on.”
“Yes… It would be nice to do that, Kiyoung-ssi.”
He was evidently trying to widen the distance between Jung Hayan and me.
After we took our seats, he started to take out the food he had brought from
the Royal Castle. Jung Hayan kept wiping away her tears as she helped him
prepare. Upon seeing this, my guilt refused to go away.
Though Hayan evidently did not have any appetite, she still forced herself to
eat. It appeared that she had been crying with everything she got, but seeing
my cold disposition, she soon held back her tears.
Jung Hayan was very much aware of me, while Hyunsung was very much
aware of her. Thus, a strange meal unfolded before us.
“I-It’s a nice day.”

“Ah… Yes.”
It wasn’t actually very good weather. Embarrassed by what he had said, Kim
Hyunsung decided to shut his mouth. Meanwhile, Jung Hayan continued to
force herself to eat.
As this was an atmosphere that I had created, it was also my job to take care
of it. In the end, I had no choice but to reach out to Jung Hayan first to
reconcile.
When I inadvertently put some of my food onto Jung Hayan’s plate, she
looked up at me in shock. Eventually, a new batch of thick tears started
streaming down her face.
“Hmmmk… Hmmmk… Hic…”
“You should eat a lot.”
“Okay… Hmmmk…”
“Slowly.”
“Yes. Hmmmmk… I’m… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t cry.”
“I’m sorry… Ugh…”
“You’re going to choke.”
I felt quite uncomfortable.
‘It shouldn’t be like this…’
I felt like I did something bad, but since I had reached my limit, I had no
choice. Jung Hayan and I were, in fact, officially maintaining the position of
being lovers.
Though this wasn’t one based on genuine love, we at least had some
semblance of feelings for each other. We’d go on our own dates, whisper
sweet nothings to each other, and be intimate every now and then.
It didn’t matter if I truly loved her or not. I was her lover, and that was an
undeniable fact. Jung Hayan was also aware of this.
If she found out that her boyfriend had spent the night with another woman,
reacting this way was something that any normal girlfriend would do.
However, this wasn’t a normal situation, and Jung Hayan was not a normal
person.
‘Yes. I had to do that.’
Once again, I had resorted to making up excuses. My relationship with Jung

Hayan required a constant acquiring of power instead of the relationship
being purely romantic. However, if I were to think about the Cursed Shrine
incident, the guilt returned.
It may sound like bullshit to some, but I was evidently the powerful one in
this relationship.
Seeing her still eating with tears running down her face had been enough to
weaken my mind, but I had to remind myself that I should not let go of my
tension.
After eating, I boarded the griffon once again.
At this point, Hayan looked torn between riding behind Hyunsung once more
or riding behind me. At this, I reached out to her, and a smile immediately
formed on her face.
“Heh… Hehe.”
She instantly looked better, and I instantly felt more comfortable.
“Hold tight, Hayan.”
“Yes!”
Her voice was livelier than before. She must have thought she had been
forgiven to some extent.
‘I should have done more research, anyway.’
I had a lot of work to do once we got back in Lindel, and since I didn’t have
the time to decide if I could still maintain this uncomfortable relationship
with Hayan, I had to compromise for the time being.
For now, I had to focus on strengthening Park Deokgu and creating a spark of
change with my research and work.
I hoped I would be able to achieve both. Although the research should be a

bit difficult, I knew I’d be able to yield some results at least.
‘Why?’
Because Lindel had a treasure trove of knowledge.
Although I did not have time to study it in detail, Dialugia herself was a
living specimen. She was a great sample that would let me know everything
about dragons.
Of course, I also felt worried about whether I could understand Dialugia with
my current knowledge, but I knew it would eventually work out.
The only way to evolve Park Deokgu would be to find some results with my
research.
‘A serum.’
The most realistic plan for reinforcing Park Deokgu was already being drawn
into my head.
Eventually, the Free City of Lindel entered my point of view.
I wanted to relieve my accumulated fatigue, but I knew it would be better to

start my research right away. It was then that I caught sight of an unfamiliar
building coming into view.
No, to be precise, it couldn’t even be considered a building.
“Huh?”
It was an architecture that looked like a cave. The problem lay in the
materials that made up the building.
‘Mithril?’
It feels like the building itself was covered with mithril, though it had been
made of many other metals that I did not know of.
Basically, the massive structure made of heroic-grade or higher materials was

of the right size to house Dialugia’s dragon body.
At this, I remembered what I had told Dialugia before leaving Lindel.
“We are planning to build a nest, so you can do whatever you want.”
‘You’re crazy! You’re crazy!’
“You don’t have to worry about money.”
‘This is crazy!’
“You can do whatever you want to do.”
“This crazy girl!”
This was what would inevitably happen if I left bankbook management to

someone who had no knowledge about the economy. I had to hurry back and
check my safe.
Chapter 194
Chapter 194: Dragon’s Nest, Experiment, Change, Enhancement (2)
“Shit.”
I arrived at Lindel, but I couldn’t find it in myself to rest comfortably. It was

because the party members were still out hunting, and I was in dire need of
help.
I immediately visited manager Kim Mi-young.
I had to check if what I saw was true. The almost completed nest was so
absurd that it was jaw-dropping.
“Shit!”
Not much time had passed since I left Lindel. If I were to think about it with
common sense, it was impossible that the building was already nearing
completion. No, to be precise, it was not impossible. This place had a
different background from the Earth, after all.
If you put high-quality personnel to do the job, then it was a whole different
story.
Of course, if one were to hire wizards or craftsmen with skills, the reality was
that it would cost a lot more. Looking at the beautiful architecture that
resembled a piece of art, it seemed as if all craftsmen had been gathered.
Probably, more than one or two people were employed. Otherwise, there
would have been no way that the central axis would have already been
completed.
‘Fuck!!!’
In order to make the nest, they seemed to have hired all the wizards of heroic-
grade or higher, as well as blacksmiths and even production workers.
The labor cost itself must have been very expensive. However, the bigger
problem is the material that makes up the nest.
In the first place, it was questionable whether that amount of mithril ore was
available in Lindel.
Considering that mithril ore was imported from other cities and Yeongju, the
transportation cost would have been unimaginable.
They must have even used griffons!
Even if they refrained themselves, it would already be costing astronomical

amounts of money.
Of course, my personal fortune was immense, but even if I spent all my

fortune, it would never match the money that went into building that nest,
especially if the interior had been decorated.
‘Crazy woman. Crazy woman!’
With this, I had forgotten about Park Deokgu and Yuno Kasugano in the
black world for a bit.
When I opened the administration office door in a hurry, I saw the face of
manager Kim Mi-young, looking surprised.
“Vice Guild Master.”
Of course, she has something to say about this ridiculous situation.
Manager Kim Mi-young is not stupid. There is no way she will allow to put
that amount of money to build the nest. I mean, she couldn’t control the
situation either. I had to open my mouth immediately.
“Kim Mi-young manager, that nest…”
“F-first of all, I want to apologize, Vice Guild Master.”

“I need to get all the details.”
“Yes, so…”
The story was a bit concise. She explained that Dialugia immediately
commissioned the nest’s construction after Kim Hyunsung and I went to
Lindel.
Of course, the work progressed quickly because I had already told manager
Kim Mi-young that we would make a nest.
“At first, I listened to Vice Guild Master and didn’t pay much attention to the
budget…”
“The budget kept increasing?”
The problem was when Dialugia started directly intervening on the

construction site.
She insisted on completing the nest as she intended by continuing to give

additional orders as if she wasn’t satisfied. Of course, everything had to go
her way.
There was a limit to the budget that could be organized, and I must have
already used my personal property and the property of Blue.
At this point, when manager Kim Mi-young realized that something was
wrong, she and several party members tried to stop Dialugia, and as I
thought, they couldn’t.
“I thought that it should not be left as it was, so I cut off the money line as
soon as possible, but…”
“…”
“That… Dialugia herself started to get money.”

“How?”
“She went to each guild and borrowed money directly from her name.”
“You couldn’t have stopped her.”
“Yes. Strictly speaking, the guild cannot force Dialugia-nim to exercise any
rights. She isn’t someone who can be controlled physically, so what we could
do was to put pressure on other guilds not to issue bonds to Dialugia.”
That was a great decision.
If you can’t stop her from borrowing money, you could stop the guild from
lending her the money.
“Of course, this plan did not go smoothly either. When the guilds in Lindel
didn’t issue bonds to Dialugia-nim, she quickly realized that we were doing
something… She then announced that she would sell kins and scales to
humans throughout Lindel.”
“Was it sold?!”
It is impossible to sell anything from her body without my permission. I had

no choice but to realize why the situation had reached this point.
“No… To prevent that, we had no choice but to allow her to borrow money
from other guilds.”
“Let’s see how much it is.”
Manager Kim Mi-young slowly handed out the documents to me. The more I
checked it, the more I felt like passing out. I had no choice but to realize that
I should praise the administration team, including manager Kim Mi-young,
rather than reproach them.
It can be seen that they managed the funds tightening the belt.
Come to think of it, her dark circles almost reached her chin, as if she hadn’t
slept for a few days. The same was true for the others. I could have been sure
that these days were hell for them, too.
“Thank you, Manager Kim Mi-young.”
“No, Vice Guild Master. Rather, I want to say sorry.”
I couldn’t blame the guild’s administrative team. Strictly speaking, this was
my fault. I felt like I’ve worn her out before I even had the chance to study.
I was speechless. I had gotten myself into a pile of debt in no time at all.
Of course, some profits would continue to come in. However, the black
market in the underground of Castle Rock was still under being prepared.
I felt a bit bitter, but how could I recover if Dialugia was still there?
Of course, I had to go to Dialugia. I had to know the welfare of the nest.
As soon as I got onto White Paul, Jung Hayan looked at me. She obviously
wanted to come together, but I couldn’t let her. After all, this was definitely a
family affair.
“Hayan.”
“Yes, Oppa…”
“I will start researching tomorrow. You should start preparing. Perhaps you’ll
have to stay overnight with me in the lab for a few days.”
“Yes… Yes!”
For now, I could leave Jung Hayan with this. I then flew quickly towards the
nest.
‘That’s cool… Did she pour out magic stones, too?’
Its sheer size would be enough to overwhelm people, and it seemed like it
was not only magic stones that were used. Many artifacts were also in place.
As I entered the nest, I could see a very colorful interior.
The night lights embedded in the sky were sprinkled with brilliant light, and
even objects whose purpose was unknown were visible.
I was not a dragon, so I was not entirely sure, but perhaps each of them had
their own use.
It was then that a voice called out to me. It was obvious who it was. When I
turned my head and looked, I could see Dialugia approaching me.
“You came back quickly.”
“Where is Tol To-ri?”
“He’s still sleeping. More than that, I have something I want to show you.”
“You made this so fast…”
My anger once again rose to the surface. However, I realized that Dialugia
looked the happiest than I had ever seen her ever since she had come here.
I would look like that, too, if it were me. Anyone could see that this place
was beautiful.
It even had its own artistic landscape. There were also ponds and trees in the
cave, so what else did I need to say? The resources were enough for them to
be called lakes and forests.
“I think it’s amazing what human magic can do.”
‘Fuck…’
“I didn’t think we could create an environment like this in the nest.”
‘She looks so happy…’

What she was feeling was the complete opposite of what I was currently
feeling.
“Actually, since I have to live with you, I wanted to discuss things with you
in further detail, but I thought you were busy… Tol To-ri also needs a big
nest.”
“I wasn’t very busy. You could have consulted me at once.”
“No. I think I had been a little sharp last time. It hit me how high your
position is in the human world. There were many things that I couldn’t solve
by myself, but by putting your name on it, I was able to realize what you told
me before.”
“I see…”
“I was able to realize why you could provide a safe nest. Ah. Of course, I
would like you to restrain yourself a little from going out too much… You
need to focus on Tol To-ri, too… Anyway, it seems as if you’ve worked
hard.”
Honestly, my lips were trembling. I had come here, completely ready to burst
out at her for wasting so much money.
But for now, I felt like I could tolerate it. This was because she suddenly
became kinder, the one who had treated me so coldly up until I went to the
capital.
‘She is a treasure.’
Dialugia was indeed a treasure. Even she was realizing, little by little, her
worth.
Although she robbed my entire fortune and even made debts, it was not bad
overall if I could manage to look good with owning such a nest.
Anyway, many things could be obtained with little research. The money will
come in eventually. She would be the key for me to earn astronomical
amounts of money and would be responsible for my class change as well as
the enhancement of Park Deokgu.
‘Tol To-ri’s quality of life will also improve.’
It seemed that taking this direction wouldn’t be so bad. Thinking like this
made me smile.
“Ah. Come to think of it, did you say that there is something you want to
show?”
“Of course. A large nest has been made, and of course, there are many things
you should know about. Humans don’t know anything about dragons.”
I knew I certainly didn’t. I had initially thought that I could get a rough idea
of the dragon’s ecology just by going around this place.
Walking around with her, I could see that there were certainly a lot of
amazing things.
“It’s a food warehouse.”
“Does it need to be so big?”
“Now Dialuria is starting to eat more little by little… He will continue to take
nutrients between 3 and 5 years. This is to turn all nutrition into magical
power.”
“Ahhh…”
“Some of the magic of humans is a kind of magic that preserves the food for
longer periods of time. Thanks to that, I think I can get a lot of help.”
“What about that forest and lake?”
“Ah, Dialuria will learn to hunt there.”
“I see.”
She didn’t spend my money on useless things as I thought. Of course, all the
goods to be used by our Tol To-ri should be of the highest quality.
‘Although my chest still feels sore…’
“And this is your room.”
“You also…”
“You are Dialuria’s father. Of course, you have to think about sleeping here.
I’m still ignorant of the way humans live, and I’m still not sure, but I did my
best.”
‘I can’t stay here all the time, but…’
First, however, it would be correct to thank her.
“In fact, this is what I really want to show you.”
“Yes?”
As I passed through the room of a dungeon-like structure, what I saw is a

large alchemy laboratory. It was a laboratory of a size that could not be too
difficult to fit in Dialugia’s original body.
‘What…’
“They said that it is indispensable. I honestly don’t like it that much, but
didn’t you say you want to know about my body? In the first place, I am here
with that condition, actually. I’m not sure, but by human standards, I know
I’m a luxury product. You just need to know that it is my gift to you for
giving me this nest.”
“Gift…”
The scale was quite large. It felt like many gold coins were spent in this
particular area.
Dialugia must have ordered the construction manager to create this
workshop. As she didn’t know anything about this, she must’ve struggled a
little, but honestly, her efforts and consideration were admirable.
Though momentary, a question passed through my mind.
‘Is the budget correct?’
The budget that was roughly calculated with the papers and in my head was
just this cave. It would not be enough to set up a workshop of this size.
“You don’t have to worry. It’s really a gift.”
“Gold is…”
“Ah. Kind humans lent the money to me.”
Fortunately, she didn’t sell her body parts.
“I was able to complete this nest with a lot of help from the guilds in Lindel,
but in fact, gold alone was a little short even with that. There was a kind
human being who lent money to me, and I asked for help from them.”
For some reason, an ominous feeling passed through me.
“The conditions were a bit tricky, but fortunately, I met those conditions…”
“What was the condition?”
“Unusually, there seemed to be humans who offered loans only to women. I

didn’t know in detail, but I stumbled across a Player Professional Women’s
Loan. As it was a gift, I don’t think I should owe it to the humans of the guild
you belong to, so I made a contract for the first time. I wasn’t a player, but it
seems like there’s some credit because of you.”
“What?”
“You don’t have to be so happy. It is my sincerity for you to be good to Tol

To-ri in the future.”
“No, what did you say before? That… Before you said about not wanting to
owe me.”
“Are you talking about player Professional Female’s Loans? Are you hearing
about it for the first time?”
“Hey… I already…”
“So you know, too. Ame… Ame… I don’t remember what he said… Ah! It
was lent from the guild called America Love.”
“Hey, you crazy woman!”
I had no choice but to scream the moment she said this.

Chapter 195
Chapter 195: Dragon’s nest, Experiment, Change, Enhancement (3)
“Hey, you crazy woman!”
I knew this continent was not very kind to women.
If you had talents like Cha Hee-ra, Jung Hayan, and Cho Hyejin, or if you
were strong like Lee Jihye, the story was different. But most of the women
who freely rode from the tutorial dungeon were considered the underdogs of
this society.
Men also had a hard time when they had to fight monsters. Naturally,
physically weak women would have a hard time, too.
The reality was that those without a wizard aptitude or priest aptitude gave up
fighting even before they even started, and even if they had the aptitude,
those without talent did not get many different results.
Even those who dared to go into a party hunt with some of the crazy guys
would get humiliated. Female players exposed to the specifics of hunting or
having to spend a long time with the homeless were naturally separated from
hunting.
In fact, female players who were not in a guild did not get in easily unless
they were in a fixed party. It wouldn’t be easy to trust in a man they had only
seen for the first time in a situation where you had to spend days and nights
together, either.
So, considering that most of the guild members were only women in the
Black Swans, this problem felt a little more serious before we even came in.
In the end, the women who gave up living as players turned to be a common
worker or got in a guild as a clerical worker.
However, guilds, clans, and even self-employed people did not pay them the
proper wages.
The minimum wage system was implicitly set, but most of the time, they
were not followed.
So, as a result, what was born was…
‘The Player Professional Women’s Loan.’
It was a legitimate loan company such as Love America or Garrosh & Cash.
Lindel also had its own bank. Although it was a little primitive, the Holy
Empire also ran an Empire bank, and loans and insurance products certainly
existed here.
Obviously, people with no base could borrow money from such facilities.
‘Damn.’
In the end, a common cliché was that those who could not afford the
snowball-inflated interest would get confined to a corner.
Of course, there were cases like mine, when wives with adventurer husbands
were unable to meet their consumption barriers.
I never imagined that a dragon that wasn’t human would end up backstabbing
me.
Dialugia looked confused with my reaction, apparently not having figured out
the situation yet. Her bewilderment soon turned into anger.
“W-What did you say? It’s rude. I did it for you! This is a gift!”
“It’s for me, my ass!”
“You… really are a rude person! This kind of person is the father of Dialuria!
Don’t humans understand what a gift of gratitude is?!”
“Are you saying this without knowing who is really rude?! Get the contract
right now!”
“What?”
“I want you to get the contract quickly, you woman!”
After seeing me so perplexed, she began to realize that something was wrong.
Hurriedly, she handed me the documents.
It would have been a little better if she had borrowed money from Garrosh &
Cash. It was a small clan, and Clan Master Gal Oh-shik’s power wasn’t too
strong.
However, Kim Mijoo’s story from America Love was a bit different.
It was a little insufficient to be called a large guild, but at least, it had the
force and network to protect itself. Of course, if one were to look at the size
itself, it couldn’t be compared with the Red Mercenary, the Black Swan, the
Blue, and the Yozora Guild, but not only had she legally borrowed money,
she has already used it all.
Because of this, I felt annoyed about the prospect of all the time I would
spend negotiating in the future. There were so many things to do right now
that I didn’t even have the time to pay attention to it. The one who had asked
to borrow money first was our side. Blue would not look good for all the
other guilds or clans.
“H-Here it is.”
Suddenly, my irritation sprang up.
“I don’t need it!”
Having been unable to withstand my anger, I threw the contract away as soon
as Dialugia handed it to me. She seemed unsure as to what she had done
wrong, but the atmosphere made her feel that she had made a huge mistake,
so she, of course, looked a little depressed.
This was a huge sum of money. Plus, it was Dialugia who had approached
them first.
There was no excuse for this.
‘I already spent a lot of money in the underground arena…’
It would be hard to get help from the Yozora Guild. Perhaps the best option
was to borrow money from the Black Swans or the Red Mercenaries.
I couldn’t wait to see the monetary interest increase more and more.
‘If there were a table, I would like to turn it over.’
I wanted to explode. However, I had to restrain myself. Nothing good would

come from falling out with Dialugia.
“I…told you … to not to come into contact with humans thoughtlessly,

Dialugia.”
“I still don’t…”
“You don’t borrow gold carelessly. I know you are intelligent, but your
sociality is the same as a child in terms of human society. I understand what
you meant, but let’s learn this step by step. No, in the first place…!”
“Kieeek!”
“…”
“Oh! Did our Tol To-ri wake up?”
“Haaa! Haaa!”
Tol To-ri managed to appear to save her mother just when I was about to
explode. I wasn’t sure if my loud voice woke him up, but Dialugia must be
thinking that he appeared at the right time.
I couldn’t get nervous in front of him since we had to look like a close
couple.
In fact, the appearance of Tol To-ri jumping toward me was so cute that my
anger got relieved for a moment. At this point, I think I could understand
what it felt like to live for your children, so I didn’t need to say anything else.
“Oh! Yes, daddy’s come home. Did you miss me?”
“Kie-e-e-e-ee-ee Kie eh eh! Haaa! Haaa!”
Tol To-ri, shaking his tail like crazy, seemed to be on a sugar-high. He licked
me all over, evidently showing how much he missed me.
Since he hadn’t seen my face for a long time, it would be natural for him to
react like this.
“Yes, yes, daddy came back after work!”
“Kieehek!”
Perhaps he didn’t even know what I was saying. He excitedly jumped around,
trying to be hugged.
As I picked him up and turned back to Dialugia, the woman averted her gaze.
“I… I can repay it.”
“How? Note that there is no option to sell any part of your body. Your body
is entirely mine. That was a deal.”
“Kieek! Haaa!”
“T-Then I can go hunting and grab the monsters.”
“It is not an amount that can be covered by catching one or two monsters.
And if you catch it, you can only use it to block interest, anyway. I will take
care of the gold. Whoo. Tol To-ri is not the only creature that needs
education. I think you should get some education, too. This shouldn’t happen
next time.”
“…”
“I have something to check about your body right away, so please prepare for
it.”
I was thinking of taking it easy, but with the sudden turn of events, I now
wanted to head right into work. Anyway, the laboratory itself had already
been completed.
Sure, I felt grateful, but I couldn’t even express it because of my instant

annoyance.
She didn’t tell me, but Dialugia felt a little bit disappointed. In the end, I had
to thank her quietly.
“And… Thank you for the gift. I gratefully accept your intentions.”
Only then did she begin to feel better.
After spending time with Tol To-ri, I thought it was appropriate to get to
know her right away. I had a lot of work to do, so I had neglected this
particular task.
‘In fact, I wanted to rest for a few days….’
However, my empty bankbook had slapped me in the face.
‘I was supposed to make money…’
Compared to the money I would make from now on, the money I had so far
was only a small amount, anyway.
Even though I knew it better than anyone else, I couldn’t resist my anger. It
was natural to think about how to approach Dialugia while spending time
with Tol To-ri.
Meanwhile, Dialugia still looked immensely guilty.

“What should I do?”
She was looking at me with an expression depicting her lack of knowledge.
“First of all, you just need to change into your original body. I haven’t
figured it out yet.”
“Ah, alright.”
As soon as I finished speaking, I saw something wrong happening with her

body. Her clothes were torn, but there was no time to appreciate her body
openly, seeing as she was slowly transforming back into dragon form.
Her unique scales grew along the arms, and the appearance of human skin
breaking out to form dragon’s skin looked really fascinating. I could hear the
sound of twisting bones and muscles, but it didn’t look painful. It was as
natural as walking.
“Grooooaarr…”
Her dragon form was still too overwhelming for me to bear. My jaw was
dropped without my knowledge. I honestly still found her scary like this.
Now I was starting to regret throwing the contract in her face.
I didn’t know how I was being reflected in her gaze right now, but Dialugia’s
appearance from up close was really overwhelming.
I could see her big eyes staring straight at me.
“Wow…”
Dialugia had big horns, as well as teeth that seemed to be able to chew and
swallow me whole. Looking at her glossy leather and scales, I could feel that
a dragon was really in front of me.
-Is it weird?
“Huh?”
-I can only convey my mind to my spouse. Somehow, the body organs of
dragons are impossible to speak out human language…
“I see what you mean. You don’t look weird. I just thought it was really
great. At that time, you only looked scary, but looking at you calmly makes
me feel really surprised.”
‘You blew away my money, but…’
“At first, I’ll start by simply analyzing your blood. After that, we will
measure the numbers and employ it hurts, you have to tell me.”
I put into her arm a specially designed syringe and slowly drained her of
some of her blood. Immediately I heard her voice.
-It tickles. Hee… Hihi. Hihihi.
The sound of her laughter was lighter than I thought.
“Please be patient.”
-Hee… Hihihihi!
“If you don’t want to see me dying, don’t move!”
-But…
“It’s all over now. Please be a little careful. My body is really fragile.”
-Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.
In fact, I didn’t think this study would be finished overnight. I worked

quickly because I didn’t know how long this would take.
Immediately, I activated my Mind’s Eye and began to transfer her blood to

the pension kit.
Her blood became separated little by little, transferred to each flask, and
immediately reacted with the catalysts.
I wasn’t hoping for a result. My first step was to check how it reacted to the
equipment I had prepared. It was natural to extract cells and search for any
genes.
I thought it would be better to experiment with this equipment first because it

may take a little time to calculate with my current equipment and magic
power.
‘Where should I dig into?’
[The first to discover the legendary-grade catalyst —–.]
[Intelligence increases by 1.]
[Please enter the name of the catalyst directly.]
[You got a new title.]
[First Discoverer]
[This title is for players who have discovered a new material that did not
previously exist on the continent. Intelligence increases by 1.]
[Alchemist Who Experimented with Dragons]
[This title is for the first player on the continent who explored living dragons.
Intelligence increases by 1.]
[We admire your endless search for alchemy and truth, as well as your
adventurous spirit.]
[Discovered a new legendary-grade class.]
[Dragon Alchemist: (Unique Legendary)]
“I love you!”
At that moment, I forgot that she had blown all my fortune.

Chapter 196
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goes a long way! Thanks!]
Chapter 196: Dragon’s nest, Experiment, Chance, Enhancement (4)
I had already expected that, to some extent, there would be results.
This was because Dialugia was a legendary-grade monster classified as a

dragon race, and her body was still a mystery.
However, I didn’t think I would be presented with such a big gift.
[Dragon Alchemist (Unique Legendary)]
‘A unique legendary!’
I had gotten a unique legendary grade. I was happy when I got my heroic-
grade class, but the effect was different from before when my body shone in
purple.
“Wow…”
I saw my body shine in bursting. The golden light was an effect that I had
only heard about, which signaled the change to a legendary-grade class. It felt
like I had turned into a powerful person.
I didn’t think that the golden light that emanated from my body would cease
to shine, and I didn’t think my smile would ever disappear, too.
‘Legendary grade!’
Eventually, the light started to fade, which gave my tired eyes some time to
relax. However, the lingering feeling did not fade easily.
“Pffft… Hahahaha.”
It was foolish, but laughter kept bubbling out of me. It would be strange not
to be happy. I knew that having anything on this continent that was legendary
meant a lot.
Juliana was fully effective even when it was not active. I had my legendary–
grade attribute Mind’s Eye. And now, even a legendary-grade class!
I wanted to ask the general review guy who had been mocking me about who
was blind now.
Considering that the continent’s common sense was that usually, at the fifth
or sixth time a legendary-grade class would be given, my growth rate seemed
so fast that it was shameful to say that I was not talented.
‘Of course, my stats are poor…’
This was not a normal legendary class. This was a unique legendary grade.
This achievement was worth it just because I was the only person on the
continent who could achieve this class now.
[Dragon Alchemist (Unique Legendary)]
[It’s a new kind of class that has never been discovered. Despite the
continent’s long history, alchemy using a living dragon as a catalyst was
never tried nor practiced. We highly appreciate your achievement and
decided on making Dragon Alchemist a Unique Legendary-Grade. Every
alchemist will be surprised by your great achievements. Dragon Alchemist is
the only alchemist who can use alchemy with dragons as a catalyst. What you
can make depends on your research and alchemy skills. Intelligence increases
by +6. Magical power increases by +7. Your understanding of dragons will
improve. The class effect of the previous class Living Alchemy Summoner
remains the same. Some of the results created by the class effect of the
unique legendary-grade Dragon Alchemist are judged as summoned
creatures.]
‘Whoaa!!!’
[Checking the status window and the talent levels of the player Lee
Kiyoung.]
[Name: Lee Kiyoung]
[Title: Mercenary Queen’s Gigolo, Honorary Bishop of the Holy Empire of

Benigore, Spouse of Dragon, First Discoverer, Alchemist Who Experimented
With A Dragon]
[Age: 25]
[Class: Dragon Alchemist (Unique Legendary)]
[Class effect: Acquisition of Basic Alchemy Knowledge]
[Class effect: Acquisition of Intermediate Alchemy Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Special Summoning Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Advanced Alchemy Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Professional Dragon Alchemy Knowledge]
[Stats]
[Stamina: 30/Growth potential: Common or lower]
[Endurance: 22/Growth potential: Common or lower]

[Magic Power: 45/Growth potential: Common or lower]
[Equipment]
[Juliana, the Curse Sword (Legendary-grade: Ownership)]
[Ramus Tucker’s Introduction to Alchemy: Heroic-grade: Alchemist Only]
[Magic Shield Ring 3333: Rare]
[Attribute: Mind’s Eye (Legendary)]
[General Review: I am sorry to see you working so hard to raise the magic
power that does not seem to grow alongside your intelligence. I couldn’t even
imagine that you would have a magic power of 45, but I want to applaud you.
The other stats are still terrible, but I would like to compliment you for
getting an intelligence stat that will soon break through 90 and for your
unique legendary class. I look forward to your endeavors from now on, but…
Don’t be too proud. Except for intelligence, magic power, and luck, all stats
did not increase by even 1.]
‘I’m an alchemist anyway, you bastard. What does it matter?’
In fact, it didn’t mean it didn’t matter at all. Strength, agility, and endurance
were fine, but stamina was a very important factor.
However, I was in no state to regret now.
Who would have imagined that I would have 45 stats of magic power?
‘This… is 45 stats of magic power!’
It was still desperately shameful compared to other wizards, but laughter

came out due to the enormous magical power inside me.
Of course, this was tremendous magic power by my standards. I slightly

pushed the magic power into my hand, held the catalyst that looked pretty
hard in my arms, and exerted some strength…
‘Damn.’
It didn’t break.
Unavoidably, when I put down the catalyst and picked up another catalyst,
the thing broke with a clopping sound.
‘Ha!’
I felt like the Hulk. Things that couldn’t be done with the magic power of the
30s become possible in the 40s. I could use temporary body enhancement
through the use of magic power. My intelligence stat, which wasn’t
increasing well recently, also achieved explosive growth.
I had already heard through Hwang Jeong-yeon that one more attribute would
open when the intelligence stat reaches 90.
Raising my intelligence stat by 3 while researching would probably be

nothing.
Of course, there may be some limitations when moving from 89 to 90, but
there was no problem with my growth right now.
Anyway, I had only achieved the 4th class change, and I still had the 5th to
expect.
It was difficult to understand the speed of human growth here since I had
only been living here for about a year. At best, the guys who came with me
were, at most, in their third or second class. My choice to hold onto Kim
Hyunsung’s party fit perfectly.
I benefitted a lot, and thanks to that, I had shared very pleasant situations
with them.
At this point, Dialugia, who had been looking at me with a very pathetic
expression, spoke.
-Did you get anything?
“Thanks, I got something very good. I love you, honey. Oops! Oops!”
Dialugia’s status was promoted from a crazy woman to a lovely boss.
I couldn’t express this joy in words, so I ran to her big face and kissed her
without hesitation.
-That’s disgusting. Could you please stop doing this?
“No, we can kiss each other, at least!”
-Anyway, I told you not to do this. This expression of affection is

uncomfortable and unpleasant. If you have the time to do this, finish the
experiment as soon as possible, and pay more attention to our Dialuria. As
expected, humans…
“Our sweetie! How come I haven’t known this charm so far? Glossy, shiny,
and elongated horns! There is no place that isn’t pretty.”
-I don’t know why, but despite being praised, it feels very unpleasant.
“Hhhh!”
-I told you not to stick to me. Stop it, or else I will move.
“Oh, you are so lovely… If you move, I will get crushed and die.”
-T-This human…
Honestly, I was very excited. I had been very happy upon achieving the
unique heroic-grade Living Alchemist Summoner, but this was a whole new
feeling. Anyway, nobody could see me here, so I thought it wouldn’t be bad
to express my feelings alone.
At first, Dialugia seemed disgusted by my actions, but after a while, she

sighed quietly as if she had given up. She then spoke once more.
-So… What did you get?
“Ahem…”
-Please tell me quickly. Is there anything you’re trying to hide?
“No. I just had to calm down a little from my initial excitement. I knew your
body was worth more than I thought.”
-It was because of your greed in the end.
“Not really. Well, that’s not wrong, but…”
-…
“…”
-Please just tell me quickly.
“Of course. Humans living on this continent are given classes differently
from you. I don’t know if you can be given a class when you’re in human
form, but humans do. Ah! This story is too complicated, so I think it’s better
to skip it. That’s not what matters now. I must have already told you last time
that my class is an alchemist.”
-I remember that, yes.
“Alchemists are the professions bestowed on those who seek the truth.
Although it is a profession derived from wizards, it is undeniable that their
pursuits are different from them.”
-It doesn’t suit you very much.
“I won’t deny that. Anyway, to be a little grandiose, things like genes and
blood from your body are materials that have never been found on the
continent. Of course, it is impossible to use it as a catalyst immediately, so it
has to undergo a purification process. Still, it is undeniable that this is the
first to be discovered. In other words, these three substances are objects that
were not originally in this world.”
-Isn’t that my blood? It is not a material that did not exist in this world, but it
has existed since the past.
“Since it has gone through the purification process and successfully catalyzed
it, it cannot be said that it is your blood exactly. Strictly speaking, it is a
synthetic catalyst made up of several catalysts that help smoothen activity.
The fact that the main ingredient came from you doesn’t change. An
experiment that was done simply to see a chemical reaction made a huge hit.
Of course, I did some calculations in advance… Honestly, I didn’t expect this
result, either.”
Of the hundreds of flasks, only three survived.
At first glance, it didn’t seem to have been a very good result, but it was
undeniable that I had hit the jackpot right from the first experiment.
The legendary catalysts that were shining brightly made me feel thrilled just
by looking at them.
At a glance, interest passed through Dialugia’s expression as she quietly

looked at them with her big eyes.
-What is its name?
“It is undecided. Didn’t I tell you? This is the first discovered catalyst. There
are three, so I think you, me, and our Tol To-ri can each decide the name of
one.”
-Ah…
She seemed to be in a good mood. The big eyes blinked widely once.
“Since they were prepared without accurate calculations, there is still time to
define and prove what effect they have and why these results came out, but
the process of organizing it is not that difficult.”
-So, that was helpful.
“Of course. And it’s not just this that I got. I mentioned earlier that humans
are given classes through certain actions.”
-Yes.
“Before the discovery of these three catalysts and even a closer look at your
body, I was given a class. It would be right to say that it is a top-ranked class
and a class specializing in the study of the dragon races. That means I can
understand you better.”
-Are you saying you have been given a special power?
“Yes. You can think of it in that way. Of course, this is still in the early stage,
so a little more research is needed…”
-Ah…
“If the research is done successfully, I will be able to do many things, like
putting your breath into this little flask.”
-Breath?
“It’s hard to expect the same firepower compared to when it would come
directly from you, but it probably will.”
-That is impossible. You cannot fit it into that tiny flask. That is common
sense.
“Whether it’s impossible or not, I’ll need to go into research to find out. I am
judging that there is a possibility.”
-Honestly speaking, it was probably impossible.
“It will be possible. This kind of thing is achievable now. The third class I got
was called a Living Alchemist Summoner. Considering the effect of that class
and the effect of the class called Dragon Alchemist now…”
The moment I grabbed the catalyst made from Dialugia’s cells, the catalyst
turned into magical power, and I felt it hovering around me.
Contrary to the original, which needed a switch and remote control, the
dragon’s catalyst had completely eliminated such a complicated process.
Simply put, everything was possible with just one catalyst. It could be said
that it was a unique legendary-grade class correction effect.
Zap! Zap! Strange energy splattered in my hand with the sound. It was
natural for Dialugia to look at me blankly.
She naturally looked pretty curious about what I was going to do. I was also
curious about what the outcome will be.
As soon as I used the energy in my hand to seal and touch the ground, a little
further away, a large dragon’s hand began to materialize from the earth.
Magical power drained in an instant and broke! Zap! The dragon’s arm
protruded with the sound.
-Uh…
“This is great… This…”
-Nonsense… Y-you…
Dialugia had on an incomprehensible expression. She wasn’t the only one.
I, too, felt perplexed by the results I had made.
-Are you a god? What you did now… That excluded all types of common
sense!
“Oh, of course, that is not a living thing. So far, it is hard to expect even
destructive power. And I can’t make a real dragon. I don’t think this is an
area where we can question whether it is possible or impossible by
experimentation. Creating a human-shaped homunculus is also very time
consuming and expensive. If that’s possible, as you say, I’ll be in the realm of
God, not human. I can’t create a complex and noble creature like you. Of
course, the subspecies…”
-You mean creating a subspecies is possible?
“No, no, it is impossible.”
-I see.
“Yet.”
The sound of Dialugia swallowing echoed through the nest.
It would be impossible to make a clone of Dialugia. However, it may be

possible to produce clones for other drake species.
Ideas that seemed possible, such as the breath potion, continued to pop up in
my mind.
Of course, there was much to think about this study’s final purpose, which
was Park Deokgu’s enhancement method.
‘Perhaps there is a real possibility.’
I may be able to turn myself into Captain Lindel, whose name would always
be mentioned within Blue’s history.
Chapter 197
With as much enthusiasm I could muster, the research began in earnest.
First of all, I prioritized collecting Dialugia’s data, so I kept scanning her

with my Mind’s Eye and made sure to check on anything I thought I would
be missing.
Though I initially wanted her to lie down when I did my research, I now had
no choice but to hope for Dialugia to move. This was because the research
was conducted on how much of her athletic ability and her magic power
could operate.
It was not possible to properly confirm how much power her breath held, but
it was possible to obtain some data through her testimonies or her ability to
manage her magic power based on her magic power stats.
‘One city?’
Her testimony was that she had enough power to incinerate a small city.
In fact, I didn’t doubt this at all. This was because it was judged that only
those who matched the top ranks among the players with a magic power stat
of 125 and advanced magical power management knowledge could do it.
Of course, in Mind’s Eye, I couldn’t find any traces of her acquiring

advanced magical power management knowledge, but the evidence revealed
that she possessed something similar.
In the first place, she wouldn’t have been able to use different types of
breaths if she hadn’t acquired advanced magic power management
knowledge.
There were also two types of breath, and they were classified as follows:
1. A radial type with enough magic power to blow away a city.
2. Concentrated type for those with high magic resistance or for those who
are difficult to deal with simple magic power.
For example, the radial was a breath made to deal with multiple enemies
rather than an individual. Although the range is large, the damage was less to
humans of the same type as Cha Hee-ra, who had high endurance and magic
resistance.
This was where concentrated breath came in.
As such, the concentrated type had a high density but narrow range.
However, it was considered superior in all aspects.
It was difficult to calculate the exact number, but it was enough to penetrate
the shield of an Archmage who had completed the 5th to 6th class change.
Of course, there was a difference in flying speed, so I thought that even those
with high agility would not be able to properly avoid the concentrated type of
breathing.
Of course, it wasn’t just the breath I focused on. I immediately pulled out
data on how much power she could generate by assuming her agility and
strength stats, and all other data were extracted and stored.
There was a small margin of error, yet I knew I could acquire more precise
data later on. It all depended on the timing.
‘To intensively dig into only one side…’
Dialugia was so big and vast. She was a treasure trove of knowledge and a
mountain range of knowledge. Therefore, it took a while just to study the
specs.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be able to do this alone. Contrary to my thoughts that

flight would be impossible, I was a little surprised that she could use magical
power to fly. It seemed like she didn’t usually use it because it continually
consumed magic power, but the ability to fly seemed important for her.
‘A dragon is a dragon.’
I had to raise Dialugia’s rating a little more.
Of course, I couldn’t be passionate only about the calculation of these said

specs. Classifying and extracting such data was a basic task. It was merely a
classification of information in order to facilitate future research.
Although the common principle was to wait for data to accumulate, Dialugia
was not a dead creature but a living one. The blood or cells I could draw from
her were almost infinite. A few liters of blood could repair itself in less than a
few hours.
There was no reason not to accelerate progress while worrying about money
and materials. Excluding the elements that threatened my safety…
‘I’ll just do it.’
A slightly dangerous experiment didn’t matter. I was willing to take the risk.
There was only one way to solve my problems, and I had more than enough
alchemy kits to make real, substantial progress.
were continuously undergoing refining, and the magic fire circle never went
out.
Of course, it was Jung Hayan that continually supplied magic power to this
magic circle.
Everything about Dialugia was considered top secret.
The only one that could enter the lab was Jung Hayan. In fact, I thought that
it would be better to call scholarly Hwang Jeong-yeon, but I didn’t dare call
her because I had judged that the only one I could trust was Hayan herself.
Dialugia was my supreme treasure.
Even if Jeong-yeon and I came from the same guild, my greed dictated my
reluctance in handing over precious data.
Except for the accidental burst on the first day of the experiment, no new
developments occurred, but I didn’t feel nervous. This was because I was
confident enough to know that there would be an improvement soon. The
vast amount of data and kits that kept running day and night were similar to
those of an automated laboratory.
Dialugia was looking at us without knowing anything but sometimes ended

up falling asleep as she remained lying down for most of these procedures.
When the outer side made no progress, I focused on her inner resources.
Since I had no intention of dissecting the lovely Dialugia, I started by

scanning her as a whole before experimenting in once.
Of course, the most memorable experiment among them was to enter her
interior directly.
It sounded crazy, but Jung Hayan and I actually looked inside through her
mouth before coming back out. With her help, I explored Dialugia’s
esophagus and stomach, as well as other organs quite well.
-Must you do it in this manner?
“It’s all about the advancement of great alchemy. It’s also for your benefit.”
-I also don’t know how my body will react.
“If I think it’s dangerous, I’ll get out of it right away, so don’t worry too
much.”
-It’s not because I think you’re in danger—I-It’s embarrassing.
“…”
-…
Surprisingly, it was also the first experiment that Dialugia didn’t feel
comfortable with.
Dialugia described the experiment as feeling naked, but I found this funny,
considering that she wasn’t dressed right from the beginning.
Fortunately, the heartbreaking possibility that Jung Hayan and I might end up
dissolving in the acidic solution of Dialugia’s stomach did not happen.
This was because dragons did not digest what they ingested but rather
decomposed them into magical power. In other words, Jung Hayan and I
almost became her new source of magic power.
Dialugia’s organs had almost started disassembling without her knowledge

due to past injuries, so she was able to get the help of Jung Hayan’s
protective magic to fix them.
The first body exploration ended there. Special equipment was made in-
house, and only after this was I able to look around relatively safely and
comfortably.
The interesting thing I had discovered while exploring her body was that her
organs’ structure was more complex than that of humans.
In a way, this would be obvious knowledge. She was, after all, a race that
could be said to be a superior entity. The fact that her form of digestion
would be to gather magical power was a surprising discovery in itself. I
thought it would be amazing to see Tol To-ri do this since he ate more than
double his size. Who knew he would have such an organ?
Like a common cliché in any fantasy novel, digested magic power was sent
to the heart, and the heart would then supply it with blood to the whole body.
‘So, it was this.’
That was the reason why her blood could become a catalyst containing
magical power.
All her other organs were also unique. In a way, her body was a huge power
plant. The unrefined, contaminated magic power would also undergo a
purification process without discharging it outside the body.
The secret of all the energy she turned into action lay in magic.
I just nodded when I saw all of that, but Jung Hayan, as if amazed just by the
fact that Dialugia could even move, was analyzing the data in her own way.
There was something even she could learn from this. Eventually, she
acquired her own achievement just by exploring Dialugia’s body.
Thus was the creation of a legendary-grade attribute.
[Archmage’s Heart (Legendary)]
This was absurd.
“How is this is an attribute? No, how…”
“I made one more organ made of magic power.”
“What?”
“I thought it would be nice to have something like this, too… I tried it once
before…”
“…”
“I think I’ve accomplished it right away, Oppa… Hehehe…”
“I see… Good job, Hayan.”
“Hehehehe… ”
I knew this without the need for an explanation. However, my gaze continued
to rest on Hayan. I knew she was a genius, but I honestly hadn’t expected her
to produce something right away.
Like Dialugia, she couldn’t break down everything into magical power, but
Jung Hayan certainly became able to constantly recirculate and recycle
magical power in her body.
In addition to preparing a charger that could quickly recharge magical power
in the body, she continued to purify and accumulate the remnants of magical
power remaining after using magic.
Although the magic power level did not increase right away, it had
established a system that could continuously circulate and recharge magic
power in any situation.
Of course, Jung Hayan’s awakening proved to be quite the stimulus for me.
I didn’t feel inferior, yet I found this whole affair unfair. I was no longer
satisfied with getting the legendary-grade title of Dragon Alchemist. I had to
get another one.
Amidst continuing research on the serum to strengthen Park Deokgu, I

approached the principle of how she could release that breath in my spare
time.
The breath delivered the magical power stored in the Dragon Heart to a
special organ in the neck before releasing it at once.
It was true that Dialugia was also at risk if we were to take samples of
important internal organs.
If I did something wrong, and she ended up losing her breath ability, the
damage would be very serious. I had no choice but to make a small model of
this organ. After a complete scan of her organs with the Mind’s Eye, I
eventually figured out how her organs worked.
Dozens and hundreds of experiments turned out to be useless, but I learned

something new every time. Eventually, I created a small bottle that looked
exactly like the main organ, thus making the breath ability available.
The deformed-shaped glass bottle had already undergone magical treatment

and had been engraved several times with small spells for amplification,
diffusion, and control.
The final touch of the potion was a magical catalyst made up of Dialugia’s
blood.
With my magic, the stored blood all fell into a small vial.
Hmmm!!
The blood entered through the malformed glass bottle entrance and rotated
violently like a motor, thus activating the spell.
It only took about 2 seconds.
Eventually, this small vial created a wave of magical power, releasing the
magical power contained in the blood in all directions.
That was how dragons employed their breath. However, the glass bottle could
not withstand the magic and broke in an instant.
Though this could not be classified as a radial or concentrated type since it

was simply an explosion, this was enough to create the magic power of the
magnitude I desired.
[Legendary-grade potion —– discovered for the first time.]
[Please enter the name of the potion directly.]
[Enter the name of the potion.]
[Dragon Breath Potion (Legendary)]
Baaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnng!!
“Explosion is art!”
Dragon Breath Potion MK1. This was the moment when the continent’s first-
ever combat potion was created.
Chapter 198
[Dragon Breath Potion (Legendary)]
[This is a legendary potion made by Dragon Alchemist Lee Kiyoung. After 2

seconds, Dialugia’s magical power is released in all directions when injecting
magical power, creating an explosion with a shock wave.]
This peculiar-looking glass bottle in my hand looked cooler than I thought.

The deformed appearance also looked highly unusual. I was on a definite
high.
This was a tool that could make up for my lack of magic power and as
another means to protect my body. Of course, the fact that it would take two
seconds before activating would prove to be quite a disadvantage. I wouldn’t
be able to use this during an interpersonal battle, yet I still felt good despite
knowing this.
For now, it’s an advantage just to have one more option besides magic.
My personal specs alone were not enough to reach the Eight Imperial Seats,
but as I continued to improve this potion, the magic power alone may be
enough to deal with even an Archmage.
At this point, Dialugia had returned to human form.
“That’s great. Really… I didn’t think I could really make it…”
She was amazed enough when she first saw it, but she looked even more
amazed to see it up close. Her amazement soon turned into a smile. The fact
that she was surprised meant that I had done it right.
‘This is the power of alchemy.’

“Didn’t I say it before? This is the product of science, magic, and alchemy.
Of course, there are still many things to improve… In a way, it’s a primitive
test piece, but it will develop more and more in the future.”
“I… don’t understand how this is possible. Of course, its magnitude isn’t as
powerful…”
“I think it’s sufficient, though… Ahem. Anyway, the principle is simple.

Your organ was just a model. What appears to be a vial contains a few of
your cells. It’s not perfect, but it’s probably enough to be a thermal organ
plate. The only difference is that it has been drastically reduced in size and
that what flows through this organ is purified blood, not magic power.”
“…”
“In fact, I’m not sure how this organ can emit magical waves, but that’s not
what matters. The important thing is that the organs inside you can emit
magic power, and I was able to copy it.”
“Is that possible?”
“It is impossible for common people. My eyes are a little better than theirs…
Well, for explanation’s sake, it’s like this: Magic power flows into your
blood. Just as you’re delivering magic power to your organs, I dropped a dose
of your blood into this glass model. Following the guidance of the engraved
spell, the blood creates energy and activates this organ. It takes two seconds
to activate…”
“Yes.”
“And…”
Zzzaaaaaaaap!
Baaaaaannnnng!!
The potion I threw broke, thus creating a large wave of magical power.
I didn’t know if this was the influence of her magical power, but seeing it
burst in such a manner seemed to make my guess plausible.
I knew it definitely wouldn’t be that cool if it had been an ordinary explosion.
Considering the price of that glass bottle, it seemed a little wasteful to break,
but it was a test product anyway, so it didn’t matter if it burst.
“It’s amazing, just looking at it again.”
“I am also amazed. Anyway, I think you don’t need to participate in the

experiment for the time being. We’ve also gathered all the data we need, and
everything else is up to me.”
“Is what you originally decided to make been completed?”
“I’m almost at the final stage. In fact, it’s okay to say it’s almost complete,
but… I didn’t have the confidence to make anything more than this with my
current ability.”
The serum that would strengthen Park Deokgu was almost in the final stage.
It should have been a little difficult to make two things at once, but Jung
Hayan, who busied herself with playing with Tol To-ri, proved to be very
helpful.
The reason was that the probability of success could only be increased when
alchemy’s area got expanded and imported into magic.
Repairing a person’s body was more difficult than making a dragon breath
potion.
Although it was complete, I knew more improvements were in order.

However, the limit of ability cannot be helped. At this point, I was limited to
improve the potion only by this extent.
[Enhancement Serum (Legendary-Grade)]
[This is a legendary-grade potion made by Dragon Alchemist Lee Kiyoung.

Made from Dialugia’s serum as a catalyst, this potion forcibly increases the
user’s physical abilities. It can only be used on players with stamina of 70 or
higher and endurance of 70 or higher. The probability of success is not that
high. If it fails, the user will die, so please be careful when using it.]
The green liquid looked ominous. It wasn’t even warm, but the way it boiled
alone was quite gaudy. It was obvious as to why it required more than 70
stamina. Naturally, there was a risk.
Even if one managed to make a serum, it would not be safe to inject it. The
human body would reject the dragon’s blood, and the minimum stats to
overcome the rejection were either stats of 70 stamina or 70 endurance.
Of course, the probability of success could be increased with the

practitioner’s will as well as the help success rate was less than 62%, which
was risky no matter how high it seemed to be.
Though it can be used on people like Kim Hyunsung or Cha Hee-ra, the
effects would prove to be meaningless since their stats were already so high. I
wasn’t that stupid.
In other words, this was a custom-made item just for Park Deokgu.
It was originally designed with him in mind and improved to fit his body.
Nevertheless, I thought that the probability of success was only this much
because the enhancement procedure itself was a risk-bearing procedure.
“It definitely looks dangerous.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Our blood causes rejection to other monsters as well. To do this with
the blood of another race in the first place is a dangerous idea.”
“Hmm…”
“If it fails, one’s whole body may burst and die…”
I definitely didn’t want to see Park Deokgu’s body bursting to death.

When I collected Park Deokgu’s body data during a busy experiment, he was
still busy wielding his sword. What I was trying to do now was, in a way,
similar to making a chimera.
Considering that all chimeras had some side effects, I didn’t even want to
recommend this.
But…
‘I think it will work somehow…’
I didn’t know why, but I was confident about this. It was different from
feeling confident in my abilities. This particular confidence stemmed from
my honest judgment that this experiment had a higher probability of success
than what it really seemed to have, thanks to whatever transcendental being
kept intervening in my affairs.
‘Whoever that is doesn’t want Park Deokgu to die.’
Though this sounded like a simple delusion, I couldn’t help but feel that way.
Considering that the being had also intervened with my Mind’s Eye, there
was plenty of room for it to intervene in this experiment as well.
‘The probability of success can continue to increase.’
I knew Park Deokgu would accept this, anyway. It was entirely his decision
to make. However, I myself could get kicked out of Kim Hyunsung’s party if
I became too reckless about this, so it would be better to play safe for now.
‘Let’s do that.’
I wanted this to be a surprise, but it was difficult to raise the probability of

success without a definite target.
“Hayan.”
“Yes, Oppa?”
“Can you bring Deokgu here?”
“Ah… Of course!”
Jung Hayan nodded at my request and ran out. Dialugia looked at me with a
strange expression.
“Are you really doing it?”
“We have to do as far as we can to improve it. It’s a potion tailored to

individuals, so if he’s here, I can increase the chances of success a little
more.”
“How will you…”
“I think it would be a good idea to check out what kind of rejection his blood
is causing and recreate a potion that can offset the effectiveness of this
fortification serum. I’m just going to inject the potion first, then inject the
serum to increase the chances of success. I have to go through a close
inspection.”
“It’s hard to understand exactly what you’re talking about, but… you seem
confident.”
“Yes, yes. It’s a bit disappointing that we can’t do clinical trials… Anyway,
this time, I will try to approach this a little carefully.”
“Well… Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Just injecting your energy will reduce the rejection.”
Surprisingly, Dialugia herself seemed interested in alchemy.
‘Shall I get her to train with the newcomers this time?’
While waiting, I decided to entertain these useless-sounding thoughts.
Park Deokgu was important, but Dialugia’s socialization was also a task that
I needed to solve.
In conclusion, I did get help from this lab’s costs, but I would hate having to
undergo such a situation again. If Lee Jihye hadn’t helped me, I would have
felt how risky the loan business was.
As I continued to talk with Dialugia, I gradually began to hear Jung Hayan’s

voice. Coupled with Park Deokgu’s, they proved to be quite the noisy pair.
I wanted to show Deokgu the serum right away, for I had prepared it as a gift.
‘It’s not a surprise, but I have to show him this.’
I could understand the feelings of a man without talent better than anyone
else. Because of this, I was already looking forward to seeing what kind of
reaction Park Deokgu would have.
As the two approached me, Park Deokgu waved at me. Since it had been a
while since we had seen each other, his expression appeared to be one filled
with joy.
“Hyung-nim!”
“Deokgu.”
“Well, how are you? Experimenting is good, but please show up every once
in a while in Blue. The guild’s administration team is living hell. There
seemed to be more preparations than expected for the tutorial dungeon.”
“I was a little busy lately making something.”
“I heard everything from Hayan. I heard you made something amazing…”
He was smiling, almost as if he was feeling good about himself. Seeing that
he was all sweaty, it appeared that he had been training before Hayan had
urged him to come with her.
After hearing him talk, I was worried about whether Jung Hayan told him
about the serum, but I quickly realized that he was talking about the dragon
breath potion.
“Didn’t you call to show me that dragon breath potion or what? Whoa… I
knew Hyung-nim would show me first! Hayan has already spread rumors
throughout the guild.”
“Haha. Actually, it’s also because I made something else, something new.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
No wonder my heart had been trembling. Park Deokgu was totally clueless.
With this, I handed him the Enhancement Serum. The man looked completely
startled.
“Please read it.”
“Huh? This?”
At my request, Deokgu immediately checked the potion’s status window with

interest. As he did so, I began to speak.
“There are some things that I still need to do, but it’s all custom made, so it
won’t be a problem. For now, I think it would be better for you to stay here
from now on.”
“Ah…”
“There are some problems with what I’m doing right now. I have to weigh
the number of cases. Oh, and don’t mind the penalty. If I can improve it, the
success rate will eventually be higher than 80%. I called you here…”
“Is this what you called for?”
“Yes. You seemed to be having a hard time lately.”
“…”
“What?”
He showed a reaction that was different from what I had been expecting. Did
he not like it?At this, Park Deokgu quietly pushed my hand away.
“I’m not going to drink it, Hyung-nim.”
“What?”
“I told you I’m not going to drink it.”
For the first time, Park Deokgu was staring at me with a serious expression.
Chapter 199
His reaction was different from what I had been expecting. I thought he
would feel excited, but instead, it was as if he felt reluctant.
Of course, I was disappointed.
It was natural to feel this way, considering the time I spent making the
Enhancement Serum. It was a research of my choice, but this was still made
exclusively for Park Deokgu.
‘This… bastard…’
I didn’t understand why he would reject this. Of course, I knew there would
be a reason why, but I didn’t think he would stick to that resolve so much.
This was probably because he wanted to get stronger with his own strength,
and he didn’t want to borrow the power of these potions.
Was he not desperate? If he were aware of the situation he was in right now,
he would never say that. In the first place, he was only able to get this far
because of my help.
I was dumbfounded by his narrow-minded way of thinking when it came to

abilities.
If Park Deokgu were in a small or medium-sized guild that wasn’t Blue, he

would have accepted this serum right away. If this potion were released on
the market right now, a lot of people would immediately go and buy it.
It was embarrassing to say this, but this was an elixir for people like him.
My eyes were sparkling as I felt a little betrayed. I was not angry. I simply
felt a little offended.
“What?”
“I appreciate this, but I will not drink it. Did you really call me just for this?”
“Yes, that’s why I called you.”
“I appreciate your concern, but you don’t have to worry about me. I am not a
child, and I can do well enough without anything like this.”
Park Deokgu did look very uncomfortable. This was the first time he had
looked at me like that ever since we had met.
It seems like I had hit his soft spot, but perhaps it was also because he felt
inferior. He had been working hard to catch up with us, but with this potion,
he might feel that I pitied him.
However, at this point, I had no choice but to urge him.
“Stop this useless stubbornness.”
“I am not being stubborn.”
“Remember that it’s not just for you. It’s also for the party.”
“You can just cut to the chase. Are you saying you need a stronger front
liner?”
I could neither confirm nor deny this.
“Then you just have to use someone else. Anyway, I won’t take this.”
“You!”
“I said I’m not taking it!”
The moment I grabbed him, trying to pull him back, he got angry and struck
my arm. Although my stats had increased quite a bit, obviously, my weak
body bounced off.
Park Deokgu looked shocked, and his shock quickly gave way to guilt.
‘Motherf…’
Fortunately, I was able to protect the Enhancement Serum, but it didn’t

change the fact that my fall had been a painful one due to this. After checking
the serum’s safety, I immediately turned to look at him.
“You bastard!”
As I tried to scream in anger, I felt a huge flow of magical power.
‘Ah.’
“What… are you doing?”
As I turned my head, I saw Jung Hayan reaching for Park Deok-gu. It looked
like her new legendary-grade attribute was a success because the magical
power that I could feel from her was much more than I could imagine. I
didn’t know what spell Hayan used, but the ground on which Park Deokgu
had been stepping on began to crumble.
Deokgu tried to hold on while trembling, but he couldn’t resist the pressure
of magical power felt from above. I felt sad seeing him lying flat on the
ground like a frog.
“Ugh…”
He kept trying to get up, but this was not possible. It was a completely
different thing to withstand attacks due to high endurance and to be able to
move with the pressure of magic.
It was especially impossible for a guy with low strength and magic power to
resist this unknown magic. I knew that Jung Hayan was sensitive to my
safety, but I didn’t think she would treat Park Deokgu like this.
“I apologize.”
“Whoosh!”
“I apologize!”
Craaaaaaackkk!
“Argh!”
She exerted more strength once again, and Park Deokgu began to dig deeper.
I had to rush to stop her. Although Deokgu was strong, there was no way he
wouldn’t sustain any injuries from the spell.
“Jung Hayan, stop.”
“Ah…”
“I wasn’t hurt, and he didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Apologize to Deokgu later.”
“…”
As Jung Hayan lowered her hand, the intensity of her magic disappeared.
Even with 45 magic power, Jung Hayan’s magic power had been hard to
bear.
As I moved towards Park Deokgu, I could see him quietly getting up. I
checked him with Mind’s Eye and was relieved to see that he had not
received any major damage. To resist Jung Hayan’s magic, he raised his
magic power too much, so his innards were a little damaged, but he would be
able to recover solely with his own power.
I quietly reached out and waited for him to hold my hand, but the bastard’s
expression didn’t look very good. What blossomed on his face was a terrible
look of defeat. He had not even been able to withstand Jung Hayan’s attack.
‘Ah…’
I had to admit that things had gotten a little more twisted. Now I was sure that
Deokgu felt inferior.
‘Right now, even I…’
Even I had a hard time trying to catch up with such a party full of monstrous
geniuses.
As a part of the noncombatant group, I was somehow getting by. This put
Deokgu in a more desperate situation than me.
In the end, he didn’t reach out for my hand.
Feeling defeated that he couldn’t escape from the magic, he stood up by

himself and started walking outside the nest, refusing to look at any of us.
“I… I’m sorry about earlier, Hyung-nim.”
“No. You seemed a little angry. I’m sorry too, Deokgu. I think I rushed
things a little… Let’s talk about this slowly later.”
“No. Hyung-nim didn’t do anything wrong.”
‘This is so annoying…’
I wanted to just tell him that he didn’t have the talent, that he had bigger
limitations, that he should just shut up and drink if he didn’t want the gap
between him and the party to widen. However, I cared about his feelings, so I
kept my mouth shut about it. I didn’t need to tell him, for I knew he already
felt that way. In this regard, it would be better for me to act gently.
Jung Hayan was watching me quietly as if she knew she had made a mistake,
and Dialugia, looking at me from a distance, seemed to know what the
situation was right now.
I clearly was not expecting this.
‘It’s fucking frustrating, fuck…’
I didn’t know what Park Deokgu was thinking, but it didn’t mean my worry
for him lessened.
In the end, I knew I had to head out.
“I’ll go to the guild for a minute.”
“Okay… Oppa.”
I had to find another solution to this problem.
‘This is the last time, really.’
This was the last time I would take care of him. If he fell again, I decided,
while going back to Blue, that I wouldn’t protect him any longer.
I didn’t head back riding White Paul. I wanted to see how Park Deokgu was.
If he saw me approaching him with my griffon, his sense of inferiority would
only increase.
Anyway, the Guild House wasn’t that far, and I soon reached my destination.
Though I wondered if he would drink his sorrows away, I felt like I wouldn’t
find him at the bar. Just in case, I headed to the place where he was with Kim
Ye-ri last time.
When I arrived, I found Park Deokgu and Kim Ye-ri together, as I had
expected. Kim Ye-ri rolled her eyes upon sensing my presence. Though she
was aware that I was here, it seemed that Park Deokgu was not.
Seeing that she didn’t tell Park Deokgu, she must be aware of the situation
here.
“This isn’t good, uncle. You shouldn’t forcibly train yourself. Give yourself
time to rest.”
“No, it won’t be training today.”
“Then what will it be?”
“Sparring.”
“If it’s sparring, we do it every day. It’s also considered training.”
“No. Not that.”
“Then what?”
“I want to spar for real.”
“You mean you don’t want me to go easy on you? You’ll get hurt.”
“It’s okay.”
Park Deokgu looked nervous as he spoke. I knew he felt shaken at the fact
that he couldn’t even resist a single attack from Hayan and thus wanted to
know exactly how strong he currently was.
Instead of answering Park Deokgu, Kim Ye-ri slowly turned towards me.
It looked as if she was asking me if she would really be allowed to do this.

Since I couldn’t find any other solution, I gave her a slight nod. Now would
be the right time for Park Deokgu to face his harsh reality.
The moment Park Deokgu got into position, Kim Ye-ri immediately rushed
towards him.
‘Kim Hyunsung?’
I instantly realized who the kid’s model for practicing close combat was. She
was a bit lighter and more stylish than Kim Hyunsung, but the fact that they
had the same stance was inevitable.
It seemed like Hyunsung had influenced her more than I had initially thought.
Park Deokgu corrected his sword as he felt startled, but Kim Ye-ri had
already reached him. Blood spurted out, almost instantly.
When she fought Cha Hee-ra, I had felt it roughly, but that little kid’s
fighting ability was almost comparable to Cho Hyejin’s. It really hurt to see
Park Deokgu pushed down to the point of embarrassment. This wasn’t even a
fair fight.
Although he was holding on with his innate endurance, he could not catch
nor block Kim Ye-ri.
However, this did not mean that Park Deokgu was weak.
‘It simply means that Kim Ye-ri is too strong.’
It felt like she already knew how Deokgu usually moved. The fact that she
moved faster than half a heartbeat should also be taken into account.
After she dashed away, one of her throwing knives got stuck in Deokgu’s
body, and with her other dagger, she slashed through his body.
It was dazzling to see Park Deokgu’s bloody appearance in an instant. I now

understood why she kept saying she had gone easy on Park Deokgu.
“I want to stop now.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s stop now. It’s too dangerous. If we continue… I’ll call the priest.”
“A little bit more… Please…”
“I don’t want to. I don’t know why you keep trying to fight with me.”
“…”
“Uncle cannot fight me. Do you finally admit defeat?”
“…”
“You can’t do it like Aunt Cho Hyejin or Hyunsung Oppa anyway. It’s better
to accept this fact.”
The little kid looked at Park Deokgu quietly before immediately turning
away, presumably to call a priest.
Park Deokgu sat on the ground and buried his head between his knees. I
looked at him, thinking he would eventually get up and start swinging his
sword just like last time. However, he did not get up again.
Instead, I could only hear the sound of him crying as quietly as he could.
Chapter 200
Chapter 200: Lee Kiyoung’s prank
It wasn’t that he was desperate. In fact, Park Deokgu might be more

desperate than anyone else. Just by looking at his relentless training, I could
see how much he felt cornered.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t just accept my gift, but

I knew there must be a reason why. Perhaps he had wanted to repay me for
my trust, or that he wanted to stand by our side using his own strength, but
what was more important to me right now was to make him realize that his
growth should hold precedence over his pride.
‘But no, he had to be all stupid.’
Right now, he did not have the ability to make his self-diagnosis. Naturally,
he felt frustrated since he didn’t know what his problem was.
From the beginning, it was unreasonable to have tried to put geniuses such as
Kim Ye-ri, Kim Hyunsung, and Cho Hyejin on the same line as him.
Kim Ye-ri was right. He had his own role, and even if Park Deokgu accepted
this serum, he would not be able to catch up with the geniuses in Kim
Hyunsung’s party.
I, too, was similar to him. After realizing that I couldn’t catch up with
geniuses from the beginning, I promptly changed my route. Though I had a
great purpose and strong will, the chances of me catching up to Jung Hayan’s
level were zero.
Of course, Park Deokgu had a higher possibility of reaching them when

compared to me.
“So the method you thought of is this?”

“Yes, it is.”
“I don’t think it’s a bad method… If anything goes wrong, it could

completely ruin a person, right? I’ve seen so many people since the tutorial,
but they didn’t seem to have strong willpower. Rather they looked pretty
dependent. Honestly speaking…”
“Yes?”
“To be honest, if it weren’t for Kiyoung, Park Deokgu would have died in the
tutorial.”
Lee Jihye spoke this harsh fact. If Park Deokgu heard her, he would feel
depressed.
Jihye herself seemed tired, which led me to believe that her work in Black
Swan had been tough so far. However, she still looked relaxed and had a
confident expression, as always.
“You’re one to speak.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I think I would have survived without Kiyoung-ssi and
Hyunsung-ssi. Well, it’s already in the past, so let’s stop reminiscing. That’s
not what matters now. And why do you keep calling me Nuna, Oppa?”
[Checking the status window and the talent levels of the player Lee Jihye.]
[Name: Lee Jihye]
[Title: Black Swan’s Head.]
[Age: 29]
[Disposition: Selfish Ambitions]
[Class: Commander]
[Stats]
[Stamina: 27/Growth potential: Common or lower]
[Intelligence: 67/Growth potential: Rare or higher]
[Endurance: 14/Growth potential: Common or lower]
[Luck: 44/Growth potential: Common or lower]
[General Review: It’s been a long time since we saw your soulmate. As
always, I hope you don’t get too intimate. You know that the possible child to
be born will be really pitiful, right?]
‘It’s because you’re older.’
She didn’t seem to know that I could check her age. As I still wanted it to be
a secret that only I knew, I swallowed General Review’s joke about the child
to be born and quietly averted my gaze.
“I don’t even look that old… Anyway, it really is amazing.”
“What?”
“I didn’t know you would care for him like this. I thought you were more of a
cold type… Do you find it hard trying to get rid of him because you’ve been
together since the start?”
“Something like that.”
“That’s surprising. I knew you were all about Hyunsung-ssi, but this time you
seem to be doing everything you can for that big dunce. If I hadn’t heard the
news that you were with Yuno Kasugano in the Royal Castle, I would have
had doubts about whether Kiyoung-ssi was a homosexual.”
“What?”
“I’m just joking. That’s because I know better than anyone else that you’re
not. Still, if you really do like men, you should let me know. It’s good to feel
challenged, but if that’s true, it’ll sadden me a lot.”
“I know. I know you’re just worried about Park Deokgu, so I just said it.
There’s no reason not to throw him away, but it’s evident that you still want
him around. You know that there’s been a lot of talk at other guilds and
parties, right?”
“No. I’ve been quite busy with my research lately. Are there any bad rumors
circulating?”
“Something like that. It is rumored that the Eight Seat members Kim
Hyunsung and Lee Kiyoung of the Blue party are looking for a decent front
liner.”
“That’s just a rumor.”
“It may not sound like gossip to big-mouthed people. Some people are more
observant than you think. The fact that Deokgu can no longer catch up with
the party is a known fact, and there are about entrusting the front liner of
Blue to someone like that, right? The transfer market is moving strangely due
to rumors of you seeking a capable front liner. The freelance tankers are also
excited about getting contacted…”
“…”
“Of course, I understand you, but in order to succeed, you have to think
carefully about the best timing to get rid of him. Well, I know you’ll do well
on your own… I am not in a position to judge this. Please just think that I’m
worried about my husband and had just been babbling things.”
“No. You’re actually right in some parts.”
“Really?”
“Actually, Hyunsung-ssi asked me about setting up a second party. Rather
than abandoning Deokgu, we chose to prevent him from endangering himself
in potentially dangerous situations. We also had the idea of recruiting a new
tanker for our current party…”
“How unfortunate… for Deokgu-ssi. If you decide to raise one, is he going to

recruit from the new recruits in the tutorial dungeon?”
“Probably. Although retired, Lee Sang-hee is still a Blue adviser, so it’s not
really an urgent situation. But we still have to prepare. I’ll only be willing to
take care of Park Deokgu to this extent. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Yes.”
“Honestly, I spent so much time and money making the Enhancement Serum
even though I had a lot of other priorities to attend to. It’s not just the Red
Mercenaries and Black Swans that value these new recruits.”
“Well… Since Blue has settled down a little, you would want to bring many
good newcomers. I understand.”
“This is the first and the last time. If something doesn’t work or if he doesn’t
change anything…”
“Will you kick him out from the guild?”
“No. It would be appropriate to leave him to the second party. We’ll either
make him a training instructor or an administrator.”
“See? You definitely got softer.”
“I’ll take this as a compliment, Nuna.”
As I teased her, Lee Jihye smiled. It felt a bit uncomfortable for her to be
observing me like this, but since she had promised to help me, the purpose
had been completed.
“I know you must be busy, so thank you for your care, Nuna.”
“I’ll just think that you bought a few stocks. Something will come back later.
Well…”
“Sooner or later, the Black Swan will also have a drop of bean sprouts.”
“I think that Yeon-joo Eunni will like it. Ah. And please ask Hyunsung-ssi to
make some time.”
“What?”
“My Guild Master keeps asking me to see him, but there’s been no response.”
“Park Yeon-joo?”
“Yes. Did you hear anything?”
“Absolutely nothing…”
“I think Yeon-joo Eunni likes Hyunsung-ssi. She seems really intent on

asking me to arrange a meeting. I’m just curious… he’s not a eunuch, is he?”
“I don’t think… so…”
This was a new story that I had never heard of. I thought he had been getting
close to Cho Hyejin. Who would have known that he would be caught up in a
dating rumor with the Black Swan’s Guild Master?
Of course, this helped Blue. Seeing that I didn’t know, Kim Hyunsung
seemed to be disinterested, but still…
‘This is good news.’
“Really, it seems like you’ve been stuck in research lately. There wasn’t any
official movement, but this was also a story that became popular within
Lindel, much like Park Deokgu.”
“What story?”
“It is rumored that the reason why Blue Guild was able to rise to its current
position is due to the womanizing of the Guild Master and the Vice Guild
Master. Honestly, it’s not even wrong, right? I don’t know about Kim
Hyunsung, but it’s a rumor that perfectly fits you. You don’t even have that
handsome face, but women still seem to stick to you like a charm…”
I knew that was indeed a very sad story, but I didn’t dare give a substantial
reply. However, Lee Jihye’s previous remark was indeed correct. I had spent
too much time on my research. I had to wonder if there were any other
rumors.
“Are there any other rumors I haven’t heard of?”
“I don’t know. Well, the Red Mercenary is betting life and death on acquiring
newcomers from this tutorial dungeon. The Mercenary Queen hasn’t given an
official statement yet. I’m guessing there’s a different reason as to why she
hasn’t yet appeared, but other people think differently.”
‘That’s the correct answer.’
“And what else? There are rumors that the Eight Seats of the continent will
be officially announced sooner or later. I think the Holy Empire spread this
rumor. It should be viewed as a fact rather than a simple rumor.”
“Good. I knew there would be an official announcement. The timing seems

right, too. Perhaps…”
“It will be after the tutorial dungeon opens, right? Ah! Also, I heard that you
got engaged to Marlin Young-ae and would acquire Castle Rock soon…”
“That’s just a rumor.”
“I thought so. The source of information came from Marlin’s side.”
“You seem to know all kinds of stuff.”
“What can I say? The intelligence in Black Swan is the best in the Empire.
Oh, and did you know, Oppa?”
“Yes?”
“Kim Ye-ri of your guild…”
“What about her?”
“Did you know she’s been getting close to our guild’s kid lately?”
“I don’t know much about her. It’s Hyunsung that takes care of Kim Ye-ri…”
“It would be better to tell her to stop coming to Black Swan.”
“Did she cause some trouble?”
“No. Not like that… In fact, the one that Ye-ri is close to isn’t that… safe. Of
course, she doesn’t do anything bad, but… Rather than Yeri damaging the
Black Swan, I’m worried that my child may become a bad influence on
yours. It’s quite hard to control our kid, too…”
“What, is she a psychopath?”
“No. Her personality is good. She has both talent and ability and is actually
evaluated as a talented person who can soon lead the future of Black Swan.”
“If that’s the case, you don’t have to worry too much. It seems politically
beneficial that Blue’s future and the Black Swan’s future are getting along
well… If you think about making friends, there is a high probability that you
will become positively affected. Our guild’s little ones have always been
lonely. It’s a relief to hear that she has friends. Hyunsung will also like it.
You don’t have to worry too much.”
As I finished speaking, Lee Jihye began to call out, startling me.
“You’ll see. Sira? Chae Sira?”
Someone answered her call right away.
“You called because you need me? Do you admit it? Yes, you do. The fact
that you called me during a meeting with Lee Kiyoung, who has been
appointed as one of the Eight Seats of the continent, means that you finally
acknowledge me! Awesome. This is sick. You’re calling me on a quiet night!
I’m feeling surprisingly excited!”
“No. There is no need for you to come in.”
“…”
Though I couldn’t see her face, I now knew the reason why Lee Jihye had
warned me about Kim Ye-ri often visiting the Black Swans.
“I know what you mean… I will stop her using all means possible.”
“Yes…. Anyway, you are going to enter the dungeon soon, right? Don’t
worry. We’ll have everything Oppa ordered. I will proceed according to the
scenario.”
“Thank you, Nuna.”
“No need to thank me. Between us… Anyway, please do well. Park Deokgu
is still a good guy, but I hope this opportunity will give him some good
results.”
“Are you serious?”
“Absolutely. It’s natural for a person in power to have one or two such
loyalists, right? I won’t see you off, my love.”
“Yes. See you later, my soulmate.”
The dice has already been thrown.
This was the first-ever Park Deokgu Awakening and Enhancement Plan.
I would make him Captain Lindel later on, but first, I had to enter the
dungeon with him.
Of course, before that…
‘I should warn Hyunsung beforehand.’

He shouldn’t let Kim Ye-ri, the future of Blue, grow in such a lopsided
direction.
Chapter 201
Chapter 201: Lee Kiyoung’s Prank (2)
“Is this really okay?”
“Sure. I don’t know when we’ll be able to gather like this again. When I start
getting busy in earnest, I’ll have less and less time to hang out with you all.
Things will get crazy once the new recruits arrive. Hyunsung-ssi also
understands that, so I think that’s why he allowed me to go to the dungeon
this time.”
“But…”
“I also need some time to relax, and it’s been so long since we’ve done this.
Some people also need a break, you know.”
“Hyung-nim…”
Park Deokgu looked grateful for some reason. Perhaps he thought that the
reason for this dungeon trip was because of him.
In his position, it would be natural for him to think so. Going to the dungeon
at such a sudden time might seem suspicious to anyone who was to chance
upon it.
It was only a few days ago that he had a dispute with me.
Naturally, he’d think that the reason why I started planning a dungeon
expedition was that it would be my form of reconciliation to him.
In fact, Jung Hayan still felt uncomfortable with Park Deokgu, and I didn’t
dare talk to him until this expedition arrived.
Thus, it would be natural for him to feel this way.

He wouldn’t even be able to imagine that I had planned all of this in a
completely different direction from his line of thinking.
After all, this was the first Park Deokgu Awakening and Enhancement Plan,
directed by Lee Kiyoung, written by Lee Kiyoung, and supported by Lee
Jihye.
It was a real gift prepared for him, who had felt dejected after Kim Ye-ri had
beaten him. This way, he would have a real shot at achieving what he wanted
to achieve.
He lacked many things, but one of the biggest problems Park Deokgu
currently had turned out to be…
‘The fourth class change.’
Among the Blue party members, he was the only one who hadn’t gotten a 4th
class change yet and was still maintaining his rare-grade class. I didn’t know
why he hadn’t gotten around to changing his class after experiencing an
entire monster wave, but my guess lay on the possibility that his barrier was a
psychological one.
This made me curious about one thing.
If a crisis would hit us, how would Park Deokgu react?
It wasn’t a big deal, but it was something worth thinking about. This was
something he had never experienced before since Kim Hyunsung’s party was
full of geniuses. Thus, every possible problem ended up getting solved by
Hyunsung before it could scale into trouble.
It wasn’t just Kim Hyunsung. Jung Hayan’s protective magic blocked the
backup before Park Deokgu could get hurt.
That being said, in every party battle, our party members always ended up
outshining Deokgu in terms of performance. Though he was able to
experience the battles alongside them, it made me think if his constant
behind-the-scene performance was the reason why the system wasn’t able to
judge what kind of class to give him.
This was only my hypothesis. However, I had to think that it was worth
experimenting with. It didn’t matter if he didn’t develop his class or attribute
this time. If he felt that he lacked in this expedition, it would be a little easier
for him to accept the serum, and if he couldn’t get through this, I could push
through with assigning him to a new party.
However…
‘There is no chance of that happening.’
I knew Park Deokgu would never give up, hence why I had proposed this
expedition.
Having cleared up my thoughts, I smiled and spoke to him once more.
“Even so, you shouldn’t be too distracted. It doesn’t matter that the dungeon
is rare-grade. Always keep in mind the possibility of an accident.”
“Yes. Uncle Kiyoung is right.”
“I know that. This time, Hyunsung-ssi will not be here, so we should stay
alert.”
“Of course, I’m not telling you to feel too pressured. I bought a dungeon with
low difficulty on purpose. You can get nervous, just don’t move in a rush.”
“Hm… You didn’t have to buy a dungeon…”
“The other guilds are now busy preparing for work after the opening of the
tutorial dungeon. I got it for cheap, so you don’t have to feel so burdened.”
“If so, that’s a relief.”
The smile he currently showed was one I hadn’t seen in a while. Though
Deokgu usually laughed when he was with other people, this was the first
time that his expression felt sincere.
I didn’t know what exactly Deokgu was thinking, but I was sure he was
feeling better now.
‘His condition’s not that bad.’
I also felt like he desperately wanted to restore his relationship with Hayan,
considering how badly things had gone last time. However, it wasn’t him
who needed to apologize. It was her.
‘Tsk. This foolish guy.’
However, it was cute seeing Deokgu fretting about this, so I let him be.
When I took my gaze away from him, I saw our five other party members
approaching. Five of us would be going—me, Park Deokgu, Jung Hayan,
Kim Ye-ri, and one priest, who would serve as our backup should anything
happen.
Originally, I wanted to bring Sun Hee-young, but I couldn’t because of the

busy time.
Hwang Jeong-yeon, who had maintained a fairly close relationship with Park
Deokgu, was also unavailable because she was currently in charge of Blue’s
administration.
In fact, I thought Hwang Jeong-yeon could be used as the centerpiece of this

plan, but considering her poor acting ability, I decided it would be better for
her to stay still.
Of course, the rest of my members were the same. Both Jung Hayan and Kim
Ye-ri were unaware of the basics of socializing and were far from my first
choices when it came to plans.
‘They, too, have terrible acting.’
With this, I had chosen Ahn Ki-mo, a priest from the Red Mercenaries. This
was because I needed talented people who could somehow relieve the
awkward atmosphere created by Kim Ye-ri and Jung Hayan.
At this point, Deokgu began to speak.
“Oh, it looks like I didn’t greet the priest… If it’s okay, please introduce me,
Hyung-nim.”
“Is this your first time meeting him?”
“Well, yes.”
“It’s to meet you, Deokgu-ssi. I’m Ahn Ki-mo.”
“Ahhh. I’ll call you Ki-mo Hyung-nim.”
“Haha. Yes. As a member of the Red Mercenary Guild, I came across fate
and was able to join this expedition.”
“Since Hee-young was very busy, I had to use a network.”
“Ah… I see.”
Ahn Ki-mo’s appearance seemed to help, seeing as Deokgu seemed to like

meeting new people. Plus, Ki-mo had a friendly, likable face.
“Thank you for coming, Ki-mo-ssi.”
“No, no, Kiyoung-ssi. Blue is also a friend of the Red Mercenary, and I was
feeling very bored. You don’t know how honorable it is to be with the party
that has made Lindel upbeat these days.”
“I was just lucky. When it comes to clearing dungeons, one dungeon with a
heroic-grade and one dungeon with a rare-grade is all I’ve got to show for it.”
“Why does it matter how many dungeons you have cleared?”
“Hahahaha…”
‘This guy is a natural…’
It was worth it. I heard that he majored in theater, and though he wasn’t
famous, I heard that he was able to do some roles in Daehakro.
I could remember that he was not an ordinary priest, but a kind of combat
priest. However, no matter where I looked, there was no evidence of his
experience in the area.
Whoever sees him would see him as a common priest. The appearance alone
made him deserving of joining us.
The party members began to head to the dungeon while talking loudly.
Though it would be possible to move quickly with a wagon, I thought it
would be better to talk while walking, creating a picnic-like atmosphere.
There was no problem at all, except that Jung Hayan had strangely been
avoiding Park Deokgu because of the pressure for acting, and he felt
uncomfortable by it.
I did not intervene, simply because this might be better than her destroying
my plans.
Kim Ye-ri was all about being quiet, throwing a few words out every now
and then, but fortunately, it was unlikely that she had been influenced by her
Red Mercenary friend very much.
Deokgu, who was naturally friendly, got closer to Ahn Ki-mo in no time. We
spent a lot of time sitting and resting while walking, and I put a lot of effort
to sleep overnight by building a camp.
Although I didn’t drink too much, I enjoyed the atmosphere as much as I

could. So far, almost everything was going perfectly. I also had a lot to worry
about, so this proved to be a good chance for me to enjoy and take a breather.
What was interesting, however, was that Kim Ye-ri was surprisingly good at
cooking.
“Bride class.”
Her answer, which briefly explained why she was so good, revealed that Kim
Hyunsung had been garbage at this particular skill.
Once I knew we were getting nearer, I snuck a glance at Ahn Ki-mo. The
peaceful break ended here.
Seeing my signal, Ki-mo upped the acting.
“I think we’re almost there now.”
“Yes, Ki-mo-ssi. We will be able to enter the dungeon by tomorrow

morning.”
“You said it was a rare-grade dungeon, right?”
“Yes.”
“Looking at the composition of the party, I don’t think there will be any big
problems. Those of you who are here must be able to attack easily.”
“Of course. We have Hyung-nim and Hayan with us…”
“But if you are to enter this area, you will have to be a little alert.”
“Ahhh… You’re talking about that.”
“Yes, Lee Kiyoung-nim knows about it.”
At this, Park Deokgu looked between the two of us curiously. He evidently

didn’t know what we were talking about. Upon seeing this, Ahn Ki-mo
continued to speak.
“Ah, Deokgu-ssi doesn’t seem to know about it.”
“A few years ago, a clan was completely annihilated in this area. It is not
officially known, but if you are a member of a large guild, you would have
heard of it at least once.”
This was a lie.

“It happened around here?”
“Yes. At the time, Lindel did not make an official announcement on this case.
I know everyone else knows about it, though.”
“They call it the Murder Brigade.”
As the atmosphere changed, I could see Park Deokgu swallowing. By this

point, Ahn Ki-mo had taken on a nervous expression.
‘This bastard.’
I had brought him along because I heard he was good at acting, and it was
more than worth it. Even I began to feel nervous with the sudden change in
atmosphere. Both his facial expressions and actions seemed so perfectly
natural.
‘This bastard… makes me want to recruit him.’
“It’s a murderer clan created by psychopath killers who have passed down to
the Holy Empire.”
To be precise, this was the future clan that would be created by Jung Jinho,
the now-deceased psychopath killer.
‘I owe you one today too, Jinho!’

Chapter 202
Chapter 202: Lee Kiyoung’s Prank (3)
In a way, Jung Jinho was the biggest victim in the second timeline. Had the
future flowed as it was, Jung Jinho may have founded the Murder Brigade by
now.
‘Perhaps he could have become the real owner of Juliana…’
Of course, I didn’t know if they would have the same affinity, but this did not
matter now.
Anyway, the answer as to how I knew all this was easy.
‘Because I saw it.’
I didn’t actually see it. In the conversation between Lee Kiyoung and Park
Deokgu in the first timeline, it wasn’t hard to deduce the fact that I had been
in contact with the brigade at the time.
It seemed that I didn’t join because of Park Deokgu, but I personally got
close to Jung Jinho.
The Murder Brigade was an unofficial clan that would be created in the next
year or two. Though I didn’t have any detailed information, I knew one thing
for sure. Since this was a clan built around Jung Jinho, it would not appear in
the second timeline.
I was only borrowing the name of Murder Brigade under the fictitious
murderer clan’s name, but it certainly still felt cold.
‘Even if the guy is not here, the members aren’t going anywhere, so it’s not
like there is no chance of being created…’
However, I knew that without Jinho, they wouldn’t have much of an impact.
Meanwhile, Ahn Ki-mo continued talking, and even I attentively listened.
“Murder Brigade?”
“You mean there are such guys found near Lindel?”
“Yes. Although they regularly patrol at the city level, the Murder Brigade’s
own technique is so secretive. I know that our guild still hasn’t caught their
tail. Of course, a little time has passed since then, but we still have to be
careful.”
“Oh, did they ever show up recently?”
“If so, I wouldn’t have joined you guys. Hahaha.”
“That’s fortunate…”
It was interesting watching Ki-mo assured him that nothing would happen
anymore right after raising the tension this much. After all, one had to throw
the bait in order to catch the fish.
Ahn Ki-mo’s naturalness at acting was a stark contrast to Jung Hayan and
Kim Ye-ri, who were both spouting out fearful remarks with painfully stoic
expressions.
“Don’t worry too much, Deokgu. It happened a long time ago… Just be
careful, because anything can happen. Isn’t that right, Ki-mo-ssi?”
“Yes, it’s been a long time. Of course, it doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t….”
Park Deokgu, who was responsible for the safety of the party members,
spoke quickly.
“What’s on your mind?”
Without a doubt, he had taken the bait. Upon seeing this, Ahn Ki-mo sent a
subtle signal back to me, confirming what I already knew. Things were going
well so far.
“Ah. It’s no big deal. You really don’t have to worry about it, Deokgu.”
“I’m asking because I’m really curious, Ki-mo-ssi.”
“This is because the frequency of disappearance cases has increased a bit

recently.”
“Disappearance… cases?”
“Yes. Of course, it’s not a remarkable number. It usually just happens

annually.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Anyway, they’ll definitely lessen if you can train the new recruits right.
Usually, their stats increase explosively in the first year of entry…”
“Ah.”
“Although the city has been avoiding brutal expeditions, they usually don’t
listen. Even though it has been less than a year since entering the continent,
the recruits from the last year were exceptionally full of confidence, thanks to
the two people chosen for the Eight Seats of the Empire. Hahaha. Of course,
I’m not blaming Kiyoung-ssi. The accidents that have happened were
because of their choice.”
“Are you sure that’s the only reason?”
“It’s not really something you should care about. The Red Mercenaries had
already finished their search for that. We have searched several times already,
but there’s been no trace of the Murder Brigade staying nearby.”
“The Red Mercenary is reliable, but…”
I didn’t know if it was because Kim Hyunsung wasn’t here, but he had fallen
for the trap much easier than I had initially thought. The fact that he was
responsible for our safety probably helped.
Of course, there was Kim Ye-ri as the front liner, but she had an assassin’s
role. She would focus on the offense, barely giving her other teammates any
thought.
Park Deokgu now looked so serious that I resisted the urge to laugh.
“Then, let’s get going.”
“Hyung-nim.”
“Yes?”
“N-Nothing.”
At this point, Park Deokgu must want to go back. Had this not been a place
for reconciliation, he might have pushed through with retreating.
Personally, I liked that expression of his very much. I really liked the fact that
he always worried about and always thought of the worst.
When we were almost at the dungeon, he started asking questions once more.
“Hyung-nim, where did this dungeon…”
“I don’t know. The source has not been confirmed, so I bought it through a
guild. The last one who had it was the Black Swan.”
“I see.”
“Why? Is there something wrong with it?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. Well, perhaps the Black Swan Guild… Do they
have anything to do with the brigade?”
“There must be some sort of relation. Even when they were still active, the
Black Swan was still one of Lindel’s giant guilds. Are you still worried about
the brigade?”
“Not really. Something just feels a little ominous…”

“You don’t have to look so serious. I’ve been careful. It’s been a few years
already, and there’s no reason the brigade would be aiming for Lindel at this
time. Of course, they aren’t the type to do something for no reason…”
“If it’s you saying that, then it must be true… For some reason, I keep… Isn’t
Hyung-nim an important person in the city?”
“Huh?”
“Well, since you’re a member of the Empire’s Eight Seats… well, I’m just
worried about an accident happening at this time.”
His hunch had been right. Though he was bad at explaining, I understood
what he was trying to say.
He probably thought that having me accompany them to an expedition right

after being given such an important role would make things much more
dangerous for me.
If one were to assume that a group of unspecified individuals would target

me, it must mean that the brigade within the city would have found
information of me quietly buying a dungeon.
With my death, they would be able to resurrect their brigade.
Of course, Park Deokgu wouldn’t have thought this far. In the first place, the
only pieces we threw were bits of information about the brigade, and there
was too little other information to fit the whole puzzle. This was why he kept
drilling us with questions, trying to complete the puzzle by himself.
There was no way to check whether the piece he was looking for would fit
the picture he drew or not, but I honestly wanted to applaud him.
‘This bastard has grown.’
It was quite different from what he used to be when he started following me

without thinking. Simply put, Park Deokgu was growing both mentally and
physically.
With that aside, I could feel his anxiety gradually increasing.
Ahn Ki-mo’s role in throwing baits would prove to be crucial at this point in
time. The fact that both Hayan and Ye-ri stayed quiet certainly helped.
As time went by, Park Deokgu’s suspicion grew, so I tried my best to soothe
him, saying that Jung Hayan and Kim Ye-ri would be okay.
Of course, this was all just the initial steps that we needed to take for the plan
to go off without a hitch.
Of course, it will begin once the ‘It’s going to be safe’ consciousness had
unconsciously settled in their head.
‘It’s about time to come out.’
The timing was perfect, both in terms of location and timing.
Since Lee Jihye had completely planned this part, I also felt curious about it.
When we were almost ready to enter the dungeon, a woman appeared from
nowhere and began to approach us, harboring a cold expression.
‘Is that…?’
It definitely was. Seeing her would seem like a strange sight, even to me.
Anyone who saw her would think that she was blocking the road.
“Hey… Who… are you? Did you come here alone?”
Even when Park Deokgu spoke carefully, she didn’t answer. In contrast to
Park Deokgu, who felt anxious, I felt a little disappointed.
‘Just one person?’
Lee Jihye, who had ranted that she would prepare perfectly and told me not to
worry, passed by in my mind. I thought she would at least send the Black
Swan elite, but it appeared that she had only sent one.
I checked the surroundings just in case, only to confirm the fact that she was
indeed the only one that Lee Jihye had prepared.
Of course, since this was just acting, it didn’t really matter who came, but I
still felt like this lacked the urgency I had been aiming for.
‘Tsk.’
It was then that I felt an explosive, murderous aura emanating from the
woman.
‘Huh?’
My hands and feet trembled, and I started backing away, almost

unconsciously. This was the same feeling as when I had gotten hit by Cha
Hee-ra before.
‘Uh…’
The moment I felt the aura wrapping around my body, I realized just who Lee
Jihye had sent.
This was another powerful player in Lindel, who had been evaluated as an
equal to Cha Hee-ra.
It was another member of the Eight Seats of the Empire, the Guild Master of
the Black Swan, who had been said to like Kim Hyunsung.
‘Park Yeon-joo?’
Before I could even organize my thoughts, Park Deokgu began to shout.
“Run!”
Chapter 203
Chapter 203: Heroes Are Made
I had definitely ordered Lee Jihye to do this properly.
‘It would be nice to make it feel like a real crisis… If it feels too awkward, it
won’t work.’
‘Isn’t it just enough to neutralize your party? It won’t have a chance if it’s a
common guild member.’
‘Ah, you think so?’
‘Hmm…The executives are busy right now…I don’t think it will change
much if I send one executive… I’ll just do this on my own. I can’t help it. I
don’t know if it will work or not, but if the deal goes well, you will probably
get satisfactory results.’
‘Do you have some people in mind?’
‘It’s a secret. Please just wait and see.’
Obviously, I was not expecting something to this extent. I had never doubted
Lee Jihye’s ability to handle work.
I knew she would have prepared some great event, but I couldn’t even
imagine that she would bring the master of the guild she belonged to. It was
easy to understand what kinds of conditions were offered.
She must have decided to participate in this event on the condition of meeting
Kim Hyunsung.
Of course, it was undeniable that Lee Jihye’s work was perfect.
‘But…’
Once again, she did it too well.
“Run!!”
After receiving the wave of magical power and the murderous aura right in
front of him, Park Deokgu’s reaction was natural.
Of course, all of us here could be classified as strong. We had Jung Hayan

and Kim Ye-ri, and even Park Deokgu, who had the lowest specs, had also
achieved tremendous growth compared to most people.
However, this definitely did not indicate that we would be able to defeat her.
“W-what is this all of a sudden…”
“Hyung-nim! Run quickly! Quickly!”
Seeing his distressed expression meant that he cared about my safety, but
assuming that this was not acting, I could understand why he was raging like
that.
This was different from when I ran into Cha Hee-ra. Back then, the balance
had been maintained with the presence of Kim Hyunsung and Cho Hyejin,
plus the fact that Cha Hee-ra could still distinguish me as her ally.
Now alone, Park Deokgu would not be able to hold the front lines. He must
have also realized this, hence his current attitude, but he had also grown
stronger compared to that one time.
Reflexively, Jung Hayan chanted a spell, and Kim Ye-ri readied her dagger
and began to watch out for the woman, who was currently looking at us
coldly.
‘Fuck… What if that really is a brigade?’
Looking at the covered woman with Mind’s Eye, I could confirm that it was
indeed Park Yeon-joo, and yet…
‘I feel scared.’
Not only did she disappear from view in an instant, but seeing her materialize
while running towards us proved to be a horrifying sight.
“Oh!!”
Because since there was a certain distance between us, Jung Hayan’s spell
reached her first.
Baang! Along with the sound, dozens of spells begin to pour out toward Park
Yeon-joo.
Though they all intended to track her down, she continued to rush toward me,
blocking all attacks with the one dagger she was holding.
Since Hayan’s magic had been thrown for exploration purposes, it would be
hard to affect her.
Of course, I had no choice but to put magic power into the dragon breath
potion.
Forget resisting. It would be better to get rid of the murderous vibe we were
receiving.
Zaaaaaaaaap!
Baaaaaaaannnng!!
After hitting Jung Hayan’s strands of magic, what awaited us was a huge
explosion.
Of course, I didn’t think we would get hurt. Even if we did our best, she
would still be more than fine.
Park Deokgu, who was surprised upon seeing the dragon potion’s effects,
looked at me, but I couldn’t answer him.
“Focus, you bastard!”
“O-okay. Hyung-nim!”
Now, there was nothing that Park Deokgu could do. She was currently trying
to close the distance between us, and we were trying to increase it.
Jung Hayan continued to chant spells to get rid of her, and I responded to
variables just in case.
‘Ugh, my pride hurts.’
This was also a test to show how strong Jung Hayan and I have become.
“The winding step!”
Jung Hayan’s body began to light up due to her spell. Even so, compared to
that woman’s agility level, hers was inadequate, but it would definitely help
her.
After the explosion was over, Park Yeon-joo passed through the smoke as if
it was nothing. There was annoyance plainly written on her expression.
‘Did we piss her off? Fuck…’
I threw a legendary-grade potion, so it would make sense for her to feel that
way. Now, she moved a little faster than before.
Once again, I put in my magic power.
My potions took two seconds before exploding. However, it would take less
than two seconds for Park Yeon-joo to reach us.
Zaaaaaaaap!
Still, it was only right for me to throw it. The explosion would reach us, but
that didn’t matter.
Immediately after throwing it in front of us, a dragon’s tail materialized and

wrapped around us.
Baaaaannnnngg!!!
Due to its protection, only Park Yeon-joo got caught up in the next explosion.
Again, Park Deokgu looked at me with a shocked expression.
“This, this…”
“I have had some achievements recently.”
“I see…”
The moment the dragon’s tail disappeared, Jung Hayan’s magic burst out.
‘Actually, can we win?’
I daydreamed about this for a moment, but this was soon shattered when Park
Yeon-joo continued to move again.
‘Oh, my God…’
I thought we had a little more distance between us, but this turned out to be a
fluke.
‘Is it an attribute?’
All that I could check with my Mind’s Eye was her name.
Park Yeon-joo probably had an attribute or ability that could shorten the
distance in an instant.
When I hurriedly touched my catalyst, a crackling sound sprang from my

hand once more, but there was no way I would be able to do anything else.
At this point, Park Yeon-joo was swinging her dagger straight towards me.
Before Park Deokgu could even react, Kim Ye-ri jumped in front of me,
holding her own dagger.
Baang!
“I heard that there are many talents in Blue… I guess it was true?”
I felt like praising Kim Ye-ri for being able to block her attack. However,
though she was the only one fast enough to respond to Yeon-joo, this didn’t
mean that she would be able to defeat such a powerful woman.
One attack was prevented, but, naturally, subsequent attacks couldn’t all be
avoided.
After recovering her dagger, Park Yeon-joo struck Kim Ye-ri with her foot
straight away, and the child began to spew blood, flying to the other side and
eventually getting entangled into the branches of a large tree.
‘Retire.’
“Ye-ri!”
“It would be better to start worrying about you, Lee Kiyoung.”
“Ahh!”
After the incident, a startled Park Deokgu began to run towards Ye-ri’s
direction.
“Ahn Ki-mo, treat Ye-ri!”
“Yes… Yes!”
Right after his response, dozens of daggers and swords struck the back of
Ahn Ki-mo, who had been running towards Kim Ye-ri in a hurry.
‘Is that also an attribute?’
“Cough!”
It would be natural for him to die immediately, but looking at the screaming
Ahn Ki-mo, it didn’t seem like he had received a direct damage attack. Park
Yeon-joo had probably used a specially-processed dagger.
“Groaaannnn…”
Nevertheless, looking at Ahn Ki-mo, crawling and acting so naturally, was a

spectacle to behold. He must’ve been born with such talent.
‘However, it’s not necessary for him to do that much…’
The way Ahn Ki-mo acted, one would think he had just lost Kim Ye-ri, who
was a comrade. However, he was not the star of this show.
It was Park Deokgu.
All these stages were indeed made just for him.
Biting his lips anxiously, I saw him gradually facing Park Yeon-joo.
Of course, there was no way he could win a match against her. There was a
vast difference in their agility stats, so it couldn’t be helped.
There was no way that he would be able to stop Park Yeon-joo from running
to Jung Hayan.
In the end, Jung Hayan also had a black dagger stuck in her chest, which
signaled her retirement from the play.
At this, I approached Jung Hayan with a startled look and sprinkled a potion
on her chest.
‘This isn’t really stuck in, right?’
I confirmed this fact when Jung Hayan’s eyes opened slightly. It appeared as
if nothing was wrong with her. Though I was curious about how the sword
was made, it wasn’t important right now.
“Op… pa… I love…”
“You can live, Hayan.”
“I love you…”
“Hayan!”
After acting as the heroine of misery, which I had never ordered, Jung
Hayan’s breath gradually began to subside.
Upon seeing this, Park Deokgu screamed while raising his shield.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
I had expected this, but he looked pretty desperate. His expression contained
resentment for his own helplessness.
I didn’t know what he was thinking about right now, but I felt a little sorry
upon seeing the tears flow down his eyes.
‘It’s all for you, Deokgu. You can do it.’
Park Yeon-joo did not aim at me after she had attacked Jung Hayan. This
granted me the position to continue crying while holding onto Jung Hayan.
She probably knew it would be more dramatic to deal with me once the
change within Park Deokgu occurred.
Though she allowed Deokgu to rush at her, his sword could not reach her.
“Shit!! Shit!!!”
There was no way a sword that couldn’t reach Kim Ye-ri would be able to
reach Park Yeon-joo.
It looked like he was being thoroughly harassed.
Seeing him getting bloodier by the second, I felt sorry for him. Nevertheless,
he did not let go of the sword. The reason for this was obvious.
He was trying his best to protect me.
“Run! Hyung-nim! Get away quickly!”
He kept repeating the same words over and over again.

“Hyung-nim!”
‘I’m very sorry…’
If he discovered that all of this was just acting, I would not resist it if Park
Deokgu beat me to death as a result. Seeing him telling me to run away with
tears flowing down his own eyes made the whole thing more emotional.
Once again, I could see just how much he valued me.
We knew all this was fake, so we didn’t think of it much, but all of this
obviously felt real for him.
To tell me to run away while holding her back meant he valued my life more
than he valued his.
Of course, passion and determination did not solve everything.
As more time passed, a bloody Park Deokgu panted heavily, his shield and
sword still in his hands. However, it appeared as if he was not able to move
his body anymore.
As Park Yeon-joo raised her hand, a black dagger floated in the sky,
signaling his execution.
“Run… Hyung-nim… With Hayan… Quickly…”
The moment the black dagger aimed right for Deokgu’s heart, I jumped out,
taking the hit for him.
I knew I moved only because of Park Yeon-joo’s signal, but there was no
denying as to how dramatic it was.
Though the black daggers struck my body, I felt no pain, just discomfort.
A small voice protruded from behind me.
“Hyung-nim?”
“Ah… ”
“Hyung-nim?”
“Bastard, run… run…”
When I looked at Park Deokgu while spitting out the red potion I had
prepared in my mouth, his expression was severely distorted.
“Hyung-nim… Hyung-nim… Hyung-nim….”
Looking at him crying and calling out to me like a child made my heart
squeeze. I couldn’t even imagine that he thought so highly of me.
“Hyung-niiiim… Haaaah… Hyung-nim!!”
“Ah…”
“Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim!!”
“Always remember… Deokgu.”
“Don’t go… Don’t go… Because I remember… Hold on a little more… a

little bit more…”
Though his face was still covered in tears, his expression had taken on a more
serious note.
Perhaps Park Deokgu was also aware of it.
‘He can still save us.’
Jung Hayan was still breathing hard, and Kim Ye-ri was doing the same. The
same went for me.
‘Good.’
The bastard, who had done nothing but tremble in fear up until now, slowly
began to stand up, despite it being hard to move due to the sustained injuries.
He had chosen to stand up in order to fight and defend, rather than squeeze
and die with a body in a pitiful state.
‘Good! Fuck! That’s it!’
As he tightened his hold on his sword and shield, moving to block me, Park
Deokgu began to look more and more like the heroes found in movies.
His murmuring reached my ears.
“I… I can do better.”
It was the line that had continued to support him up until now.
All the preparations were completed, and the situation was dramatic enough.
Originally, heroes reached past their limits during this time of the battle. Of
course, I believed in him.
Just seeing him lift the sword and shield once more made him well-qualified
to be a hero.
“I… I can do better.”
The moment Park Yeon-joo, who still maintained a cold expression, swung
her hand again, dozens of daggers struck me once more.
At this, Park Deokgu lifted his shield up higher, and I saw his body turning
gold as he began screaming something I couldn’t understand.
“Change…”
[Checking the unique characteristic of the player Park Deokgu.]
[A hero that does not fall]
‘That’s it!!!’
I knew this would eventually happen.

Chapter 204
Chapter 204: Heroes are Made (2)
The golden light emanating from Park Deokgu’s body was so dazzling that I
found it hard to keep my eyes open properly. It was similar back to when I
had changed into a Dragon Alchemist, and my satisfaction doubled.
‘I did it!! Fuck!’
I was worried about whether all of these plans and stages would be
meaningless, but in the end, all of this work proved to give better results than
I imagined. In fact, if I hadn’t seen the black world with Yuno Kasugano, this
project wouldn’t have come to mind in the first place.
At that time, I paid attention to the fact that when Park Deokgu chose to save
me back then amidst the hail of magic and arrows, sacrificing his own life for
my sake.
Of course, it was undeniable that he had a strong body. Even now, his
endurance and stamina stats were excellent. However, that didn’t mean that
Park Deokgu could’ve saved me.
No matter how strong he was, his body would’ve inevitably been destroyed.
It was far from a simple miracle that he could save me from the many spells
that swept away the city.
Perhaps the same thing happened back then.
If my hypothesis was correct, then it was true that he had true potential since
the start.
The light engulfing his body did not stop as Park Yeon-joo’s daggers
continued to hit him. Only when the brightness had begun to dim could I
properly check Park Deokgu’s status window.
‘Good!’
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Park Deokgu]
[Name: Park Deokgu]
[Age: 23]
[Disposition: Simple and Ignorant Enthusiast]
[Class: Shield of Faith (Legendary)]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Basic Sword Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Basic Shielding Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Intermediate Shielding Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Advanced Shielding Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Advanced Magic Power Management

Knowledge]
[Stats]
[Health: 81/Growth potential: Heroic or higher]
[Intelligence: 29/Growth potential: Rare or lower]
[Magic Power: 28/Growth potential: Common or higher]

[General Review: Durability stat has reached 90. Magical power and agility
stats still haven’t grown much, but his high stamina and endurance are
compatible with the legendary-grade class “Shield of Faith,” so he has grown
to the point where he can rise to the top. The growth potential of endurance
and stamina is noticeable, but since they were determined to be higher and
not lower, I can say that there is room for a little further increase depending
on whether or not he tries. Of course, he will go through hell. Please do not
spare support and encouragement.]
‘Awesome… Endurance stat of 90?’
It was so ridiculous that I had to clear my throat. As General Review had

stated, the fact that his endurance stat had exceeded 90 was equivalent to
opening the way to the top for him.
Of course, his other stats were terrible when it came to relativity, but it was
certainly meaningful to have a legendary-grade class, as well as an endurance
stat of 90.
Besides…
‘Advanced magic power management knowledge?’
It was also surprisingly disconcerting to learn that he possessed advanced

magical power management knowledge, something that only people like Park
Yeon-joo, Cha Hee-ra, the deceased Ito Souta, the old man Victor Hart, and
Kim Hyunsung had.
Deokgu’s magical stat was only 28. It seemed as if the size or the amount of
magic did not matter when acquiring knowledge of magic power
management.
It may be hard to use this knowledge right now, but it was undeniable that it
would help a lot in his climb to the stop.
Of course, the most disturbing thing was his explosive increase in endurance.
It was obvious why the endurance stat, which had not exceeded 80 when I
had checked it recently, became 90. He probably got a class bonus.
[Shield of Faith (Legendary)]
[From ancient times, the shield of faith was not a name for a class, but a title
created to honor great warriors. Only those warriors who threw their lives to
protect others have earned the title of Shield of Faith, and they have been
enshrined in the warrior’s graves and have been revered by ancient warriors
for centuries. The will of these great heroes is inherited, and the title of Shield
of Faith is determined as the class of player Park Deokgu. Durability stat
increases by 15. All stats except for endurance stat decrease by 1. He has
been blessed by heroes and thus has acquired advanced shielding knowledge
and advanced magic power management knowledge. With the special class
effect of the Shield of Faith, a legendary-grade attribute, the Ultimate
Sacrifice, is opened.]
[Checking the attribute of the player Park Deokgu.]
[Ultimate Sacrifice 3333 (Legendary)]
[For a certain period, he has received external shock and damage instead of a
selected target.]
‘Scam!’
I knew he would bloom, but it turned out that he had developed too much. I
felt shocked at the rising of his endurance stats, as well as the attribute of
receiving damage instead of allies.
The low level of agility that bogged him down had been solved with
“Ultimate Sacrifice.” Now, he had the chance of taking damage that would
originally be far for him to reach.
I didn’t know if this would be the direction he would want to grow in, but he
had now finished his class change as the best tanker on the entire continent.
“Ahhhhh!”
Clang! With a shout, he moved to block my way again. Perhaps this was Park
Deoukgu’s attribute, Sublime Sacrifice.
‘I cannot be right.’
There were things that I was worried about while supporting his dignified
figure. If Park Deokgu knew that the black daggers didn’t do any damage,
things would get very serious.
We’ve come too far at this point, so I had to hide the fact that this was a
prank.
I wasn’t getting injured because of his new attribute that managed to block
the attack of Park Yeon-joo, but the moment the black daggers would hit me,
this prank would end.
‘This can’t happen.’
No matter how much all of this had been for Park Deokgu, I couldn’t even
imagine how betrayed he would feel. I had no choice but to ask Park Yeon-
joo to stop disappearing, and thus I nodded my head.
In response, Park Yeon-joo also turned her head.
However, contrary to my thoughts that she would go back; unfortunately, the

place where she turned to look at was Kim Ye-ri.
‘Fuck…’
Her black daggers began to shoot at Kim Ye-ri as if she had taken my head
gesture as a signal to attack Kim Ye-ri.
Even after seeing Park Deokgu’s body shining in gold, she hadn’t realized it
was all over. Perhaps she had been driven by her passion for Kim Hyunsung.
‘This crazy bitch!’
“No!”
Black daggers were shot at Kim Ye-ri in an instant.

Park Deokgu also tried to reach out with surprise, but he wouldn’t be able to
get to her in time.
In the end, whether he thought it was right to activate his attribute once again,
a transparent shield began to intercept the daggers heading for Kim Ye-ri.
‘Shit!’
The moment that the dagger touched the shield, he might discover that all of
this was an act. As I debated whether or not to use alchemy, I saw Ahn Ki-
mo taking the dagger instead of Kim Ye-ri.
‘You’re not dead yet! That bastard!’
“Nice, Ahn Ki-mo…”
It looked like he was still alive on the setup.
“Groooan…”
“Ki… Ki-mo Hyung-ssi!”
“I can’t let a young child… die.”
He didn’t even need to say that. This was already dramatic and impressive
enough.
Park Yeon-joo was not the only one who was full of passion. That bastard
Ahn Ki-mo seemed too immersed in this acting.
‘Now stop.’
It was too much.
I understood the two actors’ passion, but I had no choice but to swallow hard
when they were slowly exceeding the risk level.
Now the time had really come to put things to an end.

While Park Deokgu was distracted by Ahn Ki-mo, I started sending OK signs
repeatedly.
Park Yeon-joo nodded as if she finally understood what I was saying.
Park Deokgu had already become noticeably stronger. As if he had received a

reward for his efforts so far, he increased all of the stats that were stuck, as
well as the legendary-grade class attribute and class.
However, I didn’t think he could beat Park Yeon-joo in a fight.
Of course, considering the fact that he was blocking all attacks, a draw might
be possible, but his role was not about personal offense but on protecting the
rear.
‘Plus, Park Yeon-joo isn’t being serious.’
It was better to have this end rather than to pretend that Park Yeon-joo lost.
Finding this to be good timing, she began to retreat, and for a good reason.
Behind us, I could hear loud voices calling out for us.
‘Black Swan.’
The rescue team had come.
“Do not miss it.”
“Rangers, start tracking right away.”
“The rest, please move the injured quickly.”
Voices were heard from everywhere, and the Black Swan’s pride, the elite
rangers, disappeared, following their Guild Master. Meanwhile, the priests
approached us, with the other Black Swan Guild members following suit.
Ahn Ki-mo, who had pretended to be stunned with a dagger in his chest, took
the dagger instead of Jung Hayan and Kim Ye-ri.
Two or three priests began to approach Kim Ye-ri, who really seemed to be
stunned.
With the reinforcements’ sudden appearance, it didn’t take long for Park
Deokgu to return to his senses. At this, one of the elite Black Swan guild
members addressed him.
“Park Deokgu of Blue? I have something to ask about the accident.”
“What… What?”
“You can rest assured now.”
“H-How? No, what is this?”
“Ah, we caught sight of a rescue signal.”
“Ah… Ah… Rescue signal… What about Hyung-nim? Are he and Hayan
safe? And Ye-ri?”
“Out priests are now working on healing them.”
“W-Wait a minute…”
“I’m sorry, we’re currently in an emergency.”
“I-I will go with them. Let go of me!”
My body was carried into a carriage regardless of my will. Kim Ye-ri, Ahn
Ki-mo, and Kim Ye-ri also started coming in, one after another.
Looking at the wagon that looked like a makeshift ambulance, I could

confirm that the Black Swans had a better system than I had initially thought.
When I slightly opened my left eye, I could see Deokgu watching us getting
into the carriage one after another.
Of course, he had a runny nose and a face filled with tears.

“Hic, hic… Hyung-niiim…”
He was reaching out as if the crying he had endured all this time had finally
burst, seeing the actors, including myself, entering the carriage.
“Hic, hic… Hayan cannot die. If you die… No, I will go with you! Let me go
with you!”
It seemed as if he was just now realizing that all the trouble was over.
With the advent of the reinforcements, the brigade’s villains escaped, and the
dying colleagues were once again visible.
“Let me go! Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim! Say something. Say something! Hic

hic…”
“You should not do this, Park Deokgu-ssi. The patients are in an urgent
situation right now. It’s a situation where they need to be as comfortable as
possible!”
“Hic-hic-hic… Please save our Hyung-nim…”
“We will do our best.”
“Please save him. Please. Haaa… Ye-ri! Ahn Ki-mo-ssi!”
“Don’t get so close to the wagon! They have to relax!”
“Hic-hic-hic… Please save them. Sir, please…”
“Yes. Please believe me.”
He sounded so sad that even my own eyes had begun to tear up. It took all of
the medical experts and priests’ participation in order to calm Park Deokgu
down. However, the man didn’t appear to be calming down anytime soon.
“Hic…hic…”
The sound of him crying began to bother me.

“The villains may find the wagon again. Deokgu-ssi, please pay attention to
the safety of the carriage.”
In the end, seeing that he quieted down in response to this, I was able to
confirm that his sense of responsibility had remained strong until the end.
Once the door of the carriage finally closed, the four of us lying down slowly
started to get up. There were some indescribable emotions on each
individual’s face.
‘It’s an expression I know very well.’
I knew they were feeling the emotions that I usually felt. Ahn Ki-mo’s face
showed satisfaction of having done something perfectly, but that was all.
There was no way he couldn’t be embarrassed to look like this. He also had
some conscience. Among them, the most serious was Kim Ye-ri.
‘She was awake.’
Kim Ye-ri, who seemed very shocked, now had terrible guilt on her face.
As the four sinners looked at each other’s facial expressions without saying
anything, Kim Ye-ri’s small voice echoed in the carriage.
“From now on, I don’t want to do this. I… feel like garbage.”
“Good work… Still… This whole thing is a success.”
“Uncle Lee Kiyoung.”
“Yes.”
“We did well, right?”
I nodded a little, but I couldn’t find it in myself to sound cheerful. This was
because I could still hear Park Deokgu crying outside.
The innocent Kim Ye-ri had not yet overcome her guilt.
As I slowly opened my mouth to comfort her, Kim Ye-ri quietly nodded.
“There are some things that cannot be helped in life.”
“Yes… Okay…”
However, she still looked a little worried.

Chapter 205
Chapter 205: G.T.O (1)
Nearly a month had passed.
After receiving first aid for about a week at the Black Swan Guild, I was
transferred to Blue and spent the rest of the time in the guild’s hospital room.
Of course, a week later, Ahn Ki-mo, a member of the Red Mercenary, headed
back to his own guild, but in the process, I had no choice but to feel a little
disappointed. This was because I genuinely wanted to snag him for myself.
He would prove not only a trusted ally but someone who could take on the
role of both sub-tanker and sub-healer.
His stats as a battle cleric wasn’t bad, and in fact, I liked that his disposition
was a little similar to mine. It was natural for me to feel greedy. This was
because, putting the good abilities aside, I knew it was hard to find an actor
that was so passionate.
What made me happy was that he also said that he would like to work with
me again.
He had said this because his contract period with the Red Mercenaries would
end soon and thus had been hoping for me to take him in. Of course, I agreed.
I was going to visit Cha Hee-ra anyway. I would discuss Ahn Ki-mo with her
the next time I visited.
‘It’s been a long time since I saw her.’
It wasn’t as if she had not visited me after receiving the news that we had
gotten attacked by the Murder Brigade. Given the public’s opinion, her visit
had been long-awaited. Though she didn’t stay for long due to her
embarrassment, I was still able to talk to her for a bit.
In the meantime, the Black Swan made an official announcement about one
of the Eight Imperial Seats of the Holy Empire getting attacked by the
Murder Brigade, showing off its influence in Lindel in the city.
This was something that Cha Heera and Kim Hyunsung also officially agreed
on.
Kim Hyunsung and the Blue’s main characters knew that all this fuss was a
prank for Park Deokgu alone, but there was no reason not to politically use
this big incident.
This was probably something that Lee Jihye herself had done.
The trilateral alliance between our guilds immediately strengthened the city’s
boundaries and exercised influence within the city in terms of security.
Since I believed in Lee Jihye and Kim Hyunsung, I did not check the detailed
report, but it was confirmed that they are actively moving to see if this
incident could awaken a sense of awareness in a city that had been a little
settled as of late.
Of course, Park Yeon-joo, the Guild Master of the Black Swan, seemed to be
expecting to meet Kim Hyunsung for this reason, but according to Lee Jihye,
there wasn’t much progress, so it would be up to me to arrange a meeting
between the two of them.
Though I did everything I could to support our lovely returner, the fact that I
would be getting myself into his love affair would make things a little
complicated.
If I were to see the big picture, it would be beneficial for both guilds for him
to connect with Park Yeon-joo. There was no reason not to help, so if this
incident ended well, it would not be bad to take some measure in that matter.
Of course, the Black Swan’s movement was not limited to Park Yeon-joo’s
personal greed. The first thing they asked upon coming to me was whether I
could sell the Dragon Breath potion. Explicit amounts and explicit offers
came and went, but I wasn’t surprised.
Since it was a potion that could show insane firepower simply by putting in
magic power, it was understandable that they clamored for me to sell.
Of course, I had no intention of selling the Dragon Breath potion on the

market.
In the first place, the production process was complicated, so mass

production was impossible because the quantity of products could be limited.
It could not be made in a factory since it was something that had to be made
by hand.
Of course, one could sell only one or two, but it didn’t make me feel so good
to pass over my source of income. Anyway, the stone I had thrown had
caused a ripple of events to ensue, so it wasn’t all for nothing.
“Hic… hic…”
Of course, the bastard in front of me was still unable to escape the influence
of said ripples.
“I told you it doesn’t hurt anymore. Stop crying, Deokgu. It’s been a month.”
“But…”
“Tsk. I just have to be a little careful next time. It’s not your fault. I’m the
one who made a mistake this time.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I should have moved a little more closely. If I had properly prepared, this
wouldn’t have happened in the first place. As Ahn Ki-mo said, I did become
overconfident.”
“What… do you mean?”
“Why? It is said that players who have just passed a year are overflowing
with confidence and go on unreasonable expeditions. The same happened to
me. In fact, I didn’t really imagine something would happen or that I
wouldn’t be able to solve it. To put it bluntly, I thought that even if the
Murder Brigade attacked us, we could, of course, beat them. This is a big
lesson. We’re not standing at the end. We’re just at the starting point. I think
we gained more than losing. Not only me but you, too.”
“Ah…”
“So how is it? How do you feel about being stronger than before? Have you
tried it?”
“Well, I haven’t tried many things. All I did was spar a few times with
advisor Lee Sang-hee and Hyung-ssi… The two seem to be very satisfied.
Actually, I’m not sure what’s changed. Certainly, my body has become firm,
but… Ah! My endurance stat is now 90!”
“Really?”
“It’s still hard to use the sword as well as the advanced magical power
management knowledge and advanced shielding knowledge, and I haven’t
even absorbed all this knowledge yet…”
“You don’t have to rush, Deokgu.”
“Ah…”
“You’re doing well enough right now, and you’re actually strong. To be
honest, it’s more than I expected. The things in your head won’t run away. If
you keep doing the way you are now, you will achieve even greater results.
And…”
“Hyung-nim…”
“I’m sorry about this.”
I slowly put Enhancement Serum down on the table next to the bed.
“It wasn’t because I didn’t believe in you.”
“Ah….”
I could see that he felt overly touched. Though it embarrassed me by doing
this, Deokgu’s expression was more than enough to want to hug him. In the
end, I had to be direct.
“As I have always said, I believe in you. All I can do, you can do better.
From the time we first met until now, that fact has not changed. Anyway,
congratulations, Deokgu.”
“Hyung-niiim…”
“Okay, don’t cry. I’m sick of it now.”
“Hic… Ye-ri.”
Seeing him getting teary-eyed once more, I had a feeling it would take yet
another month for him to recover.
When I pushed him, he tried to grab Kim Ye-ri’s arm, who had been beside
me, but there was no way Kim Ye-ri would accept it. Rather, Kim Ye-ri was
desperately looking away from him.
The guilt in her had not healed yet.
‘I can’t look at Uncle Deokgu in the eyes,’ she’d told me, and I let her be.
“Hayan… Hic… hic…”
“I-I’m really okay now. I am healthy. I can walk around like this!”
Jung Hayan, who didn’t feel guilty in the slightest, was now also
embarrassed.
Normally, it was okay, but when he asked us where we were hurting,

everyone reacted the same way. Honestly, I was embarrassed to face him
properly. I knew only Ahn Ki-mo could handle him.
“But, Hyung-nim…”
In fact, I, too, could move freely. As he kept following me, I just decided that
it would be better to lie in bed. No matter how many excuses I made, I felt
like he wouldn’t believe it, so I had to look at Sun Hee-young, who was
currently here with us.
“I’m fine, too. Actually, I’m also doing work here. Hee-young also said that
he’s fine… Isn’t that right?”
“Yes. The trauma has completely healed. There are no other side effects. The
reason my recovery was slower than other people seems to have been
unavoidable due to the nature of my class.”
“See?”
“Perhaps, after a week, you will be able to move as usual.”
“Than… I’m glad…”
“So, I would like you to be considerate so that Kiyoung-ssi can rest

comfortably.”
‘Nice, Sun Hee-young.’
She fully understood that I wanted to be alone.
With Sun Hee-young hitting the nail on the head, Park Deokgu coughed a
couple of times, taking Kim Ye-ri and Jung Hayan outside.
Of course, Jung Hayan didn’t seem to want to go out, but… She also thought
that it was a good opportunity to talk with Deokgu.
In the end, it was only me, and Sun Hee-young left in the room.
Come to think of it. It had been a while since we had been together like this.
There was nothing awkward about the situation, but I was very bothered
about her strangely reddish face.
‘At least this one knows how to discern.’
Honestly, I was very grateful for her being in the Blue. The moment’s silence
was bothering me, so I knew I had to speak soon.
“So, how is the tutorial dungeon?”
“Ah… Originally, it is usually opened around this time… It seems a little

later than usual.”
“I see.”
“Yeah. It will probably open after a while. I haven’t been here a long time
here either, but it usually opens around this time.”
“Ahhhhhh… Come to think of it, Hee-young has been around for a long
time.”
“Yeah. In fact, I didn’t do anything productive back then. When I think of

myself back at that time, I think I was just dead.”
“What?”
“I don’t know if this sounds a little ridiculous, but I only recently felt alive.
So is the true meaning of service and the work I do in Blue. I always think
about how insignificant my actions had been before. It’s all thanks to
Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Hahaha. I didn’t do anything. It’s all thanks to Hee-young’s good work.”
“No. I am really grateful to Kiyoung-ssi. In fact, I think I know why you did
this again.”
“What?”
“With Deokgu-ssi… That you made a plan to kill murderers outside the city
conclusively…”
‘What is she talking about?’
I had never made such a plan. However, this crazy priest seemed to think that
she was right.
Considering her disposition, however, I should’ve expected this.
“I understand that this kind of thinking is presumptuous, and I’m sorry…

that… Kiyoung-ssi…”
‘What’re you thinking?’
I was getting nervous, especially now that Sun Hee-young was looking
straight at me.
Her cheeks were strangely red, and she was holding her chest with one hand.
Her breathing was a little bit rough, but she didn’t seem all that excited.
Rather, I felt like she was looking at me a little anxiously.
‘Ah…’
Even a fool would know what she was trying to say.
‘Why so suddenly?’
I knew that this crazy priest had a crush on me, but I couldn’t even imagine
her making such a move. She had always taken on a passive role this whole
time.
Though she had hinted at her feelings before, this was the first time she’d
been so aggressive.
I mean, Sun Hee-young was definitely pretty. She was not called a saint of
those who was abandoned for nothing. Of course, her behavior and character
were certainly influential, but I was sure that one of the biggest reasons she
came to be called a saint in Lindel was her looks.
With that neat priest’s uniform she always wore, with hair that reaches her
shoulder and calming atmosphere would make one think, ‘This is an adult
woman.’
I was also a man, so, naturally, I was thrilled. Looking at me with such a
serious expression, it was not unreasonable that my heart began to flutter.
“Oppa!”
That was when the door opened with a bang. It turned out to be Jung Hayan
that opened the door without knocking.
“Huh?”
There had been no physical contact between us.
She popped out in good timing, but I couldn’t even imagine that she would
do this even after getting scolded the last time.
Perhaps there was a reason? Jung Hayan looked excited.
Rather than getting angry, she waited calmly for a moment, and I could be
sure I wasn’t wrong.
“The tutorial dungeon has opened! The Red Mercenaries want to call you in
as an instructor!”
“This is definitely interesting.”

Chapter 206
“Oh, I made a patient come here… I’m sorry, honey.”
“Don’t make fun of me. You already know it. Anyway, I never thought I’d be
here again… I somehow feel different. Thanks for calling me, Hee-ra.”
“Right? Most of the people who come back here usually react this way.”
Cha Hee-ra looked the same as usual. She had an unblushing expression, and
her eyes and red lips still felt dangerous for some reason. Her biggest feature
was the hair that had not been properly trimmed. Seeing that it now went over
her shoulders and down to the chest, it really seemed like I hadn’t seen her in
a while.
This was the first time we were able to see each other. I knew she had been
avoiding me, so it was quite surprising to see Cha Hee-ra pretending to be
okay.
‘Is she trying to pretend that nothing happened?’
Perhaps this was the case. Due to her personality, this would be natural for
her. Whatever the reason, what Cha Hee-ra did at Castle Rock was a pretty
big mistake.
Since it had caused damage to me, it would be natural for me to gain

something from it.
Perhaps her calling me here would have something to do with that. The guild
in charge of this tutorial dungeon was the Red Mercenary Guild. Even if the
Blue and the Red Mercenary were in an alliance, it was still a privilege to
disclose this to me first.
‘Maybe she could even give me some priority bargaining rights…’

I wasn’t sure, but I had to think that there could be some benefits once I came
here.
“Ahem. Then, I want to hear how this will work, is that okay?”
“Uh. Well, okay, I was thinking of starting right away, anyway. Did you have
dinner?”
“Not yet.”
“Then, listen while eating. It won’t be hard.”
“Okay.”
“Hey! Could you bring me something to eat? It can be something simple. Ah!
You know what we ate last time, right? Bring that.”
“Yes. Guild Master.”
Certainly, the Red Mercenary was different compared to when Blue was in
charge of the tutorial dungeon last time. It was quite strange that the Guild
Master did not go directly to meet the attacking team like Lee Sang-hee in the
past.
I could realize how unusual it was for her to visit Jung Hayan and me before.
‘Perhaps it was because we had finished the tutorial in the shortest time…’
I couldn’t believe that the place where I was in now was the place that Lee
Sang-hee used in the past. The training center, which could be seen out of the
window, was also completely refurbished, waiting for new recruits to enter.
At this, the door behind us opened, and the food that Cha Hee-ra ordered had
arrived.
Since I wasn’t the type to enjoy food, I didn’t pay much attention, but the
edibles’ quality looked pretty good even at a single glance.
‘This is also different.’

“Try some of this, honey. I tried it last time, and it’s delicious.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Would you like a glass of wine?”
“No. I’m good. I’m still a patient, after all.”
“That’s a little disappointing. By the way, what do you think of this?”
“You want an impression?”
“Yes.”
“I was really surprised.”
“I would like you to tell me in more detail.”
“I feel like I know why people say that Red Mercenaries are the Red
Mercenaries. When I first came here, Blue seemed quite amazing, but its
level was definitely different compared to you. You are just showing off,
right?”
“Right. Although newcomers are coming, this event, which is held once a
year, is a place to show other factions about how strong our guild is, so I have
no choice but to care about it. The transfer market will open soon, and other
guild scouts would be here. Isn’t it good?”
“That’s a mean hobby.”
“Originally, the person at the peak needs to show off his power at least once,
honey. Otherwise, there will always be useless challengers.”
“There won’t be a crazy guy in Lindel who will dare challenge you.”
“Of course, I didn’t do this thinking about the people in Lindel. We also have
Celia, home of the Japanese, and Dawan, home of the Taiwanese. As you can
see, we, the Red Mercenaries, exaggerated a bit. In order to properly show
our power, I replaced all the badges and equipment of the members with new
ones, the training center equipment was up-to-date, and heavy construction
was carried out a few months ago.”
“Is this related to the reason you called me?”
“Hmm… It can’t be said that it’s not. Though it’ll be good to be able to show
that my alliance with Blue is strong, I have another reason for calling you.”
“Hmm…”
“You know what it is, right?”
“I don’t know if it is the reason I think… Is it because of the manufacturing

job?”
“Yes.”
“I was worried that I would be wrong, but I’m relieved.”
“In fact, until you came in, I didn’t pay much attention to such matters. To be
honest, I was entirely indifferent to the whole thing.”
“Yes. That’s normal.”
“An alchemist is, at best, enough to be used at parties without priests. In fact,
it is nonsense to hire an alchemist… You only need to buy potions, but there
is no reason to call a non-combatant alchemist as a party member, right?
Alchemists are the ones who bite the bullets at parties without wizards or
priests.”
“You are stating too many facts.”
“I’m not talking about you. The same goes for blacksmiths. There are already
many capable blacksmiths in the Holy Empire. No fool entrusts materials and
weapons to beginners even while adventuring… Besides, I think you know
how these people usually end. They spend the rest of their lives in the slums
until someone stabs them.”
“That was, until I appeared, right?”

“You got it right. It was until you came in. Until now, there has been no case
of a manufacturing production with the support and capital of a guild. Of
course, this doesn’t mean that the guilds tried. Even before you came, there
had been several attempts, but it was all a failure.”
“I know what you mean.”
“Because of this situation, I started thinking about giving possible support to

production workers in cities.”
“That’s a little surprising.”
“Actually, besides you, there’s another guy who was a starlight engraver or a
sunlight engraver. He appeared in a small neighborhood… He didn’t seem to
be very efficient, but he’s also one of the manufacturing workers supported
by a guild. I wasn’t able to get how much he was worth, but I saw the
potential. He’s here because of my personal greed, but also because of the
petitions of Lindel’s guild and clan masters.”
“Hmm… So, that’s how it worked out.”
“It seemed like it wouldn’t matter if I ignored it, but I’m also in favor of
improving the quality of urban production workers. Even the Empire seems
to want it.”
I could clearly understand what was going on.
‘So, it was like that.’
In other words, because of me, the expectations for manufacturing production

had risen. In fact, among all the potions I made, the advanced products were
so effective that they had similar efficiency to a priest’s healing.
Since they were recognized as consumable, expensive potions were not used
a lot, but one could always carry a few for an emergency if one were to go
hunting.
Because of this, there was a rise in manufacturing jobs within Lindel, and
some guilds and clans still did not stop investing in manufacturing
production.
In this situation, it was obvious what kind of petitions many guilds and clans
had made to the Red Mercenaries. They must have asked what it would be
like to put a manufacturing job course in this training center’s training.
Some guild’s petitions could simply be ignored, but this would prove to be a
problem for the guild in itself. In particular, considering that the Empire was
also strangely hoping for it, it was not unreasonable to make this choice.
‘The wise king deigned to come out…’
Cha Hee-ra probably thought that this timing would be an opportunity to

show both authority and mercy just like the ideal king.
“They were thinking that if they kept making a petition to the Red Mercenary
Guild, you would call me. They are clever…”
“They probably want Blue, too. When you were stuck in the lab, there must
have been a lot of harassment and lobbying everywhere. They were
considerate of you and let you research in peace.”
“I’m grateful to them.”
“So touching. Just in case, you two are not dating, right?”
“What and who are you talking about?”
“Nothing. It’s just a strange rumor going around the city…”
“It’s just a rumor.”
“Then, that’s a relief; anyway, it’s turned out like this. Of course, I told you
not to worry, and if you don’t want to do it, I don’t intend to force you.”
“No, it’s not that I don’t want to.”
“Is there a reason?”

“I’m honestly in favor of improving the quality of manufacturing
production.”
“That’s surprising.”
“Of course, since I’m monopolizing the market, I might think it would be
beneficial not to do it, but it won’t necessarily be that way. To be honest, the
market hasn’t even been formed yet. I’m the only famous seller, and my
potions are pretty expensive. Because of this, it means that only those who
are able will be able to buy it.”
“Ahhh…”
“Poor parties or clans can’t afford to buy my potions. Those who go out
hunting without a priest and die can’t use my products, anyway. That’s why
it’s only a low-cost model, but… There is also a problem with the brand
image, and if you are going to run a factory, it would be beneficial to run a
high-end product.”
“Well… I understand. Doesn’t it mean that the market is more active only
when there are people who spread it from the bottom?”
“Right. Originally, potions are recognized like expendables, so its image isn’t
good, but some people have never drunk it. What do you think would happen
if the people in the bottom made progress after returning from hunting? Do
you think they will continue to use the low-end model with their lives at
stake?”
“The destination is ‘made by Lee Kiyoung’ anyway, is that what you mean?”
“Right. People like luxury goods here and on Earth. This is because buyers
want a company they can trust. I am not showing off, but I am unique as an
alchemist. I’m sure there’s zero chance of a competitor appearing while I’m
alive. The question is, is there anything I’m getting with this right now? They
wouldn’t have petitioned with nothing to offer.”
“Of course, they’re offering something. First is the reward that will be
returned to you. The guilds and clans will pay gold under the guise of
education.”
“Nice!”
“So, you like it?”
“Recently, something bad has happened, and I needed money. There’s

nothing for the Red Mercenary?”
“Aren’t you being too blunt, honey?”
“Ahem…”
Although Cha Hee-ra pretended to look disappointed, I knew it was

impossible for her to get nothing in return.
“Of course, the Red Mercenary will also receive a reward. There are also a
few things I’m going to give you personally… I was thinking of giving this
even if you chose not to push through with the manufacturing. And…”
“And?”
“I plan to transfer some of the priority bargaining rights to Blue.”
“How many?”
“Before that, shouldn’t you be asking how many attack teams there are?”
“Oh, that’s right.”
“There are a total of 14 people who are attacking the dungeon in this tutorial.
There are five priority bargaining rights that we can give. I’m only giving
you too much.”
“You say there are fourteen?”
“Yes. Your small party was special. So… Are you going to do it or not?”
“Isn’t this a little too much for you?”

“I told you, I’m doing this as an apology, so don’t worry.”
“Apologies for what…”
“Don’t mess with me, you know why. Don’t even look at me while making
that expression. Answer me quickly. Are you going to do it, or not?”
Upon seeing Cha Hee-ra’s rushed expression, I couldn’t help but smile.
She looked pretty cute. Of course, the answer had already been decided.
Chapter 207
‘I’ll do it.’
It was only right for me to do so. Though I did not desire the five priorities of
bargaining rights, it would be helpful for Blue to be able to recruit potential
members rather than give it to other guilds. Even if I hadn’t gotten such
rights, I still would’ve stayed to take a look at the newcomers.
Just being able to see who was talented and not talented first would be a huge
advantage.
Now was the time to openly search for a new jewel.
What was a little surprising was the choice of the Red Mercenaries for these
new recruits.
‘I’m going to train the target team before everyone else. Of course, I’ll pay
more attention to them, but that’s it.’
‘You mean you won’t give them special treatment? Can you do that? Then,
there’s no reason to have the right to bargain first, Hee-ra.’
‘Honey, I’m Cha Hee-ra. Is it a good idea to give special treatment to the new
recruits who have just arrived because you want to look good to them? It’s
not me that needs to be conscious of them. It’s them.’
‘You’re right…’
‘In the last tutorial dungeon, your party was a little special, and because Blue
was in a hurry, Lee Sang-hee gave you special treatment. Usually, guilds
don’t do that. Anyway, all of the groups are the same for me. I refuse to hear
that they didn’t train the new recruits well this year…’
‘I didn’t know you were taking care of that, too.’
‘You know how badly Blue was criticized last year, right?’
‘Huh?’
‘Since they were busy recruiting your party, they did a bad job training the
new recruits. Of course, each one of them received more training in their
respective guild or clan, but people saw all of it as a mess. They forcefully
entered the forest and raised the mortality rate because they didn’t obey the
procedure. That can happen this time, too, right?’
‘Ohhhhhh…’
‘The Red Mercenaries should always be perfect. That’s why we called Sun
Hee-young and Hayan…’
‘What? Really?’
‘We have to do this properly.’
When I thought about the conversation I had a few days ago, I was forced to
nod.
First of all, since it was Cha Hee-ra, it would be obvious to have the target
team trained to their potential. In fact, I hadn’t seen the target team yet, so I
couldn’t see how strong they are, but it seemed that their level wasn’t very
good, considering that the Red Mercenaries were not preparing for
recruitment right now. Of course, they would have to give out additional
benefits, but not moving in a hurry was definitely interesting to see.
‘It’s completely different from Blue last year…’
Lee Sang-hee had hurried to make us an offer back then. Considering their
situation, their actions were understandable, but now the differences were so
big that I felt a little off.
What was most surprising was that Jung Hayan and Sun Hee-young had been
invited as instructors.
I knew that the Red Mercenary’s priest and wizard lines weren’t very good,
but this didn’t mean they were weak.
‘There are kids like Ahn Ki-mo…’
Despite having high-level wizards and priests, it seemed that they really
wanted to finish the training of this tutorial dungeon by collaborating with
Blue.
Thanks to that, Sun Hee-young and Jung Hayan seemed happy. It appeared
that they found being a teacher more fun than being with me.
The training center opened a few days ago, and Jung Hayan and Sun Hee-
young, which were in charge of mainstream subjects, had already taught their
first class. Seeing that their condition was better than expected, they
definitely felt good.
The good news here was that Jung Hayan found something she could focus
on.
I knew that Sun Hee-young originally liked this kind of work, so this was
good for her as well.
“Hee-young-ssi looks really happy.”
“Oh, did it look like that? I remembered a little bit of my old days…”
“Yes?”
“I was a teacher for a while.”
“Huh? Is that true?”
“Yes. Of course, I quit because of personal circumstances, but I am very

impressed to be doing something similar to this again.”
‘It kind of suits her.’
It was new information, but the image fit Hee-young somehow.

Of course, doing relief activities in places such as UNICEF matched her, but
wearing glasses and standing at the teacher’s platform also perfectly
synchronized with her.
“I also dreamed of being a teacher when I was in elementary school, Oppa!”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes.”
‘This doesn’t suit her very much…’
No matter how much I think about it, I couldn’t imagine Jung Hayan
becoming a teacher.
“That… You must have done it very well.”
“Really?”
“Then… How was the class?”
“It was better than I thought, Oppa. Hehe…”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’m not sure why people don’t understand the basics… Still, there were
a lot of people who seemed to be trying their hardest.”
“They don’t understand?”
“Yes. No matter how much I explain, they don’t understand the techniques
well. Even if I try to explain it as easily as possible, it seemed that not even
one person understood… Most of them were nice, though.”
“How did you explain it?”
“Just told them to do like this and like that… Even if I asked him to feel the
magical power, they couldn’t feel it.”
‘No wonder.’
In the first place, Jung Hayan and the common people had different
perspectives. No matter how much passion she put into a class, less than 1%
would be able to understand Jung Hayan’s explanation.
I had to think that it was fortunate that the magic instructor had not been her.
“Is the same for Hee-young-ssi?”
“Yes. But I think it is natural. The target team members usually have
completed the first class change, but in the case of the survival team, many
people have not even been able to change the first class. Not being able to
feel magical or divine power… if you think about it, it is natural.”
“Hmm…”
“This isn’t about in-depth classes. Those with talent are likely to change class
in this process… I don’t think it’s bad that one can decide their own career
path. That’s why the Red Mercenaries haven’t separated the classes yet,
right?”
“In short, it’s enough just to teach them little by little. Is that what you
mean?”
“Yes, Kiyoung-ssi. It’s like sending the young children to the piano academy,
taekwondo, and English academy. Come to think of it… Is today your first
class?”
“Yes. Since there aren’t many categories, there aren’t many classes, too.”
“Huh? Let’s go together, Oppa! I have classes, too. Hehe.”
“Really? Then let’s go. What about Hee-young-ssi?”
“I have no more classes today. I’ll see both of you later.”
“Okay.”
In fact, I wasn’t really concerned about the class.
None of them could understand alchemy properly anyway… Of course,

during the in-depth course, I should give proper education, but the more
important thing was to find more slaves to work hard in Blue.
Once I have had time to explain what noncombatant or production alchemists

were, I could explain the basics of Ramus Tucker’s introduction to alchemy
to those who had changed their class as wizards, and that was it. It wouldn’t
be a difficult task at all.
As my time approached, I decided to hurry up.
Holding my Introduction to Alchemy book in one hand made me feel a little

cool. I could somehow understand why Jung Hayan felt excited about hosting
her own class.
“What class is Oppa?”
“Class C.”
“Ah. I went there yesterday, and the kids were really nice. The average age is
a little young there.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Still, the ratio of wannabe wizards is high, so everyone is feeling

motivated… Come to think of it, the ratio of girls is a bit high.”
“Ah. By the way… don’t we look just like a teacher’s couple, Hayan?”
“Y-Yes, we actually do!”
‘She’s happier than I thought.’
As it was my first time entering the camp, I looked around and saw people
doing physical training at the gymnasium.
The instructors who were watching the training from outside greeted me, so I
greeted them back with a nod. Of course, I didn’t intend to stay long.
I kept looking around, but there weren’t that many who stood out.
“I’m going this way, Oppa.”
“Okay. Then, I’ll see you later.”
“Alright.”
Jung Hayan seemed to be in charge of class B. As soon as Jung Hayan

entered the quiet classroom, her would-be students immediately greeted her.
“Hello, instructor!”
“Yes. How are you all? I will now start the class.”
For some reason, the oddly-dignified voice didn’t sound like Jung Hayan at
all, leaving me with no choice but to laugh out of amusement.
‘These new recruits seem to be in good shape.’
Certainly, unlike Blue, the Red Mercenary had a systematic system, so it

seemed that they already knew how this place worked. Naturally, I had very
little expectation for my future students. Upon reaching Class B, I heard
voices murmuring.
“Isn’t Instructor Sun Hee-young really pretty?”
“Yes. But I find Instructor Jung Hayan prettier…”
“Oh, Jung Hayan instructor is also pretty… She’s cute. It’s the only pleasure
in life here.”
“What does it matter? They said that Instructor Jung Hayan has a boyfriend.”
The voices continued to talk even as I had entered the room. Of course, they
had noticed me and sat down, but I received none of the greetings Jung
Hayan had gotten.
‘Uh?’
Some time had passed since I entered. Nevertheless, seeing that the
atmosphere was not calming, it seemed that they had not been properly
informed about who was in front of them.
Some of them looked curious, and some of the others were looking at me,
laughing. It was ridiculous, but they certainly had on looks of scorn.
‘Didn’t they tell them who I am?’
If so, I could understand their cold reaction. It would be natural that most of
them would not be interested in manufacturing production, as they were all
hoping for combat jobs.
I could now somehow understand the sadness of a teacher in charge of a non-

mainstream subject. Of course, I was feeling worse than that.
In their eyes, they obviously thought of me as a freak.
‘Huh…’
I wanted to praise them for being able to distinguish between the combat and
production workers.
‘However, they chose the wrong person to mess with…’
As I continued to stare at them for a while, a rude voice called out.
“Aren’t you going to start the class? It’s been five minutes already. Can I call
you a noncombatant teacher?”
Chapter 208
‘Ha…’
This situation felt so absurd that I kept laughing.
The people in front of me can be classified as newbies, no matter which angle

I saw them in. At this, I quickly checked the rude girl’s status window.
She had had her first class change, but her stats weren’t even good.
‘She must have been carried.’
Her teammates must have outshined her in every way. I could easily forget
about her.
Anyway, she didn’t need my help, seeing as she obviously thought of me as

someone she could easily disrespect.
‘Han Sora?’
Upon not receiving a reply, the short-haired girl spoke again.
“Teacher?”
It would be natural to think that I had no idea what to do. It felt ridiculous
trying to look good in front of a room full of newbies. Now that I had to
worry about my appearance, it hurt my pride even to have to think about how
to deal with these crazy guys.
I didn’t need to think hard as I did with Ito Souta. I could just smash them
with force. In response to my emotions, Juliana struggled to free herself from
her sheath.
Meanwhile, the newbies continued to laugh, thinking that I felt mortified. I
couldn’t believe Jung Hayan had described them as ‘nice.’
“Teacher? Are you not starting the class?”
“I am not a teacher. Call me Instructor Lee Kiyoung.”
“Ahhh. So the noncombatant teacher should also be considered an

instructor.”
At this, more laughter erupted from the class. Though I wanted to laugh
alongside them, I was not the type to let such disrespect go.
“Whooo…”
As I sighed, Han Sora began to utter another insult.
“Instead of sighing, why don’t you start the cla-?”
Whing! In an instant. Juliana had unsheathed itself and aimed its blade at her.
Screams erupted as the objects in its way. Due to the presence of a legendary
item, the windows began clacking from the pressure.
In the blink of an eye, Juliana’s blade was a few millimeters away from Han
Sora’s throat.
“Uh…”
The short-haired nuisance couldn’t even find it in her to properly react.
The same went with everyone, who stayed quiet until Juliana calmed down
and returned to me. However, Han Sora had begun trembling, realizing that
she had almost died.
‘That was awesome…’
Seeing the yellow liquid dripping under her desk, it looked like she was
properly scared.
“Ahhh…”
Pretending to be strong was more fun than one would think.
“This is fun. What is your name?”
“Ah…”
Han Sora hesitated. At this, Juliana threatened to approach her once more.
“I’m… Han Sora…”
“So, you’re Han Sora. Before I start this class, I think it’ll be necessary to
explain its background. It seems that many people are dissatisfied with this
class.”
“…”
“I know all of you are probably thinking, ‘I don’t have enough time to train…
Why should we receive training conducted by a non-mainstream and
production worker?’ You, sitting next to Han Sora. Do you think the same?”
“What?”
“You can answer as honestly as you want to.”
“I-it is not like that. I never thought of that…”
“No. I already told you, you can answer honestly.”
“Y-Yes I do… A-A l-little…”
“Perhaps it’s natural to think so. You don’t know what’s happened, but
you’ve been thrust into a situation you never expected to be in. It’s a little
early to get used to, but you should have understood this fact already.”
“…”
“If you have power, you get special treatment.”

After I finished speaking, I looked around, seeing their expressions shift into
something complex.
“I think some of you have already noticed this difference. Everyone knows
that the raid team who completed the attack in secret is being treated better.
In fact, they deserve to be treated. That’s how fast they adapted… They’re
the type of new recruits that our society likes.”
“…”
“Your thoughts are correct. This is a place where you will be treated better if
you have strength. In fact, some of this world’s few strongest players enjoy
privileges that are impossible to compare to common players… The goods
they earn are also beyond imagination. What will be the difference in
income?”
“I… do not know.”
“Some players don’t earn even 1 gold per day, while others earn over 1,000
gold per day. The corpse of a monster becomes money, and the higher its
difficulty, the higher its value. The same goes for attacking higher-level
dungeons. Targeting a dungeon with a heroic-grade or higher is the same as
obtaining enormous goods. The problem is…”
“…”
“The problem is that there aren’t that many players who reach that level.”
I could see the trainees looking at me, their interests piqued.
“Yes. There are not so many. Everyone starts like you at first. You doubt,
you overcome, and then you train. At this point, I think about whether this
world is okay or not. It’s fun to level up like playing games, and it’s fun to
get new equipment.”
“…”
“Then, an accident happens, or you reach your limit. You realize this is not a
game. The talented and the non-talented begin to be categorized. Some will
ascend upwards, and the others will be left on the ground. Perhaps some of
you will feel the reality as soon as you leave this school. It’s more dangerous
than you think it is. Why are there so few players going up the top?”
They already knew.
“Most of them die in the process. Even if they don’t get eaten alive by a
monster or survives, they end up living in the slums. In men’s case, they are
often used for human experimentation, and in women’s case, they are easily
sold as slaves to other countries or become prostitutes. It’s harder than you
think just to simply eat and live.”
“…”
“Those aren’t even the worst-case scenarios. Some people get kidnapped by
monsters, eventually getting eaten.”
Honestly speaking, that was still a mild case. There were some worse
scenarios I could still think of.
“Perhaps a similar case will happen to one of you. I’ve only met you all
today, but if I tell you my personal impressions, most of you here will
probably die within three years or become half-wit and wander around the
slums. Perhaps I’ll even see you working at a bar. Ah… Especially people
like you, Han Sora.”
“What?”
“Usually, someone like you dies first or becomes a cripple. Of course, you all
look almost the same, but why… It’s a common cliché that the person who
runs first reaches the end first.”
“Ah…”
“You, and you… And you, the trainee next to him… And also the trainee
next to him… There is a high probability that you are all going to die away
from home. I can bet not one of you will go up in a high position… Ah!
Except you!”
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Yoo Ahyoung.]
[Name: Yoo Ahyoung]
[Age: 21]
[Disposition: Timid Optimist]
[Class: Unemployed]
[Stats]
[Stamina: 27/Growth potential: Legendary or higher]
[Intelligence: 10/Growth potential: Common or lower]
[Magic Power: 01/Growth potential: Rare or higher]
[General Review: The talent levels in stamina and strength are high.
Although the talent levels in endurance and magic power are unfortunate,
they have the potential to grow into a great front liner.]
‘It’s fine.’
I don’t think she participated in the target group, but she was much better
than I thought. This was the first time I had ever seen a legendary or higher-
grade of stamina.
I came here to find myself a gem, and it seemed as if I had succeeded.

Though her enormous chest area prompted me to stare at her longer, I
managed to keep my gaze strictly on her face. She seemed startled by my
sudden pick.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m… Yoo Ahyoung, i-instructor.”
Come to think of it. She was one of the few who didn’t laugh at me at first.
I could see everyone had turned to see her. They looked like they didn’t
understand, but their comprehension had nothing to do with me. After
knocking on one of the school tables with my finger, I continued to talk
again, effectively recapturing their attention.
“Except for trainee Yoo Ahyoung, none of the people here will have the
chance of getting to the top. Not one. Well, perhaps you can, but I’m sure that
you’ll only be able to reach it after encountering a lot of near-death
experiences.”
“Th… at…”
“Originally, the world is unreasonable. Let’s talk about instructor Jung Hayan
for a moment. She is now one of Lindel’s leading wizards. She has achieved
such high growth that even the Magic Guild is paying attention to her, and
there are actually more wizards underneath her than the ones above her. How
long will it take for you to achieve all of this?”
“Ah…”
“She only took a year to do so. It may seem like nothing, but this is unusual
enough, even more, when you think about the fact that there are people in the
city who can’t even keep up with her toes even after studying magic for over
20 years. At this point, I will be speaking bluntly.”
“…”
“You are all garbage with no potential.”

“Ah…”
“That’s why I am here. Do you ask why a noncombatant worker is acting as

an instructor in one of your classes? I’m here to rescue at least one of you,
seeing that most of you will die once you head to the city.”
“Y-You’re being…”
“I’m not being rude at all. Even if you go monster hunting or to war, you
won’t be able to amount to anything more than a bullet trap anyway. If you
can’t contribute to the city in terms of combat, then hammering or touching
an alchemy kit will help the city more. Don’t try to go in a futile direction,
idiots, because it’ll be a waste of time. I bet it’ll be better for guys like you to
listen to me than to take another instructor’s class.”
As I finished speaking, a hostile atmosphere began to emanate from the class.

It felt like the trainees wanted to interject, but they couldn’t, which was
perfectly understandable, seeing that Juliana was still hovering in the air.
“I’ll see you in the next class, morons.”
As I headed outside, I found Jung Hayan waiting for me. Her sticking to me
proved to be a fun ordeal, seeing as the trainees were watching us through the
window.
The two guys talking about her before I entered the class shot me blank
looks, which improved my mood.
“Pfffhaha.”
“Did you have fun, Oppa?”
“Oh… Yes. It was more fun than I thought. The students are okay, too…”
“Right? All the C-class kids were really nice.”
“Yes. In particular, I kept looking at Han Sora for some reason…”
“What?”
“She’s so passionate about the class…”
“Ah…”
“Her face is also cute…”
“I-I-I… I see.”
“It seemed like she was in the attacking team, but I think it would be better to
recruit her in Blue. I want to have her next to me.”
“Oh? If so… Ah… I know, I r-remember her… yes, she’s indeed cute…
Ah…”
Jung Hayan struggled to keep her smile intact as she responded.
I knew Jung Hayan tended to be more hostile, responding to feelings of

jealousy, rather than when someone tried to insult me. Though this was such
a petty method of revenge, I couldn’t help but expect Hayan’s eventual
treatment of Han Sora in her next class.
‘You need to be punished, you bedwetter.’

Chapter 209
Chapter 209: An Ominous Feeling (1)
“That crazy, tiny fox-eyed bastard!”
“Don’t cause useless problems, Han Sora.”
“He’s so annoying. So annoying! He thinks he’s so important… An alchemist

who makes potions! How… dare… he lecture me?!”
“I told you not to cause trouble. This is not the tutorial dungeon. We may
have been the kings there, but here we are newcomers. No matter how you
think, it’s only right to submit as much as possible.”
“We are newcomers, meaning, new recruits that would be getting offers from
large guilds.”
“It has not been confirmed yet. We don’t know anything until we stamp the
contract. We only got an initial offer, and we still have to show how much we
grow, and there’s the demonstration at the training center. Some guilds even
say they do separate entrance tests, so don’t worry about anything else except
your training. Of course, it’s not that I don’t understand how you’re
feeling…”
“You should know since you’ve taken that bastard’s class, too!”
“I don’t know… Him looking down at someone from above was not very
pleasant, but his personality in itself did not seem to be a problem. It was a
realistic story, so I didn’t get offended. Of course, what happened in our class
didn’t happen in yours, so it wasn’t such a coercive atmosphere… The other
instructors were also treating him respectfully.”
“Go figure. He’s the boyfriend of instructor Jung Hayan, hence the
treatment.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. That fox-eyed bastard is Jung Hayan’s boyfriend… She definitely

made that flying sword. She’s one of the best wizards in the big city.
Wouldn’t she be able to make a sword like that? That bat-like foxy man…
It’s clear that he’s having an easy life because he got lucky with a woman.”
“I can’t stand it, Oppa.”
“Well, it doesn’t really matter what you do, but at least you’d better make
sure you don’t do any harm to us. I have an ominous feeling for some
reason.”
“What?”
“That person named Lee Kiyoung. Even if I try to figure out who he is,
nothing comes out. The instructors also seem to be careful about what they
say.”
“These are the Red Mercenary Instructors. They don’t accept personal
questions. You must have mistaken it.”
“I don’t know… I wish I were mistaken… It seems that they don’t want to
intentionally leak information, and anyway, I don’t know. You can go find
out. Honestly, I can’t afford to care about this. Just thinking about the
entrance test right now gives me a headache.”
“My God. You babbled that we were forever one in the tutorial dungeon,
but…”
“Situations change. Stop caring about useless things, and focus on the
entrance tests and the demonstration. All the other kids are crazy about it. It’s
also time to grow up.”
“Save it. I’ll do it myself.”
“Just don’t do any harm to us.”

“I said I got it!”
Of course, the situation would be annoying.
‘Forever one, my ass…’
I thought my colleagues back in the dungeon would help, but it turns out that
I was mistaken.
In fact, I didn’t expect much, but I didn’t think they would show such a cold
reaction.
‘They are all stupid.’
I felt frustrated. These guys weren’t using this opportunity properly.
‘Do we really need to submit, just like that?’
No matter how hard I thought about it, I didn’t think we needed to do that at
all.
Of course, it made sense to want to join a huge guild. It was worth thinking
that having a stable start while receiving their protection was ideal enough.
However, they did not care about the treatment they are currently getting.
The attack team basically got different treatment from the survival team.
Of course, there seemed to be no big difference on the outside, but it was

undeniable that they were getting preferential treatment and the reason why
was obvious.
Unlike the survivors who couldn’t adapt and wasted their time trembling in
the dungeon, they risked their lives and eventually got what they wanted.
Considering that the guilds and clans here wanted to recruit more powerful
and more talented people, it was also important to play hard to get
moderately good results.
‘Now we are the best!’
Stupid people.
‘Chang-ryul Oppa said he wanted to go to Blue… Didn’t Hyeja Eunni say

she wants to go to the Black Swan? The rest want to join Red Mercenary…
Phew…’
I can bet that if the attack team had done a better job negotiating, I wouldn’t
be in this situation now. It also meant that the alchemist wouldn’t have made
me look like a fool like this.
“Damn…”
I remembered that mortifying moment when his sword came my way,

causing me to urinate with fear on the spot.
As I opened the door to the lecture room nervously, I could see gazes
focusing on me. I saw some women running this way. I didn’t remember their
names well, but I was familiar with this scenery.
‘I guess they want to stand in line.’
That was because I was a privileged person around these parts.
“Eunni? Did things go well?”
“No. The Oppas are not very interested in this. They’re all preparing for the
entrance test and the demonstration… It’s so annoying.”
“If it’s an entrance test, is it hosted by Red Mercenary?”
“Red Mercenary and Blue. There are other guilds and clans too… Ah! I guess
you don’t know yet.”
“Yes. We weren’t informed of anything.”
“There’s the Magic Guild, Black Swans, and various others. In fact, the
conditions for medium-sized guilds seemed all right as well.”
“Ah. Where are you going to go?”
“Well… At first, I got an offer from the Red Mercenary, and although it is a
secret… I got an offer from the Magic Guild too, but I’m not sure… I won’t
say I didn’t think about Blue, too, but…”
“I don’t think Blue is a bad choice if you continue to grow as a wizard.

Instructor Jung Hayan is there.”
“I haven’t met the people from Blue yet.”
“What? Really? I-Is it because of that person?”
“Maybe…”
This was another reason why that alchemist was annoying.
“It’s intentional, right?”
“Well… I think the probability is high.”
“I think…he is in a high position with a big influence in the guild.”
“Influence, my ass..”
“Erm… You know Yoo Ahyoung, right?”
“Who is Yoo Ahyoung?”
“Big breasts…”
“Ah… That cow?”
“I’m not sure, but they said she would be getting into Blue.”
“What?”
“They said she also had an interview with the Blue Guild Master.”
At this, I clenched my fists, an ominous feeling rising to the surface.
It was because the stupid bitch, who had been busy running away throughout
the tutorial, received an offer from Blue, and I felt perplexed that I didn’t.
I could understand why this had happened.
‘He’s taking revenge.’
The reason had probably been my cocky attitude when we first met. It was
too absurd of a reason for him to try to deliberately exclude me.
I’m sure there were some circumstances behind the scenes that I didn’t know
about.
‘Why didn’t you wear a guild badge, so I knew who you were? So
annoying…’
Involuntarily, I began to swear.
“Ha… Fuck. That’s really absurd.”
“Yeah. What did they see in a cow like that, to give such an offer? Her grades
weren’t good, either. Stamina training seemed okay, but…”
“Isn’t it obvious? They must be thinking about something dirty. It’s all
bullshit that he has influence in the guild. The reason that Lee Kiyoung is
pretending to be king here is all because of instructor Jung Hayan… It’s
probably the same in Blue. He must be a headache. That guild, shaken by a
casanova? Even if an offer for recruitment comes in, I will reject it.”
“Really?”
“…”
Of course, it was a lie. The other large guilds were not bad, but if one were to
ask which guild I really wanted to go to, it was Blue.
One reason was that I might be things from the genius wizard Jung Hayan,
but the other reason I thought Blue was okay lay in the background of that
medium-sized guild.
For one, it had an alliance with the Red Mercenary.
Going into the Blue that has just started to rise and grabbing the real power is
more advantageous than entering as a bottom low-rank guild member of the
Red Mercenary.
As the scale was not large, the support I’ll be given would be a little more
concentrated.
‘Now, it’s all messed up.’
I was nervous about whether he had even told the instructor Jung Hayan
about this incident.
‘I have to do something…’
It was then that the classroom door suddenly opened.
Naturally, my head turned.
In an instant, the rabble, who had gathered, ran to their seats and waited for
the instructor to say hello. Instructor Jung Hayan had come into the
classroom to lecture.
However, her personality seemed off today.
“Sit down. I will skip the greetings and start the class right away.”
“Okay.”
“Like the last class, we’re going to write with magic power. Those who
haven’t felt magical power yet, separate from the group.”
“Yes, instructor.”
“W… We don’t have time, m-move quickly, quickly!”

“Ah… Yes!”
Unlike the last time, she seemed noticeably colder.
It was annoying that she didn’t pay attention to the sitting trainees, but
instead, she was looking at me. It seems that she had lost some weight. She
looked sick, which made me wonder if something had happened.
Of course, that fox came to mind, seeing her exuding an annoying

atmosphere.
I could be sure that all the trainees here were thinking the same thing.
‘He must have turned the story to his benefit.’
I didn’t really understand why two people who didn’t match were going out,
but that was not what mattered.
There was a definite edge to her voice all throughout the class. She wasn’t
openly irritated, but…
“Stu-Stupid! D-Do it right!”
She kept spouting up insults like this.
“I was able to do this from the beginning… I already explained… How

stupid.”
Or insults like this.
“Why don’t you understand? So frustrating… Everyone else can understand

this.”
Or like this.
“They’re stupid. Stupid… Really stupid… They’re really stupid…”
I could hear her muttering all these. It was no wonder that the class, which
usually had a nice atmosphere, had become very uncomfortable.
Considering that few were still practicing to feel their magical power, there
was no way other people could do the lessons that proved to be difficult, even
for the wizard herself.
Amidst that, I was concerned about the way she was looking at me.
I didn’t know why, but her gaze sent goosebumps down my spine.
I haven’t tried or heard about the practice of writing letters in the air with
magical power. However, I thought I had to live up to their expectations, and
in fact, I felt like I was following the pace.
‘You have to smash them with your skills.’
If I worked hard, they would eventually acknowledge my worth.
‘You have to do this, at least.’
I had to keep showing that I was special. Only then would I be well treated.
Eventually, I bit my lips tightly and slowly began to form the magical power
to make the letters float. I felt like it would collapse immediately if I let go of
the tension. As I concentrated my magical power while trembling, I felt
instructor Jung Hayan’s gaze burning a hole through me.
‘Huh?’
I didn’t know if I was mistaken for a moment, but she looked annoyed.
No, her expression was more complex than that. I wondered if my method
was wrong, but it didn’t seem like I was doing anything bad. I felt like she
was wondering a lot about something.
‘What is she thinking? What… is she wondering?’
The whole room had gone silent. That was until Jung Hayan slowly began to
smile. She looked startled, almost as if she had realized something.
‘Huuuuh?’
As she started to laugh, I couldn’t help but shiver. Not only was I breaking
out in cold sweat, but my chin was trembling without my knowledge.
Seeing her laugh made me feel upset for some reason, but something about it
made me feel uncomfortable.
‘What… Why is she…’
Even her eyes seemed strange. There was something within their depths that I
couldn’t explain.
“Uh… Ah…”
“Well… Well done, trainee Han Sora.”
“Ah… Yes. Thank you.”
“You’re pretty good among the people here… Thank God… you’re not
stupid…”
“Thank you.”
“I think trainee Han Sora can take a separate class… Hihi…”
“Ah… Yes.”
“If it’s okay… Can I teach you some stuff after school?”
No doubt, she had finally acknowledged me. It was only right for me to be
proud and, of course, to be happy. I looked around, and everyone was staring
at me with envy. Their gazes were saying that, as expected, I was different.
‘I have to agree.’
Of course, it was only right to nod.
An opportunity to be tutored by a genius wizard probably only came once in

every century.
However, for some reason, I couldn’t find it in me to utter a sound.
“I said I would… t-t-teach you!”
This was because her smile had reached a lopsided figure, thereby causing
me to feel the slightest bit of fear.
“I…”
Chapter 210
‘Thank you.’
That was what I should say.
I knew this was the correct answer, but my mouth wouldn’t open for some
reason. Missing this opportunity was silly. My brain understood it, but I was
confused by the feeling that my body was constantly rejecting it.
‘I have to agree.’
I kept repeating this to myself, but my mouth eventually betrayed my

expectations.
“I … that…”
“Yes?”
“A-After school, I have something… I have something I need to do. I’m

sorry.”
“Ah…”
Instructor Jung Hayan’s expression seemed very disappointed. Her dejected

expression was like seeing a puppy getting abandoned by the owner.
The slightly lowered eye slant and big eyes were full of disappointment. For
a brief moment, I blamed myself for my stupid choice. I wondered my body
caused such a reaction, but the answer refused to reveal itself.
I was bothered by Instructor Hayan’s voice, who had kept muttering about
something.
‘Something’s not right.’
It was probably a trap set up by that fox. This was a high possibility,
considering the fact that he had a fairly petty personality.
And…
‘It’s overwhelming just trying to follow the class.’
Of course, it was good to learn something new, but the homework and
assignments I’d been learning over and over were already making my head
explode.
was undeniable that I had made a stupid choice.
However, I didn’t want to correct this. My breathing was gradually returning

to its original state.
Just in time, the bell announcing the class rang, and Instructor Jung Hayan,
who continued to mutter quietly, slowly began to leave the classroom.
I even thought about approaching her because she had looked so sad, but I
did not raise my hand. This was because I saw trainees from the same class
rushing to me again.
“Y-You’re really great, Eunni…”
“Ah…”
“Who would have known that Instructor Jung Hayan would make such an
offer?”
“Is… that so?”
“Yes. When I saw today’s class atmosphere, I thought that the alchemist must
have said something… After showing your ability, it seems that the instructor
also got greedy. That’s because she is also a Blue executive. Perhaps, sooner
or later, you’ll be getting an offer from Blue?”
One of the rabbles next to me immediately spoke.
“Sora said she would not go, so it doesn’t matter if the offer comes or not.
Didn’t you see her flatly refusing the instructor offer?”
“Ah… She did, right?”
“Instructor Jung Hayan did seem a little desperate…”
“Really?”
“She was wearing a startled expression…”
“It definitely was when Sora was successful, wasn’t it?”
Though they were all talking in front of me, I couldn’t find it in myself to
participate. My mind kept coming back to Hayan’s complex expression, as
well as the strange feeling I had.
When I started to speak, everyone’s attention refocused on me.
“By any chance…”
“Yes, Sora Eunni?”
“Have you not felt anything weird?”
“I mean, Instructor Jung Hayan. Didn’t she seem a little weird today?”
“She did look a bit sick. She was a little irritated… and looked tired. That’s
what I felt…”
“No, I’m not talking about that… There’s something else.”
“She looked… a bit retarded.”
The answer I got had been far from what I was actually expecting.
One of the rabbles next to me opened her mouth immediately.
“Hey! Someone will listen. Pfff. Actually, you’re not wrong…”
“Why? Isn’t that true? Actually, I did feel like that a little from the
beginning… At that time, I just thought that… she stuttered a lot. I don’t
know if all geniuses are like that, but didn’t you feel like she was a little
disabled?”
“Are all geniuses like that?”
“If that’s a genius, I’m not envious at all. Are, are, are… Aren’t they stupid?”
“You nuts! Your impression of her is on point! Do it one more time.”
“Y… You are all, s-s-s-stupid! She’s not even a snake, but why does she
keep his-s-s-s-ssing like that? Pfft. I think she doesn’t know that she looks
more stupid talking like that.”
“So damn funny!”
“She must be going out with a guy like that because she’s a little retarded.
Some people I know do that, too. They’re people who have a little problem
communicating with others. They couldn’t learn from a good family and thus
grew up like that. I don’t know, but she must have had some traumas.”
“You crossed the line a bit, but it actually is funny. She must not be really
retarded, right?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she was normal, but got crazy because she studied
magic too much… Isn’t that it? Sora?”
‘Did I take it too seriously?’
Seeing them joking around, I felt weird upon realizing that I was taking this
too seriously.
‘Maybe she was a bit sick.’

She really didn’t seem to be in good shape at the time. She used to laugh
alongside us whenever she would stutter.
At this, I began to join the rest of them with their laughter.
‘It seems like she really is a bit retarded…’
I thought that maybe they were right, so I spoke up.
“I don’t know… It’s possible. It’s usually like that in the movies. There are
cases where people with autism also have a very good memory. Isn’t that the
case in magic, too? In the case of instructor Jung Hayan, it seems that they
have inherent magical power and affinity…”
“Oh, really?”
“Perhaps she turned crazy. Haha. Some people have aphasia due to trauma in
the tutorial dungeon. Isn’t that the case?”
“Ah. You finally laughed. Until before, you were all serious.”
“It’s because you guys are so funny. I really thought so without knowing it.
Retarded. Hahaha. I feel so stupid to think that I looked up to a person like
that. What does it matter if she’s a genius? She just keeps stuttering anyway.”
“Right. If you have the same skills, the guild should use a person who is fine
psychologically or speaks normally, Eunni.”
“Right? Shall I go to Blue and be better than her? There is no guarantee that I
am a genius… If I grow to some extent, wouldn’t they prefer me to a retarded
bitch? I know the Blue Guild Master is not a fool.”
“It would be possible if it’s you. If that happens, you can’t forget about us,
okay?”
“Why would I forget you? Even if you go to another guild, we should keep in
touch often. Hey, if I get into the Blue and catch the Guild Master’s eyes, I
can even petition for you to enter as a low-rank party member.”
“Really?”
“Of course, it’s only a possibility. Blue is not a large guild…”
“I really wish that could happen. Blue’s definitely different from other large
guilds. When my influence grows… It’s convincing, seeing what the
alchemist is doing right now. What will that person do if you ever go to the
Blue?”
“There shouldn’t be such a guy in the guild where I am going. He’s going to
be stuck next to instructor Jung Hayan. When the two break up, that’s it…”
“Right now?”
“It’s very easy to ruin a man’s life. What will he do if I say I was sexually
harassed? Instructor Jung Hayan, no, even that retard would get disgusted,
and he might even get kicked out of the Blue. If I can pretend to be a victim
for a while and get the guild’s support, won’t it be enough?”
“Do you want to do that? No, if anyone hears this now…”
“Do not worry about it. I blocked the sound with magical power since that
retard was saying a bunch of stuff.”
“Wow…”
“This is a place of survival. Ability is also important, but sometimes you also
need the wisdom to live easily.”
“It really looks like you’re going to be successful…”
“It’s good to use all means and methods necessary. Being a weak woman is
also a great weapon in society.”
“I feel like I’ve learned something substantial from you.”
“Huh? Eunni… I think someone is coming.”
“Who?”
I looked behind me and was surprised to see who it was.
‘Chang-ryul Oppa?’
He was a person that I was a bit careful of among all the people in the attack
team. It was because he didn’t talk much, and he always wore a cold
expression.
I didn’t know why he came to see me, and it was hard trying to guess because
I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
“I’ll go talk to him a little, and then I’ll be back.”
“Okay. Do that, Eunni.”
This man was someone I considered important, so I had to approach him

right away.
‘Why is he wearing a mask?’
He was still a difficult person to understand. However, I couldn’t show this.

As I approached quietly, he spoke to me first.
“Let’s talk for a minute.”
“What is it, Oppa? Ah! Come to think of it. You recently met the Blue Guild
Master, haven’t you?”
“…”
“Is there an entrance test there, too? Are you confirmed to enter? No, how
much are your down payment and annual salary? It’s not just roughly cheap,
right?”
“…”
“Our values should be decided by us, not by them. If we can get it right, we
can increase both the salary and the down payment…”
“I didn’t come here to say that, so shut up. And lower your voice.”
“My…gosh … Then speak quickly.”
“I honestly don’t like you.”
“That’s very fortunate. I don’t like you, too.”
“But that doesn’t mean I don’t have any affection at all. Still, we had a good
relationship in the attack team. And there’s the thing in the tutorial dungeon.”
“Quit stalling. Tell me something a little more productive.”
“I don’t know what you’re planning to do from now on, but… It would be
better for you not to be connected with Blue and live quietly as if a dead rat.”
“What? Saying this so suddenly…”
“This is a warning. Do not do anything useless and think about yourself.

Don’t do anything like what you did in the dungeon.”
“What? What did I do in the dungeon…”
“Don’t think I don’t know. You are too greedy.”
“Stop saying these useless things, say something helpful…”
“That’s all I can say. I don’t want to be deeply involved with you, and I don’t
want to be known to have a big mouth. Honestly, I don’t want to tell you this
right now… It’s annoying.”
“What information do you have?”
“This is the information I’m giving. Be quiet, as quiet as a rat.”
“No, don’t… Was it decided for you to join the Blue?”
“I’ll be going now. I clearly told you.”

“What? Chang-ryul Oppa!”
After the conversation, he put his mask back on and walked away. Though it
was only a short conversation, my displeasure was immense.
‘If there is anything you want to say, you can just say it openly.’
It was not unreasonable to feel annoyed hearing him speaking so vaguely. My

face crumpled, and of course, I started talking to myself.
“This is so fucking annoying. If you give me information, make sure you do

so thoroughly. Who said I was curious about that?”
After saying this, I immediately turned and saw the rabbles still talking. They
were eagerly raising their voices as if they didn’t notice that I was
approaching.
I wondered if they were saying something behind my back, so I concentrated

the magic in my ears to hear them more accurately. Of course, they weren’t
talking bad about me.
“But can Eunni really go to Blue? Didn’t she just ignore that retard’s offer?”
“I don’t know… Maybe not? Even if she did, if Eunni’s plan succeeds, it’s
almost certain she will join, and it’s good that it’ll feel like we’re getting a
blow in that stupid alchemist’s face. He’s just a production worker…”
“If Eunni goes to Blue, is there a possibility for us to join Blue, too?”
“Well… No, but Eunni will take care of us. And the instructor Jung Retard
wasn’t likely to give up, so I guess Eunni’s quite coveted.”
“Why?”
“She kept muttering as she left the classroom earlier.”
“What? I didn’t hear…”
“Did you hear what she said?”

“…”
“…”
“…”
“She said, ‘I-I-It’s fine… T… There are still m-many opportunities… I can
do it.'”
“Your impression of her is funny.”
“What can I say? I was trying my hardest to hold back the laughter.”
Chapter 211
‘Yoo Ahyoung…’
Of course, she was my number one recruitment target.
Although she had no class job yet and her attribute hadn’t even blossomed,
she certainly had the merit. The talent level of her strength was heroic, and
her stamina was legendary.
I didn’t feel like her disposition would suffice as a front liner, but I knew it
would be possible if I brought her to Blue and trained her intensively.
‘Although she is a little passive…’
As the number of trainees was large, their dispositions were also very
diverse. If I categorized it largely, there were about three.
1. Those who wanted to move by themselves.
Most of the attack teams belonged to this side.
Because they were the ones who were most aware of what they should do and
what would happen from now on, these kinds of humans seem to try to do
everything on their own. Besides lectures and set training, they divided their
time and moved actively.
1. Those who only did what they were told to.
In terms of proportion, this had the highest percentage. They worked hard in
lectures and education, and they worried about the future, but they did not
show much effort after training or education time was over.
1. Those who were not worth feeding.

Lastly, we had the garbage that was not worth mentioning. They had no
enthusiasm, no achievement, and were the garbage scum of the education
center.
We could say that most of them would end up in the slums or would just
worry about making a living after their education was over.
‘Hmm…’
To be precise, Yoo Ahyoung was a character lying between the second and
third.
Although she seemed like she was of the third type, she had strangely been
catching up in terms of progress. Her training performance wasn’t bad, as if
she was determined to show that her strength stat was legendary.
Honestly, if she weren’t talented, I wouldn’t have paid much attention to her.
‘But because she has talent…’
It was important to have talent in any way possible for Blue’s sake.
A year had passed while living at Kim Hyunsung’s party. While looking at
many characters’ talent levels and status window, a thought had begun to
manifest itself in my head.
Surprisingly, finding people with legendary talent levels was a common

occurrence.
It was natural to feel that way.
Park Deokgu and I were the only ones who didn’t have such natural talents
within Kim Hyunsung’s party, and the people I met and saw each time
always had something special to them. If it wasn’t their talent level, it was
their special attribute or class. Therefore, my standards had naturally risen.
However, after arriving at the education center, I noticed that there weren’t
many people with legendary-grade talents.
‘Come to think of it, Cho Hyejin herself didn’t have a legendary-grade
talent.’
Even if one had heroic-grade stats, they could be strong enough. There was a
difference between the heroic or lower-grade level and the heroic or higher-
grade. However, the heroic-grade meant that you could at least up your stats
to 90.
‘If I think that way, I am not bad, either.’
Anyway, the important thing was that she was a talented person.
Although she lacked enthusiasm, I want to compliment her just for following
me without falling behind during training or class. Perhaps the environment
surrounding her helped to some extent. In Class C, she was in a strangely
lonely position.
‘It’s probably because of me.’
Jealousy made a person ugly, after all.
She wouldn’t have been much noticed except for her big chest until I spoke
to her, so it would be natural for her to garner everyone’s resentment.
While I mulled this over in my head, I heard Sun Hee-young calling out to
me.
“I think the recruitment is almost certain.”
“Ah, are you talking about Yoo Ahyoung?”
“No, the other one.”
“Lee Chang-ryul?”
“Yes. Hyunsung-ssi also seemed to have decided that. Of course, he was a

little doubtful at first, but…”
“Come to think of it, didn’t you say that he had a battle with Ye-ri?”
“Yes. The result was a little good. She said she liked the fact that he was
seeking to be an assassin, and she said he was a natural in battle.”
“Did you watch it, too?”
“Yes. They needed a witness, and they had to prepare if anything happened…
I’m not sure about the battles of the melee soldiers, but it seemed desperate.
As soon as they started, he threw the sand he had in his hand, and he didn’t
hesitate in attacking a vital spot. Ye-ri was a little disconcerted, too. It
seemed that he had been hiding a stinger in his mouth, so I think that’s why
he was wearing a mask… Anyway, he was impressive.”
“Ahhh…”
Besides Yoo Ahyoung, if there were someone I thought would be recruited, it

would be Lee Chang-ryul, the archer.
‘I felt like his talent levels were not that good.’
His agility stat was heroic or higher, strength stat heroic or lower, intelligence
heroic or higher.
The rest of his stats, however, were bad. Nevertheless, I used one of the
priority bargaining powers on this guy because he had trained himself to
specialize in close combat.
It was impressive that he had decided to become an assassin, the top class of
archers.
It always helped for one to have a solid goal. However, I didn’t know if his
battle ability was excellent or not because I had not seen it myself…
‘He must have guts. It’s no different from revealing his true nature while the
Guild Master was watching.’
Throwing sand to test the opponent and solve the battle with all sorts of
undercover tactics was a very difficult idea for ordinary people to do.
It felt like we not only tested him. He had tested us, as well.
‘This is my style. What do you think?’
That was what he wanted to say.
Of course, Kim Hyunsung was not the type who cared about that. Rather, it
was enough for him to see that he was a natural in combat, so he naturally
had a good affinity with Lee Chang-ryul.
Though he hadn’t yet signed a formal contract, he was already considered as

a guild member.
I heard that he had a meal with Kim Hyunsung, so it was basically the same
as confirming the contract.
“It worked out well.”
“Yes. So now you have three priority tickets left?”
“Yes. In fact, there are no other people who stand out so much other than the
two, so for now, they are on hold…”
“Considering that the demonstration is coming soon…”
“I am definitely worried.”
This recruitment was for the creation of the second Blue Guild party.
However, the problem lay in how to compose a party besides Yoo Ahyoung
and Lee Chang-ryul.
Assuming that Ahn Ki-mo, who was classified as a combat clergyman, could
also be included in the second party, the front line would be solid at first, but
the rear position would be too poor if it remained this way.
‘I can’t just pick a random recruit.’
I cared more about quality than quantity.
As it was a request from the lovely returner, I had to keep thinking about
what kind of party I would make. It didn’t mean that I couldn’t look for
people with potential at all, but there were a lot of people who made me
think, ‘Should I recruit them?’
Coming to the Blue was like saying that one could get overwhelming support,
so I had to be cautious even when it came to sparing the resources.
This was the reason Sun Hee-young and I had been busy recently. Jung
Hayan, meanwhile, was blissfully unaware of how the guild’s politics
worked.
“Hee-young-ssi, I want to read the document of the attack group once

again… Ah. Actually, you can read it first.”
“No. No. You can read it. I’m going, anyway… I have something to do
today.”
“Okay.”
Sun Hee-young, who handed over the papers she was reading, bowed slightly
and then left.
After saying goodbye, I also started skimming through the document, which
contained a brief profile and stats of the attack team. Though I had checked
them with my Mind’s Eye, I also needed an indicator of how much growth
had been achieved during their time here.
As I turned to the next page, a little familiar name stood out.
Han Sora.
Naturally, I didn’t pay much attention to her after I talked to Hayan about her.
‘Her grades are better than I thought. She’s able to catch up, too…’
It appeared that she wasn’t as useless as I had first thought. I had spoken a
little bit harshly at the time, but this woman seemed to have something in her,
seeing as she belonged to the attack team. She would end up reaching the
limit, but as the ratio of usable wizards was small, she was a talent that
medium-sized or large guilds would want to take.
The Red Mercenary seemed to be observing her secretly, but I did not stop
them.
This was because, as I did with Ito Souta and Lee Seol-ho, I knew it wasn’t
necessary to have a scuffle with this woman.
‘She will fall eventually, anyway…’
It was then that, suddenly, a loud sound resonated from outside.
“You can come in.”
The door slowly opened, revealing a familiar face.
“What the hell?”
I couldn’t help but utter this aloud. It turned out to be Han Sora, who was
smiling slightly, looking at me.
‘Speak of the devil…’
It was pretty unsightly to see her looking so confident.
I didn’t know what she was thinking, but she seemed rather expectant.
“Are you curious about why I can be here?”
I was not very curious. There was only one reason a trainee could be here.
“Have you had an interview with the Red Mercenary?”
“Correct.”
“It’s a place where trainees can’t come in. I think it would be better for you to
go out.”
I shook my head at her. However, she persisted in staying.
“I came because I wanted to say, or rather, suggest something. I guess it can

be called a deal. Ah! Of course, I would like to apologize for the rude
behavior from before.”
“… “
As soon as I closed my finger, Juliana began to come to mind. I saw Han

Sora flinching.
“It would be better not to threaten me. Isn’t it useless anyway? Wasn’t it a
rule that instructors can’t touch the trainees?”
“It’s not absolute. Therefore, it would be better to go back to where you came
from quietly.”
“This is something that can help you out.”
“Whooo…”
“I want to join the Blue guild.”
‘I don’t care.’
“Actually, I’ve thought about a lot of possibilities, but I don’t think it’s bad to
start with Blue. If you offer to recruit me on good terms, I am willing to
enter.”
I don’t know what kind of confidence she was high on, but she was plainly
ridiculous. Did she really think I would just agree and offer her a contract?
“I don’t think it’s a bad offer for the Blue Guild, either. Wizard human
resources are a little precious, right?”
“You are not qualified. And a transaction can only be established when there
is something to exchange with each other. The word ‘deal’ is my favorite
word, but anyone can see that you have nothing for me.”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure which of us is not qualified… You think you are
something just because you are in the arms of Instructor Jung Hayan.”
‘Crazy bitch.’
“And you are completely wrong. I’m here to make a deal, and this is pretty
appealing to you, too, right?”
“What can you give me?”
“Your reputation. And everything.”
“What bullshit.”
At my reply, Han Sora began tearing off her clothes. Though I was able to get
a good look in, I didn’t understand why she was doing that.
‘She’s really going nuts…’
When I first visited Cha Hee-ra, I didn’t know if Cha Hee-ra felt this way, but
I really couldn’t discern this punk.
“I think the conversation will get a little better now… What do you think?”
Was her best plan really to get involved in a sex scandal?
‘Should I kill her?’
It would be a little annoying, but I was confident enough to get around it.
Anyway, the other person was a trainee who had nothing, and I had the
power to manipulate the public’s opinion. Of course, I couldn’t easily cover
the fact that an instructor killed the trainee when the demonstration was just
about to come, but her face annoyed me so much that I could not stand it.
Just in time, someone knocked on the door, and a familiar voice echoed.
“Oppa? Can I come in?”
Jung Hayan appeared with good timing. No, it wasn’t good timing. Rather,
she might have calculated it. She had used her brain pretty well.
Meanwhile, Han Sora looked triumphant.
“Soon, instructor Jung Hayan will come in. Are you okay with that?”
Once Jung Hayan came in, it would be her, not me, who would be in danger.
“You don’t want to lose everything you’ve built up, right? It won’t be very
good for you to get caught in such a scandal. If you get into problems with
Instructor Jung Hayan, it would not be good…”
“You crazy bitch.”
“Thank you for the praise, instructor. I hear that a lot.”
I felt like she didn’t even know what I meant. I suddenly felt exhausted.
‘What am I going to do with this child?’
“Whooo…”
“You don’t have to worry. If you take care of the contract, this won’t happen
again.”
“There will be a cloak in the desk closet next to you. Just put it on and head
out quietly. Then nothing will happen.”
“What?”
“You’re just a stupid bitch who thinks she’s so smart. I would only feel
pathetic if I decide to toy with you. Just go out… Then you can still be
saved.”
“Can I really just go out? You will regret it. Can’t you hear the voice of
Instructor Jung Hayan outside?”
“Talking to you pisses me off. Just get out. I’m busy.”
“I definitely gave you a chance.”

“I also gave you a chance. The choice is yours.”
I saw her tightly biting her lips. Evidently, she thought I was bluffing.
However, in the end, she didn’t wear the cloak, as I had instructed her to do.
She didn’t seem to realize that I had said it for her sake.
‘I also don’t want to see Hayan crying…’
I wasn’t such a shitty person.
Thus, it was a spectacle to see her open the door after ignoring my command.
“Ah… Oppa!”
What Jung Hayan encountered would be Han Sora, who was almost half-
naked.
“Uh…”
It had been a long time since last I saw Jung Hayan with such a distorted
expression.
Chapter 212
[Since like 20 of guys DM’d me for the lol.]
It had been the first time I’d seen that expression since the Cursed Shrine
incident. I unconsciously flinched, but I wasn’t very conscious. I knew Jung
Hayan was better than this.
Lately, she hadn’t killed anyone, and I had seen her trying to avoid doing
things I didn’t like. In fact, her current silence meant that she would not harm
me.
Jung Hayan stared at Han Sora for a long moment before thick tears started
dripping down her face. Even as she started hiccupping, she looked
surprisingly cute in my eyes.
“Haaa… Ugh… Hic!”
‘I have to soothe her later.’
I was beginning to think she would soon develop a sadistic disposition.
I didn’t know what she thought when she saw Jung Hayan crying, but Han
Sora looked quite happy. She must have felt that things were going according
to her intentions.
Her own plans were just as dumb as her. Her big plan was to ruin me with a
sex scandal and ensure her spot in Blue?
‘Her efforts are commendable, but…’
She was going against a powerful enemy. Her plan was understandable,
considering that even the owners of large corporations suffered from sex
scandals, but unfortunately, this was not Earth.
“Haaaa… Hic…”
Jung Hayan’s expression had taken on a complex form.
In the case of Yuno Kasugano’s bed-sharing incident, it seemed that being

severely scolded had been memorable, so she seemed to be hesitating now.
She thought she would get scolded again. Eventually, after lowering her
head, she started to cry and run away.
‘I have to praise her for that.’
It seemed that it had been effective to get scolded once. Meanwhile, Han Sora
shot me a triumphant look.
“I told you you’d regret it, right? Now, who will protect you?”
“…”
“It will make you feel that you have messed with the wrong person. Please
note that I didn’t want to do this, too.”
“Alright, whatever. Just get out.”
“I will go to instructor Jung Hayan.”
“Okay. Do whatever you want to do.”
“I’ll run to instructor Jung Hayan and tell her that you have molested me, and
then I’ll tell the instructors of the Red Mercenary.”
“You’re a dumb bitch. You know that, right?”
“That’s what I want to ask you. Anyway, please struggle with your heart’s
content.”
“Okay. While you’re already visiting, make sure to tell her to do whatever
she wants.”
“Aha, bluffing until the end…”
“I said, I’m busy. Get out quickly.”
Jung Hayan’s tearful acting was nowhere near close to Ahn Ki-mo’s, but she
would still get merits from me for that.
‘About 70 points…’
After the door closed, I could hear Han Sora running.
I still had a lot of work to do, so I was annoyed as I had lost so much of my
precious time, but I didn’t bother with it very much. As Han Sora said, she
was going to find Jung Hayan on her own.
‘If I think about it, it wasn’t a bad plan.’
If she was going against a common instructor of a medium-sized guild and

not me, it was worth applauding her. She aimed for the time where Jung
Hayan would come, and although it was a little dull, she did that because she
knew she was in a weak position.
‘And she was daring, too…’
If only I were a common instructor from a medium-sized company…
“At least it wouldn’t have been like now.”
She wouldn’t get humiliated if that had been the case. Jung Hayan was
surprisingly clever. Basically, she understood the power difference quite
well.
Compared to dealing with the woman who I couldn’t remember the name of,
a lot had changed.
She knew her social position very well, and she could even afford to think
about others’ social position and strength. She was aware of who was
important to me and up to what extent.
For example, Cha Hee-ra, Yuno Kasugano, Lee Jihye, and Dialugia have
already been classified as important people to me.
She had categorized them as ‘a strong person,’ ‘a person who is helpful to

Oppa,’ ‘a useful person,’ and ‘a person I don’t like a little, but should not
harm’ respectively.
I couldn’t read the inner heart of Jung Hayan, but it was an aspect of hers that
I realized after observing her for a long time. Of course, even so, her
disposition had changed a bit. She was still very jealous and often gave out a
cold expression at times.
Han Sora, however, was neither a strong person nor a person who could help
me. She also had a very low social position.
It was just a simple guess, but I knew she wouldn’t stand for it this time. Jung
Hayan may know better that there was no physical contact between us, but…
‘I think she forgot, seeing her reaction….’
It seemed that everything had been completely forgotten by the impact of

what she had seen.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’
If Jung Hayan did this matter right, I would reward her handsomely.
“Now, who should I take for the second party’s backline…?”
***
‘It worked better than I thought…’
The best thing was to encounter instructor Jung Hayan in this state. No, in
fact, a better situation would be to have the stupid alchemist to accept the
offer, but heartbreakingly, he refused. I wondered if there might be any other
bluff that I don’t know about because he looked overly relaxed…
‘It’s over.’
Everything had been done perfectly.
I knew the bastard would try to control the instructors somehow to prevent
the spread of rumors, but there were many things I had thought of and
prepared for.
One would be to draw Instructor Jung Hayan over to my side. I felt better
when I remembered her crying. Of course, it would only be natural for her to
do so.
It would naturally be shocking to see the man you love rape and harass
another woman.
Originally, I thought about visiting the Red Mercenary first, but when I
remembered Instructor Jung Hayan’s devastated expression, I had no choice
but to think that this might be a little more effective. She must be really
confused, so if I visited her to inform the facts, it would be a natural step for
her to become Lee Kiyoung’s enemy.
‘It will take a little time, but it’s going to be easy to persuade Jung Retard.’
She would be my first priority before the Red Mercenaries. I was in the
victim’s position, and I didn’t have an affair with Instructor Lee Kiyoung.
That part was important.
As I followed after Hayan, I could see people looking my way. This would be
good, as it would be sufficient evidence.
I held back the laughter wanting to come out and continued to shed tears as I
knocked on Jung Hayan’s door. However, there was no answer.
“I-I’m coming in, instructor. Sniff…”
“…”
As soon as I opened the door, I caught sight of Instructor Jung Hayan

enveloped in a blanket.
“S-Sorry. It was so sudden… I know it’s rude, but I thought there was only
one place to go for help. I-I thought you might misunderstand…”
“Haaa… Hic….”
“There was no other intention. Instructor… Instructor L-lee Kiyoung asked

me to come to the temporary office for a moment… I just thought he’d make
an offer to recruit me…”
“Hic…”
“It’s a misunderstanding, Instructor Jung Hayan. It’s not what you think.”
“Misunderstanding?”
“Yes. I’m not in that kind of relationship with instructor Lee Kiyoung…”
“…”
“I-It’s very hard to say, but… Instructor Lee Kiyoung… Sniff…”
“…”
“He said that if I stayed quiet, he would make me look good to the guild… O-
Of course I said no, but….”
“His… Did Oppa say that?”
Right.
“Yes. Although I told him that he shouldn’t be doing this… Forcefully…”
“D-d-d… Did he touch you?”
“Yes…”
“W… Where did he touch you?”
“To say that…”

“I-I-I’m asking where he touched you!”
The sudden outburst took me by surprise, but still, I felt happy with the
situation.
Jung Hayan looked more angered than I thought, and she seemed to be
mentally shaken.
“That… My breasts and…”
“Waah… Waaaaaaahh… Hic…Wahhhhhhhhhhhh…”
‘This is over.’
By now, the stupid alchemist may be trying to prove his innocence to the Red
Mercenary, but if I make Jung Retard stand by the side, it would be the same
as being half successful.
“What did … Hic… oppa say… when he touched you?”
“Can I tell you…?”
“T-T… Tell me quickly!!”
“He called me attractive… And, of course, I kept saying no…”
“Attractive?”
“Yes. He said that as an instructor… he knows he couldn’t, but he was

saying… sniff…that he was sexually attracted. Forcing me to kiss him…”
“…”
“He told me not to tell anyone while he lifted my skirt up, but…”
“Down below, too? Hic…”
“Yes.”
“Waa… Waaaaahhh… Hic… Wahhhhhhhhhh…”
‘She sure cries a lot.’
Of course, I could understand that it was shocking, but I couldn’t even

imagine crying like that with my body wrapped tightly in a blanket. I was
starting to think she really was deluded.
Her emotional shock worked in my favor, but not when she would be too
busy crying in order to talk to me properly, and that would be bad.
‘She has to testify… Tsk. She’s so annoying.’
“Waah… Hate… I hate it… Hic!”
“The shock must be great… Instructor Jung Hayan.”
“I-I will kill…”
“You can’t do that. Even if….”
“Hic… Gasp… Waaah… I’m going to k-k-k-kill… I will kill!”
‘Crazy bitch. She really is a crazy bitch.’
“Wouldn’t it be nice to go to the Red Mercenary and explain the situation? T-

To go this far, even Jung Hayan-nim would be in trouble. The first step
should be to testify… Of course, it doesn’t mean that instructor Lee Kiyoung
is not guilty, but if you kill him…”
“I-I think I can kill because it’s useless. Only this time… right? I’m only
doing it this time. It’ll really be the last…”
“I’m sorry?”
“Y-You can’t… you can’t do that! Oppa will get angry. You might be really
scolded. This time it’s real. What if he bans access this time?”
“What… What are you… saying now?”

“But she doesn’t have anything, right? It’s not even helpful to you, like the
red-haired and the blind bitch! Oppa didn’t even tell me to be careful! Isn’t
this true that he hasn’t told me anything? No! It’s different! This time I might
not be going to be s-s-scolded!”
“Instructor…”
“Can I do that? Just, just, just this time? Yes… she doesn’t have any talent…
Oppa was mistaken this time. He hasn’t even offered to recruit her yet.
Yeees! She’s useless!”
“Jung Hayan… ?”
“Okay! T-T-T-then… Let’s kill it! No…You can’t kill it. If you kill, you will
be caught by oppa.”
“Huh?”
She slammed against the wall.
“If I just don’t kill… fine! Let’s do it!”

Chapter 213
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It was natural for me to wonder what had happened. I grabbed my hot chest
and stepped back, but my body refused to move properly. It was obvious
why.
‘Magic? None was cast… Something like this… Is it possible?’
I’d heard in class that simple magic could be completed with no chanting, but
I didn’t think it was really possible.
Perhaps this was an improved version of the trapping magic.
There were many thoughts in my mind, but none could explain the situation I
was in now.
“Ah… Ah…”
As I slowly turned my head, I could see a dark room. This was an eerie
atmosphere where no single light could enter.
As if a magical power occupied the said room, it was getting harder and
harder to breathe.
“Ah… Ahhhhhh!”
Without even realizing it, screams continued to pop out of my mouth before I
could even comprehend what was happening.
“Don’t do this! Ahhhhhh!”
“…”
“S-Save me… Save me. Help me. Help me. Help me.”
“I-I’m not killing you. I can’t kill you.”
“Don’t come close! Don’t come close!”
“B-B-But I want to. Hehehehehe.”
It was natural to realize what the anxiety I felt at that time was. I wasn’t
mistaken, and it wasn’t that she was sick.
The fear I felt then began to rise to the end of my chin. I couldn’t even feel
the pain of having a dagger in my chest.
In this confined space, I couldn’t even move my body.
The most terrifying thing was Hayan’s expression as she looked at me. Her
lips were completely twisted, and her eyes strangely looked empty.
‘What to do?’
I can’t think of anything.
I couldn’t think of anything else. If I moved a little, I would die. No, dying
was not the problem.
I just wanted to get out of this place. My body had been trembling so much.
‘He knew.’
Lee Kiyoung knew that this woman was a completely crazy bitch.
‘That’s why he told me to put on the cloak and go out.’

He already knew in advance that this would be the result.
“Instructor Jung Hayan, please do not do this. I have done nothing wrong. I
just….”
“Eeeeekk!!”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
All of a sudden, she stuck something into the back of my hand.
“This thief! P… Prostitute!”
Pain spread throughout my whole body. It was so frustrating that I couldn’t

move my whole body, and I couldn’t even scream properly.
“Fool! Stupid!”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
Tears continued to pour out of my eyes, and I couldn’t figure out what was
going on in my body.
“It hurts! It hurts! Save me. Please… Please save me.”
I was scared of what she was doing because the pain had been transmitted
from so many places simultaneously. When I finally came to my senses, I felt
like there was no sensation in one of my eyes, and my limbs weren’t moving
properly.
Obviously, I was going to die here. However, I couldn’t let that happen. I
only realized now how to survive. In fact, it could be said that I had realized
it for a long time.
I just didn’t have the right time to speak. I had been busy screaming over and
over again.
“This is a… lie. Nothing… happened…”

“…”
“No such thing…”
“Uh…”
“Happened…”
I could barely speak. I felt so numb.
At this point, the room became completely quiet, save for me spitting out
blood every now and then.
“What… did you say?”
“It’s…a…lie. No such thing…”
“Lie.”
“It’s… It’s true… I made up everything up….”
“What?”
“All… made up… I’m sorry… Save me… please.”
“What? What? R-Really? Yes. I think it really is.”
“Save me…”
“Oh my god. What do I do? What do I do? B-by any chance, has anyone seen
you coming in here?”
It was a voice that seemed a little embarrassed.
I didn’t know if her anger had subsided a little because of the words I just
said, but she completely sounded different from before.
As usual, Instructor Jung Hayan was correct. It seemed that my

consciousness was gradually fading, but I had no choice but to grasp it
straight.
I knew that answering the question had something to do with survival.
“Yes… Red Mercenary members… Some of them…”
If no one had seen me, she would have no qualms about killing me right off
the bat.
‘Damn…’
If I were to think about it, there had been several signs. It was the same as
Chang-ryul Oppa’s advice, and most other colleagues told me not to do
anything useless.
Even instructor Lee Kiyoung had sent me a signal. I could remember him
looking at me as if I was pathetic. Tears popped out of my other eye.
“Do not cry.”
“I won’t… say… anything. Save me.”
“I said I’m not killing you. W-Where is the potion? Consider this a
punishment for lying. You can’t think this way, Han Sora! You shouldn’t
fool an instructor!”
“Yes…”
“H-How can you tell a lie like that?”
“I’m… sorry.”
“But really, w-what should I do? I can’t be caught by Oppa….”
“It’s okay… I… My eyes keep closing….”
“Y-You can’t! Die!”
Her attitude was so different from the previous one that I felt confused. After
I felt something warm sprinkled all over my body, I passed out.
I prayed that I at least would wake up somewhere other than in this room.
***
No matter how much I thought about this…
‘She exaggerated too much…’
I thought Jung Hayan would do this right, but I couldn’t imagine that she
would do this.
She seemed to have relieved all of her recently accumulated stress.
If Jung Hayan hadn’t gone to Sun Hee-young, Han Sora would be dead,
without fail.
Of course, I did not blame Jung Hayan’s actions. It seemed that it wasn’t
right to compliment her, so I went in the other direction.
Rather than focusing on what made her wrecked, I was patting her head for
punishing a trainee for trying to do something bad.
As a result, Jung Hayan gradually thought that she had been praised for what
she had done.
When I asked Sun Hee-young to bring her to me with only external wounds
healed, she gave me a guilty expression. But when I told her about the
problem, she immediately asked for a reward with a triumphant expression.
I felt a bit disconcerted by her sudden change in attitude. Anyway, I was a

little busy, but I had a pretty good time with her.
In the meantime, the demonstration had passed, and most of the trainees
finished their first class change.
I, who would be in charge of training for the manufacturing production, also

gathered wizards to give alchemy lectures. Blue offered Lee Chang-ryul a
higher salary than expected.
‘It’s because he wanted it.’
They wanted an environment in which they could practice rather than salary
or down payment.
Chang-ryul was not as shitty as I had expected him to be. He wanted a

narrow room where he could be by himself, as well as a heroic-grade item
that he could use as a weapon.
‘What an unusual guy.’
Of course, everything was going well with Yoo Ahyoung, too.
Kim Hyunsung did not understand why I wanted to recruit her, but he
relented upon my insistence. Though Ahyoung couldn’t be said to be
naturally talented, her legendary-grade of stats became better as the days
passed.
It was probably around this time that Han Sora Han woke up and started
coming to the classes. Of course, a tremendous aftereffect remained on her
body.
At first, most of her magic power circuit had been broken. In Sun Hee-
young’s words, she could only recover after about a year, so her life as a
wizard was actually over.
Of course, it didn’t seem like she couldn’t aim for recovery at all, but the fact
that her body was a mess was undeniable. One of her eyes could not recover,
and she had developed a limp. The fun part was that she came to listen to an
alchemy lecture hosted by me.
‘Thak you… for giving me a chance.’
‘What?’
‘Thank you… for trying to save me… back then.’

It was annoying to deal with her from my perspective, so I just waved my
hand for her to get dressed. But from her point of view, she had accepted that
I gave her a chance.
Of course, the results weren’t good, but I didn’t know Han Sora would accept
it that way, so I just nodded.
Absurdly, she was incredibly focused on class.
I didn’t know if she wanted to become a full-time alchemist, but she didn’t
give up on her life anyway. The most interesting part was that she was being
a little harassed by those who always crowded her.
I couldn’t check it with my own eyes, but it seemed that she had quickly
become the weakest in the newly formed group.
‘After all, humans are fun…’
If my memory was correct, it means that the people who followed Han Sora,
calling her Eunni, had started tormenting her. All I had seen were them
laughing at her and calling her a dork, but she probably suffered worse.
Of course, I didn’t feel any sympathy. It seemed a little pitiful to see them
smack her legs while she was wearing a bandage, but her pain didn’t make
my heart squeeze.
Besides that, anyone could see that Han Sora, struggling with a painful life,
had shown that she did not want to meet Jung Hayan. When she met her
once, she pissed herself.
‘What on Earth did she do?’
I had to think about that. Perhaps that was not the only painful thing.
It was natural for her not to receive an offer from any guild as she was not
available at the demonstration due to her long absence. It meant that, at the
end of the training period, she had nowhere to go.
When I lost all interest in her, I immediately focused on finding a backline.

This was because Kim Hyunsung did not pay much attention to the new
recruits this time around, contrary to my guess that he would bring in as
many talents as he knew in the future.
Of course, he sometimes was dubious about his memory, so he slowly looked

at the trainees’ faces, but he realized that there was no one he was looking
for.
In short, Blue had not yet used its three other priority bargaining rights.
Even today, Cha Hee-ra asked me about it.
“Is it really okay to not kick her out, honey?”
“What?”
“That stupid girl, Han Sora or something.”
“What? It’s alright.”
“Whoa.”
“Why?”
“Nothing. You just seem a little bit more generous. Weren’t you the type to
go till the end to chew, bite, taste, and enjoy this kind of thing?”
“It depends on who I’m dealing with. If I had thought about it from the
beginning, I would have just killed her. Rather, how much did you pay them
for compensation?”
“A hundred gold per person?”
“You didn’t give much. No, it’ll be a lot from their point of view.”
“They’re about to fail anyway, but it’s meaningful that they ran first to me
and reported. I don’t think they’re good kids, but they did a good thing.
Anyway, that Han Sora, or whatever her name is, is also very pitiful. The
ones who call themselves her friends told me all of her plans. I find that
funny.”
“From their point of view, they thought it would be more beneficial to appeal
to our sides.”
“They asked me if they could join the Red Mercenary as a reward. I wanted
to smash their heads, but I held myself back. By the way…”
I braced myself for the real conversation.
“Do you have any plans to use your rights, honey? Other guilds won’t wait,
either. I’m trying to block the transfer market as much as possible, but the
small and medium-sized clans are soon going to feel furious. How about just
recruiting anyone?”
“Hmm… Our Guild Master won’t like that. In the first place, Blue is aiming
for elite recruits…”
“My gosh. Every day, it’s all about Kim Hyunsung. You two have something
going on between you, right?”
“Of course not.”
“Okay, then. Anyway, are you thinking of using it? The Black Swan Leader,
Park Yeon-joo, that bitch is raging. She even screamed, asking if we made an
alliance.”
“Ah, I’m also indebted to her. I can give her one. And in our guild, I think I
can just open it when the recruitment of Yoo Ahyoung is finished… Oh, and
Hee-ra. I’ll just give you the remaining one. But, by any chance…”
“Ahn Ki-mo?”
“Huh?”
“He said he wanted to go to Blue…”
“Can he, Hee-ra?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll get the money, though. Our guild also invested in that
bastard.”
“That’s okay.”
“Well… He said something about being loyal and whatever… Ahn Ki-mo,
that bastard. Don’t trust him too much. He’s very clever. When he came in,
he said that this was his grave, that he’d stay with the Red Mercenaries until
he died. And now? He says he wants to go to Blue. I thought he was a
comedy actor. You have to be aware as to when you’ll get backstabbed. I’m
warning you in advance, okay?”
“Okay…”
For some reason, he definitely looked like that type of character.
Though I had fun during my conversation with Cha Hee-ra, now was the time
to move things along.
As I stood up, she looked up at me inquiringly.
“Going to the interview, honey?”
“Yes. I have to go see Yoo Ahyoung. I want to recruit this one quickly, but
she just won’t come to us easily.”
“Originally, big kids are like that.”
“That’s sexual harassment, Hee-ra.”
“I didn’t say which part of her was big.”
At this, Cha Hee-ra laughed at me knowingly, which incited my feelings of

guilt.
I was forced to leave the office in a hurry.

Chapter 214
Chapter 214: Gangwon-do’s Dating Expert (1)
There were certain things that one would eventually start to notice if they
lived here, even if they did not want to notice them in the first place. Special
treatment was one of those things, and although it wasn’t usually obvious, it
was definitely noticeable in this small, confined space.
The trainees here stood on an almost equal starting line, all except for the
attack team. They all received the same training and took the same class.
Each one might want different things, but as they could recognize the fact
that talented people were getting special treatment, most of them desperately
changed as the time for the end of education approached.
Those who usually didn’t have any thoughts about getting serious also started
to get nervous. It would be natural for all trainees to act so desperately with
the deadline looming on the horizon.
‘I think I can enter a medium-sized guild, right? Still, I think I’m good
enough to get an offer from one of the main guilds in Lindel, right?’
Vague thoughts such as these would begin to revolve around every person’s
mind.
Contrary to what they thought they needed to live enough, they began to
realize that they had nowhere to go. In the midst of that, the attack team, or
those who at least had potential, became envied by everyone after getting
offers from guilds as an early admission.
Those who remained started to get a little more impatient, but there was no
way that those without talent could show anything in such a short period.
The possibility of joining a middle-sized guild, getting good grades, or

receiving offers from any guild would soon be evident during this short
period.
Someone was already expected to walk the path of success, while others
would take the path of failure.
The problem is all of these people used the same classroom, the same
restaurant, and the same accommodation. The invisible stratum was formed.
The cases of the maids and servants who were sucking up Han So-ra began to
spring up everywhere. In a society where there was nothing, the number of
people trying to somehow grab onto the string of opportunity increased.
For a while, the nominees who joined the group felt what life was like in the
upper class. Of course, everyone was careful with each action they made.
‘It’s because it’s a network.’
This wasn’t a bad thing. If some of these people were to go out into society,
they would meet all kinds of people anyway, so making connections now
would prove to be quite beneficial.
The problem was the opposite case—people who were destined to stay at the
bottom. It was better to be indifferent to them.
However, some of these individuals were pretty relaxed. They were neither
the nominees who joined the group nor talented. They were the ones
ambiguously standing somewhere in the middle, tormenting those who
seemed to be weak, and with it, consoled themselves day by day, feeling
superior that their situation was better than those they tortured.
Simply put, Han Sora was facing such a situation now. In just one day, she
became someone everyone either adored or envied, to someone everyone
mocked because she had become magically disabled.
‘There is also the opposite case.’
If Han Sora was the person who fell from the top, it was obviously the
opposite for Yoo Ahyoung. Of course, it wasn’t that she worked hard. She
was the type of human being who could jump up without doing it.
When I first entered class, I had praised her potential. And because of that,
she seemed to be secretly hated, but her true value was revealed as time
passed. Most of the trainees who hated her began to act as loyalists. The
evaluation and grades as a close-quarters class at the bottom were from the
lowest to the best. When rumors that she had been offered to join the Blue
became official, she became a beacon for all the garbage trainees.
When I saw Yoo Ahyoung talking with Park Deokgu, I certainly realized
how unfair the world really was.
“Ahem… I mean. Our guild’s support is very good… I wasn’t a big deal in
the past, too. I changed completely since I entered Blue. So… We’ll do
everything we can for you.”
“Ah… Okay.”
“If you want to change your life, go to Blue! I’m sure of it! You probably
already heard it, Yoo Ahyoung-ssi. Although it hasn’t been officially
announced yet, the Blue Guild Master Hyung-ssi and our Hyung-nim are
assigned to a seat at the Eight Seats of the Empire, and our Hayan is very
good with magic! If you see it, your jaw will drop.”
“I see.”
“The kid Ye-ri is so fast that when she moves, she disappears, and there’s
also Cho Hyejin, who is really good at handling with spears… And! Mage
scholar Jeong-yeon is really smart. Probably as smart as Hyung-nim. She
hardly ever forgets what she saw once, and her administration work is
amazing! Our Sun Hee-young’s a little scary, but when you see her sprinkling
divine power, your jaw will drop as well.”
“Yes.”
“The way they all fight is so incredible! Some of them just go toink-toink-
toink, some of them go bang-bang! That kid Ye-ri is good with a bow, too, so
she just shoots it very fast everywhere. But in the meantime, if monsters
come in, Cho Hye-jin’s spear attacks them with tease! Like this! It moves like
this, just like a snake!”
“Pfft.”
“I don’t even have the chance to do anything, because it all gets cleared in no
time! And there’s about the other time, too…”
“Yes.”
“Oh, first, get another drink. Eat the meat, too! Isn’t the trainee’s food a little
too poor?”
“No. It’s better than I think. The accommodation is also good.”
‘Deokgu! You’re doing good!’
When I saw Yoo Ahyoung laughing, I had to realize that my thoughts were
correct.
‘Good.’
Interviews with Kim Hyunsung had already been conducted several times.
She even had an interview with me. Of course, it had been a long time ago
when the guild’s catalog had been distributed, and there was a time when I
thought the money wasn’t good enough, so I kept raising the salary and the
down payment.
There was also a time when Kim Hyunsung approached her first to become
friends, but his social skill level was not so high, so it would be impossible to
convince her.
I also tried quite a bit to suck up to Yoo Ahyoung, but I thought it was
impossible to get closer to her, as she always seemed wary of me.
I sent Park Deokgu just in case a few days ago, and it was finally starting to
produce results.
‘I don’t know what she’s thinking.’

I bet Park Deokgu was way friendlier than I am. When I remembered how
quickly he became close to her at their first meal, I had to nod once again.
“It looks like you are really close to each other.”
“Ah! Of course. Didn’t you say it last time, too? Of course, I’m close to
everyone else. But what can I say about Hyung-nim, me, and Hyunsung-ssi?
The close bond that has been passed was maintained since the tutorial. The
unspeakable passionate friendship of men! Something like that! Now I think I
can see what Hyung-nim and Hyung-ssi are thinking even when I close my
eyes!”
That must just be his illusion.
“Speaking of the tutorial, I remembered something… At that time, Hyung-

nim… there’s a crash! After hitting the monster’s head with a stone… He
said, ‘Deokgu, if I can… You can do better.’ Wow! That gave me courage in
the dungeon. Originally, I was trembling because I was scared, but I got
courage!”
‘How many times has he told this story?’
One downside was that it would make me a little embarrassed, but I could
bear it.
“You told that story last time, Deokgu Oppa.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Still, it’s a story that makes me feel good every time I listen to it. I feel
that you are really close.”
“Hahaha. We are a little bit, actually. Of course, the relationship between

Deokgu, Hayan, and Hyunsung, who have met in the tutorial dungeon, is also
valuable. But our Blue Guild is the best because it has a family-like
atmosphere. I have a good relationship with other guild members, too.”
“Ah! I see.”
“Yes. In fact, everyone is close to each other like family.”
“Not only close like a family! Hyung-nim and Hayan can soon become a real
family.”
“Ah… As expected, they were dating each other, right? I heard something
about it, but I wasn’t sure, so I was just thinking…”
“For…now, it is.”
“And it’s the Gangwon-do’s dating expert, Park Deokgu, that connected the
two!”
“I’m not saying that I was a bridge between them and played a decisive role.
Hayan was a little timid, so I just gave her a little push. Ahem.”
“Gangwon-do’s love doctor? So, did you two meet in the tutorial and started
dating?”
“Yes. That definitely happened.”
She looked like she was finding this interesting.
‘Is she interested in this kind of thing?’
I thought maybe it could be. Although time had passed by without anyone
noticing, it was natural that she, who was still in her early twenties, would be
interested in such love stories.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Park Deokgu cut me off.
“That… Actually, Hayan is a genius, but! Ahem! When she was in the
tutorial dungeon, there were some bad times. I don’t know in detail, but other
people just hated her…”
“Oh…”
“I’m not saying that bad people bullied her. At that time, in our tutorial
dungeon, Hyung-nim was gathering and protecting the survivors… Anyway,
they gave just a little bit of the distributed food to her on purpose! These
rotten bastards!”
“Ah…”
“I don’t want to say this, but there was this guy! He was trying to do
something to her! No, this story is a bit delicate. Anyway, Hayan couldn’t say
anything, but it must have been very hard at the time.”
“I see.”
“At that time, it was our Kiyoung Hyung-nim who appeared like a hero.”
My face turned red.
‘So embarrassing.’
But it wasn’t so bad. I could see Yoo Ahyoung glancing at me and nodding.
“At that time, Kiyoung Hyung-nim started to take care of Hayan. Of course,
up to this point, Hyung-nim said that he took care of Hayan because he
remembered his younger sister… But a human’s heart doesn’t work the way
we want it to. Since she liked him so much, I gave her some advice…”
“Yes.”
“At the time, there was no one who didn’t know about Park Deokgu, a dating
expert in Gangwon-do. Ahem… It wasn’t a big deal. It gets too long to talk
about in detail, but anyway, I gave her a lot of advice, and they suddenly got
close. Anyone who gets into the hands of a Gangwon-do’s dating expert is
successful!”
“I see.”
“But, in the end, it is because of these two people that their love blossomed.
Hayan took courage, and Hyung-nim ended up liking her. The fact that their
love ended beautifully is because of the role they played, not mine. I only
helped.”
As he looked at me and raised his thumb, I felt like shaking my head at him,
but at least Yoo Ahyoung’s reaction wasn’t a negative one. She even looked
impressed.
It was then that she spoke.
“Er…”
“Yes?”
“If it’s okay, can I get a consultation from you, too?”
Of course, that had been completely unexpected.

Chapter 215
Chapter 215: Gangwon-do’s Dating Expert (2)
“Of course! When it comes to dating, Park Deokgu is the best, right?”
Unlike me, whose cheeks were red, Park Deokgu busied himself with
boasting. I wasn’t sure if he really was Gangwon-do’s dating expert, but it
seemed that he couldn’t hide his joy upon learning someone wanted to apply
for a consultation after a long time.
‘Who is it?’
Though I felt exhausted, I was also curious.
‘Is it Kim Hyunsung?’
It was not impossible.
Unlike Deokgu and I, our lovely returner was not only a typical good-looking
guy, but he also had the desired manners. If I were a woman, I would be
chasing him, too. He was successful, so it was obvious for him to put up iron
walls around him to prevent girls from approaching.
‘Or is it one of the trainees?’
I thought there was no reason to keep postponing our guild’s proposal,

assuming that the one she liked was among the trainees. All I had to do was
wait for her answer.
Since she is not asking me to leave, I suppose it didn’t matter if I heard it.
“So.”
“Well, tell me openly.”

“Err…”
“Anything is fine.”
Ahyoung hesitated before speaking once more.
“The fact is… I have someone I’m going out with.”
“Huh?”
“I, like Instructor Lee Kiyoung and Instructor Jung Hayan, in the tutorial
dungeon…”
“Ahhh…”
I felt surprised at the fact that she already had a beau. However, I wasn’t
surprised.
If you were a man, you couldn’t possibly dislike a woman like this. Although
her personality is fine, her appearance was the one that proved to be
overwhelming.
The face was a little ordinary, but the legendary chest’s majesty covered all
the cons.
It should be the same now, but there must have been people trying to do
something to her in the tutorial dungeon.
“Then, aren’t you two already dating? I don’t think you need much help…”
I couldn’t even imagine that Yoo Ahyoung would have a boyfriend on

campus. Obviously, I remember that she was always alone at first. Though I
hadn’t been interested in the other recruits, I paid quite a bit of attention to
her.
It might sound like I was a stalker, but it was to figure out what kind of
person she was, and in fact, I was able to empathize with the situation she
was in.
‘I haven’t seen her recently, but…’
I haven’t seen anyone I could call her boyfriend.
She didn’t have any friends to talk to, and she was always alone. The only
people that talked to her until she achieved some results were only gangster-
like bullies.
However, for some reason, there was a situation that I can predict.
“No. The situation is a little complicated now.”
“Ahem. I’m sorry I couldn’t play the role of cupid of love, but counseling is
still counseling. Well, aren’t you worried about your relationship? Then, here
is Park Deokgu!”
“Yes. As I said before, Oppa and I met in the tutorial dungeon. He

accidentally rescued me from being almost hit by a monster. We didn’t ask
one another to go out, and as the situation was, we didn’t have time to do
something like lovers…”
“Hmmm… Yes. Hyung-nim and Hayan were the same.”
“That… Did you say that the Blue Guild Master Kim Hyunsung saved the
survivors?”
“Yep. He is great.”
“It wasn’t like that, but Oppa did something similar. He saved the survivors
as far as he could, and he did not hesitate to go on dangerous paths with
others to get food… Maybe because of us, he couldn’t participate in the
strategy. He wasn’t on the attack team, but he changed his class in the tutorial
dungeon.”
“Wow!”
“Anyway, the important thing is that I liked him, and he liked me, too.”
“That’s so exciting.”
“It’s hard to tell everything that happened in the dungeon, but… Ah! What
else happened…”
I wanted to listen a little more, but the dramatic pauses were driving me
crazy. When it appeared that no one was going to speak up anytime soon, I
took matters into my own hands.
“I have a question. May I ask it to you, Trainee Yoo Ahyoung?”
“Ah! Yes.”
“It’s a little rude, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you go around with your
boyfriend. Of course, I understand that because of class, yet you always seem
to be alone every time…”
“Ahhhhhh… Actually, when we came out of the tutorial dungeon and just
started getting the education, Oppa asked me to keep a little distance. I
understand it because it was a time when we had to focus more on training. It
was a little lonely, but…”
‘I knew it.’
[Checking the unique characteristic of the player Yoo Ahyoung.]
[Rich Heart]
‘You got conned…’
I was now able to put the pieces together.
He had only stayed with her back then because he had nothing left to lean on.
However, once he found a possible path he could take, he dumped her.
‘A shitty person like me can understand this. He’s definitely a Lee Kiyoung-
inspired bastard.’
There must’ve been a reason for him to hang around with Yoo Ahyoung in
the tutorial dungeon.
In short, he may have needed someone to release his sexual desire, or he may
have needed someone to die for himself or someone to sacrifice in case of an
emergency.
“It’s not like we got the seven-year itch yet. Oppa is just a bit cold-hearted…
Still, he’s a warm person inside.”
In other words, she was the one who had gotten abandoned. The reason she
survived the tutorial dungeon was that she had gotten lucky. If there had been
an opportunity for her to be abandoned, she would definitely have been.
What came after was also obvious. After completing the first class change
and leaving the tutorial dungeon, he must have realized that he was quite
talented… The existence of this woman, who was holding him back, must
have bothered him.
In the eyes of a guy who couldn’t see her talent, he would have thought that
the only advantage of this woman was her big chest. Of course, it wouldn’t
take long before he realized that the insurance he was carrying was a gem.
Now would be the right time for him to change his attitude.
“Since education is almost over now. Oppa came back to me as before. He

hasn’t received an offer from a guild yet, but he will definitely be taken by
other clans and guilds. What I’m worried about…”
“Maybe the guy who is your boyfriend said he wanted to join the same guild.
Or he probably asked you to ask us if he could get in the Blue to be together
with you.”
“Huh. How did you know?”
It was too obvious.
“It’s nothing. I felt that way for some reason.”
“Instructor Lee Kiyoung is right. It may feel a little insignificant, but it’s an
important issue for me… Actually, it’s the first time someone has expected
something from me. The reason I was able to work hard was all because of
what the instructor said… Also, I want to comply with what the instructor
said, but I feel kind of guilty because of him.”
“Why didn’t you tell me to bring him together with you?”
“Because I know it’s a nuisance.”
‘Ah, she’s nice.’
If she had asked me with no worries, perhaps I could have done something.
She deserved to be treated, after all. However, she didn’t because she knew it
would be a nuisance for us.
‘The guy who conned her… Should I take him in?’
That guy’s personality seemed like trash, but he could be used once the
contract was successful.
Even if I didn’t use him as a party member, he could still be useful in other
things, and it was not a bad deal to be able to save talent in exchange for
taking in one piece of trash, as long as he didn’t get too cocky and ask for a
boost to raise his salary.
It may be annoying to have someone who could control a person like Yoo
Ahyoung, but it would, in turn, be easy to control him with the power I
currently held.
If I did not feel satisfied with him, I could just kill him…
‘I can just give him some gold.’
Of course, I could provide some love counseling to Ahyoung. That would be

a simpler method.
If not…
‘Is it better to just drop him?’
Ahyoung looked like a pushover. It looked like she would give him
everything with a little bit of sweet talk, so perhaps it was okay to do the
work.
As I tried to organize my thoughts, Deokgu took a deep breath.
“Hyung-nim, I have to say something.”
“Okay…”
“I’m sorry to say this, Ahyoung-ssi, but…”
“Yes?”
“I think it’s better for you to break up.”
At this, Ahyoung looked a little disconcerted. It was also strange to see

Deokgu looking so serious.
The girl’s reaction was natural. She must’ve thought Deokgu was rude to
suggest such a thing.
“I’ve never seen him, and I don’t know his face, but he honestly doesn’t seem
to be a good person.”
‘He’s too direct…’
Speaking carefully here would’ve been the better option. Park Deokgu was
too direct.
‘Gangwon-do Dating Expert King Deokgu, my ass.’
“Ah…”
“As a messenger of love, it hurts not to bless you two, but Ahyoung is worth
more than him. I’m not saying this because I’m in the Blue Guild. Honestly,
if it were Hyung-nim, it wouldn’t be a problem to bring that person to the
guild with Ahyoung. Isn’t it? Hyung-nim?”
“Well, yes.”
“Of course, there are vacancies in our guild’s T.O! Can you call him a man
when, instead of supporting and cheering for the person he loves, he holds
you back and wants to be carried by you? To tell you to keep some distance
just as soon as you got out of the dungeon, he’s someone petty and
shamefully dirty. Who can guarantee that he didn’t come back because
Ahyoung is doing well?”
“Ah….”
All of a sudden, this bastard had become sharp.
“Well, it’s a little abrupt, but I’ll tell you an old story. In the past, there was
an aunt named Oh Young-hee in our neighborhood. It is assumed that her
husband met another woman and ran away to Seoul, leaving her with a less
than a three-month-old baby. When I was just a high school student, aunt
Young-hee’s restaurant was doing pretty good, so she put out the 2nd and 3rd
stores in other areas… The cheating husband came back and asked her to take
him in.”
“Ah….”
“In the end, since that aunt had a daughter, she was forced to accept him.
After she died of a sickness, he returned to the woman he ran away with and
spent a lot of aunt’s money. There are many bad people in the world. It’s
because Ahyoung seems to be too nice…”
“Oh…”
“Of course, I haven’t lived long enough to give this advice. I’m not a fuddy-
duddy that is telling you this for you to obey. I’m not saying this because I’m
in a higher position either, but… Ah! Aren’t we friends now since we had a
drink? I’m speaking as a friend. This is something Ahyoung has to choose.
Please think carefully about whether that guy is really the person that
Ahyoung thinks.”
‘Why is this bastard doing this suddenly?’
“If he’s not that kind of guy, then Park Deokgu, the messenger of love, will
support you with all my utmost power.”
Park Deokgu’s response was heavy, but it was not bad overall. I could tell
that Yoo Ahyoung knew how genuine Deokgu’s words were. She probably
understood that this was not bait to try and get her to join Blue.
There was a tense pause, and, as Ahyoung’s expression worsened, I could tell
she had come to a decision.
If that guy treated Yoo Ahyoung sincerely, she had nothing to be anxious
about, but I could be 100% sure that he was trash.
“I… I do not know.”
Though her response had been this, her expression looked sad. She must’ve
remembered some bad memories of him.
“W-What if what Deokgu Oppa said… is correct… W-What should I do?

What should I do?”
Park Deokgu glanced toward me before speaking up once more.
“Well, Hyung-nim will get revenge for you!”
Once again, this bastard reminded me of how annoying he really was.

Chapter 216
Chapter 216: Cute Revenge (1)
Each person valued different things. In my case, I valued survival.
I thought getting on Kim Hyunsung’s bus was my top priority, and I moved
desperately to survive with my lack of talent. I threw the dice and visited Cha
Hee-ra, risking my life, and even had to beat a crazy old man who didn’t have
the right disposition.
I knew that I shouldn’t belittle other people, and I knew that I shouldn’t
ignore the different values each of us had, but honestly, Yoo Ahyoung’s
worries didn’t really touch me.
‘I understand, but…’
Of course, I could understand. She was now in her early twenties.
She needed a safe place to put her mind since she was risking her life all the
time in a place where there were all kinds of monsters. It certainly had merit.
First of all, the promise of being lovers contributed to each other’s mental
stability.
I couldn’t understand all of Yoo Ahyoung’s thoughts, but perhaps the reason
she was able to withstand the tutorial dungeon was that there was someone
who she could mentally depend on.
‘In my case, is it possible to project it onto Kim Hyunsung?’
I could also remember the stability I felt from our warm returner. It may be a
little different from Yoo Ahyoung, but if I were to think about struggling not
to fall off of Kim Hyunsung…
‘Now I can understand…’

Things had just gotten a lot more interesting.
If a third party realized that Kim Hyunsung was a returner and that third party
tried to take Kim Hyunsung from me, I would go crazy.
As I glanced at my side, I could see Yoo Ahyoung looking nervous.
“Are you really okay with this?”
“Yes. It’s okay. I’m a little sorry for Oppa, but… Listening to Deokgu Oppa,
there are a few things that bother me. I want to check it with my own eyes.”
“You may be a little shocked…”
“I can bear it. Would I not be seeing his true nature? And the conversation
will be inaudible to other people, right?”
“Yes. I’m sure of it. Of course, it won’t work for those sensitive to magic or
warriors with acute senses, but this is a training center. At best, only the
instructors will be able to see or hear us. The attack team won’t be able to see
it, too.”
“It’s incredible—this thing called magic. You can even make your body
transparent. No, in this case, isn’t the Instructor Jung Hayan the best one at
this sort of thing?”
“No one else can handle this kind of magic so perfectly.”
In addition to attack magic, if there were another kind of magic that Jung
Hayan could do well, it would, of course, be stalking magic.
Jung Hayan was a specialist who had unrivaled authority in such types of
magic as location tracking, invisibility, and sleep magic. She was so good
that even Magic Guild said that we should open up a school in honor of her.
‘She must have even developed magic that I did not know about.’
It was just a hypothesis, but considering that she was even checking my
heartbeat, it was a probable story.
“Anyway, it would be better to wait. Let’s wait while chatting.”
“Do you think he will come?”
“Trainee Yoo Ahyoung should hope for that person not to come.”
It was already not a good thing to come to an empty classroom after the class
was over.
“Yes…”
As the prospect of giving up made itself known to me, the door of the lecture
room opened.
However, the people that came in were not who I expected them to be.
These people looked familiar, and soon, I began to realize who they were.
‘Han Sora’s maids.’
Of course, they were now playing a leading role in harassing Han Sora.
They held Han Sora herself, wearing bandages around her arms and legs and
wearing an eye band.
‘Oh, my…’
I didn’t activate the invisibility magic to see this kind of thing, but I felt
worried about being a witness to such an event, all the same.
‘Yoo Ahyoung can’t know about that…’
Externally, it was said that Han Sora inadvertently entered into Jung Hayan’s
magic laboratory and had an accident. Of course, I could have said she was
punished for trying to do something with me, but seeing how Han Sora
looked now; there was no way I could announce that.
‘Since she was talking about sexual harassment or something, I gave her a
lesson!’
Of course, the innocent Jung Hayan was disqualified as an instructor for
careless management of the magic laboratory.
Han Sora, a thief who tried to steal Jung Hayan’s magic with a small amount
of consolation money, will not be charged for trespassing on Jung Hayan’s
laboratory, showing the broad generosity of Blue to the trainees.
There was still a little time left, so it didn’t matter if they came in here, but if
she heard that maid 1, maid 2, and maid 3 were talking about the sexual
harassment case, it would get awkward.
‘Since they received 100 gold each, they wouldn’t talk.’
However, it didn’t feel nice seeing them up to no good.
When Han Sora was pushed away, she staggered and hit the corner at the end
of the classroom.
This, of course, elicited giggles from the three other girls.
“You look good. You pretended to be a queen, and now you’re completely
disabled, Han Sora-ssi. Pfft.”
“I knew it since you were walking around so cockily. Instructor Lee Kiyoung
was right. Originally, the kids that pretend the most are the first to get
fucked.”
“…”
“Look at her expression. Look at her expression.”
“Let your expression loose, bitch.”
“Maybe you don’t like us. How could you be happy? The maids who used to
suck up to you are now looking down at you. It would be annoying enough,
right? Inside, you must be cursing us a lot. But, Sora-ssi, it’s time to know
your place now!”
“…”
It was a little embarrassing to see the maids beating Han Sora. Of course, I
knew she was being bullied, but I didn’t expect it to be this severe.
“Hey. Don’t hit her too hard.”
“It’s okay. No one will notice. You just need to hit around the area with the
bandages.”
“No, she can’t die like that. She’s not in good condition. She can’t even
walk…”
“Don’t worry. Originally, these strong bitches have an extra physical strength
to be beaten up.”
“She won’t even scream. She’s really strong. Hey, Sora Eunni. Please talk.
Yeah? Haven’t you thought we’d be more upset if you come out this way?”
“…”
“Hey. Bring me that.”
“Ah… Okay.”
Of course, I knew why they were acting this way.
‘It’s because of their sense of inferiority.’
Unfortunately, all four were students in my alchemy class. In Han Sora’s

case, if the magic circuit was smashed and she was forced to choose alchemy,
the other three students would be in a position to complete the alchemy
course with no choice.
The interesting part was that Han Sora had the best grades among them.
In the first place, she was smart, she was quick to understand, and when I saw
her desperate focus, I think this result was inevitable.
‘She is strong.’
I couldn’t say that she was talented, but she was definitely desperate. Perhaps
these girls weren’t happy about this fact.
Yoo Ahyoung spoke to me nervously, yet I shook my head.
“S-Shouldn’t we stop them? Instructor Lee Kiyoung?”
“No. Let’s wait and see. Of course, the three trainees will be disciplined, and
we’ll take different measures with Han Sora later. It’s not a good thing to be
found out that we were hiding here with invisibility magic.”
“Ah!”
“There are things I want to check personally…”
“What? What did you say?”
Our voices did not reach Han Sora and the other wenches, anyway.
It was hard to understand why we were whispering, but I had to focus on the
situation happening in front of me for now. It was because I saw one of the
maids was carrying a bag.
“What is this?”
“…”
“Isn’t this something you saw a lot? Sora Eunni?”
“Give… Give it to me.”
“Our Sora Eunni has finally opened her mouth wide. Pfft. Why? You ignored
this so much, and now it has become precious?”
‘Wow… These are real demons…’
One of the maids brought out a personal alchemy kit. It was a cheap alchemy
kit distributed to students for practice.
“I said, give it to me!”
Han Sora, who had not resisted until now, lifted her body and rushed to them,
but there was no way she could take the object from the hands of those who
could move normally. I felt bad for her.
“I said… give it to me!”
“Your impression of her is damn funny! Pu-ha-ha-ha!”
“I told you to give it to me!”
“I told you to give it to meee! I don’t want to. I’m not giving you. Hey, take
it!”
“Yes!”
They then began to pass each other the kit, making a game out of it until Han
Sora finally managed to snag it for herself. Of course, this only resulted in the
others grabbing onto her.
As she refused to let go of the kit, I could tell she was quite strong.
“Our Sora Eunni is really strong. Hey, let’s destroy that.”
“Huh? Really? It’s a fixture that came out for practice.”
“It doesn’t matter. She will do it by herself. Whether she gets another one or
not, that’s her responsibility, and it’s not our concern. She will have broken it
because she was careless.”
“Don’t…”
“Don’t do what? Sora Eunni, are you telling me not to break this? But I want
to, what should I do? You once said that it was trash from manufacturing
workers, but now you are hugging it as if it were a treasure. Hey, grab it!”
“I told you not to. Sorry. I was wrong.”
“It’s too late to apologize, Sora. Pfft.”
I bet those three were born with qualities that would make them great villains
in the future. The whole situation felt so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but let
out a laugh.
As the three girls tried to smash the kit, Han Sora did her best to protect it
from further harm. It was like seeing Park Deokgu protect me with all he had.
However…
‘There’s no way she can block it.’
Eventually, two of them caught Han Sora directly, and the other started to
step on the alchemy kit with excitement palpable in her actions. The kit broke
easily, seeing as it was cheap.
“Don’t do it! I told you not to! You!”
“Nope? Nope? Pfft…”
“Don’t do it, I was wrong!”
“No? Hey. Sora Eunni is crying.”
“Sniff… Don’t do it…”
Looking at Han Sora, who was now crying while grabbing the broken bag,
the girls slowly calmed down. Eventually, they all turned around.
“It should have been that way from the beginning, Sora. Now you know your
place, right? Stop being cocky. Pretending to work hard and getting
compassion is disgusting… Let’s go, girls.”
“Oh. It’s already this late. Sora Eunni, we’ll be going now.”
“Pooey! Get off to Asgard! You one-eyed Odin-bitch!”

“Pu-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. She said Odin!”
Of course, Han Sora did not follow them. After checking the inside of the
bag, she cried even more, which made my heart squeeze.
“Waaaahhh…”
It was then that the door of the classroom once again opened. Yoo Ahyoung’s
eyes widened.
The next batch of tormentors had come in.

Chapter 217
‘Tsk.’
The next batch turned out to be a tall and handsome guy. Of course, he was
not alone.
Attached next to him was quite a pretty woman.
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Kim Ki-cheol.]
[Name: Kim Ki-cheol]
[Age: 25]
[Disposition: Selfish Optimist]
[Class: Warrior]
[Stats]
[Strength: 18/Growth potential: Rare or higher]
[Agility: 18/Growth potential: Rare or higher]
[Stamina: 18/Growth potential: Rare or lower]
[Intelligence: 18/Growth potential: Rare or lower]
[Luck: 18/Growth potential: Rare or higher]

[Magic Power: 08/Growth potential: Rare or higher]
[Overall: He just has ordinary talent levels and stats. Uninteresting piece of
trash. 3333/3333.]
I couldn’t see anything unusual about him at all.
One thing I could confirm was that he was an optimist like Yoo Ahyoung.
Of course, Yoo Ahyoung had ‘timidity,’ and he had ‘selfish,’ but I thought
that there were some parts that both matched quite well. Anyway, it would be
natural for the two sudden guests to open the door and look surprised, seeing
as they were not expecting anyone to be here at this time.
“Huh?”
“What do we do, Oppa? Should we come next time?”
“Who knows when an opportunity will come again? We don’t have time
anymore, but this is the only classroom where instructors don’t go around.”
“We can do it later.”
“But I don’t want to. I want to be with you now. Excuse me.”
“…”
“I’m sorry, but if you’re not using this place… Can we use it?”
“…”
Of course, there was no way that Han Sora could reject their proposal. Seeing
her head out was like seeing a puppy head off into the rain.
‘What a pity.’
Of course, many people were more pitiful than Han Sora in Lindel, but
watching an event like this firsthand stabbed my conscience. She was the one
who started this whole thing, but she was still human, and I was capable of
feeling sympathetic.
“What? She didn’t even answer. Why does she look like that? Do you know
her?”
“That’s Han Sora.”
“Han Sora?”
“Yes. The kid who was in the attack team.”
“Really? Are you talking about that wizard Hanso? Ki-cheol Oppa?”
“Why are you so oblivious to the news?”
“Should I be scolded for not knowing that? I just wasn’t interested.”
“She got caught while robbing an instructor’s lab. I heard that she was
greedy… Well, she didn’t have luck. They said that the instructor Jung
Hayan was away for a while, and she accidentally touched what she was
experimenting with, and it exploded.”
“Ohhh…”
“It’s the result of a genius wizard’s research, so it’s natural to want to steal it,
but karma apparently exists. Thanks to that, many of the wizards resent her.
Many people thought that the lecture of instructor Jung Hayan was a little bit
difficult to understand, but it was definitely helpful. I also learned how to use
magic power because of instructor Jung Hayan.”
“Ohhh… So that’s what it was.”
“Han Sora is the wrong one, but it’s sad for me, having Instructor Jung
Hayan disqualified. I should have gotten a little closer with her…”
“Is that because you want to get into Blue?”
“It has not been confirmed yet, but it’s good to have some connections. This
is already a society. Rather than spending time stupidly, there is nothing
wrong with getting close to each instructor.”
“Is that why you are being nice to me?”
“Well… do you want to know?”
“Save it. Thanks to Oppa, I’m getting benefits, too.”
“That’s why I like you.”
As I averted my gaze, I saw Yoo Ahyoung trembling. Naturally, I cringed.

However, Yoo Ahyoung next to me was not Jung Hayan. She wouldn’t go
berserk.
It appeared to me that this wasn’t the first time these two had gotten intimate.
‘Tsk, tsk.’
[Checking the unique characteristic of the player Kim Ki-cheol]
[Horny fox]
When I checked the unique characteristic, a very predictable characteristic

came out.
‘Ah, then he definitely likes women.’
I began to like him even less. Though he was doing what he could to assure
his position, he had no substance to him whatsoever. Guys like him never
became successful.
“By the way, you have a girlfriend… Is it okay to do this?”
“You ask that every day.”
“That’s because this turns me on a little more. Isn’t it the same for you?”
“A little bit.”
“You have to be good to Yoo Ahyoung so that you can go to Blue.”
“Ah, I’m already in. Or I can go to another guild… Who would have known
that the woman that I threw away would be a gem? The fact that I hung
around with her in the tutorial is good.”
“But if it were me, I would be a little more careful. Of course, it’s not bad for
me to do this with Oppa, but… Are you not nervous? Although the cow looks
to be quite slow… Just settle down. She has a nice body.”
“It has nothing to do with her body. She’s not much fun. It’s the kind that’s
okay to be married with, but not to date. You know what I mean?”
“Then, what about dating?”
“Is that what you want to hear? Of course, I have to date you.”
“Good.”
Seeing them start to make out made me feel sick. Of course, what I felt
couldn’t even be compared to what Yoo Ahyoung was feeling.
The more intimate they got, the more she trembled. She reached out to take
my hand.
Tears continued to pour out of her eyes.
‘Even Han Sora…’
Today, I saw two women cry, which, for some reason, incited my feelings of
guilt.
“Shall we leave?”
“…”
“I think it would be better to leave.”
“Yes…”
“No good would come from staying here.”
They might be surprised to see the classroom door open by itself, but that was
not something I cared about.
Meanwhile, Ahyoung’s emotions only worsened.
I knew it would only be right to comfort her. When I patted her shoulder, I
was tightly hugged.
‘I knew it.’
“Waaaaahh… Gasp…”
Of course, I started to resent Park Deokgu.
“Waaahhh… Waaah…”
It seems as if she trusted him more than I thought. Due to the tutorial
dungeon’s nature, this was a natural and inevitable result.
It was hard to sympathize with her because I had never been backstabbed like
that, but I could tell just how much hurt she was feeling.
She calmed down after a while.
“Are you okay?”
She was still sniffing, but it was much better than before.
Her eyes were swollen, and her face was buried in my chest as if she couldn’t
calm down, but she eventually nodded.
Hugging for a little longer could have alerted Hayan, who was resting at
Lindel, so I quietly disengaged from her before speaking once more.
“I’m not sure what to say in order to comfort you, but I’m sorry.”
“No… Sniff. It’s okay. I was expecting it… I could remember some
things…”
“Ah.”
“But when I saw it… Ugh…”
Although I did not sympathize with her sadness, I had no choice but to
convey words of consolation diligently. I knew that only this would make her
give a positive answer.
At this point, I was sure she would end up going to Blue. However, one more
thing remained.
This was Park Deokgu’s work, not mine.
‘Revenge?’
Of course, looking at her status or disposition, she didn’t seem to want it

much, but she might want to get some retribution for her broken heart.
‘She is not going to kill him or make him a crippled person…’
People like Jung Hayan, Lee Jihye, and Cha Hee-ra would do this, but it
didn’t work as a solution for these women or newbies.
‘It sounds like fun, but…’
It wouldn’t be bad to enjoy some entertainment, seeing as I’d been working

hard recently.
Yoo Ahyoung hesitated for a moment before speaking in a firm, clear voice.
“I’ll join Blue.”
‘Nice.’
“You thought well. There is also a saying that says the best revenge is
success. Maybe your ex-boyfriend will bitter. We will offer you both the
annual salary and the down payment, along with the best treatment.”
“Yes… but I don’t really have that kind of mindset.”
“If he knows that the woman he has abandoned and joked is actually such a
precious person, he will regret all that he’s done.”
“Thank you for the kind words… Thank you.”
“I’m not just sweet-talking. I’m talking about reality. Yoo Ahyoung, you are
a talented, beautiful, and smart woman. It’s actually a waste for the idiot in
the classroom over there. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to recommend a fun
way to exact your revenge… Oh, of course, this is a gift for joining Blue.”
“What? No, you don’t have to…”
“Let’s date for a while.”
“What?”
“Ah. Of course, it’ll just be for a few days, so you don’t have to worry about
it. It’ll last until the end of the training period. That boy will definitely be
foaming at the mouth.”
“…”
“You’ll be someone who’ll be more capable than him. Well, in many ways,
be it sexual, power, or finances.
“Ah…”
I knew she knew what I was talking about.
Originally, she could have planned to deal with the sadness all by herself, but
I had managed to intrigue her with my suggestion. This was why human
psychology was interesting.
The scene she just saw had been shocking enough. The sadness may not go
away yet, but negative emotions such as revenge were coming up on the one
side of her heart.
‘It may be that reason she wants to come to Blue immediately…’
It would not be bad to deal with this right away since she might constantly be
crying of sadness.
Rather, if she kept it inside, there may be room for an explosion in the future.
‘I can’t let this destroy her personality like Hayan or Hee-young.’
This was revenge that could be considered cute.
Yoo Ahyoung nodded effusively without knowing.
“Then… Please, instructor, help me.”
If I was going to do this, I would do it properly.
‘I have to employ Tol To-ri. And call White Paul.’
After all, a man’s car was his pride.
[LMFAO]
Chapter 218
In the end, Blue ended up using its real priority bargaining rights with Yoo
Ahyoung.
Of course, after everything had been concluded, we still had one left, but I
did not feel the need to use it. I knew that making other guilds and clans wait
any longer was a nuisance enough, so I hurried to open the transfer market.
As a result, new recruiters came pouring in.
In my opinion, these new recruits’ potential was just ordinary, but the
reaction was very good, perhaps because of the perception that the Red
Mercenaries had directly trained them.
‘That’s because everyone is actually in good condition.’
It may be insignificant to a medium-sized guild, such as the Blue, Red

Mercenary, Black Swan, or Magic Guild, but this would prove to be a big
deal for the smaller clans and guilds.
Thanks to the Red Mercenaries, these recruits garnered more attention than
they would ever have if any other guild had trained them.
Meanwhile, their said trainers shared information about each clan and guild
with the trainees in the training center. Guild guides, such as catalogs and
pamphlets, were distributed among trainees, and it was common to see them
having discussions about these during their breaks.
Information that had been almost completely controlled began to be released.
While the training schedule was still ongoing, there were concerns that the
training center would become quite a bustle and training would be disrupted,
but that did not happen.
In order to stand out to the scouts who visit several times a day, new recruits
who had not yet received an offer had to work on training with everything
they had, and the ones who were already recruited had to work hard to
increase their value.
A strange, competitive atmosphere resonated within the area. Of course, it

wasn’t just the trainees who competed.
Each clan and guild also felt the competitiveness and thus showed each other
up.
The proper recruitment war had begun.
giving gifts to prospective members and slandering other clans in order to get
the trainees on their side.
For example, guild masters and scouts began to show off a more luxurious
appearance. They were always seen with a well-trained elite to show off their
strength or wealth.
The clan welfare, the guild’s budget, and even the accommodation’s quality
and future development possibilities have become common topics to hear
about.
Although it seemed surprisingly effective, Blue did not participate in their

competition.
We didn’t even distribute a guild catalog, and it was obvious why.
‘There’s no more need to promote anything.’
Blue’s recruitment had actually ended with Lee Chang-ryul and Yoo
Ahyoung. We thought there was no need to seek other new recruits anymore,
so there was no need to bother preparing presentations to promote the guild.
Even if we didn’t do anything, rumors were sure to revolve around, anyway.
Information was constantly being released in the training camp. After the
market was opened, it was no longer a closed place. In the process of talking
with the scouts of each guild, the new recruits gradually learned to what
extent of power Kim Hyunsung and I had in Blue.
Besides being appointed to one of Eight Seats in the Holy Empire and being
the Vice Master of Blue, I was also the Honorary Bishop of the Holy Empire.
As a bonus, I was also the Mercenary Queen’s Gigolo. I didn’t know how
many titles these trainees knew about me, but I didn’t care.
Even if they hadn’t heard the story, they would definitely feel that something
had changed about me.
“Isn’t that a griffon?”
“Is it for Instructor Lee Kiyoung?”
“I heard that there are only four of them in Lindel. One belongs to the Red
Mercenary’s Guild Master, one belongs to the Black Swan Guild Master, and
the other two are owned by the Blue Guild Master and the Vice Guild
Master…”
“Who did you hear it from?”
“From a Nuna in my clan…”
“Ohhh… Did you finally decide to go in?”
“Yes. Thanks to this, I heard all kinds of things, and I think that people
shouldn’t judge someone just by their appearance.”
“I’m not joking. Even cars can be priced, but griffons are more valuable…”
“He was chosen as the Honorary Bishop of the Holy Empire. That would be
normal.”
“What?”
“Do you think that’s all? Oh, this hasn’t been confirmed yet…”
Of course, it wasn’t just White Paul that I showed. From wearing simple
clothing, I had begun wearing more expensive and luxurious items.
Of course, I still didn’t think that the trainees would be able to distinguish
these things, but I enjoyed them eyeing my classy getup.
‘The class is almost finished, too…’
In fact, there were no classes today. It wouldn’t be awkward to look like this
as long as I intended to privately visit the training center as a ‘possible
recruiter.’
I saw the trainees settling in front of the training center’s main entrance
before leaving to do their respective tasks. With just a little bit of magic, I
could hear what everyone was saying.
“I’m so jealous…”
“I’m not.”
“You’re lying. It is said that polygamy is also common here anyway…”
“There’s no love in polygamy.”
“If you have a lot of money, love that you didn’t initially have will blossom,
bitch. This is a dangerous place, anyway. Entering Instructor Lee Kiyoung’s
arms is better than living with a beggar that is looking for love. You will be a
thousand times happier than living with him. Should I give an extreme
example?”
“What?”
“Others may not know, but at least I’m more likely to be Mansour’s third
wife than a capable lover.”
“Somehow, I sympathize with that…”
With this, I greeted the students simply by raising one hand.
Only a few of the trainees came close to me to be friendly. Most of the

female trainees glanced at me and decided not to say a word, knowing who I
had been waiting for.
Eventually, Yoo Ahyoung approached me, looking happy for some reason.
In an instant, the trainees who were passing through the front door scrambled
to get out of her away.
‘Is this some sort of Moses reenactment, or what?’
Yoo Ahyoung now looked more confident. She was obviously aware of the
interest and jealousy pouring out from everywhere.
Seeing that she was enjoying the gazes quite a bit, I laughed. She herself had
changed a lot. First of all, there was her appearance. Most of the things on
Yoo Ahyoung’s body were also luxurious. No one would think she was a
trainee that had been receiving the same education.
‘She looks more like a princess now…’
Conscious of the envy in everyone’s gaze, she hesitated, so I took this chance
to speak.
“Shall we go then?”
“Yes, Instructor Lee Kiyoung.”
Her wide smile didn’t even seem like it was just acting.
Of course, most of the things she was wearing were the ones I had given her,
even the rings on her hand. When I remembered the first time I gave that gift,
another laugh came out.
Of course, what was interesting was not Yoo Ahyoung’s reaction, but the
people around her.
Yoo Ahyoung still hadn’t officially joined Blue.
When I first sent that kind of gift, there were speculations about whether it
was a small bribe to her come in the Blue, but as time passed, the story of
whether the offering went beyond the meaning of a simple gift started
passing around.
I wasn’t surprised that strange rumors had begun to circulate within the
training camp.
‘Instructor Lee Kiyoung is interested in trainee Young Ahyoung.’
It all started with that rumor.
‘Making her come to the Blue was because he wanted to have her next to
him.’
However, I didn’t just receive positive gazes.
In my case, there had already been rumors that I liked women anyway, so it
didn’t matter that much. It was just that a lot of uncomfortable gazes had
begun to rest on Ahyoung, who had suddenly become a princess overnight.
Of course, it took only a few days for those uncomfortable gazes to turn into
envious gazes. Her level had risen too high to cancel her out of simple
jealousy.
From the trainees’ point of view, Yoo Ahyoung’s existence had so far flown
so high that it was now invisible for those who still remained at the bottom.
It was now a familiar sensation for her to hold my hand in order to get onto
White Paul. As I couldn’t help but chuckle throughout this ordeal, Ahyoung
glanced at me.
“As expected… It doesn’t suit me, does it?”
“No. I’m laughing because you seemed so natural.”
“I feel ashamed to hear such a statement.”
“How do you feel?”

“Honestly, I like it. In fact, I felt skeptical about it at first, but I was surprised
to feel better than I first thought.”
“That’s fortunate. Did anything unusual happen today?”
“Yes. Some people have asked me if it is true that I’m dating Instructor Lee
Kiyoung. They asked about Instructor Jung Hayan, too. They were surprised
when I said that I wasn’t dating you yet.”
“I see.”
“Oh, and that person…”
“Yes?”
“He said that I should stop seeing you.”
“He seems to be anxious. Haha.”
“He hasn’t told me, but he must really be anxious. He tried to touch me too…
Of course, it was annoying. I left right away. It was him who first told me to
get closer to you, and now he’s afraid that you might take me away. Thanks
to that, he tries to approach me every chance he gets.”
The fact that I had been showering Yoo Ahyoung with gifts was undoubtedly
the reason why he had become anxious.
‘It would be strange if he wasn’t…’
The same was true of me, too.
If a smart guy stuck to Kim Hyunsung, I was sure that I wouldn’t be able to
sleep due to anxiety.
“Do you know what else I said? That he has changed these days… However,
he rather asked me if I was still the Ahyoung he knew. Honestly, I was so
perplexed back then that I wanted to squeeze his head off.”
“You could have hit him.”

“Can I really do that? The plan you told me about…”
Ahyoung was definitely more talkative now.
‘She’s definitely having fun.’
I thought it would be a very fun time for her, but I realized that she had ended
up liking my plan a little more than I thought.
“You can do whatever you want to do. The plan is easy enough to execute.
The most important thing is that Ahyoung’s mood is relieved.”
“Ah… Yes!”
Her voice had considerably brightened.

Chapter 219
In a day, everything had changed. It might be a bit cliché, but I couldn’t think
of any other words that could explain the situation right now.
The attention and gazes of people were uncomfortable, but I got used to it
after some time.
Of course, I wasn’t enjoying their envious expression. I knew better than

anyone else that this was just acting anyway, and I didn’t value it much.
What I was interested in was the effect of the reactions of people around me
on Kim Ki-cheol.
‘That mean bastard…’
No matter how I try, the thought of him annoyed me. The disgusting scenes
and voices I had witnessed kept coming back, and it was hard to bear. Just by
imagining it, my eyes got teary, and tears threatened to pour out of me.
‘So annoying.’
I didn’t like the fact that I had to feel this way because of him. If I hadn’t
pulled through with this plan, I would’ve been holed up in my room, crying.
At first, I wondered how helpful making this kind of plan with Instructor Lee
Kiyoung would be, but it certainly helped.
At least, the frustration in my chest was released, and that was enough to
make put me in a good mood. This wasn’t an emotion that I couldn’t express,
but what is important is that it relieved the frustration.
As I headed towards my room, a familiar voice called out to me.
“Ahyoung.”
“What?”
“What? I came because I wanted to see you.”
It was Kim Ki-cheol.
At first glance, he seemed relaxed, but his anxiety was evident. For a
moment, tears threatened to come out.
However, I felt at ease for some reason, probably because I could read the
anxiety contained in his expression.
“Aren’t you not supposed to be out at this time? I know that the trainees are
not allowed to leave the accommodation after midnight.”
“It’s the same for you, too.”
“Don’t you know well that the situation is different between you and me? I
was given the right to go out, and you came out without permission.”
“To be precise, it is not without permission. I had something to do, too.”
“Do what? Did you get an offer from a clan?”
“Well. It’s something similar.”
“Where?”
“It was a medium-sized guild. It’s not in Lindel, but a guild in the Castle
Rock area, I don’t know if you know, but it’s called Giant Guild.”
I had heard of it. It was a guild that became successful after making an
impressive performance in the Siege of Castle Rock. Originally, a guild
called Little Rock had been the leading guild before them.
‘Didn’t he say that a person named Song Jungwook came up after giving his
life for Castle Rock?’
I didn’t remember well, but from what I heard from Instructor Lee Kiyoung,
this appeared to be the case. Though the Giant Guild was not in Lindel, it was
still said to be one of the guilds that most trainees were aiming for.
Recently, the joining cut had also increased considerably, so if one were to
think objectively, it was a guild that one could not get in easily, but Kim Ki-
cheol’s performance seemed to make the cut.
Little by little, I began to feel frustrated, though I couldn’t figure out why.
Eventually, however, I began to realize that the reason why was because I
didn’t want Kim Ki-cheol to be doing good.
‘So annoying…’
In the end, I couldn’t help myself from speaking harshly.
“It’s not a place where you can go to, considering your grades.”
I regretted my words at once, but I gradually felt better when I saw Kim Ki-
cheol’s slightly distorted expression.
‘Ah…’
“With your grades, shouldn’t you be looking for a clan and not a guild?”
I knew I wasn’t supposed to say this, but my mouth, moving as if possessed

by something, didn’t seem to want to stop.
“If you’re going without a down payment or an annual salary, you’d better
quit, Oppa. I heard it from Instructor Lee Kiyoung. In that case, you will
likely be used for things like transporting the corpses of monsters, not for an
official guild member.”
“You…”
“I’m saying all of this for your own good. How much are the annual salary
and down payment?”
“It’s pretty good.”

“Really?”
“Yes. When I told them I was going with Ahyoung…”
“I never agreed. Why’d you do that?”
I was so angered that I couldn’t even speak properly. I knew something about
this was fishy, but I never imagined it would come out this way.
“You… Are you really going to Blue?”
“What about it? Kiyoung said he would treat both my down payment and
annual salary as the best. Blue’s welfare issues are also higher than other
large guilds.”
“When I asked to go in together….”
“I never said that I would go in together with you. Only you thought that
way.”
“Don’t you know that the rumors about them are not very good, especially
Lee Kiyoung?”
“What about the instructor? Wasn’t it Oppa who said that it would be good
for me to get close to Instructor Lee Kiyoung in the first place? Oppa told me
to do that. And he doesn’t look like a bad person. He is a much better person
than you think.”
“I heard something, too… His relationship with women is also complicated…

It’s what they say—a dawdler in one thing is a dawdler in all. The power
gained by Instructor Lee Kiyoung… Do you think it could have been made in
the right way? Do you think he is only an alchemist?”
I had no choice but to hold back so as not to say, ‘You’re just as complex as
him.’
“This is not even Earth. Why is that a fault? Rather, it’s nice that he’s
confident. It’s not that he does it secretly. It’s a story that everyone knows…
Most people with ability do that, too.”
“So… You mean that looks good?”
“It doesn’t look good, but it’s not bad, either. That person… He is capable
enough, so I think he can do that.”
“Don’t think that Instructor Lee Kiyoung’s interest in you is real, Ahyoung.
You think you know his world because he’s so kind to you, but you don’t
know it well… All that…”
“Is it important whether his interest is real or not? How much do you think
that all of the clothes I’m wearing are? Even if you work your whole life, you
won’t be able to buy anything I’m wearing. I thought it was just common, but
this ring… It costs 20,000 gold.”
Kim Ki-cheol’s expression changed into something I knew very well.
‘Inferiority.’
“Did you… sleep… with him…”
“Well, they say that it takes one to know one… Do you think I sold my
body?”
“Speak straightly. Yoo Ahyoung, you…”
“What if I did?”
Once again, his face wrinkled. My body had begun to tremble. I knew I
shouldn’t do this, but it felt so addictive that I couldn’t stop.
“You!”
“It’s not just money and power that’s great about him.”
“I can’t even compare him with someone like you in any way. Do I have to
say it? It was the first time I thought I was happy to be born a woman.”
“Yoo Ahyoung!”
Kim Ki-cheol’s expression had begun to worsen. At this, Instructor Lee

Kiyoung’s words came to mind.
‘Men foam at their mouth when the woman they thought they owned gets
taken away by another man.’
When I first heard that, I didn’t know what exactly he was talking about, but
now I could see what Instructor Lee Kiyoung, just by seeing Kim Ki-cheol.
Not only did I feel the tingling sensation behind my back, but I felt as if the
frustration in my chest had exploded, all at once.
‘I feel good.’
Just seeing him feel so inferior was enough to make me feel better.
‘Can I end it like this?’
Normally, I wouldn’t have done it. However, I wanted to see this man suffer
a little longer, and I wanted to see it for a long, long time.
I wanted to make him feel pain, over and over again. However…
‘I was also in pain.’
My heart seemed to be torn.
‘But I shouldn’t be the only one who suffers. He should also know how it
feels to be betrayed.’
Once again, Instructor Lee KiYoung’s voice resonated in my head.
He might have said it without meaning, but for some reason, his words
lingered in my head.
‘The best way is to exact revenge until you feel relieved. People who say they
feel guilty or say it’s meaningless are people who have never properly taken
revenge. If you do it correctly, it’ll feel so good that your heart will burst.’
I was definitely on a high right now. I wanted more.
“I said it because I was angry. I’ve never really done that.”
“You…”
For a moment, I could see an expression of relief on Ki-cheol’s face.
“…”
“…”
“Ahyoung.”
“What?”
“Do you know you’ve been weird these days?”
“…”
“Is that because I made you disappointed? Is it because I asked you to take
some time away?”
“It was all for you. I believed in the potential you had and thought that I
might be blocking your way. However, looking at you now, it sure seems that
I have been very negligent these days.”
Bullshit. Of course, I knew he was lying.
“I’m sorry, Ahyoung.”
“…”
However, I couldn’t hold back a smile.

“I don’t want to see your face now.”
“I’m sorry. Really… Still, I hope you at least know this. I love you.”
“I’ll be going now.”
“Ahyoung! Yoo Ahyoung!”
“And…”
“I will accept the apology, Oppa. Tomorrow… Let’s have a meal.”
At this, Kim Ki-cheol began to smile once more.
Once again, that familiar, thrilling feeling coursed through my spine.
***
As I was sitting on a sofa in Cha Hee-ra’s room and browsing the documents,
Cha Hee-ra herself spoke to me.
“You still haven’t picked up the backline? Honey?”
“Yes. I have to make a second party… There are no kids that seem useful. I
was going to pick up a freshman, but I guess I have to turn this into a job
position.”
“Perhaps there will be a few wizards from the Magic Guild once their
contract expires. I’m also trying to bring some people from there, but you
should look out as well.”
“Rather than that, I want to grow them from the beginning, without any
impurities.”
“Ah. I like that. So, that’s why you’re recruiting newcomers…”
Certainly, the job position was fine, but as two more new recruits grow
together, I wanted to bring a new backliner as well.
It would be hard to bring in someone I personally liked this time around.
Since I understood that wizards had to have an understanding of magic,

talent, and determination to work hard, I knew that fine wizards weren’t
commonly found.
I would have accepted them if they were half of what Jung Hayan was.
“Phew…”
“You seem to be having fun joking like that even while you’re busy.”
“It’s kind of fun.”
“Well, that’s up to you…. You told Hayan about Yoo Ahyoung, right?”
“Ah… Yes. Not much. Hayan is in Lindel now. I think it’s fine. Are you
okay with that?”
“I always liked this kind of thing. It feels refreshing. There aren’t many
things to enjoy here… I’m too successful to be treated like such a princess, so
I can’t feel that kind of catharsis, right? It’s about being satisfied for others.”
“Why, do you want to be treated like a princess?”
“You’re walking all over me these days. Huh?”
I stopped smiling, guilt sparking up from within me. I knew Cha Hee-ra still
had a scary aspect to her.
‘Because I saw that form…’
Her with red eyes, drooling and approaching me like a crazy bitch was still
clear in my head, so it would be natural for me to show such a reaction.
“You just imagined about that day, right?”
“No… Hee-ra.”
“I know just by looking at your face. Didn’t I tell you to forget about that?”
“It’s not something I can forget just because you tell me to do so.”
I was just making excuses at this point.
The door opened, and the guild staff informed us of the new report.
The thought of being able to see Tol To-ri after some time made me feel
better.
“Lee Kiyoung-nim. Er… A guest has come.”
“Please guide him to my room. Please tell him that I’ll be meeting him in a
little while.”
“Uh… The door is too narrow for him to be able to enter…”
“Yes?”
“That… Excuse me, but I think you’ll have to go outside and check it
yourself.”
“What? No need to… Isn’t Dialugia with him? I don’t understand what
you’re talking about right now…”
“Kie-e-e-e-e-eeeeee-ee-eeeek!”
This voice was different from usual. As I headed to the window and looked
down, an unfamiliar creature came into view.
‘Tol To-ri?’
It was like a large dog… no, it was a beast. My eyes widened.
‘Tol to-ri… How did you grow up this much?’
[I’ve uploaded 8 chapters. I have to go out and do errands. Tonight I will

upload 12-17 more chapters. Cheers! (Dec. 5)]
Chapter 220
Chapter 220: A Grown Tol To-ri (1)
Even as I rubbed my eyes before looking again, the scene before me did not
change.
Dialugia, who was standing blankly and looking around, had come with him,
but I paid her no attention and fixed my gaze on Tol To-ri once more.
When I saw him last time, I remember that he had been about the size of a
pup.
Seeing that he had grown up to the size of a large tiger, my jaw inadvertently
dropped. At this point, he looked scary, not cute.
Though Tol To-ri had been sniffing around curiously, he perked up and
looked my way instantly. The unexplained emotion in his eyes unsettled me.
“Kie-e-e-e-e-ee-ee-ee-ee!”
After letting out a huge scream, he began to nod, drooling. I felt nervous.
Though he often drooled during his infant years, I began to wonder if he now
saw me as food.
In addition, he looked highly expectant. I knew I shouldn’t let him down, as I

had neglected him thus far and only got to see his new form now. Dialugia’s
upset expression reinforced this idea.
The best thing to do now was for me to welcome them.
“Ah… Tol To-ri…”
The moment I spoke, Tol To-ri brightened.
“Haaaaa! Haaa!”
‘What’s with him?’
He surged forward at a faster speed than I had initially expected. Reflexively,

I got into posture. Before I could even come to my senses, he jumped onto
me, and I fell onto the ground.
“Kiek! Haaaa! Kie eh eh! Haaaa!”
It was painful, but the pain only lasted for a while. When I saw the tears in
his eyes, my guilt only doubled.
“Kie eh eh eh! Haaaa! Haaaaa!”
As he looked up at me with his tail wagging furiously, I could tell that this
was definitely Tol To-ri.
“Oh!”
“Kiee-ek!”
“Oh! How have you been, Tol To-ri?”
“Haaaa! Haaaaa!”
Not only did he lick each place with his tongue, but he also kept sniffing and
smelling me everywhere. I couldn’t hold him in my hand like I used to, but I
hugged him tightly and stroked him everywhere.
“Kiek! Haaa! Kiek! Haaa! Kiek! Haaa!”
His reaction remained the same to my praise.
‘So cute.’
In the meantime, he was looking at me with eyes, asking me to lift him up,
but given his size, it now proved to be difficult to do so.
Dialugia, who saw this, approached us slowly.
“He grew up too fast.”
“If you are always together, you’d be able to check on his growth. I can feel
how much you have neglected our Dialuria in the meantime.”
“I was a little busy. I planned to visit home. Somehow, things didn’t go well.
Isn’t it me that sends the food he eats every time? If you scold me too much,
I’ll be a little disappointed.”
“Just doing that doesn’t mean you’re doing a father’s duty. It’s more
important to be by his side. Think how lonely Dialuria has been. Isn’t he
missing you enough to shed tears? Are you okay? Dialuria?”
“Kiee-ek!”
“I’m not mad at your dad, Dialuria. I’m just talking for a moment. It’s not
that I’m punishing and fighting him, my lovely son.”
“Kiek!”
“I won’t tell you to be together every day, but you should be with him at least
once a week, no, maybe once every three days. And from now on, I will teach
him how to hunt little by little… I don’t know about the other days, but you
must be with us on that day. It’s the day of Dialuria’s first hunt. It will be
helpful if his father sees it.”
“Ah… Yes. Of course. If there is such a day, it would be better to tell me in

advance…”
“Aren’t I telling you right now?”
Dialugia seemed dissatisfied. Certainly, seeing tears on Tol To-ri’s face was
sad, even to me.
In fact, I didn’t think it’d been so long in terms of time, but there was
definitely be a difference between what I felt and what he felt. However, a
thought popped up in my head.
“Will he get bigger than this?”
“No. He will keep this size for a few months. Of course, he will grow little by
little, but we still have to wait for him to grow up.”
“Ohhh…”
If he got a little bigger during his stay here, he might really feel life-
threatening.
“It will be a little difficult to handle.”
“He will also learn how to change and learn how to speak.”
“Ah! Like you?”
“Of course. Usually, it is normal to take a little longer, but… our Dialuria is
very smart.”
As if Dialuria wasn’t content staying on the ground, he got on his hind legs,
trying to get on top of me.
‘Hmm…’
Of course, he couldn’t easily climb.
‘Ah, he’s heavy.’
Since my strength had increased a lot, I had stronger muscular strength than
common adult males, but it was not easy to bear this much weight.
Nevertheless, it looked like he didn’t want to give up.
In the end, he hung off of me in a half-piggyback.
His legs and tail were wrapped around my waist, his front legs around my
chest and left shoulders, and his right shoulders kept pushing my face as he
continuously screamed.
“Shall we go together today, Tol To-ri?”
“Haaa! Haaa!”
I had to use a little magic power, but I felt more comfortable once I did. A
familiar voice now called out to us.
“Is he Dialuria? No, was it Tol To-ri, Honey?”
It was Cha Hee-ra.
“Kee-e-e-e-eek!”
I didn’t know why, but Tol To-ri began to scream as he caught sight of the
red-haired woman.
The sound was a little different from usual. He appeared to be hostile.
‘What’s with him?’
“Ke-e-e-e-ee-ee! Kiek!”
“He’s so cute! Tol To-ri! You really are a real dragon. Even by looking at the
nest in Lindel, I could feel it, but seeing him here, it feels a little more
plausible.”
However, the more she approached, the more Tol To-ri trembled. He must’ve
felt that Cha Hee-ra was a dangerous person.
The fact that he had been quick to notice certainly seemed to resemble me.
Of course, in my case, I didn’t have any contributions to Tol To-ri’s genes,

but I thought about it anyway.
“Really cute. Look at him with his head down. Tol To-ri is drooping, honey.”
It was then that Dialugia blocked Cha Hee-ra’s hand, which had been trying
to stroke Tol To-ri.
“Don’t you see he is scared? Please step back.”
“Ah…”
Cha Hee-ra looked at Dialugia up and down, and after fixing her gaze on the
horn for a while, recognition dawned on her face.
“Oh. You are… Dialugia?”
“Yes. You?”
“You can call me Cha Hee-ra. I didn’t know he was scared… my mistake.
I’m sorry, Tol To-ri. And I’m sorry to you too, Dialugia.”
“Ah, no… I overreacted a little…”
It was a little unexpected to see Cha Hee-ra acting like this.
Seeing that she kept giving attention to Tol To-ri, she seemed to like cute
things.
Of course, the current Tol To-ri was too grown up to be called cute, but I
wasn’t used to seeing the red-haired woman being so gentle.
‘Does she like children?’
Cha Hee-ra apologized immediately at Dialugia’s words. It may be a little

rude to describe her in this manner, but it felt like I had seen something akin
to a gorilla cherishing its babies. After everything was said and done, Cha
Hee-ra was a woman, too.
On the contrary, Dialugia, who had reacted with an edgy voice, looked
confused.
“I heard a lot about you… Nice to meet you. Is it okay if I speak to you
comfortably?”
“I don’t really care about that.”
For some reason, it felt like they would get along well.
“Are you going to the training center now?”
“Huh? Yes.”
“Dialugia? How about we go to take a little rest?”
“Yes? But… I have to take care of my child.”
“It will be fine for a while. Our honey will take good care of him. The place
where he works is also nearby. If something happens, he can run there right
away, and I think it’s better for you to take a break.”
“But…”
“Let’s have some tea and talk. You look like you need a break.”
Dialugia evidently looked tired. I didn’t know if it was just me, but there
were dark circles under her eyes, and her skin and hair, which had always
been smooth, now felt crumbly.
The long-stretched horns above her head also seemed to be a little dull in
color.
Of course, she couldn’t help but be tired. Even though she had more than a
100 stamina stat…
‘Parenting is exhausting.’
Right now, Tol To-ri was quietly sticking to my back, but it probably
wouldn’t be easy to control him once he went berserk.
Of course, I felt guilty.
“It would be better for you to take a break, Dialugia. I think it would be nice
for me to take care of Tol To-ri today.”
Only then did Dialugia begin to look relieved. For a short time, Dialugia’s
gaze fixed onto Dialuria, but she eventually nodded.
“Then, please.”
“Yes. Please rest assured.”
“Today, Tol To-ri should hang out with dad. Okay?”
“Kiek! Haaaa!”
“If you don’t behave, I’ll send you back home. You have to be quiet.”
“Kieeek!”
Dialuria nodded effusively as if he surely understood the words. Dialugia’s

expression also brightened.
“Then, I will be going.”
“Okay.”
‘It’ll be fine, right?’
It was a fact that most of the trainees knew that I had been appointed to one
of the Eight Seats of the Empire anyway. They also knew that a dragon had
chosen me.
There must be some trainees who had doubts about whether that was true or
not, but I knew I would get more attention today than usual.
Although there were practical education and training using monsters, it would
be their first time to see a legendary-grade monster.
‘Even if he’s still a baby…’
Tol To-ri’s specifications were quite high.
[Checking the status window of the legendary-grade named monster, Dark

Dragon, Dialuria.]
[Name: Dialuria]
[Title: Tol To-ri]
[Age: 1]
[Disposition: ???]
[Category: Dragon]
[Stats]
[Durability: 41/Growth potential: Legendary or higher]
[Overall: He is very excited. You’re lucky to be able to be the father of this

kind of being. Please be careful.]
‘His disposition hasn’t come out yet.’
His durability stat was at 41, while his magic was at 40.
In short, even if the attack team rushed to Tol To-ri all at the same time, it
would not be possible to defeat him.
Of course, my baby couldn’t fight as he still couldn’t handle the magic as

well as his body properly, but I could be sure that Tol To-ri would have the
upper hand due to his primal instinct.
‘There are three days left to finish the ceremony…’
After the work here was done, I knew I had to pay more attention to Tol To-
ri.
‘Yoo Ahyoung also seems to be nearing the end…’
Seeing that she had been spending time with Kim Ki-cheol again recently, I
knew she wanted to find more ways to stab him in the back.
I let her do what she wanted, but I never thought she would be designing it to
this extent.
It seemed that this aspect had been hidden behind her optimistic and relaxed
personality.
As I entered the training center with these thoughts, I could feel the gazes
from everywhere.
Of course, there were also voices whispering everywhere I went.
“That… Isn’t that a dragon?”
“Really?”
“Wow… I didn’t believe it, but I guess it’s true… I think only a few can be
successful here in that aspect. Won’t I get chosen or something, too?”
“At best, you’ll get chosen by goblins.”
However, something felt off.
‘What’s wrong with him?’
Tol To-ri was hanging quietly behind my back.

When a male trainee passes by, there is no problem.
‘What?’
However, when a female trainee passes by, the problem is that he foams his
mouth.
“Keee-ek!”
I even thought about whether he had a problem as he even showed his teeth
as if telling them openly not to approach.
He looked around to check if there is no one approaching.
It’s ridiculous, but that kind of look is pretty familiar.
‘Jung Hayan?’
Tol To-ri is showing what Jung Hayan has always shown.
‘No, it can’t be.’
I activated my Mind’s Eye to check it.
[Checking the unique characteristic of the legendary-grade named monster,

Dark Dragon, Dialuria.]
[Twisted and Dangerous Affection in the Dark] [#Father that can’t stop him]
[#Mom is annoying, too]
“Ke-e-e-e-e-e-eeeeeek!”
“Tol To-ri, y-you’re crazy…”
I was able to realize now that Dialugia had failed to properly discipline her
child.
Chapter 221
Chapter 221: A Grown Tol To-ri (2)
No matter how much I rubbed at my eyes, the result stayed the same.

[Twisted and Dangerous Affection in the Dark]
[#Father can’t stop him]
[#Mom is annoying, too]
‘What is this?’
It was hard to understand what the hell was going on. Somehow, I could feel
that he had been sticking to me too much, but I never expected him to grow
in this direction.
‘This…’
I found it so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but laugh. Perhaps it was because
I had been away for such a long time.
I thought that I’d been good to him and cherished him in my own way, but I
didn’t realize that he would become this way because I hadn’t gone to see
him in so long.
‘Plus, what’s up with the hashtags?’
If Dialugia knew what her son thought of her, it would drive a stake through
her heart.
The only thing I could be relieved of was that his disposition had not yet been
decided.
‘Is it possible to change the characteristic already created?’
I was anxious about one thing.
There was no choice but to pray for a good disposition. It seemed a little late,
but I had to pay attention to his education with all my strength from now on.
‘If you can change the odds, change it… They have to choose a disposition
that is as good and safe as possible.’
Only then could this extreme situation be reversed.
“I said you should be quiet, didn’t I?”
“Haaaa!”
“It’s not good if you threaten other people.”
“Kiek!”
“Today, you need to be quiet in order to be together with me. Otherwise, I’ll
send you back to your mom right away. You got that?”
“Kiee-ek!”
He had an expression full of dissatisfaction. However, seeing that he nodded

effusively, it seemed that he did not want to return to his mother.
It was natural to show such a reaction since I only saw him again after a few
months, but my anxiety did not go away. I felt like sending Tol To-ri back to
his mother right away.
However, when I remembered how tired Dialugia looked, I knew I couldn’t.

First, I had to control Dialuria with a half-threat to keep him well-behaved.
However, he kept trembling and sending wary looks whenever women passed
by.
Most people were interested in whether he seemed cute, blowing air out of
his nose while blinking those big eyes. I was sure he would bite if they
approached too near.
As I entered the lecture room with these thoughts, I saw the trainees looking
at me with nervous expressions on their faces. They greeted me as soon as I
took my seat.
“Instructor, hello.”
“Yes. It’s nice to meet you, everyone.”
How everyone here treated me had changed the moment they found out about
my titles, and how most of them had their base talent situated within
alchemy. I also knew that the more they tried to dig in information about me,
the more they realized how unique I was in this field.
Sure, there might be stronger people than Cha Hee-ra on this content, and
there may be wizards who were more familiar with magic than Jung Hayan,
but there was no alchemist who was better than me, as far as I knew,
especially among players.
I was a Dragon Alchemist, a unique legendary-grade class. Even if there was

someone who had a better understanding of alchemy than me, there was no
way he could follow me in the field related to dragons.
In other words, they saw me as just a mere production worker, so they

must’ve thought that I had risen to the top with only alchemy. I was a person
who changed the continent’s perception of alchemy and was named one of
the continent’s Eight Seats.
I even devoted myself quite a bit to this class, so it was not unreasonable that
people who respected me began to increase.
‘Even I think it’s a little amazing…’
I could even see Han Sora straightening up, expecting what I would be
teaching today. Unfortunately, I had no intention of starting another lesson.
“In fact, there will be no class today.”
“Ah…”
As soon as I said this, more than half of the class donned saddened
expressions.
Though the trainees ended up enjoying alchemy class, I had already taught
them all that I could. What direction they would next take would depend
entirely on them.
“There are also only three days left until completion… I’ve taught you most
of the basic things. Some of you have already changed your class as an
alchemist, so you must know, some of the knowledge I gave you is much
greater than the basic knowledge they infuse.”
‘Although this is all based on Ramus Tucker’s Introduction to Alchemy…’
Heroic-grade books contained more advanced information than a normal one.

More than half of the trainees in my class would have no problem making
some money just from being an alchemist.
“In fact, even if we did an alchemy experiment today, there wouldn’t be a big
difference for you. From now on, this is an area where each person must
study in the direction they will choose to take. How you will grow will be up
to you.”
One of my more dedicated students raised his hand.
“Then today’s class…”
“Let’s make it a little more fun. For this session, I’ll turn it into a time to
respond to your questions. Perhaps this will be a little more helpful for you.
I’ll answer any question you might have.”
“Ah!”
I was expecting to receive some academically-related questions, which was

why the first question surprised me.
“Well, then Instructor Lee Kiyoung. If it’s okay, can I ask you about the…
creature on your back?”
A lot of the trainees seemed wary of Tol To-ri, who had been glaring at all of
them.
It wasn’t a question I couldn’t answer, so I spoke with no hesitation.
“This is a dragon.”
“Ah…”
Murmurs responded to my answer.
“Er… I’m Kim Min-young, a trainee who has been appointed to join the
Magic Guild. That… I’ve heard that a dragon chose instructor Lee Kiyoung.
Is it that dragon?”
“The dragon that chose me is this child’s mother. Perhaps, if you go to

Lindel, you can check it with your own eyes. There is a big nest just outside
the city. In terms of size, it will probably be several times that of this training
camp.”
“Wow…”
“I would like to tell you a little bit more, but most of the detailed information
about the dragon is confidential. There is no need to block in our guild. The
Empire controls the information. Of course, very basic information is already
available on the market, but… Anyway, let’s stop talking about this. Any
other questions?”
“Er, Instructor Lee Kiyoung?”
“Yes.”
“If it’s okay, by any chance, you… with the Mercenary Queen…”
“Yes. I have a relationship with her.”

‘Are they really asking these questions?’
The ones who had been asking me were the same girls who had tortured Han
Sora. It appeared that they weren’t aware of how valuable this time would be
for them.
“Do you have any plans of adding more lovers?”
The next question was a little more spectacular. Apparently, they were more
interested in personal questions. Unfortunately, if they thought I would take
in one of them, they were wrong.
“Kiee-ek!”
Tol To-ri also began to stare at them, looking seemingly frustrated with their
questions. I also felt a little annoyed, yet I knew it was my fault for not
specifying which questions to expect.
However, for these trainees, they were throwing away the opportunity to get
good tips for alchemy.
It was then that Han Sora raised her hand.
“I’m Han Sora. That… About what you said earlier, you said that from now
on, it is an area where each person should study… I want to know exactly
what you mean.”
“Okay.”
‘This is a good one.’
It was the most realistic question for one to ask.
“Can I think of it as a question that asks me how I wanted to grow?”
“I’m embarrassed, but… That’s right.”
She was probably asking this because she knew just how bleak her future
was.
“Well… If I were to explain it simply, you could think of it as going into an
advanced course of one discipline. Let’s suppose that we are learning about
cars. You guys have now realized what a car is like. We know how a car is,
and we know what it does.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s think of it as a little specialization. Yes, specialization. Now that I

realized what a car is, I just need to dig into it a little more intensively. Which
way you go, of course, is up to you.”
“Ah…”
“Some people will study the exterior of cars, and others will dig into engines
and some of the devices inside. Perhaps some people will change their
direction and think about motorcycles. The same goes for alchemy.”
“…”
“Potions, homunculus, chimeras, catalysts… the areas vary. Of course, there

may be other areas that I do not know.”
“If it’s okay, can I ask you what area you studied?”
“Of course. I first majored in living bodies. Naturally, I set foot in other
areas, too, but it can be said that the main thing I started researching was
about potions and living bodies. After that, I studied dragons professionally.”
“Ah…”
“Being a pioneer in one field has quite a merit. Those who think ‘what can be
done with only alchemy’ are people who don’t deserve to be an alchemist.
Look.”
As I slowly gathered magic power in my hand, magical power splashed out

of my hand with a snapping sound. As I flicked my fingers lightly, a pair of
dragon arms began to form on either side of the blackboard behind me.
At this point, the trainees were probably well aware that this was not a simple
model.
Although the size was reduced to one that could fit in the classroom, I could
see the trainees’ faces whitening as the arms began to move.
“It… can’t be…”
“Huh?”
Awe was written on everyone’s faces.
“How… This is… This is nonsense. How is this even possible?”
‘Effort and experience, class correction, a genius wizard’s support, and a

devoted dragon, non-dry resources, as well as natural luck.’
In fact, the most important were the last three, but I couldn’t say that.
“It seems a little difficult to answer that question. It’s okay to say as what I
just showed you is my breadwinner. If you think carefully about why an
alchemist is not just a class, but a wizard’s higher class, the answer will
eventually come.”
“Ah…”
“You may be able to realize the ridiculous things you imagine in your head.
If you just drink, you might be able to make a potion that can turn you into a
superhuman. Perhaps there is someone who can create the Homunculus or
Sage’s Stone. Of course, even if it takes a lifetime, some people do not
realize even half of the class’s contents… Your question was pretty good,
trainee Han Sora.”
“Thank… you.”
“A lot of time has passed receiving unnecessary questions… Let’s finish with
a few words.”
“Ah…”
“You’ve all worked hard.”
“…”
“Perhaps most of you received offers from guilds or clans, right?”
“Yes.”
“Some are medium-sized, and some are large, and some are small, but well, it
doesn’t matter. The important thing is that Lindel needs you.”
“…”
“The reason I joined this class is that I was asked to share some of my
alchemy knowledge at the city level… no, the Empire level. If you think
about it that way, you will find an answer. The world has changed. They
think they need an alchemist at the Empire level so that it would be okay for
clans and guilds to invest a little more in alchemy and other production
positions.”
“Ah…”
“You are part of a project under the Empire level. I’m not going to tell you to
show outstanding performance, but at least try to get out and make sure you
don’t get humiliated. If you can’t prove your worth, you’ll be thrown back
and will have to beg on the road.”
I didn’t know if they understood what I said, but the room had now become
quiet.
“The reason I taught you to the best of my ability was not because I like you,
but because it was a national project. I think you can understand what I’m
talking about.”
“…”
“Don’t disgrace my name, everyone. And…”
“…”
“If you come to me when you’re having a hard time, I’ll give you some
advice. Thank you for your hard work.”
Chapter 222
Chapter 222: A Grown Tol To-ri
Ending the class in this manner proved to be bittersweet. If one were to ask if
I had gotten affectionate, I would simply say no.
Though I didn’t much like people such as Han Sora’s tormentors, most of the
students who worked hard were kind.
Though I felt slightly affectionate, it was not enough for me to sacrifice my

life for one of them. If they came to me during their hardships, I would gladly
give them a meal, as well as some expert advice.
This was exactly the right distance between an instructor and a student.
In fact, I didn’t have any worries about them now.
‘Everyone will be making their own breadwinners.’
In fact, except for a few, including Han Sora, almost all of the trainees had
managed to enter the middle or large guilds.
In the first place, considering the purpose of this education, it was a very
natural result.
There was no reason not to get alchemists who harbored good and useful
knowledge in each guild and clan.
Even if their grades were a little exceptional, they received offers from large
guilds, and those with high magic power or high intelligence were happy at
the offerings coming from everywhere.
Of course, they couldn’t get the down payment and annual salary as much as
a combat job did, but at least it was still higher than that of a normal
production job. They were treated better than a half-wizard who couldn’t use
magic properly.
As a side note, most of those who chose the combat post on the first day,
ignoring my advice, were miserable. The wizards, not only lacking magical
power but also understanding, lost their place to go, and the warriors without
talent would surely become monster food soon or waste away their lives in
the slums.
As a result, the rise in alchemy first started within Lindel.
In this situation, it was obvious that most guilds did not recruit Han Sora,
whose grades were at the top. They had probably heard the news that she
tried to sneak into Jung Hayan’s laboratory and steal her achievements.
Usually, those with this tendency would get excluded from the group.
Of course, the truth was that she ran into me with a sly trick, but it helped her
that I end the situation to this extent rather than revealing the useless sexual
harassment.
If the truth was announced to the outside world, it was clear that all guilds
and clans who did not want to be disliked by Blue would try to defeat her.
‘Her current outcome is way better than that.’
Even if she hadn’t received an offer within her training period, she would
probably get in somewhere else if she applied for a job and got an interview.
She had the ability.
“Han Sora…”
When I unconsciously muttered her name, Tol To-ri began to scream.
“Ke-e-e-e-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ek!”
“Shush! You should be quiet!”
“Kiek…”
I needed to suppress Tol To-ri soon, much like what I had done with Jung
Hayan. She was the whole reason I had improved at observing people’s
behavioral patterns, after all.
I had just screamed for a moment, but there were already tears in his big eyes.
The guilt soon overwhelmed me. Nevertheless…
‘I need to be a strict father.’
“Dialuria.”
“Haa… Haaa…”
“It’s okay when it’s just you and me or with your mom, but you have to be
careful when you’re with other people. Otherwise, Dad cannot hang around
with Dialuria.”
“Kiek!”
“Since you are smart, I believe you will understand what dad means. Am I
right?”
“Kiee-ek!”
Just in time, I saw two people approaching this way.
‘Yoo Ahyoung… and Kim Ki-cheol…’
Seeing Kim Ki-cheol’s wary exterior, I knew I had done a good job in my
acting. Yoo Ahyoung soon reached me, looking pleased.
“Instructor Lee Kiyoung!”
Kim Ki-cheol had no choice but to approach me as well, although reluctantly.

However, there was a glint of triumph in Ahyoung’s eyes.
“Kieee-ek!”
“Shush!”
Once I gave Tol To-ri a warning, he stayed quiet.
“Ah, trainee Yoo Ahyoung, and… trainee Kim Ki-cheol.”
They looked pretty close now, which reinforced just how cruel Ahyoung
could be. Goosebumps rose along my skin as I saw how good she now was at
acting.
Kim Ki-cheol, who didn’t know anything, thought that he had once again
gained his girlfriend’s heart back, but this was far from the truth.
“Instructor. Er…”
“Did you think about it?”
“No. Not yet…”
“That’s a shame.”
“Can I postpone my answer until the completion ceremony?”
‘You already signed a contract, you…’
Her acting skills proved to be comparable to that of Ahn Ki-mo’s.
“Yes. Of course. Come to think of it… he is…”
“Hello, Instructor Lee Kiyoung. I’m Kim Ki-cheol. I’m Yoo Ahyoung’s
boyfriend.”
“Ohhh. I’ve heard about you.”
“I am… I heard that Ahyoung is indebted to you. Thank you for taking care
of her.”
“No. People like Yoo Ahyoung aren’t people who can easily be seen
anywhere. It is natural. Hahaha… You two look good together.”
“Yes. Recently, there had been some misunderstandings…”

I could recognize Kim Ki-cheol’s expression as that of inferiority.
His gaze was fixated on Tol To-ri, hanging behind me, and he also seemed to
be envious of the clothes I was wearing. Jealousy did not look good on him.
As I quietly turned to Yoo-Ahyoung, I saw that she felt quite good as she
kept smiling.
‘She won’t get weird from this experience, right?’
At this point, my worries began to rise, but I knew it wasn’t dangerous yet,
for her case.
I was even more worried at the fact that Tol To-ri was also fixated on her
chest.
“Kie-e-ek…”
It was then that Yoo Ahyoung, who had not noticed, moved her body a little
more actively.
“Oh, is this the kid, Dialuria, you talked about the last time?”
“Yes, trainee Yoo Ahyoung.”
“He is cute. Can I touch him, just this once?”
Not only did she snuggle him closer to her chest, but her voice had also taken
on a higher pitch.
Anyone would feel like she was constantly sending out signals that she
wanted to look like a woman to me no matter what.
I was worried that Tol To-ri would go crazy, but seeing that he remained
silent, Ahyoung seemed to be within the allowable range. Of course, his body
trembled, but there was no offensive reaction. Rather, Kim Ki-cheol proved
to be the more angered one.
His expression had now shifted into hostility.

“Tol To-ri doesn’t like the touch of human hands very much. It would be
better to spend time together later. You can get along quickly.”
“Really?”
“Yes. How about tomorrow evening?”
It was Kim Ki-cheol who answered for her.
“Instructor Lee Kiyoung, Ah-young has no time tomorrow…”
“Yes! I would love to, Instructor.”
But Yoo Ahyoung interrupted him.
“Ahyoung…”
“I have time. Of course, it’s okay, instructor.”
“Haha. That’s fortunate.”
“Er… Instructor! Since we’re meeting… Again, er… Can I ask the same
thing to you?”
‘Ask what, you woman?’
Though Ahyoung didn’t directly say what she was asking for, the suggestive
look in her eyes eventually made me smile.
‘Genius.’
Didn’t they say that a woman’s vengeance knows no bounds?
This acting, which seemed to be saying that there was something peculiar
between us, was better than Ahn Ki-mo’s own acting.
‘I really have to recruit this one.’
Perhaps she didn’t even know she had this kind of talent. I bet, if she received
proper guidance from Ahn Ki-mo, it would be no different than getting the
Lindel Actress Award.
“Er… I really liked what you taught me last time…”
‘What was good… we didn’t do anything. We…’
I felt a little embarrassed with the sudden set-up. However, I had no choice
but to respond.
“Of course. Ahyoung. Rather, I would like to ask you that… It’s fun to be
with Ahyoung as well. I will teach you everything I couldn’t tell you last
time.”
“Really?”
“Yes. But there is also Ki-cheol…”
“No. You don’t have to worry about Oppa. I don’t think he knows much.
Instructor Lee Kiyoung teaches better. Then, I’ll see you, instructor. We’ll
get going!”
“Alright.”
Of course, what we would be doing would be completely innocent, but Kim

Ki-cheol would definitely think that we’d be up to no good.
“W… What’s going on? Do you have to meet him tomorrow?”
“Ahhh… You don’t need to know.”
“What?”
“No, why are you trying to intervene in what people do? Isn’t that an
obsession? It was Oppa who asked me to stay cool. Don’t worry too much
about my things.”
“Ahyoung… still…”
As they moved away, the remnants of their argument reached my ears.
I had initially thought she was a fool just wandering around smiling, but she
seemed to understand the concept of how to mess with him properly.
As anyone could see, Kim Ki-cheol was anxious, while Yoo Ahyoung
seemed relaxed. He didn’t even dare to ask openly if she was cheating on
him. The power dynamics of their relationship was completely reversed.
At this point, Kim Ki-cheol would constantly be wondering about the

possibility of Ahyoung and I having an affair behind his back.
However, something unexpected occurred.
‘Huh?’
It appeared that he was not the only one who thought this way.
“Chiing… Kiehek…”
Tol To-ri had begun to cry. He must’ve understood the conversation that had
just taken place.
Of course, I didn’t think that Tol To-ri would notice this strange atmosphere,
but considering that he was smarter and quicker than most people, I should
have expected this.
Thick tears continued to wet my shoulder as he hugged me tightly, as if not

wanting to let me go. He then continued crying sadly.
“Y… Your dad is not cheating, okay? I’m serious…”
Now I felt even shittier.
“Dad only has Tol To-ri. I’m not having an affair and leaving your mom.”
No, I was already a low-class piece of shit even back then.
‘Damn.’
Chapter 223
Chapter 223: Completion Ceremony (1)
I knew this was an important issue.
It was natural for me to want to show Tol To-ri all the good things, as he had
not yet formed his disposition. He even already had a strange characteristic!
If he ended up with a selfish or calculating disposition, there would be a big

problem raising him.
‘Hmm…’
I could no longer stay still in regards to Tol To-ri’s education. I simply

couldn’t entrust Dialugia with such a crucial matter.
Seeing the kid sleeping next to me while snorting, I began to wonder if my

worries were useless.
However, in any case, I had to pay attention in his early stages as he may
soon have enough power to blow away a castle with one simple breath.
As I slowly turned my gaze away from Tol To-ri and looked ahead, I saw two
women who were still fixated on him.
“He is really cute.”
“Yes. He seems a little tired. Lately, he was so excited that he wasn’t able to
sleep well.”
It was Cha Hee-ra and Dialugia.
It is quite surprising to see that they had become quite close after only three
days.
Cha Hee-ra also maintained a relatively amicable relationship with Jung
Hayan, so it can be said that she had good sociability in her own way, but
Dialugia was a little different.
Even if her sociability was zero in the first place, she couldn’t even blend in.
I had a rough feeling about how Cha Hee-ra could get close to her.
Perhaps Cha Heera was able to develop their relationship because she
understood the mother’s heart to some extent. Looking at Cha Hee-ra gently
patting the head of Tol To-ri was similar to how one would pet an animal.
“Hee-ra, are you not going to the completion ceremony?”
“Ah. Is it already this late? Well, if I stay from the beginning to the end.
What would I do? Anyway, I only need to memorize a congratulatory
speech… The executives decided to do the rest. How about you?”
“I’m going later. I have to leave today, but there are some things I haven’t
organized yet. I’m almost finished.”
“Time flies so fast. It’s already the completion ceremony… Oh, did you
manage to form the backline?”
“…”
“You couldn’t in the end.”
“No. I’m just going to look inside Lindel. It was hard to find a useful wizard,
so I tried to find archers, too, but I didn’t like anyone. Everyone is below my
standards.”
“Are you saying this for the other clans and guilds, recruiting kids below that
level, to hear you?”
“I don’t mean that…”
“I was kidding. You don’t need to panic.”
“That’s so mean.”
“I still want to say something, however. Is that okay?”
“If it’s advice, it’s welcomed.”
“Blue has a cut line that’s too high in the first place.”
“So we look that way, huh?”
“No, more than Blue, you seem to be putting strict standards on other
people.”
“Hmm… You might think so.”
I knew Cha Hee-ra was right.
“In the first place, the Blue members are a little peculiar, honey. We both
know how strong Kim Hyunsung and Jung Hayan, the two geniuses, are.
There’s also that kid, Kim Ye-ri, and even that priest, Sun Hee-young. She
isn’t remarkably great, but she’s innately familiar with divine power.”
“Yes.”
“Cho Hyejin, that girl, can’t be called a genius, but she’s definitely talented. I
think that trying hard is part of talent, too. I bet that probably Kim Ye-ri, no
matter how strong the kid gets, will have a hard time catching up with
someone like Cho Hyejin.”
“Hmm…”
“In fact, it’s peculiar as to how all of these talented people are gathered
together. Usually, most of these people should be running their own guild or
clan somewhere. Well, anyway, even if we leave these monsters aside, there
are other ordinary people in your guild, right?”
“Right.”
“You, too…”
“Yes.”
“So is the Mage Scholar Hwang Jeong-yeon… And your guild’s big fat…
Oh, you said it was Park Deokgu. Isn’t that the same for him? But, as far as I
can see, these people are also members of the guild that shouldn’t be left out
right now.”
That was definitely true.
“Even though you and the Mage Scholar originally had one foot in the
combat group and the non-combat army, it’s not like that for Park Deokgu,
right? I feel a little sorry for him, but in fact, I thought he was going to fall
off soon.”
In fact, I had thought the same thing as her.
“Look at him. Not only had he endured for a longer time than I thought, but
he was even able to improve. It’s because the guild members helped and
cared about him so much that that pig will someday become a top player.”
If it were before, I would have shaken my head at Cha Hee-ra’s words, but it
was definitely different now.
Of course, Deokgu may be more famous as a tanker with a famous name

rather than becoming famous for his personal strength, but certainly, Park
Deokgu now had the potential to catch up with Kim Hyunsung’s party.
“Even ordinary people can be strong, with the right support and care. That’s
why our Red Mercenary’s recruitment cut line is lower than expected. In fact,
there are times when people who you never expected anything from suddenly
stand out, you know?”
“Hmm…”
“Talent is, of course, important. There are cases where you can’t do anything.
But when I see people, there is one more thing I see other than talent.”
“What?”
“Their willpower.”
“Good.”
“Actually, that’s why, in the beginning, I accepted your request here. It may
sound funny, but your eyes were a little different… Usually, those who are
desperately clinging achieve one or two things.”
It certainly made sense.
Even if my eyes could see almost anything, it didn’t necessarily predict the
future.
In fact, I had no idea that Park Deokgu would grow this much. At the same
time, I never expected Lee Jihye to be perfectly settled in the Black Swan.
‘The same goes for me…’
“You’ll do it in your own way, but that’s what I wanted to say. Let’s go out
and take one last look. After the completion ceremony, you should take your
guild kids anyway.”
“Ah… You have to do the speech, right?”
“Yes. It’s annoying, but I have to do what I have to do. What about
Dialugia?”
I had initially thought that Dialugia wouldn’t want to go.
“It would be hard to move together, Cha Hee-ra. Dialuria is still sleeping…”
“Ah. Then we’ll come together after I’m done.”
“Alright.”
‘Blue doesn’t need completion ceremony or whatever.’
Come to think of it, the outfit Cha Hee-ra wore was a little different from
usual. Usually, she preferred wearing clothes with a little exposure.
It was the same when I first met her, and when I saw her wearing a dress at
the party.
It seemed that she now thought that she had to be formal as she had to read
the congratulatory address in front of everyone. Seeing that she was wearing
pretty cool armor, it seemed that it would be okay to call her a Red Knight
rather than Red Mercenary.
I was also dressed neatly, but I couldn’t be compared to her current

extravagance.
‘She really is cool.’
As we headed to the training center’s tourney hall while being escorted by

members, I saw all the trainees lined up. On the platform, Lindel’s main guild
masters were sitting in a simple tent while watching the trainees.
‘Hyunsung!’
Of course, even Kim Hyunsung stood out. Though he was speaking to Black
Swan Guild Master Park Yeon-joo, he smiled when he caught sight of me.
I didn’t want to wave my hand frivolously, so I greeted him with a nod.
Meanwhile, Cha Hee-ra climbed onto the platform without giving another
glance to the trainees.
Although some trainees looked at Cha Hee-ra’s red hair in an immobile

position as if amazed, most of them wore a tense expression.
‘Come to think of it, is it their first time seeing her?’
She was ranked as Lindel’s top player, as well as the leader of the Red
Mercenary Guild.
Her red hair fluttering behind her armor made her look like a goddess on the
battlefield. Usually, those kinds of people exuded an intimidating aura
without even trying.
I don’t know if it’s an appropriate example, but it was similar to watching
TV.
I, too, went up on the podium with her. I took a seat in the right place and
looked at the trainees eagerly, but unfortunately, no one stood out that much.
After the ceremony was over, Lee Chang-ryul and Yoo Ahyoung would
prepare to head to Lindel with me. I could see some glances over here.
‘Was Kim Ki-cheol’s case solved well?’
Upon seeing Ahyoung’s happy expression, I felt like it did.
Perhaps she was thinking of messing with him a little more after the
completion ceremony.
Lee Chang-ryul stood still, wearing the mask he always wore, but he sent me
a favorable look.
It was then when Cha Hee-ra started her congratulatory speech.
“I’m sorry for making you suffer through such an ordeal such as a speech. I
would like to go to Lindel and focus on my own life, but usually, there are
useless events and customs in these places. In fact, I don’t have much to say
to you. The guild’s executives wrote the congratulatory remarks…”
‘She won’t read it.’
“I’m not into these things, and I’m sure you’ll need a little more realistic
advice than just trying to look good reading something like this.”
Looking at the Red Mercenaries’ executives’ expressions standing together

on the podium, I could tell they already expected this.
“Actually… it is inevitable to hold a sword once you get here. Whether

you’re a blue-collar worker or a hater of fights, someday the day will come
when you’ll have to lift your sword. Monsters could attack the city, or war
could happen unexpectedly. Players are designed to live that way.”
This was an interesting story.
“That’s why we gave non-combatant soldiers and people useless training

such as basic physical training. This expression will be easy to understand for
those who don’t know the world’s situation yet. You guys were sent here as
warriors and were also raised as warriors. From Earth’s point of view, it may
sound ridiculous, but you are all warriors. The possibility of disaster is
definitely something that could make you shrink, but… Of course, everyone
has different ways of fighting… Well, if I continue to talk like this, I’m going
to end up rambling. All I want to say is one thing. Don’t get killed in useless
places.”
“…”
“…”
The entire venue had become quiet.
“See you on the bigger battlefield, newbies.”
As if planned, the flag of the Red Mercenary was lifted. The ceremony ended
with all the members sending a salute to Cha Hee-ra.
I had no choice but to think that it would not be so bad even if I went to the
Red Mercenary Guild instead of going to Blue with Kim Hyunsung.
“Would you like to say a word, too?”
As I shook my head, she came down from the platform, looking perfectly at
ease.
‘I’m really going to fall for this one…’
Rather than being a ‘woman,’ the person Cha Hee-ra had become was cool.
Thanks to the fact that she had wholeheartedly distracted me, there was no
time to have a look around the trainees waiting for completion. As I tried to
go for one last scope, the other guild executives began to herd their charges
out.
A few trainees started to move on to the wagons that would take them to
Lindel, and Blue, which received the two reserved ones, was no exception.
Yoo Ahyoung and Lee Chang-ryul were now on their way to the Blue flag.
It was then that a person came in my line of sight, someone who had not
received any offer and thus had stayed by the sides, looking for the wagons
that were just waiting to depart.
‘Han Sora.’
For some reason, this felt similar to when I had seen Lee Jihye last year. I had
thought about bringing Sora along, but I knew Blue didn’t need another
alchemist.
Of course, I also knew it wouldn’t be bad to use her since she had the passion
for it, but since she already had friction with me…
‘Usually, people who are desperately clinging achieve one thing.’
The words Cha Hee-ra said before we came here lingered in my head.
I habitually looked at her status window, but nothing had changed much from
before.
‘No…’
The most crucial thing had changed. I was so surprised that I began to laugh.
[Class: Warlock]
‘Would you look at that…’
Almost unconsciously, I began to call out.
“Hey, come here.”
I saw Han Sora’s pupils shaking as she realized I was talking to her.
“Please come here, Han Sora-ssi.”
Though I was talking as formally as I could, she did not cease her trembling.
Chapter 224
Chapter 224: Completion Ceremony (2)
I could understand why Han Sora was trembling. If I were her, I would not
want to get involved with Blue anymore at this point. She might even want to
move out of Lindel and into another city.
If she were smart, this would be her best plan. What Jung Hayan had done to
her had been very traumatic. Fortunately or unfortunately, Jung Hayan wasn’t
here, but I thought there was a high probability that she wouldn’t want to be
entangled with me.
However, what she thought had nothing to do with me.
What was a little more important was that she had chosen black wizard as a
class.
‘Warlock.’
There was no reason to ask why.
[Warlock (Rare): This is a ranged class that can use black magic. Black
magic is a new level of magic that completely overturns the existing magical
common sense. Because of the concept of borrowing power from the devil,
some religious groups feel strong resistance to black magic, but its
destructive power can be overwhelmingly higher than that of other
occupations. Acquired basic black magic knowledge. Magic power will
increase by 4.]
‘Look at her…’
Her magic power circuit had been destroyed, so this class was what she could
at least choose.
Unlike wizards that forcefully demand affinity for magic, black wizards were
one of the classes that were less influenced by magical power.
I also remembered taking a lot of time to decide between a black wizard and
an alchemist.
At the time, Park Deokgu recommended the warlock class, and Kim
Hyunsung recommended changing to an alchemist.
I thought the former would be better, but what made me come this far was
choosing to be an alchemist with the heroic-grade item called Ramus
Tucker’s Introduction to Alchemy.
However, there was something that came to mind at times.
‘What if I had chosen to be a warlock instead of an alchemist?’
Of course, being an alchemist was not all bad. I think I had been excessively
well treated, and my achievements were excellent. In addition to obtaining a
unique legendary-grade class, my lack of force had also been partially filled.
Nevertheless…
‘Warlock wouldn’t have been bad, either.’
I sometimes wondered about this. If I had chosen to be a warlock, it would

have been inconvenient to move around the Holy Empire, but that area was
unknown to me.
I was both curious and interested.
While thinking about these things, Han Sora spoke. Of course, she looked
very embarrassed.
“Is it… me… y-you’re calling?”
“Yes. Please get off the carriage for a moment, Han Sora-ssi.”
“Ah…”
She did look anxious. From her expression, I knew she had not taken the
warlock class to take revenge. No matter how well she must’ve done, the idea
that she could harm Jung Hayan was impossible.
‘I guess that’s fortunate.’
The two were already at different levels, and the gap would never close.
She knew this better than anyone else.
I nodded and spoke to the coachman waiting for departure.
Still wearing a bandage all over her body, she got off the wagon and looked
at me anxiously.
“You can go first. The Blue Guild will take her to Lindel.”
“Yes. Okay, Lee Kiyoung-nim.”
“I think it would be better for trainee Han Sora to come with us in our
carriage. Follow me.”
“…”
“We could talk a bit. Oh, I forgot that your legs were a little uncomfortable.
You can walk slowly.”
“…”
An awkward atmosphere ensued as she followed me to my guild carriage.
“Instructor Lee Kiyoung…”
“Yes?”
“Did I do anything wrong? Er… If I have made any mistakes, I-I’ll

apologize. So…”
“Ohh… It’s not that, so don’t worry. To be honest, I’ve already forgotten
about that. You don’t have to worry. And I think it would be okay to call me
Kiyoung-ssi, not Instructor Lee Kiyoung… or you can call me Blue Vice
Guild Master, or well, whatever title is fine.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I’m not an instructor anymore.”
“No. Not that…”
“Oh… You mean that. That’s exactly what I meant. I think you have already
received enough punishment, and you’ve already apologized.”
“Then, why…”
“I don’t know. Why did I call you? And right after the completion ceremony
was over.”
“…”
“You’ll be able to guess easily.”
“Perhaps… kill…”
“Let’s go to Blue together.”
“What?”
“I said, let’s go to Blue together. The treatment won’t be bad. We’ll give you
a good salary, and we’ll make the down payment as much as the others. Of
course, not as much as Yoo Ahyoung or Lee Chang-ryul, but compared to
other guilds, you will not be disappointed.”
“What?”
“You can check the welfare content and other parts while reading the catalog,
and the contract term…”
“Ah…”
“The contract period is for life. Actually, this is not common, and, indeed,
this is not permitted under imperial law, but well, if you don’t open your
mouth, no one will know.”
“Well, I…”
“There are some things that you’ll have to do. First, since you have
knowledge of basic alchemy, you will be seated as a vice chief in the
alchemy lab… Oh! You’re going to take the backline of the new second party
of Blue, so you should keep that in mind.”
“My… magic power… And the l-legs….”
“The legs don’t really matter. It’s not agility that I ask of for the rear,
anyway. The problem is about magic power. A broken magic power circuit
will take a while, but let’s see if there’ll be a way to fix it. Of course, the
aftereffects will remain, but it doesn’t really matter to you whether the power
circuit is alive or not.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about… I am…”
“Han Sora-ssi. Let’s not lie. Don’t worry about how I know or what did I do
to know. Just nod your head. Anyway, rather than wandering off alone… It
would be a little safer to be next to me. You should know by now what
influence and power I wield.”
“…”
“I mean, if you do not want to receive sudden visits from Heretic Inquisitors
that the Empire boasts about, then just quietly sign the contract. Blue cares
about talent. It doesn’t really matter about the secrets or disabilities you
have.”
At this, Han Sora stayed quiet. Of course, I saw her face turning really pale. I
didn’t know what she is thinking, but I’m sure she was fully aware that the
situation was already twisted.
Rejection was not an option. I knew she had taken my threat to heart.
‘It’s because she is smart.’
“And Hayan…”
“Hic.”
Seeing her hiccupping as soon as I spit out Hayan’s name was amusing. I
knew she wouldn’t want to come to Blue because of Jung Hayan rather than
me.
“You don’t have to worry. She won’t ever touch you first unless you pull
crap on her first. Oh! I just have this one paper. Please, sign up first.”
“I’m sorry. I-I was wrong. I’m sorry. Hic. Please, don’t… do this.”
“No, aren’t there the salary and the down payment below? This is good for
you, too.”
“Let me live. I beg you… Everything else is fine. Just please… please…”
“Gosh… Didn’t I say she wouldn’t kill you?”
“I beg you, please. Please, I don’t want to go. Please…”
“I will add a little more down payment.”
“I didn’t mean that… please… Instructor, I was stupid. So…”
“I’m not really trying to harass you. Please, just sign up.”
The way she grabbed my pants was indeed a spectacle. I knew and
understood why she refused me, but I also felt like she was exaggerating.
‘But she’s going to be really useful…’
Cha Hee-ra was right. She had enough surviving will, and she was desperate,
too.
If I think about it, I think she was a talent I could have more expectations for
compared to Lee Chang-ryul or Yoo Ahyoung.
‘She’s going to be the backliner.’
Seeing Han Sora signing her name on the contract with her trembling hands
made me feel proud, for some reason. In time, Yoo Ahyoung and Lee Chang-
ryul, who had been where the Blue flag was, also began to approach us.
I thought Kim Hyunsung would guide them, but it was unexpectedly a guild
employee who guided them.
‘Manager Kim Mi-young?’
It had been a long time since I had seen her.
“Manager Kim Mi-young, it’s been a long time.”
“Yes. Vice Guild Master. It does look like it’s been a while.”
“What about Hyunsung-ssi?”
“The Guild Master said that he has a business meeting with Park Yeon-joo of
the Black Swan. He said he was sorry and asked me to guide them instead.”
“Hmm…”
It looked like she really fell for him.
Perhaps Kim Hyunsung thought this would be an awkward situation, too.
‘She’s not the type of person who he can just ignore.’
What was a little strange was that Sun Hee-young wasn’t here, either. Upon
realizing this, Kim Mi-young spoke once more.
“Hee-young-ssi also decided to come in the Black Swan’s carriage.”
“Oh! So, it really was a business meeting.”

“Yes. Of course, he said he was coming to Lindel by this evening. He asked
me to tell you that they were going to eat together as a welcome meal.”
“Okay.”
“More than that, who’s…”
“It’s a bit too sudden, but I recruited someone else. I’m sorry to bother the
administration team, but I think she’s a necessary talent for the second party.”
“Oh…”
Manager Kim Mi-young’s gaze at Han Sora strayed towards her one eye and
leg. Of course, what was most evident was her anxious expression.
However, I knew she would trust in my judgment the most.
“Yes. As soon as we get there, we will go through the enrollment procedure

and report it to the guild association. The contract…”
“Since she just signed the contract, please check and add 10% more than
what has been written. Now that I think about it, it feels like it was a little
cheap. Come to think of it, you and Chang-ryul-ssi were at the attack team
together in the tutorial, right?”
“Yes, Vice Guild Master. But…”
“Since we have considered many things, you can trust and follow us.
Although your body is not really well, you’ll do your job well enough.”
“Yes, Lee Kiyoung-nim.”
Since he was wearing a red mask, I couldn’t confirm what kind of expression
Lee Chang-ryul was making, but he didn’t look to be in a bad mood.
Of course, it was Yoo Ahyoung who looked to be in a better mood.
I was worried because my gaze was taken away by Han Sora for a while, but
it seemed that things had worked out better than I thought.
“Come to think of it, Ahyoung-ssi… has the thing with Kim Ki-cheol been
solved? I should have helped… I’m sorry. Something suddenly happened.”
“No. You didn’t have to help.”
“I’m glad, then…”
“I feel relieved enough. Manager Kim Mi-young also helped… Of course,

there are still more things I want to do… Can I tell you that later?”
“Of course.”
‘I think she really got the hang of this…’
I didn’t know how Manager Kim Mi-young helped her or what she wanted to
do in the future, but it was a little scary to think that her mind was still on
revenge.
‘It’s not bad, though.’
Overall, I felt like I had gotten myself a decent party in this round, which I
was sure I would feel a little dissatisfied in.
Yoo Ahyoung, Lee Chang-ryul, and Han Sora—a well-balanced party would
be completed in a short while if I put the experienced Ahn Ki-mo in there.
However, when I put everyone together, I realized each individual had

something missing from them. In fact, I was worried about leaving them to
Ahn Ki-mo, but I knew he was a clergyman capable of being a front-liner and
a back-liner.
They were capable enough, yet there was room for more growth in the future.
‘I guess I can raise them properly…’
Of course, many problems must be solved for them to blend into the guild.
As I mulled over my thoughts, I could see a wagon coming in this way.
What was a little unexpected was the presence of one person in the carriage.
“Oppa!”
I saw Jung Hayan waving with a bright expression. This was definitely not a
good time.
Sure enough, Han Sora began to tremble.
“Argh… Ahhhhhhhhh… Argh!”
What was more problematic was the fact that she had peed herself once more.
‘Is she still like this?’
It appeared that it was only me who had thought that she was gradually
getting better. Her situation seemed worse than what I had initially thought.
Seeing Jung Hayan waving with a bright expression, I felt goosebumps

behind my back.
‘You… What the hell have you done…’
“I… I’m sorry…”

Chapter 225
Chapter 225: The Party (1)
In fact, even I had felt unsettled when Jung Hayan had brought Han Sora to
us. Though Han Sora had received treatment from Sun Hee-young, she
looked nothing more than a rag at the time.
It was unknown what had exactly occurred between Jung Hayan and Han
Sora.
However, considering Han Sora’s condition at the time, it was clear that she
suffered more than I could ever imagine. The aftereffects had remained even
after she had gotten healed.
‘I think her trauma is stronger than I first thought.’
Who knew she would pee on the spot with just a mere glance at Jung Hayan?
Now that she knew that everything was a misunderstanding, Jung Hayan
seemed not to care much about Han Sora, but I had no choice but to worry
about her all the way back to the city in the carriage.
To be precise, she changed her pants three times from the tutorial training
center to Lindel. If the wagon had not been wide, I could have been sure that
she would have changed at least seven more times.
Thanks to this, Han Sora used the same space as Dialugia and Tol To-ri, who
was busy sleeping, and not mine, but it seemed that even that made her a little
uncomfortable.
Even if I wanted to do something, I knew I couldn’t.
Hearing Jung Hayan’s name not only triggered her seizure but also caused
her to tremble continuously. For now, I had no choice but to wait and see
until she got used to it.
At this point, I wondered if it was a mistake to choose Han Sora.
Even if the first party and the second party were to be divided, the second
party could stand together with us in a dungeon or battlefield once they got
on the right track.
Considering this, I knew it was necessary to do something with Han Sora’s

mentality.
First of all, I had to show that I
I was the one who held the collar of the overly excited dog, and it would be
effective just to show that it usually wore a muzzle. Sure, she still would be
scared, but I could at least stop her from having seizures.
As I was thinking of a solution, the wagon had now passed by Lindel’s front
door.
That was when Yoo Ahyoung’s jaw dropped. Han Sora, who had been
trembling, was also looking out the window as if she was curious, and Lee
Chang-ryul also glanced outside the carriage, all the while pretending not to
be interested.
“Wow…”
It was the same as our party’s reaction when we had first seen Lindel.
Of course, I knew it was natural to show such a reaction. Unlike the training
center that did not have any amenities or forms of entertainment, there were
pieces of evidence that Lindel had achieved some degree of civilization
throughout the city.
There are also cultural facilities that one could enjoy, and the faces of some
of the people were full of life. And just as expected…
As soon as we entered the began to be heard.
“We’re looking for a party! We just need one priest in order to go hunting.
By-products are also distributed in proportion. We just need one priest! We
politely refuse a thief.”
“We dispose of rare-grade items. They’re all cheap, so come and take a
look.”
“Extra! Extra!”
“We’re looking for more people to explore a dungeon! It’s only a common-
grade dungeon!”
“The best seller who struck Lindel, How An Alchemist and a Genius
Prosecutor Fell in Love, the 3rd book! Only 93 copies are left in limited
quantity. We will only distribute it up to 93. I’m really sorry for those who
have been waiting.”
‘Now they’re even selling novels…’
Among them, what caught my eye were the crowded people outside the
square.
All in all, the area was very noisy. Seeing that a group of almost all women
struggled to buy that unknown novel, even I began to wonder what the hell
was going on.
“What?! Are you kidding me? I’ve been waiting since last night. Does that
make sense?”
“How can you organize an event like this… Where is the organizer?”
“I don’t care about money. If there is any remaining quantity, just release it,
quickly!”
“Do you think that I don’t know that you distributed it to the large guild
officers in advance? Do you think that only the large guilds read it?”
It was a fever similar to the time when Blue announced the new potion’s
model.
Certainly, it felt like the amount of gold consumed for any content had
increased as people had more money. I even laughed at the people urging the
ones who had already bought the limited edition novels to sell them back.
Unconsciously, I began to speak.
“Manager Mi-young?”
“Yes?”
“That’s…”
“Oh. That… It seems to be a popular novel on Lindel recently.”
“I see. Does it sell well?”
“Yes. Originally, it was a novel that only wandered around in the dark, but
gradually it was on everyone’s lips… Recently, I heard that it is also
distributed in Celia and Dawan.”
“Celia and Dawan? Huh… Whoa. That’s interesting. Certainly, the content
business seems to be okay these days… Do we have any item being prepared
by Blue?”
“No. We haven’t thought about in that area yet…”
“If it’s okay, please give me a report, including market research. It doesn’t
matter if it’s a little laid-back, so I’d be grateful if you send it to me. It would
be fun to be in charge of distribution… Oh, did team leader Kim Mi-young
read that novel?”
“What? Ah… Yes.”
Her expression looked a little shaky.
Manager Kim Mi-young was the type of person who was considered a work
addict. I felt a little relieved to know that she was enjoying her leisure time
and hobbies.
“That’s a good thing. Perhaps the content…”

“It’s a bit complicated to explain.”
“I see. Did you read it too, Hayan?”
“No. This is my first time seeing this. I didn’t even know there was such a
thing.”
Certainly, there were still a few people who still enjoyed that kind of content.
Anyway, at least the newcomers didn’t find Lindel to be all that bad. On the
contrary, they looked to be in a pretty good mood.
Of course, if one were to look a little deeper, some things may make one
frown, but it was certainly a place where other people live, too. There were
also a lot of people smiling, and they seemed to be very active.
The reason for the whole city to be a little livelier must be, in part, the
newcomers, but I wanted to thank the Lindel citizens who had managed to
show them good impressions.
Eventually, the carriage passed the square and headed for the Blue Guild
House.
“We’re here, Vice Guild Master.”
“Oh, alright.”
The moment I got off the carriage, Park Deokgu and Hwang Jeong-yeon
caught my eye. It had also been a long time ago since I last saw Kim Ye-ri,
and it was Ahn Ki-mo who stood next to her. And…
‘Cho Hyejin also came.’
The work at Castle Rock seemed to be finished now. I knew there would be a
chance for us to talk separately later.
What was a little fun was that the Blue Guild House had been expanded
while I was away.
‘I heard it in the report, but…’
It was different, being able to see it for myself.
The design itself seemed to be more of a medieval-style than a modern one,

but there was also something classical about it.
The new recruits looked amazed at how the Blue Guild House looked.
Before I could even give the infrastructure a full appraisal, someone called
out to me.
“Hyung-nim!”
“Oh, Deokgu. It’s been a while, Jeong-yeon-ssi, and Hyejin-ssi. And Ye-ri,
you too…”
“Yeah…”
“Yes. Long time no see, Vice Guild Master…”
“What about you, Ahn Ki-mo?”
“Actually, our former guild master told me to leave as quickly as possible if I

was going to leave, so I packed up and left. I’ve been living in Blue since a
few days ago… Haha.”
“Ah! I see. Welcome to Blue. And let me introduce to you. These are the
newcomers who came in this time. From the left, this is Yoo Ahyoung, Lee
Chang-ryul, and Han Sora.”
Greetings ensued after I said this.
“Hello. I’m Yoo Ahyoung. Take good care of me.”
“I’m Lee Chang-ryul.”
“I’m… Han Sora. Please take good care of me.”

Seeing them introduce themselves in different ways made me happy.
Yoo Ahyoung was quite lively, Lee Chang-ryul was quite… poker-faced, and
Han Sora was still highly aware of Jung Hayan’s presence.
I spoke once more.
“Yoo Ahyoung is a warrior, Lee Chang-ryul is an assassin, and Han Sora is a

wizard. I’ll tell you more about them later, but I’m planning to raise them as
the new second party’s main members. I think it’s better to start with the
accommodations first… Oh, Deokgu. I think it would be better if you were to
guide them. Please also join them, Jeong-yeon.”
“Well, if it’s this kind of thing, I’m always down!”
“I think I can guide you step by step from the basement to the upper floors,
and Jeong-yeon can choose the accommodations right away. Lee Chang-ryul-
ssi said he wanted to go to the most isolated room, so please do that… Han
Sora and Yoo Ahyoung, please make your decisions carefully.”
“Hmmm…”
“There will be dinner in the evening, so you can finish all of your things by
evening.”
I thought there was a high probability that the guild staff had done it all, but
there would be people here who would want to prepare as well.
“I’ll… do it…”
It was Kim Ye-ri who looked at her first-time juniors with an amazed
expression.
She seems to have already recognized herself as a senior.
Of course, it was impossible to entrust such a task to a child who was not yet
an adult. Before I even thought about whether she needed a guardian, I heard
a voice next to me.
“I will go with you, Vice Guild Master.”
“Then, please, Hyejin-ssi.”
“Okay.”
“I will go with you.”
“You do that, Ahn Ki-mo-ssi.”
Although I felt distracted by how many people were around me, the
atmosphere wasn’t all that bad, all in all. Jung Hayan herself didn’t seem to
care.
Since Tol To-ri had been asleep for quite a long time, it seemed like Dialugia
would not return to the nest today. Meanwhile, the sun seemed to set at a
faster pace than usual.
The new recruits were still going around the Blue Guild House, and as Kim
Ye-ri, Cho Hyejin, Ahn Ki-mo, and even Jung Hayan began preparing for the
party, all the work preparations ended soon.
As soon as I heard that Kim Hyunsung had arrived back in Lindel, I promptly
began to wait around for him.
Shortly after that, the man himself entered my line of sight.
‘I missed you, you bastard.’
It had been a while since we’d been face to face like this.
Chapter 226
I knew Hyunsung would feel the same, too.
He for sure wouldn’t express it openly, but upon seeing me, a welcoming
feeling shone in his eyes. We had both been so busy that it was nice just to be
able to see each other like this. We were like a busy couple who only
managed to find time to relax now.
Even though we were aware that we were living in the same house, we were
so busy that we could only see each other when going to and returning from
work.
I knew I, myself, had been busy, and I knew Hyunsung was, too.
Of course, I didn’t know the details of what he did exactly, but at least I
could be sure that he was ready for the future to come.
Kim Hyunsung was very diligent and had no way of doing a crappy job. I felt
curious as to what he had been up to.
“You’re here.”
Once he noticed that we had been waiting for him, he replied.
“Forgive me for being late. Something suddenly came up.”
“It’s okay, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“I was thinking of joining you guys…”
“You said you had a business affair with the Black Swan.”
“Actually, I don’t think I’ll be talking about this here. It’ll be better to tell
you about it once the party ends. For now, let’s enjoy the arrival of our
newcomers.”
“Alright.”
‘It seems a bit serious…’
As we had spent a long time together, it was easy to tell when something was
off. Kim Hyunsung’s expression definitely didn’t look very good. Something
was obviously bothering him.
Of course, his expression had only been brief, and as soon as the stories of
the new recruits came out, his expression shifted into one of happiness.
However, he couldn’t fool me.
‘He’s thinking about something…’
There was nothing I could predict because nothing had been revealed in
context.
I started to remember that Park Yeon-joo of Black Swan had constantly been
talking to Kim Hyunsung. I thought she was expressing interest at the time,
but now that I thought about it, I felt like they did have a pretty serious
conversation.
‘Did anyone cause some trouble?’
I couldn’t imagine the Red Mercenary or the Black Swan guilds in crisis.
First, the Guild Master Park Yeon-joo was in a good situation, and even when
I spoke with Lee Jihye, I couldn’t find anything unusual. I couldn’t help but
feel bothered.
After Kim Hyunsung patted my shoulder, I started to move. Of course, all

guild members’ eyes were focused on him. Seeing him trying to join and take
a seat was quite the spectacle. I thought it was time for him to say something,
so I decided to push him a little.
“Please say something, Guild Master.”

“Yes. Hyung-ssi should say something since we’re all gathered like this!”
“Ah…”
Hyunsung seemed embarrassed, but he didn’t look upset. Eventually, he

stood up.
“Yes. I think it would be better. First of all, I’m sorry for being late. I tried to
come as soon as possible, but some things held me up.”
“It’s because of work and nothing else. You don’t even have to apologize.
You’re running around busily in order to feed us.”
“Haha. Thank you for thinking so. Actually, I planned today’s meeting, but
since I didn’t actually prepare, giving a congratulatory speech seems very
embarrassing. Yoo Ahyoung, Lee Chang-ryul, Han Sora, and Ahn Ki-mo… I
haven’t been able to talk much with you since I wasn’t at the training center,
but I feel like you are good people.”
In fact, they were chosen based on ability rather than disposition, but I kept
this to myself.
“Of course, you must have the ability to combine it. Actually, with Chang-
ryul-ssi, I checked it myself. Anyway, it’s nice to meet you all. It may sound
obvious, but we, Blue, are aiming for a family-like guild. I’m probably not
alone with this idea.”
“Lee Sang-hee and Hwang Jeong-yeon, who first founded Blue, think so,
too… Also, Kiyoung-ssi, Hayan-ssi, and Deokgu-ssi, who came here first,
and Ye-ri, Hee-young-ssi, and Hyejin-ssi, who came in after that, are all
probably thinking the same thing. The same goes for Dialugia.”
Though fellowship tended to be a bit of an overkill, this kind of friendship

was very welcome.
“Thank you to all the members who made this guild come alive… Thank you
to all of you who are new. You will not regret choosing Blue. Finally…”
“…”
“Welcome to Blue.”
When I saw him talking with a slight smile on his lips, I had to admit that he
was handsome.
Seeing that the faces of Cho Hyejin and Kim Ye-ri were subtly reddening, it
seemed that I was not the only one thinking about this. If Kim Hyunsung had
stayed back on Earth, he probably would’ve made a living just from his looks
alone.
“Let’s all raise the glasses.”
Of course, it was Park Deokgu who screamed the loudest.
“Let’s drink!”
And then, the small party started.
Yoo Ahyoung felt distracted with the colorful food in front of her that she
couldn’t have possibly eaten while she had been a trainee.
Jung Hayan and Sun Hee-young were quietly eating food on either side of
me, and Kim Hyunsung and Lee Sang-hee were talking about various things.
Although it was a dinner party, the number of people exceeded ten, so we all
ended up talking separately in the end. Of course, it was Park Deokgu who
always showed an unrivaled performance in such a place. It was enough to
hear him talking loudly, even from here.
“No, but why does Chang-ryul wear a mask like that?”
“…”
“Uncle Chang-ryul. It’s in his mouth. He has that… Stinging.”
“Huh?”
“I… the other day… we fought once. While taking the entrance test and…
though he fights a little dirty, he’s not all that bad. I feel like he’s talented.”
At least Park Deokgu and Kim Ye-ri had Chang-ryul covered. Meanwhile,
the focus fell on Han Sora.
“Ah. Is Han Sora really uncomfortable with her legs? Well, don’t worry
about anything. Our Hyung-nim and Hee-young are the types of people who
can heal a crippled flower! If they start treating it properly, you’ll be able to
stand up in less than three days. Right, Hee-young?”
“I have to try, but… I’m not sure. I’ve already treated it once, but the
aftereffects still remained, but of course, if she continues exercising, her
condition will get better than it is now.”
“Of course, you’ll get better! And don’t worry about your eyes—if Kiyoung-
ssi’s miracle potion doesn’t work, he’ll at least attach a glass eye!”
“T-Thank you.”
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the ability to heal crippled flowers. Of course, I

thought it would be nice to have it, but it was beyond my ability to perfect
Han Sora’s physical condition.
“I heard about you… Well, I mean, you suffered after getting in at my

Hayan’s magic lab. Don’t worry, though! Our Hayan! Huh? She’s the icon of
forgiveness. There’s no angel like her!”
“Hic…”
“Right? Hayan?”
“Yes. I-I made a mistake, too. Still, from next time you c-c-can’t do that,
okay?”
“Ah… Argh…”
“Don’t worry! Urinary incontinence will also be cured!”

Park Deokgu was really something. This time, he focused on Dialugia.
“And about her… Well, newcomers haven’t seen her, but in fact, her real
identity is a dragon.”
The horns on the head were enough for one to guess.
“I saw her original form once in the Siege of Castle Rock… No, well! A bad
wizard in some dungeon controlled this dragon. And just like that, Hyung-
nim was the one who gave a helping hand to her! What did Hyung-nim say
back then…?”
“…”
“Stop the attack! Stop the attack! Don’t attack anymore! He shouted and
blocked her front. Phew! If he were a girl, I would have fallen in love at that
moment! Even the dragon’s son! So, he was protecting Tol To-ri, holding
him in one hand!”
I felt embarrassed.
“Actually, it was fortunate that we didn’t fight back then. Obviously, if I had
been hit with that paw, I would have died immediately. If you get swallowed
in one bite, well, you won’t be able to resist. Anyway, because of that, the
dragon chose Hyung-nim. Oh, right. Then it turned out that there was
something like an energy wave coming out of the dragon’s mouth.”
“It’s called Breath.”
“Breath or energy wave, they’re the same! But what’s interesting about this is
that Hyung-nim made that Breath a potion!”
Deokgu was admittedly being too noisy, but I couldn’t really blame him.
In fact, thanks to him, the atmosphere became better, and some people were
even smiling.
As he talked about Dialugia and me, I felt embarrassed and wanted to hide
somewhere.
However, most of them looked and listened to him with interest. Truly, the
atmosphere would’ve been gloomy without Deokgu here. I didn’t have to
take things into my own hands.
Of course, it didn’t take long for Deokgu to take the wrong conversational
path.
“When he first said he was going to be an alchemist, you don’t know how
much I tried to stop him. Of course, I believed in him back then, but he still
chose to be an alchemist after leaving a cool job like a warlock… Now, it’s
all proved to be the right choice, but well, I was looking down the production
staff at that time.”
“Ah… Yes.”
“Speaking of which, countless possibilities are open to production workers,

too! It’s all up to you. I realized it upon seeing Hyung-nim.”
“You really mean that, Deokgu Oppa?”
“Ah, is Ahyoung also interested in it?”
“Ah… Yes. At first, I was unsure if I would go for a combat job, but
Instructor Lee Kiyoung told me that I had potential… So I decided to dig into
this seriously.”
“Ohhhhhh… I see!”
“And…”
“Yes?”
“Actually, I have a second class change ahead. I haven’t chosen yet, but…
That…”
“What?”
“I have the blacksmith as an option.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
Silence filled the room. Kim Hyunsung’s expression was that of an urgent
one.
There was a bit of embarrassment on Ahyoung’s face as she looked at Park

Deokgu. Not surprisingly, I heard Park Deokgu muttering.
“Blacksmith… seems good…”
‘This crazy bastard…’
At this, Kim Hyunsung spoke up as well.
“Ahyoung-ssi, did you have any other classes?”
“Ah. There are two options. One is a blacksmith, while the other is a
defensive warrior.”
“That’s not bad. It’s surprising that you only have two options, but it’s
probably a side effect of your lopsided growth. If you become a defensive
warrior, you’ll be able to do your part.”
“Defense Warrior… Well, I think it would be nice, but… In fact, all the basic
shield knowledge comes with the class effect that I can teach.”
‘Don’t start, you bastard.’
“Think about it. Hyung-nim chose an alchemist, but what about the magic
power that he shows right now? It’s better than just wizards.”
I was, of course, a special case.

“People who walk on special paths that other people have not originally
walked get more attention! Well, isn’t it a complete fraud to make weapons
with a hammer that kills monsters, all while lifting a shield?”
“It… makes sense, but there will be a difference in growth as we go to the

second half. As Ahyoung-ssi is talented, she will probably be able to get a
heroic-grade or higher legendary-grade class.”
“Well, let’s say, a legendary-grade blacksmith might rip off a monster’s head
with a hammer at once.”
“No… Such a thing….”
Kim Hyunsung also looked perplexed by the lack of logic.
“The choice will be up to Ahyoung-ssi, but if you think about Hyung-nim’s

case, it’ll be nice to go for a blacksmith! A new breeze is coming! Yoo
Ahyoung, a genius blacksmith who can make anything! Wow… Doesn’t it
make your heart shake, just thinking about this?”
“Of course, that doesn’t mean that production workers are bad. As Deokgu
said, considering Kiyoung-ssi’s case, there is a possibility. However,
considering Ahyoung’s talent, you can get enough results even if you take the
classic route. From a comprehensive perspective, it would be ideal to choose
a warrior as well.”
Kim Hyunsung’s words were, in fact, true.
Of course, one needed a blacksmith. However, Yoo Ahyoung was too good
to settle for this.
“Considering Ahyoung’s talent, she can be strong without taking the regular
route! Lindel needs a new wind! I definitely recommend going for the
blacksmith!”
“If Ahyoung-ssi chooses to be a defensive warrior, I will give this shield as a

gift.”
Kim Hyunsung was employing the same tactic as the time he urged me to be
an alchemist.
The one thing Kim Hyunsung overlooked, however, was that Park Deokgu
was no longer a child.
“If you choose to be a blacksmith, I will not only pass onto you my shield
skills, but I will also give this hammer as a gift!”
It was a heavy hammer that he one day acquired from a dungeon expedition.
Kim Hyunsung’s face was stained with embarrassment for a brief moment.
“Blacksmith! Originally, a person with a wide chest can hit with a hammer!”
“Go for a defense warrior. Don’t let that talent go to waste.”
“That talent can be fully demonstrated elsewhere! Blacksmith!”
“Defense warrior!”
“Blacksmith!”
“Blaacksmiiiith!”
‘This… this crazy pig…’
What was even more embarrassing was that I felt convinced by Park Deokgu
for some reason.
Yoo Ahyoung’s expression showed her embarrassment since she didn’t know
that the topic she threw would overheat like this.
“Defense Warrior!”
“Blacksmith! Blacksmith, no matter what!”
“The defense warrior is better, I’m sure.”

“Blacksmith!”
“Blacksmith! She needs to wield the hammer!”
Yoo Ahyoung looked conflicted.

Chapter 227
Even I felt convinced.
It felt like Deokgu had been spouting bullshit at first, but what he said
sounded appealing.
‘I guess he’s right…’
I could tell that Deokgu’s words made sense. There was no reason to choose
a defensive warrior. Its advantage lay in the fact that one could head to the
related melee high rank.
Of course, what he said was the most important factor in Ahyoung’s growth,
but it was undeniable that it would take a long time, considering her
disposition was basically optimistic.
If I were to think about it, Yoo Ahyoung did not show that kind of passion at
the training center.
‘It doesn’t suit her aptitude.’
The personal analysis was that although she was very talented, she was not
very interested in this particular field. Therefore, I was not surprised that
blacksmith was one of her options.
‘Because Park Deokgu himself never got this kind of class.’
As she said, the category was created because she was interested in
production work. Of course, what we needed right now was a front-liner who
would endure for the party.
However, if Park Deokgu, who has advanced shield knowledge, cared for
Yoo Ahyoung, it was worth trusting in him.
Considering that I also had the same magic power as a wizard with alchemy,
we might be able to use a blacksmith as a front-liner if the timing and growth
method were correct.
‘Her talent levels are also not bad.’
The fact that her stamina was legendary-grade also showed that she could be
used as a blacksmith.
One thing I was worried about was that Kim Hyunsung was reluctant for her
to be a blacksmith.
Of course, this was not because Yoo Ahyoung would achieve great success as
a warrior in the future. Kim Hyunsung seemed not to know Yoo Ahyoung
well.
From Kim Hyunsung’s point of view, he would not want to turn a very
valuable talent into a production worker, but with time, it was possible to find
a person with a level similar to Yoo Ahyoung somehow.
Why?
Because I had my Mind’s Eye.
The same went for Kim Hyunsung, who could still recruit future talent.
In particular, considering that there was Dialugia, the supreme treasure here,
perhaps Ahyoung could get a class like Dragon Blacksmith.
“Hey, what does Hyung-nim think? Do you not like the blacksmith, too?”
“Well…”
“Think about it! Blacksmith is perfect! Anyone can see she looks like a
blacksmith, right?”
It really did look like that.
“Imagine hitting an anvil with a hammer. Since you work in an ultra-hot

furnace, her flame resistance might be better than normal potential. She will
be able to survive in a sea of fire.”
‘That sounds ridiculous, but…’
As I glanced at Yoo Ahyoung, she was also looking at me with a confused

expression.
I also think that something like a blacksmith would look better than just
wearing armor.
“Blacksmith!”
“Blacksmith!”
In the meantime, Kim Hyunsung and Park Deokgu were still arguing. I knew
I had to say something soon. Unfortunately, I had to let our lovely Kim
Hyunsung down.
“I don’t think… being a blacksmith is bad, either.”
“Kiyoung-ssi?”
Kim Hyunsung looked shocked.
‘I’m sorry, Hyunsung-ssi.’
Even his pitiful expression could not be compared with Deokgu’s

enthusiasm.
“Of course, I can understand what Hyunsung-ssi is thinking, but I think it is

more difficult to find an excellent blacksmith than to find an excellent
warrior. If you look through the entire Empire, you will find a good
blacksmith eventually, but…”
“Yes.”
“Personally, I don’t want to disclose the special resources that Blue has to
other guilds or outside… As Deokgu said, he can teach enough of the
knowledge that can be obtained through a class change.”
“Nevertheless… She won’t be able to learn advanced magic power

management knowledge.”
“I also don’t have advanced magic power management knowledge, but I

don’t think it’s a big boost compared to other wizards in terms of firepower.”
“That’s because you’re a special case…”
“She could be a special case, too. Oh, of course, I’m just explaining a simple
example. I think it would be better to leave the choices to her.”
In fact, this was the most important issue.
‘What choice will she make?’
No matter how hard I push, her fate would be determined by her own
choices.
In fact, even from the guild’s standpoint, it was possible to push it forcefully.
This was especially true if you signed a contract as a combat job as Yoo
Ahyoung did.
However, Blue respected individual freedom. Force was never an efficient

option.
Of course, the reverberation of Park Deokgu’s soul had strangely persuasive

power, but Kim Hyunsung and Park Deokgu’s struggles were only mere
recommendations.
The most important thing is Yoo Ahyoung’s opinion.
Once again, the room quieted down.

“Er…”
“…”
“…”
“In fact… the blacksmith…”
“…:
“Whoa! I knew you would! You look like a blacksmith, through and
through!”
“Can I hear why?”
“Ah, yes. It’s hard to say anything in particular, but… Should I say that I am
attracted to that for some reason? I don’t know if this would suit me, but it’s
what my heart tells me.”
This was rather convincing.
“Ah…”
The returner quietly averted his gaze, his face reddening.
‘You are a man, too.’
Yoo Ahyoung, who was not aware of Kim Hyunsung’s reaction, continued to
speak.
“Of course, I will train hard not to harm the second party. I think it might be
possible if I find my own way, just like Instructor Lee Kiyoung has said. It’s
a bit scary to choose to be a production worker, but…”
“I see.”
Kim Hyunsung returns to reality, his expression sullen.
However, that expression was loosened in an instant. If Yoo Ahyoung

thought that way, he probably knew it’d only be right to support her.
He may have been crazy about the resources Dialugia had, and he may have
thought that the timing was not bad when thinking about the blacksmithing
techniques that would appear in the future. Above all, the fact that Ahyoung
had chosen to follow her heart must’ve sat well with him.
Overall, I felt that he respected her choices.
“It’s unfortunate, but I can’t help it. The guild will provide maximum
support.”
“If you want to change what is written on the contract, you can do that. I
signed a contract as a combat job in the first place… I feel guilty.”
“Oh. You don’t have to worry about that, Ahyoung-ssi. Instead, I think I need
to adjust the contract period… If Ahyoung chooses a blacksmith, then the
resources she can touch may be a little different…”
“Yes. I have that in mind enough, Instructor.”
“If so, that’s good.”
“Well! Well!”
Park Deokgu nodded his head as if satisfied. I even thought about this as his
scheme to eliminate a front-liner who could potentially be better than him,
but I knew Deokgu was not that type of person. He probably had never even
thought of that.
However, it does feel a little strange. From Park Deokgu’s point of view, it
may have been only a gain, but considering the result alone, it was reasoning
that was worth having at least once.
‘It was Park Deokgu who first brought up the story of production workers…’
Of course, he wouldn’t have seen the blacksmith in Yoo Ahyoung’s class

selection list. Such things could not be seen even with the Mind’s Eye.
However, his persuasion had worked to his advantage this time around.
“I’ll push that hard! Leave the training to me!”
Deokgu’s boldness had begun to sprout in a different direction.
‘Perhaps he’s not a fool.’
In the end, Yoo Ahyoung was engulfed in a faint light, and Park Deok-gu
once more maintained his position as the best front-liner thus far.
The conversations once again picked up, and course, most of the subjects
were about Yoo Ahyoung, Han Sora, and Lee Chang-ryul.
“Some new knowledge came in?”
“Yes. I want to try it right now.”
“I’ll look into it to see if there is anything I can help with.”
“Thank you, Instructor Lee Kiyoung.”
Of course, it was Yoo Ahyoung who received the most attention among
them.
As we saw this kind of conversation coming and going even in the place we
created to get out of various situations, it seemed that we were already
players to our bones.
Kim Ye-ri was also having a rather serious conversation with Lee Chang-
ryul, and Sun Hee-young was also having a conversation with Han Sora.
Of course, it was not an ordinary conversation.
‘It seems she was able to adapt here in the end.’
As I had just come back to Lindel today, I wanted to leave this party a little
faster. Eventually, people gradually got drunk and began to leave.
Kim Ye-ri, who was still a minor, had long been inside with Cho Hyejin
under the Guild Master’s strict order to sleep and get up early.
Sun Hee-young, Hwang Jeong-yeon, and the newcomer and Ahn Ki-mo also
went in to take a rest, and Jung Hayan was dozing yet holding onto me
firmly.
Of course, the same went for Park Deokgu and Kim Hyunsung.
Somehow, the last people left were the four I met in the tutorial dungeon.
“As expected, only the four of us survived until the end!”
“Yes. The ones from the tutorial…”
“Phew… I think it’s been a year already, so my feelings are really different.
It’s amazing because I think the time to raise our successors has already
come. I thought I’d be stuck with Hyung-nim all the time, but in fact, I’m
happy to be with Hyung-ssi for so long, too.”
“I think I know what you’re talking about. It’s a bit awkward to say this, but
thank you for coming along for the entire ride.”
Perhaps he thought it was a little embarrassing remark, but it was only right
to meet his remark in stride.
“It’s only natural. We’re colleagues, after all.”
“…”
“…”
“Hyung-nim…”
I knew I had made a cheesy remark. However, I could see Park Deokgu and
Kim Hyunsung looking at me with an emotional expression. I had to hurry to
change the subject.
“And it’s probably because Hyunsung-ssi’s decision is always reasonable.”

“Yes… That’s right.”
It was then that the atmosphere began to get serious.
“Actually…”
“Yes?”
“It may not be a little rational this time.”
“Are you talking about what happened with the Black Swans?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
“Is it dangerous?”
“Yes.”
‘Fuck…’
The thing that I had been worried about finally came.

Chapter 228
Chapter 228: Crack Museum (1)
“Is it dangerous?”
“Yes.”
“I… see…”
I already knew that something bad had happened, especially if Hyunsung was
present. He was like an NPC harboring the main quest, seeing as he always
events where crisis usually followed.
If I were to think about it, it had never not been dangerous.
Participating in the attack team with Jung Jinho in the first tutorial had also
been a risk, and the siege of Castle Rock was also a dangerous thing. Of
course, I didn’t feel burdened with such an event because I believed in him.
I knew that if any crisis came, he would appear like lightning and solve it.
In particular, in the tutorial dungeon’s case, the reality was that the difficulty
had greatly decreased when he joined. It was a dangerous situation, but I
wasn’t particularly nervous.
If I were to think about it, all of my decisions were rational choices made
after considering all kinds of factors. Indeed, Kim Hyunsung never warned
me of the dangers of his choices.
Even when an incident happened, he would say that he could solve it, but at
least he had the confidence to make sure that colleagues in the same party
would not die.
‘If he says it’s dangerous this time…’

Then this meant it really was. Anxiety bloomed from within me.
“Can I hear what’s going on?”
“A support request came from the Black Swan.”
“It will be difficult to refuse.”
“Yes.”
Park Deokgu spoke up, looking confused.
“Why is it so hard to refuse?”
“It’s because we owe them a lot.”
“Oh…”
“We owe the Black Swan a lot haven’t paid for everything yet, and they
helped us even when I had a problem at the royal castle. Also, I got a lot of
help in aspects that cannot be seen. Maybe you’ll be surprised if you know,
Deokgu. We’ve been influenced and affected even in the trivial aspects.”
They had even helped us get rid of Park Deokgu’s potential barrier.
“Although it is called an alliance, the Blue, the Black Swan, and the Red
Mercenary are groups that maintain independent powers. Of course, we have
no choice but to move for personal gain. This alliance is maintained because
the groups need each other, not because of the odd friendship or the goal of
defending Lindel.”
“But Hyung-nim and the red-haired were being pretty… friendly, right?”
“It’s a relationship between Hee-ra and me, not a Blue to Red Mercenary one.
Of course, there are some advantages to being close, but that’s all. As much
as I put Blue first, she will put the Red Mercenary first. Actually, Hyunsung-
ssi also maintains a close relationship with the Black Swan Guild Master.
Public work is public and private work is kept separate.”
“Ohhh…”
“Nevertheless, if you think about the fact that among our three alliances, we
are the ones receiving support in it becomes pretty obvious. It means that we
are the ones being fully cared for. In the first place, our guild is a medium-
sized guild when it comes to moving goods and abilities, but the scale itself is
small.”
“I think I can understand…”
“In short, it is Blue that gets the most advantages in this trilateral alliance
relationship. However, this honey is not free. You can understand it like that.
It means the time has come to pay for the honey we’ve been eating.”
Kim Hyunsung nodded at my words.
“Kiyoung-ssi is right. This is the first time that the Black Swan Guild has
officially requested help from us. If we reject it because this is dangerous, we
will lose trust from the Black Swan and the Red Mercenary guilds. Of course,
the same goes for other guilds and clans.”
“Oh… It’s like that… so it’s about trust.”
“Yes. It will be easy to understand if you think that way.”
From this standpoint, it was something that we really had to accept.
If, as Kim Hyunsung said, this mission was really dangerous, it may be
possible to repay our debts.
Blue, too, may get in danger someday, somehow.
It was a little ironic that we had to take risks in order to overcome more risks,
but originally this continent gave rewards equivalent to the risks one took. It
was necessary to gamble this time around.
“What exactly is it?”

“It’s a rescue trip to a dungeon.”
‘I knew it would be like this.’
Unless a war broke out and or they were held captive in another country, the
Black Swan’s only reason to ask for help would be because of these types of
things.
“To explain, I heard that the main executives and members of the Black Swan
were isolated in the dungeon. The request I received from the Black Swan
Guild Master Park Yeon-joo is to rescue those who are isolated in this
dungeon, as well as attack the dungeon at the same time. Of course, it seems
that the main power of Black Swan, including Park Yeon-joo, will move
alongside us. I think the total number of the attacking team will be 30.”
“Hmm… Is it possible that those who were in the dungeon died?”
“There is one survivor who has managed to exit the dungeon. According to
the testimony, those in the dungeon are surely isolated. The name of the
dungeon is Crack Museum. The unusual part is… It is said that it is an
unclassified dungeon.”
“So, there was a survivor who came out. No, rather… You mean the dungeon
has no rating?”
“Yes. If I explain it in more detail, I heard that it is a type of dungeon that

changes its rank. It can be a common-grade dungeon, as well as a legendary-
grade dungeon. Personally… maybe we should think about the possibility of
the dungeon changing to above the legendary-grade.
“What?”
“Of course, the odds are very low…”
If there was really the possibility of changing to a dungeon above the

legendary-grade, entering itself would be both irrational and suicidal.
Considering that there were only a few legendary-grade dungeons that had
gotten attacked so far, the assumption of entering a dungeon that might have
a legendary-grade or higher felt wrong.
Of course, if there were survivors, the Black Swan would have to prepare
things related to the attack, but nonetheless, there were still too many risk
factors.
‘If it is above the legendary-grade… Is it a mythic-grade?’
It could also either be common-grade or heroic-grade, too.
“How is that possible?”
“The Crack Museum is a type of dungeon where named monsters appear

randomly.”
“Ohh…”
“It is said that named monsters of rare-grade, heroic-grade, legendary-grade,

and mythic-grade are sealed in a crack and only randomly send out named
monsters.”
“How did you get such information?”
“It would be better to show the report in person, rather than just explaining it
in words. This report is based on information from a dungeon guide called
Crack Museum Guide.”
“Yes, please.”
‘Dungeon guide…’
I sometimes heard that there were dungeons of this kind. No, I had actually
experienced it.
It may be a little different, but in fact, I could think of the woman’s voice
heard in the tutorial dungeon as a dungeon guide.
For example, being a dungeon guide was an irregular that informed how the
dungeon ran and what goal was needed to be achieved within it. however…
‘It’s different from the Cursed Temple…’
The problem was that the information did not exist at all in the case of the
Cursed Shrine, where I had obtained Juliana.
That was the reason why a dungeon had been able to swallow up most of
Blue’s former members. In that sense, it was not bad to have such a special
NPC attached.
‘Is it okay to assume that there are no annoying traps or complicated things?’
That could mean that the dungeon might have other complications, but…
‘For now, it doesn’t seem that bad.’
At least, like last time, I wouldn’t have to think my brains out or worry about
other things than the attack, which was further strengthened the moment I
read the Black Swan survivor’s report.
Of course, it would be hard to trust the report’s accuracy, but this was still
better than nothing.
Kim Hyunsung stayed quiet as he watched me read the report, being

considerate enough for me to concentrate completely.
‘In fact, nothing will change if I read it, but…’
[Unrated Dungeon Crack Museum Report.]
[This report is made based on the testimony of the Black Swan Guild’s
survivor, who was guided by the Crack Museum guide.]
[It is divided into the first half, listing the guide as it is, the middle listing the
dungeon called Crack Museum’s progress and events, and the last half listing
the attack.]
“…”
[According to the Crack Museum Guide, the Crack Museum is a collection of

secrets and treasures created by the Guardians of the Crack, and the guide
Marx is an ego ring that has been created by them.]
[The Crack Guardians have been weathered over time and have lost their
existence and significance, and the guide Marx is the only remaining Crack
Guardian. Among those who entered the dungeon, a representative was
elected, and about 30 explorers were fixed for the museum’s peace. Museum
explorers started exploring the museum after wearing the guide’s ring, but
once they entered the dungeon, they couldn’t leave the dungeon until they
finished the exploration or paid the price, and they were forced to attack.]
“…”
[Dungeon attack can only be completed after sealing the Crack Guardians or
defeating three of the named monsters contracted, and there is no other
method. Named objects managed by the museum exist not only from the
main continent but also outside of it. Some transcendental beings take the
form of contracts, not seals.]
“Ha…”
[There are a total of 500 entities in the museum, and three types of legendary-
grade or higher named monsters, thirty types of legendary-grade monsters,
four hundred types of heroic-grade monsters, and the remaining monsters are
classified as rare-grade monsters.]
‘This is… completely…’
[Named monsters of the three selected entities are thoroughly randomly

determined.]
‘…’
[There are three rewards for exploring the museum. The rewards are three
types of legendary-grade or higher armaments, thirty types of legendary-
grade armaments, four hundred types of heroic-grade armaments, and the
remaining armaments of the rare-grade… this part has been omitted.]
‘…’
[The rewards are also thoroughly randomized.]
‘So, the whole system depends on luck…’
[You could also get rare-grade rewards by defeating legendary-grade

monsters, or get a rare-grade monster and receive legendary-grade weapons.]
Park Deokgu, who quietly looked at the report I was reading next to me,
seemed to be able to understand this much.
“Isn’t this much like a game of drawing lots?”
I had no choice but to nod in response to his muttering.

Chapter 229
“This is basically a game of drawing lots.”
“Someone in our guild said the same thing.”
“Who?”
“Park Deokgu.”
“…”
“…”
“Oh! It turned out that Yuno Kasugano of the Yozora Guild also revealed her
intention to participate in this expedition…”
“She can’t.”
Lee Ji-hye looked at me as if surprised by my firm remark.
Of course, if she, who was counted as one of the Eight Seats, participated in
the expedition, it would be something to cheer for. Unfortunately, this was
not an ordinary dungeon.
‘Her luck stat is zero.’
Considering Yuno Kasugano’s luck stat, she would only prove to be a

nuisance. Honestly, I wanted to tell her not to bother at all.
“This is unexpected. I thought you would want to take her…”
“She has a low luck stat.”
“Oh…”
“There’s not even a single ray of hope for her.”
“I knew you were a little close, but enough to share stats?”
“I don’t know it in detail, but…”
“Well. What can I do?”
She seemed to be glancing at me strangely, but seeing that she didn’t say
anything else, I understood that she didn’t care. She didn’t really care who I
went out with in the first place.
One thing she cared about was whether the people I went out with were
useful.
I didn’t know why she thought that I would come back to her in the end, but
one thing I could admit was that her presence made this work very easy.
‘I should have brought her to Blue.’
She was not only adapting well in the Black Swans, but she was also doing
really great, so I thought it was fortunate to be in there, but there were
obviously regrets.
‘I’m comfortable.’
We were so good working together that I had to think that. Lee Jihye began
to speak as she checked on the expedition’s profile again.
“This is hard. The luck stat is also important, but it’s difficult to balance it,
and it’s the first time I’ve been putting my energy into the formation itself. Of
course, the formation of other expeditions was obviously tricky, but it was
never that hard.”
“…”
“Besides… Looking at it like this, there aren’t many people with really high
luck stats. Yours is only in your 70s… I thought it would be higher…”
“What is the average luck stat for those isolated in the museum now?”
“I don’t know. About 30? There could be an error of about minus 15 or plus.”
“It’s enough for them to fail.”
Of course, the most necessary part for attacking the Crack Museum was the
luck stats.
I didn’t have to look for those with high stats with my Mind’s Eye.
Lee Jihye proposed to reveal some limit to luck stats for the attack on this
dungeon, and of course, the Black Swan and Blue members agreed on this.
Contrary to what I thought that it would be a smooth formation, what made it

hard was that no one had a higher luck stat.
Ideally, it would be to organize the expedition with only those with luck stats
over 80, but those with legendary-grade luck were harder to find than those
with talent in other general stats.
Among the players’ stat, there was no choice but to admit that it was the most
veiled stat.
‘Of course, it was.’
How to raise it hadn’t been identified yet, and even why there was a luck stat
in the first place was unknown. There were cases in which people with high
luck stats died, and in some cases, people with low luck stats like Yuno
Kasugano could still walk the path of success.
As your strength stat rises, you get stronger.
As the agility stat rises, you get faster.
The simple logic that could be easily applied to other stats did not fit well for
luck stats.
Of course, getting luckier…

‘Seems to affect the production workers…’
Anyway, this expedition had no choice but to include those with high luck
stats in the spirit of catching at straws. Of course, going to the expedition
with this formation was suicide.
Being realistic, the number we were targeting to have is an average luck stat
of 60 or more.
A member with this level of luck stats has the power to deal with at least a
legendary-grade named monster. This was the core of this program and the
reason why Lee Jihye was struggling.
“What did the Blue decide?”
“We are thinking about it together. First, we four are confirmed, such as me,
Hyunsung, Hayan, and Hee-young.”
“Aren’t you taking Deokgu? Hasn’t he grown as a great power of Blue?”
“I have a lot of worries about that now. All other parts of him are good, but
his luck stat is currently forty. It’ll be a problem just having him around.”
“Just put him in. He’s the one who can protect you when things go wrong.
Since your stats and as well as Hayan’s and Hyunsung’s, are high, it probably
doesn’t matter. The problem is our Black Swan members. What will Dialugia
do?”
“I think she will probably participate… As it is a dungeon, it will be difficult

for her to commit. I don’t want to welcome her because she is not good with
weapons. Of course, she should be useful as her stats are high…”
“And what about her precious son?”
“If she comes with us, the guild members who’ll stay in Blue would take
good care of Tol To-ri. I’m worried about leaving Tol To-ri alone, but… if
she thinks she has to go, what can I do?”
“In human form, her luck stat was about 80.”

“Your Guild Master…”
“Yes. She has about 80. If that’s the case, the front line isn’t bad. Even if any
named monster pops out, they’ll be able to respond flexibly, especially
Deokgu…”
“He is definitely helpful. In the first place, pure tanks with specs capable of
receiving attacks from legendary-grade named monsters are rare.”
“The priest line is a bit weak, but it seems we can’t do anything about it, and
this makes it difficult to organize the backline. We don’t know when a
monster with high physical resistance or with high magic resistance will
appear…”
“We’ll have to talk a little more about the formation. I think the guild masters
are things… They’re the expert in catching monsters, and we’re just giving
an opinion as a strategy team. All we have to do is submit a report, select a
list of names, and do our job. When’s the next meeting?”
“In about two hours.”
“Let’s look at the distribution team.”
“What about the formation? There are still some members left from my
guild…”
“I’ll finish it.”
Although she looked at me suspiciously, Lee Ji-hye nodded immediately. I

understood why she seemed suspicious, though.
She didn’t know that I knew about the Black Swans very well. While walking
around in the Black Swan, I had already confirmed the attributes and rough
specifications with my Mind’s Eye.
Of course, I remembered those who went above the executive level, so it felt
a little more comfortable to do it alone. This meant that making a formation
with the attributes, stats, classes, and dispositions considered is something
that other people couldn’t do.
‘If everyone reveals their status window, the story would be different…’
Unexpectedly, there were many things that the people here wanted to hide,
especially in terms of disposition and characteristics.
It was not common, but considering that many people leaked false
information by using the fact that others couldn’t check the status window, I
thought that I would be the only one on the continent that could form a
suitable group for this expedition.
Formation was also about statistics, after all.
If I compared the dungeon strategy to a soccer game and thought of the

expedition’s formation as the 11 players, the answer would soon come to me.
I had to consider the rate percentage when two players were used together,
the win rate when a particular player played at home, and the odds when they
didn’t play.
The victory of the game would be the success of the expedition, and the
defeat of the game would be the failure of the expedition.
Of course, certain parts could not be explained in this kind of way.
‘Because it’s just a numerical value, anyway.’
Obviously, there were other variables in practice, and it was entirely up to the
expedition to respond to these said variables.
In the first place, if the players were capable enough to play against each
other, they wouldn’t have needed a manager or coach.
Statistics never lie. This was far more persuasive than the useless power of
friendship or the inexplicable kind of passion and spirit.
‘What kind of disposition usually fails in expeditions?’
Of course, I was not a god. I also knew that it was dangerous to judge a
person only by their disposition or characteristic.
However, in order to increase the probability of success, even by a little, I

knew it was not bad to quantify and mix these small parts. This was
emphasized to me upon seeing how nervous our lovely returner was.
Unlike Park Deokgu, who optimistically thought, “We just need to draw
well,” Kim Hyunsung was unexpectedly unable to hide his nervousness
throughout the decision of this expedition.
It was obvious as to why he, who always exuded confidence, would be like
this.
‘Has he ever experienced it?’
Again, this was only speculation, but I’m sure he’d have experienced the
Crack Museum at least once. If not, at least he may have heard about this
dungeon.
What I could predict was that if a mythic-grade monster pops out, all of our
companions would be annihilated.
I knew how dangerous our situation was, given Hyunsung’s hardened

expression. Due to his anxiety, preparations were done at an urgent pace.
Perhaps Kim Hyunsung is worried about the ones who have been sealed or
have signed a contract with the Crack Museum.
There was definitely a monster that he thinks to be impossible to control with

his own power.
‘I will carry you.’
There wasn’t much I could do, but at least I could help in this aspect.
It had been a while since I had focused on something to this extent. No, it had
been a while since I’d been busy dividing most of my duties to others’ tasks.
It had also been a long time since Lee Jihye left the office upon noticing my
energized state.
The meeting began, and the report of the unit I organized was safely
delivered to Kim Hyunsung and Park Yeon-joo.
Of course…
“Hyunsung-ssi, your Vice Guild Master… is really competent. How… How

is this… possible?”
The expedition I formed had gone onto an immediate pilot training session
that produced results that even surprised the Guild Master of the Black Swan.
‘I was lucky.’
It had gone exactly what I thought.

Chapter 230
The expedition crew who completed the simulation training were engulfed in
a strange sense of floating while gasping for breath. Some were screaming,
and some simply nodded.
Everyone thought it might be natural in some way to be filled with unfamiliar

excitement. Even Park Deokgu and Kim Hyunsung were also clenching their
fists.
Of course, I could understand how they felt. I, who participated in this

training right now, was also feeling an unidentified joy. Most of them
probably think this was fun, much like a sport or a game.
Of course, this was a different kind of training, but the feeling of success was
similar to when orchestra members succeeded in a perfect ensemble.
When compared to soccer, ten people created a perfect goal together, and
when compared to an AOS game, five people managed a perfect hit. The
training ended smoothly from start to finish without any creaky parts, and an
expedition of close to thirty people was gradually able to move like one body.
The flow wasn’t twisted either, and the swapping and timing were perfect.
Even I, who had made this expedition, felt amazed, so it wouldn’t need
another modifier.
Of course, the most passionate reaction among them belonged to the Black
Swan’s strategy team and the Guild Master Park Yeon-joo, the designated
leader.
I remembered that they didn’t look very happy at first upon the unfamiliar
formation. Thus, they had acted coldly the first time around. Most of their
first-team party members were removed, after all, so their reactions were
understandable.
‘But I think it would be better to try it once.’
The training, which started with encouragement from both Kim Hyunsung
and Park Yeon-joo, took the temporary expedition to the regular expedition
within less than 30 minutes.
As she nodded at the satisfactory result, Park Yeon-jo spoke once more,
brushing off the dust on the equipment.
“I’m really… embarrassed. Actually, I didn’t really trust the strategy support
team. This… Of course, the actual performance may be different, but it feels
so different now.”
What was a little fun was that Kim Hyunsung seemed a little more proud of
the praise I had received than me.
This was proof that he believed in me. It felt satisfying to be able to prove my
worth once again.
“Kiyoung-ssi has shown outstanding abilities in many fields. In fact, this is

the first time I had entrusted to another person the organization and
composition of an expedition of thirty people, so I was a little worried, but I
am glad that the results came out well.”
“First time?”
“Yes. Oh, of course, in the Siege of Castle Rock, I had commanded a large
force, but this is the first time that I have formed a 30-man expedition.”
“Ha…”
“I always think about it, but Kiyoung-ssi really seems to have a lot of talent.”
“No, Hyunsung-ssi. This is not something that can be explained as having

talent or not. Would you understand if I said today was the most perfect one
among the many hunting expeditions and training days I’ve ever
experienced? This is really… this is nonsense. Kiyoung-ssi received the
information about our guild members only yesterday. He would not have
memorized all the names of the members….”
“Hahahahaha.”
“In the first place, the formation of large troops and expeditions is a
completely different matter. This is too weird. Besides, even though there
was a limit of 60 or more of the average luck stat, and it is this much…”
Seeing that Kim Hyunsung’s face, which looked originally anxious, had
loosened a little, he seemed to be in a better mood.
‘Why are you more proud?’
It wasn’t just Hyunsung. Even Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan looked openly
proud.
Seeing that they were being bombarded with questions from other Black
Swan members, it certainly looked like they were interested.
“Our Hyung-nim is a genius! A genius!”
‘Don’t praise me that way, you bastard.’
Of course, it wasn’t bad to make me look good, but the problem was that he
always exaggerated. Park Yeon-joo was still looking at me as the expedition
members were getting acquainted with one another. Her disconcerted
expression made me feel anxious.
“How did you do it? This is…”
“It’s simple. It’s just statistics.”
“I know that, too. Creating data by quantifying the report in the expedition
journal… That’s what our guild’s dungeon strategy team is also doing.”
“I also received a lot of help from Jihye-ssi.”

“Jihye? Oh, of course, Ji-hye is also competent and smart, but…”
In fact, it couldn’t be said that I had done this on my own.
Although it was almost entirely my responsibility to organize the troops, I

was able to derive the results based on the data that Jihye Lee had made in
advance.
I actually received a lot of help from her in the part of the expedition’s
position line and swapping.
Even the data she had was information that had not been spread to her guild,
so it would be correct to say that I definitely received that help.
Besides, because Lee Jihye…
‘Is a Commander.’
The class Lee Jihye chose was a Commander, so she was a little brighter than
me in this aspect.
In other words, there was a synergy effect that the system had also
recognized.
‘I was lucky.’
Originally, I hit the jackpot at once during a process that I had to revise
repeatedly after a test.
The formation that I had been thinking of for about three days had succeeded
in one queue. If I tried the same thing again, I knew I wouldn’t get the same
results.
“It’s competent, but it doesn’t make sense. Kiyoung-ssi, if you like, maybe
you would like to… Black Swan…”
I felt shocked. She shouldn’t have said that in front of Kim Hyunsung. At
once, her face reddened.
“Ah. I’m sorry, Hyunsung-ssi. I was a little…”
“It’s okay, Black Swan Guild Master. Being the head of a group, it is
unavoidable that you are attracted to talents.”
“Oh! It was not an offer to recruit. It’s just really amazing… If I’m not being
rude, can you please tell me if there is a specific method? It’s okay if you
don’t tell me today.”
“Hmm…”
I knew I had a personal debt to Park Yeon-joo due to the problem with
Deokgu.
Naturally, I thought it was right to give a tip.
Of course, if I explained from start to finish, I’d have to talk about my

attribute, so I had to come up with a reasonable reason. I’d feel a little sorry
for the Black Swan’s strategy team, but…
‘I have to say something.’
“I was really lucky. Originally, I was planning to do it in three days…”
“Three days are amazing enough.”
“Anyway, some reasons are a little difficult to tell, but the one thing I can tell
you is it’s probably because I’m an outsider that I could produce this result
with an unfamiliar composition.”
“I’m sorry?”
“The organization and composition created by the internal strategy team are
bound to be affected. I heard that the strategy team is made up of retired
people…”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“They are also affected by relationships. The reality is that they tend to
organize the formation thinking of the people they are more mindful of than
people with the same abilities. There must be some who’ve been rotting their
talent within the Second Army of the Black Swan. Most of the people I found
are of that kind. It’s hard to happen in a guild with a few elite talents like
ours… In the case of Black Swan or Red Mercenary, the situation is
different.”
“Ohhh… I see.”
“If this problem is solved, things will be better than now.”
“Yes. Thanks for the advice.”
“No. It was a great experience for me, and above all, I think this result came
out because they have been well trained. They are definitely Black Swans.”
It was for a brief moment in a pretty warm atmosphere, but her expression
got a little cold.
That was when I thought of what Lee Jihye had said before.
“The sociability goes too far here. It’s not because only women are gathered,
but… It’s just that there are many times when it’s easy to see people fighting
and splitting sides. Gosh.”
I remembered Lee Jihye’s lamentation, saying that this was the weakness of
her guild.
Looking at the expression of Park Yeon-joo, it looks like she was also
experiencing stress for a similar kind of reason. I didn’t know for sure, but I
could tell that this was something they would try and change after this
expedition.
‘I feel guilty for some reason…’
Although this had nothing to do with me, I became curious about the
dungeon strategy team’s fate, who had tried hard in their own way.
‘It might be good for Lee Jihye.’

Perhaps she had waited for me to say something like this. As I glanced at her,
I saw her immediately smiling, so it seemed that I was right.
At this, Hyunsung began to speak.
“You’ve worked hard, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“No. I don’t think it’s enough to say that this was all hard work. This time, I
really got a lot of help from Jihye, and I also got lucky. I was also surprised
by the result.”
“You don’t have to be so humble.”
‘But it’s real, why don’t you believe it, bastard?’
I felt that no more excuses would work, so I thought it was best to change the
topic.
“Is it possible to start?”
“I think the period will get a little longer. I originally tried to take a little
more time to prepare. The Black Swans were not expecting how quick the
formation had been made. As you might think, there will be a schedule
change.”
“That’s good for the Black Swans.”
“Yes. Even though she pretends to be okay, Yeon-joo-ssi is quite nervous. It

seems to me that there are many units that she likes among those who have
been isolated. It would be natural to want to rescue as soon as possible.”
“I see.”
“Yes.”
As I looked up at Kim Hyunsung, his anxious expression had deepened. He

looked more anxious than usual.
It wasn’t an expression that suited Kim Hyunsung, but it felt like seeing a
puppy that couldn’t pee. It almost seemed like a lie about him feeling proud
of me. He seemed to want to talk about it but found that he couldn’t.
‘This bastard… Does he have worries again?’
I couldn’t always give the right answer, but it was also my job to take care of
his mental state.
I had to at least try to make him talk.
“Do you have anything you want to say?”
“Ah… It looks like I’ve been too obvious.”
“No, you didn’t.”
He got embarrassed for a moment.
Soon after, he gathered enough courage and began to speak. I thought it was
probably related to the strategy, but what he spoke proved to be completely
different.
“Er…”
“Yes?”
“That… What the Black Swan Master had previously said…”
“Oh, what she just said.”
“Yes. I mean, by any chance…”
His lips were wriggling, and his eyes were uneasy. I could immediately
notice what he was thinking.
‘I’m not going anywhere, bastard.’

Chapter 231
Chapter 231: Welcome to the Museum (1)
I felt pleased upon realizing that Kim Hyunsung was, indeed, giving me more
importance.
In the first place, I already played a major role in his plans, but it was clear
that this incident had managed to surprise even him.
I remembered the question he’d asked me a few days ago, and laughter
popped out of me.
‘I said I’m not going anywhere.’
He’d been anxious at the fact that many offers had come my way.
‘I do have some skills.’
Although it was ironic to evaluate myself, in truth, my influence in Blue was

by no means small, in terms of both income and diplomacy.
The potions produced at the potion factory of Blue were distributed not only
to Lindel but also to Celia and Dawan, thus accumulating our enormous
wealth. Even the other businesses promoted by our administrative team were
now spreading their wings.
Blue didn’t even have to go on expeditions anymore. We could survive

simply by relying on the potion industry. Of course, I haven’t done just that.
I was also the person who completed the triad with the Red Mercenary and
the Black Swan, and even the Yozora Guild with Yuno Kasugano, forming
the fourth alliance; I was also the Honorary Bishop of the Holy Empire.
Since I maintained friendly relations with the Pope’s side and the influential
nobles, it was correct to think that I was already important enough in terms of
diplomacy. I had even gotten a position in the Eight Seats and had Dialugia in
my possession.
In the extreme, even if I leave the Blue and set up another guild, I would not
lack anything.
It was also natural for Kim Hyunsung to feel anxious.
‘Why?’
Because he didn’t have anything left to give me that I would need.
In the beginning, I accepted everything he gave me, but Kim Hyunsung’s and
my social status were now almost equal. I felt a little bad for him, but in fact,
it was not an exaggeration to say that my position was a little more superior.
This was no longer the old Lee Kiyoung, who felt innocently pleased with a
single rare item. We’d aged like high school sweethearts who had become
adults as time passed by. The things that these high schoolers once enjoyed,
such as small accessories, dates, and having a cup of hot coffee together on
rainy days, gradually became dull as they got used to it.
In particular, assuming that the other had already achieved great social
success and nothing was lacking, it would be clear that even luxury items
might not be able to satisfy me.
It would be natural to think, ‘Will he/she really be happy with this?’
Choosing a gift for someone who had everything was not easy.
It would be natural for Kim Hyunsung, who is not very familiar with human
relations, to go through difficulties.
‘What I want is not that, Hyunsung.’
Of course, I was not hoping for an expensive gift or a legendary-grade item.

Rather…
“Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Oh, yes.”
‘Yes, I wanted something like this, you bastard.’
He was currently handing me a cup of coffee.
‘That’s the right answer.’
I felt satisfied, and pride-filled.
“Gosh…”
“Did you see them?”
“Are they really…”
“The mood just now is pretty good.”
We were watching the formation of the members we had formed.
“They said this is a coffee from another kingdom. You seem a little tired…”
“Thank you. Actually, I couldn’t sleep yesterday… I think this will help.”
Though I wasn’t looking at him, I could feel him glancing at me.
‘I think I know why…’
The main reason was that there were only four men included in this
expedition.
Except for Kim Hyunsung, Park Deokgu, Ahn Ki-mo, and I, all the
expedition members were women.
‘…’
Wherever one would look, there were women.

Recently, I thought that Jung Hayan and Hwang Jeong-yeon were a little on
the warpath, but I had to admit that the cause was here.
Jung Hayan, who would be going with us, looked a little better, yet Hwang
Jeong-yeon seemed worried. It was the same for Kim Ye-ri, who had not
gotten selected this time. I could still remember the way she looked at
Hyunsung when she had not gotten picked.
It was unusual enough for Kim Ye-ri, who rarely changed her expression.
From Kim Hyunsung’s point of view, it was a decision made considering

Kim Ye-ri’s safety. There was no need to insert her since the Black Swan
already had a high rate of assassins, but Kim Ye-ri’s expression, who had
always been included in the first group, was terrible.
‘Well, if she thinks that her beloved Oppa will spend more than a few weeks
in an environment like this…’
Even I would feel worried.
“Did you bring pads?”
“Yes, Eunni. I’ve got the ones that came out as supplies.”
“I don’t want it to come during the expedition… It feels uncomfortable and

annoying to move.”
“I know, right. There won’t be any medicine. Why won’t someone develop
magic for this?”
“Wouldn’t this be solved with alchemy?”
They were obviously saying this because I was within hearing range.
‘Do usually women talk like that?’
It was not something I could tell, but one thing was certain: the women who
grew up as adventurers on this continent were almost 180 degrees different
from the women on Earth.
They were freer with things related to sexuality, and they were more
independent.
Their physical ability was already almost the same as that of a man, so they
became a little easy-going, and they didn’t care much about what others
thought of them.
As if they didn’t care whether I saw it or not, I could see the members sitting
on a chair and changing armor like stockings.
It was no wonder that the beautiful legs attracted attention.
I felt Jung Hayan grabbing my sleeve.
‘It’s not like that, Hayan. This can’t be helped. It’s like inertia.’
Most of the assassins and archers were wearing armor with lots of exposure.
Of course, if that were the end, Kim Ye-ri and Hwang Jeong-yeon would not
have sent such anxious expressions. What was more dangerous than those
defenseless people was the group that was conscious of me.
‘It’s not bad, though.’
To put it plainly, the four men here were not bad candidates to be husbands if
I were to think about this continent as a standard.
Kim Hyunsung, who had a model-like proportion and a celebrity-like face in

the first place, made the impossible possible in a year.
I was not handsome, but I was also forming my own group of unwelcome
enthusiasts.
Park Deokgu, who had a large body with bursting muscles, was certainly in
demand.
And, though Ahn Ki-mo didn’t seem to have any distinct characteristics, he
had a face with all the basics as much as he once wanted to become an actor.
What was important is that we were those with a guaranteed social status and
future.
Not only did we possess force, which was considered the most important
factor in the continent, but we were also the executives of the emerging
venture companies, so I understood the desire to look good to us.
‘Because everyone is old…’
Of course, age was a factor that didn’t matter at all, but since they were in
their late 20s or early 30s, I felt like they had to have a desire to get into a
good relationship.
Usually, players who reached that level had high standards.
Strangely, the most popular was surprisingly Park Deokgu.
‘Park Deokgu, king of harem…’
Seeing that women surrounded him after saying goodbye to Hwang Jeong-
yeon, I almost felt a little bit jealous. It seemed as if he didn’t care much
about Hwang Jeong-yeon’s expression, who was biting her lips.
“Can I hang onto your arm once?”
“I don’t mind, but… Ahem…”
“Look at your body. It’s all muscle.”
“You’re really tall.”
“I grew up like this because I ate well and slept well.”
Park Deokgu truly looked like the Gangwon-do’s dating expert.
Kim Hyunsung was the one who their Guild Master, Park Yeon-joo, had eyes
on, so they would think it was better not to approach, and I also had a
relationship with the Mercenary Queen, so it would not be easy to approach
me.
Of course, the biggest cause was Jung Hayan, who was holding my sleeve
tightly and glaring everywhere, but since I was also a man, I got a bit jealous
of Park Deokgu.
Contrary to the expressions of those who remained, the atmosphere of those

who left the expedition is not bad. If only one more person joined, the
composition of this expedition would be completed perfectly.
I saw the one that we all were waiting for, walking this way slowly.
“Ke-e-e-e-ee!”
It’s obvious as to who it was.
It was Dialugia, acting as a special bodyguard.
‘I told you not to bring him…’
Apparently, there was also the lovely Tol To-ri, who I ordered not to bring
along.
‘I have to be firm…’
Dialugia’s feelings were also understandable, but… I was sure it would be

worse to say goodbye here.
Whatever she was feeling, the expedition waiting for the departure was
already busy.
“Ah… You have arrived. I think we can just say our goodbyes and leave.”
“Yes.”
“Kiyeeek… Kie-ee-eek…”
“Everyone, prepare for departure.”
“Yes, Guild Master.”

“Jihye has all the supplies, right?”
“Yes, Eunni.”
“Please take care of the guild.”
“Don’t worry, just have a good trip.”
Black Swan Guild Master Park Yeon-joo was now saying goodbye to Lee
Jihye.
“Kiiyiing… Kie-ee-eek!”
“Then I’ll be going. Jeong-yeon-ssi. Take care of the rest. The training of
newcomers…”
“Yes. Leave it to me, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“Yes. Thank you again.”
“No problem.”
“I’ll be back soon, Ye-ri. Hyejin-ssi, prepare for departure.”
Kim Hyunsung was not only saying goodbye to Hwang Jeong-yeon, who
would be in charge of the guild while we are away, but was also comforting
Kim Ye-ri.
He was seen eventually exiting the door with Cho Hyejin.
It was time for Jung Hayan, who was on the lookout, to leave, so it took a
long time to say goodbye to the remaining personnel.
“Kiyiing… Kiyiing. Kie-ee-ee-eek!”
However, I could not fit into that group’s category. This was because I had to
be in a grand separation ceremony with Tol To-ri.
“Kiyiing… Kiyiiing…”
“You have to be quiet, Dialuria. Your mom is… Mom is…”
“Kie-e-ek…”
“It won’t take long. In the meantime, my friends will be with you. It won’t be
in the nest, so it’ll be a little uncomfortable, but you won’t get bored because
there are many things to play with.”
“Kiyiiing…”
“I’m so sorry for leaving it like this. My baby…”
“Ke-e-e-e-ee!”
“Tol To-ri, Dad and Mom have something important to do for a while, so we
have to go out. You can hang in there, right?”
“Kiyiing… Kieeeeeek! Kee-eh-eh-eh-eh!”
My heart aches to see tears dripping from his big eyeballs. Of course, I knew
Dialugia would feel even worse than I did.
“Dialuria, if you cry, it makes it hard for your mother to go…”
“Kiyiiing…”
“Dialugia, I think we have to leave now. Everyone is waiting…”
“Wait a minute… Let me hug you one last time, baby…”
The way the mother and son were mourning together looked beautiful.
However, the expedition was already ready for departure.
It would get embarrassing to keep dragging time here. It was best to end this
time with one last hug.
“Dialuria…”
It was then that Tol To-ri passed by Dialugia with his arms open.
“Kie-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-eok! Haaa! Kiying!”
However, Tol To-ri ran right past her, jumping into my arms in an instant.
“Dia—luria?”
“Ke-e-e-e-eel! Kiyiing… Haaaa… Kiyiing!”
He seemed pitiful as he whined, his face buried in my chest.
“Kiiyiing… Kiek. Kie-ee-ek!”
He continued screaming as he glared at the rest of the expedition.
“Kueeek! Kie-eh-eh-eh-ek!”
“You can be calm, right Tol To-ri?”
“Kiyiing… Kiyiing…”
“After this finishes, I will play with you all week. Until then, you have to be
patient.”
“Kiyiing… Kiek…”
Dialugia looked at Tol To-ri, who was busy licking my face, with an
expression of devastation on her face.
“Di… a… luria?”
Anyone could see that she felt betrayed.

Chapter 232
Chapter 232: Welcome to the Museum. (2)
“Kieeek. Kiying kiying…”
“Dialuria…”
Dialugia’s betrayed expression was still evident. Meanwhile, I felt

embarrassed.
I thought I would see the heartwarming parting scene of a mother and her
son, but what I could see was the mother’s distorted face, who had gotten
betrayed by her son.
“Kiiyiing…”
Whether he knew his shocked mother’s expression or not, Tol To-ri still
buried his face in my chest and waved his tail.
As I gently stroked his head, the whine turns into panting in an instant. He
eventually turned over and exposed his stomach to me. Naturally, I reached
out for a scratch.
I sometimes thought that he was like a puppy, but he acted like one more so
today.
It seemed that he was showing affection as much as we would be separated in

a little while, but Dialugia’s expression of looking at all these actions seemed
to be terrible.
Her mouth was open, of course, and her pupils were shaking continuously.
When Dialuria was still the size of a puppy, I remember that he followed his
mother, too.
At that time, I felt that he paid more attention to me, but now that he grew up
to a teenager’s size, I had no idea that this would be how he’d react. Seeing
her extremely tired expression, I could tell that he had given his mother a lot
of trouble…
‘Didn’t he show his mother this behavior?’
Considering Dialugia’s reaction, he would never have shown his belly like
this.
I understood roughly what ‘Mother is annoying,’ written with a hashtag on

his unique characteristic, meant.
‘That’s not good…’
Although his characteristic was already twisted, I honestly wanted him to

grow up normally. However, I couldn’t focus on this now. I had the
expedition to focus on.
As it was, the expedition members were waiting for me.
“Tol To-ri, I think daddy needs to go…”
“Kiyiing…”
At this, Dialuria continued crying. Tears immediately filled his eyes as if he

could understand what I was saying. Seeing his arms open, he seemed to be
waiting for a hug.
As I held him slightly, I could still hear the sound of panting.
“Ah….”
Dialugia continued looking at us with a blank expression. I knew I had to

speak up.
“Tol To-ri, shouldn’t you say goodbye to your mom?”
It was a bit cute to see Dialugia looking grateful.

Tol To-ri seemed to be reluctant, but Dialugia, who was in a hurry to miss her
chance, quickly went to hug her son.
“If you obey them well, we are going to play together all day, okay?”
“Kiek!”
“Dialugia, it’s time to leave.”
“Okay. Dialuria, mom…”
“Kiek!”
The situation ended only after passing Dialuria to Hwang Jeong-yeon and
Kim Ye-ri, who were not going to the expedition.
Of course, the screaming picked up once we left, but I chose not to look back.
“You must not look back.”
“B-but…”
“You need to be firm.”
“…”
“If you look back and keep responding, it will become more difficult to
separate. I don’t know much about the dragon’s ecology, but Dialuria can be
alone right now. Of course, he needs a lot of help, but the guild members will
take care of him.”
“…”
I wanted to give her some advice, but unfortunately, I was not an expert. I
hadn’t had any parenting, and I hadn’t raised a common puppy, either.
Rather than pretending to know something, I thought it was best to keep my

mouth shut.
“Kie-e-e-e-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-eek!”
Seeing that Dialugia was constantly flinching and reacting to the sad cries
from far away, it seemed as if she would have run to Dialuria again if I had
not been here.
I saw her holding back her tears.
“Sorry for being a bit late.”
“It’s fine, Kiyoung-ssi. We are still departing earlier than scheduled. We also
understand the situation, so…”
Park Yeon-joo, who said so, look at Dialugia this time.
“Nice to meet you, Dialugia. I’ve always seen you in the nest, but it’s the first
time I’m officially greeting you. I am Park Yeon-joo.”
“I’m Dialugia.”
“Thank you for coming with us.”
Dialugia nodded, looking overly depressed. Perhaps she needed time to calm
her sadness while thinking about Tol To-ri.
“First, get on the carriage. We will have to travel for about two days.”
“Okay.”
“Go inside and rest, Dialugia.”
“Alright.”
A total of five wagons were loaded with luggage.
There were supplies for 30 people to eat during the expedition, first aid
supplies, and clothes to change for those isolated in the Crack Museum.
‘Their carriages are really good…’

After I first sent Dialugia into the wagon where Blue was staying, and I was
forced to realize that it was certainly not just big when I looked around the
wagon.
‘We should also buy it.’
In the first place, as I went only on a small expedition, it was true that I did
not feel the need for a large wagon. However, upon seeing this, I knew it
would be a good investment.
It looked like a trailer. When I saw there was such a room in the carriage, my
jaw dropped.
‘I knew that the welfare of all guild members was good…’
As it was a women’s guild, the welfare for this part seemed certain.
Park Deokgu and Ahn Ki-mo, who had already entered, were also looking
around with expressions of wonder.
“It’s really good.”
“Well, weren’t you from the Red Mercenary? Such a wagon…”
“Of course, it is true that they also have large wagons, but they are not so
well maintained. They don’t really believe in comfort during expeditions. She
said it would be better to invest in equipment with this kind of money. It is
also a problem that wizards and priests are indispensable.”
“It’s because it is a burden on horses to pull a carriage like this anyway. No,
rather than that, it is impossible in the first place. This is why sorcerers have
to give up their magic power to horses constantly. Of course, in order to
manage the overburden, the priests must also give them divine power.”
“Ohhh…”
“Perhaps the Black Swan shall employ coachmen. Usually, most of the
wizards are abandoned because they have no talent or progress.”
“Well, that’s right…”
“You don’t have to be bitter, Deokgu-ssi. This is good for them, too. The
wages are higher than you think, and in a way, they created jobs. It will be
perfect for wizards who have lost their talents.”
“Oh. I can see it that way, too! Hyung-nim, can we have this kind of wagon?”
“I think that’ll be okay…”
“Of course, it is!”
Jung Hayan, Sun Hee-young, and Cho Hyejin, the female members sitting in
the carriage, showed more joy than Park Deokgu.
They didn’t say it outright, but it seemed that the guild members were
envious of the Black Swans, who could use such facilities.
Kim Hyunsung, who had just finished organizing his luggage in the room,
came out.
“I was thinking about it, too. New members have also joined, and we plan to
have one more party in the future.”
It was quite interesting to see their faces brightening once again when the
guild master gave his permission. Of course, Dialugia didn’t seem to care that
much, but in the first place, these facilities weren’t for her.
Kim Hyunsung smiled a little and spoke once more.
“And about this expedition…”
“Yes.”
“In the future, there will be no time to have briefings or training. Of course, it
seems that there will be a time to convey brief changes while having a
meeting and a meal, but… First, I have documented all the parts that
everyone needs to understand, so you must read them.”
“When we enter the dungeon, we will probably get quite busy. It wouldn’t be
bad to enjoy your leisure thinking it’s the last time.”
“Yes.”
He could say that, but there was no way we could enjoy it when we were
going on an expedition. The same was true for Kim Hyunsung, and even Jung
Hayan was not as relaxed.
‘That’s because there is always danger in dungeon attacks.’
Everyone knew it very well as this was not their first time. As the wagon
began to move, we began spending our time in our own ways.
As Kim Hyunsung had previously announced, we had a short briefing time

based on changes or reports during our every break, and we organized or
repaired other items whenever he had time.
Personally, it was a bit boring, but these repetitive briefings were certainly
helpful.
Though we moved quickly, it was apparent that Yeon-joo felt impatient.
Exactly two days passed, and when we arrived at an area where it was no
longer possible to travel via wagon, we unloaded the luggage and began the
march.
‘The reality is a little different, but…’
In fact, the dungeon attack would not take long.
The reason I forcefully filled the bag was because of the possibility of being
isolated in the dungeon. Of course, I didn’t tell the expedition members this,
but those who were quick to notice were probably feeling the possibility of
failure.
Assuming that a mythic-grade named monster would appear, all we could do
was endure it with the collective power we had now. Or else, we would pay
the price.
Anyway, the atmosphere of the expedition wasn’t all that bad.
Harem King Park Deokgu was enjoying his heyday surrounded by female
guild members of the Black Swan, and although not as much as Park Deokgu,
Ahn Ki-mo also became very close to some.
Jung Hayan had the privilege of sticking to me during our breaks. Sun Hee-
young seemed to be having a serious conversation with the Black Swan
priests, and Cho Hyejin, who was secretly in love with Kim Hyunsung, didn’t
seem very happy about his relationship with Park Yeon-joo.
The scenery before us kept changing, and the expedition gradually reached a
place that no one else seemed to have reached.
‘It’s pretty…’
A purple light emanated from the cracked space of a large rock wall, with no
end visible.
Perhaps the Crack Museum would be found within that rock wall.
And then…
[Welcome to the Crack Museum]
A little kid created out of magical power appeared before us.
We had officially entered the Unrated Dungeon Crack Museum.

Chapter 233
[Uploaded Dec. 5, 2020]
Chapter 233: Welcome to the Museum (3)
[You have entered the Unrated Dungeon Crack Museum.]
[Checked the number of people limit [30/30].]
[Unrated compulsory quest 3333 is activated.]
“…”
[Quest: Museum Tour (0/1)]
It seemed as if the quest would start once the group entered. A ‘museum tour’
must mean a dungeon attack.
After checking the message, I looked around and saw a gorgeous stone room.
The atmosphere was different from the inside, as opposed to the outer wall
surrounded by rock walls.
The most interesting thing, however, was the presence in front of us.
The magical manifestation of a cute little boy greeted us politely as if he

knew that we would be here in advance.
[Checking the information of the dungeon manager Max.]
[Seeing the dungeon manager’s pile with the legendary-grade attribute, the
Mind’s Eye.]
[Manager Max’s Pile]
[It is an agglomerate of magical power created by manager Max. Since it is a

virtual image without a substance, the status window and information
window cannot be checked. You can see limited access to information in the
museum.]
‘Is that so, too?’
I couldn’t see the status window and the information window. What was
visible was simply a description of the pile.
‘The Mind’s Eye is convenient.’
Only someone with my ability would probably know that he was not a real
person. He looked like an object. There was no emotion in his eyes, and I felt
a sense of awareness in his polite posture. His handsome face garnered his
cute attribute.
Was this a Homonculus? Probably not.
It was unknown how high the Crack Guardians’ abilities are, but I was sure
that manager Max was not a Homunculus.
‘What the hell is it?’
As I mulled over this, the kid began to speak once more.
-Welcome to the Crack Museum, dear museum explorers.
“…”
-Those who’ve come this time are not aggressive. Usually, those who come
here come in and prepare for battle right away…
We, too, would have had the same reaction if we didn’t have information
about this place.
There was no way to tell if the one in front of us was a manager or a named
monster.
Park Yeon-joo slowly opened her mouth, finding the quiet silence too
uncomfortable. As we had already read the report in advance, it was easier to
respond.
However, our first step would be to take a look at this so-called museum.
“We know a little bit from the explorer who has visited this museum most
recently. One being that you are the manager of this museum, too.”
-I thought you would. A few weeks ago, I sent one back. You are the ones he
sent in return.
“Yes. To be precise, the people who are now isolated in the museum are
those under my control. Are they by any chance…”
-If you are asking whether they are alive or dead… Yes. They are still alive.
I saw Park Yeon-joo look greatly relieved by Max’s words. We came as soon
as possible, but she would have been nervous as it took us some time.
“That’s a relief. Is there any way I can get them back?”
-Of course. It is a very worthy reward to give the exhibited items to those
who have completed the museum tour. They haven’t been exhibited in the
museum yet.
“…”
-In fact, since it’s the first time we’ve received a sample of species from
another dimension, I felt a little excited to display them. However… I held
off from doing so.
“…”
-Looking at the guests who have visited today, I think it’s fortunate that they
haven’t been exhibited in an empty place yet.
“What…”
-I couldn’t even imagine that a soul whose causality was distorted would
visit.
He was definitely looking at Kim Hyunsung.
Fortunately, he didn’t talk about regression or anything, but it seemed that

Kim Hyunsung looked different from the others in his eyes.
‘Does he also have Mind’s Eye?’
The odds and ends of this possibility were slim. As a museum manager, he
would only have the talent to find ‘items’ worth exhibiting.
He simply said that the cause-and-effect ratio was distorted, but he didn’t
seem to know that Hyunsung was a returner. Meanwhile, our returner stared
back at him calmly.
-And also, there is a dragon that has been recently discovered.
The manager turned his attention to Dialugia next.
-How many thousand years have you lived?
“Am I obligated to answer?”
-I apologize if it was a rude question. It’s just because I’m glad to see you. I
remember that there were so many dragons in the past… Of course, if you
think about dragons’ ecology, it’s not strange when their generation ends…
Oh! I think I’m being inappropriate. Sorry.
He started to talk more, evidently getting more and more excited.
‘I guess he is not a machine?’
I could see that he harbored emotions, which a simple guide would not
possess. This information will certainly be useful later.
I glanced at Dialugia, who still hadn’t gotten over her separation from Tol
To-ri.
Naturally, she was not in a good mood because she had just been hit by a
rude remark. However, she managed to rein her emotions in and nodded
calmly. She seemed to be better at holding back her emotions in matters that
did not concern her son.
“There is no need to apologize. Obviously, more and more people are giving
up their duty to have children. It’s been a long time since I also saw others.
The species obligations and customs are often being ignored. Fewer than
three dragons have children.”
-I see. That’s a shame. Hmm… Come to think of it. You also have a
descendant.
“Yes.”
-Ah… I also remember that the Guardians said you were important. Dragons,
like the Guardians, exist to maintain the balance and safety of the continent.
Unfortunately, you have a descendant; I don’t think you can go to the
museum tour. Instead… Well… If it’s a dragon’s horn…
“I don’t want to leave my horn in a place like this.”
-Of course, I am not asking this for free. How about this? This will be a good
enough deal.
As soon as he finished speaking, a rumbling sound began to resonate

throughout the museum.
The details were unknown, but it felt as if the inside of the room was moving.
Shortly after that, the glass wall on the museum’s entrance wall disappeared,
and a new glass tube appeared. What was interesting was that there was an
item on the glass wall.
I could see that a very large box was filled with tools I had never seen before.
‘That is…’
[Dragon Lord’s Parenting Set (Legendary)]

[This is a set of parenting tools made by the Dragon Lord, which existed tens
of thousands of years ago, to increase the fertility rate. It includes an
improved bottle, toys to help with brain activity, and aids for babies who are
still struggling to fly. Unlike other items, this parenting set is a handcrafted
product made by the Lord himself with his own scales, and it is of great
value.]
‘What…’
I thought that all kinds of things would be on display, but I couldn’t even
imagine that such a product would exist.
Dialugia’s brightened expression worried me at this point.
“Oh! This is…”
-What do you think?
“Where did you get this?”
-What do you think?
If it continued like this, she would probably agree to make the trade.
Of course, I owned everything about her, from head to toe. The horn,
considered to be of the highest value, could not be given to the museum. I
didn’t want to intervene, but I had to.
“Dialugia, I will make a similar type. If Tol To-ri finds out that the horn on
your head is gone, he will be very upset.”
“But…”
“I will make it with items of the same grade, using your scales. Even if a
Dragon Lord made that, it would be a little more meaningful if it was made
from you, the mother.”
“Oh… I see.”
Even though she answered, she still couldn’t take her eyes off the object,
seemingly possessed.
She had the same look as a housewife looking at TV home shopping.
“Tol To-ri will like it more. And, although it looks to have a great value…
That’s all already used. Dialugia, it’ll be okay to trade your horn for it, but I
would hate seeing the adorable Tol To-ri using items that have already been
used by others.”
I knew I had finally gotten through to her. In particular, there were no

mothers who would dare use used baby bottles. Relief coursed through me.
Of course, the dungeon manager, who had missed a good opportunity, was
now looking at me, frowning a little.
It took less than a few seconds for the expression on his face to turn into one
of surprise.
-You…
“Yes?”
-You have something amazing, too.
‘Fuck…’
-How does such a lowly and despicable being possess such a valuable thing?
May I take a closer look at your body?
I could instantly realize what he was talking about.
‘The Mind’s Eye?’
The only thing I could boast of was that. I was aware that the Mind’s Eye’s
value would be quite a lot because of functions were still limited. Still, I
didn’t think that the museum manager who kept mythic-grade items would be
surprised.
‘Perhaps… Is there any possibility of further evolution?’
I thought about it, but what bothered me the most about this situation were
the expressions of the people around me. Hearing that I, who looked
ordinary, would have something worthy to be displayed in the museum
would, of course, make them curious.
I had to speak hurriedly.
“I refuse.”
-Sorry if it was sudden. Nevertheless…
He certainly didn’t know in detail as to what I exactly had. He was

murmuring something, but of course, I didn’t intend to make him look into
my eyes.
As if he noticed that I was aware of him, he looked a little bit regretful and
averted his gaze.
-Compared to the three mentioned earlier, your quality is a little lower, but…
Some humans have been blessed with mana. And you, too…
This time, he was pointing to Jung Hayan and Park Yeon-joo.
‘I guess Yeon-joo has something, too.’
Of course, she had something to hide since she occupied a Guild’s Master
position.
Looking back, I remembered that she had nothing special in my Mind’s Eye.
Come to think of it. It seemed that her title looked a little peculiar. I guess he
probably meant that.
-It’s a very fun day. I cannot just serve these important people. Yes. Right. If
it’s okay with you, I would like to guide you personally.
I wanted to ask him that, myself. It would be fortunate to have someone to

talk to about the dungeon. It was only right to accept this.
‘You have to extract the courtesy as far as it could possibly go.’
I had to see if I could also get something beneficial out of this.

Chapter 234
Chapter 234: Mythical Being (1)
-Our museum handles many things. Things that you call artifacts also exist,
and, as I showed you earlier, we also have things of historical value. Of
course, it’s not just weapons and equipment that we keep.
“…”
-Some creatures have been sealed, as well as those who have signed
contracts. They exist to let you experience the museum tour firsthand. Of
course, there are also beings from other dimensions. Those who have come
through the Crack need to be managed properly, as they may harm said
dimensions.
“…”
-There were many sacrifices and many fights. The Crack Guardians have
devoted their all to sealing the Crack but have always been concerned about
the invisible threat ever since. That’s why they said we should always be alert
about the Crack. That’s why most of the rewards of exploring the museum
are made up of what your species would call treasure.
“I see.”
-Of course, great power comes with great responsibility. That’s probably why
the Guardians only reward those who complete the expedition.
‘I think I can tell what happened…’
I didn’t know when, but once a Crack had opened on this continent, it
appeared as if threatening beings had appeared through it. The Crack
Guardians had sacrificed their lives to stop the threat and eventually
succeeded in sealing the Crack.
The result of this was…
‘The Crack Museum?’
I was sure it hadn’t been made with bad intentions.
‘It seems a little bit deteriorated, but…’
I wasn’t sure as to why all the named monsters and all the rewards were set
randomly, but the creator’s intention didn’t matter.
Max then spoke again.
-All rewards and tests are randomly determined. The threats can be of any
kind, size, or aspect.
‘I knew I should focus on the words coming out of the manager’s mouth, but
honestly? I was more affixed to the items that we passed by.’
[Doom Beast’s Gauntlets (Legendary)]
[These are Doom Beast’s gauntlets that came through the Crack. As a
weapon used by the legendary Beast Master in the past, it enhances affinity
for all beasts and can interact with the souls of animals. You can summon
three legendary-grade beasts inside the gauntlets, and these beasts have been
lifelong friends with the legendary Beast Master. This part of the information
is omitted.]
‘Huh…’
It wasn’t just this.
[Frost Greatsword (Legendary)]
[This is the cursed ice greatsword used by the King of Defiance. No detailed
information is known other than its ability to control the dead. The
information is so deeply sealed that even the Mind’s Eye cannot see it.]
‘Control the dead?’

It meant that one could become a necromancer just by getting this sword.
The same went for Doom Beast’s Gauntlets, as one would be capable of
controlling three legendary-grade beasts just by having it in one’s possession.
Of course, Juliana was also legendary-grade, but I had to think that she was a
little weaker since her ego was still sealed.
Whirr.
At the sudden sound, I looked around, my hand still stroking the sword’s
handle.
-As expected, you are very interested in weapons. Most of these are
dangerous to handle. Some types are impossible for those who are not
qualified to use in the first place. Oh, can you see this here?
[God’s Hammer (Mythic)]
[It is a hammer in which the power of five titans sleeps in. The Volcanic God
of Light’s powers, the Goddess of the Forest, the Lord of the Waves, the
King of the Wind, and the Queen of the Heart are sleeping. Five properties
are available… The rest of the information is omitted.]
‘Huh… Something like this…’
It was a hammer that seemed too difficult to lift with both hands. However, I
could feel its tremendous power just by looking at it.
Even if an ordinary person lifted it, I felt like he could immediately become a
top-level player.
-This is one of the weapons that came through the Crack. In terms of grade, it
can be called a mythic-grade. Would you believe if I said this hammer had
the power of the five titans asleep? I remember that the Crack Guardians at
that time did their best to seal the power of the titans raging inside this
hammer. Other weapons have their own values, but I can confidently say that
this is, by far, the best among the weapons you call items.
Max’s face was full of confidence as he said this.
I was not the only one staring at the displayed hammer blankly. Everyone
else seemed just as transfixed.
This was not because I could see the ability of the item with my Mind’s Eyes.
There were things whose power one could feel even without such an ability.
Anyone could see that it was a weapon that would be impossible to find
within the entire continent.
‘Fuck…’
What was interesting in the meantime was the brief explanation written at the
bottom of the exhibit.
‘It seems that the Crack Guardians haven’t even noticed the true identity of
the item.’
I did various tests and investigations and actually checked it, but half of the
information that my attribute could not know was not written. Such was the
power of Mind’s Eye.
In the meantime, Max looked really proud at the looks of awe written on our
faces.
-Of course, there are only two more mythic-grade weapons, but it is still one
of my proudest collections.
“Is this one of the items we can get as a reward?”
-No. This item is not awarded as a reward. Unfortunately, the Crack

Guardians did not allow it. However, the two remaining mythic-grade items
will be given equally at random probability.
“Ah…”
The odds were two in five hundred.

Assuming that Kim Hyunsung acquired this kind of weapon, he would
probably jump out of happiness. It was a heartbreaking fact that he had not
yet gotten such a quality item.
In terms of acquiring a legendary-grade item, the probability was thirty-two

in five hundred.
It was not a bad number in probability.
If we get a mythic-grade item, it would be awesome, but even a legendary-

grade one would be great. I didn’t want to settle for anything lower than a
heroic-grade item.
‘That’s not allowed.’
-Of course, as I mentioned earlier, you must complete the museum tour to
receive a decent reward. Would you like to go somewhere else?
“Yes.”
It would only get more important from here on out.
Items could be received as a reward, anyway. Survival always came first.
After walking for quite some time, it was clear that the atmosphere had
changed from before.
We eventually saw the beings sealed or collected by the Crack Guardians.
Of course, I activated Mind’s Eye as soon as I realized where we were.
‘I have to collect all information.’
There were a total of three named monsters needed for the tour. No matter
what kind it was, we would definitely bump into three of them.
As there was no information about them at all, it would not be bad to prepare
in advance.
I excluded the heroic-grade monsters and focused on the legendary- and
mythic- grade monsters, as they were the more urgent ones.
[This is the target that the attribute Mind’s Eye cannot be applied in due to
the difference in rank.]
‘What’s… that?’
A monster with green skin sat in a chair made of weapons. It had huge horns,
a huge tail, and seven weapons floating around it. Just looking at its eyes was
enough to make my body tremble.
How could we ever beat something like this? Just one glance notified me of
how otherworldly it was. The difference in power was so evident that
attempting to fight it would be suicide.
Even a multitude of Kim Hyunsungs would not be able to defeat this thing.
As I looked at Kim Hyunsung, I could see that he was quietly staring at the
green monster.
‘Did he meet this monster in the past?’
Taking this into consideration, I could now understand why Hyunsung had
called this trip dangerous.
Park Deokgu then spoke up.
“What is this monster? Whoa… He does look cool.”
“Don’t touch it! You bastard!”
I couldn’t help but scream out of reflex. I was afraid that the green monster
would suddenly jump up and attack us.
-Oh, as expected, you recognize it. But you can rest assured. Nothing will
happen just by touching the pavilion. Besides, what’s in front of you is a
dummy.
“A dummy?”
-Yes. It is a well-made replica. In fact, these beings are difficult for even the
Crack Guardians to seal completely. I had only heard of it as a mythical being
here since before I was born. Oh. If you want to see the mythic-grades, I will
show the other ones as well. One is staying here on a long contract with the
Crack Guardians, and the other is… It’s hard to explain. You’d better see it
for yourselves.
It meant that there were two more monsters just like this.
‘Shit…’
I had taken this too lightly. This was indeed a dangerous expedition.
Though the chances were only three out of five hundred, we had to avoid
these three mythic-grade monsters no matter what. We wouldn’t be able to
beat them with the power we currently had.
Forget about fighting or anything; running away was the right choice.
The manager, Max, didn’t seem to be interested in what we were thinking.

He was still busy showing off the collection of the Crack Guardians.
-This might be more familiar to you. It is a fragment of the ancient god of the
continent. I don’t think you know, but perhaps the dragon here…
“I heard something from the Lord when I was very young. I’ve heard that it
was sealed somewhere… so, it was in a place like this. Is this controllable?
-Yes. Fragments have no ego. The seal of the Guardians weakens its strength.
If you were to deal with this being, it would only be unsealed for a certain
amount of time.
The topic of discussion was a monster with big eyes and tentacles. I could not
read its information with my Mind’s Eye, either.
It looked better than the monster we saw before, but if this one were released,
we would be wiped out as well. One single sweep would be enough to
eradicate the whole frontline.
We had to avoid picking the mythical-grade heroes, no matter what.
It had a less than 1% probability, and our expedition’s average luck stat was
over 60.
Only those with really bad luck would get mythical beings. Most would just
get heroic-grade named monsters. It was no wonder that everyone’s facial
expressions worsened the more they heard Max explain.
-Oh, it’s time.
“It’s… time?”
-Yes. It’s been a long time since I talked with high-ranking people, so I lost
all consciousness of time. The seal has been released. Oh, it’s already started.
Once again, a rumbling sound resonated, and our location changed.
The exhibited beings disappeared into the ground, creating a decent vacant
space for a fight.
My anxiety started rising.
-Let’s look here first. Although it is randomly selected, the Guardians have
created a system called a spinning wheel so that you can easily adapt.
‘…’
-When you spin this sign and insert magic power, the monster to fight gets
randomly selected. Please, select one representative and spin the sign.
“Yes, alright.”
‘What the hell is this spinning wheel? Shit…’
It was a bit disconcerting, but I had already seen it in the report.

Who would spin it was also already decided.
The first was Park Yeon-joo, who had a high luck stat. The Black Swan
Guild Master put her hands on the wheel with a slightly edgy look, and
everyone looked at her nervously.
‘Please…’
She just needed to avoid any mythical-grade monsters.
‘Please…’
We would have to use our full strength with the legendary-grades, but it was
still better to fight against three legendary-grade monsters than a single
mythical one.
[The spinning wheel is spinning.]
“Please!!”
At this moment, everyone’s thoughts were united.

Chapter 235
Everyone’s eyes were focused on the funny-looking spinning wheel, which

would be the ultimate decider of our collective fate.
The spinning wheel was constantly spinning under the influence of magical
power, whether or not it knew our intentions.
If I were to think about it in terms of probability, the probability of getting a

mythic-grade was remarkably low. The odds were three in five hundred.
Of course, I could say that the probability of getting a legendary-grade

monster was not very high, too. It would be ideal to get a heroic-grade named
monster, but even if a legendary-grade monster came out, we would be able
to handle it.
‘It will depend on which type comes out, but…’
The expedition’s specs were enough to handle even legendary-grade named

monsters.
Among the legendary ranks, it would be different only if monsters about to

be promoted came out, but I knew that most of them could be dealt with.
The wheel gradually began to slow down, to the point where we could read
the divisions imprinted on the wheel. Every time it went past the mythic-
grade division, which was colored white, there was a collective sigh of relief.
The same went for the legendary-grade, which was distinguished by gold.
“S-Spin a little more!” Deokgu shouted, and I could feel the members of the
Black Swan sending their silent support.
Eventually, it landed on a gold division.

“Ah…”
There were sounds of regretful murmurs shifting among us.
It was okay, though. We could still handle this.
What was important was it was not mythic. With that fact alone, I could feel
relieved.
[The spinning wheel has stopped.]
[Legendary-grade named monster Skeleton Knight Baan has been selected.]
-Ah, Skeleton Knight Baan. I remember it being a creature on this continent

that had the soul of a hero.
Though Max gave a brief explanation, I didn’t care to listen.
All of his information had appeared in my eyes, anyway. The only important
thing about it was whether or not it could be defeated.
‘It’s a melee type that can use unique spells.’
Its unique spells were Energy Drain and Summon Skeleton.
Although the latter was roughly predictable, it was not known what form the
other would be activated in, so when I looked at the sub-list again, I could see
a little more information.
‘It would appear as a magic circle on the floor.’
I didn’t know what Baan looked like when it was human, but now it was
quite large, definitely taller than the average human height.
It seemed to be over 2 meters long and looked more like a mercenary than a
knight.
This was a legendary beginner or intermediate at best. We could definitely

win.
Of course, the exterior aura itself was definitely legendary. It would not break
with a simple hit.
Not only was there green light shining through the gap between the eyes and
the bones, but the weapon he was holding was also emitting rather ominous
energy.
If I met it alone, I would have run away with all the energy I could muster.
But now, I was not alone. Our attack method seemed to be fairly clear…
‘So, we just need to avoid the Energy Drain?’
First, the key was to avoid the magic circle that would form on the floor.
The front line would then take care of the annoying trash mobs.
I gestured for Jung Hayan to listen to what I had to say, and she nodded and
stepped closer.
“Hayan.”
“Yes, Oppa.”
“Prepare the floating magic for everyone.”
“Ah, of course! I’m on it.”
“I’ll signal when it’s time. Focus on triple-casting. Floating magic should
always be in the last place. Always be ready to chant it when you get the
signal.”
“Yes. And the m-magic… By reducing the magic power a little, up to f-four
are possible.”
“Then, please do that.”
It was not a lie when the museum manager said she was a human being
blessed with mana.
In fact, the quadruple casting was not possible to do simply by having magic
power and affinity. It depended on talent, and how blessed one was with
mana.
‘She’s a genius.’
Of course, there was a disadvantage about draining magic power upon the
simultaneous casting of spells, but it wouldn’t be bad to give it a try since
Hayan already had a feel of the spells’ patterns to some extent.
Some time had passed already.
The manager, Max, was still explaining about the creature, but the Skeleton
Knight seemed ready to fight.
At this, Max nodded.
-I’ve talked too much. I guess I made you wait for the fight between you and
Baan. Then! Good luck, museum explorers.
At Hyunsung’s words, everyone started to prepare in their own way. The

Skeleton Knight slowly began to lift his sword.
Shiing!
Could the monster cover a long-distance attack? If he did, it would use up

large amounts of magic. The possibility did not surprise me at all.
Obviously, the manual for that kind of attack was already stored in my mind
a long time ago.
Divine power poured into the front-liners as they blocked the rear. Wizards
began to chant spells, and all front liners except Kim Hyunsung and Park
Yeon-joo waited.
“Good.”
Everyone understood the pattern, even without verbal instruction.
‘That’s why they prefer experienced people.’
Each person understood how to move around due to both practice and
experience.
“Grrrrr… Grrrrr…”
The moment the monster raised its hand, skeleton soldiers started to rise from
the floor. I spoke immediately.
“Deokgu, Hyunsung-ssi, and Yeon-joo are the main front-liners. The rest
should make a wall with your bodies and clear the soldiers first. Please corner
the named monster separately to the right. Until the next soldiers come out,
the long-distance ones should focus your firepower on the named monster,
and when the soldiers come out again, clear the soldiers first. When the
pattern changes, I will send a signal. Defensive wizards should always keep
only the shield magic that responds to the same ranged attack.”
“Okay!”
No one answered except Park Deokgu. However, I knew they all understood.
At this, Kim Hyunsung, Park Yeon-joo, and Park Deokgu began to run and
approach the Knight. They would naturally attract its attention.
Since the monster was not a fool, it would want to clear the backline first,
but, naturally, there was no way to do anything because the front line had
chosen to attack him head-on.
For now, he had no choice but to rely on his summoned soldiers.
‘I’m sure you’re hoping the trash mobs will solve it…’
The first spell of Jung Hayan popped out in no time.
“… … !”
‘It’s freaking fast!’
Her magic burst with an unidentified sound. Large spheres of flame began to
fall, incomparable to the ones I had conjured before, all at the same time.
Baaaaaaaaang!
Several skeletons that had been summoned were smashed.
At this point, I thought that the skeletons would collapse soon, but it turned
out that they weren’t that weak. Translucent defense magic spread among the
enemies.
‘Is there a skeleton wizard? No, were they summoned by class?’
I was able to realize once again that a legendary-grade fight was something
we should not take lightly. Skeleton archers pulled out their bows, inciting
shield magic to spread in our party.
The mages of both camps began to chant their spells.
As I felt that the battle would drag on, I immediately pulled out the Dragon
Breath potion.
Shooooo!
As I threw the potion into the air, its effects activated, melting the enemy’s
shield magic. Taking this opportunity, our wizards’ spells landed on their side
soon after.
‘Good.’
Meanwhile, the front line was successfully keeping them from reaching us.
The fact that the backline was safe was evidence that the raid was working
well.
I knew that just summoning the soldiers already used up Baan’s energy.
Moreover, if he summoned each class like this, he would consume more
magic power than before.
I began to understand how this monster fought. He extracted magical power

that could be used as an Energy Drain, all while still calling skeletons with
his Summon Skeleton.
This was a knight magician strong enough to prevent the joint attacks of Kim
Hyunsung, Park Deokgu, and Park Yeon-joo.
Since we didn’t know how he actually battled, we were naturally having a

hard time. I was also well aware of how a single hit of his Energy Drain
would kill a good number of our people.
“The main wizards should focus their magic on Baan. The front line should
clear the remaining soldiers, and the third party wizard should continue to
maintain the shield magic. When the second summoning begins, the front line
will need to rebuild the wall.”
“Okay.”
“The second summoning has begun. The second summon has begun! First,
focus on the soldiers. Priests, please focus on Deokgu.”
What surprised me a little more was that Park Deokgu was doing better than
expected.
Of course, without the priest, Kim Hyunsung, and Park Yeon-joo, it would
have been difficult to withstand, but he was successfully blocking each attack
thus far.
‘Excellent, you piggish bastard!’
I knew I had to reward him with all the effort he had shown thus far.
“Once again, focus on damaging Baan. The third summoning has begun. It’s
a massive troop. Thirty mages… archers, start shooting the mages.”
“Alright.”
As I spoke, I took Juliana out. It would not be possible to escape this battle
unscathed.
What annoyed me a little was…
“It may be difficult for people in the front line, but please do not get hurt as
much as possible. Baan seems able to recover his mana. It is only a small
amount, but please be careful.”
“Yes.”
It was weak, but the skeletons he summoned also had the ability to drain. The
fact that he pulled a large summon at once by the third time also showed that
he was in a hurry.
As expected, Baan raised one of his hands.
The moment he began to lower it, I screamed aloud.
“Jung Hayan!”
“Float together!”
After the screamed, the bodies of 30 people began to rise into the air in no
time.
It had been fortunate of me to tell her to prepare the spell in advance, I

realized. Baan’s magic circle was something that could never be avoided if
one stayed on the ground. The whole battle floor had gotten engulfed within
the circle.
‘This level of strength is enough to be classified as cheating…’
Even if one’s agility level were high, it would be impossible not to step on
this floor. This was the true power of a legendary-grade monster, after all.
The unique skills he had were definitely enough to be classified as above

standards.
Nevertheless…
‘My Mind’s Eye can win when it comes to cheating!’
As we floated in the air, Kim Hyunsung rushed forward and landed the
finishing blow, effectively bursting Baan’s head.
‘Let’s get the reward, Hyunsung!’

Chapter 236
‘I guess that’s okay.’
It was not easy to catch a legendary-grade named monster, even if its rank
was slightly lower than ours. However, it was true that we should’ve given it
some more time.
No matter how we could respond the second time, there would have been no
way to avoid the first Energy Drain. This meant that things might have gotten
twisted if the floating magic had not been cast in time.
The most obvious thing was the difference between knowing and not
knowing.
After casting the first Energy Drain spell, the monster’s skull, which had
concentrated a lot of magical power, was vulnerable to attacks, and Kim
Hyunsung had taken the opportunity.
Though he had done the right thing, the way with which we ended Skeleton
Knight Baan did not seem legendary at all. In any case, we had beaten him
without having to sacrifice anything.
Now, it was time to challenge the second monster.
l had begun to look forward to the next challenge, and apparently, so were the
Black Swans.
-You are strong.
“…”
-Of course, there are some people with high profile, so it’s natural, but I
didn’t think that Baan would fall so easily. When the Guardians see you, they
will be really happy.
Looking at the expressions of the people around me, I knew that they were
feeling just as impatient as I was. Just how long was Max going to keep
talking?
-As mentioned earlier, rewards are provided for each experience. One of the
museum’s armaments will be presented to you, which is also randomly
selected. The method is the same as before. After completing all the tours,
you can run all three at once, too.
“I’ll start right away.”
Waiting was stupid, especially if the item could help us against our next
enemy. Sure, there was still a possibility of receiving a cursed item that we
wouldn’t be able to control, but that had a much lower probability rate than
receiving a legendary-grade item.
It had been a very smooth expedition thus far, but it was also necessary to
gamble.
Even if we received a cursed item and got a penalty, we could still somehow
win against a legendary-grade monster.
If we were to face off a mythic-grade monster, it didn’t matter if we had a

cursed item in our possession or not as we would still get annihilated.
The only way we could beat a mythical being was…
‘Equipment.’
We also needed to be armed with a mythic-grade item.
Of course, the entire expedition will not change with just one item, but if our
returner’s boring equipment was upgraded, I knew he would make a
breakthrough.
‘We have to get a mythic-grade item for Hyunsung, no matter what.’

That way, the team would be safe.
-Some of you may have seen it before, but there may be items that interfere
with your tour.
“That’s okay.”
I didn’t know if Max was talking about it because he was worried about us or
because he didn’t want to remove the artifacts displayed in the museum, but
he still nodded.
-If you say so… Okay. As before, the representative can come out and spin
the spinning wheel.
“Alright.”
Except for Park Yeon-joo, the ones who had a high luck stat were Jung
Hayan, Dialugia, and I.
‘It can’t be Dialugia.’
If something like that parenting set we saw earlier came out, it wouldn’t even
be a funny situation.
In that sense, Jung Hayan and I were also dangerous. If Hayan spun, perhaps
other unthinkable items would come out as well.
‘Kim Hyunsung is also not bad.’
Though it was not too high, Kim Hyunsung also had good luck stats.
More than anyone here right now, he most desperately wanted a weapon. If
his luck stats helped in this situation, we might be able to get compensation.
“I think it would be better for Hyunsung to spin this time unless other people
have disagreements.”
“Yes. He can do that.”

“Hyunsung-ssi, please, spin.”
“No. Those who have a little higher luck stat than me…”
“I think it would be better if Hyunsung-ssi spins it.”
At my firm reaffirmation, he nodded and stepped forward. Taking a deep

breath, he spun the wheel. Everyone’s eyes immediately focused.
“Please…”
A mythical weapon must come out. That way, we could proceed with the
remaining two sessions with a sense of stability.
Kim Hyunsung also looked very desperate. I knew he had a weapon he had
his eyes on but couldn’t get the chance to obtain it.
After I stole Juliana, he had always been stuck with heroic-grade equipment.
Those sad days seemed to be passing by on his face.
He must be thinking that it would be nice if even a legendary-grade came out,

but it was not the legendary level he should choose.
‘It’s mythic that you need, Hyunsung!’
If he were to receive a legendary-grade item, it must be one of the higher

level ones, which would soon get promoted, a weapon just like the Frost
Greatsword we saw earlier.
‘Please.’
[A rare-grade weapon, Archmage Isaac’s Magic Sword, was chosen.]
“What?!”
-This is one of the items that came through the Crack. It’s lower-ranked, but
it has value…
Silence filled the entire room. Everyone’s expressions resembled that of
absurdity.
The Skull Knight was definitely a legendary-grade monster, and the

expedition team wasted the time they worked hard to beat it. The fact that our
reward was this magic sword was laughable.
Kim Hyunsung was staring at the result he got with a blank face. The number
of rare-grade items in this place was less than ten. The probability was even
lower than the legendary-grade items. He had just proven how he didn’t have
the required level of luck.
As if he was thinking this to be unfair, he clenched his fist, but he didn’t

throw the sword or cursed. He just stood there, quietly looking at the sword.
“I’m sorry.”
“No. It’s nothing to be sorry about. There is no guarantee that the result
would be different if another person had picked. We will get a good reward
for the second time.”
“Yes…”
“You don’t have to feel so depressed.”
“Right, Hyunsung-ssi. There’s no guarantee that you will have a good pick
just because of a high luck stat… If you see that I picked a legendary-grade
monster just now, perhaps the luck stat doesn’t mean much in this kind of
draw…”
Though we weren’t sure about how luck factored in this dungeon, it would
still be safer to pick someone with a high luck stat. However, just because
one’s luck stat was high didn’t mean they were born to have a good outcome
in life. There were people with high luck stats yet were stuck in the slums.
Of course, it may be different for Yuno Kasugano, whose luck stat was a big,
fat zero. The fact that she had been able to become successful only proved
that this stat needed more research.
In Kim Hyunsung’s case, he didn’t have the necessary luck this time. In fact,
the thing that bothered me more than that now was…
Was this whole spinning wheel actually randomized?
No, whether it was random or not, the attitude of the manager, Max, was also
a problem.
The fact that he was proud of the museum was painfully obvious. He knew
what the Crack Guardians, who created him, had intended upon creating this
place, and the fact that he respected said Crack Guardians was fully
recognizable. Seeing as how he passionately explained about each item, I
knew he was attached to this museum. If he were an intelligent being, he
would not want to remove the high-value items displayed in the museum.
The manager, Max, may not be of perfect intellect, but he was close to it.
Even now, he was harboring a relieved expression at the results. However, I

didn’t know if the others could also observe this, or I was different because of
my Mind’s Eye, but…
Though Max was a machine, he was also an intelligent being.
I wondered if he was a hidden named monster in the dungeon, but I didn’t

think this was the case. This Crack Museum was managed by the system, not
by him.
The Crack Guardians had created the system, but it was also a system
maintained by the transcendental beings who controlled this continent. Had it
been possible to destroy everything, I would have taken a mythic-grade item
for free and then ignored the museum expedition he was proceeding with and
leave.
Just like the tutorial dungeon, one could leave after completing the quest.
This museum was a similar case.
The important thing was, to what extent could the administrator’s rights
influence the system?
There was a possibility that Max could manipulate the outcome. However, I
still needed to think about this some more.
First of all, the main task would be to manage the items on display.
Seeing that he was able to show the dragon’s parenting set meant that he
could get things out, but perhaps that was the only thing he could do.
As I struggled with my thoughts, Max continued talking, mostly about the

item we had just gotten. Though he had a regrettable expression, he explained
that this was still difficult to obtain.
-It’s a little disappointing that I have to say goodbye to our dear stuff. It was
one of the objects that have been on display in our museum for a long time,
even if it is low ranked… However, I can’t help it. There’s nothing I can do
about it.
“I see.”
“I have a question, Max.”
-Please say it.
“How big is your authority over the museum?”
-I don’t know what you mean… I’m simply the system manager, so I’m not
in a position to do anything.
I didn’t know if he was telling the truth or not, but I thought it was probably
true. If he were the boss of this dungeon, not the manager, he wouldn’t have
treated us this way in the first place.
“I see.”
-Ah, I lost track of time again. It’s time for the next battle. Completing the
second will give you a little more time to explore the museum, so please, stay
strong.
“Then, the next…”

“I will spin it.”
“Ah, yes. Kiyoung-ssi also had a high luck stat.”
At this point, I feel like it wouldn’t be bad for me to spin, especially since I
wanted some more extra time to explore the museum.
I didn’t know how much time we would get, but I definitely needed to extract
more information about this place.
‘However, it won’t be enough.’
It was impossible to escape from the dungeon’s basic system, but who knew
if there was another way?
Since Park Yeon-joo had gotten a legendary-grade named monster, this time
around, we had to get a heroic-grade!
For some reason, I didn’t feel pressured at all.
When I put down the pressure and inserted my magic power, the spinning
wheel began to spin fiercely. I couldn’t help but expect to get a heroic-grade
purple space or a rare-grade purple space.
‘It’s fine.’
I never thought I had bad luck after coming here.
Everything was good, and I had faced some pretty dangerous things, but…
overall, I had definitely been born with strong luck.
However, my expectations were shattered in an instant.
As the spinning wheel began to slow down, my heart rate increased.
“Wa… Wait.”
“W-Wait!”
“Please stop. Shit…”
“Ah.”
[Mythic-grade monster, Ancient God’s Fragment has been selected.]
“…”
“…”
“…”
A heavy silence filled the entire room.
Suddenly, a loud voice shouted out.
“It’s… It’s a frame-up!”

Chapter 237
“It’s… It’s a frame-up!”
Unexpectedly, Kim Hyunsung had said that this spinning wheel was shit
because it was a bit suspicious, but it didn’t make entirely any sense in terms
of probability.
Perhaps I just wasn’t lucky enough, but I had to stop the mythic-grade being
from popping out at any cause.
‘Nonsense.’
The one called the Ancient God’s Fragment was now trying to pop out,
making a rumbling sound. I didn’t know if it took this long for the seal to be
released or if Max had delayed it for a while, but I knew that he would
annihilate us all once that guy was released.
“The odds are being manipulated!”
I didn’t know what I was talking about, either. I only knew that I felt scared.
However, manager Max seemed to be interested in my bullshit.
If he respected the Crack Guardians, he wouldn’t be happy about this

museum being insulted.
-I know what you mean. The odds are not manipulated. Everyone has a
chance of one in five hundred.
“From our position, there is no way to believe if this is true or not. Isn’t that
right?”
It was Ahn Ki-mo who had spoken.

‘Nice, Ahn Ki-mo.’
I knew he would be useful in this kind of situation, but I couldn’t even

imagine that we would be good together. The plan was obvious. He needed to
distract him while I tried to think of a way to escape.
Fighting a mythical-grade monster was not an option.
The level difference was so big that it was impossible even to assume that we
had a chance of fighting. It was like attacking a tank with a slingshot.
Even assuming that Kim Hyunsung had several aces up his sleeve, we would
not get out of this unscathed.
As Ahn Ki-mo finished speaking, he turned to me. I nodded and spoke again.
“Ahn Ki-mo is right. You said there had been no manipulation, but where is
the evidence that your words are not false?”
-Is there any reason for me to answer your questions?
“Of course, there is. You did not call this place a dungeon, you called it a
museum, and you called us explorers, not attackers. If this museum is a
dungeon, there is no reason for you to convince us, but if this museum is not
a regular dungeon and the arrangements made by the Crack Guardians are
correct, an explanation is a duty, not an option.”
-Duty, not choice… You make an interesting argument.
“It would be fun from the manager’s point of view, but it’s a very important
issue for explorers. We did not come to attack the dungeon. We are here to
experience and explore the museum. Isn’t that right, everyone?”
“Yes. That’s right. Absolutely right.”
Ahn Ki-mo was the only one who answered. However, I knew everyone else
had begun to latch onto the same idea.
-I understand your position. Although to my eyes, it appears to be just an act

not to proceed further, but… since it’s been a long time since welcomed
guests came, I think I do need to give you an explanation. I don’t know how
to explain it, but… would you be convinced if I quantify the results of the
explorers who have visited the museum so far?
He was more quick-witted than I thought, and he looked offended.
The crack museum he loved was on the verge of falling into a bad reputation,
so it was only right that he would want to remedy this.
Our points of view had to be different. Though we thought of this place as a

dungeon, he saw it as a museum. For him, this was a gift from the Crack
Guardians for the continent’s humans and a place where numerous histories
had been recorded and stored.
“I wonder if there is any evidence that you didn’t manipulate the numerical
data as well. Where is your original body in the first place? It is a dummy that
guides us, not you. If you are really the manager and not the owner of this
museum…”
As I spoke, I knew I had no choice but to think that it shouldn’t be done this
way.
‘I would only be dragging time in the first place.’
It was already confirmed that he was not the Dungeon Master. The system’s
focus here was the exploration of the museum, not the death of the manager,
Max.
His death would not mean anything for the dungeon. It would be impossible
to resist the system itself with ordinary human power.
If it were possible to resist, the players before us would’ve already destroyed

this place. Even the Cursed Shrine where I met Juliana could also be
stabilized after bombarding magic from the outside.
In summary, there was only one way to attack the dungeon.
‘Follow the rules.’

If it was impossible to resist the system, there was nothing else you could do.
‘Damn.’
Of course, I didn’t want to die in a place like this.
Meanwhile, the manager, Max, had begun speaking once more, but I couldn’t
seem to tune in to his words. I couldn’t even afford to answer.
Rather, it was Park Deokgu who was more angered than me. I watched him
slightly in awe as he continued to shout. Ahn Ki-mo readily assisted him.
“Where is the evidence that this is true, as Hyung-nim said?! It was a little
weird from the beginning! Saying weird things about exhibiting Hyung-nim
and Hyung-ssi as soon as we first met. Isn’t that a strange intention?”
“That’s right!”
“If you haven’t said that from the beginning, then perhaps… I don’t know
about the cause-and-effect ratio being distorted and blessed with mana, but it
doesn’t make sense to believe in a dungeon manager who says he will exhibit
a normal person in a museum!
‘You’re doing well, pig.’
He certainly had the qualities of an agitator. The tone of the voice itself could
somehow make heads nod.
-That’s the rule. As a manager, I can’t say that I have no greed for rare
objects at all, but there has been no probability manipulation.
“Saying that you’re greedy, doesn’t that say it all? If you really had the
quality of a manager, you shouldn’t say that in the first place! I don’t know
what the Crack Guardian is, but it sounds really weird that a manager, who
was made by them, who has defended the continent, would display the people
living on this continent!”
-That’s a humanistic way of thinking. It is not you who make up the

continent. Rather, humans are close to cancer on this continent.
I understood what he was talking about.
I’ve heard such a thing before on Earth. It was not the humans who the Crack
Guardians protected. It was probably the continent itself they had been
guarding.
“That’s the way the Crack Guardians think? If so, why are you trying to test
against humans? Why give them the weapons that humans use as a reward?!
Isn’t your opinion, not the Crack Guardian’s, that humans are cancer?”
-That’s the guardians’ will…
“Who made this museum to watch in the first place? In my opinion, you’re
deprived. Of course, the Crack Guardians regret putting someone who
doesn’t know what kind of fruit comes out of his farm as a manager!
Wouldn’t a guy like this try and manipulate the system?”
‘Well done.’
Though Deokgu’s words were offensive, they certainly fit the situation.
In the first place, I knew that when Deokgu was angered, he tended to rely on
strange logic to support his claim, but he was doing a lot better than I had
initially thought.
The others were gradually raising their voices as if they agreed. It was mainly
the women’s team included in Park Deokgu’s harem.
“Right! It’s strange, no matter how I think about it. There are only ten rare-
grade items, but we pick one of them. And what’s with the mythic-grade
monster? It is certainly strange to think about the fact that a legendary-grade
was picked from the very beginning.”
“Right. Deokgu-ssi, you’ve said it well!”
Ahn Ki-mo was raising his voice, too.

“What we don’t believe is you, the manager, not the Crack Museum!”
“Ah, yes! Absolutely, Ahn Ki-mo! After all, the educated ones are different!
Anyone can see you look like a scammer… you can’t manage anything
properly! I think Hyung-nim could do better if he were the museum manager!
Hyung-nim as the museum manager!”
Their conclusion was definitely weird, but they were at least giving me ample
time. This gave me enough time to talk with Kim Hyunsung and Park Yeon-
joo.
“What do you think we should do, Kiyoung-ssi?”
“There is no option to fight. It must be avoided. You have to think about this
in another way. For now, it would be best to do business with a museum
custodian, but I don’t think the authority given to Max is enough to override
this system.”
“Oh, the first time you spoke up was to take time.”
As Park Yeon-joo realized this, she nodded and spoke once more.
“Then, the choices we’ll encounter are…”
It was Kim Hyunsung who answered her.
“It is impossible. This is completely different from catching a legendary

monster. Of course, if you are to head into an unavoidable situation, you
should consider that, too… I don’t want to recommend it.”
“Yes. I know it won’t be a fair fight in the first place. But I don’t see any
other options.”
They now understood my concern. We had to find another option.
‘Although it is ideal to do business with the manager…’
-Whatever you mean, whatever you say, I am the manager of this museum.
All I do is maintain and manage. In the first place, the probability of
manipulation is out of my authority. Unfortunately, there is no way to block
the options that have already come out. Although I have been delaying the
emergence of mythic-grade being for a while… He will probably appear here
soon.
‘I knew it.’
-The time to release the seal is only one hour. If more fragments are released,
the seals of the Guardians may be released. So this test will be about holding
on, not fighting.
“This scammer!”
-I told you I’m not a scammer. I thought you were good people, but it turned
out that you were rude customers. I can also understand why you were so
unfortunate and chose a mythical-grade being. The Crack Guardians didn’t
want people like you getting artifacts from this place!
“Once again, that’s bullshit.”
In the meantime, Max had begun to tremble, looking very much upset. His
offended expression only grew when our thirty voices rose as one, criticizing
every aspect of him and his beloved museum.
This transaction was impossible in the first place. As expected, it was

impossible for him to act outside of the basic system.
‘It’s not even a manipulation.’
It was simply bad luck.
I had begun biting my nails. Although I knew I had to do something about it,
I literally choked when I saw the creature slowly appearing in front of my
eyes.
‘Shit.’
The Ancient God’s Fragment continued to stare at us.

It was difficult to express the feelings one would feel when they saw
someone on a totally different level from them. Jung Hayan was also biting
her lips tightly, and Kim Hyunsung nervously held his sword. Even Dialugia
looked nervous.
‘One hour? We won’t last that long.’
I knew everyone was also thinking this way. However, there was no choice
but to rebel, so all that was left to do was prepare.
That was when an absurd thought entered my mind.
If we went through this the traditional way, we would surely die. However…
[Part of the seal that held the Ancient God’s Fragment is removed.]
The moment I heard the message, I spoke.
-Good luck.
“It will completely unseal. However, don’t attack the monster. Attack the
blue chains that trap the Fragment.”
-Huh?
Chapter 238
Chapter 238: Juliana’s Awakening (1)
Everyone looked at me as if I had gone crazy, and I could understand why.
What would happen was obvious if we were to break the chains. However,
this was the only option we could take in order to survive.
The manager, Max, did not have the power to destroy the large system in the
Crack Museum. The same was true for us.
If anyone could interfere with the system, it would be the Ancient God’s
Fragment.
It would be possible for it to smash the exhibition hall where the mythical
weapons protected by the system were stored or to open an escape from this
dungeon, which would be impossible to escape from without completing the
quest.
If things were to go wrong, we would have released a great threat to the

continent with our own hands, but there was no guarantee that this monster
was necessarily bad.
“What…”
“I will not listen to objections. I just thought this was the most probable way
to survive.”
“I am serious.”
If the Ancient God’s Fragment was crazy, it was only right to make a violent
sacrifice here for the continent.
This had a good probability. The entire continent could get swept away by
this single monster and get completely destroyed. Nevertheless…
‘First, I have to survive.’
It was a typical small, civic mindset, but I had no choice but to think of it in
this manner. I was not a saint with an aptitude for sacrificing, just like Kim
Hyunsung was.
My life was of the utmost importance. I had no intention of dying here, nor
did I intend for my comrades to die in this place.
‘To hell with sacrifice.’
The lives of the people around me were also more valuable than all other
humans on the continent. It was a trashy mindset, but I couldn’t help it.
“Is there any other…”
“There is no other way. I’ll think about it after releasing the seal.”
Kim Hyunsung bit his lips a bit but nodded vigorously upon seeing how
serious I was.
There was no other way for us to do this except to improvise. One single
mistake could make everything collapse.
However, I naturally did not explain any further than this. If Kim Hyunsung’s
self-sacrificial personality came out, I would not have a logical counter. All I
knew was that we needed to survive this hellhole.
Of course, it wasn’t just the expedition team that felt disconcerted by my

words. Max looked utterly perplexed as we approached the Ancient God’s
Fragment.
There had obviously been no madmen for centuries who had attempted to
unseal the mythic-grade monsters completely. I was confident that we would
be the first.
-What are you… trying to do?
“Obviously, we’re trying to survive. What can we do about it? The dungeon
guide is an idiot. What else can the explorers do?”
-This is a dangerous idea. Don’t do this…
“Puhaha. Your tone has become quite polite, manager. If you don’t like that,
why don’t you stop this mess?”
-I said I don’t have that authority. A-Again, there was no odds manipulation.
And… Er…
“What?”
-If you thought I had given you a rude reaction, then I’ll apologize.
“Where can I get the apology? Can I die and get it in heaven? Shut up,
manager. If I die, I won’t die alone.”
-D-Do you have any idea what you’re trying to do?
“Shut up, you bastard. We’re not doing this because we want to.”
-Selfish humans. These rotten humans! Do you think you can break the seals
the Guardians have hung?
“The way I see it, we have a better chance of breaking them than defeating
the Ancient God’s Fragment. What do you think, museum manager Max?”
-Dialugia! You know, right? Do you really think that creature should come
out to the world?
“…”
Changing tactics, Max appealed to Dialugia, who had been harboring a dark
expression.
I didn’t know much about dragons but seeing as they were balance-correcting
beings, I thought she might want it not to come out to the world.
As expected, she spoke up, but…
“Er…”
“If you don’t want to see our Tol To-ri being teased for not having a mother
and father, do whatever you want, woman.”
Her mother’s intuition stayed strong. Dialugia began to bite her lips tightly.
Upon seeing this, Max began to shout once more. I felt amused upon seeing
his embarrassed expression. The more crumpled he looked, the better this
idea sounded to me.
This meant that there was indeed a possibility. The seals hung by the Crack
Guardians were fragile against external shocks, although I didn’t know about
the internal shocks.
‘This is possible… There must be a hole.’
Even if they had managed to seal mythical beings like Ancient God’s
Fragment, there was no way that there will be no errors in constructing such a
system.
Of course, it was just a guess, and even if I were to assume that I was right, it
would not be easy to break it. However, it was a much more plausible plan
than dealing with a mythic-grade monster for an hour.
“Ignore all of Max’s bullshit. Dialugia, prepare your Breath and pour out
your biggest firepower magic at the same time. If possible, Hyunsung-ssi and
Yeon-joo-ssi, after the explosion…”
“Okay.”
“Understood.”
It sounded no different than an order to commit suicide, but for now, the two
nodded.
[3. 2. 1.]
[The battle has begun.]
It must be destroyed before the monster could attack us.
As expected, the Ancient God’s Fragment began to go insane as soon as we

tried to rip off the seal. Just looking at it was enough to make my entire body
tremble in fear.
However, this fear soon dissipated as Dialugia herself transformed.
Her sheer size and majestic appearance could make everyone exclaim. As
soon as she finished transforming, Dialugia had begun to gather ridiculous
amounts of magic power.
If the aftermath of her Breath hit me, I would get severely damaged.
However, as much as protection magic would be ideal, we had to focus all
magic power on offense.
‘I have to stop the shock wave.’
It was up to me to block the aftermath of the shock by summoning the

dragon’s tail.
That alone may not be enough, but I had no time to think of a better counter.
Leaving some of the dragon Breath potions in my pocket, I instilled magical

power. Jung Hayan had also begun casting spells.
It was the first time she had looked so serious. The amount of magic power
she was gathering was comparable to even that of Dialugia’s. Everyone had
begun to look at her in amazement.
Meanwhile, other wizards also began chanting spells, and even the priests,
like Sun Hee-young, also chanted prayers in order to aid their firepower.
Breaking that seal was definitely possible.

At this, Dialugia released her Breath.
Craaaaaacckkk!
The sheer intensity pushed her body back.
The light she fired out instantly gnawed the ground and flooded into the
chains that held the Ancient God’s Fragment.
Meanwhile, in front of Jung Hayan, an indescribable sphere had appeared.

The sphere approached the seal slowly before heading right into it as if being
sucked in.
had also begun to tap the chains of the seal. As we got to work, the monster
continued to roar.
The sound was enough to tear through everyone’s eardrums, but Kim
Hyunsung and Park Yeon-joo still managed to break through the aftermath of
the explosion.
Their job was to hit the seal’s weakest link, therefore destroying it in the
process.
Though they moved with high agility, I was still able to view them with my
eyes.
Even though Hyunsung’s shield had worn off and he had gotten wounded, he
continued to concentrate his magic on the hand that held his sword.
It would be hard enough to handle the shock wave of an explosion. Hyunsung

seemed to be in bad condition, but he continued swinging his sword while
forcibly swallowing the blood that was about to come out.
‘You can’t die, Hyunsung!’
“Deokgu, prepare to collect Hyunsung and Park Yeon-joo.”
“Ah… Yes! O-Okay.”

“Hee-young-ssi, Ki-mo-ssi! Please intensively push the divine power to the
position I pointed to. Wizards must always prepare their defense magic, and
the front line, including Park Deokgu, should begin to enter. When Dialugia
is ready for her next Breath, shoot immediately.”
“Hyung-nim, are you going to go, too?”
“Yes.”
We no longer had enough time to talk. If Hyunsung died, I would die, too.
It was then that something huge hit us. It looked to be a huge tentacle.
‘Ah…’
Though the Ancient God’s Fragment’s attack didn’t recognize us as targets

yet, getting hit would kill us. I could do nothing else but stare up at it blankly.
‘Are we going to die?’
Fortunately, Dialugia prevented the attack.
‘Damn.’
Though she had saved us, this was also a terrible occurrence. She had ended
up using her second round of Breath at it.
If something like that hit us, it would have killed us all. She had no choice
but to save us.
Once again, the shock wave struck, and my body was almost pushed back,
but I avoided falling over by holding onto Park Deokgu.
were poured out, and Kim Hyunsung and Park Yeon-joo continue to try and
break the seal’s chains.
Nevertheless…
‘It’s not enough.’

We needed just a little more… A little more power just to break the seals.
‘Damn.’
As I tried to think of another way, my sword began vibrating in my hand.
“Juliana?”
“…”
“Juliana! Oh, my Juliana!”
“…”
“Wake up, Juliana. Ahh, my Juliana! I need you! Juliana! I need you!”
Though this, too, was a suicide attempt, I could see no other choice but to
appeal to my sword in a tone that was dramatic enough to appear in a
Shakespeare play.
“Aaah, Juliana! My love! Wake up, Juliana. Please! Please save my

colleagues and me in this situation! My love, Juliana!”
‘Shit.’
“Juliana! Shit!”
Was it a mistake trying to rely on something like this?
As I began to succumb to my turmoil of thoughts, I heard a voice that I had

not heard in a long time.
-Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Gedric! My Gedric!
“What?”
-Aaaaaah! My love Gedric! My everything! My all! The light and hope of my

life! Savior of my life. My eternal flower! Gedric! Finally! Finally, I can hear
your voice! My Gedric!
Chapter 239
[8 Chapters today in exchange for this shameless promo. Premium is 140
chapters ahead, and honestly (Chapters 350-370) were the best KR chapters
that I’ve ever read. This series is a straight-up banger. If you liked this series
so far, I can promise you that it gets multitudes better (and more ridiculous)
as the plot progresses.]
Chapter 239: Juliana’s Awakening (2)
“Good!”
Though her voice gave me chills, I couldn’t help but rejoice all the same.
Though it would be hard to sort this out afterward, what was more important
was the task that I had to accomplish in front of me. I would take care of the
rest later on.
“My Juliana! You finally woke up! You don’t know how long I’ve been
waiting for you.”
-Gedric! My Gedric, I, too, have been imagining being with you for a long
time.
“Juliana!”
-Gedric!
It was a bit scary seeing the sword floating around me and making weird
sounds. I worried about it eventually piercing my neck as it realized that I
was not Gedric.
Nevertheless…
‘It’s fine.’
There were no such signs yet. Juliana still considered me as Gedric and was
now moving to protect me.
‘I did a good job wearing this…’
[Gedric’s Proposal Ring (Heroic)]
[You can resist the curse of Juliana.]
This was Gedric’s Proposal Ring, found in the Cursed Shrine. Though it had
no function, I had always worn it on my finger out of habit.
I had to smile.
“Juliana! My Juliana! We don’t have time for this. Juliana!”
-Gedric… Ahhh! My love Gedric! Please kiss me. Please hug me to let this
body crumble!
‘You’re a sword…’
“Juliana! I need your strength. We must release the wicked Crack Guardians’
seals that are forcibly holding onto the Ancient God.”
-Aah! My love Gedric! Whisper a little more love. Gedric! My lantern! My

light!
‘Crazy bitch!’
I knew I wouldn’t be able to control her, but I had no idea her sanity was this
unstable.
I didn’t know why the hell Gedric liked this woman and why he had been
looking for her for such a long time, but I bet it could be a type of Stockholm
syndrome.
Perhaps he had gotten kidnapped. For some reason, that thought began to
settle in my mind.
“Help me! Juliana! I need your love.”
-Gedric! My Gedric!
“Juliana! The world is in danger!”
-Ahhh…
‘Shit!’
There was no more time left to delay. If I kept going at this rate, Juliana
would only move after the rest of my party members had gotten wiped out.
I had no choice but to run as I held her in my hand.
I didn’t know how to use a sword, but something had changed after I inserted
my magic power into it.
-Gedric! Your warm magic is flowing! Your power is flowing into my body!
Ahhh! My love!
‘Please, shut up!’
Though her voice drove me crazy, it appeared that my magic had activated
something.
-A little more! A little more! Please! Gedric! A little more of your love!
[One of Juliana’s sleeping functions has been unlocked.]
[AS’s Tentacle]
‘Nice!’
Until now, Juliana’s only function was to cast a curse.
Of course, that alone made her worth it. If I cursed the other person just by
hurting them and consuming a lot of magical power, I could even apply a
wide area curse.
Just listing the features mentioned above was not enough for a legendary-
grade item.
It even protected me by itself, so it was definitely an ideal item. However,

that was not its only function. This would soon be confirmed.
“Nice!”
Of course, AS’s black magic had been used before, but the magical power
flowing from the sword was different from before.
If what I used before had been the closed beta version, what I saw now felt
like the function had undergone several upgrades.
The tentacles of black magic, previously used by Juliana, began to bloom

around her sword.
As these tentacles also moved towards me, I began to feel nervous. However,
I knew she did not intend to harm me. The feeling of discomfort, however,
rose when the tentacles slipped through my clothes.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the tentacles didn’t seem to limit my actions,

but it was natural to think that they might eventually trap me.
However, the tentacles weren’t the problem.
-More… More! Ahhh! Gedric, your love! A little more of your love!
‘Stop sucking it up!’
Juliana was drinking my magic like crazy. My magic stats were already low,
so having her slurp it up like it was nothing felt like a total burden. It even
felt as if my life force was being drained.
However, the results were better than expected.
‘Fine… take a little more!!’
The energy the sword emitted was obviously not the type that I could create
with my meager supply of magic. The black tentacles extending in all
directions had long been out of my control.
However, I had no idea or ability to control it, anyway. All I have to do was
hit this overflowing energy against the sealed chains, and it would be fine.
“Deokgu!”
“Ah… Okay!”
Park Deokgu, who had been looking at me with a strange expression,

stretched out his hand toward me. When I saw that he understood without any
explanation, I felt proud.
With the tentacles wrapped around my body, I wouldn’t be able to throw

myself off the aftermath of such an explosion. I felt sorry, but I had no choice
but to seek Deokgu’s help.
‘I’ll have to hurt you instead…’
A transparent and faint shield appeared on my body. This was Park Deokgu’s
attribute, where he would take the damage received by others in their stead.
As soon as I touched the ground with my crackling hands, the dragon’s tail
protruded from the floor and raised me up to the chains.
Although it was a little scary, Park Deokgu would take the damage even if I
fell, anyway. Right now, swinging my sword was the top priority.
Of course, there was no damage from the aftermath of the explosion. I didn’t
feel hot, and my skin didn’t come off.
‘Be patient, Deokgu!’
“Kiyoung-ssi?”
Though I heard Hyunsung calling out to me in confusion, I chose to ignore

him. I couldn’t afford to answer him, anyway.
“Break it! Fuck!”
I then attacked the weak-looking seal using the energy within the sword.
The magical tentacles surrounding my body and the tentacles stretching out
from everywhere quickly fell toward the chains, and the remaining magical
power also quickly escaped.
-Gedric! Gedriiic! Aaah! Ah!
“Break!”
If once was not enough, then I would have to break it twice. If not twice,
three times.
Though I was a beginner when it came to swordsmanship, I still had to try.

Even the seal itself had a limit.
Cracks had begun to form along the chains. This indicated that the seal was
breaking.
‘Good!’
It was then that Kim Hyunsung jumped out and swung his sword towards the
part I hit.
I felt surprised, but I also felt glad. I was past my limit, for Juliana drained
too much magic power from me.
Hyunsung had come just as I had lost all my magic, and I was grateful for
that.
As soon as the lovely returner’s sword touched the cracked chain, the blue
chain broke, and light began to pour out.
“Nice!”
I felt Kim Hyunsung’s hand on my back. Regardless of my will, my body

began to move away from the chains, and I saw the Ancient God’s Fragment
once again.
‘I did… the right thing, right?’
We had only managed to break one of the chains.
However, the balance of the seal holding the mythical being tightly broke,
which prompted the other sides to break as well.
No, to be precise, the Ancient God’s Fragment was pulling the chains apart
on his own.
‘He looks very strong…’
It was only then that I started to realize what we had just released in the
world. My entire body had begun to shake.
[A Fragment of the Ancient God is released from the seal.]
[Warning]
[The Crack Museum’s protection program is operating.]
[Warning]
[The program is not operating normally.]
[Warning]
[The preliminary program is operating.]
[Warning]
[The Fragment of the Ancient God completely awakens.]
“Groaaaaaaaaaaarrr!!!!!!!”
-Ahhh… Ahhhhh… No!!!!

Max began to cry out at the same time the mythical monster roared out.
‘Preliminary program?’
I was unsure what it was, but fortunately, there seemed to be a Crack

Museum program that would handle situations like this.
Of course, I didn’t know if that preliminary program could really fix this, but
it was too late for me to do anything else. Now the responsibility rested with
the manager, Max.
After all, it was sweeter to screw someone over than to let others screw me
over.
Of course, I could not find it in me to laugh aloud in this situation. Even if we

succeeded in breaking his seal, the fact that we were in danger still remained.
Before this monster could threaten the rest of the world, it was threatening
my life, first.
The fragments seemed to have no thinking ability, so there was no option to

negotiate with the ancient gods. Nevertheless…
“Yay, it’s the Ancient God!”
“…”
“The Ancient God has awakened! The Ancient God’s Fragment has been
freed!”
I could see no other choice but to shout this aloud. I didn’t know if this would
work, but at least I was producing some results.
The museum’s outer walls, which seemed to be unbreakable, were now

collapsing, and the sturdy exhibits were also breaking.
‘My prediction was correct.’
This monster had the ability to resist the system.

“Grooooaaaaaarrr!!!”
As the Ancient God Fragment’s tentacle swung once more, the museum
began its road to destruction.
-No… Noooo!!
Max kept screaming. I then turned to the other members of the expedition.
“First… Let’s go to the broken area and gather some items. There will be
several exhibition halls influenced by the Ancient God.”
Chapter 240
Chapter 240: Mythic-grade Item (1)
Everyone was looking at me as if I had gone crazy, thinking about grabbing

items at a time like this. However, it was only right to increase our chances of
survival in this situation.
There may even be a mythic-grade item within the broken pavilion.
It was not an option, but a necessity, to raise the entire expedition’s

specifications at this point.
“Of course, it would be nice to look for our isolated people.”
“Is there any way to fix this?”
“That is not our job; it’s the museum manager’s. The preliminary program
has been triggered, so the Crack Guardians’ arrangements would have
worked. What matters now is our safety. Please, let’s move quickly.
Hyunsung-ssi. Right now, it’s hard to move my body…”
“Ah… Yes.”
Kim Hyunsung, who had been holding my body, nodded to show that he
understood. In fact, even his body looked damaged.
It was natural for him to be a mess since he had continuously swung his
sword towards the chains in the explosion.
Park Deokgu, who had received all the damage I suffered, looked even
worse.
Although Sun Hee-young and Ahn Ki-mo continued to sprinkle divine power
over us, it would take us some time to recover fully.
-Gedric… Gedric!
In the meantime, Juliana keeps crying out. She had gotten considerably
quieter once I sheathed her back to the scabbard around my waist, but she
continued to mutter anxiously.
“I will go out to the exhibition hall on the side. Other monsters may have
awakened, so it would be better to move to the opposite direction from the
monster exhibition hall.”
“I’ll move as fast as possible to recover even a little bit. Let’s enter.”
All members of the expedition nodded, exhaustion apparent on their faces.
I was not the only one who had drained their magic power to the limit.
Everyone used more magic power than they had to in order to break the seals
created by the Crack Guardians.
As their stamina stats were high, they could still walk normally. Such was not
the case for me, however.
‘I really can’t move my body.’
Of course, being able to be closest to Kim Hyunsung had not been intended.
But this was not a bad turnout of events. I didn’t care if the Black Swan
members were looking at me with a strange expression.
In the first place, everyone knew that I had a weak body.
As soon as I finished talking, Dialugia scooped everyone up, and we rushed

towards the pavilion. Leaving the insane Ancient God’s Fragment, we
entered the exhibition hall.
Though Ancient God’s Fragment continued to scream, his attention was not
on us.
The things that had confined him for so long were still around him. He would
probably want to smash it all to pieces before going after us.
Of course, the condition of the museum was terrible. Most of the exhibition
halls were utterly broken, but even those inside of them had gotten destroyed.
‘We won’t be able to save anything here.’
“Let’s go to the next room. If we stay here, the aftermath of the explosion can
reach us. Our goal will be to get to the manager’s office.”
“The manager’s office?” Park Yeon-joo repeated.
“Yeah. There must be somewhere where Max’s original body is located.

Seeing that he’s not here, he might be quite busy doing something else. It will
be hard for him to care about us anymore. First, take off the ring that you
received before entering the dungeon, Yeon-joo. We no longer need to be
guided by the dungeon manager anyway.”
“Yes. I was thinking of doing that.”
“And… Hayan?”
“Yes, Oppa?”
“I think it would be good for you to make a map from now on, alongside the
Rangers of the Black Swans. Don’t worry too much about me. It’s just that I
can’t move because of magical exhaustion, but I have no other wounds.”
“Yes. Oppa…”
“Does Hayan know how to draw a map?”
“No. Instead, she is always checking my location. This will help. It will be
quite detailed and accurate.”
“You’re… a unique couple.”
Park Yeon-joo looked amazed at the fact that I had tolerated my girlfriend
relentlessly pursuing me.
If it were Earth, it would be natural for me to feel suffocated, but it was
possible to tolerate this in a place where one never knew what, where, and
when something might happen.
‘Of course, by my standards…’
“Hee-young-ssi, Ki-mo-ssi, and other priests should also take a break for a
while. If you are exhausted, we won’t be able to get out of this place
successfully.”
“Okay.”
“It’ll be hard to relax, but please try to recuperate as much energy as

possible.”
“Hyung-nim is right. It won’t be good if we rush into this impulsively. In

fact, we’re not just in bad condition to fight; we can’t even walk properly.”
“That’s right, Deokgu.”
“In that sense…”
“I was going to set up a camp when we got a little farther away.”
“Are we going to eat?”
“Of course, we should eat. It’s just that we lost a few supplies, so we’ll have
to ration.”
If our conditions permitted it, sleeping would be recommended. However, I

knew this would be impossible. As the roaring continued behind us, even
camping sounded dangerous.
However, this was necessary. Our expedition members desperately needed

the rest.
As we rested for a moment, another Fragment tentacle pierced the left wall.
“Whoa!”
“That’s…”
“That… scared the crap out of me.”
It was hard to imagine how scared other people would have been, seeing that
Jung Hayan, who had always been so aloof, looked terrified.
Calming the expedition member was one of the things people like me could
do. I had no choice but to speak up at this point.
“It probably wasn’t for us. He seems to be just moving… First, it would be
better to move to a place where those tentacles won’t be visible.”
“B-But why isn’t he doing anything?”
“Well… I’m not sure what the Ancient God’s Fragment is… It looks like
he’s about to create roots, though. Maybe he’s working on paralyzing this
museum’s function and trying to absorb the magic power flowing from it. It’s
better to focus on our situation now.”
“O-Okay.”
Though I spoke this assuredly, I also couldn’t help but wonder what the
monster’s plan would be.
It seemed like a good idea to ask Dialugia afterward, who had heard of the
Ancient God’s Fragment before.
After she had returned to human form, she seemed lost in her thoughts.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a very serious expression, but she looked to be
engulfed in shame. It was, after all, the job of dragons to promote the flow of
balance.
As she had contributed to our plan, she must’ve been thinking about how her
ancestors would regard her now.
Meanwhile, the rest of our members were at work.
Based on the map made by Jung Hayan and the Rangers, I began to figure out
the structure of the museum itself. The tentacles of the Ancient God were
visible as I studied, but he was certainly not moving.
‘So he really has created roots.’
I wasn’t sure what kind of consequences this would bring, but one thing was
certain: it was now easier to move around. The walls that the system had
brought up as a barrier were now broken.
It was easier for us to grasp the situation now that the museum’s function had
been paralyzed.
I was curious about how the museum, which had triggered its preliminary
program, might be taking care of this, but of course, I knew that going to
check it would be a stupid choice.
If the museum’s function had really stopped, it was possible that the sealed
monsters had also awakened. Perhaps they had begun fighting each other.
However, seeing that the museum had not yet collapsed, it seemed that Max
was still working hard on its preservation.
‘Can he stop it?’
In fact, I didn’t know which side I should support.
The perfect scenario would be for the museum to reseal the Ancient Gods
after the expedition could rescue the isolated people, as well as obtain a few
items.
Of course, because I tended to think about the worst, it was difficult to settle
for this hopeful scenario. Some positive thinking would be ideal at this point,
though.
“Oh… I think it’s fine here…”
Upon reaching a definite spot, Deokgu quietly spoke up.
“It’s definitely… okay.”

Cho Hyejin also nodded.
The Ancient God’s Fragment was not visible within this area, and it was wide
enough for thirty people to rest. The most important thing was…
“Hyung-nim! There are a lot of items here! It seems that the functions
stopped here, too… The exhibition hall doesn’t seem to be obeying. Huh!
There seem to be a few legendary items, too… Can I have this?”
“Oppa. There’s a wand here! T-This one looks to be legendary, too!”
“I think there are a few heroic-grade items, too… It seems to be in better

condition than most heroic-grade items. There seems to be an item that boosts
divine power, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Is there anything that Hee-young is also greedy for?”
“Rather than being greedy, if there’s a Bible elsewhere… I’m just curious…”
I knew that we could obtain items along the way, but facing this reality was
still jaw-dropping.
Everyone gazed around with their mouths wide open.
When I turned to gaze at the items, however, my own jaw dropped.
There stood a sword, shining in its own glistening hues.
It looked a little crude, but I could see that it is a great sword just by staring at
it. What was even more spectacular was that it was pointing directly at Kim
Hyunsung.
‘I-It’s a mythic-grade.’
We had hit the lottery.
‘Hyunsung! We are safe, right?!’
When I turned to Kim Hyunsung, I saw him already shooting a pleasant smile
my way. It had been a long time since he smiled like that.
Chapter 241
Chapter 241: Mythic-grade Item (2)
My worries began to dissipate upon witnessing this.
Kim Hyunsung, receiving the light emanating from a mythic-grade sword,

truly looked like a warrior that one usually only saw in fairy tales.
‘Whoaa…’
I had never regretted following Kim Hyunsung, and this reinforced my belief.
‘It’s magnificent! Hyunsung! It’s great!’
The protagonist, originally, was mostly him.
I remembered myself being chosen by Juliana, but this was a different

situation. Even I had to admit that Kim Hyunsung was definitely different
from me.
The white light turned towards him as if it were enticing him, and he slowly
reached out, as if it was his own from the beginning.
I was not the only one transfixed by this sight. The Black Swans had begun to
swoon upon seeing his handsome figure engulfed in such a light.
I already knew that the world was unfair, but I had no choice but to face this
harsh reality once more. It was as if God had chosen Hyunsung to have both
talent and looks.
As soon as the sword reached his hand, the light spread out into the entire
room.
However, as if nothing had happened, Hyunsung took his sword to his waist,
looked around with a little embarrassed expression, and spoke.
Unlike me, who could see information about the sword from the beginning,
other people would be very curious.
“I think I have succeeded in getting the Sense of Ownership.”
“As expected… you have. Is it a mythic-grade sword?”
It was Park Yeon-joo who asked this.
“Yes. It’s a mythic-grade sword. I don’t think I can use all the functions
because I am not yet capable as a user… Compared to the legendary-grade
item, there seems to be no shortage. First of all, I apologize to all of the Black
Swan members.”
“No. You don’t need to apologize at all, Hyunsung-ssi. Ownership is not

something one can decide on. The weapon has chosen you. And since you
were in the position of helping the expedition in the first place, I don’t want
to make this a problem. It would be a lie if I said I’m not envious, but seeing
that you have done well makes me feel better.”
Hyunsung was really lucky. Though this was ground for ownership problems
between guilds, the Black Swans still let him take it.
Plus, Black Swan Guild Master Park Yeon-joo had a crush on Kim
Hyunsung, and this problem was passed without worry because of the
peculiarity of Sense of Ownership.
‘But since we got it, it’s right that we take it.’
No matter how high the value was, it was no different from a stone if there
were no capable users.
When I, unfortunately, thought that it would be unreasonable for us to own

the legendary-grade shield that Park Deokgu was touching, as well as the
legendary-grade staff that Jung Hayan was staring at, I saw Hayan herself
getting engulfed in bright light.
‘Good job, Hayan!’
She had also succeeded in getting the Sense of Ownership.
A faint smile was already hanging on Jung Hayan’s face, who bowed her
head.
Though I should’ve controlled them from touching the items, I couldn’t help
but hold back a smile.
“Jung Hayan.”
“I’m sorry… Oppa.”
“Deokgu, for now, put down your shield.”
‘Don’t put it down.’
“Deokgu.”
‘Start the Sense of Ownership quickly! You pig bastard. Put in the magic
power and take it! I will handle it! Originally, you just have to take it, and
then wait and see.’
“O-Okay. Hyung-nim.”
‘Just take it!’
Unfortunately, my real intention had not been properly conveyed.
Park Deokgu, who put his shield down on the ground while looking clueless,
retreated about two steps while smacking his lips. It was a little regrettable,
but I had no choice but to continue talking, swallowing the bitter taste on my
mouth.
“I think it would be better for Hee-young-ssi to put down her item for now as
well. The same goes for Ki-mo-ssi. I understand that you’re a little excited,
but we didn’t come alone. Item distribution is the exclusive authority of the
expedition leader, and Park Yeon-joo is the expedition’s right leader. There’s
nothing to do in Hyunsung’s case, but… Hayan…”
“I’m sorry.”
‘What are you sorry about? You did really well. Do that again next time.’
After all, after going out of the dungeon, it wouldn’t be bad to reward her.
“Well, it seems that it happened without Hayan knowing. Scolding her like
this… It’ll be quite difficult to stay composed in this situation unless Park
Deokgu… Ah, yes!”
The clueless Park Deokgu was proud of himself as he was eager to be patient
with Jung Hayan, but that pig needed a punishment, not a prize.
‘You’re grounded when we get back.’
However, I couldn’t show what I truly felt.
At this, I looked towards Park Yeon-joo.
“I will apologize instead.”
“No, Kiyoung-ssi. It’s been done already… I think it’s better to celebrate
than to get angry in this situation.”
“You don’t have to keep apologizing. Anyway, in the current situation, this is
more important than anything else. It is appropriate for someone who can use
it right now to take it. First of all, I want to think of surviving as my top
priority. If she succeeded in getting the Sense of Ownership, it means that
Hayan-ssi is the one who can handle that weapon best at this place. Our
wizards also seem to be okay… Congratulations, Hayan-ssi.”
“T-Thank you…”
‘Right.’
I was sure of it. Park Yeon-joo was an angel. She seemed to be conscious of
Kim Hyunsung since she was showing too much kindness, but I started to
envy Kim Hyunsung once again as she showed that she would yield to him as
much as she could.
I thought that a very bright tomorrow would be waiting for this particular
love affair.
‘It makes sense, too.’
I also really like the part that she thought on the premise of surviving rather
than to succumb to her greed. I could see why she had appointed Lee Jihye,
who originally had nothing, and gave her the authority to solve both the big
and small issues in their guild.
“Of course, can we first determine whether the remaining items can be used
on our side?”
“Yes. I think it would be nice to do that.”
I also like the part of taking what she could in this situation.
‘I envy Kim Hyunsung.’
In the midst of that, Juliana began to talk to me, muttering something.
It might be the aftermath of waking up after a long time as she soon became
quiet, but there would be a substantial difference between Kim Hyunsung’s
mythic-grade sword and Juliana.
Anyway, if I looked at the situation objectively, it seemed that the Blue Guild
had gained both mythic and legendary items. The remaining legendary item
was the shield that Park Deokgu touched. However, there were also other
high-quality heroic-grade items.
Since the shield was an item that required ownership, our side had a chance
of obtaining it, but in fact, I thought that the Black Swan might dominate the
heroic-grade items.
Sun Hee-young glanced at me as she wanted to get the heroic-grade auxiliary

tool classified as a Bible, which bothered me, but it would be hard, even for
me, to ask for that item now.
There were only four priests in this expedition right now.
Although all of them were equipped with heroic-grade items, there was no
guarantee that they would not want that Bible.
As it was a secondary weapon rather than the main armament, it may be

difficult for priests who generally wore a two-handed staff to use, but there
was no end to the original human greed.
It would only be right to wait and see.
That was, if…
[Sword of the 12th Knights: Durendal (Mythic)]
[In mythology, this is a great sword used by the head of the 12 Knights.
Known to cut out anything, this great sword, despite countless years, did not
wish for its light. It is no longer possible to access detailed information. -
Durendal does not break.]
[Blood-Stained Red Gem: Anemone (Legendary)]
[This is a staff decorated with jewels from the blood after the jealous goddess
murdered her husband’s lover. Basically, it amplifies the user’s magic and
awakens the knowledge of the unique magic embedded in the gem. The
user’s growth value is low, so the available unique magic knowledge is
limited. Magic power increases by 10. -Anemone to be cursed! Dirty whore
Anemone! You will never get out of that gem for a lifetime.]
Since we had already taken items of this level, there was no conscience left to
claim ownership of heroic-grade items.
Like the Fragment of the Ancient God or the green monster I saw before,
mythic-grade items couldn’t be checked with my eyes, but there were things
that I could feel even if I didn’t see them with my ability.
Kim Hyunsung’s sword was definitely the highest treasure, as it was a sword
that would never break. That alone was worth it.
Kim Hyunsung’s swordsmanship skills were already high enough to be

recognized as one of the Empire’s Eight Seats, even with the public doubting
his experience.
I didn’t know what features were hidden but assuming that Hyunsung, who
already had no shortcomings in many ways, used it, just the fact that this was
an unbreakable sword would prove to be dangerous in his hands.
The legendary-grade staff that Jung Hayan had gotten also didn’t need much
to say.
‘The explanation… made me a bit uneasy…’
However, I felt good. Our rank had definitely raised.
After the jealous goddess murdered her husband’s lover, the explanation that
the blood was made into gems sounded ominous, but, for now, it was a good
thing.
‘Anemone…’
Even if it had a good affinity with Jung Hayan, I felt like there would be a
problem. In fact, after taking ownership, she didn’t seem to be all that
interested in the big staff.
‘If you’re going to do that, why’d you run so fast and take it?’
It felt ridiculous, seeing her lose all interest right after the Sense of
Ownership had ended.
It seemed that she was greedier for the stats inherent in the staff than the staff
itself, but I wondered why she had wanted to take the legendary-grade staff,
even when she knew that I would scold her.
However, I soon began to understand why.
‘Her magic power stats are at 97…’
It had only been a little over a year, but this marked the moment when Jung
Hayan gained enough power to officially enter the Empire’s Eight Seats.
With this realization came another, darker thought.
‘Now, wait a minute…’

Chapter 242
Chapter 242: A Short Break (1)
‘This is not good… Ah…’
Of course, a shitty person like me had no right to say this, but Jung Hayan
had a more meticulous and trickier side than I had initially thought.
Unlike the innocent Jung Hayan from the past, she didn’t immediately act
whenever she wanted to kill. Of course, the schemes that she had shown so
far were of a cute level.
Though it was not apparent to everyone else, I knew something about her was
different.
She understood the difference in power and strength and could realize when
she was in a relatively weaker position.
That was why she had become obsessed with magic after meeting Cha Hee-ra
for the first time, for a chance to gradually become stronger than her.
Of course, it could be said that it was because she got the ability to discern
whether a person was important to me or not, but it was also because she
knew she was stronger that she turned Han Sora into a mess back at the
training camp.
It was just speculation, but I understood Jung Hayan’s behavior pattern.
‘This isn’t good.’
On the one hand, I was happy at the fact that she was getting stronger. On the
other, I felt anxious because I couldn’t predict what kind of trouble she might
cause.
‘And now, her magic power is at 97…’

Entering the late 90s with major stats was the minimum condition necessary
to become a strong player on the continent, considering that Cha Hee-ra had a
97 strength stat.
Ito Souta also had agility in the late 90s, and Park Yeon-joo, who was now
talking eagerly to her members, also had specs in the late 90s.
Of course, one could not measure the power simply by their stats, but in Jung
Hayan’s case, she could become one of the top players in the entire Empire
after gaining a little more experience. She must be aware of this fact now.
It was common knowledge that the existence of an item that could increase
one’s stats existed, so she grabbed such an item while everyone was
distracted by Kim Hyunsung.
After she got her stats, she dumped the artifact itself, and once more, I was
able to confirm that I was right.
In the past, compared to Cha Hee-ra and Yuno Kasugano, she was relatively
in the position of the weak, but now she seemed to think that she was fast
approaching their level.
I couldn’t help but laugh at my suspicions being proven right. Though we had
no problem right now, I knew I had to control her early on. I would have to
retrain Hayan once we got out of this dungeon.
It was very annoying that I had to take care of her mentality regularly, but it
was a low price in exchange for having the Supreme Archmage as my pet.
Though I worried about her causing any trouble…
‘She won’t do that.’
As I looked at Jung Hayan, still holding my arm and guarding me against the
Black Swan’s female group, a sigh came out of me once more.
It was then that Park Deokgu called out to us.
“Hyung-nim! Hayan! Come and eat!”

“Oppa! I think the meal is ready!”
“Oh? That was fast.”
“Yes. Hehehe.”
“Phew… I’m telling you the food is delicious! Yeon-joo prepared it, and my
eyes almost popped out at how delicious it was!”
“Really?”
“This is just my opinion, but it seems that Yeon-joo likes our Guild Master,
Hyung-ssi! So, I think she was trying to show her skills. This is the message
of Gangwon-do’s dating expert, Park Deokgu. I smell something. I really
can!”
He sat down on the floor, spitting out what everyone already knew.
When I glanced over towards Hyunsung, I could see Yeon-joo all over him.
Cho Hyejin looked sullen.
‘So she gets jealous, too.’
This was such a contrasting expression to the stiff one she always showed
me.
“We’re still on an expedition, Deokgu-ssi. Such a personal story…”
“Hyejin doesn’t look so good, either… Hyung-ssi and Park Yeon-joo are
giving off good vibes together, so why would she look that way? Hm?”
“What…”
“Ahem. If you don’t want to reveal it, I can’t help it, but nothing gets past the
dating expert.”
“P-Please refrain from saying useless things…”
“If you don’t want your guy getting stolen by other guild people, you better
go there now. It looks like the vibe over there is good… Of course, I’m still
cheering you on! Look, even if it looks like they’re just having a simple meal
together, that in itself is already a pretty big deal.”
“Ah…”
“Even the Black Swan members are rooting for them. You need to do
something.”
“Then…”
“It would be better to get over there before they become sweethearts.”
“It’s not because of that reason, but… Suddenly, I just remembered I have
something to report to the Guild Master, so I’ll get up first, Vice Guild
Master.”
“Yes. Hyejin-ssi. Cheer up.”
“I already told you I’m not going over there for that reason!”
As I saw her blushing while getting up from her seat, I couldn’t help but
laugh. She even forgot to bring along the spear that she always carried
around.
Her flustered expression showed how she felt for Kim Hyunsung.
‘Cute.’
A relationship should be fresh and pretty like that.
It was different from Jung Hayan and Sun Hee-young, who looked around
everywhere as if warning the others not to approach me.
What was a little surprising was that Sun Hee-young didn’t seem to be very
close with the Black Swan guild members.
As a priest, it seemed that she did not fit well with them, who were free-
minded. In fact, it appeared as if she didn’t like them at all.
‘I have to have an interview with this one, too…’
Although she had been neglected so far, Sun Hee-young was also one of the
targets that needed major management. I did not care for her much because,
unlike Jung Hayan, she seemed capable of taking care of herself.
Just as Kim Hyunsung trusted Cho Hyejin as an aide, I also trusted Sun Hee-
young.
‘She does her job pretty well… she is rational…’
It is a completely different topic, but in fact, she was also pretty. Even with
her strict sister-uniform and sacred vibes, Sun Hee-young could very well be
my type.
As I gazed at Sun Hee-young for a while, I felt Jung Hayan grasping my arm.
‘It’s not that, Hayan. Don’t get angered…’
After gently patting Jung Hayan’s hair, Park Deokgu continued to speak once
more.
“Hey, Hyung-nim. This is a slightly different story, but…”
“Yes?”
“It’s nice that we’re taking a break now, but I don’t know if we really can be
here like this.”
“What?”
“Ahem. Aren’t we a bit too relaxed?”
“Ohhhh.”
It did seem that way. Since we had to classify heroic-grade items anyway, we
went and set up camp, and after preparing a meal, we decided for all
expedition members to rest.
Of course, the Rangers had to search the surroundings by rotation, but it
would be no exaggeration to say that they were really resting too freely in the
time after that.
Some people were sleeping, and some of the other members were sitting and
reading books.
‘How Alchemists and Genius Prosecutors Love? Volume 3?’
I caught sight of one of the books they were reading. It certainly seemed to be
a hit within Lindel.
‘I have to read that one.’
I didn’t know what it was about, but it seemed to be a big hit.
Anyway, since everyone was resting like that, it would make sense for
Deokgu to feel unsettled. It was like everyone was pretending to be unaware
of what had happened to us.
“It’s because there is nothing we can do right now.” It was Sun Hee-young
who said this.
“Ah…”
Of course, I had no choice but to agree with her.
“Hee-young-ssi is right. It doesn’t make sense to go back there now, so it’s

better to rest. I don’t know if it’s unfortunate or fortunate, but it looks like the
Fragment of Ancient God, or whatever it is, is quiet, so you can relax. Just to
you know, I intend to camp here today. Of course, it will only be for a short
time…”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
‘For now, it’s only right to take a break.’

It was not that I wasn’t uneasy.
If the museum were to collapse, then we would have to find a way to get out
of here. However, nothing could be done about it as of now.
Dialugia had stayed quiet this whole time, focusing on her recovery. Kim
Hyunsung and Park Yeon-joo, who were the strongest in the expedition, were
also in terrible condition.
‘They look to be fine on the outside, but…’
I knew they were also quite a mess on the inside.
Of course, it was true that we had big expectations for Kim Hyunsung, who
had obtained a mythic-grade item, but he could only be of use once he
recovered.
He pretended to be okay in front of all the expedition members, but I could

see how much damage he had taken with my Mind’s Eye.
Above everything else, I was anxious about this worst-case scenario to

happen.
I also had to keep in mind that the manager, Max, might consider me a
removal target.
“So don’t worry, take a rest, for now, Deokgu. Rangers are looking around,
and once they check the position, we’ll move right away and start fixing
everything from scratch.”
“I am fine. I’m more worried about you than me. Even now, your pale
complexion doesn’t look so good.”
“It’s okay. I can recover, given enough time.”
Park Deokgu, who originally had no sense of crisis, saying that made me feel
more anxious.
I also wanted to focus on recovery, but I also felt like we should be on the
move now.
I had no choice but to look at Dialugia quietly.
‘Fragment of the Ancient God.’
Dialugia was the only one that had any useful information.
Seeing that she had opened her eyes, it seemed that she had successfully
recovered.
I had finished my meal. As I stood up quietly and sent a signal to her, I saw
her getting up as well. Park Deokgu didn’t follow, realizing we would be
talking about something important, and Jung Hayan glanced at me,
wondering if she should come with me or not.
I didn’t say anything, so she decided to wait. It bothered me a little that she
surprisingly stayed without saying anything.
‘I have to listen to Dialugia first.’
It would be better for me to be the only one allowed to hear about what
Dialugia had to say. If I were to make a selfish choice, it had to be me who
would have to be responsible for pulling the trigger.
As our distance from the expedition members became somewhat distant,

Dialugia began to speak. Considering how urgently she spoke, I knew our
situation did not look good.
“You can speak, Dialugia.”
“The continent will be destroyed.”
“I knew it. If so… how can it be fixed?”
“In the next 30,000 years… The continent will collapse.”
“But how do we fix it?”

“It will disappear without a trace. Don’t you have any idea as to how we can
solve this?”
“So, we don’t need to fix it.”
It was a little reassuring. I was trembling at the news of the world falling or
collapsing, but I didn’t expect it to happen after my death.
Dialugia looked somewhat perplexed with my answer. However, my mood

had already brightened.
‘In 30,000 years! Fuck! I can just leave it alone!’
I knew I was being selfish, but I couldn’t help it.
‘I’m sorry for the descendants of these bad ancestors…’
I was not interested in whether the world would perish after I died, which I
knew made me sound like an even shittier person.
However, I couldn’t find it in myself to feel guilty at this point.
“Yes!”
Chapter 243
Dialugia looked mixed parts perplexed and speechless, seeing me look so

happy. In fact, I didn’t even try to hide how happy I felt.
‘If it’s 30,000 years, even mankind would have perished.’
In fact, it didn’t matter to me whether mankind would perish by then or not. I

knew that this continent had its fair share of ancient stories.
‘No, it must be really old.’
Dialugia alone had lived for 4,000 years, and there was also someone they
called the Dragon Lord. Considering that God had blessed this continent, then
the history of mankind must’ve indeed been long.
Although the probability is low, the civilization here could be maintained

even after 30,000 years.
‘If I think about it in a dragon’s standard, however, it would be a lot

different…’
Considering that I shared one life with Dialugia, I thought I would live quite
a long time, but not for another 30,000 years.
Dialugia spoke once more as I mulled this over.
“Is it true that you said this doesn’t need to be fixed?”
“It doesn’t… mean exactly that…”
“I can’t even speak of how absurd that is. Or did you not understand the
seriousness of this situation? The Fragment of the Ancient God will slowly
absorb all life on the continent. It will suck in the magic power spreading in
the atmosphere and start to eat some of the lands we are stepping on. All
lifeforms will die, and in the end, there will be nothing left.”
“Ah! Do the rooted tentacles play that role? That’s why the museum’s
function is also stopped. It doesn’t seem to be affecting us either… Are we
safe?”
“It doesn’t matter that right now. You really are…!”
“No, why are you so angry? You can speak slowly without being excited,
Dialugia.”
“You’re not grasping the severity of our situation.”
“Why are you so angry with me? Honestly, who’s the one who played the
biggest part in unlocking the seal?”
“T-That…”
“Does the dragon have a lifespan of more than 30,000 years? Is that why?”
from individual to individual. It’s around 10,000 years, but it is usually

impossible to live longer than that. For reference, you, too, will follow my
life span as a dragon spouse and live for about 6,000 more years if nothing
happens during that.”
It felt a little too long, and though I had expected this, I felt restless when
Dialugia spoke it out loud.
“It won’t collapse after 3,000 years, so there’s nothing wrong with it. Our Tol
To-ri can live comfortably for about 10,000 more years… I also think my
grandchildren can endure it without difficulty, but I don’t know why you’re
saying this.”
“How come you don’t? Didn’t I just tell you?”
“It’s fine. All of our descendants will take care of it.”

“What on Earth are you talking about?”
“The future is created by our descendants.”
Even I knew my statement sounded trashy.
Dialugia looked disgusted.
“You can’t just say that. The continent will be destroyed. This will be
confirmed if we don’t fix it now. It’s like destroying the world with our own
hands. How should we see our a-ancestors at this rate?”
Certainly, with the standard of dragons, the feeling was a little different.
If someone is told me that the world would perish in 300 years, then the
average person may feel a little upset. Even Kim Hyunsung would take on
the responsibility.
I also knew Dialugia would be that kind of dragon.
“This is something that needs to be fixed. It must be fixed.”
“You mean risking our life?”
“No, but…”
“No, Dialugia. Let’s be a little more honest. What’s the most important
thing?”
“The most important thing for us, isn’t it our Tol To-ri?”
“But…”
“So, didn’t you help unseal the Ancient God? Think about this carefully. If
we shut our mouths and pretend we don’t know, we will be able to live
happily with Tol To-ri. Honestly, we were lucky just now. We were really
lucky. It would not be strange even if we all had died.”
I knew she would eventually agree with me. Just the fact that we had
survived was a miracle in itself.
The Fragment of the Ancient God didn’t even recognize us as the enemy. He
was just wriggling around, destroying everything it saw.
“I understand that you love the continent. I don’t know much about dragons,
but hearing about balancing things or something, I think you feel responsible.
But it’s okay to be moderately selfish. If we do something wrong, trying to
fix this, we will all die.”
“I know that. But…”
“We are not alone, right? You have to think about Tol To-ri, who will be left
alone.”
At this, Dialugia shut her mouth, a terrible expression of guilt crossing her
face.
‘She’s really…’
She was a tree that gave generously as a unique characteristic, so if it weren’t

for Tol To-ri, she might have jumped into the fire to protect the continent at
the expense of her life.
“You say you don’t know that Tol To-ri might be waiting for her mom and
dad to return as soon as possible. Do you think I want to pretend that I don’t
know about the fate of the continent? However, it is not the fate of the
continent that Tol To-ri needs. It’s his parents. Let’s talk openly. Is Tol To-ri
important? Or the ones who will be left on the continent more important?”
“Tol… Tol To-ri…”
“Right. Tol To-ri is the most important. So, you don’t have to think about this
too much.”
“I-It’s not this…”
“You don’t have to worry too much. Didn’t you hear it, too, Dialugia? A
preliminary program has been triggered, and the Crack Museum is now
working hard to fix it. If what they prepared fails, I will do my best to prevent
it. Of course, if it’s within reach of my hand.”
“Yeah…”
When I patted her shoulder, I could see her bowing down. It seemed hard for
her to accept this fact, but what she thought about this didn’t matter.
As my life was the most important thing to me, Tol To-ri was the most
important to her.
‘Good thing.’
I was glad that Tol To-ri existed.
“Oh, for reference, about the collapse of the continent or the destruction of
the world, it would be better not to tell any of these to the expedition
members.”
“What?”
“It’s obvious that normal humans will think like me… Still, there may be
someone who feels responsible. Let’s agree on what to say.”
“I don’t understand how.”
“Of course, it’s about the Fragment of the Ancient God. So far, you’ve been
recovering yourself and didn’t ask anything, but you’ll probably get a few
questions when you get back. You are the only member of the expedition
who knows about the Fragment of the Ancient God, and you are the only one
who knows why these tentacles are stuck on the floor of the museum.
Everyone has a lot of questions. I’ll tell them a bit, so you just need to
sprinkle it with enough affirmation for everyone to trust us.”
“Should we do it, even to that extent?”
“If you don’t want to do it, close your mouth, and it won’t matter, but… It’s a
little uncomfortable as I’m the only one doing the bad things. Show me your
love for Tol To-ri.”
Dialugia began to bite her lips. Eventually, she nodded.
Though it felt like I was destroying something pure, this was the only way we
could do this.
As we talked about what to tell the rest of the members, a floating object
caught my eye.
‘What is that?’
Funnily, it felt like it was invisible to Dialugia’s eyes.
She noted that the surrounding magic power had become weird, as if she felt
something strange, but she certainly couldn’t see the object. At this, I
activated my Mind’s Eye.
[Anemone’s Eye]
[It is one of the unique spells given by the Anemone’s blood-stained gem.
You can see the world through the Anemone’s Eye.]
‘It’s just Jung Hayan… Phew…’
I was scared at the possibility of it being the work of the Ancient God’s
Fragment, but I was relieved upon realizing that it was only Jung Hayan
spying on me.
In fact, even saying that I felt relieved seemed funny. Though this was not
unusual for me, it would certainly feel creepy for others.
However, I didn’t feel bothered, mostly because I had gotten used to Jung
Hayan.
What intrigued me, however, was the fact that even Dialugia couldn’t see it.
‘Thinking about it, this might be dangerous…’

I hadn’t even expected Hayan to be able to employ the Magic of Knowledge
spell right away.
She really was a genius. I knew better than anyone else how hard it was to
practice magic.
However, I couldn’t dwell on Hayan’s growth right now. The important thing
was to talk to our fellow members.
Jung Hayan would definitely cooperate if she found out that I wanted to lie to
the expedition, and she wouldn’t care if the world would get destroyed,
anyway.
After we finished talking, we started heading back to the group. Anemone’s

Eye continued to follow us until it finally disappeared. As Hayan could now
see us with her own eyes, she must’ve dismantled the spell.
“O… Oppa!”
Though we had only been apart for some time, her happiness upon seeing me
was cute.
When I stroked Jung Hayan’s hair once, she made a grunting sound that
sounded similar to Tol To-ri’s, but I couldn’t just pay attention to her.
This was because Kim Hyunsung and Park Yeon-joo approached us

immediately.
“I think you can rest assured for now.”
“Oh. So, you already know the story?”
“Yes.”
“May I ask you to explain what that means?” Park Yeon-joo spoke, her
curiosity evident.
My face, which looked more optimistic than they thought, seemed to be

instilling hope within them. All other expedition members were also looking
at me. Although they pretended to be casually listening in, the anxiety on
their faces was palpable.
“First, Dialugia will explain.”
Beside me, Dialugia stepped forward with an expressionless face.
“The Fragments of the Ancient God… I-I think he has entered in the rest
phase.”
Of course, only I could see the guilt she felt at having said such a lie.
Chapter 244
“A rest phase?”
“Yes. He had entered the rest phase. Perhaps this is a side effect. I don’t
know in detail either, but I can be sure that he will continue to be in the same
state as it is now. If I express that he is sealing himself, it will be easier for
you to understand.”
“That… is a relief.” Park Yeon-joo nodded.
Kim Hyunsung sighed, looking relieved.
All other members of the expedition looked happy. They must have thought
that we would have to do something about the Ancient God’s Fragment.
Honestly, I didn’t want even to imagine the outcome. Everyone knew that it
was simply because of luck that we survived. Hearing that he would be
inactive made them all smile.
In the first place, classifying it as a ‘rest phase’ was not entirely a bad thing.
Of course, the monster’s main body was fighting with the preliminary
program, but at least the tentacles had settled in to begin and absorb the
museum’s system, and with it, the entire continent.
If he wasn’t attacking us, then that meant he was resting. Right?
“There is also an arrangement of the Crack Guardians prepared by the

museum, so things will soon get… fixed.”
“Things… worked really well. Kiyoung’s choice would have been right…”
“It was a fluke. It was actually dangerous. I was lucky. It’s a little late, but I
apologize for causing trouble to the expedition. It was actually gambling. Not
only us… Even the people in Lindel could’ve been in danger.”
“Apologize? It was unavoidable that a mythic-grade monster appeared

randomly, and since Kiyoung-ssi took care of it well, everyone survived, so
it’s only right for us to be thankful to you for the moment. It’s a little late,
but… I want to personally show you my gratitude. If it hadn’t been for the
base that you showed me, some of us would probably have died.”
“I’ll be ashamed if you praise me like that. In fact, at the time, survival was
the only thing in my mind.”
If things were to go wrong, my position would have been quite awkward.
“By the way… What on earth is the Fragment of an Ancient God?”
“That’s what Dialugia will explain.”
“Ah… Yes. Actually, I don’t know anything in detail, because the time I
have lived hasn’t been that long… I just heard it from both my mother and
grandmother. I know nothing else but the fact that it has existed since the
beginning and will put the continent at risk.”
“So, the manager, Max, was right. That’s really absurd. We already knew that
this place is not an ordinary place, but an Ancient God’s… Fragment…
Everything just seems so surreal.”
“Yes. I fully understand that. I have lived for more than 4,000 years, but such
beings have only come through stories. Of course, I didn’t think it would be
found in places like this… and even more so, while sealed.”
As Dialugia continued to talk, a loud voice cut her off.
“Why didn’t they just kill him instead of sealing him? I don’t know why this
museum did such a nuisance.”
“It is impossible to kill the Fragments of an Ancient God. It’s because there is
no shortage of being called God itself rather than a person who has earned the
divine. Those called Crack Guardians would also have been best able to seal
the Fragment. Of course, it was a mistake to be too overconfident of them.
They probably never imagined that seal would break.”
“Well… I see…”
“If he has entered the rest phase, what about the tentacles that are reaching
the museum now?”
At this point, I felt like it would be fine if I took this particular question,
which Ahn Ki-mo had asked. The man himself looked uneasy for some
reason.
Meanwhile, I already felt proud of Dialugia for being able to talk with a
poker face. Although she seemed to try her best to rein in the guilt, only I was
actually able to notice her struggle.
“The previous guess is correct. He’s probably trying to bring down the
museum’s system because it was the seal that held him up until now… He
has entered the rest phase, but the main body is fighting for strength with the
museum’s preliminary program. Of course, that won’t even take long.”
“Ohhhh. I see…”
After coughing to catch everyone’s attention, I spoke once again, this time in
a louder tone.
“To sum it up, there seems to be no big problem. The preliminary program
will seal him during the rest phase and will probably succeed in sealing it
with a high probability. Right, Dialugia?”
“I think we’d better exit the museum after rescuing the isolated survivors
before the seal is completed. The system also has a hole, so we can leave the
dungeon without completing the museum tour. Although the quest is
unfinished…”
“We can’t help it, right? If the seal is complete, the museum may be under
the influence of the system again…”
I nodded at Park Yeon-joo’s answer.
I didn’t know if the manager Max would really succeed in sealing the
Fragment, but I had no intention of going where his main body was, anyway.
There was no reason to support putting the seal if the monster itself didn’t
seem to possess any threat to us. The only sealing we would do was to seal
our expedition.
It was the perfect plan—no additional troubles included.
“Anyway, to conclude… At least, it seems that we are completely free from

the influence of the Ancient God’s Fragment. Of course… Yes. The continent
is also safe. You can rest assured. Right, Dialugia?”
“Yes…”
“…”
“The continent… The continent is…”
“…”
“T-The continent… is safe!”
As Dialugia struggled to conclude this, cheering burst out within the group.
Park Deokgu expressed his joy by hugging the female teams. Seeing their
spirits rising up once more, even I felt relieved.
“Of course, it is too early to be happy. The dungeon attack itself has not been
completed yet. As I said, shouldn’t we save the isolated survivors?”
“Yes, absolutely!”
“In fact, because I think it may be a little difficult to find isolated people in
this large area… I think the party should go to the museum’s administration
room.”
At my suggestion, Kim Hyunsung spoke. Since he had more experience than
I did, he for sure knew how we could get there.
“If we follow the tentacles of the Fragment, we can find the place where the
museum manager is.”
“Yes.”
Though the plan was vague, it was better than having none at all.
‘First, we should follow the tentacles and find Max, the museum manager…’
And with this, we could identify the location of the survivors. With this, I had
to consider the possibility of making Max the villain of this whole situation.
I’d appreciate it if he informed me of the location, but he probably didn’t like

us anymore because we had screwed him up.
Of course, how he treated us didn’t matter. I bet he had no way of stopping

this mess.
Seeing that he didn’t show up right now meant that he couldn’t afford to pay
attention to other places while trying to clear things up.
If we were to find the manager’s room—and, by default, him—it was clear

that I would be the de facto leader in trying to handle him.
‘Or I can just kill him…’
In fact, I could disguise him as a named monster hidden in this dungeon.
As I mulled this over, Kim Hyunsung continued to lead the way.
At this point, I felt glad that I cared about Hyunsung. As he noticed the path I
had opened up, I had to admit his skills were good.
“It should be safe right now, but everyone should still stay alert. Even if the
Fragment has entered the rest phase, this dungeon is still dangerous. There
may be other programs that protect the museum in the direction of the
manager’s room… There is a chance that other monsters affected by the
Fragments will also be awakened.”
“…”
“Even if we go to the manager’s room, not everything will be solved. We

don’t know anything about the museum, we just took a break, and we haven’t
finished our attack yet.”
As I wondered if Hyunsung was being too firm on us, he continued speaking.
“And…”
“…”
“Taking a break is also one of the essential missions during an attack. We

will leave in 4 hours. Everyone, please recover as much as you can. I really
want no one to die so we can all return to Lindel.”
At his words, all the other members nodded, acutely aware of the potential
severity of our situation.
‘Good.’
If it had been I who had spoken this, it would be difficult for them to place
their trust in me. I hated to admit it, but Kim Hyunsung’s dashing appearance
was a prerequisite to garner this kind of crowd effect.
Even now, Park Yeon-joo, Cho Hyejin, and some Black Swan members had
begun to swoon.
‘They’ve really fallen for him, haven’t they?’
Seeing them staring at him with such admiration made me feel perplexed.
Anyway, as Kim Hyunsung said, everyone tried to recuperate as much as

they could. Though I had expected to be given a lesser time frame, it
appeared that he thought we could still spare some more time. This meant
that Hyunsung could make a full recovery in just four hours.
Since I had been suppressing my urge to sleep, I found this fortunate.
‘I think I can sleep…’
Like me, those in desperate need of recovery set up camp, settled in a suitable
place, and began to sleep.
When I entered the simple tent, a pretty comfortable space greeted me. My
anxiety gradually began to melt.
Of course, Dialugia, who had since been wallowing in her guilt, found it hard
to loosen up.
‘Tsk…’
She sat further away, muttering to herself.
“It was for Dialuria…”
“…”
“It was for my dear son. Mother… Grandma, I’m sorry.”
Seeing her like this, the familiar feeling of guilt flared up within me.
“It was for Dialuria… Ugh…”
Whether or not I felt guilty had nothing to do with my exhaustion. However,

I soon fell into a deep sleep.
‘Ah, I really am a piece of shit.’
Once again, I was reminded of how trashy my personality was. However…
Sleep was indeed a sweet escape.

Chapter 245
Chapter 245: Max, the Museum Manager (1)
“Wake up, Oppa.”
“Ugh…”
“We’ll be leaving soon.”
“Okay…”
I slowly opened my eyes, only to see Jung Hayan right in front of my face,
just a few millimeters away. However, I did not stir, for I had already gotten
used to her. Having her look into me with her large, unblinking eyes had
become a routine.
As I sat up, I gave us a little distance and began to rub at my eyes.
‘I feel strangely tired…’
Even though I had a pretty good sleep, my fatigue remained.
Of course, I wasn’t just tired. The magical power that was on the verge of
exhaustion had also been somewhat filled.
Seeing Jung Hayan with a healthier complexion, it seemed that, if one’s

magic stat was high, the recovery rate was also higher.
“How many hours did I sleep?”
“About 3 hours and 40 minutes.”
“You should’ve woken me up a little faster.”
“Y-You were sleeping so well that I didn’t notice… I’m sorry.”

“No. You don’t have to apologize.”
“May I wash you?”
“Ah… Yes. Please.”
Of course, this didn’t mean that she would wash me by hand. As Hayan
chanted a spell, my face started to feel moist. Magic proved to be convenient,
even for the daily necessities of one’s life. Of course, since it felt like
someone else had been washing me, I felt a little uncomfortable, but this was
something to be thankful for in the dungeon.
As soon as they packed their luggage, the expedition members were already
starting to clear up the camp.
No dictating was needed. Everyone already knew what they had to do.
At this, I could confirm that most of the Black Swan members here were
veterans from the slow yet sure movements that they exhibited.
Nevertheless, some of their other members moved in a relatively quick and

panicked manner, informing me that not all of them were experienced when it
came to expeditions.
The smoothness in the way they moved was surprising, considering that they
were all women. At least, they were all aware of how dangerous this place
was.
One could lose their life with just the tiniest mistake.
As I mulled this over, a voice called out to me.
“Kiyoung-ssi, you’re up.”
It was the lovely Kim Hyunsung.
“Ah… Yes. I’m a little late.”
“No, no. Actually, I was going to wake you up just before the departure, but I
saw Hayan-ssi in the tent… Are you feeling well?”
Strangely, I felt flattered that he was looking out for me. He probably knew
that my body had not yet fully recovered.
In fact, Park Yeon-joo and Kim Hyunsung were the ones who suffered real
damage, but as my body was weak, I felt extremely tired just by being
drained of my magic power.
“Can I hold your hand for a minute?”
“Ah… Yes. Of course.”
As soon as he finished talking, some of the members’ gazes focused on us.

The Black Swan members who had been busy cleaning up stopped and
turned to watch what we were doing.
‘I think I know what they’re thinking…’
Something similar had already happened once.
I could see them swooning at the sight of the two of us standing close
together, with Hyunsung clasping my hand and closing his eyes.
Although I knew that he was only doing his best to check the condition of my
magic power, it may have looked affectionate for the rest of the members.
“You seem to be okay.”
“Yes. I’m not fully recovered, but thanks to your consideration, I was able to
rest.”
“That’s good, Kiyoung-ssi.”
‘Don’t smile like that, you bastard.’
He was showing me a smile he hadn’t ever shown, even to Park Yeon-joo.

My anxiety spiked, as this only seemed to empower the members’
misunderstanding.
Come to think of it. I began to be suspicious of ‘How Alchemists and Genius

Prosecutors Love.’
I knew it was just a fictional novel, but I had slowly grown to be suspicious
of the story it contained.
‘Fuck…’
When I get back to Lindel, I would have to read it once to figure out the
situation.
Besides this, our expedition appeared to be sailing smoothly. The Black Swan
expedition began to move faster and faster. They reminded me of veteran
soldiers expertly packing up after listening to a charity ball.
Strangely, they all seemed to be full of spirit.
I think this expedition was different for them because there were men around.
“We’ll be leaving in a bit. As we said in the briefing, the destination is the

administration office. We will follow the tentacles of the Fragments of the
Ancient God. Make a last check for anything missing, and be careful not to
touch the tentacles during the march. There may be an accident, so wizards,
please cast defensive magic in rotation.”
“Okay.”
“We will move as fast as possible as long as we are fully recovered.

Hyunsung-ssi said that he would be in the lead, so it would be nice if you can
follow us as quickly as possible.”
Immediately after the short briefing, we stood up and started walking.
The only difference from the previous one was that Kim Hyunsung had
begun to walk at a very fast pace. Usually, those who lead this kind of march
were the archers.
Among them, it was common sense to leave the task to rangers, who
specialized in reconnaissance and trap dismantling.
In Blue, the pursuer Kim Ye-ri was included in this position, and of course,
the number of rangers who joined this expedition was more than three. The
fact that they all followed behind meant they had placed complete trust in the
de facto leader in front.
One would think that everything was possible just because they were strong,
but this was not the case at all. Such was the exquisiteness of jobs.
For example, in Cha Hee-ra’s case, she could never do what a Ranger could.
She wouldn’t be able to dismantle a trap, only to destroy it, and even then,
she wouldn’t be able to sense where it was located.
When the Rangers who, at first, looked at Kim Hyunsung unwelcomely

began their march, the surprise soon showed on their faces as he expertly led
us around.
‘Was he a Ranger in the first round?’
It is natural to think that even in the first round, he would be a swordsman.
Perhaps he had chosen a ranger-type class.
‘Did he take a growth route like Kim Ye-ri?’
Perhaps his experience stemmed from the past. At this point, what did it
matter? Amidst my curiosity, only one thing was for sure—Kim Hyunsung
was the most comfortable when he was the one in front and leading.
“There seems to be no trap. I’ll speed it up a little more.”
“Yes. Check.”
“I see some golems in front. We cleared them up.”
“Yes. Check.”
“I see monsters of heroic-grade or higher. They seem to be out of the

influence of the system.”
“We cleared them up.”
The most beautiful part was that we were able to move at such a fast pace.
Named monsters with a lower level of heroic-grade were cleared

immediately.
Luckily, we didn’t see a legendary-grade monster, but it was hard to tell

whether Kim Hyunsung avoided it on purpose or if he really didn’t come
across it.
In fact, he didn’t even give us a chance to see the monsters that came our
way, slashing them apart the moment his eyes settled upon them.
Seeing that even the monsters which seemed quite large had had their heads
blown away, the mythic-grade sword had really helped Hyunsung a lot.
Seeing his efficiency, the Rangers had begun to bow their heads in shame.
‘He’s fast!’
The speed at which the expedition advanced was higher than expected. It felt
as if we were in a race rather than a dungeon exploration.
Instead of large rooms, broken pavilions, or broken items, narrow streets or

golems began to appear. Meanwhile, the tentacles stuck to the floor or
wrapped around the pillars were getting thinner. This meant that we were
approaching the end.
Shortly after that, the tentacles’ end began to appear, yet Kim Hyunsung did
not stop.
Although the road seemed to be cut off, he continued moving to a place
where the flow of magical power was still being felt.
Arriving here in less than six hours would not have been expected by Max,
who was moving around while watching a large video.
-N-No!
[Error]
[The main program is not operating.]
-Why isn’t the main program operating? Is he already being eroded? No,
no… this can’t happen.
[Error]
[The main program is not operating.]
-Even a preliminary program needs to be reinforced. If this is pierced, it’s

over. I need to put all the reserve magic power into the main program. That’s
the right thing to do. The museum will be destroyed, but… I have to protect
the continent, the continent. The Crack Guardian entrusted it to me. I can’t
give up like this. Grunt…
[Injecting magic power into the preliminary program.]
While preparing for the battle, we had entered quite confidently, but what
was unfolding in front of me proved to be quite the spectacle.
A little boy with blonde hair was moving around and controlling a device
made of magic circles.
He didn’t even notice we had arrived, or perhaps, he couldn’t afford to.
The Ancient God’s Fragment shown in the large hologram of magical power
seemed to be held by blue magical power, but anyone could see that it would
not be enough to seal him back in.
As expected, the preliminary program and the Fragment of the Ancient God
were fighting. It looked terrible, even by watching the video. We were
fortunate not to have gotten stuck in that battle room.
-No matter what it costs, I have to seal it again.
As I took another step, Max whirled around, apparently not expecting us to

find him.
-How… did you…
I thought he was a machine-like guy, but the original body certainly harbored
emotions.
The expression “Why?” was seen first, followed by surprise.
Then, fear etched onto his expression.
Surprisingly, the last emotion that he showed was a sense of responsibility.
While holding a device made of a magic circle tightly, he began to shout.
-No, no! You… you… trash! You filthy Ancient God, minions! Do you think
I’ll let you destroy the continent?!
‘We’re not the bad guys, you bastard.’
I knew that, at this point, the situation had completely changed.

Chapter 246
Anyone could see that he looked anxious.
When I look at his face, I could see what kind of misunderstanding had
passed through his mind. His body trembled, and he seemed to have all sorts
of wicked thoughts.
Seeing that he was desperately blocking the control device, he seemed to

think that we had come here to destroy it, which was the opposite of what we
had been trying to do.
Right now, I was hoping that the seal would remain, but if things were to go
awry, then there was no reason not to destroy it.
Anyone who had something to protect automatically became weak.
Of course, I still had to think about whether I could call him a person, but I at
least liked the fact that he was capable of feeling anxious.
‘That’s interesting.’
It wasn’t just him. Everything that made up this room proved to be full of
wonders.
In fact, from the moment I entered this room, my interest in the manager,
Max, had declined significantly.
‘This is a trove of treasure.’
The hologram, which seemed to be made of magical power, was probably the
best of them.
It was natural to be amazed upon seeing such a kind of technology in a world

without video media and recorders. Looking at magic circles shining
everywhere, I could somewhat understand how it worked in principle.
At the very least, I can use what he already had.
‘Do these need permission to be used?’
When I checked with the Mind’s Eye, the information showed in my eyes.
[Crack Museum Control Device (Legendary)]
[Manager permission is required.]
‘As expected…’
It was unfortunate, but besides that, there were also some interesting artifacts.
My interest also seemed to be a threat to Manager Max.
-Never… I will never let things happen the way you want.
Seeing him act upon his misunderstanding just made him look cuter.
In fact, his whole appearance was the whole epitome of cute. He looked like a
blond boy that would break just by touching him.
Also, the power felt from him was not that great. Although the expedition
members were preparing for battle, it was only to prepare for an emergency.
Honestly, there was no need to be so vigilant. Unlike the expedition members

who thought an element could be a threat, there were no dangerous elements
in my eyes.
A golem outside that guarded the manager’s room was all there was, and
Max’s power could be classified as that of a heroic-grade monster’s.
To sum up, this was a situation where we ourselves could take action.
I didn’t think about it when I saw the pile, but when I looked at his original
body, the sensor that detected pushovers kept lightning up.
I then stepped forward and spoke with a smile.
“Well, well… Who is this? Aren’t you, Max, the museum manager, who
protected and inherited the Crack Museum?”
-You… you!
“I’ll be disappointed if you get so angry like this, manager. As expected, the
vibe is a little different when we talk face to face. Your original body is
actually that of a little boy’s. So? If you have a moment, would you like to
have a conversation?”
-You… You crap, fucking bastard!
“I don’t know why you are so angry.”
-You filthy Ancient God’s servant! T-Things won’t work out the way you
want them to!
“I don’t know why you think of us as servants of the Ancient God… Ahem.
We apologize for making things a bit complicated. We couldn’t help. First,
you’re the one who started faking, and I don’t know about the museum tour
or whatever, but we didn’t have many options to survive.”
-S-Shut that dirty mouth! I didn’t manipulate the probabil-
“I have a few questions I want to ask…”
-Dirty humans! I shouldn’t have received people like you as guests.
“Hey, I’m just talking to you, but why are you so angry, museum manager?”
-L-leave now! Right now! W-where’s the guard golem…
“If it’s a rock that doesn’t do anything, I’ve already dealt with it. Don’t do
that, let’s just talk…”
-Eeek!
The only problem was that he refused to listen to me. It would be beneficial
for both sides if we could just talk this out instead of fighting.
‘We can’t fight… we can’t.’
Of course, no one wanted to harm the treasures within the room by battling.
The value of many of the devices, including the museum’s control unit, was
indescribably astronomical.
Depending on the use, it may have more value than the mythic-grade sword
that Kim Hyunsung obtained. That museum device control certainly goes
beyond Durendal’s value.
The expedition members, who were still flustered, hadn’t thought about it
yet, but everyone would come to know this if they only had my ability.
After entering the continent, I wondered if I had ever wanted something so

intensely.
In the end, I had to speak to Kim Hyunsung and Park Yeon-joo quietly.
“I’m sorry, everyone, but I want to negotiate with the museum manager… If
it’s okay, could you leave it to me?”
Amidst Max’s insane ramblings, I continued to speak.
“I think it would be more effective to be just the two of us than to have a

group together… Please.”
“Wouldn’t it be dangerous?”
“Ah! It’s okay if Dialugia comes with me. I think I can get satisfactory results
for both guilds. That is if the Black Swans permit it…”
“Fine by me.”
I already expected Kim Hyunsung to say this, but the problem was Park
Yeon-joo.
‘I think this one has also noticed…’
“I will tell you the whereabouts of the isolated people within 10 minutes.”
I didn’t know what conclusion she had come to, but seeing her nod meant
that she had decided to leave this up to me. I knew I had done a good job
building up her trust.
“Yes. If so, please.”
‘That is why people’s usual behavior is important.’
I could confirm once more that my reputation had done me some good.
Everyone slowly started to get out of the management room, and only
Dialugia stayed beside me, looking displeased. Finally, we could have a
conversation in peace.
-Negotiation? Negotiation? Do you think I’m doing something like that with
you? Get out of here!!
I expected Max to react like that, but I honestly didn’t care.
As he stopped to take his breath, I began to speak, and anxiety filled his
expression. It seemed like he did not know how to react to this sudden change
in attitude.
“Hey.”
-Huh?
“Can’t you figure out what’s happening now?”
-What…
“Our brilliant Crack Guardians have planted a sense of responsibility, but I

guess they didn’t give you wit.”
-I don’t know what you’re talking about, but…
“Shut up and listen to me, manager. You’ve been talking about protecting the
continent or whatever, but… You’re not hoping that the seal over there will
be released.”
-Huh?
“Oh. Push the strange misunderstanding into a corner of your magical brain. I
am neither a servant nor a merciful of the Ancient God as you might think.
Releasing the seal was unavoidable, but there was no other reason than to
survive. Of course, it feels good to see how things went well.”
-Don’t say weird stuff and… Fuck!
Seeing as I didn’t want him to start screaming once more,
“If that is released… You said the continent would fall apart?”
At this, he shut his mouth.
“I heard it from our woman. Right, Dialugia? In the future, it will slowly
absorb the life force of the continent and become stronger… That period is
probably… Did you say it was 30,000 years?”
-Actually, it’s a little shorter…
“You seem to feel quite responsible for this continent, but unfortunately, I
don’t. Honestly, it has nothing to do with me whether the continent is
destroyed or is intact after 30,000 years. The future is created by our
descendants… They will take care of it.”
-H-How can you say that?
“Is this a hologram made of magical power? Looking at him right now, this is
the Fragment of the great and dignified Ancient God? Ha! He seems to be
trying to get rid of something like a preliminary program. If my eyes aren’t a
knothole, the power balance looks pretty tight…”
-Er…
“Ergo. You’ve seen this, right? What if this potion explodes here? What if
one of the control units over there goes down and the magic power being
delivered to the preliminary program is cut off?”
-D-do you think I’ll let you do th…
“Oh. Don’t get angered, Max. Dialugia, please subdue it.”
As Max ran towards me, Dialugia placed herself between the two of us.
I could see him struggling with her overwhelming body.
-E… Eeek! Put me down! Put me down!
“I-I’m sorry…”
-I don’t know about humans, but you shouldn’t do this! Those who keep the
continent’s balance shouldn’t be involved in this! You are a dragon! Do you
know what you’re trying to do now?!
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
-We have to protect the continent! If you are a proud dragon, get that trash
right now! That’s the only way for this continent to survive!
-This is ridiculous… You can’t do this! You can’t!
Dialugia’s face showed a terrible sense of guilt. For some reason, I felt like
she was blaming herself too much.
As I said earlier, it didn’t matter whether he was released or active, but it was
less unpleasant to be quiet than to be released.
I had no choice but to stick with my current attitude, however.
‘Good.’
I didn’t even think about using the continent as bait, but his reaction was so
good that I found myself gradually becoming excited.
“It must be really worth it seeing this! The Crack Guardians will jump up
from the grave! I’m about to put in the bomb now.”
-Don’t! D-Don’t!
“I think it’ll be stronger than I thought, so it might not be possible with one
bottle… When magic power enters this potion, it will explode after two
seconds! The continent will soon perish!”
-Don’t! Don’t!
“Hey! You have to speak formally with adults!”
-Please don’t!
“No. After all, I need to do it with my own hands rather than destroy it with a
bomb. Isn’t there any suitable stick?”
-Ugh…
As I picked up a stick nearby and made a swinging motion, Max began to

look more and more anxious.
Honestly, it didn’t make sense to smash that control with this stick, but
nothing could make him more anxious than a violent demonstration.
It was funny how he shook every time I threatened to destroy the control.
“The continent will now be destroyed after 5 seconds. Thump, thump, thump,
thump!”
-No… No!
“Five!”
-Please don’t do this!
“Four!”
At this point, Dialugia had also begun to look anxious.
“Are you really going to do it? You!”
-Highly proud dragon! Quickly!!
“Three!”
-No… No!
“Two!”
-Ugh!
“I’m doing it!”
-W-What do you want?!
When I let the stick swing dangerously close to the control device, Max
hastened to bring up negotiation.
Fortunately, he had given me the right answer.
I couldn’t help but smile. When I prepared to speak once more, he trembled.
“The museum.”
I spoke in a firm, unwavering voice.
-H-Huh?
Chapter 247
Releasing extra chapters!
***
Chapter 247: Max, the museum manager (3)
“You heard me loud and clear. I want the museum.
-Hu… uh?
“This museum. Give it to me.”
-W-What are you talking about?
“Let’s run this museum together. Well, there is no other purpose…”
-T-the system doesn’t allow you to take any stored items even if you step in
as a manager. That won’t be allowed.
“I know that. On the way here, I found out that some are still being protected.
You must complete the expedition to receive the reward because that’s the
rule here. I know that rule cannot be broken. What I need is not an item. Oh!
I almost forgot. First, I have to know where the isolated people are.”
-…
“Don’t even think about trading things using them. If the number is wrong, I
will really smash everything. It hurts me to see the continent collapse. Please
don’t make me react so negatively, alright? I am a gentle and kind person.”
I saw him rolling his eyes at my request, which led me to think that I might
have to respond a little more roughly. I could see his plans of doing
negotiations with the Black Swan survivors.
‘Not a chance.’
It meant that I have to show him that there was no room for a deal. It was
important to instill an image of a psychopath that would really overturn
everything if he made the wrong choice.
-But… that’s…
“You look a little uncomfortable.”
-Er…
“I guess I really did make you feel uncomfortable, huh, Max?”
-No, it’s not that…
Using Jung Hayan for reference, I opened my eyes wide, emphasizing how
angry I was, and Max began to tremble once more, looking at me as if I was
demented.
“It seems like my request was too much. I almost made a big mistake, didn’t
I, Dialugia?”
“That…”
“It really looks like that! I made the museum manager, Max, uncomfortable! I
was wrong! This demoralized mortal is wrong! How dare I upset the museum
manager defending the Crack! I made a very big mistake!”
In an angry fashion, I began to hit the wall next to me with the stick – and
although I did not have enough power to actually make a dent, I knew it still
had an effect.
“Don’t do anything! Don’t run the museum too! Don’t explore! Don’t even
seal it! Do nothing!”
Crash!
Bang!
This was a little hard to do alone. I wanted to have Ahn Ki-mo with me or
even Park Deokgu, but upon seeing Dialugia’s expression, it seemed that I no
longer needed one.
She, like Max, was also looking at me as if I had lost all my sanity. I knew
she was now thinking something along the lines of, ‘This man is my child’s
father?’
‘This is acting, woman. Don’t misunderstand…’
Although I wanted to clear things up with her, I needed to continue my acting

if I wanted the little blond boy to successfully respond to me.
And it was effective. The moment Max looked at Dialugia’s expression, he

realized that my actions indeed seemed genuine.
Honestly, I was out of breath now.
As I regained my breathing, both Manager Max and Dialugia looked at me

with absurd gazes. I must’ve looked like a man who had gone crazy from his
anger.
I didn’t feel bad at all.
“Phew… Phew… Phew…”
-…
“Max-ssi, have you ever heard of this?”
-Heard…what…
“I mean, I am doing you a great favor right now, Manager-ssi. It’s a very
good offer. It’s an ending that can make everyone happy…”
At this, Dialugia spoke up.
“Accept it.”
-E-Even you…
“Come on. Quickly. You can see how serious he is.”
It was fun to see Max nervously swallow. He seemed to have tremendous

trust in Dialugia’s judgment, as his gaze alternated between the museum’s
control unit and me.
I could understand Dialugia’s train of thought, however. In order to keep the

continent safe, she, too, thought that the best way would be to accept my
deal.
I didn’t know if she remembered me holding Tol To-ri as a hostage, but her
expression as she gazed at me definitely resembled utter disgust.
‘I must’ve looked like real trash back then…’
However, she had no choice but to comfort herself that I was on the good
side.
“Phew… Phew…”
“Be quick; accept it. I know a human’s disposition best. If you accept,
nothing will happen. I promise.”
-To do this to this extent…
“I was forced to be here, but I also do not want the continent to collapse.
Never.”
-Grunt…
Max, who was shedding thick tears while being suppressed by Dialugia, was
the victim himself.
I felt a little sorry, but I had no other option.
“There is little time left to choose, Max-ssi. Don’t test my patience.”

In the end, he began to shake and nod his head in alternation.
‘I did it.’
It would indeed seem that he had the authority to bring in another manager.
In fact, the museum itself had ceased almost every function.
Since all the magic power left in the main circuit was redirected into the
preliminary program, it was unknown whether the dungeon’s original shape
could be maintained as before.
‘I actually feel sorry for him.’
The exhibition halls that he boasted of were all smashed, and most of the
objects in them were destroyed in vain. With just a bunch of new guests, his
museum had quickly become a garbage dump. From his point of view, I was
the plague—the bringer of destruction.
I saw him wiping his tears, biting his lips tightly while trying to calm his
shaking hands.
Dialugia released his hand with a somewhat pitiful expression, and when he
went to touch the magic circle, a system message appeared in front of me.
[Max, Level 5 Manager of the Crack Museum, has offered you a position as
the Manager of the Crack Museum.]
[Do you want to accept it? The class will not change. Upon acceptance, a title
will be created.]
[Crack Museum Level 5 Manager]
[You can view information that can be viewed with the Level 5 Manager of
the Crack Museum. Basic privileges of level 5 managers can be used.]
‘Good.’
As I appraised the message, I could see nothing that would come back to bite
me in the ass.
It wasn’t a slave contract, and it wasn’t a life-sharing obligation, like with

Dialugia.
I wouldn’t accept it if it would change my class, but it would indeed be

welcomed if only a title would be created. As soon as I chose to accept it, a
message came once again.
[A title is created.]
[The magic power increases by +1.]
‘Nice!’
I wanted to yell at the pleasant news. It only raised my magic stat by 1, but
for me, who could no longer improve in terms of magical power, this was
also good news.
At the same also began to appear in the status window.
Although it contained the authority and responsibilities of the Crack Museum

manager, I did not read it in detail.
Max would do all the duties anyway. I only had to enjoy the privileges that
came along with it.
However, a lot of information poured into my head. My head began to tingle.
‘Huh?’
The most amazing thing was that I could see all the control devices that
couldn’t be normally be seen with my Mind’s Eye.
I didn’t know if this was the effect of becoming a level 5 Manager, but now, I
had access to more detailed information, including operation methods and
manuals about getting around with this job easily.
‘Still… I don’t think this will be an easy job…’
Looking at the solution book from the manager’s perspective, I could better
understand how serious the current situation was.
If I had ever slapped the control with that stick, there would really be a
possibility that the museum would collapse.
‘I can fix this.’
As I mulled the possibilities over, I saw Max crying and talking to himself.
-Grunt. The museum is over… It’s over… Guardian… Guardian Metel… I’m
sorry. I made a mistake.
“Why are you crying, manager? A coworker came in, and you’re not
happy…”
-Waaaahh… Haaah…
“Get out of your seat for a minute. Please pass the location of the survivors to
the expedition outside.”
-What do you want to do again?!
“What else am I going to do? Now, this is also my museum. Isn’t it natural to
fix that insane Ancient God’s Fragment?”
-Wait a minute! Do not touch these things so carelessly!
“Please get out of your seat. It’s my first time, so I don’t know if it will
work… However, I think I know what to do.”
-What can you possibly know!?
“I don’t know if this is the right to do. No, but why do you keep talking to me
so informally? Huh?”
-W-What do you know?

“I only know because I can see it. Why, you can’t see it?”
-See?
“No wonder your museum became a mess. Tsk.”
-…
“The museum is in a mess, but why wasn’t the auxiliary power in District 4
turned on? It’s also in the manual…”
-Huh?
“The main program seems to be down, not damaged. I’m glad you didn’t put
the magic power all the way into the preliminary program. And why are your
unused piles still maintained? I’ll dismantle it right away and turn it into
magic power. Even such magic power can be used in a time like this.”
Now that I had gotten into work mode, Max’s voice had become irritating.
“Get out of the way. I’ll cut off all the magic power supply that goes into the
exhibits maintained by the main power. It’s better to save even some of
them… If it went like this, the seal would have been completely released
before I could even destroy it.”
-What?
“Wow… It almost got really dangerous. Dialugia, the isolated Black Swan
expedition will be in District 5 and District 32. It looks like they’re in better
condition than expected, so please tell them to rest assured and guide them
here. And staff Max.”
As I called his name, his expression tightened.
-Yes? Well, if there’s anything… Can I help? What should I do? I’ll assist
next to you right now!!
“Get some coffee.”

At this, I received another system message.
[Legendary-grade compulsory quest is activated.]
[Quest: Continental Salvation (0/1) (Legendary)]
[Reward: (Title) Continental Guardian]
[Continental Guardian]
[This is a title given to members of the expedition who prevented the collapse
of the continent. All stats are permanently increased by +1.]
Now, this would be sufficient motivation. It now seemed absolutely

unacceptable to destroy the continent where my precious descendants would
live.
And just like that, I had undergone a dramatic change in attitude.

Chapter 248
I probably wasn’t the only one who had received the quest.
Since the task was to save the continent, even the members waiting for me
outside would probably have gotten the same system message.
Shortly after, the expedition members began to enter the administration room
and settled in.
Seeing that some unfamiliar faces were visible meant that they had
successfully managed to save the isolated survivors.
‘They’re in better condition than I thought.’
I had expected this.
In the beginning, staff Max was not actually a named monster but a magic
aggregate classified as a dungeon guide. There was no reason why he would
persecute them in the first place.
‘He kind of has a pushover personality as well…’
Anyway, I could see that everyone harbored absurd expressions. They

seemed to be asking me as to what the hell I was doing here.
They seemed confused as to how different the scenery now was. Compared to
the previously screaming Max, they now saw me skillfully handling devices I
had never before seen in my life, all while drinking the coffee the blond boy
himself had made. I knew it was necessary to explain.
It was Park Yeon-joo who couldn’t resist her curiosity any longer.
“What… is going on?”

“We made a deal. I said that I would fix the seal of the Ancient God.”
“I-I see. And how do these devices…”
“I am not sure, but it is a system that is easier to understand than you think. In
fact, at first sight, I thought I knew how it worked, so I proposed the deal.
There are several noticeable errors. I’m pretty good with machines…”
“So this can be solved because you’re pretty good with machines?”
Doubt filled Yeon-joo’s voice, and I couldn’t tell her it was because I had my
Mind’s Eye attribute that I was able to understand right away.
Even Kim Hyunsung looked surprised, but soon enough, his expression
shifted to one of pride.
Once again, he had begun to appraise me as if I was a rare treasure he was

glad to have gotten his hands on. Contrary to his subtle expression, Park
Deokgu was more direct.
“I told you our Hyung-nim is a genius! Whoa! Hyung-nim is awesome!”
“Well, didn’t you say that you knew just by looking at it?”
“…”
To be precise, I didn’t have a good brain, but good eyes. If I didn’t have
Mind’s Eye, none of this would have been possible.
However, due to Park Deokgu’s cheers, the Black Swan members had begun
to see me in an entirely new light. In the first place, I had already managed to
get into their good graces by creating the perfect formation for the expedition.
Park Deokgu and Kim Hyunsung once more looked triumphant, and Jung
Hayan began to look wary once more, perhaps because of the way the Black
Swan members were now looking at me.
Though I wanted to bask in their attention, now was not the time. The
preliminary program in itself would not be able to handle the Ancient God’s
Fragment.
In the main protective device’s case, the Crack Guardians’ arrangement was a
system that moved by itself, while the reserve was a system which must be
moved manually to catch him.
I could understand why Max was desperately holding onto it.
‘You have to keep it tied up.’
The Fragment of the filthy Ancient God had not yet been completely sealed.
Not only was he constantly wriggling, but he was struggling to cut down the
preliminary program in one way or another.
Right now, the image reflected in the video was simply that the blue magic
power was holding him around, but this seemed to be a little more
complicated than I thought.
I needed to keep injecting magic power into the holes that Ancient God had
made. It meant that I have to empower every side where he would attack.
In short, it would be like playing a game wherein I would have to avoid all
the bullets coming my way.
Of course, the operation would be much more complex than simple game
controls. That was why this would be a difficult task.
In summary, I had to focus on this task and this task alone. I could not afford
to get distracted.
In an instant, the noisy atmosphere gradually became quiet, perhaps because

of my serious expression and fumbling hands.
As time passed, the only sound I could hear was the sound of the magic
circles running and Max desperately pacing back and forth.
Anyone might think that things were not going well.

Upon noticing my turmoil, Kim Hyunsung spoke up.
“Can I help you with anything?”
‘Ah… the only one who gets me.’
“Hmm… Yes. I think it’ll get easier if I get more pairs of hands.”
I needed more workers for this thing to be successful.
“Staff Max, handle this for a moment. Don’t inject magic power into useless
places… It won’t take long, so just keep the things the way they are.”
-Okay!
As soon as I got up, he hurriedly went to take my place. I then shifted my

focus onto the expedition members who were now giving me their full,
undivided attention.
After launching a magic hologram, I started a briefing about the situation.
“I’ll explain the situation for a minute, as concise and fast as possible.”
“Okay.”
However, before I could get right into it, Park Yeon-joo began to speak.
“Excuse me. Excuse me, can I ask you a quick question? Kiyoung-ssi?”
“Yes. You can speak.”
“Before that… Didn’t you say that the Ancient God’s Fragment entered the
rest phase?”
“Yes. He definitely entered the rest phase. Dialugia judged to be that, and
when Manager Max heard the story, he said he thought the same thing.”
Of course, this was a lie.

“I tried to reseal the guy who went to rest at the museum, but the current
situation was that the Fragment of the Ancient God noticed the activity of the
preliminary program and started to resist. I’d like to explain it in more detail,
but I don’t have the time right now…”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Of course, you will be in doubt. At this point, almost all the parts
are now sealed. However, as you can see, cracks are starting to form in the
seal. What staff Max is doing right now is to cover the hole using the magic
power stored within the preliminary program.”
“Hmm…”
“Fortunately, I’ve got some spare magic from somewhere else, and I’m
keeping it the way it is. However, my judgment now is that I need other
means to keep the guy still. I also need another worker to handle things if
anything happens.”
“I see.”
“Certainly, if I knew this would be dangerous, I would not have asked you
for help. Of course, this doesn’t come without any risk…”
“It’s not like it’s going to kill you.”
“No. I’ll block anything before you get in danger. The preliminary program
exists for that reason, too.”
“I think I know… what you mean.”
“If it is judged that things are not going well, we will not only open a retreat
but also put your safety first.”
“Then if the seal is broken…”
“It was me who broke the seal in the first place. There must be some way to
fix it.”
Truth be told, there was no way to fix it. This meant that if the seal breaks,
the continent will collapse after 30,000 years.
Honestly, I didn’t care about the continent’s existence, but the sad part was
that I would have something to lose this time around.
‘My museum…’
These control devices will not be able to be used again, nor will they even be
available. All functions would cease to work.
‘It would be better to block the seal.’
I nodded and spoke again, this time with a slightly heavy voice.
“We will move while giving importance to our survival.”
“Yes. Okay.”
“Because Hyung-nim said such things, I am strangely relieved.”
“Ahem. And I have something to say, which may seem out of character…”
“You can speak.”
“Everyone must have received the quest.”
I knew they have.
[Checking the legendary-grade quest.]
In fact, I could see everyone looking at their status window.
“Actually, I am someone who would rather prioritize your lives than the
existence of the continent. It was also because of my selfishness that made
things more complicated than it already is. Receiving a quest in this manner
made me feel a little strange.”
Actually, it did not feel strange at all.
“A strange sense of responsibility began to manifest itself in me. Oh, of

course, it’s not because of the stats attached to the titles that come as rewards.
Haha.”
As soon as I laughed a little, everyone did the same. Of course, there was no
sense of responsibility for me. I just wanted the reward. Gaining another
point for my magic stat meant a lot.
“We’ll have to do our best in this quest, of course, with no one dying in the
process.”
This was for the museum!
“This is for our descendants who will live in Lindel in the future.”
Cho Hyejin, who knew my true nature to some extent, and Dialugia, who
couldn’t seem to forget my previous reactions, showed their confusion at the
bullshit I had just spouted out, but most of the members nodded in response
to my words.
In particular, Sun Hee-young and Ahn Ki-mo seemed to like my speech.
“Let’s go.”
At Kim Hyunsung’s words, all the members of the expedition nodded and
began to move.
Dialugia looked at me with a perplexed expression this entire time, and

although it pierced my consciousness, we were at least moving to save the
continent now.
‘Let’s show the power of humanity to the Fragment of the dirty Ancient
God!’
And thus, the battle began in earnest.

Chapter 249
Finally, the fight to protect the museum, no, the continent, had begun.
With one gesture, Max hurried to step away. The way he transitioned from
enemy to loyal subordinate seemed funny to me, but it must’ve been an
unavoidable choice for him.
‘Because he’s desperate.’
He seemed convinced that I could do the tasks he lacked in.
The first reason was that I could directly check the weakening areas with my
ability before the system could even alert him of it. The same went for the
behavioral patterns of the Ancient God’s Fragment.
I couldn’t check his information, but I could study his movements.
In a situation where every second was important, being able to see vulnerable
areas in advance helped prepare for severe situations.
“You told them exactly the shortest distance, right? Max?”
-Yes. Maybe in a little while, they will enter!
“Very good.”
-Is there anything else you want me to do?
“For now, get me another coffee.”
-Okay!
As soon as I looked at the magical hologram, I saw the expeditionary squads

invading where the Ancient God’s Fragment was located.
“What about the voice connection?”
-It’s already connected. When you want to talk to them, just put the magic
power in the magic circle located at the far end and talk, um…
“You can just call me President Lee.”
-Yep! President Lee.
He was certainly quick to catch on, definitely not as stupid as I first thought.
With this, I tried the voice connection out.
-Ah… Voice test. Hyunsung-ssi, if you hear my voice, please raise your right
hand.
The returner in the video raised one hand as if confirming. It was comforting,
seeing him move with the mythical-grade sword in hand.
The others were already preparing for battle. I knew that they were capable
enough of handling the smaller things without me having to tell them to do
so.
-Again, it is important not to touch the magic power of the preliminary

program. Others, except for Hayan, please infuse your magic power for the
preliminary program. Hayan, it would be better to prepare a big spell, and
Dialugia should be committed as well.
Of course, the expedition’s magical power was very helpful, although it was
still insufficient to overpower him. However, all of them were pretty high-
level wizards, and their magic stats were all over 80.
-The same goes for the melee group. You just need to infuse it slowly until I
tell you to stop.
I was talking as if they were doing well, but in truth, the situation wasn’t
looking that good.
The stronger our power was, the stronger he became. Our system of handling
the problem at hand proved to be very complex.
In fact, I was taking magical power from everyone, but it was still not enough
to completely seal him. After taking a sip of the coffee that Max made, I
continued talking once more.
This time, I was speaking to Max himself.
“Let’s check if there’s any more magic that can be drawn from other areas.”
-President Lee, the situation is…
“I don’t think this is such a good situation… However, it’s good that you
guided the expedition members in advance.”
-Ah…
“I will try to block it as much as possible, but there is a high probability that
one side will still get pierced. We still lack too much magic power.”
-If you inject the dragon’s magic power…
“We need to be prepared if it gets pierced. Dialugia is just an insurance. The

more insurance, the better.”
-I see.
“And since anything can happen, we also have to secure a retreat.”
-What?
“What, punk? Why are you glaring at me? Even if things go wrong, we have
to live, so we can come back to make another attempt. You, I don’t think you
know because you’ve lived your entire life in this museum, but the guys out
there are one of the best in mankind. If they can’t fix this, no one can.”
-Ah! Is that so?

“Otherwise, would we have been able to beat the legendary-grade monster so
easily and break the seals placed by the Crack Guardians? Don’t worry too
much, Max. To be honest, I also value this museum. It’ll be sad if we won’t
be able to use what’s here. And quit twisting my words. I can’t focus.”
-Yes… Yep!
I was surprised at how willingly he followed my commands. He, too, must

know that I was undertaking a very serious task.
At this point, I had begun to alternate between focusing on the magic circles
and speaking to the expedition members.
-Hayan, keep the magic you are casting as it is and inject a little more magic
power to the side where the tentacles are focused on Deokgu. It seems that
it’ll break over there.
What was a little annoying was that the monster had become a little cleverer.
He had started to focus on one side only. With this, we had no choice but to
focus the magic on the weaker sides.
‘Damn.’
I wanted to preserve the magical powers of Jung Hayan and Dialugia as

completely as possible for our future escape, but there was no other way. It
would be better to take a risk in order to stop the monster’s tentacles from
piercing than to risk having to escape from a failed mission.
That was not the only problem.
‘My magic power is another problem.’
I had to be aware of this, possibly being a long-term battle.
It was a tedious task to continuously pour magic into the magic circle to
control the device. Though it didn’t take a lot of magic power compared to
casting a spell, I still had to reserve it, seeing as I would have to keep doing
this for quite a long time.
This was the reason why I had to use Max, who was watching the situation
from behind me.
He was actually doing quite well. My only worry was that he might get too
confident of his abilities and make a mistake.
-President Lee, Numbers 21 and 7 are tightly sealed!
“Don’t get too excited. If one gets released, the monster will think that the
other can be crushed as well. There are signs…”
-Number 9 was also successfully sealed.
“Don’t move too quickly. Only put it in the place I told you to put it in from
now on.”
-Number 10 has been sealed successfully!
“Recover the remaining magic power.”
-Number 69!!
“You bastard! Who told you to put it there?!”
-Huh? 6… 9… Look at it…
“A quick look on one side of video 69…”
Craaashh!
Along with the sound, I could see a large tentacle protruding through the seal.
Looking at the towering tentacles, it’s so ridiculous that I want to laugh.
While Max pushed his magic power to the side of 69, the monster bounced as
if it was expanding. Once again, I held the magic circle and fired a chain of
magic at him, but it was not easy to grab ahold of it.
‘He can break all the others, too.’

No, if I let him run wild, he would surely break the rest.
The situation had already gotten out of hand.
-Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!
The video showed the members of the expedition preparing without me

having to tell them. Though I could not hear what they were saying, I could
see Kim Hyunsung yelling while Jung Hayan busied herself with activating a
spell. They all knew they had to push the monster back in.
The only good thing in this situation was that their target was clear.
-Focus on the tentacles. You only have to hit the tentacles.
It was spectacular to see dozens, no, hundreds of tiny magical powers hitting
his tentacles continuously. That was probably Jung Hayan’s doing.
Dialugia started throwing herself forward, predicting that she might hurt
someone if she used Breath with such strong firepower, and so, I had to
invest a little more magical power into the chains that held him, just so she
wouldn’t get hit.
“The command and control room’s magic power is being kept to a minimum,
and all of the reserves are being delivered to that side.”
-I-I’m sorry…
“You should do better next time, Max.”
-President L-Lee.
It was indeed a spectacular sight to see a large dragon trying to bite the
monster. I didn’t even need any audio; just watching it from over here was
more than enough.
However, I was unsure as to whether or not the monster received damage

from it. I began to worry about the possibility of Dialugia dying, but
fortunately, that didn’t happen.
However, the Ancient God’s Fragment started twisting his tentacles in
resistance, causing her body to bounce off and hit against the wall. Sun Hee-
young and Ahn Ki-mo’s divine powers immediately shot towards Dialugia,
who quickly stood up.
Park Yeon-joo and the Black Swan personnel had also started jumping at the
monster with their swords.
‘What…’
It felt like seeing Valkyries jumping onto a God.
The image of female swordsmen who did not know fear would look beautiful
to anyone.
‘Damn.’
However, the Ancient God did not seem to think the same way. Smaller
tentacles had begun to shoot at them. I didn’t even know he was capable of
doing that.
Most of the members blocked the tentacles with their swords. At the same
time, Park Deokgu jumped between them and blocked some of the attacks
with his shield, and Cho Hyejin grabbed Park Deokgu’s shoulder and swung
a spear at the monster.
Thud! Thud!
Although several strands fell off, the attack continued to spread out.
However, Dialugia took the attack with her tail to prevent any injuries from
forming. I saw great magical power gathering around her mouth.
-No Breath! Ah! Piercing type! Piercing!
A piercing Breath shot from her mouth, piercing the same side where she had
hurt him with her teeth. That was when a chain of the preliminary program
broke, creating an opening.
Kim Hyunsung, who had been cutting numerous tentacles with his sword,
reached the pierced section.
‘Please… Fuck! Hyunsung!
It felt like time had stopped the moment the returner swung his sword.
The moment the sword, neither slow nor fast, swung through the tentacle, it
neatly divided into two parts, wriggling helplessly.
“Yeeeeeeeeeeeessss!!!”
-Grunt!
“Start sealing it! Fast, fast, fast! Seal the other side at once, I say!”
-Waaaaaahhh…
“Don’t cry! No, come out!”
As I fumbled with the magic circle, Max’s trembling voice had begun to
resonate from behind me.
-The upper areas are all sealed. Sealed everything from Number 32 to
Number 41! Number 69 has also been sealed… Waaaahh…
The monster was now being wrapped in chains. Chains of blue magic power
that protruded from everywhere held him tightly, in the same shape back
when he was still sealed.
Before long, a large door began to open, one that would put him in a long,
deep sleep. The Ancient God struggled in resistance, but the tide had already
turned.
“Disappear, you filthy devil! Puhhahaha!”
At this point, I was totally pumped.
For some reason, his big eyes seemed to stare right into the administration
room, but that didn’t matter to me now.
“I’m not giving my museum away! Puhaha! Cough! Cough!”
I ended up laughing so much that I started to cough.
Eventually, he was placed inside, and the big door made of blue magic started
to close slowly.
The magical barrier in front of the door began to distort, and a crystal of
magical power in the shape of a human began to appear, chanting a spell to
strengthen the seal.
‘What is that again?’
It didn’t seem to be a threat.
When I saw Max looking at the video blankly, I realized that this was the
Crack Guardian, though she seemed more like a remnant of herself.
I didn’t know what the hell she was doing there, but Max had begun to shed
tears.
In an instant, she had completed the spell, and the unknown runes flew
toward the large door.
Once again, the blue light darted towards the inside of the hall before flying
back once more. I could see the expedition members sitting down on the
ground and hugging one another.
“Niiiceeeee!”
[You have completed the legendary-grade quest.]
[Title is created.]
[Title: Continental Guardian]

[All stats increase by 1.]
[Museum Manager level has increased by 1 level. The Crack Museum Level
5 Manager title has been changed to the Crack Museum Level 4 Manager. A
new title is forcibly created due to the earnest request of the Crack Guardian
Metel.]
[Max’s Guardian]
“Huh?”
Amidst my joy, I turned to look at Max in confusion, only to see him hanging
his head in embarrassment.
Chapter 250
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw had been people looking down
at me.
“We did it.”
“It was a success!”
I remember finding this particular scenario strange. There had been a lot of
peculiar beings that filled up the room I was in. Some had pointed ears, and
the others were noticeably short in height. Some were evidently taller, and
others even had green skin.
As I looked around, I saw the face of someone with blond hair with sharp
ears, who laughed loudly as she stroked my head. For me, she was the most
memorable of them all.
“Your name is Max.”
-Max?
“Yes. Max.”
-Max!
“And my name is Metel.”
-Metel?
“Yes. Metel.”
-Metel!
“This is a place called the Crack Museum. You are an agglomerate of
magical power created by our Guardians… Shall we walk first before I
explain further? Can you walk?”
-Ah… Yes.
At the time, everything had been full of wonders. These people greeted me,
stroked my head, and proudly brandished the objects on display all around
them.
Everything had been new for me—the cold sensation I felt when my feet
touched the floor, even the magical feeling prickling my skin. I couldn’t help
but feel grateful for being born. Everything around me seemed to be a
blessing.
Time passed.
Of course, I had learned a lot since that day. I learned how I was made and
why I was born, and I learned about the existence of the Crack Museum, its
significance, and how the administration office worked.
The study time had been fun. I was able to spend time with the Guardians,
and if I worked hard enough, I would receive praise.
“Do you understand?”
-Yes. Jamie-nim. I can understand. I also memorized all the list of items in
the museum!
“Really? Our Max is so smart.”
-Thank you.
I managed to acquire a lot of knowledge.
“You were born to manage the museum, Max. This is in order for you to take
over the duties of our Guardians. I’m sorry, but I hope you can understand
us.”
-You don’t have to be sorry. Oliver-nim. I am happy to be born. I really am.
I learned what responsibility is.
“I’m just saying that, but you know that your body will scatter when you go
outside the museum, right? Because the magical power in this museum is the
only thing that keeps you up and running. You have to be careful.”
-Yeah. Snef-nim!
I had learned what I shouldn’t do.
“I’m glad you worked hard. Hmm. You look a little like me…”
-It’s an honor for you to say that, Isaac. I heard you are leaving today…”
“Yes. I’m not from here, after all. I’ll see you again someday. Bye, Max.”
-Ah… Okay.
Of course, there were things that I didn’t get used to even after time passed,
but I really enjoyed my time with the Guardians. I missed when I used to be
able to talk with them.
‘Thank you for making me, Guardians.’
It was enough to think about similar things several times a day. Some
Guardians were a little difficult to deal with, but there was also the opposite.
-Guardian Metel!
“Max! How was it today?”
-Well. Today I checked the administration room and saw the sealed Crack
with Snef.
“Oh. Didn’t he say anything? Did he treat you well?”
-Yes. I heard several explanations. The Crack is completely blocked now, but
as we don’t know when it will open again, we have to keep an eye on it. And
the items in this museum…
“It’s the same story every time, you must feel sick of it now…”
-No, Metel-nim. That’s why I was born. I was created to take over the
maintenance of the museum after the Guardians! I have to work hard!
“…”
-Guardian Metel?
“It’s okay if you don’t get too overwhelmed.”
-I’m sorry?
“No, nothing. Shall we not go to the class tomorrow and play together?”
-Can I do that?
“Sure. You can take a day off.”
I especially enjoyed my time with Guardian Metel very much. Although the
others were kind and treated me well, Guardian Metel treated me differently
from all the other Guardians.
-Guardian Metel, what is a ‘parent?’
“A parent is either a father or a mother. Elves like me, and humans like
Jamie, are born differently from the way you were born. When a woman and
a man share love, they have a child in the woman’s belly, and in time, they
come out to the world. They call parents to the ones who gave birth. Of
course, the concept of raising… Ah! Why are you asking about parents
suddenly?”
-Snef-nim said that the Guardian Metel is like my parent.
“Of course! The method is a little different, but I’m no different from being
Max’s parents. I’m the one who made the biggest contribution in getting Max
out to the world. Snef is quick to notice. Actually, I was thinking of Max as
my child. What do you think? Can you call me mom?”
-N-No.
“Why?”
-It’s just…embarrassing.
“Oh, don’t be. Just call me mom, come on!”
-L-Later. I’m really embarrassed.
I really thought it had been a good thing to be born. Those were the happiest
times of my life.
I didn’t have any worries. I laughed every day, ran around, and sometimes
even acted like a baby to Guardian Metel.
More time passed by.
I didn’t really know how much time had elapsed, but it was enough time for
Jamie’s hair to turn from blue to white, and it was enough time for wrinkles
to form on Oliver and Snef’s faces.
Snef-nim, who had always been angry every day, had more time to quietly
read or look away, and his body noticeably weakened. Oliver-nim couldn’t
chew his food properly, and every time we were together, he would stroke
my head.
“I’m sorry.”
-No, Oliver-nim. I’m the one who’s sorry. There’s nothing I can do…
“I’ve become a big burden for you.”
-I’ve never thought of it like that, Oliver-nim!
“Haha… Thank you for thinking that way. Yes… Thank you.”
-Oliver-nim? Guardian Metel! Oliver-nim is weird! Guardian Metel!
And… For the first time in my life…
I learned what death was.
-So, humans die.
It must have been around this time that I realized what I already knew.
“Our cutie…”
After that, Jamie-nim passed away.
“I’m sorry for treating you the way I did. I just want you to know that I didn’t
hate you, though. Max, take good care of the museum.”
Then, after that, Snef-nim disappeared.
Guardians Metel cried quietly every time the other Guardians closed their
eyes one by one, and the days when she did not eat became frequent.
Around this time, I began to regret being born.
When the Guardians died, or when Guardian Metel holed up in her room, I
always thought of that.
I thought the same thing as time passed, and now there were only two of us
left in a large museum. Of course, this didn’t mean that I had become
unhappy.
Guardian Metel wasn’t old, and she spoke of a lot of things we could laugh
about.
We read books together and ran around the museum. We had didn’t stop. I
still laughed more than I cried.
It was a little disappointing that I couldn’t go outside with her, but I loved it
all the same.
I thought everything would stay like this forever.
However, Guardian Metel was not infinite, either. Like Jamie-nim and others,
she started to act differently around me.
Around this time, Guardian Metel didn’t seem to be able to exit her room.
“I’m going to start…a research, Max. I will get busy, alright?”
-Yes… Guardian…
“I don’t think I’ll be coming out too much. During that time… Please take
care of the museum.”
-You can count on me, Guardian.
I didn’t know what exactly she was researching, but I didn’t like the
expression on her face. I began to dwell on my unhappiness at being born in
the first place.
Guardian Metel continued to devote herself to her research and thus began to
deteriorate rapidly. On the rare times that she came out, I would see her
coughing, holding her chest, and gasping. It was scary, but I had no choice
but to smile and focus on the museum’s management.
I had to do my job.
Guardian Metel continued to put spells on me during this ordeal, saying the
same thing every time.
“I love you.”
That was a lie.
She said the same when it became difficult for her to move.
“I love you.”
That was a lie.

Even when all the magical power in her body was gone, she spoke with a
smile.
“I love you, Max.”
She was lying.
She said the same when she poured out all her magic and took me out of the
museum.
She said the same thing while muttering, ‘The research is a success,’ and
when her body finally broke.
“I love you… I love…you, Max.”
I thought of all of these as lies.
-Lie…
“…”
-If you love me… Then you shouldn’t have made me. Sniff…
“…”
-If it’s true, you shouldn’t leave me alone like this. If Jamie-nim, Oliver-nim,
and Snef-nim, liked me, they shouldn’t… Sniff… leave me alone like this.
Metel-nim is a liar. Sniff… You said that we could be together forever…
You liar… It would have been better if I weren’t born. It would have been
better not to have been created.
“…”
-I never said I wanted to go outside. You said I could continue living in the
museum. I haven’t even asked for anything like this. If you said you love
me… You should’ve stayed with me. You shouldn’t have done this to me.
“…”
-…
“…”
-Me too… I love you too! I love you too. So don’t go. Please…
“…”
-I knew it wasn’t actually a lie. I know it’s real. Wake up. Please wake up.
“…”
-Sniff… Please… Please.
“…”
***
“Is that the end?”
-Yes… Afterward, it is as explained. I entered the museum and fulfilled the

duties and responsibilities of the guardians. I was surprised when the museum
suddenly turned into a dungeon.
It had been a more touching story than I thought.
I began debating about whether I should shed some crocodile tears for Max,
who calmly managed to finish the story.
However, I didn’t cry.
His story felt a bit unrealistic to me, and the loud voices approaching us
proved to be a distraction. The other expedition members had probably
arrived.
[Max’s Guardian.]
[This title was created with the earnest request of Guardian Metel. Depending
on whether Max grows or not, the Museum Manager’s level is raised. -Sorry.
Please treat him sincerely.]
‘Wow…’
This wasn’t bad at all.
I wasn’t mortgaged like I was with Dialugia, and it was up to me to decide

what to do with him.
However, I started to feel guilty.
Even the woman named Metel had crossed the Rainbow Bridge after taking
responsibility for the final seal. This all felt so ridiculous that I couldn’t help
but laugh.
“Then, what I saw for a moment…”
-It’s probably the remnant thoughts left by Metel. Perhaps she didn’t believe
in me until the end.
“No. It’s right to think in the context that perhaps she left it in consideration
of you going out.”
-Ah…
“Anyway, so… now the Crack Guardian wants me to take care of you. No,
why didn’t you go outside that day in the first place?”
-S-Someone has to be responsible. I am the manager… I-I’m sorry.
“There’s nothing to be sorry, staff Max. Nothing has been lost. But the
question is how to explain this…”
Jung Hayan bit her nails nervously as I trailed off, thinking about what to do
with Max.
Of course, his story wasn’t all that bad. Being able to raise the level of
Museum Manager was already a huge benefit in itself. Many things had
happened to us, but acquiring this responsibility was definitely the highlight
of this expedition.
‘It needs someone to take care of it, anyway…’
Of course, since I had become a guardian, it would be a little different from

how I lived here, but this guy’s existence was indeed indispensable. He was
the only one other than me that could handle these devices. Besides, it would
be possible to shorten the time it took to extract the mass-production type
based on these devices.
“Hey, staff Max.”
-Yes?
“By any chance… The internal design of the devices here…”
-I… know about them. Of course, I can’t touch the core devices…
“This? How about this?”
-Ah… I guess I can handle that…
“Huh… Is there anything else you can do?”
-Ah… I think I can make that too, President Lee.
“Huh?”
-President Lee?
The answer has already been decided. In fact, I didn’t even have to think
about it much.
“President Lee, my ass… You can call me father, son.”
-What?
“Pfft.”
I had gotten myself a son who would be responsible for my happy retirement.
Chapter 251
[Only 20 people have submitted for the promo giveaway. There’s a high
chance of winning lol, may the RNG gods be with you. Uploading extra
chapters today, hope it motivates some of you guys. Cheers!]
Chapter 251: A Quick-witted swan (1)
Although I had unexpectedly gotten myself a son, the expedition ended

perfectly.
One mythic item and two legendary items were acquired, and a high-quality
heroic-grade item was also obtained.
Unfortunately, the shield had been acquired by the Black Swans, not by Park
Deokgu, but if Blue had taken even the shield, I would not have the heart to
face Park Yeon-joo anymore.
‘Rather, it’s better this way.’
For Park Deokgu, I would just need to make him a useful shield. Anyway,
we’d soon have a competent blacksmith, and garnering the right materials
would be easy.
One important thing was that we benefitted more than them.
Considering that the most successful people who led the expedition were the
main pillars of Blue, it seemed that the prizes had gotten properly distributed.
Still, it was natural to have a conscientious distribution as we had established
a suitable alliance. Anyway, the things that we did manage to obtain were
priceless.
We got titles, items, and so on, but of course, the mythic-grade weapon
obtained by Kim Hyun-sung and the museum control device I had obtained
stood out the most.
Right now, everyone’s focus was on the mythic-grade item, but it was true
that everything here was greater than any other achievement for me.
‘The world will change.’
If what I was thinking was right, then a transformation would definitely take
place soon.
‘There are so many things I can do.’
Everything I hadn’t yet done would become possible. I wanted to return to

Lindel as soon as possible to study, but the problem was that our way back
was slow.
All the expedition members were physically limited, so this was natural. I
didn’t feel too nervous about it. A wagon would be waiting for us anyway
and would bring us to Lindel soon.
Because if we go outside this area, a wagon will come in, and after getting in
the wagon, it will be very soon to Lindel anyway.
‘And we’re all in good spirits…’
This was all thanks to a new guest who had deemed to join us—the little boy
who I had now deemed as my son. Even the survivors we had saved showed
just how grateful they were for having been saved. Max had been friendly
with them and had hosted a lot of conversations with them as we walked. I
could guess that his eagerness stemmed from the many years he had spent
wallowing in his loneliness.
The museum had been his only friend, and seeing how obsessed he was with
the place, I could tell that it had become his own coping mechanism.
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason as to why expedition members

accepted him.
“Sniff…”
“Waaaah…”
As soon as the story of him was revealed, all everyone could feel for him was
sympathy.
“Waaaaaah…”
In particular, Park Deokgu began to care for Max a lot more than what was
necessary.
“So, then…”
-In fact, I have been in the museum since then…
“You must have been lonely…”
-A bit, but I got used to it. There are so many things you can do at the
museum.
“I told you not to say anything. Sniff… If you are Hyung-nim’s child, you are
also my child!”
-Ah… Okay.
Of course, I did not hide the fact that I had become Max’s Guardian. It was
just a title that did not bring about newer changes anyway.
Jung Hayan, who I thought would be quite shocked, didn’t seem to be

interested, and Dialugia was quite aloof as well. At first, she worried that I
would neglect Tol To-ri, but she must’ve concluded that having a brother
wouldn’t be bad for Dialuria.
In short, Max had transitioned from being a villain to being another family
member.
Unlike the machine-like dummy, the original body was faithful to expressing
emotions, and he looked terribly adorable. He had captured the Black Swan
members’ hearts in an instant.
Eventually, we reached the area where the Black Swan wagons were waiting
for us. Kim Ye-ri and Hwang Jeong-yeon were also there, anticipating our
arrival. However, the Blue newbies were nowhere to be found. They must
have stayed back in the Guild House.
Before I could even raise my hand, I could see a little kid running fast from
afar. I knew she would be anxiously waiting for Kim Hyunsung’s return, but
I wasn’t expecting her excitement to be this great.
‘This cold kid…’
I could also see Tol To-ri eagerly waiting for me to come.
Hwang Jeong-yeon eagerly passed by me to greet Park Deokgu, which made

me snort derisively. Meanwhile, Kim Ye-ri was hugging Kim Hyunsung as if
they’d spent years apart.
“Thud, thud.”
“Yes? Did you say anything, Oppa?”
Seeing this made me feel anxious. I knew Hyunsung viewed the kid as a
younger sister, but from what I could see, Ye-ri saw him as something way
more than that. Due to the ignorant personality intrinsic to protagonists,
Hyunsung did not notice this.
“Get in the carriage quickly and have a good rest, Oppa.”
“Yes. That’s right. I used too much magic power in the administration
room… And I’ve only slept for three hours.
“Ahhh…”
“Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“No. Hee-young-ssi. There’s no pain thus far.”
“If you sleep well, you will be fine.”

As expected, the only ones that took care of me were Sun Hee-young and
Jung Hayan. However, when I was about to get onto the wagon that I’d be
sharing with Kim Hyunsung and Park Deokgu, I saw a familiar face.
“So, you’re fine, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Oh. Jihye-ssi.”
Lee Jihye had also come to greet her Guild Master.
Jung Hayan appeared a little wary upon seeing her, but this soon dissipated
when Jihye addressed her casually.
“Oh. Hayan-ssi, it’s been a while. It’s nice to see the two still sticking
together.”
“Oh. J-Jihye-ssi. Hello.”
“Hee-young-ssi, too, it’s been a long time, right?”
“Yeah. Long time no see.”
Friendliness was indeed the way to go to destroy any wariness.
Jihye had a habit of buttering Jung Hayan and me up, but today, she seemed
to do so with double the eagerness.
‘The news must’ve reached already the Black Swan…’
When one of our Rangers went ahead to inform the rest of the people back in
Lindel, news of our achievements as well as what had transpired within the
dungeon must’ve reached their ears as well. They may have even created a
simplified attack journal about it at this point.
After all, Black Swan was one of the most sensitive guilds in Lindel.
The only reason that the busy Lee Jihye came was probably here because she
had received a direct message from Park Yeon-joo. Sure enough, when I
turned to look at the two of them, I could see them exchanging meaningful
glances.
‘Jihye works hard, too.’
She also possessed the desperation to maintain good standing in her guild.
As she tried to endure keeping a good façade with Jung Hayan and Sun Hee-
young, I decided to help her just this once. When I coughed slightly, Lee
Jihye turned to me and spoke.
“Oh! Come to think of it. I have something to tell you. It’s a bit important, so
I don’t want to tell you here. Why don’t we go back to Lindel together? I
have arranged a separate carriage.”
“I’m a little tired, but…”
At this, Jihye glared at me as if she couldn’t believe I would say something

like that. However, this dissipated when she realized I was just messing with
her.
“Hyunsung-ssi and our Guild Master will also be together.”
“If so… Let’s do that. Jihye-ssi.”
Although Jung Hayan deflated with this news, she wouldn’t be able to do
something about it. A summit meeting was a summit meeting, and even Kim
Ye-ri would have to answer the protocols.
Thanks to this, both Park Yeon-joo and Lee Jihye became the object of hatred
by all the women in Blue, but I knew they were too focused on other matters
to care about this.
As I entered the carriage, I could see the gorgeous interior that still stood out.
It was a different one from the carriage we had used to get here. Of course, I
knew they were doing this because we were distinguished guests. I also knew
it was probably because they were hoping to wheedle some benefits from us
by treating us well.
After all, this expedition was a joint effort by both guilds. I acknowledged
this and would make sure not to appear so ungrateful for all their help. I may
be a shitty person, but I wasn’t shitty enough to stab a trusted colleague in the
back.
As the four of us settled in a carriage that was too large for a party of four to
use, we got served tea and had begun chatting. Once a relaxing atmosphere
had been established, Lee Jihye got down to business.
I was able to realize once again that she was very used to this.
Of course, it was Park Yeon-joo who actually called for this meeting, but it
was undeniable that my soulmate was the apparent leader.
“Before congratulating you on a successful expedition, I want to express my

gratitude for participating in this expedition, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“No. Rather, we are even more grateful to you for making such an offer. It’s
embarrassing because the Blue gained so much than what was necessary.”
“Ah, you’ve helped us more than you realize. In fact, it was Hyunsung-ssi
and Kiyoung-ssi that played a decisive role in the attack. In many ways, you
deserve to own your rewards. And it doesn’t make sense to argue about it
when you already got the Sense of Ownership. However… uhm… Now,
Kiyoung-ssi owns the museum, right?”
“Yes. To be precise, I received the title of Manager. I’m also Max’s

Guardian.”
I began to worry about whether or not we would have a dispute over this. I
could give them a small portion, but if they were to discuss taking half of the
contents, I would have no choice but to destroy our formed alliance.
“I have to tell you. We have no intention of claiming ownership of the

museum.”
Lee Jihye, who was quick to notice, spoke this. Park Yeon-joo nodded.
“Yes. According to Jihye, we have no intention of claiming ownership of

what Kiyoung-ssi has. However, in the future, all the investments that the
Blue Guild will carry out… I would very much like for you to be a little
considerate of us.”
“Hmm…”
I knew Yeon-joo did not mean her words. She must’ve probably wanted more
than just ‘a little.’ They wanted us to remember that, if it weren’t for them,
we wouldn’t have the museum in the first place.
In fact, they deserved more than that. An expedition was never done alone.
I, too, planned to hand over a certain share to the Black Swans and actually
planned to promote this as a joint project. What surprised me a little was how
quick they were to act about this.
They already knew what I was going to do.
‘Ah… they do like sticking their noses in everywhere, don’t they?’
“In fact, I think it’s too early to talk about business, but…”
“Just tell us, Kiyoung Oppa. I want to know if you’re thinking of the same
thing as us.”
“Of course, I have two things in mind. I happened to have ownership of the
museum, but I wouldn’t have been able to get it without the Black Swan.”
“That’s fortunate. If it’s okay, can we hear a bit of… what you’re thinking?”
“Of course. The first thing I’m thinking of is running the Unrated Dungeon
Crack Museum…”
From the looks on both women’s faces, they had already been expecting this.
“The second is… making a broadcasting station.”
At this, Lee Jihye clenched her fist. She was probably thinking the same thing
as me by now.
‘We’d have full control of the press.’
This was the moment when another pillar of power was added within the
Holy Empire.
Chapter 252
Chapter 252: A Quick-witted Swan (2)
“You mean that that little boy named Max has the skills to make it possible,
Oppa?”
“Yes. It’s still impossible to use all the functions of the museum. The core
devices that made up the system are still out of my control. The management
level is still only at 4… When it reaches level 1 or 2, there may be another
way. In fact, I wasn’t very interested in other features. I’ve been concerned
about the magic hologram since the first time I saw it.”
“This technology definitely… doesn’t exist on the continent. It is

understandable. I would go crazy over it, too. Even so, many guilds studied
that area after you gave such a hard time for all the reporters in Lindel…”
“No. I was thinking of getting help from guilds who were already conducting
this type of research. What they have is literally just technology, which won’t
be enough to commercialize it.”
“Isn’t it rather disadvantageous to get help from others like this?”
“No. Actually, it doesn’t matter if I leak the video technology. Of course, the
later they get, the better it’ll be for us, but the important thing is not the
video, but from where we send it.”
“Ohhh. The control tower is in the museum.”
“Correct. Anyway, we’ll still have control because this is not an interactive
communication like SNS. It won’t be impossible if Max does it, but… I don’t
even think it’s necessary. There’s nothing like a fool box to fool the public.
Since ancient times, the nobles have made use of this.”
“They did. Spreading celebrity scandals and passing by the law from
behind… Making stimulating broadcasts makes people fools… Would they
call the public “the brainwashed” for no reason?”
“That’s ridiculous. Brainwashed, my ass. They’re customers who bring us

valuable license fees.”
“Somehow, that sounds even more disturbing.”
“You’re mistaken.”
I didn’t know if they wanted me to discuss this further with Lee Jihye, but the
Guild Masters left after the conversation’s crucial part ended. This only
symbolized just how much they had grown to trust us over the course of time.
In fact, it was natural that Kim Hyunsung had delegated full authority to me,
as the museum control device was owned by an individual, not by Blue. He
wasn’t an idiot.
I knew more than anyone else how much money this would cost as well as its
eventual impact. Nevertheless, seeing that he didn’t say anything to me, he
certainly didn’t seem to be greedy.
Even if I were to think about it a hundred times, I was right to choose him.
Anyway, Kim Hyunsung left all of this work to me, as did Park Yeon-joo
with Lee Jihye.
This was the reason why she and I were having this conversation.
Of course, in Lee Jihye’s case, she was not entrusted with full authority like
me. However, this was still great.
This was possible because not only did Park Yeon-joo trust her, Lee Jihye
met all expectations.
Jihye took a sip of her tea before speaking once more.
“So, how much will you do?”
“Well…”
“I was given permission not to care about the investment cost. It seemed that
our Guild Master would like to board with you at any cost. The guild
executives are also on the same page… You know, without saying, that the
Black Swan has high expectations for me, right? Oppa?”
“So, right now, you are asking me to save your face, right?”
“Directly speaking, yes. I think I deserve enough. So far, I’ve accepted

everything you asked for. No matter how much I feel for you, I don’t think
I’ll feel so good if you don’t help here. Of course, it is natural that if my
authority increases, it will benefit you. It’ll be a win-win.”
“Hey… You may be right, but you have to say it properly. Actually, it’s not
just me that’s been gaining. You also sold my name a lot. To be precise, until
now, it has been a win-win… Talking like you sacrificed alone. I’m a little
disappointed…”
“Hey, Oppa…”
“You know that cuteness doesn’t work with me, Nuna.”
“I know. I was just trying to grab at straws. So what are you going to do?
Don’t make fun of me and decide quickly.”
“Ahem…”
Lee Jihye certainly looked nervous, almost as if she was testing just how
much I thought of her through this discussion. Of course, there was no reason
for me to neglect her.
Besides the fact that the Black Swan directly connected to me, there were
many benefits to having her as an ally. It was natural for me to take care of
her, seeing as she was very competent and had good chemistry with me.
“Do whatever you want to do.”
It was a line I wanted to try once for some reason.
“Really?”
“Of course, in a conscientious manner.”
“Of course, I will. I’ll only call it 3% higher than the guild expects.”
“How much is that?”
“5 percent?”
“Hmm…”
“Too high?”
“It’s the opposite. It’s quite lower than I thought. It’s not as if the Black
Swans did not help during the expedition. Let’s go for ten. A total of 13%
would be enough.”
“Can I really do that?”
“Yes. Honestly, I felt bad, too. It is safe to divide in moderation. You don’t
know where the beast-like guy who has shot Yushin’s heart will pop out after
eating all alone.”
“Your expression is a little weird, but I know what you mean. As much as
you care, I’ll push the investment bigger. And from the dungeon…”
“I think it’s just right to take fifty/fifty over there.”
“Ohhh.”
“The museum controls are basically my personal achievements, but I don’t

intend to do that with the museum. We did the attack together. I wouldn’t
have gained it without the Black Swan.”
In fact, I thought that the museum itself was in my possession, so I couldn’t

help but feel wary of my allies. When giving something, it should be given,
as relationships such as ours could quickly get distorted even during a minor
event.
‘The control device is mine anyway.’

Even if I were to divide the big ship in half, I would still have the steering
wheel and helms under my possession. No further explanation was needed
than that.
“Then we will pay a little more for the remodeling of the Crack Museum. I
have to separate the partitions, so that’ll cost a bit more.”
“Of course, it will. It’s the first dungeon theme park in the world.”
“Rather than a dungeon theme park… I think the word Kangwon Land would
be more suitable…”
“Don’t go anywhere and say that…”
“Obviously.”
“Well, anyway, we’re done talking about this. Would I be able to save your
face with this?”
“Yes, much more than I thought.”
As I glanced at Lee Jihye, I could see her smiling. There seemed to be a faint
smile on her lips, but she seemed able to suppress the laughter that was about
to burst out.
‘Is she happy?’
There was no way she wasn’t.
I didn’t know if she is happy that I saved her face or because of the favor I
did, but personally, it seemed like the latter.
‘I’ve never seen such an expression on her face.’
I didn’t know if it was because the system certified her to be my soulmate,

but even though we hadn’t spent much time together, I could feel something.
‘Was she related to me in the first round?’

I couldn’t mull this possibility over, however, for Lee Jihye was now
approaching me.
“What? Why are you approaching like that?”
“I do not know?”
“Don’t stick too close, Nuna. I’ve got an eye on me these days. I don’t think I
can see it now… I don’t know when it will pop out.”
“Eyes?”
“Yes. It seems like we’ll arrive soon anyway. We don’t have enough time to
spend a long ride together, Jihye-ssi.”
“We really don’t. We’ve spent so much time talking that we’ve already
arrived. It’s been a long time since we are alone. I think we should’ve had a
little private time.”
“Talking about work with Nuna is a private conversation in itself. Talking

about what’s going on in the world and…”
“Talking about behind the scenes events is the most fun.”
“Agreed. Anyway… I’ll see you later. No, we’ll keep meeting anyway, even
for museum work. Nuna will be in charge of that, right?”
“I don’t know what will happen because of the checklist within the guild, but
there is a high probability that I will take charge. I’m also the number one
contributor to this agreement. I’ll see you tomorrow. I won’t go out to say
goodbye so that Hayan doesn’t feel too bad.”
“Okay. Do that.”
As the carriage stopped, I headed outside and saw Ahn Ki-mo and Sun Hee-
young greeting the Black Swan personnel.
Of course, it was not just them.

There was also Dialugia shaking their hands with an awkward expression, as
well as the female team surrounding Park Deokgu. Since the number of
people was quite large, it felt like it would take quite a long time to say
goodbye.
It was then that one of the Black Swan members ran over here and handed me
something.
“Er… I’m really grateful to you for helping us on the expedition.”
At this, Jung Hayan immediately started walking my way, already alert.

However, the woman who had approached me quickly slipped into their
carriage, terrified that she might get attacked.
I didn’t remember helping her, but at least she seemed to think I had saved
her.
It was a little disappointing to realize that I couldn’t confirm her unique

characteristic, but it didn’t make me feel too bad.
‘You still got it, Lee Kiyoung.’
I wasn’t garnering as much attention as Park Deokgu or Kim Hyunsung, but I

could at least still get my own fair share of admirers.
Anyway, the Black Swan personnel waved at us until their carriage was no
longer visible, and then we were finally free to get back to the Guild House.
Everyone moved with familiarity, except for one person who hadn’t adjusted
properly yet.
“Come here, staff Max.”
-Yes…
It was the guy who had come out to the world for the first time. Even after
arriving at Lindel, he kept looking around as if amazed.
As I quietly reached out my hand, he eagerly grabbed it.

It was then that a loud sound came from far away.
“Dialuria!”
Just by looking at Dialugia’s tears and screaming, I knew who awaited me.
“Tol To-ri!”
The one who was waiting for me had come to greet me.
It felt like she had gotten a little bigger in the meantime. Nevertheless, seeing
her running on all fours looked quite adorable, and of course, she completely
ignored her mother.
It was a little bit painful to see her pass by Dialugia, who was busy shedding
tears.
“Huh?”
What I saw next was quite unrealistic.
-Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!
Tol To-ri’s body hammer, containing a full-bodied blow, hit Max’s chest
accurately.
“Ke-e-e-e-ee-ee-ee-ee-eeek!”

[#Mother came, too] [#Who is this guy again?] [#I don’t know, but body
hammer] [#Successful]
Chapter 253
Chapter 253: There’s No Bad Dragon in the World (1)
It all happened so quickly that I didn’t know how to respond.
Although Dialuria did not attack with the horns on her head as if she still had
some conscience left in her, Max’s face was clearly distorted with pain; his
eyes closed as he fell back.
“Ke-e-e-e-ee-eeeek!”
It was a spectacle to see him maintaining a dignified posture, almost as if

saying, ‘What are you looking at?’
As dragons only deemed themselves threatening by looking big, Dialuria

stood up on her hind feet and maintained her offensive posture.
“Kiek! Haaaa!”
Of course, afterwards, her tail had begun to wag. I didn’t know whether or
not to pet her.
Before I could even say anything, Dialugia beat me to it.
“Di! Ah! Luria!”
I had initially worried about Dialugia getting mad at me for discouraging her
baby, but that didn’t happen. On the contrary, she looked both perplexed and
angry.
Though Dialuria was always impulsive, this was the first time she had acted
in such an aggressive manner, and so Dialugia knew she must correct this
behavior immediately. Meanwhile, I hurriedly went to check Max’s
condition.
As if the pain was unfamiliar, the boy grabbed his chest before looking up at
me.
“Max, are you okay?”
-Lee, President Lee…
Instinctively, he recognized that it was safe to be with me.
“Ke-ee-ee-ee-eee!”
Of course, Tol To-ri screamed upon seeing this.
“Dialuria! What have you done now?”
“Kiek!”
“What is that attitude now? Are you saying you did the right thing?!”
“Ke-e-ek!”
“Why are you always…”
“Ke-e-e-e-ee!”
“Haven’t I always said that you shouldn’t do it that way? Why are you
glaring at your mom?!”
“Kiek!”
“Mom has been patient, too!”
“Wow!”
“Mom is also a dragon! Dragon!”
In the meantime, Tol To-ri was showing a lukewarm attitude towards her
mother. She continued snorting, as if her anger had not yet dissipated.
‘This child needs some solid education.’
Right now, Tol To-ri could be classified as between rare and heroic grades,
but assuming that she would grow to a legendary-grade later, the normal
body hammer may no longer feel normal.
If Max had been an ordinary kid, he would have gotten seriously injured. The
feeling that we started on the wrong foot dwelled within me, but I still had to
correct Dialugia’s behavior from now on. In the end, I had to take a firm
position.
As I spoke, both an excited Tol To-ri and upset Dialugia turned to look at me.
“Dialuria.”
“Haaa…”
“You know what you did just now was wrong, right?”
“Haaa…”
“Go back to the nest right now. You’re banned from going out from today.
You’re forbidden to play, and I won’t play with you until you reflect on
yourself. I’ve canceled all of the things I said about hanging out together and
going out together after returning from this expedition. Snacks are also
banned, so this is all up to you.”
“Kiek?”
At first, Dialuria looked embarrassed. A few moments passed before thick

tears began to fall from her face.
“Kiiyiing… Kie-eh-eh…”
Anyone could see that she looked devastated. Though her sad expression
looked irresistibly cute, I knew I shouldn’t fall for her charms. It was
important to stay as calm as possible.
“Kieehek! Kiiiiiieeenng. Kiiieng… Kiiiiiieeenng…”

It appeared that Dialuria had already begun to regret her decisions. However,
this was not enough. As someone responsible for her behavior, I had to
educate her properly.
Meanwhile, the other expedition members had begun to pass by us after

seeing that Max was alright. However, Jung Hayan’s expression had become
serious.
She seemed to think that she would end up just like Tol To-ri if she did
something wrong and would get exiled as I saw fit.
At this point, I realized that what I’d done for her back in the Cursed Shrine
was slowly fading. I knew I had to take action with Hayan once more, but the
problem was I just didn’t have the time to take care of everyone.
Of course, in Jung Hayan’s case, who had become the top-ranked wizard
with a magic power of 98, I should be careful, but Dialuria was the top
priority for now.
‘Anyway, it doesn’t seem like she will burst right now.’
Even Jung Hayan would have to stay quiet for the time being, as she still had
to take some time to organize her newfound strength and abilities.
“Kiing… Kiing…”
-President Lee. I think…
“Don’t worry, staff Max. This kind of behavior needs to be corrected.”
-But, he seems to be crying so sadly…
“Kids at that age are clever. At least for a few days, he has to think about
what he did wrong.”
-Ah… Okay.
“Ke-e-e-e…”
In the background, only Tol To-ri’s cries rang through my ears.
‘I have a lot to do, though…’
I had to take my time with this one, seeing as it was his education that I had
been neglecting. Eventually, however, I left a crying Tol To-ri behind and
entered the Guild House. I could finally see the faces of the new recruits after
a long time.
Yoo Ahyoung, as if she had been hammering all day, greeted me with a little
sweat, and Lee Chang-ryul bowed his head and greeted me in his own
peculiar manner.
As expected, Han Sora avoided Jung Hayan as much as possible, greeting me

with a trembling voice. Fortunately, it seemed as if they didn’t have any
problems that needed to be taken care of.
Moments later, Kim Hyunsung officially declared the end of the expedition,
giving us time to rest and relax. Of course, this was only applicable to the
combat members.
The guild staff, on the other hand, would have more work to do from now on.
Even now, Manager Kim Mi-young was busy calling all the guild staff.
Of course, I was in the position of overseeing the guild staff, too, so I also
couldn’t relax. There were always new occurrences every time that I couldn’t
find it in myself to just sit back and let others do the work.
‘The Eight Seats of the Empire will be announced soon, too…’
We had delayed this enough times already, so it was only right to focus on it
now.
‘I also have to stop by the Castle Rock Black Market once…’
I had to make sure things were working properly.
‘Before entering the business, market research on the area of conflicting

cities…’
I also had to consider whether my products can slip into the Republic.
‘I have to take care of the newbies, too… Black magic research is also
scheduled…’
And that wasn’t all. It was absolutely imperative that my connection with the
Pope’s side was not cut off, so I also had to spend time with Cardinal Basel
and host a tea party with the rest of the aristocrats.
In the meantime, considering the need to conduct research on the museum’s

control system there was no room for me to sit comfortably and relax.
‘Let’s finish this all one by one.’
I could leave most of it to talented staff, but some things couldn’t be done at
all. With all the things I had to do, I wouldn’t even be surprised if I would
end up dying young.
My head hurt like hell. However, Park Deokgu, who was freed from all his
luggage, had already begun to make some noise.
“Hey, Hyung-nim. Why don’t we, men, soak our bodies in hot water to
celebrate? Ki-mo said he was coming, and Hyung-ssi, too… Oh, Chang-ryul
will also come! Max will come, too!”
“There’s a private bathroom, so why…”
“It’s different from that! The shared bathroom is for this type of bonding! Do
you think there is any other use? This is what strengthens teamwork.
Teamwork!”
“Hmm… I’ll catch up with all of you.”
“You have to come!”
“Okay, Deokgu.”
I didn’t know why he was so inspired, but it seemed like he got all excited for
a group bath. Even the women’s team planned to do the same, with Hwang
Jeong-yeon leading the group.
“Hayan-ssi, get ready quickly.”
“Ah… I-I’m… fine…”
“Aw, come on, don’t do that.”
Even Jung Hayan was being dragged into it. She looked my way as if asking
for help, but there was no way I could get her out of this.
The one who seemed to really need help was Han Sora, who tried her best to
avoid Hayan on a daily basis. Sharing a bath together would be a definite
hellish experience for her.
‘Should I go in, too?’
Still, though, I had my own responsibilities to take care of.
“Manager Kim Mi-young.”
‘I would be screwed if she weren’t here.’
“Did you get any letters while I was away?”
“Oh. I was trying to tell you that. There were about five letters from Cardinal
Basel and three each from Bishop Jessica and Director of Inquisition Helena.
Duchess Kathrin also asked if she could be part of the party. There are
exactly 144 letters from Marlin Young-ae. There are also letters from other
guilds, as well as letters whose senders are unknown…”
‘144 letters from Marlin Young-ae?’
“A letter with an unidentified sender?”
“Yes. The sender only told you to keep your promise.”

Ah, it was the Republic’s crazy bitch. I’d almost forgotten about her.
“There are so many…”
“Yes. There’re many invitations to events from Celia and official invitations
from Dawan… Oh! Cha Hee-ra also asked you to contact her as soon as you
arrive at Lindel.”
“Hmm… Please organize my schedule by selecting only those that you think
are really important. Of course, Hyunsung’s too. If possible, please adjust the
destination so that it does not overlap.”
“Yes. I will.”
“Oh. And how old are your children?”
“They just started going to school. Of course, I am satisfied enough with the
educational program within the guild, but I thought it would be better to stay
with other people together…”
“Ohhh. I see. That’s rather good. Can the little blond kid who just came in go
there, too? No, just tell them that he is my adoptee and prepare for him to go
to school right away.”
“Okay.”
“And… Talk with the Black Swan and take care of the publicity for this
expedition. It is important to emphasize that we have obtained the title of
Guardian of the Continent, so I would like you to fill in that part.”
“I always tell you this but thank you very much. I wouldn’t have survived
without you.”
“No, no, you’ve done more than enough for me, too.”
“If you need anything, feel free to tell me.”

“No. I am satisfied enough, Vice Guild Master.”
“Then, I’ll be heading in.”
“Yes. Please have a good time.”
If Kim Mi-young would one day decide to leave her job, it would become a
major catastrophe for me. I knew I had to raise her salary once more to keep
things sweet.
I hadn’t even started my work yet, but I already felt a little lighter.
It may be because I put down all my heavy equipment and stuffy luggage, but
I couldn’t say I didn’t like the feeling.
After entering the bathroom to keep my promise with Park Deokgu, I took off
the rest of my equipment one by one. The guild staff would collect it later on,
anyway.
‘Is this my first time visiting the public bath?’
There were many amenities in the Blue, but it felt like my first time using
one. The moment I took off my clothes and went into the bathroom filled
with steam, Park Deokgu’s voice greeted me.
“Whoa…”
“Why?”
“Whoa…”
“What?”
“As expected from Hyung-nim!”
Although I didn’t exactly know what he was talking about, I found myself
instinctively wrapping my towel around my waist, cheeks reddening.
Chapter 254
“But why take a bath suddenly? I know your intentions are good, but it just
feels a little sudden.”
Though I seemed to be complaining, it didn’t feel all that bad.
‘Rather, it feels good…’
I had been washing myself with magic all this time, but taking a bath like this
seemed more effective. I felt like I would be able to relax better.
When I heard about the remodeling design in the past, there was definitely an
explanation about what the water component was about, and it seemed that
this was the effect.
‘Mineral bedrock water, or something.’
I was not the only one who felt good. Everyone else was smiling.
In particular, Kim Hyunsung and Ahn Ki-mo’s facial expressions were the
most relaxed, almost falling into a deep sleep.
‘It’s surprising that Hyunsung is also here.’
In fact, it was also unexpected that our lovely returner participated in Park
Deokgu’s plan. He seemed like the type who would avoid such a place.
However, it seemed as if he didn’t really care.
‘This bastard… I guess he’s confident…’
In fact, I would not have participated if Kim Hyunsung himself had not
participated. It didn’t suit my personality to a position where the company’s
boss personally visited.
At this, Park Deokgu replied.
“I’m telling you it’s about promoting friendship? It doesn’t mean much.”
“To promote friendship?”
“Yes, friendship. In fact, I haven’t spent time with you since the new recruits
came in. Well, we’ve been moving and sleeping together since the tutorial.
So, we’re close, but newcomers don’t have that at all. That’s why Chang-ryul
is here!”
“Right.”
“I should have paid more attention to it… I was worried about neglecting the
new recruits and going to the expedition right away.”
‘Our pig is being nice.’
Honestly, it was the part I’d been missing. Since Park Deokgu had already
gotten alienated once, he would probably pay more attention to this part.
‘I thought he was living without thinking…’
I was certainly grateful to him for taking care of this part.
“That’s why I planned this with Jeong-yeon. Ahem. When it feels like a
group event, it’s usually a little difficult to miss. If you forcefully go skin-to-
skin like this, you are supposed to get close to each other.”
“…”
“And since we’re talking about it… Actually, there’s no problem on our
men’s side, but the women’s side really doesn’t feel close. Hayan and Hee-
young also went on an expedition like that, but they’re not that friendly.
When I see them, I get all awkward.”
“There’s definitely no feeling of them being close.”
“Of course, Hyung-ssi feels that way, too! And since Cho Hyejin is a person
who only talks about principles and principles every day, isn’t she a person
who’s built up a wall from sociability? Ye-ri, that kid, never answers
properly. In fact, it’s a little embarrassing to say this, but Jeong-yeon may
well be the only friendly one among them.”
“Ahhhhhh…”
If I were to think about it, that was certainly true. In the meantime, it was
embarrassing to see him taking care of his fiancée, but I couldn’t think of
anything to refute that line.
Among the Blue female guild members, Hwang Jeong-yeon was the closest
to normal.
“Ahem! Referencing from this… Han Sora, that person, trembles when she
sees Hayan… The situation is better for our blacksmith, but it is really
difficult when I heard from Jeong-yeon. On the way home in the carriage
today, Kiyoung and Hyunsung weren’t with us.”
“Did anything happen?”
“I’d rather be happy if something happened. They didn’t even say a word to
each other!”
“What?”
“I had to be wary of them in the wagon! While riding that long road… Ye-ri
and Hyejin exchanged a few words, and that was all. There wasn’t a normal
conversation. It was all related to work! This is definitely not normal, isn’t it?
Ki-mo? Ahn Ki-mo!”
“Yes. If I could’ve escaped from that situation, I would’ve. Well, it wasn’t an

atmosphere that could be both ignored and endured.”
“Yes. It wasn’t!”
“It would have been better if they at least fought… I tried to release the
hardened atmosphere, but… It would have been better if I didn’t. I still can’t
forget their expressions.”
I was half-expecting this to happen, so I couldn’t say I was surprised. Of
course, Park Deokgu started to talk more excitedly as he thought this was an
opportunity to let loose some more.
“Chang-ryul, say something, too!”
“I don’t know much about the other people yet.”
“Then! Can you tell me a little bit about the relationship between Ahyoung
and Sora?”
“There aren’t enough connections to define. To borrow the expression

Deokgu used earlier, I think it would be appropriate to do it forcefully.”
“Ahem… Look at this! This is the current address of the Blue female
members!”
“Well, actually, all I can do is just this much… A more fundamental solution
seems to be needed. At this point, Hyung-nim and Hyung-ssi have to come
out with power… Don’t we have to do a unity competition at least once? Of
course, I’ll be in favor. Someone say something…”
When Park Deokgu trailed off, a different voice drifted through the baths.
“Wow… Ahyoung-ssi, it’s really big. How can it get this big?”
‘Huh?’
I could hear Hwang Jeong-yeon’s voice drifting through the wall. We hadn’t
noticed it because we’d been very invested in our conversation.
‘It seems like the renovation of the construction wasn’t done properly…
this…’
Though I tried my hardest not to listen in, it proved to be quite hard.
“I-I’m not sure. It just happened…”

“Anyway, it’s just a chunk of fat.”
“Oh. That’s not it, Yeri. Look how pretty…”
“Not really. People said it wasn’t good to have them too big. They clearly
said it wasn’t good.”
“I don’t know. I wonder if there are people who don’t like it…”
“Some men will like it, but more people probably don’t. Yes, that’s right.
There are surely many people who have different tastes.”
It was Cho Hyejin who spoke this. I felt the need to refute her words, for I
was pretty sure that had been a fake statistic.
“If it’s the right size, it’ll be about Hayan’s or Hee-young’s…”
“No. In Hayan’s case, it is above average no matter what… Actually, Hee-

young’s, too… I think that Sora’s is the right size. By the way, Hayan’s body
is surprisingly pretty. I didn’t think you’d have such a figure.”
“I-I-It’s embarrassing if you keep staring.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
My imagination had run into overdrive. Naturally, I began to head out of the
bath, afraid that a more detailed description might be spoken aloud.
The other men followed right after me, startled. This was because the girls
had become even more preoccupied.
“You can go for it, but be careful. I get ticklish…”
“Yes. Okay, Ahyoung.”
“T-Then m-me, too…”
“Ah… Yes. Then Hayan-ssi, too… Please wait.”

“I’m not very interested, but… it seems interesting, so please…”
“W-Wait a minute! If you do it all at once… h-hey…”
Though I didn’t know what exactly was going on, my body had begun to
respond.
All of the female crews seem to be paying attention to Yoo Ahyoung’s

overwhelming size. I knew I had to escape as soon as possible.
“I guess we were mistaken. They… seem close, right?”
Ahn Ki-mo’s small voice echoed throughout the tiny hall. Even Park Deokgu
couldn’t argue.
However, I had to admit that the bath felt good. In the meantime, seeing Max
whining alone and drying his hair looked like his chest was hurting, so I
brushed his head off with a towel.
-T-Thank you.
“You don’t need to be grateful. Would you like to drink anything? No, can
you even drink?”
-Yes. Basically, it doesn’t matter if I don’t consume nutrients, but after all, as
I’m out of the museum, I want to enjoy everything you have to offer.
“Now, drink some milk here.”
-Thank you.
“Tsk. Is your chest a little better?”
-Yes… Yep. It’s throbbing a little bit, but it’s okay now.
“Tol To-ri will be your sister, Max.”
-Ah…
It was fun to see him looking so worried.
“You’ll be busy starting tomorrow.”
-Yes!
“You’re going to go to school. Your research needs to be done quickly. Do

you understand me?”
-Ah… Yep. Okay, President Lee.
Come to think of it. I hadn’t even decided on his room yet.
With this in mind, I excused us to Kim Hyunsung. When I brought Max out,
however, I unexpectedly found Dialugia waiting outside.
‘Why is this woman here?’
There was only one reason she was here now—he must’ve caused trouble
again.
Before I even said hello first, she spoke, looking very embarrassed. However,
what she said was entirely different from what I had been expecting.
“Er…”
“What happened? Is it Tol To-ri again?”
“Oh! Not like that. Not like that, but…”
“Yes?”
“I was wondering if you could forgive Dialuria…”
“What?”
“Our D-Diaruria looks so pitiful… I think she has already received enough
punishment.”
“Er… I think she’s been looking forward to the both of you going out
together… It seems that she’s already reflected a lot. Er… So…”
Less than three hours had passed since the body hammer case. I knew
Dialugia’s pushover disposition was the whole reason why Dialuria had
grown in such a negative manner, but…
“I think… it would be better to forgive her.”

Chapter 255
“You don’t mean that, right?”
“She’s already reflected on this a lot, really.”
“I doubt that’s the case. She’s just upset the schedule didn’t go the way she
wanted it to.”
I could already guess what had happened. At first, Dialugia had agreed with
Tol To-ri’s punishment upon seeing how she behaved. However, returning to
the nest and seeing her daughter shed thick tears had softened her up.
This alone made me realize how bad her parenting was. She must’ve
comforted Dialuria with promises of talking to me and getting her out of her
punishment. In short, she had basically taught her to cry in order to get his
way.
‘And it actually works…’
Dialugia was the type of mom who would do anything to make her kid
happy. No wonder Dialuria thought of her mother as a pushover.
“Actually, I only told her that outings would be banned.”
“Ah… Really?”
“Yes. But looking at you, I think it would be alright to prolong the

punishment a little.”
“I don’t understand what you mean…”
“You have to teach her that she can’t get everything she wants. I know very
well that I’m not in a position to tell you, but our Tol To-ri has lived doing
what she wants to do up until now. She should know that sometimes there are
things that she can’t get by crying over it.”
“O-Of course, I agree with…”
“So you agreed. What’s the problem here?”
“I think Dialuria was really looking forward to the both of you going out
together… Wasn’t that the promise you made before you left for the
expedition? I know Dialuria best. She is already reflecting on it enough. If
you go there and reason with her…”
“You’re too soft on her.”
“I think you’re well aware that Dialuria likes her father a lot.”
Absolutely. I even thought it was dangerous, looking at her characteristic.
Upon seeing my guilty expression, Dialugia decided to take the opportunity.
“I can say for sure. It’s because you didn’t stop at the nest and didn’t give
love since she was very young. Still, leaving a child thirsty for her father’s
love as it is… Of course, it is Dialuria’s fault today. But I think you should
let a little loose for your child to be able to breathe.”
“Is that really the reason? It seems you’re saying that simply because you
don’t like to see Tol To-ri crying.”
“W-What do you take me for?”
Seeing her reddened cheeks, I knew I had hit the bullseye.
However, Dialugia didn’t say anything wrong. It was undeniable that I had
left most of the child-raising to her. I only spent once a week with Tol To-ri,
and even that was stopped when I had to go to the training center for a month.
If I were to think about it, I had no right to talk about proper parenting.
Nevertheless…
‘This one is definitely a problem.’
Dialugia’s unique characteristic was a Tree that Generously Gives. This was
proven in the way she smothered Tol To-ri with her love. Seeing this for
myself reminded me of a slave working hard to please her master.
Dialugia didn’t even have her own life in the first place.
Everything about her revolved around Tol To-ri. Though I commended her
dedication, this was exactly the problem as to why Tol To-ri took her for
granted.
‘This one also has a problem.’
I had to teach her to respect herself more, but the problem was I didn’t know
how to do it.
‘It’s difficult to raise a child.’
Honestly, I didn’t even know where to start.
I didn’t have a child on Earth, nor have I ever been in a place like early
childhood education to learn theory. The only knowledge I had was the one I
saw through programs like “Super Nanny,” and I didn’t even enjoy it.
Perhaps that was the same with Dialugia.
This meant I needed an expert who could give me some realistic advice.
I’ve got a ton of work to do, but if I were to think about the grown Tol To-ri
later, there could be nothing more important than shaping her up now.
Eventually, I spoke up.
“For now, go back today. I’ll be there tomorrow morning.”
“T-Then!”
“No. I don’t mean to withdraw the punishment, but… I think we need an

accurate diagnosis of our family.”
“What?”
“You just need to know that for now.”
I went to quickly write a letter, leaving a wondering Max behind.
***
The next morning, I faced a displeased Dialugia.
“You… will… consult an expert? I don’t understand. Why do we need help

from others to raise our child? Our Dialuria is a dragon, not human.”
“Well, I’m not sure if it will work or not, but it won’t get worse than it is
now. Whatever it is, the advice of people who have experience is helpful.”
“That… it is, but…”
“Oh… Was Tol To-ri well yesterday?”
“Yes. Yesterday she fell asleep when she heard that her dad was coming…
She seemed to be looking forward to a lot this morning. Anyway, has that
expert raised a lot of children?”
“No. He didn’t. Just think of it as having a professional education. He is not

just limited to early childhood education, he is also a person who spans many
fields. Before coming here, he was working as a family psychotherapist.
When he came here, I was told that raids while using the title Monster
Behavior Analyst.”
“A dragon is not a monster.”
“I know that, of course, but we still need to give it a try.”
As expected, Dialugia didn’t seem to like the idea of getting an expert’s help.
It was not unusual for her to respond that way since psychotherapy was not
properly established on this continent as of the moment. Plus, they were a
different species than humans.
In fact, I didn’t have high expectations, either. Raising humans and raising
dragons seemed to be different because I assumed that the dragons’
intelligence exceeded that of humans’ to dismiss it as simply a monster.
‘Although Tol To-ri seems to act according to her instincts…’
I didn’t have enough time, so I sought help from Lee Jihye to help me find
someone.
She had assured me that this would help, but I honestly still doubted it.
If I kept bottling up my emotions, I would just take longer to solve the

problem. It was at least more realistic to get advice from people who have
learned a little more than me.
Not far from the nest, I took a seat with Dialugia and waited. Eventually,
someone came.
Appraising the man, I saw that he had a trustworthy look on his face.
“I am Kang Hyun-wook. Uhm… Lee Jihye introduced me…”
“Ohh. Yes. Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Kiyoung.”
“I’m Dialugia.”
“I am truly honored to meet these high-profile people. I didn’t know that I

would be in contact with you… Haha. They say we don’t know what can
happen in our lives, and it’s amazing. This big and magnificent nest amazes
me every time. I didn’t know I would ever get to step into it.”
“This is all spent money, too.”
“Someone like me can’t even imagine. Anyway, I don’t know if I can help,
but I’ll do my best.”
“Please, doctor.”
“You don’t have to call me that. Just call me Hyun-wook, Blue Vice Guild
Master.”
“Ah… Okay. I think you can just call me Kiyoung-ssi too.”
“Haha. It’s a bit too much for me, so I’ll call you Lee Kiyoung-nim.”
He gave off a better impression than I thought…
When he first appeared, I didn’t feel that he was very trustworthy, but it
seemed that he was not a bad person after meeting him face to face.
‘I think he will be helpful…’
As if Dialugia felt the same way, she loosened up a bit.
When we went up to the nest together, he looked around as if he was amazed,

but I could also see the firmness in his expression, meaning he was aware that
he was working.
“So, what will you do, Hyun-wook-ssi?”
“Oh. First of all, you don’t have to worry about me. I think you can be with
your daughter like you normally do. I think it would be better to see what
kind of problem there is first.”
‘He is real…’
I felt like he was already eager to get started. Though it bothered me, I
couldn’t mull it over because Tol To-ri had already come running towards
me.
“Haaaa… Kiek! Kie-ee-ee-ee-ek!”
Though Dialugia ran to meet her first, Tol To-ri once again ignored her
mother, waving her tail softly as she waited to be hugged. I realized that she
had never really reflected on what she had done the day before.
“Dialuria.”
Noticing how serious I sounded, Dialuria stiffened and began to whine once
more.
‘She definitely has a lot of problems…’
Right now, I wanted to scold her again, but for now, seeing as Hyun-wook
was watching us, I had to show my usual appearance as much as possible. In
the meantime, Dialugia was openly scolding her daughter, looking perplexed
as she realized that Dialuria never did regret her actions.
Still, seeing how happy her daughter was, she decided to let it pass.
We ate together, talked a little, and played, and the time passed us by.
Only after Tol To-ri fell asleep did Kang Hyun-wook approach, looking very
serious. I was curious about how he would start this, and he chose to take the
harsh path. I already knew this, but Dialugia herself looked very shocked.
“The child is behaving as if she had no mother. It even seems that she is
completely ignoring her.”
“Ah… that…”
“She has no eyes for anyone other than her father.”
Anyone could see this. The important thing was what caused this.
“Is there any reason?”
“There is a reason for every behavior of children who are not yet mentally
mature. Actually, there are many small problems, but in my personal
judgment, the biggest problem seems to be that the guardians don’t look so
close to each other.”
“What?”
“It’s not just that you don’t seem close. It seems that the two guardians aren’t
interested in each other at all. It’s so blatantly obvious that even a child like
your daughter can see that. Did you know that you two talked to each other in
less than 30 seconds in a timespan of a few hours?”
“Ah…”
I had not realized this fact.
“I’m sorry to say this, but… The root cause of your daughter’s problems
seems to trace back to the two guardians. I can never think of this as a normal
family.”
Dialugia’s face turned pale due to this brutal conclusion.

Chapter 256
“W-What does that mean?”
“I’m sorry, but please take what I said in a literal manner.”
“Ah…”
Anyone could see that Dialugia was shocked. It was natural for her to find it
hard to accept her daughter’s deviation, seeing how much she loved her.
There were probably many things coming to her mind.
‘Now I think I know why it became like this…’
This was a family that had not been created in a normal manner. Dialugia and
I didn’t have a common denominator, and we didn’t like each other very
much.
If one were to ask me, I felt a little uncomfortable with her.
Of course, the impression of a bad first meeting was offset by a large nest and
warm, high-quality food, but… Tol To-ri never seemed to have forgotten her
first impression of us. Rather than being a couple, we just decided to raise a
child together.
There was no physical contact, no sweet words, nothing. If Tol To-ri had
indeed noticed this, then her behavior was definitely understandable.
After checking our expressions, Dr. Kang Hyun-wook once again prepared to
speak. Dialugia, who at first had condemned me saying that an expert
couldn’t solve this problem, was listening with full force.
“Of course, the diagnosis has not yet been completed, but at least this is what
it looks like to me. Your daughter…”
“You can comfortably call her Dialuria.”
“Okay. You may already know that Dialuria is showing signs of excessive
obsession with her father. We have to wait and see a little more, but it seems
to be an early symptom of the Electra complex… She is likely being
influenced by the bad relationship between you two.”
“Ah…”
“Usually, this kind of obsession is caused by the feeling that she doesn’t want
her father to be taken away by her mother. Among them, a very rare case…”
“Yes. Please keep saying.”
“Well. Before I explain, it would be better to tell the background first. I heard
in advance that Lee Kiyoung-nim doesn’t have enough time to devote to his
family.”
“Ah… Yes, that’s true.”
“It’s natural to be this busy as you are the most famous person in Lindel these
days. The problem is, thanks to that, you’re reducing the amount of time you
spend with your daughter… Lee Kiyoung-nim may also think that this part
cannot be helped. The problem is that Dialuria thinks that her mother is the
reason why her parents are unable to devote time to her. Of course, the actual
cause is a little different…”
“Ohhh…”
“I-Is it because of me?”
“Yes. Dialuria doesn’t know exactly what her father is doing outside. She has
no idea what you do, how high Lee Kiyoung’s position is in society, and
what responsibilities you have. Of course, you may have heard it, but what
your daughter sees is just the fact that her father is never around.”
“I-I see.”
“Perhaps she may have concluded that the reason why the guardian doesn’t
come home often is that Lee Kiyoung-nim does not value Dialugia. If she has
ever seen Lee Kiyoung-nim with other women, this conclusion may be even
more concrete. It may be rude, but I have seen a similar case after coming to
the continent. Of course, it was a monster, not a human, but…”
Kang Hyun-wook seemed cautious about not comparing dragons to monsters.

However, there was nothing bad about listening to him.
I could say that Dialugia was certainly a higher life form that surpasses most
humans, but Tol To-ri was still in a period when instincts were ahead of
reason.
“You can speak freely.”
“Hmm. Among the griffons living in a typical paternal society… I certainly

remember that there was a case like this. It’s a case I’ve only seen once, and
I’ve worked at the Griffon Training Center for a long time.”
“…”
“The situation was very similar. It was a male with many females, and he
began to obsess over one female. Naturally, I remember that he didn’t pay
attention to other females and didn’t even go to them, thereby neglecting his
other children. Eventually, it seemed that one of the young griffons who
hadn’t gotten their father’s attention started to think strangely.”
“W-What is it, Doctor?”
Now Dialugia was even calling him a doctor. Using the monster griffon as an
example did not seem to make her angry.
“The child seemed to think, ‘My mother is not an attractive woman. That is
why my father does not love me.’ Therefore, he seemed to think that she was
not loved, either.”
“Huh…”
“In Dialuria’s case, the situation is a little more serious. The griffon in the
case I explained did not seem to have an Electra complex. We need to find
out a little more about why Dialuria is showing a severe obsession with his
guardian…”
That was probably because of his unique characteristic.
“There is a high probability that she thinks that she should be a charming
being and have her father in her hands. Of course, ignoring her mother is a
similar context.”
“Then…”
“Perhaps she also finds her mother annoying. There is a high probability that
she also has questions about why her mother is with her father. Of course, she
becomes difficult to control. If her guardian is taking care of her with too
much sincerity, this problem is only emphasized. It’s because, usually, the
beast… no, the children rank up against everyone in this period. If you think
you can overcome this with greater love, you are thinking in the wrong
manner.”
“Then, the more we do, the more the symptoms will accelerate.”
“Lee Kiyoung-nim is correct. It just makes your child’s thoughts a little

firmer. Of course, all of this is speculation. I can’t be certain that the
diagnosis is correct, having seen her only once.”
However, what he said was very likely.
‘No… It was too accurate…’
I checked his attribute, but there was nothing that analyzed the behavior of
people or monsters.
This meant this was a diagnosis that only pros who had seen and heard
numerous cases could make. He was certainly an extraordinary person,
seeing that he made a living with such talent.
‘It won’t be bad to get close to him…’

Perhaps he would be able to help me in the future.
Dialugia spoke up at this point.
“T-Then, is there no way? We have to keep going like this…”
She had even begun to cry.
From her point of view, it may be unfair. Tol To-ri, who she expected to
grow up while reciprocating her love, was now ignoring her.
It was natural for her to feel shocked upon hearing that Tol To-ri saw her as
the lowest ranker in the nest. Of course, the biggest emotion that
encompassed all of that was the guilt for not presenting a normal family.
‘It’s a little pitiful…’
If I were to think about it, it was not an exaggeration to say that most of the
causes are my fault.
Dialugia may think that things have come to this point because of her own
fault, but in all actuality, I was the real culprit. Therefore, it was up to me to
fix this situation.
“There must be some way.”
“Yes. Of course, there is a way. It’s actually very simple.”
“To regain my authority as a mother, uhm… it would be nice for us to have a

good relationship.”
“Yes. Like Dialugia-nim, Lee Kiyoung-nim’s role is also very important. Lee
Kiyoung-nim with Dialugia…”
I had to spend more time, not only with Tol To-ri, but also with Dialugia.
“If possible, it is important to express a lot of affection and draw a line with
your daughter. This area is the mother’s, and it’s not where you can come in.
You have to make her understand that her mother’s rank is not third.”
“Hmm… I see.”
“Of course, Dialugia’s role is also important. If you have generously poured
out your love so far, it would be better to reduce that love a little from now
on. It may not be easy, but it is a must. Likewise, show that you are spending
a lot of time with Lee Kiyoung-nim.”
“Okay.”
“It won’t be easy to change the thoughts that are already fixed in her head. I
hope for this to happen, but… at first, she will probably show a strong
rejection reaction.”
“A strong rejection reaction? Then uh, what can we do?”
“You still have to keep going. You must be a firm guardian.”
“Ah… Okay.”
“I will tell you this once again because I think you have a soft spot with your
child, Dialugia-nim.”
“…”
“You need to be firm.”
I knew that Dialugia had heard this a lot of times, but this seemed to be the
first time that she had truly acknowledged it. Slowly, she nodded as if she
had decided upon something.
I could predict that things wouldn’t change much even if she did that, but I
wanted to praise her for being willing to show a little effort.
‘I will have a lot of work to act on.’
At this point, I would have to take some acting lessons from Ahn Ki-mo.
The next day, we put the plan to action. After asking manager Kim Mi-young
to postpone all schedules, I went to the nest once more.
Naturally, I also had to soothe Jung Hayan, who expressed her desire to be
together all day long.
I wondered if she would monitor me with that eye again, so I even came out
with a small homework asking her to conduct research with Max.
This was because I thought that if she was focusing on other things, there was
a high probability that she would not dare to peek.
For reference, Juliana, who had fallen asleep again, was sealed in a sword
strap and then tied up and left in the room.
This was because I thought that Lindel wouldn’t be ready to face the sword
anyway. Meanwhile, I had an important task ahead of me.
‘Tol To-ri Rehabilitation Project.’
It was the first day I decided to try Dr. Kang Hyun-Wook’s solution.
I was already ready, but I doubt that Dialugia was. Anyway, the bow had
already been pulled, and the arrow was gone. Nothing would change if we
didn’t try.
‘Phew…’
As I moved towards the nest, I could see Tol To-ri panting from afar.
“Kiee-ek! Haaa! Haaa!”
She may have already heard from her mother, but upon seeing her overly
excited expression, I could tell that she hadn’t expected me to come twice in
a row.
It was a spectacle seeing her tail swaying and even running towards me,
drooling. She looked so cute that I wanted to hug her tightly. However…
‘You must be firm, guardian.’
After avoiding her, I immediately ran into the nest and hugged Dialugia, who
had been waiting for me. Thanks to preparing this in advance, she hugged me
back in a more natural fashion.
Anyone could still see that this was an awkward expression of affection,
however.
“You came?”
“…”
“Ke-e-e-e-ee-eeeeeeeeee!”
This was when the screaming began.

Chapter 257
‘There is a high probability of a strong rejection reaction at first.’
Dr. Kang Hyun-wook’s voice rung in my ears.
Anyone could tell that Dialuria was angry right now. When I glanced back at
her, I saw tears running down her eyes.
She looked a little scary, staring at me while snorting. I felt perplexed, not
knowing what she would try to do. Dialugia also looked disconcerted, not
expecting Tol To-ri to react in this manner.
However, Tol To-ri had not tried to ram into her mother, which meant she
still had some reason in her left. It wasn’t too late to fix her attitude.
If she showed such animosity right in the beginning, I would have to think
about how to solve this problem more seriously.
“How are you, Tol To-ri?”
“Kieeek!”
I had to say hello to Tol To-ri after saying hello to Dialugia.
Kang Hyun-wook’s solution was that, whatever I did, I should let her know
that her mother was my priority.
She kept panting and running as if asking me to look at her, but I didn’t show
any reaction other than giving her a slight pat on the head. I then turned back
to Dialugia.
“Have you eaten?”

Though I wanted to be more informal, this was more comfortable for me.
Dialugia, on the other hand, showed less effective acting than I did.
‘Of course, she would react this way.’
Right now, even I, upon seeing Dialugia’s friendly appearance, felt awkward.
Of course, her appearance, polymorphed as a human, was beautiful enough,
but the reality was that she wasn’t my type.
Of course, it would be the same for her, who harbored a very normal
characteristic. Naturally, it was difficult to act in such a situation.
“No. I was waiting for you so we can eat together.”
“What about Tol To-ri?”
“Not yet…”
“We should have a simple meal.”
“But I have prepared something because you were coming. Let’s come in.”
Our exchange was so awkward that it was enough to drive me crazy.
Seeing Dialugia all dressed up and acting friendly only emphasized this. Her
hair, which was well-groomed around her big horns, was swaying more
today, and it felt like she applied something on her skin that was not
necessarily makeup but made her glow all the same.
She had also tried to put on a nice outfit. All in all, I could see that she had
done her best to imitate the fashion sense of the young women wandering
around Lindel Square. Though it didn’t suit her very much, she still looked
undeniably beautiful.
She must have been shocked to hear that Tol To-ri didn’t think of her as a
charming woman.
‘Obviously so.’
When I thought that her human form had changed this much, I wondered
what her dragon form would look like. Though I was not knowledgeable
enough to evaluate the dragons’ beauty standards, I knew her black scales
must be shining.
In any case, this non-standard family began to spend time together slowly,
maintaining a little awkward atmosphere.
In the meantime, Tol To-ri was constantly trying to divert my attention using
small, melee attacks, but as advised, I did not give more attention than what
was necessary.
Of course, it didn’t mean I didn’t react at all. I would give her a little pat or
brief praise, but that was all. I was careful not to show an enthusiastic
reaction.
Instead, I spoke more to Dialugia and paid more attention to her.
Of course, the angered child began to scream once more, but we had to push
through with this if we wanted her to grow the right way.
We did the same thing as we ate, with me showing more attention to

Dialugia. It didn’t take much time for Tol To-ri to realize that she had been
pushed back to second place.
“How was your meal?”
“It was delicious. Thanks to you, I ate well. Just sit down. I’ll do the dishes
for us.”
“No. I’ll do it. You don’t even go hunting these days…”
“No. I’ll…”
“Then, let’s do it together.”
“It’s really fine…”
“No. Let’s do it together.”

I was not in my prime. Anyone could see that this was bad acting, yet Tol To-
ri seemed completely fooled. It was harder to keep up this façade with
Dialugia than expected.
Fortunately, the situation itself did not seem all that bad.
The process of standing next to each other and washing dishes was very
tiresome, but I knew our image must look very romantic.
Of course, I didn’t like the way we were doing this without smiling.
‘Did she say she is very ticklish?’
I remembered it for sure because I almost got smashed in an experiment

before.
As I gently touched Dialugia’s hand with my own bubble-stained one, she

glanced at me as if to ask what the hell I was doing. However, she did not
reject me outright, knowing it would destroy everything we’d worked for.
It seemed to be a success as I saw that she eventually started to giggle, right

after I had begun scratching the back of her hand.
“I-It tickles. Hehe…”
“Haha.”
Though the awkwardness was still evident, our technique seemed to be

working. As I continued to talk to her, she continued to listen to me.
‘It’s not that bad…’
Since this was the first time we had talked to each other longer than what was
necessary, I began to see more of Dialugia’s good qualities than her flaws.
We communicated better than I thought, and, surprisingly, we were on the

same wavelength.
“Hehe. That’s a fun story.”

“Huh? Really?”
“Yes. It seemed to be the funniest story I heard recently. Ah! Come to think
of it… Has the museum manager got a little better?”
“He is adjusting well now. In fact, he wasn’t really hurt from the start. It’s
because he is stronger than normal children.”
“How about the work he’s doing?”
“Now that he has just entered research, we’re bound to see results soon.”
“It’s amazing.”
“I mean, how we can send out a hologram of magic power in multiple

directions from one place. Humans have been doing that since before.
They’ve tried to do a lot of strange things. In fact, I haven’t been very
friendly to humans, but I knew there was something to learn from them.”
“That’s a little strange. Most of the empire’s ancient books state that dragons
have a fairly good magic level and have some things developed…”
“I heard that we usually get a lot of such misunderstandings. However, if you

think about it a little, you will find the answer. Our people…”
“Hmm… You won’t need it.”
“Yes. We don’t. Of course, we can learn, but we don’t have to. Some dragons
cannot use magic, and most of them are interested in the human world. Of
course, they are apt to be treated differently by the older ones. In a way,
humans are amazing.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Since humans are biologically weak, they constantly develop to overcome

that weakness. They craft weapons, learn magic, and keep searching for new
things. Of course, there were times when that desire produced negative
consequences, but there were certainly other times when it had beneficial
results. To be honest, even to you…”
“Yes?”
“It’s nothing…”
“Yes?”
“Ah…”
“No. Don’t do that. Please tell me, wife.”
“That term of endearment is terrible.”
“The child is watching.”
“…”
“I am asking you because I’m curious, Dialugia.”
“It’s nothing. Just like the previous story, I just thought you were great. The
dragon Breath potion, and the previously made serum… It’s even more so
when I think about your lack of physical ability or magical affinity compared
to other humans. You’re not that bad.”
“Am I different from your first impression?”
“I still get angry when I think about that time, so I hope you don’t mention
it…”
“Ah. Okay. Pfft.”
“Pfft.”
As soon as I started laughing, Dialugia did the same. This wasn’t acting
anymore. It all felt genuine. Remembering our first meeting was indeed
hilarious at this point.
I knew Dialugia would never have expected her life to end up this way—to
go from living in the wilderness to eventually forming a bond with humans.
I didn’t know her real feelings, but she seemed to think that her life here
wasn’t too bad.
‘This is a nice atmosphere.’
After all, being natural was better than useless acting. I even momentarily
forgot about Tol To-ri’s constant screaming. If we could keep this up, we
would make a more beneficial process.
When I raised my hand slightly and tucked Dialugia’s hair behind her ears,
she looked up at me with wide, startled eyes.
‘She actually is pretty.’
The atmosphere was strange for some reason, perhaps because of her big
horns.
Seeing that her face was strangely red, she seemed a little embarrassed, but
she also seemed to think that this expression of affection was fine. This was
all for Tol To-ri, after all.
‘I think this is harmonious enough…’
When I wondered if I should kiss her forehead to show a more definitive

image, Tol To-ri started grabbing my pants, trying to separate me from her
mother.
‘This is…’
“Kiyiing. Kiyiing… Kieek!”
As if she found this unacceptable, she had begun to pull at me with all her
might. If I were to remove my resistance, I would end up getting dragged
onto the floor.
“Ke-e-e-e-ee!”
Her big eyes seemed to desperately ask me not to do this. It was almost as if
she was a wife whose husband had gotten stolen by a prostitute.
‘This is your mother, Tol To-ri.’
“Kiyiing… Kiing…”
Not only did she continue to cry, but she was also now staring at her mother.
At this point, I had begun to wonder if Kang Hyun-wook’s diagnosis
might’ve been wrong, but it was still necessary to have to try and discipline
my family.
Right now, she was frantic about not wanting her dad being taken away from
her, but if she were to constantly see this, I knew she would eventually learn.
What I was worried about was whether or not Dialugia could withstand her
child’s hurt gaze, but upon seeing her determined expression, I knew she
would be able to handle this.
“I’m talking to your mom, Tol To-ri. You shouldn’t do this.”
“Ke-e-e-e-ee!”
“Hey! You can’t keep throwing a tantrum.”
“Kiyiing… Haaaa… Haaaa!”
As if trying to draw attention to herself, she began to show off the jump pose
that I liked seeing the most. It squeezed at my heart to see her doing it with
tears in her eyes, however…
“You can’t keep doing this. Sometimes you should be alone, too.”
Dialugia opened her mouth with courage as if this was also an opportunity.
“D-Dialuria. You should listen to your dad, right?”
Her expression was definitely that of a firm mother’s. At this, I subtly nodded
at Dialugia, praising her for her efforts.
“I… I don’t want to!!!”
Upon hearing an unfamiliar voice, I turned to see a child—not a dragon—

staring defiantly back at us.
“Uh? Tol To-ri?”
Now it looked like I couldn’t use this nickname anymore.

Chapter 258
This was definitely a very embarrassing situation.
The human appearance of Tol To-ri, who was still angered, was definitely
Dialugia’s daughter.
Her head still had undergrown horns, and her small stature and large eyes
were reminiscent of her mother’s. It appeared that Tol To-ri’s cuteness was
now at its peak, one I wasn’t able to see develop as I had not spent enough
time with her.
Her hair was just down to her waist, and her skin was white like her mother’s.
When she had first transformed, she had been utterly naked, but now she was,
thankfully, wearing clothes that were similar to Dialugia’s. I didn’t know if
Dialugia intended this or not, though. All I could see was how similar they
were to each other.
Even their mannerisms were similar. The way Tol To-ri kept her mouth shut,
her habit of touching the hair around her horns, the way she impatiently
tapped her foot…
‘She really looks like…’
Dialuria was definitely the spitting image of her mother. Of course, it

appeared as if she herself didn’t care, seeing as she was clinging onto me and
ignoring Dialugia.
After a brief silence, a perplexed Dialugia spoke.
“Dialuria… What’s going on? Why are you being like this?”
What was ridiculous was that Dialugia felt happier than anything else.
Apparently, it was an unusual occurrence for a dragon to be able to transform
this early on. I could see how proud she was of her daughter for being so
advanced.
Of course, I couldn’t blame her for thinking that way. What I didn’t like,
however, was how she openly showed how pleased she was.
The disciplinary period was going well as it was, but it was undeniable that
the situation had taken an unexpected turn. However, I could admit that there
were more positive points than there were negative ones.
Being able to actually communicate with Tol To-ri was one such positive
point. However…
“…”
Her focus was entirely on me, having ignored Dialugia’s question. At this,
Dialugia spoke once more, the disappointment evident on her face.
“Dialugia, you have to pay attention to what your mother says.”
Now I could see how Dialuria treated Dialugia while I was not present.
‘She is really a saint.’
I couldn’t understand how Dialugia could endure being treated like this, but I
never did understand how maternal love worked in the first place.
“Dialuria, how are you feeling? C-Can you walk? Your magic power is also
good… That’s great. Mother wasn’t able to do it like Dialuria until I was over
100 years old…”
I shook my head. The more Dialugia praised her, the more she would think of
her mother as a pushover.
“I knew you were smart, but… you have higher magic power than kids of
your age…”
‘Don’t praise her.’

“I didn’t know you could speak right away… That’s amazing. Can you tell
your mom how you felt?”
She had evidently forgotten about yesterday’s discussion, fawning over her
child like this. I knew I had to intervene.
When I went to speak, Tol To-ri’s attention eventually shifted to me.
Though I wasn’t much of a leader, I still needed to act like an authoritarian.
“Luria.”
“Yes, Dad!”
“You have to answer your mom’s questions sincerely.”
“Oh, okay…”
“And keep your posture straight. I haven’t said anything so far, but your mom
is still the person your dad loves. I still haven’t forgiven you for what you did
last time… I wouldn’t have been here if your mom hadn’t told me to forgive
you. Of course, I’m happy that you’ve grown up and achieved results, but it’s
not good to have this kind of attitude. Have you treated your mother with this
attitude since the start?”
“N-no… I haven’t…”
“I’m glad that’s the case, but I hope you’ll be careful from now on.”
I knew I had to emphasize that part about loving Dialugia, so I did.
“First, you have to apologize to your mother.”
“I… I’m sorry.”
“I-it’s okay. Dialuria… Our Diaruria is apologizing… Your mother is crying

for nothing…”
“Go and give her a hug.”

“Okay.”
Dialugia looked thrilled to have Tol To-ri acknowledging her, but I honestly
felt like the situation itself hadn’t improved. She still obviously saw Dialugia
as a rival.
I couldn’t even believe that what I had feared would happen would actually
happen.
Of course, I knew she was someone to take care of, but Dialuria always felt
more like a pet. Seeing her transform into a human created a new sense of
responsibility for me.
I was vaguely aware that I had become a father, but now this was even more
emphasized.
‘Now what do I do…’
As I mulled this over, Dialuria began to speak once more.
“Er, dad. By the way…”
“Yes?”
“Can I be with dad every day now?”
Upon hearing this, a peculiar sense of burden began to overwhelm me. Of

course, I would be Tol To-ri’s real interest. Though she felt jealous of
Dialugia, her biggest concern was getting separated from me.
Naturally, I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to lie. Even as I thought
about what to say, Dialugia’s sad expression was apparent.
Though I would hate to give this type of answer, it was still better to be
honest than to lie.
“It’s impossible right now. I have many things to do. I have more work to do
in the following weeks… You understand that daddy is busy, right?”
“Yes…”
“But if I have a little less work to do, I can be here every day. Of course, even
from next week, if I finish my work early, I’ll try to visit.”
“Really?”
“Sure. However, Luria has to make a promise, as well.”
“What is it…”
“The first is to respect your mother’s words and treat her well. The second is
to apologize to your younger brother, who you saw the other day, and get
along with him. Oh… And one more thing. Blend well with people in the
human world and be quiet. If you keep these three things well, I think dad
will also like Luria very much…”
“I can keep it! I can keep it!”
“Really?”
“Yes! I can keep it!”
As we interlocked our pinky fingers and made the promise, she hugged me
tightly, apparently in a very good mood.
“I like this so much!”
Though I knew I had to be a little stricter in order to discipline her, it was

hard to do so when she was acting in such a cute manner.
I felt like now wouldn’t be the right time to continue being so strict with her.
As I nodded a little and patted her back, she displayed her cuteness, lying
down as if asking me to touch her belly. Though her appearance was still a
human’s, she was, after all, still Tol To-ri.
“Purr… Purr…”
It was a spectacle to see her starting to make a purring sound as I gently
stroked her lower chin.
I knew that if her tongue was long, she would lick my cheeks like she used to
do before.
“Good job! Good job! Good job!”
She looked so adorable, responding to me in such a childlike manner. Though

this wasn’t normal behavior, she wasn’t a real human, so I felt like this would
be alright for now.
Meanwhile, Dialugia looked between the two of us unsurely, not knowing

what to do with her.
It seems that she wanted to participate, so I slowly gestured for her to come
closer. Though Tol To-ri was highly aware of her mother approaching, she
didn’t seem openly upset.
That, or she knew she had to keep her promise to me.
To be honest, Dialugia was the one who seemed to be enjoying this more
than Tol To-ri. At times, Dialuria would turn to her mother and give her an
awkward hug like before, but it only lasted briefly, as Dialugia intensely
showed her happiness.
I didn’t know if Dr. Kang Hyun-wook’s solution worked or not, but upon
seeing her positive reaction, I felt like it was working some wonders.
‘This is a family. Family.’
Although it was still a mess… It would have been impossible to say that we
could make good progress just a few days ago.
“I like dad very much!”
The strange aspiration in her eyes still made me nervous, but I had to believe
that time would eventually fix it.

[#Why isn’t he calling me Tol To-ri?] [# I’m not sure, but my dad is mine.]
[# I’m not going to give him to mom either.] [#Love changes.]
Yes, time would definitely fix it.

Chapter 259
[There’s still a 1/10 chance of winning. Thanks for all the reviews and the
kind memes. There are 2 more days left. If we hit our goal, I will do the mass
release!]
Chapter 259: Official Announcement (1)
Tol To-ri’s problem had been settled for now.
I had blindly hoped for her to change dramatically, but no such miracle
happened. The only thing that changed dramatically was her appearance.
Dialugia regained her position in the house little by little, and Tol To-ri also
seemed to recognize her mother’s position.
Whenever I was around, she clung to me tightly, refusing to let go. However,
she gradually started to change. Of course, I didn’t know if Tol To-ri
intended this change, but Dialugia had begun to feel happier with every day
that passed.
She was greatly impressed by Tol To-ri’s kindness, enjoying her changed
attitude.
Of course, Dialugia was working harder and more intensely on Tol To-ri as
she received this new treatment, which I was against. My personal judgment
was that she should be separated from her mother’s arms.
As a result, Tol To-ri started going to school with Max.
Dialugia seemed reluctant to know that Tol To-ri, a dragon, was being
educated by humans but eventually conceded because she knew this would
help build up her character.
Of course, it was the right decision.

Though Dr. Kang Hyun-wook originally recommended this for Tol To-ri, it
also helped Dialugia to an extent. The mother also needed some time to
herself, after all.
I already knew that many mothers gradually lose themselves after having a
child.
‘Parenting depression?’
Dialugia got a very high score in the test that Dr. Kang Hyun-wook used to
use on Earth, which worried me more than it should’ve. Though Dialugia
laughed about her results, I couldn’t find it in me to do the same.
The expert judged that it would not be strange if she would suddenly burst
one day, for Dialugia had a lot of pent-up stress stored within her. While Tol
To-ri enjoyed her time in school, I helped Dialugia find things she could
enjoy during her free time.
Slowly, she improved day by day.
The opposite happened for me. Since I had postponed most of my work in
order to build up some progress with my family, this only meant that I had a
lot to focus on.
To sum up, three things happened all in all.
First was the Pope’s side network management.
I met with Cardinal Basel, whom I hadn’t seen in such a long time, to resolve
our misunderstandings and talk I wanted to scream in joy when I heard that
the present Holy Empire’s Pope was too old and would soon return to God’s
arms.
Of course, I was told that one of the three cardinals would be elected Pope,
and I heard directly from Cardinal Basel that he would most likely be the
next Pope.
If Cardinal Basel became the Pope, it was no wonder that my standing would
also rise. As I may receive a slightly higher status than Honorary Bishop, I
worked hard to satisfy Cardinal Basel’s mood. And it wasn’t just him, either.
I also held a prayer meeting to confirm our strong friendship with Archbishop
Jessica and the Director of Inquisition Helena. It was also natural that I
participated in various activities such as dinners, voluntary services, and
other related events on the Pope’s side.
Since I no longer had to keep managing the Bishop-level line, I brought Sun
Hee-young on this particular visit.
‘The atmosphere was good.’
It was no wonder that Sun Hee-young, who was truly an exemplary priest,
became close to the bishops. They seemed a lot more intimate than I thought,
so I thought it would be okay for her to take over every matter other than
Cardinal Basel.
The second was network management with nobles.
It was as important to manage the Emperor’s side as much as the Pope’s side.
Of course, as my direct link was with the Pope, I didn’t give that much
weight to the social world, but it was quite important to take care of a legion
of noble ladies, including Duchess Catherine, who had helped me greatly
with the Ito Souta incident.
Immediately after the end of the meeting with Cardinal Basel, I was invited to
the nobles’ social church. I remembered this period as being really crazy.
The Blue and Black Swan’s adventure journal had also been released around
this time, and soon, we had a lot of work to do revolving around the museum.
People’s awareness of me soared.
The aristocratic wives who were with me started to feel proud, and I was able
to access a variety of information.
During one of these events, I heard a story about a particular imperial

princess. Though I didn’t give much importance to it, I stored it in my head,
thinking it might help me later.
The third was the Castle Rock’s black market.
After the social parties ended, I headed straight to Castle Rock, the
hometown of Marlin Young-ae. Though this was because of Marlin Young-
ae’s invitation, it was actually to check on the black market built in Castle
Rock.
I couldn’t involve myself directly because of Cho Hyejin’s strong opposition,

but this black market was still running with decent profits.
I thought it would be okay to deal with something more illegal, but I had to
give this up because I couldn’t handle having any more tasks on my plate. I
wasn’t even interested in this place for the money, anyway.
The reason for this black market’s existence was to check the list of
customers who used these places, nothing more or less.
‘There will be some use for them later on.’
Having a list of customers and a ledger was a big boost.
If I tracked the documents, books, and locations that have piled up, it was
easy to find out the identity of the masked bastards.
Of course, since Marlin Young-ae clung to me most of the time, I couldn’t

look around in too much detail, but the black market was definitely a decent
place to be.
“Phew…”
That wasn’t all of the work I needed to do. I also had to focus on the guild’s
internal and external affairs, as well as my research.
While joining the research of the magical hologram device with Max and
Jung Hayan, who had been experiencing a little difficulty, Lee Jihye and I
also began to prepare for our business and eventually began to renovate the
museum.
I didn’t forget to support the newbies, too.
We found out what mechanism the Black Wizard worked with through
discussions with Han Sora, and I gave Yoo Ahyoung full-fledged support to
quickly improve her blacksmithing skills.
Research on the new potion did not stop, and I had spare time to think about
how to treat the serum that Park Deokgu refused to use.
This workload felt similar to when Kim Hyunsung assigned me all the guild’s
work in the past. The only difference was that he didn’t have a choice back
then.
Now, the reason was that we didn’t have enough time. The Empire no longer
wanted to postpone the official announcement of the Eight Seats of the
Empire.
I had to clear my schedule somehow, and because of that, I was forced to

proceed with this impossible schedule. I was able to cope easily since I was
used to working so much, but everyone else felt irritated with the schedule.
Like me and Kim Hyunsung, the Red Mercenary Guild Master also had a
busy time during this period.
“It’s so tiresome. Is there even a plausible reason for the eight people from
each free city to gather for the official announcement? Can’t the Emperor just
formally proclaim it?”
“Yeah, you’re right…”
“Even though they know that everyone is busy, they still insist. I’m pretty
sure the Taiwanese and Japanese guys are also annoyed. The problem is that
the Empire’s so bent on such events. I’m so annoyed. Right? Honey?”
“But from the Emperor’s perspective, he wants to show that he is doing

something. I haven’t heard of it in detail, but it seems that his position is
getting weaker recently…”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I don’t know if it’s a rumor or something, but rumors were circulating
among the nobles. Just having these rumors around already weaken his
position. It seems like he wants to take this opportunity to let them know that
he’s in good health…”
“I didn’t hear that… Did the Black Swan Master know?”
“Yes. I’ve heard about it, too.”
Park Yeon-joo spoke up at this point. However, Cha Hee-ra looked

uncomfortable.
“And only we didn’t know. Is this really a three-way alliance? Huh?”
“…”
“Honestly, I’m very disappointed with the museum thing. Honey, even if you
were me, you would have been disappointed, right?”
“I’m sorry, Cha Hee-ra. We had already received so much help from the Red
Mercenary… I had heard that you were going to another dungeon, so I
thought it would be better not to tell you.”
“I’m just saying this, so don’t worry too much. Even if I couldn’t participate
in the strategy, I’m grateful to you for being considerate enough to let me
invest. Still, I hope you can talk about things like this with me beforehand. I
don’t have the type of personality that gets greedy about gains and losses. It’s
natural to send troops when an ally is in danger.”
“Yes.”
Park Yeon-joo nodded enthusiastically as soon as Cha Hee-ra finished

speaking. I, too, understood what the Red Mercenary Queen meant.
If Park Yeon-joo thought that this alliance was entangled in a particular

interest, Cha Hee-ra seemed to understand this alliance with a concept a little
further away from it.
I always thought about it, but her personality’s influence would be greater
than the strength of being favored by the members.
I would never be able to do it like Cha Hee-ra. However, I averted my gaze,

feeling awkward.
Currently, Kim Hyunsung, Cha Hee-ra, and Park Yeon-joo were sitting
down, and respective deputies were standing behind each one.
Behind Kim Hyunsung was Cho Hye-jin, behind Cha Hee-ra was an
unknown Red Mercenary officer, and behind Park Yeon-joo was Lee Jihye.
Originally, Blue didn’t carry its attendants, but as this was an important
event, we had to send out one of the parties, and the lucky member was Cho
Hyejin.
In the first round, she had been close to Kim Hyunsung, so he seemed to
think she was suitable for such a position. Of course, I also brought an
attendant with me.
“…”
“…”
It was a happy Jung Hayan.
‘Actually, I think she can sit here, too…’
As I was lost in thoughts, the door slowly opened.
After Yuno Kasugano, who was the first to enter the room, it was my first
time seeing all the other faces.
‘The Eight Seats of the Empire.’
It was definitely my first meeting with the other three. However, Kim
Hyunsung looked as if he already knew who they were, which meant he had
met them back in the first timeline.
At this, I began to study his expression as the three other individuals walked
in.
Chapter 260
Anyone could see that one of the three persons, who came in right after Yuno
Kasugano, also came from Japan. Naturally, I began to assess them with
Mind’s Eye.
‘Ibuki Suzumiya.’
His class name was Twilight Assassin. He was clearly someone powerful
who was in charge of Celia, succeeding Ito Souta. I’ve heard about him from
Yuno Kasugano before.
He had been here for three years now and was one of the people who was
considered a talent.
Overall, his selected stats caught my eye, but the most striking one was his
agility. Considering that his class and attribute were also legendary-grade, I
knew his base stats were enough to garner him a place within the Eight Seats
of the Empire.
‘He must be strong.’
Kim Hyunsung nodded at him, which meant he had been impressive even in
the first round, where it was presumed that Ito Souta had been alive.
He must’ve been famous even back then.
His disposition wasn’t bad, and his unique characteristic was normal. He
seemed a little timid, but his skills were more than good enough.
The two people who came in after him were a man and a woman.
‘Taiwanese…’
They were both Guild Masters in charge of the giant guild representing the
Free City of Dawan.
One of them was known as Cheon Gwan-wi. Seeing that he was tall and was
holding a cane, I could tell which class he had.
‘Wizard?’
He was a Fog Summoner ranked at the legendary-grade.
Reading the description, I think I knew what kind of magic he was using.
Even though he didn’t have a legendary item, seeing that he had 96 magic
power, I could see just how much time he invested in magic. Considering that
there weren’t many decent wizards on the continent, this man’s achievements
were tremendous.
Nevertheless…
‘It’s lower than Hayan’s…’
Of course, his stats weren’t negligible.
I knew it would be difficult to determine superiority and inferiority by

considering only experience, skill level, and magic power.
Of course, considering the monstrous things Jung Hayan had shown so far, I
couldn’t imagine her falling behind. There must be a few cards hidden up
Gwan-wi’s sleeve as well.
The woman that came in with him had long hair tied to one side.
‘Wi Ran.’
Wi Ran was your typical archer. I had a strong feeling that she was the type
of strong woman who behaved according to her mood. Her class was a
heroic-grade Ranged Sniper.
Although she had good stats, what stood out to me was the legendary-grade
attribute Perfect Marksmanship. I could understand what her attribute was
about without bothering with its description.
What was interesting was that the woman’s equipment and accessories were
pretty expensive. I was able to recognize it at a glance because I was wearing
the same brand.
‘The combination is good.’
Although each one of them was strong, I felt that the synergy between the
two could not be ignored. I could definitely imagine the Fog Summoner
obscuring the opponent’s view and the Ranged Sniper blowing their head off
with an arrow.
If I used them on the battlefield, they would undoubtedly lead us to new

victories. Perhaps they were aware of their worth as well.
‘That’s why the two guilds were able to reach the top.’
Kim Hyunsung’s reaction towards them seemed to reinforce this fact.
Looking at him greeting with a smile this time, there didn’t seem to be any
problem with the people who had gathered here. Though I didn’t know what
criteria they used when they selected the Eight Seats, no one here seemed to
be ineligible for the spot. If I were to pick one…
I was most definitely the least deserving.
In the meantime, Yuno Kasugano had quietly bowed her head to me, and I
reciprocated her actions. She seemed to be aware that she needed to act
normally in a place where all the important people were present. Her eyes
were still closed, and she wore the same style of neat clothing she usually
wore.
However, it was still a little embarrassing to see her so attuned to me.
“I’m Ibuki Suzumiya.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Cheon Gwan-wi.”
“Oh, Lee Kiyoung.”
“Wi-ran. I am from Dawan.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
What followed afterward were the awkward introductions. Though most of

the people here already knew each other, Kim Hyunsung and I were
newcomers, so we had to undergo this torturous form of socialization. I
wasn’t nervous, but the atmosphere felt pretty heavy to me.
‘Is this natural?’
The ones who had already settled down here and had gained fame and
strength in their own way were now all gathered in one place. Naturally, a
strange atmosphere was created.
Amidst the silence, the first one who opted to speak was the Taiwan prodigy,
Fog Summoner Cheon Gwan-wi.
He had on a little sullen expression from the time he entered, depicting his
dissatisfaction with the selection’s results.
“Four, two, two…”
“Why? Do you have any complaints?”
“No, Cha Hee-ra-nim. Rather than being dissatisfied, the selection was a little
bit… I wonder if it was being biased towards one side.”
“So, you’re complaining.”
“Of course, I admit that the newcomers from Lindel are exceptional… I guess
I’m just disappointed. There are many talents in Dawan as well…”
“So you think we’re undeserving.”

“No, no, please don’t think that way…”
“How can we not when you say it like that? Aren’t you complaining?”
“You don’t really have to do this, Cha Hee-ra.”
“Hey… Look at her glaring. You look like you’re going to hit me, how
funny. It still seems like yesterday when you couldn’t even look me in the
eyes.”
“That was a long time ago…”
“Why? You didn’t do that when you went down on your knees, asking me to
save you.”
“Cha Hee-ra-nim…”
Though they quarreled in this manner, Gwan-wi didn’t seem like a bad
person. They must have shared history the rest of us weren’t aware of,
probably a conflict with Hee-ra in the past.
In an attempt to hide her embarrassing past from the rest of us, Cha Hee-ra
smiled, cleared her throat, and spoke once more.
“Gwan-wi, don’t feel bad and listen. The Empire was considerate to you and
not us. We could have taken at least one more seat for Lindel. They were
considerate for you not to feel bad. Do you understand me?”
“Even though…”
“Why? Do you think I’m lying?”
As Cha Hee-ra glanced at Jung Hayan, the expression on Cheon Gwan-wi’s

face hardened in realization.
“This is our little honey… It’s been a little over a year since you came in,
right?”
“No… way…”
“Why doesn’t it make sense? Our honey and our honey’s Guild Master Kim
Hyunsung, as well as Jung Hayan over there, are the players who’ve cleared
the tutorial dungeon in the shortest time. I knew immediately that they had
potential, but honestly, I wasn’t expecting them to achieve this much, either.
Well… they were lucky, and they have the skills… Anyway, that’s it.”
“Huh…”
“There is one more, but… She’s still a little bit insufficient to fit in here…
Still, she seemed to be useful.”
“That’s unfair.”
“I feel that way sometimes. What do you think? In the eyes of the most
famous wizard in the Empire…”
“I will not comment any further.”
Jung Hayan seemed aloof to the situation, but most of the people’s eyes were
now on her.
In particular, Wi Ran, the archer, looked at her more explicitly.
“There are so many talented people at Lindel. There are two new recruits in
the continent’s Eight Seats, which have only been here for a year. I didn’t
know that they might even have an amazing wizard… In fact, I thought the
Empire might be giving too much preferential treatment to Lindel until I
checked it with my own eyes. Seeing you all in person is a different
experience.”
“You’re overpraising us.”
“No. I was simply telling you what it is, Blue Guild Master. I can tell that
you’re strong without having to confirm… The other one has a non-combat
job, so it’s even harder to judge, but he must have got a high score for having
a dragon choose him.”
‘Right on point.’
She was pretty direct. Kim Hyunsung smiled and spoke once more.
“He is actually an excellent alchemist.”
“I know that. We’re using the potion well coming into Dawan. Thanks to
that, the surviving rate of players has also increased a lot, although the price
is a little high… I think it would be right to say thank you. Oh, do you have
any plans to sell those items in your arms?”
It looked like she was talking about my Dragon Breath potion. I thought she
would have a good eye for being an archer, but she was more perceptive than
I was expecting.
“If I have the opportunity, I would like to, but it is an item that cannot be
mass-produced. It’s a legendary-grade potion, so the cost to craft it even once
is already too high.”
“That’s unfortunate. Well, it’s nice to meet you all anyway. It’s been a long
time since our last meeting. I’m glad that the Red Mercenary Guild Master
and the Yozora Guild Master have been doing well.”
“You still talk too much.”
“You’re saying that again. Cha Hee-ra-nim still has a mean mouth. I
understand that she upset you, but don’t get me involved in this, too… That
person’s will is not Dawan’s. Although we move together, I have never been
dissatisfied with this selection, really. Oh! Again, I’m changing the topic,
but… this newcomer has a pretty good eye.”
Perhaps she was talking about the brand of clothes I was wearing?
Seeing Cha Hee-ra nodding, I knew she understood why Wi Ran had said
that.
“It must be fate, seeing us all gathered like this… Shall we have dinner after
this is over? What do you think? Yuno Kasugano-nim, too.., Oh, and…”
“I’m Ibuki Suzumiya.”
“Oh. And what about Ibuki-ssi?”
“That’s fine with me. If we have time to do that, I mean.”
“Perhaps we’ll be too busy with the party.”
“You’re right. Oh. I think I haven’t prepared a dress…”
The atmosphere was more harmonious than I thought.
After Ito Souta died, Celia and our side got close, so there would be no other
problems, but the people from Taiwan were also quite peculiar. Though they
openly quarreled with Cha Hee-ra, there seemed to be no real animosity
between the two parties.
‘It may be because it feels like we’re in the same boat…’
Obviously, our positions were different, but in any case, Lindel, Celia, and
Dawan were in the same boat, known to all of us as the Holy Empire.
If there was no crazy guy like Ito Souta present, this was a perfectly normal
gathering.
“By the way, isn’t the Holy Empire really funny? They haven’t even thought
about doing something like this, but as soon as the Republic announced about
the Five Tiger Generals or something along those lines, they hurried to create
the Eight Seats of the Empire. Anyway, when they announce this, I know the
Republic will be releasing a new zodiac.”
“I’m afraid they’ll really do that.”
“I don’t think the atmosphere between them is good these days… I don’t
know if a war will break out soon. Has our shaman seen anything?”
“You say the atmosphere is bad?”
“Originally, the Chinese guys and our guys hate each other, but these days, it
seems a little too hostile. Lindel is in the center, so I’m not entirely sure, but
in Dawan, which is adjacent to the Republic, the circumstances are visible.”
“…”
“There have been several fights.”
“You always fight.”
“I’m just saying this, but… I’ve definitely felt something different than
usual.”
Seeing that he was talking quite seriously, it felt like it wasn’t just a theory.
‘Why would a war happen so suddenly?’
At this, I glanced towards Kim Hyunsung, who wore a calm expression.
“Can you tell us a little more about this?”
However, upon hearing the serious tone in his voice, I knew we weren’t
necessarily safe.
I didn’t know when it would be, but the possibility of war seemed to be high.
‘Hyunsung will protect me, right?’
I knew I would be safe in his arms.

Chapter 261
Similar to when compared back on Earth, the relationship between Taiwan

and China was complex.
Most Chinese residing in the Republic still firmly believed that Taiwan was a
sub-state that they owned, which the Taiwanese obviously did not take with
pleasure. It appeared that Dawan was still being caught up in this particular
dispute.
Of course, it was funny to bring Earth’s international relations here, but it

didn’t seem unnatural, for there were also players who still had anti-Japanese
sentiment within Lindel.
In fact, guys from Islamic cultures were still fighting every day, and the
United Kingdom, where European powers were located, was still not free
from the shackles of the past.
The relationship between China and Taiwan was a little more complicated
than that, however.
The tutorial dungeon in Dawan was closely related to the Republic, so it was
consistent with their interests to secure even more tutorial dungeons. Even
the place where Dawan was located was the territory of the Old Republic.
Thanks to this, the Republic had taken on a provocative stance.
International relations had always been a chaotic matter, no matter where one
went.
As the Empire, the Republic, the Kingdom, and the different races had been
fighting since before we came, they may seem normal from the outside, but
its inner relations decayed from this fact. Therefore, rumors of war, possibly
breaking out, did not seem surprising to me at all.
‘A player is still a player in the end…’
Now, I could tell that the leaders were on the verge of war. However, I felt as
if it would take some time before that were to actually happen. I knew these
guys weren’t stupid. If they were really thinking about starting a war, they
wouldn’t have announced the Five Tiger Generals or the Empire’s Eight
Seats. This meant they wouldn’t clash right into battle.
At this time, this kind of announcement was just an armed demonstration.

However, I couldn’t deny that I had begun to feel nervous.
Kim Hyunsung and I had just settled down and spread our wings, so a war
would put us in a disadvantageous state.
Hyunsung himself was listening with a serious expression to the stories about
the Republic continually provoking Dawan.
“The exact place where the incident took place is Laius.”
“There…”
“It’s a neutral zone, a place where some Southeast Asian guys, including
Laos, are summoned. Have you ever heard of… no, I believe you’ve already
heard of it. It’s just below the border…”
“Yes. I don’t know in detail, but I’ve heard of it.”
“Our Dawan’s tutorial dungeon is just right next to the Republic, and Laius is
right in the lower south, so anyone can go in and out of it a lot. Of course, the
same goes for the Republicans.”
Fighting within a neutral country is prohibited by continental law.
“Of course, the battle didn’t happen inside. It was only small-scaled, and all
the guys were fighting each other in front of a rare dungeon, but the fight
eventually got more intense. The beaten guys called over their senior guild
members, so their opponents called theirs over, too. There wasn’t a massive
battle, but if someone had pulled the bowstring… Boom!”
“You guys do that every time.”
“Should I say that it was a woman’s hunch? Should I say it’s an archer’s
hunch? Perhaps Cha Hee-ra would have felt something similar if she had
been with me. I knew something was going to burst, and I almost regretted
not being able to do something about it to the best of my ability.”
“There was no mediation?”
“A full-fledged fight didn’t happen because there was. I also sent an official
report to the Empire’s side. Come to think of it, they said that they were
officially protesting, but I don’t know if they’ve actually done anything…”
Unlike us, who busied ourselves fighting with monsters, Dawan seemed to be
suffering from more than just the usual oppression.
They might not take it as a big deal, but ignoring these trivial signs was
illogical.
‘Should I visit them?’
It didn’t seem all that bad to visit Dawan and Laius. I felt like I was prepared
to face whatever the atmosphere would be in there.
‘Tol To-ri might go crazy again, though…’
It wouldn’t be bad to get there as fast as possible with White Paul before such
a tantrum occurred.
As I mulled this over, the others concluded their conversation without much
results.
“I will take you to the audience chamber.”
It was finally time to meet the Emperor of the Empire.
When the deputy of Cheon Gwan-wi opened the door, I could see a guard
waiting for us outside, bowing his head to us.
Upon seeing this, Cha Hee-ra got up.
“What’s the schedule?”
“There is no specific schedule after dinner with Your Majesty. There is

tomorrow morning, however…”
“Ohhh. So, we just have to keep the pose in front of the imperialists.”
“Ahem…”
“Please guide me. We waited for quite a long time, but I hope the mealtime is
short.”
‘Hah, there’s no way that’ll happen.’
I didn’t know how long these types of dinners usually lasted, but I could bet
they wouldn’t be shorter than four hours.
It took about two hours to eat with an ordinary nobleman, so, naturally,
dinner with the Emperor would be double the time. Just thinking about it was
enough to make me feel exhausted.
“Oh. Excuse me, but… I will take the entourage people separately.”
“What?!”
It was Jung Hayan who strongly protested. She had come here thinking that
we would be together the whole time, so this tidbit surprised her.
“It will be finished soon, Hayan. Stay here and eat with Jihye and Hyejin.”
“Okay, Oppa…”
“Let’s go, Hayan-ssi.”
Since this seemed to be an important setting, Hayan thankfully relented.

I was curious about what kind of conversation they would have there, but my
place was not there. The guards who were already waiting began to take the
entourage group separately, and Jung Hayan disappeared from view only
after looking back at me several times.
Cha Hee-ra was already walking with a tired expression, and Yuno Kasugano
had stepped up to take the seat next to me, where Jung Hayan had previously
been.
In front, Kim Hyunsung was walking while talking with Park Yeon-joo and
Wi Ran, while Cheon Gwan-wi walked with Ibuki Suzumiya behind them.
The scenery that greeted us as we walked was very much pleasing to the eye.
I had already expected this from someone whose position was the highest
among all the noblemen.
Ornaments that seemed to have poured gold were arranged neatly, and the
road to the parlor was also gorgeous. This was a place fit for the Emperor of
the Empire.
As we reached our destination, the colossal, intricately-designed doors

opened to reveal Victor Hart, who I hadn’t seen in quite a long time.
‘Is he the escort?’
Cha Hee-ra began to exchange words with him, but I didn’t think to listen in.
Knowing him, he was probably advising her to stay polite.
After the rough body search was over, the vassals and the guards began to
guide us, and once we again stepped on the red carpet with Victor Hart at the
lead.
‘Did we just pass by three large doors?’
When the last door finally opened, it revealed the Emperor, sitting on his seat
and waiting for us.
‘What is that?’
I hadn’t been expecting anything great.
Cha Hee-ra had already told me that he was an old man, and she couldn’t
really feel that the Emperor of the Holy Empire was a competent human
throughout her stay in the Empire.
But this was even lesser than I imagined.
Although he was wearing a large crown, he trembled as if he had no more

strength to handle the crown’s weight, and he did not seem to be smart.
Rather, he had suspicious and venomous eyes evoking useless boundaries,

with a wrinkled face and a dwarfish body to boot. It was hard to think of him
as the Emperor of this great Empire.
‘What kind of Emperor is that?’
I’d rather believe that the woman sitting next to him was the Emperor, whose
identity I believed I could guess. When I triggered my Mind’s Eye, I found
out I was right.
‘Princess of the Holy Empire.’
She definitely had an aura, with her disposition as a Calculating Innovator.
Her characteristic wasn’t bad, and her stats were good.
Her eyes seemed to see through me, and there was the elegance of a leader
that was difficult for one to describe.
When I turned to look at the Emperor once more, all I see was an old man on
the verge of death.
“Everyone… sit down… in your seat…”
A voice that seemed to be unable even to kill a mosquito rang out.
“I see Your Majesty, the Emperor.”

“I see Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
Everyone was polite as they had learned before, and the old man smiled at
this.
“It’s an honor to see the heroes… who represent the Empire. I… I think
everyone knows why I called you here. First… everyone, please sit down.
Oh, before that, I need to introduce… my daughter, Charlotte.”
“I’m the Second Princess Charlotte. It’s nice to meet you.”
“I see the Princess.”
“You don’t have to be so polite. I already know that you are not familiar with
imperial etiquette. I didn’t invite you to make you feel uncomfortable, so I
hope you raise your head.”
“Yes.”
“Right. Yes, absolutely. You said well… Charlotte.”
“I’m sorry.”
Everyone sat down slowly, and the meal began with a light conversation, but
I didn’t think to listen in.
Most of the stories that came out were useless, and all the stories were about
heroes.
“Ahem… Ahem…”
Honestly, all I could hear was his constant coughing. I bet I could fight him
and emerge as the victor.
‘How can this be an Emperor?’
Without a regime change, the Empire definitely had no future. I could even
bet that the Emperor would be the one to incite the war, given his senile
appearance.
With this, I spoke up once more.
“As expected from the Emperor, your eyes are full of vibrance. Hahaha.”
Everyone’s gazes shifted to me; their widened eyes surprised at my nerve.

Chapter 262
[Alright guys! We hit our goal on NU. Tonight between 7-8:30 PM CST, I
will attach the names of the winners in the ! The cut-off will be at 7 PM CST,
so guys can still join the raffle. Only 50 people signed up so the chances of
being one of the three chosen is pretty high. I’ve uploaded 7 chapters for
now. Have fun! The plot is actually still just getting to the good part, you’ll
see what I mean in the coming chapters haha.]
It was very easy to coax powerful people.
The Princess, sitting next to the Emperor, would take a little time, but to look
good to that old man would indeed be a piece of cake.
I didn’t know how this Emperor ran the Empire when he was young and what
he did, but I knew very well what his state was right now.
‘Lame duck.’
This Empire really needed a change in regime if it wanted to be successful in

the future. No wonder so many rumors were circulating about him.
Of course, this didn’t mean that the Emperor had lost his power. He was still
in position, the supreme decision-maker with a fixed amount of support, and
the power to proclaim his successor. This meant that he would stay in power
for the next three to five years.
The question was, how did the Emperor himself feel? Even if he actually
wasn’t…
‘He can obviously feel the imperial power weakening…’
Otherwise, there was no reason for us to be here.

The Emperor’s disposition was Timid Power.
He was the kind of human who would match well with me.
Those in power pretended to hate the vassals, but the truth was that they
loved them more than anyone else. Humans couldn’t hate those who flattered
them directly.
‘I can’t flatter him too openly, but…’
I could definitely get him to like me within the course of this dinner.
“Hahaha. That’s… a funny story…”
I didn’t have to talk much, and he was already showing me a smile,

undoubtedly seeing me as a nice guy at this point.
“Come to think of it… you are an alchemist, right?”
“That’s right, His Majesty, the Great Emperor.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you. I remember that you… hmm… had many titles.
You are also the person who developed alchemy in the Empire… Didn’t they
say you were chosen by a dragon? If my memory is correct… Charlotte?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Lee Kiyoung, who was appointed as one of the Eight
Seats of the Empire, is the Vice Guild Master of the Blue Guild, founded in
the Free City of Lindel, and is the first to be chosen by a dragon on the
continent. I was also told that he was the first summoner to receive an
honorary post from the Pope’s side, and he is very close to Cardinal Basel.”
“Right. He did… He is the Honorary Bishop of the Pope’s side.”
“I was lucky. That’s why I could get acquainted with him. Haha. Cardinal
Basel has a fiery side, but he is more concerned about the Holy Empire’s
future than anyone else.”
“Right… I know.”
“In fact, I like to meet new people. I have a strong relationship with other
nobles in the Empire.”
“Oh, is that so…”
“I have a good relationship with people like Count Castle Rock, Duchess
Catherine, and Count Elise.”
I also had a very good relationship with the nobles of the pro-emperor
faction.
“With Victor Hart…”
Victor Hart, who was standing near the Emperor, sent me a questioning look,
but I averted my gaze and continued.
“Since Cha Hee-ra and I are also close…”
“Ah… is that so? Hahaha. I see. Come to think of it… Victor Hart, you said
you think of that red-haired foreigner like a daughter… right? My old friend
got a very good son-in-law in his later years…”
“I-I apologize, Your Majesty.”
Victor Hart didn’t seem to want to be associated with me very much, but it
was far too late for that.
“Yes… okay. That’s right…”
In the meantime, seeing that the woman named Charlotte told the Emperor
that I was related to the Pope’s side, it seemed that she didn’t like me.
Because of this, I thought about whether I was too openly acting as a vassal.
The Emperor was important, but the Princess was also the main subject of
management.
Of course, she also seemed to loosen her expression after hearing that I was
getting along with the nobles of the pro-emperor faction, but she was still
wary of me.
Now, I knew it wouldn’t take too much time to get her over to our side.
I bet the Princess also knew that they would eventually need me. I was
already the center of attention as it was, and not taking advantage of this
would be their loss.
“By the way, the Princess’s beauty is dazzling. Seeing the eyes full of
vibrance, anyone can see that you have inherited His Majesty’s blood.”
“Right. Our Charlotte is beautiful.”
“It’s also thanks to Your Majesty.”
“Yes… absolutely.”
It was funny seeing how easily he accepted my praise. However, Charlotte

herself was aloof to my compliment, which gave me more insight into her
personality.
‘I need to spend some time in order to get close to her…’
This would only work if I could see her after this affair, but I could focus on
that later.
While the meal continued, we talked course, the topic wasn’t just focused on
me. From the Emperor’s point of view, all eight people here were subject to
management.
Everyone else answered the Emperor’s question sincerely and tried to

maintain a good atmosphere, but somehow, attention was bound to focus on
me.
Each of the Eight Seats of the continent was basically the head of their own
respective group, and it was natural for each one to stand on top of others. I
could already tell I had won this fight, though. All of these were necessary
techniques for living in society.
Anyway, the Emperor had shown me that he wanted to have a separate

discussion with me as the meal continued. The others also felt like leaving
the Emperor up to me.
In particular, Cha Hee-ra, Celia’s Ibuki Suzumiya, and Dawan’s Cheon

Gwan-wi seemed to have little interest in getting close to the Emperor. They
even seemed grateful to me for snagging his attention.
Kim Hyun-sung felt unusually focused on the Princess, but it was difficult to
read his face, so it was difficult to judge what the Princess had been like in
the first round.
‘Is she the next Empress?’
The possibility was high.
In the first place, it was already evident that she had a high standing, as she
had been included in this social event.
As time passed by, the hard atmosphere gradually loosened.
Of course, the old and sick Emperor also began to focus on the stories,
turning his attention back to me. I didn’t even have to bring up the subject
first.
Rather, he was just throwing questions to me, ones that were easy to answer.
As usual, with someone who had condescending attitudes, I exclaimed at his

youth’s story and praise for His Majesty’s greatness. The pleasant Emperor
smiled once more at this.
Of course, this alone was not enough. The art of conversation was a tricky
field.
One had to keep in tune with the other person’s story and find elements that
interested them as well. That was the way to be liked.
Of course, it wasn’t difficult to find such an element.
Even our 1-year-old Tol To-ri would know what these humans wanted.
“Did you just say an elixir? Hm…”
“Yes, Your Majesty. It is a potion that has been handed down only as a story
along with the Sage’s Stone to those who study alchemy, although I haven’t
yet learned the details due to my low achievements. It is a divine gift that is
said to be able to heal all diseases and injuries, as well as restore youth.”
“Haha. I see. Is it possible… to research about it?”
“Sorry, but it is not. To be honest, it is almost impossible to achieve such

results within a short period.”
“Hmm. Thank you for being honest.”
“It seems like I shouldn’t have said it.”
“No. It’s not that. Rather, it’s better to be honest like this. You uh… are a
little different from the other nobles.”
“I sincerely apologize for that.”
“No. I’m not rebuking you, so you don’t have to apologize. Hmm… So, that
elixir…”
Hook, line, and sinker. There was no need for me to instill hope in him for
that elixir.
It was more advantageous for me to tell him that it was impossible than try
and deceive him. He was already interested, anyway.
“It seems that elixir is a potion that can turn the Sage’s Stone into a catalyst.
Of course, it is still not possible to properly figure out what the Sage’s Stone
is.”
“Ohhh… I see.”
“Making an elixir or seeing the Sage’s Stone is probably the dream of every
alchemist. I believe it will happen someday. I didn’t expect that I would be
chosen by a dragon until a few months ago, so perhaps someday…”
“Well, yes. Come to think of it, you said you were chosen by a dragon… I’ve
never actually seen a dragon in my whole life, so I was hoping it came along,
but how unfortunate.”
“Yes. As you might expect, it’s not a creature I can control…”
“That’s right. Even if I say they’re better creatures than human beings, there
is no shortage.”
“But… I can show you a little bit of that here. Of course, it’s not a complete
dragon, but…”
The Emperor looked at me, curiously. At this, Victor Hart stiffened.
“Please refrain from doing useless things…”
“No. Victor Hart… Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung is not such a person.”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
I definitely liked the trust in his voice.
“No… How can I see the dragon?”
“I know you’ve authorized it, so please excuse me, Your Majesty.”
As flames sprang up in my hands, the face of a dragon slowly began to

materialize in one of the walls of the spacious parlor. The crackling sound as
it formulated its shape sounded unrealistic, even to the most experienced
wizard.
“Grrooooaarr…”
Although it was downgraded enough to fit inside the room, with its large
eyes, menacing teeth, and huge horns, anyone could see it was a dark dragon.
The Emperor and members of the Eight Seats from other cities—even
Charlotte—were looking at it with their mouths open. However, this was just
a childish showmanship.
It went without saying that Jung Hayan’s magic was more useful on the
battlefield than any of my skills. Kim Hyunsung could easily cut my
materialized dragon’s head off with his sword.
However, my goal here was to give off an impressionable show of my

alchemy, and it was working.
“Ha… Haha…”
The Emperor quietly laughed, looking perplexed.
“This, like this, uh, how…”
The Princess herself was also speechless.
“It’s just alchemy.”
This was only a small event that would prove my worth.

Chapter 263
“You did very well.”
“Huh? What?”
“You know… about what happened yesterday.”
“Oh.”
“The old man’s reaction was an expected one, but the fact that the Princess
had also spoken surprised me.
It certainly did feel like that.
I couldn’t look at the Princess’s face because I was concentrating on the

Emperor, but I remembered her stuttering with her eyes wide open.
Of course, the Emperor’s face was even more spectacular.
It was enough to be worried that the old man’s heart would stop in surprise,
so I would not need another modifier.
After the short demonstration, it was natural that raised.
They seemed amazed that, even in this place where magic and divine power
were normal, I had managed to create a dragon-like entity. Of course, what I
created wasn’t a real-life form, but it would definitely look no different for
them.
The look of those who rubbed their eyes was still clear. The Emperor wasn’t
the only one who was surprised.
Ibuki Suzumiya seemed to have been told by Yuno Kasugano beforehand,

but the attitudes of those from Dawan to me had changed noticeably.
I had proven that I wasn’t just lucky to be there.
Cheon Gwan-wi, the wizard, continued to ask questions even after mealtime
was over, and Wi Ran, the archer, made me feel embarrassed, seeing as she
continued to send me strange gazes.
Of course, the Emperor’s reaction was more important than theirs.
I didn’t know if the bait had been effective before, but after the meal was
over, he told me that he would like to have a separate conversation with me.
He even said he wanted to support alchemy, so it was quite a big achievement

to say that this happened in only five hours.
‘Sweet!’
In the first place, I wasn’t interested in unnecessary support, but in the rare
catalyst that may be stored in the treasury/ If I were to receive imperial
support and support from the Holy Empire, it would be strange not to look
forward to it.
“I thought I would get bored to death, but thanks to you, I had fun, well…
Maybe some of them are also grateful to you. Dealing with that old man is so
annoying.”
“That… is what people would like you to think. The opportunity to have
dinner with the Emperor doesn’t come easily, and in this case, if I don’t give
a strong impression, I don’t know when I can do it again. In my perspective,
I’m the one who doesn’t understand you.”
“I don’t like it. It doesn’t matter if I don’t get close to that old man. It seems
that Wi-ran and Park Yeon-joo think that they need that, too… Well, do you
think they do it because they like it? Phew… Seeing you doing that
yesterday, I just thought…”
“What?”
“This bastard is enjoying it.”
“It’s a compliment, right?”
“Sure. I thought you were a natural.”
“I won’t deny it.”
Hearing that I was as natural as a suck-ass is a bit painful, but I indeed

enjoyed it.
When I turned my face at the sudden rush of embarrassment, what I saw was
a crowd cheering under the platform of the royal castle.
I expected the scale to be quite large, but they paid a little more attention than
I thought.
The shouts I heard made my ears hurt, and just looking at the scale of the
imperial flags and decorations all over the place, it felt like they spent quite a
bit of gold.
The nobles sitting on one side were also influential nobles representing the
Empire. My gaze stayed for a while where Marlin Young-ae was waving,
before I waved back roughly.
Located a little farther from there are the members of the Pope’s side.
The Pope did not appear, but there were three cardinals present, including
Cardinal Basel.
It was confirmed that Archbishop Jessica and the Director of Inquisition

Helena, who could not usually be seen in official events, were also present.
Seeing that all the people who have a strong relationship with me attended
made me feel proud.
“But when does this start?”

As soon as I heard Cha Hee-ra’s voice mixed with dissatisfaction, a loud
voice began to resonate.
“Your Majesty is entering.”
The Emperor and Charlotte, the Second Princess of the Empire, had appeared
on the podium. The only difference from yesterday was that the woman who
was estimated to be the First Princess was also present.
As soon as I looked at the status window with my Mind’s Eye, the First
Princess’s information appeared.
‘Hmm…’
Charlia, the First Princess of the Empire. Her disposition was a Self-righteous
Egoist.
‘Whoa…’
Even the Emperor, who couldn’t see things straight, also knew which of the
first and second princesses suits the Empress title better.
‘She can’t make it…’
With a vicious face, the First Princess looked like a villain.
The poison that filled Charlia’s eyes was directed towards Charlotte, who
was favored by the Emperor. Of course, her face also looked full of greed.
[Unique Characteristic: Jealous Witch]
Her unique characteristic was also a witch. I thought there might be a reason
her personality was formed that way.
It was like an obvious cliché, so I didn’t think I’d have to explain it.
The second was more favored by the father, and the first was unloved. It was
a story that I heard a lot about quarrels between sisters. I didn’t know them
much, but I was sure the hostility was present.
Until now, the fight for successors had not been so fierce, but if the
Emperor’s health was deteriorating in earnest or external factors were
involved, it would soon emerge on the surface.
I even thought about whether it had affected her unique characteristic, but
being within a villain category did not mean that everyone will not love her.
‘It would be better to avoid this one.’
Anyway, the Emperor, accompanied by the First and Second Princesses,

slowly began to walk out. It didn’t take long for him to stand in front of the
platform where all the imperial people were visible.
“I think he is going to give a speech…”
“Well… he has to. It’s because it’s been a long time since he has the chance
to flaunt himself. He made the Eight Seats or whatever to do that.”
I had no choice but to agree with Cha Hee-ra.
As expected, the Emperor’s voice stretched out and was heard loudly using
the voice amplification magic… Honestly, it wasn’t all that great of a speech.
‘It’s boring.’
He had no power to attract people with his voice, his speech content was too
long like the words of a principal’s admonition, and honestly, it was just
difficult to bear.
My expression of irresistible yawning would best describe the situation.
“Dear people of the Holy Empire. Thank you for keeping this place
together…”
It felt like I’d already heard the phrase ‘Dear people of the Holy Empire’
about 23 times.
“Even today… the power of the great Empire…”

That ‘great Empire’ seemed to have been spoken about 35 times.
When I finally heard the concluding statement, I couldn’t help but breathe out
a sigh of relief.
“Now… I would like to introduce to our proud citizens of the Empire… the
power of the Empire, the shield that protects the Empire, and the sword that
kills its enemies… These dark-haired foreigners have lived together in this
land and have contributed a great deal to the Empire’s development, and
now, I appoint those who will be called as the Eight Seats of the Holy
Empire!”
“Woooooaaaaaahhh!!”
It was natural for a loud shout to come out.
I didn’t know if it was a cheer that the Emperor’s long speech was finally
over, or if it was a cheer for the Eight Imperial Seats, but the probability of
the former was never low.
The Emperor nodded happily at the shouts of the crowd and continued to
speak.
“The First Seat of the Empire, Cha Hee-ra.”
Cha Heera, sitting next to me, jumped up and headed in front of the platform.
“I’m going first, honey.”
“Okay.”
I could see her red hair swaying while she walks confidently in front of the
crowd, wearing some nice armor.
‘She looks cool.’
The soldier who was introducing Cha Hee-ra on behalf of the Emperor
shouted out her performances. My face turned red upon hearing this, but I
knew it was a necessary part.
‘It’s a little too much, but…’
I wondered if it would have been nice if they had taken easy, but it was not so
bad. This was the right place for it, anyway.
The publicity effect that the Emperor was expecting was sufficient. There
was no problem, as the public seemed enthusiastic.
Even after Cha Hee-ra, the Empire’s people cheered every time the Eight
Seats went out one by one.
‘I know why he did this…’
As time passed, I thought about it deeply, and the answer I came up with was
‘The public is thirsty for power.’
“The Third Seat of the Empire, Yuno Kasugano.”
Yuno Kasugano was next to the Fog Summoner’s Cheon Gwan-wi.
I could see her going forward with a slightly hardened expression as if she
wasn’t used to this.
“The Fourth Seat of the Empire, Park Yeon-joo.”
The crowd shouted.
“The Fifth Seat of the Empire, Wi Ran.”
The shouts burst once again.
“The Sixth Seat of the Empire, Ibuki Suzumiya.”
And…
“The Seventh Seat of the Empire, Kim Hyunsung.”
The lovely returner stood up only after some rabbles went out.
Despite wearing a light armament, his footsteps were unstoppable.
The imperial flag fluttered due to the blowing wind, catching everyone’s eyes
and inducing a strange feeling that raised the atmosphere even more.
‘It’s picture-perfect, Hyunsung!’
I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, but just as the clouds in the sky parted,
sunlight began to pour.
‘Its direction is great!’
The direction that I thought was too early felt okay now.
The cheers of the imperialists were growing and growing, and of course, my
turn was no exception.
“The Eighth Seat of the Empire, Lee Kiyoung.”
My name was called next, so I tried to walk as dignified as possible, but it

was impossible to show such a dignified image like the other Eight Seats.
I even missed my step and almost fell. However, the shouts were still quite
loud.
“He is the Blue Vice Guild Master representing the Free City of Lindel, and
he has been chosen by a dragon. He is also the Honorary Bishop of the Holy
Empire, one of the 30 Continental Guardians who saved the continent, an
alchemist representing the Empire…”
I also thought that there were quite a lot of titles I had won. It had even
increased as the unofficial titles were added.
Of course, an extraordinary genius, the guru of strategy and resourcefulness,

and ridiculous titles came out with them, but they were all just part of
publicity…
‘I could turn a blind eye on this.’

Perhaps the people who planned this event had chosen to make me appear as
the brain of the Empire.
All they showed were the Castle Rock’s Monster Wave blockage and troops’
formation, but as the Five Tiger Generals of the Republic had similar things,
it seemed that they wanted to balance it.
Although there were a few lies, I had no reason to refuse them, all because it
made me seem like a genius.
It was also the position I wanted in the first place, and the effect that I looked
great even if I wasn’t really great was tremendous.
“Woooooaaahhhhhh!!!”
Crowds were screaming as loudly and cheerfully as they could.
It was a perfect success for the Emperor, the planners, and the participants of
this event. If there were a problem, it would be that many events will be
organized after this.
Many schedules had piled up, such as going down to the platform and doing a
march, shaking hands with some imperial representatives, parties with
nobles, etc.
‘Do I have to do it like this…?’
It was quite fun at first, but as time passed, I seemed to hit the limit of my
physical strength. It was then that the old Emperor personally came to me and
raised my hand.
A cheer burst naturally, and the old Emperor tapped my back.
‘This old man really likes vassals.’
It was uncommon to see an emperor who liked vassals too openly.

I didn’t know why, but Cardinal Basel, who was shocked by looking at it,
slowly approached my direction.
‘I did not hope for anything like this…’
It was nice to be favored by many, but in this way, the possibility of creating
enemies increased.
Of course, the results went as expected. I felt Charlotte’s gaze, looking at me

with displeasure. However, having the Emperor on one side and the Cardinal
Basel on the other side proved to be more reliable than expected.
‘I, man! Ugh! I went with them! Man! I had a drink with them! Ugh! I had a
meal with them! I went to the sauna! You know! I did everything, man!’
These words continuously revolved around in my head in a mocking fashion.

Chapter 264
Chapter 264: 1st Princess Charlia (1)
Being liked by someone was easier than one might think. Human
relationships were also not as difficult as most people thought.
Of course, it was also important for us to have a meal together and head to
the sauna at least once.
However, the important thing was how much you could suit others’ needs.
What they liked, what stories they wanted, and what they wanted to hear. It
was important to think through the conversation and suited them as much as
possible.
I didn’t have to resist at first. I didn’t even need to claim my beliefs.
If the other person was a conservative type, I listened to the story from the
conservative standpoint and just agreed with it.
If the other person is standing in a progressive position, I also listen to the

story from a progressive standpoint and just agreed with it.
That was all, really.
It was even simpler if one were to think about the death penalty.
If the subject was in a position in favor of the death penalty, one could just
prepare information and stories that the subject wanted to hear.
It would be even better if it sounded a little more professional. I would raise

my voice, discuss the death penalty’s necessity, and actively agree with the
subject’s words.
Naturally, the subject had no choice but to think, ‘Oh! We fit better than I
thought! We have the same thoughts!’
Of course, I had beliefs, but that didn’t matter. Just because I was in the
opposite position didn’t mean I had to shout it out. Most of them would get
upset, or try their best to escape from the conversation if I did.
If I wanted to show my position to the other person, I couldn’t just get angry
right away. I needed to take a little more time. From the moment I recognized
that the subject was a good friend and a colleague expressing the same
position, I could add my opinion, little by little.
This was the way to get close to the subject, and the way for a vassal to
handle the powerful.
‘Cardinal Basel…’
In Cardinal Basel’s case, this had been done for a very long time.
As we spent time together, I kept in tune and nodded happily. It was also
essential to study in advance to have a conversation.
I had to be fluent in theology and knew well about hearsays and demons. I
even took longer studying to keep up with his knowledge level than talking to
him, so there would be no need for other words.
It only took me several months to build a relationship that couldn’t be

broken.
Naturally, I was also thinking about the amount of time I would spend with
the Emperor and was working on it. However, the effect was more than I
could imagine.
Sometimes, there was this case.
No matter how much you’d try to be liked by the other person, you couldn’t
get close to them if your fire point didn’t match, leaving the conversation’s
topic and the disposition aside.
Of course, the old Emperor was the opposite. It felt like our fire points fit
perfectly.
This Emperor was looking for a perfect form, and I was 100 percent
compliant with that condition.
‘Whoa…’
He was a different type of soulmate from Lee Jihye. He kept talking to me,
even making me feel uncomfortable.
Even as the party began after the Eight Seats of the Empire parade was over, I
noticed that he wanted to keep talking. I bet this Emperor would have been
stuck here if he hadn’t been aware of the other nobles.
This old man also had a lot to do. He had to talk to the influential nobles and
build relationships with the people of the Pope’s side. He was naturally busy.
Of course, the eight foreigners newly appointed as the Eight Seats of the
Empire were also busy.
Every time there was a meeting like this, we got a lot of attention, but it was
the first time we received attention to this extent.
Although the Free Cities of Lindel, Celia, and Dawan were in the Holy
Empire’s arms, they were always recognized as independent regions.
The same went for the strong people in the cities that controlled them.
Indirectly, they had a lot of influence on the Empire, but it was impossible to
engage in direct activities. Since the situation had completely changed, it was
reasonable for the influential nobles to stick to us.
In the name of the Eight Imperial Seats, it was possible to empower the Holy
Empire’s politics.
I didn’t know for sure, but the aristocrats who stood in the anti-emperor
group and those sensitive to changes in the situation were likely to be more
sensitive to today’s affairs.
“Hahaha. The cheers of the imperialists seem to keep ringing in my ears.”

“Of course they would. Was the fame of adventurers who settled in the Holy
Empire created overnight?”
“Yes. Absolutely.”
“I heard that every kid these days have read the adventurer’s journal. It was
as if I was seeing the stories of heroes and warriors that I had only seen in
children’s books.”
“Hahaha. What’s different from a hero or a warrior? The Eight Seats of the
Empire proclaimed directly by Your Majesty are already heroes of the
Empire.”
“Absolutely!”
I could hear these types of talk all around me. When I saw the nobles who
rushed in to talk about these kinds of things, it made me want to laugh.
It had not been long since the party started, but many people were already
tired.
Cha Hee-ra was talking as numerous nobles surrounded her. A smile was
painted on her lips, but I knew best than anyone else that she was on the
verge of reaching her limit.
Park Yeon-joo was leading her own conversation quite skillfully, and in
Yuno Kasugano’s case, she was the kind who listened to the stories around
her calmly.
The same went for the lovely returner.
‘Has he learned the nobility etiquette?’
Certainly, it felt like he had the etiquette in his gestures. It was visible that he
was paying more attention than usual.
I had also learned many things by flocking with noble wives so far, but I
couldn’t behave as naturally as Kim Hyunsung.
‘He must have put some effort in the first round…’
As I thought about it and turned my head, one of the nobles I was talking
with, one with blond hair, continued.
“My daughter is furiously asking me to buy the adventurer’s journal where

Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung was introduced. She is a spoiled kid who only
causes trouble, but curiously, she becomes quiet if you hand over a book
that’s related to you… Hahaha.”
‘He’s pretty good at lying.’
Still, he had said that to win my favor. It wouldn’t be bad if I accepted it in

moderation.
“That’s such an honor, Baron Naboth. Haha. Whenever I have the time, is it
okay for me to visit the estate? Of course, I don’t know when that will be.”
I didn’t have any plans to visit, but it was still good to pretend to take him up
on his offer.
“Ohh! I’ll be thankful if you do that! I will be ready and waiting.”
“If I remember correctly, the territory that Baron Naboth rule is… perhaps
Garcia near the east-west…”
“It’s an honor that you know, Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung. In fact, it’s a
trivial little manor, but it has a beautiful lake called Mirror Lake, which
makes it a nice place to go for boating in the fall. Perhaps if you come with
your lover, you will be able to make good memories.”
“Ah. Is that so?”
He said that, conscious of Jung Hayan sticking to my side.
Seeing that Jung Hayan’s hand, who only had a business smile without
saying anything, was clenched, it seemed like she was telling me to actually
take him up on his offer.
“Ah… I’ve been there. The lake was a very attractive place as if it was
reflected in a mirror. When my husband was still healthy, it was a place we
visited every year.”
“You’ve also been there, Duchess Catherine.”
“Yes, Lee Kiyoung. You probably won’t regret it.”
“Since other people also have said this, I will have to visit next year right
away. Hahaha.”
“Hahahahahaha.”
Of course, I had no intention of going. Perhaps it would be different if there

were a treasure hidden in that mirror lake, but I didn’t have enough time to go
to that distant place for some simple sightseeing.
‘By the way, this atmosphere is great.’
It seemed like a lie that I talked about the war with the Eight Seats of the
continent just a day ago.
Seeing the nobles enjoying their leisure, things like war felt like a story of a
distant country.
I had to think that people in power were like this everywhere.
Not only did everyone raise their glasses, but the sound of laughter filled the
banquet hall, and the ladies continually tried to show off all their luxury.
Some of them talked about the Empire’s future, but seeing that their faces had
turned red, it seemed like they had already consumed quite a few glasses.
‘Empty talk.’
Rather, empty talk was better. It was an irony to talk about the future of the
Empire whilst being drunk.
‘But I don’t really care about it.’

I had a lot of things to care about besides the future of the Empire. Princess
Charlotte, who kept on guarding me at this point, bothered me the most.
‘Did I behave too much as a vassal?’
I bought her vigilance when I increased the tempo, wanting to look good to
the Emperor right away. However, the Emperor had ended up liking me too
much.
‘I don’t think I could even get close to her…’
Apart from her disposition, I had the impression that Charlotte was the kind
of human I could not get close to, for some reason.
As she was someone close to being the next Empress, I would have to work
hard, but it would consume so much time.
‘After some time, I’ll try to get close to her again…’
When I was busy thinking about it, something unexpected happened.
Slap!
Along with the sound, a loud voice came from somewhere.
“I-I’m sorry. I-I’m sorry.”
‘What is that again?’
It was an incident not far away from where I was.
One of the maids bowed her head and continued to squeeze her head, and the
woman in front of her was panting as if she couldn’t relieve her anger.
Even if I don’t hear what happened, I knew.
‘The First Princess.’
It was the First Princess Charlia.

Seeing that wine was spilled on the white dress she was wearing, it seemed
that the maid had caused the most unfortunate accident in her life.
The appearance of her slapping a handmaid’s cheek once again with a

reddish face after being drunk was definitely the standard scene of a vicious
villain.
‘Whoa…’
“You bitch… How dare you? You bitch!”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. K-Kill me, please.”
“Bring the sword. I don’t think my anger will be relieved without cutting the
bitch’s neck right now. Hurry! Can’t you hear me?!”
‘That’s a completely crazy bitch.’
Even if it wasn’t her mistake, and even if she was drunk, showing that
attitude was definitely a negative factor. Now I knew why the nobles didn’t
want to be anywhere near her.
‘Does she have an anger control disorder? Does she have no conscience?’
Looking at her disposition and characteristic, I thought she was a lost cause,
and seeing what she was doing now, really did make me feel that way.
Some knights and nobles tried to calm her down, but she was already out of
control.
The appearance of the princess, who was already properly sunk in alcohol,
was a drunkard itself.
The Emperor shook his head from side to side and clicked his tongue, and the
Second Princess Charlotte did her best to try and fix the case.
It was then that something interesting caught my eye.
“This one is peculiar. This…”

As the maid repeatedly apologized to the First Princess, I appraised her with
Mind’s Eye.
It was no big deal. I just thought it was definitely strange. All her stats were
more than 60.
‘You said that such a woman stumbled and fell?’
I bet it was impossible even if the sky collapsed. I could only think that the
wine was spilled as part of it for some purpose.
For example, the purpose of lowering the image of First Princess Charlia.
Someone probably wanted to make a crazy bitch look even crazier. It was
almost obvious as to who the culprit was.
‘Charlotte.’
The reason was also simple.
‘She’s much greedier than I thought.’
The invisible fight for the Empress title had already begun a long time ago.
Chapter 265
“Princess, calm down…”
“I told you to get my sword as quickly as possible!”
“P-Princess!”
“Right now! Can’t you hear me? Is there anybody capable enough of doing
this?”
The angered Princess could not even properly control her body.
She was definitely drunk. If someone knew what the First Princess Charlia
was like, they had caused this incident at the very best time.
There were various circumstances to simply dismiss this as a minor

happening.
Right now, the First Princess, Charlia, may look like a psychopath, but this
was not a causeless effect.
‘This was all properly planned.’
It was also done when Charlia was out of her senses, so the person who
caused this must have been rejoicing within.
I didn’t know if the culprit was really Charlotte or a noble under her control,
but the situation had become so chaotic that it was no longer possible to fix it
just as the one who caused this wanted.
Charlia staggered and bumped into tables all over the place. The food and the
bottles on the table began to fall on the floor with a rumbling sound.
The weak-hearted ladies had begun to scream while avoiding the broken
glass, while the noblemen couldn’t figure out how to react.
In the meantime, Charlia, who couldn’t figure out the situation, was yelling to
bring her sword, and the maid standing in the position of the perfect victim
was showing off a performance in a similar level to our guild’s Ahn Ki-mo.
‘It’s a mess… It’s a real mess.’
The most prestigious banquet in the Empire quickly turned into space where
the city officers drank cheap rum.
It was also not unreasonable for the atmosphere to suddenly become

awkward.
In the midst of this, the Emperor, the father of this crazy woman, turned his
head and clucked his tongue, almost as if he didn’t want to see this anymore.
I could understand why the First Princess had become like this. This just
reminded me of how much I had neglected Tol To-ri in the past.
Of course, the drunken woman was still screaming her head off.
“How dare… you bitches look down on me?! Are you bitches looking down
on me, too?”
“I-It’s not that, Princess.”
“If not, why don’t you move even after hearing my command…? Ugh…”
“P-Princess.”
“Let go of me. Didn’t I tell you to let go of me right now?!”
“You seem a little drunk…”
“I’m not drunk.”
“P-Please, just calm down.”

Baron Naboth was now cringing, almost as if he found all this terrible.
Of course, I had begun to speak at this point. Since there was little
information about the First Princess, I wanted to hear more about her in
detail.
“Baron Naboth, she…”
“Yes. This is… Charlia the First Princess of the Empire.”
Seeing that he went silent after that, it seemed that he was not bold enough to
openly gossip about the Princess.
However, just by looking at his distorted face, I could predict how bad she
was.
Today couldn’t just be the first time. There must have been various incidents
that had taken place in the past.
I could be sure that she would have had caused troubles alone, even if
Charlotte or the nobles under her did not step forward. I thought about sorting
out the situation, but I was not the main character who would end this event.
As expected, shortly afterward, female knights appeared from one side, and
Charlotte quietly opened her mouth to the knights while calming the people
at the party.
Only one word from her was enough to clear up the chaotic hall.
“She looks very tired. Take care of the First Princess.”
“Yes.”
“Princess, we’ll take you to the bedroom.”
“Let go of me! I told you to let me go!”
Despite the guardian coming, she still continued to struggle. It was

embarrassing to call such a being a Princess.
I bet, if it were an ordinary noble doing that, they would have been
overpowered and rolling on the ground.
It was not easy to deal with her even from the knights’ standpoint as she kept
struggling and shaking off their hands.
It seemed that Charlotte was trying to handle it carefully, trying not to hurt
Charlia, but in some ways, she seemed to be taking as much time as possible.
‘Does she want to show this scene a little more…?’
If I were Charlotte, I would have delayed the time as much as possible. That
way, the crowd here would know just how trashy the First Princess was.
They were not expressing it, but what these people were thinking was very
much obvious.
‘Is that a Princess…’
‘The future of the Empire is dark…’
It was then that the situation surrounding the First Princess changed.
“Uhhhhhhh!”
“Aaahh!”
The Princess’s body, who staggered and tried to shake off the hands of the
knights, suddenly tilted. Embarrassingly, she fell towards our side.
The disloyal Baron Naboth sneakily left with a grotesque scream, but I
couldn’t find it in me to escape.
‘Should I take this, or not…’
thoughts passed by.
I was worried about whether it was right to intervene here or not.

It was obvious that there was nothing good about being associated with the
First Princess, who was already falling into hell. It meant that taking a step
back and watching was a more beautiful picture.
‘I think that…’
It was only right to accept it.
Many eyes were watching. Many nobles, and their daughters and wives, were
focused on the scene, so it would not be bad to save her from becoming a
frog.
It was better to show that I had manners rather than not showing any help.
Since anything could happen, physical contact was out of the question.
As I quickly flicked my fingers, a dragon’s palm popped out of the ground

with a crackling sound to catch her.
“Let go of me!”
It was ugly and heartbreaking to see her scream as if she thought that the
knight had gotten her.
While the nobles were looking at her and me with their eyes wide open, the
struggling Charlia leaned on the dragon’s hand and began to calm down after
a long time.
She was all out of stamina.
‘Did she fall asleep?’
As I slowly went to her, I saw her face with her head, furtively raised.
Since she was looking up at me, it looked like she hadn’t fallen asleep yet.
“You…”
“Are you okay? Your Majesty…”

“It’s quite good. What’s your name?”
“You’re quite good-looking.”
A laugh came out of me because I found it all so ridiculous.
‘You’re crawling into the ground.’
She was talking as if she was conversing with a male prostitute.
“You seem to be drunk, Your Majesty. Please sleep. Rest assured that I will
take care of you.”
“Okay. Okay… I’ll try. If I am satisfied, I will give you a thick… gold
coin…”
As she nodded and started to doze off, it seemed that her physical strength
was already at the limit. There was no choice for me but to smile for now.
This was because the Emperor had already begun to look at me in an

apologetic manner.
Even seeing him coming to speak to me directly, it seemed to me that he was

embarrassed to have shown this type of scenario.
“Ahem… I made you see what shouldn’t be seen.”
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. Anyone can make mistakes.”
“Tsk tsk… I can’t even face anyone. Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung… I will
definitely repay you for today.”
“I wasn’t hoping for anything. Haha.”
“Ahem… No.”
“Rather, it is an honor to be able to help, Your Majesty.”

The Second Princess, who was suspected to be the culprit, also seemed to
have thought that this was not a bad finish. She was already busy organizing
and controlling the hall.
In the end, there was only one loser in this commotion.
Charlia was the only victim here, being dragged and leaning onto the knights.
If she was sane, she’d remember the mistakes she made today as soon as she
would wake up tomorrow.
‘She’ll want to run away in embarrassment.’
Princess Charlia had just successfully showed all the delegates here how
hopeless the future of the Empire would be if it were in her hands.
Of course, it was obvious from the beginning, but in this case, I could
confidently say that the victim was a fool.
Rather, if she had generously forgiven the maid, she could have given a
different impression than usual.
Her first mistake was to drink wine without thinking, and the second was that
she let it intoxicate her.
‘She can’t be the Empress.’
Now, the delegates’ opinion of Charlotte would rise.
This was natural, was it not? One was incompetent and a wicked woman, and
the other was meticulous and had a wise king’s qualities.
‘There’s an obvious victor even if they haven’t proclaimed it yet.’
For the future of the Empire, it was obvious as to who would be selected as
the successor.
This stupid Emperor, who continued to talk next to me, seemed to have
already appointed the second Princess, Charlotte, as his successor.
“But I’m glad Charlotte is good with this.”
“Hahaha. She must be very reliable.”
“Yes… She is. My only concern is the stupid thing you saw earlier. I
shouldn’t have brought her today. Tsk…”
“Everyone has their own dark times.”
“Right… Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung is right. Thank you for saying so.
Yes… I should think so…”
It was obvious that, although he was speaking ill of Charlia as if he was

disappointed, it did not mean that he wanted me to do the same.
Even though she had fallen out of favor with the Emperor, she was still his
child and blood.
I thought the words he wanted to hear would be words to relieve his worries,
and I was right.
‘Still, he must like the Second Princess more.’
At this point, the Second Princess had begun to approach us.
She was approaching the way a triumphal general who had already cleared up
everything and won the war would. She already sent back the maid, who
spilled the wine, and the floor was neatly clean. She cleared it out perfectly as
if there had been no commotion from the beginning.
Realizing that she was a competent human being, my heart began to flutter
without my knowledge.
‘Long live, Her Majesty Charlotte!’
Although it was not yet final, I was already ready to serve her to the best of
my ability.
It would take a while as we didn’t get off to a good start, but my efforts
would prove to be satisfying in the end.
When I was about to speak, her gaze fell on me in the same way as one might
appraise a cockroach.
“You worked hard…”
“Your Majesty, it is very late. I think it would be better for me to get going.”
“Right. Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung is…”
“I will express my gratitude instead. I am worried about your health…”
“So, I’ll be doing that.”
Seeing her turning her back on me, completely ignoring my existence, made
my teeth clench.
‘This rotten bitch…’

Chapter 266
“He’s been tamed.”
“… …”
“You should have controlled the old man properly. Anyone can see that the
Emperor seems too friendly, but it’s not unusual for the princess to be wary. I
think I know what kind of person she is just by looking at her. Anyone can
also see that you two don’t match. Rather, she seems to hate you. I don’t
understand. How can she hate someone like you?”
I could be likable to her, but it was definitely different for the princess.
“This time, it’s your mistake. Of course, I didn’t even think that the Emperor
would like you that much.”
“Hmm…”
After the party was over, I couldn’t properly register what Lee Jihye was
saying. Indeed, I couldn’t refute anything.
It would be natural for her to be wary of me since the plans I had for up to a
month or two had ended within the span of one day.
“It’ll be hard for the Princess to beat you, since you’re also a member of the
Eight Seats of the Empire, and considering your relationship with other
nobles and the Pope’s side, it would be even harder. I think there is a high
possibility that she will contact you at the right time.”
“After taming is over?”
“Don’t you think so? She is not stupid enough to push you away just because
you two don’t match. If she’s just doing this because she doesn’t like you,
you can assume that she’s similar to that stupid First Princess. That would
mark the end of this Empire.”
I had to nod.
‘She’s not that stupid.’
There may be many reasons other than the ones Lee Jihye said.
Perhaps the reason was that I maintained a lot of close relations with other
nobles. Perhaps she didn’t want my influence to grow anymore within the
group.
She understood that my valuation would skyrocket if even the next Empress
herself showed favoritism to me.
I’ve already shown a friendly relationship with the Emperor in front of many
people, and everyone knew about my close relationship with the Pope’s side.
She might have thought that minimal inhibitors would have been needed.
‘That’s herself…’
Another reason was that she might’ve thought that the Pope’s side sent me
here.
The Crown and the Pope’s side were basically living together in the same
boat of the Holy Empire, but they were still fighting a subtle power battle.
If she considered the fact that I was approaching the Emperor with a certain
purpose, it would make sense for Charlotte to ignore me.
Well, whatever the reason, the issue was exactly as Lee Jihye said.
‘I have to tame her.’
“You must’ve been pretty annoyed. She will probably and gradually reduce
your political position…”
“You mean cut off my hands and feet?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know if she can do that much… She’ll probably just
crush you only enough to stop you from sticking out like a sore thumb, and
perhaps there will be a secret contact after that. Honestly, your current self is
too big for the Princess to eat. After reducing you to a suitable size, she
would probably swallow you in one bite.”
“This is annoying… I don’t know how long this work will last, and I honestly
don’t like that she’s trying to beat me. Since the Pope’s side or Duchess
Catherine’s a fixed power, there’ll be no problem, but…”
‘I can lose more than that.’
“Are you worried about losing more than that?”
“Right.”
Lee Jihye was like a ghost lurking in my mind and knowing all my thoughts.
“I don’t know. She will probably not do that much. She might want to
compromise properly. If you yield now, you can get bigger things later…
Wouldn’t it be nice to slowly control the Princess after yielding once? It’s
like a frog thrown in a lukewarm place. Oppa, you’re good at that. Pretending
to be on the same side and backstabbing them later on.”
“I’ll accept it as a compliment.”
We indeed had very similar thoughts.
Of course, I also agreed with Lee Jihye in this part.
If I yielded once, there was a possibility that I could change the Princess to
suit my taste.
The supporting forces that the Princess defeated would also come back.
Rather, they may have grown stronger than before.
“Still… To do that, you are…”

“Right. I have a lot of doubts…”
If it was my belief or my pride that she wants to take away or step on, I could
give it to her, but if it was power or something materialistic, I’d be reluctant
to give it up.
“I will never give up on this aspect.”
“So, does that mean you want to fight with the Princess?”
“But to get on the wrong side of the next Empress, it’s a little bit… I’ll have
to find a way. I still have a little time.”
“I thought you would, but… as expected. Is there anything I need to prepare

in advance?”
“Not yet. I have a lot to think about, too. Let’s stop talking about this. I will
tell you if there is anything that comes to mind later. You should also think of
other ways. I’m so annoyed that I’ve already had so many headaches. Oh,
more than that, how was the meal?”
“What meal?”
“At that time, after we went to meet the Emperor, we ate separately.”
“Ah… What are you curious about?”
“I’m curious if Hayan has adapted well.”
“It wasn’t bad. She talked well… She seemed a little annoyed to be separated
from you… she was very depressed.”
“Did anything happen?”
“One of the attendants from Dawan was quite interested in Hayan.”
“What?”
“It was fine until mealtime, but the man slightly touched her shoulder to talk
after it was over…”
“And then?”
“Well, he was just crushed. I don’t know if it was magic, but the room was
distorted, and the man’s arm was crunching. It was a mess. He was
screaming, and I could see the magical power running through his
shoulders… it was fortunate to have a priest among the attendants who came
with him because he would have been crippled.”
“Why are you telling me this now…”
“Of course, we agreed to bury the incident. I didn’t even have time to meet
you. After that, she looked a little embarrassed… I predict that she wouldn’t
even tell you about it. Everyone knows that this could be a problem, so we
decided to pretend that nothing happened. And it’s not like the man didn’t
make a mistake.”
“So, you agreed with her.”
“It’s wrong to touch a lady’s body. Well, we didn’t want things to grow
because she is one of the most powerful wizards in Lindel. That’s why power
is good, right?”
Jung Hayan seemed to be under a little more stress than I thought.
She didn’t show it whenever she was with me, but her dissatisfaction must
have accumulated as her time away from me got even longer.
I had to be grateful that Lee Jihye was helping me around.
‘Because I don’t have time to take care of her.’
I wanted to express my gratitude to Park Yeon-joo, who had agreed to bring

Lee Jihye as an attendant.
‘She seems to adapt well, too…’
Considering that most of the attendants had a strong force, she was adjusting
very well. It even felt like she was more proactive.
Lee Jihye was Lee Jihye, after all.
As if she was conscious that I was looking at her with a strange expression,
she tucked her hair behind her ear and opened her mouth.
“There was no incident other than that. The atmosphere wasn’t good after
that, but what can I do? The top heads are really close. It will probably come
back to normal soon. I think he roughly heard about Jung Hayan. I can tell
just by seeing the change in his attitude.”
“If so, that’s good. If this case ever grows, tell me.”
“It won’t. There’s no need for you to interfere directly… but just have a word
with Hayan. It doesn’t matter that I fixed it, but it honestly scared the hell out
of me.”
“Okay. I’ll warn her.”
“That’s good. Anyway, that’s it, then?”
“Thank you, Nuna.”
“It’s okay. I also gained something. If you need help, just tell me. Oh, and
about the Princess, she’s a must. You have to set the route so that I can
decide how to move.”
“Okay.”
“Then see you next time, my love.”
Lee Jihye stood up, kissed my cheek, and then went out.
Seeing that she didn’t say anything about the ‘body talk’ as usual, it seems
that she felt slightly bothered by Jung Hayan and the scene that Hayan had
caused.
‘It must have been a surprise.’

I thought that maybe Jung Hayan’s face was more memorable than the
shattered hand of that stupid man.
Even I, who was always with Jung Hayan, couldn’t get used to the face she
made whenever she was really annoyed.
‘I need to have a word with her.’
I remember that when I asked, she definitely said not much has happened.
Even though it was fixed now, she had lied, so it would be right to give her a
warning. I had a feeling that I’d been letting her loose too much lately.
Since we’d be seeing each other less from now on, it would not be bad to take
her to the woodshed.
Just in time, I could hear the door opening and closing.
It was obvious who it was, so I immediately opened my mouth.
“Come and sit down.”
It was natural to show a different voice than usual.
It only worked when I showed that I was very angry. An uncertain attitude
did not work anymore with Jung Hayan, who had gotten cleverer.
Probably by now, she was wondering about whether she should come in or
not, reflecting on her mistakes.
“Didn’t I tell you not to lie?”
She was definitely wondering. Perhaps something had come to her mind.
“No. Rather, stand at the door and answer. I don’t want to see your face right
now.”
If I saw her crying, I would get soft.
It was hard to hear, but by now, it was clear that she was shedding thick tears.
However, it was then that a different voice was heard.
“Er… Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Uh…”
The visitor was not Jung Hayan, but Kim Hyunsung. It felt like my face
turned red instantly. Kim Hyunsung looked at me, sticking his neck.
He seemed to think that he had done something wrong, but seeing my face;
he realized that he had misunderstood.
However, he was wondering if it was okay to come in without having figured

it out.
“I’m sorry. Come and sit down. I thought you were Hayan…”
“Oh, no. It’s fine. Rather, I’m sorry. I’m the one who came so suddenly.”
We were both embarrassed. It was hard to fix the gaze. In this case, it was
only right to go straight to the point.
Kim Hyunsung nodded as if he was thinking the same, and when I saw that, I
had to speak right away.
“Has anything happened…?”
“Oh. I have a little… Well… I don’t know what to say. I came here for a
personal request.”
“Yes. Please tell me anything.”
‘If he asks, I have to do it.’
If I were to think about it, Kim Hyunsung never asked me to do something

directly. For some reason, I was proud, and I began to feel curious since I
couldn’t figure out what he needed.
It was also strange that he had something to ask suddenly at this timing.
Kim Hyunsung looked quite serious.
The awkward atmosphere suddenly disappeared.
It felt like he continued to worry while trying to speak. He seemed to keep

thinking about whether his judgment was correct.
And then, with an embarrassed expression, he spoke.
“I want to stop the Second Princess Charlotte from becoming the Empress.”
Chapter 267
‘What is this suddenly?’
Anyone could see that it was an embarrassing request.
I kind of knew that our lovely returner was thinking about something, but I
couldn’t imagine it would be this.
‘Why?’
When my expression shifted into doubt, Hyunsung continued talking. I didn’t

ask why, but he had noticed my skepticism by himself.
Of course, he couldn’t seem to be able to explain in detail. I couldn’t blame

him – he couldn’t just straight up confess that he’d come from the first
timeline.
“I’m sorry… I hope you don’t ask why. I will return this favor…”
“No. You don’t even have to think of it as a favor. You must have a reason. If
it’s something that helps the guild or our party…”
“No. It’s nothing like that. It’s personal…”
He could’ve just said it was for the guild, but when I saw him drawing a line
with this personal thing, I thought that this was so like him.
‘Tsk tsk.’
Of course, it was personal.
Charlotte was wary of me, but considering the Holy Empire as a whole, her
becoming Empress was the only way to go for this Empire.
The current Emperor was a shameful figure to even be called an Emperor,
and the First Princess, Charlia, was crazy.
Of course, it was easier for me to handle the Emperor or the First Princess,
but if I considered the Empire’s development to be more important, I would
unconditionally exercise a vote for Charlotte.
‘I don’t even need to exercise it.’
Charlotte was practically next in line for Empress.
The First Princess was a troublemaker of this insane imperial family, and the
succession structure was limited. The Emperor also seemed to think of
Charlotte as his successor, so unless a twist happened, she would safely rise
to the throne.
‘And she may already have…’
Charlotte was likely the Empress even in the first round. No, it was not just a
probability.
The fact that Kim Hyunsung said he wanted to prevent her from becoming
Empress was in line with the saying that the First Empress had been her.
I didn’t know why Kim Hyunsung didn’t want her to become Empress, but I
had two guesses.
‘Will she go crazy?’
The first was if Charlotte would become the worst tyrant ever in the future. It
was not impossible.
Considering that she tried to ostracize Charlia, she was not a nice person,
either.
Although her characteristic and disposition were closer to goodness, she

didn’t hesitate to swing her sword against those who she judged to be her
enemy.
It was not unusual for her to become a blood-crazy Empress, given her cold
appearance.
For Kim Hyunsung, who must lead the second round successfully, it was
natural that he did not want to entrust the country to the tyrant of the first
round.
However, looking at his face, I thought that this speculation had to be put
aside.
There was no hatred toward her in his face.
‘He may be hiding it, but…’
I had a strong feeling that he was feeling sorry for her.
The second one that can be guessed was the miserable life of Empress
Charlotte.
If she couldn’t bear the crown’s weight, whether she felt ashamed of herself
or her becoming an Empress, it would have been miserable.
Charlotte herself may have regretted she ascended to the throne, and Kim
Hyunsung may have watched it.
I didn’t know their story, but I thought that the second guess might fit when I
saw him asking me without malice.
If not…
‘What if the First Princess becomes an all-time high Empress?’
No matter how I think, it was not the third guess.
The First Princess I saw was a crazy bitch full of ego and poison and was a
hopeless fool.
If this was the case, Kim Hyunsung should have said that he wanted to make
the First Princess Empress before saying he wanted to prevent the Second
Princess from becoming Empress.
No matter how I would think about it, the third was out of the question. The
probability lied in either my first or second guess.
It seemed like it wouldn’t be a bad idea to talk about this first.
“Is there anything I don’t know about?”
“Ah… a little…”
“I see. Actually, I’m talking about it for the first time, but the Second
Princess Charlotte was hostile to me as well. It would certainly be difficult if
such a person became the Empress.”
“Yes. You’re right. That’s why.”
“I’ll do it perfectly so she can’t come back again…”
“Oh, you don’t have to. As moderate as possible… I’ll be satisfied if she
doesn’t become the Empress.”
‘It’s the second.’
The second was indeed correct. Kim Hyunsung favored Charlotte.
Even though he could be favorable because she was a bloody Empress in the
first round, these speculations were now meaningless.
The important thing was that Kim Hyunsung did not want to make the
Second Princess Empress.
“I understand what you want. I also understand you can’t answer the
questions.”
“Not at all. There are many things that I have received so far, so I have to pay
back… and we are colleagues after all.”
“That means…”
He looked very touched.
The more requests like this, the better.
Just in time, I should have set a course. I was thinking about her, too.
It wasn’t bad that I felt like Kim Hyunsung opened the way, but it was true
that my head hurt when I were to think about quarreling with the Second
Princess.
Naturally, it would be almost impossible to end it well.
There would be friction in any way, and even if I assume I’ll win this
dogfight, Charlotte was likely to get hurt.
‘I don’t care, but…’
The question was whether Kim Hyunsung would tolerate it. It was natural to
check with him before starting work, and when I opened my mouth quietly,
there was a moment of silence.
“You must have expected it, but it won’t end well.”
But it looked like he has already made up his mind.
“Okay. Please, do so.”
He looked a little bit bitter, but I was able to set my mind right.
‘Charlotte is an enemy.’
There were absolutely no personal bad feelings left. If it wasn’t for Kim
Hyunsung’s words, there was a high possibility that I would have taken the
Charlotte route without difficulty.
That was the reasonable decision with the biggest gain.
The reason I came to think this way, however, was because of Kim
Hyunsung. I couldn’t help but smile.
***
Thanks to that, my daily life, which was already busy, became a little busier.
It was obvious why.
I had to organize yesterday’s work.
I already told Lee Jihye the route I would move, and she nodded without
saying anything as if she had expected it.
I heard, ‘I knew you would. That’s how Lee Kiyoung works,’ but it was not
because of personal bad feelings.
Although it seemed she misunderstood, it would be better if Lee Jihye moved

with a strong will.
Of course, Lee Jihye wasn’t the only one who moved quickly.
For some reason, even Cha Hee-ra said, ‘As expected, honey. If you need
anything, tell me,” and with that, she said she would help; and Yuno
Kasugano obviously decided to cooperate with me.
Even the rest of Blue wasn’t still.
Kim Hyunsung was a little more motivated than usual, and he was able to
entrust a few things to Jung Hayan.
In the meantime, I was also running around and promoting meetings with
influential nobles.
It was the usual schedule, but, naturally, the inside story was different.
If the meetings until now were to maintain a close relationship, this time, I
had to use the close ties I had gained.
It meant that, since I’d tapped the anvil and hammer, it was time to pull out
the finished knife and swing it.
Of course, the finished weapons were waiting for me to judge who the enemy
was, and once I did, I thought there might be repercussions.
Anyone could see that the Second Princess’s position was solid, and turning
my back on her was like turning away from power.
‘Duchess Catherine… and the Count Castle Rock.’
They might be reluctant.
No matter how close we maintained our friendly relationship, throwing a dice

saying that they were hostile to Charlotte would still be hard.
Of course, the Pope’s side would support me, but considering that the
Imperial Family and the Pope’s side were not very involved in each other,
there was a high possibility that my position as Honorary Bishop would not
be utilized.
‘It’s hard…’
Charlotte might not know that I was hostile to her. But sooner or later, she
would.
‘I have to choose the route well.’
To be honest, I’ve already thought of a way.
No, the options were limited, anyway. It was either I go right into Charlotte’s
camp and troll it to divide the camp completely…
‘Or I make Charlia the Empress…’
Honestly, I was reluctant about them both, but there was no other option.
‘The other way is treason.’
I didn’t want my neck to be cut off by the guillotine, so I couldn’t help it.
In the meantime, since Charlotte was wary of me, doing this was out of the
question.
In the end, I had no choice but to choose the latter, but this was, in a sense, a
disaster for the Empire.
Perhaps Kim Hyunsung took this into account and had asked me the favor.
In fact, to stop the Second Princess from becoming Empress was the same as
telling me to make the First Princess the Empress.
‘So, he means that it doesn’t matter if the Empire collapses?’
Or, he must have believed that I could control the First Princess.
Of course, even if I set up Charlia’s camp, the problem would lie after that.
The First Princess was still an imperial nuisance, and many nobles had turned
their backs to her.
She had no support base, and she was not capable.
‘It will be tougher than I thought.’
It was not just tough. However, I had to choose the most obvious option.
While I was about to meet Charlia, who wanted to thank me for the last party,
I saw the maids’ faces at the place where the First Princess stayed, leaving
me to think about her characteristic more and more.
‘Cra—zy.’
All of the maids I encountered looked terrified, and they were extremely
nervous that something would happen. It was obvious as to how she usually
treated her subordinates.
I bet that there would be no good days for the maids who lived here.
‘Real trash.’
It was also true that I was slightly nervous.
Originally, I wanted to avoid being associated with Charlia as much as

possible, but what could I do in this situation?
‘I have to face it once.’
“E-er… Your Majesty. L-L… Lee Kiyoung-nim has come.”
After the voice of the maid, who was shivering, a voice brighter than I
thought came out from the inside.
“Really? Tell him to come in.”
“Okay, Your Majesty.”
It was a very different voice from yesterday.
It sounded a bit sharp, but I would not be mistaken that it sounded more
careful than I thought.
After the door opened, what I saw was Charlia waiting for me in the parlor
with her hair and make-up done.
I don’t know if it was because of my characteristic, but her eyes, looking at

me, were full of favor.
It was a spectacle to see her smiling with a shy face.
It was enough to doubt my eyes if she was the same person as the woman I
saw yesterday.
“I am Charlia.”
Chapter 268
Her platinum hair, considered a symbol of the royal family, was stretched,
and her high-rise nose and long eyelashes were surely considered a beauty.
It may be because they were of the same blood, and although I can see that
she resembles Charlotte overall, they had differences on the face.
Of course, the impression itself was not that good.
She continued to smile, but even so, it didn’t mean that her vicious nature
would dissipate.
In fact, what stood out more than her face was what she was wearing.
‘How much is all that?’
Upon seeing that she was adorned with all kinds of jewels that anyone would
think were gorgeous, my eyes widened.
Rings with large jewels and rings with elaborate carving patterns were placed
on her fingers, and the small earrings on her ears were reflected by the light
coming through the window and shimmered.
The gorgeous necklace, enough to think that her neck might get stiff, was
located in the center of her exposed chest.
The dress she was wearing was not ordinary by any means. It wasn’t a brand
I knew, but that was why it was more valuable. It must be a dress made by a
famous designer in the kingdom.
What was a little peculiar was that her upper body’s exposure was
considerable, but it didn’t feel vulgar.
Overall, I felt like she was being too much, but I couldn’t deny that this
suited her well.
As I looked at her, realizing that the introduction was late, I quietly bowed
and opened my mouth.
Inwardly, I thought that tens of thousands of hungry people would be able to

eat to the fullest by selling just one of the things she was wearing, but there
was no way I could show this.
“Of course, I know you. Honorary Bishop Kiyoung Lee. I’m thinking of
having some tea, do you…?”
“Anything simple is fine.”
“You’ve heard it, right?”
“Yes, yes, Your Majesty.”
Charlia looked at the maid to see if she had heard it, and she trembled and
answered.
‘By the way, this one also has a brazen-faced…’
Even though she looked like a fool when I first saw her, looking at her
pretending to be a normal person was indeed funny.
It didn’t look bad, as it meant that she could at least judge what was right and
what was wrong, but it looked ridiculous for the maids.
Contrary to what I thought that I had to wait a bit, two glasses were served
along with several kinds of refreshments as soon as the maid went out.
‘It’s very fast.’
Some things had been arranged on the table beforehand, but several maids
still stuck to the table.
Unlike their anxious expressions, their body didn’t have an inch of error like
a well-trained soldier.
Even though there were already more than ten types of refreshments on the
table, more refreshments were constantly popping up.
The maid, pouring tea slowly into an empty cup, looked to be praying for the
taste of this tea to suit my taste.
The maid who was pouring the cup to the First Princess seemed to be praying
not to make a mistake.
As I naturally raised the cup, as usual, the maids’ faces focused on me.
‘It’s so uncomfortable.’
It was obvious why. They may be wondering if the tea suited my taste.
If I said something negative here, the handmaids’ wrists may be blown away.
As I quietly nodded and opened my mouth, I saw two of them grabbing their
chests as I expected.
“It tastes good. Of course, the scent is good, too.”
“I’m glad that it suits your taste. I was worried that it wouldn’t.”
“It’s definitely new, but it’s good. It feels like it calms me down… and it
feels like it makes me drowsy, too. There is also a feeling that it’s warming
my body.”
“It’s a tea that was brought from the faraway Elven Kingdom.”
“Ohh. Is that so?”
‘Elven Kingdom, my ass.’
When I felt something in my body, I looked at the tea in my hand, and the
additives in the tea began to shine.
[Rafflesia’s Petals (Common)]
‘Aphrodisiac.’
It was so ridiculous that I wanted to laugh.
‘This crazy woman.’
Her plan to pretend to call me to express an apology and gratitude was

ridiculous.
She used very small amounts to make it inconspicuous, but it was obvious as
to what her purpose was.
My heart rate gradually increased, and the woman in front of me suddenly

looked more attractive.
As I continued to look at her with the Mind’s Eye, I realized that tea was not
the only thing that contained aphrodisiac ingredients.
It was also mixed with Charlia’s body and scent. To put it simply, it was
filling up this large room little by little.
I didn’t know if she wanted to take more time to explore each other, but if the
quantity was this much, it seemed that she wanted to make me look at her as
a woman.
‘Is she influenced?’
Not all crazy girls seemed to be influenced by my unique characteristic, but

this Princess seemed to have a pretty big crush on me.
Putting her characteristic aside, she must have heard that I had defended her
in front of the Emperor.
‘I guess I can use her…’
However, this method made me uncomfortable.

I wasn’t that much affected because I had a pretty strong immunity to the
drug, but seeing her continuously give out suggestive signals was a little
annoying.
The scent from her body kept tickling me, and she was attractive enough.
My gaze kept moving toward her chest, and there was also a desire to kiss her
vicious face.
However, obviously, I couldn’t do that. Honestly, I didn’t want to get

involved in anything other than work with her.
And the Anemone’s eyes that suddenly popped up was bothering me, too.
‘Why are there so many things bothering me?’
However, I had no choice but to keep complaining.
Contrary to me, who had many complex thoughts, Charlia slightly bowed her
head as if she felt that things were going well.
“I should have told you this first… I would like to apologize for being rude
the other day formally. Of course, I also want to thank you for helping me
after that…”
It seems that she received such education as she spoke to me like a graceful
royal family. I had to take it in moderation, too.
To her, what happened that day would be a shameful incident that she would
want to erase.
However, it would be advantageous to be more honest with each other for

future conversations.
“It’s fine. It’s not something to apologize for, and I didn’t give great help to
hear this. Anyone can make mistakes… and I’m sure you were having a hard
time. No, before that, I can also understand why the Princess couldn’t hold
her anger.”
I could see she was disconcerted.
However, as if it was hard to say that she agreed with me, she probably
thought that she should start with excuses.
Of course, this was not the kind of reaction I wanted.
“Ah. It’s not that I couldn’t hold my anger… I was too…”
“No. Since the dress you wore for an important party was ruined. It was also
because of a maid’s mistake. Of course, I understand. Yes.”
“No, I was having a hard time then… To be precise, it wasn’t that I couldn’t
control myself…”
She kept playing coy with me. I had to talk more honestly since she still
couldn’t seem to catch the point.
It was because it seemed that she could only understand it by speaking

openly.
“Princess, I’m not that good a person.”
“It literally means that. To be honest, I am a very bad person. Even if you had
your maid’s neck cut off at that place that day, I wouldn’t have cared that
much. I am a selfish person, and… if only me and the people around me were
okay, it didn’t really matter what happens with anybody.”
“… …”
“Oh! I am like Charlia-nim.”
“What does it mean to say that we are the same…?”
“I’m also a person who has to give a disadvantage to the person who has
harmed me in some way to be satisfied. I bet, if the same thing happened to
me at the party, I could be laughing on the outside, but I’d be thinking
differently on the inside.”
“… …”
“It’s hard to hold in one’s anger. In such a situation… you have to pay it back
right away when you are annoyed enough. It certainly makes me feel better
when I see the person who raised my anger on his knees…”
Despite having said this much, it was a spectacle to see that she was acting
coy to the end.
That would be natural. She was suspicious of my intention in saying this.
That wasn’t all. It was a small amount, but seeing that she had used an
aphrodisiac, I could at least tell she had a crush on me.
It was not easy to reveal her inner self to such a person.
“I’m joking.”
“Ah… Er, as I heard, you have a great sense of humor.”
She then forced out a laugh.
I quietly put down the tea and spoke once more.
“It seems rude, but… I will be going now.”
“What?”
“I received the words of an apology and gratitude properly and… I have an

appointment with the Emperor.”
“S-So quickly…”
“After drinking, the tea doesn’t seem to fit my taste… I will make time again
around tomorrow.”
“Ah!”
She seemed disconcerted as I stood up right away.
Seeing that her face was distorted momentarily, it seemed that she found it
actually difficult to hold in her anger.
It was obvious. The attitude I had shown right now was downright rude.
Nevertheless, seeing that she still refused to show her true personality, she
still must be trying to reel herself in.
It now seemed that she had resentment toward the person who ruined today’s
meeting, but I didn’t care.
After getting up and showing good manners, I turned my back and the maids
who were waiting outside quickly passed by me and went inside.
The door was firmly closed, and the faces of the maids waiting outside turned
pale.
‘They think I ruined it.’
There was no sound from the inside as if soundproofing magic was in place,
but I thought I could see what would happen.
She must be screaming, ‘that damn bastard.’
If I weren’t the one she was angry with, I thought she would be pouring her
anger elsewhere.
After counting only 10 seconds, I turned around and headed back to the
already closed room, and I saw the maids’ faces more embarrassed than
before.
“Charlia, Your Majesty! It’s Lee Kiyoung-nim!”
I cast a simple spell that I had memorized beforehand.
“Silence.”
“Mmm!”
I could see the maid touching her neck with no voice.
“Now, w-what rudeness… Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung. If you are going
to visit the Princess again, I-I will tell your intention to the Princess first.”
Crack! Craaackk!
The dragon’s tail protruding from the floor blocked the mouth of the maid
trying to speak.
When I opened the Princess’s room door with my own hands, I saw the
scenery I expected.
The first thing I heard was the voice of the Princess.
Slap!
I’ve heard it before came along with the voice of a terrified maid.
“I told you… I told you to make sure there weren’t any mistakes in serving
the guests. I’ve said that again and again! Didn’t I! Say it! He’s an important
guest!”
“K-Kill me. Please kill me, Your Majesty.”
“All right! If that’s your wish… Ah.”
The splendid event that took place in less than a minute after I went outside is
a spectacle.
One of the maids who entered had already red cheeks, and the one who was
on her face was rubbing her palms.
The Princess, who couldn’t figure out what to do while looking at them and
with me alternately, looked embarrassed.
In the silence that entered the room for a moment, I gradually opened my
mouth.
“My prediction was correct. No matter how I think, the Princess and I seem
to be the same.”
Of course, that crazy woman and I were not the same kinds of trash.
‘We’re not the same. Absolutely. I’m not that trashy.’

Chapter 269
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Chapter 269: Like Father, Like Daughter (1)
I could see Charlia’s face turning pale.
Of course, she would be embarrassed. She had wanted to look good to me,
and her plan had backfired.
The same went for the two maids. They had no idea what the hell was going
on.
In the first place, there was nothing they could do except to tremble.
Charlia tried to open her mouth to see if she could fix this somehow, but the
situation was so strange for a proper excuse to come out.
The circumstance was obvious to anyone, and she was between the devil and
the deep blue sea.
“S-so, this is… this is…”
“Oh, I don’t care. You don’t have to explain. As I thought about it, it was just
time to eat, so I just wondered if we could have dinner together. First of all,
you shouldn’t let this stay like this, so it would be a good idea to clear the
room a little. Please also clean up outside the door. Before entering, I used a
little rough method…”
“Ah…”
“And I sincerely apologize for the rudeness a while ago, Your Majesty. I
think it would be a good idea to reveal each other’s inner feelings a little
more when having a deeper conversation. I thought it couldn’t be helped.”
“No… No…”
“I will serve Your Majesty, so I would like you to prepare the dinner.”
When I lifted the two maids who were still lying on their faces, I saw them
hesitate.
They were watching out for Charlia, but she nodded quietly, and I saw them
disappearing outside.
“The tea was delicious.”
“T-that’s fortunate.”
“Your Majesty Charlia, you don’t have to be so embarrassed.”
“Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung-nim, just now, that was…”
“I know everything. You were correcting the underling’s mistake.”
“Ah… Yes. Yes. That’s right.”
“I said it before, but it’s understandable enough. You may be upset because
there is a disruption in your guest service. If I had been in your position, I
would have been angry, too.”
“Yes. You’re right.”
“In the first place, there are humans who understand even you speak to them
once, and there are humans who do not. It’s not unusual for them to be
punished since they did not listen to the words of Your Majesty…”
“Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung-nim is…”
“Yes?”
“You really understand me.”
“Yes. Didn’t I tell you earlier? We are the same kind.”

I could see her thinking hard. She had only noticed that I was armed with
goodwill rather than evil will.
She seemed to think that it was now okay to be a little more honest. I felt her
glancing at me carefully.
“There are many who lack a little.”
“That’s it… they are different from the Princess.”
“Most are stupid…”
“Ah, is that so?”
“Where is that descent going…? Once I say it, they can’t understand it
properly. I always get stressed because they’ve annoyed me more than once.”
As she spoke excitedly, her face looked like she had met an old friend. I
nodded, going along with her words.
“Hmmm. You can… Of course, you can think like that.”
“Of course, it hurts me to do this, too, but in order to discipline them…”
“It is necessary… necessary. It can’t be helped.”
However, this didn’t mean that Charlia dropped all her pretenses.
It seemed that she was trying to go with the ‘correcting the discipline’ topic,
but she was at least honest enough that it could not be compared to before.
Meanwhile, dinner began to be prepared.
Since I told her in advance that we would eat here, not a restaurant, the
appetizer had come, with the maids looking extremely tense.
They were different people than the ones from before, but their hands were
also trembling.
However, they thought it was fortunate that the Princess had on a big smile.
“Actually, I heard about you from my father.”
“I’m curious about what he said. I am worried that His Majesty might have
said something about me again.”
“Ah! Nothing like that. That you defended my mistake… that… what
happened that day….”
“Haha. The word defense is not appropriate. I just said the right thing.”
“I don’t know if it’s because of that, but my father asked me several times.”
“What…”
“Make sure to make a time to apologize to Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung…

Of course, it wasn’t because of my father that Lee Kiyoung was brought here.
At that time, I wanted to talk to you about my mistakes once again, and most
of all, my personal curiosity toward Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung was
big…”
“Aha…”
“I feel like you’re a better person than I first thought of, seeing you in person
like this.”
This line sounded a bit ominous. It was especially embarrassing to hear that
the Emperor had talked about this with Charlia first.
Of course, it should be done, but I was worried that he might think differently
inwardly.
“I wonder what kind of curiosity you have. But I understand. Most nobles are
also very interested in us, summoners, especially now that I was appointed as
one of the Eight Imperial Seats. Maybe an adventure journal…”
“As a matter of fact, I was able to read the journal from the Blue Guild for a
moment yesterday.”
“Hahahaha. That’s an honor. By the way, this is really a coincidence. In fact,

I also wanted to see Your Majesty Charlia.”
“What?”
“I wanted to see what it would be like to chat, but who knew that the
opportunity would come in this way? Haha.”
While we were talking, the meal continued.
When I stopped talking for a moment and looked at the maid, I saw those
who opened their mouths as if they were waiting.
It seemed like they were waiting for the right timing to continue to say
something, and I guess I had just helped.
“Er… Your Majesty, the steak.”
“Rare.”
“I would like the same thing as the First Princess.”
“Okay.”
“You can bring dessert an hour later. I think the conversation will take a little
longer.”
“Yes. I understand.”
In fact, although I liked it well-done, I wanted to give the impression that I

was like the Princess.
When the barely-cooked red meat came out, I was a little embarrassed about
how to eat it.
Blood was gathered on the plate of the Princess, who was familiar with the
cutting.
I didn’t know if it was because of my mood, but I found the sound and the
texture grotesque. Still, I pretended that this was nothing.
Charlia, who had cut a piece of steak like that, opened her mouth again after
the maids left.
Seeing that the cuts weren’t taken to her mouth, it seemed that she was
curious about the story from before rather than in the food.
“Er… Excuse me, but can I hear what you want to talk about?”
“Haha. It’s not a big deal. Actually, this is something about the imperial
family…”
“I’m sorry?”
“I hope you listen without misunderstanding. Charlia-nim, I don’t want this

summoner to judge or gossip about the imperial family. I just want to hear
what you think of the Second Princess Charlotte.”
“I’ve heard that the Second Princess is secretly dominating this Holy
Empire.”
“Who said such thoughtless words?!!!”
“It seems that the great and wise Emperor left many things to the 2nd
Princess after his health had deteriorated. Influential aristocrats also were
seen moving with the Second Princess. Although she is actually outstanding
in her abilities, no, I am afraid that I might sound like blaspheming the
imperial family.”
“No, Honorary Bishop. You can keep talking.”
“Ahem… Actually, there have been many proposals for us, too…”
Of course, it was a lie. No proposal has ever come our way.
“C-can you tell me in details? When you say us…”
“Oh. It was only secretly said to a few members of the Eight Seats, but after
the Emperor dies, it seemed that she wished for us to be on her side. I don’t
know if I can say this, but… it feels like she is being hostile to you.”
I wasn’t wrong, though. This would definitely happen sooner or later.
It seemed that the Princess in front of me also had no intention of revealing

what the truth was. In fact, she wouldn’t even have the ability to uncover it
for herself.
When I saw her muttering ‘Charlotte… Charlotte,’ it seemed that her anger
toward her younger sister had filled her head.
“So, the answer is…”
“It is still on hold, but in fact, in our Eight Seats of the Empire’s case, we are
refraining from entering the politics of the Holy Empire as much as possible.
Foreigners have foreigners’ lives. However, Her Majesty Charlotte did not
seem to like us very much for keeping a lukewarm attitude. I don’t think she
has a bad temper with the stories that are going around in public, but it’s hard
to believe it because there are many fake stories these days.”
“Yes… Yes. You’re right. The Second Princess Charlotte… No, the
evaluation of that sneaky whore has already been fabricated. Yes. Absolutely.
Everyone is being deceived.”
“What?”
“It’s embarrassing to say, but she’s a bitch with bad demeanors. We

shouldn’t have accepted her as a Princess since she was born an illegitimate
daughter after eating her mother’s poor blood. It was something everyone
was concerned about. Yes, it was. I knew that her greed would reach the sky,
but as soon as she became a member of the imperial family, she showed off
her ambition by bewitching my father.”
“Hmm…”
“She says she is not interested in men, but my ears hurt with her voice that I
hear every time I pass by the place where she lives as she brings several men
to the palace. Blood cannot be deceived. Yes. Absolutely. She always smiles
in front of people, but you don’t know how much dirty stuff she does in the
back… I can’t even explain everything in words.”
I expected it, but once she started to talk about Charlotte, it felt like she
wasn’t paying attention to me.
It was natural that a short mealtime was not enough for her to vomit
resentment for the Second Princess. I couldn’t help but smile.
This was because it sounded like the saying, ‘the pot calling the kettle black.’
“That damn bitch. A loach is defiling the imperial family and damaging its
authority. I cannot see the faces of the ancestral emperors. And my father, my
father is my father. How, how can he… value that dirty… more than me…”
Not only was her fist trembling, but she was biting her lips tightly.
The pleasant atmosphere from before now felt like a lie.
She had bloodshot eyes and was shedding tears from how resentful she was.
Of course, those tears weren’t pure tears that truly worried about the imperial
family.
These tears stemmed purely from jealousy.
It was full of anger, obstinacy, and malice toward Charlotte, who had what
she could not have. Her resentment was this big.
It was no wonder that I sneakily gave her a handkerchief. As she wiped the
tears, I could see her leaning back as if she was surprised.
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
“Lee Kiyoung-nim is… kind.”

‘What?’
It was a line that sounded dangerous for some reason. As I felt like she would
use this opportunity to have an intimate moment with me, I pulled back
immediately.
“It’s nothing. I couldn’t even dream that such a thing was happening. After
all, it seems that there are more lies than truth in the words of the public.
Haha.”
“What?”
“In fact, I have heard rumors about the First Princess… Yes. Definitely, most
were bad reviews. But looking at you like this, you seem to be quite different.
You are more than anyone else who thinks about the imperial family and is
intelligent, and you are beautiful, gentle, and strong. The wisdom, words, and
actions you have made me feel like I’m seeing the incarnation of the Goddess
Benigore…”
“Ah…”
“I dare say…”
“Yes…”
“I feel like you are really close to the next Empress.”
As I took a bite of the cut meat, I felt the taste of raw meat that had not been
cooked properly.
Charlia, who has heard me and was smiling widely, quietly nodded, and
swallowed the food.
I didn’t know if it was because of the sweetest flattery in the world or

because the cold meat tasted better than she thought, but I could see Charlia
shivering softly with pleasure.
‘Like father, like daughter.’

Chapter 270
I was not sure what the poor blood and the royal blood she was talking about
were, but I had to admit only one thing.
The First Princess in front of my eyes properly inherited the blood of the
Emperor.
It seemed that even a little flattery worked wonders for her.
As if she couldn’t remember ever being praised, I couldn’t get used to how
she quivered her body every time I said sweet words.
Her face didn’t necessarily need another modifier.
‘Will it really be okay with her?’
Among the numerous compliments and flattery, the First Princess was most
eager to respond to words that flattered her more than Charlotte.
As expected, her favorite sentences were the ones that contained ‘than the
Second Princess.’
It was almost like a magic sentence.
I think you’re more beautiful than the Second Princess. You’re more
intelligent. You’re the exact opposite of what I’ve heard in the city.
However, the stupid Charlia has somehow managed to catch up that, in my

long-standing praise, I was praising her more than the Second Princess.
‘This, she understands well.’
My face, smiling widely, seemed that I was blitzed. She seemed to feel this
kind of compliment sweeter than anything else.
‘Of course, she would.’
I had learned a lot while talking with her.
First, the mother of the Second Princess was a commoner.
The second was that, thanks to the clever Second Princess, the First Princess
had begun to fall apart, little by little.
‘I understand.’
One day, suddenly, a commoner’s bloodline was appointed as the Second

Princess and monopolized her father’s love.
The Second Princess was very clever when she talked, and she began to show
her outstanding talent in many different fields.
For the First Princess, it was natural that she would think of it as absurd.
As opposed to her stat talents that almost looked like crap, the Second
Princess had an overwhelmingly high proportion of heroic-grade or higher
stats, so it was obvious how much she blamed herself in her childhood.
[Acquisition of Basic Swordsmanship Knowledge]
[Acquisition of Basic Magic Knowledge]
[Acquisition of Basic Constitution Knowledge]
[Acquisition of Basic Training Knowledge]
[Acquisition of Basic Military Knowledge]
[Acquisition of Basic Refinement Knowledge]
[Acquisition of Basic Alchemy Knowledge]

[Acquisition of Basic Spirit Knowledge]
The most striking part of her status window was the several acquisitions of
basic knowledge. In addition to this fact, the knowledge she had acquired was
countless. The reason was simple.
I could affirm that there was nothing that the First Princess hadn’t done in her
childhood. I could see that she struggled desperately in her own way.
If swordsmanship didn’t work, then it was magic. If magic didn’t work, it

was military knowledge, and if that didn’t work either, it was spirit.
Nevertheless, it was clear that her collapsed like a sandcastle when compared
to the Second Princess’s talents.
Needless to say, I could imagine what that little girl must have felt at that
time.
The First Princess must have gotten on the perverse line after that. In the end,
she stayed in the palace, drinking heavily and harassing her maids.
Of course, these stories were thoroughly described in Charlia’s view.
I bet that the life of the Second Princess could not have been so smooth,
considering Charlia’s characteristics and temper.
‘She must have bullied her persistently.’
She may even have gone beyond simple bullying.
She may have faced the threat of possible assassination, and it would have
been routine for her to have red cheeks.
Considering how evil this vicious villain could become, the Second Princess
must have grown up with bloody tears through her childhood, too.
This was a story of the heroine Charlotte, who had become stronger by
standing up even when she was stepped on, and the villain Charlia, who tried
to step on her.
This story was becoming the separation of good and evil, and it must have
been moving toward a conclusion.
‘Until I intervene.’
Right. Until I intervened.
Charlotte, who was persistent, had grown enough to have the imperial family
under her control. It was time to relieve the frustration she had since
childhood, and the situation was actually still going on.
Currently, there was nothing left for the First Princess Charlia. Charlotte cut
off her hands and feet and took all the authority to exert influence.
The stupid First Princess probably wouldn’t know what kind of situation she
was in until she had a sword right to her neck.
‘But…’
It didn’t mean that there was hope.
It was good that the legitimacy belonged to the First Princess.
Charlia hadn’t even started, but she wasn’t too late.
As we continued to talk, Charlia spoke, gently wiping her tears from laughing
too much.
“I don’t know when was the last time I’ve laughed like today. I laughed so
hard that I almost cried.”
“Hahahaha. Me, too. This was a lot more fun than I thought, Your Majesty.”
“I didn’t notice it was dark already… If it’s okay for you, I’ll give you a
separate room, so why don’t you rest here today? I want to talk more with
Honorary Bishop…”
“It’s fine, Your Majesty. If I could, I would stay here talking all night long,
but it’ll probably be troublesome to the First Princess. You know how the
public eye is…”
“Ahhh…”
“They’ll be making a lot of noise everywhere. It doesn’t matter if my image

gets bad, but I don’t want the Princess to become word-of-mouth.”
“The public eye…”
“You have to be careful. The masses are the kind of people who believe only
what they see. Even if we were only talking about the Empire’s future,
today’s meeting wouldn’t look that way for some dirty-minded people. I want
to protect Your Majesty.”
“Ah…”
“Maybe it will be the same in other aspects besides this.”
“There will be many stupid people who don’t understand Your Majesty’s will
to correct her discipline. You should think carefully about the difference
between the Second Princess and you. Humans need to have two faces in
order to be favored by the public.”
“… …”
“Of course, I understand the version of the innocent Princess Charlia, but…
just as the taste varies depending on how you cook good ingredients, the
information that is passed on to the public also depends on how you cook it.
As I spent time with the Princess, I could see how broadminded you are, but
how could your countrymen, who know nothing, dare to measure the size of
the sea.”
“Ah… Thank you.”
“The stupid ones should also be able to gauge your intelligence and
refinement. It is not the imperial discipline that matters to them. The most
important thing is what they see.”
She probably knew better than to act recklessly.
However, her fiery temper was not stopping the anger and stubbornness that
came from within.
“I think… that Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung is right. Yes. That’s right.
Stupid people believe in what they see. Nobody cares about things that they
cannot see.”
“Yes. Sometimes you have to wear a mask that suits the public. Ahem… I
will be honest.”
“You can talk…”
“I want to get on the same boat as Charlia.”
“Ah!”
“Actually, I intended to watch a little more, but today, speaking with Your
Majesty Charlia, I realized how useless my worries were. As I am also in the
position of the imperial people, I think I can tell how much Your Majesty
thinks about the imperial people. Of course… I will not deny that I’m blinded
by your beauty. Haha.”
“Ahhhhhh…”
“What will you do, Your Majesty?”
“What…”
“Will you get on the same boat…?”
“Of course! Of course! Absolutely! Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung! Of

course!”
It was like seeing a starving demon.
I could see her standing up and holding my hand as soon as I reached out.
She, too, was surprised and let go of my hand, but she couldn’t possibly be in
a bad mood.
It looked as if she had found a lantern in a dark place.
‘So easy…’
I initially thought it would be easy to control her, but it was easier than I
imagined.
No one trusted her or looked for her. I understand that I’m her only ally, but
seeing that she has infinite trust, I coughed with embarrassment.
“I don’t know how to react since you are welcoming me like this. Hahaha.”
“I-I showed an embarrassing…”
“No, Charlia. I’m rather happy that you showed it. Ahem… Then, it would be
better to wrap up for today. Before it gets darker…”
“Ah… Yes. Let’s do that.”
She seemed a little disappointed, but I thought it couldn’t be helped.
If I kept staying in this room, I would really get in trouble. This would be all
for today.
If we were going to work together in the future, I would need to correct her
behavior, but today’s progress felt too hasty.
In fact, I could only advise on her schedule or behavior after I got a little
closer to her.
When I got up and opened the door, I saw a smile on the maids’ faces waiting
outside.
They must have checked Charlia’s face behind me.
The Princess sent me away with a delightful smile, and the maids who guided
me looked the same.
“I don’t need a bath service today. I’ll do it myself, so don’t let anyone in the
room for a while.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And be sure to ask when Lee Kiyoung will visit again.”
“Yes. Okay.”
Charlia’s voice toward the underling sounded very warm.
‘She felt something.’
I had to leave with light steps.
She seemed to have forgiven at least the minor mistakes when she was in a
good mood.
I hated to think of this, but that aspect was definitely similar to me.
I was determined to scold Jung Hayan for the attendants’ problem, but I
thought it would be hard to control my emotions.
Apart from the maids who guided me, I could feel the maids who heard the
Princess’s words approaching at a rapid pace, and as I looked back, I saw
them bowing their heads in a hurry.
As I quietly looked at her as if telling her to speak, I saw her nodding and
opening her mouth.
“H-Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.”
“Yes. You may talk.”
“Er… May I ask when you are visiting again?”
“Well… I have to think about it a little more…”

The maid’s face became gloomy at once.
“No… can you ask her if a lunch tomorrow is fine?”
“Yes. Okay!”
Her sad expression turned into one of happiness right away.
‘I know why.’
He seemed to think that I could make the crazy woman quiet.
I could tell without having to say it. I didn’t know how badly Charlia treated
them, but I could be sure her kind disposition was a new treat.
Of course, I wasn’t the only one who had noticed her change.
“The First Princess has changed.”
It was one of the warmest news that hit the castle exactly three days from that
day.
Chapter 271
The First Princess had changed.
To be precise, rumors were spreading throughout the city that she was
“coming to her senses.”
She looked different even for me, so those who had been with her for a long
time will be taking her change more dramatically.
The first who had noticed the change was her direct maids. They would
probably get more surprised as time passed by. Things that she used to have
taken sensitively were now often overlooked, and she also generously
overlooked small mistakes.
It would not be unreasonable that the happiness circuit of the maids, who had
been taking all kinds of craziness under her, would go wild.
Interestingly, these maids only waited for me to find the First Princess, but as
if they were convinced that I changed her, they were showing strange
movements. Regardless of her being the First Princess, they were showing
organized behavior in order to bring her closer to me.
Of course, to me, these actions were just cute, so I didn’t care much.
Rather, I felt sorry for her maids, who had to show such a move.
‘Right. You must have suffered the most…’
I just didn’t want to burn their happiness circuit.
This didn’t affect me much, but this organized action is like a struggle for
survival for them. I even felt a strange cheap sympathy for them, so whenever
I was with Charlia, I sometimes raised my thumbs for the conduct of her
maids.
The effect was better than expected.
When I met the maids the next day, their faces were filled with spirit as if
they were ready to swear allegiance to me.
Considering that was something I just did out of pity, the effect was good.
In fact, after a little more time, whenever I wasn’t there, her maids had come
to the point of telling me how Charlia was doing.
Of course, this was not a common form of reporting.
When I asked them what she was like when she entered and left her parlor,
all they did was give a fairly sincere answer.
They’d say something like,‘ Since the Honorary Bishop went back, she
looked very happy,’ or ‘She took the time to read, and she couldn’t easily fall
asleep.’
However, it was certainly pleasant news that her maids favored me.
‘They’ll have some use.’
There was always a place to use any material. Even the maids who had little
power would prove to be advantageous on my side.
As mentioned earlier, the biggest beneficiary of this event was the First
Princess’s maids.
It was obvious without saying it, but it wasn’t the only ones she bullied that
gave me a big smile.
Her people, who were worried about her, were also nodding at her changed
behavior.
In particular, the Emperor of the Empire was very happy.

Charlia, which he always considered to be trouble, had changed enough to
make the old man, who only looked at his children, feel good.
In fact, it wasn’t that big of a change.
It wasn’t that I did some magic to completely fix Charlia’s state of mind. In
the first place, humans were easy to turn evil, but difficult to become good.
Even if it could be fixed, it couldn’t be done in such a short time.
‘Absolutely…’
It was almost impossible to reform Charlia and make her Empress.
I just talked about how she would be better seen by the public and presented
that vision. In addition, it was natural to manage her schedule by making a
list of things to do.
Charlia had the same malice and stubbornness as Charlotte.
The sense of defeat that she felt since she was a child was only ruining her
self-esteem. She was incompetent and tightly packed with inferiority, but that
was why she had grown up as someone who wanted to be recognized more
than anyone else.
I couldn’t dare imagine how stressed she would have been when no one cared
for her as all of the gazes were directed at her sister.
I’m sure the kind of person that Charlia was waiting for would have been
someone like me.
Someone who could recognize and support her. Someone who could tell her
that even waste that couldn’t be recycled was great.
Decisively, someone who could properly decorate her insignificant behavior

and put it on the market or a person who could sell a cookie bag filled with
nitrogen, more than half.
“She gave the maids a vacation.”

“Seeing that she continues to go to the temple, it seems that the First
Princess’s Majesty is determined.”
“I was told that she was also attending the cabinet meeting in the morning.
They said she was just listening quietly…”
“I heard that she is curious about how the country people live. I heard that
she wanted to go out on her own and that she had already set up a schedule.”
“Come to think of it… I heard that recently she is not even drinking.”
“I also paid attention when she refused the wine at the last dinner meeting.”
The nitrogen to put in the First Princess’s insignificant steps was very simple.
When I opened my mouth, their gazes switched over to me.
“The bloodline is not going anywhere as expected. Hahahaha.”
It was a sentence of conversion that could attract old nobles in a single

moment.
‘Elective symbol number 1, Charlia. The bloodline doesn’t go anywhere.’
Of course, the Empire wouldn’t set up such a frame, but this was necessary to
decorate Charlia’s insignificant moves.
The candidate’s actions for the common people were basically focused on the
common people, and those who wanted to save the economy were focused on
the economy.
Their policy directions, public relations, and campaigns all looked the same,
but of course, there were differences.
In my case, it was more absurd. The frame I put on for Charlia was not for
the imperial people, nor did it mean to save the Empire’s economy.
It was not even a slogan representing a candidate.
‘Orthodox.’
“Absolutely! Her Majesty Princess Charlia inherited the royal family’s
blood.”
“Right. Hohoho. Who doesn’t get lost once, right? Where will that blood
go?”
“If you think about it, didn’t they say that the youth of the Seventh Emperor,
who was only heard as a story, was not so smooth? Only when he was over
forty years old, he devoted himself to studying, and only after he was over
fifty, he inherited the throne. If you look at the achievements he has
accomplished despite that… I also wonder if now it’s just a beginning to Her
Majesty Charlia.”
“Hahahaha. That’s right!”
It was a spectacle to see them talking by themselves.
I thought my mission was over by just saying one line, so I started heading to
a corner with a wine in my hand.
It was no wonder that Jung Hayan, who I haven’t spent time with for a long
time, had begun to follow me. Lee Jihye, who was doing the same work on
the other side, was slowly approaching me as well.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“Ah… no, Oppa… because I’m with you. Hehe.”
It felt like a long time since I last talked to Hayan.
Of course, I always talked to her since I saw her every day, but I felt sorry
because I couldn’t take care of her in decisive moments.
I wanted to do something for her, but Jung Hayan seemed to be happy as long
as she was with me.
As I gently stroked her hair, she snuggled closer and closer, as if she was in a
good mood.
“Shall we toast?”
“Yes!”
“So, how was the study?”
“Ah. I think it’s doing well. I had to advance my schedule a little, so I got a
little busy, but it w-was… smoother than I thought. We’ll try to build a
prototype within a few days.”
“Did he say when will it be ready?”
“No. He didn’t…”
“Hmm…”
“Should I ask him a little more?”
“No. There’s no need to. The Second Princess…”
“I-I’m keeping an eye on her.”
“Okay. If there’s anything unusual going on, you should report it

immediately.”
“Yes!”
As I held her hand slightly, I could see her bowing her head.
We just happened to be in the middle of the social party, and she seemed
utterly happy as I dragged her around.
I hadn’t learned social dance properly, but it felt like I could do some steps.
Jung Hayan, too, began to spin round and round, feeling good.
I didn’t know what she was thinking, but seeing her big smile, it seemed that
she felt pretty good. I thought she felt as if she was a fairy tale princess.
Of course, I was not in a bad mood either. If you were to ask me, I would say
I feel pretty good.
Although she was often scary, Jung Hayan basically put me first. I had gotten
used to it, and she was pretty cute to me whenever she did so.
‘I’m a little nervous that she’s been too quiet lately, but…’
I thought there would be some action as her magic powers increased, but she
hadn’t done anything other than using the Anemone’s Eyes occasionally.
Considering that we’d been separated for a long time, she had indeed become
very quiet.
‘Did she think it was insufficient?’
Except during the time she was doing the quest I’ve given to her, she spent
all her time making use of her knowledge from the legendary-grade staff, so
she may feel that she hadn’t yet digested the things she has gained properly.
‘I guess she wants to become stronger.’
I was, of course, anxious about how she would behave once she got what she
wanted.
Even if I were to only think about what I heard from Lee Jihye, I didn’t know
when and where she was going to make an unexpected move, but at least she
wouldn’t do anything weird where I couldn’t see her.
Anyway, things that could be called plans were already in progress.
Charlotte’s surveillance entrusted to Jung Hayan and the research on video

hologram technology I’d requested from Max are cruising as if they were in a
breeze.
The key was whether it could be done in time, but I didn’t need it right now.
The two sisters’ fight for imperial power had not yet come to the surface, and
just because the video media had gotten created right now, it did not mean
that it could be utilized.
That was to say that it was time to balance the scales.
It was time to raise the position of the First Princess a little further and
proceed with the negative things about the Second Princess.
‘The powerful people must have at least one bad rumor about her.’
I even thought about spreading some pretty well-fabricated groundless

rumors, but I thought it was good to keep a decent level as the returner cared
about her.
Of course, from Charlotte’s point of view, it could be a frame that would piss
her off, but this was the best I could think of.
The slogan for making her negative was quite simple.
‘As expected, you can’t fool the blood.’
It was the same words, but the meaning was clearly different.
Having a commoner as a mother was a big weakness in this kind of society.
‘Where will that half-blood go?’

Chapter 272
The negative rumors about Charlotte proceeded secretly, very slowly, and
quite maliciously.
I didn’t want the rumors to escape outside the walls of Imperial Palace,
however.
I designed it so that the rumors would come from the outskirts to the center,
and proceed to flow from the small side to the large side.
It wasn’t hard. The Black Swans and Yozora Guild of Yuno Kasugano had
been helping me.
The Black Swans, which could be classified as a large-scale information

guild, specialized in this kind of work, and Yozora, which managed to absorb
the guild of Ito Souta, was also good at it.
Of course, we did not openly move the media. I thought that the timing had
not come yet.
Besides, the Blue and Red Mercenaries were still not there.
I had limited movement, so Kim Hyun-sung and Cha Hee-ra were busy trying
to persuade Dawan’s Eighth Seats, Cheon Gwan-wi and Wi-ran, to move
together.
In fact, it didn’t matter if they stuck to the Second Princess’s side, but in the
end, I thought they would be with us as we were in the same position as
players.
If they were imperialists, they would have made different choices, but they
understood that they couldn’t afford to be against Lindel and Celia, which
were in the same predicament as them.
Obviously, not only was uncovering information easy, but so was creating
fake information.
The most important thing when creating this kind of information was to base
it on facts that exist. It was effective to add at least something suspicious
rather than fake information without any basis.
One might think that Charlotte might have nothing to be attacked, but in fact,
it wasn’t that way.
The fact that she cared for the imperialists very much was a valid hit.
“Jihye, what’s the schedule for the Second Princess today?”
“Well, today is the same as usual. Have a meeting with the citizen’s
representative…”
“Ohh. So, nothing relevant. I think you can do it as usual.”
“You’re talking being prodigal to those poor blood, right?”
Her civic talks, who talks seriously about the Empire with civic
representatives, has been transformed into a time to enjoy playing to prodigal
with poor blood.
“Oh, they said she had a simple meal with the maids.”
“Hmm… Let’s spread that together. About the poor blood.”
“I tried to do it, though. We have to push it properly since we started this.

One side is poor blood, and the other is noble blood. Whoever sees it, what
the half side does is better. This is really fun.”
The meal she had with the maids to humble herself was turned into bullshit,
saying that poor blood was flowing in her body.
‘She is also really amazing.’
I didn’t know if it was her mother’s influence, but her ankle had gotten
caught because of her nature for caring for the people.
She wouldn’t have been caught if I hadn’t caught her in the first place, but
what was important was that she had already caught my eyes.
In fact, the more I learned about her, the more I realized that she was the ideal
Empress.
Perhaps Lee Jihye was also thinking the same as me.
“Well, I don’t care, but the more I see her, the more I wonder if we’re doing
the right thing.”
“…”
“I bet, if Charlotte becomes Empress, she would be good and wise that will
last in history for a long time. If only people like you don’t blow up in the
middle.”
“I’m thinking about that, too, Nuna.”
“Honestly, we don’t care about the Empire anyway, but if we’re going to be
on the same boat, it’s good to be in on that’s big and safe, right? When I just
heard about her, I didn’t know, but looking at the information taken by
Hayan-ssi, she is really natural. She has leadership, charisma, and tenacity.”
“…”
“Being weak to the weak and strong to the strong, she has the right political
skills… Do you think she’s pretty daring to have tried to tame you in the first
place? It is by no means easy that the Princess, who has a commoner as her
mother, reached this position. And how great is her love for the people… it’s
not unreasonable with her appearance, her talent, her intelligence, her
character, for the First Princess to be jealous and go crazy.”
“I think so, too. It’s funny that I’m talking about politics here, but… I’m sure
there are quite a lot of things in her mind, but what can I do?”
‘If Kim Hyunsung said that I couldn’t…’

There is no perfect human in the world. She also had all kinds of problems.
“Did you get that offended by that? You’re narrower than I thought. I prefer
her…”
“I said it wasn’t because of that. Honestly, I don’t think that Second Princess
is bad either. No matter how I think, she’s much better than the First
Princess… That’s all, though. Charlotte may be for the imperialists, but not
for us. I’d rather have Charlia, who I can change to my taste over. It’ll be
hard, but it doesn’t make sense for her to miss the opportunity to become the
Empire’s unelected leader.”
“You’re right. I was just saying. Anyway, I’ll keep working on it because the
title has been decided. Today I have to see how and from which side to
spread.”
“Is there any movement over there?”
“Isn’t it weird that there isn’t any? It may take some time for the rumors to
reach the royal castle, but this is because the Princess is too sensitive about
her stories. I’m sure she’s looking behind the rumors to discover from which
malicious side had leaked it. If we get caught, you and I are both dead.”
“We can cut off the tail anyway. If we pretend that we didn’t do it, it’s okay.”
“You’ve been sticking around with the First Princess these days. It won’t be
easy for you to pretend that… You just didn’t do anything official yet, but
even a dog knows that you’re trying to get in that line. Charlotte, of course,
must know.”
“I’m feeling it, too.”
The number of nobles saying that they couldn’t make it to the appointments
was increasing.
Charlotte’s camp judged me as an enemy and had pressured several

aristocrats to refrain from meeting with me.
Duchess Catherine, Count Elise, and Marlin Young-ae were still giving me
strong support, and in fact, most of the people who expressed such intentions
were not friendly or were useless.
However, what was surprising was how fast Charlotte reacted.
She stole a march on me even before the relations between Charlia and I
came to the surface.
It was not just that. It was certainly strange that suspicious claims were
popping out in the royal castle.
The purpose of the strange story was also very explicit.
‘Is it right for one of the Eight Seats of the Empire to be involved in the
politics of the Empire?’
Claims with such titles were popping out.
In fact, with a little thought, one could see how absurd this claim is.
It was the Emperor’s arbitrary act to appoint foreigners as the Eight Seats of
the Empire in the first place, and to oppose this was no different from defying
the Emperor.
Of course, Charlotte, as I knew it, was not dumb enough to deny the
Emperor’s decision head-on.
To nevertheless maintain such a claim was an expression of a willingness to

reduce somehow the authority and radius of action of the Eight Seats of the
Empire.
When bargaining for a hundred gold item, calling out a ridiculously low price
from the beginning symbolized trying to beat the original price.
She wanted to lower the price as an excuse for a little flaw in the product,
lower the price once more with a scratch as an excuse, and then take me in
after offering the lowest price.
‘I understand her thoughts.’

The Eight Imperial Seats might not have been in the picture Charlotte was
drawing in the first place.
So to speak, we were unwanted guests, uninvited guests.
In her first round, the foreigners may have actively pursued her, but now that
the situation is the opposite, the Empire’s Eighth Seats would have been a
nuisance.
In summary, after that day, we had exchanged a light punch without even
facing each other.
Any quick-witted noble will be aware of the strange atmosphere in the

imperial family.
“The problem is that it is a little faster than I thought…”
“What I was thinking about came a little faster. It is natural to go with this
flow in the first place, and whether the Second Princess’s camp is competent
or herself is competent, I should consider it’s one of them. Personally, I think
it’s the latter, but what does that matter? First, our side is also progressing
smoothly, so it would be good to wait until the rumors settle in the royal
castle. Anyway, isn’t it time for you to visit the First Princess?”
“Yes. I have to.”
“I left the schedule on the desk. You could review it and proceed as it is.”
“Thanks.”
“It’s fine. I’m doing it for myself. It’s a chance for my future husband to
become the unelected leader of the Holy Empire… you think I’d miss this
opportunity? I hate gambling, but I know if I push from here, I’d be helping.”
“I’ll take it well.”
“Do well… Oh, and I won’t control the intensity level on some of them. I
think there should be a few that’s really stimulating.”
“You just have to do it moderately. I’m not trying to step on her so that she
cannot recover.”
“I know. I’ll do it moderately… Moderately.”
I didn’t know what the standard of moderately to Lee Jihye was, but I thought
it would be better to review it at least once.
As I walked out of her room and headed for my own, watching her waving, I
saw a maid pacing around my room.
It was one of the First Princess’s maids.
I didn’t know her name, but I remembered seeing her often.
She must have been the one lying on her face and rubbing her palms the day I
went to see her for the first time.
It was obvious why she was walking in front of my room.
“Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.”
“Ohhh.”
After confirming her name with the Mind’s Eye, I carefully started to speak.
“Maid Alice.”
“Please, talk more comfortably. I-I’m afraid that someone will listen.”
“Haha. It is because talking formally has become a habit. Rather, why did
you come… no, no. I guess I asked a useless question. I was about to visit her
Majesty. So… how is her schedule…”
“She went to encourage the Imperial Knights and praise the hard work they
have done so far.”
It was so trivial that I had forgotten it. Visiting the Knights Templar to
encourage the Imperial Knights, it was a way to show.
Seeing her looking for me even in this kind of work, she seemed to trust me
quite a bit.
‘Of course, she would.’
Her evaluation had changed in less than a week after following the camp’s
schedule and properly enjoying the promotional effect.
Even blind people were aware of the great power of the camp.
‘Although being too dependent is bad.’
“Not necessarily bad…”
“Yes?”
“It’s nothing. Did the Princess leave already?”
“No. She is still wondering what dress to wear…”
“Ohhh. Come to think of it. I haven’t told her yet.”
“Yes?”
“It would be better to wear light armament, not a dress. It’s light armor, but
it’s a little luxurious. She doesn’t have to wear a dress to visit the Knights
Templar. I bet this will work better. I believe she’ll understand what I’m
talking about.”
“Oh! Okay!”
These details were important even for trivial outfits.
“Tie her hair up, minimum accessories, and the Imperial Knights’ seal is
perfect.”
“Yes. Yes.”
“If you go ahead and set her up, I’ll follow you quickly.”
“Okay!”
At this, she began to run away.
I went into the room for a second and arranged the schedule once again.
After she visited the Imperial Knights, she would visit the Court Wizards.
‘It’s the day to play the First Princess Cosplay.’
In this way, it felt as if I was a celebrity manager as I scripted her schedule,

her clothes, and even her speech.
After another final check, I headed for the parlor where we had always met,
and I was able to see Charlia ready.
She looked exactly how I ordered the maid to make her look.
It wasn’t enough to be called a knight, but there were no light arm and no
unnecessary accessories when training.
“Honorary Bishop!”
“Charlia-nim, well… sorry to keep you waiting.”
“No. I just got here, too…”
“Hahaha. Certainly, you don’t just look good in a dress. You look very
beautiful this way, too, so it seems to me that the clothes look good thanks to
the Princess.”
“You’re exaggerating…”
In fact, her maids looked even more amazing than the smiling Princess.
They have a lot of abilities that they certainly have because they’ve struggled
in hell.
It must have been a short time, but, surprisingly, they understood what I
wanted, and even the light makeup had been perfectly done.
Even the roughly ordered hair was of quite high quality.
‘They’re insane.’
Standing like a folding screen in the back, the maids saw me praising
Charlotte and made a face as if saying that they did it.
I wanted to check the maids with my eyes, but due to the lack of time, I had
to turn my gaze back to Charlia.
After again praising Charlia for her beauty, I briefed her about her
precautions and about what to do.
After explaining how she would move, when I handed her a note with the
speech’s contents, she carefully read and reviewed it.
‘I like this look.’
You must have a will even if you did not have the capability.
As if she had gained confidence, she walked pretty confidently. However, it

didn’t take long for her face to frown.
Another person was seen in front of the training ground of the Imperial
Knights.
‘Would you look at her…’
After checking Charlotte, who visited the Imperial Knights one step earlier, I
had no choice but to click my tongue.
‘It is correct to think that she aimed for it.’

Chapter 273
Chapter 273: Carrots, Sticks, and Swords.
‘Tsk tsk…’
I had to say that it was intentional.
I definitely remembered that there had been no visit to the Imperial Knights
on her schedule.
It was no different from a local candidate from the precinct coming here to
campaign for the same place, so it was reasonable to think it was ridiculous.
As opposed to the First Princess, whose position was narrow, the Second
Princess’s camp and support were indeed solid.
When I saw the influential nobles who had come with her, I thought about
having brought more people, too.
Charlotte made a welcoming expression as if she had been waiting for us, and
slowly began to walk toward us.
Charlia wasn’t stupid enough to not figure out why she was here, so she was
also was staring at her with her bloodshot eyes and trembling hands.
“You can act, as usual, Your Majesty.”
As I whispered to her in case she might do something unexpected, I saw

Charlia nodding quietly.
However, her face still looked as if she wanted to tear apart and kill the
woman in front of her.
‘I don’t know if she can stand it.’

When she thought about her half-sister, she shed blood tears at her jealousy,
so it was natural that I felt anxious.
The Second Princess, Charlotte, may have bad feelings for her sister, but she
at least did not reveal it on such an occasion. She was quietly nodding with a
smile on her face.
Seeing her, Charlia began to speak.
“W-What are you doing here?”
“I heard that you would visit the Imperial Knights and praise their hard work.
Since it’s not a common occasion, I came to see you in case I could be
helpful. I’m sorry for not being able to contact you in advance.”
“…”
‘Help, my ass.’
“Okay… Thank you.”
Charlia replied, quietly nodding at her embarrassing words, but anyone could
see she was in a bad mood.
I wanted to compliment her just for not showing off.
‘The picture is not bad.’
“The First and Second Princesses visited the Imperial Knights together”
would indeed be good news.
If it went well, both could produce very good results, which could be
considered a win-win.
Of course, the Emperor would nod, and it was clear that the imperialists, who
knew nothing, would also raise their voices about the sister’s friendship.
The problem was only one risk factor of not knowing when Charlia would go
crazy, but at least the behavior she was now showing was quite normal.
In any case, these sisters, without further conversation, began to enter the
knights’ training ground.
The Second Princess glanced at me and not at the First Princess, and she still
seemed not to like me.
‘Of course, she wouldn’t.’
She must be thinking that I was one disloyal retainer.
Every time Charlia did something, she whispered to me, so it would be weird
not to notice that I’m controlling her from behind.
Since I was managing her actions and schedules, she’s not wrong…
‘I don’t want her to look at it too badly…’
Small citizens’ honest feelings were that they didn’t want to look too bad to
the powerful, even if they were enemies.
When we entered the training hall, the Imperial Knights’ vice commander
and the person-in-charge of this event bowed and greeted us, but he looked
disconcerted as if he didn’t know that both sisters would be coming.
“I am very happy that you came like this, First Princess and Second
Princess.”
“I’m worried about whether we are bothering the knights.”
“No. They would be very pleased just with the visit of Your Majesty
Charlotte.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
Charlia was also trying to say something, but it felt like Charlotte had stolen
her march.
‘I knew this would happen…’

In contrast to her, who skillfully led her mood as if she was familiar with this,
Charlia’s position was somewhat unclear.
She must feel that she had openly become a folding screen.
“Ah…”
Looking at her hesitating was a spectacle.
She seemed to want to take back the initiative to herself, but the vice
commander and Charlotte were already having a conversation on a subject
that she couldn’t interrupt.
It seemed that our Second Princess had extensive knowledge in this area as
well.
“So, did you solve the problem of restructuring your troops?”
“Yes. Of course. The Imperial Knights indeed consist of cavalry-oriented

troops, but I thought it would be better to increase the proportion between
common infantry and shields.”
“Definitely, these days, it’s impossible to operate troops with only cavalry…”
“Yes. You are right. It’s indeed impossible since there are some limitations.
And the supply of knights’ personal potions you promoted is also highly
expected.”
“I think it would be better to talk about it with Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung
here.”
“Come to think of it…”
“Yes. The potion supplied to the Imperial Knights will be brought directly
from the Blue’s alchemy workshop. The best alchemist on the continent is in
the Empire, and there is no reason not to use it.”
“Haha. I see. In fact, I have used the high-quality potion distributed by Blue.
It is indeed hard to purchase with the salary of ordinary knights, but the
potion is incredibly effective.”
‘Look at this…’
I had my eyes wide open at the sudden carrots that were thrown in.
It was true that Charlotte holding the stick was unpleasant, but the carrots
were sweet.
‘Should I see it as an apology gift?’
Upon looking at the supply potions that had been in circulation in the Empire,
it was undeniable that the quality was poor.
Considering the knights’ survival rate and safety, it was, of course, right to
use the potion that was being mass-produced in the Blue’s alchemy
workshop.
I thought it was time to make a direct contract with the Empire, but I couldn’t
even imagine that they would be doing it in advance.
‘I don’t think so… There must be a reason.’
Anyway, if I were to think about it in terms of stability, it would be correct to

supply them with this potion.
It was common sense in both the Earth and the continent to bring good
quality goods to soldiers.
Of course, there must be some countries where this common sense doesn’t
work, but at least the Empire was not stupid enough to neglect the knights
and soldiers who sacrificed their lives for them.
That was to say, from Charlotte’s point of view, this was just thrown bait.
If I were to take it, it would be good, but there was something she could get
even if I didn’t take it.
‘To drive a wedge?’

My guess was probably right.
When I saw Charlia being openly uncomfortable, I was also forced to flinch.
It wouldn’t be a bad thing to get in between their conversation. Of course,

Charlia, who was completely alienated, had to be brought here with me.
“It’s true that it is expensive, but you won’t need to doubt the quality,” I
replied.
“I will pay special attention to the items to be delivered to the Knights, who
are working hard day and night for the Empire. Actually, Blue is not
economically good because of some things, but…”
Actually, it was.
“We’re going to make a contract with a much lower price than what’s on the
market.”
As it was an opportunity, it was natural that I should take it as much as

possible. There was no special discount.
“In fact, the First Princess Charlia had mentioned similar thoughts with the
Second Princess… Hahaha. This is a coincidence.”
Of course, I had never heard anything like that.
Many lies had popped up in less than a minute, but I’m not uncomfortable as
they are good-intentioned lies.
As I pushed Charlia, she nodded and went ahead.
‘Just roughly go along with me.’
“I see. Your Majesty Charlia, too…”
The vice commander of the Imperial Knights, who smiled and nodded, still
looks proud.
Charlia also seemed to be going along with this. “I’m embarrassed.”
“Hahaha. I see. Hahaha. I didn’t know you two would think of the Knights to
this extent.”
“The country must be safe for it to develop. To do such acts for the Imperial
Knights, the best-armed group in the Empire, it’s probably something that
anyone living in this country would think.”
“Thank you for your words, Your Majesty Charlia. Hahahaha.”
‘Good. She is doing well.’
It had worked that she read my note beforehand. Charlotte herself was calm.
Seeing that Charlia took a step back from the place she went in and narrowed
the distance to me, it seems I was right.
Since she couldn’t embrace me, she must be determined to at least drive a
wedge between us.
During the conversation, Charlotte and Charlia gave words of encouragement

to the Imperial Knights, who were performing their show-off training.
I felt that most of the knights were showing favor to Charlotte, but it certainly
seemed that they were showing off who was the strongest.
It was the first time that I had also entered the Imperial Knights training hall,
so while I was constantly paying attention to Charlia, I was busy checking the
Imperial Knights specifications with my Mind’s Eye.
‘The knighthood level is quite high.’
It was not shameful to say that it was indeed the best power of the Empire, as
Victor Hart was raising it with his best.
Seeing that most of them have high endurance and stamina, their destructive
power when riding on a horse was truly unimaginable.
I bet that any small and medium-sized guilds would be wiped out at once.
Obviously, however, the First Princess wasn’t thinking about that.
She was busy following the actions and movements that I had given her.
‘However, she’s doing pretty well.’
She expressed words of encouragement and praised their military exploits.
Anyway, this kind of tour was mostly insignificant and was only for show.
The Second Princess, who was also good at swordsmanship, showed better
performance from there, but it was fine if Charlia didn’t show that much.
‘Because she only has to do what she can.’
She didn’t have to be so loud.
“I will do my best to protect the Empire.”
‘Very good.’
“It is thanks to you that the Empire is safe.”
“Thank you! It is an honor, First Princess.”
‘Yes, you just have to do that. All you have to do is do what you can for the
moment.’
In fact, it was difficult enough just to shake hands with knights with high
strength.
Even though they controlled their strength, it was inevitably painful for
people like us who had weak endurance.
She had already shaken hands dozens of times and still managed to keep her
smile even when she had swollen palms.
Just that was enough.
While nodding satisfactorily, Charlotte approached us and opened her mouth.
“You think this will change something?”
Her tone was very calm.

Chapter 274
Chapter 274: Carrots, Sticks, and Swords (2)
Charlotte always maintained the same poker face. Looking again, she had
many similarities with Charlia.
The same went for her platinum hair, as well as for her white skin tone. I
thought that, if I were looking from a distance, it would probably be hard to
tell them apart.
Of course, upon closer inspection, there was a difference between her and the
First Princess, who had a vicious expression, but I basically realized that she
inherited the same imperial blood.
‘If her hair color had been different, it would have been a little more
convenient…’
Going along with the rumors about the poor blood would have been easier.
I didn’t know if she knew what I was thinking, but after Charlotte tucked her
flowing hair in her ear, she spoke once more.
“A person doesn’t change so easily.”
“Yes. I also agree with you. I actually have that kind of thought… I wonder
why you are saying that to me.”
“You don’t have to pretend you don’t know, Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.
I know roughly what kind of person you are, and don’t you know what kind
of person I am?”
“Really, I don’t know what your Majesty Charlotte is talking about, and in a
place like this?”
“I’m asking now about you taking the same path as my sister.”
I thought she was pretty direct. As I thought it was time to save her words, I
quietly shut my mouth, and she continued talking.
“I thought you were a chatty type, but you spoke lesser than I thought.”
“It looked like you had the wrong idea about me.”
“Yes. You are right. I indeed had the wrong idea. I thought you were a little
more rational, but… you’re just acting out of common sense.”
‘You’re right.’
Anyone could see that it was not a rational act to stick to Charlia’s side.
Normally, I would have chosen to side up to Charlotte right away. My fear of

how much Kim Hyunsung’s request and his whip would hurt was to blame
for this irrationality.
“…”
“Especially from Victor Hart. I already knew you didn’t really like making
concessions, but you’ve acted more extreme than I thought. I admit I was
making some misjudgments about you. And I apologize for the rudeness I
have shown before.”
“Saying that was rude. I’m worried someone might hear you, Your Majesty.”
“I was telling you about what I was doing to get rid of your hands and feet,
Honorary Bishop. As you can understand, I didn’t feel very happy about your
existence. Had the Honorary Bishop been in my position, you too would have
thought about how to restrain yourself. The fact that one person has too much
power is a threat to someone like me.”
“I don’t think I have much power, Your Majesty Charlotte. How can I talk
about my power in front of a member of the imperial family?”
“You don’t have to feel uncomfortable having this kind of conversation. But I
don’t think you will respond if I say this. Then, let’s change the subject.”
Charlotte stopped talking for a moment and looked forward.
It was because the First Princess had climbed onto the platform after she
finished her tour with the Imperial Knights.
After she was seated in the right seat, she looked at me blankly, and it seemed
that she wanted to continue to talk after I sat next to her.
After I pleaded with a glance to the First Princess for her understanding, I sat
down, and she pulled out the speech, which was in her pocket, and put it on
the podium.
Since this was the speech I wrote down, she would go at least halfway.
Charlia began to read the speech in a confident and silvery voice.
Those sitting in their chairs looking at the platform applauded, and voices of
even more confidence were heard.
I wanted to see how she was doing, but I couldn’t focus on the First Princess,
perhaps because Charlotte had started talking to me again.
“I’ll tell you a little more directly, Honorary Bishop.”
“Yes?”
“I want you to be on the same boat as me.”
“What are you saying…?”
“It is exactly what I’m saying. I want you to get rid of my sister and get on
my boat.”
“…”
“I have a lot of doubts. I also have a lot of worries. I think I may be the kind
of person similar to you. Even if you tell me that you will, I will probably not
stop the work I’ve planned in advance. I’m going to diminish your power and
try to get your concessions.”
“Ahh…”
“But I can promise that the results will be good for you. You may not like it
right now, but… I bet all results will be good for both you and the Empire. Of
course, I can’t say that it will be better than the outcome that Honorary
Bishop Lee Kiyoung is planning, but at least it will not be riskier than the
investment you are currently making.”
I had thought that she would be saying this. It was indeed an appealing offer.
‘Does she mean that I’m a talent she desires?’
Of course, she also recognized that I was too big to swallow. There was no
change in the idea of reducing my authority.
In fact, I didn’t mean that I didn’t want to change my posture at all.
If it wasn’t for Kim Hyunsung’s request, it was worth thinking about

seriously changing boats.
‘But…’
As I told Victor Hart during the Ito Souta case, I never yielded in this aspect.
Others should yield, not me.
“Excuse me, but I did some preliminary research about the Honorary Bishop.
I was interested in another thing than the title that everyone knows, such as
the one chosen by a dragon and the Holy Empire’s Honorary Bishop. It was
most impressive that the media was rooted in Lindel and brought about
several transformations.”
“It is an honor.”
“The free city is basically separated from the Empire, but it is indirectly
affected as it is separated in reality. That’s just the fact that a similar
institution was created within the Empire soon after the media took root and
started at Lindel. You are basically a selfish human, but we also know that
you have a minimum conscience. Whatever the reason, what you’ve been
doing has had good results for many.”
“I see.”
“Perhaps… I think the reason you can produce such results is that you’re
watching out for others. No. I’m sure. You must be watching out for the
public. Even if you don’t yield what you have to the strong, you are the one
who does it to the public.”
“Thank you for thinking so. I have to think a little bit about whether I should
accept this as a compliment.”
“It is a compliment, so you don’t have to worry. Honorary Bishop, the

Empire needs talent like you. We need people who can do politics that watch
out for the majority and talents that watch out for the public.”
I had to hold my breath for a moment.
‘This is a real deal…’
She was a really good dealer. I knew she was clever, but she was smarter than
I thought.
Her way of thinking itself feels different from many of the nobles here, and it
is impossible to compare her with Charlia, who reads the note I wrote in front
of the podium like a parrot.
It felt like I could see why people gathered around her.
If she was a person of this degree, being authentic or whatever didn’t matter.
Instead, they would want to follow her.
It was said that there was a separate seed for the heirloom, but the person in
front of me seemed to have been born to become an Empress.
It felt like I was looking directly at the growth period of a great person that I
had only seen in fairy tale books when I was a child that I almost jumped
right onto the offer.
“Oh. For your reference, I also know that strange rumors have been
circulating recently.”
“…”
“A lowly bloodline, a prodigal game, or the seductive voice every night.

These are ridiculous rumors that don’t even feel worth responding to.”
I expected it, but it seemed that she already knew about this.
“I haven’t caught the tail yet… and it may take some time to find the source
of the rumor, even if I catch it, but I’m suspicious about where it’s all coming
from.”
“I am not sure what rumors you are talking about, Your Majesty.”
“I am not saying that I want the Honorary Bishop to know. You just need to
listen. If the previous apology and the offer were the carrots, then I’m talking
about the stick from now on.”
“…”
“I don’t hesitate to throw swords at my enemies, Honorary Bishop. I know

you are an important person to the Empire, but if you really turn your back on
me, I have no choice but to pull the sword out. You will have to make wise
choices.”
‘Damn…’
“If you think about why there aren’t any people who are advising father, no,
His Majesty’s side, the answer will come.”
‘Fuck…’
“It will be a good experience to yield this time.”

‘If I could, I would yield with full force.’
It was natural to think that a lot of annoying things would happen if I faced
her head-on.
However, I had my own problems, too.
As much as I received Hyunsung’s special order not to make the Second

Princess Empress, I couldn’t get onto her boat.
At that point, Charlia had already finished her speech.
“If you have the desire to yield, get down on your knees, and kiss my hand.
I’m not a person who says this twice. The carrots and sticks for you were the
last ones here. The next thing I draw will be the sword.”
At a glance, it seemed like this was the case, but the answer was fixed.
“I’m sorry.”
I had already decided on a route here, and there were no other options. I
didn’t come too far, but it would be funny to come back now.
The desire for posture change was still alive and breathing in my heart…
‘If I yield once.’
I must keep yielding.
I couldn’t help but make this choice because I could see what kind of human
Charlotte was, just as Charlia began to run over here with an anxious
expression.
She wanted the well-being of the imperialists, and for that, she would
continue to demand concessions from me.
The result was obvious without having to open the lid.
As I looked next to me, I saw Charlotte’s faintly smiling face. I didn’t know
what that smile meant, but I could guess that it was a look that her own
expectations were correct.
“Remember the first words I said, Honorary Bishop. People don’t change
easily.”
She immediately turned her back and left without saying goodbye.
I understand what Charlotte meant, but I myself thought Charlia wasn’t that
much.
“Thank you for your hard work, Princess.”
“Did I do well?”
“Yes. It was a very good speech.”
She was good at doing what I told her, and she was aware that she was just
spreading her wings.
‘She won’t be that stupid.’
However, absurdly enough, it didn’t take much time for my firm beliefs to
collapse.
Charlia was indeed that stupid bitch.

Chapter 275
Chapter 275: Those Who Have Limits Are Bound To Reveal the Rock-
Bottom (1)
Everything had been going smoothly.
Charlotte, who left after making me feel uneasy, was quieter than I thought.
Actually, it was the timing when the disinformation that I had spread to the
nobles and the public had begun spreading everywhere.
I could confirm that the Eight Seats of the Empire were growing in check, but
in the end, this resulted in Dawan’s Eight Seats coming to our side.
It wasn’t only bad. Of course, there were some anxiety factors. The reason
was that Charlotte’s camp was even bigger than I thought.
In fact, they were gathering faster and more cautiously than I had initially
expected.
They weren’t really doing anything, but the problem was that I had a feeling
that we were definitely under political pressure. This was because supporting
Charlia, a bad egg, meant there was more to lose than expected.
‘Of course, it would be like that.’
Charlotte’s camp was not just about its size.
There was a strange bond between them, and in reality, they seemed to be
running towards one goal. Obviously, the members themselves weren’t bad,
either.
Of course, some members remained in the camp because they thought it was
advantageous to simply be in Charlotte’s arms, but at least the core members
were mostly respected by the imperial people.
‘Noblesse Oblige.’
They were those who practiced it, and their individual power was, by no
means, small.
I tried to get those who were at the bottom, but of course, the process had not
been easy.
In fact, it became hard to see the nobles that I was close to. We would talk at
the social gatherings, but the core nobles avoided one-on-one meetings with
me, and I was often isolated without knowing it.
Charlotte’s people network was much wider than mine.
Naturally, I thought my side also needed power. At least I had to grow to a

similar size. That way, I could surely attract those who stood on the edge of
uncertainty.
The legitimacy Charlia had.
It was natural to keep pushing the idea: ‘She properly inherited the Emperor’s
blood.’
I had to push exaggerated publicity for the First Princess and a negative
invisible rumor for the Second Princess.
As a result, the picture I wanted was made. People gathered, and power was
formed. The problem was that most of the gathered nobles were garbage.
Their power was by no means small, but… most of the people in Charlia’s
camp were old.
‘Old people like Lee Seolho.’
A deep-rooted evil festival of grandpas that doesn’t fit with the young blood
or innovation—that was the current Charlia’s camp.
Of course, Duchess Catherine and Countess Elise, which had a strong

relationship with me, and Count of Castlerock and Marlin Young-ae, who
had a debt to pay me, had been sending positive signals. Still, they were also
in a position to lead their families to their future, so it was hard for them to
decide.
In this situation, all I could do was to make Charlia look good.
To the nobles who were indecisive, I had no choice but to show that she had
changed.
As I understood well that my destiny depended on this matter, I put all my

devotion and effort into playing a game of raising a princess.
Of course, Lee Jihye was also working hard, but I could be sure that I was
more exhausted than her.
Still, unlike her, who didn’t have to see Charlia’s face, I had to keep sticking
to her side.
‘Fuck…’
In other words, I was the one who needed to clean up every mess she’d make.
It was natural that I was tired because I had to check her clothes, as well as
cheer her up and praise a grown-up adult like a child.
It wasn’t just that. Besides work, conversations like personal actions and
questions were getting longer, and as time passed, I often felt that she was
trying to invade my personal space.
For example, she had been asking me what kind of relationship I had with
Cha Hee-ra or Jung Hayan.
The most she did was ask me what I thought of her, but with the unique
characteristic I have, what kind of crazy situation would happen?
It was natural for me to worry.
One good thing was that there was a difference in our positions. Maybe that
was an obstacle for Charlia. She was proud to be the blood of the Imperial
family.
If she thought that even that didn’t matter, then it meant that she’d really
taken over the emperor’s blood.
Anyway, Charlia was following my schedule firmly without complaints. The

idea of being recognized by her surrounding environment seemed to give
momentum to her behavior.
In fact, Charlia’s external evaluation had been completely reversed.
It wasn’t a long time, but the First Princess built up her profile, and although
she was in the middle of a deep-rooted evil festival, she had developed her
own strength.
‘It was the most important period.’
The importance was insufficient to emphasize.
Although she still lacked a lot in many aspects, now this incompetent First
Princess was on the same starting line as Charlotte.
Unlike their well-organized forces, Charlia’s side had a fight going on of

deep-rooted evils for food. I was lucky that Charlia trusted me the most.
The story was long, but for now, it was a result that I could be satisfied with.
The only thing that was a little worrying was how she would take this
situation.
Charlia, who didn’t do anything, might have felt a radical change, but she
wouldn’t be acting up if she knew her place.
No matter how much she created her power and was becoming snobby, she
would at least know her limits as she was just standing at the starting point.
That was my mistake.
‘Shit! Shit!’
It was my mistake to see a little bit of hope for this stupid woman.
The First Princess Charlia was having a little tea time with Duchess
Catherine, Countess Elise, and Marlin Young-ae, that I’d always met.
What happened while I was in the bathroom was so unrealistic that it was
disconcerting.
‘Stupid bitch. Stupid bitch!’
I had no choice but to realize the meaning of ‘People do not change’ that
Charlotte had said.
The peaceful atmosphere until now had long since disappeared. The scene in
front of me was filled with confusion.
Nothing more or less.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Ahhhhhh!”
Seeing Marlin lying on the ground and grasping her face with Duchess
Catherine taking care of her was truly unrealistic.
Charlia looked down at Marlin Young-ae, huffing angry and annoyed, and
Countess Elise was also clearly embarrassed.
After opening the door, I expected to see the four women laughing and
getting close to each other, but who would have imagined that it would be
such a mess?
I don’t know how this happened, but I could tell why Marlin Young-ae was
rolling over the floor, grabbing her face.
Somehow, Charlia had thrown tea onto Marlin Young-ae. I was so

embarrassed that I had to pause for a moment.
However, my body responded first to the painful scream of Marlin’s young-

ae.
“Ahhhhhh!!”
“M-Marlin Youngae!”
“L-Lee Ki-young Honorary Bishop! That… That one! She dared to!”
In the meantime, Charlia spoke to me as if I had arrived at the right time, but
she wasn’t important.
After ignoring her, I went straight to Marlin and her footsteps and seeing her
condition. I immediately lifted her up.
“Maid Alice, the priest…”
“I have already called for him.”
“Thank you.”
Charlia was literally more incompetent than a maid.
Seeing me very desperate, it seemed that she realized what mistake she had
just made. I really wanted to crush her myself.
“L-Lee Kiyoung… it hurts. It hurts! Sniff… it hurts.”
“Just hold tight, Marlin Young-ae. No, Maid Alice! I have a potion in my
bag. For now, get that!”
“Oh! Okay!”
“Duchess Catherine and Countess Elise, take care of Marlin Young-ae for a
moment …”
“Ah… Yes. Okay, Honorary Bishop.”
I am not in a position to be picky.

Naturally, it hurts because the hot tea is all over her face.
It was possible to treat wounds, but if her eyes were to get injured, it’d be a
problem. No, it would be harder to fix the situation if there would be a scar
left on her.
The maid was already bringing my bag. Countess Elise was crying as if she
was in this kind of situation for the first time, and Duchess Catherine was
biting her lips, trying to somehow calm Marlin.
“It hurts. Lee Kiyoung… Sniff… I can’t see. Waaahh…”
“Marlin Young-ae, please, hold tight. I will treat you now. The priest will
also be coming soon, and everything will be fine.”
Unlike Charlia, who was blankly watching all these situations, Alice handed
a potion to me, like a nurse handing a scalpel, and I immediately opened the
lid and began pouring a high-quality potion on Marlin’s face.
It was good that I carried potions all the time, just in case.
“One bottle will be sprayed on the wound, and you will drink one bottle
slowly. It will also have pain relief, so it will surely be okay.”
‘She must get better.’
“Yes… Yes… Yes…”
“Open your eyes slowly.”
“Yes. Lee Kiyoung-nim…”
‘Shit.’
I wasn’t a doctor, but anyone can see that Marlin Young-ae’s eyes were not
fine now.
Since it hasn’t passed much time, she would definitely be able to recover.
“This is going to sting a little bit.”
“H-Hug me tight, Lee Ki-young. Sniff…”
“Yes. Yes. I will.”
As I held her hand tight, I felt Marlin Young-ae’s hand shaking.
It would be natural for her to be scared. As I slowly put the potion into her
eye, her body suddenly became stiff, and she began screaming.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“You will get better, Young-ae. Please, hold tight. It’s recovering.”
“Okay… Haaa…”
After lifting Marlin Young-ae’s body again, I immediately kicked the door
and left.
Duchess Catherine followed me, and Count Elise’s face was already filled
with tears.
Meanwhile, the priest Alice had called for had arrived. Marlin Young-ae had
already exhausted herself. Only then did I feel the situation had been cleared
up a little.
“First, we must move Marlin Young-ae somewhere she can rest. I think it
would be better to do the rest of the treatment there.”
“There is a room I received from His Majesty not far away, so it would be
better to go there, Honorary Bishop.”
“Thank you, Duchess Catherine.”
“It’s nothing. I am doing what I have to do. Honorary Bishop, is Marlin

Young-ae okay?”
“She will probably get better. I don’t think there will be any scars left, and
her eyes will recover. But why did this happen so suddenly…?”
“It’s long to explain, but… Charlia, that crazy… No, while her Majesty was
talking with Young-ae, she suddenly threw a kettle of hot water at Marlin
Young-ae. Marlin Young-ae did not commit any disrespect to Her Majesty
Princess Charlia. She was simply talking about her friendship with Honorary
Bishop Lee Kiyoung…”
“Ah…”
“She did that so suddenly that… I didn’t know what the hell was going on.
I’ve been thinking about if Marlin Young-ae had conduct that would be
troublesome to Her Majesty, but… I don’t remember anything.”
‘Fuck.’
As expected, Marlin Young-ae hadn’t done anything wrong.
The two who followed were also looking at Marlin Young-ae nervously.
Perhaps they were the most surprised. When I looked closely, I started to see
marks as if they were burnt by hot water.
It was such an urgent situation that they couldn’t afford to take care of
themselves.
Immediately after asking for their consent, I began to look after the wounds.
Everything had gotten completely ruined. All the hard work I’d done so far
has become a waste of time.
I feel like I knew why Charlotte hadn’t been active. She knew what her sister
was capable of doing in order to destroy herself.
‘Shit! It’s fucking ruined. All fucking ruined!’

Chapter 276
Chapter 276: Those Who Have Limits Are Bound to Reveal the Rock-bottom
(2)
My options were limited.
Fortunately, among the misfortunes, Marlin Young-ae recovered her body

somehow, but she still had to rest.
In fact, the expression “fortunate among misfortunes” also did not fit well
with the current situation.
Duchess Catherine was busy shaking in anger, and Countess Elise was also
wearing a blank expression, as if the shock had not dissipated yet.
I also had a bitter taste in my mouth.
I hadn’t been paying much attention to Marlin Young-ae, but it wasn’t a good
feeling to see her hurt as we often met each other.
Even in this situation, the thought still in my head was how to solve this
problem.
‘What can you solve? Fuck…’
This was a problem with no answer.
In the first place, she was one of the members who were deciding about
entering Charlia’s camp, and they would prove to be an indispensable force.
They were the real deal. They were on the border with the Republic, the
central force of the Eastern aristocracy, and had powerful military power.
They were different from the old men who were just trying to reap benefits
from Charlia.
She was not only rude to such a customer, but poured hot water on her, so
there was no way to find a resolution.
On the surface, they might have bad feelings for me, who urged them to soak
in Charlia’s camp.
It would make no sense to reconcile them.
I, too, had to choose between Charlia and Duchess Catherine.
Marlin Young-ae, who was asleep, was still holding my hand tight.
It was then that Duchess Catherine’s heavy mouth opened.
At first, it seems like she was saying words of consolation to me after reading
my apologetic face.
“There is no need for Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung to be sorry.”
“No. You haven’t done anything wrong. Even if I were the Honorary Bishop,
I wouldn’t have expected this to happen.”
“I’m deeply ashamed.”
“No. Really. But…”
“Yes.”
“I understand what Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung is thinking and in what

direction you are trying to move, but I think it’ll be difficult for us to be
together in that direction.”
‘Damn…’
This was an obvious result.
If they said they would be with us despite this situation, I would call them
saints, not nobles.
“I know you’ve been caring about us, you’ve made room for us, and you’ve
helped us in many ways, but…”
“I can understand. Duchess Catherine, Count Elise.”
“Of course, considering Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung, we will not join the
forces of the Second Princess. But…”
There was no way to end this situation just by not participating in the forces
of the Second Princess. I knew their anger would not be relieved so easily.
It didn’t matter if she was a member of the imperial family. There was indeed
a limit.
If today’s affairs spread to the aristocratic society right now, Charlia would
surely be attacked. Even the filthy old men on her side would probably run
away from her.
Who would want to serve as Empress who harms them?
After a brief sigh, Duchess Catherine spoke once more.
“However, I cannot help but ask Her Majesty to take responsibility for this
matter. We will formally report this matter to the Emperor, and we will
ensure that the First Princess faces a fair penalty.”
“I fully understand. I, too… I will do my best to ensure that the First Princess
is punished.”
I also had to make this choice.
If I didn’t join the other side right now, I might be considered an enemy as
well.
It was enough to be thankful just to maintain neutrality.
As if she liked my answer, Duchess Catherine nodded again. It wasn’t a

simple factional fight. It was sincere advice.
“I know that Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung is smart, but I will say a word
from an older perspective. Being with her will not benefit the Honorary
Bishop either. You’d better take off your feet when you can. I also thought
about whether she changed, but I realize that people don’t change so easily.
She is inherently violent and unable to hold in her anger. I believe that
Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung will make a wise choice.”
“I’ll be sure to take it into account, Duchess Catherine.”
There was nothing I could say other than that.
‘Damn. Damn.’
Marilyn Young-ae’s accident would get into Count Castle Rock’s ears very
quickly. Of course, I was also worried about what Count Castle Rock, who
cares for his daughter, will do.
I was also concerned about the Emperor’s reactions, who would once again
think Charlia was hopeless, and Charlotte, who would take advantage of this
chance.
‘All she needed to do was follow along blindly.’
Instead, she blew the opportunity I had given for her.
‘This stupid bitch! Scum!’
This was what one would call real trash.
“We will be protecting Marlin Young-ae, Honorary Bishop. You can go back
and…”
“No.”
“No. You don’t need to worry… the Princess was left alone in the parlor. She
will need someone to take charge of the situation and sort it out. We honestly
don’t have the courage to see her face again. Please.”
“Fine, alright.”
Finally, after holding Marlin Young-ae’s hand tight, I said goodbye and
returned to the site where the accident took place.
The sights along the way were certainly a mess.
The decorations were broken apart, and an empty potion bottle could be seen
lying on the floor.
As I got there, Charlia’s maids also looked the same as before…
Maid Alice’s cheeks were already swollen red.
Seeing her cleaning up outside with tears in her eyes, it looked like Charlia,
who couldn’t stand her anger over what happened, had returned to doing her
bullshit.
“Maid Alice.”
“Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung-nim!”
“Your face…”
“It’s nothing. Rather, Honorary Bishop… t-the Princess is looking for you
urgently.”
“Before that, the first thing to do is to get treatment. If you have the potion,
you’ll get a little better.”
“H-How dare I drink this precious thing…”
“It’s fine. This is in return for helping me quickly. The Princess is now…”
“Ah… Err… S-she seems very angry. I think it was a shock that the
Honorary Bishop ran out, leaving the Princess alone… She ordered us to
bring you as soon as possible, but perhaps you haven’t met the other maids.”
“Oh. I haven’t. It seems like I missed them.”

“You have to go in quickly. She is very sad.”
Translation – the bitch had gone crazy.
As I continued to hand out the potion, Maid Alice felt burdened, but
nevertheless, swallowed the potion in her mouth.
Her cheeks swelled up, and the wound in her mouth has healed.
“I can’t be like this. I’ll take you there.”
“No, it’s okay, Maid Alice. I’ll go alone.”
“But…”
“You can clean up here with others. I’ll comfort her well.”
“Oh… Okay.”
In fact, I didn’t know how to soothe her.
It would be appropriate to say that I didn’t have the slightest idea. I think I
knew what the situation was.
While I was away for a moment, they would have started talking about me,
and as usual, Marlin Young-ae would have gotten excited and chatted about
me.
I didn’t know what Young-ae had said, but there was a possibility that she
had brought up the previous story about the possibility of us having an
engagement.
Perhaps she talked about the letter that we had exchanged or the things we
did in Castle Rock.
Although she didn’t show on the surface, Marlin Young-ae’s behavior was
very similar to a teenage girl’s fan behavior following a singer. Obviously,
Charlia had been unable to reign in her anger.
That would be the end of the case. It was unlikely that Marlin Young-ae had
provoked her. She was not that type of person.
As I strode and pushed the door wide open, Charlia looked at me as if she had
been waiting. She looked as if she had found this entire situation absurd.
Then, she opened her mouth.
If I could, I would’ve thrown the Dragon Breath potion right in her face.
“Lee Kiyoung-nim! You are here now.”
“… …”
“Have you heard about what happened from Duchess Catherine or Countess
Elise? I-I don’t know what you heard, but… that stupid Marlin keeps saying
weird stuff…”
“… …”
“She kept saying nonsense that she might get engaged to the Honorary
Bishop. It’s ridiculous. She said that you’d exchanged a lot of letters, but I
couldn’t stand listening. I thought that I should protect your honor, so my
hand moved automatically.”
“… …”
“I didn’t expect things to get this big, but she deserves more. She is only the
daughter of a Count… How dare she doesn’t know her place…”
“She’s not just the Count’s daughter, Charlia-nim.”
“It’s okay. I understand what you’re worried about. However, just because
we won’t get a little aristocrat’s power on the outskirts doesn’t mean that the
ship that Lee Kiyoung and I are together is sinking. We have already
gathered many forces…”
It had already sunk to the mantle.

To be in a boat with this woman was more dangerous than to be with Jung
Hayan.
I had realized it a little late, but I could be sure of it now.
“She’s not a small noble. Count Castle Rock is one of the loyalists who have
defended the Empire from the Republic’s threats for over a decade, and
Marlin Young-ae is Count Castle Rock’s most cherished daughter. Although
small in size, it is hard to imagine the symbolism of the Castle Rock family
and the trust that the imperialists send them, Princess.”
“I-It’s okay. No matter how it is, just because of one crazy bitch…”
She was completely wrong.
She didn’t do it accidentally, and not only was this deliberate, but she had no
awareness of what she had done.
Seeing the rush to make excuses after releasing her anger, I felt pathetic when
I thought of how I had struggled to make this an Empress.
It’s embarrassing just to imagine how funny Princess Charlotte would have
looked at me.
“The same goes for the Duchess of Castle Rock, and so is Countess Elise.
They were more valuable people than those who are gathered in the camp.”
“Ah… but… then, if we find a flaw…”
“They are not stupid, either. They will formally protest this matter to the
Emperor, and he will also discipline Charlia. It doesn’t matter that they are
descendants of the imperial family. Nobles devoted to the Empire cannot be
treated this way. It’s not just a matter of joining our side or not. I’m talking
about turning her back on the Princess at all.”
“W-We’ve done well so far, so somehow…”
“You must’ve had done something so far to be able to fix it. What is easily
stacked will easily fall apart. The Princess has not accomplished anything
great. You were just starting to step off the starting line, and you broke down
the tower you could keep building in the future. This time…”
“D-Didn’t I tell you that it’s fine?”
“What?”
“I-I definitely told you that it was fine. When I become Empress, I can solve
everything!”
I was surprised to see that she had started screaming.
It felt like she was saying that she didn’t want to hear any more nagging, so I
almost laughed in perplexity.
Chapter 277
Chapter 277: Unwanted Plan (1)
I kept imagining throwing the Dragon Breath potion right into her face, but I
knew I couldn’t do that.
Unaware of her place, Charlia began to talk once again as if she got the
courage upon seeing me speechless for a moment. Of course, this was a
stupid assumption on her part.
“I-I’m sorry for yelling. However, I wasn’t saying that for no reason, Lee
Kiyoung-nim. No matter how big the problem is, I can fix it all.”
“What?”
“Until now, I was quietly cowering because I had no power, but not now.
Look at the nobles gathered under my name. Compared to Charlotte, there is
absolutely no shortage.”
‘What bullshit.’
“They are gathered under legitimate and authentic blood. They are the ones
who will agree with me.”
‘It’s not that…’
“M-My dad must have seen me in a new light. If I become the Empress,
everything will be solved. Yes. Absolutely. Perhaps, sooner or later, he will
realize who really will take over the throne. It will definitely come. Lee
Kiyoung, when that time comes…”
“Yes?”
“I will seat Lee Kiyoung as the prime minister of the Empire. I will do that.”
‘I never said I needed anything like that.’
Looking at her saying that as if it was even a great gift was laughable. It
wasn’t even realistic.
Even if she had said that after being chosen as the successor, I would still say
that it was not time to get excited.
However, it would be strange to believe her when she was saying that right
after she ruined what we had built so far.
‘This is ridiculous.’
No wonder I had begun thinking about abandoning her.
Charlia’s ship was already sinking. I was on top of it and would feel it greater
than anyone else.
Even if a miracle happened, it was impossible for her to ascend to the throne.
I always walked a single path, and it was the first time that my senses were
screaming so much.
I thought that no matter how I persuaded Charlia or made a fuss, I couldn’t

change her.
‘I have to get out, quickly.’
Of course, contrary to what I was thinking, my head had begun to

unconsciously nod.
This was because I thought it would be more realistic to find a way to live
just accepting, rather than saying, ‘Let’s stop with the open alliance.’
It was no wonder that Charlie herself looked slightly surprised.
Unlike the inside, where I was swearing all kinds of things, I had no choice
but to maintain my usual appearance on the outside.
“Ohh. I see. I didn’t know you were thinking so far…”
“Yes. If you continue to help me, I will never forget your kindness, Honorary
Bishop.”
“Of course, I’ll do it as I’ve been until now, but… it’ll be hard if today’s
thing happens again.”
“Yes. I-I’ll admit that I was a little hasty. But Marlin, that crazy girl…”
“Yes. Yes.”
No matter what she would say, I wouldn’t listen. It would only further my
anger.
She was talking as if I wasn’t angry anymore when she saw me nodding and
thought that my anger was relieved.
Though I was laughing now, I would not see her for a few days afterwards.
If Duchess Catherine, Count Elise, and the Count of Castle Rock began to
protest formally against the Emperor, the Emperor’s position was bound to
punish her.
Right now, everything would be the way she was thinking, but in less than
three days, she would realize that something had gone wrong.
Of course, my expectations had never been wrong.
The enraged Count Castle Rock knocked on the imperial city’s gates right
before the next morning, got in a conversation with the Emperor, and
remained locked out for hours.
He thought he couldn’t have neglected it even as an Emperor because she

didn’t mess with a sub-noble that didn’t have anything, but this was the
Count of Castle Rock, who had fought hard for the imperial family.
This was a situation that he couldn’t ignore, even though this was a sub-noble
in the first place.
Still, as the Emperor was in a desperate situation that he had made the Eight
Seats of the Empire strengthen his imperial power, he would have no choice
but to accept Count Castle Rock’s protests sensitively.
I couldn’t hear what they talked about, but eventually, the Emperor ordered
Charlia to be detained in her room.
Of course, the rooted evils side also took showmanship, such as apologizing
to Marlin Young-ae. Still, it was impossible that Charlotte would do nothing
during this situation.
Like a fish in water, she shook public opinion, proving how useless the
legitimacy was.
Perhaps because of the last resistance of the rooted evils, Princess Charlia
was allowed to meet with a minimum of people during her custody, which
was not very pleasant news that I was included.
She had personally mentioned my name.
My position was a little more embarrassing because this was the time when I
also instructed the Eastern aristocrats, including Duchess Catherine, to
distance themselves from Charlia.
It didn’t matter if I distanced myself from other people, but because they
were the ones that I could say were my most valuable contacts.
It seemed that they understood my political position, perhaps because I’d

been good to them, but I thought it would have been hard for them to look
only positively at me even if I were in their shoes.
The atmosphere changed afterwards.
Stocks, which had been rising well, suddenly plummeted.
“Have you heard the story? The Count Castle Rock’s Marlin Young-ae…”
“Oh. Of course, I heard. Princess Charlia poured the boiling tea on her face as
it was… Are the rumors true?”
“Yes. I happened to see the Honorary Bishop running while holding Marlin
Young-ae. At first, I wondered what was going on because I could not see in
detail through the window. I didn’t even dream that that would have
happened.”
“They said that if Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung weren’t there at the same
time, she would have almost lost her sight. If he had gotten there a little
later…”
“It’s hard to imagine. Count Castle Rock must be very upset.”
The noble ladies talked about this day and night, and the powerful noblemen
also exchanged their opinions on the incident.
“Tsk. It doesn’t matter if she has the royal family’s blood. My common sense
doesn’t really understand how she could do that to the Count, who has
protected Castle Rock silently for the royal family.”
“There may have been some reason…”
“Even if Marlin Young-ae’s attitude was disrespectful, how could she throw
boiling tea? In fact, we are talking between ourselves, but Her Majesty
Charlia’s maids look terrible. You can see how her usual behavior will be.
There must be a citizen to have an Empire… How can she treat people below
her like that…?”
“His Majesty will be very upset, too.”
“Actually, he said he drank wine that he doesn’t like last night, so how
heartbroken he must be… When he heard the news that the First Princess had
changed, I remember him being happy. It would have been better if he hadn’t
had such expectations.”
Even the Eight Seats of the Empire, who were only trusting me, were
inquiring about it, so I wouldn’t have to explain what my position would be
like.
“I’m just talking about it, but… Is this okay? Even if I look at it, the
atmosphere doesn’t look good… If I take a step out, don’t hate me too much.
I’ll trust you will explain it well to Cha Hee-ra. Oh, of course, it doesn’t
mean I’m doing it right now, so please rest assured.”
“If you have any other plans or anything we can help with, please tell us.”
Even if Dawan’s Wi Ran and Cheon Gwan-wi said this, I had nothing to say.
One of the reasons I was bothered was that Kim Hyunsung was busy moving
while I was having a hard time.
Our lovely returner left everything to me and started wandering everywhere,

but it was hard to find out where and what he was doing.
When I first laid the foundation, he supported me, but it seemed like
something else was happening at the time.
In Cha Hee-ra’s case, she didn’t really see it as a big deal if I failed in this or
not,
Certainly, those who weren’t very interested in politics seemed to think that it
wouldn’t have much damage if I failed.
Actually, they weren’t all that wrong.
Even if Charlotte became the Empress without much difficulty, it wouldn’t

affect us directly.
To be precise, it would not cause any physical harm. They wouldn’t cut our
throat for treason, and we wouldn’t rot for life in prison. However, in my
case, the story was a little different.
Getting on the wrong line once meant the loss of the political grounds that I
considered most important.
Charlotte, who had already recognized me as an enemy, would do her best to

cut off my limbs, and I would have to start all over once again.
No one would want such a hellish situation.

‘Strong bitch.’
Of course, this situation was hell for me.
It was not that I did not try to contact Charlotte again, but the Second
Princess seemed to be thinking about aiming at my back by being openly
hostile rather than being subtle about it.
Perhaps unfortunately or fortunately, the nobles at the Second Princess’s

camp also gave me a warning.
‘We shouldn’t say this in the first place, but… this is in consideration of
Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung. It would be better to stay quiet for the time
being.’
Something was indeed happening.
My nobles’ connection was gradually being cut off, and all that was left was
all the people with whom I had been close from the beginning.
Of course, I went around meeting people, but it was difficult to achieve good
results.
As a result, the only place where I could go was to the Emperor, who could
die at any time.
It was the reason why I had to go to the Emperor’s room, thinking if I really
should develop an elixir.
‘I will serve you with all my heart, Your Majesty.’
The loyalty that had been for Charlia for a while was once again transferred
to the Emperor.
The most important thing was that the Emperor must be healthy until all of
these events subsided, and I re-establish my foundation.
The Emperor’s maid greeted me, and the door began to open from the inside.
It was a face I often saw these days, but nevertheless, it looked more tired
than yesterday.
Naturally, drinking alcohol like that would put a strain on his health.
The insane behavior of the First Princess was paving the way for the
Emperor’s road to heaven.
The Emperor’s presence was precious to me as he was the only one I had a
chance of winning back at this point.
“Ooh… You’re here.”
“Your Majesty, are you okay?”
“I’m always the same… I’m okay…”
“You must recover your health as soon as possible.”
“Hahaha… I am always healthy… Rather, Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.”
“Yes… Your Majesty.”
“Did you… come after meeting Charlia today?”
I froze.
Chapter 278
Chapter 278: Unwanted plan (2)
The existence of the First Princess within the Empire was troublesome.
The Emperor was also well aware of it, and for that reason, he had refrained
from letting the First Princess do any important tasks, for fear that she would
cause trouble.
‘It’s not just that.’
It was no wonder that he was worried about her as a father.
If I were the Emperor, I wouldn’t be able to leave the First Princess as she
was, too.
Right now, it was good to have the Emperor’s protection, but if I were to
think about him going back to the arms of the Goddess Benigore, it was
pretty obvious as to what would happen afterward.
The Second Princess would probably ascend to the throne, and the First
Princess would be disadvantaged somehow.
She may not end up with simple discipline if she were to cause some trouble,
just like now.
From a father’s point of view, that may make him feel uneasy. However…
‘But this is ridiculous. Ridiculous.’
If this old man also had a conscience, he would never think that way.
Today, I was worried upon seeing his serious face, but I don’t think he was
thinking the same as me.
He would not come up with an unforgivable offer.
My intuition kept ringing with warnings, but the problem was that I couldn’t
do anything right now.
I had to somehow stop the line from popping out of his mouth.
“I met her for a moment in the morning.”
“Right… how is she…”
“She is a little psychologically unstable, but… It seemed that she was deeply
aware of her own mistakes.”
“I’m glad she thinks so…”
I didn’t want to talk about Charlia anymore.
“Rather than that, I heard that your Majesty had a drink yesterday…”
“I did. And the reason why I called Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung today is
that I was thinking about having a drink together. Today, I have something to
tell you…”
“It’s not good for your health, Your Majesty.”
“Hohoho. I think the Honorary Bishop really cares about me. Even if you say
the same thing as other loyalists, what you say sounds a little different… It’s
amazing.”
“Who would think different than wanting Your Majesty to be healthy?

Perhaps the reason Your Majesty feels that way is because Your Majesty has
more confidence in me.”
“Right. I trust Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung. Yes… Absolutely. That’s why
I wanted to say…”
“Haha. In order to repay His Majesty’s trust, I must work really hard.”
My form of distraction was not working. It looked like he had already made
up his mind.
‘It may not be what I’m thinking, however.’
The Emperor had different troubles, and perhaps he would say something
completely different.
No matter how much of a troublemaker Charlia was, I was a foreigner who

was not included in the imperial category.
No matter how I was to think about it, it was a situation where many
difficulties were blooming.
As the Emperor quietly raised his hand, some maids popped out and started
pouring wine into a glass.
It was a great honor to be able to drink wine together, but I couldn’t figure
out why I was so anxious.
Eventually, the Emperor said what he wanted, and I was forced to curse the
fact that my prediction was correct.
“I’m just saying this, but… what does Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung think
of Charlia?”
‘This psychopathic bastard!’
I thought about how to respond for a moment, but there was nothing I could
do except to change the topic once more.
“Contrary to popular evaluation, she is someone who has great qualities.

Although she has a fiery temper that can’t hold in her anger, she doesn’t
hesitate to push ahead with what she’s planning. She has determination and
momentum, and takes responsibility at all costs to the work entrusted to
her…”
“No. That’s not what my question meant, Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.”
“Your Majesty. I’m sorry, but it’s hard to understand exactly… w-why His
Majesty is saying that? What kind of rudeness did the First Princess do?”
“No. I didn’t mean that. It would be better to ask a little more clearly. I am
now asking …what Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung thinks of my daughter
Charlia as a woman.”
The Emperor was indeed a psychopath.
“Uh, what do you mean by that…”
“It… I’m sure you know what I mean.”
‘Shit.’
I don’t know what to think of Charlia as a woman.
‘Honestly, if given the opportunity, I want to throw the Dragon Breath potion
in her face’ was in my mouth, but there was no way I could say that.
‘You have to get rid of your shit… why do I have to do that?’
It was only right to start with praise and then reveal the will of rejection.
“I’m not sure how to say this, but… H-Her Majesty’s beauty is as beautiful as
a gem. She even has a voice that came down from the sky… and that noble
blood always maintains its dignity… so it’s not suitable to foreigners.”
I thought it wasn’t a bad finish, but it seems that the words I told last do not
come to this psychopath.
“Hohoho. Right. It’s not wrong that even though the child has a mean side,
she looks like her mother and is beautiful as a gem. In fact, when she was
young, she was voted the most beautiful girl in the Empire, so where would
that beauty go?”
“Ah… Yes…”
“For a long time, marriage proposals came from all over the place. Yes…”
“I see.”
“I was holding Charlia for my selfishness, but now is the time to let her go.”
“Ah… Yes…”
As he stopped right in the part ‘for a long time, marriage proposal has been
coming from all over the place,’ there was no need to explain the reason.
There may not have been anyone who the Emperor or Charlia liked, but I bet
they all realized what kind of person she was and widened their distance.
They decided that there was more to be lost than gain with having a
relationship with the First imperial Princess.
I feel the same, too.
‘What can I get?’
The relationship between the First and Second Princesses was like water and
oil.
It didn’t matter if she was a member of the imperial family or whatever.

Being associated with the First Princess was no different from making the
Second Princess into one’s enemy.
“Actually, I was really disappointed and thought a lot about this incident.”
“Yes…”
“I was unknowingly looking forward to Charlia because of the stories that

have been told, but I realized once again after going through this…
Governing someone doesn’t suit her.”
“It doesn’t necessarily…”
“I’d love to see her build a family before I die, Honorary Bishop Lee
Kiyoung.”
“I-I’m sure you will.”
“Yes. I should be. So that I… can be relieved. To leave that spoiled brat and
leave…”
“P-Please refrain from saying that. Your Majesty will remain healthy and last
as a ruler of the Empire for a long time.”
“Hohoho. Thank you. Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung, you already know it,
right?”
“… …”
“Everyone must, but the relationship between the first and the second child is
not very good. I am indeed worried that the second will do something terrible
to her sister after I leave. My father, His Majesty, and I went through that
process. Charlotte is clever, but she doesn’t hesitate to use her hand for what
is needed. She will probably be the same to her sister.”
‘Fuck…’
“Charlia. That fool is my daughter, too. I want our first to live a safe and
peaceful life. If it is someone she likes and follows, she will be able to give
up her greed and live happily.”
“I don’t know… w-what you mean, Your Majesty?”
“Hohoho. I thought you were quick to notice, but you’re a little dull in this
aspect.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I heard why that child did something terrible to Marlin Young-ae. I also
raised my voice when I contained her. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it
looks like the kid is thinking about you a lot. It seems that she’s been quiet
for you to like her.”
“… …”
“I thought you feel the same when I heard this…”
‘What’s that bullshit again, fuck…’
Of course, I’ve never shown anything like that. Apparently, this crazy woman
had spouted a lot of bullshit. It was so ridiculous that I wanted to laugh.
“I also thought about various ways, but after much thought, I was convinced
that this was the best option. Yes. Absolutely.”
“Your Majesty…”
“Please take Charlia in.”
‘This bastard!’
Before I could say anything, the Emperor had come to a conclusion.
I clenched my fist tightly. It was understandable enough to come to that

conclusion, but honestly, I didn’t think of anything other than running away.
If possible, I would escape the imperial castle by sprinting.
“There is a manor left in the north. It’s hard to say that it’s a good place, but
it’s quiet and out of sight.”
I know.
It was incredibly cold, and there was nothing to eat.
Most of the northern provinces within the Empire were like that.
“There may be opposition from the nobles to give a manor to a foreigner, but
as it is you, they will surely agree. It wouldn’t be bad to go there with Charlia
and live a leisurely life. Charlotte wouldn’t even use her hand to her sister in
the periphery. If Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung takes that child, it wouldn’t
be too much considering the other foreigners’ gazes.”
“That… Er… So.”

“Don’t worry about being a foreigner. Couldn’t you also say that you are
already an imperialist? If you are the Honorary Bishop of the Pope’s side and
hold the status of one of the Eight Seats of the Empire, you are well-
qualified. Above all else, aren’t I sending my trust to the Honorary Bishop
like this? You can ignore the gap in status. Yes. Absolutely.”
‘The gap in status, my ass…’
“Hohoho. Of course, I would like you to keep in mind that there is a little bit
of my desire to get a good son-in-law, Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.”
It seemed that he thought I would happily accept this offer.
This whole situation had gotten out of hand.

Chapter 279
I felt as if the three imperial family members had decided to drive me crazy.
I had begun to resent the Emperor. I had also even begun to resent Kim
Hyunsung, the lovely returner, who had given me this ordeal.
I didn’t know when it started, but I felt like he had already appointed the
Second Princess as the Empress. Of course, it wasn’t a hopeless situation for
the First Princess, but I thought this case was probably decisive.
As he mentioned earlier, it must be fine to at least make the First Princess live
safely.
The problem was that the old psychopath’s plan included me.
‘If I have thoughts, would I want to make a living with that?’
The moment I accepted that, at least a few necks would be cut off.
It would be difficult to stop Jung Hayan that had been quiet these days, and
Cha Hee-ra was also likely to be uncomfortable.
I bet, if I set up a living in the north with the First Princess, the next day, she
would be found as a cold corpse. I would know exactly who would be her
killer.
No, going to the northern part with her in the first place was no different from
being distant from the central power.
‘I have to refuse, no matter what.’
“Your Majesty.”
“Hohoho.”
“That… Thanks for the offering… As you know, I am…”
“Ahhh. The wizard attendant and the Queen of the Red Mercenary can be
tolerated.”
“That… What do you mean…?”
“It’ll be too much to say not to meet people who you are already meeting.
Hohoho. Charlia’s jealousy is so severe that you will have a hard time. Yes.
Probably so.”
‘It’s not something that you can talk about while laughing…’
Upon seeing him saying that with a bright smile, it certainly did seem that
this old man was senile.
Now was not the time to be considerate of his mood.
“I’ll… have to think about it over time, Your Majesty.”
“Right. It’s an important matter, so you’ll need to be prepared, Honorary

Bishop Lee Kiyoung. I can understand.”
“No matter how I think, it’s a burdensome proposal… Of course, I am

grateful for your Majesty’s proposal, but honestly, I can’t judge if I’m the
right person for Her Majesty Charlia.”
“Too much humility is poisonous. Hohoho. Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung

has nothing to lack. Yes. Absolutely. Who would call our son-in-law lacking?
Think carefully. Of course, as it is premature, the conversation we had today,
the other people…”
“Yeah. They won’t know anything.”
“Right. It’s really late. You can go. Oh and… I understand your feelings, but
I hope you answer as soon as possible.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will give you an answer after careful consideration.”
“Yes. You should.”
“Then, I’ll be leaving. Your Majesty.”
“Okay. Go, Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.”
‘Shit.’
As soon as I turned away from the Emperor, a curse came out of my mouth.
Somehow, this imperial group not only bothered me, but it seemed that they
were conspiring to destroy my life.
Until now, I’d been through annoying situations many times, but among
them, this was surely the worst. I had to find a way out of this somehow.
In the first place, it was troublesome that my movements were limited, as I

could not know exactly why Kim Hyunsung told me not to make the Second
Princess the Empress.
Simply put, his request was too much.
I was grateful to him for taking my abilities into high account, but making the
lunatic First Princess the Empress is impossible no matter what bullshit I do.
He even gave a restriction saying that I cannot pull Charlotte to the rock-
bottom completely, so it felt like my hands were empty.
Charlia was a difficult opponent to fight with a huge burden.
‘I’m stressed.’
Naturally, I went to find the returner.
I had to stop by my room, so I quickly walked in and opened the door, and I
saw Jung Hayan lying on the sofa in a strange position.
She was ridiculously wearing the outerwear that I had taken off on her face,
and it seemed better not to think about what she had been trying to do.
“Is it Hayan?”
“O-o… Oppa? Y… You came back?”
“Yes. It seems like it’s been a while….”
“Yes… Yes.”
As she opened her mouth in a voice of embarrassment, she hurriedly

squeezed the outerwear covering her face to the side and sat up.
She looked very embarrassed that it was so unlike her.
It seemed that it would be better to change the topic for Jung Hayan, so I had
no choice but to choose a good topic and open my mouth.
“Lindel is the same, right?”
“Yes. Er… Research is also paying off. And… Deokgu is doing well, and …
and the new Han Sora… and Yoo Ahyoung… and … both Ahn Ki-mo and
Chang-ryul have completed attacking rare-grade dungeons.”
“That’s fortunate. Oh, let’s talk a little bit later. I have something to do now.
And Hyunsung-ssi…”
“It seemed like he’d be coming in late today. I-I think Hyunsung-ssi is also
very busy these days. Hyejin said… that recently even she could hardly see
Hyunsung’s face.”
“Is Hyejin in the room right now?”
“Yes. We ate together and came back.”
“If it’s okay, can you call her?”
“O-Of course!”
If Kim Hyunsung was away, I had no choice but to ask his deputy, Cho
Hyejin.
In order to hide her embarrassment, Jung Hayan ran outside, and after a
while, she showed up with Cho Hyejin.
It had been a long time since I saw Jung Hayan as she had many things to do
in Lindel, but it had been even longer with Cho Hyejin.
This also indicated how busy I’d been, so I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.
Jung Hayan took a seat on one side as if she had no intention of leaving Cho
Hyejin and me in this room, and Cho Hyejin bowed as usual and sat in front
of the table.
“It’s been a while, Hyejin.”
“Yes. Long time no see, Vice Guild Master.”
“Are you not moving with Hyunsung recently?”
Cho Hyejin’s expression became very dark at the words I said.
She came to the capital as his attendant, but that guy was moving alone, so it
was not unreasonable for her to feel ashamed as this would make one feel
like she was not doing her responsibilities as his second-in-command.
Cho Hyejin nodded quietly as if my prediction was correct.
“Er… Yes. That’s right. The Guild Master seems to be focusing on his
personal work these days…”
“I see.”
“Yes. Come to think of it. I had a message from the Guild Master to
Kiyoung-ssi.”
‘I knew it.’
“Please tell me right away.”
“That… he’s asking even though it’s hard… he said he would finish his work
as soon as possible and come back and join you.”
“… …”
Naturally, there was nothing I could say.
I wasn’t expecting a solution, but I couldn’t agree with his words to make me
wait.
‘The bastard.’
Of course, the Emperor’s health had not yet deteriorated to a dangerous

extent.
If he knew roughly when the Emperor was going to heaven, it made sense
that he was expecting this fight to drag on a little longer. Still, even now,
considering that my political position was being ruined, I couldn’t afford to
remain still.
As I had many fears, I had no choice but to think about could possibly
happen.
Still, the timing had been struck by the Emperor’s words. This would be a
good time for the Second Princess to completely annihilate us.
Perhaps Charlotte would openly promote a meeting with the First Princess
and me.
It would be seen as a good opportunity to send two people she doesn’t want
to see in exile simultaneously, so even if I were Charlotte, I would actively
push the two of us.
I was now a little more stressed than before. My voice began to sound
annoyed, even to me.
“Excuse me, do you have no idea what Hyunsung is doing?”

“No. I also don’t know what he’s doing right now. However…”
“Yes.”
“He seemed… to be looking for someone.”
“Someone?”
“Yes. A person. The Guild Master also seemed not to know who he was
looking for. Unusually, even if I were a little farther away, I would always
attend a social party like a masked ball with him… It felt like he was looking
around more sensitively than usual.”
“Ah…”
“I offered to see if I could help, but he shook his head. After he said that it
would be more comfortable to move alone…”
“He started going to places where Hyejin’s gaze couldn’t reach.”
“Yes. That’s right. I’m just sorry for not being able to fulfill my
responsibilities. I should have been an attendant who can be a little more
helpful…”
“No. No. It’s not Hyejin’s fault, so you don’t have to blame yourself. Perhaps
he’s doing this for something else. Yes. Definitely.”
‘Is it important?’
I knew from the beginning that he would not be just playing around. This
meant that this was an urgent event for Hyunsung. I could bet that this person
would play an important event in the future.
‘I have to understand.’
It was annoying to have my position narrowed, but what Kim Hyunsung was
doing now was more likely to be more important than just getting a political
position.
‘I still have a lot of time. Right. It is correct to understand.’
As mentioned earlier, the Emperor’s health was normal. I still had time to
change this situation.
‘Okay. That’s right. He has to work out more important things first.’
But gradually, my annoyance began to get the best of me.
Of course, I could understand that he was having a hard time, too, but I had to
think about whether he had been neglecting me too much.
If the house’s head neglected the house and started to wander around, the
house would eventually fall into shambles.
All I needed right now was a word of comfort and some warmth, but he was
still busy running around.
It was official – I was very much annoyed. I doubted this feeling of

resentment would ever disappear.
I wonder what the hell was going on for him to leave me altogether.
‘So that’s more important. Okay, that’s it.’
I didn’t know if it was because of my anger towards the imperial family, but I
was gradually becoming disappointed with Kim Hyunsung.
‘Shall I just ruin everything…?’
The condition that the Second Princess couldn’t become Empress.
If I were to get it right, it didn’t matter as to what would happen.
‘Yes… Let’s turn it over.’
I started to smile.
Chapter 280
Chapter 280: Unwanted plan (4)
‘It’s not your Majesty Charlotte’s fault.’
‘You don’t need to comfort me.’
‘It was inevitable.’
‘No. It is not a problem to end with rationalizing that it is inevitable. Maybe

there was another way. I should have looked for another way. Yes, I
should’ve.’
‘It was a decision made for the imperial people.’
‘I killed another innocent imperial citizen with my own hands for those
imperial people.’
‘If you hadn’t done that, more people would have died. The knights and
soldiers who defend the Empire, and many good people looking only at Your
Majesty, would all have died. That plague…’
‘I know. I know. I already know that there was no other way to save the
contaminated land, that there was no other way because it was polluted
through the air, and that I had to deal with it before the symptoms occurred.
But Count, they weren’t undead yet. I’m sure they were human. Their painful
screams weren’t the sound of the undead. It seems I can still hear the children
crying. No, I can hear it clearly.’
‘What…’
‘I hear them talking to me. I hear the imperial people blaming me after dying
for being betrayed by this stupid Empress.’
‘You seem to be very tired, Your Majesty.’

‘No. I’m not. I am definitely fine.’
‘Your Majesty…’
‘When I was very young…’
‘Yes.’
‘When I was very young… I remember what my mother said when it was
before her death.’
‘… …’
‘She told me not to be harsh. She told me to quietly live a normal life and
enjoy the moment. She told me to live apart from the imperial family,
peacefully outside the center, and like others. When she died, I remember that
she also said something similar. I was very young at that time.’
‘I saw all the hardships my mother had suffered here. I felt more keenly than
anyone how the powerless, not the privileged class, were treated in the
Empire. So I wanted to change the Empire. Yes. That’s why I wanted to
become an Empress. I got rid of my sister with my hand, betrayed my
father’s expectations, and I even have blood in my hands. I have fought with
the Pope’s side, and also with foreigners like the Count. That’s how I became
the ruler of this Empire.’
‘… …’
‘And after I got to this position like that, in the end, I thought I was the same
human as them. No. From the beginning, I was no different from them. I got
blood in my hand once again to keep my position, and I have lived that way
for several years. I have lived that way… because I was afraid of losing my
power. The commitment to create an Empire for the imperial people was
overwhelmed by fatigue and pressure, and my childhood dreams were worn
out by reality. Suddenly, when I looked in the mirror, it seemed that the face
of my sister, who I hated so much, was reflected.’
‘No, Your Majesty.’
‘This position doesn’t suit me. I only realize it now. I’m someone who cannot
bear the weight of the crown and cannot wash away sins. It’s hard. Yes… It’s
so hard. As my sister said before… in the end, it seems that poor blood can’t
bear this weight.’
‘If I were born again… If I were born again, I would like to live as my
mother said, like everyone else. Meet loved ones, laugh and chat, have many
children, and start a family… like others… I want to live like that.’
‘You will be able to do that.’
‘Haha. Of course, I have never thought about marriage, but if I’d met
someone like the Count, I would be very happy to live such a life… anyway,
let’s stop with the chitchat. I have to get up again.’
‘I think it would be better to take a rest. You don’t even have to go out.’
‘I’m fine. I have to finish the remaining work quickly. I have to protect the
Empire by burning the imperial people.’
‘Charlotte-nim.’
‘Today… tomorrow … and also, the next day, I have to protect… the Empire
by killing… ha… hahaha. The imperial people.’
I opened my closed eyes for a moment and grabbed the sand on the floor.
It must have been in this place.
It was here where I had the conversation with Charlotte, and the innocent
imperial people died. It was the place where the plague had spread,
transforming common people into the undead.
It was the first area where the disease, which killed a quarter of the
continent’s population, came into being.
When I opened my hand, the wind blew away the sand I had been holding.
As I looked at it blankly, a person in front of me suddenly came into my

view. I realized that I had spent a lot of time lost in emotions.
“W… Why are you here…”
“So, you know me.”
“… …”
“The rumor seems to have reached this place. A common person wouldn’t
recognize me.”
“No. No. How can people like us not recognize someone important like you?
R-Rather than that… what … brings you here? Do you have any business in
this small town…?”
“I came to do an investigation. I got information that an association uses

magic that is not allowed in the Empire, so I came to see if by any chance…
but looking at your reaction and the current situation, it seems that what I was
worried about was true. Who would have imagined that there would be a
place like this in a basement like this?”
“E-Excuse me, but I don’t understand w-what you’re talking about.”
“Saladin the Secret Society. A Black Wizard Alliance within the Empire. It
has been established for 24 years, has about 670 people, and it is distributed
evenly in the outer regions of the Empire. The purpose of its creation and its
significance is the eternal life of the clan members. Did I say something
wrong?”
“I-I don’t know what you’re… t-talking about.”
“I will first ask you a few questions.”
“What?”
“Have you ever met a masked man and woman?”

“I don’t know… what you mean.”
“It’s an expressionless, dull black mask. The mask has a spell on it, and it is
difficult to dispel unless you are a high-ranking wizard. The man is of
average height, and the woman is a bit smaller. They call each other best
friends, and they’re actually very close. Oh, and the man is a Black Wizard
like you guys. If he’d come here, you would have recognized him right away.
Perhaps he’s a clan member from Saladin.”
“Black Wizard?”
“Yes. He’s a Black Wizard. If you’ve ever seen him, you will definitely…”
“I have never heard of him. R-Rather, I’m not sure… what you’re talking
about.”
“I guess you’re not lying.”
“Of course. I don’t know anything about Saladin or b-black magic, sir.”
“No. What I meant was that you didn’t know about the masked people.
We’ve already confirmed that the people gathered here are Black Wizards, so
you don’t have to hide it. I have met other Saladin Black Wizards. Gartel in
the north, Valla in the south, Hebbel in the east, you are already the fourth.”
“This c… crazy…”
“I will change the question. If you’ve never seen the masked man and
woman… Where is your clan master?”
Silence descended upon the entire room.
He still kept his face saying that he didn’t know anything, but at the same
time, I tried to speak up again. I heard the sound of a spell being cast.
“D… Die!”
Black and green spheres and arrows struck in an instant.

As I leaned over and swung my sword, the large orb that was approaching
split in half.
‘Poison.’
This was an uncommon magic.
When an unknown substance from the shrapnel splashed on my clothes,

smoke rose with a squealing sound. I held my breath with magic and moved
instantly.
As soon as the sword was pulled out and I rushed, a huge monster rose up
from the summoner and struck me.
It was a low-grade demon I had seen before.
After I cleared it by putting magic into the sword and wielding it, the black
wizard’s arm in front of me was thrown, and the body of the black wizard
who was chanting the curse was cut off.
‘One devil summoner and one necromancer.’
Skeleton soldiers poured out from all sides, but I swung my sword, the
soldiers collapsed, and the necromancer fell with blood.
This was the same as last time.
‘Their level is low.’
It was not that I got too strong.
It felt like there was definitely a level difference from the ones I had seen in
the first round.
It was hard to imagine it was the same Saladin that drove the entire continent
into fear then. There was no demon summoner to summon named demons,
and at best, low-grade demons and intermediate-grade demons were all that
there was.
It was difficult to find those who completed the 4th class change in the first
place.
‘Was there a trigger?’
It was correct to think that the masked man, who had declared himself to be
the head of these people a few years later, had done something.
‘They haven’t met yet.’
I didn’t know exactly when he would be active, but it was not at this time.
When I saw that he was not moving, even when the struggle for the imperial
power had been revealed, it meant that he’d be active a little later than now.
In the first place, this was not the time when the man would usually be active.
It wasn’t too bad since I wasn’t looking for the man from the beginning.
However, it was a bit hard to understand that the woman wasn’t showing up,
either.
I remembered that the masked woman was clearly active in the Imperial
Palace at this time.
Of course, I hadn’t spent much time in the imperial city in the first round, but
I think I had seen her move with the influential nobles of Charlotte’s camp
when I once entered the capital.
‘Is she hiding? Or has the future changed? If she were active, she wouldn’t
have a reason to hide…’
Seeing that she didn’t show up even when the Second Empress was
politically threatened meant that the future might have changed for a certain
reason.
Considering the fact that the woman in the mask spent a long time with the
murderous brigade, including the demon swordsman Jung Jinho… perhaps,
after Jung Jinho’s death, she had lost her place.
If this speculation was really correct, the masked woman wouldn’t be lured
after driving the Second Princess to the brink. The masked woman would not
show up in the second round.
I could think of this as a positive butterfly effect created by Jung Jin-ho’s

death in the tutorial dungeon.
As I slowly went down to the underground, I began to see Saladin’s findings.
I could not recognize many things, but considering that the plague began
based on these studies, these were objects that should not exist on the
continent.
As expected, it was still in its early stage.
When I generated magic power from my hand, a small flame sprang up, and
the flame that fell on the research data began to burn.
I kept thinking of the imperial people burning and screaming painfully and
the face of Charlotte, who had gone mad while screaming, but I shook my
head and erased the bad memories.
However, her voice continued to come to mind.
‘I want to wake up in a quiet forest listening to the birds singing. It will be

difficult, but I want to live without maids, too. I want to listen to a
troubadour’s song from a bar. Yes. I want to live like that. I think I liked you
a little. It seems like that when I think about it now. I’ve never loved
someone, so I’m not sure what my feelings are, but it’s probably similar to
what my mother talked about. Please be happy, Count. In the next life, let’s
run into each other a little more ordinary. Let’s face each other while
smiling.’
I bit my lips, and then I went back right away.
After going up the long basement, I saw the town with nothing different than
usual.
‘Huh?’
It was then that I found a very familiar face on one side of the town square.
‘What the?’
He disguised himself poorly with magic, but he couldn’t hide that big size—
the original member of the Blue, whose face I long have seen.
‘Deokgu?’
The reason why Park Deokgu was here on the outskirts of the continent, far
from Lindel or the capital, was unknown, but Kiyoung-ssi must have sent
him on an errand.
By now, he would be busy calming public opinion.
‘Why is he here?’
Naturally, I was curious. I think he had already received orders from the fact
that he was on the outskirts.
The crowd was nodding and cheering at the big man’s speech. It was when I
moved in curiosity and put magic into my ears.
The contents I heard from the strangely drawn voice completely overturned
my expectations.
“Imperial people! By the imperial people! A country for the imperial people!
The owner of the Empire is not the imperial family! It’s the imperial
people!!”
“W-what… is that…?”
This certainly didn’t happen in the first round.
“With a burning thirst! With a burning thirst! Democracy! Hurray!”
“What is this…?”
Chapter 281
Even if I rubbed my eyes and looked again, Park Deokgu was still screaming
in the square.
I was embarrassed to find him here, but the way he screamed with his fists
clenched was even more embarrassing.
“The imperial people are the owners of the Empire! Think carefully! Who has
the sovereignty of the Empire?”
“Isn’t that the Emperor?”
“No! Absolutely not! The Empire only exists because of you! The
sovereignty of the Empire belongs to the imperial people! All power must
come from the imperialists to be the right country! No matter how much
power the Emperor has, what can he do without you?!”
“T… That’s right! That’s right!!”
Someone in the crowd cheering eagerly also looked familiar to me.
‘Ahn Ki-mo?’
He looked no better than an imperial commoner, but if you peeled off the
magic that surrounded him, you would surely get a familiar figure.
It was not just Ahn Ki-mo.
Blue guild employees, who I could only recognize by their faces, began to
appear.
Several people were already screaming and instilling an uplifting sense
within the surrounding atmosphere.
“From the very beginning, Goddess Benigore has said that everyone living on
this continent is equal! Just think about it! Dear Imperial people! Is this
Empire truly equal under the protection of the Goddess Benignore? Think
again! This unlearned, ignorant guy also had to send his beloved family to the
demons of poverty and hunger!”
“Gosh…”
“Oh…”
“In my daily life, I’d like to think that it is fortunate to be able to eat corn
porridge! The thieves in the imperial palace celebrate every day with alcohol
and meat! What nonsense is that?!”
“Politics for the imperial people, by the imperial people, in the Empire!
That’s what this country needs right now. We need to enlighten ourselves to
get what we want! We need to remind the self-proclaimed noble blood that
despises us that the owners of the Empire are the imperial people!”
“Of course! Absolutely! We have to fight! We have to realize that even

stupid guys with nothing learned like us can do something for the Empire!”
“W-What can we do?!”
“Anything dear comrades can do! First, quickly get one of the books here!
Our Hyung-nim, no, it’s a book written by someone who is with us!”
“But… Isn’t this treason against the imperial family?”
“Treason against the imperial family! Those imperial noble blood are the
ones rebelling against Goddess Benigore! Are you saying we can’t even read
books like this? I’m not armed or spitting directly in front of the Emperor, so
why would we be charged with treason? The Empire is not the Emperor’s,
but of the imperial people, and the Goddess! Are you saying that a country
that prevents you from reading books really seems normal? If that seems
normal, run to the lord right now and reveal my sins! I will be proud to
sacrifice for democracy!”
“L-Long live democracy!”
“Long live the Democratic Fighter!”
“My name is Bark Teoku! Democratic Fighter Bark Teoku!”
I was forced to be away for quite some time.
It was no wonder that I actually could not afford to look around the world
because I had to be cautious and stealthy when digging about Saladin or the
masked man and woman.
It felt like the world had changed upon seeing this scene happening in front
of me. Both the old and the young were now clamoring around for the books.
It was then that a voice came in from the crowd. An old man had opened his
mouth.
“Are you a foreigner?”
“Ah… Yes.”
“I heard that there was no king or Emperor where the foreigner came from…
Is that true?”
“Yes, it is, but…”
“There really was a country like that. Oh, I’ll read this book here.”
As soon as I took the book, I saw that it was of a fairly small size.
Seeing that it was made so that it could be easily hidden and fit in a pocket, it
seemed that they were also concerned about matters of censorship.
At the bottom of the book titled Sacred Democracy, an unknown author was
marked.
‘Oscar?’
I didn’t know who Oscar was, but as Deokgu had said, Kiyoung had written
this.
When I open the book randomly, I can see the full text.
[The imperial people must be able to participate in the imperial rule actively.
The human rights of imperialists must be guaranteed, and laws and
procedures for implementing them must be applied equally to all imperialists.
The laws of human rights and equality are “basic rights” that must be enjoyed
by the citizens of the Empire, and these equality laws, according to the will of
Goddess Benigore, apply not only to the Empire but also to all humans living
on the continent.]
‘Huh…’
[The Empire must maintain a welfare system that guarantees a minimum life
for the imperialists. Listed above are the contracts between the state and the
people. The Empire is not maintained by vested interests, but by contracts
between the state and the people, and the people need to realize this. The
sovereignty of the Empire rests on the imperial people, and all power comes
from the people. It is the one thing to keep reminding yourself of.]
It felt like a mix of words I had heard before.
The logic of political scientists was brought to the continent and changed to
suit their taste.
I could see that the doctrine that all men were equal under Goddess Benigore
was being used as a shield.
‘It’s definitely Kiyoung’s skill.’
That person’s personality was highly visible within the text.

As I kept turning the pages, the contents that popped out in the book were a
spectacle.
The Pope’s side, another vested interest in the Empire, was described
completely separately.
Although there were many words written on it, this book had only one
meaning.
“Equality for all is…”
“This is the will of the Goddess Benigore. That’s it! That’s what Oscar wants
to say! That’s our Hyung-ssi with a quick understanding… H-Hyunsung? W-
Why are you…”
Deokgu looked embarrassed.
“Mr. Bark Teoku, it would be better to talk for a moment.”
A bitter laugh popped out.
***
This certainly worked.
‘It has no choice but to work.’
Considering that 99.9% of the people were Benigorians, it would be weird if

this did not work in the first place.
A sentence that had appeared a few times in the Bible was inflated and
interpreted politically.
Since religion was woven into democracy, it was natural for this book to gain
momentum.
However, since this was also written in a hurry, it didn’t mean that there
weren’t any holes at all, but I knew the people would be willing to overlook
these holes.
Everyone was equal under the Goddess.
The weight and sweetness of this sentence would be irresistible to common

imperialists. It may have reflected sweetly even to the common priests.
As I slowly closed the book while sitting in front of the bonfire, I saw
Deokgu and Ki-mo staring at me.
It was good to hear the branches crackling and burning, but I couldn’t help
but ask.
“Can I hear an explanation?”
It was natural to wonder what had happened in front of me today. However, I

did believe that an explanation was due.
“No, I think I should speak before that… Well, why is the Guild Master
here?”
“There was something I had to do personally. I’ll tell you more about it when
it’s sorted out, but you can think of it as something related to Black Wizard.”
“What? Did you get a request from the Pope’s or the Imperial Family?”
“You can think so. Then, and Deokgu…”
“Well, I am on Hyung-nim’s errand. This is already the twelfth one. I was

told to work slowly starting far from the capital, but… you know that Lee
Jihye? I was commissioned to spread this book from where Jihye-ssi picked!
Curiously, I haven’t seen any nobles or knights like nobles while working on
this. Isn’t that right? Ahn Ki-mo?”
“Yeah. It’s as Deokgu said. Since the troops are concentrated on the eastern
side, the western side where we are right now has a lot of room. Also, long
time no see, Guild Master.”
“Yes. As I was focused on my work…”
“I heard that it had been a while since you’ve been gone from the royal
castle.”
“That’s right. Things happened in the middle… Actually, we’ve bumped into
each other just when I was about to return. That… Is Kiyoung-ssi the one
who made this book?”
“To be precise, it wasn’t made by him alone… he made it with Jihye-ssi.

Hee-young seemed to have often visited the royal castle to help, too. Well,
what can I do? More than that, it seems that Hyung-nim is looking for you
anxiously… Haven’t you seen each other for a long time?”
“Yes. Actually… a lot of time has passed.”
“Oh, Hyung-nim looked for you… well.”
“Ah. Did he?”
“Yes. Absolutely! It seemed like he wasn’t in a good mood, as if something

bad happened in the royal castle. In fact, it seems like he has no energy every
day. He walks around with a face that he does when he is a little angry.
That’s why I’m even doing the Democracy Fighter Bark Teoku.”
“Did you say he wasn’t in a good mood?”
“Yes. I definitely had that feeling.”
“Is this book…?”
“Oh. It’s a book that he made crankily.”
“Hmm…”
‘Perhaps he can be like that…’
I suddenly thought about it, and I realized that I certainly didn’t care much
after leaving the job with him.
I thought that Kiyoung would do well, and in fact, I thought that only
Kiyoung could control the First Princess.
Perhaps it would be weird if it wasn’t hard.
The Charlotte I knew was a capable Empress, and Charlia was an irreparable
idiot.
I, too, couldn’t help it because I had something to do, but if I had to say
something about this, it meant that I had made a mistake.
Kiyoung was a really trustworthy person in general, but I knew that he

sometimes expressed his dissatisfaction like this.
As we had spent a lot of time together, I can roughly see what kind of person
Lee Kiyoung is.
It was the same with Cho Hyejin’s case, and it would be strange if I didn’t
know because he showed such behavior in very small things, too.
‘He’s expressing dissatisfaction.’
Considering what Deokgu said, it would be okay to think that this was an
expression of his dissatisfaction.
‘I couldn’t take it into account.’
I thought it was definitely a mistake.
I only thought that there was still a lot of time left, and I could not calculate
the anxiety Lee Kiyoung would feel, or that the political prestige would be
ruined.
The problem was that what he did was too big and radical to be called a mere
expression of dissatisfaction.
There was an old saying that the country and home must be at peace.
I had focused too much on the outside and was too negligent to the situation
inside.
‘W… What should I do?’

I had to worry about whether it would be better to bring him a gift.
Chapter 282
Chapter 282: Please, Revolutionize (1)
“This will work unconditionally, Oppa. I bet it will. I knew you were good at
this. How did you even think about linking this with religion?”
“Anyone could’ve thought of this. They just didn’t have a chance to do so. In
the first place, I’m the only foreigner who memorizes the doctrine of the
goddess Benigore, aside from the priests. A revolution was an option that you
were also thinking about, and it’s not that great, you know.”
“Although… In my case, I still thought that the civic consciousness of the

imperial people was not enough to accept this.”
“No, no. The imperialist level of consciousness is quite high. The Second
Princess, who loves the imperial people more than anyone else, has
constantly raised the level of consciousness several years ago. The situation
itself could have burst at any time. There was just no opportunity.”
“Have you judged it that way? You give a lot of credit to the imperial people.
In my personal opinion, I think the doctrine of the Goddess Benigore is the
first contributor to this work. In fact, the reaction’s better than I expected. If
you’re lucky, you can even get the Pope’s side, so it’s even better.”
“I am also talking about my personal thought. A civil revolution is like this in

the first place. Most of these kinds of revolutions…”
“You want to talk about the bourgeois revolution, right? It is led by

capitalists who have economic rights, but do not have control.”
“Yes. Right.”
I could see Lee Jihye nodding. Seeing her smiling, it seemed that she was
having as much fun as I was.
‘Of course, it’s fun.’
Lee Jihye liked this kind of situation in the first place.
The ordinary people were moving according to my plans. She felt that she
had been the catharsis for that, so it was not unreasonable for her to indulge
in her newfound power.
When I raised my face, I saw Lee Jihye looking at me as if she was asking
me to continue talking, and so I did whilst smiling.
“Of course, it is a matter of thinking a little about what happened on Earth

and whether we should put the same kind of history here. However, there is
no guarantee that we will not be able to do that if only the shortcomings are
met.”
“What is lacking?”
“Force.”
“Ohhh. I know what you mean.”
“The difference here and on Earth is the intensity of force. Unlike the
bourgeois on Earth, where they only need to have an economic zone, this one
feels slower because it has one more condition.”
“It is said that the bourgeois class here has to add force to the economy.
There’s no way a revolution could ever happen.”
“I think so. It seems that the reason why those in power here could have
power was simply because of the force they possess. Just looking at the
knights here, you can assume that they can deal with dozens of civilians… In
such a situation, can you really rebel against the powerful? In fact, they were
almost ready for the revolution. They just couldn’t put it into action.”
“How can you say that?”
“Poverty, hunger, inequality, the gap between the power and the
marginalized, the growing civic consciousness, and…”
“The press.”
“Right. The press is decisive. Another reason might be the emergence of the
new bourgeois. People who have power and economic power, yet do not have
control.”
“The foreigners.”
“Yes.”
“There are a few more factors. Private mercenaries or wizards stuck in the
magic tower. As you said, the conditions to have a revolution were already
being met little by little. You are saying that everything was just not
connected, right?”
“I don’t know if I’m right, but I think so. The question is how to blow this
off.”
There was also another problem – the condition to move radically.
Unnatural revolutions or reforms, no matter how well done, had side effects.
If I was lucky enough to get this done successfully, this Empire was sure to
bear some side effects.
Of course, I was not a political expert, so I did not possess the ability to
predict anything like that, and I had zero interest in it in the first place. It was
beyond my ability to anticipate upcoming problems.
It meant I had no choice but to focus on this right now.
‘I have to finish it in a flash.’
Another factor of insecurity was the existence of the Republic.
It was just an imagination, but if things were to break out, they would likely
try to jump on the bandwagon of the revolution that would take place within
the Empire.
I had to solve this problem by exploding it all at once.
It was natural that the longer the time that those in power and imperialists
communicated with each other, the more we were subjected to external
pressure.
Losing Duchess Catherine, Countess Elise, and Marlin Young-ae was one of
my concerns, but I think I could protect them.
Nobles respected by the imperial people would be established as a new class

altogether.
It may be a bit unreasonable, but it was only right to force them to participate
in the revolution.
‘I have to do it like that.’
Of course, the most problematic among them was the existence of the Second
Princess.
She noticed that I had been moving, and I had to move carefully as there was
a possibility that she would steal a march on me.
‘It could be ruined in an instant.’
If I were to be accused of treason, it wouldn’t matter that I’m one of the Eight
Seats, Honorary Bishop, or the dragon’s spouse. It’ll be the end for me.
That was why I kept meeting the Emperor and Charlia, or politically fighting
by constantly camping.
I could turn their gaze right now, but I knew that my limit would come soon.
“Oh, Nuna. So, how about the Second princess? Does she have any
reaction?”
“No. She’s pretty quiet. I don’t think she’s still interested as if she’s busy
solving the problem with the evil nobles on Charlia’s side, but… She’s
strangely quiet when I think about it. Even though she is working quietly
from the outskirts, for a woman who can even notice when someone is
cursing her to be quiet…”
“Right? It feels like the pressure on this side has been reduced, considering
that she talked as if she would come running right away not to let me breathe.
Actually, it seemed like I couldn’t even breathe until a few days ago… is she
watching out for the Pope’s side?”
“It could be. Or…”
“Yes?”
“It’s just my simple thought… er… and it suddenly came to my mind. Didn’t
you say that the Second Princess of the Empire cares a lot for the imperial
people?”
I felt like I knew what Lee Jihye wanted to say.
“It can’t be…”
“It would be a good idea to keep that possibility open.”
“Isn’t that too speculative?”
“I just imagined. There is no physical evidence anyway, and if you write a

novel, she might even want this situation. As you said, the Second Princess
could also have made plans, recognizing that the foreigners are of the new
bourgeois class. If she were at least interested, she would have been noticing
some situations. Just looking at the enormously enlarged media is enough to
think about it, right?”
“That’s true, but…”
“It would have been an idea she couldn’t have had if you hadn’t created the
press… There are already several presses in this Holy Empire. Not only
foreigners but also imperial people are making and selling imperial
newspapers, so I think anyone could call them precursors, right? If the
Second Princess isn’t an idiot, she would have smelled it since the Imperial
Newspaper was published. Even now, there is a video hologram with magic
power. If… If only the Second Princess has noticed about the magical video
hologram… then, we can really think she wanted to lead this situation.”
“So, you’re saying that the Second Princess provoked me, who is at the
center of the new bourgeois class. Is that what you mean? She forcefully
tightened and threatened me to want me to move like this? To move the
foreigners?”
“I said it was a novel. By the way… It makes a lot of sense. Spending a lot of
time with the imperial people and… honestly, even trying to tame you feels a
bit arbitrary. She threatened as she would swing the sword right now, but
your limbs weren’t completely cut off, right? Of course, it is impossible to
say that it was not cut at all, but… she didn’t touch your force. I was
expecting this was her thinking of getting you.”
“If she wanted, she would have spoken directly to me.”
“If she had told you, do you think you would have listened to it? Even I don’t
think you would’ve. You would have thought of backstabbing her with it.
Like gar… no… how can I say it? Oh! Feudalism and absolute monarchy are
more advantageous to those who are cool disloyal people. I say it because it
seems that it fits well with you and me, but if the method is not correct again,
there wouldn’t be a revolution or anything like that. We would be just getting
benefits the way we are now.”
Honestly, I couldn’t deny this.
If the Second Princess had calmly brought up about the revolution, I would
have smashed her back, using that as a weapon.
Even though I thought that there was no way she would be doing that, my
mind kept moving towards Lee Jihye’s novel.
In particular, the conversations I had with the Second Princess suddenly

began to occur. Specifically, the conversation at the Imperial Knights
Training Center.
At the time, it felt like an unimportant conversation, but when I think about it
now, I have a lot of doubts.
‘It may be rude, but I did some preliminary research on the Honorary Bishop.
I was interested in something a bit different from the title that everyone
knows, such as the one chosen by the dragon and the Honorary Bishop of the
Holy Empire. It was most impressive that the media was rooted in Lindel and
Revolution.
‘The Free Cities are basically separated from the Empire, but in reality, they
are bound to be indirectly affected as they are separated. That’s just the fact
that similar institutions were established within the Empire shortly after the
press took root and started on Lindel. You are basically a selfish human, but I
also know that you have a minimum degree of conscience. Whatever the
reason, what you’ve done has brought good results for many.’
Results in favor of the majority.
‘I think the reason you can produce such a result is that you are probably
watching out for others. No. I’m sure. You are surely watching out for others.
Even if you don’t yield to the strong, you are a person who concedes what
you have to the public.’
Concessions for the public.
‘The praise is correct, so you don’t have to worry. Honorary Bishop, the
Empire needs a talent like you. We need talented people who see the public’s
eyes and people who can do politics that sees the majority.’
Perhaps Lee Jihye was right.
I didn’t know why the returner, who I had begun to resent a little, said that
such a woman shouldn’t be the Empress, but it must be that some kind of
trash drove her crazy in the middle.
Predicting that there was no such thing in the first round, it wasn’t the time to
make a quick decision yet. This was not an unusual occurrence altogether.
there was no accurate physical evidence, so I had to move a little more

carefully.
Of course, in the meantime, my beliefs about her continued to sprout.
Even the last words she said to me now sounded suspicious.
‘I don’t hesitate to use swords at my enemies, Honorary Bishop. I know you

are an important person to the Empire, but if you really turn your back on me,
I have no choice but to pull the sword out. You will have to make a wise
choice.’
It was natural to wonder exactly what it meant to really turn my back on her.
It wasn’t clear what was the wise choice she was talking about and who she
defined as the enemy. If I were to assume that this is what she really wanted,
I could interpret it this way.
‘I do not hesitate to put a sword into the monarchy. You are needed in the
Empire for the future. You will bring a transformation to the Empire, so there
is no shortage even if you are someone important in the Empire. If you really
turn your back on my expectations and the public, I will draw a knife. So…
Please…’
“Revolutionize.”
“What? What did you say? What are you talking about suddenly? We are
already doing it.”
“Fuck…”
“What? Why?”
“I think you’re right.”
To be precise, in the case of Lee Jihye and me, we had been forced to join,
but…
The Second Princess. I had to realize that Charlotte had also wanted the same
thing as us.5
Chapter 283
“Sacred Democracy.”
“What?”
“It is a book written by a man named Oscar. Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung
probably wrote and distributed it. I think everyone has read it. The more I
read it, the more I think it’s a really interesting book. In places where the
foreigners lived, this idea seems to be common. I knew it, but it was true that
our Empire was in retreat.”
“… …
“This book, completed in a matter of days by a foreigner, completely denies

the current regime of the Empire. Anyone who thinks such a way will know
how the Empire’s vested interests have led its people with absurd ideas. He
didn’t say anything wrong. All humans are equal.”
“What does Your Majesty… think of this Sacred Democracy?”
“Excellent. It’s very good. Of course, the idea of bringing democracy based
on the doctrine of Goddess Benigore bothers me a bit because there is a
conflict with the ideals we want. Rome wasn’t built in one day, right? I can’t
even argue that this is the best course of action right now. He might have
thought that the Goddess’s will must be laid on the ground for the
imperialists who are still accustomed to the imperial system to stand up. He
may have thought of the Pope’s side support, too. In a way, it is a genius idea
to draw in the doctrine of the Goddess.”
“Definitely…”
“Yes. There may be some side effects, but it’s just as effective. He might be
focusing on the restless imperial people.”
“I’m glad that what you thought has worked out, Your Majesty.”
“This is just the beginning. Yes. It is more important what happens from now
on.”
I could see their faces nodding and responding to my words.
Seeing that everyone’s eyes were sunken, it looked like they hadn’t slept well
yesterday while reading the book.
That was obvious.
This little book was, strictly speaking, the first new kind of Bible in
circulation in the Empire. It was a book containing the ideas and ideals from
the continent of the foreigners.
Of course, it wasn’t without fault, but as I said earlier, I thought this was a
problem that time would eventually solve.
For now, the top priority was to overturn the current system of the Empire.
The work that had been done little by little from the old days has only begun
to bear fruit.
‘My prediction was correct.’
It was right to judge that, if I pushed him to a corner, he would destroy the
system.
Of course, it was much faster and more radical than expected, so I was
surprised, but it seemed to remind me that he was competent, so I could
confirm once again that this decision was correct.
‘I thought it would take at least six more months…’
In less than a month, a strange atmosphere had formed throughout the

Empire.
Unlike me, who couldn’t figure out how and where to start, he was doing
things perfectly. It would be strange if my jaw hadn’t dropped.
Civil revolution.
It was a dream and a wish that had been in my mind for a long time.
If I were to think about it, the first idea came when I overheard the
conversation between the foreigners, Cha Hee-ra and Victor Hart, a few years
ago.
‘Old man Victor, there were no nobles or Emperor where we lived. I’ve never
learned this etiquette.’
It was just one word, really just one word.
It was something I heard by chance, but it’s a voice that kept coming to my
mind.
I couldn’t understand with my head full of thoughts of being Empress at the

time, but I remember that was the beginning.
A country not ruled by an Emperor. A country without nobles.
‘Is that possible?’
No wonder my head had been filled with doubts.
Of course, it wasn’t impossible at all when I were to think of the Republic,

which was in conflict with the Empire.
The Republic, whose power had been skewed by special groups, advocated
for the liberation of all humans, but it was because the President was
wielding unprecedented power under a one-party dictatorship.
I thought it would be different from the meaning of the absence of an

emperor and nobles, as the foreigner Cha Hee-ra had said.
Literally, their continent was a place where one did not need to learn
etiquette.
‘They’re all equal.’

I tried to forget about it, but my curiosity began to grow like a snowball.
In a few words, my curiosity had been piqued.
There were many times I couldn’t sleep because of frustration, and in the end,
I had to move to solve this curiosity.
I started by inviting foreigners to the castle.
Where is the place? How can such a place exist? Without an Emperor, who
would rule the country?
I had conversations with foreigners several times a day, but it was difficult to
find someone who could correctly answer my questions.
This was because the majority of them were scared.
It was not unusual for ordinary foreigners to be scared, as it was considered

taboo to discuss their continent within the royal castle.
Of course, it is natural that I was shocked by the basic information that I

could get.
‘An election in which a leader is elected every few years. A representative

elected by citizens, impeachment. The people’s check of power, the history of
the foreigner’s continent…’
Everything was full of wonders.
When I reached the point where my curiosity could not be solved only by the
invited foreigners, I immediately began to run outside.
Of course, I couldn’t move freely because of all the gazes, but I looked
around the Free City built by the foreigners whenever I had a chance.
What was their life like, what did they do, and how did those who had come
to a new continent live?
It was to check the things I was curious about. Honestly, the results were not
satisfactory.
Contrary to what I imagined as a utopian world, there was also poverty and
discrimination.
An Emperor did not exist, but there were leaders up there by force, and in a
way, it seemed that there was nothing much different from the situation of the
current Empire.
When I tried to return after feeling skeptical, what I saw was the beginning of
the media. This was what had urged me to learn more.
I felt like the world had changed overnight. I could see how the world was
changing, even from the eyes of others.
The foreigners, who belonged to the lower class, rose, and they directly
began to boycott the powerful. It was an incomprehensible situation.
It looked like a small version of the events that I only heard as stories that the
ones who had been quiet so far started to move as one.
What I thought would never change slowly did.
The giant guild Black Swan, located in the Free City of Lindel, began to
watch out for the foreigners, and even within a few days, the Black Swan’s
leader changed.
“No way…”
The lower class of foreigners changed everything without spilling any blood
or causing any damage.
‘Bloodless Revolution.’
The shock of seeing it with my own eyes was indescribable.
It was no wonder that my gaze had been drawn to the person at the center of
the case.
At the time, the media had been dealing with Lee Kiyoung as a victim. I
began observing this foreigner, who seemed to be moving the media, and dug
information using my powers as a Princess.
I learned several things about him.
That he came to the castle and found the demon worshipper Ito Souta.
That he successfully defended Castle Rock.
That he was chosen by a dragon, and not only obtained a position from the
Pope’s side, but was also loved by many nobles.
Of course, there were times when I saw things I didn’t want to see, but the
important thing wasn’t what kind of person he was.
I started to see more and more of what he could do. His weapons weren’t just
dragons or potions he made.
His fancy speech and personal connections were also his weapons, but the
biggest weapon he had was the press, and the right way of using it. Because
of him, I learned a lot of things.
The incident at Lindel became a new hope and light.
‘I need to prepare.’
I could change the Empire.
‘Imperial people can also stand up.’
Those with will had to be brought together.
‘There are definitely nobles and awake intellectuals who consider the current
system unfair. Definitely.’
Foreigners would also help.
‘I have to move him.’

What I had been doing without a break has finally begun to pay off.
I hadn’t accomplished anything yet, but if someone were to ask me if I was

happy, I would nod.
“You seem to be in a good mood, Your Majesty.”
“Yes. It is difficult to continue to conceal my joy while thinking that this is

the beginning.”
“Er… Princess.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry, but may I say something?”
“What are you sorry for? You can tell me, Baron.”
“I’m just asking. If this is over… I’m curious about what you will do.”
“Ohh. I will be the same as you. I will probably live a normal life. Of course,
it’s hard, but I want my father and my sister to live a new life. The life my
mother told me about in the past. That is… if it’s possible. Haha.”
“Princess, but as I’ve always said…”
“Baron, I am no different from other imperial people. I was lucky to be more

educated than they were, and I was lucky to be able to explore more than
them. There is a lot I realized while learning about foreigners. I am not a
person who can stand on top of others. I just want to live a normal life. Like
you guys, I want to love, and I want to have normal relationships.”
“This is so like Your Majesty. Haha. Do you have anyone in your mind?”
“Haha. That’s a question so like the Countess.”
“Perhaps… the reason you’re always watching the Honorary Bishop…”
“Hahahaha. No. He’s an interesting person, but he’s far from my type.
Rather, the person who can be called his boss is a little closer to my type. I
don’t know what I’m talking about in front of you. Anyway, let’s end the
conversation here today. We’ll be busy again from tomorrow.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Have a good night, Your Majesty.”
As I quietly nodded, I could see them leaving.
When I hurried back to my room and flipped through the Sacred Democracy
again, previously incomprehensible ideas started to get stuck in my head
more clearly.
For the time being, I thought I would spend my time reading this book over
and over again.
“The sovereignty of the Empire rests with the imperial people, and all power
comes from the imperial people.”
Others who might be reading this somewhere would not be different from me
now.
Some would be reading this book in the stables, others in the school when
they were out, and others relying on small candles.
Perhaps there were even people in this imperial castle reading this book.
They would be enlightened by sharing the book and discussing it with each
other. This little Bible would be the beginning of the revolution and the light
of the imperial people.
“He is a genius.”
I had no choice but to admit this as I flipped through the pages once more.
“Honorary Revolution.”
If everything went according to plan, the Empire would be able to take one
step further without ever spilling blood.
Chapter 284
“Honorary revolution, my ass.”
“I’m sure that’s what she’s aiming for. I can see what she’s thinking. After
stabilizing the imperial people who will rise for the revolution, the nobles that
united with the Second Princess will pressure the existing vested interests to
change the system. Saying the line, ‘This is the will of the imperial people!’
There is nothing I can think of other than that. Charlotte wouldn’t want the
imperial people to spill blood.”
“It sounds good to hear. Bloodless revolution, honorary revolution.”
“Don’t you like it? Again, would it be better to stick to the First Princess and
accuse the Second Princess of treason?”
“I won’t do that. You’re not supposed to work with such a stupid person, to
begin with. So, all other options are out of the question. The revolution will
go on.”
“Are you going to go along with the beat?”
“No. It’s a little different from the direction Charlotte wants. What I want is
not an honorary revolution, but a revolution made by completing the struggle.
There is a difference between a revolution being led by the citizens and the
Second Princess. I’m not saying this because I was caught by surprise, Nuna.
When things are done, Charlotte will surely remain as the symbol of the
Empire. Even in the course of the honorary revolution, it is a nuisance to
prevent the Republic from jumping on the bandwagon… The longer you drag
this on, the more disadvantages you get. It means that it’ll eventually become
impossible to negotiate.”
“They must have a meaning, too. You’re not just trying to do it because
you’re upset, right?”
“I’m not trash enough to spill innocent imperialists’ blood simply because
I’m upset. It’s just about 2% of the reason, but it is inadequate, so I would
like you to think that there are other reasons.”
“I do not know. You’re trashy enough as it is… No, it’s because you’re a
cool, disloyal man.”
“The symbol of the Empire will be Oscar, not Charlotte.”
“Ohhhhhh! So, until the end, you will remain as a non-elected leader. This is
good news.”
“To be honest, it’s a little funny.”
“What?”
“I don’t know if she thought I was going to blow something and stop the
imperial people from getting up. I’ll show her. If she thinks I’ll stop at Sacred
Democracy, she’s mistaken…”
“She must be expecting you to use the press. She will be prepared for it. The
Second Princess has a good image, so she will fix it immediately after you
blow something lukewarm. Do you have something good?”
“That’s a secret. Have a guess. You can look forward to it.”
“It’s hard. It is still impossible to commercialize it, but I’m expecting you to
use that magic hologram, but… the content in it will be a problem. To finish
it in a short period, the entire continent would have to watch it. And to make
the people angry, it won’t be possible to do with an ordinary content… Did
you even film a nobleman beating up a commoner? Or did you film Charlia’s
usual behavior? Actually, did you even have time to shoot…? Oh! That was
what you ordered Hayan to do. That means that the invisible eyes you
mentioned earlier meant…”
“That’s correct. I won’t tell you the content, though.”
“It’s a bad hobby. Well, as you prepared it, I won’t worry about the content.
And it would be good to quickly decide who will play the role of the
Democratic Fighter Oscar. I think it’s important that you don’t give them
time to prepare and rush over. Anyway, I’ll be leaving, Oppa. I have work to
prepare. Oh! And this is from Deokgu. It looks like it also contains a letter,
but read it before you go to soothe that crazy bitch.”
“Okay. Thanks, Nuna.”
“Oh. And there are 44 letters of thanks from Marlin Young-ae.”
“I’ll read that later.”
“Then do it.”
I could see her placing the letter on the table and leaving.
Still, I had a little time left before I had to see Charlia.
Considering that I received regular reports from Deokgu, I thought it would

probably be useless this time.
‘I miss you. When will you come?’
It would be about this kind of content.
Seeing that it was a little thicker than usual, however, it looked like it was
filled with something else.
It was when I tore up the envelope sealed with magical power and took out
his letter, thinking it was probably something of a specialty from somewhere,
that I noticed a slightly different font from the usual font I had been
receiving.
[I heard about the situation from Deokgu.]
“Huh?”
[Sorry for not being able to help in various ways. I sincerely apologize for not
being able to focus on this properly after burdening Kiyoung-ssi.]
‘Kim Hyunsung?’
It was Kim Hyunsung who had sent the letter. Though the handwriting was
familiar, I never would’ve thought it would be him.
‘Why is he with Deokgu?’
I definitely remember that Park Deokgu had been working on the outskirts.
I couldn’t understand how a guy, who became democratic fighter Bark Teoku
and working like crazy, could be with Kim Hyunsung.
Seeing that there was an explanation that he met Park Deokgu by chance, I
thought that human fate was really a wonder.
In the letter, Kim Hyunsung seemed to be trying to explain something, but in

fact, such excuses wouldn’t be enough to catch my eyes.
Seeing him going on and on apologizing, it seemed that he had recognized

his mistake.
I began to nod at the words of a sincere apology. There was a busy job, and
he did his best to do it.
Of course, I was still a bit upset, but I was able to understand him in the end.
[I was a little surprised by the sudden changes and unexpected things, but as
much as I believed and trusted in Kiyoung-ssi from the beginning, I will trust
you until the end. In fact, I wanted you to think of a different direction, but it
must have been an unavoidable choice for Kiyoung-ssi. I believe that you
will achieve a stable regime change by minimizing as much damage as
possible.]
I didn’t know if this meant that he would accept a bit of blood being spilled,
but it probably meant something similar.
Kim Hyunsung also believed that a perfect, bloodless revolution couldn’t

possibly occur.
[I can tell what Kiyoung-ssi is worried about. Perhaps the most worrisome
thing is the intervention of the Republic.]
‘He’s not wrong.’
[I don’t know if I can help, but I will try to curb the Republic’s intervention
as much as possible. By all means, I hope that this will help Kiyoung’s plans.
Thank you, and I’m sorry for your continued care.]
‘This is fortunate.’
It was definitely welcome.
He hadn’t responded badly to this plan, and it felt best to be in a situation

where Kim Hyunsung couldn’t pay much attention to such internal affairs.
I decided to overturn everything, but it must be true that I was worried about
what the people’s holy struggle would look like to him.
He said he would take the initiative and block the Republic’s intervention, so
I couldn’t help but be in a good mood.
‘Good!’
It was then that a phrase caught my eye at the end of the letter.
[Behind the letter, there is a gift in another envelope. I think Kiyoung can use
it more than me.]
“Why did he send it?”
The parcel was not a special product from Park Deokgu, but a gift from Kim
Hyunsung. Unconsciously, I had begun to smile once more.
“He didn’t have to do this… no… why is he sending something like this
again? Gosh.”
[Chanelia Hermes’ Infinite Bag (Heroic)]

“This is sick… Phew…”
[This is an infinite bag created centuries ago by Chanelia Hermes, a

legendary hunter and leather craftsman. Crafted in Drake’s leather, this bag is
made for adventurers, so it’s not only convenient, but also durable as an
armor. The built-in subspace, worthy of the name of an infinite bag, is large
in size, and you can store things very safely. It has an additional function that
increases your luck stat by +3.]
“Kim Hyunsung, salute, salute!”
It was something I definitely needed. My desire to dance was growing.
Seeing that my resentment had begun to melt away, it definitely seemed like I
was not immune to bribery.
It even looked better than the bag Kim Hyunsung had been carrying in the
tutorial dungeon.
This was an item that was absolutely necessary for me, due to the nature of
my class.
I didn’t know how he suddenly got this, but as he was hanging around with
Park Deokgu, he must have managed to rob a monster’s treasure trove at
night.
It felt like it definitely suited me when I deemed to wear the bag. When I put
my hand inside, however, I felt another item waiting for me.
‘He’s even more thoughtful than I thought!’
There were advanced catalysts inside.
It wasn’t jaw-dropping, but when I saw the many interesting materials, it

seemed like he had carefully selected them. It was no wonder that my smile
refused to fade.
It would be strange not to be in a good mood when he sent me the right things
just when I needed them. The fact that he supported my plan was an
unprecedented bonus.
Still, he was a little more concerned about me than the Second Princess.
The brakes were now gone.
I didn’t like being ahead of myself, but I started to think that it might be okay
to think about the post-revolutionary period.
‘It won’t be a problem if I run it right away.’
It was the last thing I had been putting off.
The author of the Sacred Democracy, determining my substitute as Oscar,

was actually the final piece.
I needed someone to guide the revolution from the bottom, like the
democratic fighter Bark Teoku.
It couldn’t be a foreigner, and choosing nobility was a little uncertain.
He shouldn’t be stupid like Charlia, or smart like Charlotte.
The reborn leader of the new Empire, author of Sacred Democracy, must
have a good feeling for me while knowing how to think properly.
To put it a bit openly, it should be someone I could control. The problem was
that there were no such characters around.
Lee Kiyoung’s connection had completely built up a wall with the

commoners.
As I managed to establish relationships with good people, I naturally only

met nobles, or high-ranking officials from the Pope’s side.
As I mulled this over, a voice called out for me.
“Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung. Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung. T-The

Princess is looking for you.”
When I opened the door reflexively, I saw a face I encountered quite often
recently.
“Oh! Maid Alice!”
“Ah… Yes?”
“Hold on. Please come in for a moment.”
“I’m sorry? What do you…? Oh! I shouldn’t be like this! H-Her Majesty
Charlia…”
“I want you to give me some time. First, this way. Please, sit on the bed or
the sofa.”
“H-Honorary Bishop? Er… Do you have any business with a girl? Er…
Uhm… It’s too, s-sudden, Honorary Bishop. I-If the Princess knows about
this… A-And I’m still not ready! Of course, if you push it, I can’t help…
How a lowly maid like me could dare to… So! I’m not upset! Nevertheless!”
I didn’t know what kind of weird imagination she had, but I had different
plans for her.
“When you have two, you can lower the word.”
“Yeah? What do you mean…?”
“You will know soon, Mr. Oscar.”
The image of Maid Alice, trembling like a puppy in the rain, was reflected in
my view.
Chapter 285
Chapter 285: Alice’s letters (1)
[Sincerely yours, Alice from the Imperial City.]
[How are you, mother? This is Alice. It’s getting colder, and I just wonder
how my mother, who is far away, has been doing. Since I haven’t been home
for a long time, I’m worried if my younger siblings are going to school, or if
my grandmother is in good health.]
[I think mother is also worried about how her daughter is doing. Don’t worry
about me. I’m doing well, and the First Princess still treats me very nicely.
She always praises me for being a good working maid and occasionally
strokes my head.]
[Last time, I did a great job in hosting an important guest, so she rewarded
me. Of course, it was possible not because of my strength, but because of all
of the other maids’ efforts. Oh, actually, I’m sending a letter after a long time
because I have something to tell, mother.]
[The fact is… I think I have to quit this job. Of course, it is impossible to quit
at will, but I’m able to leave thanks to the strength of the man I mentioned
before. I know nothing and learned nothing, but I know that he wants me
eagerly… so, since I’m soft, I was forced to follow him.]
[Looking at it, there may be a little misunderstanding. I’m not saying he’s
taking me as his concubine! Of course, if that happens, I wouldn’t complain,
but… right now, I am satisfied with just being by his side. Oh! And you don’t
have to worry too much, as I will continue to send money. Anyway… I feel
like something important is about to begin. I also feel like my life will
change. I’m not sure what it is yet… Ah. I have to leave now. I’ll tell you
more about it later when I have time! I’ll write to you again later, mother.
Stay healthy!]
***
[Sincerely yours, Alice from Lindel.]
[I came to Lindel, Mother! It’s a free city where foreigners live, so it’s full of
wonders. The person I told you about last time sent me directly here. I’ve
ridden a Griffon for the first time in my life, and you don’t know how
nervous I was… I was fortunate to have arrived safely. All of the people who
I’m with are nice and good people.]
[All of them are talented wizards and swordsmen, so I can’t believe that I’m
with them now. And I even saw the rumored dragon with my own eyes! It
was really enormously large and majestic, and my legs went rubbery upon
seeing it for the first time.]
[Actually, it’s a little scary. It’s not the dragon. It’s just my current situation.
Sudden changes in the environment are unfamiliar to people like me. I cut my
long, golden hair, which was said to be the village’s pride, with short hair,
and for the first time in my life, I even tried a sword that didn’t suit me.
[When I looked in the mirror, it felt like I was seeing somebody else. Of
course, I was relieved that he said it suited me, but it hurts because I can’t
seem to show him a womanly figure. I feel anxious because I don’t think I
can meet his expectations. I just wonder what the hell I can do.]
[And… I don’t know why, but I felt like I was hated by some wizards here.
Even the little dragon hates me. Even the priest is also cold, so I don’t know
how to act. Did I do anything wrong? I’m used to being hated, but I want to
get along with them, so I’m very worried. Do they not like my lowly status?
It can’t be helped, but it’s a bit bitter.]
***
[Sincerely yours, Alice from Castle Rock.]
[I’m in Castle Rock! And I was able to see him after a long time. In fact, I
heard a lot of stories. I’ve also learned many things. I couldn’t understand all
of what he said, but it didn’t seem wrong. They said he was extraordinary,
but who knew he was thinking so big. I think that Goddess Benigore sent him
as an envoy to us.]
[On the second day, I also met Count Castle Rock. I was quiet because he
told me not to say anything, but I could hear them in a separate room,
debating loudly.]
[I was a little anxious, but it seemed that Count Castle Rock agreed with him.
Marlin Young-ae was very angry recently. It looks like some promises were
made, but it’s not something I’m concerned about. In the end, I’m glad things
seemed to go well.]
[I heard that people like Duchess Catherine and Countess Elise are heading to
Castle Rock. It was something I thought about casually, but I am anxious
because it seems to be getting bigger and bigger than I had first thought. Even
more, because I have an important speech tomorrow.]
[I am going to work hard. With so many people working for the Empire, I
should do my best, too. I think the next letter will be posted from elsewhere.
Stay healthy. Today, I’m sending a little big money. Don’t be surprised and
don’t tell anyone. It’s not bad money, so you can rest assured. I’ll close for
now.]
***
[Sincerely yours, Alice, from an unknown place.]
[Have I told you that the first speech ended without a hitch? Since I’m busy,
I’m confused about if I sent the letter I wrote. Contrary to the concern if I
could do it well, I have already delivered my fourth speech. I was very
nervous and worried, but thanks to the people who cheered me up, I was able
to get courage. I think I’ve gotten a little used to it now.]
[In fact, until now, I thought that I just had to do what he told me to do,
and… I think my thoughts have started to change little by little lately. Yes.
He must have influenced me. I came to think that not only the background
that surrounds me, but also that my eyes to see the world have widened. In
fact, I haven’t seen him since Castle Rock. But when I look at the books he
has given me; I feel like I’m always with him.]
[This is all the will of Goddess Benigore, right? It’s not just me that has
changed. The first, the second, the third. It feels as if the cheers of the people
grow little by little as time passes. Yes. Everyone is changing.]
[Today, I think he will come to visit me after a long time. I heard that he was
coming with Cardinal Basel… perhaps he’ll say something important again.
Can I be in a position like this? I always think that way, but it wouldn’t be
strange that I could raise my voice as he said. I’ll close for now, mother.]
***
[Sincerely yours, Alice from Celia.]
[I had a meeting with the Eight Seats of the Empire. One of them didn’t
come, so it would be correct to say that it was with the Seven Seats. Hehe.
Unlike when I couldn’t understand anything initially, I can now understand
what they are saying. I thought that it was fortunate that what I was studying
had results. I thought I had to move desperately.]
[There shouldn’t be anything lacking as I give a speech every day. Of course,

I think I will do it today, too. Today, it is for foreigners. I am worried about
whether they will accept me, but the people of the Seven Imperial Seats also
smiled and greeted me, so foreigners will certainly like me, right?]
[Because the Mercenary Queen and the shaman also welcomed me with open
arms. In particular, the shaman quietly nodded, but I’m still curious about
what that means. Rumor has it that she can see the future, but will something
good happen in my future? Maybe I’ll become his concubine! It could be
that!]
[I remembered when I was writing this, but in fact, I heard that a marriage
conversation with the Princess is in progress. Yes. That Charlia-nim. I knew
Charlia-nim was yearning for him, but I had no idea that she would move this
way. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be interested in Charlia. That bitch ##
die# be## good# then ##, right? Ink has spilled. Hehe. It’s not anything
important, so you don’t have to worry about it.]
[Oh! And did I tell you in the last letter that there was a meeting with
Cardinal Basel? Yes. Fortunately, I think the talk with Cardinal Basel was
good. In the beginning, I wasn’t worried since he has a close relationship
with Cardinal Basel… And as expected, Cardinal Basel also greatly nodded.
He asked me to shake hands and told me he is looking forward to work with
me. This is what he said. In fact, after this is over, Cardinal Basel may be able
to take the place of Pope! Of course, this is a secret! Mother! Please!]
***
[Sincerely yours, Alice from somewhere underground.]
[Mother. It’s been a long time since I’m sending you a letter. It was a short
period, but during that time, I was very busy. Some things didn’t go well. I
didn’t have time to send a letter. I don’t think you had any financial
difficulties since I sent you a large amount last time. You haven’t spent all of
it, right? If it’s mother, I know you wouldn’t.
[There are many things I want to tell, but I don’t have the time, so I need to
reduce it, mother. I just wanted you to know that I’m doing well. Just in case,
I will be sending money again. Don’t be too surprised because it’s the money
he gave me. And please burn all the letters I have sent so far. Don’t tell
anyone. Please. Please. You have to burn them all. Everything.]
***
[Now, I think I know what job has been given to me, Mother. It’s already
come to this point after following him busily. Actually, I’m still
dumbfounded. It’s hard to understand all of his words, and I don’t know
what’s going on right now, but as time goes by, I have a sense of mission that
I need to help even with such a small force. He told me that it seemed I’ve
changed, too. Hehe. Of course, I was relieved by him still saying ‘Alice-nim
is Alice-nim after all.’]
[Of course, I have become a little closer to him. It’s embarrassing to say this,
but I was able to kiss him. I don’t know if he likes me. Actually, I took
courage. I still can’t forget his startled expression. I think things have made
me stronger.]
[Usually, I would never have been able to move like that… Hehe. Anyway,
he didn’t look so upset either. He patted me on the shoulder. After that, it
seemed that the wizard hated me, but I couldn’t hide my true feelings
anymore.]
[In fact, at first, it was just a little crush. I just thought about how good it
would be to enter as his concubine, and that was all. Since he has power and
is handsome. However, while spending time together and working toward the
same goal, my feelings grew bigger and bigger, and I couldn’t hold it in
anymore.]
[Oh. Of course, it wasn’t just my feelings for him that grew. The same goes
for my feelings for the Empire. Did I ever say that I have a sense of mission?
Yes. At that time, I have more sense of duty now. I was born with a lowly
status and grew up lowly, but there was no such thing as a lowly life in the
world. He said it to me directly.]
[My younger siblings, I, my mother, and my grandmother are all the same.
The Princess and I are the same humans. He must have known this for a long
time ago. That’s why he treated me well. Unlike Charlia.]
[Mother.]
[I think I have to do something that could be dangerous. Not only me, but all
of my comrades who share my goal will be in danger. But don’t worry too
much. I will make an Empire where my mother and younger siblings can live
happily, even at the cost of my life. He told me that when you have to spill
blood, you just have to do it. Yes. At first, I was scared, too, but now I am
not.]
[As much as he shed tears for the imperial people to be sacrificed, I am ready
to throw my all. I won’t make tears come out of his eyes anymore. Never.]
[Yes. Never. Even if I have to give my all.]
[I am ready to throw everything. Even if I die, my blood for the Empire will
nourish the future.]
[Mother.]
[I will fight. I corrected my common sense from the past and doing so, for
democracy. For the cause. I will fight for a sacred democracy.]
[Never come outside after three days.]
[Do nothing and stay at home. Perhaps my people will go there. They will
protect you and my sisters. I’ll say it again.]
[Never come out after three days. Heed my pleas.]
[Sincerely yours, Oscar from the capital of the Empire.]

Chapter 286
Chapter 286: Half-baked Revolution (1)
‘Time goes so fast.’
No, in fact, if I were to think about it, not much time had passed.
However, it felt like two years had passed. A lot of things around me had
changed, so it was not unreasonable to feel like this.
Perhaps it wasn’t just me who felt this way.
‘Charlotte.’
I think she would be feeling the same way.
Of course, speed was the most important thing in this work. Moving in secret
was important, but moving fast was even more important.
Before the Republic could intervene.
Before the imperial family could respond in any way.
I had to get ready to blow this thing before Charlotte got anything more up
her sleeve.
It was no wonder she also agreed with this idea.
We didn’t say anything to each other, but I agreed to match her actions, and
she agreed to move according to my will.
It had been decided to form an implicit alliance.
It was a bit vague if one was to call it sleeping with the enemy, but I was now
on her boat, as she said before.
I had united the foreigners, the Pope’s side, and some nobles, and she united
the awakened civil representatives and the nobles of her own forces.
Meanwhile, I began to move the imperial people simultaneously across the

continent.
Not only did I quickly spread the ideas written on the Sacred Democracy, but
I awakened the hidden aspirations within them.
If I were alone, I wouldn’t have been able to get things going so fast.
I thought it would be difficult to enlighten the imperial people, but this idea
began to spread from the moment the foreigners settled on the continent.
The current was rising way faster than I imagined.
If she moved to the East, I went to the West, and if she moved to the South,
we went to the North.
Was the difference moderate, or more radical?
If I were to think about it, it certainly meant that she was getting on the same
page as me.
It was impressive that Charlotte also borrowed the Sacred Democracy.

Thanks to this, it was easier for me to assemble the imperial people.
After some thoughts had taken root, the imperial family also began to notice
my movements.
While designating Sacred Democracy as a forbidden book, they began

digging behind me, and the problem was that the Emperor had appointed
Charlotte as general manager of this matter.
The general manager was thinking differently, so there was no way they
could catch me. Although there was time to flinch once, the outpost of the
revolution had already begun.
Numerous secret societies that Charlotte and I did not intend were created,
and they showed their activities to enlighten all imperial people.
Cardinal Basel of the Pope’s side decided to ride on the imperialists’ backs to
become the next Pope, and some nobles with whom I was close to also
agreed with my plan.
It hadn’t been easy to persuade the nobles. It came to the point that I even
thought about getting rid of them if things went wrong. However, Count
Castle Rock and Duchess Catherine, feeling tired of the ways of the imperial
family, eventually accepted my words.
‘Our power will remain even after the revolution is over.’
Even if a sacred democracy would begin, they would not lose power.
The same went for the nobles, some bourgeois classes, and us foreigners.
Rather, I presented a vision that they would gain greater power, so they
nodded.
Though they shook their head at the dangers of the real democracy Charlotte
wanted, they had no choice but to recognize the benefits behind it. In the
meantime, Oscar, who had been picked as the next leader, began working
hard to fulfill her responsibilities.
This woman, called a symbol of democracy by some groups, was also one of
those who made me feel the passage of time.
Perhaps she had gotten even busier than Charlotte.
It would never have been easy for her to become a symbol of democracy,
coming from a maid. The undeniable fact was that she tried harder than
anyone else.
It was effective as she followed my words properly.
When I first adopted Alice, I hadn’t been expecting much, but she was
surprisingly in line with my set conditions.
As I glanced toward the window, I saw her staring blankly at the sky – a
short-haired with a sword worn in her waist.
All she learned was refined swordsmanship, but she achieved results within a
short amount of time. Thanks to her hard work that is beyond her talent.
As I quietly called her name, she looked back in a hurry.
In fact, her expression or face itself was not all that different from before.
However, the strangely changed vibe, and the emotions reflected in her eyes
prove that my plan was indeed the right one.
“Oscar-nim.”
“Ah… Honorary Bishop. You said you’d call me Alice when we were
alone.”
“Haha. Yes. I did. I must have been a little bit distracted as we have a big
thing ahead.”
“Don’t worry too much, Honorary Bishop. Everything will work out. I will
do my best to make your plan come true.”
“Haha. Thank you for the words. And… Thank you so much for sharing this
big burden with me.”
“No. You don’t have to say that. Actually, when the Honorary Bishop first
called me, I was surprised, but now I feel very happy. I feel a sense of duty
for what I am doing now. Yes. I really do.”
“I don’t know what to say as you think so.”
“I’m the one who should say it.”
“Maid Alice, no… Alice -nim, too.”
“No. No! It’s better to call me Maid. I like it better.”
“But…”
“No, please. When there’re only us, please call me like that. If even the
Honorary Bishop calls me Oscar… I think… I’ll get a little confused.”
“I understand. If you say so…”
“Come to think of it, did you eat? If you didn’t, I have to hurry to prepare…”
“No. No. It’s fine. Actually, I just came here to make sure that Maid Alice is
doing well.”
“Then I’ll serve you some tea!”
It was not bad to be served tea from the symbol of imperial democracy.
This was why I couldn’t hate Alice.
Since she polished various skills under Charlia, the tea had been prepared in
an instant. It felt as if all kinds of fatigue were gone by just taking a sip.
“Do you like it?”
“Of course, Maid Alice. Come to think of it. You kept looking outside, so
perhaps…”
“Yes. I’m worried if my mother and my younger siblings are doing well.”
“You don’t have to worry. The Blue guild members are already protecting
them. If I get into trouble, Alice-nim’s family will be protected.”
“Please refrain from saying that. I don’t want the Honorary Bishop to get
hurt. Okay, now… Is it time to leave?”
“Yes. Let’s leave, Oscar-nim.”
“Yes, Honorary Bishop.”
‘Cute.’
The way she bit her lips tightly was cute in her own way.
However, her face started to get serious.
Probably as far as the last part was ahead, she’d have mixed feelings, too.
‘It must have been hard.’
However, it must have been that rewarding.
It felt like I was looking at someone else. I got goosebumps for some reason
when I saw Oscar with a stiff expression.
When I opened the door, the first people I saw were Max and Jung Hayan,
who both looked very nervous.
I thought they would be nervous since I explained every single day how
important this was.
In Jung Hayan’s case, she glanced at this side and inflated her cheeks, so she
didn’t seem to like Alice very much.
Of course, Jung Hayan never did like any woman, but as the time spent with
Maid Alice was getting longer recently, she’d been feeling under the weather.
‘I have to give her some attention.’
As much as she had endured and worked hard, I had to soothe her after this
work was over.
I gently waved, and she smiled in return.
Next to her, Max, the museum manager, was jumping with both arms up as if
he’d thought I waved at him. When I sent the signal asking if it was ready, he
made a circle with his arm.
Sun Hee-young, Ye-ri, and Hwang Jeong-yeon, who I hadn’t seen in a long
time, were also present.
Except for the newbies that went to protect Maid Alice’s family, and Cho
Hyejin, who was called by Kim Hyun-sung, all the Blue members were
gathered.
Of course, democratic fighters ‘Bark Teoku’ and Ahn Ki-mo were still
waiting to blend with the imperial people.
It was then that the Maid Alice, no, Oscar stepped to the podium.
‘It’s now beginning.’
It seemed that she had already memorized everything as I saw her speaking
without looking at the speech that I’d written.
Charlia, who hadn’t even tried that much, came to mind.
‘She’s a hundred times better. Much more capable. Yes.’
I wanted to focus on the last part of the speech, but I had to head to where
Jung Hayan and Max were as I had other work to do.
Lee Jihye spoke to me while I was moving. Her voice pierced through the
cries of Oscar and the imperial people.
“It’s beginning.”
“Yes, I guess.”
“I’ve been curious to death, but I can finally see it. I was really curious if, by
any chance, Charlotte could calm down the imperial people, because that’s
the most important thing.”
“If she can fix the one blow I prepared, I will call Charlotte a god.”
“So, you must be confident, right? Honestly, I don’t mean I don’t understand
what you’re thinking… it’s just not very likely to be realized. Historically,
it’s not there wasn’t anything that could be called an honorary revolution or a
bloodless revolution at all…”
“Wasn’t there one in England?”

“Ohh. The one that made James II exile abroad? That didn’t mean
democratization was achieved. It is meaningful that the Bill of Rights was
drawn up, but… and I think that one has spilled blood, too. I don’t know if
Charlotte knows this, but if she’s taking that as a model, I guess we can say it
is. Corrupt, incompetent, and of course, a self-righteous imperial family
mixed with religious issues… the people are also complaining.”
“I don’t know much about world history…”
“You don’t need to know. It’s obvious, anyway. Although it has changed a
lot, the plan is to recover the imperial people who have risen, release the
troops that have been built up, and go with the people to press the Emperor.
In the case of the British bloodless revolution, there is a difference that the
troops came from outside, but I don’t think it’s that different. It will spill
blood, but we can minimize it. That’s a good plan. It’s a good idea…
Personally, I don’t think Charlotte is stupid. In fact, I even have respect for
her.”
“I didn’t think you would say that, but it’s surprising.”
“Originally, historical philosophers, innovators, and idealists are like her. The
example must be different, but would those who have put industrialism to the
world, or who have chosen it as a state system, have made that choice
because they were stupid? It’s not just those people. Most of all, political
idealists are what can be called geniuses.”
“You are right.”
“The problem is why these people fail.”
“I think I know that, too.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a personal thought.”
“If it’s a personal thought, it’s rather welcome.”
“They believed that other humans would also pursue their ideals.”
I was no longer interested in what Charlotte thought, but it was a bit
heartbreaking to find out that she believed in the imperial people and those in
her camp.
I bet some in her power did not agree with her ideas.
However, what mattered right now was not her internal circumstances, but
what route my boat took to its destination.
It had been her who had been running the boat so far, but from this moment
on, I would.
At the moment, our Oscar was giving an interesting speech.
I thought it was just the right timing.
“Hayan, Max, release the video.”
We couldn’t watch this good thing alone.
A magical hologram large enough to be seen from outside the window

appeared.
The screen created in the air was large enough to be seen by all the
capitalists’ imperialists, which revealed Oscar standing in front.
Lee Jihye, staring at the scene blankly, looked at the video in front of her and
turned her head toward the hologram that Max was preparing with a rather
astonished face.
“W-What is that?”
“What else could it be? This is the video to be released next time.”
“I know that. The question I am asking is… what would the content be?”
“It’s a list of the nobles and their activities going in and out of the black
market I run.”
“Y… you’re crazy. Oppa… this is really…”
“Puh-ha-ha-ha-ha.”
“I-I think you went too far. This is… too…”
“Why? Nuna… Do you think that’s too much?”
“No… It’s good. To be honest… I got a little wet.”
I didn’t know what exactly she meant by that, but Lee Jihye’s voice had
begun to tremble subtly.
Naturally, I smiled.
I was sure it wouldn’t take too long for the anger of those who were staring at
the magic hologram to explode.
Anyone seeing this video with a vested interest would definitely think that
way.
Chapter 287
-Dear comrades, who share our will. It seems like this is my first time
greeting you. I think some of you have met me, and some of you know me
indirectly. I’d like to introduce myself formally. My name is Oscar. I’m the
author of the Sacred Democracy and one of the ordinary imperial people, like
you, sitting at the Civil Revolutionary Corps’ head.
***
“Er… Charlotte-nim.”
“I’m also watching. What am I seeing…?”
“T-the Honorary Bishop seems to have prepared it.”
“Is it illusion magic?”
“Probably not, Princess. It is impossible even for an archmage to display such

large-scale illusion magic. I thought he’d be preparing to some extent, but
what the hell is this…?”
“… …”
“… …”
“A video. It’s a video.”
“I’m sorry?”
“It’s a video created via magic power. One day I heard that there was
something like that in the city where the foreigners live. Yes. It must be. It
certainly is.”
“How… did you…”
“I don’t have time to give you a detailed explanation. There must be a source
that is sending that out from somewhere.”
“Do you mean a source?”
“Yes. Isn’t he a wizard, Count? Can you feel the flow of magic somewhere?”
“I-I’m sorry. I think someone twisted the wavelength of magic power in the
capital, so I don’t think I can.”
“We have to stop that. We can’t let that out. Never. Never! A lot of blood
will be spilled. Count! We have to stop that quickly. We have to stop that.
Ahh… How do we…”
“It’s… already late. We can’t fix it…”
***
-You don’t have to be surprised or disconcerted. Dear citizens, what you see
now is not illusion magic. It is a gift given to us by the Goddess Benigore,
who sees all humanity equally, and a means to unite and raise our dear
comrades.
It was the mirror and blessing of the Goddess Benigore, who reflected things
we couldn’t see.
***
“The Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung… Where is… the Honorary Bishop Lee
Kiyoung?”
“I-I heard he went into Lindel today, Your Majesty. He’ll be back after
catching up on some work…”
“That… What the hell… If there’s anyone who can explain this phenomenon,
bring me right now. Anyone will do. Anyone…”
“It’s Oscar, Your Majesty. The one you see up there right now is Oscar.”
“I know that. I’m asking why the author’s face is floating in the sky. You
stupid thing! What are the court wizards doing?! Make anyone stop that.
Right now!”
“Your Majesty. P-Please, calm down. The court wizards are looking for a
way now.”
“Oh, God… Oh, God…”
***
-Dear comrades. Please check and judge with your own eyes. And you have
to move by yourselves. How was the Holy Empire so far, and what those
nobles, who looks down on us saying we’re poor blood and calls themselves
nobly, really are! You must check and judge for yourselves. From now on,
the scenes that I, Oscar, will show you can be a bit shocking and cruel. But it
shows exactly how it is, and it is our life itself. Please do not look away.
Instead, look properly. I hope you can see what kind of place we have been
living in so far.
***
“Very good.”
I saw Maid Alice speaking as calmly and clearly as she could.
I knew she would do well, but she was leading the atmosphere way better
than I thought.
She had been able to calm those who are confused by the magical hologram
that suddenly appeared. Most of the foreigners were very surprised by the
new technology that Max and Jung Hayan now showed.
As if it was valid for Alice to say that this was a gift from a Goddess, I was
able to see that the imperial people were quickly regaining their composure.
Oscar, who stood inside the screen, didn’t have to add anything else.
After she introduced herself and successfully snagged their attention, she
urged them to watch the following scenes.
It was the right decision. There was no need for unnecessary comments on
these videos.
The scene that would be seen next would be devastating and powerful
enough by itself.
After Oscar’s face disappeared, a slice of corrupt nobles took its place.
Things were getting so much fun that I needed popcorn.
There was Baron Haian, who reigned in absolute power in the small town of
Vine.
There was Duke Caribou, who had a pretty good image, in the Metropolitan
City of Vatican.
There was Count Bush, who already had a lot of trouble due to his high tax
rate.
Many others were the black market VIPs.
“Puhahahaha.”
It was a list that I thought I could use someday. I could tell without having to
say that to blow it in this situation would be the most effective.
These targeted people would feel fear at first. Then curiosity, and then anger
after that.
Those who were with us right now were also trembling at all this
information.
It would be strange not to get angry with such a scene unfolding in front of
them.
-Ahhhhhh!! Ahhhhhh!!!
-Ahhhhhhhhh! Please… please!
The black market in the underground of Castle Rock would be closed

because of this, but there were many other places where I could make money,
anyway.
By the end of this, most of the Empire’s humans would be cleaned up, so
demand would also be reduced.
I feel like it would be good to start a new business in another country.
In fact, not all nobles were like that, and what was seen in the video also
underwent some editing and exaggeration, but what did that matter to the
public?
After all, most people only believed what they could see with their own eyes.
Some of them had even begun to turn away, unable to stomach the scenes
playing in the hologram.
-Hahaha…. It seems that this relieves your stress, Duchess.
-Didn’t I tell you not to call me that way, Count.
-Ah. Sorry. I’ll stop…
-Haha. It’s okay. It’s okay. It was just a joke, so you don’t have to lower your
head like that. I think I was a little sensitive. Right. Count is right. It really
feels my stress is relieved. It’s important to clear my head like this from time
to time as I do important things for the Empire. Even though this place isn’t
actually the same as it used to be, it’s comforting to have a place like this.
-In fact, I was thinking similarly. Duchess. It’s definitely dull these days.
Therefore, I made a separate space in my estate. Even for the Duchess… no,
it must be difficult for the Duchess who is respected by the imperialists.
-What is so great about being respected by people who aren’t even human?
Tsk. This is all because of my son. I also would like to, as Count Bush… Ah!
I’m curious about this, but… The tax rate in Count Bush’s province…
-Yes, it is high. But what, is there another way? In other provinces, many
foreigners are coming. In fact, I really don’t want to get them into my
province. They are strong, but aren’t they also born with low blood? I don’t
like them at all. His Majesty is also in an ambiguous position. Isn’t it a
humiliation to us already, just to say that we’re giving them a title? What can
we do? If you don’t want to fall behind other provinces, you have no choice
but to squeeze the permanent residents. Hahahaha. Come to think of it, even
the Duchess?
-Our province is likely to open sooner or later. Count, how can I reject when
the flow of the times is like this? I can’t fall behind. Actually, it is not that I
like them all, but there are often good ones. I mean, that ——-. Unlike other
strangers, he has a pretty good side. He is a good guy.
-Ohhhhhh… I heard about ——-. There are certainly such rumors. I don’t
have any contact with them in the first place, but… since Duchess says that,
I’ll have to schedule it someday.
Naturally, the name ‘Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung’ had been censored.
-By the way, Count, if you raise the tax rate like that, the imperial people…
-Hahaha. Of course, a petition for reconsideration comes up. Well, lightly

ignoring such things is enough. Duchess, those lowly guys were dogs and
pigs anyway. If you ignore them lightly or step on them carefully, they will
be quiet.
It could be said that this was a good picture that showed just how some
corrupt nobles usually thought of them.
-Resist…
-Then you just have to step on them even harder. Duchess, these guys are like
weeds, so they keep growing unless you take their roots. When you step on
them, you have to step properly. You have to keep making them recognize
that their identity itself is different, and handling them like you’re dealing
with livestock makes them quiet. Hahaha. What do you think? If you are
interested, Duchess…
-When I have time, I’ll stop by.
-If you visit, I will do my best to serve you. Hahaha.
I could bet that all the comrades currently gathered would be angry just by
seeing that. As the video progressed, the images reflected in my view were
indeed a spectacle. It wasn’t just that one that had been prepared in the first
place.
As much I thought that I should blow it right once I blow it, I needed to show
it to the people in this Empire properly.
The production made for the hungry imperial people was like a tragic
independent film.
The next scene showed a nobleman harassing children.
-P… Please stop. Please.
Another was a nobleman who cruelly executed innocent people.
-Please save me. Please save me. Please…
There were shitty old pieces of trash that executed dirty things to those who
could be called their granddaughters.
Poor imperialists discriminated against and oppressed intellectuals.
The boy soldier mobilized to hunt monsters, eventually meeting his end.
Consideration for all walks of life was not left out.
Even those who made remarks that looked down on the foreigners and those
who complained and ranted against the Pope’s side were included.
In the first place, a foreigner or Cardinal Basel would be driven by need, not
anger, but the more motives, the better.
It was no wonder that the magical hologram that protruded like a panorama
was enough to take away their souls.
The entire capital quickly became quiet. Surprisingly, no sound was heard.
It was then that Lee Jihye, who had approached slightly, quietly opened her
mouth.
“Oppa, this is being sent out throughout the Empire, right?”
“Yes. To be precise, it’s being sent within each headquarters. Our comrades
in other regions are also watching the situation… Oscar will fire the flare, so
we have to move it simultaneously.”
“You were right.”
“About what?”
“You can see the atmosphere now, right? If Charlotte can calm this down, I
would call her a Goddess. Sincerely. The bloodless revolution has already
crossed the water. If Charlotte is looking at this, she must already be at her
wits’ end.”
In the middle of the conversation, the video reached its peak.
The face reflected in the video was none other than the face of the First
Princess Charlia.
That mad maniac’s performance began to fill the screen like a leading actor
in a 10 million audience movie.
There were so many great scenes that we had a hard time editing it.
The scene not only included slapping a maid’s cheeks, but also insulting them
and embellishing herself with luxury. Anyone could see that she was a
wicked woman.
At this point, my favorite scenes and lines came out. As I lifted my head
again with full anticipation, I saw her face, spitting out an excellent line with
a pretty unhealthy expression.
-The imperial people don’t have bread to eat? Haha. If you don’t have bread,
you eat cake, right? Why do they wonder about it?
Lee Jihye then asked me a question again, as if she was feeling too absurd.
“Did she really say something like that?”
“Of course, it’s a frame-up. Nuna.”
That was why it worked.
This was because that frame-up would be one of the frame-ups most
recognized by history.
Chapter 288
“They’re not scrambling to rebel like I had first thought.”
“They don’t know how to rebel. They are scared and angry, but they might
not know how to burst what’s inside.”
“I understand, but you must be a little disappointed.”
“It can’t be helped. I’m not that disappointed either. I expected this to some
extent. Even if they were on board with other forces, can those who have
been bred all this time come out of the fence with their will? Probably, when
the flare goes off, they will all come out running. Look at the faces of those
here right now. I bet, they’ll wail, ‘let’s fight together.’ By just saying that
everything will be over.”
“The process of putting ideas in their head was a little hurried. Well, I know,
too. I just said that out of disappointment. So? Shall we blow it now?”
I had to wonder about it for a bit. They didn’t express it, but all the imperial
people’s anger was now on the verge of explosion.
In fact, Charlia’s famous lines were enough, but as it was a scene that
decorated a page of history, a little cool direction was needed.
For example, the sublime sacrifice of democratic fighters should come out.
It was one of the things I had been planning, but Oscar’s brand value was
quite great to use as a flare.
“Hang on. She hasn’t finished her speech, anyway.”
In fact, it was Charlotte that I had been waiting for.

The timing was certainly not bad. It was a very good time to take care of the
people and march together.
However, seeing that they hadn’t revealed themselves, it seemed that there
had indeed been some internal problem.
The awakened nobles who agreed with Charlotte’s opinion would still be
with her, but they must have thought, ‘can we keep our power?’ after
watching this video.
Even within her camp, some nobles appeared in the video, so she would be
doing her all to calm them down by now.
The degree of friction between those who thought they could not fix the
imperialists’ anger and those who thought they had to do what they had to do
could be predicted even without an eye to bat in the future.
‘As much as I moved in a hurry.’
She also moved in a hurry. They both had side effects.
It was when I slightly nodded towards Lee Jihye.
“The traitor’s sugar-coated words should not deceive all imperial people, but
keep their place!”
The amplified voice protruded from the royal castle.
I waved my hand to withdraw the plan, and Lee Jihye also sent a sign saying
that she knew.
‘Good.’
This low tide was not bad, either.
I thought Charlotte would respond first, but the first one that opened the
mouth to the imperial people was the royal family’s representative.
I thought it would be better for the Emperor to come out at the same time, but
there was no way a scared old man could go to such a place.
The old man that can die at any moment would be looking for Charlotte or
me by now.
With a loud voice, the knights popped out from the inside for an unforeseen
armament, and it seemed that the wizards were somehow looking for a way
to stop the magic hologram.
The archers all shooting arrows at the magic hologram was a spectacle. The
urgency in their movements revealed the crisis they were experiencing now.
They already know that something big would come out if they failed to calm
down the imperial people.
‘They’re not that incompetent.’
However, no plan of theirs could effectively cover this up.
A forced arrest had already taken place, and screams were now starting to
erupt from all over the capital.
How was the behavioral pattern of those in power who felt a crisis o different
from the Earth or here?
Laughter came out of me, almost without my knowledge.
“I’ll say it again. Don’t be fooled by the rebels, all the people of the imperial
stand! Everything is false and manipulated by magic. Imperial people, what
you are seeing is not the blessing of Goddess Benigore, but the whispers of
the devil. Oscar is an imperial traitor! The same is true of all who share her
will with and who follow her. It is an evil that moths the holy Empire!”
‘I better start responding.’
Before sending a signal to Oscar, Alice began to respond in an angry tone of

voice, so unlike the gentle maid I had come to know.
-Aren’t you the ones who moths the country?! Dirty imperial families, it was
you who were dragging this Empire below the water. Look above the sky.
What you have done is known by the imperial people who died of evil deeds,
and the Goddess herself knows.
“How dare you speak about the Goddess with that dirty mouth? You traitor!”
-The traitors are you. You are against the Goddess’s will that considers all
humans to be equal under the Goddess! You are the traitors who divide the
class and create discrimination between the lowly and the noble blood.
Remember, since they’ve been an imperial family. Check with your own eyes
what those with noble blood have done.
Contrary to my worries that she might become speechless, Oscar was

stubborn, and she said what she had wanted to say.
Lee Jihye turned to me. “That’s not a script, right? Oppa?”
“Yes. It isn’t. It’s probably from her own thoughts.”
“She’s worth it. She’s even better than Charlia.”
I was just thinking the same thing.
I didn’t think she would be embarrassed, but Oscar took the lead and denied
the imperial power head-on.
-You are not the reason that there is an Empire. The existence of imperial
people is needed in order to have an Empire.
“There is an empire only when there an Emperor. You traitor! Look at you
now. Look at you agitating without showing your true face. Imperial people,
Oscar is a demon who tries to put you in danger. That person a wicked witch
who’s wrapped in good words but pushes your back on the cliff. Anyone will
do. Whoever catches that witch, regardless of the reason or your status, I will
give a title and prize money. She is a witch to be executed. She must be
executed!”
-I am not hiding. The Goddess is rebelling!

Maid Alice, looking straight at Jung Hayan, who was sending the video,
turned her back instantly. She then walked away, out of sight from the
hologram.
‘Huh?’
It felt a little disconcerting, but her execution wasn’t that bad. It would at
least create quite the impression on the imperial people.
I quickly started to beckon to Jung Hayan.
Since it was time for Oscar to appear in the world, it wouldn’t be bad to let all
the imperial people check where she was.
“Honorary Bishop.”
“You can do whatever you want, Oscar-nim.”
“Okay.”
To set the mood, she picked up a randomly hanging flag.
Holding a flag with the logo of the Sacred Democracy, which had now
become a symbol, Oscar showed herself to the imperial people.
The clock tower at the top overlooked the imperial capital.
The figure of Maid Alice standing there holding a flag was enough to
decorate a page of history.
The imperial people who had been watching, all turned their heads to the
clock tower.
Everything felt so dramatic that I wanted to scream in joy.
‘Perfect.’
With this kind of production, I didn’t even need to use a scapegoat as a

signal.
“I am not hiding.”
-I am not hiding.
The mirror of the Goddess reflected her words right from the top of the clock
tower.
Certainty abounded in the faces of those who thought that what was seen
would be illusion magic.
The soldiers rushed into the clock tower in no time, and the soldiers that had
been waiting for this blocked them. A loud sound popped out from all over
the place, and the prepared flames soared one by one.
Although magic and arrows poured out, it was natural that they were blocked
by the defense magic we had prepared in advance.
It was scary, but the democratic fighter continuing to speak out in the
meantime showed more than what I was picturing.
-I am not hiding, Rebels of the Goddess. I am not pushing the backs of the
imperial people here. I will stand before them first. Where is the Emperor?!
Say you who accused me of hiding. In this situation, where and what is the
Emperor doing?!
‘She has awakened!’
I could bet that this was indeed the brightest time in Alice’s life.
-Where is the Princess who adorned herself with the blood and sweat shed by
the imperial people? Where and what are they doing now, who harbor the
divine blood you propagated? I don’t want to hear your voice. Imperial dogs.
I want to hear the voices of those who created this wrong system, drinking
sweet liquors behind it!
“T-This is Charlotte, the Second Princess of the Empire! Your aspirations

will come true!”
Another voice I finally hear.

The appearance of her screaming without voice amplification was a
spectacle.
I wanted to associate myself with her, but the train had already gone. I didn’t
want to spoil the historical landmark that was already happening here.
“Hayan, turn up the volume on our side and block all the voice amplification
magic going to Charlotte. Cheon Gwan-wi, please, also help her.”
“Yes! Yes! Oppa.”
No one was interested in Charlotte’s voice, which was soon drowned sounds.
Since the fires were rising all over her, I saw several knights pushing her
back inward.
The Second Princess, who loved the imperial people more than anyone else,
was throwing them away, telling them not to do this, but how could her loyal
servants leave her in this dangerous situation?
They knew best that things had already gone wrong.
Instead of her voice, what resounded within the capital was the soft voice of
our energized Oscar-nim.
-Imperial people! They are hiding behind the castle for fear of getting hurt.
These are the real faces of the powerful dogs who so far despised us as lowly
blood and believed that strength and power would protect the imperial
people. As reflected in the mirror of the Goddess, their concern is not to rule
the Empire and lead us in the right direction. All they want is to exploit,
exploit, and fill their stomachs. All the nobles in this country, except for
some who have awakened, civic revolutionary supporters, such as Count
Castle Rock, Duchess Catherine, and Countess Elise, are no different from
society’s cancerous mass.
I liked the fact that she made sure to do what I ordered.
Of course, she had to reveal the names of our sponsors. My contacts, who
were a little anxious, were all probably nodding by now.
Oscar glanced at me.
It felt like she was asking if she could start now, so I opened my mouth
silently.
‘I really like that she obeys me well.’
If Charlia had been like her from the start, I wouldn’t have had to do all these
troublesome things.
Upon seeing my signal, Oscar delivered what I said to the public.
“You must get up.”
She raised the flag, pulling out her sword, and spat out the words that dwelt
inside.
-You must get up!
“We must build an Empire for the imperial people.”
-We must build an Empire for the imperial people!
“Comrades.”
-Dear comrades!
“I will take the lead first.”
-I will lead the way before anyone else.
“I will bleed first.”
-I will bleed before you. I will shed blood for the cause and for you.
“Wake up.”
-Wake up!
“Many people will be with us.”
-Many people will be with us. The Pope’s side, which knows the true will of
God and truly prays for the Empire, some nobles who support us, and the
foreigners who have now blended like a family, everyone will be with us!
“Fight.”
-Wake up! Raise your weapon! Take your rights back! Dear Imperial people,
the time has come!
Chapter 289
[We hit #1 on NU for KR weekly activity! And #2 for KR monthly! Thanks
for all the support! The next 2 arcs are too insane. I’ve uploaded 8 chapters to
try to push the plot forward. Free releases will get to it in about 3 weeks, so
look out for it! The next arc easily cements this series as my favorite KR
novel of all time.]
Chapter 289: Half-baked revolution (4)
From then on, the flames of the revolution soared.
Hidden foreigners and troops poured out from underground, and flame magic
burst out from all directions.
The Civil Revolutionary Corps put weapons in the imperial people’s hands
and threw themselves into the flames alongside them.
When a large number of people gathered, the fear disappeared, and the
erupting madness spread.
This revolution, which had started from the Empire’s capital, was being
shown in real-time through each city’s magical holograms, excluding the
provinces governed by sponsors.
Citizens from other cities were also running out into the streets with swords
whilst shouting.
“Hayan, how is the situation?”
“I-I think all other cities are similar. It all went as you thought!”
Certainly, looking at the hologram managed by Max, a pleasant smile graced

my lips.
When I saw the live broadcast screen, I had chills. It was a pity that I couldn’t
comment.
‘Georgina, a small and medium-sized city, managed by Count Bush, who

showed great performance with his dog pig speech.’
The foreigners were the Garrosh and Cash Clan of Lindel.
I knew that a guy named Gal Oh-sik with a big ax had decent skills, but
seeing what he was showing now proved to be more than I imagined.
It was also a level that could be said to have a high level of incitement.
I didn’t think it would be bad to set up a meeting with him later.
-We are not dog pigs!
-Waahhhhhhhhh!
-We will be the master of the Empire!
-Stand up! Compatriots! Fight and Revolutionize!
-We are not dog pigs!! We will be the… master of the Empire!!
I certainly thought that no place would be more passionate about the

revolution than here.
As much as it’s suppressed, the burst is big.
As I slowly turned my gaze toward the Vatican province, a beautiful scene

was drawn once again.
Imridan, the demon hunter of the Illidari Guild, had chosen to lead the
people.
With her class change’s influence, her eyes were spewing green energy, but it
looked like it would be reassuring if she were on the same side.
-Dear comrades. We must hold onto our fate with our hands. We can’t avoid
this forever!
-Waaaahhhh!
-Reinforcements arrived from Castle Rock Estate. The blood we shed today
is not meaningless. It’s for a place to live for the Empire! In the capital,
compatriots are already starting a rally. Victory is before our eyes! Let’s
fight, everyone! Everything is ready. It is they who are not ready.
‘That woman is okay, too.’
In addition to that, the revolution was starting ways, in various provinces.
I had put the foreigners and honorary nobles since I thought that things with
those facing off against the Republic needed to be sorted out immediately,
and it seems to have worked.
Originally, the eastern part was composed of the supporting regions of Count
Castle Rock, Duchess Catherine, and Count Elise.
It was natural to want this to be cleared out as quickly as the largest forces
were together.
It seemed that another area was having a hard time, but it was not something
I cared much about while I myself was in a safe place.
‘Cardinal Basel must’ve started the change…’
I thought it would be a successful regime change, as it attracted people from

the Pope’s side, including the Director of Inquisition Helena and Archbishop
Jessica.
Aside from Basel, another cardinal was also said to support Basel. Two out of
three Templars were with us, so I was in an even better mood.
If Cardinal Basel became the Pope, my heart fluttered, thinking that I could
also become the Honorary Cardinal.
‘Hyunsung must be doing well.’

It was still too early for the Republic to move.
I didn’t know how they were able to judge this case internally, but it took
three more days just for them to bring in the troops.
‘Before that, the revolution will be over.’
There was no need to kill all the nobles’ troops.
All one needed was the throat of some nobles.
Soldiers who refused to draw swords to ordinary imperial people and those
affected by the magic hologram scenes were all ready to betray the nobles
who paid them salaries.
Troops of Charlotte, who didn’t want to sacrifice the imperial people, were
also compelled to follow this side, so the revolution could be said to already
be half-successful.
It seemed that it wouldn’t be bad to release one more video.
“Hayan, prepare Ahn Ki-mo.”
“I’m sorry? Ahn Ki-mo?”
“I’m going to shoot a video here and release it right away. I think I need a
scene of a sublime sacrifice… I think that role will need the democratic
fighter Ahm Ki-mo.”
“Ohh. Okay! Ahn Ki-mo! Ahn Ki-mo! O-oppa is calling.”
There should be at least one scene of sublime sacrifice in this kind of

revolution. Lindel’s Ahn Ki-mo, who had always dreamed of becoming an
actor since the Earth, looked at me with a nervous expression as if he has
already heard about the situation. It was a screen debut that would spread
across the continent. Originally, I wasn’t going to sacrifice him, but I had
started to think that this would be better. Some of the imperial people might
get scared if I sent out too many realistic scenes.
Their sacrifice should not be a terrible and desperate death, but a sublime,
touching, cinematic death.
Who would like to see the guts and blood spilling?
“Please tell me when you are ready, Ahn Ki-mo.”
“Yes. Vice Guild Master. How do I… how should I move…”
“It is a scene where you’ll be wearing imperial armor and being hit by
arrows. Of course, the arrows are fake, so you can rest assured. It would be
nice to see the democratic fighter Argimo sacrifice to protect the girl who has
joined the revolution. Oh. Ye-ri! Come here, too.”
“I said I don’t do this anymore. I want to go outside like uncle Deokgu. You
said we should protect Oscar.”
“Let’s do it one last time since you did well the last time. You can do well
this time, too. Both of you will roughly disguise yourself with magic and will
enter at the cue sign in exactly 10 minutes. There is only one scene to be
released anyway, so you don’t need to be so nervous.”
“Ah, yes. Okay, Vice Guild Master.”
“I really… don’t want to do it…”
“This is the last time. Really. I promise.”
“This is really the last time, okay?”
“Okay. Then, get ready. Don’t improvise too much. Jihye here will explain
the script.”
“Okay.”
The scene was composed of one professional and one amateur, but they were
ready in no time.
Several Blue guild staff appeared wearing the imperial soldier armor with a
sour expression, and Ahn Ki-mo and Kim Ye-ri nodded, meaning they were
ready.
Unlike what she said she didn’t want to do, Kim Ye-ri seemed to be looking
forward to doing this.
‘She can’t be honest. This kid.’
As soon as the okay sign went off, the dynamic acting began.
Kim Ye-ri walked, struggling with a flag of the Civil Revolution Group
larger than her own body. However, the longing for revolution in her eyes
could not be hidden.
Her facial expression was the best part, and I was all trembling. Unlike with
Park Deokgu, when she had acted all awkward, she was showing perfect
concentration this time.
‘Did she practice?’
I couldn’t imagine Kim Ye-ri practicing her acting looking in the mirror, but
it meant that she was a natural at this if she didn’t.
The voice burst out of Kim Ye-ri’s mouth after she swallowed her saliva
once.
“For the sacred democracy! Fight! Revolutionize! Let’s fight together and
win!”
The scene of her running around with a flag was truly a democratic fighter.
The extras that were put in were swinging their swords together, and in this
narrow space, a wonderful production started.
The soldier with the bow aimed the cruel and mean arrow at the girl who
yearned for democracy, and a flame burned in the eyes of Democracy Fighter
Argimo.
‘Aaaahh!!!’
Argimo’s expressions of momentary agony are definitely immersive.
Argimo, which had been established as a symbol of revolution along with

Bark Teoku, had mixed feelings about both the cause and the need to protect
the girl.
“Die! You filthy traitor!!!”
One of the Blue guild employees improvised without my knowledge, but it

wasn’t all that bad.
Argimo, our hero, trying to block the dirty arrow of the mean vested interest,
flew toward the innocent girl.
“Haap!”
Chuck, chuck, chuck!
Several arrows stuck Ahn Ki-mo.
Ahn Ki-mo shook quite nicely. He didn’t make painful screams, nor did he
cry for life.
Movie-like blood flowed from where the arrow had struck.
“Ah!”
The screen once again showed Argimo, and somehow the next arrow did not
fly.
Something was indeed strange about that, but who could think of such a
probability in this scene right now?
They would think that some foreigner who protruded from somewhere had
overpowered them.
“Ahhhhhh!”
“I’m fine… I’m… fine.”

An urgent cry went out from both Kim Ye-ri and Argimo, who refused to let
go of his democratization aspiration whilst dying.
His figure, forcibly raising his body while being hit by an arrow, was openly
melodramatic. However, in a world like this, this kind of melodrama indeed
worked.
“I have to get up. Yes. My comrades… are fighting, too.”
“Ah… I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’ll…”
“A child… doesn’t have to fight.”
At this point, I felt like cringing, but considering that the public will accept
this as a real situation, it was acceptable.
Still, Argimo staggered and could not stand up properly.
He dragged his body, stood firmly, holding his weapon, and eventually fell
apart.
“The blood that I shed… is to make the imperial people… proud…” He

mumbled. “With a burning thirst… With burning thirst… sacred
democracy… hurray.”
The way he closed his eyes was indeed cool. Kim Ye-ri’s eyes were filled
with tears.
However, she wiped away the tears and picked up the weapon the
Democratic Fighter had. This made me cringe, but after some editing, it
would be pretty acceptable.
With a flag in one hand and a sword in the other, she started to shout while
looking at the castle.
“Cut!”
“… …”
“… …”
“Now. I really won’t do it anymore.”
“Our little actor Kim! Why are you so good at acting? It was really perfect.
Ahn Ki-mo was also very cool. Max, send this out right now.”
“Yep!”
“You know. Put in moderate noise when you think there’s an awkward scene,
you know what I mean, right?”
“Yep!”
Kim Ye-ri, with a strangely happy expression, and Ahn Ki-mo, who had
made his successful debut, took off their disguises and got ready to support
the foreigners once more.
In the meantime, the video they shot had begun to go through a bit of editing,
and the fuel was added once again into the flames.
“Waaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
“Sacred Democracy! Hurray! Hurray!”
“Goddess Benigore is with you! Stand up and fight!”
“Do not let Argimo’s sacrifice be in vain!! Let’s stand up with the flag,
people!”
A fight between those trying to head to the castle and those trying to stop
them began.
When I saw Oscar fighting with the people under the protection of Bark
Teoku, I couldn’t help but nod.
At this time, the appearance of a strong reinforcement was already enough to

decorate a solid page of the history of the Empire.
“Let’s get ready to go.”
The time had come to smash the Emperor and Charlia’s back.
Chapter 290
Flames surrounded the entire place.
Several screams erupted, and I had no choice but to fix the falling helmet
whilst biting my lips tightly.
It was uncomfortable because my view kept getting blocked.
Not only did the breathing sounds get worse, but swearing began to pop out
of my mouth.
“Shit. Shit…”
“Fire! Fire! They are not imperialists, but rebels possessed by a witch! Don’t
stop with the arrows! Never let them enter the Imperial Palace! Don’t put
compassion in your hands! Don’t let them come here!”
‘Traitor. They are traitors.’
Though I knew I had to do what I had to do, the bow could not be pulled off
that easily.
Perhaps it was not just me who felt this way.
The colleague next to me had also been unable to pull the arrow off of him.
All I can do was to pray not to hit anyone and shoot these to the sky.
‘Shit! Damn! Fuck!’
“Don’t look at the sky! It is the whisper of the devil. The blessing of Goddess
Benigore is a false story! That’s not the Goddess’ mirror! All that Oscar said
is a lie! Don’t be fooled by their words. Do not believe anything! Only His
Majesty is right! Don’t panic! Do not panic!”
He said this without hesitation, but Chief Baek also had traces of anxiety on
his face.
When I saw him open his mouth to tell us not to panic, I thought it might be a
message to himself. He probably felt that something was weird, too.
‘Devil’s whispers, my ass!’
Indeed, if that was the devil’s whisper, as the Imperial Palace said, by now,
the Heresy Inquisitors from the Pope’s side should have come out to stop
them.
Even some priests had also begun to side with the imperial people.
No matter how I thought about this, it didn’t make sense that the foreign
priests and the actual priests who had prayed were also present.
There was no official announcement, but they must have determined that they
were not wrong.
If the Pope and other cardinals had also checked the Goddess’s mirror, I
guess they would know who was good and who was evil.
‘That’s not a lie.’
In fact, I was born and raised in a province ruled by Count Bush, and I knew
better than anyone else as to what had been going on over there.
The hungry imperial people and the nobles were busy filling their stomachs.
I had to worry that today would pass with no trouble, and I had to pray to
Goddess Benigore every night that no other incident would happen after this.
Why was our life so miserable?
If Goddess Benigore did exist, I had to wonder why she did not care for us
every time.
‘They are correct.’
It was not that Goddess had a problem. The problem was the nobles and royal
families who had rebelled against the Goddess.
‘Everyone under the Goddess is equal.’
There was no way that the Goddess Benigore distinguished the precious from
the unworthy from the beginning.
The Goddess’ mirror was the Bible and weapon of enlightenment that she
had chosen to give to the people.
There were aristocrats who did not see people as humans, but as dogs, and
only saw them as targets to be exploited.
Meanwhile, an imperial family was busy living a luxurious life with the
imperial people’s taxes.
‘If you don’t have bread, you can eat cake? What… bullshit is that?’
‘What bullshit she is talking about?!’
“How can she say something like that…?”
In cities in the north or west’s outskirts, thousands and tens of thousands of

people couldn’t even eat grass porridge, let alone bread.
Before coming to the capital, I only thought that cakes were things from fairy
tales.
It was a kind of luxury that I needed to be prepared to buy with the salary I
was currently receiving.
They always said that they always thought of the people as well as the
imperial people, but the royal family didn’t even care as to what kind of life
they lived.
It was not even strange if one were to see what the nobles, the royal families,
and those who could be called the vested interests of this Empire really did.
The Second Princess Charlotte, famous for being incorruptible and not
extravagant, also used an amount unimaginable by common people’s
standards for dignity maintenance.
Probably, tens of thousands of imperialists could live without hunger if the

royal family’s vaults were released.
“You have to stand up! Let’s stand up together! This Empire is not of the
royal family. It belongs to Goddess Benigore and all imperial people!”
“Let’s follow Oscar!”
“For the sacred democracy!”
The appearance of Oscar, who had begun to lead the people with a flag, was
different from what I had always heard.
She looked as intense as if she was the Goddess of Liberty.
She was a woman with golden hair, receiving light from the priests’ blessings
and divine powers. Her appearance was even sublime.
As I looked above the sky without noticing, I began to see new people within
the Goddess’s mirror.
I could see a still young girl, a girl who can’t even hold a big flag properly.
If I had married a little early and had children, I’d probably have a daughter
about her age.
When I raised my head again with my mind confused, I saw an imperial

soldier wearing the same armor as mine.
“N-No!”
‘Are they shooting even a small child…?!’

I was also an imperial soldier.
But what was the reason to pull a demonstration with such a girl? My hands
had begun to tremble.
I didn’t know if this was unfortunate or fortunate, but it was seen that the girl
was saved because of a man who had chosen to dive in front of her.
However, the man who was hit by the arrow stumbled and began to fall to the
ground.
As I watched him slowly closing his eyes, I felt a lump in my throat.
-With a burning thirst. With burning thirst… sacred democracy… hurray.
What was right, and what was wrong?
‘Damn.’
What was I doing here now?
All these people were fighting.
Why couldn’t I lift my sword together and shoot arrows at them? Why should
we protect those who harassed and oppressed us?
I couldn’t understand anything anymore at this point.
“Don’t think about anything else.”
“Sir.”
“Mike, I’m saying this for your own good. Don’t think about anything else.
We just weren’t lucky. We just happened to stand on the other side of them.
If we turn our backs like this now, we will be killed by a knight’s sword, not
the imperial people. It’s not just you. There might be at least a few thousand
people who want to get out of this position right now.”
“Then why…?”
“That’s life for guys like us, Mike. As the wind blows and the waves strike,
being dragged back and forth… that’s our life. I am not pulling the bow
because I want to.”
“The Goddess will punish us, sir. I won’t be at peace, even if I die.”
“No. The Goddess will also forgive us. Yes… She will definitely forgive. She
will pat our back, saying it was unavoidable.”
“But…”
“… …”
“… …”
Craaackkk!
Baaaaannngg!
“Don’t stop! Don’t stop your movements!”
“You are also imperial people! Let’s stand up and fight together! Your
swords shouldn’t go to the same imperial people! It’s the imperial soldiers
and knights. Let’s stand up together. Let’s fight together!”
“Ahhhhhh! Get your defense magic ready!”
“Don’t listen to your enemies! Right now, you should only think about
protecting His Majesty. His Majesty!”
“Where is your Emperor?! What are you fighting for?! Empire soldiers!”
“It’s a witch! Oscar is a witch! Cover your ears rather! Cover your ears!
Soldiers of the Empire! If you haven’t forgotten that you have pledged
allegiance to become His Majesty’s sword, throw arrows! Save those who are
possessed by the devil!”
“Priests! Call the priest!”

“We are not lifting our swords towards you! Lower your weapon! Lower
your weapon and fight with the will of the Goddess in your heart!”
“Protect His Majesty!”
“I will protect you! I will be with you!”
in, all mixed up.
In the meantime, explosions and screaming sounds continued to be heard.
Chief Baek literally wanted to cover his ears.
‘Right. It can’t be helped.’
This was inevitable.
I had sworn to the Goddess to fight for His Majesty.
I couldn’t possibly abandon that oath.
Even if I were to die here as the sir said, the Goddess would understand. She
would pat my back, saying it was inevitable.
My mouth was distorted, and my hands had begun to shake.
It was then that an unexpected voice was heard.
“The Emperor is leaving the imperial city!”
‘Huh?’
“The Emperor and Princess Charlia! They are exiting the Imperial Palace!”
‘W… What is that…?’
When I raised my head again, I saw them reflected in the mirror of the
Goddess.
Surrounded by knights, the appearance of quickly exiting the Imperial
Palace’s back door is a spectacle.
It was not just them.
The same went for some of the nobles who stayed in the Imperial Palace.
They were hiding in the safest place and were leaving when the fight was
about to take place.
“These bad motherfuckers! You dirty bastards! How can you say that you
still rule the Empire?!”
That was the one to which I pledged my allegiance—the one who ruled as the
absolute of this great Empire.
No wonder sparks had begun to burn in my eyes.
At that point, I aimed the arrow without knowing it and shot it at the Emperor
reflected in the mirror of the Goddess.
Chuck.
With that sound, something hit by an arrow fell to the floor.
“Uh….”
“What’s… that…?”
I could see a large shadow gradually cast over the capital.
The Goddess mirror, which I could see just before, was not even visible,
hidden by something huge.
As if it was at night, the appearance of a creature that covered the sun for a
while is the best part.
It was hard to understand how someone with such a huge body could float in
the sky.
“Ohhh… Ohh…”
There was no way I wouldn’t notice what that was. This was something I’d
heard only by stories.
“Really… It really existed.”
Other soldiers also began to mutter, gazing at the sky blankly.
Craaaaackk! Cruuuusshhh!!
After passing by the soldiers, a huge claw lodged itself into the Imperial
Palace.
Although the imperial castle debris fell to the floor, the huge creature began
to occupy the top of the imperial castle as if it were its own nest.
Grrroooaarrrr!
It made a loud sound that made the skin vibrate. The surroundings were
immediately silenced.
‘Dragon.’
It was obvious as to why such a creature was here. It was because of the
foreigner chosen by a dragon—one of the Eight Seats of the Empire, as well
as the Honorary Bishop of the Holy Empire.
I could see a little human muttering, all while holding the horns on the head
of the dragon.
“Where are you going in such a hurry, Your Majesty?”

Chapter 291
“Where are you going in such a hurry, Your Majesty?”
‘Nice one.’
This was a very fun situation.
Naturally, a pleasant smile had formed on my face.
I wanted to applaud to the Emperor and the nobles.
‘They were running away.’
I thought that I should also give a reward to Jung Hayan, who had caught the
Emperor right in the act of doing so. In fact, I did predict this to some extent.
Even historically, in the face of a national crisis, the first ones to run away
were always those who possessed vested rights.
There were only a few people who calmly met their end, or stayed with the
people.
Of course, there was no way that the nobles holding a deep-rooted evil
festival with that stupid Emperor could make such a beautiful choice.
‘It’s not that I don’t understand…’
I could understand that the head of a group should be safe.
However, it was entirely their responsibility to see how people accepted their
behavior.
The soldiers’ faces, who now looked at the Emperor with a dejected
expression, was now reflected in the Goddess mirror.
‘The timing is not bad, too.’
They dropped the weapons one by one while staring blankly at Dialugia.
In fact, dragons were not invincible.
They fought in an uncomfortable state, but the people who actually gathered
at Castle Rock had pressured Dialugia to the point of death.
In a little more detail, they had only accomplished this thanks to the villain
who had taken her child as a hostage, but this in itself could already be
considered a victory.
Even the hard leather of a dragon would be pierced when it was hit by magic,
or a sword containing magic power.
Although their basic resistance was strong, dragons also had a limit of
stamina and endurance.
However, her strength was not important. Her value and symbolism were
even more important.
Although she did what I told her to do, I heard Dialugia’s voice talking to me
as if she still harbored some doubts.
[We’re in the middle of the enemy’s line… are you really okay with this?]
‘Sure. If I wanted to fight properly in the first place, I could just shoot your
Breath or shoot from a distance. Why would I come all the way here? Our
wizards will protect us against small attacks. You don’t have to step on the
humans here and kill them. You just need to shout and to look cool.’
[I don’t feel good about it. I feel like I’ve become an attraction for everyone
to see…]
‘You’re mistaken, Dialugia. It would be more appropriate to call it an object

of awe, not an attraction. So you just have to put in some magical power and
cry once more with a growling sound. If you can do anything like that, then
please do.’
[You must keep the promise.]
‘Of course.’
It wasn’t that a transparent dragon would appear somewhere, but Dialugia

cried vigorously again anyway.
“Groooooaaaarrr!”
Hearing that sound, some soldiers began to fall into confusion.
The impact was enough to stir the Civil Revolution side, which I had told
them in advance, to go crazy.
Of course, it was not only the people and soldiers who were looking this way.
The Emperor was also looking at this side with his eyes wide open.
What was fun was that there was a ray of hope on the face of the old man, so
it seemed that he had thought of me as his savior.
It was clear that he was hoping for Dialugia and me to resolve this riot. It
wasn’t unreasonable for this country to look like this since he still didn’t
know that I had backstabbed him.
“Ohhh. Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung! You finally came. You finally c-
came!”
“… …”
“I knew you would come. I knew you were a loyal one. Right now. Kill all
those traitors right now… R-Right now!”
“… …”
“These… foolish traitors. Ho… hoho. It looks like that’s a dragon. You’re
indeed reliable, Honorary Bishop. Yes. Very reliable.”
“… …”
It was not just the Emperor. The other nobles had begun to cheer on me as
well. Charlia looked as if I was a prince who had come to save her, which
was perfectly ridiculous.
“Honorary Bishop! Hahahaha! I knew you would come! Let’s kill those filthy
rebels right now!”
“Honorary Bishop! Honorary Bishop! I’ve been waiting!”
“Hurry! Wipe them out! Honorary Bishop! You have to drive those demons
out right now!”
In the first place, foreigners had also joined the revolution. I didn’t know why
they thought I was on their side.
My voice echoed in the hall, where it went silent for a moment.
“There seems to be some misunderstanding, everyone. I am not your ally.

Haha.”
“Huh?”
“I am also a member of the Civil Revolution and one of the imperial people
who follow Oscar, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor looked flabbergasted, as if he didn’t want to believe that I had

done this.
“You don’t have to joke… Honorary Bishop. Ho… hoho… I think I made
Honorary Bishop… disappointed. R-Right! What was the problem? Honorary
Bishop. I-I guess you didn’t like the fact that I gave you a manor in the
north… okay… I got it wrong. Tell me wherever you want. I-I’ll give you
everything I can! Honorary Bishop!”
“Hahaha. That’s not what I want, Your Majesty.”
“T-Then, what do you want? I’ll do anything you want.”

“Even without Your Majesty’s grace, what I want will come true, Your
Majesty.”
His face began to distort slowly. It seemed as if he had believed in me more

than he was supposed to.
I felt a little sorry for making him feel this betrayal, but ironically, I also felt
good.
After a slight exhale, I spoke once more. Jung Hayan’s voice amplification
magic came in, and before long, my voice began to resonate loudly in the
capital.
The Goddess’s mirror also reflected Dialugia and me, so I was sure my image
was being shown within the entire Empire.
“Look at me! Imperial soldiers and knights who follow the Emperor!”
“H-Honorary Bishop…”
“Engrave in your eyes is the image of the Emperor you were asked to protect!
That is the reality of the old Empire, the vested rights you were trying to
protect, even risking your life. They are the ones who are trying to save their
lives by throwing you into the battlefield as their scapegoats and discarded
horses! Could that be said to be a leader suitable for an Empire?!”
“What are you… Honorary Bishop?!!”
“What the Empire needs is not a person who exploits the imperial people and
takes care of their own comfort, but it’s someone who takes the lead before
anyone else and fights for you!!”
At the right timing, the camera turned to Oscar exquisitely.
It seemed as if she had been thrown on the ground as she was covered with
dirt, and blood was flowing through the broken armor.
Oscar’s face, with sweat on her head, really fit the figure of the leader I had
talked about just now.
As I beckoned again, Jung Hayan’s camera began to show the Emperor.
The Emperor, who was trembling and terrified, was a stark contrast compared
to Oscar.
‘This is the object of my loyalty.’
I knew most of the people were now thinking this way.
“Leave your weapons, soldiers of the Empire! Throw away your weapons
and fight with us! You, too, are members of the Empire and deserve to be
with us. The Goddess’ mirror is shining on us. You have to make your own
judgment as to which side you will stand on. Everything is the will of the
Goddess Benigore. The Goddess will be with us!! Honorary Bishop Lee
Kiyoung will be with you. Along with Cardinal Basel and many priests! The
Holy Knights will be with us, too! Would you stand on the side of an ugly
vested right? Or will you be embraced by the sacred democracy and join the
glorious Goddess’ temple?!”
It was no wonder that I looked at Sun Hee-young quietly.
Divine power was pouring all over the place.
All the priests with this side and the foreigners had begun to spread their
divine power together, and it was spectacular.
“The Goddess said that all humans under the Goddess are equal. We have
forgotten that word until now. We’re all sinners. But we can be forgiven. It is
their fault that we sinned against the Goddess. If we drive away those who
have rebelled against the will of Goddess Benigore, we can be forgiven by
the Goddess ourselves. It is not too late, even now. Dear imperial people!
Join the temple! Don’t go against the Goddess and become her sword!”
The Civil Revolutionary Corps had begun to radiate brilliant light surrounded
by divine power. The imperial troops were now trembling in a hurry to hide.
Soldiers abandoned their weapons one by one and began to take off their
armor, and the priests who were on the side of the Empire also began to
change camps.
“I-I will be with you, too!”
“I will also use the sword for the Goddess.”
Although Chief Baek and some knights were screaming against it, the trend
had already declined.
‘It’s a magnificent sight. A magnificent sight, indeed.’
I had seen various posture changes so far, but what I was seeing now was an
unprecedented large-scale change of attitude.
99.9% of the imperial people had begun to become believers of the Goddess
Benigore.
Mixing religion and ideology really did fit perfectly in situations such as
these.
Chapter 292
Of course, I had to admit that I had a fair percentage of my share in the

benefits.
No fire existed without smoke.
Actually, what happened to these people had nothing to do with me now.
Even now, as things were being finished, I did not feel interested.
The Emperor’s power had been smashed, anyway. Even if this revolution was
not completed, it would not be possible to raise the imperial power that had
already fallen to the earth.
‘There is no possibility of that.’
There was literally zero chance this work would fail.
I thought that the dragging period of power fight could be quite long, but the
anger that the existing vested rights showed was enough to change the minds
of those in a vague position.
Even if I were a soldier of the Empire, I would have naturally pressed the
button to change the posture.
All that was left for them now was the sincere devotees of the Emperor, some
knights, and the soldiers who couldn’t choose to stand with the Goddess in
the end.
I was a little worried about how the Imperial Knight Victor Hart would move,
but seeing that no other news came, Cha Hee-ra seemed to have been able to
block him well.
In fact, when I saw the situation going by, I wondered if I didn’t even need to
send Hee-ra along.
‘That old man must not have chosen again this time.’
Whether he was guarding the Empire or that old Emperor, he must be

confused as well.
I couldn’t imagine him wielding his sword for the majority of the imperial
people that were now deemed as traitors.
Likewise, it was hard to imagine a scene where he would swing his sword at
the Emperor.
Again, the old man had chosen not to choose a side.
‘Should I say he’s clever, or just plain stupid?’
I didn’t know what other people’s standards would be like, but Victor Hart
was the idiot among idiots, at least in my standards.
Under the Imperial Palace, yelling and screaming were heard continuously.
“Find the traitors of the Goddess! Find the Goddess’ traitors! Search
everything inside the castle! She will be hiding somewhere! Definitely!”
“The maids are innocent! Even the Goddess will not forgive anything that
hurts the innocent. They can be with us just as we have repented of our sins!”
“These crazy traitors! Get on your knees! Will you not get down on your
knees right now? How these dirty and lowly commoners dare touch me?!”
“Please save me. Please… I was wrong. Please save me!”
“Don’t leave even one alive! What are the Heretic Inquisitors doing?!
Without immediately finding out that the Goddess’ rebels had cooperation
with the devil!”
“Get them out! Get them all out!”

were all mixed and heard. It looked as if everyone had gone mad.
Oscar was still leading the people, protecting the innocents in the castle, all
while searching for the hidden nobles.
In the meantime, seeing Heretic Inquisitors on their way, it seemed that

Cardinal Basel’s work, which had already occurred inside the Holy See, had
also been well completed.
The imperial people had already blocked and tightened the entrance to the
capital’s back, so the Emperor and Charlia had already been caught.
Since the Goddess’ mirror continued to show the sinful people, there would
be limits for them to withstand.
I thought about whether I should shoot the Breath once, but I only regret not
being able to do that.
“Puhahahahaha.”
To sum it all up, it was not a situation where laughing would be weird.
It was no wonder that in the midst of that, I saw Jung Hayan staring at me.
I nodded slightly, and I could see her disappearing from my sight as if she
herself felt excited.
I didn’t know what she was trying to do, but if I would guess, she would be
headed right for the First Princess. Since she had said something about
sharing love or whatever, Hayan must have thought of this as an opportunity
to loose what hatred had been accumulated inside.
‘It’s victory.’
As I slowly got off of Dialugia, I saw some familiar faces.
“Oh, Cardinal Basel!”
“Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung!”

“So? Did everything go well? Cardinal Basel?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, Honorary Bishop! Absolutely! It hurts a little, but what
can I do if it’s the Goddess’ new will? This is all for the Goddess, so she will
be happy.”
“Yes. Absolutely. The Goddess would laugh too, and nod at the Cardinal.
Hahahaha. By the way… If things were done successfully, I should call you
Pope Basel, not Cardinal Basel, from now on. I’m jealous, Pope. Aren’t you a
little closer to the Goddess? Hahaha.”
“I haven’t even been crowned yet. Hohoho. Well, it looks like that it’ll
happen soon… and Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung, shouldn’t you be called
the Honorary Cardinal?”
“I’m sorry? What… do you…?”
“Hahaha. You don’t have to be so surprised, Honorary Cardinal.”
“No, Cardinal Basel… I-It’s so sudden, well…”
“In fact, I’ve been thinking about this since this story came out, Honorary
Cardinal. Although there is no precedent in the church yet, who would dare to
deny my words when I, the next Pope, would do that? Haha. Actually, it’s not
Honorary Cardinal. I wanted to raise Lee Kiyoung as a Cardinal on the
Benigore Church. Still, there are some stiff internal regulations, and honorary
Cardinal Lee Kiyoung seems to hate being repressed, so I could only do this.”
“Ah… Cardinal Basel… It’s too much for me.”
“It’s not! Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung is the right person for this
position! You’re the one I trust the most!”
“I have done nothing but serve the Goddess, Cardinal Basel.”
“That’s why I have no choice but to like the Honorary Cardinal. Hahaha.
You’re not greedy! Greedy! How can a person who’s not greedy exist?
Hahahaha. Are foreigners like Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung… no, people,
common? Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung is a blessing from the Goddess!”
“T-This is a great praise, Your Holiness Pope.”
“Hahahaha. Stop saying that, Honorary Cardinal. Please use that title when
the crowning ceremony is over. Hahaha. Oh! And even if you are an
Honorary Cardinal, we will take measures so that you can receive all the
benefits you enjoy as a cardinal. Don’t be too disappointed.”
‘Nice! Nice!’
I wanted to scream inside. On the outside, I would say that he didn’t need to
do this, but who in actuality would refuse this position?
‘It’s the Honorary Cardinal.’
In addition to numerous privileges, the three Templars would respond to the

personal safety of Lee Kiyoung.
One of the secret weapons hidden by the Holy Empire was to become my
shadow warrior. I wanted to dance in happiness.
“Thank you for the words, Cardinal Basel. Come to think of it, Archbishop
Jessica and Director of Inquisition Helena…”
“Ah! Archbishop Jessica is helping those who go to the city to realize the will
of the Goddess, and Director of Inquisition Helena is still punishing the
existing sinners at the Holy See… Actually, I also have to leave, but when I
saw that Cardinal Lee Kiyoung came with the dragon, I came in a hurry.
Hahaha. It’s the first time I’ve actually seen it, but to have been chosen by
such a transcendental creature…”
“Everything is the Goddess’s will. Haha. Would there be any other reason?”
I certainly thought that this had all been done too soon, but it seemed as if
things had been going better than what I had initially imagined.
Since he said that Helena was finishing up, he could come out rest assured.
They were still scuffling inside the royal city. The temperature difference
from here was probably quite big.
In fact, I wanted to drink a cup of tea, but I couldn’t afford to relax now.
I saw those who were now approaching, swayed by the troops. Some of them
looked to have paused in the middle, and some were smiling.
They, too, were convinced that we had won.
“Duchess Catherine! Countess Elise!”
“Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung! Ah! Cardinal Basel was here, too.”
“Ohh. Long time no see, Duchess Catherine.”
“Cardinal Basel also seems to be in a better mood.”
“Hahaha. It is the day when the enlightened people can preach the new will
of the Goddess. Of course, I would be in a better mood. Come to think of it,
didn’t you say she came to talk with Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung? Let’s
talk about it.”
“No. That’s okay, Cardinal Basel. It’s a good day as you said, so why don’t
we have to show us that we are together? Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung is
actually only here to give his thanks, so it feels more burdensome if you
leave. Stay here.”
I saw Cardinal Basel nodding.
There was an old saying that the Pope’s side always said: As a new era has
arrived, there is no need to growl and show teeth to each other.
The nobles, including Duchess Catherine and Cardinal Basel’s Vatican,

understood this better than anyone else.
I, too, nodded and spoke right away. It was only right to make the friendly
atmosphere even friendlier.
“Haha. Duchess Catherine, too… What are you grateful for? Rather, it’s only
right for me to say thank you.”
“No, Honorary Bishop. We, the eastern nobles, no, we are no longer nobles.
Gosh… Anyway, if the Honorary Bishop didn’t care about us, we wouldn’t
have been able to stand in the Goddess’ temple either. What the Honorary
Bishop has done for us will never be forgotten. I’d also like to apologize for
the things I made you take care of, since it’s a very sensitive and heavy
matter.”
“Of course I can understand, Duchess Catherine. Rather, thank you for being
with me. Thank you for trusting me. If the eastern nobles had not been with
me, things would not have worked out so well.”
“No. Rather, we were very happy to be able to share our will with the
imperial people, but…”
“Hahaha. You don’t have to worry, Duchess Catherine. I arranged seats in the
assembly for the nobles who joined the declaration of support for the civil
revolution. No. It is not something I prepared. Our imperial people will
provide it. Haha.”
“Thank you for caring for us.”
“I’ll thank you again, Honorary Bishop.”
“There is no need, Countess Elise. I’m all embarrassed. Hahaha.”
Our pleasant conversation was a stark contrast to the nobles who had not
taken our side.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Ahhhhhh!”
“It hurts… hurts! Help me! Help me!”
“Don’t miss a single one! We must not miss a single rebel who betrayed the
Goddess!”
“Don’t let Argimo’s sacrifice be in vain!”
“For the sacred democracy! For the Goddess!”
Hearing all that made me acknowledge what a pleasure it was to know that I
belonged to this group. I felt a bit guilty, but this was how society worked,
anyway.
“Then, why don’t we go to another place?”
“Where…?”
“Hahaha. We have to get this done right. Duchess! Cardinal Basel, come with
us, too. It is a glorious imperial people victory. On a day like this, the
Cardinal shouldn’t be left out.”
“This is…”
“Yes. Come with us, Cardinal. You have to introduce yourself to the people
of the Empire. You’re going to be the Holy Father now.”
“Ahem. Then, let’s do it. The great Goddess’s army has won, so of course,
we have to celebrate!”
It was when we were just about to move. Another group appeared in a fairly
close place.
When I saw that distorted expression, I smiled. Naturally, I began to clap.

The eastern nobles joined me in doing so.
“Hahahaha. Isn’t that the number one secret contributor to this revolution?
Your Majesty Charlotte! Hahahahaha. And all the nobles who supported our
revolutionary group! Thank you very much. Your Maje… no, no. They are
no longer the royal family. Charlotte-nim!”
“Y… you…”
“Well, well, well. Let’s move together! It is a great victory for the imperial
people.”
With a shameless expression, I lifted my thumb up, and a shivering fist
appeared in my sight.
Chapter 293
What she was thinking was obvious. If she wasn’t cursing me right now, then
she was probably thinking as to how shameless I was.
Her face looked as if she wanted to question or say something, but when she
saw Cardinal Basel and Duchess Catherine approaching, she deftly closed her
mouth.
In fact, the reason why she was able to come out of her hiding place and
come here was also because of my help from before.
If I hadn’t, she would still have to hide in fear of being swept away by this
fire.
“Hahaha. It was a fact that even I didn’t know. Charlotte-nim seems to have
been the secret contributor to this event.”
“Thanks to you. You helped a lot, Your Majesty.”
Of course, she deserved a thumbs up. I affirmed that if I had done it alone, I
would never have been able to complete the revolution in such a quick time.
When she opened her mouth, I can see that her gaze had focused on me
again.
“I haven’t been able to tell you, but in fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say
Charlotte is the number one contributor to this revolution. We spread the
Sacred Democracy together and spared no effort in supporting both sides
ways! It is said that despite having a big contribution, you give up everything
for the imperial people, so it would be nice for other imperial members to be
as good as Charlotte. The people would probably never have risen.”
“……”
“Hahaha. Am I right, Charlotte? It seems that our Charlotte-nim is so thrilled
that she can’t talk properly. Of course, that’s understandable, since we are on
the verge of completing the revolution you dreamed of. Oh! And the same
goes for the nobles who follow the Second Princess. Well then, come here. In
fact, you couldn’t join us in the Declaration of Support for the Civil
Revolution, but all the imperial people will know that you were with us in
your heart.”
I could see some nobles reading the room. Duchess Catherine and Countess
Elise were also holding the hands of other nobles having conversations, while
the others, who were a little nervous at first, began to settle down.
They had already figured out which one here was the popular one.
Those who really sympathized with Charlotte’s will were still with her, but
those who were acting for their personal gain already had their switch posture
button pressed. She kept rubbing her lips as if she had something to say, but
in this friendly atmosphere, causing a quibble would be hard.
She probably cared more about the nobles behind her rather than herself.
She understood that the imperial people would judge not only her, but also
the nobles with her if I were to say one word.
“Hahaha. You can laugh. Charlotte-nim, although some blood was spilled, it
is still a victory for the people.”
I didn’t intend to get under her skin, but her fists trembled once again as if
she didn’t like the way I talked. When I quietly asked for a handshake, she
held my hand tightly.
‘Ouch, it hurts.’
It was fun as it seemed to represent her feelings.
“Hahaha. I didn’t know that Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung would be close
to Charlotte-nim…”
“We’re not that close, Cardinal Basel. We were connected as we were
running toward the same goal. Charlotte-nim also has a special regard for the
Goddess.”
“I know that well! Charlotte-nim made a very big decision. It would have
been a hard decision…”
“Isn’t that proof that she is thinking about the imperial people and the
Goddess? Haha. Well, well. Come this way. I will escort you. You might see
angry people… so you will probably be safe with me. Charlotte-nim.”
“… …”
“You don’t have to be so grateful, Princess. You don’t have to think of this as
a consideration. The things Charlotte-nim has done for me are the real
consideration.”
Seeing that she couldn’t even speak a word, it was no wonder that I felt a
gratifying feeling. In fact, she looked as if she wanted to punch my smiling
face, but she was now thoroughly in a weak position.
Perhaps she was thinking about what my intention was. To be precise, it was
natural that she had her doubts about why I was keeping her alive, and
although we had been working together so far, it was clear that Charlotte and
I had started taking a different route through this revolution.
For me, I no longer need Charlotte. Since she didn’t know about Kim
Hyunsung’s request, she would be busy trying to use her head by now.
‘Okay. Why would I want to keep you alive?’
No matter how much I tried, all that would come as an explanation would be
about clearing up and fixing up after the revolution. However, many people
can do that besides her.
‘No. I guess not.’
Since most of the nobles were dead, a person who could quickly clear up the
confusion was also needed. Some can be said to be the Civil Revolutionary
Corps executives along with Oscar, but there was no way that those who did
not know about business could move a country properly.
‘I should move the nobles of Charlotte’s camp together.’
That was right.
‘I did a good job of saving her.’
It was only because of Kim Hyunsung’s request that I saved Charlotte, but at
this point, I started to think that it had been the right choice. I could also
imagine the imperial family giving back sovereignty to the imperial people,
so Charlotte’s existence was a stroke of genius, no matter what I were to
think about it.
While pondering many things, screams could still be heard—screams of those

who could be said to be mostly from enemies.
I didn’t feel anything, but she seemed to be in pain upon hearing it.
“Oh. Look at the Goddess’ mirror over there! Honorary Cardinal Lee
Kiyoung. It seems that the evil Emperor and the First Princess, who knows
only luxury, were finally captured by the crowd following the Goddess. Tsk,
tsk. So clueless. Clueless! How can the Emperor, who is said to rule a
country, run away, abandoning those who protect him? Tsk. Isn’t that right,
Duchess Catherine?”
“Yes, Cardinal Basel. The people of the imperial family were always self-
involved. Oh. Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t say it with Charlotte-nim in
mind.”
Just in time, I could see, in the mirror of the Goddess, the Civil Revolutionary
corps handling the Emperor and his people.
Seeing that Charlia’s condition was quite good, it seemed that Jung Hayan
had been a step late. However, she still screamed the same way as before.
-Charlotte… Charlotte, this dirty bitch! Everything is your fault. Everything!

-…
-Let go of me! Let go of me! I am a Princess of the Empire! How dare you…
You bastards!
-…
-I told you to let go of me!
Of course, the eastern nobles were looking at the Goddess’ mirror coldly.
They were still thinking about her pouring hot tea on Marlin Young-ae.
‘They are also very scary people.’
Fortunately, we were on the same side. Anyway, starting with Charlia in the
video, I felt that the crowd’s shouts were getting louder, drowning out her
screaming.
The scene of the existing vested rights being dragged down by the
revolutionary group was enough to be considered a spectacle. As anyone
could see, this time was the victory of the Civil Revolutionary Group.
The remaining insurgents were quickly cleared up, and more and more
people were choosing to surrender with white flags, or were throwing away
their weapons.
“It is the people’s victory!”
“It is the victory of the Empire! It is the victory of our Civil Revolutionary
Corps!”
“Blessed be the Goddess Benigore!”
On the other hand, cheers popped out from everywhere.
“That damn bitch!”
“We must cut the throat of the filthy Goddess’ traitors right now!”
“Kill it! Kill it!”
Those who wished for blood once more screamed in madness. Some people
were shedding tears at the thrilling victory, and some were praying to the
Goddess.
Anyone could see that this situation was fun. The Goddess’ mirror once again
showed Oscar.
As I had chosen her as the next leader, her promotion was not an option but a
must. Oscar’s appearance still looked sublime.
It was certainly beautiful to see her commanding a revolutionary group with a

flag raised to a sacred democracy, leaving many wounds behind.
‘Phew… I chose her well.’
I originally thought it would be good to use her as a scapegoat, but she was
more than I had ever imagined.
In an instant, a voice burst from Oscar, staring straightly at the camera.
-Surrender! The imperial people who are still resisting their interests on the
opposite side of Goddess Benigore, throw away your weapons! It is pointless
to spill blood anymore. This is the victory of the imperial people.
The cheers burst out in response.
-Yeah. That’s right. It is the victory of the imperialists, the civil

revolutionaries, and the people!
‘Good, good.’
-It is a victory that has been wrought by your blood. It’s the Goddess’
victory!
‘Very good!’
-But, everyone, this victory was not achieved by our own strength alone.
‘Of course, of course, you should.’
– All the foreigners who support our Civil Revolutionaries, and all the Eight
Seats of the Empire who are at the center of them, and some of the nobles
who have supported the Civil Revolutionary Corps are also entitled to enjoy
today’s victory.
‘Right! That’s it!’
-Cardinal Basel of the Holy sector and Charlotte, who made great decisions
for the Empire, are also good enough to be the leading roles in today’s
victory.
‘You speak well! Alice!’
-Those in the Civil Revolutionary Corps who have joined us from the
beginning to the end also deserve to be here!
Now was the time to head out. No wonder there was pride in the faces of
those who are here. The civil revolutionaries who were with us started
shouting our name. Oscar’s proper incitement and support have paid off.
“Honorary Cardinal, now…”
“Ohh. I think we can go up together. Oh, before that, since many people are
watching, it would be better to tear off your clothes and put a little dirt on
them. Shouldn’t we leave the impression that we fought together? By nature,
the public always cheers for this.”
“Oh, right. Lee Kiyoung is right. Certainly, it would look a little weird if our
clothes were too clean.”
“Well, well. I will help you all. Oh! Charlotte-nim, come here, too.
Originally, in these things, it is more important to give a show. Hahahaha.”
As I started to help, everyone here begun to transform, looking like we had

all been in a fierce battle together.
The cheers didn’t stop even when we appeared to the public, going up to the
place where Oscar was.
Anyone could see that this was the imperial people’s perfect victory.
However, the number of people who can climb on the platform was limited.
The executives of the Civil Revolutionary Corps, whom I picked and

selected, and our nobles who had chosen well which side to get on were the
only ones who could. The foreigners and some of the Holy sector were
greeting each other. Some people might think that something was weird, but
what about it?
This kind of revolution naturally flowed in the direction the media wanted.
“Puhahahahaha! This is our victory, imperial people!!”

Chapter 294
The cleanup went faster than I first thought.
The people cheered fervently at us, who had become the new Empire’s
entitled officials, and the Civil Revolution Group shouted in honor of today’s
victory. According to Oscar, it was a victory for both the people and the
imperialists. Though I thought differently, I chose to stay quiet.
It was my aim that the majority of the people thought they had made this
revolution.
‘That’s good. That’s good.’
No matter how I thought about this, I had no choice but to nod satisfactorily.
The voices asking to bring the guillotine and cut the throats of the Goddess’s
rebels were rising, but the executives and nobles of the revolutionary group,
especially Charlotte, would not want such a brutal task.
Their treatment should have been done legally, but also humanely and
democratically. It meant they would have to get a fair trial on the surface.
Of course, this trial would move in the direction the new entitled officials
want, but it was important to instill hope that this regime would be different.
The results would just be the same, anyway.
The important thing was, ‘Who is being executed and who is having a toast?’
‘It’s sweet to be on the winner’s side.’
The Emperor and Charlia couldn’t be helped, but most of the nobles who got
on the wrong side would also have their heads blown away.
In fact, I could say that this was a positive side of this revolution.
This was an opportunity to sort out the incapacitated trash centered on

Charlia at once. I was sure that Charlotte would not be able to refute this
opinion.
Blood had to be spilled, but the fact that the nobles who exploited the
imperial people would have completely disappeared remains the same.
There were cities where the revolution had not yet been completely finished,
but I could bet that it would meet the same ending within a few hours. Things
were getting more and more fun.
Lee Jihye, who quietly took a seat next to me, seemed to be thinking
similarly to me, seeing that she was smiling.
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
“It’s not bad.”
“Oppa.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry to say this during such a good time, but is it okay to talk about
work for a moment? Some things need to be done right now.”
“Of course, Nuna.”
“Well… first, it’s about the grain or goods stored in the Imperial Palace.”
“I think you can check the important things separately, store them, and take
care of the rest. Sort by item and store things that you think will be really
helpful here…”
“Well… then, as you said, it would be better to keep the goods and the items
stored in the warehouse of the Imperial Palace first and open all the grains. I
don’t think it’s bad to take on victory right now. I think there will be a little
left, though…”
“Then give some of them to nobles or something. The western and southern
nobles are also stocking up a lot, so it’s not going to run out right away.
Rather than that, how about the outside? Did it turn out well?”
“I’m still busy moving the corpses. I thought I did it quickly, but there were a
little more dead than I expected.”
“Fair enough, since the knights and wizards possessed by the imperial castle
aren’t suckers. I was fortunate that Hee-ra was holding on to Victor Hart. If it
weren’t for that, things would have been a little harder. Even if that old man
had gone on the front line, he wouldn’t be able to cut through the imperial
people… still, he is one of the symbols of the Empire.”
“He is.”
“Oh. And put all the dead in the National Cemetery, Nuna. It would be nice
to sweep away unnecessary space on the Imperial Palace’s side and build a
national cemetery for the Democratic Fighters in the corner. Also, don’t
forget the tombs of our democratic fighters Argimo and Bark Teoku. For
those who are a bit important, make the tombstone a little taller.”
“It’s too hard for that… aren’t you giving me too much work? I’m busy
enough already…”
“I have my own work to do.”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t look that way… This isn’t what someone who is
drinking leisurely would say.”
“This is all real life. Maybe in a little while, you will get really busy.
Originally, in this kind of thing, it’s more difficult to pick up the pieces than
to start.”
In fact, there were not just one or two things to worry about. Although we
tried to reduce property damage as much as possible, the amount of damage
would be enormous as the people from all over the Empire had joined us.
Right now, I was able to withstand my personal property, the goods I had
accumulated in the imperial city, and the Holy side donations. Still, the
problem was a little more serious in the case of the cities where the
production facility itself was damaged.
The fact that most of the useful knights were dead was also a problem.
When I first appeared, I enjoyed a comfortable life from the safe rear, so I
could not check the actual battle scene in detail, but the Empire’s appearance
after the battle was definitely disastrous.
There were also many imperialists cut with a single swing, and those who
could not be protected with magic ended up completely burned.
In fact, what had been worse than them were the Emperor’s soldiers who
rebelled against the Goddess.
That would be an indicator that the anger of the people was great. Of course,
there were also deaths among foreigners.
Since it was to deal with famous knights and wizards, it was an unavoidable
sacrifice, but the Eight Seats of the Empire, or named such as Lindel’s Gal
Oshik, and Imridan did not lose their lives.
If the Emperor hadn’t been shown running away in real-time, the battle
would have been a little longer, and more damage would have occurred.
In fact, such internal problems could be fixed somehow as long as time

would permit it.
‘Republic, United Kingdom, Heterogeneous Kingdom.’
Although it prevented foreign forces from jumping on the bandwagon of the

revolution or attacking, taking advantage of the chaos, the current Holy
Empire was in a situation where its power had been cut off.
The first concern was how the United Kingdom would think of this
revolution, how the Republic would react to the suddenly changed regime,
and whether different tribes would send their delegations.
In short, this had been a heavy blow for the continent. Whether it was
positive or negative is was known yet.
As I quietly looked away, I could see Lee Jihye quietly leaving.
She would have her things to sort out, but she left for a moment due to the
sudden appearance of a guest.
“Something happened, Charlotte-nim?”
Charlotte had a strangely heated expression.
Seeing her holding a wine glass in one hand, it seemed she was a little drunk.
“I’d like to move… to a quiet place.”
It was true that the voice that seemed to be openly drunk made me somehow
anxious, but I willingly nodded.
Jung Hayan would be looking at me anyway, and Park Deokgu would be

keeping an eye on me, so my safety was guaranteed.
‘There’s no way this woman would suddenly throw a knife.’
“Yes. It would be better to do that.”
I felt like a gentleman escorting a lady at a party like this.
As I slightly extended my hand, I could see her holding it with a reluctant

face. Like the last handshake, her hands were filled with emotion, and it hurt.
As I stepped forward and opened the huge window, I saw a balcony where
two people could talk in private. She took a seat on one side, and I took a
seat, too.
‘She wouldn’t push me from here, right?’
These scary thoughts continued to envelop me. However, seeing that she had
begun to speak quietly, it seemed that she hadn’t called me here to kill me.
“Why did you save me?”
Ah, what an interesting question. Of course, I didn’t know how to properly

answer it, but I could still try. I couldn’t tell her Hyunsung’s request, after all.
“It must be for a similar reason as Charlotte-nim told me. Didn’t you say that
the Empire at that time needed people to watch out for the public eye? Haha.
That’s exactly why. There is no reason to pretend. Oh. If you doubt that, then
I will change the answer. The reason is that I had no reason to pretend with
you.”
“There is no reason to pretend…”
“Aren’t you a fellow who has been running toward the revolution together?
Of course, there was a little difference between our methods, but in the end, it
produced the ideal results for both. The imperial people won, and the existing
privileged and deep-rooted evils forces lost their power.”
“And new privileged and deep-rooted evils forces took their place. You, and
the people with you.”
“I don’t like the way you talk, but I’ll just smile and let it pass. Charlotte,
even if this revolution had been completed as a bloodless revolution, it would
have been inevitable for new privileged and new deep-rooted evils forces to
settle. That’s because the nobles under you are not by your side. They do not
have the same dream as yours. Of course, I don’t know if there is one or two
who really want to realize the same ideal as you, but the vast majority of the
nobles in your camp would not choose to let go of their power.”
This was an undeniable fact. Charlotte looked as if she also agreed with me
on this front.
“It’s no different from drugs. The power to move the people being on top is
like drugs. Noble idealists like Charlotte-nim may not know this well, but
most nobles will agree with me.”
“So that’s why you killed the people. That power you call drugs has forced
countless imperialists and innocent soldiers to die.”
“I’m not the one who killed the people. They fought for the value they
wanted. If you say the sublime sacrifice of the democratic fighters is
meaningless, do you think that the empire people will like it?”
“They didn’t die for the value they want. You are brainwashing the imperial
people. You released fabricated information, agitated them, and pushed them
to the edge.”
“It’s not me who had been pushing. It was done by the nobles and royal
families of this country. It doesn’t mean there was no such thing as a hoax,
but what the Goddess’ mirror was reflecting was based on facts, Charlotte-
nim.”
“There was no need to… There was no need to do this!”
As she slammed the table on the balcony, the table cracked. I knew she was
strong, but it was a little unnerving to see such a display of strength.
I knew what picture Charlotte really wanted, but even if I tried to refute it
before my greed, it would never be able to get refuted.
“So, as you wish, if an honorary revolution had really happened… Do you

think a lot would be changed from now? I bet it could have gotten worse, but
it wouldn’t have gotten better.”
“At least it wouldn’t have spilled a lot of blood. No, before that, we wouldn’t
have faced these different situations. The existing production facilities would
have been preserved, and the troops would have remained intact and would
have resisted other countries’ intervention. It would not have instilled
disharmony in the United Kingdom, and many imperial people would not
have to lose their families.”
“I can agree that the side effects could be minimized, but it would not have
been without side effects. This is not meaningless death, Charlotte. It is
important that the imperial people spill some blood and rise on their own. If
you had intervened, the imperial people of this country would have lived their
entire lives passively. The next time I face this kind of situation, I won’t
move thinking someone like you will help.”
“That’s a leap in your logic.”
“It’s not a leap, Charlotte. You may not know, but the history of foreigners is
evidence of this. Humans are a kind who do not realize unless they learn. The
same goes for the ruler and the ruled. The ruled must try to pull the ruler
down with its own hands, without the help of people like you. They must try
to kill their king. That’s historical learning, Charlotte.”
“Humans are not so stupid. I don’t know what you think of humans, but…”
“No. Humans are stupid. Not everyone lives with an ideal like you. There are
surely humans who can’t realize by themselves and only understand by
learning. That’s why this will help. It spilled a lot of blood, but it must have
been a great lesson. Later, the rulers will fear the ruled, and the ruled will also
remember that they can pull them down and cut their throats. Charlotte, you
said you need someone who knows how to do politics that watch out for the
public eye. From now on, I bet those who have been in charge will be
compelled to watch out for the public. It’s only half, but I don’t think the
output I’ve made can be better than this. I am a conscientious person and not
someone who exploits the imperial people. This victory will be remembered
not as my victory, but as an imperial people’s victory, and this history will
remain in the hearts of the imperial people forever.”
I could see Charlotte, who listened to me, trying to open her mouth again.
She would certainly want to refute, and there would be a lot to refute.
However, if we were to continue talking, it would be me who would seem
like the fool.
I then stood up.
“I! I have… one last question.”
“Yes.”
“Did you… foreigner’s country…”
“Yes. Surely, on the surface, it is a country in which the people have

sovereignty.”
“Is it… Is it…”
“Ahhh. I guess I know what question you’re asking. Well… I think this is the
only thing I can tell you.”
“…”
“Either here or there, the privileged do the same thing , anyway.”
I didn’t want to break the dream of a girl who believed in Santa Claus, but the
reality was indeed cruel. As I left Charlotte with her head hanging down, I
could see Jung Hayan and Yuno Kasugano coming up to meet me.
Everyone seemed to be spending their time in their own way.
I had been thinking a lot, but as always, time would make me forget
everything.
In their own way, some would share joy, and others would dwell on regret.
The privileged would always be there, as always.
As usual.
As always.
And in that line of thinking, a little time had passed.

Chapter 295
Chapter 295: Time Has Passed (1)
[The history of the Holy Empire completely ended in the year 1093 of the
imperial calendar.]
[It was the will of the people who could not stand the evil done by the
imperial family and some nobles, and it was the will of the Goddess
Benigore, who tried to punish heretics, apostates, and rebels. On November
9th, when the revolution was completed, the rebels’ trials proceeded for
exactly one week. On the 23rd, an institution called the New People’s
Assembly was created by the Civil Revolutionary Group.]
[The New People’s Assembly is an institution whose significance is that 200

members selected as representatives of the imperialists re-establish the
constitution and human law or discuss the state’s general administration. It
consisted of 42 aristocrats, 60 foreigners, and 98 members of the common
public who made up the civil revolution, which was the great first step of the
newly launched New Sacred Democracy.]
[The first agenda for them was the treatment of the apostates, but the Holy
See transferred their trial to the people in honor of the will of the Civil
Revolution. In the New People’s Assembly, the first historic vote was held,
and the rebels’ execution was decided with 299 affirmations and one
abstention. At the end of the 29th, all the royal families were executed except
for the Second Princess, Charlotte, the last blood of the imperial family. The
execution was very humane because of the request of the former Second
Princess.]
[After that, the provisional government was established immediately, and a

general election was held under the auspices of the New People’s Assembly.
It was the first Sacred Democracy’s proud…]
“It was the Sacred Democracy’s proud first general election.”

“…”
“It was still less than a year ago, but it’s something you must know if you live
in our Sacred Democracy. It goes without saying that it was a victory that had
been won because of many people’s sacrifices. What you have learned today
is highly likely to appear in future exams, so be sure to know. Now, here is
the question. We learned it yesterday. Who are the people who have the right
to vote in our democratic country?”
“Me, me! Me! Me! Me!”
“Yes, student Luria. Shall we answer?”
“All the country’s people and foreigners who believe in Goddess Benigore!”
“That’s the right answer. Well done. We’ll give you a compliment card, so be
sure to pick it up after class. As Luria answered, the first thing Oscar, who is
the leader of the Civil Revolutionary Corps and now the leader of our Sacred
Democratic State, did after establishing the Provisional Government was to
give the imperial people the right to vote.”
“Yes!”
I could see Dialuria, looking triumphantly behind her after shouting the
correct answer.
She wore a hat on her head as she continued smiling.
Max, the museum manager, who raised his hand but couldn’t make himself
heard, looked disappointed.
‘So cute.’
She seemed to be in quite a good mood, showing how active she was.
This was a class I visited to keep my promise with Dialugia, but looking at
that happy face, I started to think that it was a good thing that I came.
‘I have to see if her education is going well, too…’

It was natural to wonder how Dialuria and Max were doing, and how they
were living. I couldn’t act as a father every day, but I wanted to see how
they’ve grown all the same.
In fact, to be more honest, I had my own personal reasons.
What I was more curious about was the current curriculum itself.
Publication of state-authored textbooks and appropriate education were as

important as outside work.
This division was not launched to work for only a few years.
Citizens’ education was a necessity, not an option, as it had to last for at least
a few decades, or even a few hundred years more.
I had once told Max and Dialuria that history education was not important,
but this did not extend to other children next to them. History was evaluated
as more important than swordsmanship or magic, which were commonly
considered as important.
Today’s young prospects become my faithful voters a few years later, and
their children also become valuable guests who would willingly exercise a
vote for us.
With the Goddess’ mirror completely under control, I didn’t have to do this,
but the more insurance, the better.
‘I can’t get off guard.’
It was why educational institutions were installed throughout the Empire,

even if it was considered a little too much.
When I glanced over, I saw Dialugia looking at Dialuria whilst smiling

widely.
The situation was the same for other parents. Of course, they had also been
eyeing me.
Although it was a private school where the sons of former nobles, famous
adventurers, or the children of well-known wealthy families gathered, I was
the Honorary Cardinal of the Sacred Democratic State and the Vice Guild
Master from the most popular guild in the Free City of Lindel, no, in the
country.
It was not unusual for them to focus on me.
‘It’s funny.’
To put it plainly, humans with higher authority than me in the Empire could
be counted within ten fingers.
If I were to think of even my unofficial position, they could be counted

within at least three fingers.
Despite the great revolution of the people, there was still an irreversible gap
in status. A lot of things had changed, but the point was, it felt like nothing
had changed. This was exactly what I had told Charlotte.
“Isn’t our Dialuria really smart?”
“Look, who did she get that from? Naturally, she is smart.”
“Yes. She definitely got that from me.”
Dialuria was likely smart because she resembled me. I could be sure of it.
“Now, soon, the history class will be over. Next is swordsmanship practice.
After that, there is also magic practice. Let’s move, quickly. Oh, and Dialuria
is also learning alchemy through her after-school activities, so please keep an
eye on that.”
“I’ll go. You don’t have to whine about it. But Dialugia, this… does she
really need to learn this? Actually, I don’t think Tol To-ri needs it…”
“Aren’t you the one who told her to go to school in the first place?”
“I meant to learn social life… not this.”

“Anything is good once you learn it. Indeed, she doesn’t need it as a dragon,
but our Dialuria said she wants to learn it… this behavior itself helps brain
growth. I am familiar with basic combat skills, too. Not all, but I know some
of the continent’s history. Of course, I don’t know it at a professional level.”
“Ohh. You did.”
“Regardless of the reason, it definitely helps to use the brain, especially at

this time. She already has more magic power than all the children her age.”
“There aren’t other dragons her age. How can we compare?”
“I know just by looking. Hihi.”
I felt like there was no fool for a daughter like Dialugia. I got all embarrassed
for her.
I thought she would’ve changed a bit, but now, I felt like she became one of
those hyper-parenting moms.
Of course, the difference was that she was sticking to me without spreading
much distance as in the past.
“Well. Then I’ll end the history class with this. The swordsmanship practice
will begin immediately, so students, prepare the weapon and parents, please,
move to the training center.”
Seeing that things were going just as Dialugia said, it seemed that she really
knew her schedule.
Anyway, as the teacher had said, I slowly started to move.
Of course, I didn’t forget to greet others who had come here to greet me.
“Honorary Cardinal. Hahaha. I didn’t even know that I would see you here.”
“Yes. Long time no see, Senator Chenko. Haha. What a coincidence. Isn’t
this the first time since then? How… is the council nowadays?”
“It’s always good. Oscar-nim is still the same. In fact, there are many
problems to solve, so it’s a bit concerning, but…”
“What, is there any problem that is too difficult to handle?”
“It’s obvious. It is the United Kingdom again.”
“Ohhh.”
“I don’t know if they’re feeling threatened after the revolution, but they’re
still not favorable. Even the Republic sent us congratulatory remarks, but
they have no response at all, so… it’s just frustrating. I don’t know if the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working or not… It still feels unorganized
inside.”
“It will be obvious. They must probably also be anxious that a revolution will
erupt from within there. They must think about whether or not there will be a
spark of fire in their own country. You don’t have to worry too much,
Senator. Perhaps, in a little while, whatever it takes, a solution will come
out.”
“Hmm. I see.”
“Yes. In fact, you can rest assured that my trip to the neutral country is also
related to that matter.”
“As expected.”
“The kingdom will not be able to maintain that attitude over and over again.
Most of the foreigners living there are friendly to us.”
“You are referring to the Goddess’ mirror.”
“Yes. Right. Like the current people, in fact, foreigners are also very familiar
with the Goddess’ mirror. Contrary to the kingdom’s privileged, the
foreigners who are located there will surely be hoping for us to export the
Goddess’ mirror.”
As television suddenly appeared in this barren land where there was nothing
to enjoy, it was not unreasonable for the foreigners to harbor such
expectations.
Right now, even in Lindel, Celia, or Dawan, the reaction to the Goddess’
mirror was explosive.
Even though it had only happened for a short period, plans such as dioramas
and movies were also coming up on the surface, and the ‘Master of Battle,’
which was actually aired as a test, recorded explosive audience ratings.
The craftsmen, who had been in this area for several years, talked about the
tips and know-how needed for battle and their experiences, and there was no
way that the reaction would not be good.
It was no wonder that the people, who had a lot of interest in foreigners, had
also begun to get addicted to this stupid box one by one.
I bet that each kingdom was struggling with the foreigners’ request to import
the Goddess’ mirror.
‘Culture and technology are also weapons.’
In a sense, it was more threatening than a sword or a spear.
While I was lost in my thoughts, I heard Dialugia’s voice again.
“Now is Dialuria’s turn! She’s doing it now.”
“Ohh. Yes. I’m going. Going.”
Although the swording practice had begun, my expectation had diminished

for the obvious result.
Our Tol To-ri was already capable of crushing the children around her with
only her basic physical ability.
As expected, she was showing swordsmanship knowledge, along with her

physical abilities, to the innocents in an openly provoking manner.
‘Better than most adventurers…’
Even with the opponent who picked up the sword together, she did not finish
him at once, but used it to show herself.
From anyone’s perspective, it felt like the opponent was better, but the kid
couldn’t withstand the agility and strength of our Tol To-ri.
Even before finishing, she stopped the sword aimed at the opponent and
showed off her next skill.
‘Her opponent is so pitiful…’
The kid, who had learned swordsmanship for a long time, was also trying not
to disappoint his parents, biting his lips tightly, but no matter how hard a cat
trained his claws, he couldn’t beat a tiger.
The difference in basic stats was so big that it could be considered a joke,
rather than a serious demonstration.
I, who could be said to be obtuse, somehow found myself empathizing with

the kid.
It was enough to be ashamed of Dialugia, who was clapping her hands next to
me and smiling.
“Isn’t our Dialuria doing great? I don’t know much about swording, but even
if I look at her with the other kids out there, she isn’t comparable.
Considering that it hasn’t been a year since she started it properly, she’s
indeed a talent from heaven.”
‘This is your daughter dragon. And that’s pushing it with force…’
“How nice for her to be considerate of the other so that they do not get
hurt…”
‘It’s not a consideration. She’s toying with him…’
“I think I’m making a fool of myself.”

I wanted to say all this, but it kept lingering in my throat.
“The winner is Dialuria.”
“Good job. My daughter! Dialuria! You’re the best! The best! Dialuria!”
Tol To-ri looked at me while taking on a victory pose. I didn’t know where
she had gotten it from, but she seemed to harbor the talent of provocation.
Chapter 296
Chapter 296: Time has passed (2)
The world had changed so much as time continued to pass.
To be precise, only the Empire, or the country that was now called the Sacred
Democratic State, and its surroundings had changed, but at least no one could
deny that positive changes were taking place inside.
Most noticeable was the disappearance of the empire-wide class.
Of course, informally, there had to be a visible class. Most of the nobles still
had enormous wealth and were referred to as parliament members, and
Charlotte was also a part of the parliament.
However, the fact that the status system was officially abolished was a story
that the general public would also cheer for.
Privileged classes such as the nobility and the royal family had completely
disappeared.
Of course, there should have been a privileged class of priests, but as much as
it had the Church’s title, there was no word about the privileges the Holy
sector enjoyed.
Rather, it was not necessary to explain that there had been a widespread
awareness of how they were wielding greater power than before, based on
sacred democracy. It was a privilege that should be enjoyed by those with the
job of a priest serving God.
Everything went exactly as I thought. Although distribution had not yet been
completed, the Goddess mirror was distributed one by one for each
generation, and the contents that were transmitted through the mirror of the
Goddess were all packaged and aired in favor of the current government and
foreigners.
Although a lot of information was released, it was natural that the
information that the general public could access was very limited.
Things I thought were a bit unfavorable to me couldn’t even be examined in

the first place. A lot of the citizens had been fooled by the television they
called the Goddess’ mirror.
As a result, the task of shaking public opinion using the media was a piece of
a cake. I had been hoping for this to happen right from the very beginning.
If the cage was comfortable, animals would not dare go out of the cage.
‘If they are happy, that’s it.’
No one cared about the truth. I didn’t know if it was because of the Goddess’
blessing, but it was enough to leave the inside problems to our Alice/Oscar.
It wasn’t that there weren’t any creaky parts, but she was moving as well as I
intended, and above all, she was passionate and highly motivated.
What I had to think about at this point was the things outside the country,
rather than inside.
‘Are the kingdom bastards out of their minds?’
It was no wonder that what I just heard from Senator Chenko remained
strangely in my head. The problem was the United Kingdom, which was
sensitive to each and every step from this side. Of course, it was a natural
reaction.
Since a revolution broke out in a nearby country and the heads of the royal
family fled, they were worried that a similar kind of revolution would break
out in their kingdom.
I could understand by looking at the world history that took place on Earth,
but I didn’t like the fact that they kept trying to ostracize our country.
As the number of knights in the country had decreased significantly, I wanted

to avoid conflicts with foreign forces as much as possible.
‘Alliance’
Alliance was necessary for the country to survive, and work to improve
relations with the Republic was also essential. To do this from only within,
the country was very limited.
My choice of a neutral country, Laios, was far too reasonable as my first

diplomatic stage.
Of course, Dialugia would not have liked this news.
“So. You really are going outside today.”
“Aren’t you familiar with the inevitable situation? I talked about it a few days
ago… I thought that recently after I finished my work, I could always come
to the nest…”
“It was something you hadn’t done so far, so you just did what you were
supposed to do as a father. You know it’s not something you can show off or
use as a bargaining chip.”
“It won’t take that long. Still, today I attended her classes.”
“Actually, it’s a promise that should have been kept months ago.”
“It was an unavoidable situation. How can I visit a school that was closed and
has been remodeled? It is unfair to blame me for that since I participated in a
larger visit in a better circumstance. And I’m saying because I’ve already said
that. I am not that free either. Even during that busy schedule, if you keep
expressing your dissatisfaction like this, when I have poured out my passion
on Tol To-ri made her happy enough, I can’t help but be disappointed. Or is
there any other reason that you don’t want me to leave the nest for?”
“What…”
“For example, Dialugia, you don’t want to let me go…”
Although it was a word thrown to provoke Dialugia, I noticed that Dialugia’s

expression had changed. She looked at me absurdly, as if asking what the
heck I was going on about.
‘Fuck… I am also popular, you know.’
I was loved by some unique people, but at least it was not enough for me to
be treated like that. No wonder my face heated up as she continued to look at
me the same way one would look at an insect. In that moment, I saw Tol To-
ri, no Dialuria, and Max running to us after classes were finished.
Although her body trembled, she and I played a good relationship in front of
her. As I pulled her body as tightly as possible, Dialugia glanced at me and
frowned.
However, it was natural that she would be unable to push me away. She must
be conscious of Dialuria. Dr. Kang Hyun-wook’s solution was still in
progress.
“Dad! Today…!”
“Everyone was watching, Dialuria. I can see how hard you have been
working.”
“Hehehehehe!”
“Aside from classes like this, you are working hard on what your mother is
teaching you, right? What do you think, Dialugia?”
No wonder I looked at Dialugia with my eyes full of love. Dialugia, who had
been showing her rotten expression until now, was also acting with love for
her daughter.
“I saw it well, honey. You were amazing, Dialuria. Especially, the last
swording demonstration is really…”
“… …”
Of course, Tol To-ri’s eyes, who harbored a twisted characteristic, would see
the two of us disapproving. The way she looked at her mother was scary in
itself.
Dialugia looked a little embarrassed, but I began to express affection with the
momentum that I would give infinite love, and she glanced at me as if telling
me to stop.
‘Screw you, woman.’
It was dreary and timid revenge, but I didn’t care at this point.
“Oh. Our youngest son, too, I watched you well.”
“Yes, yes.”
“You are getting along with Dialuria, right?”
“Ah… Yes… Yep, Father.”
“Yes!”
In fact, it didn’t feel like they were getting along very well. Max, the museum
manager, who had not forgotten the body-hammering of their first meeting,
was still struggling with Tol To-ri, and Tol To-ri still did not like her younger
brother.
I usually thought that this was a problem to be solved by time, but it was
taking longer than I thought.
Anyway, as the class visitation, which I thought was a big task, ended, and as
we had a good time after eating together on the way back to the nest, I didn’t
see the time to leave for Laios fast approaching.
As expected, Tol To-ri cried and grabbed my pants, and he did not express it
well, but the manager also showed signs of disappointment.
“I’ll be back soon, so you have to listen to your mom and wait. Max, also
take good care at managing the museum, and the opening seems to have to be
delayed a little more because something has happened…”
“Yep. Okay.”
“Okay. Tol To-ri… No, Dialuria. This time it won’t take really long, so it’ll
be fine.”
“Okay.”
“Well, let me hug you. Come here.”
Her appearance of jumping in immediately was quite cute. I even stopped as

she ran towards me in dragon form.
With the sound of Kieeeeeek! There was a lot of saliva on my face, but I
didn’t get upset.
It felt as if Max was noticing the tearful breakup between a daughter and
father. As I beckoned, he noticed this and approached.
‘This one has also changed a little.’
There had been a strange increase in him acting like a baby. Originally, even
when she was in a human form, our Tol To-ri was openly clingy, but in
Max’s case, he often took a position that seemed to be constantly watching
out.
Perhaps it could be said that it was a side effect of having connected with me
too suddenly.
Of course, as he was the No. 1 contributor that accelerated the magical

hologram’s birth, I gave him the best care, but it was a different story from
whether Max was comfortable with me.
Only recently did he do this little by little, so I had no choice but to think that
the guy had also changed.
It didn’t seem as if he didn’t like to be treated as a child, as I saw a small

smile come out in response to a single stroke on his head.
‘He’s cute…’
I couldn’t help but mull over all the changes that had happened as I returned
to the Guild House.
It was because it was not only the background and Max that had changed.
Blue also had undergone a huge change. Now, the newbies brought in as the
Blue’s second party, Lee Chang-ryul, Yoo Ahyoung, and Han So-ra, had
grown to the point that they could no longer be called newbies.
In particular, Lee Chang-ryul achieved a startling growth, but rather than stats
and his talent levels, he had a colossal and fatal awareness of battle.
As a blacksmith, Yoo Ahyoung grew enough to handle Dialugia’s scales, and

although a little lacking as a tank, she was able to grow into a kind of front
liner that could stand up stably based on her excellent stamina.
The same went for Han So-ra. She still had her lame one eye, but she was on
the verge of a direct contract with the demons beyond the stage of beasts.
Of course, it went without saying that her growth as a Black Wizard was a
secret between us.
Ahn Ki-mo was still the same, but he was putting all-out efforts to raise the
second party to the level of the first party with Hwang Jeong-yeon, who
officially became Park Deokgu’s girlfriend.
‘Of course, it will be impossible, but…’
Blue’s main party could be said to be the best in the current country or
continent. In Park Deokgu’s case, who was now solidifying his position as a
genuine tanker in name and reality, he hadn’t changed so much, but his skills
weren’t stationary. He had gone up to a position with his crazy training, and
in fact, he was able to fight with Kim Hyunsung’s eternal lieutenant Cho
Hyejin.
Originally, Kim Ye-ri, a kid who could be classified as a genius, had

achieved terrifying growth and grew up with an appearance that could not be
called a kid anymore, but for some reason, she did not grow at all in one
place. Sun Hee-young had also grown into a top-notch priest. She was given
the title of Honorary Bishop that I had previously received, and she had a
divine power worthy of its position.
If I had to clear it up, Blue had become stronger and stronger. Not only by
force, but also by political position, which had risen to the point where no
one would dare challenge it.
In fact, it was not an exaggeration to say that it was on the path to success. Of
course, even amidst such growth, some anxiety elements somehow bothered
my nerves.
There were two things, to be precise.
One thing was Kim Hyunsung, the lovely returner, and…
The other thing that amplified the anxiety more than him was Jung Hayan,
who had been very quiet recently.
‘It’s too quiet. Fuck… Why is she so quiet these days?’
Being able to make me so anxious without doing anything could be said to be

one of Hayan’s ability. The atmosphere was like the calm before the storm.
Soon, the candle would blow out.

Chapter 297
Chapter 297: Time Has Passed (3)
In fact, there was not a big problem, even in Kim Hyunsung’s case.
He was still doing his job as a Guild Master quite well, and was also doing
various things simultaneously as one of the state’s Eight Seats.
He took the newbies and went to a heroic-grade dungeon, and of course, he

never neglected his personal growth.
Although he was a little hated by Charlotte, it seemed that he had rebuilt their
relationship by meeting her regularly, and while also struggling to balance
himself with Cho Hyejin and Kim Ye-ri, he continued to meet with Park
Yeon-joo, the Guild Master of the Black Swan.
He was a handsome and capable guy, so it was no wonder a lot of women got
hooked.
No matter what I was to think of it, he was having good days.
Although everyone was busy with the Church’s internal arrangements, no one
could deny that they had a relatively relaxing and peaceful time.
The problem was that he was uncomfortable with ease.
‘Tsk…’
‘Can I stay like this?’
It was natural that he often seemed to think these thoughts. Perhaps the thing
from a few months ago was crucial.
Actually, it was not much. In summary, it was a small event that happened to
the guild members, but it was an event that could be classified as a little fun
from my point of view.
Our returner, who had been serious for about two months, went ambitiously
on an expedition after convening the guild members.
I thought that the expedition itself was unreasonable because, at that time, I
was very busy with internal arrangements, but of course, I had to think that
there must be some reason.
It was because it wasn’t common for that guy to summon all guild members,
so I thought there might be a good reason. There had been a great sense of
responsibility to prepare for one of the catastrophes that would happen in the
future on Kim Hyunsung’s expression, so I also had to be nervous.
Kim Hyunsung didn’t seem to take the deceased into account, but things
could get wrong.
In the case of other guild members, they had gone on an expedition, puzzled.
But when I opened the lid, surprisingly, nothing happened.
The only thing I could see in front of me was a common-grade underground

dungeon, and the expedition members had no choice but to send a
disconcerted expression to Kim Hyunsung.
There were cute little monsters, and even non-starter monsters placed in the
black curtain place that would drive Kim Hyunsung into a crisis in the future.
‘Er… I arranged this place… because I thought you had been too busy these
days. This… it is a pep rally. A pep rally… Yes. That’s right. I hope… you
can take a break.’
I still couldn’t forget the guy’s trembling face of the guy, who completely
had no talent for lying. He carefully searched the dungeon to see if his
memory was wrong, but nothing could be found naturally. He confirmed with
his own eyes that the future had indeed changed.
He should’ve been relieved, but on the contrary, he seemed to be noticeably

nervous.
It was heartbreaking to see our lovely returner anxious. Of course, I could
understand to some extent. There must be many disconcerting things for him
now.
‘I think he thinks the future has changed too much…’
If it were in the first round, it would be time for the city where Park Deokgu
and I were living to disappear from the map, and Deokgu would have crossed
the rainbow bridge.
It was also about the time when Yuno Kasugano would have discovered me
in the ruins. There might be some time errors, but the rough calculations were
indeed correct.
In the black world, I must have been recuperating in Yuno Kasugano’s room
by now.
I did not know what happened in detail, but a city had been wiped out. There
was no way this case wouldn’t be reported in the first round because,
whatever the reason, the city I looked at through Yuno Kasugano had totally
crashed.
That didn’t happen in this round. The filthy killer Jung Jinho was also killed
before he had managed to grow, preventing the birth of the Murderer Clan,
and demon worshipper Ito Souta was also prevented from seizing Lindel or
summoning demons due to the performance of the Honorary Bishop.
Yuno Kasugano’s Yozora Guild also increased their moves after meeting me.
With the press’s birth, some influential people started to act more carefully,
and a sacred democracy was established in the country.
There were already many significant cases. There was no way that the
butterfly effect would not happen.
Obviously, Ito Souta, Jung Jinho’s agents, and those who were with them
also wouldn’t appear in this world. The number of the Murderer Clan itself
had dramatically decreased.
It was not surprising that the future disasters Hyunsung knew had
disappeared, as it was also thanks to the Free Cities of Celia and Lindel’s
attention to security.
It was right to be happy, but he’d also be anxious about it.
The big picture that ran through the continent may not have changed, but
there was no way to be happy that the merit of knowing the future was fast
disappearing.
Kim Hyunsung poured his anxiety into concentration and training to become
even stronger. He often traveled around the continent by himself and seemed
to move with the intention of stepping on someone’s tail.
He was certainly in a situation where he could be at ease, but he was opting

for a way to blow away his anxiety by whipping himself up.
‘Because this bastard is feeling nervous…’
I had become nervous, too. In Kim Hyunsung’s case, this was all. However,
in Jung Hayan’s case, the situation was a little different.
“Uh? Hey, hyung-nim!”
I heard a voice calling out to me as I had been walking.
“Ah. Deokgu.”
As I turned, Park Deokgu, who had not changed much, came into view.
He was still the same, except that he had gotten a little bit bigger. It was a
spectacle to see him running this way, being on the lookout. It looked like he
was guarding me, but unfortunately, I was not under threat.
“I mean. It’s dangerous to go around alone like this. If you had sent even one
pigeon, I would have met you in the nest.”
“There’s no danger… we’re not in another country. It’s Lindel. Didn’t Hayan
come along?”
“It seems she is stuck in her room today… I asked her to come to meet you
together, but she refused, saying there was work to be done.”
‘This kind of thing makes me nervous.’
I’m sure Jung Hayan would never have made this choice. She was not only
strangely quiet, but there had been a small change in her behavior.
“Come to think of it, you’re kind of separated from her these days… Did you
two fight?”
“That’s nonsense.”
“If you have any concerns, get a consultation from Dr. Park Deokgu…”
“It’s nothing like that.”
“Even if it’s Hyung-nim, you’ll have a couple of worries. You’re welcome to

speak frankly at any time.”
‘I wish it had been a fight, you bastard…’
That’s right. If we really had a love fight or something, I wouldn’t be this

nervous.
In fact, her behavior hadn’t changed significantly from the usual. I still could
feel relieved that Jung Hayan had not stopped stalking me yet.
She sometimes observed me through Anemone’s Eyes, and when I went to

meet her, she still stuck to me like crazy.
She often insisted that we should go out on a date, and she still tried to have
physical contact with me in any way.
What had changed was that she had not been sticking to me for 24 hours like
before. If I calculated the average amount of time we were together per day, it
was less than 5 hours. It was an unbelievable situation if I compared to the
old days when she tried to stick with me all day long.
I thought about whether she had matured or not, but the odds would be small.
‘No. Maybe she has really… matured, but…’
In fact, there were many times where I felt like she was trying to restrain
herself.
As a great example, when I went out to meet Hee-ra or Yuno Kasugano, she
didn’t even cause a scene, and even when I went out for dinner or didn’t
come back to the guild house for some time with work, she didn’t come to
look for me.
She was still biting her lips, waving her hands, and telling me to come back
quickly, but she seemed to have a notion that she should not cause trouble to
these people.
I couldn’t complain about that, but I felt like Jung Hayan herself was under
more stress.
I could see how stressed Jung Hayan was, just by looking at her.
She bit her nails so much that her right fingernails were all messed up, and
there were many times when she looked tired as if she didn’t have a nice
sleep.
I even witnessed her muttering alone or screaming loudly, saying she was an
idiot, so it was not unusual for me to tremble at the thought of what she could
change into.
Right now, she had been quiet and well, but her condition was like a bomb
that might explode at any time. As this situation persisted for several months,
there were times when I approached her first.
‘She’s not playing games with me, right?’
Of course, I couldn’t picture Jung Hayan doing that. If this was a strategy,
she was half-successful. I had spent a lot of time actually worrying about
Jung Hayan.
“What is she doing?”
“Well, it seemed the same as usual… isn’t Hayan going to Laios with you?”
“Yes.”
“I think I’ve heard that… she’s preparing for that…”
‘Has she really matured?’
I couldn’t imagine Jung Hayan waiting for us after packing things up first,
but if Park Deokgu’s words were true, I could think of the possibility that she
had really matured.
As I slowly walked, I arrived at the guild house in Lindel. The guild staff
greeted me one by one, including the newbies and others.
“Hee-young-ssi.”
“Oh. You’re here, Kiyoung-ssi. Do you need to leave right now? I have
something to discuss with you about the Holy sector…”
“Yes. I think I have to pack and go right away. If it isn’t anything that will
take long…”
“No. If so, I think it would be better to talk next time.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No. No. There is no need to be sorry.”
After greeting Sun Hee-young, it was natural to take care of Han Sora, who
had decided to come with me.
The urinary incontinence symptoms that popped up when she saw Jung
Hayan were somewhat cured. I thought it would be appropriate to take her as
an assistant because she had actually proved herself to be competent.
I couldn’t keep Hee-ra and Yuno Kasugano, who were coming together,
waiting again, so I had no choice but to go upstairs to pack.
‘What is she really doing… Is she really getting ready?’
Of course, even at that moment, I couldn’t help but wonder what Jung Hayan
was doing.
It was the first time wherein she didn’t show her face to me, even though I
had arrived at the guild.
It was just when I tried to divert my happiness circuit without even realizing
it that something unusual happened. With a short bang, the door in the next
room bounced out.
“I… I did it. I did it… it’s done! Hehehehehe! It’s done now!!”
Hayan seemed to be in a good mood.
Of course, I looked at the door. After seeing Jung Hayan in the room with my
own eyes, I had no choice but to swallow hard.
I wanted to laugh because it was so ridiculous.
‘Magic power… her magic power stat… Ninety-nine.’
Jung Hayan stared back at me.

Chapter 298
Chapter 298: Magic Power Stat 99 (1)
“O-Oppa! I did it!”
“Oh… Right…”
“I-I finally did it!!”
I heard a voice that sounded very excited. And it was not just her voice. Her
face was positively glowing, too. It was a sight to see her run over, opening
her arms as if she were asking for a hug.
It was the first time she had been running openly like this, so I couldn’t help
but feel a little embarrassed.
As I opened my arms and patted her back, she sniffed and buried her face
deeper into my chest.
‘She’s as usual.’
As usual, although nothing had changed, I was very concerned about the
magic power that now fluctuated inside her body.
‘Ninety-nine magic power…’
It was ridiculous, but my ability never lied.
I felt so disconcerted that I had to clear my throat. Of course, I expected that

she would grow, but I never imagined it would increase so fast.
When certain stats entered the 90 range, one’s growth slowed noticeably.
If the growth potential was heroic-grade or higher, it was almost impossible

to level up, and even if it was a legendary-grade or higher, it was still not
easy to raise the stats.
In Jung Hayan’s case, having magic power of 90 with a legendary-grade item

and a case of successful ownership, her stats had exploded.
Although the magic power increased very quickly, it was, of course, an

abnormal growth route and had its own side effects.
She chose to increase the specs because of her desire to get stronger quickly,
but she was in a situation where she had to take some time to review the path
she got.
After twists and turns, she got a magic power stat of 98, but the time it took
to raise the magic power stat by 1 was about 3 to 4 years.
In fact, Kim Hyunsung also judged that it would take a lot of time to
assimilate the things Jung Hayan possessed, and he expected that she would
spend about a year only learning the magic she had learned from the
legendary item, Anemone.
‘She turned it over.’
She had turned it over perfectly.
Jung Hayan, currently having magic power of 99, meant that she had
assimilated all the magical powers absorbed from the blood-stained gem,
Anemone.
Without that being enough, it seemed she had pushed through the limits.
I hadn’t seen her hold on to magic lately, so I never imagined that she would
grow so suddenly.
‘So, it was this.’
This was the reason she was quiet. It seemed that she put some restrictions on
herself.
I didn’t know the details, but I thought there might have been a promise with
herself, such as refraining herself until she reached the goal.
I had to be happy and applaud, but thinking that a rugby ball, which could
bounce anywhere, had risen to the ranks of Superman in name and reality, I
couldn’t help myself from feeling alert.
‘How far did she get?
I couldn’t measure her combat power well.
‘Fuck… She mustn’t be stronger than Kim Hyunsung, right?’
She was not.
The growth balance of Jung Hayan was too specialized for magic and
intelligence. And in the first place, the wizard’s interpersonal battles could
not be compared to that of a swordsman or a warrior.
However, at least in terms of firepower, I personally judged that she was not
behind. I wanted to use the combat power meter Park Deokgu, but even if I
were to compare with Park Deokgu, if the current Jung Hayan’s magic hit
him, he would become a barbecue in no time.
If I were to think about simple firepower, she might be in the top three of
Lindel’s, no, of the entire State.
Naturally, I was happy and anxious at the same time. But for now, I thought
that congratulating her growth was the first thing to do.
“Oh! M-My magic power has increased. It’s ninety-nine now! I can use
magic that I haven’t been able to use until now, and I think I can do
experiments with things I’ve been thinking about!”
“Really?”
“Yes!”
“That’s really great. Hyunsung said it would take a few years.”
“I-I worked hard, though. I’ve worked hard thinking about Oppa. That’s why
I haven’t been able to give you a lot of attention. Now we could be together a
little longer. Hehe.”
“That’s great. I also thought that Hayan wanted to be alone.”
“No! Absolutely not! Never! When I’m with you, I always keep thinking
about something else…”
“Ah… Okay…”
I could tell what the other thoughts were, but I didn’t ask in detail.
“You must be tired, then. It looks like you didn’t sleep…”
“Yes. Actually… I am a bit…”
“I think I better go to Laios alone, right?”
“No! I-I’m fine! I’m not tired at all! L-let’s sleep together. No, let’s go
together, Oppa. I’m almost done packing!”
I didn’t even think I would be able to leave her anyway. When I glanced into
the room, I could see the inside as if it were in ruins.
I was sure that she hadn’t packed her luggage, let alone mine.
I wanted to go without her as an unknown uneasiness kept rising, but it also

worried me to leave her in this condition alone.
There was some internal conflict, but it was only the right choice to take her.
I could see her rush into the room and pack her things just in case I suddenly
changed my mind.
She had a smile, and seeing her even humming, it looked like she was
thrilled.
It felt like she had gained a lot of confidence.
I could see her simply packing up her clothes and cosmetics as if she could
buy everything else she needed in Laios.
I also went into the room and packed my own luggage.
After a while, I went down to the first floor with Jung Hayan, and from there,
I could see Park Deokgu and Han Sora waiting for us.
Han Sora felt a little surprised when Jung Hayan came down, but she
remained calm. She realized that she was in a good mood, seeing her with a
pleasant smile on her lips.
“Are you not going to say goodbye to the Guild Master?”
“I did it yesterday. Today, Hyunsung-ssi said he would not be able to meet us

because he had something to do… Let’s leave quickly. We will be late.”
“Hey, we’re this late because Hyung-nim and Hayan came out late. But if we
move fast, we will arrive on time. If not, I can run with all of you three.”
“I refuse that… let’s move. I think it’ll be fine if we’re a little late.”
“Okay.”
We said goodbyes once again to those who came and turned our backs.
I could see Kim Hyunsung, who said he might not be able to come out. I was
happy to see him, but I didn’t bother to give him a flowery greeting.
I smiled and held out my hand at the face of the guy who always seemed
nervous recently, and he also held my hand and smiled.
“I’ll be back.”
“Yes. If anything happens, I will contact you.”
“Okay. Hyunsung-ssi.”
This was the end of the goodbye as I didn’t plan to be away for long.
I couldn’t make the Red Mercenaries wait too long, so I walked as quickly as
possible.
Jung Hayan was holding my arm tightly and showing a triumphant

expression. Park Deokgu had an anxious expression in case we would be late,
and Han Sora was steadily maintaining a safe distance from Jung Hayan.
In the meantime, Jung Hayan seemed to want to get a reward for being
separated as she was gradually burrowing into my arms.
In fact, I felt a little uncomfortable. But right now, I thought it would be

better to let her do what she wanted.
There was nothing good about giving her a bad mood.
‘Did she think I’d like it if she got stronger quickly?’
There must be such a reason, but I thought there was probably a slightly
different explanation.
When I recalled, it was after she saw someone powerful with her own eyes
that Jung Hayan first started obsessing with power.
She continued to go through situations in which she needed strength, and that
memory served as her driving force and spurred her growth.
If my prediction was correct, I might have a little headache to contend with in

the first place.
As we chitchatted, I saw some people waiting for us in front of the meeting

place.
It was definitely attractive to see her wearing clothes that reveal her body
shape, just like when I first met her. The woman with red hair, the Guild
Master of the Red Mercenary, and one of the State members.
She was the Mercenary Queen Cha Hee-ra, who was called the number one
in Lindel’s name.
She was still the same, rushing in this way and opening her mouth with her
arm on my shoulder.
Although Jung Hayan was startled for a moment, she did nothing but stare at
Cha Hee-ra.
“You’re a little late, honey?”
“Oh. Because work ended a little late…”
“Such an unbelievable lie… Well, you must be late procrastinating in the

guild house. Anyway, let’s go. Oh, long time no see.”
“Yes…”
“How have you been?”
“Well…”
However, Jung Hayan’s expression looked quite strange. It wasn’t obvious,

but it felt like she was measuring Cha Hee-ra up.
She didn’t look hostile, but it looked like she was trying to start something
slowly.
‘Fuck… What’s up with her?’
I didn’t know how to put it, but Jung Hayan, who slowly looked up and down
at Cha Hee-ra, also kept moving her fingers up and down.
Cha Hee-ra, who took me into the carriage with her arms around my
shoulders, also stopped.
I could see that she turned and looked directly at Jung Hayan. There wasn’t
any conversation, but somehow, I felt like I was being ignored.
Jung Hayan’s risk meter, Han Sora, hobbled and moved to Park Deokgu’s
back, the combat power meter, and the sudden situation dumbfounded Park
Deokgu.
It felt like a bomb was going to go off. It wasn’t good timing for me to do
something about it.
The two were just looking at each other, and Jung Hayan wasn’t particularly
rude to Cha Hee-ra.
“Why? Do you have anything to say?”
“N-no… actually…”
“But why do you look at people like that? Huh?”
“H… How did I look?”
‘Don’t fucking do this, you two…’
Suddenly, the surroundings become quiet. Those who gathered to go to the

Laios together and the voices that were heard from the surroundings could
not be heard.
I suddenly wanted to pray to Goddess Benigore right at this very moment.
Whether it was unfortunate or fortunate, Jung Hayan lowered her head a

little, and Cha Hee-ra smirked and started talking to me once more.
Of course, the arm on my shoulder and her chest position, which was
strangely close, were still there.
“Let’s go in, honey.”
It was then that Jung Hayan opened her mouth.
“I think… you’d better put that arm away…”
She was whispering to herself, but it was loud enough for us to listen.
“O-O-Oppa seems to be uncomfortable…”
“…”
“…”
“What?”
‘Don’t fucking really do this, you two…’
Jung Hayan was smirking. Cha Hee-ra’s own expression was unreadable.
Chapter 299
Chapter 299: Magic Power Stat 99 (2)
It felt like the air was getting heavier.
I didn’t know why, but it was getting harder and harder to breathe. An
unknown pressure had bloomed within this atmosphere.
‘Fuck…’
Jung Hayan, too, was not doing any other threatening actions.
I had no choice but to pray that she would not do a crazy thing, like openly
being hostile to Cha Hee-ra. However, the fact that her behavior was a little
strange was undeniable.
I didn’t know how to put it, but it might be appropriate to say that she was
acting up.
Of course, Jung Hayan and Cha Hee-ra didn’t have a vertical relationship, but
Cha Hee-ra had the upper hand in this.
The madwoman with her red hair was the only anger control disorder
therapist in Lindel, and the treatment was in some ways valid for Jung Hayan.
Since there was a gap between the two that could not be filled, Jung Hayan
lowered her head first.
The reason why Jung Hayan suddenly took this position was simple.
’99 magic power.’
Now she must be thinking she was stronger.
‘Is this animal kingdom or something?’

Cha Hee-ra’s balancing had ended in Jung Hayan’s mind. It would be
appropriate to say that it was a small struggle that had started within Jung
Hayan.
I didn’t know if I was reminiscing about the revolution that took place in the
Holy Empire, but it felt like seeing a young challenger showing his teeth to a
male who monopolized a female.
It was natural to reminisce an intense struggle.
Of course, in my case, the genders were reversed, but the fact that I was in a
similar situation was undeniable.
It was a spectacle to see the two slowly exchanging words while making the
situation more uncomfortable. I bet, if these two had nothing to do with me, I
would have escaped from this situation straight away.
Just like Han Sora, who was already far away.
“What?”
“I think… Oppa is u-uncomfortable… nothing else…”
“…”
“…”
“I don’t think there is no other reason…”
“You’re… m-misunderstanding…”
“…”
“…”
“I’m not misunderstanding…”
“You’re really mistaken… it’s true. I don’t mean anything else. I told you.
It’s just because Oppa looks u-uncomfortable…”
“Sister, do you think I’m a moron?”
The atmosphere had changed in an instant.
Of course, I thought I had to intervene, but Cha Hee-ra blocked me, blatantly
coming forward as if telling me to shut up.
In no time, she had stridden towards Jung Hayan.
There was a slight height difference, so Cha Hee-ra was looking down at
Jung Hayan, and Jung Hayan was looking up at Cha Hee-ra. However, Hayan
looked confident.
“You know you’re annoying me right now, right?”
“I don’t think I do…”
“…”
“…”
“Now, you’re talking to me informally.”
“I’m not sure…”
“So why are you glaring like this?”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I’m j-just as usual…i-it seems like
eunni disapproves of me. E-Eunni, you don’t like me, right?”
“…”
“I guess you went crazy, right?”
“… “
“I think I know why you’re doing this shit, but if you don’t want to die, look
down.”
“What?”
“I won’t say it twice, newbie. If you don’t want to have your delicate neck
twisted, look down right now.”
Suddenly, I felt as if I was suffocating.
Until now, I felt like it was hard to breathe, but suddenly, something seemed
to be stuck in my throat.
Cha Hee-ra started threatening Jung Hayan by drawing up all her energy. I
wasn’t sure if it was her magic power or killing aura, or whatever, but I just
knew I had to leave right away.
It was hard to imagine how much pressure Jung Hayan would feel since even
I was feeling it.
‘Fuck…’
No wonder I looked at Cha Hee-ra with my Mind’s Eye.
I could see in real-time that her intelligence stat was going down, little by
little.
Of course, her strength stat was constantly rising.
She was using her unique characteristic to reduce intelligence and increase
strength. It felt like they were really going to fight, and my feet moved
without my knowledge.
I thought Cha Hee-ra to be at least rational, but considering that her title was
a Blood-Thirsty Madwoman, a red madwoman in the Holy Empire, her
temper was far from rational.
It was not an exaggeration to say that her current position and being a group
leader were giving her a cosplay of someone normal.
To put it, she was a lioness with chains on her own, a mad dog who was
holding her temper.
It was true that a young challenger had nudged a sleeping lion’s nose.
‘Stop it, Hayan…’
There was a reason as to why she had reigned as queen of Lindel for years.
Actually, I know what Jung Hayan was thinking. Her magic power stat was
99, and she had actually grown to an unparalleled level from before.
Judging by those who can be said to be powerful, for example, Garrosh &
Cash’s Gal Oh-sik and Im Li-dan, too, were no match to Jung Hayan.
However, in Cha Hee-ra’s case, the story was a little different.
‘Strength 98.’
The basic strength was 98, and also, it was possible to move the intelligence
stat to the strength stat flexibly at any time.
‘Strength 101, 103, 106.’
As the strength continued to increase, the intelligence decreased.
While I was worried that the same situation as the last time would happen, I
had to look at what kind of action Jung Hayan would take.
Biting her lips tightly and her eyes filled with strange spite, her face seemed
to be getting more and more angered.
This was not a catfight. It felt like bloodshed.
Hayan indirectly challenged her, and the red-haired madwoman was now
trying to stamp out the new challenger.
I bet, if Jung Hayan had been a person who had nothing to do with me, the
incident would have happened no matter what.
‘Does she think she’s stronger?’

She might have thought it was worth trying, but the reality was a little
different.
I also didn’t doubt that Jung Hayan was strong, and I thought that she could
actually be a match to Cha Hee-ra, but when I opened the gift box, I could
confirm that the experience and years between them were different.
‘She’s stronger than I thought.’
Even though her class was the Mercenary Queen, considering that she didn’t
carry a weapon, she was even more than that.
“…”
“…”
When they were spending some time with each other, finally, one of them
started to lower their tail.
Of course, this fight’s winner was not the new challenger, but the red-haired
madwoman guarding the throne.
Jung Hayan began to lower her head as she talked slowly.
‘Yes… Do that.’
As if she felt it was unfair, tears were forming in her eyes, and her hands
were trembling.
Now, when she just thought that the world belonged to her, the wall she
thought she could overcome blocked her once again, and it seemed that tears
of injustice had burst out.
“Haaap…”
“If you were like this from the beginning, we wouldn’t have to do this. I told
you when we first met.”
“Hic…”
“I don’t remember exactly what I said, but… did I tell you to learn how to
kill a killing aura? I think so. Isn’t it right, honey? Today, I will teach you
one more thing, sister.”
“Hic…”
“If you’re not sure, don’t try. Don’t mess with me. Do you know what I
mean?”
The situation ended with Cha Hee-ra patting Hayan’s shoulder like that.
It was a very short time, but it seemed even longer to me.
Cha Hee-ra stroked Jung Hayan’s head as if it wasn’t a big deal, but the
challenger wouldn’t have overreacted like that if she thought it was nothing.
In fact, it was correct to think that she moved because she felt threatened to
some extent.
“Honey, you can also come here and talk to her. Well, it’s good if you
comfort her, and make her understand what I’m saying…”
“Ah… okay, Nuna.”
“I said it first in case something happens later, but if this happens next time, I
won’t stay still. You know what I’m saying?”
I understood this enough.
It would cost a life.

Chapter 300
Chapter 300: Laios, the Neutral Country (1)
I still was anxious, but pressuring Jung Hayan had been done properly. I
really wanted to get mad and ask what crazy thing she was doing, but I
couldn’t say that right now.
Jung Hayan wanted to annoy Cha Hee-ra little by little, and Cha Hee-ra had
overreacted.
I thought they both had their own faults.
If I were to take Cha Hee-ra’s side too much, it might cause other problems.
First, after pointing out Hayan’s attitude, I started by saying that she should
show a little more respect, and I also expressed that I wasn’t really
uncomfortable.
Of course, it was natural to flatter her in the midst of that by saying, ‘thank
you for thinking of me’ or ‘I understand you.’
When I first pressed her a little harshly, she had produced thick tears, but
after that, I could see that her face melted at the other benefits that flew in.
Everything didn’t go as she thought, but I was satisfied as to how it had

ended.
‘Damn.’
It felt like she was still thinking the way she wanted to.
Of course, she had nodded at my stern warning, but I had doubts about how
far this effect would go. This was only a preview of the disaster that was to
come.
Seeing that she had shown her teeth to Cha Hee-ra right after gaining
strength, it was evident that she would do this to others even more.
If she was left alone, even if she was quiet right now, an incident would
definitely happen someday.
In the first place, magic was a difficult area for me to understand.
It was hard to imagine what a wizard like Jung Hayan can do when they got
enough momentum.
‘Although it is difficult…’
Nevertheless, Jung Hayan was very important to me.
In a way, this was no different than an equivalent exchange. If the price of

dealing with Jung Hayan magician was to care for her mentality enough, it
was a business that I could do.
The problem was that it became strangely dangerous, but considering the
future, this could be well-tolerated.
Of course, she was not the only one who I needed to take care of.
However, Cha Hee-ra was much easier to care for than Jung Hayan.
Among the people I knew, she was one of those I communicated the best
with. At least, until she turned crazy.
From my perspective, the two should stay the same without any friction.
However, it was not that easy to solve other people’s work.
Of course, Jung Hayan wasn’t starting any quarrel with Cha Hee-ra, but
anyone could feel a strange atmosphere between the two of them.
Park Deokgu and Han Sora, who specialized in detecting Jung Hayan’s
dangers, was no exception.
“So, recently, I felt like Hayan had a sharp edge!”

“Ah… right.”
“Yes. It’s what I’ve said many times. We haven’t had time to do anything
properly because we’ve been busy, but, naturally, even Hayan is stressed!”
“…”
“I think it’s definitely time to refresh. In fact, Hee-ra also had a little edge in
her reaction, but Hayan’s eyes were a little harsh, too. It’s hard to define just
what… honestly, I was a little scared, too. I’m sorry to say this, but I just
wanted to leave.”
As I slowly turned my gaze toward Han Sora, I could see her trembling.
“You can believe it because I definitely saw it with my love dating expert
Park Deokgu’s eyes. Honestly, it seems like Hyung-nim and Hayan are
getting along well, but the progress is too slow, and since Hyung-nim is so
popular, every woman sticks to you like this! And like that! Ahem. No matter
how freely this continent thinks about love, people like Hayan, who is too
soft and can’t kill a single ant, get too stressed out about this. Yes, absolutely!
Isn’t that right?”
“Yes… Sure…”
I was curious about where the information ‘being unable to kill a single ant’
came from, but there was no energy left to tackle Park Deokgu’s words.
Han Sora, the biggest victim of Jung Hayan, was also staring at Park Deokgu
as if he was talking bullshit, but for the sake of her social life, she nodded
meekly.
However, with her lips tightly closed, she seemed to be preparing for the real
situation that might come.
“It’s a good idea for you two to go on a trip sometime. The territory from the
man said to be that Nabot Baron, no, now he’s a senator! Didn’t he say there
was such a thing as a Mirror Lake? You can go out there sometime, enjoy the
boat, have dinner, and then it’s the best if the carriage gets cut off…”
“We have to go around here for a long time to get to the Mirror Lake. And
why would the carriage be cut off? I have a griffon.”
“Of course, that’s all excuses. That’s what they usually do. Ahem. I can’t
say… exactly, but that’s what they usually do.”
“I may go out to play someday, but…”
“Not now. You mean this?”
“We can take a rest in Laios. They’ll be taking care of us there. Of course,
after that, we’ll have to move busily, but we can still rest. Anyway, as you
said, I should go out with Hayan.”
Even Yuno Kasugano’s trip to Laios was also scheduled.
Except for Lee Jihye, who was in the Black Swan, all those related to me
were gathered.
There was no need to explain that I felt a little guilty as much as there had
been an incident with Yuno.
‘Fuck…’
Of course, I just said nothing had happened at the time.
Rather, I escaped the crisis by getting angry, but there was no doubt that Jung
Hayan had not forgotten about that.
As she revealed her teeth to Cha Hee-ra, there was no guarantee that she
would not do so to Yuno Kasugano.
‘She’s different from Cha Hee-ra…’
Although strong enough to rise to the Eight Seats of the Empire, Yuno
Kasugano was the support-type.
If I measured her in terms of combat power, Yuno Kasugano couldn’t handle

Hayan.
‘She’s not going to do crazy things like when we were in the Shrine.’
Since the Jung Hayan regression case, there was no way that she had been
thinking of such crazy thoughts until now.
However, it was worth considering that, upon having a lot of time alone with
her, as Park Deokgu said, as much as something could happen.
While pondering, Park Deokgu opened his mouth again.
Seeing that the subject hadn’t changed yet, it seemed that he also took this
case quite sensitively. Of course, he didn’t seem to have the same worries as
me, though.
“That’s that… So, what are you going to do about Hee-ra and Hayan? To be
honest, I’m definitely on Hayan’s side… Still, the atmosphere is
uncomfortable. That atmosphere is more terrifying than fighting openly. I’d
rather try to make them talk…”
‘That’s probably the thought of those who wish to commit suicide.’
“But I’ve heard that there are a lot of problems like this on the continent these
days. Since everyone is monogamous and polygamous, of course, there is
such a thing as having a staring contest. Well, I had a drink with a friend in
the past, and I heard that he also had two wives.”
“Oh. Who?”
“Maybe Hyung-nim knows… It’s Gal Oh-sik.”
“Of course, I know. That friend was quite useful… How did you get to know
him?”
He was the one I wanted to make strings with.
Seeing that he was quite close to Deokgu, I didn’t have to do anything.
“Of course it is by a love consultation! In any case, he’s running a clan, and
he earns good money, so it seems like it happened. But the problem is that the
two don’t get along. Every time they met, they stare at each other, they talk
behind their backs, they raise their voices, and they fight, so my friend is in
the middle having a hard time.”
‘That’s not even having a hard time… That’s good enough.’
If it had been that much, I would have just laughed off.
Whether he understood me or not, Park Deokgu began to open his mouth,

taking that guy as an example.
It was a very long story, and honestly, I didn’t care enough to listen.
“Ahem… Well, that’s what happened. Hyung-nim, you have to stay alert,
too. It’s good for the person in the middle to get in tune and balance. There is
the famous adage saying that the balance of power must be maintained.”
“Never heard of it.”
“Well, anyway, it is nagging to say that Hyung-nim’s role is more important

than anyone else in this. Whatever it is, arrange a meeting once and make the
two get close. This way, no one would suffer. Of course, it is important to
take care of Hayan first. If Hyung-nim is going to have a relationship with
several people, it is correct to improve their relationship little by little from
now on. I bet it’s really dangerous if it doesn’t happen.”
He must have said without thinking, but the words saying that it would be
dangerous were true.
Park Deokgu was right, by a hundred times.
‘I have to do it somehow.’
I wanted to call Kim Ye-ri and Ahn Ki-mo to act once again, but they were
not in this wagon.
‘Are we almost there?’
Come to think of it. It felt like we had been on this wagon for quite a long
time.
In the middle of the conversation with Park Deokgu and Han Sora, I glanced
at the window, and I could see the background passing at a fairly fast pace.
It was just a wild guess, but unlike the State, the exotic landscape stood out a
lot.
‘Neutral country.’
This was the only country on the continent that stood for a neutral state.
It was not as strong as the State or the Republic, but it was one of the
countries that I thought had numerous possibilities.
As it was located in the south, it was warm, had a wide variety of food, and
close to the sea, making it a resort and travel destination often visited by
foreigners from the State and the Republic.
Although the purpose of coming here was far from rest or Jung Hayan’s care,
it was correct to take action as Park Deokgu had said.
“The landscape is awesome… Isn’t that right, Hyung-nim? Isn’t it Sora’s first
time to see such a landscape?”
“Yes. Of course, this is the first time, but…”
“Anyway, Hyung-nim, this is an opportunity. Originally, a place like this

makes people more open! Obviously, Hayan must also be preparing herself.”
I needed to find out more about what kind of preparation it was, but I didn’t
want her to be preparing herself.
Of course, everything went according to my wish.
The carriage, which had been running continuously, stopped, and the door of
the carriage opened. A little childish voice was heard.
“Welcome to Laios, Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung and Mercenary Queen

of Lindel.”
We had arrived in the neutral country.

Chapter 301
As I got out of the wagon, I could see people roaming around with beautiful
brown skin.
I could definitely feel that I had come to another area. They looked different
from the State people who were your typical white people.
If I compared them with the races on Earth, it seemed like I was seeing
people from South America. Their healthy, elastic skin and shiny black hair
stood out.
The most interesting thing was how they were dressed. Everyone was
wearing light clothes, unlike the typical medieval era.
‘Because it’s hot.’
The weather was quite hot because it was located further down to the south.
Right now, I also wanted to throw away these cramped clothes.
The inside of the wagon, where the temperature control magic was
continually spinning, was okay, but I knew it would be hard to breathe
outside.
‘Ah… so stupid.’
One thing I had overlooked was the attire of the Laios’s people around me.
‘It would be fine, right?’
The problem was that everyone was dressed too freely.
In this place, this would be a normal outfit, but honestly, I didn’t know where
to look.
Like the dancers’ clothes, they showed off their solid bodies, regardless of
men and women, so naturally, I was worried about Jung Hayan.
Jung Hayan, who was absorbed in magic training in the carriage, frowned as
soon as she came out.
‘I just need to be careful.’
If I didn’t keep looking dumbly at them, there wouldn’t be any other

accidents. Even so, Jung Hayan probably wouldn’t do anything because she
had gotten scolded before coming here.
Anyway, since they came to say hello, it was correct for me to greet them,
too.
While I was distracted by the exotic scenery, Cha Hee-ra had already finished
with the greetings, so I also took a step closer.
’15 or 16 years old?’
What I could see was a kid who looked like a middle school student.
She had brown skin like the rest of them, but the distinctive ornament on the
shiny black braided hair stood out.
It was a pretty noble face, but for now, I could see her greeting us politely.
It was an old custom of Laios to tap the red diamond pattern on the forehead.
It was awkward, but I also thought it wasn’t bad to say hello in that way.
Nothing was stamped on my forehead, but it was a natural act because I had
to show that I respected Laios’ culture as much as possible.
If the person in front of me were a normal kid, I would have ended my

greetings by only bowing.
‘Pristina, the 27th Queen of Laos.’

Considering that the kid’s identity, whose complexion seemed to have been
burned because of wandering outside, was the queen, there was no way I
could treat her like an ordinary kid.
“I’ll introduce myself. I’m Pristina of the neutral country, Laios.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Pristina-nim. It’s a great honor to meet you. I
didn’t think you were going to come in person, but I don’t know what to do
with such hospitality.”
“No, Honorary Cardinal. It is an honor to be able to see the Honorary

Cardinal, who is an important person in the State.”
“You can speak to me more comfortably.”
“No. I can’t. You’re an important guest, so it’s better to take you inside first.”
“Thank you.”
‘It won’t be easy.’
I just said hello for a moment. However, I was sure it would be hard to get
what I could get from this conversation.
‘The guard is strong.’
They knew very well why we visited such a distant place. The purpose of this
mission was to ally with Laios.
Strangely emphasizing the word neutral and saying she couldn’t treat me
comfortably, I felt their will to never get involved in my affairs.
‘It will be so from their perspective.’
Being neutral was possible only when you had the power to protect your
country.
However, this small country in the southern part of the Sacred Democratic
State and the Republic was relatively weak compared to the two countries.
The number of named powerful people, the troops’ quality, and even the
foreigners were also poor.
The reason why Laios could stand in a neutral position, despite being ironic,
was the situation between the State and the Republic.
This happened as they walked a tightrope between the two countries that had
always been fighting from the past.
In some ways, Laios was a strategic point between the two countries.
There was also a way to cross the sea, as well as being able to go directly to
other countries through Laios.
From the Republic’s point of view, if Laios joined hands with the Empire,
they thought they might be left behind, and the same was true of the Empire’s
point of view.
In fact, there were times when the Empire and the Republic considered how
to split the country called Laios, which meant that this country had suffered
unwanted pain between them.
Some changes took place after the Continental War II when the Empire and
the Republic almost extinguished each other, and there was no choice but to
choose a ceasefire.
Laios declared complete neutrality, saying that they would not choose either
the Republic or the Empire, and the two countries accepted and respected it.
I didn’t know why the Republic and Empire at the time accepted the Laios
declaration of neutrality, but I had to think that there were probably some
political reasons intertwined.
Perhaps it was because they were worried about whether or not the Laios
would give power to the other side, or perhaps another talk came out with the
armistice agreement between the leaders of that time.
I didn’t know whatever it was, but one thing was for certain: the Laios
leaders were all wise.
Political skills were also unusual, and I could be certain of their ability to
walk on a string.
‘It’s great.’
It was by no means easy to maintain sovereignty while breaking your back

among the great powers.
Not as much as the State or the Republic, but they also possessed power.
I didn’t know what the foreigners from here were thinking, but perhaps the
people who lived in Laios would have great pride in the country.
Looking back, Jung Hayan was slowly following me whilst talking with Park
Deokgu, and Han Sora was still maintaining her safe distance from the two.
‘I can be relieved right now.’
Although she was on the lookout as if she felt upset, she didn’t look like she
would explode right away.
If I told her to go out together tomorrow or the day after, she would loosen up
and start laughing at once.
Apart from her, Cha Hee-ra and I, the main members of this mission, were
walking on the street alongisde Pristina.
Although it was peculiar to walk down the street without using a wagon, I felt
like I knew roughly what this kid intended.
‘This is a nice place.’
Basically, there were smiles on people’s faces.
The standard of living itself did not seem very high, but I could see that they
were happy.
I didn’t know if the continent also surveyed the national happiness index like
the Earth, but this country would surely rank at the top if I were to evaluate
them.
The answer came just by looking at the people cheering for Pristina and her
responding to their greetings one by one.
The faces of the city’s people were full of energy, and the tourists assimilated
to them did not look awkward.
Those who had come from Dawan’s side for recreation and those who wore
clothes that were slightly different from the national dress style were
probably the Republicans.
It wasn’t without any strange tension, but it seemed that they were trying to
avoid the friction in this place, where it was not classified as a conflict zone
under continental law.
‘I didn’t know such a place existed.’
I kept seeing unusual things in front of me.
It was then that the kid with a bunch of things on her hair opened her mouth
again.
“I’ve heard it’s the first time that you two visited this place.”
“Yes.”
“I’m curious as to how you two see our Laios.”
It was obvious what answer she wants. And I can predict what she’s going to
say.
However, it was such a reasonable argument that I didn’t think it was going
to be easy to refute.
Cha Hee-ra slightly passed the answer to me, and I had no choice but to
speak up.
“It’s nice. People’s faces are full of life, and everyone seems to be satisfied
with their lives. In a way, I think it’s ideal.”
“Thank you so much for seeing it this way. Since it is the Honorary Cardinal
Lee Kiyoung, who fought together for the ideals of the State people, who said
that, I’m happy.”
She smiled a little and spoke again.
“It is as Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung sees. Of course, this country also
has some problems, but I am proud of the previous kings’ achievements, and
I want to keep their ideals in place.”
I knew it would be like this.
“A lot of time has passed in, bringing the country that has suffered every time
between the two powers during Continental War I and Continental War II.
Also, with many small wars, famine, and invasion of outside forces, Laios
has shed a lot of blood to protect the ideal and its independence. Of course,
we are grateful to the State and the Republic people who consider our Laios
very important… To be honest with you, excessive interest is burdensome.”
“I can understand.”
“Perhaps that’s why Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung came here. I’m sorry to
have to offer you a flat refusal even before you bring it up. But as before, we
have no intention of standing on either side. Of course, I said the same thing
to the Republic, so the leaders of the State and the Republic won’t have to
worry.”
This meant that she didn’t want to go through hard times again.
If additional weight was shaken to either the Republic or the State, everything
that had been achieved so far can be lost.
‘I can understand. Absolutely.’

This felt much like the power struggle between Jung Hayan and Cha Hee-ra.
To sum up, I had to remain neutral, but I couldn’t let Laios stay neutral.
‘I look like garbage.’
I couldn’t help but think that I was a typical hypocrite.
“I didn’t come here only because of that matter, Pristina. I’ll talk to you about
other issues, but you were too hastily…”
“I see, Honorary Cardinal is right. I was a little hasty. But… I hope you think
it was a way to convey our meaning more clearly. Of course, it doesn’t mean
that we don’t welcome you. We at Laios are always ready to thank and
welcome those who come here. Of course, it is also one of our tasks to
welcome your delegation to this place.”
“Thank you.”
“It is an old custom and pride here to thank a friend from afar.”
“Ohh…”
“You must be tired, so we will guide you through the room as soon as we
enter. Oh. Come to think of it. You said that it was your first time in Laios.
It’s a little embarrassing for me to say this, but there’s a lot for lovers to
enjoy. I heard that Cha Hee-ra and Lee Kiyoung made good ties since the
continent of foreigners. It wouldn’t be bad to take a brief look around.”
It was Cha Hee-ra who said thanks.
She seemed to be in a good mood right away, but for some reason, I was
afraid to look behind me.
Like me, I didn’t know if she was trying to smash my neutrality, but she was
quite sharp.
“Looking like this, the two of you make a nice couple.”
It felt like the temperature in the back was gradually decreasing.
‘She’s not doing this on purpose, right?’
There was no choice but to send a slightly suspicious expression to the

battered blows that flew in.
“There is a rock that says that if you whisper love, you will be together for a
lifetime, and many people who visit Laios often visit it together. If you have
time tomorrow, perhaps you two…”
‘Stop.’
I knew Pristina meant no malice, but I wanted to shut her mouth as of right
now.
Jung Hayan’s expression looked positively dangerous.

Chapter 302
The sharp attacks were unsettling, but Laios was a more peaceful and livable
place than I thought.
I didn’t know if it was because of the exotic scenery or the unique nationality,
but I thought I could see why so many people visited Laios.
They hated quarrels and valued balance and harmony.
Most people made it their highest value, the one that ruled and controlled
them, and some of their unusual behaviors reminded me of Earth’s
Buddhism.
In fact, unlike the State, the prominent occupations in Laios were monks and
ascetics. Those who could be classified as priests were different in nature
from the Holy Knights owned by the State.
If the crusaders’ pursued faith in God, their pursuit was a spiritual discipline.
In some ways, it seemed that religious issues could cause friction, but it was
not.
This was probably because the people of Laios believed in the Goddess
Mahamara, who could be classified as an ally of the Goddess Benigore.
The doctrine of the Goddess Mahamara was not belief in herself, but the
discipline and happiness of believers. I could be sure that their nationality’s
background lay in the doctrine of the Goddess that they were serving.
‘It’s a nice place.’
As a result, the country as a whole was simple and lacking in luxury.

However, it was impossible to treat the guests of the State recklessly.
It went without saying that we had received a magnificent banquet as a gift

that could be considered quite magnificent from their standpoint.
They must be thinking that they might make a mistake with the delegation.
The State was definitely a big country. Even after the civil revolution, the
State still stood at the center of the continent’s political scene.
It was apparent that they thought that they should not commit a mistake to
our delegation representing the State.
I had been invited to many places in the meantime, but it was the first time
that I had received hospitality so comfortably.
The dancers’ dance was beautiful, and their culture and music were also good
to see and hear.
“How was the banquet?”
“I had a fun and great time. I didn’t know how to express my gratitude for the
hospitality that is full of heart.”
“I’m glad you were satisfied. I was worried that the food and drink wouldn’t
suit your taste… I’m relieved. We have a separate building that you can use
during your stay. Red Mercenary and Blue members can use it separately, so
I hope you stay with the delegations that came together and take a slow tour
of Laios tomorrow.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Pristina.”
‘The treatment is good.’
I had felt it before, but she seemed to know how to make me in a good mood.
That didn’t mean that she was just obsequiously fawning over around.
Since Pristina had already expressed her edgy rejection of the proposal to be
with our side, this banquet would also be an apologetic expression.
It was already dark, so naturally, I needed to sleep.
When I got up, I felt like the drunkenness came all at once.
‘Is the drink stronger than I thought?’
I thought it was a sweet drink, and this was happening since I had drunk it
thoughtlessly.
My body was tired from a long trip.
Park Deokgu, who approached without a word as if he had noticed that I was
struggling, grabbed me.
Jung Hayan, afraid of being stolen, also grabbed my arm, and in the
meantime, Cha Hee-ra took over my baton.
She started directly dealing with the kid. She gestured as if telling me to
leave.
Park Deokgu nodded in reply, and I was able to leave the banquet after
greeting roughly.
‘I’m very tired…’
Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan seemed relatively fine.
Since there was a difference in stats, it seemed that I got drunk a little bit
faster.
Even Han Sora didn’t seem to be as tired as I was, so my low stamina

saddened me.
“Gosh. Didn’t you have too much? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drunk like
this.”
“Well. I’m particularly tired today.”

“I understand you, too. It’s a pleasant place after a long time. Everyone
seems to be nice, too.”
“Well, I guess.”
“Anyway, take a rest today and go around with Hayan tomorrow. I heard
there are many things to see and do here and there.”
“Really?”
“Well, there is also a cave of truth, but it is said that it is the heritage of the
Goddess discovered hundreds of years ago. I’m not sure what it is, but it
seems that there are many cultural heritages and preserves designated by
continental law. There is also a law banning the hunting of endangered
monsters in Laios, so wouldn’t these things be well-preserved?”
“Strictly speaking, even the State is strictly managing things related to the
Goddess Benigore.”
“Ah, does the State have such a thing?”
“Yes.”
“Anyway, it seems like a much better place than I thought.”
“Yes.”
‘I’m tired to death.’
It would be a side effect of taking drinks from Jung Hayan.
Jung Hayan held my arm, as if she were worried about me, and moved, but in
fact, we were both being dragged by Park Deokgu.
Not long after leaving, I could see a large annex.
Exotic styles were still visible, but the inside of the annex was similar to that
of the State.
It must have been the place where the State’s delegation always came.
“I-I can take him on my own from now on.”
“What?”
“I can take him to the bedroom.”
“Then you do that!”
“Yes. T-Then let me do it.”
Park Deokgu raised his thumb towards me as if it was good, but

unfortunately, I could not afford to do something.
I felt like I would fall asleep any minute now.
‘I’m glad I don’t need to wash.’
Magic was quite effective in this case.
After entering the spacious room, it was no wonder that I immediately spread
out in the bed.
Jung Hayan asked, ‘Shall I wash you?’ and all I could do was gesture a yes.
Of course, I was thinking about what to do with Laios, even as I slowly fell
asleep.
It cannot be said that it was very urgent thus far, but the current State needed
a reliable alliance. The Republic, our sworn enemy, was out of the question.
In the case of the United Kingdom, they were prepared to pull out the sword
on their guard, so the only places we could try were Laios and other races.
I started thinking about how to approach those who were constantly insisting
on neutrality, but the problem was that I couldn’t find an answer.
It wouldn’t be bad to find a weak spot and drag it, or worsen their relations
with the Republic.
‘It’s not good to approach too quickly. I’ll wait and see.’
They treated us well on the surface, but they were already wary of us enough.
‘My head hurts…’
Even though I could rest comfortably, seeing me thinking about this over and
over again, I could say I was definitely a workaholic.
As the kid Queen said, I felt like it would be nice if I could take a rest
tomorrow without thinking about anything.
With that thought, I closed my eyes and was able to jump out of bed at the
same time as the sunlight shining on my face.
It was morning already.
“Ugh… my head.”
“Oppa, are you awake?”
“Ah, Hayan. What time is it now?”
As I turned to the side where the voice was heard, I saw Jung Hayan walking
around while holding a large bowl at the door.
“It’s three o’clock now.”
“Three o’clock?”
“Yes. I-I thought you would get up by now, so I brought some warm stew. I
made it myself! You just got up at the right time.”
“Is it already this late?”
“Yes.”
“I feel like I’ve only slept for a few hours… why am I so tired?”
“Y-y-y… you overdid it yesterday.”
Ah, that was right.
As I glanced at her quietly, I could see her wearing a big smile, apparently in
a good mood. I had been worried about her the day before, but it seemed as if
her emotions had improved overnight.
It looked as if she slept well or was energized.
‘Her skin is also very firm.’
It was hard to believe that we had a drink together.
I didn’t know if it was magic or not, but the gloss flowing on her skin looked
as if she had even applied oil on it, and overall, she seemed to be in a better
mood.
I was also a little relieved by that.
However, I couldn’t help but be happy with her feeling better.
“Since… you’ll be tired, eat this and sleep a little more…”
“No. It’s a little wasteful to come here to sleep. I can just drink a bottle of
potion. What about Hee-ra? No. Is Deokgu still inside?”
“Oh. The two of them went outside with Sora. All the members of the Red
Mercenary, too. I think they are going to take a tour in Laios today. They
asked me to contact them when you wake up.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“We have a lot of time, so let’s move slowly. Ah… Wait, Hayan.”
“Yes… Yes?”
“I’ve been a little indifferent these days, right?”
“N-no… Because Oppa is busy. Y-you have a lot to do, and I can
understand.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
I gave a kiss on her forehead, seeing her ears redden cutely. Anyway, I
couldn’t just sit still here.
After inhaling the mingling and strange stew she brought, I immediately
started to get ready.
‘It would have been nice if Maid Alice was here.’
I couldn’t understand why I still called her a maid, but I was so tired that it
made me think about all kinds of things.
It was usually burdensome, but it was a pity that she was not here at times
like this.
No matter how much Jung Hayan tried to take care of me, there was a gap
that cannot be filled between a professional and an amateur.
Although I was grateful for her intention, Jung Hayan running around panting
to take care of me was actually slowing down the preparations.
“Let’s get out.”
“Yes!”
“It looks like we’re going on a date after a long time. Right?”
“Ah! Yes! I-it is!”
‘Okay. Today is complimentary.’

After that, I would have to join Cha Hee-ra anyway, but it would be
important to Jung Hayan for us to be together even for a short time.
Since she was already in a good mood, it wouldn’t be bad to bring it to the
top here.
She could be quiet for a while, and it would be possible to improve her
relationship with Cha Hee-ra little by little.
‘I might feel less worried…’
Thanks to Jung Hayan, even I was getting in a better mood.
But as I thought everything would work out, it didn’t take long before I
realized that it was going to be twisted somehow.
‘What is she doing here?’
She was now someone I had blurred memories of and couldn’t remember her
name well, but she was very familiar.
The first time had I encountered her was at the black market, and the second
was when I got help with Cha Hee-ra’s episode.
The only Republican contact I knew, a member of the Five General Tigers,
the Republic’s pride, possesses a legendary-grade weapon, a whip that
punished the Goddess, owner of the Woold.
She also had one of the shittiest characteristics I’ve ever seen.
‘Shaolin?’
I had no choice but to rush to turn around.
‘Fuck…’
It was because I felt guilty.

Chapter 303
Chapter 303: Tiger’s Mouth (1)
‘It’s not my lucky day…’
It was definitely Shaolin.
The information in my Mind’s Eye also confirmed that she was, without a
doubt, the woman I had seen before.
There was growth in her stats, but the characteristic was the same, and the
class and all aspects perfectly matched.
The minions she always dragged around were also still the same.
One of the minion’s bags must have a legendary-grade weapon.
They were looking around the shops on the street, just as I had chosen to take
a leisurely stroll on the streets of Laios.
Since I had met an unwelcome face on the street, obviously, I turned around
immediately.
‘Fuck.’
It had already been over a year since I got help on the condition that I would
arrange a meeting in the near future.
The letter that said ‘Keep the promise’ still lingered in my head.
Since she was mighty crazy, just like Jung Hayan or Cha Hee-ra, I didn’t
know what she might do.
If I let Jung Hayan bump into that crazy bitch, an accident would likely
happen in the neutral area.
Jung Hayan looked a little surprised as I suddenly turned around.
I never expected to hear Shaolin’s surprised voice.
“Huh?”
Jung Hayan seemed a little confused, but the crazy woman’s voice was
clearly heard.
‘Did she notice?’
As a particularly loud voice came from the heart of the streets filled with
Laios’ people and tourists, I had to pull Jung Hayan’s arm immediately.
‘Let’s go quickly. Quickly!’
I was walking unconditionally without looking back, so I didn’t know if she

found us.
“Oppa, just now…”
“I don’t want to be disturbed by other people right now.”
“Ah… O-oppa.”
Jung Hayan didn’t need to know that I had promised to have a secret meeting
with the Republic’s mad bitch.
It was in no time that I managed to escape from the crowded area with Jung
Hayan. However, my anxiety refused to die down.
‘Is it better to go through the other side?’
Or…
‘Would it be better to go to see Hee-ra right away?’
Jung Hayan began to whisper at some point.

“Er, Oppa.”
“Yes.”
“I think there is someone following us.”
“What?”
“There are three people following us. I can’t determine the exact location, but
I think they are people we saw earlier.”
“Are you sure they’re not the shadows from the Red Mercenary?”
“Yes. They’re not those uncles. They look like the ones she had with her
earlier. I don’t know, but… I think I’m pretty sure.”
‘Ah…’
“For now, just leave them alone. We just have to give them the slip slowly.
What about that person?”
“I can’t see the woman. I don’t know why, but I don’t think they want to be
spotted either. We’re still a bit far away. D-Do you know them?”
“A little…”
It was nice to hear that they didn’t want to cause a big problem, either.
I thought it would not be bad to go straight to her and say hello in a casual
way, but…
‘That bitch was a real crazy bitch, too.’
She was a VIP of the black market, and I could tell she was insane just by
looking at her eyes.
I didn’t know what it meant to have Strangler Romanticist as a characteristic,

but I didn’t want to die from being choked at this age.
Aside from not thinking right, she would probably have violent reactions if
she so much as got upset.
Of course, Jung Hayan was more likely to react to the reaction.
Since I had confirmed that she was in Laios, I thought it would be better to
contact her separately.
For now, I thought it would be better to get out of here quickly, pretending
not to have seen her.
I had dragged Jung Hayan, moving to the most crowded places, and then we
started to wander around the outskirts of the city.
In the meantime, she swelled her cheeks, feeling disturbed, but, of course, I
couldn’t just focus on this date.
Jung Hayan was constantly live-broadcasting about the people following us,
and I had no choice but to worry about when the crazy bitch with the whip
would find me.
Even Jung Hayan was also quite alert.
When I thought back to the Lindel terrorist incident, it was not unreasonable
for her to be sensitive.
Even back then, it had started like this.
Eventually, we wandered around a couple of store alleys, and we often used

her magic to get rid of them, but…
‘Where are we?’
The problem was that we had come quite far.
I wasn’t flustered as we weren’t lost, and I had the most reliable bodyguard
next to me, but I felt frustrated thinking of the way back.
I came out looking forward to enjoying Laios, but I couldn’t help but sigh.
Although Hayan wasn’t showing openly, she was also a little bit bitter. It had
been quite a long time since we had gone out together.
It was actually a time that she was really looking forward to, and since I
didn’t know when I would be free again, today was a very precious
opportunity for Jung Hayan.
Her happy plans were interrupted by an unexpected visitor.
“We’d better come out again next time. Today was kind of crazy.”
“Okay… Oppa.”
To sum up, the initial purpose of making Hayan feel good was already
ruined.
I had to pray that having a meal in a decent place would help Jung Hayan
cheer up.
All the good places nearby were also open, and I thought it was time to eat,
so I held Jung Hayan’s hand and went to a suitable place.
‘What can I say to Hee-ra?’
As much as I had to cheer Jung Hayan up, thinking about having to spend
time with Cha Hee-ra also gave me a headache.
As I chose the right place and went inside, the interior was quite pleasing.
There was a luxurious feeling in its own way, and seats filled with people
also looked fine.
What was a little strange was that there were many people with dark hair and
not the brown-skinned Laios.
Even white people who seem a little different from the State people stand out.
I immediately realized that something was wrong.
As if representing my uneasiness, my Mind’s Eye reacted quickly.
[Checking the status window and talent level of the player Valentin
Alexandro.]
[Name: Valentin Alexandro]
[Title: Ronaf’s Monster, Ronaf’s Slayer, One of the Republic’s Five General
Tigers]
[Age: 39]
[Disposition: Simple Ignorant Killer]
[Class: Ronaf’s Brawler (Heroic)]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Basic Martial Arts Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Intermediate Martial Arts Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Advanced Martial Arts Knowledge]

Knowledge]
[Stats]
[Intelligence: 31/Growth potential: Common or lower]

[Attribute: Anger Control (Legendary)]
[Overall: I feel sorry for the low magic power, but the strength, agility, and
stamina are balancing it. Neither the disposition nor the attribute is very
good. I would not recommend spending a long time with such a person. I
mean, if player Lee Kiyoung doesn’t want to die quickly.]
‘What the…’
What stood out was a white man who is as big as Park Deokgu. No, he was
even bigger than Deokgu. He also had a long wound on his face that imposed
on his intimidating aura.
He seemed to be an unusual martial artist and considering his advanced

magical power management knowledge as his class effect.
The disposition itself seemed dangerous, but what was bothering me the most
was the title of one of the Five General Tigers of the Republic.
‘Fuck…’
There was one more person who stood out beside him.
It was the guy sitting at the center of the table with black hair and a body
shape similar to me.
He was no doubt Chinese. Unlike me, who looked a little bit sneaky, his
easy-going impression stood out, but the stats themselves did not seem like
that at all.
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Jin Qing.]
[Name: Jin Qing]

[Title: Bookmaster, Sage on the Battlefield, One of Republic’s Five General
Tigers]
[Age: 30]
[Disposition: Premeditated Tactician]
[Class: Legion Wizard (Legendary)]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Intermediate Magic Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Advanced Magic Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Advanced Summoning Knowledge]

Knowledge]
[Stats]
[Strength: 65/Growth Potential: Heroic or higher]
[Agility: 75/Growth Potential: Legendary or higher]
[Stamina: 89/Growth Potential: Rare or higher]
[Intelligence: 99/Growth Potential: Heroic or higher]
[Endurance: 77/Growth Potential: Rare or higher]
[Luck: 67/Growth Potential: Rare or lower]
[Magic Power: 97/Growth Potential: Heroic or higher]
[Attribute: Unable to read.]
[Overall: A mage with perfect balance. The stats and talent levels stand out
that make me sorry to even compare it with player Lee Kiyoung, but I won’t
mention it. Unfortunately, the magic power level seems impossible to grow
any further, but the intelligence level of 99 and high basic stats are more than
enough to offset the shortcomings.]
The remaining one was also one of the Five General Tigers of the Republic.
The other scums were also quite skilled.
‘Are they having dinner or something?’
Obviously, I felt like I had to get out of here as soon as possible.
Jung Hayan, who didn’t notice, looked at me and urged me to go in quickly,

but I didn’t move.
The attention was now focused on me because of the sudden appearance of a

customer.
The Russian, larger than Park Deokgu, was also looking at this side, as well
as the Chinese, who had ridiculous stats as a wizard.
‘Would it be weirder if they don’t recognize me?’
I thought maybe they wouldn’t recognize me, but it was more likely that my
face was better known than I thought.
No, even if that’s not the case, they would likely expect me to be a member
of the State.
The first to get up was Valentin Alexandro, who had a large body. His
monstrous body seemed even more imposing now.
“Imperial people, no, are they now state people?”
His raspy voice made my hairs stand on end.
The Chinese Jin Qing was looking at me, tapping on the table, and there was
an amused look on his face.
I didn’t know about the others, but at least he seemed to know me.
I could feel Jung Hayan slowly releasing her magic when she noticed
something was wrong, so I had to hold her hand tight for now.
There were two on this side, and a lot more on the other.
There were even two of the Five General Tigers of the Republic, and Jung
Hayan might not know, but, right now, it was hard for me to be treated as a
man of strength.
If we were to get into a fight, it would be us who would die, without a doubt.
‘Although it’s a neutral area…’
There was no guarantee that a battle would not take place. I didn’t know if
this was for better or for worse, but I also heard a familiar voice behind me.
“These dickheads. How can they miss it? Useless bastards. They are all
trash.”
‘Shit…’
The retreat was blocked entirely.
It will be ridiculous for them, but I had no choice but to open my mouth with
thick skin.
“Shaolin, you were here!”
“You…”
“You don’t know how much I have been looking for you. Hahaha.”
Her reaction wasn’t that good, but well.
“You still look beautiful as ever.”
Jung Hayan’s expression crumbled entirely.

Chapter 304
[I’m trying to push the plot forward so you guys get to my favorite arcs
sooner, the next 3 arcs are insane.]
Chapter 304: Tiger’s Mouth (2)
Shaolin’s face was filled with perplexity.
Her face seemed to ask, ‘What is this bastard doing here?’ She also seemed
unable to respond to the sudden flattery.
The big Russian and the Legion Mage, Jin Qing, looking over here, were
observing us with an excited expression.
They had noticed that we already knew each other.
“Is he a customer?”
Jin Qing didn’t say anything, but I could hear Valentin muttering alone in a
tone of disappointment.
I didn’t know why he was disappointed, but one thing for sure was that we
had to get out of this place quickly.
Only when I held Jung Hayan’s hand tightly as if telling her to calm down
that it felt like her breathing was a little more stable.
‘She’s not jealous.’
She was also extremely stressed.
Since three strong people in the room were at her level just by looking at
them, she was worried that my safety might be compromised.
Looking at her with her head down and mumbling without paying attention to
me, I thought she was doing some sort of image training, but it seemed like
she was preparing for a situation if anything were to happen.
“You…”
“I’m sorry for the late contact, Shaolin-nim.”
“It’s not enough to say it’s too late. I’m sure I told you. That if you don’t
keep your promise, I don’t know what I would do.”
“Of course, I also wanted to contact you, but as you know, the State has
suffered a series of serious incidents over the past time. I’ve tried everything I
could, but I didn’t have time… It was very hard for me, too.”
“I don’t know… I thought we bumped into each other earlier, but I think that
was my mistake. And, if you’re here to see a lady, it’s good manners to come
alone, but why did you come with a woman? Besides, how did you know I
was coming here?”
‘Fuck… I didn’t think about that.’
I had made a mistake on my first line.
Instead of ‘You don’t know how much I’ve been looking for you,’ I should
have used lines like ‘What a coincidence.’
She had a reproachful tone of voice, thinking that I’d pried into information
about the foreigners of the Republic.
Even Jin Qing looked perplexed. They might have thought that I was paying
attention to their movements.
Of course, it was nothing like that. I just came in by accident, and I just met
Shaolin by accident.
However, it would be natural for these people to be suspicious that someone

powerful from the State had entered such a place outside the city.
They thought I might have had a purpose.

“Perhaps you mistook somebody else for me. It was also a coincidence that I
came to this place. Anyway, you’re still the same.”
“You, too. You still have that mouth. You still sing a different tune. You say
it’s a coincidence that you have just entered here among the many places? I
don’t know how you got here, but you know it doesn’t look good to you,
right? Even if it’s a good customer, he’ll become an uninvited guest if he
comes too suddenly. Of course, I don’t really care, but I’m curious about
what my friends will think… I don’t think there’s anyone around, considering
you came confidently. I think I’m looking at a herbivore that walked in on his
own to be eaten… What should I do? Shall I eat it?”
‘Fuuck…’
“Who is it?”
“Oh. Valentin-nim probably knows him…”
“That’s why I’m asking who this is.”
“He’s the most popular in the State lately? The Blue Vice Guild Master
located in Lindel, the one chosen by the dragon, the first foreigner who
received the position in the Holy Empire, one of the Eight Seats of the
Church, and the Gigolo of the Mercenary Queen…”
It was then that Valentin suddenly swung his fist against the wall.
Jung Hayan, who reacted reflexively to the sound, immediately raised her
eyes and moved her hand.
A dagger was aimed at Jung Hayan’s neck, but she quickly opened her mouth
as if she didn’t care.
She seemed to be thinking of chanting the spell even at the cost of her life,
but I couldn’t ridiculously lose Jung Hayan like this.
“Stop!”
The movement stopped, and the dagger, rushing toward her neck, also
stopped moving.
A line of blood was flowing from Jung Hayan’s white neck, and Shaolin
lowered the dagger.
“If you had chanted, you would have died. Although half of the people here
would have died too, but… that thing just now wasn’t a big deal, so you don’t
have to get angered, wizard lady. That uncle is just a little hot-tempered.”
‘So, what’s up with him?’
“Ohh. He had a thing with that red gorilla in the past. They broke badly at
that time, I guess? The scar on the face was that gorilla’s work. When the
Mercenary Queen is mentioned, he’s like that… I think I shouldn’t have
talked about the Mercenary Queen.”
I could see her laughing. However, it felt like her level was quite high for her
to crack such a simple joke.
The guy, who looked like a bomb about to explode, was staring at this me
with bloodshot eyes.
Not only was he breathing hard, but he was starting to put pressure on me
with energy.
My legs almost fluttered for a moment, but pretending to be weak wouldn’t

help. I felt like a mouse dangling right in front of a cat.
When Jung Hayan bit her lips tightly and held my hand, I felt better.
It was then that he came swinging his fist without notice.
‘Fucking… crazy!’
Because of the wind pressure, all nearby objects were blown away, and a
sound as if the air was being torn was heard.
Jung Hayan bit her lips, and I also tried to move my hand, but, of course, I
was also worried about Shaolin behind us.
‘If I get hit, I’ll die.’
I would get crushed, just like that.
In fact, I somehow believed in Shaolin. However, that didn’t eradicate the

fear I had inside of me.
As the fear of death struck right before my eyes, I immediately turned my

head and looked for the bitch I could lean on to.
However, Shaolin was already not there.
Although I cursed, I rushed to make a seal. Jung Hayan was also trying to
chant a spell again. However, it seemed as if this would not be needed.
In a split second, Shaolin had appeared in front of us, holding out her whip.
‘Sha… Shaolin is the best!!’
Once again, a roaring sound was heard, and their voices came to me.
“What are you doing? Are you trying to kill him? Didn’t I say he was my
guest?”
“Let me go.”
“What if I don’t? You’re the one who should fall back before I lose my
temper.”
“You…”
‘He is also a mess…’
No matter what I was to think, it was necessary to sort things out.
The wild boar’s face turned red and blue from anger, but Shaolin was also
shaking her arms as if it was too hard to block that attack directly.
She was a medium-to-long distance type to begin with, so it was correct to

think that she went a little too far to block this attack.
At this point, I wanted nothing else but to find a bathroom.
Fortunately, there seemed to be one normal person among them.
It was no wonder that they needed a leash to control these two crazy nerds.
“You better stop, Valentin, Shaolin. This is not a conflict area.”
‘Legion Mage?’
It was Jin Qing.
What I was curious about was that at one word, the Anger Control Disorder
and the crazy bitch slowly stepped back a few steps.
The big guy was still shaking his hands, but he seemed to be holding back his
anger by turning the table into powder.
Shaolin also took a few steps back without saying anything, and started
getting her arm healed by her minion next to her.
The easy-going looking parasitic guy, who stood up, continued to talk,
coming in this direction.
“If you do it any longer, we will face a bad situation either. He was the first
foreigner to receive the title of Honorary Cardinal… He is one of those under
the protection of the Templars, managed by the Holy sector of the State. I
don’t know what they are, but perhaps one of them would have blocked it if
Shaolin-nim hadn’t stopped it.”
‘He knows well…’
I had only been told that this was the case, but I hadn’t actually tried to see if
a Templar would really pop out.
I had never seen the Templars themselves, and I didn’t know how they
moved to protect me. I had only heard stories of them protecting those they
were assigned to out of the blue.
‘Just now was very dangerous… Why didn’t it pop out?’
I am worried that it will pop out after my head gets broken.
“The delegation from the State is still in Laios… and even under continental
law, it is taboo to fight in neutral areas. Of course, it is also illegal to kill
people from other countries. Being criticized by the international community
is something anyone wants to avoid… Especially in sensitive times like these
days. I understand Valentin’s feelings, but he’s not the Mercenary Queen.”
“… …”
“Even if it is not here, there will be a chance someday. In fact, from my point
of view, it is ideal that it does not happen…”
“Oh. It turned out that the introduction was late, Honorary Cardinal Lee
Kiyoung. I’m Jin Qing, one of the Five General Tigers of the Republic and
serving as the Republican military. Nice to meet you.”
“Ah! Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
In fact, I hadn’t heard about him, but he quietly nodded.
‘Intelligence 99.’
He looked to be easy-going, but I knew he was the type to have a lot of

thoughts.
A simple intelligence stat was not an indicator of being smart, but this wizard
looked pretty smart since he had Book Master attached as a title, as well as an
unreadable attribute.
It seemed impossible, but it was not unreasonable to be curious if he had a

mythic-grade attribute, or if he was a user with eyes like Yuno Kasugano or
me.
‘He’s a high level.’

I realized once more in this slightly calm atmosphere that they were of higher
quality than I thought.
She was simply holding on, but that Shaolin had faced Cha Hee-ra for more
than 30 minutes, and Valentin Alexandro was a moving bomb.
Jin Qing, who looked like a good person, was also hiding something despite
his excellent stats.
‘Is he stronger than the Eight Seats?’
Of course, there were monsters like Cha Hee-ra and Kim Hyunsung in the
Eight Seats.
However, they had specifications that exceeded the lower squad of the Eight
Seats of the Empire.
For example, Dawan’s archer, Park Yeon-joo, and Cheon Gwan-wi could not
possibly handle these guys.
The strength was not determined only by visible things such as stats,
attributes, and weapons, but it cannot be said that the gap did not exist at all.
“Well… I don’t know why you came here, but I think it’ll be okay to listen. I
think it would be right to say hello first. Ah! Please take a seat. The same
goes for the lady.”
“Thank you.”
I could see him pulling out the chair to make me sit, but Jung Hayan slightly
crumpled her face as if his kindness was unpleasant.
I didn’t know why, but for some reason, it felt like he was trying to look good
to Jung Hayan.
‘Son of a bitch.’
He had found out that she was an unrivaled talent in the world.
I did not know if he was interested in her as a man, but it was an undeniable
fact that either way, I felt like shit.
He was looking at me with an amused expression.
“Well… It looks like you haven’t eaten yet…”
“This place takes quite a bit of time. Why don’t we try a simple game before
waiting for the meal?
This was unexpected.
‘What’s this bullshit all of a sudden?’

Chapter 305
Chapter 305: Simple Game (1)
“You mean a game?”
“Yes. It’s a simple one. It will be easier if you think of it as a game like chess
or Korean chess. Of course, it can be a little more complicated than that,
but… you will understand it quickly.”
‘Why a game all of a sudden? This crazy bastard…’
I just wanted to ask them to let me go back home quickly, seeing as I was not
interested in this at all. However, I couldn’t possibly say that.
‘Is it safe for now?’
Seeing that he didn’t want to cause problems in conflict areas, he didn’t seem
to like being involved in complicated affairs very much.
Right now, it seemed like he was being strangely favorable to me, but I
would never know when this would change.
I thought it wouldn’t be bad to play along with it since it felt like it wouldn’t
be bad to follow what this guy was saying. For now.
The atmosphere was also not very uncomfortable, and this bastard certainly
controlled Shaolin and Valentin.
I didn’t know if it was because he had the power to surpass these two, or if
there was any other reason, but seeing the Russian Park Deokgu, who
breathed hard but didn’t try to get me, answered my question.
‘It’s fine.’
As I turned and looked at Jung Hayan, I noticed that she still could not relax,
but she seemed to calm down a little when I patted her shoulder slightly.
I lost my appetite, as I thought I had almost died, but I had no choice but to
do as he suggested.
“This dinner is on me. Oh, I think I need to explain the game first. Have you
ever heard of this kind of game?”
“No. I’m only seeing it for the first time…”
One of the guys brought him a board game that looked ridiculously big.
It was composed of dozens of Korean chess horses, and it would be true that
the map itself was taken from a real terrain.
Forests, seas, deserts, plains, city walls. The composition greatly.
Kings, knights, wizards, knights, priests, people, I couldn’t say exactly what,
but as he spoke, it felt like this was an extension of chess, or Korean chess.
It’s even more complicated than those. We had to deliver supplies to the
fighting horses, and in order to move troops classified by classes, we had to
meet the necessary resources.
The soldiers were also very subdivided, and many classes were basically
operated on the continent, such as archers, infantry, and horse riders.
‘Game, my ass…’
This board was a miniature version of a war.
Of course, it was undeniable that some rules were in place as we were

playing a game.
‘What is his intention?’
I started to get curious about his primary intention.
Perhaps I could think of this as real entertainment, or perhaps he intended to

test me out.
The way he looked forward to it, it seemed like he’d heard about me, but
most of the information about me being a genius of resourcefulness was
fabricated.
‘I think I made him misunderstood…’
However, this was not a situation where I could refuse.
“The basic rules are the same as always. When the king dies, it’s a defeat.
Losing all the horses you have is also a defeat. If you have any questions or
need anything, feel free to tell me.”
“Okay.”
“I think it would be better to give some additional handicap…”
“I will not refuse. The more, the better.”
“I thought you would be offended, but that’s fortunate.”
‘Why would I be offended?’
If he thought I would refuse, then he was wrong.
I enjoyed starting advantageously, to begin with. I was just doing this to gain
more time, but…
‘This is an opportunity.’
As I glanced at Jung Hayan, she nodded as if she knew what I wanted.
Since he was a military of the Republic, it was natural that he was smart for
this kind of strategic simulation.
Unfortunately, I was not into chess or Korean chess, but I could adapt a little
since this was not an ordinary horse game.
Exactly until a few minutes ago, I thought so.
‘This… this… son of a bitch. This fucking pro!’
From the beginning, my troops and supplies were superior.
However, as the game progressed, I gradually felt embarrassed.
No matter how much it was my first time, he did so well aside from my
inexperience. Little by little, he gnawed my horses and tightened my breath.
I wonder how I, who had maintained more troops, managed to get stuck.
The more I moved the horses, the more I felt like things are getting twisted.
In fact, my camp was in a state of chaos from the start. What was even more
annoying was that I felt that he was going easy on me, but he had a slightly
annoyed face as time passed, unlike the initial amused look.
“The genius of the Empire, no, the State…”
It was a spectacle seeing him mumbling.
Unfortunately, being a genius was only part of publicity.
At the time of the Eight Imperial Seats’ announcement, the imperial family
had spread a lot of ridiculous stories, so I thought it was not unreasonable for
him to have such information.
But even if he were to grasp this false information, it didn’t mean that I did
not feel offended at all.
There was definitely a feeling of contempt on his occasional cold stare at me.
‘No, is it different from contempt…’
His face now was not showing a boring face or a face that is looking down on
me. I didn’t know why, but he seemed very upset.
‘What’s up with this bastard?’
It was then that a little unexpected voice burst out, just as we had reached the
game’s midpoint.
“Are you not playing properly? You don’t have to bother about the others
here. It’s literally a game, and I don’t want to cause friction regardless of win
or loss.”
‘What bullshit is that?’
“I want you to play it a little sincerely.”
‘So, what bullshit is that?’
I was already playing as sincerely as I could.
If I were really playing the game for entertainment, I’d have chosen to lose at
some point. That was the way to make the other side like you, after all.
‘What can I do if it’s not working? You bastard.’
If I had been familiar with this game, I wouldn’t be losing in such a

ridiculous manner.
If I had been good at tactics, I could have tried, but he was like Lee Jihye,
who had chosen to be a commander, not me.
I did some basic studies and thought that I wasn’t bad either, but…
‘He’s on another level.’
I couldn’t even be considered a match for him.
It was then, after 10 moves had passed, that this crazy guy’s mood had
changed a little.
“I thought this would be a good entertainment in a while. From my

perspective, I thought I was considerate enough of Honorary Cardinal. I
guess the Honorary Cardinal doesn’t want to compete sincerely with me.”
‘Compete for what, you crazy bastard?’
“I think it would be better to make a light bet. That way, Honorary Cardinal
will be a little interested, too…”
“What?”
“Let’s say that if I win in the next 100 moves, it’s my victory. Otherwise, it’s
the Honorary Cardinal’s victory. What should be the content? Oh, let’s bet a
finger. All ten fingers. I’m not sure, but if it’s a simple bet, the Templars of
the Holy sector may also tolerate.”
I almost cursed. This filthy pro had no consideration for newbies.
I lifted my head a little in doubt and looked at his face, but his eyes weren’t
looking at me. It was striking to see that he was focused 100% on the game,
trying to somehow bring out my true intentions.
‘He’s serious.’
What was stuck in his eyes was sincerity without a speck of dust.
In terms of disposition, he was not someone who enjoyed gambling. This

meant that he already knew he had victory on his side.
Unfortunately for him, I had no hidden intentions with playing this game.
‘This crazy bastard!’
“B-Beat him! Oppa! Don’t go easy on him!”
‘I said, I’m not.’
Jung Hayan was also cheering with her two fists clenched as if I could win,
which added some more tension to Jin Qing’s expression.
‘Fuck, someone, bring Lee Jihye.’

I was definitely not strong enough in this area.
The crazy bastard who promised to finish it in 100 moves began to pressure
me in earnest.
It was impossible to oppose him in the first place. I couldn’t keep up with
him with my dull mindset.
‘I have to hold on.’
It might be possible if it was just about not losing.
The conditions for defeat were that the king must not die, as well as prevent
the horses’ annihilation.
As soon as I said that, his face crumpled immediately when he figured out my
intention.
“You mean you won’t fight until the end.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about right now.”
“I thought I had shown enough favor to you, but the Honorary Cardinal
seems to ignore me to the end.”
“You seem to have misunderstood something, really.”
“…”
His expression crumbled. I didn’t know why, but I think I had made him
mad.
If I was ridiculously defeated, I thought that not only my fingers but my neck
might be blown away, so no other expression would be necessary.
However, my behavior didn’t change.
It was impossible to overturn a match that had been lost from the middle.
This was a turn-based game in the first place.
Although the space was limited, if he moved one space forward, I could step
back one space. I might be able to endure this for 100 moves, but that was a
small possibility.
‘The priority is to save the king.’
I wouldn’t think about anything else.
One knight was sent to a plain where it was relatively easy to move, and the
archer or assassin was sent to flee to the forest.
The wizard was used only to attract the attention of the enemy and the
people…
‘That’s going to be discarded.’
After securing as much of the supplies that the people provided each turn, I
used them to gain some time, or block a path.
Killing the people running toward the main force made him consume a turn.
If this wasn’t a game, I’d be absolutely crushed, but…
‘It doesn’t matter because it’s a game, anyway.’
Honestly, I couldn’t be sure that I wouldn’t also move in this manner if a real
war were to actually break out.
I don’t know if he would be satisfied, but if his purpose was to understand a

human named Lee Kiyoung, then part of that purpose was achieved.
‘I’m sorry I’m such a shitty person.’
While our great people blocked his main force, my king began to fall back.
I also used common soldiers until the end and pushed it in boldly when I
judged that they could no longer withstand it.
Nevertheless, his troops, who were taking away my side one by one, were
now suffocating.
‘Is he some kind of Zhuge Liang?’
In the next 20 moves, a picture of my king being caught by his soldier was
being drawn in my mind.
Chapter 306
Chapter 306: Simple Game (2)
It would all be over in the next 20 moves.
Considering the location of the horse that he would move and the space
where I can run away, his troops would arrive here within at least 20 moves.
There was still a little more left until the 100 moves he promised would come
to an end.
Although I tried hard to hold on, he didn’t spend turns by ignoring the bait
thrown earlier or chasing away troops.
He must be thinking that he only needed to take the king.
‘Was I supposed to have added more troops to the king?’
The baits thrown in all directions to prevent the annihilation of the troops did
not work.
He knew that he wouldn’t be able to get me within 100 moves.
‘My finger…’
Of course, I could put it back on, but that didn’t mean that I liked the pain
that came with having it getting cut off.
No wonder I wanted to give this crazy pro a blow.
I had no choice but to start thinking.
Although I had endured enough, the retreat had already been blocked, and he
had tightened me in all directions.
There was also a limit to putting the king behind, and most of the people had
already come to their end as chess horses.
I tapped my finger on the table and saw the guy glancing at me.
Seeing that he was still staring at me with a quiet face, he thought that I had
still been dealing with him moderately.
The meal that was served a few minutes ago was now getting cold, and those
watching the game now turned their gazes to me.
Those who knew how to watch the match must be counting the moves by
now.
‘Fuck…’
Although I had no choice, I had to try.
Not only did I smirk, but I also showed a smile as if everything was going as
expected. Everyone’s gazes shifted into curiosity.
They’re wondering why I was able to make this face in such a situation.
Of course, everything was just bullshit and acting.
Jin Qing also started looking at me, amused as I was maintaining the poker
face. He then suddenly grinned.
I didn’t say anything, but I had instilled the idea that my next move would be
different.
‘Different, my ass.’
Strategy was my area, but not my strength.
It was embarrassing for me to say this, but my strengths were incitement and
fabrication, fraud, blackmail, and…
‘Psychological warfare.’
In this kind of game where you could play face-to-face, there was room for
this kind of joke.
As soon as I flicked my finger, it began to form a small dragon arm from the
table.
The faces of those looking at me were amazed.
Of course, they would.
It was not a very useful ability, but I had never seen anyone who wasn’t
surprised to see this dragon skill.
King.
The main unit moving with the king was caught by the product of my
alchemy skill, and the horse slowly began to move.
Even in the meantime, I maintained the smile on my face as if Jin Qing

would soon get caught.
I made the troops that had spread penetrate his core, and the knights who
gained time in the plains also turned around.
It was a ridiculous, evil move, a move that meant nothing.
‘Work. Please… let it work.’
If the answer was that he was overestimating me, I could get this to work.
This was not entirely lost yet.
The scattered troops and the soldiers with the king also could afford to resist
until the end.
The same went for supplies. It would not be enough, but I could still procure
things that could reach his king.
No more production was possible because there were no people…

‘I just need to move the supplies that the soldiers have to the knights.’
Of course, the soldiers would die in isolation.
However, the knight’s sword could still reach the other king.
I had no intention of counterattacking, but I also had no choice but to hope

that this meaningless move would become a genius stroke that no one would
be able to understand.
It was then that he looked at me quietly.
‘Did it work?’
His face seemed to be wondering as to why I made this move. Seeing him
scrambling for an answer was quite funny, honestly speaking.
I didn’t know what his next move would be, but at least I had made room for
thought.
Too much pretentiousness could cause doubts, so it would not be harmful to

be appropriately arrogant.
I stared at him with my legs crossed slightly as if telling him to figure out, to
accept it, and he began to look into the board to see if the move I had made
was really correct.
I didn’t say anything. No, it was already unnecessary.
I had no choice but to wait for the Republic’s galleries that came with him to
interpret it at will.
As expected, a humming sound began to resonate. I didn’t think he would

lose his judgment, but I wanted him to be shaken by the galleries a bit.
Doubt and firm determination were evident in his eyes.
One side would think that he should be careful with my move, and the other
side would think it didn’t matter, and to just keep pushing.
In the fight that was taking place inside him, I had no choice but to hope that
the one who wanted to wait and see would win.
Finally, he began to hold his horse in his hand.
I looked at the board with a throbbing heart, and he…
‘Done!’
He chose to wait and see another move.
‘Pfff.’
Of course, even if I earned one more turn, it was planned that I would lose,
but at least it felt like I had screwed with him.
I didn’t know if he pretended to be deceived or was really deceived, but it

was undeniable that he moved as I intended, anyway.
I picked up the horse again with the dragon’s arm still in shape on the table.
There was expectation on his face.
It looked like he was looking forward to what I would do next. Of course,

there was nothing to show.
It was just a show to gain some time, but it really seemed like he thought I
was hiding something.
‘Retard.’
If he were to look back in this game in the future, he would probably notice
that I had nothing hidden up my sleeve.
Once again, it was just when I lifted the horse.
Baaaaang!
The door popped out with a loud sound.

Not only the door, but the entrance itself had gotten completely smashed.
As I turned my head momentarily, I saw a person I was glad to have seen in

that moment.
“Hee-ra?”
An angel had come to protect my fingers.
‘Fuuuckl! Cha Hee-ra is the best!’
Of course, it wasn’t just her.
Park Deokgu and Han Sora were also present, and some members of the Red
Mercenary.
And…
‘Yuno Kasugano!’
With both eyes closed, I saw a face looking for me urgently.
I had never been this happy to see that face.
“What…”
Jin Qing was dumbfounded, but only for a brief moment. Meanwhile,
Valentin, who lost his mind whenever something about Mercenary Queen
was brought up, rushed toward her.
Korean Park Deokgu, a combat power meter, blocked him.
Korean Park Deokgu bounced out with a banging sound, but the guy got up
again and rushed to the Russian.
“This insect… I’ll kill you.”
“Don’t you think this greeting is too rough…? Ahem. Huh?”

In this sudden situation, Shaolin withdrew her whip, and other Republicans
were also preparing for battle.
Of course, our saviors who came to find me also had poison in their eyes.
Jin Qing stood up and once again opened his mouth toward Russian Park
Deokgu.
“Valentin Alexandro, I told you I don’t want to cause any problems.”
“…”
“Cha Hee-ra, it’s been a while. And… it’s been a long time, too, Yuno
Kasugano.”
“I didn’t come here to get your greetings, you rat. I came to get someone
back.”
“Oh, there seems to be a misunderstanding. We did not persecute Lee

Kiyoung, one of the Eight Seats of the State, but… rather, Lee Kiyoung came
here…”
“Shut up. If you don’t want to see me going crazy… The reason I’m not
doing anything now is because of the debt my honey owes to that crazy whip
girl.”
I could see Jin Qing staring at Shaolin with a smile on his face.
Shaolin began to open her mouth, gently softening her arm.
“I once stopped that gorilla from going crazy at Castle Rock. Probably
because of that…”
“You’re right. Whatever the reason, this event ends here. Oh, Valentin,
you’re still the same. How have you been?”
“This bitch…”
I thought their roaring at each other was just like a dog and a cat.
I realized that the Empire’s relationship with the Republic was definitely not
that good. Not only for continental people but also for foreigners, but it
wasn’t nice to see.
If an accident occurred, there was a high possibility that Jung Hayan and I
would be the first to be sacrificed.
Under the Continental Law, accidents in neutral areas were taboo, and Jin
Qing, just like me, did not want to cause significant friction.
Although I couldn’t tell which side was superior, the squad with Cha Hee-ra,
Yuno Kasugano, and Jung Hayan was by no means weak.
That pro’s ability was still unknown, but if something were to happen,
someone would definitely die.
Whatever the case, the first thing to do was to calm the hostility that was
filling the air.
“Excuse me, but I think it would be better to stop, Jin Qing.”
“Oh…”
He had a look of regret, probably because he wouldn’t be able to see my next

move.
I stood up fairly confidently, and, of course, no one held me back.
It was because Jin Qing had grabbed the hand that I extended.
He also didn’t want to cause friction here, so it was only right that this would
end here.
Hee-ra also let go of the tension as the warm atmosphere of exchanging

greetings while shaking hands was created.
I wanted to make fun of him a little more, so I opened my mouth toward him.
“If it had gone that way, I would have won the bet.”
Of course, it was bullshit.
“It would have been fun.”
He bowed before turning to look at the board once more.
“Shaolin-nim, I will get in contact with you.”
“I bet you I may go crazy if you don’t do it this time again. I won’t see you
off because of that red gorilla, so goodbye.”
Of course, I now planned to make an appointment with Shaolin.
Unlike before, when I was busy paying attention to the inside, I was now
interested in the Republic.
What kind of guy Jin Qing was, who were the members of the Five General
Tigers of the Republic, and some other basic information.
While I was saying goodbye to Shaolin, Jung Hayan was also talking to Jin
Qing, and I could see that he had given her a note.
I had no choice but to realize that the interest he first showed in Jung Hayan
was sincere.
‘It’s impossible to like him, that guy.’
It was natural to be upset when someone tried to put their hands on what I
had.
As I looked at her quietly, she got surprised and ran over here. The guy who
was just trying to say goodbye to Jung Hayan hardened his face for a
moment.
Jung Hayan grabbed my arm tightly, and I silently opened my mouth toward
her.
I had to make sure she did what I ordered.

“Did you just record it?”
“You mean the war g-game, right?”
“Yes. I’ll analyze it right away when I get home. I’ll send the video to Lee
Jihye as well, you will be tired, but it would be better to stay with me all
night today. It’s okay with you?”
“Yes… Yes! O-of course. Absolutely.”
“Oh. And I don’t like you getting along with someone like that. Do you know
what I’m talking about?”
I can, and you can’t.
I was such a hypocrite.
I could see that Jung Hayan’s face had turned pale upon seeing the reproach
on my face.
Innocent Jung Hayan seemed to think that she had just cheated on me.
Chapter 307
Chapter 307: Jung Hayan’s Instruction Manual (1)
‘I’m annoyed.’
I wasn’t neglecting Jung Hayan, but, indeed, I wasn’t paying attention

enough. I had thought that, whatever I did, she would support me all the way.
Of course, that thought remained the same now, but…
‘I forgot.’
I indeed forgot about the value of Jung Hayan.
She was a genius wizard that Kim Hyunsung had been watching since the
tutorial.
Her importance was indescribable when I recalled that her talent was
extraordinary. Even I, who could not see the same future as Hyunsung could,
could understand that much.
It was not enough to say that she was a talent sent from heaven.
Even those who had legendary or higher-grade magical talent didn’t grow as
fast as her, or were as familiar with magic as her.
Among many talented wizards, Jung Hayan’s growth was overwhelmingly

fast and strong.
She was a talented person who was essential in order to escape the future
threats that Kim Hyunsung knew.
She was fast catching up with Kim Hyunsung, a returner, with her pure
talent, so this alone was enough to label her as out of specification.
It was just a simple guess, but Jung Hayan was an indispensable wizard for
the future to come, and she was a talent enough to those who didn’t know this
to drool over for her.
It was not unreasonable for the opposing camp to be interested in her like
today.
If she simply looked strong, it would not have caused a problem.
Anyone could see that she looked mentally unstable, and since she was not
easy to be handled, it was no wonder that she could attract people.
Even if I had been on the opposite side of Jung Hayan, I could be sure I
would have done all kinds of crap to get her on my side. Jin Qing seemed to
think the same.
‘Absolutely not.’
There was no one anywhere who wanted to be robbed of the sweet fruit he
had grown with all his might.
In fact, there were many times when I thought that it would be better to
distance myself a little because Jung Hayan’s excessive affection burdened
me, but when I felt that someone was taking away our precious archmage,
love that did not exist before began to arise.
‘It surely would be a shame.’
On one hand, it was regrettable that Jin Qing was interested in her.
If it were someone else, it would not be a bad idea to use it as a role in

extracting information.
Anyway, after I finished talking, she started to panic.
She seemed like an innocent girl who didn’t have the concept of pushing and
pulling, and was worried that this might make me hate her.
“I-i-it’s not like that. It really isn’t like that! He was just talking to me… I,
I…”
“… …”
“I’m not t-that kind of woman!”
Suddenly, she burst.
I didn’t know what kind of woman Jung Hayan was talking about, but if what
I was guessing was correct, I was indeed a man like that.
It was quite the sight to see her running towards me in a fit of surprise.
It wouldn’t be bad to try increasing the intensity a little more, so I could see
her tearing up when I turned to avoid her gaze.
Upon seeing this, she made short work of Jin Qing’s note, even going so far
as to use magic to burn it up before stepping on it, as if she had been touching
something dirty.
The interesting fact was that Jin Qing was looking at the scene, and, of
course, it made his face crumple.
Whatever his intentions, it would be strange if he wouldn’t be upset to see

something like that in front of his eyes.
‘Don’t touch it. I call dibs on this.’
Obviously, I showed this type of expression.
Jung Hayan shed thick tears while she continued to desperately defend
herself.
I was a little embarrassed because even I didn’t expect such an overreaction.
“Sniff… hic. I’m really n-not that kind of woman. Really. Hic. I’m not
cheating on you or something like that, really…”
It was all the more exciting to see her staring at the person who made the
misunderstanding as if she didn’t like him, but I felt that any further
stimulation would wear out my conscience, so I had to hold out my hand.
It was undoubtedly cute to see her running to me when she saw this.
Looking ahead, I could see the lovely rescue workers still waiting for me.
“I know, Hayan. I was just saying, so you don’t have to worry too much.”
“I’m really not. Hic… really.”
“I know. I just said it.”
And with this, I went to fix the atmosphere.
I repeated that it was okay, but she continued breathing harshly. The glances
of resentment sent to Jin Qing remain unchanged.
And that concluded the business I had with him.
The officials of the Republic seemed to be on the lookout for us until the end.
It was not unusual for them to react like that since Hee-ra was glaring at them
in such a scary manner.
The first one that greeted me was Park Deokgu as I moved from the Republic
to the State’s camp.
Perhaps thanks to blocking the attack of the Russian Doppelganger, he didn’t

look the best.
Still…
‘Even to be able to continue standing up is something to be grateful for.’
He bounced off terribly, but he had already grown to the point where he
could stop that attack at least once.
“Did you get hurt?”

“No, Deokgu. There’s no problem. I think it’s better to take care of your body
first than me. You just blocked an attack…”
“Well, I think my insides are a little twisted, but it’s not a big deal. I can
survive by receiving treatment from the priests. Rather than that…”
“Why did you come here? Honey?”
Cha Hee-ra cut our conversation off. She seemed annoyed, but perhaps she
didn’t like the fact that I’d put myself in danger. She also seemed to think
that I went crawling into the tiger’s mouth by myself.
Even if I were Cha Hee-ra, I wouldn’t believe that I came in by chance.
“It was really a coincidence. Actually, there is a reason that I’ve come this
far, but to explain it is a little long… Thanks anyway, Nuna. It was actually a
time when I was getting a little nervous.”
“If this weren’t a neutral area, you would have died. No matter how much
you say our second is next to you, it’s not good to wander around too much.
Do you understand me?”
“Yes.”
Even at a glance, she didn’t seem to be in such a good mood.
Although the Republic and the State had always been in disputes, in fact, I
didn’t expect the foreigners to have such a bad relationship between them.
It seemed that emotions ran deep enough that they couldn’t be united by the
fact of being the same foreigners.
If they had faced each other on the battlefield several times, it would be
natural to think that way.
Even though it was said that they were doing well now, it was difficult for
those who fought in the past to smile and greet each other.
‘The ones who came in recently won’t understand…’

Even Yuno Kasugano didn’t seem very comfortable. When I went to greet
her, however, her expression loosened.
Anyway, Cha Hee-ra continued staring at the people of the Republic until the
end.
She still seemed to be in a bad mood.
Even Jung Hayan was walking, feeling a little blue, so there was no need to
explain that the way back was pretty gloomy.
‘I guess I’m going to get busy…’
In the meantime, I began to wonder as to what could happen in the future.
As the problem with the Republic floated on the surface, I knew I had to
gather some information.
The first was to find out if they really were our enemies.
***
‘Please. Please, just let it go as if nothing happened… please…’
I didn’t like coming here from the beginning.
I felt as if every day I was on pins and needles.
There was something ominous from the beginning, but seeing the way we
were going back, I had no choice but to repeat the same thoughts over and
over again.
Instructor Lee Kiyoung, no, moving with Vice Guild Master Lee Kiyoung
was also burdensome, and my flesh trembled.
Just thinking that the same accident as the last time might happen made me
tingle.
As I glanced at the side, I saw Jung Hayan-nim, who has maintained the same
face for the last few days.
A stiff face.
I understood very well from my experience that that face meant she was on
the verge of exploding.
Just by glancing at her, I felt like my bladder was tickling, so I had to turn to
the person I thought was the safest.
He was the only one who could protect me if something happens.
“Do I have something on my face?”
“No…”
“Come to think of it, how are the things Hyung-nim asked for…?”
“There is no problem, for now. Even though Queen Pristina is still a little
firm, the Vice Guild Master seems to have thought that this would take a lot
of time… I was instructed not to move, being too obvious.”
“Yes. I see. There’s a reason why Hyung-nim brought you. I noticed it from
the time he asked me to bring you, but it seemed like he was trying to entrust
the administrative affairs as well. Isn’t that right, Hayan?”
“Ah… Yes.”
However, he also seemed to be watching out for Jung Hayan.
She seemed a little nervous for a different reason than me, but she was openly
showing that she was in a bad mood, and it was not unreasonable for her to
be so restless since she continued crying even while eating.
The atmosphere resembled a mourner’s house.
When I recalled the cause of all this, a resentful feeling began to leak from
one side of my heart.
‘Please… Please…’
The same was true now.
Jung Hayan’s eyes were filled with tears since morning, but I didn’t feel
sorry for her.
I was rather scared.
It was because I remembered the first encounter with her.
“Hey, H… Hayan, don’t worry too much.”
“Gasp… I-I’m really not that kind of woman… Hic…”
“H-hyung-nim told you he was just saying. H-he really doesn’t care. The
reason he doesn’t have time to be with you is because he’s always busy.
Busy…”
“B-but…”
“It’s not only you but also Sora, and I haven’t seen Hyung-nim in years. Even
the Mercenary Queen and the Shaman said it’d been a long time since they
had a meal with him. Perhaps, from his perspective, isn’t it natural that he
wants to learn more about the Republic while we’re here? I can guarantee, I
don’t know what mistake you made, but it’s never because of you that he
hasn’t been here recently.”
“I-in the past, no matter how busy he was, he always hugged me once, but…
from that day on…”
“It’s all your imagination. Actually, it didn’t look much different to me.
Instead, I feel that he’s paying more attention to you… and it seems you’re
overreacting a bit.”
“But… hic…”
I wanted that prediction to be correct.

If that were the case, I would have been able to sleep relaxed. However, I also
knew it was impossible for things to be solved so quickly.
“Haap… It’s all because of that guy. H-he said we would go on a date again.
Haap… He hasn’t said anything else since that day… the date has been
canceled, too…”
“It’s not really your fault.”
“I’m not that kind of woman… Hic. T-that guy made him misunderstand…”
“It seems like that, too…”
“… …”
The look in her eyes had begun to look weirder and weirder. My mind
flashed back to the past.
‘Please don’t do this. Please, please, let’s live peacefully.’
I didn’t know what she was thinking, but Jung Hayan-nim’s face was slowly
stiffening.
‘Please. Please… Please, just hold it in.’

Chapter 308
‘What do I do?’
My legs trembled, almost unconsciously.
‘S-Should I run away…?’
It was not unreasonable to think that. Deokgu didn’t seem to have noticed
something strange yet, but I, who had already seen her like that before, knew
very well what that meant.
It felt like the point of the conversation didn’t match. It was scary to hear her
voice continually muttering quietly.
I didn’t know what it was, but it was natural to think that she was buried in
one thought.
The current Vice Guild Master Lee Kiyoung was really busy. He was already
busy because of the thing with the neutral country, and since the Republican
variable had intervened, it was natural for him to have a lot of routes in mind.
The situation had even gotten busy enough for him to entrust me with a few
simple things, so there would be no need to explain how busy he really was.
The problem was with Jung Hayan, and the way she had accepted it.
‘What the hell did he say..?’
I didn’t know what happened or what she heard because she didn’t go out to
meet the Vice Guild Master, but looking at her reaction, it seemed like she
had been scolded, being asked if she had cheated on him.
‘It’s complete hypocrisy.’

The fact that the Vice Guild Master’s relationship with women was not so
clean was the fact that not only Lindel, but also the State and the whole sky
knew.
I just wondered how he said that without blinking.
‘She thinks it’s all that guy’s fault.’
Not only was the initially scheduled date suddenly canceled, but the recent
drastically reduced time together made me feel like she was turning all of the
causes to him.
She turned the arrow at one of the Five General Tigers of the Republic. Of
course, it was just a prediction, and it could simply be speculation.
However, it was natural to become sensitive to each and every action of Jung
Hayan-nim from my standpoint, hoping that a big thing would not happen.
I wanted to leave in a hurry, but my legs didn’t move. Surprisingly, it was

Deokgu who went first.
“Oh. I-it’s training time. I have to go out first… Ahem. I’ll see you this
evening… Ahem.”
‘S-so cheap.’
I didn’t know the details, but he thought that it was out of the scope of the
cases he could handle.
‘I trusted him…’
I wanted to leave, but my feet refused to move. Instead, my legs started to

tremble, and my body trembled like strabismus. With the cold sweat that kept
running down, I bit my lips tightly and turned my attention as much as
possible.
“W-What can I do?”
“Yes… Yes… Yes?”

“What can I do…? What if Oppa keeps hating me?”
It was hard to tell whether she was talking to herself or me.
“So…”
Obviously, I had gone through a similar situation before. Whatever the case,
the right answer was to get up and get out of this place right now.
The moment I moved my body while tapping my stubborn leg, I suddenly felt
her squeezing my hand.
“Aaaahhh!”
A scream popped out at the moment, my heart rattled, but the hall was still
quiet.
“So, what do you think, Sora-ssi? What should I do?”
‘Don’t ask me.’
“Hic… I don’t want to be hated by Oppa… He must be thinking that… I-I’m

such a woman who goes around in any place…Hic!”
‘That’s not you. It’s him… He’s doing it!’
I had to swallow back the words that came to my throat. I couldn’t predict
what would happen if I were to spit that out.
With as much courage as possible, I turned my head, and what I saw was a
woman showing an anxious look while wiping thick tears.
I shouldn’t think of this, but I started to feel somewhat sorry for her.
‘It would be right to comfort her.’
For now, that was the right answer.
“As Deokgu oppa said, it would be okay. He wouldn’t think that. It seems…
that he was just saying… and because he’s actually… very busy.”
“H-His eyes definitely looked a little different from usual… Hic. He just
seemed to hate me…”
“You must have been mistaken. Yes. E-Even when he’s with me, he talked a
lot about Jung Hayan-nim. That you’re kind, good, and he always says…
you’re the one he loves.”
“Really? Ah… did you ever talk to O-oppa?”
“Of… course! We weren’t alone! Yes! We weren’t alone! Deokgu was also
there! Yes! We couldn’t have been alone. Yes. Hahaha… We weren’t like
that.”
“Ahhh… I see.”
“And whether he just said it or not, isn’t it good to have listened to t-that?”
“W-what? What’s good about it?”
Despite having a short conversation, my body trembled, all out of nerves.

There was a possibility that I would fall into hell with one wrong move.
‘It was dangerous.’
In particular, the story that I talked about with Vice Guild Master Lee
Kiyoung had room for misunderstanding.
“What exactly did the Vice Guild Master say?”
“He doesn’t like that… Hic! I talk to people like him.”
“Yes. That’s good!”
“What’s good about that…”
‘Don’t stare at me… please. Please…’

“It means… he’s jealous.”
“Jealous?”
“Yes. Vice Guild Master Lee Kiyoung doesn’t want to see you talking to
other men. Definitely. If he didn’t like you, he wouldn’t care…no matter
what you did with that guy. If he said that… it means that he’s possessive.
It’s rather good.”
“I-i-it means that?! Possessive?”
“Yes. Sure.”
“Was O-pppa jealous?”
“I’m not sure because I wasn’t there, but…”
“Oppa was jealous…”
“Yes. Right.”
“Oppa was jealous!”
“Yes!”
“He wants to own me!”
“Yes! That’s it!”
Did I say the right thing? I thought about it, but I couldn’t figure it out for the
life of me. For now, she stopped crying.
She was so excited that my nerves skyrocketed, but my breathing became

more and more comfortable when I saw Jung Hayan’s eager face.
‘Did I really say the right thing?’
But the problem was that I kept feeling anxious. I don’t know why, but
unidentified anxiety sprouted in the corner of my heart.
‘If the….’
She realized that the Vice Guild Master was jealous, but if she tried to do the
same thing again, and end up being really hated… If this happened once
again, and once again come into a groaning and crying situation, this time the
arrow may turn towards me.
‘It’s because of the S-S-Sora. It’s because of Sora! Hic… I really didn’t want
to do this… It’s all your fault!’
When I imagined Jung Hayan stabbing me with a dagger by saying that, I

started to think it wasn’t the right thing. Whatever I said, it would be hell
after that, but at least I wanted to avoid the arrows to my side.
I might really die. Last time, I just survived because I had been really lucky.
No, it was better to die than to go through that once again.
I had been looking for happiness little by little recently.
“A-and!”
“Yes?”
“And that person must’ve had… bad intention. Yes. Bad intentions. The Vice
Guild Master tends to see people well, so he must have noticed that the
person has a different idea. He doesn’t really care about Jung Hayan talking
with other men, right? He must have had something different in his mind.
That’s why he was upset.”
“Ah… I-I see.”
“Yes. Of course, it doesn’t mean that everything I’m saying is correct, but I
think it’s likely to be so. Rather than because of Jung Hayan-nim…”
“Right? Is it because of that, that bad person, right?”
“Yes.”
“What do I do?”
“Yes?”
“I have to prove that I have only Oppa. I have to prove that I don’t care about
that bad guy as much as a hairpin.”
“You don’t have to prove it…”
“Oppa should know that I am not that kind of woman… Yes. Right.”
“Wouldn’t he… already know?”
“But he needs to know a little more. Jealousy is good, p-possessive is good,

too, but… I hate him looking at me like that. I will… Yes. I only have Oppa.
We have to prove our innocence. Because she said he was a bad person.
Yes… It’s not our fault.”
I started to feel like the air was gradually getting heavier.
“Yes. It’s… not because of Hayan-nim.”
“It’s because of that person, right?”
“If you have to find someone guilty… It could be, but…”
“I only have Oppa, but he talked to me for no reason and made him have a
useless doubt. He made him look at me as a strange woman. So it’s correct
that it’s his fault. This wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for him. He
was the one who interrupted our date… At that time, though, the atmosphere
was good at first… We could have dinner together, and we could have
become o-one formally! Okay… But we were disturbed.”
“Ah… that…”
“We were disturbed. We were disturbed… It wasn’t enough to interfere, so

he took time with something unreasonable. Just think about it. It was actually
dangerous then. My precious oppa could have died by them. Those are the
people he doesn’t need. And they are dangerous people.”
‘It’s wrong.’
It was terrifying to see her keep muttering alone. I thought I was going to feel
nauseous thinking about that time. The rat in front of the cat would not be
more scared than this.
“Right. It’s not just that person. That woman seemed to like Oppa, too…
Even the big guy swung his fist at Oppa. Just think about it. It’s those people
who keep him busy. If it weren’t for those people, we would have been able
to hang out every day… Why do they come to Laios and make people feel
uncomfortable? They should be stuck… in the Republic! Those i-idiots!
Those fools! There are many places I haven’t been to yet, and there are many
things I want to do… Deokgu also said this trip was an opportunity! They
ruined all those opportunities. Everything! They screwed it all up!”
“P… please…”
“I have to get rid of them. I have to kill them.”
“Help me…”
“I have to kill… It’s to clean up. I should have gotten a little stronger…
Because those people are also strong…”
“Please. Please save me.”
Not only was my body shaking, but I started to feel that my bottoms were
getting damp.
Tears flowed out of my tightly closed eyes. I knew that I wasn’t the target of
that anger, but my mouth kept asking for help. The nightmares I felt before
started to come to my mind.
The voice of Jung Hayan-nim, which was heard while murmuring

unknowingly for help, gradually faded. The room had quieted down.
‘Did she leave?’
As soon as that hopeful thought entered my head, a voice spoke up to dash it.
“Sora-ssi also thinks the same, right?”

Of course, I had no choice but to nod at her words.
[HAHAHAHAHHAA, deadass, I’ve never laughed so much while

proofreading. Anyways, the team is having issues getting 30 chapters this
week due to holiday scheduling issues. I hope you guys understand. There are
only 12 chapters today.]
Chapter 309
It was undoubtedly unpleasant that the situation was twisted.
It was something I had been prepared for. From the time I came here, I knew
that I would have to spend some time on this, but the work had become more
complicated than I had initially thought.
In fact, hoping for results in less than a week after coming here was worse
than a thief’s mindset.
Looking at Pristina gently avoiding my suggestions or questions, I thought

maybe this alliance proposal itself was problematic.
‘Prematurely.’
Only a week had passed since then. As the other side was also aware of our
intention, it was natural for it to be necessary to do prior work, rather than
move openly.
Even Han Sora, who I had an expectation for, was working hard, and I also
spent most of my time with the people of Laios, so it would be correct to
think that I was laying the foundation for now.
‘Republican bastards… so annoying…’
It was obvious as to why I had become so nervous about something I didn’t

have to be anxious about. The anxiety factor that everyone knew was none
other than the existence of the Republic.
Three of the Eight State seats moved, and those who could be said to be
important figures of the Republic also visited Laios. It would be fortunate if
they simply came to enjoy tourism, but that was an impossible thing to hope
for.
I had to think that they wanted something else, and that maybe, what they
wanted wasn’t much different from what we wanted.
‘An alliance with Laios.’
In a way, I could say that it was a kind of work that would take place every
year, but this time it felt like the scale had gotten much bigger.
As such, it was an indicator that the situation on the continent was unstable,
so there was no need to explain the importance of this event.
If Laios and the Republic formed an alliance, it would be a big loss for the
Empire. As the State had already achieved many results, it would be
regrettable for us not to take any action now.
‘Absolutely…’
I did not want to miss the benefits that I could reap from this place. It had
already been decided that I was busy with all the important issues gathered.
Thanks to that, each day had become very monotonous.
The day would begin by meeting Pristina and other people from the neutral
country.
It was no big deal, but I had also met with foreigners living in Laios and
talked about the supply of potions I made, all produced in the State.
While proposing a contract enough to satisfy them, I talked about the benefits
we could share if Laios were to join the State. In a way, we would give them
enough money that can be called a lobby, and of course, a contract with this
good condition has not been yet implemented. Rather than me refusing, the
neutral country didn’t like these contracts, and they were aware that if there
was something to receive, there should be something to give.
‘Their vigilance is thick.’
They say they welcomed the guests, but the Republic and the State were
indeed unwelcome guests for Laios. They hoped to maintain their position as
a neutral country rather than the immediate gains, so in a way, it was like
talking to a brick wall.
Nevertheless, since there was nothing that I could do other than trying
continuously, it was best to lay as much ground as possible from the State’s
perspective.
The Republic might be in a similar situation. It was impossible to implement

extreme diplomatic strategies as we knew that opposite camps were staying at
Laios. Although we were in a position where we couldn’t confirm what each
force was proposing and how it was moving, we didn’t have to see to know.
Actually, I should have taken a rest and focused on talking with the Laios.
Since there were many complex issues entangled, I had to skip all the
schedules with Jung Hayan or Cha Hee-ra.
I immediately sent the game’s content against that pro to Lee Jihye for her to
analyze with Max the patterns and habits. I had to find a different way to get
past this.
[I think it’s still hard with my level. You felt it too, but at first, it felt like he
was taking it easy… I don’t think I can use it as data either… Of course, it is
better to have it than not have it. For now, I will continue to simulate.
Honestly, I’m not confident.]
That was the reaction I got after Lee Jihye saw the video I sent. The fact that
a capable person like Jihye could admit that made me nervous. This was even
harder than the war propaganda plan.
It was about the dangers of potential enemies.
Originally, I had already confirmed that the Five Tiger Generals were strong,
but what I had actually seen was more than I had heard before.
The Russian Park Deokgu seemed to be a combination of Korean Park

Deokgu and Cha Hee-ra, and I didn’t even need to say anything about
Shaolin.
The same went for Jin Qing. Not only did he have a high magic power to be
considered a sheer genius, he had such a good physical ability that he could
also be considered a magical swordsman. It was a little shocking personally
that they were stronger than the lower squad of the Eight Seats. If the level of
the remaining falls short of them…
“They’re stronger.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You said they’re stronger than me, right? It’s not publicly known, but it
doesn’t make any difference. To be precise, I am the lowest among the five
republicans. No, in a way, you can think that I’m similar to Valentin. We
haven’t fought before, and I can’t judge how strong they are with just these
specs, so I’m not sure, but I’m just making a rough guess.”
“Hmm…”
“I mean, except for our soldier. I can say he’s in second place in the
hierarchy, but he’s a wizard, so it’s hard to measure… One thing is for sure,
our number one is really strong. You will probably be surprised if you see it.
But… aren’t you being too explicit?”
“I am not sure what you are talking about, Shaolin-nim.”
“Of course, you do… I understand that you want to get information out… but
I can see that you only want to ask that kind of questions.”
“It’s just your imagination. Well, if you have any questions, you can ask, too.
It’s more about exchanging information than taking it out.”
“This is not the kind of information exchange I wanted… this is a meeting

between a woman and a man, of course, I don’t want to talk about these
serious things. We’re even having dinner at a nice restaurant with a glass of
wine… You owe me a lot, and I think you’d better think of my mood at least
a little bit.”
“Of course, I am truly grateful for your help before, but… there’s also our
current situation … and it’s only been a few days since the two of us started
seeing each other. Anyway, ahem… This time, it’s your turn.”
“Then the question, what do you think of me?”
Overall, spending time with Shaolin in this way was already a confirmed
issue.
I needed information, and as she said, I had a debt to pay.
‘She’s bold.’
I didn’t know if it was because she was still immature, but she was more
outspoken than I thought.
Of course, Shaolin would be like this. She was 22 years old when I first saw
her. It would have taken quite a while for her to reach this level, so she must
have been active in her mid or late teens.
Her talent was indeed extraordinary, and she would have taken all sorts of
expectations at an early age going through an elite road.
Even her face was very attractive. In a way, she was definitely a different
type from the women I had seen so far. It was a similar word, but she had a
stronger impression of sexuality than sexiness.
She had a ferocious impression like the “people-snatcher” Charlia, who I

didn’t even remember the face of anymore, but she was sexually attractive in
a way that could not be explained. With the deep sidecut of the Chinese dress
that she was wearing, as well as the long lashes and fingers, the reddish face
and the eyes looking at me, and even her actions, I could feel a strong sense
of temptation.
I felt sorry for Jung Hayan, but it was impossible to compare with her
periodic seduction.
That didn’t mean I wouldn’t try my best to wheedle information out of her,
however.
‘It’s crazy.’
This could be a trap. If I successfully get baited…
‘I might die.’
In other words, she was not what she seemed to be. Seeing her right now, she
looked normal on the outside, but I knew best than anyone that she was not.
The first place I met her was in the black market, and it didn’t show, but the
temper itself was very cruel.
Kim Hyunsung also treated her as a villain, so it was obvious as to what she
was doing in the first round.
To put it all together, spending time with her was no different from wanting
to be found the next morning as a corpse.
“I think you’re beautiful. Honestly, I am interested.”
“That’s fortunate. In what way?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know exactly what to say… Ah. What do you think of
me?”
“Is that a question?”
“Yes. This is a question.”
“Can I be a little honest?”
“…”
“…”
“You look really sexually attractive…”
I had no choice but to cough. It was not because she was thinking the same
thing as me, but because I was embarrassed that she said that too bluntly.
“I don’t usually get this feeling… It’s really weird. In fact, it is true that you
are a little far from my type… you keep making me impatient… it looks like
sweet honey is dripping from you. Can you understand it if I explain it like
this? Your body seems to have a sweet scent, and your lips seem to have
some nectar on them. You wouldn’t have put magic…”
“Ahem…”
“I don’t know if you look like that to other people’s eyes, but… It’s funny
that at least it looks to me.”
I didn’t think Cha Hee-ra or Jung Hayan would see it as Shaolin described it.
“Well, if it’s a compliment, thank you.”
“Of course, it is a compliment. Although the expression was long and vulgar,
I meant that I’m attracted to you as a woman.”
I could see her smirking. I didn’t know if it was my imagination, but I felt
like she was smacking her lips for some reason. It was when a sense of
uneasiness rose within me.
‘What the…’
“Uh…”
‘What is that?’
The problem didn’t come from her. Instead, a little far from this place. The
ground had started to reverberate, and I could feel unimaginable magical
power from above.
‘Fuck… What is that?’
I could see a large concentration of magic falling out in the outskirts of the
city.
Chapter 310
Even though I rubbed my eyes once, I could still see the same thing in front
of me.
It was not a dream. Certainly, a large dark red sphere was falling from the
sky.
“What is that…”
Shaolin was also flustered. She looked out the window and muttered to
herself, and she looked even more bewildered than me.
It was obvious why she had such an expression.
‘There…’
The place where the magic fell off was the place where people from the
Republic lived.
‘That’s crazy…’
Baaaaaaaannngg!
With that sound, huge magical power began to strike the protective magic
that protected the city.
The people who were eating with us screamed at the ridiculous scene.
With a crackling sound, the basic magic that protected the city was shattered,
and the enormous magical power was sucked into the gap in an instant.
All of this happened within a few seconds.

Amazingly, the impact did not reach here.
I didn’t know what kind of magic it was, but it seemed to be a kind of magic
aimed only at the exact target point.
It was not an element type. There was something like black magic, but I
couldn’t feel it.
The expression of simply swallowing up space would be appropriate. It was

an aggregate of high-density magical power.
‘That’s crazy… crazy!’
No wonder I was more surprised than the dinosaurs watching the meteor fall.
I didn’t know what was going on, but I wondered if it would be better to run
away from here right now.
I didn’t know what others would think, but at least from my point of view; it
was like a natural disaster that I couldn’t understand.
‘Is it really a natural disaster…’
Kaaaahhhhhhhhh!
The sound I heard for the first time in my life began to ring in my ears.
The sphere that had fallen in the specific place rotated fiercely and
completely consumed the space it was in.
There was nothing in it, leaving only a neat section that looked as if a paper
had been stapled.
Even in other places, the dark red magic power was falling. It wasn’t a
number that could be said to be that many, but it was enough to turn the city
into an abyss.
As if that thing was lucky, it swallowed most of the minerals at random.

That’s the only place that thing hit directly.
Kaaaaahhhhhhhhh!
After the chain of sounds got smaller and smaller, I began to see a landscape
that I had never seen with any magic.
‘How can this be? No, what is that?’
I admit that magic was a science that even I couldn’t understand, but I
couldn’t believe what I was seeing with my own eyes. If I hadn’t felt artificial
magic, I would have thought it wasn’t magic. I would have concluded that it
was one of the peculiar natural phenomena occurring on the continent like a
magical storm.
I was not the only one who was speechless at this ridiculous situation. The
restaurant had now gone silent.
Beginning with the cry of a baby heard from somewhere, everyone started
rushing outside. Of course, we were no exception.
“I have to go.”
“I’ll go with you.”
She seemed to be thinking for a moment, but I could see her nodding. She
must have felt that it would be fine if I went, too.
Immediately going out of the restaurant, I could see the surrounding scenery
going wild. I could see investigators dispatched from Laios running, and
monks and ascetics looked for any injured people.
Wizards who came out late also seem to have moved early.
It was commendable that they responded faster than I thought, but…
‘The level of the wizard is low here.’
It was hard to expect them to figure out something. Perhaps the most they
could do was control the surroundings and pretend to do something.
Civilians were running in all directions in the meantime. In fact, Shaolin’s

minions showed similar reactions to them. It felt like they all didn’t know
how to handle this.
I was not very different from them either. I had to worry about a second
bombing right now. That was why I had stuck with Shaolin.
We headed to the place where the first magic fell in an instant.
‘What the…’
After arriving at the place, I saw a magnificent sight.
‘They must have all died.’
I didn’t know what happened to the people inside, but I bet they couldn’t
even rescue the bodies of the ones that had gotten properly hit,
‘Are the pro and the big guy dead…?’
However, seeing some people gathered, it seemed that my wish had not come
true.
As I passed through the crowd, I saw the pro and the big guy that I’d seen a
few days ago. Only three minions survived. The rest were all dead.
I didn’t know how they were able to survive this mess, but I was able to nod
when I saw the big guy’s one arm twisting in an inexplicable direction.
He must have saved the pro.
“Shit… Ahem. Damn!”
He was coughing while being treated by several priests.
By immediately receiving the healing magic, they could save his arm, but it
seemed that he needed a little more time to recover his entire body.
On the one hand, I thought that it was amazing to have survived such a thing,
but it seemed that he went too far.
Jin Qing was looking at the neatly-cut section while calming others.
It seemed that he was doing his own analysis.
I was not the one who did this, but I started getting anxious for some reason.
“I was wondering if… this…”
“I can guarantee this has nothing to do with the State this time.”
“…”
“…”
“Is it true?”
“Yes.”
This time, I had nothing to be ashamed of.
Shaolin, looking at me quietly, slowly nodded. She seemed to have

understood that I was not stupid enough to do something like this.
Launching a preemptive strike against the Republic in a neutral country, it

was extremely sensitive.
There was no single reason why we, were are staying here to form an alliance
with Laios, would do this. Of course, I would be grateful if they thought so,
too, but…
‘They can bog me down.’
If they wanted to twist my words, they could do it anyhow.
First, I needed to come up with a solution. Although we were together, I had

to open my mouth in a hurry.
“It’s better to go and talk, Shaolin. I have to look into the situation separately,
too…”
“Yes. I think it’s better, too. Before that big buy gets angered again… We’ll
only know what happened after looking into it, but right now, they have no
choice but to doubt you. Please understand that much.”
‘Understand, my ass… I hope they don’t make up a scenario.’
The probability was low, but it was not impossible.
“I won’t see you off.”
“Okay.”
After talking to me, Shaolin approached Jin Qing and Valentin.
I heard them talking, but I couldn’t listen to it clearly.
They would contact the Republic immediately, and an investigation team

would be dispatched immediately.
Of course, I thought that the State would also send an investigation team.
The powerless Laios would not be able to prevent a forceful group under the
name of the investigation group from entering the country. Eventually, the
situation would become more complicated.
‘It should be absurd from their point of view, but…’
The case had already happened and could no longer be reversed.
By now, the Queen of Laios might be having a headache.
When I looked back again, I saw those who had already controlled other
people’s access and started investigating them.
At first glance, it seemed like there was nothing wrong with the State camp,
but since it was a sensitive issue, I have to investigate.
If it was Jung Hayan, she might find out something…
‘Fuck…’
“Shit.”
I thought out loud automatically.
Unknowingly, the curse words continue to linger around my mouth.

Suspicion began to dwell inside of me.
‘It’s not, right?’
No. It can’t be. Jung Hayan couldn’t possibly be the culprit.
‘The motivation is also uncertain.’
It was already foreseen that she would cause some accident from the time she
gained 99 magic power.
Although she was being repressed by Cha Hee-ra right now, the fact that
Jung Hayan could run wild at any time did not change.
She was very quiet lately, but because of that, I felt even more anxious. Since
the incident with the Republic people, I hadn’t seen her in some time.
Of course, we met occasionally and spent time, but I wasn’t confident that it
was enough to care for Jung Hayan.
The date was ruined, and we even got a strange misunderstanding, so if she
thought it was all because of the Republic guys, she could easily take extreme
measures.
I mean, unless there was no one to stop her.
‘No. Maybe not. It won’t be.’

However, within my common sense, the number of people who could
demonstrate this kind of magic is limited, and of course, the number one
priority was Jung Hayan.
It was her.
The idea that it wasn’t the time to cover up for others suddenly awakened.
For now, I had no choice but to head to the camp of the State.
‘Shit. Damn. Damn!’
As I ran in a hurry, I saw those who were definitely located nearby. There
was no way they wouldn’t have come out after all this fuss.
They were very well established, and access was controlled so that even those
from Laios could not approach.
I didn’t know who took these measures, but the decision was perfect.
As soon as I threw my coat and walked inside, the Red Mercenary guild
members guided me, and the wizards who came with Yuno Kasugano were
also pursuing magical power or collecting fallen fragments.
“You’re late, honey. Where have you been? Did you see the magic falling?”
“Yes. I came because I saw it. I was looking at the situation elsewhere.
This…”
“No, wait, just in case, I have to ask first. Did you do this?”
“No. I’m not related to this.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. It’s really not me.”
I don’t know why she asked me if I did it, but Cha Hee-ra nodded for now.
It seems like she thought that I had done something.

Cha Hee-ra tried to tell me something, but this time I had no choice but to
interrupt her.
Because it wasn’t her that was urgent at this moment.
“Have you seen Hayan? Nuna?”
“There she is.”
She said, nodding as if she understood the meaning of my question.
As I moved my gaze along her finger, I was able to see Jung Hayan working
hard on the investigation with her back on me.
‘You didn’t do it, right?’
The way she didn’t come to me at once was undoubtedly suspicious.
I called Jung Hayan, and she began to turn her head with a slightly nervous
expression.
‘Please…’
Chapter 311
“Hayan.”
“Oh… O-Oppa, you’re here?”
I could see her rushing here as soon as she turned. She had the same
expression as usual. No, it was a little different.
She was restless. Her unidentified guilt was also visible. But that feeling was
momentary. Jung Hayan, now, was definitely her usual self.
“Hayan, did you…”
As I started talking, she was preparing to answer with her lips shut. I could
see her taking a deep breath as if she was also worried.
Jung Hayan had no talent with lies. She was hopelessly obvious when she
lied to me.
If Jung Hayan tried to tell a lie, she would be as prepared as she was now. No
wonder I looked around while trying to ask the question.
It was not appropriate to ask such a question in a place like this in the first
place.
“Yes?”
“No, nothing. Let’s talk later.”
There were too many eyes here. If it was right that Jung Hayan did this, the
fewer people who knew it, the better.
It was not that I didn’t trust the Red Mercenary and Yozora guild members,
but I had to be careful as anything could happen afterwards.
It would be weird to drag Jung Hayan to another place. I also think perhaps
this wasn’t done by Jung Hayan.
‘There is no sign that she consumed magic power.’
I even looked at her with my eyes opened widely. I didn’t know how strong
the magic power of 99 was, but she should be exhausted if she had just used
the same magic once.
‘There may be some other way.’
No matter how crazy she was, she wouldn’t have done it without thinking
about the aftermath.
If the culprit was her, it was right to think she’d done this with something in
mind. Probably, things like evidence were handled earlier.
The fact that not only the Republic’s accommodation but also other areas
were blown out would be a result of the desire to avoid the situation where
the State would be suspected.
Not experiencing magical exhaustion was also an extension of that work. I

had to turn around and open my mouth, looking at Park Deokgu, who had a
blank face.
“Deokgu.”
“Yes?”
“Take Hayan and go outside for a moment.”
“What do you mean… s-suddenly at this time?”
“Maybe there are civilians, and other people caught up in this incident. Don’t
do anything else. Just focus on helping with the remedial work. Do you know
what I’m talking about?”
“Ohhh…”
“I’m talking about helping the neutral country with magic. While you’re
going, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give them what we have as relief
supplies… Anyway, the main aid is magic. You need to help as well as you
can. I’m leaving this to you.”
“Ohh! Oh! It was that! Phew… as expected from Hyung-nim.”
“What…”
“Even in this situation, you’re trying to take care of other people… You’re
really different. This is a real righteous person! You always seem indifferent,
but you’re thinking about other people more than anyone else! Lee Kiyoung,
the righteous! Even the sound of it it’s different.”
“Stop saying useless things, and come back quickly.”
“Yes. It’s an urgent situation. Absolutely. Leave it to me! I will solve it

perfectly.”
“Take some of the wizards of the Yozora Guild. Hayan, let’s talk when you
come back after going around the city.”
“Yes… Oppa.”
She was looking more and more nervous. It even seemed that she wanted to
pee really badly. As I kept looking into her eyes, I could see that she snuck
away from my gaze. Seeing that she didn’t stutter, I felt like she was
conscious differently than usual.
‘You’re the one who did it. Fuck…’
I couldn’t really be sure yet, but I was able to make a half-decision looking at
Jung Hayan’s expression. I didn’t know how she did it, but…
‘She’s the one who did that.’
There was a high probability that she was the protagonist of this incident.
Even if she wasn’t, I had to act thinking that she was. No wonder that I felt
that I should make her go out a little faster. I had to show others that she had
enough magic power in her body as she could be suspected of being the
magical manifester.
The volunteer work was a bonus. If I was lucky, we could look good to
Laios, so it was right to let Jung Hayan go right now.
Anyway, Park Deokgu, Jung Hayan, and some Yozora Guild wizards quickly
started to leave this place at my urge. It wasn’t long after the incident, so it
seemed to be the right timing as well.
“I’ll be back, so be careful, Hyung-nim. There is no guarantee that it will not

fall again.”
“It’s unlikely that’ll happen. Just go quickly. I’ll be building all defense
magic.”
“Okay.”
When Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan were no longer visible, I had no choice
but to start moving, too.
If Jung Hayan had hidden her evidence, I had to check it with my own eyes.
Even if she hadn’t, I had to figure out where this kind of magic came from.
Other wizards from the State and Yuno Kasugano were collecting samples
and seeing the reaction. As I approached, I could see welcoming faces.
I couldn’t say that I had great knowledge of magic either, but at least alchemy
was often helpful in this area. I even had the Mind’s Eye, so I would be a
hundred times more helpful than the existing wizards.
[??? Scattered Magic Power Crystal (Legendary)]
[Semi-mythic-grade magic, it’s a crystal with the influence of ???. It can be

used as an advanced catalyst.]
As soon as I laid a mat and started gathering magic in my eyes, I saw many
things.
[??? Survival magic power (Legendary)]
[Semi-mythic-grade magic it’s the residual magic power floating in the

atmosphere under the influence of ???. It will be scattered in 7 hours.]
‘Semi-mythic-grade…’
The level of the revealed magic was semi-mythic-grade. Strictly speaking, it

was a kind of spell with an effect of magic power 99 or higher.
Indeed, many things were invisible to this eye. Naturally, it could not read it
properly because it had been rated as a semi-mythic-grade. In fact, even when
the magic fell, what I could see…
‘Was nothing.’
Though I got a lot of thought, it was faster to open the flask immediately and
collect things that seemed worth researching, as well as magic crystals and
debris, and things like residual magic that others couldn’t see, so it was faster
for me to do the work myself.
It was a little disconcerting to see other wizards picking up useless stones

with only magic, but it was not easy to distinguish even with my own eyes.
‘Good job.’
Probably, it was possible because the traces were also swallowed up entirely.
It was hard to say that it was impeccable when I actually got up close and
look at the swallowed section.
Most of the traces were fragments that had fallen, and there were no other
traces other than that. It was not going to be easy to find the magic spot in
this way.
Considering that the residual magic power floating in the atmosphere would
disappear in the next seven hours, it would be even harder to find traces by
then.
What was a little interesting was that the fragments affected by this magic
could be used as catalysts, but the exact use was not known yet, but as it is a
legendary catalyst, it seemed that various uses could be found. Of course, this
magic itself is also very interesting.
‘It looks like the whole space was swallowed up…’
It definitely felt like that. If I were to look at Valentin’s arm uncut and
distorted in a deformed direction, it was correct to think that the arm was
removed before being swallowed into the space.
He resisted the force that pulled him, and although his arm broke, he was
spared from losing it completely.
If it were sucked a little further into the sphere or couldn’t resist, I could bet
that his shoulders, or the whole body, would have been neatly removed.
‘No… It’s not disappearing…’
I decided that this wasn’t swallowed by space when I found a very small
substance. It was a small piece that was the size of a grain of dust.
‘Something is weird.’
It was only momentary, but it was natural to realize what that is.
‘This crazy…’
It didn’t disappear.
‘It’s compressed.’
This magical effect that neatly swallowed the section of this place
compressed it into this little piece.
‘This crazy… crazy… Fuck…’
I thought that dying by whatever it was would be the same, but if I were to
think that the victims of the Republic were compressed into this small piece,
sweat began to drip down my forehead.
This was a kind of magic that compressed what was around into a grain of
dust from the moment the sphere’s shape exploded. It sucked in and
compressed it before the person even noticed it. In an instant, the bones and
blood crumbled and reverted to a radish-like shape.
It was embarrassing, but this grain of dust felt heavy, almost as if I’m holding
a stone. This thing I had now contained the ground that the magic dug out of
this area.
I was wondering if it would be a useful energy resource in some sense if it

had magical power or could compress something in this form, but…
‘It’s so scary…’
This was too scary.
At first, I hoped it wouldn’t be Jung Hayan, but the more I learn about this
magic, the more I would rather hope… it was her.
‘What if an unknown enemy uses this magic?’
This felt like a level of a natural disaster similar to that of meteorites falling
from the sky. If Jung Hayan caused this, I could fix it, but if an unknown
enemy had manifested this magic, I would choose to quickly run away. As
always, the smartest way to do this was to press the switch posture button.
‘Please, this should be Hayan’s work… Please…’
What was disturbing in the meantime was that I could see an unfamiliar black
smoke coming out of this little substance.
It was so fine that it wasn’t noticeable, and of course, there were more
remaining magical powers of other types, but it kept bothering me that out of
all the remaining magic, there was something that was supposed to be black
magic. I remembered someone then.
‘Where is Han Sora?’

I started to feel like the puzzles were being put together.
‘Where is she…? Fuck…’

Chapter 312
‘Jung Hayan didn’t do it alone.’
It was just a guess, but I started to think that. It was impossible to say that it
was only her skill.
No matter how careful she got, Jung Hayan wouldn’t be able to handle things
this carefully. It was even impossible to detect where the magic power came
from.
The magical power was different from anyone I knew, and it felt like the
spell was completed by twisting it two or three times. Even if she had a
powerful magical ability, it was correct to think that someone from the
outside helped.
It was in an instant that I quickly turned my gaze. This was because I was
very bothered that Han Sora wasn’t in this room.
If the Republic side found out that black magic was also involved, we may
also be in a dangerous situation.
Using Han Sora as a discarded hand was a problem that solved everything,
but it was a waste to throw away the Black Wizard, which was now gaining
momentum in level-up.
‘It doesn’t make sense.’
When I was indulged in all sorts of thoughts, it was Celia’s Yuno Kasugano
who spoke. When I nodded and opened my mouth, I could see her nodding.
“Master, no, Lee Kiyoung-nim. Are you looking for something…?”
“It’s not really anything important… Have you seen Han Sora from our
guild?”
“Ah… Probably in her room. I heard that she wasn’t feeling well… Is there
any problem? Or have you found anything?”
“It’s something uncertain to say, but I think I caught a clue. Kasugano-nim,

please wrap this up. This is a sample I collected. I think you can take all the
similar things. In particular, you must take the magic crystal. It may be used
for clues or new research later.”
“Ah…”
“I think it’s a catalyst that can be used as a high-end material. I’m not sure
what this is, either.”
Of course, I thought it would be better for me to keep the compressed

catalyst. I had to see if there was any other reaction.
“Yes. Okay.”
“Cha Hee-ra will take over the external work. If there is an official
announcement, I will come back here. If possible, look for traces that have
occurred in other areas, and take whatever it’s needed.”
“Yes. Please do as you please.”
“And I’m asking just in case… Is it possible for you to track this magic?”
“I don’t know in detail. I’ll have to look at it a little bit more, but even if it’s
traceable, I’m going to spend a lot of time on it.”
“And with your eyes…”
“I-I’m sorry, but it’s not something I can see whenever I want… But I think it
would be better to get out of Laios soon.”
“What?”
“A-Actually…”
She was taking a long time. Of course, I started to get impatient. As soon as I
spoke, I could see her starting to speak as well.
“You can talk.”
“I could see a scene where the city was ruined when the magic fell. Of
course, it was only a short time… the time is not accurate either…”
‘What the hell is this again…’
I swallowed hard.
“I was wondering whether I should tell Lee Kiyoung-nim or not…”
‘Is there anything to think about? Of course, she has to tell me.’
It had to be a little questionable, but I realized why she hesitated to tell me

when she started to talk again.
“I also don’t know what the consequences of the future I’m telling are.
Unlike the past, the future has the potential to change even with a tiny
thing… if Lee Kiyoung has anything to do with the future I’ve seen… then,
maybe what I’ve said will create the original future.”
“Are you saying that there’s a possibility that it’s going in the original way
because you’re conscious of the future?”
“In short, yes. What I have said now may also be one of the processes that
will lead to the future I see. Of course, the opposite can happen… I decided
that it would be better to tell you as it could be dangerous. I don’t know what
will happen after, so you should think about getting out of Laios first.”
“I understand what you’re saying.”
I understood very clearly. I was sure she was worried that something might
happen because she just told me about the future. Even if an average villager
had heard this, the future was likely to be distorted. They would indeed warn
people to leave the town.
Since I was a powerful man who could move many people, I might be at the
center of this case. The act of trying to stop the future Yuno Kasugano saw
may be a catalyst for accelerating things.
‘It’s complicated…’
Obviously, there were many things to be careful about when she had only
seen a fragmentary scene. Kasugano, in the first round, had to live a life
where she was unhappy because she slipped her tongue.
“For now… I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Please move carefully.”
“Oh. Rather than that… about Laios…”
“There is no official announcement yet. Just now, Cha Hee-ra formally

requested the State to dispatch an investigation team, and Laios also accepted
it. As concerns about secondary damage, they care more about civilians in
their own country than us. It’s the same for the expert who came to our
delegation. If you want…”
“No, it’s okay.”
It was obvious as to what they would say anyway. They would have
expressed a sincere consolation to the Republic, preparing itself if anything
happens, and said that they were doing their best to cope with this situation.
Even in a neutral country, the current situation was problematic. They could
twist the situation politically if they wanted. As it was such a sensitive matter,
they wouldn’t be able to settle their positions immediately.
In fact, I was worried about how Laios would come out, but there was a
problem that was bothering me more. Anxiety began to amplify in the story
about a sea of fire in Laios.
‘Will it be Jung Hayan?’
It was very likely. It was Jung Hayan who caused this accident from the first
round, too. The story was that from now on, there would be a series of
incidents that could provoke Jung Hayan, and the explosion, due to her
meltdown, would destroy Laios.
Although the possibility was low, this was a phenomenon such as an external
attack or natural disaster. There was also a theory that it would go into ruins
as the second impact begins. Still, obviously, the first story was more likely.
It was indeed good that Yuno Kasugano told me. Her remarks reminded me
of the need to be careful even now.
‘I just have to be careful.’
Be careful not to irritate her as much as possible, and once again prevent her
from having a meltdown. Of course, it was important to find Han Sora before
that.
‘Why is it so complicated?’
Things seemed to have gone twisted, but the top priority was to erase the
traces and take care of Jung Hayan.
As I walked, lost in thoughts, I could see the accommodation right away.

Unlike before, when it was peaceful, the Red Mercenary members were
strictly controlling others’ entry.
Even I, too, went through a simple procedure. I didn’t get upset. That kind of
check was definitely something they had to do.
After entering, I went straight to Han Sora’s room and started knocking on
the door. There wasn’t much reaction, so I opened the door right away, and I
could see her sitting quietly on the couch.
“Sora-ssi.”
“Oh… Yes. Vice Guild Master.”
“You know why I came, right?”

“Not exactly… what is it?”
“Don’t play innocent with me.”
“Is it because of what happened outside…? I heard that something happened.

I’m sorry that I couldn’t help because I wasn’t feeling well.”
Definitely, her acting skills were at a high level. She had developed in this
aspect in the first place, so she didn’t fall behind with Kim Ye-ri and Ahn Ki-
mo. I even wondered about whether she didn’t know anything.
‘Does she really not know?’
I thought about it for a moment, but I could see a feeling of fear in her eyes,
so I thought it wasn’t that. She was not afraid of me.
‘She must be afraid of Jung Hayan.’
It was clear that Jung Hayan had firmly warned her not to speak of this
matter. That was not acting to screw me up. It was the struggle for her own
life.
“Han Sora-ssi. I don’t have time to do this. I know what you’re worried
about, but I’d like you to speak quickly. I need to figure out what’s going on.
It’s okay if you’re worried about Jung Hayan. I’ll take care of it as far as I
can.”
“I really don’t know what you’re talking about. Vice Guild Master. R-
Really…”
“Speak quickly. I don’t have time.”
“I really don’t know. W-why are you doing this?”
However, her eyes were trembling. I didn’t know what she was imagining,
but I could see her pupils, arms, and legs shaking.
It seemed like her whole body was telling me not to do this, begging for me
not to ask her.
I started off a little poorly, but, naturally, I felt sorry for some reason.
However, I was not in a position to take care of her.
“Please don’t do this. I really don’t know anything.”
‘Don’t do what.’
“I need to know what’s going on so I can fix it, Sora-ssi. I know roughly
everything. That you’re related with what happened today.”
“Really…”
It already consumed much time. Naturally, I approached her, and she looked
confused.
Seeing her crouching as far as she can, I felt that she wanted to hide
something. I grabbed her arm, and I saw a face looking up at me as if telling
me not to do this.
As she chanted simple magic, her top would be split in half. Of course, the
scene I expected came into my eyes. A large black speck was covering her
chest.
‘The phenomenon of magic power exhaustion.’
It was the perfect proof. Of course, the voice of excuse burst out of Han
Sora’s mouth.
“This, this is not that. That’s not what you’re thinking!”
She mumbled and shouted as if she was startled, but the evidence was so
clear. Han Sora and Jung Hayan did this.
“It’s really a misunderstanding. This is I… I mean. It’s a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding, my ass…”
“You’re wrong. This is a misunderstanding. Yes! A-a misunderstanding!
Please… please save me.”
“It’s fine.”
“H… Help me.”
“Why am I…?”
She, who mumbled with her body trembling, quickly realized that I was not
the one who opened my mouth. As I looked behind without even knowing it,
I could see Jung Hayan looking here.
‘Fuck…’
Chapter 313
‘Shit…’
It was no wonder that my head went blank instantly.
‘It’s ruined.’
It was obvious as to why Han So-ra kept shouting for me to save her.
“This… I mean… please…”
Han So-ra, trembling like an aspen tree, looked not only pitiful but pathetic.
In a way, she even looked tragic.
‘Why of all timings…’
Whatever the reason, it was obvious what the situation would look like now.
The fact that Han Sora, who had taken off her top, and I were together was
not a good picture for Jung Hayan.
I would have to explain that there was a misunderstanding, but I didn’t think
she would accept it.
‘What a time to appear.’
I wonder why she appeared at this timing.
She was obviously expecting me to visit Han Sora.
It was clear that she moved quickly, anxious that she would be caught, too.
Of course, the picture she saw now would be more shocking than what Jung
Hayan expected.
If I were to think about it in common sense, it made no sense for Han Sora
and me to enjoy secret meetings at this time, but I wouldn’t have suffered this
much if she had the common sense to think that.
Jung Hayan’s pupils shook in an instant. I could see her biting her lips as if
she was showing hostility toward Han Sora.
Of course, this should be fixed.
Thick tears filled up in her eyes. It was a spectacle to see her run to the other
side in no time before I even open my mouth.
Immediately I tried to run, yelling ‘Jung Hayan,’ but I felt somebody

gripping my ankle.
It was Han Sora, who was crying with a runny nose that’s sitting behind.
‘What’s up with this again?’
“Let go of me.”
“Don’t leave me alone… Please don’t leave me alone.”
“Let me go.”
“Please don’t leave me alone. Please s-save me. Please explain to her. Please
tell her it wasn’t anything. Please. Please. Ahem. Please…”
“No, first, let me…”
“No. No. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me alone. I’ll
do whatever you ask. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me! Please… Waaahhh…”
Of course, it was not good to follow her with Han Sora.
At first, I thought it was best to leave her and go, but I couldn’t do anything
because, like a cicada clinging to an old tree, she didn’t want to fall off my
leg.
There was no way to get rid of this woman with my weak strength.
“You have to tell her that it was an accident. Please tell her you have no
interest in me. Please… You have to tell her that you think of me as less than
a stone on the side of the road. Ahem.”
“Okay. I got it.”
“Nooooooo! Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me! I’ll explain everything
about what you were asking. Please don’t leave me. Don’t leave me alone.
Please… Please don’t leave me alone… Ahem. Save me… I said, save me!
You son of a bitch!”
I knew very well that Han Sora was afraid of Jung Hayan, but now I could
see that her condition was more severe than I thought.
It even seemed laughable to think that she had gotten better recently.
Naturally, I felt that I shouldn’t waste more time here. I kept thinking about
the future that Yuno Kasugano saw.
‘The story about the fire sea in Laios.’
It bothered me very much that I don’t know the exact time. I also started to
get more and more anxious as I think it may be today.
If, as Kasugano said, Jung Hayan really ruined the city…
‘I won’t be able to fix it.’
That was completely out of my reach to fix.
It was also essential to avoid continuing to drag time here. For now, I had to
think that taking her with me was the top priority.
As I sighed and opened my mouth, I saw her face as if she is asking what I’m
talking about.
“Let’s go, for now. Quickly. I’m going to find her right now.”
“What?”
However, at the words she heard right away, she nodded.
“If you don’t like that, stay here…”
“I’ll go! I’ll go! Of course, I have to go. Of course. Of course, I will. I’ll go
with you. Y-you need to prepare quickly. Quickly…”
“Yes. We have to go quickly. Only then can this misunderstanding be

resolved.”
She tried to get up in a hurry, but she cannot stand properly as if her leg
suddenly gave out. She overlapped with the appearance of a newborn zebra,
trying to raise its body.
I threw a jacket that could cover her upper body right away, and Han Sora
was ready to go out with a trembling body.
“There will be no damage to Sora-ssi, so you can calm down. I’ll tell her it
was just a misunderstanding, so you don’t have to be too anxious.”
“Yes… Yes. Okay. Yes.”
“And you have to answer in detail to the question I asked before. If you don’t
like that, you can stay here alone.”
“Of… course, I have to… tell you. Yes. Of course…”
“You can follow me from a few steps away.”
“Okay. Yes. I’ll do everything. I’ll do and tell you everything you ask me. I-
instead, you…”
“I’ll explain it to her.”
I spoke confidently, but I had to worry about myself first.
‘It’s not just you, Sora… it’s the same for me.’
I didn’t know where Jung Hayan went, but, naturally, I moved in a hurry.
This was because Yuno Kasugano’s words came to my mind. I didn’t know
how or why Laios was ruined, but somehow I felt that I had sparked the
catalyst for it.
It was all speculation that Jung Hayan’s explosion would turn it into ruins,
but at least that was the only thing I could think of now.
I wanted to dash to find her, but because of Han Sora, who was running while
limping, it proved to be a hard task.
There was no guarantee that the wild Jung Hayan will not attack Han Sora.
After seeing that Sora was not with me, she may appear to wrap up the event
she couldn’t finish at the training center.
She wouldn’t have gone too far anyway, so it wouldn’t be bad to sort the
situation while looking for her.
“Let’s talk about what happened before, Sora-ssi.”
“I don’t know e-exactly where to start with.”
“First, why did Sora suffer from magical exhaustion?”
“Because I’m the one who unleashed the magic.”
“The fact that you cannot unleash the same kind of spell before…”
“No. I simply chanted the last word and literally made it appear. I don’t know
how she did it, but Jung Hayan-nim transferred the spell to me. I don’t know
if the expression “transfer” would be appropriate…”
“Is that possible?”
“Because it is single-shot. Of course, even that is impossible in theory… And

the magic that combined all my magic power into it is the magic you saw.”
‘Is it possible because it’s Jung Hayan?’
In other words, the enormous magical power was unleashed by borrowing

Han Sora’s body for a moment.
I thought this was a twist in her magic power to make it difficult to find
traces.
Perhaps, while Han Sora unleashed the spell, Jung Hayan chanted another
spell, and it was certainly a spell to confuse future investigations.
The person who completed the spell was Jung Hayan, but the manifester was
the Black Wizard.
I didn’t know if this was also planned, but this was why I felt the scent of
black magic that Jung Hayan couldn’t use.
I felt like my curiosity had been resolved to some extent.
I felt like the puzzle was now being put together.
“Don’t you think you should’ve told me in advance?”
“I’m sorry. I’m s-sorry.”
I did not blame her. Her actions were understandable enough.
I didn’t know how the two did it together, but somehow this came up, and
Han Sora couldn’t have rejected Jung Hayan’s offer.
‘Who will say she is not a Black Wizard?’
It was not only ridiculous, but embarrassing to see her sign a contract with
Jung Hayan.
Of course, from Han Sora’s point of view, there was no option to refuse with
the fear that she might die.
Instead, I thought that she would have assisted her with infinite affirmation
on her plan.
“But she took some measures to prevent others from finding traces in various
ways. It was the reason why she unleashed the magic with my body. I tried to
stop her, but…”
She wouldn’t have tried to stop her. She didn’t have that much courage.
“She was under so much stress…”
“…”
“The more she thought about it, the more I felt like she was trapped in her
own thoughts. She seemed to… have concluded by herself that everything
went wrong… because of the people of the Republic.”
“What in the world is wrong?”
“She said that she hated to think that Vice Guild Master thinks of her as a
strange woman… I told her that you were rather jealous, and she liked it very
much at first, but even after that, you continued to be very busy…”
“You mean she got more anxious?”
“Yes. After that, she kept muttering only words I couldn’t understand, and
eventually… she said that it seemed that you hated her, or that she doesn’t
have the confidence to look at Vice Guild Master’s face… that she had to fix
things. I didn’t know it meant something like this. She said she had to prove
her innocence… and she asked me to join the plan… Of course, I didn’t
know what she was talking about, but I just wanted to live… I didn’t want to
get hurt… Sniff…”
‘Fuck…’
Whether she was filled with sorrow, she started talking nonsense.
To be honest, it felt a little bit painful to see the tears falling.
‘I think I’m the one to be blamed…’

I had momentarily pushed Jung Hayan when I saw an unwelcomed guest.
Of course, I thought I pulled her back afterward, but the problem was that,
from Jung Hayan’s point of view, she didn’t feel like it was pulling.
Since the Curse Shrine incident, she was very quiet, so it was a losing move
that I thought that she was being cared for this much.
Because of the quiet Jung Hayan, I also let go of the tension.
In the end, something that could explode had indeed exploded.
‘What’s with that she can’t look straight into my eyes?’
I only once warned about having conversations with guys like Jin Qing.
I couldn’t understand why that would make her a weird woman and that she
had to prove her innocence, but from the pro’s point of view, he received a
lifelong grudge for giving the wrong note.
‘It’s ruined.’
It felt like I was getting closer to the end.
The future that Yuno Kasugano saw continued to shimmer in front of my

eyes.
‘It won’t be the ending to die together. Right? That’s correct, right?’
Perhaps she was still running around struggling to prove her innocence.
Whatever it was, it was clear that I would be in the worst situation.
As I looked out of the window, I could see the back of Jung Hayan, clenching
her fists and running outside.
Chapter 314
No wonder I thought I had to catch up to her in a hurry.
I was moving too slow because Han Sora kept limping, trying to keep up with
me as much as possible.
‘Should I leave her?’
The thought passed for a while, but Han Sora, who recognized my
expression, opened her mouth.
“Don’t leave me. I’ll run as f-fast as I can. Haaap… Haaap…”
“…”
I felt like carrying her on my back.
However, it was terrifying that Jung Hayan might see the scene again.
But more important than that now…
‘Where is she going?’
I just wondered where in the hell she was going.
I didn’t know if she thought she should leave for now, or if she was trying to
finish something she didn’t finish, but whatever it might be, it was not good
news for me.
Once again, the words of Yuno Kasugano echoed.
‘Is this serious…?’
If the city became ruined by this kind of thing, it would be a ridiculous

occurrence.
‘Shit… Damn.’
I put magic into my eyes as much as possible and continued to pursue Jung
Hayan.
It was difficult for me to catch up as I ran around an unorganized, crowded

city.
First of all, I was curious about which direction she was running. The most
likely thing was, however, the ruined place where the Republic people were.
I thought it was likely that she was going to finish something she didn’t
finish.
Putting Han Sora aside, for now, it seemed she was thinking about me hating
her first.
I began to think that my Mind’s Eye would be able to read the subject’s
mind.
I couldn’t figure out what Jung Hayan was thinking right now, so it was
frustrating.
It was hard to understand Jung Hayan in a standard way of thinking, but I

can’t get the hang of it this time.
Perhaps the most probable guess was that she was going to use magic.
Even while wandering through the alleys, I couldn’t get a picture of where
Jung Hayan was headed.
One thing was for sure; she was continuing to go into the outskirts of the city,
which made me a little more puzzled because it was far from the place where
the Republicans were staying.
It was then that Han Sora opened her mouth.

“I think I know where she is heading.”
“Where is it?”
“To the beach. I’ll give you the explanation while moving.”
Even if she didn’t say that, I wouldn’t want to throw her away, but it seemed
that Han Sora herself tried to build her own safety device.
“There is a place where I made a magic circle. Basically, it was a device to

trap Jung Hayan’s magic power in my body, but she customized the magic
circle I made. She said it was a way to maximize the magic output…”
“You haven’t erased that yet?”
“I’m s-sorry. However, Jung Hayan-nim said that it might be useful in the
future. She said that if things were to fail, she might have to come again, that
for now, it would be better to watch the situation after the first attack…”
“Shit. How can you leave a trace? Is it a place where other people can find?”
“They won’t be able to find the place of the magic circle. There are complex
types of magical barriers, so no one can enter except Jung Hayan and me. Of
course, there is no problem because the place is twisted in double or triple.
Finding or destroying it is impossible unless they are a wizard who is in the
field…”
Unfortunately, there was one more wizard in Laios who had reached the
point.
Of course, there was a possibility that he would not be able to find out right
now since he was solving this problem with the Republic side, but if that
remained, it was correct to erase the traces as soon as possible.
If the pro moved faster than I was thinking, there was a chance that they
would get there.
‘You did a lot. Fuck… How in that short of a time…?’

Not only did she search for a magic spot, but she laid traps and even twisted
them in double and triple.
By my standards, it would take more than a month to prepare. It felt right to

think that it was possible because it was Jung Hayan.
Han Sora, who was also smart, also helped, so of course, the job was solved
in a flash.
Since there was no one to stop it, she would have worked like a runaway
locomotive. If the place where Jung Hayan was heading right now was really
that place, it was correct to think that she would undoubtedly go to unleash
the next magic.
Of course, I could tell without seeing that the firepower will be even greater
than the first.
‘I have to go quickly.’
At least, I must arrive before Jung Hayan had completed the magic.
“Where is the shortest distance?”
“I don’t know that well. We can just head to the beach.”
“I think we should go a little faster. First of all, you’re going to need to be on

my back or my arms.”
“I can’t! P-please… Jung Hayan can see it. I can’t do that.”
“Uh? Hyung-nim! Did you also come here? Hey, have you met Hayan? She
said she was going back because she had something to do…”
‘Nice timing, Park Deokgu!’
It was Park Deokgu who was cleaning up the collapsed wreckage.
He was busy doing volunteer work, and his face had something, but his face
that saw Han Sora and I was happy.
He thought we also came to join him.
But after checking our faces that seemed desperate, he realized that it wasn’t.
“What is going on?”
“It’s all good. Carry Han Sora here and follow me. Sora can tell Deok-gu the
place you said earlier.”
“What kind of frenzy happened? W-what happened? This.”
“First, follow me. I’ll explain it later.”
“Where did Hayan go?”
“Just run.”
“I-I have to do what you ask, but…”
“It’s urgent, so quickly.”
“Okay.”
We met a reliable support group met at a reliable timing.
As if responding to my expectations, Park Deokgu lifted Han Sora and started

running, and I, too, was able to move quicker.
The more I chased after Jung Hayan, the more I headed toward a place where
there were no people.
It was a place I decided to come to one day, but I feel a little sorry for coming
only after this situation.
However, there was no reason to think of such sentimental thoughts.
When I saw that I was now standing at the crossroads of death or life, or
destruction or not, the sunset sea did not look pretty.
“Where are you going?”
“Sora-ssi.”
“Oh, we’re almost there. Just go inside a little more…”
“From here on, I will take the lead. Sora, please, just guide me. Deokgu, I
think it would be better to follow from a few steps behind.”
“Oh, I see. Are you going to a dungeon in this situation?”
It was not the right answer, but it indeed felt similar. The inside looked like a
maze.
It was like recycling a dungeon that was previously abandoned.
As Han Sora chanted the spell, the magic barrier faded, and Park Deokgu and
I entered inside.
It felt like pressing a password, but curiously, I could see the magic barrier
created immediately after I passed.
It really felt like I had entered a dungeon.
If this dungeon’s boss monster was Jung Hayan, it was almost impossible to
execute the attack with these party members now.
As I went inside to some extent, I could see various barriers, so, naturally,
Han Sora pressed the password each time.
It wasn’t until after a long time that I could go to the passage that led to one
road, but it was better for me to enter first than Han Sora and Park Deokgu.
Even Han Sora, who asked to come together, didn’t seem to have any
intention of meeting Jung Hayan before me.
When I beckoned, she immediately nodded, and I had no choice but to

repress my anxious mind and move on.
What I saw was a room with a light generated by the magic circle.
It was usually where the dungeon’s boss monsters took place, but if you want
to say that it was beautiful, then it is beautiful.
Of course, it was Jung Hayan in the middle of that magic circle.
I could see her looking at me with messy hair and bloodshot eyes that I
hadn’t seen in a while.
“Hayan.”
“Hic.”
The outward appearance showed that there was a great deal of mental
concentration.
“In a little bit, i-i-it’s over.”
‘What’s over…’
“This, this time, I can definitely do it! S-so please forgive me. Please forgive
me. I won’t say it anymore. Hic!”
‘Forgive what?’
“I-it’s that person’s fault. I’m not a strange woman.”
“I never said you were a strange woman. And it was a misunderstanding

when I was with Han Sora just before. Come here. It’s okay, so you have to
come here.”
“I know it’s a misunderstanding. Still, the way Oppa l-l-looks at me has

changed. I’m really not that kind of girl… You said we would go on a lot of
dates… and it was all canceled. Hic. It’s all because of them. You said we
would go to the beach, too, but all of it was canceled…”
“No. It’s not that…”

“You still think of me as a b-bad girl. Hic. That’s why you didn’t meet me!”
‘It’s not that. Fuck…’
I didn’t know where to begin with this ridiculous misunderstanding. I

couldn’t even think that my thoughtless words would cause such a big wave.
‘Why did this turn out this way?’
No matter how much I thought about it, it was difficult to understand Jung
Hayan’s thoughts.
“T-That’s what Deokgu said in the past. Once in doubt, you will continue to
doubt… me too.”
‘Park Deokgu, this bastard. Stop saying useless things.’
“O-Oppa will continue to doubt. You’ll keep being suspicious until that bad
idiot is gone from this world!”
“I don’t do anything like doubt, Hayan. Really.”
“You’re saying you don’t, but you still have doubts. You think I’m a
superficial woman! I think I know just by looking at your eyes. Hic…”
“No. I don’t. Never…”
“Right. You’ll continue to doubt. You’ll keep being suspicious.”
“I’m saying I’m not. Fuck…”
“I have to prove my innocence!”
‘There is no need to prove… Stop proving.’
“Right now!”
The room began to rumble in an instant.

Magical power beyond my imagination began to burst out.
‘The fire sea ending is not allowed.’
Yuno Kasugano’s voice spread like an echo.
“Jung Hayan!”
“I have to prove innocence!!”
‘This crazy!’
With a rumbling sound, dirt fell from above.
The light of the magic circle continued to illuminate Jung Hayan, and the
magic power from all over her began to gather on her.
“Hayan, there is no need. You know how much I…”
“They should be gone. Those idiots must be gone!”
She kept muttering that she loved me, but there was no sign of any decrease
in her magical power as if she had already gone crazy.
It was natural to think that, if magic is unleashed here, they’ll definitely

suspect us.
The alliance with the Laios won’t happen, and instead, the continent may be
stamped as static, resulting in a scenario for the destruction of the State.
‘I neglected too much.’
I just pushed and didn’t pull.
Without my knowledge, she was mentally confined. The magic continued to

rise, and the sound coming from the room grew as if it would tear my ears at
some point.
It was natural to think that it was not long before the magic would be
unleashed.
Probably the moment a spell pops out of Jung Hayan’s mouth, I bet that part
of Laios will be ruined.
‘It’s ruined. Fuck. It’s ruined…’
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
The moment a dark red light emanated from the spellcaster’s eyes and mouth,
I was also forced to shout the magic spell with a loud voice.
“Let’s get married.”
In an instant, silence subsided in the room.

Chapter 315
[The next few chapters have been translated, but not edited. We only hit 20
chapters this week The team took quite a few days off and we burnt
through our stockpile. We will begin stockpiling again. Sorry for the
inconvenience! (Dec.26)]
“Let’s get married.”
In an instant, silence subsided in the room.
The pulsing magical power and Jung Hayan, who was screaming to chant the
incantation, also became quiet. Even I was surprised by the sudden change of
attitude.
Jung Hayan, which had emitted a dark red and ominous light with her messy
hair, was also returning to normal at some point. She had sparkling eyes, and
her hair, which began to float into the sky due to the influence of her magic
power, settled down.
I could tell she doubted what she had heard.
Her first reaction was to tilt her head. She thought about it, and the second
one was that she wore a startled expression.
Of course, in the end, she had a face asking for an answer if what she heard
was true.
“Yes… Yes?”
‘Shit…’
“Yes?!”
‘Fuck…’
“M-m-m… marry…”
The way she kept muttering, it was obvious that she had gone even crazier
than before.
It was tough to judge if I did well.
This was because I thought that if it became for me to give her benefits
whenever she would go crazy, she would start acting like this even more.
However, it was also true that I couldn’t think of any other way to stop Jung
Hayan right now.
If I’d said a half-hearted line, the magic would have fallen.
I even thought of browbeating her, but looking at the possibility that she
would’ve gone even crazier…
‘It’s only right to do this.’
It was the best choice I threw to stop Jung Hayan right now. No, it was an
unavoidable choice.
“J-Just once again. Please say it once again.”
For some reason, I couldn’t say it again. It seemed that unidentified anxiety
was clogging my throat. However, it was no use crying over spilled milk.
Eventually, I had to close my eyes and open my mouth.
“Let’s… get married, Hayan.”
Still, as it was a memorable proposal, it was natural to take a formal posture

as much as possible, and Jung Hayan, who had already started dropping thick
tears, seemed to be touched enough, but I had to fix it properly once I did it.
Come to think of it. I remembered putting some items in my pocket. I didn’t

know if it’s a coincidence or not, but I pulled out the ring I got before.
“It’s not that the way I look at you has changed. Er… I needed time to reflect
on what I think of you.”
“Ohhh… Ohhh….”
“I’m sorry if you were sad.”
In fact, it was hard to deal with it because it was just random words. I don’t
know what the hell I need time to reflect, but ridiculous words started
popping up unconsciously.
But no matter what I said, Jung Hayan was ready to be moved.
‘It’s better than the ruin of the State.’
I couldn’t fall apart from Jung Hayan, anyway.
It’s a high risk, but the merit was big enough to outweigh that risk.
Had this not happened, the relationship between Jung Hayan and I would not
have been certain ten years later.
‘I made a slightly better choice.’
I thought this was more rational, but somehow, bitterness was coming up
deep in my heart.
‘Still… I didn’t want anything like this. Fuck…’
“I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to pay much attention and made you
anxious. But rather, I think it was a time when I could look back on o-our
relationship. I realized how precious you are…”
‘I really want to look back.’
I kept stuttering my words like Jung Hayan. I thought I was gifted for lies,
but I was really reluctant in this.
“Waahhh… waaah, Oppa… Hic. Sniff.”
“You can answer…”
“No! No, no, no! Now! I want to do it now! I want to do it, n-now!”
‘You can answer later…’
Before I even asked her, I saw he nodding relentlessly while shedding thick
tears.
“Yes… I’ll do it. I’ll do it. Waaah… I’ll do it. I’m doing it. I will. I will do it,
no matter what. Even if the sky falls, I will do it. Hic, hic….”
‘Damn.’
After grasping the ring in my hand, I saw her hugging me and crying.
There was a great deal of emotion and a sense of accomplishment on her

face. She put the ring on her left ring finger before I could even do it.
It was instantaneous, but Jung Hayan’s move had just surpassed demon
worshipper Ito Souta.
‘Shit!’
“It’s finally done. Finally…”
She looked happy when she talked to herself and nodded to herself as usual.
It seemed to be quite contrasting with my face, but I was forced to smile.
Of course, Jung Hayan, who was continually wiping her tears with her hands,
seemed to have no room to see my face, but I could say that this was essential
to prevent other accidents.
I had to tell Han Sora and Park Deokgu, who were still waiting outside, that
the situation was over to some extent, but Jung Hayan had no intention of
stopping from crying. Tears came out once more when I think she has calmed
down.
“Waaahhh… I love you. I love you. I only have Oppa. Hic!”
“I love you, too.”
When she rushed in and hugged me tightly, my chest quickly became damp.
“I will never let go… never.”
“…”
In the meantime, I felt an unknown chill for some reason when she was
muttering.
We slowly fell apart after hugging for a few minutes.
She slowly closed her eyes, standing on her tiptoes as if asking for a kiss.
When I think about it, it was a romantic scene.
Between the magic circle, which still has a lot of light, dozens of colors
illuminated each other, and a pool of water trapped under the cave reflected
the light.
Jung Hayan was waiting for a kiss from me, half-cuddled in the middle.
People who didn’t know my situation will think it’s a stunning scene.
No, in Jung Hayan’s mind, today’s events will reflect much distorted.
This space, which may be remembered as fear to one side, will feel like a
blessing to the other, so this indeed felt ironic.
Many married men and married women made jokes about marriage and said
bad things, but in my case, it was not something to dismiss as a joke.
However, this cursed body specialized in survival began to rush toward Jung
Hayan’s lips.
After putting our lips together for a long time, I could see her face looking at
me with swollen eyes.
Of course, there is no need to mention that Jung Hayan opened her mouth
quickly, wanting to finish this quickly.
“Hic… When should we hold the ceremony? And what about the marriage
certificate…?”
“Oh, that…”
“What about the children? I’m okay without a b-b-baby. I’m worried that you
would only care for the baby… S-Dtill, we can have as much as you want!
As much as possible! After holding the ceremony, we’re going to travel right
away, right?”
“I mean…”
“I have a lot of money saved up! Oh! Are we going to stay in the Blue Guild?
It doesn’t matter, though. If you like it, everything is fine!”
“Ah… yes.”
“I think it would be okay to live in a place where no one could find us… but
you won’t like it. Still, I wish we lived in a quiet place if possible. R-right?
And let’s go to Mirror Lake for the honeymoon. I really wanted to see it. I
want to ride a boat… it will be very romantic to be together at the l-lake. A-
And I’ll serve you breakfast every day. Now, I-I don’t know very well about
it… but I’ll study hard that thing to do at night! And! I’ll study everything!
Hic… I’m really happy… I will also attend a cooking school.”
“First of all, let’s talk about t-that. First, it’s important that we think that
way.”
“Yes… Yes. And again…”
“And… For the time being, let’s keep it secret from others…”
“W-Why?”
“There is still a lot of work to be solved… Actually, I want to be with you
right now, but there are many situations involved.”
“What?”
“And…”
“Yes.”
“I want to settle down a little bit more properly.”
Since I had done it, it was natural that I needed to fix it.
Although Hayan looked surprised, it was only right for her to yield this much.
It would be hard to handle Cha Hee-ra’s anger as it was.
‘Although it is openly typical…’
This was the last resistance I could make.
“Well, I’m fine. We can do it in any way. It’s okay to be j-just two of us… I
don’t need anything else. I just need O-Oppa…”
“It’s because I don’t want to rush that.”
“Still…”
“For now, let’s talk about this later. Don’t be too nervous… The most
important thing is that we share the same feeling.”
“Yes…”
“And although… it’s a good day. I think I need to say a word about this.
Let’s go back and talk.”
“Ah…”
Only then did she realize what she had done, and her face turned blue.
Certainly, she seemed to have completely lost reason just before. It was a
magical spell that I spat out in a panic, but with this, I think I could stabilize
Jung Hayan for the time being, so I think it’s not bad.
It must have been the sweet thing that Jung Hayan had been waiting for, too.
She may be worried that if she has done something wrong, I would cancel the
marriage.
‘Not bad.’
At least one means of control was created. The sweeter the bait, the better it
worked.
The only thing I’m worried about is when all of this bait is gone, but I think
she’d stay quiet for at least a year.
Right now, the expression of concern was strong.
‘Responsibility for doing this.’
She must be thinking about it.
She was so angered that she went wild and blew it up, but she was not stupid
enough to not know the incident’s seriousness.
At first, she seemed psychotic and out of her mind, then happy as if the world
has approached after talking about the ceremony, and now a dog in the rain.
She had a more anxious expression than I expected.
It was then that Jung Hayan carefully opened her mouth.
“O-Oppa…”
“Huh?”
“I think s-s-someone came.”

At the line that seemed to say what should we do, her face was forced to turn
blue.
As I solved the internal problem, an external problem came in.
“This…”
Chapter 316
Chapter 316: In the Name of Light (1)
“What?”
“I-I think someone is here. There seems to be someone outside breaking the
barrier. I’m not sure, but I think so…”
“Can you check it now?”
“I’ll check it out…”
I could see Jung Hayan slowly chanting the spell.
She must be trying to watch the situation with Anemone’s Eyes because that
was the only way to find out what was going on outside right now.
I should take some action, too.
I could see a little embarrassment in Jung Hayan’s face when she slowly
opened her eyes.
“Who is it?”
“…”
“Quickly.”
“TTthat person.”
“What?”
“It’s that person. The Republic people.”
“…”
Jung Hayan, who glanced at me, seems to think that I might misunderstand
something, but I was not in a situation where I could misunderstand that.
I was also getting more and more anxious.
Naturally, I felt that the fire I had barely recovered could be rekindled. No,
internal problems were no longer a problem.
I had stopped Jung Hayan in the first place to avoid being pointed out as an
outlaw. It was to avoid the continent’s public rush and to establish an alliance
between this side and Laios.
If they were to find this out now, the alliance would no longer be possible. I
would also be recorded as the continent’s political opponent and be attacked
by neighboring countries.
‘Why did they come so quickly? Fuck…’
That was the evidence that Jin Qing was competent.
It meant that he had that much good magical skills to move just by following
my trail.
It was not easy for an ordinary wizard to feel the trace itself.
To search for the magic that Jung Hayan twisted in double and triple was also
impossible for other wizards with stats over 90.
Perhaps he found my whereabouts because of my movements. Nevertheless,

it was undeniable that the Republic side moved quickly.
It didn’t matter as to how he found me. What was more important is that I
was cornered as a result of that.
There were a lot of magic barriers and a huge magic circle.
And anyone could see that Jung Hayan in there was the one who unleashed
the magic. By any means, I was no better than a cornered rat.
‘I’m screwed. What should I do?’
My head was burning with stress from the series of recent events.
“Can you erase the magic circle now?”
“I-I can erase it, but it will take a while. Perhaps there will be some traces
left… And… I think they have broken through the first barrier right now.”
‘Shit.’
“Wait.”
“It seems that the second barrier has also been broken…”
“What?”
“I think they got there in the third time…”
‘Why so fast?’
“Is there any other way to get out of here?”
“No. There’s no such… S-should I look for it?”
“No.”
Even looking for it, a way out would not appear anywhere.
‘Damn it, damn it…’
The situation was rapidly getting worse, just like when the murder suspect
was found at the scene by the police.
“Park Deokgu and Han Sora…”
When I were to think about it, I started to worry about Park Deokgu and Han
Sora, who were still waiting outside.
First of all, it was important to inform them of this situation.
As I hurried out of the room, what I could see was Han Sora, who was
waiting for me with a nervous expression.
Park Deokgu still didn’t seem to know what’s going on.
“Has everything worked out? No, rather, why the hell are we here?”
“I’ll explain later.”
“You keep saying that. The curiosity is driving me crazy.”
Park Deokgu really looked curious.
Perhaps looking at my face, he realized that the situation was indeed serious.
Of course, Han Sora was no exception. In her case, she began to turn pale. It
was obvious as to what she was thinking.
She must be thinking that things with Jung Hayan went wrong.
“Things went well, right?”
“Yes. It went well.”
“Re… ally?”
“Yes. You don’t have to be nervous.”
“Because you don’t look so good…”
“Something else happened. First, let’s go insi… no, No, I think it’d be better
if only Sora came in. Deokgu, you keep on alert. If something happens, call
me right away.”
Deokgu, who did not know what was going on, was excluded for now.
It was hard to predict as to how he would react if he heard that they destroyed
the city.
‘It’s better for Park Deokgu not to know.’
It was correct to hide the fact that Jung Hayan and Han Sora’s collaboration
destroyed the city.
However, it looked like his frustration has already reached the limit. I could
see him opening his mouth with a loud voice.
“Hey, what is it? I followed you because you asked me to, but I don’t know
what the hell is going on. Up until now, the inside was making a rumbling
sound. No, was Hayan inside? Is it really Hayan who did that before? It
seems like she was screaming, too… I can think of a way to help if you
explain what this is all about!”
“I’ll explain everything in a bit.”
“Perhaps…”
“What?”
“What happened today…”
‘This pig is faster than I thought…’
It was momentary, but it was natural that my heart sank.
However, I had to clench my fists at what he said later.
“Did you found the whereabouts? Did you catch the culprit? No, at least a
hint? So that’s why only the wizards moved?”
“Isn’t that it?”
‘This lovely pig bastard!!’

It was only momentary, but a lightbulb had flicked on inside my head.
I wonder why I didn’t think of this. This pig, who gave me a big hint, became
lovely.
‘You bastard!’
I didn’t know if it was a coincidence or not, but I realized it at Park Deokgu’s

guess.
‘That’s it!!’
The perfect solution that looked like a picture.
Of course, there would be several variables, but what else could I do?
Currently, there was nothing else I could do.
“Right. Deokgu. You’re right. Fuck! You’re right! How did you know?!
Puhahaha!”
I sent him a heartwarming smile instantly.
The pride of getting the right answer passed through Park Deokgu’s face
momentarily.
“Really? Yes. I knew it! I knew it! It’s my job to notice what you’re thinking!
Phew… Am I not your brother Park Deokgu? But why did you hide it from
me? Were you giving me a quiz or something?”
“It’s not enough to tell Laios people or anyone else yet.”
“There’s no reason to hide it even from me! I’m disappointed.”
“I was going to tell you at the right time. It’s not because I don’t trust you,
but because I haven’t been certain yet. It’s also dangerous. Anyway, I got
caught, so there’s nothing I can do. Everything you said was right, Deokgu.
Pfff. Just like you said, Hayan, Sora, and I were looking for the one who did
that magic, and I’m not sure, but we’ve come to a conclusion.”
“Still…”
“Don’t be too upset. It was all because I had something in mind. I think I
have to look at the situation inside once again, so if anyone comes until the
investigation inside is finished…”
“Stay alert, you mean?”
“Of course. You are the only one I can trust. Deokgu, you can do it, right?”
“Of course, I can! If that’s the case, leave it to me! Because I will be holding
on to prevent even one ant approach! Yes, I will!”
“Wow! Our Deokgu is so reliable!”
“When it comes to trust, come to Park Deokgu! Saying it like that, I can feel
the responsibility!”
I saw Park Deokgu raising his shield after nodding effusively.
I felt like it would have been better if Ahn Ki-mo or Kim Ye-ri had been
here. I didn’t know if this would be the second episode of Park Deokgu’s
prank, but this wouldn’t happen.
‘Maybe he’s not an idiot.’
I didn’t know how he appeared at the right moment and helped at the right
time.
I looked at Park Deokgu with my Mind’s Eye, but the way the guy was
snorting and holding the shield was still the same.
In the meantime, Han Sora was looking at me as if saying what I was talking
about, but what could I do?
Han Sora, one of the culprits, didn’t have the right to do that kind of
expression.
I kept feeling like I was going to burst into laughter. I quickly spoke up.
“I would like you to help me with the investigation inside, Sora-ssi.”
“What?”
“Quickly. It’s urgent.”
“What… happened? Are you… sure everything’s fine? Perhaps…”
“It’s not what you’re thinking, so, quickly. It’s urgent.”
“I, I… I won’t get in trouble, right? You’re not angry, right?”
“It’s nothing like that, so come in quickly.”
“Really? Really? I’m not going to be sacrificed…”
“I’m not calling you for that. Please come inside quickly. This is not a
request. It is necessary.”
“R-Really…”
“Go in quickly, Sora. It’s! This is all necessary to catch the outlaw! If you
avoid this because it’s dangerous, those who were unjustly sacrificed…
Anyway! I don’t know who they are, but those vile scumbags need to be
eliminated! I don’t know where they live, but since it’s caught in Hyung-
nim’s hand! They will definitely pay for their sins! Yes! Absolutely! It’ll be
crushed! The moment you get caught by the righteous Lee Kiyoung, the bad
guys will tremble!”
“Right. We must find the outlaw. Right! Deokgu, then, I’ll trust you.
Criminals usually come back to the scene, so they might come back here.
Perhaps they know we’ve arrived here.”
“It’s okay, just leave it to me. I’ll be holding on tight until your investigation
is over.”
The problem with Park Deokgu was over.
When I hurriedly looked at Han Sora, I saw her moving as if she was really
reluctant.
When we entered, I could see her flinching as if she saw Jung Hayan
nervous, but when Jung Hayan came running to me, she sighed, relieved.
She realized that the problem between Jung Hayan and I had been solved.
“Thank God. Thank God… I’m saved…”
She even started to cry thick tears. However, we didn’t have any time to
spare.
“I’m saved… It’s all solved.”
“Not everything has been resolved, Sora-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“Just one more thing.”
“W… What.”
“You can summon it, right?”
I could see her face looking at me as if she was asking what I was talking
about.
Chapter 317
“You can do it, right?”
“I-I can, but…I haven’t tried… it yet…”
“Let’s try it. Because the more supplies you have, the better.”
She looked like she wanted to ask what the hell I’m talking about right now.
Of course, she could be perplexed.
In the first place, I had blocked the Black Wizard Han Sora from signing a
contract because the information on the demons that could actually be
summoned was very limited.
However, this was something that needs to be done.
This process was necessary for a more detailed plan. The first reason was that
I felt the black magic energy from the magic that fell today.
There were many other reasons, but I didn’t have time to explain them
individually. We should move as fast as we can now.
“But right now…”
“It’s okay. Hayan can lend the magic power, and this place will take care of
all the arrangements. You just need to lend your body. Instead, I’ll make sure
that you get a reward afterward. Depending on the case, I could send you out
to another area…”
Of course, I didn’t intend to send her out, but I could see her eyes were open,
biting the bait.
“I-I’ll do it!”
“I can’t promise you exactly when, but I’ll try to move in the direction you
want. And about summoning…”
“There was so little information that I didn’t have enough time to study. I
think it would be okay with Jung Hayan’s magic power… I was worried
about whether I could do it… so I think maybe an intermediate or advanced
demon will be summoned…”
“I don’t know how strong intermediate and advanced demons are, but it must
be an entity that can do the magic that fell in the city today.”
“An entity that can do that much… It doesn’t seem to be common even
among demons… but I will try.”
Seeing her burn her heart with hope at the bait of transfer, it seemed that she
really didn’t want to be with Jung Hayan.
Jung Hayan was clenching her fist as if she was determined to make up for
her previous mistake, but it seemed she had a rough idea of what my plan
would be, without me explaining.
“How far did you go?”
“There are still some left. I think there will be enough time, Oppa.”
“So let’s start right away. Sora, do you need any other summoner or anything
else?”
“No. I don’t. I heard that each demon has a slightly different summoning
method, and some entities can be summoned with only magic power. In
severe cases, you may have to meet ridiculous conditions, but… magic power
is enough for now.”
“Well, I’m glad if it doesn’t matter, but… I think it’s better to start. We don’t
have time to hesitate. Let’s start right now.”
“Okay.”
After I talked, Han Sora headed to the center of the magic circle in a hurry.
As before, there wasn’t a magical storm like raging billows, but significant
magical power had gathered in an instant.
I could see the magic power pouring into Han Sora through the magic circle.
Han Sora’s continuous mumbling and chanting the spell was a spectacular
sight. As a once talented student, she had no distraction in chanting the spell.
‘I guess she will succeed.’
However, I could see that the magic circle was gradually losing its light.
This was not a good sign.
As if she recalled the possibility that the summoning would fail, Jung Hayan
pushed in her magic again, and Han Sora also opened her mouth with a
slightly louder voice.
I had to do something here, too.
I didn’t know if it will help her, but the moment I pushed my weak magic
power into her magic circle, a black glow began to emit from where Han Sora
was standing.
The cave reverberated with a crackling sound, and all the magic that had
glowed brightly until now were all turned black.
Black light sounded ridiculous, but what I could see now was black light.
‘What the.’
Naturally, I was flustered because I felt a wave of magic power bigger than I
had imagined.
Eventually, when the light brought me to the point where I couldn’t even
open my eyes properly, I could see that there was something beyond
description in front of me.
‘What’s that again?’
[Belial, the devil of falsehood and incitement (Mythic)]
[One of the 72 Demon Lords]
[???]
‘Why did something like that come out…’
Looking down, floating in the air, was a monster with an indescribable

appearance.
Han Sora was staring as if she couldn’t believe the outcome she had
achieved, but I could see her swaying as if because of the aftereffect of the
subpoena ceremony done with a weak body.
-It’s fun.
It was not fun at all. Just a glance at it seemed to overwhelm me.
Nevertheless, it exuded such a presence that even I felt bewildered.
His low tone of voice felt like it was shaking my brain.
He didn’t seem stronger than the demon with seven weapons and large horns
or the Fragment of Ancient God from the museum, but he was also a superior
entity that I could not bear to look at.
‘It’s mythic-grade.’
-It’s amusing. How could you bring this body over here? It wouldn’t be the
influence of this magic circle, and there would have been insufficient
sacrifices to meet the conditions for summoning me… Unfortunately, this
method of summoning violates the terms of the contract. This black wizard is
too small to hold me… and it didn’t even meet all the conditions.
It just so happened that a slightly stronger one came out.
Nothing changed.
As soon as I inhaled as much air as possible, I started to feel that I was

stabilizing.
Han Sora was still holding her head, and the aftereffect of summoning him
was probably quite large.
I didn’t know if it was right to do it here, but it was only right to talk to him.
I was running out of time.
“T-Thank you very much for answering the call.”
-So, it’s you.
He was looking straight at me.
It didn’t need to be said that I wanted to prostrate myself in case I did

something wrong.
-It’s you, Mortal. Your disgusting magic power brought me here.
“I’m sorry?”
-It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a human with a wavelength that
matches so well with me. It is a pity that a human with such aptitudes does
not walk this path. Hmm… Anyway, since I came to this world like this, tell
me what you want. A direct contract is not possible, but there must be a
reason for summoning me, so I’ll listen. Yes. You can think of it as a
commemoration of meeting someone with the right wavelength after a long
time.
‘Things are going better than I thought.’

I didn’t know about the magic power wavelength, its propensity, and what it
was but the fact that he was friendly to me is good.
Of course, considering that he was wearing the mask of a devil of falsehood

and incitement, I was worried about whether he would backstab me with a
smile, but a demon could not harm his summoner.
At least, those who were not the upper demons couldn’t.
Of course, I didn’t know what the mythic-grade creatures with the strength to
resist some part of the system will be, but doubting him did not make a
difference.
-I like that you have a lot of doubt. I haven’t seen a disgusting human like
you for a long time.
‘Is that a compliment or a curse? Fuck.’
-But there is no need to doubt, mortal. You are valuable ones. It’s not
common to summon one of the 72 Demon Lords. The vessel that summoned
me also has room for further growth and has been blessed with magic power.
Of course, the disgusting human with better eyes than us. The same goes for
you. If you don’t like the indirect contract, I would recommend summoning
others, but considering the vessel’s condition, it seems hard to summon
again… If this is something I can easily help you with, I will. You guys have
no idea, but this is also an achievement.
“What do you mean, an achievement?”
-Well, it’s something you don’t need to know. It will be easier to think that
being able to gain a contract is something good for us as well. It’s such a
shame. If you had had a direct contract with me, you would have been able to
get a direct contract after a very long time among our 72 lords… Well,
enough with the small talk. It’s better to read the contract first. It’s an indirect
contract, but a contract is a contract.
“…Thank you.”
-It’s not enough, but let’s settle the price with the magic that summoned me.
Of course, it includes the pleasure I will feel in this work. Please, I wish it
was something that would entertain me…
It was in an instant that a black contract was created in front of me.
I think it was safe to say that it was an inherent power of demons.
I didn’t know where and how they were living, but it didn’t seem like they
lived happily in the inferno like I was thinking. The contract had its own
system.
There were also no clauses that would be a problem.
‘I guess it looks good.’
I was doubtful, but I realized he spoke the truth.
The devil who occupied one of the 72 Demon Lords was favorable to me.
However, it was the Black Wizard Han Sora who had to sign the contract. At
this point, I think it wouldn’t have been bad even if I had been a black
wizard.
‘Such a shame.’
If I had chosen to be a black wizard, I would have really a chance to make a

direct contract with him.
No, perhaps in the first round, where I chose to be a black wizard, I could
have really signed a contract.
For now, the best I could do was to look at the contract carefully.
I could see Han Sora, who still did not seem well, glancing at me.
No wonder I nodded, looking at her like that. I expressed that there was no
problem with the contract.
She looked suspicious, but Han Sora also began to nod her head in a positive
light.
– This is a special case, so I’ll take all three of you as contractors. Of course,
the contractor had to be limited to a vessel, but she couldn’t have brought me
in alone.
“Thank you very much for your consideration, Belial.”
-No need to flatter me, disgusting human. Hahahaha. Instead, say what you
want quickly. I don’t know the circumstances, but you called me because you
wanted something, right?
Of course, I do.
As I nodded quickly, he also nodded his head.
“It’s something very simple for you, Belial-nim.”
-Tell me.
“I want you to fool some humans. That’s all.”
I could see the demon smiling, as if it was a really pleasing request.
-That’s a pleasant request, disgusting human.
‘Devil Summoner, Jin Qing!’
It was right to eradicate such darkness on the continent.
And it would all be in the name of light.

Chapter 318
I could see the lieutenant, who had come with me, with her mouth open.
She was probably expressing surprise at the barrier in front of her.
She was also a wizard. There was no way she couldn’t recognize its worth.
“Is it fascinating? Ludmilla.”
“No. I can understand. Since you’re also studying this science… It would be
strange not to be surprised.”
“It feels… It feels like we have entered a dungeon, sir.”
“Strictly speaking, it is far from a dungeon. There’s no system judgment in

this place. It will be easier to think that someone made it artificially.”
“If that’s true, isn’t it even more amazing? The very fact that a human can
create this kind of magic barrier… It’s hard to understand from my common
sense…”
“If…”
“Yeah.”
“If you are a specialized wizard, it will be possible. This is not a matter of
magic power but rather a matter of technique… As you can see, it is designed
quite complexly. Even those who are familiar with magic won’t be able to
figure it out at once. This is enough to think that the class or attribute related
to this… is most likely to be at least legendary-grade.”
“Legendary-grade…”
“Probably, it is the work of one of the State’s Eight Seats or the Republic’s
Five Tiger Generals or someone who has similar powers. The most
appropriate person would be the State’s shaman. Or a wizard hiding in the
magical kingdom…”
“But isn’t she not a wizard? To be precise, she is close to a sorcerer…”
“Of course, this is not her doing. Her magic has a different mechanism than
the magic we use. If it were her doing, I would have noticed right away. Of
course, the State wouldn’t have done such a stupid thing.”
“Then, sir.”
“Yes.”
“Are you saying that the person who made this barrier and the person who
dropped the magic this morning is not the same person?”
Of course, I had to nod at the question.
It was hard to say that the same person cast the two magics, no matter how I
thought about it.
The fact that the one who had the magic of formidable power and the user of
defensive boundary magic that even I found hard to decipher was the same
person was impossible, even on a continent where there were many
incomprehensible things.
The two magic were entirely different types of magic.
It would be impossible for a genius on top of a genius to master both magic,

which was not easy to get to the level even if one kept digging on only one
thing.
“It’s highly likely they’re not the same person.”
“I knew it… If so, it would be right to think that this is a specific group
targeting us.”
“Yes. I think it’s probably right that they planned it for us at the national
level.”
“National level…”
“I don’t know what the purpose is, but…”
“Is there any possibility that it’s the State?”
“It won’t be them.”
Something was suspicious about this whole thing.
However, if it was the Lee Kiyoung I knew, he would have no reason to do

this. The political problems this would bring would be massive.
I didn’t know him well yet, but he preferred to minimize the risk as much as
possible.
His past moves gave a strong feeling that he was always concerned about his
safety and political position.
In fact, I could see that in the simple game that we played.
‘To say that the State did this?’
No matter how unstable the State was, they wouldn’t be foolish enough to
commit such stupid things.
Despite the task of making an alliance with Laios, no one was going to make
this stupid move.
‘The situation itself is useful.’
If I hadn’t considered the possibility of a third force hoping the two forces to
fight, I would have sent a protest to the State right away.
As I didn’t know exactly who they were and what they wanted, I had to avoid
moving externally as much as possible.
As I went inside, lost in thoughts, the more difficult it became to dismantle

the magical barrier.
Looking back, Ludmilla and other wizards who came with us were also in
deep trouble.
It was also surprising that archers were not allowed to follow their tracks.
Not only was the magic barrier periodically erasing traces in this place by
itself, but it was continually interfering so that it could not be traced in any
other way.
‘As if the magic power is alive.’
It was a passing thought, but it might be an expression that fit well.
I had a hard time processing all of this.
‘Is it really made by a human?’
I didn’t know if rangers that could read hundreds of years old trails may be
able to light up this trail, but archers who had reached that level did not exist
in the Republic.
No, it was not even common to find such power among the elves.
Even if they come…
‘They won’t be able to read the traces accurately.’
Had it not been for the faint reverberation of black magic, we wouldn’t have
even come to this point.
‘A black magic… black magic.’
It was then that a voice came from next to me.

“Er, sir.”
“Yes.”
“It’s not for me to say this, but can I suggest to go back… It doesn’t matter if
something happens to us, but I’m afraid you’ll get in trouble.”
I could understand them, but this couldn’t possibly be delayed.
“I’ll be fine. We have insurance on hand, and an investigation team from the
Republic is probably arriving… I know I’m at risk, too, but just following
this trail took a lot of time. The time it takes for magic to remain floating in
the atmosphere immediately after the manifestation of magic is usually
around five hours. In this case, it may take about seven to eight hours, but it
is by no means a long time.”
“Seven hours…”
“It means that the concentration of magic power is that strong. We have to
keep trying at least until the reverberation of floating magical power in the
atmosphere remains. If we can’t follow this trail within today, it’s very likely
that everything will be cleared after that.”
“But the President will be worried, sir. If the one who unleashed this kind of
magic is aiming for you…”
“I can look after myself. For now, the break is over. We will move faster than
we just had.”
“Okay.”
“Please prepare the magic right away. I will lead.”
“Okay.”
With the momentum, the unofficial investigation team went through the cave
in a matter of seconds.
The more I went in, the more ominous magic power I felt. The more the
barrier was released, the more magic power blocked inside flowed in.
‘It’s inside.’
I could consider this a hint.
‘It could be a trap, but…’
The insurance against raids was more than enough.
As soon as I walked, I could see the hall.
Of course, what was inside was way beyond my expectations.
“Sir, sir… this.”
“I’m also seeing.”
“Sir… what… What the hell is this?”
“A demon…”
“Demon?”
It was a monster with a huge appearance.
His face was like the lightning of fire, and his eyes were like flames burning
in the abyss.
His mouth was like a crack in a rock, and his large wings seemed to tuck into
a crumpled sky. It seemed that I was overwhelmed just by looking at him.
It’s hard even to describe the majesty. A human being is too small and
shabby to look at him located among several black magic circles.
You couldn’t even stand properly under his pressure.
Biting my lips tightly as the best I could do.

‘This… Something like this… Exists? On this continent?’
I was starting to feel suffocated.
While wandering around the continent, I have watched many creatures that
the expression “out of standard” fits, but no one had provoked this fear.
‘This is… This makes no sense…’
“R-Run away…”
“No, Ludmilla. There is no need to run away.”
“I’m sorry?”
“It is sealed.”
“Oh…”
“Someone seemed to have sealed the devil. I don’t know if he’s here from the
beginning, but… right now, that demon can’t move by itself. I don’t know
who sealed such creature here, but…”
“Maybe a black wizard?”
“Yes. I believe to be a… pretty high-ranking black wizard. I’ve studied black

magic for a while, but I haven’t seen or heard anything about how to use a
high-ranking demon. Maybe…”
The destruction of the city was most likely the power of that. The most
convincing evidence was right before my eyes.
The magic circle used to summon demons is also relatively recent. The
binding magic to seal this demon was also noticeable.
‘What is it aiming for?’
The probability was low, but I had to think about the case where the magic
was not aimed only at the Republic.
It sounded ridiculous, but it was possible that it was waged by black wizards
who harbored resentment from the State, the Republic, or the neutral country.
It wasn’t that there weren’t any black wizard clans working in secret.
The number of cases that should be considered for this incident had
increased.
Whatever the reason, the important thing now was to inform others about
this.
“First, report to the Republic… and then, Laios. Take control of all this area
right away and take steps to ensure that the dispatched people can also come
here. This is our top priority. I’m telling you just in case, but you guys here
right now haven’t seen anything. Anything.”
“O-Of course, sir.”
“Then… right now…”
It was when I said this. Someone appeared on one side of the room.
‘What is that…’
It was so dark that I couldn’t see well, but when I put in magic on my eyes as
much as possible, I could see a face I had seen before.
‘Lee… Kiyoung?’
I couldn’t instantly understand why he was here.
It was because I had encountered an unexpected person in a much-

unexpected place.
The Honorary Cardinal of the Holy State was with a sealed demon.
He spoke way before I could.
“It was you. The summoner who summoned the demon here… was it…
really you?”
“What?”
“I asked if it was you, Jin Qing.”
“What…?”
‘Bullshit.’
Chapter 319
Of course, I held no personal spite against him. However, it was only by

chance that he had stepped on my tail.
The possibility of being a potential enemy may also be a reason, but it didn’t
really matter what it was.
It doesn’t matter who I blame. All I had to do was get out of my tight spot.
It was the first thing I could do at this point. From my point of view,
delicious prey appeared at the right timing.
Rather, I was glad it was him.
If he continued to be active, there was a possibility that I would be in danger.
If I gave him more time, he’d notice that all of this was our doing.
‘It has to be this guy.’
I was glad I had come here.
Such thoughts began to appear in my mind. For now, I opened my mouth.

Naturally, I had to warm up slowly.
“Was it really you?”
“W-What are you talking about…?”
He looked bewildered.
He must be trying to figure out the bullshit I was spouting.
He was probably thinking of several possibilities. The first thing he could

think of was that I was misunderstanding.
“There seems to be some misunderstanding. We, too, have only been looking
for traces. No, why are you here in the first place… I want to ask you how
you came in.”
“Is that true?”
“It’s our first time here, too.”
“How can you prove that?”
“We don’t trust you, too, Lee Kiyoung. Before asking why we are here, you
have to prove why you are here. How did you guys get here? Depending on
the answer, I may have to use other methods.”
“It’s the same for us to be in a position to use force, Jin Qing.”
‘I’m sure.’
So far, he hadn’t turned his arrow towards me.
I had confidence in this kind of acting, but I started to be proud of myself

when things really went as I thought.
Of course, I didn’t know if he was suspicious of the State from the inside, but
at least he doesn’t look to be.
As he said, I couldn’t explain how I had come here, so it was natural to open
up some possibilities.
Before opening my mouth, Park Deokgu popped out and began to be on

guard against them.
Jung Hayan did the same. There was a tension in the air, seeing that she was
already trying to chant a spell.
In fact, Park Deokgu’s acting was even better than mine, probably because he
wasn’t even acting in the first place.
When he first came in, he was so shocked that he was open-mouthed, so it
wouldn’t be too much to react sensitively.
The collaboration between Park Deokgu, who is really worried about this
situation, and Jung Hayan’s solemnity to make up for her mistake, was
wonderful.
‘It’s perfect.’
If Ahn Ki-mo and Kim Ye-ri were here, they would have performed this
mission even better.
“Deokgu.”
“Hyung-nim.”
“You don’t have to be on guard for now. There seems to be some

misunderstanding.”
“B-But… I don’t think it’s good to let our guard down for now. It doesn’t
mean it’s unlikely that he could have summoned this big monster.”
“No. It may be a trap, but it’s not going to happen openly.”
“Still…”
“He’s not someone who can do that. Maybe there was a misunderstanding.
First, let go of your guard. This is not a request, Deokgu.”
“If you say it like this… Instead, it’ll just stick together. Honestly, I don’t
want to leave Hyung-nim in this place for long. If that wakes up…”
“Y-Yes, Oppa! There’s the demon and… t-t-that bad person…”
Meanwhile, Jung Hayan’s acting was a spectacle.
As I looked at her openly, she closed her mouth tightly. “You shouldn’t
speak,” she understood my meaning.
I could see her hinting at his murder.
Anyway, my remarks seemed to relieve some tension.
When I took one more step, it seemed that Jin Qing’s camp had softened the
guard to some extent. Of course, nonetheless, they seemed to be sensitive to
their own safety.
The wizards were muttering spells, and Jin Qing also stared at me quietly.
‘That’s normal…’
Even if I were the guy, I’d consider whether this side could attack them.
But, unfortunately, what I wanted was not their death.
‘Rather, it’s the opposite.’
In fact, I thought I couldn’t have had this conversation if it wasn’t for Park
Deokgu.
It was because Park Deokgu, who was afraid of the demon, continually
sweated and seemed to be really concerned about our safety.
“Damn… if you’re going to talk, talk quickly. No, more than that, shouldn’t
we do something about this encounter first?
I nodded and opened my mouth.
Of course, it wasn’t for Park Deokgu.
“First, let me tell you how, Jin Qing. We arrived here by tracking the traces
of magic power floating in the air and the black mage’s reverberation. Of
course, I didn’t move at the State level. Since this is an issue, I thought I’d
move before the State’s investigation team moved first. It had to be solved
before the magic power floating in the air was completely gone.”
“The same is true for me. I haven’t informed the Republic yet… how did you
do with the magic barrier?”
“I can’t tell you that. How did you get to this place? Dismantling the magic
barriers…”
“We can’t tell you either. Let me tell you one thing for sure. This is not our
doing. I can’t prove it right now, but if I do a full-fledged investigation later,
I will be able to read the traces.”
‘The full-scale investigation team should not come.’
“To Laios…”
“I won’t inform them yet. No, to be honest, we, from the Republic side,
wanted to take care of this, but…”
“Things must have changed.”
“Yes. I never thought I would meet you. More importantly… when did you
arrive here?”
‘So, you’re going to feel me out, huh?’
“It hasn’t been that long. It was only a few hours before you entered, and it
wasn’t long before we discovered the sealed demon and the magic circle. I
sensed someone was coming in this way, and I thought it was the creator of
this division. There is no reason to disappear after summoning a creature with
such tremendous power. I thought it would come again.”
“…”
“It may have tried to finish the plan that could not be finished with today’s
magic, or it may have a completely different purpose. To be honest, it doesn’t
mean I didn’t think about the probability of this to be Republic’s own
creation…”
“It’s the Republic’s foreigners who died, Honorary Cardinal. You better be
careful with your words.”
“I’m sorry. I made a mistake.”

“I can guarantee the Republic has nothing to do with this. Rather, it would be
more persuasive to assume a third force promotes the fight between the State
and the Republic. If, indeed, the State has nothing to do with this, as you
claim.”
“A third force…”
“It’s just a hypothesis. But considering the correlation between the magic
barrier and the magic that fell today and this demon, It’s highly likely that a
group did this. It’s just a guess, but… about the possibility of being a black
wizard clan’s work…”
“It is convincing. I don’t really know about black magic, but the creature we
are looking at is not just any creature…”
Suddenly, heavy energy fell into the room.
Park Deokgu was the first to detect a hint of danger.
He took care of us with a really startled face. Perhaps it was an instinctive

act.
Jin Qing and the party were also looking at him with wide-open eyes.
They were worried about whether something had moved.
It was then that the giant demon’s closed eyes slowly opened.
“He wasn’t… sealed… Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!”
Before he even opened his mouth, monsters with an indescribable appearance

popped out from under the ground.
“Shit…”
Jin Qing looked very much flustered.
As if Park Deokgu was really surprised, he started to swing his shield as

much as possible, but he seemed to be anxious that the same thing as Park
Yeon-joo’s case would happen again.
Jung Hayan bit her lips tightly with somewhat exaggerated acting, and I also
responded and started to form a camp.
“A trap? Jin Qing-nim, let’s deal with this first.”
“Yes. That’s better….”
“Uh…”
“Huh?”
It was no wonder that both of us had taken on a startled face. I was only
acting, but it was a real situation for him.
Looking at the situation right now, he would have no choice but to express
that feeling.
Different types of monsters were now threatening us.
In contrast, Jin Qing and his minions seem to be protected by monsters.
“W… was it really you?”
“No. It’s… not. No…”
“This… scumbag! How do you do this while wearing a human mask?!”
Park Deokgu’s really angered voice as a bonus.
“What is this…?”
“Is it a trap to attract this side from the beginning?”
“It’s not. You’re misunderstanding.”
“It was you… who really dropped the magic in Laios?”

“It’s a misunderstanding. The situation at this time has nothing to do with
us.”
However, it was only us that the monsters were attacking.
Everything was an act, but thanks to Park Deokgu, who wielded a shield with
a rather thrilling expression, it felt real. He was indeed the top contributor in
this act.
“Damn. Prepare for battle! Get ready for battle!”
At the same time, the demon lord also began to open his mouth.
-My contractor, Jin Qing. Your wish will come true. Unseal this seal! Then
you’ll have more power in your hands!
It was the timing expected from the lord of falsehood and incitement.
What came out after that were swearwords.
He realized what I had wanted since he was clever.
“This scumbag!!!!!”
Everything had been improvised from start to finish.
-Do you want power?! Jin Qing! Everything you want will come true!!
Chapter 320
At that instant, the demons rushed in from all directions.
Park Deokgu was in a defensive posture with the most number of wizards he
could gather, and his face had a sense of mission to save us somehow.
I felt both sorry and grateful, but we were not more important than this one.
-Come on, unseal my seal, contractor, Jin Qing! You’ll get more power in
your hands!
“These motherfuckers! Son of a bitch! Son of a bitch!!”
-I will give you infinite power! Contractor!
“Lee Kiyoung, you son of a bitch!”
‘The height… That guy’s a catch. A catch.’
I think I knew why he said that I was a human with a wavelength that
matched with him.
As if it were a troupe from the beginning, he had a great deal of skill in

giving out the lines I wanted.
Above all, I was satisfied that I felt like he was enjoying it the most.
When he behaved like the title of a demon lord of falsehood and incitement,
he seemed to feel pleasure in when the other person was suffering.
Of course, I thought the same thing.
Looking at his distorted face, I felt like I was relieved of all the stress that I
had gained with Jung Hayan.
After all, sometimes you had to hold an event like this to bring your life back
to life.
-This city! No, I’ll give you the power to destroy this continent completely!
Contractor!
“T-This lowly garbage!”
-Unseal the seal! Jin Qing! Hurry!
The picture itself was so perfect that I didn’t have any complaints.
He swore at me while Park Deokgu and our group were struggling,

surrounded by demons.
Since we were fighting desperately enough to doubt whether the acting was
real, there was no way that a good picture wouldn’t come out.
I also sprayed the dragon breath potion in all directions, and Jung Hayan cast
a spell quickly and attacked the demons.
Some fell apart, but other demons quickly appeared in the empty spot.
If it weren’t acting, I would have peed.
In Han Sora’s case, who showed up late, she struggled a lot, but looking at
her like that gave more vitality.
“Don’t lose, Deokgu, Hayan. If such a devil is released in the world, then
Laios will not be safe. You have to break through, not hold on. Don’t let that
devil’s seal be released! Is Sora okay?”
“I think she was eroded by black magic, Oppa. Sora…”
We started to recite the pre-set lines.
I had to make sure that we would not get investigated, but it was an excuse,
considering the possibility of bad things happening to Han Sora.
“Sora, please hold on a little more. You have to resist the black magic.”
“Hyung-nim! First, the body!”
“The body is not important now. Listen to me, Deokgu. Even if I die here
today, that demon must be sealed.”
“Hyung-nim!”
The face of the crying Deokgu was a sight to see.
In fact, even saying that line felt embarrassing.
Still…
‘This is a video to be sent to the Holy See.’
It was correct to prepare a separate edition for the Holy sector.
Perhaps Pope Basel would love it.
Of course, I held the rosary in my neck tightly.
The scene of me closing my eyes and praying to Goddess Benigore was also
captured on Hayan’s camera.
“Goddess Benigore, even if your servant loses his life today…”
“Even if I die today! I’ll never let Hyung-nim die!”
In the meantime, Park Deokgu, who was listening to my prayer, began to

awaken.
As the guy who had grown more than the last time wielded his shield in
earnest, lower-ranking demons fell down in a row.
“You filthy devil’s servants! How can you put on a human mask and do such
bestial things! Trying to take advantage while sacrificing even your own
colleague!”
Seeing him burning with a useless sense of justice, I thought it was fortunate
that I didn’t tell him.
Of course, Jung Hayan was also preparing her own spell.
Seeing her looking at Jin Qing with burning eyes, it seemed like she hated to
see him.
It was the eyes that were disturbing me just before, but the situation has
turned into this, so there is no need for other explanations.
The true eyes of a righteous mage sent anger to the demon summoner, who
was trying to destroy the world.
Jung Hayan’s murderous intent could be gilded to this extent.
“Don’t lose. You must prevent the seal from being released.”
“To such a low-key joke…”
‘He gets caught. Why wouldn’t he get caught?’
He also knew it. There was no way he didn’t know that I had the magic
hologram.
‘Because he knew about me in the first place.’
Perhaps he has realized by now – how I got to this place and how I was able
to achieve ridiculous achievements.
He might have noticed the meaning of the move I made that day.
I haven’t achieved much with real abilities. Most of them were bluffing,
rumors, incitement, and fabrication.
Seeing his red face, he certainly noticed everything. If he were expecting a

fair battle of wits, I felt a little sorry.
‘It will be useless even if you struggle.’
Incitement could be done in one sentence, but it took dozens, or even

hundreds, of evidence to explain it.
It was ridiculous to think of the impact of this kind of video in a single

sentence.
Probably, if this thing was released, he may have to spend his whole life
trying to explain it.
What was disappointing in the meantime was that I couldn’t put a magical
hologram on Laios right now.
If I hadn’t had time to think more closely about this plan, I would have to
send the video without editing.
“Do you think I don’t know this is your own play?! People won’t be deceived
by a self-made play that doesn’t even make sense…”
He was now trying to spout up excuses, but it would all be for nothing. Even
the wizards next to him were looking suspiciously at him.
“No one will be fooled. This self-written play will fool no one.”
No matter how hard he tried to explain, he could only say that much.
Anyway, in the edited video, that line will turn into a devil’s voice.
“Ahem!”
“H-Hyung-nim!”
“I’m fine, Deokgu. Just go faster!”
“These bad guys, how you dare to do this to Hyung-nim!”

Moreover, no matter how much he was shouting, there was already a
different feeling of desperation between him and me. The public’s reaction to
this would be worse.
Meanwhile, I felt as if I had gained a thousand soldiers with Belial hitting the
right spot.
-Are you hesitating now? Contractor! Quickly, take my hand and unseal!
“S-Shut up, devil. Calling me with that dirty mouth!”
-Contractor!!
He somehow tried to defend himself, but he would realize that he could do

nothing.
The only thing he could do was to kill me so that the evidence will be
destroyed.
He could only do that much. However, I saw him hesitating.
‘Right…’
He knew that the moment he attacked, his situation would get worse. It was a
spectacle to see him stranded. This picture was a real checkmate.
The face that told to give me 100 moves overlapped with it.
‘And I’ll give you 100 seconds, you bastard. Thank you. Thank you so
much!’
It was really fortunate that the guy hit the right spot.
Instead, I was really grateful that he came to this place. If it weren’t for him, I
would probably be thinking about how to resolve this in a different fashion.
‘What do you want to do?’
Do you want to kill me or just to get screwed stupidly?

Or do you want to run away?
Of course, all of them were impossible.
Considering that we are contracting Belial, they would have to worry about
their own life or death.
Of course, they never really did have that kind of contract with Belial, but it
was natural for those who didn’t know the contract details to be cautious.
-Contractor! Hurry!
“Damn…”
He must have realized that he had no choice. It was then that the voice of the
demon came into my head.
[This is fun. Fun.]
‘I’m glad you are satisfied, Belial-nim, who is respectable and great.’
[I said there is no need to flatter me, disgusting human.]
‘It’s not flattering. I just told the truth. Rather, why are you talking to me…
separately?’
[Ah! No big deal. I just thought there was a problem with the contract.]
It was momentary, but a curse came out.
I thought it would be like this for some reason, but I didn’t really think he
would backstab me like this.
[You can rest assured, mortal. It’s not something that will cause damage to
you. Didn’t I tell you? You are important. Those who can call one of the 72
demon lords are not that common.]
‘Then, what do you want…?’

[The contract was clearly asking to trick some people.]
‘That’s right, but…’
[But, as a result, aren’t you tricking all humans all over the continent?]
This quick-witted bastard.
[I don’t know when was the last time I saw a disgusting human trying to play
a joke on me, the lord of falsehood and incitement. I bet you will be able to
adapt well enough to settle down in the place I live.]
‘T-Thank you, and I’m sorry.’
[I also made a little joke on the contract. Actually, I thought about punishing
you, but I also felt a strange sense of identity. I am going to be satisfied with
getting paid a little more. So, about the contract you read…]
‘Yes.’
[You’re not thinking that your contract and the contract that the Black Wizard
read were the same, right?]
‘Huh?’
The contract was but a single page.
Han Sora and I were undoubtedly reading the same contract.
However, in an instant, I realized that what we were reading would have been
different.
‘Such a stupid mistake… shit!’
I nodded, and Han Sora signed off.
Of course, it was a mistake to think that we were reading the same text. I
should have had a little more in mind that he as a demon of falsehood and
incitement.
[No need to worry, disgusting human. Didn’t I say? I’m just getting paid. The
reason the Black Wizard signed without any doubts was that she thought you
would affirm. I’m saying that you would have signed it because it was
something you could have done. If it were absurd, the Black Wizard you’re
controlling would have questioned first.]
‘Then… the content is.’
[Didn’t l say? I’m just getting paid. Just that.]
Really in the blink of an eye.
The sky began to open with the sound of heaven and earth opening up.
In an instant, the demon, who had grown in size, dropped several large
spheres at the big city of Laios.
In an instant, Yuno Kasugano’s voice passed through my ears.
That absurd prophecy that the city would be in ruins kept coming to my
mind.
Everyone here opened their mouths wide at that ridiculous sight.
It seemed that the magical power that kept him was not enough, and it
seemed that all humans in the whole city wouldn’t be eradicated, but anyone
could expect that it would cause significant damage.
‘Han Sora, fuck!’
In other words, Han Sora accepted without any doubt that I was in favor of
making the city in ruins.
‘He could see through people so well…’
This could be tolerated unless it was a situation I was being suspected of.
However, it would be better to come intact than to be completely devastated.

Meanwhile, spheres continued dropping down from the sky.
Rather, it was natural that I thought that this could be used to tie Jin Qing
further.
[Occurrence of the legendary-grade forced quest.]
[Save Laios from danger. As soon as possible, you lousy guy (0/1)]
“Jung Hayan!”
As expected, light was the way to triumph.
[TL NOTE: It’s a play on words. Hayan (하얀) = White]

Chapter 321
The sky deftly split with a loud sound.
“Oh, God,” I found myself uttering, my eyes fixated on the scene before me.
Other people were no different.
Countless servants were all looking at the sky with their eyes wide open, as a
huge demon could be seen in sight.
It was a monster, one which had an indescribable appearance.
When the demon, who seemed to be able to devour the city, opened his
mouth, the sky cracked, and a dark red sphere of an incomprehensible size
fell.
-Contractor, Jin Qing. What you want will come true!
I didn’t want to believe that all of this was real. With a sudden, unforeseen
urban crisis, I was staring at the sky, speechless.
-Thank you! Thank you! Contractor!!
‘Jin Qing?’
I didn’t understand what the hell was going on.
All I knew was that I had to escape from this unrealistic scene, rather than
thinking why the name of the Republican military was being mentioned by
the monster itself.
‘All will die.’

If that kind of thing fell, countless people would end up getting killed. That
was an inevitable fact.
That was, after all, the same dark red sphere magic that previously attacked
the city.
The city’s protection magic, which was quickly reorganized, shattered

quickly with a crackling sound.
‘Mother… father.’
This was a neutral country with a long history.
‘I have to protect it.’
Yes, father.
‘It’s not that you’re superior, Pristina. Only with the people around you can
you exist.’
Yes, mother.
‘The royal family exists for the country, Pristina. You have to keep what our
royal family values.’
Yes, father.
‘Don’t forget. Only with them, we exist. Don’t forget that, Pristina.’
Yes, mother.
“No.”
Everyone would end up dying.
“No… No!!”
All my loved ones would die.

My breathing suddenly became rough. I heard screams from all directions.
The wizards around me once again used their magic, but they soon began to
vomit blood as they overexerted themselves.
“Ahh. Oh, God. Please… Please, save them. Please. I will do anything. I will
do anything to protect Laios. Please, save them. Please.”
“Pristina, you must avoid it! Quickly!”
“Oh, God. Please… Please. Please.”
“Pristina!”
“Please!!”
Craaaacckkk.
Nevertheless, the huge sphere started to get closer and closer to the city.
‘It’s over.’
Everything was going to be over. However…
“Aaaaahhhh…”
Kaduuuummm!
Magic materialized out of nowhere, blocking the approaching red sphere.
“Uh…”
It was all so dazzling that I couldn’t even open my eyes properly.
“Ahhh… Oh, God.”
If Laios survived today, I would definitely tell everyone that a brilliant light
had saved the country from utter destruction in the future.
***
‘The magic power color needs to be changed… the picture doesn’t look that
good.’
I didn’t think it would be a good idea to use blocking magic that was the
exact same color as the devil’s magic.
I wasn’t blaming Jung Hayan, but it was still a pity.
Of course, the biggest question was whether it could be prevented, but it

would have been more satisfying if it had been a picture with a little bit than
bigger light.
[Occurrence of a legendary-grade forced quest. Please hold her hand. Gnash

(0/1)]
“What?”
[Take the hand of the human blessed with magical power. I’m telling you to
hold Jung Hayan’s hand, trash. I won’t say it twice. Hold her hand, quickly
(0/1)]
I once assumed that there was a subjective opinion in the overall review or
the system quest window reflected by my Mind’s Eye, but I didn’t think it
would really be like that.
Still, one thing was for sure.
‘Someone is indeed watching.’
Perhaps there was a possibility that it was the same person as the one who
returned Kim Hyunsung.
This also explained that the Mind’s Eye’s seal was released when I swore
allegiance to Kim Hyunsung, and that the system did not want Park Deokgu
to fall behind.
Certainly, Hyunsung and I were being guided by a transcendental lifeform.

‘Lucky! Lucky! Yolo time!’
However, there was one thing that I still found a little questionable.
‘Is it possible to intervene directly like this?’
In the end, I had to forfeit the idea.
If this were possible on a daily basis, things wouldn’t have been so twisted.
In other words, it was highly possible that even the transcendent being was
going too far just by sending me on this quest.
Anyway, it had been a while since I had received a legendary quest.
Of course, I was sure that I would get a pretty good reward.
There was no choice but to hold onto Jung Hayan’s hand, who was busy
casting magic. Hayan looked startled as I did so.
She must be delighted, however, as she flashed me a big smile. Considering

the fact that I had proposed to her just moments before, her good mood was
inevitable.
My heart pounded a little like a fool, seeing her smiling in such a pure
manner.
Of course, the system’s voice made me even happier.
[Legendary-grade quest completed.]
[Please hold the human hand blessed with magic power. (1/1)]
[A new class has been opened as a quest reward. Please choose the class you
think you need.]
[Class]
[Alchemist of Light (Semi-Mythic)]

[It is said that only those chosen by God can change class to Alchemist of
Light. The magic power will have divine power. Magic power increases by
+5. I’ll just say one thing, you’re a real son of a bitch. Disgusting bastard.
Really, you are really irreparable piece of trash.]
‘Semi-Mythic-grade! Yolo, indeed!’
No wonder my eyes had widened upon this scene.
In fact, I didn’t even care about the curses that were written in the end. It was
certainly disappointing that my magic power would only rise by 5, but it was
still good.
I didn’t know what else had changed, but at least the color of my magic had
indeed shifted. It was now a brilliant gold, one that would surely dazzle
whoever would see it.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!”
‘Cheer up! Our existence! Jung Hayan!’
When I held her hand, Jung Hayan also gradually began to be colored with
light.
I don’t know if it was due to my influence, or whether Jung Hayan magic had
changed just because she held my hand, but more and more radiant light
began to fill the city.
I couldn’t even open my eyes properly because I was the aforementioned

emitter of light.
Even though the quest was necessary, the contract with the demon was also
important.
‘Is it okay to block it? It… It wasn’t in terms of the contract…’
[It doesn’t matter. Just remember you can come to this side whenever you
want, disgusting human. Since despite being surrounded by light, your
trashiness does not go away, I’m getting greedier. How can a single human
be so purely dirty…? I guess I know why she won’t let you go even by
sacrificing herself so much.]
‘When you say she, do you mean…’
[The other being talking to you right now, human. Anyway, always
remember, disgusting human. If you desperately want to… we can,
anytime…]
[Forced heroic quest is activated. Don’t talk with the demon lord, you piece
of trash. (0/1)]
[Isn’t this much okay…?]
[I told you not to talk to it.(0/1)]
[Ahem. Well, I think it’s okay to step back from this point. Anyway, it would
be better to wrap up. Struggle with this situation, disgusting human. That’s all
for the conversation.]
Of course, I didn’t understand what was going on.
Right now, I wasn’t sure what the system meant. However, one thing was for
sure. Jung Hayan was doing her best to barricade the magic that was coming
our way. It was apparent that she was struggling a little.
‘She can stop this, right?’
I thought I should add my weak magic power onto hers, but my magic just
made her shine even brighter.
No, it actually seemed to be helpful. The brilliant golden light seemed to

steadily drive away Belial’s energy.
“Eeeeek! Eeeeeek!”
I found it ironic that Jung Hayan, who tried to destroy the city just before,
was trying to stop this somehow, but that was how life usually worked.
‘I think she can stop this.’
I didn’t know if Belial was reaping his magic power, but when I turned my
magic power around Jung Hayan’s body, she seemed to have gained a little
more energy.
Although it was weak, there was a possibility that it could have divine power
as well.
I had to learn a little more about this “semi-mythic-grade” class.
Even so, Jung Hayan’s nose was bleeding. I was getting tired as well.
Of course, it was a scene too good to watch alone. Han Sora seemed to have
come to her senses even in the midst of all this.
There was even no need to edit such a scene.
It was unfortunate that I could not prepare in advance, but video holograms
began to emerge in some areas.
This scene would eventually be broadcasted throughout Lindel as well as the

State.
‘I should’ve installed it in a large size in Laios as soon as I arrived…’
“I-I’m ready.”
“Okay. Send the sign.”
The broadcast began spreading throughout the country when Park Deokgu
was protecting us frantically.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
When I thought of the people who would soon be watching Jung Hayan and
me, brightly emitting light, I began to smile.
“The light will not lose, demon!”
-Kukkukku! If you want to come, come! Petty human! Contractor, unseal the
rest of the seal! I’ll help this insignificant mortal realize what real fear is.
What are you doing, Jin Qing?! Unseal this seal! I will listen to what you
want. I’ll put the world in your hands! I will make you rich!
The demon was also backing me up.
The face of Jin Qing, who couldn’t even do anything about this situation,
turned blue. He would be unable to escape from this situation unscathed.
“The light will burn the demon! Everyone! Please give me strength. Please
give us the strength to stop this wicked demon!”
-You mere human! How dare you!
[I told you not to talk with him. (0/1)]
Someone seemed discontented, but it was undeniable that this was a near-
perfect communication.
Chapter 322
Chapter 322: Hero of Laios (1)
The moment a dark red sphere fell on the city, I stared at the scene blankly. It
was because even I couldn’t even figure out what was going on.
Of course, I could recognize that something big had happened. That was
because I heard screams erupting from everywhere.
“Everyone, head underground! Repeat. Everyone, enter the underground

shelter! This is a real situation. This is a real situation, not training. Enter the
designated near building with protective magic. I repeat. Go into the
underground shelter or the designated building with protective magic and
wait!”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Oh, God. Oh, God.”
“What are you doing, Marina? Can’t you hear them shouting for us to avoid
you? Quickly, now.”
Instantly, I was awakened by the voice.
I began to get dizzy when I realized that the surrounding landscape, which
just before felt like a dream, was still there.
‘Leah.’
I thought of my daughter, who would be left alone at home.
‘Please… Oh, God. Please.’
I heard a voice calling me from behind, but I couldn’t stop. I had already
started to run. Though I was soon running out of breath, I was still a long
ways away from reaching my destination.
Thanks to the people running to the other side, I was far from moving
forward.
Everyone must be heading to the shelter or to the place where the protection
magic was still maintained.
‘I shouldn’t have left her alone… I shouldn’t have left her alone!’
“Marina!”
“Let me go! Let me go! Let go of me!”
“First, let’s go to the shelter. Leah must have avoided it already. Quickly…”
“I told you to let go of me. Please. Let go of me. Please… I have to check, at
least. I have to make sure she’s avoided it safely!”
“Damn… Wait here.”
“James?”
“I’ll be back as soon as possible. Wait here. No, wait in a safer place.”
“Ah…”
I saw James running to the other side in a hurry.
I knew I should go with him, but my legs refused to move, probably because
of my fear.
All I could do was pray.
“Please be safe… Please, let my beloved Leah and James both to be safe…
Please. Please.”
The waiting time wasn’t that long, but I felt like waiting for hours. My tears
kept flowing out of anxiety, and my chin and legs were shaking.
Gradually reaching the city, the sphere was being sucked into the earth as if it
were ready to devour everything.
As the little bit of hope was about to vanish, I saw James holding Leah from a
distance.
Baaaaanngggg!!
The dark red sphere collided with the clock tower with a tremendous sound.
The loud roar made my ears hurt.
“It’s dangerous! James! Dangerous!”
He looked at the sky immediately.
As the fragments of the huge tower fell, James laid on his stomach, holding
Leah tightly. I was afraid of them getting knocked out from the debris.
Time seemed to stop around me.
“N-No!!”
As I closed my eyes and burst into tears, my daughter’s voice began to be

heard faintly.
“Mom… Mom…”
‘What… the…’
It didn’t make sense.
As I slowly opened my eyes, I could see the city surrounded by a crowd of

lights.
The fragments that fell from the tower were also engulfed by the light and
pushed out more and more. The light seemed to engulf everyone in a dazzling
white gleam.
Leah was pulling her collar carefully, and James was looking up at what
happened.
‘He helped.’
My prayer to God had reached.
“It’s a miracle. It’s a miracle. God, thank you. Thank you very much. Leah…
Leah!”
“No. It’s not a miracle, Marina.”
“What?”
“It’s not a miracle… This… is definitely not a miracle.”
Naturally, I followed James’ gaze while hugging Leah tightly.
What I saw was a scene that could only be said to be horrendous.
-Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim! Please, hold on a little more. Just a little bit! Just
hold on a little more!
-Ahhhhhhhhh!!
-These dirty bastards! Damn. Damn! Hyung-nim!! If you hold on a little

more, support will come! Hold on until then. You know that you can’t die
pushing yourself too much, right? Don’t overdo it. I’ve warned. I won’t
forgive you if you pass out overdoing it. I won’t forgive you!
The scene in front of me was difficult to understand. My jaw hung open.
“James… that…”
“I don’t know what happened, Marina. But… it seems that people from the
State are confronting the demon. The lights surrounding the city now seem to
have been created by them. I’ve heard about the… Goddess’s Mirror before,
but who knew I’d really see it?”
“It looks dangerous…”

It literally did.
It looked like a close call to anyone.
A large man was wielding a shield and sword while surrounded by countless
demons. Rather than taking care of his own safety, he did his best to protect
those behind him.
He smashed big and small monsters coming from everywhere with the shield
or cut them with swords, but his body had long since been inflicted with
numerous wounds.
I couldn’t understand how he could move in that condition.
As the number of monsters closing the siege increased beyond his control, he
began to block them with his body.
Having his arm bit off, his leg limping, and not worrying about his safety; I
could see him not sparing himself for his embattled colleagues.
-Hold on a little more. Just a little bit. This time… this time, for sure. This
time, I will take you without any wounds. The same thing will never happen
again!
-Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
-I won’t let you finish that way like last time. I won’t be so helpless! I won’t
be just staring at it like that! You dirty bastards!! You can’t lay a finger on
Hyung-nim. Son of bitches… Son of bitches! Come here. Come here!!
I didn’t know what was going on.
However, even a fool would know that the tears in the large young man’s
eyes were not because of pain. Instead, they were filled with anxiety at the
thought of losing those who he cared for.
The large young man with the shield seemed to have more wounds, but the
dark-haired woman next to him also did not look normal.
I didn’t know why, but one of her legs was limping, and a slender hand was
shooting magic at the approaching people.
Anyone could see that she looked precarious.
Not only was her skin cracking, but blisters were blowing out of the skin on
her body.
-Haap. Haap. Whew… Let’s hold on just a little. Just a little bit. It’s almost
done. Let’s hold on a little more. You can’t pass out yet. Sora, you can do it.
Let’s not pass out. Do not pass out. You can still do a little more.
Of course, I didn’t know what kind of force they were using.
She was also doing her best to somehow protect those around her with her
own body.
-Hyung-nim, Hyung-nim!
-It’s going well. Everything is going well.
There was one man and one woman. They were holding hands tightly and
reaching out to the sky.
Anyone could notice the fact that they were blocking the black sphere falling
in this city.
Like the brilliant light surrounding the city, their bodies were shining all
over.
-Ahhhhhh!!
The woman holding a shield of light was vomiting blood from her mouth and
nose.
-Ahhhhhhhhh!!
Likewise, the man was grabbing his chest and sending light together.
They looked fine on the outside, but their legs were evidently trembling. I
could see just how serious their situation was.
-Don’t overdo it. I really won’t forgive you if you die like this! If you two go
first like this… Haap… I really won’t forgive you! I’ll die with you, too!
-Ahhhhh!!
-If it’s too hard, you can give up… No one will blame… Gasp. Hyung-nim
and Hayan. No one can blame you. You already did enough. Haap… You’ve
already done enough.
-Focus, Deokgu. Focus. Kahak.
-H-Hyung-nim.
To make matters worse, the man had begun to vomit blood.
-Don’t look back, focus! I’m okay. I’m okay.
-Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!
The woman had also begun to vomit, yet was still trying to exert all she’s
had.
-Don’t die… Please. Please… please… God. God. God. Buddha. Goddess
Benigore. Please. Please save Hyung-nim and Hayan. Please… if you’re
really there… please. Don’t take my good Hyung-nim and Hayan. Please…
they are people who have lived this way all their lives. Please don’t take them
away with something like this! Isn’t it too unfair to die from something like
this? It seems too unfair!!
-Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
-I’d rather die instead. Rather, take me. Rather… if you’re going to take
someone, take me. Haap…
-Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!
The light did not fade.
Despite the big young man saying that it was okay to give up now, I didn’t
think that the lights that fill the city will disappear.
“A-Are they in danger? James… are they in danger?”
“They could die.”
“What?”
“No… They’ve already crossed their limits for some time. They must be
using all the magic power in their body. I’m a low-ranking mercenary who’s
only caught goblins, but… I know that much. This is not the kind of magic
that a human can manifest. Perhaps… even if they save this city. Those two
who unleashed this magic… they will die.”
“Why… to that extent…?”
“I don’t know either. People like me will never understand people like them.”
Tears had begun to flow down my cheeks. My heart had already reached out
to them.
‘Please…’
As I looked next to me, I saw my daughter gently putting her hands together.
She pulled her collar and looked up at me as if to do it with her, as if asking

for us to pray together.
No wonder I closed my eyes quietly with my hands together toward the sky.
‘I wish they will be all right… Please do not those nobles lose their lives
unjustly…’
Immediately after that…
A scene that could only be explained as a miracle began to manifest itself.

Chapter 323
‘We did enough! It was perfect, Deokgu! I’m sorry, but you carried us!’
No matter how intense the acting was, it would not be livelier than the real
thing.
If one really made this into a movie, Park Deokgu showed acting good
enough to aim for the best supporting actor award.
He seemed to be in deep despair with tears in his eyes, trying frantically to

protect his colleagues.
It hurt a little that his whole body was now covered with blood, but seeing
that he was a very strong guy, I knew he would be able to recover his stamina
within a few days.
Rather, it was Jung Hayan and Han Sora that were the problems.
‘I’m also a problem.’
Even if I tried my best to hold it in, my vomit refused to bubble down.
It would be natural to be like this as I tried to support Jung Hayan with the
little magic power I had. In fact, if I hadn’t been able to change my class to
the mythic-grade, the Alchemist of Light, Jung Hayan would have been a
total mess.
She was able to endure until now because the magic power that I shared was
slowly recovering her body.
To put it a little exaggeratedly, not only did she use all of her magic power in
her body, but she was also using up the entirety of her vitality.
There was Jung Hayan’s tremendous affinity to consume magic power and
restore magic power, but if it weren’t for my magical power that became
divine, her insides would have been completely damaged and retired.
‘No, before that…’
If that Belial had been completely summoned, the magic would have already
fallen into the city.
In any case, the important thing was that Jung Hayan and I were excellently
defending against the magic of the demon that had been ‘summoned’ by Jin
Qing.
I didn’t know anything about black magic, but I could see that the time left
for the demon lord to stay in this world was short.
Now felt like the good time to wrap this up.
As I glanced at Belial quietly, I could see the guy also nodding.
“Hyung-nim, don’t overdo it. Hold on a little more.”
In the midst of all that, Park Deokgu, who was busy shedding tears and
wielding a shield, seemed like the noblest one of them all.
Anyway, Jin Qing looked at me and Jung Hayan wrapped in a crowd of lights
absurdly.
He already couldn’t think of getting rid of me.
As soon as Jung Hayan and I, who were doing our best to save the city from
the demon, went through the media, this plan would be over.
I wished he would attack me instead, but it seemed that he could not cast
attack magic either because of the dark curtain placed by Belial.
Since he couldn’t get out because of this guy’s monsters escorting him, it
would be an awkward situation for him.
Of course, even in this extreme situation, the demon lord Belial continued to
shout Jin Qing’s name.
-Contractor, it’s still not enough. Not enough. Don’t lose to the light,
contractor!
“Shit. Damn…”
Instantly, we both realized that it was time to end this.
Even the place that could not be called a cave because the sky was already
open began to spread in all directions in a slow manner.
Everything I was worried about as evidence burst in a cluster of light.
This place, created by Jung Hayan and Han Sora, disappeared without a trace.
The light also destroyed the demons who were persistently tormenting Park
Deokgu, and even the ground we were stepping on had hollowed out.
Perhaps, with the influence of enormous magic power, my body had slightly
risen into the air, and the light went through the veil of darkness.
Hwaaaaaaaaahh!
I heard a sound that was quite hard to describe.
‘It’s a warrior of light. A warrior of light.’
“Ahhhhhhhhh!!”
When I poured out the last handful of my magic power to Jung Hayan, it was
natural that she also increased the output a little more.
The dark red magic power that surrounded the sky split under the influence of
the shield of light.
‘Phew. It’s a magnificent view. Magnificent.’

The brilliant light devouring darkness was like a beautiful scene from a myth.
At this point, everyone would be praying, looking at this scene.
I was not sure about Laios, but there may be a loud crowd shouting and a
voice saying not to lose, at least in the State.
We were able to win because you were here!
It was only natural that I would have to prepare the lines I would use later.
By the time the brilliant light in the sky devoured the dark red sphere, Jung
Hayan had held my hand and screamed once more. At this point, it would be
better for me to play along.
“Aaaahhhhh!!”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!!”
Belial also showed off his final acting as if he noticed that the finale was
approaching. He looked just as desperate as Deokgu.
-These bastards… how dare you bastards do this to me?! Did you think you
could beat this demon lord? Contractor Jin Qing, hurry up and pour out the
rest of your energy!
Here, a close-up of the bewildered face of the devil summoner was taken.
Then, there was another close-up to the scene where the attack against the
city gained strength.
The passionate cameraman Han Sora’s ability to switch screens was as

natural as if she had just realized this talent.
-Ugh… these dirty henchmen of the light. Shit… damn! Damn!! How dare
these mere humans!!
“Ahhhhhh!”
“Ahhhhhhh!”
It was strong acting that seemed to explode the last power. I, too, pushed my
body to the limit while holding Jung Hayan’s hand tightly.
“Ahhhhhhhh!”
And silence came.
An explosive light filled the sky afterward. There was no way to express that
scene without literally the word explosion of light.
Hwaaaaaaaaahhh!
It was hard to even open my eyes properly. There were no more dark red
spheres in sight.
Instead, there was a light powder that began to fall into the neutral Laios.
Jung Hayan started to droop, and Han Sora, who had already crossed her
limit a long time ago, also vomited blood while having seizures.
Meanwhile, Park Deokgu prepared for Jin Qing’s next possible attack with a
shield.
I thought it would be better to pass out, but I could stand a little longer. That
was, at least, until I had completely wrapped up the situation.
I kept smiling at the loud crowd’s shouts that shook the whole city.
Public opinion was completely settled in me. At the shout, Belial also slowly
went through the process of reverse summoning, and began to say his last
line.
-Don’t think this is the end, human.
Of course, the voice that I heard separately was a bonus.
[Don’t take it personally about today’s work, disgusting human. I finished my

job a little more splendidly, and in the end, it was good for you. I want you to
know that the lord of falsehood and incitement can’t be backstabbed, so I
played a little bit more than intended.]
He went a little too far for this to be just a joke, but…
‘No question about it. Phew. Thank you very much, Great and respectable
Belial. If I have time, I want to arrange a meeting…’
[Haap… I’m getting greedier.]
‘I will only be waiting for the day to meet Belial-nim. Yes. Absolutely.’
[Heroic-grade quest is generated. I told you not to talk with the demon lord.
(0/1)]
[Then I’ll be going. I have little time to stay in this world… Anyway, as you
said, I really hope to meet again.]
‘Have a good night, Belial-nim.’
-I will come back. Don’t forget, humans. Don’t think today will be the last!
Belial’s splendid finish till the end was the standard work of a hard-working
boss.
He also looked very magnificent during the reverse summoning amid light.
Even during that, his burning eyes staring at the city were enough to instill
fear into everyone’s hearts.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I should express my gratitude, but he must have

gained something with this.
Since the demon of falsehood and incitement was with us to scam the entire
continent, the performance may have been better, as he had said.
‘That’s not what’s important.’

The demon lord who had already left was not important.
Jin Qing, watching this situation, being confined by the non-standard entity,
was now more important.
‘It’s almost time for people to come.’
The light side was on the verge of completely retiring.
Park Deokgu tried to protect us as much as possible with the shield, but he
was also in danger.
In contrast, the dark side was looking relatively fine, so it was natural to be
dangerous if we were being attacked at this time.
Despite the aftereffect, Demon Summoner Jin Qing had no sign of running
out of magic power.
‘If I get rid of him, everything will be over.’
Just then, I heard the sound of many footsteps.
The Red Mercenary Guild, Cha Hee-ra, Yozora Guild, and Yuno Kasugano
had already arrived. I couldn’t help but smile.
I started to think about what would happen afterward.
Of course, the investigation team sent from the Republic also hurried to the
demon summoner Jin Qing, but the people in the Laios were like rats trapped
in poison.
As expected, I could see some of them trying to run away.
Even if it were me, I would have wanted to avoid the option of being
investigated by Laios as well.
Like Ito Souta, the last thing that the demon officials did was always to run
away.
Laughter popped out unknowingly at the thought that this was the end of the
cursed darkness that had turned away from the light.
“The demon summoner is running away! Demon Summoner Jin Qing is

running away! Pfff. The demon summoner is running away!”
It was then that blood spurted out of me.
“Huh?”
My head felt dizzy in an instant. My surroundings blurred out.
Along with the beeping sound, my mind went blank. My body now refused to
move.
“Huh?”
Blood started trickling down my throat.
“Shit… don’t… miss him… demon… summ…”
I couldn’t even talk properly, but it surprisingly didn’t hurt.
‘I’m not dying like this, right?’
“H-Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim!!”
Park Deokgu had begun to cry out.
“Take care… of… Hayan… and Han Sora. I’ll trust Yuno Kasugano… to…”
“I got it. Don’t talk. I got it, so you stop talking!”
“Make sure to catch… the demon summoner…”
It wasn’t just him I could hear. There was also Cha Hee-ra and Yuno
Kasugano.
“Do… you feel… better, master…?”

“Are you okay? Honey? Are you sure… you’re fine?”
I started to hear the beeping sound continuously. This was the real limit now.
I was really on the verge of passing out.
‘If I’m going to pass out, I have to do it properly…’
First, I held the rosary tightly on my neck. I knew that, upon seeing this, Pope
Basel would inevitably shed tears of emotion.
I thought about fainting while standing, but I knew that would just be
overdoing it.
A good option was to look like I was protecting Jung Hayan.
‘It’ll work.’
Soon, everything went black.
[Legendary-grade quest is completed.]
[Save Laios from danger as soon as possible, you bastard. (1/1)]

Chapter 324
“Guild Master. Guild Master! Ye-ri, have you seen the Guild Master?”
“I don’t know, either. I wanted to ask uncle Ki-mo… but is this really a
dangerous situation? Somehow… last time, with… er… uncle Deokgu
was…”
“Ahem. It will be this time. You shouldn’t think that way, Yeri-ssi. No matter
how Vice Guild Master… even so, now…”
“Oh. Right… sorry. I was wrong. Worrying first rather than doubting. Right.
I think I have become weird, thinking too much these days. It seems I’ve
been contaminated… I’m sorry.”
“It would be better to apologize to the Vice Guild Master. Rather than that,
w-what should we do. I can’t see the Guild Master…”
“Ahn Ki-mo-ssi.”
“Ah, Sun Hee-young-nim! You’ve come at the right time. Have you seen the
Guild Master?”
“He went out first. Immediately after the video started… with Dialugia, he
might be able to arrive after his business is over…”
“I see. Does he have another compromise…?”
“He doesn’t, but I decided to go straight to Laios with Hyejin. We’ll leave in
an hour.”
“I’m sorry?”
“After canceling all schedules held in the guild, all party members will head
to Laios. We will not accept disagreements. That is all.”
“Oh. Yes. Okay. I will also pass it on to Ah-young and Chang-ryul.”
“Then, please.”
“…”
“…”
“Er, Sun Hee-young.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t have to worry too much. The Vice Guild Master will be safe.”
“Yes. T… Thank you.”
***
“Holy Pope.”
“You useless things! You useless things!”
“Is the Honorary Cardinal… Honorary Cardinal still dying? Still… why…
why! Until things get to this point! What are the Holy Knights doing?! Where
and what were the Templars doing?!”
“The Templars have not yet received the signal… a-and since the safety of
other cardinals, and Your Holiness is a priority… they had no choice but to
stay in the State.”
“So… So, you mean they stayed still even though Honorary Cardinal was
fighting until the point where he couldn’t stand up?! You stupid thing! So
you left him alone until he looks like that now?! You stupid things! You
stupid things!”
“Holy Pope…”
“Shut up! Useless garbage! When you guys were arguing over the table here,
the Honorary Cardinal was alone against the demon. Without anyone
knowing, he was fighting the darkness. If the Honorary Cardinal dies, I will
not remain still. No! I will go directly. Right now! Directly! I will stand by
him until he wakes up!”
“You must keep your seat, Holy Father. Even Honorary Cardinal wouldn’t
want Your Holiness to move. It takes more than a few days, even flying with
a griffon. He’ll be fine. I’m sure Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung will be
safe. Surely…”
“No. Then… bring Honorary Cardinal here…”
“I was told that he should be as comfortable as possible. We are also

saddened… by not being in Laios now. But even if the Honorary Cardinal
had been here, he would have said that Your Holiness must remain in the
State.”
“…”
“…”
“Okay… You are right. You are right. Archbishop Jessica is right. Even
Honorary Cardinal wouldn’t want me to leave. He is that kind of person. He
lived only for Goddess Benigore. He was that kind of person.”
“…”
“Let him be fine… fine… Goddess Benigore. Please do not forsake the
servant who follows you. Please… This old servant will pray once more.
Please…”
***
“I will go directly to Laios.”
“What?”
“I said I would go myself.”
“Oscar-nim…”
“Lee Kiyoung is fighting alone. I can’t be still. He sacrificed everything he

had for the State, no, for the continent. Again, we cannot leave him alone to
sacrifice. I know very well what you mean. I also know that I shouldn’t be
away. But… but, I would like to finish this work myself. Laios is first talking
about an alliance. I can’t entrust Lee Kiyoung to do this later. As he has
worked hard for the State and the continent, I, too, have to take risks. Please
prepare a delegation. I will visit Laios in person.”
“O-Oscar-nim…”
“So, I’ll be asking you.”
“I will prepare as soon as possible.”
“Senator Catherine…”
“I will formally request support from foreigners as well. I heard the news that
the Blue Guild and the Holy side are also moving. We will also schedule a
meeting with Queen Pristina as quickly as possible. I will do my best to get
things done as soon as possible.”
“Thank you, Senator Catherine. Lee Kiyoung, please… just be alive. Just be
alive…”
“He must be fine. Surely, he’ll wake up again as if nothing had happened.
Definitely.”
***
“He really annoys people.”
“Why? Jihye Unnie? Oh, it’s because of the lover that you hid. Are you
worried, too?”
“Worried, my ass. He’ll probably be safe without any wounds. He must be up

and dancing by now. Why would I have to worry? No, I don’t want to. He
might be angry when he hears that we missed the demon summoner or
something. Anyway, I’m not worried. That fainting is just a show, too.
Definitely.”
“Your face doesn’t show that.”
“Does it look like I’m really worried?”
“It looks like that to anyone. Your face is different than usual, and… why are
you biting your nails again?”
“When did I bit my nails? You’re funny. Will you keep acting up? Did you
finish everything I ordered? Are you here doing this after finishing your
work?”
“N-No, I didn’t, but…”
“But why isn’t this person picking up? If he’s up, he should tell he’s okay.
It’s really annoying.”
“You’re worried about him.”
“You!”
“Just go to him. He’ll be happy to see you. I understand your idea that being
too clingy doesn’t look attractive, but if someone you like has fainted, you
have to visit him at least. There are a lot of strange rivals around already.
Didn’t you see him fainting while holding hands with the wizard girl at the
end? It’s not attractive to be too clingy, but pretending to be too uninterested
is not attractive, too. Who knows? If he’s not even picking up, he may be
waiting for you to come.”
“He’s not the kind of person.”
“Still…”
“Still… It wouldn’t be bad to go there. Of course, I’m not listening to you. I

just don’t have anything to do, and I think I should show my face. Something
important in Laios will happen in the future. I have to go. I’m also curious
about the truth… Let’s go right now.”
“What?”
“Let’s go quickly. If I can borrow a griffon from Yeon-joo, we can go fast.

Let’s go.”
“But, I’m still not ready.”
“If you need anything, you can buy it there anyway. Let’s go first. Quickly.”
“Ah… Yes… Jihye Unnie.”
***
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Pristina. Even us, who came together as a
delegation, didn’t know… most of all, such a miracle would not have
happened if it had not been for the desperate prayers of the people of Laios.
“No. We…”
“As a result, not everyone in the group lost their lives. Haha.”
“You must be very worried, Cha Hee-ra.”
“He will be fine. No, more than that, I’m already familiar with this. He is the
type of guy who sacrifices himself for others. I have a lot to worry about
when I spend time with him. He always wakes up as if nothing happened, so
I’m sure it will happen again this time.”
“I see… as expected. So, Honorary Cardinal of the State was that kind of
person.”
“Rather, Pristina. Why don’t you say that this is alright for those gathered in
front of the castle? Everyone must have their own life. Being gathered like
that for days… of course, we are grateful enough, but still, seeing people
gathered without even eating makes me worry. If some people end up getting
health problems staying like that…”
“No. It’s okay, Cha Hee-ra. They are all gathered by their own will and are
praying. That’s how grateful the people of Laios are to Honorary Cardinal
Lee Kiyoung and other heroes. Wasn’t everyone watching the scene in the
Goddess’s Mirror? Of course, it cannot be compared with Cha Hee-ra or
others, but our people and I only hope for Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung to
get well soon, too. I am well aware that God is not very involved with matters
in this world, but… we hope this time our prayers reach…”
“You really don’t have to worry. For those who voluntarily gathered, the
royal family has been very supportive. In fact, I don’t know if we’ve been
very helpful. The people themselves are scrambling to share food and give
what they have. Of course, it’s not a sufficient amount, but… it may be
because Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung’s sacrifice greatly moved everyone.
Even after hundreds of years, the achievements of the Honorary Cardinal and
heroes will be remembered by Laios forever. Yes. Forever.”
“It is an honor.”
“No, rather, I am more honored, Cha Hee-ra. Thank you very much.”
***
“Sora-ssi.”
“Yes? Vice Guild Master. Did you call…?”
“What do we have for dinner?”
“Oh! I think we’re having meat after a long time.”
“How…”
“It seemed that Yuno Kasugano was secretly bringing it in. It wouldn’t have
been easy because the castle is completely surrounded by people…”
“Whatever the reason is, we’re going be able to eat meat after a long time.”
“Yes. Rather, Vice Guild Master.”
“Tell me, Sora-ssi.”
“When are you going to announce that you’re awake? It seems that there are
quite a few people gathered in Laios right now…”
“Ohh! I think staying in bed for three more days will be fine. That way,
people will know how to be grateful. There is a danger of life and death. If
you play with public opinion once, it will be fine. Oh, since we’re already
talking about it, please spread the rumors.”
“What rumors?”
“That tonight is the crucial moment. That there is a high probability, I won’t
be able to make it to the next day. Things like that.”
“Ah… Okay.”
“It will be noisy outside the city because of people crying, but I think the
picture that happens the next day will be pretty good. Anyway, please give
me what you brought, Sora-ssi. I’ve been lying down for more than half a
day, and I’m starving.”
“Okay. Vice Guild Master. Er… And when… will you move me out…?”
“As you know, the public eye is so focused right now… you will have to wait
a little longer. Don’t worry too much. When everything is over, I will assign
you to the safest task possible. Oh, this is delicious. Is it a short plate?”
“Yes!”
“It melts in my mouth. Whoa… it melts smoothly!”
“I know, right. It’s really delicious. Thank God. I’m really glad.”
“I think it tastes sweeter eating while watching the people gathered in front of
the palace. It seems to melt gently. I don’t know if they’re going to end up
building a statue for me or something… Fuhahahaha.”
Chapter 325
I had no choice but to look out of the royal castle with a delighted expression.
My good mood was indeed inevitable.
Of course, it wasn’t that there weren’t any unpleasant parts at all, but it was
because mostly everything was going as I had initially thought. I couldn’t
even sleep properly from the amount of people that had gathered last night.
It was annoying to become a hero in a country, but it was also definitely a

good thing.
Looking outside, I could see the citizens of the neutral country praying for
my safety.
It was even touching to see people of all ages, young and old, and foreigners
from all over the continent.
I could be sure that a scene like this wouldn’t be made even if Pristina, Queen
of Laios, was the one on her deathbed.
‘Of course, they should do that.’
What they saw through the Goddess’s Mirror on that day was truly the
standard of sacrifice. What they saw were true heroes.
There was Park Deokgu, a warrior who had tried to defend me whilst covered
in blood, Han Sora, who continued to chant spells with her skinny body
exposed to dark magic, and Jung Hayan and I, who decisively defended the
demon’s attack while being surrounded by light. Even though we all
frequently vomited blood and grabbed our chests as we reached our limit, the
image that we tried to protect Laios was an image that would only ever be
seen in epics.
‘It was a perfect picture.’
I feel proud, even as I thought about it again.
Just as expected.
Loud voices were already starting to be heard from outside. They must have
listened to the news that I had already woken up.
‘Hyunsung also came, right?’
The person who was waiting with Park Deokgu, who woke up the fastest, for
me to wake up was, of course, the lovely regressor.
When I heard the news that he had been walking outside for a very long time
because he was told that I had to be absolutely calm, I felt moved.
‘Right. I can also understand you.’
I had already felt someone supporting him right from the very start.
No, it can be said that it is uncertain to say that he was being supported, but at
least it was undeniable that a transcendental entity had been gazing at him.
Again, it was correct to think that I had received a bit of it because I had
pledged my loyalty towards him.
‘It’s a semi-mythic grade class. Semi-mythic grade.’
It is very strange and annoying that the reward for being upgraded to a semi-
mythic grade was only 5 magic power, but it was also unusual for a class to
be rated a ‘semi-mythic’ quality.
Since my magic had the nature of divine power, I was the only person in the
State, no, the continent that could use both divine power and magic.
It was a little perplexing at the moment, but considering that the

transcendental entity did not want Jung Hayan to die, I had to take note of
this as well.
If I had not healed Jung Hayan’s body at that time, I bet she would not have
woken up until now.
Perhaps she would’ve even lost her life.
‘It thinks that Jung Hayan is also important.’
To analyze it, the transcendental being looking at all of this from above was
hoping for Kim Hyunsung and Jung Hayan to not die.
For example, it was the reason why Kim Hyunsung had no choice but to
return.
So, assuming that an invisible threat was real, it made sense to hope that Jung
Hayan was safe. Though she had monstrous stats, her safety was still of the
utmost priority.
I didn’t want to imagine losing a card named Jung Hayan when I was to think
of preparing for an invisible threat.
Despite receiving various buffs, blocking a massive attack falling across the
city was an achievement great enough that the common people wouldn’t
understand.
[Alchemist of Light (Semi-Mythic)]
[It is said that only those chosen by God can change class to Alchemist of
Light. The magic power will have divine power. Magic power increases by
+5. I’ll just say one thing, you’re a real son of a bitch. Disgusting bastard.
Really, you are really irreparable trash.]
‘I think this one hates only me that much…’
In the meantime, I still felt like the system hated me, something I didn’t
understand at all. However, it didn’t change the fact that I was getting to
enjoy more and more benefits.
In any case, I had to prepare to greet the guests, those from the State, from
the Holy side, and Laios. Many guests awaited the hero.
As I looked next to me, I saw Jung Hayan, who had also just gotten up.
Since we had to live only within the boundaries of Yuno Kasugano, Sora
wasn’t the only one watching out for Jung Hayan.
Having to use one ward for three was very fun for some, but hell for others.
Still, unlike Han Sora, who had recovered her energy to some extent, Jung
Hayan’s face was pale, so I had no choice but to feel worried.
No matter how much semi-mythic magic I gave, and regardless of the fact
that her magic power stat was 99, it was apparent that she was experiencing
side effects from using excessive magic power.
However, she didn’t look upset.
Just as I enjoy the Laotian people’s worry, Jung Hayan also seemed to enjoy
the situation where I would worry about her.
‘It seems like she’s getting strangely similar to me.’
She held the ring with her left hand as if it were precious, so even if her body
was struggling right now, she still thought that she gained more than what she
lost.
“Hayan, do you feel better?”
“Yes, Oppa. It is still impossible to use magic, but… no problem. It’s okay.
Ahem, ahem. It’s really okay. You don’t need to… ahem. worry.”
I already knew that her continuous coughing was just acting, but I had no
choice but to worry as I knew the condition of Jung Hayan better than anyone
else.
“Yes. I’m really okay. Ugh… I’m really okay, so don’t worry… ahem.”
Even the way she grabbed her chest was a spectacle.

“Ahem, ahem. I-I’m sorry. Actually, I’m not okay. Ahem. I-I think I will be
better if you pat me a little. You know, that magic power.”
“Ah… Okay.”
“My chest hurts so much. Ahem. My chest… My chest hurts so much.”
“Okay.”
“It hurts so much. O-Oppa…”
Also, there are now reasonable excuses.
Jung Hayan already knew that my magic power also contained divine power.
After she woke up, I had already been sending her magic power dozens of
times, but she silently showed off her chest as if she was still hungry for
more.
When I put my hand on her, the sight of her flinching looked strangely cute.
“Huh…”
She made a strange sound for a moment, but for now, I had to send magic
power to her desperately.
Anyway, if I wanted to greet the guests soon, it would not be bad to extract
some magic power now.
“Yes. A little m-more left from there. Not in the middle… my c-chest area
hurts. Please do it around the chest area. My chest… my chest hurts so
much.”
“Do you feel better now?”
“Huh… no. A little bit more… Just a little more. The middle of my chest
hurts so much. Ahem. Ugh… Huh. The middle hurts, so there…”
I didn’t know exactly where the middle of her chest was, but her face had
begun to turn red, whether it was from pain or pleasure.
Han Sora didn’t even know where to look in this sudden situation. I also felt
embarrassed.
We kept trying not to make eye contact with each other, and then, voices
came from outside.
In any way, they saved both Han Sora and me.
Jung Hayan looked at me as if it was a pity, but I couldn’t always accept this
stupidity.
“I’ll do the rest later.”
“Yes…”
She had a long expression. However, she also looked like she needed to
control herself.
It was impossible to say that she had matured, but she seemed to at least have
regained some sort of composure.
This could all be said to be the influence of the proposal.
I roughly arranged the sheets, and as I got up, and I saw a face that looked a
little pale, whether it was the influence of having my magic power drained by
Jung Hayan.
The original pale Jung Hayan and Han Sora, who were slow to recover, was
also not easy.
I was a little sorry to hear Park Deokgu’s voice, but the remorse soon turned
into approval. At this point, the door had opened with a rattling sound.
Some of the barriers that had covered the room during that time were
immediately dismantled, and at the same time, several people quickly entered
the room.
“H-Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim!”
The first thing I heard was Park Deokgu’s voice, but the other thing I also
noticed was the maid Alice, no, the person who should now be called Oscar.
“Honorary Cardinal!”
It was very embarrassing to be hugged at the same time as she jumped. I

knew she would be worried about me, but not to this extent.
“Sniff…Sniff… Is your body, your body okay?”
“Ah… Yes.”
“Where were you injured? Can… ugh… you recognize me?”
“Of course, Mr. Oscar. You didn’t have to come here… It looks like I made
you worry.”
“Wow…”
It seemed that she was unable to hold back her bursting cries.
Still, as she was the head of a country, I thought she would show a little
definite appearance, but she couldn’t hide the anxiety she had in her heart.
I wasn’t in a bad mood, but it was no wonder that I would still be watching
out for Jung Hayan.
As I turned, I saw Jung Hayan looking certainly unpleased.
I thought it would be okay as she was being quiet at first.
‘No…’
Rather, there were completely different emotions on her face.
‘What should I say…?’

Instantly, I realized that the expression she wore was one of superiority. Soon
enough, Hayan began to stroke the ring on her finger.
‘Is that supposed to be effective…?’
Of course, it may be as ambiguous to say that this worked, but the sense of
superiority on her face had not disappeared.
Nevertheless, as the cuddling time got longer, she gradually began to look
nervous, but when I pulled her off a little, Hayan settled for nodding as she
knew I would eventually do this.
As I looked at the people who came to this hospital room one by one, familiar
faces that I had not seen before came into my eyes.
“Hyung-nim. Hyung-nim… Haap. Is Hayan okay? What about Sora? Is

everything okay?”
“Yes, Deokgu. There seems to be nothing wrong. We were a little blank, but
as for the whole body… I think we’re doing better.”
“Isn’t it back to normal, yet?”
“No. No. It’s okay. There is nothing wrong with the body. The same goes for
all others.”
Park Deokgu was squeezing me whilst he tended to his runny nose.
The guild members who came together were also visible.
Sun Hee-young was also looking very relieved, and Cho Hyejin looked really
surprised, Kim Ye-ri seemed to be overwhelmed with guilt for some reason,
and Ahn Ki-mo was still smiling.
I could also see Yoo Ah-young and Kim Chang-ryul.
“Fortunately. Vice Guild Master. The outsiders said that the sky helped….”
“I think so, too.”

Seeing Lee Jihye’s face glancing at me from behind, she seemed
disappointed that I hadn’t contacted her.
Still, I could see her sweeping away from her chest as if knowing that her
turn would be later.
I started to get tired as I continued to greet the people of the Laios and those
who came to see my condition from the Holy side.
However, I was still grateful for everyone worrying about this.
Duchess Catherine, no, people like Senator Catherine and Senator Elise were
also shedding tears. Many of the personal connections that I had built up
flashed at my awakening after a long time.
Of course, I smiled as innocently as I could and responded to their worries.
“Er…”
“Oh.”
“Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Hyunsung-ssi!”
And there entered Kim Hyunsung, our lovely regressor.

Chapter 326
“Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Hyunsung-ssi!”
In fact, it hadn’t been that long since we had been apart, but it felt like I
hadn’t seen him in a long time.
A bitter smile began to circulate at the thought of having suffered that much.
Eventually, things had worked out so well that I was able to laugh, but it had
been from a series of situations where I had been walking on thin ice.
I had to think I was lucky, no matter how it was. If something had slipped, I
would have had to run away from Laios, or could have died.
Kim Hyunsung, this bastard, must’ve had a hard time as well, but as a result,
I was the one who had to overcome the danger of death several times. While
Kim Hyunsung was taking care of his mental health, I actually went back and
forth between life and death.
He must have known enough about it. It would be natural to show a pretty
somber face.
‘Yes. Punk. I was very sick. It really hurt a lot. And it was hard, too. It was
really hard… Fuck. This is all for you. So you can feel a little sadder.’
Actually, it wasn’t very painful, but it felt like I wanted to express that it was
hard for some reason.
While I didn’t see his handsome face, he got pretty bony, and I didn’t know if
I was mistaken, but his eyes were definitely red. He didn’t cry like Park
Deokgu, but he was also worried about me.
‘Does he have more affection than I thought?’
In fact, I didn’t think Kim Hyunsung would be worried about me this much.
Of course, I thought that an invisible bond between us had built up, but when
I heard that he headed this way with Dialugia as soon as the news about the
magic hologram went out, I was quite surprised. He even stayed in front of
my door with Deokgu rather than going after the enemy.
He chose to stand by my side rather than close the case.
“Hyunsung-ssi. It’s been a long time. Ahem.”
A coughing sound began to come out as if Jung Hayan’s cough had infected
me.
Rather than thinking first and act, the body was pretending to be in pain first.
I was even embarrassed to believe that it really started to hurt.
Did they say that humans changed their bodies as they deemed fit? Not only
did it feel like someone pricking my chest with a needle, but it was also
getting harder to breathe.
“Are you okay?”
As expected, Kim Hyunsung approached in a hurry. It seemed like he was

pretending to be okay right now, but anyone could tell that he was worried
about me.
I kept wanting to smile. The specs that I saw with my Mind’s Eye were also
excellent.
“Yes. I’m fine, Hyunsung-ssi. More importantly… You didn’t have to come
all the way here…”
“No. Of course, it is correct to come first. I was really… I was really worried.
I’m glad you’re okay, Kiyoung-ssi. And your body…”
“Haha. Ahem. It’s fine. Hyunsung-ssi, really. I heard that my body recovered
quickly enough to be called a miracle. Hayan, Deokgu, and Sora suffered
more than I… Really, ahem. I’m fine.”
He seemed to be worried as I kept coughing. I kept saying I was okay, but

anyone could see I wasn’t. I was hoping to see if he would take out
something like an elixir from the bag, but I would have used it earlier if there
were such a thing.
Of course, others also seemed worried, too, but perhaps because of the
strange atmosphere, they stepped back and simply watched us.
“Excuse me… for a second.”
He even snuck up and started to put his hand on my chest.
‘Why? What’s up with this bastard? What’s wrong with him?’
Although it was momentary, Jung Hayan’s eyes opened widely. Most of the
female audiences who looked at Kim Hyunsung and I also had reddish faces
for some reason, but a sound like ‘oh my god’ started to come out from
behind.
‘What’s going on?’
It even made me feel more uncomfortable because I was lying in bed.
He leaned over first, just in case it would be uncomfortable for me getting up.
I was surprised for a moment, but I believed he wouldn’t do anything to harm
my body.
As expected, he began to pour his magic power on me. There was no such
thing as a function to recover the body with his magic power, but he was
trying to figure out whether my body was in normal condition by turning the
magic power around my body.
It was no wonder that I thought that I did well at pouring magic into Jung
Hayan just before. What Kim Hyunsung was feeling right now was my
completely empty magic power.
He had on a serious look. In fact, there was nothing strange about me but a
little heavy breathing, but he seemed to be checking if there was any residual
effect.
Of course, he was not a doctor. However, after a few laps on my body with
magic power, I really felt relaxed and drowsy.
‘I really want to sleep now.’
I didn’t know if it was an appropriate expression, but it felt like I was getting
a massage. It felt as if the inside of my body was being massaged coolly with
magical power.
‘How is this possible?’
It was impossible to do this with my magic power that had gained divine
power. It was the advanced magic power management knowledge possessed
like a privilege of the continent’s powerful people.
However, I could be sure that not many of them could do this. Without Kim
Hyunsung’s delicate control, I wouldn’t have felt this comfortable.
What was a little strange was that the room was becoming extremely quiet.
The galleries surrounding Kim Hyunsung and I were shutting their mouths
and engrossed in the strange sight we were showing.
In particular, Laios’ maids who watched this situation showed reddish faces
as much as Han Sora when she looked at Jung Hayan and me. I thought it
wasn’t a big deal, but…
‘This is fucking…’
I started to get nervous as our audience had begun to gush. When Kim
Hyunsung’s magic power rotated around my body, a blush appeared on my
face, and suddenly, an exclaim popped out.
Of course, this was only the effect of magic, no other reason. I felt like the
occasion where everyone that was worried about me was suddenly turning
weird.
“I-I’m all right now, Hyunsung-ssi.”
I had no choice but to hurry to stop him because it seemed that if it kept
going like this, this occasion would lose its essence.
“But…”
“This is enough. I appreciate your thoughts, but your magic power is so

great… that it’s too much for me to accept any more…”
“Then, how about a little more gently…”
“No. Just your thought is enough.”
I thought it was all over, but the faces of those who were listening to our
conversation seemed to get even redder. I had to speak once more.
“Everyone, thank you for visiting. Really… I am worried that I may have
troubled you for nothing.”
“You didn’t, Honorary Cardinal. Thank you very, very much. Laios will
never forget the sacrifices of Lee Kiyoung and other heroes.”
“Thank you. Pristina-nim. But we can’t be the only ones to take the credit.
Had it not been for the prayers sent by others, we would not have been able to
stop the demon that day. I don’t know if it’s really a miracle, but it seemed
like I could actually hear many voices.”
“Ah…”
“It’s not that much to be thankful for. Probably, even if other people were
there, they must have made the same choice as us.”
As I looked at Jung Hayan, Han Sora, and Park Deokgu, I saw them
frantically nod. However, Pristina still didn’t seem satisfied. Not only did she
thank me with the long-standing custom of Laios tapping on the forehead, but
she bowed her head toward me. Of course, her eyes were filled with tears.
“Thank you very much. Thank you very much.”
“You can raise your head, Pristina-nim. And the same goes for other Laios
people. If you keep doing this, I’ll get more embarrassed. Ahem.”
“Ah… Honorary Bishop.”
“Kiyoung-ssi.”
It was a little ridiculous that everyone here flinched with just one cough.
The atmosphere got more pleasant. Park Deokgu, who was constantly crying,
was energized, and Kim Hyunsung, whose eyes were getting red, also wiped
out his chest.
Dialugia was looking at me like trash, she didn’t say anything, but she
seemed to have noticed that there was no danger of dying in the first place.
In fact, if something went wrong with my body, she would be the first to feel
the signal, so it would be natural for her to look like that.
After confirming that not only I but also Jung Hayan and Han Sora were in
good shape, the room was the same as usual, and even in the middle of that, I
had the Laios people thanking me. Of course, I opened my mouth as if I
didn’t know anything. This time it was about those whose outside.
“Come to think of it. It seemed a little noisy outside. Did anything happen?
No… more importantly, was the work properly finished…”
“I think it would be better to take a rest without thinking about anything else,
Honorary Cardinal.”
“But… That demon summoner Jin Qing…”
I knew the truth. I had already heard all the progress from Cha Hee-ra.
I knew that the demon summoner who tried to destroy the city had escaped
from Laios, but I had to open my mouth naturally because I had to show that
I was constantly caring about Laios.
“First, you have to pay attention to recovering your body.”
“But outside…”
“It’s fine, Honorary Cardinal. It wasn’t because of the demon summoner that
it was noisy outside… it’s because of the Honorary Cardinal.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I guess you haven’t seen it yet.”
“Ah… I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
I knew the truth.
Pristina smiled slightly and began to open the curtains. As she opened the
window, a pleasant breeze began to enter the room.
It was natural to pretend to be surprised because it was my first time seeing

such a sight officially.
“Ah…”
What I saw was a scene of countless Laios citizens praying. It was a massive
crowd, as if almost everyone in the capital was gathered.
This was, therefore, a magnificent sight.
Naturally, I had to stand up slowly at this point. Of course, since I didn’t have
physical strength, I stumbled, but thanks to Park Deokgu holding me tight, I
avoided falling.
It wasn’t a scene I had planned, but it was not all that bad. As I raised my
hand a little, a thunderous shout began to burst out. Even…
‘Why are these guys crying…?’
I laughed when I saw the innocent Laios people shed tears of joy.
“Wahhhhhhhhhhhh!!”
I didn’t know if it was because of the shouts, but my back was tingling. They
cried and hugged each other. It was as if there was a festival.
“Ha… haha.”
I looked at her as if I didn’t believe it, and she looked at me with a quiet
smile.
“Everyone has gathered voluntarily. After watching the heroes’ sacrifices,

they have waited with us for all of you to wake up. Everyone, as one.”
“Really… It’s a grateful sight.”
“In the square.”
“Yeah?”
“If it’s okay, I would like to put a statue of you guys in the square.”
‘Pheeew… You’ve made it, Kiyoung.’
I laughed a little without saying anything, but Pristina sent a big smile as if
she accepted it as a positive sign.
“Laios will never forget your sacrifice. Never.”
The alliance had already been established. Everyone was smiling happily.
There were shouts outside and laughter from inside the room. In summary,
everyone was happy.
Of course, there were still people who were uncomfortable in this situation.
Looking back a little, I saw Yuno Kasugano, watching out for me with her
head down.
‘Yuno Kasugano.’
It was obvious why she was with such a face alone.
‘Because she did something wrong.’
I didn’t know the reason. However, it was a behavior I could not understand.
Although she confessed with her own mouth first, it was a little vague to say
that it was a problem that I could forgive easily.
Others didn’t know it yet, but about Jin Qing, the dirty demon summoner…
It was her who had helped the guy get out of Laios.
Chapter 327
Happy Lunar New Year! I’ve released some free chapters. Take care guys!
Don’t forget to read your horoscope for the year!
Everything was done perfectly, but wrapping things up proved to be

annoying. No, in fact, I was more happy than annoyed.
As a result, if I were to think about it, everything was going in the direction I
wanted, except for the missing Jin Qing. However, I had no choice but to feel
anxious about the fact that the demon summoner was alive.
The people of Laios and I would be thinking the same.
I requested the Republic to take over the demon summoner Jin Qing, but
there was still no answer. There was nothing to be heard other than saying
that they would grasp the situation a little more closely.
Of course, the Republic’s remarks to closely grasp the situation were excuses
and bullshit. There was no way they could do anything.
The place where we confronted the demon had already been erased from the
map, leaving no traces other than a bunch of lights.
Even in Laios, they were refusing the people of the Republic to pass over.
The only evidence left was Ito Souta’s conviction and the Goddess’s Mirror
we’ve recorded the incident with.
No matter what I thought, they couldn’t grasp the situation.
Nevertheless, it would be irrelevant to interpret that bullshit as an expression

of the will to protect Jin Qing, no matter what.
I knew that the Republic wasn’t as sensitive to black magic as the State, but
what happened would affect the entire neutral nation. The Republic’s
foreigners were also killed, and in some way, it was a case that was bound to
be entangled in international affairs.
Despite all these backgrounds, the Republic chose to protect the guy after
listening to Jin Qing.
‘They said men are blind in their own causes.’
I didn’t know what was going on, but he might be trying to clarify this case
and put his sins on me.
In fact, the probability of a bomb dropping on me, who had so much

evidence, converged to zero, but I still had no choice but to be dissatisfied
with the fact that the opponent with a grudge was still alive.
Of course, I didn’t have to explain that I was also swaying public opinion.
I felt a little sorry for the demon worshiper Ito Souta, but that was the reason
his name had been repeatedly mentioned recently.
“The demon worshiper Ito Souta. And this time, demon summoner Jin
Qing…”
“…”
“Does the Honorary Cardinal think there is a connection between those two?”
“It’s probably… hard to say there’s any. We don’t know when they got in
contact or what they want, but it doesn’t change that their ultimate goal is the
same. The darkness is already deeply rooted in our continent. I knew there
were groups of only black wizards all over the place, but… I didn’t think they
would be expanding their influence this much. In fact, it was just a
coincidence that I stepped on Jin Qing’s tail…”
“You are saying that the situation seems to be more serious than the Holy See
thought.”
“Yes. Maybe they have their own communication channels. Given that the
Republic currently protects Jin Qing, it would be better to think that the
Republic is also affected by its roots. In the worst case, we can think… it’s
already completely stained…”
“Already so far… Oh, God…”
“Think of the case of the State. No one knew that Ito Souta was a demon
worshiper. During the long period of his career at Celia, no one had noticed
that Ito Souta was a demon worshiper. If Ito Souta had swallowed the country
as it is, we would have had to take a position similar to the current Republic.
Maybe the State would’ve faced a great threat, just like Laios.”
“It’s terrible just to imagine.”
“It’s not just the Republic. In each country or city, there may be places
touched by the demon. Yes. I’m sure of it. There certainly will. First of all, I
will report on this event…”
“Ah! Honorary Cardinal. You don’t have to. I appreciate your thought, but
for now, please consider recovering your body as the top priority.”
“What? But…”
“His Holiness said it directly. He said that he would move immediately after
the Honorary Cardinal got better… so he told us not to force you. I
understand that you have many worries in many ways, but it would be better
to let your body rest sufficiently. We know how much the Honorary Cardinal
is thinking of the Holy See and the Goddess Benigore. But now, in this
situation, the Goddess will not want you to jump back to her front line. The
first thing is to recover your body.”
“…”
What was a little annoying in the meantime was that my movement was
limited.
I couldn’t move properly because of those who overprotected me, although I

got tremendous benefits from exaggerating to be hurt. In fact, this situation
was not confined to the Holy See.
“Oscar-nim.”
“You said that when we’re alone, you would call me Maid Alice, Honorary
Cardinal.”
“Ah. Yes, Maid Alice. I made a mistake. Haha.”
“So. Does the tea suit your taste? I should have prepared some refreshments,
but I didn’t have time, coming in a hurry…”
“Haha. It’s fine. It’s been a long time since I had the tea that Maid Alice
made, and it feels like my body is already recovering. More importantly, the
alliance with the neutral country…”
“Yes. It’s going well. Some of these tribal kingdoms also want the same thing
as us… No, please forget about this. Recovering your body right now is the
top priority, but I’m talking about work again. I understand the Honorary
Cardinal, but I hope you don’t think about anything other than relaxing now.”
“But the situation is…”
“I know you don’t believe, but we’re doing our best, too.”
“Maid Alice…”
“I will do my best to finish the work so that it does not become a nuisance.
So please…”
“Yes. Okay. If you say it like that…”
And so did the State’s leader, Alice, no, Oscar, and even Kim Hyunsung
began to protect me as if protecting a baby bird.
Whether this was shocking to him as well, he started acting as if he would

give it all.
“Hyunsung, now, I should slowly…”

“No, Kiyoung. You can still lie down a little longer. Hyejin and Hee-young
are taking care of the guild-related work together. I am also working hard. In
the meantime, you have been running too crazy. You can rest a little more.”
Although the lovely returner showed warm eyes and urged me to rest.
‘You, your political sense is zero.’
There was no way I wouldn’t feel worried.
Thanks to our trustworthy Cho Hyejin and Sun Hee-young, I felt that the
issues related to the current case were smoothly resolved.
In fact, it wasn’t a long time after waking up, but due to my nature of
becoming anxious when I stay still, I had to get stressed out ways.
While lying down, statues in honor of the heroes were climbing on the square
of Laios, and even the sixth volume of How an Alchemist and a Genius
Swordsman Love appeared in Laios.
Whenever I saw the statues in the square getting more and more distinct, and
every time the wandering Laios maids talked about the novel, I realized that
time was passing me by.
Practically, not much time had passed, but seeing the popular bestseller in the
State was hitting Laios, it wasn’t a short time either.
‘What kind of novel is that? Is it that fun?’
I didn’t know why, but it was surprising to see that they were selling like
hotcakes.
Anyway, whether it was big or small, the things surrounding me were

gradually changing. In fact, I was anxious about what the next move of the
demon summoner would be, but the Republic still remained silent.
Around this time, I, too, had completely let go of my external work.
‘The State is not that incompetent.’

I already had arranged everything, so if they could not achieve results in this
situation, it was only right to seek asylum in another kingdom, even for the
sake of my future.
‘Instead…’
It wouldn’t be bad to have time to solve internal problems rather than outside.
Not only did I set a schedule of the study to find out about the semi-mythic-
grade class of the Alchemist of Light, but I also started to make a lot of
hypotheses.
I also began thinking of some solutions to the problem surrounding the lovely
returner and the management of people in need of it, including Jung Hayan
and Cha Hee-ra, and discussions with Lee Jihye.
The busy work quickly relieved the feelings of being unable to stay still.
Of course, the fact that there was an important thing to deal with didn’t need
to be mentioned twice.
“I’m sorry, master. I’m sorry.”
Yuno Kasugano, who was ready to become a demon summoner companion,

was an important issue.
“No matter how much you ask for my sin, I have nothing to say. Please
forgive me for making this choice even though I knew you wouldn’t like it.”
“…”
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. Sniff! Please don’t throw me away. Please don’t
abandon this girl.”
Looking at her quietly, it was a sight to see her shedding tears.
I’ve heard many times why Kasugano saved him, but I was compelled to find
out with this incident that her future wasn’t always right.
In fact, it was not that I didn’t believe in her.
She was the one who took care of me in many ways when I fainted, and it
was she who had been the most active in fixing things and swaying the media
since then.
I couldn’t just openly hate her.
Lee Jihye asked if we could really trust Yuno Kasugano, but from my point
of view, Yuno Kasugano was a card that was attractive enough.
However, if I considered that Yuno Kasugano and I didn’t have a very good
relationship in the first round…
‘She wouldn’t be gathering energy to backstab me, right?’
It was something worth worrying about.
As a result, in the first round, the black trash Lee Kiyoung had made Yuno
Kasugano’s life miserable, and she knew that, too.
Although she said it was a happy time, anyone could tell that it was an
experience far from happiness.
The chances were small, but I couldn’t help but wonder for me, who felt
suspicious.
‘To be planning a revenge of the first round…’
There were many awkward points in many ways.
First of all, I held her life and death ticket.
However, if I considered that looking forward to the future or the black

world, she might have thought differently about me, it was hard not to look at
her with suspicion.
“…”
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
“Well, it would be better to listen to the story in detail once again. I hope this
time, I can understand.”
“I can’t explain the details. However, Jin Qing shouldn’t end up in that way
in that place. The master… The master…”
“…”
“The master may be in danger.”
There was more than half the probability that she was really worried about
me.
However, there was no guarantee that she wouldn’t have the perfect plan in
her mind to send me to hell. It was right to think that it was an issue that gave
me headaches in many ways.
Chapter 328
Chapter 328: Us in the Black World (1)
In fact, it was Lee Jihye’s words that made me doubt.
‘I am not sure about the relationship between the two of you, but think
carefully if she’s someone you could really trust. No matter how I think about
it, it’s a minus that she helped others in a crucial situation. And it was none
other than Jin Qing, the demon summoner. I’m not saying this just to reduce
our rivals. I’m just really worried. People who are good at backstabbing get
backstabbed in strange situations. That’s a common cliché.’
She said that right after I said that it was Yuno Kasugano who had let Jin
Qing go.
Of course, she was not wrong.
However, I couldn’t agree with the saying that the one who was good at
backstabbing would be backstabbed, but in Yuno Kasugano’s case, I couldn’t
help but mull this over.
No matter how I was to think about it, it was true that meeting with her was
arbitrary.
Of course, there was an inaccessible safety device between Kasugano and

me. However, even so, I had to avoid letting my guard down.
It was a bit different, but like the famous line that was popular somewhere, if
you didn’t believe it in the first place, you wouldn’t be betrayed.
Probably, Yuno Kasugano was also anxious because she could tell the
suspicion in my face.
There was no way that Yuno Kasugano, who was more sensitive to the
atmosphere than others, couldn’t notice the temperature difference.
As I set the mood and looked straight ahead, she continued to speak again
with a visibly nervous face.
“I didn’t have time to explain because the master was down at the time. It’s
hard to understand, but at least my actions… please know that it was for
you.”
I already knew that.
However, the problem was that she couldn’t explain what kind of future she
saw.
If it were a convincing story, I would be able to nod…
“I can’t remember anything. I must have seen the future with my own eyes,
but I can’t remember it as if there’s a haze. Really. Please believe me.”
This situation was a problem.
Of course, I wanted to give more credit to the possibility that her words were
true.
She was also the one who had confessed her sins right after I woke up, and
she even said she would take any punishment sweetly. It made no sense for
her to plot something like this and still accept punishment.
If I looked at Yuno Kasugano, who came every day before I could organize
my own thoughts and said that she had made a mistake, the probability of
thinking something different seemed to be infinitely close to zero.
However…
‘No. There is no need to doubt. If I don’t believe in her, nothing can be

solved anyway.’
Although there were risks, it was also true that this problem could not be
solved without trusting Kasugano.
It would be natural to hold on to a string of suspicion, but for now, it would

not be bad to think about the premise that Kasugano’s words were true.
“Are you sure you have seen the future?”
“Yes. It’s not the black world. Neither is it the past. That’s for sure. What I
saw must have happened in the future. It seemed to be after a lot of time
passed from now…”
“What exactly does it mean to be in danger…?”
“I don’t know what to explain. Should I say that your life is in danger? Or
should I express that the position or situation of the master is in danger… I’m
not even sure about that. Shortly after seeing that future with my own eyes, I
tried several times to check it out, but it didn’t seem like a lie. I’m really,
really sorry.”
It was a sight to see her prostrate herself. Now I felt embarrassed.
“Is there any probability that you could not remember or recall because the
future has changed?”
“It doesn’t work that way. As the future I mentioned recently has not been
realized, the future change has nothing to do with my inability to recall the
scene. Please talk to me more comfortably before that. Please… please speak
informally. Sniff.”
She looked significantly anxious. In fact, at times like this, I thought that she
resembled Jung Hayan.
It seemed that me talking formally was a harbinger of not accepting her as a

servant.
I thought I didn’t have to be distinct since I spoke respectfully when we were

with others, but it seemed very important to her.
‘Didn’t I talk formally last time?’
In fact, I didn’t even remember it well.

However, unlike then, it would be natural for her to be anxious since I was
talking as if I were treating a stranger in this atmosphere.
Of course, the way I speak didn’t matter.
At the moment, I wasn’t happy with Yuno Kasugano, so I spoke with

honorifics, but her frustration made my annoyance soar, and the informal way
of speaking popped out.
“Isn’t Yuno Kasugano the one who knows best that the future could change?
Again, the city was not in ruins.”
“Yes. Of course. But… for some reason, I thought I should do that. The
feeling like I had to let him go right away… I felt that way. I can’t explain it,
but I’m sure of that.”
“In other words, does it mean you let him go because of a simple feeling?
Even knowing that I’ll be in an awkward position?”
“Although a little different… yes. Maybe… Please kill me. Sniff.”
“In fact, it’s not that I don’t believe in you, but… I still don’t understand.”
“I am also confused. Sniff… I’ve seen so many things, but it’s the first time I
didn’t remember it, and it didn’t look like fog. As if someone from outside
intervened… Yes. I feel like someone disturbed it.”
“Intervention from outside…”
“Yes. Yes, it is. This never happened before… Please kill me.”
In fact, Yuno Kasugano had been making the same excuses over the last
days, but the word of external intervention comes anew.
‘This…’
There were some things that I had some doubts about.
‘Is it the system?’

It was not entirely impossible.
I had concluded that transcendental beings did not directly intervene in

mortal affairs, but there was still room for intervention in this area.
If the future that Yuno Kasugano saw was a future it didn’t want, or a future
it didn’t want to show, the phenomenon of fogging her head could be
explained.
‘It’s pretty convincing.’
Considering that Yuno didn’t intend to backstab me, it was indeed pretty
convincing.
One question was why the transcendent existence prevented her from
remembering the future. It might not be the system because I was friendly
enough to it.
In fact, it also invested a lot in me, and it cursed me, but as a result, it was
always kind to me.
Of course, it was obvious as to why we had a good relationship. It was

because I was being submissive to the lovely returner. I finally got a semi-
mythic-grade class and even became someone capable of using divine power.
This achievement was perfect, and I was able to send the demon away.
In any way, I could only be seen as an ally of the transcendental being.

Judging from that, there were two possible hypotheses.
The first was that there was not only one transcendent being watching me.
This was a pretty convincing deduction. One might feel that it was forced to
drag me, while the other may not like me.
Maybe it didn’t let Kasugano recall the future that I was in danger
considering that I could avoid the danger.
In other words, it may be hoping for me to be in danger or, worse, to die.

Aside from this case, there was one other thing I could think of…
I mean, if the transcendental beings didn’t plan on antagonizing me, the rest I
can think of…
‘Is it because of Hyunsung?’
I knew that the danger I was in some way related to Kim Hyunsung. It was
sudden, but I felt like it was something I could think of.
The system and the transcendental existence had nurtured Kim Hyunsung, the
protagonist of the worldview, and were actually watching him with interest.
That was the reason why I received so many benefits. If I had started as an
enemy of Kim Hyunsung, I would never have received gifts like this.
For example, in an extreme case, the scene that Yuno Kasugano saw was a
scene where Kim Hyunsung was hostile to me, and if I were to find out that
fact…
‘Will I backstab him?’
Transcendental beings may be on the lookout for a future where I will

backstab the lovely returner.
‘But I got very fond of him. I’m not so trash…’
Of course, I couldn’t guarantee how I would move when the actual situation
came.
‘It’s just a deduction anyway. I don’t have to think deeply.’
It was interesting, but unfortunately, these two hypotheses were impossible to

hold.
Both stories had nothing to do with the demon summoner Jin Qing. Even if
one of the two was true, it was not a reason for Yuno Kasugano to save the
demon summoner.
It was a hypothesis that struck my head hearing about an external
intervention, but it was still a trashy deduction.
The puzzle pieces seemed to be gathered, but it felt like they weren’t
connected.
‘Maybe it is related to the first round?’
I think this might have gone too far. Of course, there was nothing bad about
finding out about it.
However…
‘The problem is that it can’t be seen just because she wants to.’
Although she had tried several times, Kasugano had never succeeded in
connecting with me since Park Deokgu’s day.
Kasugano, who always said sorry with her head down, looked like a middle-
aged man suffering from erectile dysfunction.
She failed every time she tried, so she rarely called me to meet her as if she
had lost her confidence. She was afraid to see my disappointed and annoyed
face.
“The black world…”
Kasugano got startled by my self-talk. In an instant, a sense of urgency filled

her face.
“I-I will try. As it may be a hint, this time I’ll certainly…”
“Can you do it?”
“I am in good shape today. Yes. I think I can do it.”
I made an expectant look. As she looked straight ahead, Kasugano slowly

opened her closed eyes and began whining.
Somehow, she was trying her best to see the future or the black world, but
she started sweating as if it wasn’t going well. She looked worried as if
asking herself, ‘What if it doesn’t go well this time as well?’
It didn’t mean that she could see it just because she wanted to, in the first
place, nor could she connect just because she wanted to connect.
However, deep inside, disappointment rose in her like water.
‘I guess she can’t do this again.’
I had been through this situation so much that now I could sense it.
It seemed like she was doing her best while whining, but she looked like Tol
To-ri with her head down this time. Eventually, she slowly closed her eyes
and started turning her head in my direction.
In that desperate face, there was a feeling that she had to succeed at all costs
this time.
“I have an absurd request…”
“…”
“Er… D-Do you remember that the last time you and I were connected, our
bodies were also connected?”
“I do, but…”
“It’s unlikely, but I’d like to give it a try. Maybe a kiss or a corresponding act
might create a possibility to connect. It’s only speculation, but…”
‘What is she talking about again?’
But for now, it wouldn’t be bad to nod.
It was not without an anxious mind, but I grabbed her hand and kissed her
lightly in an instant. Magic power started to rise as much as a very red face.
However, the anxiety in her eyes refused to disappear. She still looked like
Tol Tori with a bowed head.
‘That’s so frustrating…’
What she was thinking was obvious.
‘What should I do if it doesn’t work well this time?’
Or…
‘I’ll be abandoned. If it fails, I’ll be abandoned.’
It was a matter of confidence rather than a matter of method.
I let her be for a while, but it didn’t seem that bad to give confidence as the
issue was important.
“You can do well.”
“Ah…”
“You can do well this time. Slowly. You can be comfortable. Right. Like
that. Slowly. Now, you just need to be comfortable and trust your body to
me. I’ll do it all on my own.”
There was nothing I could do, but when I tried to do physical contact while
gently stroking her hair actively, I felt a reaction coming.
Not only did she shake her body softly, but she also puffed her mouth in the
air like a goldfish.
“Ahhh… Ahh.”
“You don’t have to worry. Actually, I never doubted you, Kasugano. I just
complained. I think you know that I care for you. It will be this time, too. Do
not try to do it in a rush; do it slowly. It doesn’t have to be today. Relax and
slowly. Right. Okay. Right…”
I just tried it to try it out, but as I whispered sweet words and breathed in,
Kasugano, who was wearing Tol Tori’s expression with a bowed head,
gradually raised her head.
She looked solid as if she burped on purpose.
I thought, ‘Would it work with this?’, but immediately afterward, I had to

shout at the sense of being sucked somewhere.
‘Nice!’
I had solved the inner erectile dysfunction of Kasugano.

Chapter 329
Chapter 329: Us in the black world (2)
[Reading limited information. Confirming the activation of the legendary-

grade attribute, the Mind’s Eye.]
[Player Yuno Kasugano’s attribute, the Eyes that see the essence and through
the past and future, do not resist.]
At first, it was a coincidence.
At the second time, it was possible to spy on the black world through external
intervention, but this time it seemed to have passed very smoothly.
The attribute grade remained unchanged, but I thought it could be the

influence of my class evolution into a semi-mythic.
I didn’t know if it was right to express it this way, but it felt like the human
price had risen. It would be natural to feel good. The precursor was the same
as the last time.
I felt like I was being sucked somewhere in an instant. At the same time, the
scenery I saw began to change completely.
It felt as if the soul had escaped, but there was nothing wrong with it.
It was not flustering as I had seen it several times. It was no wonder that I
began to feel very happy. It wasn’t as much as the future, but the black world
was also significant enough to me.
‘What. What am I watching?’
It was annoying that I had gotten inside the black world for now, but couldn’t
know what I could see. However, this was still satisfactory.
Even if it was just for a moment, being able to stand on the same line as the
lovely returner was beyond merit.
In an instant, the scenery in front of me began to pass by.
The unannounced scene I saw was…
‘Huh?’
The lovely returner, who had completely lost his mind, and a masked man.
A masked man was looking down at Kim Hyunsung, who looked worse than
I thought. No, the gender was not clear, either. It was hard even to tell, if it
was a man or a woman.
For some reason, the silhouette looked like me, but the atmosphere was
subtly different from me.
In the context, it felt like that garbage drove Kim Hyunsung mad. Regardless
if he regressed, considering the talent Kim Hyunsung has…
‘This bastard is the villain from the first round. This dirty piece of trash.’
The scene that had been completely ruined was giving strength to my
hypothesis.
I couldn’t even notice what kind of place this place was. It had completely
collapsed to the point where I wondered if it will change this way when the
end of the world comes.
Corpses were everywhere, and those bodies were even decaying in real-time.
The painful screams of humans still alive were being heard everywhere, and
some were melting or self-harming.
‘It’s a living hell, a living hell.’
It seemed that it was being influenced by something, but of course, there was
no way to know what it was.
If I were there, I could find hints, but unfortunately, I only looked at the
scenes that had already flowed from a third party’s perspective.
It was difficult to grasp what the hell happened and exactly when the scene in
front of me happened.
‘Isn’t Hyunsung dead?’
I thought about it for a moment, but the scene I was seeing was not the
ending of the black world.
A young woman, staggering to her feet, now blocked Kim Hyunsung.
She was also not ordinary. Her body was so damaged that her ability to stand
still was a miracle. Of course, I knew very well who was blocking Kim
Hyunsung’s front. She belonged to the same guild as us, so it was only
natural to know.
Cho Hyejin, Kim Hyunsung’s lieutenant.
She was a party member with a political sense, and although it was uncertain
to say that she was out of standard, she was talented with spearing skills
comparable to a monster.
She was also my friend with whom I occasionally drank, so I wasn’t happy
looking at her broken appearance.
Standing lean on one of her spears, she seemed to collapse right away.
Most of her clothes were torn. It was enough for me not to know where to put
my eyes on.
‘This is not intentional…’
In fact, her embarrassing appearance didn’t even catch my eye.
I, from the black world, didn’t seem to care much about it either. It was
actually an appearance that looked desperate rather than embarrassing, so it
would be natural for me to react that way.
Anyway, the way she was glaring at the man wearing a mask seemed to tell
that she was the Cho Hyejin I knew.
But that was only for a moment. After a moment, she spoke.
‘Please save him.’
‘… …’
‘… …’
‘What?’
‘Please… save…’
‘Pfff! I don’t think it’s a line that a woman admired enough for being called
Mythical Spear should say. It seems that you don’t want to die.’
The voice seemed to have been altered, but this dirty villain’s tone was very
similar to mine for some reason.
‘Please… Please save it. If it’s my neck, I’ll be happy to give it to you. But
please. Please, only the Guild Master…’
‘…’
‘Please. Please have mercy on him.’
She was so subdued that it was hard to think that it was the Cho Hyejin I
knew.
Her always confident face was nowhere to be seen. Tears continued to flow
from only her one eye, and she put her forehead to the ground with her body
covered in dirt.
It was not a situation to say that it was simply humiliating.

I knew very well why a proud woman like her was looking like that.
Cho Hyejin never bends her will.
The image didn’t match enough to doubt whether it was the same person or
not. It seemed it was the same for the guy wearing the mask.
The guy made an exaggeratedly surprised gesture and continued to talk again.
‘Alas. It was him. I guess it was him. Gosh, Kim Hyunsung has a good
network. So many people say they will die instead. I’m envious and bitter…’
‘Please. Please.’
‘What should I do… Actually, I came to kill today, but seeing someone like
you, I become strangely weakened. I’ve been through similar experiences a
few times, and I know very well what it’s like to lose someone important. I
like this kind of humanity. Isn’t it cool? It’s also a beautiful look. It’s a scene
that looks like it will come out of a drama or a movie.’
‘Please.’
‘If it’s love, no, respect… I don’t know what it is, but it is sublime to throw
your life for someone you care about. Yes. It’s sublime.’
‘Please. I beg you.’
‘By the way. Whenever I see a scene like this, I feel upset rather than sad. My
head seems to be burning, and I get nauseous. This means it’s tough because
I keep thinking of scenes I don’t want to remember. Other people’s beliefs
cause guilt in what I am doing. Oh, if you think I don’t feel guilty, you’re
mistaken, Cho Hyejin. I am definitely a person. A Person.’
‘… …’
The more I looked at it; the more unpleasant emotions began to appear.
I hoped it was not the case, but I thought that I might be that masked villain.
In fact, I had come to that conclusion right from the start.
Obviously, this was the black world that I was seeing through Yuno
Kasugano.
At least she or I, who were connected to her, one of us should have appeared.
I wanted to curse.
If I were to think about it, it seemed likely.
Lee Kiyoung of the black world was hopeless garbage among the garbage,
and after losing Park Deokgu, he completely lost his mind.
The purpose was, of course, his revenge.
I didn’t know how many years would have passed since Park Deokgu died,
but it felt that the story fit perfectly when I thought that he had reached this
point after going through many things.
I wanted to guess how many years have passed with Cho Hyejin or Kim
Hyunsung’s appearances, but it was hard to infer from their appearance that
didn’t age under the influence of magic power.
Anyway, my anxiety started to rise more and more. As nothing has been
decided yet, it seemed that I would not have to make hasty judgments.
In the meantime, the words of the masked trash were a spectacle.
‘Look, Cho Hyejin-nim. Isn’t my head continuously burning? I also want to

be satisfied with you alone, but I’m worried that I can’t aim well with my
head hurting. I’m afraid it’ll hit the person behind you. That shouldn’t
happen. Wouldn’t it be sad when you try to give your life for someone you
love, but my hands slip, and I make a mistake? Haha.’
‘If so…’
‘Alas. Stop it, Hyejin. That’s not right. That’s not right. Decide yourself!
Lancer! I’m not saying that. It’s also part of revenge, so it would be better to
finish it with my own hands. All you have to do is stop the headache. Just the
headache. Then everything will be solved.’
‘I… What can I do?’
‘You don’t have to do anything. Actually, I don’t know what to order. Even if
I ask you to come with me, it is obvious that it is difficult for you to accept it.
I also don’t want to hold a bomb, so… well, that’s it. I think it would be
better to solve this headache on my own. I’ll keep my promise.’
It was then that an arrow flew in from somewhere. In an instant, a bunch of

arrows started to get stuck in Cho Hyejin’s body.
‘Kahak…’
Cho Hyejin looked more relieved than in pain.
The man wearing a mask spoke out once again, looking at her face.
‘Cho Hyejin. The master of your guild will go back alive.’
‘Thank… you…’
‘In such a situation, if I receive even gratefulness, it makes me sadder. Rather

than thanking me… say what you want to say. I don’t hate people like you. I
can’t be sure if I’ll give you your will, but it’s still better than having no one
to listen to the last words.’
‘Sigh… Sigh. Guild… Master.’
‘Yes, yes.’
‘Guild Master.’
‘Yes, yes.’
‘I… I… liked yo…’
‘Yes, yes… I definitely got it, Cho Hyejin.’
‘… …’
‘Ah… You are already dead.’
‘… …’
‘Actually, I didn’t hate you…’
‘… …’
‘What can I do? The situation we are facing is different. It’s an obvious line,
but we could have become friends if we had met differently elsewhere. I was
your enemy, but on the one hand, I respected you. The last was the same. In
fact, I didn’t want to end it this way, but Mythical Spear’s end was more
humiliating than sublime… Well, what more do I need to say? You are
already dead.’
I think I knew roughly what that trash was talking about.
The black world’s details are unknown, but Cho Hyejin was a foreigner with
a high reputation called Mythical Spear.
There must be a desire to show her a humiliating death, rather than a sublime
one.
However, seeing that he couldn’t easily leave Cho Hyejin’s side, it seemed
that his conscience remained as he said. What he was worried about was
indeed obvious.
He was thinking about whether to leave Cho Hyejin’s body as it was.
That masked trash and I were never the same person, but even if it were me, I
wouldn’t like that Cho Hyejin, who showed a similar appearance to Park
Deokgu, would face such an end.
As if he was determined, he slowly stretched out his hand.
Contrary to the mention of her humiliating end, black flames began to soar
from her body. He didn’t say anything, but he picked up her spear and put it
in the ashes.
He slowly turned back and removed the mask that covered his face, and the
man muttered.
‘I feel dirty.’
It was also true that there was a certain expectation that we would not be the
same person.
However…
Upon seeing the face reflected in my eyes…
It was perfectly the same face as mine.

Chapter 330
It was momentary, but my mind was dazed.
I couldn’t be any happier.
I wanted to put a curse on Lee Kiyoung in the first round, who looked like a
human trash villain.
I didn’t know what had happened, but the atmosphere itself had changed
considerably. The dark circles were down, and he had lost more weight than
now.
It didn’t need to be said that there were many differences with the current me.
My mind was a mess, but I couldn’t organize my thoughts right now.
I thought I could’ve taken the crazy route, but I never thought it would be this
big.
I didn’t know how this happened and how this division came about, but Kim
Hyunsung was unconscious, and Cho Hyejin had died.
The surrounding area was completely ruined, and counting the deceased was
meaningless.
It looked like a war had happened. No, it must be a war. At this scale, I could
only think so.
‘Is this maybe…’
It was an instant that I thought that I might be the one that the lovely returner
has been searching for all along. Just having killed Cho Hyejin was enough to
hold a grudge.
Recalling Kim Hyunsung’s reaction when Shaolin called me ‘masked man,’ I
thought that my hypothesis might be correct. At the time, I thought that the
lovely returner’s sensitive reaction was due to Shaolin, but perhaps the focus
was on the masked man.
The awkward expression he showed right after also bothered me.
As soon as I thought I had to watch the situation a little more, I started to feel
an unknown force pushing me away.
I couldn’t say precisely what, but it was frustrating for me, who wanted to see
the story behind this scene. It felt like it was rewinding a video.
From the scene where arrows fell on Cho Hyejin to the scene where I was
looking at Kim Hyunsung for the first time, the scenes started passing too
quickly that it was now hard to recognize.
I knew roughly what this was. Time passed quickly like this last time. The
only difference was that it was rewinding time this time around.
The scenes that would be interesting in the middle were noticeable, but of
course, I couldn’t know exactly what was going on, or what it was.
The appearance of Yuno Kasugano and I together was also reflected in an

instant after passing by…
Jung Hayan?
Jung Hayan and I were together.
‘Oppa, I love you. I really love you.’
‘I love you, too.’
What the hell was this?
I didn’t know why Jung Hayan and I were together, but it looked quite sweet
to anyone.
What was particularly surprising was Jung Hayan’s eyes. There was no such
madness or obsession as it had now.
To be precise, she looked like a simple girl, and it felt like she would break
with just a touch.
The big eyeballs were still there, the hair that only came to the shoulders, and
she even wasn’t well dressed.
Nevertheless, looking at her cute face, I had doubts about what happened to
my mind, but that Jung Hayan was really cute.
In time, the scene in front of my eyes was a spectacle. I couldn’t even

imagine seeing romantic scenes, but they were so dynamic that my face had
reddened.
Looking at Jung Hayan that clings to me in the black world, I felt guilty, but I
was the one who’s with her anyway, so I could face it with confidence. Of
course, I couldn’t stop turning red.
When I thought that the current me also maintained a deep relationship with
Jung Hayan, the guilt disappeared quickly.
In the meantime, it stood out that every single action of Jung Hayan was very
passive. Compared to her now…
‘It just looks like a different person.’
I even thought that she might be a person with a similar face, but what I was
seeing now was definitely Jung Hayan.
She was still crying, and she was also trying to look good to me.
‘Yes. Oppa is right! I-it seems it was destiny that I met Oppa. Destiny. It
must be destiny.’
Or something.
‘I-I-I was wrong. Really hic… I’m sorry.’

These behaviors were not that different from now.
I was not sure as to how I met Jung Hayan. Judging from the fact that Park
Deokgu was not next to me, I met Jung Hayan after Park Deokgu had died.
I was more interested in this because there had been no more information
about this.
It was because I couldn’t even imagine that Jung Hayan and I would have
had a contact in the first round. Considering if the reason as to why I was
suffering from Jung Hayan was to pay for my previous life’s sins, I had no
choice but to look at it as carefully.
This was because I was wondering what the trashy guy would do to Jung
Hayan. However, this looked like the exact opposite.
I could guarantee that it was showing something that could be called the
epitome of an ideal boyfriend.
Jung Hayan always looked bright, and I, as well.
The only thing that I was a little curious about was that there was no one else
but her and me.
I couldn’t tell where we were meeting. It was a magic lab, and inside a large
room. Others were nowhere to be seen.
I even thought about whether Jung Hayan was imprisoning me, but it was
different than that.
Jung Hayan of the first round seemed unable to think like the Jung Hayan of
the second round.
I was curious, but the curiosity quickly disappeared. Rather than finding an
answer, I got speechless at a very shocking sight.
After passing quickly one more time, the next scene was a spectacle.
Jung Hayan was being abused. She was being abused both mentally and
physically. Even so, I could see that she couldn’t let go of her bond with me.
As she was now, she was obsessed and accepted everything that was done to
her in case she might be hated.
‘I love you. I love you. So please don’t say that.’
Nevertheless, it didn’t make sense for her to hug me.
Even now, the affection of Jung Hayan could only be seen as unconditional.
‘Hehe. I love you.’
He was laughing.
‘I like you very much.’
He held her in his arms like a fool.
The black garbage was smirking. I could understand what he was thinking.
He must be thinking that Jung Hayan had completely fallen for him. Once
again, the scenery began to change.
The next scene showed Jung Hayan, quietly left alone in a room.
To be precise, I, from the black world, was just looking at her with a strange
crystal ball, but I could see the scene inside the crystal very clearly.
It was unknown how long time had passed since then, but looking at her with
messy hair, blankly looking up at the ceiling, she was on the verge of
collapse.
‘What is this?’
What she was looking at was a rope hanging from the ceiling.
It was obvious as to what she was thinking. Her eyes were swollen from
crying, and the stuff in her room was indescribably messy.
It looked like she kept reading a bunch of letters.
I couldn’t even see what it was, but she kept crying, reading dozens or even
hundreds of letters.
Seeing Jung Hayan reading the letters while smiling like a fool, those many
letters seemed to have some pretty happy memories.
It wasn’t just one occasion, but this apparently looked like all the letters Jung
Hayan and I exchanged throughout the entire relationship.
However, as time passed, her face distorted, and tears burst out.
‘I like you. I love you. Sniff… So please come back. I was wrong. Please
come back.’
Of course, the answer was not heard.
She was just talking to herself. No, I thought perhaps she might have noticed
that I, from the black world, was watching her, but now she seemed unable to
afford to bother about her surroundings.
‘I’m sorry. I’ll do better in the future. Please don’t say that. Don’t say you
hate me now.’
‘… …’
‘Hic. Sniff. Please. I beg you. If you’re watching, talk to me again, Oppa. As
usual. I hate it like this. I hate breaking up like this.’
‘… …’
‘You remember when we first met, right? I remember everything. I confessed

with courage, and your surprised face at that time. And I remember
everything when we connected. I remember the day we first connected, the
day we fought, and the day you got angry. Everything. I miss you. I really
miss you… really… I’ll never say no again. I will do everything Oppa asks
me to do. Now I don’t care what happens to other people. I won’t be bothered
no matter what happens. All I need is you. So please come back. Don’t say
you hate me. I’ll do everything you ask me to do. Sniff. Sniff…’
‘… …’
‘You said it was fate. You said it must be fate that we met. You told me that
even if we were born again, we would meet again. You said we’ll continue to
be together. His… I hate that. It is so painful not to have you. I can’t do
anything. Nothing. I-i-it’s better to die. I’d rather…’
‘… …’
However, hesitation continued to be seen. She made the decision, but it

couldn’t be easy.
‘Hic. Hic…’
I could hear the hiccups and sobs.
She looked at the ceiling and stared outside. She climbed up and down the
chair several times.
‘It’s so painful… I can’t think of anything… I’m scared. … Please help me,
Oppa. Please help me. Smile again like before. Hic. Sniff.’
She grabbed her head and curled up or even flipped the blanket over.
However, the gaze continued to focus on the rope fixed to the ceiling.
I had a bitter taste in my mouth.
‘Right… Oppa said.’
‘… …’
‘That w-we’ll meet in the next life. He said so. Right. It’ll hurt just for a
moment. If I suffer for a second, I will get comfortable. It won’t be dark. He
said we’d meet in the next life, so I can do that. Hic…’
‘… …’
Her body trembled.
It seemed very difficult to step on the chair and climb up slowly. I know how
hard it was for one to take their own life.
Some people said they take their lives for no significant reason, but the
weight of life each could bear as all different.
It was an extreme choice made only when the courage to die was greater than
the courage to live.
To be honest, just looking at it made me feel all painful.
‘Phew. Phew… Oppa will recognize, too. He’ll recognize how much I love
him. If he knows I’m d-dead, he’ll remember me forever, right? Maybe he’ll
r-r-regret. He might be sad. I’ll be gone, but maybe I’ll remain in his memory
forever. It’s better than being forgotten. Yes. T-that’s better. We will meet in
the next life. Because Oppa said that. Yes… right.’
‘… …’
‘No. M-Maybe, he’ll show up to rescue me. B-Because he always came to

me when I was in trouble. He might suddenly appear out of nowhere. He
might do that. Hic… he might…’
She continued sobbing.
Tears continued to fall on the floor, and her voice trembled. Her breathing got
rougher little by little, and from a certain point, there is no sound other than
weeping.
‘Sniff. Hic.’
‘…’
‘Sniff… Hic. Please. Please…’

She hesitated several times.
However, Jung Hayan eventually made the decision. She walked on her own
and slowly began to hang the rope around her neck.
‘Pant… pant…’
The sound of her voice resonated. If she wanted to cut the rope, she could cut
it with magic.
However, it was even more painful to see because she did nothing.
As I reached out to the crystal that Lee Kiyoung was looking at, my body was
sucked in immediately.
I could see Jung Hayan struggling right in front of my eyes.
‘He… will… Keck. To save me. Oppa… will come.’
Of course, he wouldn’t come.
However, Jung Hayan continued to mutter the same words.
She looked into the air and began to mutter.
What was a little strange was that she seemed to be staring at one place.
I might be mistaken, but the place where her gaze stayed was certainly where
I was.
I was momentarily startled and looked behind me, but there was nothing. I
was the one in her eyes.
I didn’t even think that my current condition would be reflected in the eyes of
others, but it seemed that I was visible in Jung Hayan’s dying eyes.
Of course, it may be my illusion, or what Jung Hayan saw might be a

hallucination.
However, for some reason, I could be sure that this Jung Hayan was looking
at me.
It was because her muttering voice was reaching strangely loudly.
‘You came. To save me… you came.’
Slowly. Her body was stretched.
I wanted to run and cut that rope, but of course, I couldn’t influence the black
world.
I tried to open my mouth, but there was no voice.
‘I’m relieved. Relived… Now we can really be together…’
Oddly enough, tears seemed to flow from my eyes.
The same was true in Jung Hayan’s eyes. With her struggling body, she
reached out, and thick tears were dripping.
‘I love…’
And that was the end.
Her immobile appearance made my lips clamp tightly.

Chapter 331
[We’re 1 review off from 100 on NU! I’ve released 7 chapters today to push
the plot to the next arc, thanks guys!]
There was no need to be shaken.
It was the same as when it happened with Park Deokgu. I knew I didn’t need
to be shaken, but the shock was pretty big.
Still, this was the last image of the person I was fond of. There was no way it
wouldn’t be painful.
No, I didn’t even know that I was going to be this shaken.
Of course, it was true that I had gotten affectionate, but there were times
when Jung Hayan made me annoyed, so it wouldn’t be strange to feel such a
difference.
Anyway, my head was burning.
This was the second round. It just wouldn’t happen in my timeline.
I knew it wasn’t appropriate to be too immersed, but it was annoying that I

was being forced to get immersed repeatedly.
The current Jung Hayan was spending her days very happily, so she was
indeed different from the first round. It felt like I was stabilizing my mind
and body when I breathed a little bit.
In the meantime, what was very flustering was that I was really paying for the
sins I made. Fuck.
A joke had, indeed, become a reality.

It was correct to think that I had committed an indescribable amount of sins,
not simply a mistake.
Because of the circumstances, it was no different from driving Jung Hayan to

the end of a cliff and urging her to jump down the cliff.
But now that I thought that I was being punished, I started to get more and
more flustered.
In fact, I was responsible for 80 percent for why Jung Hayan was in this
condition, but it was a small citizen’s way of thinking that if others were
being blamed, I would be the one to blame.
When I clicked my tongue for the rush of bitterness, the scenery surrounding
me changed once again.
The most recent connection with Kasugano felt like I saw quite a lot, but this
time, too.
I didn’t know if it was because I helped, but I could only explain that I was
lucky this.
It seemed that the scenes I was going to see now would be the fastest thing in
time.
What happened shortly was after Park Deokgu died.
The moment I saw myself from the black world very lean and full of spite,
that thought began to shake my mind.
I couldn’t figure out where on earth I was heading or where I was in the black
world.
It looked like an underground waterway, and in a way, it also looked like an

abandoned dungeon.
However, it couldn’t be helped to be unkind when looking at the black world.

One thing was certain. The place I was heading to right now was not a good
place.
No matter how I thought about this, it didn’t make sense to arrive at a land
flowing with honey and milk after passing such a place.
As expected, a voice began to come from one side of the darkness.
‘Long time no see. So… you’re Lee Kiyoung? I’m sorry for the confusion. I
can’t remember people’s names well…’
‘No. It’s fine.’
‘I thought you wouldn’t look for me anymore… No, honestly, I never

thought you would be alive. It’s nice to see you like this.’
‘Something happened. Well… I don’t think you want to know about it.’
‘You are right. It doesn’t matter how you are alive. Why did you come to this
place? A few years ago, you definitely rejected my offer… Oh, come to think
of it, is the big man dead?’
‘… …’
‘I thought he wouldn’t be able to live long, but my prediction…’
‘… …’
‘Honestly, it’s a miracle that the big guy was alive until then…’
‘Shut up.’
‘What?’
‘I said, shut up. If you talk one more time, I will tear your mouth as it is.’
‘I think I didn’t hear right. Are you sure you’re saying this to me?’
‘Of course, I am, dirty bitch. Do you have the right to say that? The bitch
who was playing to be the saint of the abandoned was backstabbed and ended
up in a cheap brothel.’
‘What?’
‘Did I say something wrong? Sun Hee-young?’
‘This crazy bastard…’
And what are you doing here…?
It was Sun Hee-young, the current Blue guild member, who appeared in the
dark.
I roughly anticipated that the end would have been bad, but I never imagined
I would meet her in a place like this.
It seemed that we had been well acquainted.
We didn’t look to be on good terms, but it was nice to see her. She looked
very different from now.
Her face revealed that she had suffered all kinds of things.
Still, there was a bit of madness on her face, unlike now where she was in a
good position.
Since I heard that she was going around a cheap brothel after being
backstabbed, it would be natural for her to look like this, but still, I was
surprised.
One little question was why Kim Hyunsung did not recognize her.
It was probably right to speculate that she was very likely active only in the
shadows, or was not exposed to external affairs.
Perhaps she died relatively quickly, but now that was not important in this
situation.
‘I didn’t say anything wrong.’
‘Do you want to die?’

‘That’s what I want to say. You crazy bitch.’
‘You!!’
I was more bothered about what kind of place this was, than why she was
even in this place.
What the hell was that I had come here before, and I didn’t know what it
meant that I rejected the offer she had made, but it was not that there was
nothing to be expected.
I hoped my prediction to be wrong, but the voice coming from a deeper place
told me that I was right.
‘Stop. I think it would be better to stop there, Hee-young. And… Kiyoung…

it’s been a long time.’
It was Jung Jinho, the psychopath killer.
Another villain in the first round, Kim Hyunsung’s enemy and the owner of
the murder brigade.
Of course, he was very different from what I saw in the second round.
I wanted to see the stats with my Mind’s Eye, but I couldn’t see them.
In fact, I didn’t even have to look. I could tell enough without checking that
he was a powerful man.
He looked the same. He had several swords on his waist, and his equipment
was light armor. It seemed that he still preferred lighter movements.
No matter how I thought about this, it looked like he had grown into a huge
piece of trash. I am proud of myself for the wonderful disposal of this trash
bastard in the second round.
He was not the only one who was here.
Lee Ki-cheol?
It was the guy who became the prey of the burning zombie in the tutorial
dungeon.
Somehow, a criminal with a familiar name was also visible, guys stood out.
Of course, they were all faces I didn’t know now. There were over ten
members at a glance, and everyone looked like a strong player who had
reached a considerable level.
Naturally, they were powerful since they had been doing enough evil that
made the lovely returner frightened.
They were not comparable to the Eight Seats of the State like Cha Hee-ra and
Park Yeon-joo, but they were at least a group of guys who could make a
name for themselves right below them.
The brigade was stronger than I had previously imagined.
Anyway, in response to Jung Jin-ho’s welcome greeting, I, too, in the black

world, nodded, answering the greeting.
The atmosphere was quite harsh, but the black world Lee Kiyoung did not
seem to be scared.
‘Yes. Long time no see.’
‘Groan. This is difficult.’
‘… …’
‘I remember sending you on the condition that you will never find us again…
You should have died the moment you rejected our offer in the first place. It
was my whim and consideration that saved you, but who would’ve thought
you would come back like this. Oh, of course, if you’re here to tell something
nice, I won’t use the rough method. However, depending on the situation,
you may have to die here.’
‘… …’
‘Can I hear the reason you came?’
‘It won’t be something you won’t like.’
‘Yes, yes.’
‘It’s a bit embarrassing, but I came because I wanted to change the answer to
the offer I had received.’
I knew it.
‘I don’t know. It’s nice, but I changed my mind from the time when I was
trying to recruit you. At that time, I needed Kiyoung-ssi, but I don’t think I
need you that much now.’
‘It will be helpful.’
‘I know it will help. I already know that you are excellent. However, if there
is more than one head in a group, it will be a little messy. Oh, I think you
understood what I mean, but the brigade has already recruited a head. It may
be someone who may be better than you in some aspects. Personally, I want
to include you, but the opinions of other members are also important. Of
course, the position of the existing head is the most important, right? The
opinions of the members of the brigade are the top priority. I am friendly to
you, but the most important thing is our family.’
The appearance of the guy looking around in exaggeration was a spectacle.
I could see some of them opening their mouths as if in response to him.
‘Kill him.’
‘Let’s kill him.’
‘I think it would be better to kill him, too.’
‘I agree.’
It was male and female twins who opened their mouths.

The skinny and tall man also nodded. The guy without one leg also spoke
quietly.
I didn’t know who they were, but it would be nice to remember these
bastards’ faces now. All the guys who need to be killed right away were
gathered here.
In particular, I surely remembered the faces of those who voted against it.
What was a little curious was that Sun Hee-young did not vote in favor.
Her own characteristic was probably influencing her, but her personality was
a bit cautious. Although they had a brief quarrel, it was more natural for them
to take a position to wait and see.
‘It seems that opinions will be divided into half and half, but I think we
should hear about the motive before that. What made you feel like joining the
brigade? It’s not unexpected, but I still want to hear it through your mouth.’
‘Revenge.’
‘Who is the target?’
‘All rotten humans on the continent.’
‘Ha… Haha. Puhahahahaha!’
‘It’s not funny.’
‘No. I wasn’t laughing because it’s funny. Hahaha. That’s great. Great. Haha.
That passion is important. What do you think? Everyone. He wants to take
revenge. Kiyoung, do you know that? Not all of those who come here move
for the same reason. Some come in because of impulse, some because of
pleasure, simply because they like money or murder, and others come in
disappointed with humans. Everybody is different, but no one here will think
less of your reason. Probably most of the brigade will agree with you. We
grow up eating that negative energy. I particularly like that there is a clear
direction.’
‘If so…’
‘But it’s impossible for now. If the existing head agrees, I will also vote in
favor. Well… So I think things will be like this. What do you think?’
As psychopath killer Jung Jinho looked back, I could see a woman sitting.
Perhaps she was the head Jung Jinho was talking about. She was wearing a
mask, and interestingly, that was the same design that I would wear
afterward.
I see the woman, who slowly took off the mask, looking straight at me and
opening her mouth.
‘Welcome to the brigade.’
Absurdly, the masked woman was also familiar to me.
Lee Jihye.
It was the woman who the system recognized as my soul mate.

Chapter 332
[We only go 25 something chapters this week. There were so many delays
with the translator during the Holidays. Sorry guys. (Jan 2)]
I was surprised at that moment.
I immediately felt like I was getting sucked in somewhere, and I had to watch
the situation impatiently.
This couldn’t be happening. Thoughts of something like this began to fill my

head, and it was natural to think of this. What I honestly wanted to see was
how things worked afterward.
I was also unable to capture all of the brigade members, and could not see
their future actions.
I was most curious about what the hell Lee Jihye was doing there. I didn’t
think she would have just died in the first round, but I couldn’t even imagine
that she would be active in the brigade.
Of course, in the second round, Lee Jihye didn’t join the brigade, and a
brigade was not even created anyway. It was something I didn’t need to
know, but I couldn’t help but be curious.
It was bothering me as it felt like I got cut off while watching a diorama. If I
thought that the brigade may be secretly working, I got even more bothered.
It was not just empty speculation. Since there was no Jung Jinho, its power
was inevitably weakening. However, the brigade members I actually checked
were those with excellent fighting power and personality to say that they
were incompetent to be unable to act just because they had no head.
Even if the brigade was not created according to the existing speculation,
each of them might be working secretly.
I hated to wake up, but my eyes slowly started to open regardless of my will.
I was looking forward to seeing anything else, but this seemed to end here. A
familiar scenery that was different from the black world came into view.
‘Fuck…’
The place I was lying down on was a bed. I thought I had a good time with
Kasugano again this time, but it didn’t seem like that. Yuno Kasugano was
sitting in a chair and guarding my side.
“Did you get what you want?”
“About half… First, thank you. I guess I know why you said that. I think I
can roughly know what the future you saw is…”
“I’m really, really glad that it helped.”
“How long has it been?”
“It hasn’t been so long. So… do you need time to organize your thoughts?”
She seemed to have noticed my troubled face.
“Should I leave you…?”
“No, you don’t have to leave. Rather, is there a chance to see one more…?”
“I’m sorry. Master. That’s impossible. K-Kill me, please. If you want to
punish me, I’ll accept it willingly…”
“No. It’s okay. I didn’t think it would be possible.”
It seemed impossible to see the future or the black world repeatedly,

regardless of whether it was okay for one’s body.
Yuno Kasugano’s power was an ability that went beyond reason. If I simply
think about it, there is no way I can see it in succession. It’s a pity, but I
couldn’t just keep hanging on to it, so for now…
‘Shall I arrange them in chronological order?’
I thought it would be nice to retrace the story that went unruly. The first
priority was to organize what Lee Kiyoung of the black world did after Park
Deokgu died.
In time, it was like this.
1. Lee Kiyoung of the black world entered the brigade after Park Deokgu
died.
He didn’t seem to have gone in with Yuno Kasugano, and it was the first
place he went to. Naturally, he felt that he needed power at the time he had a
goal. As the brigade was a group that perfectly fit the black world Lee
Kiyoung was trying to do; it made sense that Lee Kiyoung had taken the risk
to join.
I didn’t know why her Lee Jihye was there, but I thought what may have
happened after was obvious.
He would have done trashy things I couldn’t see with my eyes open, and he
would have continued to grow in size and power.
I would have to think about whether he had kept moving with the brigade, but
they would likely have worked together, at least until he was established.
1. What happened after that was Jung Hayan’s death.
Time had passed since number 1. It was unclear whether he worked with the
brigade or Lee Jihye, or whether he was with Yuno Kasugano.
One thing was for certain. I had driven Jung Hayan to the edge of the cliff.
The reason could be easily inferred. At that time, Jung Hayan definitely
belonged to Lindel, and it seemed that she was not active in the Blue Guild,
but the trash in the black world recognized Jung Hayan as an enemy.
I wondered why he didn’t take Jung Hayan, but as a result, the black piece of
trash threw her away, and as a result, she hung her neck.
‘Really… I’ll never say no again. I’ll do everything Oppa asks me to do.
Now it doesn’t matter what happens to others.’
I remembered she said that. I didn’t remember it exactly, but before she took
her own life, she definitely muttered similar kinds of words.
At some point, Lee Kiyoung would probably have urged her to cooperate
with him to do trashy things together, and unlike now, Jung Hayan from the
first round, who was soft, did not seem to accept his proposal.
It was possible that she sold information from an ally or did a frivolous
errand, but she couldn’t turn her back on such a decisive matter.
She, as a result, was abandoned and driven to the edge of the cliff. She hadn’t
been able to choose what the current Jung Hayan would do even without
ordering.
“The environment is very important…’
Assuming that the only decisive difference between Jung Hayan of the first
round and Jung Hayan of the second round was the time when she met me,
the decisive reason for her being strange now was really me.
There was no reason to deny it, but…
‘It’s bitter…’
It was hard to judge whether Jung Hayan and I were well-matched. Anyway,
I started to understand why our lovely returner was so happy that he clapped
his hands, seeing Jung Hayan and me together.
In the first round, to the people of Kim Hyunsung’s camp, Jung Hayan’s
suicide incident would have been reflected like this. The case where some
trash completely ruined an arch wizard that no one could mess with.
Kim Hyunsung, who didn’t think that I and the trash were the same people,
may have thought that a great shield had been created in the affectionate,
close couple in front of him.
No, he must have thought so. Even when it wasn’t allowed to take Jung
Hayan, Kim Hyun-sung tied Jung Hayan and me as 1+1 and sent us to the
expedition. It was even enough to be linked to on the way to the training
camp or the royal castle, so I understood how much he wanted to avoid what
happened in the first round. He didn’t want to kill Jung Hayan.
At that time, I thought that this bastard might have made a strange plan like
Park Deokgu, but now that I knew the truth, I could only nod. Anyway, what
happened next was…
1. Massive war, or terrorism.
As a result, most people, including Cho Hyejin, had died. Many things were
not clear about this. The problem was that I couldn’t see the exact group that
attacked Kim Hyunsung’s camp in the first round.
Of course, I could see myself, but no matter how I were to think about this, it
was hard to say that an individual or the brigade did the scene I had seen at
that time. One city was completely in ruins, and Kim Hyunsung also couldn’t
get up, just like a rag.
Cho Hyejin seemed to know me, and I couldn’t even confirm the appearance
of those who had shot arrows at her.
What I could think of was that I had planned a large-scale war scenario, such
as infighting or war with other countries. However, it was impossible to say
that this also fit perfectly.
Not only did Kim Hyunsung never send out anger against a specific country,
but he seemed to want to minimize conflict and save as much power as
possible.
‘There must be a reason for Kim Hyunsung’s return.’
Of course, it seemed that I was included in the reason, but perhaps something
like humanity’s enemy may pop out.
‘If I think about the system, it’s even more so.’
The answer became a little clearer when I were to think about the behavior of
the transcendental being that returned Kim Hyunsung.
It wanted to save Jung Hayan and attach me to Kim Hyunsung.
Even though I, who was already presumed to be the first round’s mastermind,
was stuck with the returner, I didn’t feel that the problem had been
completely resolved. I couldn’t check it with my own eyes, and yet…
‘There is a reason for returning. Definitely.’
Kim Hyunsung and the system were preparing for an invisible threat. It could
be a devil or an angel. Perhaps a third force would suddenly pop out.
Even now, the answer was not coming out, so I should avoid thinking about it
deeply.
What was more important than that now was why these scenes were visible.
Of course, I think I know why. The future that Yuno Kasugano saw…
‘Must be a scene where Kim Hyunsung threatens me.’
This was a scene that the transcendent being absolutely didn’t want to show
me. If I had known from Yuno about that, I would have taken action no
matter what. I wouldn’t have done anything extreme like turning my back
against Kim Hyunsung, and yet…
‘I don’t know.’
Whatever it was, it was undeniable that I was the villain in the first round.
Knowing that fact was the best achievement of seeing the black world this
time.
I immediately understood why Yuno Kasugano had let Jin Qing go to protect
me.
It was a very simple matter if I were to think about it. She didn’t seem to
understand why she felt that way, but I had no choice but to nod.
Yuno Kasugano’s choice was really the best. As I slowly turned and looked
at Kasugano, her face became lovely to my eyes.
‘Phew… Thank you.’
Even though it was just momentary, the suspicion that sprouted in my heart
began to disappear like snow melting. When I grabbed her face with my
hands, she seemed startled, but I could see her slightly blushing when I kissed
her forehead.
“T-Thank you.”
“No… I’m more grateful. I think your choice was right.”
“I’m sorry. How dare of me.”
“No. Your choice was right. It would have been more difficult if Jin Qing had
been in our hands or died…”
“What exactly are you talking about…?”
Yuno Kasugano didn’t know that Kim Hyunsung was a returner. It’s clear
that she didn’t even know that what he was looking for was the masked man,
and even because she lost what she saw through outside intervention, she
didn’t seem to understand the correlation between what she saw today, and
letting Jin Qing go.
It was natural to open my mouth slowly. I could see Kasugano nodding at

what I said.
“Oh yeah… It’s a bit unfortunate that I missed that demon summoner…”
It was correct to hold a little more solid evidence.

‘That bastard is the culprit. Yes. Absolutely, that bastard is the culprit.’
Demon summoner wasn’t the only title he got.
‘The masked garbage in the first round, Jin Qing…’
After joining the brigade in the first round, he not only made Jung Hayan
commit suicide, but also killed Cho Hyejin and backstabbed the lovely
returner countless times, the one that Kim Hyunsung was looking for and the
masked trash who turned the city in ruins. It was the true identity of the man
who was thought to be just a demon summoner.
‘A masked trash who couldn’t even be recycled!!’
My heart had begun to burn with full intensity.

Chapter 333
Chapter 333: I Have No Shame in my Life (1)
Naturally, I had already completely forgotten what I checked. To deceive

others, one first had to deceive oneself.
In fact, I felt fierce anger at the trashy Jin Qing that I could easily pass
through a lie detector.
‘Dirty demon summoner. Trash bastard. There was a garbage guy here that
couldn’t even be recycled.’
At this point, I could even conjure tears.
When I recalled that Jin Qing, the dirty masked trash, had toyed with Jung
Hayan of the first round, my fists had clenched without my knowledge.
My beloved prospective bride had suffered from some dirty punk in the past.
Not only that, but he killed Cho Hyejin and strongly backstabbed the lovely
regressor.
It would be strange not to feel angry even though this wasn’t the real turn of
events.
Yuno Kasugano was quietly glancing at me a few steps away as if she was
feeling my anger. She didn’t seem to realize what I was thinking yet.
“Thank you for showing me something important, Kasugano.”
“It is natural, master.”
“I’m glad to see the garbage in the black world with my own eyes. We’ve
figured out the filthy trash identity who drove the light camp into a corner.
Right? What would have happened if we didn’t see this today? He must have
been a great threat to us.”
“What?”
“I think that demon summoner Jin Qing was the villain who threatened the
black world. Whoa… I really didn’t expect it. Right?”
“Yes? Ah… Ah yes. You’re right. Yes. You’re right, master.”
“Are you sure you understood?”
“Yes. I got it.”
As soon as I spoke, she nodded frantically. As she was smart, she would
know what I was talking about.
Kasugano, who didn’t even know Kim Hyunsung was a regressor, seemed to
be wondering why I was saying this.
But that was not what mattered. What mattered was who the masked trash
was. I had already decided his identity, and Yuno Kasugano simply went
along with it.
“The master in the black world spent the rest of his happy life with me. I
clearly remember living with you after I rescued my master from an isolated
dungeon. I mean, when the masked Jin Qing joined the brigade.”
“Ohh. Yes. We did, right?”
In the meantime, Yuno Kasugano started adding useless details to the story. It
didn’t matter, however, and it didn’t bother me at all. Honestly speaking, I
even wanted to applaud her for making up such a detailed backstory.
Seeing her muttering to herself whilst smiling, I could tell she was in a good
mood.
First, all the heavy burdens in my heart had been removed.
I hadn’t decided what to do afterwards, but what I needed to do now was

obvious. I had to prove my innocence to the lovely regressor.
This mission’s goal was to indirectly convey the fact that the dirty demon
summoner Jin Qing was indeed the masked trash.
In the meantime, Kasugano carefully opened her mouth to ask a question.
“More importantly, master, can I ask you a little arrogant question?”
“Of course. I think I know what it is, but… you may be wondering why I care
about the black world, right?”
“Yes. Of course, if the master doesn’t want to, you do not have to tell me… I
wonder if I can help…”
“Hmm…”
‘She can surely help, but…’
In fact, I wondered if it would be better to tell her that Kim Hyunsung was a
regressor in order to do things a little more smoothly, but I also thought that I
had to consider this matter a bit more.
‘What do I do?’
Of course, I could be indecisive.
It was not that I didn’t trust her, but because I was naturally wary.
However, considering that the merit when she directly acted was also quite
big, I started to think that there was nothing wrong with revealing it to her
alone.
She herself was a half-regressor, anyway.
If Kim Hyunsung found out that Kasugano can watch the first round, I might
be able to move things forward in a whole new phase.
‘That’s right! Fuck! I should have done that from the beginning!’
I felt so stupid, wondering why I haven’t thought about using her all this
time.
Having Kasugano dispatched unconditionally benefitted me. Upon making

my decision, I opened my mouth to speak.
“Have you ever heard of a regressor?”
Of course, she shook her head.
Yuno Kasugano didn’t even know that the black world had been the first
round.
Besides, I could roughly predict her reaction, but it was still quite different
from hearing the story through others.
As I slowly began to explain, I could see her continuously nodding. Unlike

the weight of the content, it didn’t feel like I was talking about something
big.
I just calmly conveyed the fact that Kim Hyunsung was a regressor and that
the black world that Yuno saw was the first round that Kim Hyunsung went
through, and about the probability that he was looking for the masked trash,
Jin Qing.
Yuno Kasugano continued to nod. Funnily enough, she didn’t seem to be

suspicious of me.
Of course, this was a highly improbable story. And yet, there was not a single
speck of doubt on her face.
The moment I expressed my conviction about the black world that had been
unclear so far, Yuno Kasugano suddenly began to cry.
‘What’s up with her? What’s wrong? It’s not something to cry about. Wasn’t
she expecting something like that?’
“I see. Sniff… so, that’s what it was.”
“Yes.”
“And master knew that the Blue Guild Master is a regressor…”
“Right. The reason I’m with him is not simply because of that… Well,
anyway, what I just told you it’s a secret between us. I believe you got what I
mean.”
“Ah. What about the others…?”
“The others?”
“The wizard or the Mercenary Queen.”
“They don’t know. No one knows about this, including Jung Hayan or Cha
Hee-ra. This is something that only you and I know.”
“Ah! I-I’m so honored. It’s a secret… it’s a secret between us.
“There is nothing to feel honored about. Well, you might think like that. I
believe you probably know what to do from now on. I think I can explain the
details later… But is there any problem?”
“This… no, nothing. But master, maybe…”
“Yes?”
“Do you remember what I told you in the black world?”
“What specifically do you mean…? I heard so many things.”
“I mean the lie I told to keep you.”
“Ohh…”
“I said that I had seen a future where you and I live happily together. I said
that the master would’ve had forgotten everything and live happily with me. I
told you that I found you because you kept appearing in the future I had seen.
With no doubt.”
“You did.”
“At the time, I thought it was a lie to keep you from leaving. As a result, it
was a foolish remark that touched the wrath of the master who had lost Park
Deokgu, but… I was thinking about the possibility that it wasn’t a lie…”
“I’m talking about the possibility that I may have seen the future of the
second round, master.”
“Ah…”
It felt like I got hit in my head with a hammer momentarily.
In fact, I had never thought about the possibility that Kasugano in the first
round would see the future of the second round.
At the time of seeing that future, I thought Kasugano would have lied to stop
me simply, but the speculation she was making right now sounded very
credible.
Kasugano in the second round was also limited, but she could look inside the
first round.
Perhaps Kasugano from the first round could also look into the second round.
For Yuno in the black world, the second round would have been part of the
future as well.
If that was the case…
‘It’s awesome.’
I started to smile.
“Maybe, in the black world, I think that while I was dying, I thought about
the second round. Thinking like that… makes me sad and overwhelmed…
Sniff.”
“I see… and you…”

“I died for my master. It was an end that fits me from the black world, and
she, too…”
“Can you tell me exactly how you died? You said you couldn’t know exactly
before. Have you seen anything in the meantime?”
“That’s…”
It seemed to me that she was having a hard time answering such a trivial
question. Unlike that time, when she was not clearly aware, she now seemed
to know how she had perished.
However, it seemed as if she didn’t want me to know, so I chose to stay quiet.
When Kasugano saw my face and was just about to speak, I just raised my
hand and stopped her from opening her mouth because, in the first place, it
wasn’t very important for me to know how she died.
“Stop. It doesn’t matter now. Anyway, thank you again.”
“No. I just did what I had to do. D-Do you trust me now?”
“Hmm…”
“Oh…”
My hesitation was a joke. However, when I saw her devastated face, I had no
choice but to immediately stroke her hair. Perhaps this was the answer
instead.
Naturally, I saw Kasugano smiling widely. Even I started to feel better.
If what black Kasugano saw was really the future of the second round, it was
almost certain that I would walk in a bed of roses.
‘Although the future can change…’
Basically, the warm news that I would actually have a happy ending made me
want to fly.
No wonder I opened my mouth, glancing at Kasugano.
“I also hope the future you saw is the present future. No, it will definitely
happen. Even if it is a different future, we have to do our best to achieve it.”
“Ah… Master. To think that much!”
It was when I smiled that I felt like I’ve made a big mistake. What she told
me at the time began to come to mind slowly.
‘I saw you and me together in this house. We looked h-happy. We had two
kids, and I haven’t heard their names yet, but they were definitely good kids.’
“Huh?”
As I turned, I saw Yuno Kasugano’s face, who was still crying with her face
blushing.
“Huh?”
“I am not good enough, but I will do my best to serve you.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean that…”
“Please accept my bow once again.”
“No, wait.”
It felt like she was having some kind of weird misunderstanding.
When I swallowed hard, I heard a knock on the door.
For a moment, I thought that it might be Jung Hayan, so I got tense, but it
wasn’t her voice at all.
Chapter 334
Chapter 334: I have no shame in my life (2)
“Can I come in?”
It was Lee Jihye who had come.
As if she expected that someone was inside after hearing me speaking

formally, she looked a little stiff when she came in.
It was natural to have such a face as we had always maintained a businesslike

relationship in front of others. After seeing me immediately, she looked at
Kasugano and seemed to tell me to get rid of her quickly.
“I’m here to talk to you about business, Blue Vice Guild Master.”
As I nodded roughly, I saw Yuno Kasugano getting up. She probably thought
that now was the appropriate time for her to leave. I definitely liked that
about her.
If it were Jung Hayan here, she would have insisted on staying. Even Cha
Hee-ra would do the same. If Cha Hee-ra were here, Lee Jihye herself would
have gone back.
Except for having a slightly strange taste, Yuno Kasugano fell within the
category of extremely normal people, at least.
“Then I’ll be leaving, Blue Vice Guild Master.”
“Yes, Yuno Kasugano. You’ve worked hard.”
After showing a smile at my farewell, Yuno Kasugano left lightheartedly.

Lee Jihye’s face became a little sulky when she saw a big smile on
Kasugano’s face.
“Seems to be in a good mood.”
“Huh?”
“The woman who just left, not you. Yuno Kasugano of the Yozora Guild.
She looked very satisfied, and recently, Jung Hayan seemed to have a similar
face… Is there any fun story going around without me knowing? No, more
importantly, do you remember what I said?”
“What?”
“Can we trust that woman?”
I saw a face looking at me with piercing eyes.
‘Gosh…’
It was no wonder that I, too, looked closely at her face. For some reason, she
had overlapped with herself in the black world.
‘It’s really amazing.’
It was almost impossible to survive in the tutorial dungeon with Lee Jihye’s
specs. No, considering her personality, she must have done her best to
survive at all costs.
‘Who knew she would pop out of the brigade suddenly?’
If I were to think about this carefully, she didn’t meet Jung Jinho in the
tutorial dungeon. This was because it seemed like Jung Jinho, the psychopath
killer, had been trying to recruit me before her.
Perhaps she, too, had established herself and turns.
‘She is said to be my soul mate, right?’
I didn’t know how long she and I worked together in the first round, but it
would have been a very long time. This was because we had been wearing
the same mask, and I, in the black world, would have judged her to be useful.
So was Jung Hayan and Lee Jihye.
Even Sun Hee-young and Yuno Kasugano were also related to me in the first
round. Human fate really was amazing.
‘Was her purpose of joining the brigade, revenge, too?’
There were plenty of possibilities.
Psychopath killer Jung Jinho and his gang were originally a group of crazy
people, but Lee Jihye and I were basically gray humans.
It meant that she might’ve had a reason to reject me, too.
Of course, I didn’t know why, but I thought it would be most likely that.
As I stared at Lee Jihye, I could see a slightly embarrassed expression on her

face, one that was so unlike her.
“W-Why are you staring at me like that? It’s embarrassing.”
“No. It’s nothing. Did you say you had something to talk about business?”
“I just said it. I just came to see you. Well, since I came, I tried to talk about
something else… but why is it so hard to see you? Do you know how hard it
was to get through the visit reservation?”
“But I was about to get up. It’s rather a problem because they keep asking me
to rest around. I have to know what’s going on outside. It’s good that you
came. How are things going lately?”
“Nothing has changed that much. The Republic is still silent. They said they
would investigate, but they’re just pretending to be blind. Oh! The State side
is preparing to mention this matter in the Continental Tribunal formally. Of
course, the Republic will not respond, but they must care about the
international perspective, right? I was surprised to find that Oscar has been so
competent. Anyway, she keeps putting pressure in different directions. She is
distributing data that the Republic violated continental law to neighboring
countries this time… In fact, the reaction has been pretty good so far.”
“That’s good news.”
“In some countries sensitive to black magic, public opinion has already
turned its back… Oh, especially among the different races, the atmosphere is
really good.”
“Different races?”
“Elves hate black magic, too. Well, I don’t know how they are either…”
“Really?”
“Perhaps… Didn’t you hear that the delegation was coming?”
“I don’t think I heard it… Are the elves coming to Laios now?”
“Yes. Perhaps the alliance will start with three sides. The State as the main
body with the elven kingdom, and even Laios, not being a neutral country
anymore. Wow, you were really alienated. You’re not even a kid, but you
don’t know that this is a secret? I guess you really took a good rest at this
opportunity. Ah, I envy you.”
“I don’t feel so good. It’s true that I get anxious when I stay still…”
“This is also a work addiction. Anyway, the background is roughly the same
as I said. I don’t know what kind of guts the Republic has to keep covering
the demon summoners, but they’ll have mixed feelings, too. I heard that Jin
Qing’s personal power also seems to be great. They must be thinking it’s too
big a tumor to cut out, well. In fact, I’m sure he’s playing a part in his
continuous plea of innocence. The truth doesn’t matter. He’s already known
as a demon summoner…”
“Right?”
“What an evil face. How did he get caught up in this kind of thing…? I guess
he sold his country in the past life. Anyway, this is all you need to know. Oh!
About the elven delegation that I told you about… This isn’t clear to me
either, but it looks like there’s quite a tycoon among the elven delegation
visiting Laios.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Actually, I don’t know who it is. They’re so closed that I couldn’t
find any information… Perhaps when the delegation arrives in Laios, they
may first find you. Even if they’re not involved in the negotiations currently
taking place, it doesn’t change that all of this is thanks to the heroes of the
light who protected Laios. But how does it feel? To become a hero?”
“Do I have to say that? Look outside, Nuna. Having our own statue says it
all, well.”
“You’re never humble. I like your trashy side.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment.”
“Of course, it’s a compliment.”
Lee Jihye approached quietly and sat down next to me.
She was smiling, but whatever the reason, she must be happy that I was
achieving something.
When I were to think about what Lee Jihye had said when she first reached
out to me, the answer comes out quickly.
‘I’m a woman who can turn a man like you into a king.’
I remembered that she had told me the story of the U.S. president.
Actually, I couldn’t even say that I managed to come up here without her
help. Of course, most of it was thanks to me, but I knew how hard she
worked in the areas I couldn’t overlook.
Actually, it felt like she was my invisible hands and feet.

“Come to think of it, before…”
“Ah. I guess you remembered it. I didn’t bring it up first because I thought it
would be bothersome. So, what percentage is my share?”
“Well…”
“Don’t do that. Actually, it doesn’t matter what you think, but I’ve had
already told you before. It doesn’t matter what you do with the mad wizard or
the Mercenary Queen. A woman like me will be the one who is loved in the
end, anyway. Do you remember that?”
“I do.”
“So… Do I look attractive now?”
“Of course.”
It wasn’t a lie or just a line. Actually, Lee Jihye was attractive enough.
As she noticed that I wasn’t lying about it, I saw her smiling. She looked
satisfied.
In fact, when she mentioned Kasugano and Jung Hayan earlier, it seemed that
she had a slightly anxious expression, but when she looked at my face, it
seemed that her remaining anxiety had surely flown away.
“What are you going to do now, anyway?”
“Is there anything we can do? We’ll just do like we are doing now. You’re
doing well enough. I should get up and get active here, too. I know you’ve
told me, but it’s different from when we actually see in the field. I have no
idea how’s the atmosphere because I’ve been lying down. It seems to be
flowing to our advantage, but no matter how I think about it, I don’t know
what guts the Republic has to be holding up like this… The atmosphere…”
“It was a little weird in the first place. It felt like they were preparing
something, and in fact, there were still small disputes in Dawan. Maybe it’s
not us who want to get the benefits, but them, but who knows? You’ll never
know until you open the gift box.”
“Right. There’s definitely…”
‘There’s something that’s not right.’
Although my personal problems were important, I certainly needed to sort

out the external issues, as well.
Anyway, the urgent thing to focus on was Kim Hyunsung.
As soon as I started to speak, I saw Lee Jihye opening her mouth right away.
“Do you know what Hyunsung is doing now?”
“Ah. Maybe he will be on the scene?”
“Scene?”
“Where the devil was summoned. Recently, he’s been only wandering around
the scene with Deokgu. Honestly, I don’t know if there’s anything to be
found there, but his face is a little scary recently. Still, I thought his face was
a little loosen up, but… what should I say? Oh, when he was expressionless
in the tutorial dungeon for a while. It looks just like then.”
“Ah…”
“Perhaps even now…”
‘This is not good…’
In fact, just having Kim Hyunsung in that place was already not good.
Even more, I couldn’t express how I felt now that I had seen the first round
through Yuno Kasugano. The candles were burning for real from both sides.
He didn’t seem to be suspicious of me yet, but when I thought that an arrow

might fly to me, anxiety started to rise.
“What? You look like…”
“Send someone over there and tell them that I got worse.”
“What?”
“Something like I’m not feeling well. You know.”
“No, why suddenly…”
“Quickly.”
“Okay, for now. I just have to tell them exactly what you’re saying, right?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Then I’ll be back.”
‘Let’s go with this first.’
First, it was natural to prevent our regressor from snooping around the scene
as much as possible.
When Lee Jihye quickly went outside and called for someone, the outside
became bustling in no time.
Of course, my physical condition was too normal to be pretending anything,

but there was no other way.
There were not enough supplies to put out an urgent fire right away.
First of all, I had to hold Kim Hyunsung on my side as a pretext for being
sick.
‘The problem is if this will work…’
Of course, I knew that Kim Hyunsung cared for me, but…
Kim Hyunsung was an outside man who had a very important task laid out in
front of him.
It was clear that he would not completely abandon the work just because I
had suddenly gotten sick. He might think it was more important to track the
trash from the first round than me being sick right now.
“Kiyoung-ssi!”
‘Huh?’
“Do you feel better?”
“This bastard, why did you come so quickly?’
What I could see is Kim Hyunsung, whose whole face was pale and sweaty.
‘Phew!’
There was a saying: “If one could get even one true friend in his life, it would
be considered a successful life.”
It was the moment I realized that I had been living without any shame.
‘I believed in you, Hyunsung!!!’

Chapter 335
Chapter 335: Aftereffect (1)
‘It hasn’t even been 10 minutes!’
The place that was now in ruins was, by no means close to here.
As soon as Lee Jihye talked to him, it would be correct to think that he came
running in a rush, literally.
It seemed that he, who already had a high level of agility, came running
quickly using magic power. If not, there was no way he could get here so
fast.
Seeing Kim Hyunsung taking a slow breath, I had to think that he may have
gone too far.
‘Can he get this fast?’
I had already felt how fast humans with high agility could be, even with the
demon worshipper Ito Souta, but I didn’t think it would be that much.
Anyway, it was natural that part of Kim Hyunsung was happy.
I thought there could be some action, but it was a bigger result than I had
initially imagined.
‘I’ve no shame at all!’
He even arrived faster than those inside the castle. I felt sorry for thinking
something weird just before, but I was busy convincing myself that I didn’t
do that.
I may look like trash, but at least now I could face Kim Hyunsung with
confidence.
“You still… haven’t fully recovered.”
“Cough. It’s not. Haha, there’s nothing wrong with me anymore. I just had a
brief seizure… Even though I told her not to tell… it looks like I’m
disturbing you. I’m sorry.”
Of course, it was natural to convey that I didn’t want him to know.
I coughed and looked at him with moist eyes that were seemingly about to
die. It wouldn’t be bad if I were to lie around this point.
“I am healthy. First, you have to finish what you are doing.”
“No. It is not urgent.”
‘Not urgent, my ass. There is nothing more urgent than that right now.’
There was one. It was that a close friend had been lying on the sickbed.
‘Hyunsung, I didn’t know you would think of me this much.’
Compared to the time in the tutorial dungeon, there were changes in several
ways in both Jung Hayan and me. It seemed like there was no change in Park
Deokgu, but the truth was that he had changed at least a little as well.
However, if I had to pick the person who has changed the most among them,
it would be natural to say that it was Kim Hyunsung.
As Lee Jihye said, the expression of the person who rarely showed his
feelings had become rich.
Looking at his desperate expression now almost made me want to laugh. This
bastard was, by nature, a kind of affectionate human being.
I had also realized that I was a colleague who joined the ‘Kim Hyunsung
family,’ but it was the first time I had been so sure.
When he just started the second round, he should have been moving with a
great sense of duty, but one’s nature didn’t change so easily. This bastard was
basically a good man.
‘It must have something to do with the first round.’
The loss of not only Cho Hyejin but also many colleagues was likely to have
caused trauma to him.
As if my predictions weren’t wrong, he urgently started grabbing my hand.
“Wait.”
“Cough. I’m really okay, Hyunsung. It’s just a seizure. I know my body best.
Yes. I’m really okay now.”
With good timing, the medical staff and Lee Jihye rushed in.
Even though it was a group of priests, the atmosphere in the hospital room
quickly became busy. Kim Hyunsung’s expression also began to get serious.
I could feel the magic power coming into my body.
Perhaps he wasn’t able to find the cause of the seizure either. Of course, he
couldn’t. There was no such thing as a seizure in the first place.
“Er, Guild Master. Wait…”
“Yes.”
“We’ll see how his condition is. For now, you could leave us alone…?”
“Yes. Okay.”
“Lee Jihye, please tell us exactly… how’s his condition.”
“I don’t know exactly either. Suddenly, he grabbed his chest…”
It was apparent that she was thinking about how to explain to the high priest,
so I opened my mouth first.
“It was just a short seizu…”

“Yes. He grabbed his chest and had a seizure. I don’t know why, but I was so
surprised and flustered, too… and he was in too much pain. Is there anything
wrong with the Blue Vice Guild Master?”
“I think we should check it. There seems to be no problem just looking at

him… there is a high probability that you’re experiencing aftereffects.”
“A-Aftereffects?”
“Yes. This is not something common.”
‘This is another new setup.’
From there, I paused for a moment.
However, looking at Kim Hyunsung’s face full of worries, I felt that the
aftereffects’ setup was not bad. It was part of an operation to throw a load at
Kim Hyunsung, to begin with, so it was only correct to applaud it rather than
panic.
‘This bastard won’t suspect a sick person.’
The more safety devices, the better.
“Seeing that the magic power circuit was not broken, we thought you would
be okay now, but… maybe we were thinking wrong…”
“What exactly happened to him?”
The lovely regressor also spoke urgently to the hesitating medical staff,
including a high-ranking priest.
Actually, I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but for now, since they
were putting on a show for me, it was better to keep my mouth shut.
“This is a very rare case, so how do I explain it… I think it would be better to
go outside. Since the patient is also here.”
“No. You can tell me.”

“Kiyoung-ssi.”
“It’s okay, Hyunsung-ssi. I need to know what’s going on with my body.”
His mouth was shut tight, and he looked sorrowed. The priesthood, watching
out for us for a moment, began to open its mouth as if determined slowly.
As a medical staff representing the State, they were making a quite plausible
reasoning. It even looked quite sharp.
“Did you know that your magic power has become divine?”
“Yes. I don’t know how this did happen, but… Is that a problem?”
“I don’t know in detail, either. It is the first time that magic power and divine
powers are shared in the first place… It’s probably a rare case that won’t
come out even if you search the entire continent.”
“Yes.”
“Of course, I am not saying that it is bad to have a divine nature. Of course,
the fact that the Honorary Cardinal’s body recovered quickly can be affirmed
that the divine power has had a profound influence.”
“Okay.”
“But assuming… assuming that originally, Honorary Cardinal’s body and the
magic circuit had to be completely destroyed…”
“Yes?”
“The reason why the body should have been completely destroyed is that it’s
still in normal condition… if it’s due to the divine nature of the magic
power…”
“Ah…”
“It is very likely that you might have side effects that we are not aware of.
Like the seizure just now, it’s likely you’ll get the aftereffects when using
magic power, or doing certain behaviors.”
Of course, there were no such aftereffects. I currently felt so lively that I

could get up and dance.
However, listening to them, I started to think that it might be that, too. It was
due to the divine nature of magic power that I was able to maintain living in
this completely broken body!
Indeed, I was quite lucky to have a background story this dramatic.
Lee Jihye made an absurd expression for a moment, but she suddenly began
to cry. Her acting skill was superb.
‘She’s not a joke.’
The situation was no different for Kim Hyunsung. He currently looked as if

the sky had collapsed.
Considering how important magical power was to those who lived on this
continent, it would not be unreasonable to have such a face.
On the continent, there was a joke that it was better to have no arms than to
have no magic power, so the situation in which I was now was like the main
character of the tragedy.
“No way…”
“Of course, it is not enough to be able to give a definite answer yet. First,
there seems to be no problem with the Honorary Cardinal managing the
magic power right away… and the circuit itself is fine. Of course, I don’t
know what will happen if he continues to use magical power… it would be
better to refrain from using it as much as possible. You should avoid
engaging in fierce battles like this or before.”
The bitter look on my face would make this atmosphere even better.
Kim Hyunsung had a very troubled face. He didn’t shed tears, but it seemed
that his trembling arms were a sufficient explanation for his feelings.
In a way, this was like a death sentence for an adventurer.
He faced a crisis, one wherein he would have to leave me behind on this long
journey. As I glanced at Lee Jihye, she noticed what I was trying to say. She
started to nod.
I saw her taking the medical staff, which had done its part, and leaving the
room.
Of course, I started preparing the field in order to complete the original

mission.
At this timing, I decided that it would not be bad to take this to the next level.
“Ha… haha. It’s a relief. Because it means there’s nothing wrong with my
body. Even if it’s an aftereffect, it won’t be a big deal. My body was weak in
the first place, and in fact, I wasn’t very gifted with magic. Alchemy doesn’t
use a lot of magic, so I won’t have any problems living as I did before. Of
course, it may affect the use of magic…”
“…”
“Hahaha. I can be as active as before. Thanks to Hyunsung’s great

consideration, I could avoid difficult things… my body is just a bit tired. It
should be fine to use alchemy magic as before. Yes. This doesn’t mean that I
can’t use magic at all.”
Although smiling, my current expression was the face of a person who was
feeling quite lost.
Thanks to all the pranks, my acting skills had genuinely improved.
I could see Kim Hyunsung looking at me with a sad face. Only heartbroken
people could make this kind of expression.
His red eyes seemed to be holding to their tears.

‘No, if you do that, I’ll feel too trash.’
“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”
‘Hyunsung, if you do this, I will feel very sorry.’
“Hahaha. You don’t have to be sorry. They said it was just a speculation, and
my body should be able to recover quickly. Please raise your head,
Hyunsung-ssi. It doesn’t suit a Blue Guild Master. You should always look
confident to other guild members.”
“…”
“Naturally, please keep what happened today as a secret. Especially Deokgu

or Hayan, I don’t want them to know. They will definitely suffer from guilt.
Oh, the same is true for Sora.”
“It is not your fault.”
Perhaps he felt guilty for not being with me. However, I was also thinking
that this bastard was feeling guilty for nothing special.
‘That’s why you got backstabbed that much in the first round, bastard.’
Looking at him with his head down poked my conscience. Naturally, I

thought it would be okay to say something.
This was because I didn’t think it was in my interest to see him shaking
because of my pretense. Rather, this was an opportunity to make him
stronger.
Those main character-like people grew at the expense of their peers’

sacrifices.
The situation had become strange, but this was the best position all in itself.
“Look up, bastard.”
Although he looked startled for a moment, he didn’t bother to point out my

tone.
“It just got a little annoying, but nothing changes. It means that there is no
problem with being active as before. Of course, there are several limitations,
but it’s not something for you to have your head down. I would have died if it
weren’t for you in the tutorial dungeon in the first place. I’m the one who has
to be thankful.”
Although it may be cringy, these lines work well.
“…”
“I know the burden you are carrying. Actually, I don’t know exactly, but I
feel like that for some reason. Of course, I believe the burden you have is for
us, and I am not falling behind or anything. I’ll just walk a little slower,
so…”
“…”
“Stretch your shoulders.”
I finished by patting him on the shoulder. I could see him looking at me.
“Then, Guild Master. Let’s get some air for a moment. I have something to
tell you.”
I prepared the ground. I hadn’t yet decided what to talk about first, but I still
had a lot to share.
‘First…’
It would be right to start with Jin Qing’s flirting at Jung Hayan.
‘I have to protect my precious bride-to-be!’

Chapter 336
It had been a while since I came outside. I had been lying down so much that
I wasn’t used to walking anymore, but I felt good.
I was just walking around the Laios’s royal castle, but I felt like I was
definitely abroad. Unlike the State, where colorful flowers were lined with
other colorful flowers, Laios’ garden was green with an unorganized feeling.
I liked the light coming through the thick trees and trunks, and the overall
atmosphere was not bad.
Kim Hyunsung seemed to be supporting me, and even at my request for him
not to, he refused to listen. He looked a little relieved because of the first aid,
but his guilt didn’t seem to disappear.
‘I don’t even know why the hell he is feeling guilty…’
However, I could expect this a little. Until now, Kim Hyunsung had only
been focusing on his personal work than on actual guild work.
In fact, there were more times when he didn’t stay, than when he actually
stayed in the guild.
He was trying to fix the wrong things from the first round, but in the present,
when the future had changed a lot, it was a very meaningless act.
He had been so lost in the specter of the first round that he was missing out
on something really important. It was a mistake for him not to know that the
masked trash Jin Qing was making a new start in the Republic.
In such a situation, since I had received a big aftereffect, being busy, he

might feel the responsibility of not taking care of the guild members properly.
In my case, it was fortunate that he wasn’t sticking to me, but I didn’t want to
bother to stop him from thinking like that.
Right now, I felt like he was taking care of me greatly. I would never fall, but
he seemed to be thinking about my leg getting rubbery and falling.
‘There is no need to do this.’
I didn’t know why, but I could feel the eyes of those who were wandering
around us. It was starting to stand out, and I could see the maids glancing at
this side.
I wondered if it would be nice to go to another place, but perhaps our voices

won’t reach them.
“What did you want to say…?”
“It’s something a little important.”
It was natural to think about a better way to tell him. It might be questionable
if I were to talk too openly about the identity of Jin Qing.
Of course, Kim Hyunsung didn’t seem to be suspicious of me right now, but

there was still nothing wrong with being careful.
At last, he started to speak. It looked like he was not slow. He seemed to be

expecting what I was trying to say.
“About what happened in Laios…”
“Yes. You’re right. I think it would be good to know the exact progress…”
“I know a little about it, Kiyoung-ssi. I don’t want to burden you right away.
I’ll take care of everything this time…”
“No. No. It’s fine. You don’t have to worry that much. It’s a little frustrating
just to keep lying down, and this is important to me as well… Yes. It’s really
important. It’s probably something that Deokgu doesn’t know. And… I have
something I would like to ask for a while.”
‘Should I do it now?’
Since I couldn’t tell what he’s thinking, I felt frustrated in many ways.
I began to wonder if he was really suspicious of Jin Qing as the masked man.
There was a high probability that he was thinking that way, but if Kim
Hyunsung saw Jin Qing with the masked man in the first round, things might
get a bit twisted.
‘What if…’
What if Jin Qing and Kim Hyunsung were close friends in the first round?
Or what if Jin Qing was also building a hostile relationship with the masked
trash?
What if Jin Qing was also one of the people who were murdered by the
masked man?
As in the example above, if there was a certain situation that was certain that
Jin Qing was not the masked man in the future of the first round that I didn’t
know, Kim Hyunsung might be excluding the demon summoner as masked
trash, Jin Qing, from the suspect ship.
He may be starting an investigation on the premise that a third force was

maneuvering to condemn him.
If Kim Hyunsung was really investigating, considering this case to be the act
of a third force and, my rash remarks may rather raise doubt.
I had to slowly, yet carefully, make him suspect that Jin Qing was the masked
trash, to the point that he felt that everything he had seen in the first round
was a lie.
The key to the beginning was Jung Hayan.
I felt like it was a little early, but for now, speaking out would be the correct
thing to do. There was no need to worry any further.
As soon as I started explaining, I saw Kim Hyunsung nodding frantically.
“It’s something related to Jung Hayan.”
What I wanted to say was very simple.
‘That Jin Qing bastard kept flirting with our Jung Hayan.’
Of course, I couldn’t say it simply like that. It was because there must be a
form. If I were to exaggerate this a little, then I might be able to produce a
plausible result.
I shouldn’t give him the answer.
Kim Hyunsung must realize by himself that Jin Qing was trash.
“What about Hayan-ssi?”
He looked puzzled. However, Kim Hyunsung slowly fixed his expression as

he read my serious face.
“Of course, it would be nice if it was my misunderstanding and unfounded,

but I feel something is not right.”
“Okay.”
“In fact, when I first encountered the foreigners of the Republic…”
When I tried to open my mouth to explain everything, case by case, a loud

voice started to come from somewhere.
“Hey! Hyung-nim! Hyung-ssi! What are you doing there?!”
‘Ah… Shit. Park Deokgu!’
As I turned in the opposite direction, he opened his mouth with a louder

voice.
“Hyung-nim!! I am here!”
It was quite the spectacle to see him running over here.
The atmosphere became uncertain because he invaded just when I was about
to start a serious conversation.
Although I beckoned for him to leave quietly, he accepted it as an expression

to come this way.
“Hyung-nim. Can you move already? Are you alright? Didn’t you say you
were in pain earlier? When I saw Hyunsung suddenly running toward the
royal castle, I thought something happened… I was really worried, you
know? It seems like you’re okay seeing you move like this. Well, I’m a little
relieved now.”
I couldn’t resent him. I didn’t know if he was really worried, but it was
apparent that he was indeed looking for me diligently.
He pretended to be okay, but seeing him with his eyes getting red, I felt sorry
for some reason.
However, that was a separate issue. First, as there was something important
to talk about, I had to make him leave.
“There seems to be some misunderstanding. My body is fine, Deokgu.

Nothing has changed. Anyway, we can talk later, first, tell Hayan…”
“Ah! Was Hyung-nim about her? No need to worry. I asked Jeong-yeon to

take care of Hayan. You can be relieved. Probably not a single ant will be
able to invade her room.”
‘What bullshit is this pig talking about…?’
“I was the only one who knows since Hyung-nim and Hyung-ssi might be
worried. Oh… As expected, you can’t be fooled, as expected from Hyung-
nim!”
“What do you mean, Deokgu-ssi?”

I also couldn’t understand what the hell he was talking about. Following the
previous moment, Kim Hyunsung also looked very confused.
It would be nice to realize that he made a mistake by looking at Hyunsung’s

face and my distorted face, but he began to open his mouth with a loud voice.
I grabbed my head for a moment, but Deokgu’s next words really worked in
my favor.
“That Jin Qing Demon Summoner trash guy! He is aiming for Hayan!”
‘Deokgu! Fuck. I love you!’
“Of course, I’m not sure. But seeing that Hyung-nim thinks the same way as
me, I think I can reveal it now!”
‘This pig bastard…’
“I’m sure!”
‘Why are you so helpful…?’
He may not be stupid. I always thought about it, but today I started thinking
more and more like that.
Unlike ten seconds ago, when I wanted to tell him to leave immediately, it
was natural that I felt like Park Deokgu could join our chat at any time.
“That filthy demon summoner trash even… flirted while handing her a note!
At that time, I thought that because she is so attractive and kind, it would be
an insect twisting, but… no matter how I think about this, it’s too suspicious.
Then I came to the right conclusion today. Yes, absolutely!”
‘Yeah, that’s it, bastard.’
“I don’t know much about magic power, but for some reason, it seemed to
contain suspicious magic power! Actually, she seemed a little weird at that
time, but I didn’t mention it because Hyung-nim didn’t seem to want to talk. I
was doing some kind of volunteer work, but Hyung-nim asked me to follow
him, so I just followed. Who would have known that the demon summoner
was standing there?”
“I see.”
“This is just my guess. Hyung-ssi, maybe we should think about the

possibility that the demon summoner intentionally attracted Hayan! It’s weird
that he even flirted with her, giving a note even though he was there that day!
Most of all, it was the most suspicious that the devil’s seal was not
completely released. Yes, absolutely! Perhaps… I even thought that those
rotten guys were trying to sacrifice Hayan!”
‘That’s another new interpretation…’
At this point, he was capable of telling a story interesting enough to become a

writer.
It was so ridiculous that it made me laugh, but if there was something that
could support this evidence, then I would have the power to make it come
true.
“Even I know that Hayan was blessed with magic power, but wouldn’t they
know about that? Probably, they couldn’t have summoned the demon
completely by their own power. Inevitably, they had no choice but to find her
… Everything was a setup from the beginning.”
“It may be possible.”
“I don’t know the details, but maybe they’re still looking for a chance!”
Park Deokgu looked at me as if he was asking what I thought of his

deduction. It was different from the scenario I had originally written, but this
was also convincing in its own little way.
Kim Hyunsung, who said that there was a possibility, stiffened, but he
seemed to have not yet believed what Deokgu had said.
He seemed doubtful of this explanation – it was up to me to make his resolve

weaken.
“What Kiyoung-ssi was trying to say…”
“Yes. Although different, they are similar. Of course, it would be nice if I

were mistaken, but this is not impossible. It was late, but I was also feeling
some strange signs. At the time of the museum expedition, there was a
moment when Max said that she was a human blessed with magic power,
remember?”
“Yes.”
“As far as I can see, Jung Hayan’s body is a crystal of pure magic. I don’t
know much about black magic, but it would be hard to find a better quality
material than her if she is used as a sacrifice. Maybe they have a different
purpose, too. Most of all, strange things keep getting caught in my eyes. To
be precise, it was bothering me.”
It wouldn’t be bad to hesitate here once. It was time to bring up something

important.
“Before the Republic left Laos, I had seen some people hovering around Jung
Hayan. Of course, I could be mistaken, but…”
“…”
The faces seen in the first episode should appear at this point with strength.
These were the trashy people that voted against for me to enter the brigade.
Perhaps it was petty of me to exact revenge this time around, but I couldn’t
help it. Though I didn’t know who they were, I knew Hyunsung probably did.
“A man and woman twins who looked like archers, a young man without one
leg, and a tall skinny man.”
Now the displeasure on Kim Hyunsung’s face was highly evident.
“…brigade.”
Everything had fallen into place.
Chapter 337
This was just the beginning, but it was no wonder that I felt partly relaxed,
almost as if I had taken some medicine. It had been quite a long time since I
felt this comfortable.
I had succeeded in indirectly preventing the masked trash from threatening

the camp of light.
I had to admit that I felt a bit guilty, but I couldn’t wait to see the forces of
darkness run wild.
As there wasn’t much I could do right now, I thought giving heavy

homework to the lovely returner was the most beautiful way to do it, and it
had worked perfectly.
This was because, after the conversation about the brigade and Jin Qing trash
was over, I was feeling that he had been moving a little more actively. It was
obvious what Kim Hyunsung, who had a lot in his mind, picked as his top
priority.
‘I think it would be better to attach Cho Hyejin to Jung Hayan.’
Naturally, it was a protective measure for Jung Hayan. If the masked trash Jin
Qing had a negative effect on Jung Hayan like in the first round, it was not
enough to say that it was a reasonable judgment.
The brigade may be watching for opportunities anytime, anywhere. In that

sense, it would be the best option to attach Cho Hyejin to Jung Hayan.
First, Hyunsung was also working on internal affairs while remaining in

Laios.
Jung Hayan and I were also recovering from this place right now, so I
wondered if the reason he didn’t go around was just to take care of us.
However, I knew that that wouldn’t be the only reason for this.
‘Maybe he’s thinking hard…’
He had a feeling that the masked piece of shit was really Jin Qing.
Naturally, he would want to take some action, but Kim Hyunsung was also
not all-around. He couldn’t do everything just because he wanted to.
Currently, the masked Jin Qing was under the protection of the Republic, and
the dirty brigade was holding his breath somewhere out of my gaze. After
invading the Republic’s main headquarters, there was no way to assassinate
masked trash Jin Qing or capture brigade members when we didn’t even
know where they were.
No matter how strong Kim Hyunsung was, there were limits to what an
individual could do.
Of course, his advantage was that his range was very wide, but doing a
Republic’s solo play was quite close to suicide.
As the situation was like this, Kim Hyunsung was also nervous. What was a
little surprising was that he was showing a surprisingly calm appearance.
I didn’t know whether he had grown in his own way, or remembered being
backstabbed by the masked trash Jin Qing in the first round, but he was
showing a satisfactory move.
‘Very good.’
It was hard to say that this was a dramatic sudden development or reversal,
but what the lovely returner had chosen was to focus a little more on this
situation that currently surrounded Laios. Not only did he take the initiative
to form the Three Kingdoms alliance, but he also focused his efforts on the
unity of the foreigners in the State.
Those who ran medium-sized guilds flew in and out of the Laios several
times a day, and he held the Eight Seats of the State conference directly while
moving to rally the foreigners staying in the confederation.
Our Hyunsung had indeed changed!
He thought that it was right to slowly take care of the immediate tasks rather
than find results by running around busily.
‘My tears want to come out of your growth…’
In the past, he probably might have left for the Republic on his own, and only
after the situation came to an end would he come back to help.
I didn’t know if someone who was not good with words like him could rally
many forces, but the attempt itself was beautiful enough. Of course, the
important thing was its purpose and justification, and yet…
‘That’s too obvious.’
It was a move to perhaps prepare for an enemy, or put some pressure on the
Republic side.
I thought it wasn’t too bad if war broke out, but Kim Hyunsung seemed to
want to separate Jin Qing and the Republic. Of course, there was a high
possibility that this would not flow the way Kim Hyunsung wanted it to.
If there was a move from the State’s trilateral alliance, there might be a move
from the Republic side as well. It was even more so if the Republic side did
not intend to abandon Jin Qing.
If the current Republic was completely contaminated with black magic and
brigade, it might be thinking of backstabbing.
Since I was not currently in the field, I couldn’t figure out exactly how things
were going, but I could feel the atmosphere as strange as Lee Jihye had said.
Of course, I wasn’t the only one who had felt the strange atmosphere. It was
slightly different, but Park Deokgu, who played a big role, was also showing
quite an anxiety.
Whether it was stimulated by Kim Hyunsung’s talk about the brigade, he
always took a longer training time. As Guild Master and Park Deokgu, who
could be said to be the guild’s main axis, showed themselves off in this
manner, it was natural that the minds of the guild members staying in Laios
also changed.
As a result, the heroes of light, except for Park Deokgu, were the only ones
comfortable in the guild.
Jung Hayan was having a great time day by day, and Han Sora finally got a
separate room, so she couldn’t help but cheer.
It was no wonder that in a moment of peace, I did the things I had to do, too.
Spending time with Tol To-ri, Max and Dialugia was the most important
thing among them. It wasn’t that long, but Tol To-ri and Dialugia seemed
satisfied in their own way, and Max was the same.
Not only taking care of the family, but also taking care of myself was very
obvious. I even went into research to get a closer look at the class ‘Alchemist
of the Light’, but there had been no great achievement.
This was not unreasonable because the research base was all in Lindel. I
hadn’t been off that long of a period, but I was definitely having ants in my
pants.
After spending enough secluded time to satisfy Kim Hyunsung, Oscar,

Pristina, and the other guild members, I expressed my opinion that I was okay
now and received a confirmation from the medical staff that it wouldn’t be
bad to return.
There was no doubt that it was not bad for the timing to return when the
three-nation alliance of the elves, Laios, and the State had been formed.
[Eberia’s Princess of the Elven Kingdom, Elena, visits Laios.]
[The news that Princess Elena of Eberia, the elven kingdom of the veil, is
visiting Laios, is drawing great attention. It was already well-known news
that the Eberian delegation would come to Laios, but it is speculated that
Princess Elena’s presence in the delegation may be an unconventional
personnel reshuffle.]
[Eberia, which has long refrained from exchanges with other countries due to
the issue of elven slavery or discrimination against different races, has been
able to show such a radical move, and it is not difficult for everyone to guess
why. According to Princess Elena’s aide, it is said that she received a lot of
inspiration from the heroes of the light, including Honorary Cardinal Lee
Kiyoung of the Holy State, who overcame the case of the Laios demon
summoning. Since other aspects were not yet clearly clarified, she dismissed
the controversy with the remarks, but the Kingdom of Eberia also expressed
great regret and anger for this demon summoning case. Currently, the
Kingdom of Eberia is escorted by the State and the Laios’ allied forces, and is
scheduled to stay in Laios from the 25th to the 31st. -Reporter Kim Seong-
gyeong of the Lindel Daily]
‘It’s very good.’
Perhaps this was the important guest Lee Jihye had been talking about.
When I looked down, I could see the stacked articles, but I did not want to
read them. Of course, I was familiar with the content of the articles. This was
because, unlike what I just read, all other articles had gone through Lee
Jihye’s hand.
[Demon summoner Jin Qing, who the hell is he? -Reporter Park Seong-
gyeong of the Lindel Daily]
[The full story of the Laios Demon Summon Case. -Reporter Merlia, the
State Newspaper.]
[Why is the Republic defending Jin Qing? About the long history of black
magic and the Republic. -Reporter Cheon Wi, Dawan Daily]
[Who are the heroes of light, who became heroes of Laios, and the Honorary
Cardinal Lee Kiyoung? Including a special interview with Pope Basel. -Papal
Magazine.]
‘Whoa… I want to read this.’
Of course, things that I hadn’t seen before stood out to me. When I picked up
the article roughly, I could see the pleasant content.
Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung was a model for all religious people and a
treasure given by the Goddess Benigore for the continent.
I already knew that Pope Basel cherished me, but it was heartwarming to
directly hear such a warm message.
‘That’s it. Yes. Absolutely.’
It was a biased article that made you feel what it contained just by looking at
the title. Of course, my happiness surged just by reading this.
It was not unreasonable to say that the Elf princess or something wanted to
see me. As I smiled, a voice came from outside.
“Oppa!”
“Ah, Hayan.”
It was Jung Hayan that opened the door and appeared. Immediately behind
her was Cho Hyejin, who closely marked Jung Hayan.
I felt guilty that I couldn’t save her from the trash Jin Qing’s hand in the first
round, but I nodded and opened my arms.
“Hehehe.”
“Er, er, er… I think I’m better than before, but it still hurts… The lower
abdomen is aching and aching. Like someone kicking… My heart hurts, too.”
“Really? Shall we take some time after work today?”
“R-Really?”
“Yes. We don’t have a long schedule anyway. Come on, come here.”
As I spoke again, she rushed to hug me.
I thought it wasn’t good to be accepting such foolishness, but for some

reason, I remembered her face at that time, and I wanted to hug her at least
once every time we met.
‘Dirty masked trash Jin Qing.’
It was a little embarrassing to feel her digging into my arms, but this much
attention was safe.
As I patted on Jung Hayan’s back and looked ahead, I saw Cho Hyejin’s face.
She was coming to talk to me.
In fact, I already knew what she wanted to say. It was something I had heard
hundreds of times.
“Are you sure you’re really okay? Vice Guild Master?”
“How many times are you talking about it already? I’m fine, Hyejin. No, and
you can talk to me as usual. Vice Guild Master sounds a little stiff…”
“I’m on a mission now, Vice Guild Master. And… no matter how much you
have recovered your health, it is dangerous to overdo it. Actually, I also
wanted to cancel today’s schedule.”
“Ah. You can’t. It’s the first step in bringing the interracial alliance. Princess
Elena wanted to see us, so I have to meet her. In fact, it’s not that I’m not
able to move.”
“Eberia said it was also okay…”
“It’s okay, Hyejin. I’m absolutely not overdoing it. Haha.”
Although she softened up when drinking, she was certainly too hard when
working publicly.
However, even this hard conversation didn’t seem to pleasure Jung Hayan. I
saw her pulling my clothes, trying to divert her attention to herself.
We had been through many of these patterns, but in fact, most of the stories
were useless. However, this time, there was quite a bit of interesting news.
“You know that?”
“What?”
“The rumor is that the elf princess… can tell the cleanliness of the soul!”
Strange worries began to rise from her sudden remarks.

Chapter 338
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Where did you hear it?”
“I heard it from the people of Laios.”
She nodded her head as if convinced, but when I looked at Jung Hayan’s
confident face, somehow, it didn’t sound convincing.
Of course, it didn’t mean that I didn’t believe in Jung Hayan, but I simply
could not rule out the possibility of it being a lie to grab my attention.
I had to look for someone to judge the truth.
As if asking if this was really true, I looked at Cho Hyejin, and unexpectedly,
she nodded and opened her mouth.
“Yes. It is true. I don’t know exactly, too, but… I have heard it like Hayan.”
“What?”
“There is no way to tell whether it is true or not, but… Sometimes it is said

that a special entity among the elves is born with that ability. Of course, there
is no known difference between the cleanliness of the soul or simply the
distinction between good and evil. In fact, there is so little information about
the elves that there will be no exact information, especially for the high
elves.”
“You mean high elf?”

“Yes. It is said to be a story passed down among continental people.
Considering that Princess Elena is a high elf born after thousands of years,
it’s plausible enough… Oh! Stories of high elves looking at clean souls often
appear in fairy tales and stories of the State.”
“Ah…”
‘This is rather more convincing…’
It was far from meaning that it was absurd to appear in children’s books,
traditions, and stories on this continent because this was not the Earth.
Most of the children’s books and legendary stories here were based on true
stories, and there were actually many dungeons and monsters discovered
because of these. There was nothing strange about that.
It was not strange for an elf to pop out, looking at the cleanliness of the soul.
‘This is making me worried…’
In fact, there was nothing to feel guilty about. I was already a hero among the
heroes who had saved Laios, no, even the continent.
Even if they judged my soul to be unclean, it would be difficult to find a

situation in which they would condemn me. Following this mindset, it
wouldn’t make sense to worry much.
Light Kiyoung’s magical power was filled with divine power, and his title
was also inscribed as “Continental Guardian.”
Although things were a bit twisted, it was also true that I had saved Laios.
Perhaps…
‘Who knows if my soul has become a little cleaner?’
There were countless numbers of good things I had done recently.
Things got a little twisted in the first round, but anyway, wasn’t I currently
working hard for the camp of light in Kim Hyunsung’s arms?
Although I had begun to think like this, it was no wonder that I began to feel
anxious because anything could happen. In fact, it didn’t matter as to what
would happen, but looking good was still an important part of the job.
In the end, I had to open my mouth toward Cho Hyejin. I had to refrain from
pretending that I was sick anymore, but this much was okay.
“Hyejin, do you have a wheelchair here?”
“What?”
“Somehow, I suddenly ran out of breath…”
“…”
She looked as if she wanted to say many things, but Cho Hyejin accepted my
request without saying anything further.
After she went outside for a while, her face pulling a wheelchair was
engulfed in an unknown sense of shame. She sighed differently from the way
she was worried about me before.
It seemed that she noticed what I was thinking.
‘I have to exaggerate this much.’
Even if my soul was a little dirty, everything would be solved if I were to

compete with a clean and noble appearance.
“Cough. Cough.”
A cough came out unexpectedly, whether it was the influence of being too
absorbed in acting too much, but Cho Hyejin, pushing the wheelchair, had on
a cold expression.
Of course, Hayan’s worried face was evident. With this, we went on our way.
As the faces of Laios guards opening the door showed infinite respect for me,
my confidence to get out of the wheelchair rose.
After imitating Laios’ specific greeting method, placing my palm on my

forehead, I went inside and saw Han Sora and Park Deokgu sitting with
awkward expressions on their faces.
Of course, Kim Hyunsung was also present.
I noticed him a little flustered whether he hadn’t expected me to appear in a

wheelchair.
“What’s going on? Kiyoung, maybe again…”
“Ahh. It’s nothing, Hyunsung. I was dizzy for a moment. There is no problem
with walking or moving, but I came like this because I was wondering if I
wouldn’t show a good appearance to the Eberian delegation. The conference
with Oscar and Pristina is…”
“We have a schedule later. First of all, the Eberia side requested that they
want to meet Kiyoung-ssi and Hayan-ssi personally… Kiyoung, rather than
staying like this, you can go in if you’re not feeling well. Even if you don’t
do this, the Three Kingdoms Alliance will come true without any major
problems.”
“Haha. I am not here for the Three Kingdoms alliance.”
“Hyung-nim, are you not feeling well again?”
“It’s not like that, Deokgu. It’s as I said to Hyunsung, you don’t have to
worry.”
“But…”
“It’s okay.”
Worries were coming from everywhere, which pleased me a lot. At this point,
one of the guards came to announce.
“Princess Elena is entering.”
The door on the other side opened, and some elves appeared.
‘They came very quickly.’
I heard the news that they wanted to see us, but I couldn’t even imagine that
they would come running to this place as soon as they arrived in the State.
It seemed like I really became the hero who saved the continent. When I
looked at them smiling, I could feel that they were definitely different from
humans.
Overall, they gave off a calming impression, and even their walk felt
mysterious.
I had seen elves before, but they still had an exotic and mysterious
appearance. I was blankly looking at them, so there would be no need for
other expressions.
Among them, an elf appeared, wearing white cotton yarn.
Just by looking at the clothes she was wearing and the vibe she showed off, I
could tell that she was Elena.
When I looked at her with the Mind’s Eyes, her information poured down
right away.
[Checking the status window and talent levels of Elf Elena Eberia.]
[Name: Elena Eberia]
[Title: High Elf, Princess of Eberia.]
[Age: 231]
[Disposition: Curious Defensor]
[Class: Elune’s Guardian (Legendary)]

[Stats]
[Strength: 19/Growth potential: Rare or higher]
[Agility: 20/Growth potential: Rare or higher]
[Health: 30/Growth potential: Common or lower]
[Durability: 35/Growth potential: Rare or lower]
[Luck: 90/Growth potential: Legendary or higher]
[Attribute: A Sense of Looking at the Soul (Legendary)]
[She can feel the soul of others.]
[Overall: On the whole, she has a weak body, but she has great stats.
Basically, the legendary class that can be classified as a priest class, Elune’s
Guardian, and the legendary-grade attribute that can distinguish the soul’s
cleansing stands out. Of course, player Lee Kiyoung does not have to test.
The result is obvious.]
‘Ah… That was true. Fuck.’
Of course, I felt guilty, momentarily. Besides, I didn’t know how that

attribute worked. The explanation was also very short and simple.
However, I started to get nervous at the comments of the overall review.
In the meantime, when I saw Elena taking off her cotton yarn, my anxiety
began to dissipate little by little. She had hair of the same color as her
emerald eyes. Her appearance was ridiculously overwhelming.
Although there was a sense of heterogeneity that her race itself was different,
she was sufficiently beautiful from the point of view of human beauty.
‘This is crazy…’
No, I couldn’t define her with words, saying that she was simply a beauty.
I felt like I was seeing an entity that best matches the expression “beautiful.”
I was startled at the thought that I was staring too blankly, and I looked at
Jung Hayan, but she was controlling herself, looking at the ring that I gave
her. I knew the proposal I had made was indeed very helpful.
At this, Princess Elena began to speak.
“Nice to meet you, everyone. I’m Elena, from the Kingdom of Eberia. It’s a
great honor to meet some of the most renowned heroes.”
It was like the sound of jade beads rolling over a silver tray. However, I
pulled myself back without even realizing it.
Unlike my brain, which recognized her as beautiful, her voice somehow felt
repulsive.
When everyone was silent, Kim Hyunsung was the first to greet her.
As he slowly lowered his head, I could see Elena lowering her head slightly.
Whether he was acquainted with her or not had not yet been confirmed.
No matter how well I had gotten to know Kim Hyunsung, I couldn’t tell what
emotions he was feeling just by looking from the back.
“I am Kim Hyunsung of the Blue Guild. I’m not enough, but I’m the master
of the guild of heroes who saved Laios. It is an honor to meet you like this.”
“Blue Guild! I have heard of it. It’s the guild from the heroes that saved
Laios. Ah… As expected.”
“Pardon me?”
“Yes… I see. Yes.”

At this, Princess Elena had begun nodding. Tears had even begun to fall from
her face, all looking like glistening, teardrop-shaped jewels.
However, it is certainly bewildering to suddenly drop tears after holding Kim

Hyunsung’s hand.
‘Is she feeling anything?’
I didn’t know in detail, but I think she had seen something in Kim
Hyunsung’s soul.
I suspected that she saw Kim Hyunsung’s first round, but it didn’t seem like
that. It was very different from saying that someone can look into the soul
and look into the black world.
Even the explanation itself seen through the Mind’s Eyes was very simple.
Unlike my eyes or Kasugano’s eyes, it was correct to think that her attribute
was not seeing something, but feeling.
“Oh, I’m sorry. To suddenly behave like this… I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“I did it suddenly… without noticing. I’m really sorry. I’m… sorry.”
Of course, apart from that, I didn’t get a sense of how to deal with this kind
of case because no one usually shed tears right after a greeting.
If I could, I would ask openly what she was doing, but I couldn’t just say that.
Although this wasn’t an official meeting, it was still a very important one.
It was then that Park Deokgu, who could not hold up his curiosity, opened his
mouth.
“Did you just look into his soul?!”
“I’m sorry?”
“Well, everyone is saying that. That the high elf princess can see the soul and
blah blah blah. In fact, I don’t believe in this kind of thing, but it was because
you suddenly cried when you saw him. If you don’t want to say anything,
you don’t have to. Still, I would like it if you say.”
Silence with a different meaning from before flowed.
I couldn’t even imagine that Park Deokgu would ask that kind of thing.
I wondered if it was diplomatic rudeness and looked at her in an anxious

mind, but it seemed that she hadn’t really put it in her mind.
As Kim Hyunsung glanced at him, Park Deokgu began to lower his head
quickly. In the meantime, Elena smiled slightly and shook her head.
“Deokgu-ssi.”
“Ah… Did I make a mistake? I-I’m sorry…”
“No. No. It’s fine, Kim Hyunsung, that’s okay. Rather, sorry for the late
answer. In fact, I didn’t think you would ask me directly, so I thought about
how to tell you. As expected, you’re very… pure and transparent.”
“Do you know me?”
“Of course. I only saw you through the Goddess’s Mirror… You’re actually
the way I imagined. Huhu. Oh, you asked a question. I don’t know if this will
be the correct answer, but I will try to answer it first.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Of course. It can’t be called a big secret anymore. Well… To be

precise, it is not possible to look into the soul. I think it would be more
accurate to say that I can feel it. The fact that I was rude before…”
“Is it because Hyunsung’s soul felt that way?”
“Yes. I think that expression is appropriate. Rather, I should apologize. I’m

really sorry, Kim Hyunsung. I didn’t mean to know… I felt it without
noticing.”
“No, Princess Elena. I understand.”
“Thank you for your understanding. If I made you uncomfortable…”
“Well, it’s not uncomfortable. I don’t know when its soul or anything like it,
but isn’t it just like when we smell, taste, or see with our eyes?”
“Yes. That’s an appropriate expression.”
“Well, then it doesn’t matter. Ahem. Rather, it’s a good thing for us. You will
be very surprised by seeing our Hyung-nim’s soul!”
As my anxiety began to rise, Park Deokgu’s confident remarks were a great

spectacle.
‘Stop it, pig bastard.’
His sudden remarks forced me to step back a little, as quietly as I could.

Chapter 339
‘Don’t raise her expectations unnecessarily.’
I could quickly notice why Elena looked happy. Literally, that elf can feel
what kind of soul others possessed.
Although Park Deokgu used a cheap expression of smelling, it was not

actually wrong.
It would be correct to express that she had senses that worked the same as
sight, touch, and smell, but was built differently in a way that I couldn’t seem
to understand.
She seemed to have been greatly moved by Kim Hyunsung, and she seemed
to be feeling purity and transparency from Park Deokgu.
For her, it was as if a pleasant place surrounds her, so it was not unreasonable
that she was smiling.
‘Will Han Sora be okay?’
I was a little worried about her, but perhaps she would be okay.
Even if Elena were to feel something, there’s plenty of room to gloss it over,
and she couldn’t definitively detect the relationship between the soul and
class.
To avoid the fact that Han Sora was a black wizard, I had already worked on
many things with Jung Hayan. As if that was not enough, Yuno Kasugano
joined and had helped with concealing various circumstances.
As a result, even high-ranking priests couldn’t notice that she was a black
wizard.
‘It’s a legendary-grade attribute, but it’s definitely vague.’
Han Sora glanced at me as if she became anxious about the elf princess’s soul
remarks, but of course, I nodded as subtly as I could in reply in silent
assurance.
Meanwhile, Park Deokgu greeted Elena in earnest.
“Oh, I don’t think I’ve introduced myself. I’m Park Deokgu from Blue.”
“I’m familiar with your name, Park Deokgu. I’m Elena Eberia. It is a great
honor to meet you.”
“Hmm. Do you even know my name?”
“Yes. It’s natural to remember a hero’s name. I’m a little embarrassed, but I
don’t just know the name. In fact, even what you guys did…”
“Can you even know that?”
“Ah! I didn’t mean it that way. As I said, all I can feel is your soul. I know of
you because I have come across a lot of newspapers and magazines while in
the Kingdom.”
“Ahhh. Come to think of it, there have been a lot of such things since that
day. It seems those things reached there.”
“Actually, our Kingdom is still forbidden to bring in goods of the State and
Laios, but most of us already know about you. Some even made it into a play,
and bards sing songs that praise your achievements. Because the sacrifices
and miracles you showed that day was deeply rooted in the hearts of our
elves, not just Laios. It was amazing. And… it was so majestic that I could
not take my eyes off. I haven’t lived for that long, but I’m sure it was the
most brilliant sight I’ve ever seen.
“I-It’s an honor for you to say that. Actually, I have done very little. Ahem.
That’s embarrassing. Oh, Sora here was also a great help. I wouldn’t have
been able to endure it alone if it weren’t for her.”
He looked embarrassed, which was so not like him. It must be embarrassing
to hear that right in front of him.
It was quite a sight to see him blushing and handing over the baton to Han
Sora. In any case, even Han Sora popped out and greeted with Park Deokgu’s
introduction.
“I’m Han Sora.”
“Nice to meet you, Han Sora. It is an honor to meet you.”
It was true that I was worried about what kind of reaction she would show.
However, there was no sign of change.
‘Uh?’
Although Han Sora mended her ways, it could be said to be a surprising

result considering that she had been trash at it before.
She wasn’t showing a pleasant smile like Park Deokgu or Kim Hyunsung, but
she quietly smiled, lowered her head, and looked pretty happy, even grabbing
her hand first.
I was really surprised to see them talking so casually.
‘I think I will be okay, too.’
I was sure that I had a soul, at least similar to Han Sora. No, I was better than
Han Sora.
Lee Kiyoung’s 26 years of life, the timing when I knew better than anyone
that I had lived without shame.
Rather, I was partly relieved as I watched her talk to her longer than with
Park Deokgu.
After spending time with her for a while, it was Jung Hayan’s turn.
Kim Hyunsung introduced Jung Hayan, and once again, the awkward self-
introduction time passed.
“I’m Jung Hayan.”
“I-It’s an honor. It’s really an honor.”
She seemed happy enough when she was with Park Deokgu and Han Sora,
but after Jung Hayan appeared, her face has become even more spectacular.
I don’t know if it’s an appropriate expression, but she looked like a fan
meeting idols.
‘No way…’
“So, are you all recovered now?”
“Yes? Oh… Yes.”
“M-More importantly, I will officially introduce myself. As you may have

already heard, I’m Elena Eberia. It was… it was really moving. How could
you take care of others even at the expense of yourself…? Your noble image
prepared to die will go down in the history of the continent.”
“What?”
“I still feel like crying when I think about it. I heard that you have been on
this continent for less than two years, but how did you use such pure magic
power…? Oh! I can’t be like this, no, that’s not it, I was really impressed.
What should I start with…? There were a lot of things I wanted to say, but
my mind went black… I’m really sorry.”
“No. There is no-nothing to be sorry for.”
“If it’s okay with you, can I shake your hand…?”
“I-I-It’s okay, but…”
“It is an honor. It’s really an honor. After all, everything was exactly what I
thought.”
“I don’t know… what you are talking about.”
‘This is almost certain.’
I was not mistaken about this at all.
Her graceful face still remained, but her being strangely excited, made her
look just like a teenager. Showing such a face at the age of over 200 was also
an ability.
Jung Hayan was at a loss as to how to respond to the way the elf was gushing
over her.
I wasn’t exactly sure, but the princess of the Elven Kingdom seemed to be
obsessed with our heroic story.
In fact, although most of the Laios and the State showed similar reactions,
this woman felt more excessive. She seemed to have read everything about
us, such as magazine interviews, and she even saw that scene many times
through the Goddess’s Mirror, so I could say that my prediction was correct.
I could understand the Laios people because they had actually seen us, but
she was stuck in a kingdom secluded from other countries and faced us only
through media. In a way, it was not unreasonable to have a strange fantasy
about us.
Although she had adapted to this kind of case because of the Laios people,
Jung Hayan was confused by the sudden change of posture.
Since she wasn’t good with human relationships, she was confused with the
princess saying something she hadn’t yet understood.
It was then that Park Deokgu’s explanation came in.
“Isn’t it that you were amazed by our Hayan’s transparent and clear soul?”
“That’s right, Park Deokgu-nim. She is filled with such pure love. This…”
“I knew you would.”

“I’m sorry if I upset you. I don’t usually say this, but Jung Hayan is really…”
“As expected from our Hayan. Isn’t it just as I said? I’ve never seen or heard
about anyone as clean and nice as Hayan in my life. In fact, when I first saw
her, I wondered how there was such a nice person, but seeing now the Elf
Princess talking, I think I can tell. Well, the person next to her is out Hyung-
nim. I think you’ve seen him through…”
“Yes. I know. I clearly remember his face, too. It’s really an honor, Lee
Kiyoung.”
“No. I am honored.”
“I-I think I should thank you first.”
“I received enough thanks, Elena-nim. I didn’t do that to be receiving

gratefulness in the first place, so you don’t have to lower your head.”
“No. This time, I am not thankful for the things I said earlier. Haven’t you
rescued the elves before?”
“Oh!”
“It’s been a while, so you might not remember, but… I clearly heard the
news that Lee Kiyoung saved our people who were suffering at the time.”
“It was true, then. Thank you very much.”
I could see her bowing her head a little far away.
‘Wow… It worked out like this. That’s why people have to live nicely.’
The good deeds that were done in secret had come back as a plus.
‘This is karma! Yes. Absolutely!’
I wanted to smile more and more as I wanted to maintain a good relationship

with this elf. It felt good to see her talking so casually to me.
In fact, it didn’t matter as to how she perceived my soul, but she didn’t seem
to have any suspicion on her face. I even felt like a fool to have been worried.
It would have been better not to have arranged this wheelchair either.
“Our people who were saved by Lee Kiyoung at the time are doing very well.
They wanted to be with this delegation, but they’re still reluctant to go
outside. On behalf of the two, I would like to say thank you.”
“Hahahaha. I just did what I was supposed to do.”
“You are so humble. I am worried if I have come too suddenly. I didn’t know
you were still having a hard time walking…”
“Cough, cough. It’s fine. Thanks to many people praying, I’m fine. It’s just a
little hard to breathe. You really don’t have to mind it. Cough. In fact, I also
really wanted to see the princess. If the princess hadn’t suggested it, I would
have visited you first.”
“Thank you for saying so. Er… I-If it’s okay, could I shake your hand…”
“Yes. Of course, Elena-nim.”
Unlike my expectations, a warm atmosphere continued. With the unexpected

good story being revealed, others also looked surprised.
Who would have expected I had helped the elves with no one knowing?
Originally, good stories were more effective when it was revealed in an

unintended situation.
Elena’s expression was also full of joy.
Demon Lord Belial’s expression saying that I was disgusting seemed to mean
that I was divine enough to feel disgusting.
At this moment, Elena moved one step forward.

“U-Ugh.”
‘Huh?’
The elf, who had initially been smiling and gushing around, suddenly began
to frown and start nauseating.
“Ah. I-I’m sorry. Suddenly, u-ugh. I’m being rude… gosh, what’s going on?
There’s no way. U-Ugh.”
‘No.’
“U-ugh. U-ugh.”
‘Why are you doing this? Fuck.’
“W-Wait. U-ugh…”
‘No, this is too bad.’
“Blaaaarrgghh.”
Something happened that had not been included in my calculations at all.

Chapter 340
“You look happy, Elena-nim.”
“How can I not be happy? It’s about seeing heroes who saved Laios and the
continent. It is an honor to be able to actually see them, who I only saw
through the Goddess’ Mirror. Oh! Look there, Ludwig. I guess it was true
that they made a statue of them.”
“Yes. You’re right.”
“The warrior standing at the front is Park Deokgu, the wizard is Han Sora,
and the two in the middle are Jung Hayan and Lee Kiyoung. You know, too,
right? About the heroes who defeated the evil magic that fell that day. Whoa.
I can’t believe they look so majestic. We should also honor their
achievements in our kingdom. I made a request to my father and mother, but
they only said they would consider it. I don’t think they intend to… Oh! Do
you know that? Ludwig? About the Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung. How
devout his faith is, it is said that Goddess Benigore sent him to the continent.”
“Yes.”
“In an article published directly by the Holy side of the State, the life of
Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung is expressed as a struggle against the
darkness itself. The demon worshipper foreigner, and this time he blocked the
Republic’s wicked plan who summoned the demon, so there is a possibility
that he is indeed an apostle from the Goddess Benigore… No! Maybe it’s not
only Goddess Benigore, but Elune’s apostle. Whatever the reason, haven’t we
also had a connection with him? Of course, it’s a public matter, but…”
It was an inference that the more I thought about it, the more I nodded.
“Can you believe that mother and father directly ordered the promotion of the
Three Kingdoms Alliance? As a result, if you think about it, Honorary
Cardinal Lee Kiyoung has served as the bridge. Fate. Just like fate.”
“Elena-nim, I understand the excitement, but…”
“Yes. Of course, I always remember what mother and father said.”
“I’m glad then. However, we should avoid getting involved in private matters
as possible.”
“Yes. I know that well, Ludwig. But…”
“There is no such thing as ‘but,’ Elena. Please behave quietly in the city and
refrain from getting in contact with them as much as possible. It doesn’t
matter that they are heroes. You must remember that they are human, too.”
“But our people were saved by Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung…”
“Sigh…”
“Not all humans are the same, Ludwig. I understand you, but I believe some
of them will have a clean soul. Not everyone is bad. Recall what happened at
Laios that day. They weren’t terrified, and they didn’t run away. Instead, they
stood upright on both feet, facing the demon’s threat head-on… No elven or
other race would behave like them.”
“…”
“I know what you are worried about. However, it is not good to disparage
even the heroes who defended the continent.”
“I think I made a mistake, Elena. I apologize.”
“No. You don’t have to apologize to me. More importantly, I guess we will
arrive soon.”
“Yes.”
“I can finally meet them. I really don’t know how to express this feeling.”
“You don’t have to be so nervous.”
“Yes. Yes.”
I heard him telling me not to be nervous, but I couldn’t help but tremble all
the same. My heart kept racing.
I would finally face the heroes who had saved the continent. It would be
strange not to tremble.
‘It’s mental.’
It would be appropriate to express it that way.
When I arrived at the castle, I was greeted by the Laios people and important
people of the State, but time passed fast enough that I didn’t even get to
acknowledge it.
I thought I should be calm, but I kept getting thirsty. I couldn’t even notice
the surrounding view. At this, I could see Ludwig opening his mouth as if he
was worried.
“Elena, are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine, Ludwig. Can I have anything to drink?”
“Yes. Of course. I will prepare it soon.”
“Do I look weird right now?”
“You don’t. You’re, as usual, Elena.”
“How much time do we have left? No, where are the heroes of light…?”
“I heard they’re waiting in the reception room right now.”
“What? A-Are you saying we made them wait?”
“They came a little earlier than expected.”

“We have to head to the reception room right now. To keep them waiting…
such rudeness!”
“Yes. I’ll follow as you said.”
No wonder I had begun to hurry out of anxiety. Once again, my heart beat
fast, but I knew that shouldn’t make them wait any longer.
After the reception room door was opened, my head began to go blank.
I tried to control my emotions somehow, but I couldn’t understand what I

was talking about in reality.
However, I couldn’t help it. The heroes I longed for were just as I had
imagined.
Park Deokgu, who defended many demons, Han Sora, who did not stop
chanting spells even though her body was in bad condition, and the two
behind them were definitely Jung Hayan and Lee Kiyoung.
It wasn’t easy to see them because of Park Deokgu’s big size, but I thought it
would be better to greet them one by one. I felt like my heart would burst if I
stayed like this.
‘How can there be such a pure person?’
When I saw Park Deokgu, I was surprised without knowing. He has a clear
feeling. It was also honest and transparent. It was like seeing an unstained
little child.
In fact, I was a little surprised when he asked the sudden question, but I even
smiled when I saw him apologizing immediately.
In Han Sora’s case, it felt a little different.
‘It’s weak.’
It was very small and fragile.

Crucially, she even seemed to be scared. It felt as if she would collapse
immediately, and she was unstable as if she would break down in an instant.
‘How… despite being in that condition?’
Could she have thought of throwing her own life easily? How could she
confront a huge demon with such a small and fragile soul?
No one could easily do it. I didn’t even need to explain how much courage
she needed to confront the demon. When I recalled her facing the demons
face-to-face while trying to grasp the trembling legs, I almost cried.
However, I had to open my mouth wide to the soul I saw afterward.
‘Jung Hayan-nim!’
It was her—an archmage who used magic by vomiting blood while

surrounded by light.
When I saw that scene through the Goddess’ Mirror, it was a series of
surprises, but Jung Hayan-nim was even more surprising in reality.
‘No way…’
It felt like seeing someone broken in a soul filled with love. It was that huge
and overwhelming.
I had never felt this kind of soul.
I couldn’t feel anything else. Jealousy, anger, happiness, sadness, and the
primitive emotions that someone could feel were all bound up in a single
great spirit.
Naturally, awe arose without my knowledge.
Even adults who had trained their minds for tens of thousands of years could
not have that kind of soul. It was almost obvious who that love was intended
for.
‘Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung. This is Lee Kiyoung-nim. Really… he’s
here…real.’
I was sad seeing him sitting in a wheelchair, but I was relieved to know that
he was fine. My heart pounded, hearing that he wanted to meet me, but
something felt weird.
‘I can’t feel anything.’
It’s just as I said. I don’t feel anything.
I tried to look at it slowly while having a conversation, but nothing changed.

Rather, it felt very ordinary.
I wondered for just a moment. The second I moved to shake his hands, what I
felt…
‘What is this?’
“Blaaaarrggh.”
It was a disgusting soul inside. I didn’t know how to explain this. I couldn’t
understand how such a saint had such a soul.
It was not the kind of soul that gave fear, nor was it wicked.
It was a ridiculously pure, disgusting soul.
I felt goosebumps on my back. I wanted to leave. I tried to endure it as much

as possible, but I couldn’t. It was just when I was bent on my back, almost
vomiting.
“Cough… cough.”
“Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Cough. Cough, cough. I, I…”
“Kiyoung-ssi. Are you okay?”

“Please… the p-priest…”
“Kiyoung-ssi! Now!”
“H-Hyung-nim. W-What’s going on suddenly? Q-Quickly, even if it’s Hee-

young!”
“Oppa, Oppa!”
He suddenly grabbed his chest and began to fall. Others swarmed around the
man gasping.
“Seizure! It’s a seizure.”
“Waaaahh. Oppa… Hic. Oppa!”
“Don’t touch him, Hayan-ssi. Touching the body makes it more dangerous.
Hyejin-ssi, please call the medical staff quickly.”
“A seizure. What do you mean? Huh?”
“This is an aftereffect.”
“What the hell…”
“After the last incident with the demon summon…”
“So! What are you saying suddenly? What do you mean by aftereffect! He
said it was no big deal when he was sick the last time!”
“Kiyoung-ssi didn’t want to announce it. I’ll explain it later, Deokgu-ssi.”
“Isn’t it that we shouldn’t let him be like this? Don’t we have to inject even
magic power…?”
“It’s not just a matter to be solved with magic power. This…”
“No! No! Oppa, Oppa!!!”

“He will be fine. He must be fine.”
I was speechless at how the situation had suddenly unfolded. The disgusting
smell of the soul felt strong.
‘What the hell is this…?’
In the meantime, the priest and other medical staff come to the reception
room.
Jung Hayan-nim was crying, and Han Sora looked anxious. Park Deokgu and
Kim Hyunsung also looked very sad.
I thought he would get better, but Lee Kiyoung, who groaned in pain and
shivering, wasn’t getting better.
Instantly, a small deduction came to a corner of my mind.
Perhaps…
“The d-divine power does not work. His body must be in normal
condition…”
“Aren’t you a priest? Q-Quickly, do something! Huh? I mean, try to save our
Hyung-nim!”
“His body is definitely normal. This is my first time seeing t-this kind of
seizure…”
“Waaaah. Oppa… Waaaahh.”
Perhaps… It may be Elune’s revelation that I could meet the heroes of light.
Chapter 341
The continuous voices seemed to tell how urgent the situation was.
Naturally, I could see the faces and backs of the flustered people. The leader
of the State and Pristina of Laios also appeared in the noisy hall in an instant.
Of course, there was no time to greet them because they had disappeared into
the crowd to immediately check Lee Kiyoung’s condition.
The divine power of the high priests of the State was constantly lighting up
the room.
During that, the people present all had their own reactions. Some prayed, and
others watched the situation with an anxious expression.
Park Deokgu was talking to a high-ranking priest, and Jung Hayan was
crying. Others were no different.
Everyone was nervous.
“Gasp. Waaaahh… Oppa…”
“H-He will be okay. He must be fine. Calm down.”
“Waaaaahhh. Hic. No. It can’t be…”
“Hey, doctor, is there any way? He’s suffering like this! Does it make sense
that there is nothing wrong with him?”
“The body is fine. I-I’m sure of it. The body is definitely normal… I couldn’t
find the cause. For now, there seems to be no other way except to inject
divine power. I heard that he was suffering from aftereffects, but I couldn’t
imagine he was suffering like this. Honorary Cardinal kept saying he was
okay…”
“Did you believe that?! How can you say that’s normal! Did you accept that
even though you know Hyung-nim’s nature?”
“I’m r-really sorry, Park Deokgu. I’m doing my best, too… Honorary
Cardinal…”
“You don’t have to be sorry for me! You have to know the cause of what the
hell hurts!”
“Calm down, Deokgu-ssi. It is not a problem that can be solved by yelling.”
“T-Then what can I do, Hyunsung Hyung-ssi? We need to know what

aftereffects he has to do something about it, right? O-Of course, there is
nothing I can do… Still, we need to know what’s going on!”
“I don’t know the details. In particular, since Kiyoung’s body exudes a lesser
amount of magical power, he must have received a bigger rebound than
Hayan-ssi. On the outside, there seems to be no problem, but there is a high
possibility that the shock is overlapping inside.”
“T-Then how does he usually…”
“The reason Kiyoung was able to recover his body is because of his unique
constitution. It is a special constitution that shares divine power and magical
power. I am also sorry for not being able to tell you in advance. He told me to
keep it a secret, especially from Deokgu and Hayan… I’m really sorry.”
“N-No. It’s not something for you to lower your head. Even if it were me, if
Hyung-nim had said that, I would have kept my mouth shut. H-Hyung-nim
must have thought that he had to endure it. It’s a busy time. Since it’s
something important, he didn’t want to be a burden.”
“…”
“Since he didn’t want to worry others, he must have suffered alone. He must
have acted as if nothing had happened, squeezing his chest every day. Even
though he was in pain like this, he just didn’t want us to be worrying, so he
was enduring it with a smile.”
“…”
“Gasp… if only I could be in pain instead… I would want to do that. I really

can’t see it. I don’t think I can stand to see Hyung-nim suffering like this.”
“I understand. I feel the same way.”
“Damn. Damn!”
Park Deokgu turned his back and clenched his fist.
‘I’m right.’
Of course, it was a simple doubt at first, but the more I listened to their
conversation, the more I had to be sure.
It was natural that I nodded and stood up.
Nothing was clear yet, but if Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung really received
the revelation of Goddess Benigore and Elune, I might also have been guided
by something.
What I was currently looking at in the Laios reception room may be one big
revelation, all of which were being put together like a puzzle.
‘Right.’
No matter how I were to think about this, I could only conclude that way. Of
course, I was not sure if my guess was correct or not.
However, even at this moment, the odor that was pricking at my nose was
getting worse.
There might be a possibility that it may be my misunderstanding, but there

was no more time. This was because I felt the soul of the hero, who was still
in pain grasping, was fading.
No, in the first place, even the small light was engulfed in perfect darkness.
“Please make room. I…”
“What?”
“Perhaps I have a way.”
“What do you mean? Elena-nim, until now… Then, how come, seeing
Hyung-nim, you…”
“I am not sure. I’m just guessing, but maybe something happened… with the
Honorary Cardinal’s soul.”
“What on Earth are you talking about? C-Can you even know that?”
“Yes. The current condition of Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung is a difficult

condition to judge simply that it is an aftereffect. If there is really nothing
wrong with his body, it may not be a wound on his physical body. It is even
more so if the high-ranking priests of the State have not noticed it.”
“If it’s not a physical wound… can it be a s-soul wound?”
“I think I can explain it like that for now. It is unclear whether this is the area
I can help with, but… if you leave the Honorary Cardinal as he is, there will
surely be problems. I also don’t know how the outcome of this will be. One
thing I can say for sure is that the current condition of the Honorary Cardinal
is so disastrous that it is beyond words. If I don’t take any measure, he will
collapse right away.”
“Please explain in an easy-to-understand manner.”
“I think it would be most appropriate to say he is contaminated.”
“What do you mean… contaminated?”
“Yes. He is so polluted that it is difficult to describe. Perhaps as a side effect

of resisting the power of the demon that day…”
“Is that why the elf princess just got nauseous?”
“It’s… embarrassing, but it is.”
“No. There is no need to be embarrassed. That’s because Hyung-nim’s

condition was terrible. I-I can understand this. More importantly, w-what
happens if there is a problem with the soul?”
“I have never seen anyone contaminated that collapsed, but the body will
likely begin to collapse. Just as if the water in the pond rots, the surrounding
area also gets affected. That’s exactly the Honorary Cardinal’s condition. He
is probably going through a painful process beyond our imagination.”
“T-Then, do something. Quickly! Please, do something to Hyung-nim!”
As I nodded, the heroes stepped aside. What stood in their eyes were
expectations and doubts.
Of course, I could understand. I felt disappointed, but what I was saying was
ridiculous even when I thought about it myself.
“If something goes wrong or you see other signs…”
“I can understand you are doubtful. However, I am here on behalf of the

kingdom of Eberia, not to harm the heroes. If I try to harm Lee Kiyoung, you
can cut my throat.”
“Elena! That…!”
“It will be fine, Ludwig. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. I think I know
why I came here. No doubt, Elune brought me here.”
Every time I took one step, I felt disgusting energy that could not be
explained in words. However, I had to bite my lips tightly and maintain my
composure.
The hero was suffering worse pain. It was not him that was painful, but the
sublime soul that resisted the demon until his soul had begun to rot.
‘It’s painful.’
It all felt so disgusting that even my own soul felt like rotting.
It was surprising to see that purity still remained in this situation. It was hard
to guess what his original soul was like.
With this sensation that was confusing me, I shook my head as much as I
could and stood in front of him, and what I could see was a miserable sight.
He was constantly gasping for breath, and tears flowed out of his bloodshot
eyes. He was biting his lips to bear the pain, but a miserable scream was
leaking from him.
Even the trembling legs and twisting body seemed to be telling the extent of
his suffering. It did not match the hero’s appearance, one who did not retreat
at all with a huge demon in front of him.
This hero of light, who had not suffered even from breaking his own body,
was suffering enough to shed tears of blood at the contamination of his soul.
How… How could he be so sublime?
How could this happen to a human that was so altruistic and sacred?
Lee Kiyoung struggled to swallow his scream and nodded as if he was okay,
for me not to worry.
Tears flowed out without my knowledge. Slowly, I put my hand on his chest.
I had the sensation of touching a rotten maggot, but after biting my lips
tightly once again, I put the other hand.
‘It’s neither disgusting, nor dirty.’
I didn’t know if it would work.
However, I continue to push away the energy inside his body. This was
because I thought I should stop it from being completely eaten.
‘Elune, I know you led me here because of this noble soul. Since it’s your
servant who is asking, please give me the power to save this soul. Please.
Please.’
Please, I beg you.
‘Please… I will never forsake him even if I sacrifice my all.’
While I kept holding his hand, struggling to crush these gruesome sensations,
a short scream was heard.
“Ah!”
His breath slowly stabilized.
Both the deformedly bent waist and the limply trembling legs began to return
to normal.
The hero who was suffering was not there. Instead, his face looking at me
while touching his body with eyes of doubt stood out.
‘It was a revelation. The revelation was correct!’
[My dear daughter… run… (0/1)]
[For unknown reasons, the forced quest of the heroic-grade was canceled.]
I think there was something going on that I couldn’t seem to understand.
[Legendary-grade forced quest is activated.]
[Transition of Revelation (0/1)]
I think I knew what role I had now been given.
“Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim!”
“Oppa, Oppa. Sniff.”
The moment I heard a big cheer, I had to smile a little.
“Thank you, Elune.”

Chapter 342
Chapter 342: Crying wolf (1)
‘It was an enthusiastic performance! Fuck!’
I had been telling many lies so far, but even I was surprised by my acting this
time around.
I was so focused that my body was soaked with sweat. It was a scene that
suited the expression of putting a soul in acting very well.
From the middle, it was actually painful, so no other expression would be

necessary.
As I turned my eyeballs as if I had become a really sick person, I could see

Elena’s face, looking at me with her moistened eyes.
The same went for the others. It knew it might have seemed a bit
exaggerated, but the more I thought about it, the more appropriate it was. It
seemed like it would be okay to pass it over as a simple happening and go
quietly, but as it was a sensitive period, even such a small incident would be
unacceptable.
A discarded cigarette fire could eventually spread to a large fire.
My previous action was first aid by putting out a small ember with a fire
extinguisher.
‘Very good. Very good! This is Light Kiyoung. Yes. Absolutely.’
Light Kiyoung must remain forever as Light Kiyoung, and this shield must be
constantly maintained.
I wanted to pay tribute to myself, who had managed to escape the crisis with
my momentary wits and rising acting skills.
Of course, even amidst joy, I thought I couldn’t help but feel a little bitter.
Belial’s expression of “a man with a disgusting soul” was completely correct.
I comforted myself bitterly that it wasn’t, but I couldn’t completely deny

what he said.
‘It’s not enough to vomit, though.’
I was hurt a little bit.
‘The nausea was too much.’
However, immediately after this, I shook my head.
What did the soul matter? It didn’t mean that transcendental beings would
reward you just because it was clean.
Anyway, the part that I thought was fortunate was that Elena didn’t show
much doubt about me.
Instead, it felt like she completely believed in me. Anyone could see that the
expression on her face seems worried. Of course, she seemed to be in pain,
being next to me, but she was still smiling widely.
However, I couldn’t appreciate her face for long. It was because I had to
endure the smacking of Jung Hayan’s body that ran straight in.
“Waaaah. Oppa. Oppaa…”
Her face was filled with tears and a runny nose as if she was really surprised.
The situation was not different for Park Deokgu, too, and Kim Hyunsung
exhaled his breath and grabbed his chest.
Until now, I was just pretending not to know, so all I had to do was to show
that I wanted to find out the truth.
“What the hell… happened?”

“H-Hyung-nim, are you really okay?”
“Ah… Right. I’m okay, Deokgu.”
“Are you really okay? Are you really not in pain?”
“I’m fine. I’m really fine. I’m sorry for worrying you. And that I hid it… I’m
sorry.”
“Gasp…”
“… “
Once again, thanks to Park Deokgu, it had definitely become burdensome.
He didn’t talk as if he choked, but looking at other people’s faces, I couldn’t

do this twice. Many people had gathered, and even Oscar looked worried.
“Are you feeling better? Honorary Cardinal.”
“Yes. The pain is gone. I showed you something I shouldn’t. I looked so

stupid. Haha.”
“You don’t have to say that.”
“More importantly, Oscar-ssi, just now…”
“Princess Elena of the Kingdom of Eberia helped.”
“Elena’s… help?”
It was natural to look doubtful. Light Kiyoung, who was being tortured by the
demon, did not notice why this pain had gone.
Oscar slowly got up and bowed to Elena, and I began to look even more
embarrassed.
“Come to think of it, the situation was so urgent that I couldn’t even greet
you. I’m Oscar, Elena. The State will never forget the help you gave today.
Thank you again. Sincerely.”
“I’m Elena Eberia. You don’t have to lower your head, Oscar. I just did what
I had to do. I wasn’t asking for compensation. I was helping the hero, and it’s
a mission given to me.
“Honorary Cardinal, it is Elena-nim who stabilized the Cardinal in a

dangerous state.”
“Is that true?”
When I asked her back, I could see Elena looking at me. “Yes. I don’t know
what happened, but I was the one who stabilized Lee Kiyoung’s condition.”
“So… can you explain this?”
“Of course. Honorary Cardinal, you may feel absurd to hear this, but I hope
that you do not misunderstand and listen.”
“Okay.”
Elena slowly nodded and immediately continued talking.
It wasn’t exactly the same as I expected, but some parts matched. In

summary, it looked like this.
After that day, the aftereffects remained in me, and the place where the
aftereffect remained was not actually the body.
Although she said boring things about souls and everything, seeing that the
State’s priests nodded, they seemed to think there was a possibility.
‘Good.’
No matter how they thought about this, they couldn’t find any abnormalities
in my body, so it was simply natural to turn the arrow to the other side. It
may sound absurd to these people, to think that there was a problem with the
soul, but the people here had actually confirmed that I had recovered.
It was not unreasonable to nod at Elena’s remarks. I wasn’t the only one who
knew the high elves’ traditions.
Anyway, as the story continued, more and more people began to nod. There
was no need to explain that I was also included in the group.
“It’s hard to believe, but… now it’s a bit clear.”
“Yes. It is no exaggeration to say that the current Honorary Cardinal’s soul is

on the verge of breaking down. I have never seen such a pure, disgusting
soul.”
“Then what about now that the treatment is over?”
“I didn’t do any treatment, Honorary Cardinal.”
“What?”
“I was simply alleviating the suffering of the Honorary Cardinal. Sorry to

disappoint you, but no real treatment has been done. The erosion is still going
on… and with my weak strength, I couldn’t get rid of the disgusting energy
surrounding the Honorary Cardinal in a short time. I had simply done some
first aid. Yes. It was all about simply giving first aid. Nothing has changed
from before.”
It was then that the voice of Kim Hyunsung, who was still listening, was
heard.
He had to be interested. It was probably the most important thing for him.
“Then, do you mean he may continue to show seizure symptoms in the

future?”
“I hate to disappoint you, but it’s very likely. Of course, if he receives proper
treatment and management, his condition can improve slightly, but even that
is not clear… It’s a good idea to find some other way. I hate to say this, but
maybe the time is running out.”
“T-Then what about our Hyung-nim? He has to keep living like this, you
mean? No, you mean he could die?”
“…”
“…”
“It won’t be, Deokgu. My condition seems to be getting better little by

little…”
“No, how can you judge that? Who knows if one day this will happen again?
Er… E-excuse me, but can’t Elena keep watching Hyung-nim every time he
gets sick? I-I will do whatever I can. P-please…”
“That’s not possible.”
It wasn’t Eberia’s elven princess who stopped Park Deokgu, but an attendant
who had come with her.
This was a natural reaction.
No matter how much my life depended on it, Elena was still a noble high elf
born after thousands of years, and even a country’s princess.
It was unreasonable to be a healer for the soul of some dog shit. There may
be room for compromise to some extent, but there was a high possibility that
even that would not work.
‘I’m comfortable with this, too.’
Of course, this was also a comfortable setting for me.
If she kept sticking to me, there was a high possibility would soon blossom.
There was the problem with Jung Hayan, and I didn’t want anyone knowing
my whereabouts anymore.
For whatever reason, there was no way to let Elena from the Elven Kingdom
do that. As expected, he started talking seriously again.
“Princess Elena is the body that must protect the kingdom.”
“B-But…”
“That’s right, Deokgu. It’s not right to ask an unreasonable request because
there is a difference in our positions. Please forget what Deokgu just said.
Everyone, I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
“No. It’s not that, Honorary Cardinal.”
“I’m sorry?”
When I realized the sense of responsibility in Elena’s face, I thought that

something had gone slightly twisted.
“I will not return to the kingdom.”
“…Yes?”
“As Park Deokgu said, I will continue to remain with the Honorary Cardinal
and take care of the wounds. I shouldn’t let the hero of light die like this.”
“Elena-nim, what are you saying?!”
“I have already made a decision, Ludwig. I will tell my mother and father as
well. I will continue to be with him.”
‘What bullshit is this again?’
“You can’t.”
“It’s not up to you, nor anyone else to decide. If it’s my position that’s
holding me back, I’ll be happy to take them off. I think you understand what
I’m talking about.”
“Elena, please refrain from reckless remarks. Do you know what you’re
saying?”
“Ludwig, it’s not the position that matters to me.”

“Why…?”
“I have received a revelation. I’m absolutely not mistaken. I really got a

revelation from Elune. I also had a role to play in the continental crisis. It is
no coincidence that I am here.”
“…”
“…”
As the two elves looked at each other for a long time, the room’s atmosphere
became heavier.
‘Why is she suddenly saying about some kind of revelation?’
“It was inevitable that I met these heroes today.”
‘So what bullshit are you talking about?’
“I also had a role.”
I couldn’t figure out what she was talking about. It seemed as if she had
definitely misunderstood something.
It was even more flustering because I didn’t know if it would benefit me, or
damage me.
“I came here to save you, Honorary Cardinal.”
‘This crazy…’
It was such a sight to see her bowing to me.
I didn’t know what that revelation was, but I was assured that she would soon
put me in trouble.
‘I’m having a headache… Ah…’

Chapter 343
Chapter 343: Crying Wolf (2)
There was no more time to be spent thinking.
This was because the situation had changed immediately after the ridiculous
incident ended. After calming down Elena, who announced that she would
follow me for a while, a strange silence circulated in the room.
“I don’t know about the revelation and what’s going on… but you’re saying
Hyung-nim might die?”
No wonder Park Deokgu opened his mouth. Jung Hayan also began to cry
like a waterfall.
There was loud talking.
Kim Hyunsung also seemed to be greatly agitated. His face, tightly biting his
lips, was exactly the same as the face he showed last time.
‘Was my performance too enthusiastic?’
Upon seeing this, tremendous regret dominated me.
The elven aides took Princess Elena, who was still showing a determined
face, and more silence fell in the room.
‘It wasn’t supposed to be like this. This is bad…’
It was then that Kim Hyunsung opened his mouth.
“Can other people go out for a while? I have something to talk about with
Kiyoung. Oh, if it’s okay, please stay, too, Deokgu. Hyejin, take care of
Hayan, please.”
I felt like he was going to say something serious. The Blue guild members, as
well as the priests and Oscars, began to leave.
Seeing that Park Deokgu was left behind, it seemed as if he wanted to

persuade me at any cost.
However, it was not nice to even talk about this.
“Uh, what should we do? Wouldn’t it be better to keep asking for it for
now?”
“…”
“…” …”
“That’s ridiculous. What would the princess of a country gain to be in charge

of treating me? Even if she says she wants to, it will undoubtedly be a
problem on Eberia’s side. You don’t have to worry too much. You too,
Hyunsung. You don’t have to keep in mind what happened just before.”
“It’s not something to be saying so easily, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Hyunsung Hyung-ssi is right. It’s not that easy to decide. Whether you get
down on your knees or think about another way, it is only right to continue to
seek treatment from Elena for now.”
“It’s useless.”
“This is not useless.”
‘Shit.’
Things got a little complicated. Although I felt sorry for Park Deokgu, who
was talking with tears, I couldn’t let Elena stay here.
Kim Hyunsung was constantly looking at me with a firm expression. He

seemed to be looking for a way to do something, but he frowned even more
as the answer wasn’t coming out.
Kim Hyunsung would also agree with me to some extent. It was easy to say,
but the Three Kingdoms Alliance itself could not happen if we were to do
something wrong.
Of course, it would be an expanded interpretation, but a very small thing

could distort political relations.
“Can’t she stay? The elf princess is saying she would stay, too, so what’s
wrong?”
“That’s why I said it wasn’t that simple.”
“I don’t care if it’s a simple matter or whatever! Hyung-nim is about to die,

and how isn’t that a big deal now? If the State officially asks her to take care
of you for at least a few months, they will certainly listen to it.”
‘Gosh, this pig bastard. Stop it.’
“Ugh…”
‘You pig bastard.’
“Hyung-nim, please change your mind, too. You have to think about those
who remain. You don’t have to worry about anything else. No matter what
happens, you should get treatment!”
‘You, bastard. Do you know how hard this meeting was arranged?’
It was when I was about to say something that Kim Hyunsung quietly opened
his mouth.
“No. We don’t have to let her stay here.”
“Kiyoung-ssi can go to the Kingdom of Eberia.”
“I’m sorry?”
‘Shit.’
The curse almost popped out.
‘Shit.’
“So… What Hyunsung is saying…?”
“Yes. It would be better for you to go to the Kingdom of Eberia. It’s certainly
unreasonable to ask Elena to stay in Laios, but it’s also possible to send
Kiyoung to the Kingdom of Eberia.”
“Are you being serious right now?”
“Yes. Of course, you may think that this is not a good time, but you getting
better is the top priority for now. It’s the most reasonable way to do that.”
“Even so, to be leaving at this time…”
“There will be no problem. I understand you, but…”
“Still, this is…”
‘Fuck. They’re making a fuss when there’s nothing to be cured. I’ll be

screwed…’
Big lies always came with great responsibility.
Naturally, my head was hurting from the various problems that had suddenly
sprung up. It seemed like both candles would be burning in an instant.
Even if it affected the alliance, it was better to force the elf to stay over here.
The most painful part was that I would stay away from Kim Hyunsung.
No matter how much I was out of the suspect line, it is not nice to go to the
Kingdom of Eberia apart from Kim Hyunsung. Just imagining that he would
be investigating around while I was away made me nervous.
‘No way. It doesn’t make sense. Yes.’

I spoke confidently, but the atmosphere was pretty cold.
“Hyunsung, you don’t have to do that.”
“No, Kiyoung. I can understand the desire to stay here and watch the end of
the situation, but Kiyoung’s health comes first.”
“I’m really okay…”
“No, how can you say that after what happened?! How could I believe in
those words? It’s not okay to say that you’re okay! Of course, I understand
that you have many worries, but your health is the top priority. That’s right.
That’s right! Hyung-nim, if the Three Kingdoms alliance is completed, the
Eberia kingdom will be opened soon anyway, and then you will be able to
enter the place where the elves live.”
‘Shit!’
“No, it’s really okay. I’m really fine. Besides…”
“No, Kiyoung-ssi. I will not hear an objection this time. Kiyoung will
unconditionally go to Eberia.”
“What? What are you…?”
“It is exactly what I said. And all the Blue guild members, including me, are
also going to go to Eberia.”
“No… what the hell…?”
There was no choice but to look at him quietly.
‘Is this kid really sane?’
Of course, for me, I had to cheer. Whatever the reason, I would be stuck with
Kim Hyunsung anyway.
However, when I was able to recall his personal affairs, I could never say that
he had made a reasonable decision.
‘Does he know how important it is now?’
External work was also important, but for Kim Hyunsung, he had just caught
the brigade’s tail and the trash.
He had already moved a few steps away, but he was still one step closer. It
was not unusual to get annoyed since he was being held back by something
like this.
Nevertheless, we would still go together to Eberia.
‘He really deserves to be backstabbed several times.’
After weighing the masked man and me, he must have decided that I was
more important now. I was expecting a trauma about a colleague’s death, but
it felt worse than I thought.
I had no choice but to exclaim at his goodwill because he would rather

choose to spend his time with me, leaving many political problems behind.
‘That’s why you get backstabbed…’
However, unlike what I was thinking, I began to smile.
There were still problems, but the worst had been avoided. It was a hundred
times better to move together than to move alone.
Even that feeling was being conveyed, so I felt better inside. The fact that
Kim Hyunsung protected me was in line with the fact that I would be safer.
“No. You don’t have to. There’s no need for you to go together…”
“No! That’s right! It’s not just Hyung-ssi. All other Blue guild members will
move together!”
“But the situation…”
“Forget about all other issues for now. You have to focus only on
recovering.”
“…”
“You will definitely be able to recover.”
‘No, that would be impossible.’
It was fortunate if the condition did not get worse and worse, let alone
recover. No matter what Elena did, I knew better than anyone else that she
wouldn’t be able to do this.
It had not yet been revealed on the surface, but it could still be considered a
problem.
‘She’ll notice…’
It was a good thing if the big ears continued to make misunderstandings, but
if there were even minor troubles, an annoying situation might unfold.
Even if I showed off acting that my body was getting better, my soul
wouldn’t get better at all.
For now, I had no choice but to endure and endure.
In the meantime, a curious thing came to mind, and I opened my mouth.
It was understandable that Kim Hyunsung, Park Deokgu, and Jung Hayan
would go together, but it was not explained why all the guild members had to
go.
I didn’t know what he was thinking. If he was really worried about me, it was
right for only him to come or just send Jung Hayan or Park Deokgu.
Taking all of the Blue Guild members to Eberia was a waste of manpower
anyway and irrational.
I didn’t even understand why he was doing this right now.

I could see Kim Hyunsung quietly opening his mouth as if he had noticed the
curiosity in my face.
“I’m not sure yet, but…”
“Yes?”
“Maybe, we may be able to restore Kiyoung’s body to normal.”
“What? What does…?”
“Really?”
“Yes. Of course, it is not yet a step to say definitely. It is unknown whether it

is possible or not.”
“You mean his body will be back to normal?”
“If it succeeds.”
“It means he won’t die?”
‘Fuck…’
I was forced to feel anxious. It was because I couldn’t even get a hint of how
the hell could I be cured. This was just ridiculous speculation, but he might
recommend that I take a drink of spring water that would heal the soul.
Of course, there could be no cure for that.
In the end, the suspicious ending was inevitable. It was an uneasy situation to
be with Kim Hyunsung, and even more so not to be with him.
The former would be better if I have to choose, but there was no law that the
less bad could become the worst.
‘What should I do? Shit. What should I do?’
When I was holding my head, I could see the regressor’s face patting on my
shoulder.
“I promise you again. I won’t let Kiyoung die at any cost.”
I didn’t know when I had gotten deadly sick, but Kim Hyunsung’s face had
the most enthusiastic look I had ever seen.
‘I won’t die, you bastard. I’ll live until I reach senility.’

Chapter 344
Chapter 344: Crying Wolf (3)
‘I won’t die, you bastard. I’ll live until I reach senility.’
Of course, there was no way I could say this. Demonstrating willingness for
life had the potential to make the situation worse.
“Hyunsung Hyung-ssi is right. We will never let you die.”
‘Shit.’
“Hyunsung, the seizure lasts for only a short time. The rest of the time, I’m
really healthy.”
After lying that much, I felt like no one would believe me even if I were to
say I was fine now. I could understand how the boy who cried wolf felt in the
fairy tale.
I wanted to show that I was fine somehow, but in Kim Hyunsung and Park
Deokgu’s eyes, I looked like a righteous person who did not want to be a
burden to his colleagues.
Honestly, if I really had a fatal disease, I would want to head to the Kingdom
of Eberia at all costs. However, this was a different situation.
As I always thought of the worst, the worst scenario came to mind again.
First of all, checking what card Kim Hyunsung had was the top priority.
No matter what, it was not good to refuse too much, as it may seem strange
that I didn’t want to leave for the kingdom of Eberia.
‘Does he have a way?’

Looking at Kim Hyunsung’s confident face, it seemed that he really had a
way.
‘Does he have some kind of an elixir recipe?’
He probably had something that matched.
I didn’t know what it would be, but the place was definitely the Kingdom of
Eberia. Whether it was a dungeon reward or a treasure held by the elves, it
seemed that something was corresponding to the mythic-grade.
The only way I could heal my current soul’s wounds was that much, so it was
correct to think as above.
‘Is it a dungeon? Or are there some elves’ treasures?’
Considering that all party members were moving, it was likely to be the
former one. Of course, the possibility of the latter was high enough. We may
have to use force if it was the latter.
If I considered that the only information that Kim Hyunsung had from the
first round that fit relatively accurately was the dungeon’s location, the
probability went up even more.
His strange remarks were tantamount to suggesting that he was aware of a

certain amount of the situation. The possibility was more than enough.
The Kingdom of Eberia, the Forest of the World Tree, had not been touched
by foreigners so far, and because of the strict guard, I could count on one
hand those who have entered there.
Right now, even High Elf Elena had an ability with a completely different
mechanism than mine.
They may be overflowing with similar abilities or things that cannot be found
in human countries. Among them, there must be a possibility that there was
something that could help me.
I didn’t know if it was a coincidence, but from Kim Hyunsung’s perspective,

the timing was indeed just right.
I thought that, maybe the reason he led the Three Kingdoms’ alliance was
that he was planning this.
‘This is plausible.’
Of course, he didn’t think I had a mortal illness until then, but he knew about
the aftereffects. After realizing that the situation was a little more serious, he
may have thought he couldn’t afford to delay anymore. His priorities had
changed.
Of course, this was unpleasant for me. There was no such thing as a wound to
the soul.
It was quite the sight to see him looking at me like I was going to die while
grabbing his head. For them, I seemed to be living a life with limited time.
‘But it’s not that…’
It was embarrassing to say that it was a lie now.
“We will leave tomorrow.”
“What? It’s too sudden…”
“There is no time to delay.”
‘I’m just delaying a little more.’
“It will be a hard expedition.”
‘Then let’s just take a break at home. Hyunsung… please, please.’
“It won’t take long. You don’t have to worry about Laios. It’s not something
that Kiyoung-ssi should be concerned about right now. There are more
talented people in the State than Kiyoung thinks. For me, I would recommend
getting away from work as much as possible, but if you wish, I will take
action so that you can continue to see the situation.
‘It’s not necessary, you bastard.’
“Hyung-ssi is right. Both Oscar-nim, Pristina-nim, even the people from the
Holy side, and the Laios people all work hard. They couldn’t make you
worry… Everyone thinks the same thing as us.”
‘I got it. Don’t be impressed.’
Park Deokgu’s face, swallowing words, came into sight as if he felt like
crying. I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about and why he moved,
but since he was a sensitive guy, it was clear that he was thinking something I
couldn’t possibly understand. I wanted to get out of this situation somehow,
but the problem was that I couldn’t.
“But Eberia’s permission…”
“I will finish it within today. Perhaps they will agree.”
What I could hope for right now was that Eberia refused this request, but they
couldn’t say no.
‘Please refuse. I don’t want to go. Fuck… I don’t want to go…’
I had mixed feelings about this. I was grateful that they were organizing all
these things for me, but it was heartbreaking that the result of the act would
come back to me like shit.
It was at that moment I had a pretty good idea. Of course, it may be irrational,
but it was still worth trying.
“I want to ask you one more thing, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“Will the method be dangerous?”
Kim Hyunsung paused. Like an innocent guy, lies didn’t come out of him so
well. Eventually, he exhaled and spoke.
“I can’t say it’s not dangerous. But as much as possible…”
‘This is it!’
“I will not refuse to go to Eberia, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“Yes.”
“But I don’t want to get my body back to normal if it puts others in danger,
Hyunsung-ssi.”
“But…”
“…”
“…”
“I can’t put others in danger just to save my body. And also, to go on an

expedition at a time like this. No matter how I think about it, it’s all
nonsense. You must have your own business to deal with. The same goes for
everyone else. I don’t want the Blue Guild members…”
If someone else was in danger, the story would change. I wanted to get up
and dance right now.
“I can take any risk.”
“Don’t think that just because you do, other people will be able to do that. If
you try to save someone who hasn’t died yet, you will be criticized toughly.
Of course, it’s not that I don’t understand you and Hyunsung, but it’s right to
focus on what’s right in front of us. My problem is after that. Unless we are
at least surely prepared, such an expedition…”
“I-I can bear it! Hic!”
That was when the door suddenly opened with a bang.
‘What is this again?’

It was Jung Hayan.
It looked like she had been crying until now. It was quite a sight to see her
looking at me.
No, I wanted to ask what kind of day drama she was filming right now. And
behind her, Blue Guild members began to appear one after another.
‘Shit. What is this?’
It may be very touching in some ways, but in the current situation where
everything was a lie, it was nothing more than a cheap tear-jerker.
My cheeks started to turn red for nothing.
Sun Hee-young, who seemed to be feeling a sense of responsibility for some

reason, and Ahn Ki-mo and Kim Ye-ri, who had always sent mischievous
expressions, had determined expressions for some reason. The same could be
said for Kim Chang-ryul and Yoo Ahyoung.
In fact, despite not having such great contact with Kim Chang-ryul, he
seemed to have decided to be with me. Jung Hayan kept shedding tears.
Magic scholar Hwang Jeong-yeon was also standing there with a warm smile.
‘You don’t have to do this coming in groups. You guys…’
They even started talking one at a time as if they had all combined.
There was no need to explain that I felt like my limbs were gone.
“I’m okay, too, Vice Guild Master. Hahaha. I’ve received a lot of help in the
meantime. You’re also the one who helped me to be in this guild. This time,
it is my turn. No matter how dangerous it is, it is natural to go together.”
“Me too. I’ll go with you, uncle Kiyoung. I don’t like it… But I don’t want
you dying. And it won’t be very dangerous. Since Hyunsung… will be there.
Yes. We are also strong now.”
It was Ahn Ki-mo and Kim Ye-ri who were making an unsuitable expression.
“Me, too. I will never, never let Lee Kiyoung die. Even at the expense of my
life. I will do whatever I can.”
“Me, too. You’re the one who made the current Blue guild the way it is,
right? Researching with Kiyoung is one of the joys of my life, and I can’t
have that taken away.”
Sun Hee-young and Hwang Jeong-yeon also had their chance to talk.
I appreciated their thought, but I also started to feel like I wanted to escape
somewhere. My face was getting redder and redder by the minute. I was so
embarrassed that I was right in the middle of this tear-jerker.
“I’ll do my best, Vice Guild Master.”
“Vice Guild Master is the benefactor who made me now. I want to be helpful
this time.”
Kim Chang-ryul and Yoo Ahyoung also sported determined faces.
Instead, an ambiguous face like Cho Hyejin would be more beneficial to my

mental health.
Han Sora looked like she didn’t want to come, but she was watching the
situation from behind as if she had just realized the atmosphere.
“Hic. Hic!”
Jung Hayan, who shed tears without saying anything, was a bonus.
I don’t know why she’s here, but even Princess Elena was shedding tears.
While waiting for the quick end of this cheap tear-jerker that couldn’t be seen
without tears, Park Deokgu and Kim Hyunsung, who inhaled Blue feelings
with lethal doses, quietly approached and patted my shoulders.
“I will never let you die. Never.”
“I think it is decided. Look. Kiyoung is not alone.”

‘Not alone, my ass.’
I wanted to leave this place.
However, I was forced to nod and drop a tear because of those serious faces.
It was a perfect checkmate. I wanted to resist a little more, but I couldn’t say
anything else at this place.
Naturally, I opened my mouth in the end. A voice that sounded like I was
very moved came out without my knowledge.
“Everyone… thank you very much.”
It was a time when it can be called a crisis, both externally and internally.
It was the moment when the expedition caught in a big lie took the first step
to the elves’ home to recover my body.
I didn’t know when it would be, but perhaps history would remember an
event like this. I meant, as the warriors who risked their lives to save the hero
of light from a crisis.
‘From now on, I should refrain from lying.’
It was only half sincere.
‘For something like this.’

Chapter 345
[I’ve released 10 chapters today as a Promo for the Premium Chapters. We’re
going to hit Chapter 500 on Wed! For those who are following on Discord,
the AT service is hyper-expanding in capacity and in staff as an attempt to
firmly establish ourselves as a translation site. Purchasing chapters doesn’t
only fund our very ‘active’ release rate, but also gives us funds to improve
and better compensate the team. This is also an attempt to expedite our new
website revamp as full-stack Devs are f%$$%#$ expensive. Btw- I have no
idea what those criticisms of our MC on NU are about. Are they reading the
same novel as us?]
Chapter 345: Crying wolf (4)
In fact, it wasn’t that I didn’t think about my final resistance, but everything
happened so fast that I couldn’t even take any countermeasures.
It was very heartbreaking to see the guild members prepare for the expedition
immediately after the meeting was over.
Of course, the tears were not from the guild members’ suffering. Instead, to
be perfectly honest, I wanted the guild members who pushed me to the wall
to suffer a little more.
I was hoping that the elves would refuse my trip to Eberia, but even that was
ruined. On the elf’s side, they were welcoming us with open arms instead. I
didn’t know if they really asked what our party wanted, but it would have
been the best news for the elves who were worried about the welfare of
Princess Elena.
Of course, the elf called Ludwig didn’t look very happy, but after Princess
Elena’s fierce argument, the weak opposition had automatically become
smashed.
It was no wonder that the Three Kingdoms Alliance also proceeded very
smoothly. With the elves, Oscar and Pristina, who decided that they couldn’t
be delayed for a day, moved quickly.
Even the country leaders were doing their best to put me into the pit of
Eberia, so everything had gotten solved easily.
The speed at which the Holy Democracy State, the Kingdom of Laios, and
the Kingdom of Eberia were hindering complicated documents was faster
than my act of gathering energy for a change of posture. As a result, everyone
was satisfied.
It was an alliance that was neither favorable nor disadvantageous to anyone.
[Success of the Three Kingdoms Alliance, the first step toward harmony
between different races.]
[On the 26th, the alliance between the Holy Democracy State, the Kingdom
of Laios, and the Kingdom of Eberia were concluded. Each country’s leader
expressed great satisfaction that the alliance was formed much faster and
more flexible than expected. In particular, the transformation of the Kingdom
of Eberia, which had been exclusive to humans, surprised many. The
declaration of the Three Kingdoms Alliance was read aloud at a convention
held in the royal city of Laios, and a step into a new utopia amid the cheers of
the people. “This is a small step, but it is a big step toward improving
relations with the different races,” said Oscar, the State leader.]
[Since then, the Three Kingdoms Alliance condemned the Republic that was
protecting the demon summoner Jin Qing and appealed to join them in the
extinction of black magic on the continent. While everyone is paying
attention to the Republic’s future movements, which are still sparing words,
the Three Kingdoms Alliance plans to formally refer this matter to the
Continental Court on the 29th. -Reporter Kim Seong-gyeong of the Lindel
Daily]
‘Shit.’
It took less than a day for the documents to be stamped, and the article had
come out.
The content was also very satisfactory, and I liked the plan to refer this matter
to the Continental Court, but dissatisfaction arose naturally.
If they could have finished it so quickly, I would like to ask why they had
been delaying so far. It could have been possible because each of the articles
had gotten conceded by the State and Laios, but I couldn’t understand the
elves who accepted it without any suspicion.
In a way, it could be seen as an advantage. It was no different than the fact

that I had made the three kingdoms.
“It’s time to leave, Kiyoung-ssi.”
I wanted to take a little more time, but Kim Hyunsung didn’t even bother
giving me a small margin.
“Let’s go together.”
“Yes. How are the preparations?”
“The preparations are perfect. The guild members were also in better
condition than ever. They are very passionate, especially around Deokgu. He
is already passionate, but this time he is more enthusiastic than usual.”
‘Park Deokgu, this bastard, is the worst.’
“You don’t have to worry too much. It won’t be a big deal.”
“Yes…”
It was such a sight to see him holding me up with one arm even though I
could walk by myself.
Kim Hyunsung tried to give me strength as if he thought the reason I had no

strength was that I was sick. I began to feel embarrassed.
‘I’m not sick. It was all lies.’
Even if I were to come and shout out now, no one would believe me. There
seemed to be nothing in the mind of the lovely returner other than the idea of
treating me.
As we keep moving, I could see people glancing at me.
Even though it was still early in the morning, rumors had already begun to
spread.
It was news that the Blue Guild was leaving on an expedition to recover the
body of the hero of light, Lee Kiyoung.
I didn’t know where the rumors had originated, but I thought it might be Park
Deokgu with a high probability for some reason. As we moved a little further,
the guild members, Elena, and other major figures from each country were
visibly waiting in front of the royal castle’s gate.
Yuno Kasugano, who was chatting with Hee-ra, Lee Ji-hye, Oscar, and
Pristina, was looking at this place from a distance.
It went without saying about the papal officials.
It looked like they had been waiting for me since dawn, but it was not easy to
exchange greetings one by one. Cha Hee-ra, who seemed to be under the
weather, looked at me, and patted my back, and Yuno Kasugano also lowered
her head.
Although Oscar had said some words of blessings, it honestly didn’t get into
my ears. The high priests of the State and others were also similar.
Of course, I tried not to lose my business smile, but I didn’t need to explain
that a smile with bitterness, which was inherent, popped out.
In fact, it seemed as if that face suited better. Suddenly, I started to hear a

sniffing sound from somewhere.
Lee Jihye seemed desperately holding on to laughter, but she was showing
off her acting skills as she was shedding tears.
‘She’s really…’
I could bet on it.
If Elena were to see Lee Jihye, she might even vomit blood. It was a shame to
be unable to do so.
In fact, I wanted to bring people who could help me a little more, but
unfortunately, the situation was that only the Blue Guild members could go
on the expedition.
Kim Hyunsung held back other people’s participation, and honestly, I agreed
with that decision. It was because we needed people to take charge of the
field before we ended our expedition in Eberia.
Anyway, the overall atmosphere was like a mourner’s house. However, they
also seemed to have some hope. Incessant encouragement was poured out to
Kim Hyunsung, who was in charge of this expedition, and the expedition
opened the gates of the royal palace to take a step forward.
‘Oh, don’t do this. What kind of tear-jerker is this?’
A spectacular and magnificent sight came into view.
‘Please don’t do this. Don’t attack my conscience. You bastards. ‘
In fact, my conscience was fine. It was because I had seen the endless flow of
Laios people before.
There was no crowd shout as it was a very solemn atmosphere.
Honestly, it would have been a pleasant sight if it were the usual, but I didn’t
feel well for some reason. In fact, when I saw the gathering when I was
passed out, I cheered, but the situation was the opposite compared to then.
Everyone waving their hands and cheering for me looked like the demons of
hell, shouting that the time to be punished had come.
“It looks like they gathered more than last time? That’s great…”
“Yeah.”
“As expected from Hyung-nim.”
Park Deokgu, next to me, began to mutter, and Jung Hayan nodded. Kim
Hyunsung was still sticking to my side as we walked.
Voices kept popping out from everywhere. At first, it was just a small voice,
but the voices began to grow louder as time passed.
“B-Be strong.”
“Cheer up! I will pray.”
“Thank you. And I hope that you will come back to Laios in full form! I will
pray every day for the Honorary Cardinal.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
“Laios will not forget you. Please stop by again.”
“Don’t lose hope. Thanks to Lee Kiyoung, we didn’t lose hope. Please do not
lose hope.
“You will be able to overcome it. If it’s Lee Kiyoung, you will surely
overcome it!”
Honestly, it was spectacular. People were standing densely in all places

except on the path our expedition were to pass by. Some screamed from the
windows of the houses, and even people on the roof can be seen.
All they had in common were their tears.
The Laios’ guards seemed to have a hard time controlling the crowd, so there
was no need to say anything else.
It was then that a little kid broke out of the line.
Instantly, the guards rushed to stop the kid, but in the meantime, the cursed
brain of having to manage the image began to move first. When I quietly
went to stop the guard, the little kid stepped over and gave me a letter and a
bar of chocolate.
[Thank you, Champion of the Light. Thank you for saving my mom and dad,
and for saving me, too. I heard that you’re hurt a lot. I hope to see you again
in a healthy way. I will pray every day.]
It was crooked writing. The font sizes were also different, but from the kid’s
point of view, there were signs of trying to write as straight as possible.
‘This is too much.’
Nevertheless, my wall of conscience did not collapse. I could see the cute
hand clenching her fist and talking to me.
“Cheer up! Cheer up!”
“What is your name?”
“Leah, I’m Leah. You must stay healthy, warrior!”
“Thank you.”
I finished by nodding and patting her head once.
Although bitterness came up once again, Kim Hyunsung seemed to think that
I was having a complicated idea. He turned his head slightly and smiled.
“I wanted to show you this scene.”
‘This was your work.’
“Everyone is hoping that Kiyoung’s body will be healthy as soon as possible.

Look at them. There are so many people who support you.”
‘I can see it too, Hyunsung.’
“I will do my best, too. I hope that Kiyoung will not lose hope.”
‘I have never lost…’

“Be relieved, everyone! We will definitely return him to normal! Everyone
rest assured! Ugh…”
“Please, Park Deokgu!”
“Trust me! I will definitely bring him back to my health! I will definitely save
him!”
“You can overcome it! Lee Kiyoung!”
In the meantime, Park Deokgu screamed loudly, and cheers popped out
again.
Park Deokgu couldn’t figure out why he was crying, but he kept raising the
atmosphere. The greater the cheering, the more the guild members had a
strange sense of duty.
‘Shit.’
“Let’s go, everyone.”
Our group’s morale was strong.
Unlike the Blue Guild members, who constantly grew to adapt in whatever
situation they were to face, anxiety was constantly blooming inside me, as
much as the sound of cheering from afar.
[12 more chapters will be uploaded later today when I get back! Cheers!]
Chapter 346
Chapter 346: The Elves’ City (1)
“How are you feeling, Honorary Cardinal?”
“Yes, I’m comfortable. I can’t remember when was the last time I was able to
be so comfortable. I’m in a very good mood.”
Of course, it was all ironic, but Elena didn’t seem to notice the thorns in my
words. She smiled widely as if she was happy upon hearing my response. She
sent a divine power that I hadn’t heard of while thinking that she had a
rewarding time today.
It looked like she was treating a leprosy patient. She seemed to put up with it,
but I could see her mouth slowly opening as if my disgusting energy was not
disappearing. As we had been in an enclosed space for a long time, it was
frankly amazing to endure this much.
I didn’t know why my soul was disgusting, but considering that she let
everything inside her out as soon as she met me, she could be said to be
courageous to hold on so far.
“Can I go get some air? Ugh.”
The sound that came after leaving the wagon with a smile was a spectacle.
“Ugh. Ugh.”
‘I can hear everything…’
“Blaaarrggghhh.”
‘I can hear everything…’

“Blaaaar… ggghh.”
“Elena-nim… Elena-nim.”
“Sigh… Sigh… Yes.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Ludwig.”
“You don’t have to overdo it.”
“No, Ludwig. Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung will be having a harder time
than me. I have to work hard as the mission was given to me. I can’t even say
that it’s hard at all. Haha…”
“But… Elena, he’s…”
I couldn’t hear his voice as if he realized that he hadn’t used soundproofing

magic, but it was like locking the stable after the horse was stolen.
‘There is no such nightingale.’
I couldn’t hear them, but I think I could tell what they were talking about.
Perhaps Ludwig and her attendants were telling her that she needed to take a
break, and Elena, united with her strange sense of mission, was nodding her
elongated head, saying it was all okay.
In fact, this treatment was a trivial process of sending her divine power, but
to her attendants, it would seem as if their princess was stepping into a space
full of twisted, deadly plagues. It was hard for them to see the princess
vomiting several times a day.
It was too harsh even for me to think of, but perhaps over there, they would
think it was even worse.
As I glanced at the window, I started to see the landscape constantly

changing. It seemed like I was on a train. It was not unreasonable to be fast
because it ran with a horse with various buffs pulling the carriage. Even the
wagon didn’t feel shaken. I couldn’t imagine how hard the guild’s wizards
and priests were trying to maintain it like this.
I bet it would feel more comfortable to just march.
‘Because there is no need to do this.’
Of course, even if I were to say that I was okay in the current situation. It was
nothing more than an empty cry. In the meantime, I said countless times that
I felt like I was getting healthy, but all were ignored. In fact, by now, I had
come to the point where I had to keep lying. Pretending to be fine all of a
sudden could look strange, so I was still maintaining my previous state.
Of course, I was slowing down the cycle of my seizures, little by little, to

show that Elena’s treatment was working, but all the other guild members
were unsure, thanks to this elf princess, which stiffened her complexion.
Come to think of it, the last time I had a seizure was 11 hours ago.
The seizure cycle was gradually slowing down from the first 8 to 11 hours, so
it would be appropriate to have a seizure by now. I didn’t want to do it
because I felt sick for some reason, but I quietly adjusted my breath and tried
to crumple my whispering voice into my throat.
The point was that I didn’t want to be noticed. The current Light Kiyoung
was a person who wanted to hide as much as possible that he was sick from
his teammates. He repressed a miserable scream and twisted his whole body,
much like when someone was watching. He moved enough to appear in a
major zombie movie. It was a move that deserved an acting award to me.
“Ah… Ah…”
Of course, the unbearable screams started to leak out. As the door rattled
open, seeing Elena appear once again seemed to confirm my voice.
“Lee Kiyoung! Lee Kiyoung!”
“Ahhhhhh!”
“Ludwig! Please hold onto the arm of the Honorary Cardinal.”
“Okay.”
“Once again, erosion seems to be going on. Please be patient, Honorary

Cardinal. I am with you. I am with you.”
“Ugh.”
It was no wonder that she bit her lips tightly and shed a few drops of tears. Of
course, Princess Elena herself was crying, and she was pushing her divine
power over here.
“You will be able to overcome it, Lee Kiyoung. You have to fight.”
“Gasp…”
“Please do not give up. Don’t accept it. Resist it to the end.”
“What. Our Hyung-nim again…”
“O-Oppa!”
It was natural that the galleries that came to see my acting first went into the
room with anxious faces.
She had a deep divine power, so it would be normal for me to look healthy
for some more time, but for some reason, this woman’s divine power was
painful. What I felt last time was not my mistake. I had been treated several
times since then until now, but it hurt for some reason. Of course, it wasn’t
annoying, so I could show a calming performance when Elena, who
eventually pulled her divine power to her limits, sighed and took her breath
away.
“Waaahh…”
“Are you okay? Hyung-nim, are you okay?”
However, afterward, my body became drowsy as if I would fall asleep. The

painting contrasted with Elena, covered with sweat, and Park Deokgu and
Jung Hayan, who were crying. Even today, the thought that I had piled up a
stack of trash was quiet, but this was the best in the current situation. For
now, I had no choice but to keep this lie.
The voice I heard when I was about to fall asleep with my eyes closed was a
spectacle. It wasn’t good news for me.
“Is he a little bit better? Is he sleeping right now?”
“Yes. Fortunately, he seems to have blacked out.”
“I want you to be honest with me. He looks a little relaxed now, but the
seizure cycle is noticeably longer… wasn’t it first aid, for now?”
“No. I would like to say good news, but it is not. Of course, it is welcome that
the cycles are getting longer apart, but… the condition did not get better. The
inside is still contaminated and twisted that I can’t see with my eyes. Rather, I
feel like he’s increasingly resisting my strength. I couldn’t imagine it would it
be so rotten… it may be difficult to improve his condition simply on my own
completely.”
“Then…”
“Yes. There is still erosion going on, and it is still dangerous.”
“Uh, what should we do?”
“How do I tell you… for now, I will try to reach with my strength.”
“Well, thank you very much. Heartily …”
“I always tell you, but there is no need to say that. It was a job given to me.”
“Oh! A-And I want to ask you one more thing…”
“You can talk.”
“Time, how much time is left… does he still have time?”

“…I can’t exactly know that. Will it be tomorrow or a year later? For now, I
have no choice but to hope that Lee Kiyoung Lee will endure it. It all
depends on the will of the Honorary Cardinal.”
“T-Then it won’t be a problem. I don’t know anything else, but Hyung-nim

has a strong mentality. Erosion, contamination, or whatever, he’s going to
blow it all away. Probably, if you let him be, he will endure for ten years. I’m
sure he will… I can be relieved… Yes, absolutely…”
“Yes. He will definitely get through it.”
I heard Park Deokgu’s voice, who seemed to be crying, and sensed Jung
Hayan, who was busy rubbing my hands. In fact, I had heard such a
conversation more than once or twice, but it had soon become burdensome.
‘No, not much time left, my ass.’
I wanted to get up and dance right now, but I couldn’t even open my eyes to
the very solemn atmosphere. As this happened several times a day, it became
rather dull. In the asshole show, which had now become a daily routine, the
Blue Guild members were swaying day by day, and there was no day where
no tears ran down their cheeks.
“I think he’s having a good sleep after a long time…”
“I think it would be better to leave. There is not much left until arrival, so it
would be better to let him rest, even Jung Hayan.”
“I’ll stay in h-h-here.”
“…”
“I’ll stay h-here.”
“Jung Hayan-nim, I understand your feelings.”
“I will stay here… Hic. I will stay here.”
“Please let her stay with him for a moment.”

“But…”
“Hyung-nim will want it, too. We will arrive in a few hours anyway. Let’s
leave.”
“Yes.”
I didn’t know what the hell he meant by I was going to want it, too, but I
heard the door closed once again. It was no wonder that I had gotten tense.
This was because, in the past, when I was sleeping, Jung Hayan always did
something unusual.
However, she didn’t do anything other than lying next to me. Instead, only a
crying sound continued to resonate.
“Hic… Waaaahh…”
‘Oh, gosh.’
“Hic… Hic…”
‘Don’t cry…’
At this point, even though it was me, I was going to feel guilty. It was very
burdensome to hear only the sniffling sound in the quiet room. I want to lead
my tired body and take one more nap, but I couldn’t possibly sleep in this
atmosphere.
“Hic… You can’t be sick. Hic.”
“…”
“Hic…”
“… “
‘When will we arrive? They said we’re almost there.’
Time seemed to continue to flow, but the sound wasn’t going to diminish,
and it wasn’t until three more hours with my closed eyes that I started to hear
the sound of bustling outside.
‘Good.’
I couldn’t confirm what kind of situation it was, but the wagon’s speed that
was running crazy seemed to be gradually decreasing. We were close to the
Kingdom of Eberia. Jung Hayan, who had only been crying, got up.
I didn’t know exactly what she was doing, but she was probably looking out
of the window. At one point, the carriage stopped, and I heard the sound of
the door opening.
“Nuna, it seems like we arrived. You should come outside…”
“How about Oppa?”
“I guess he has to stay a little…”
“No, Deokgu. I’m awake.”
“Gasp… You can sleep a little more. Why are you already…?”
“We’ve arrived, and I have to see what the Eberia Kingdom looks like.”
As soon as I got up, Jung Hayan grabbed my arm. Park Deokgu also started
to treat me like a baby bird. Eventually, I got out of the wagon, but
everyone’s treatment had begun to make me feel uncomfortable.
“Welcome to the Kingdom of Eberia, everyone.”
“Welcome.”
At the forefront, Kim Hyunsung was talking with someone while shaking
hands, and Cho Hyejin and others were no different. In fact, what caught my
eyes more than the guys was the current background surrounding me.
An eye-catching scenery unfolded before my eyes.

“Wow…”
My jaw had unconsciously dropped.

Chapter 347
Information about elves was extremely limited. This was because they were
the most veiled among the heterogeneous peoples who maintained a closed
policy, and I could not even say that their relationship with humans was
good. After Castle Rock was turned upside down, it became difficult to find
elven slaves in the State, but in fact, elves were traded in secret somewhere
on the continent.
As the situation was like this, the elves had chosen to hide about themselves,
and as a result, the forest of the elves had become an unknown land except
for them. I was indeed quite surprised when I first saw Laios. However, the
Kingdom of Eberia was showing a more overwhelming sight than I had
initially imagined.
‘Really…’
It was a natural scene that was truly awe-inspiring. The lush green forest, the
colorful flowers, and the large trees of different sizes were difficult to look up
at the ends, and the air entering the lungs was also different.
It was ridiculous for me to use this expression, but it felt like my whole body
was purified. Of course, it was not actually purified.
The most impressive thing was the large tree located in the center of the city.
The tree, whose size could not be determined, was strangely harmonized with
the surrounding scene, creating a perfect picture.
‘World Tree?’
That was the World Tree that had only been heard by rumors. I had never
heard of a tree emitting a faint light, so it must be it. In the meantime, Elena
was holding her ears punctuated, but she seemed to be in a good mood.
I felt good coming to a place with good air after wandering around in the
trash. As I looked around here and there, I turned to the voice I heard, and a
face that seemed familiar for some reason came into sight.
‘They look alike.’
It was a man with emerald hair and eyes like Elena. Anyone could see his
connection with her.
After greeting Kim Hyunsung, the leader of the group, he turned to me. He
was 300 years old. The age difference was not so big to say that he was her
father, so I thought I could probably think of him as her sibling. The peculiar
thing was that the force he had was considerable. He was a capable person
who had reached a level similar to the Eight Seats of the State or the Five
Tiger Generals. There were some other strong players besides him, but I was
very happy to be able to see someone talented who could be used as the front.
“Welcome to the kingdom of Eberia, Lee Kiyoung-nim.”
“And you are…?”
“I’m Elios Eberia. You can call me Elios.”
“It is an honor to meet you…”
“No. There is no need to express courtesy. It’s an honor to meet you. More
importantly, I heard you are not very well…”
“It’s embarrassing, but… that’s correct.”
“I don’t know what to say… I’m sorry.”
“It’s not that serious to worry about.”
“I also saw Lee Kiyoung fighting through the Goddess’s’ Mirror. On behalf
of our elves, I would like to express my gratitude.”
“I just did what I had to do.”

Our greetings were a bit stiff. I started to feel like some of them were truly
wary of us.
“Let’s move first. I will guide you where you’ll be staying.”
“Okay.”
Armed men can be seen covering this place. It was to protect us, on the
surface, but I also thought that it was to protect the other elves from us.
Interestingly, the other elves were watching us as if they were looking at zoo
monkeys. It was the same with the little elves who were gathered all over the
place, but those looking at us from the strangely shaped building also stood
out. Some were gossiping, and others were cheering. Looking at their
reaction…
‘Does it mean that half of them are welcoming?’
In other words, it meant that the other half were not welcoming. I felt that
they were more vigilant than rejecting us, but it had the same meaning. While
we were walking slowly, I saw Elios opening his mouth again.
“This is the first time humans have come here since 556 years ago.”
“…”
“It’s not a long time, but it’s going to be amazing enough for children. I hope
you don’t get offended. Of course, some occasionally express hostility…”
“I can understand.”
“I’m glad you understand. In fact, when I heard that you were visiting here, I
felt a little worried, but rather… I also think it’s a good thing. Everyone has a
certain level of aversion to humans. Of course, it’s not a hatred of the heroes
of light, but our people still remember the pain. It’s even more so if you think
about the fact that we can still see cross-racial hunters outside of the royal
palace and that cross-racial slaves are being traded somewhere.”
“…”
“Of course, I know that the State is one of those countries that have adopted a
ban on the slave trade, but most of the elves will not make that distinction.
It’s heartbreaking for me, too, but for some elves, humans… are just greedy
and dangerous ones.”
“These people are different from others, brother. What I saw in the Goddess’s
Mirror…”
“I know that, Elena. I am not trying to blame our guests right now. I am just
explaining the truth.”
‘He’s not just doing that…’
Of course, this elf named Elios did not show hostility to us, but the
conversation just now may contain a lot of hidden things. In short, he told me
to be quiet. Certainly, although the Three Kingdoms Alliance was formed,
the temperature difference felt by that side, and this side seemed to be
different.
‘Things got interesting.’
I literally meant it.
‘There seems to be something wrong…’
It was just a simple idea, but it was still a good guess. Although they stamped
the document, if I looked at those agitated by the fact that only a few humans
were here, I could see what the atmosphere was like. It may be that they
simply reached out to face a great threat, but it was likely that they also had
external or internal problems. I mean, they could have reached out to us
because of need.
‘What can it be?’
Of course, I didn’t see any situation right now. It seemed like a peaceful place
without contention at the moment. Besides, they didn’t look like they didn’t
have power. The soldiers’ overall level seemed to be high, and there were
many useful archers among them. The proportion of summoners that were
not easily found on the human side was higher than that of wizards.
To be honest, this was one powerful country. Also, considering that the
barriers spreading near the city were also of high quality, it was questionable
as to why they asked to join the Three Kingdoms Alliance.
‘There must be a reason.’
When I tried to think again in a situation where the background knowledge

around me was insufficient to guess various things, I heard a voice again.
We’ve arrived at the accommodation in no time.
“As long as you stay in our kingdom, you can stay here. Today, relieve your
fatigue, and I’ll schedule a meeting with the King. Oh, I won’t stop you from
looking around the city during your spare time, but I hope you don’t
approach restricted areas.”
“Okay.”
“I will guide them directly to the city, brother.”
“No, you should see our father for a moment, Elena. I think it would be better
to leave the guests’ guidance to Ludwig.”
“But…”
“Father is waiting. Then, everyone, have a relaxing time…”
“Wait, Elios-nim.”
It was then that Kim Hyunsung suddenly spoke.
‘What? Hyunsung, why are you doing this again…’
“If possible, I would like to see His Majesty separately now.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I know it’s rude, but it’s an urgent thing. Could he…”

“It’s late now…”
“Please.”
‘…What’s up with you, man?’
It was certainly sudden for him to continue to ask for permission. I didn’t
know what the hell it was, but Elios looked disconcerted, and I didn’t even
need to say anything about Elena’s face. I didn’t know, but it was undeniable
that it was something related to me.
It may be unreasonable to say that it was rude behavior, but he would not
disagree that the atmosphere had changed a little. I could see Elios’s face
while talking once more. It was clearly different from before. It was a look
that seemed to be wary of something.
“Can I hear why, first?”
“His Majesty will be able to understand if he hears it himself, Elios-sama.”
“…”
“There won’t be any harm done towards Eberia.”
“…”
“…”
A long silence followed. Kim Hyunsung was quietly looking at Elios, and so
was Elios. It was then that the tall elf sighed loudly.
“If you say so, I will submit a request. Kim Hyunsung, please follow me.
Elena, you go back to your room for a minute…”
“No. I will stay with them.”
“Elena.”
“I think you’ve heard the situation roughly, brother. My will remains

unchanged.”
“Sigh…”
His head must be hurting. I feel sympathy naturally. I know very well how he
felt. In the end, it seemed that he could not overcome his sister’s
stubbornness.
After Elios nodded to us and started to walk, I saw the back of Kim
Hyunsung following the guy. It was a sight to see him glancing at me. His
face looked like someone who was going to an important interview, and it
was filled with solemnity.
‘What on earth is it?’
It was true that I was anxious because there was no information. I thought
something was going on, but I didn’t expect him to act so fast. He even
needed to be alone with the King. I was worried that he would suddenly say
to hand over the kingdom’s treasures, but even though the situation was
urgent, I would not make an irrational move to that extent.
‘This is nerve-wracking… It’s making me nervous about sending him

alone…’
I wanted to follow along, but I was already tightly stuck with others. I hope
that the way to heal my body was not found. I thought it would be perfect if
this were finished in moderation, not becoming something too big.
In the meantime, Elena was busy guiding the other guild members while
checking my condition, and the other guild members were also having
conversations, but I couldn’t hear them. This was because I was worried that
the uncomfortable situation would become even more uncomfortable.
Of course, as always, my sad hunch had never been wrong.
An hour passed after Kim Hyunsung went outside. Then, I started hearing
busy noises somewhere. It felt like the armed men were heading this way. As
I naturally looked at Elena, I could see her nodding and looking outside the
door.
“Excuse me for a moment, Elena-nim.”
“What is this doing now?!”
“Please forgive the rudeness.”
“Put that weapon down from your hand right now!”
There were noisy sounds from outside. I couldn’t figure out what was going
on, but I could tell one thing for sure.
‘What the hell did Kim Hyunsung say?’
Our lovely returner had indeed made an irrational move.

Chapter 348
As I concentrated my magic on my ears, I started to hear a loud sound from

the next room. Armed knights rushed into the room in an instant.
‘Fuck… What the hell did he say?’
Instantly I put my hand into my arms. It was only a matter of seconds to

decide whether it was better to throw the Dragon Breath potion.
Princess Elena was constantly shouting as if she felt greatly embarrassed, but
she didn’t seem to be that helpful.
“I have clearly told you to put down your weapon!”
“It is an order from Elios. We’re not trying to do any harm. It is in order to
protect the guests for a moment.”
“Is that the attitude of those who want to protect now? It doesn’t matter if it’s
an order from my brother. I will not stand it anymore.”
“I’m sorry, Elena-nim. I think you should stay, too.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry.”
I didn’t know what the hell was going on.
Of course, I didn’t feel the murderous intentions towards us from those elves,
but I couldn’t feel comfortable with them trying to detain us.
‘It looks like everything is ruined.’

Naturally, I was seriously worried about whether I should escape from here.
That was when the wall on the side collapsed.
The thing that emerged through the walls was holding a large shield.
“Vice Guild Master!”
It was Yoo Ahyoung.
Next to her was Kim Chang-ryul, wearing a mask as always.
“Come over this way. Quick, this way!”
Naturally, I got up and hurried. I could feel Yoo Ahyoung tightly grasping
my body.
I could feel her, but it was impossible to think something differently in such a
crazy situation. As soon as I grabbed Elena’s hand, she also came to this side.
“Ahhh!”
“What the hell is going on?”
“I-I’m not sure either. Why suddenly. Suddenly…”
“A trap? Is it a trap? Vice Guild Master?”
“I don’t know. Ahyoung-ssi, do you know where others are?”
“I do, Vice Guild Master.”
Kim Chang-ryul was the one who answered. Contrary to his name, his talent
was not lame. Whatever it might be, I had to open my mouth quickly as
opening the road was an urgent priority.
“We’ll try to avoid killing as much as we can.”
“Okay.”
The explanation was indeed concise, and the answer was short.
Immediately, Yoo Ahyoung put on the helmet that had been loose on the bed
and started running. Kim Chang-ryul also prevented the elves from entering
through the wall where Yoo Ahyoung had made a hole.
Interestingly, their level was way higher than I thought.
I thought it wouldn’t be bad if I looked at them carefully with my Mind’s

Eyes when I had a chance, but it was impossible in the current situation.
As soon as I chanted the spell and flicked my fingers, the tail of a large
dragon protruded from the floor and filled the wall that Kim Chang-ryul was
blocking.
Despite not instructing anything else, Kim Chang-ryul stuck to the door with
Yoo Ahyoung and began to break through the troops that were in the crowd.
“Come over here, Vice Guild Master!”
“Let’s look for Hayan first.”
A great flow of magic power emanated even before I finished talking. Of

course, only Jung Hayan could move this level of magic power.
‘What is she planning now?’
No wonder I opened my mouth with a loud voice.
“Don’t kill!”
I shouted, but I don’t know if she heard it.
I waited for the magic to fall out of anxiety for a moment, and fortunately, the
magic power disappeared as if she could hear my voice.
I didn’t know what this situation was right now, but I prevented the big magic
from falling for now.
I didn’t think I could say it was instead, but…
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
With this sound, a few of the elves on one side could be seen bounced out.
It seemed that she simply injected her magical power and pushed away the
oncoming troops. The place where the binge was heard was clearly from Jung
Hayan’s room.
“Let’s go to the place where we heard the sound.”
“Okay.”
In my words, Yoo Ahyoung tapped the helmet again, and the face cover on
top of the helmet had come down with a click.
I was worried if she was seeing properly, but I don’t have to worry about it in
the first place. Her appearance immediately starting to move was quite
impressive.
Wearing heavy armor and the way she was swinging the hammer, she could
be called the main tanker rather than a blacksmith. She also seemed to have
been influenced by Park Deokgu and Kim Hyunsung a lot, seeing her
movements.
Since her talent was outstanding in the first place, it was not strange that she
had grown to this extent.
Of course, the same was true for Kim Chang-ryul, who ran around whilst
doing what Yoo Ahyoung couldn’t do.
‘Are we doing well with this?’
What bothered me was that they really did not seem to have any intention of
killing us.
However, the situation was clear just by sending an armed army. I didn’t
know if it was really only to contain us, or to protect us.
‘It would be better to find the others first.’
At least, it had been correct to listen to them when all the guild members
were gathered together.
When I flicked my finger again, the dragon’s head popped out. However, this
time, magic was gathered at the dragon’s mouth…
“It’s the B-Breath!”
“Get out of the way!”
There was no way I could shoot something like the Breath.
Yoo Ahyoung led me, and quickly we went between those who moved to
space where we could escape and those who realized that they were deceived
blushed, but it was already too late.
“There are four of them right around the corner.”
“Get ready, Ahyoung-ssi.”
“Okay, Vice Guild Master.”
At that moment, I was trying to push the magic power into the potion in my
arms while moving my body like a slide to be prepared if anything happens.
Yoo Ahyoung, too, tried to swing the hammer, but put her hand straight on a
familiar face.
No, to be precise, she was being blocked by a large shield.
“Gosh, you scared me, Hyung-nim! Ahyoung, you’re here, too!”
“Kiyoung-ssi!”
“Vice Guild Master!”
It was Park Deokgu, Han Sora, Hwang Jeong-yeon and Sun Hee-young.
Han Sora looked somewhat anxious while Park Deokgu and Hwang Jeong-
yeon were no different than usual.
“Are you okay? What the hell is going on?”
“I’ll find Hayan first.”
“Maybe she’ll be fine because she’s with Hyejin.”
“Did you check where Ahn Ki-mo and Yeri are?”
“Maybe they are…”
Bang!
It was then that an explosion had been heard from upstairs.
As I glanced at the window, I could see Ahn Ki-mo and Kim Ye-ri jumping
outward.
“We’re going, too.”
“Will Hayan be okay?”
“You said she’s with Hyejin. They will come down soon.”
“Oh, okay. Hold on tight, Hyung-nim.”
“Jeong-yeon and Sora, prepare floating magic.”
Before even sending a signal, Park Deokgu and Yoo Ahyoung strongly struck
against the wall with their shields and, momentarily, the wall collapsed.
While I was trying to say something, Park Deokgu grabbed my waist and
immediately fell to the ground without hesitation. Princess Elena was
screaming with her eyes wide open, as if asking what was going on, but I
wanted to ask it more.
I looked down and looked for Kim Ye-ri, but the problem was that I couldn’t
see where she went.
As I fell, I turned my head, and I saw Kim Ye-ri hanging on the wall on one
side. There was a string on her waist, and Ahn Ki-mo was hung at the end of
the wire, screaming.
Kim Ye-ri, who saw us, immediately cut the line where Ahn Ki-mo was
hanging, and she jumped.
I didn’t know how she could move in the air, but she grabbed Park Deokgu’s
shoulder and joined the party, and floating magic was used on Ahn Ki-mo,
who was falling.
Soon, Elena and I, Kim Ye-ri, and Yoo Ahyoung hanging on Park Deokgu,
came down to Sora, and Sun Hee-young immediately opened her mouth to
speak.
“Gather together.”
“Okay.”
She just said a word, but a light shined through the tightly gathered Blue
Guild members.
The buff series of divine spells were constantly pouring out, and vitality
began to grow in the body. The explanation was long, but in a series of steps
that took place in an instant, Elena’s jaw dropped.
“A-Amazing…”
I could agree with her.
Even so, it seemed that our Hyunsung had not been still while I was resting,
seeing that the growth of the party members stood out even to me.
There were also people whose stats were not completed, but they were
completely offsetting each other’s shortcomings.
However, I was surprised only for a moment.
When I turned to move on to the next route immediately, I heard Elios’ voice
approaching this side.
‘Ah…’
“I didn’t mean to attack. Please throw away your weapon.”
“Brother! What the hell is this for?”
“You stay quiet for a minute, Elena. I swear. I wasn’t trying to cause a big
problem. I just had to keep you all safe until the detailed talk was over…”
“Isn’t that the same? What the hell are you doing? We have to talk.”
“It is difficult to talk about here. First, the weapon…”
‘Damn.’
“…”
‘What should I do with this?’
It was natural to think about whether I wanted to believe or not. Looking at

Elena’s expression, she definitely didn’t know.
In general, I thought it could be a misunderstanding caused by Kim

Hyunsung, but the possibility that the elves were related to the Republic
could be excluded.
“I want to hear what’s going on first.”
“I can’t tell you here right now. Please give up. It won’t help both countries
to cause other problems anymore.”
“You have to be aware that it is you who are causing the problem right now.”
“It was never meant to threaten. If you are surprised, I sincerely apologize.”
‘It doesn’t seem like he’s lying…’
Nevertheless, I didn’t feel comfortable throwing away the weapon in my

hand.
When I was in the upper hand, it was only right to choose conversation, but
anyone could see that the current guild is in a difficult situation.
If I were to even throw away my weapon, I could be ridiculously

backstabbed. He blocked even the retreat.
It was not that I didn’t think of a picture of Elena being held hostage and
escaping, but the fact stood that I didn’t want to.
“First, I have to do something about that bastard.”
He was powerful with a level similar to at least the Eight Seats. Even if I
were to run away from here, doing something about him was the top priority.
I looked carefully in an instant, and his power was not bad. Park Deokgu and
Yoo Ahyoung stood in the front line, and Ahn Ki-mo and Sun Hee-young
could take care of the sustain. If Jung Hayan or Cho Hyejin joined us, we
could penetrate through not only him, but also the troops.
‘That bastard is the problem…’
It was when I was thinking about it that I remembered something.
‘Where’s Kim Chang-ryul again?’
He was nowhere to be seen. I wondered if he ran away by himself, but he

wasn’t that lame. I don’t know what that guy was thinking, but I think I
knew.
‘Should I do it?’
I could try. It would be more beautiful to start with a surprise attack if I was
thinking about breaking through them. Quickly, I put my thoughts into
action. As soon as I chanted the spell, the party members who noticed my
movement reacted. Elios also showed a startled expression and pulled out his
sword, but Kim Chang-ryul with a dagger jumped out in a moment.
‘Kim Chang-ryul, you cowardly bastard! Nice!’
The guy turned and grabbed Kim Chang-ryul’s hands, but the coward began
to say some memorizations with a shouting sound. I thought that I was
experiencing the miracle of the red mask he always wore, but the elf turned
his head and avoided even that. Of course, Kim Ye-ri took the chance and
quickly launched and took off the dagger from the hand of the guy holding
Kim Chang-ryul, and Park Deokgu and Yoo Ahyoung immediately grabbed
the shield and took a big step forward. The surprise attack gave me some time
to think.
‘We can break through.’
If there was a mistake in my calculation, it was that Kim Chang-ryul could

not get out of his arms completely.
Bang!
With that sound, I could see Elios crushing Kim Chang-ryul, who was stuck
on the floor.
“I am serious. Throw away your weapon. I didn’t want to do any harm.”

Chapter 349
‘Shit…’
“I will tell you again. I never intended something different.”
“…”
“…”
“If I do this, can you trust me?”
As he stepped away from Kim Chang-ryul, I could see the guy raising his
hands. He really expressed no willingness to fight.
‘Am I overreacting?’
It would not be unreasonable for me to think this way. If he really wanted to

do something to us, it would have been ideal taking Kim Chang-ryul hostage.
When I swallowed hard, Kim Chang-ryul got up and moved with an

embarrassed expression.
He had bowed his head slightly to mean he was sorry, but I couldn’t say it
was his fault. I patted him on his shoulder to mean he did well, and he bowed
his head again.
With the brief lull, all of the guild members’ eyes were focused, and
everyone was looking at me as if asking what to do. It would be a natural
reaction because I had the final decision, but in this case, everyone’s eyes felt
a little burdensome.
‘Sigh…’
In the end, I also had to step back and raise my hands. It was because I
thought that there was no hostility in him and that it would not be bad to have
a conversation.
Of course, there were minimal lines that could not be compromised.
“We won’t give our weapons. Since the situation is like this, I hope you
understand this much.”
“If that’s what you want… however, I want you to follow the control.”
“What kind of control are you talking about…?”
“You just have to answer a few questions and wait until the conversation
between my father and Kim Hyunsung is over. If you move in a way that
doesn’t make us feel threatened, I can be satisfied.”
“Has anything happened inside?”
“I’ll tell you after going inside. This is not something to be told here.”
“Okay.”
There seemed to be a reason why he couldn’t say. His face that was biting the
lips was the face that had all the worries of the world.
Anyway, this sudden happening ended futilely. I could see Jung Hayan and
Cho Hyejin walking from the entrance, but they also recognized that there
was no need to fight. It seemed to be Cho Hyejin’s judgment rather than Jung
Hayan’s judgment. She watched the situation calmly.
“Oppa!”
After giving her a little hug, I began to walk immediately. It was a bit
embarrassing to look back at the debris made by this side and the other side,
but the feeling disappeared quickly because of the serious atmosphere.
Interestingly, the number of elves to control us was very small. Elios was
here, but he could be dealt with Jung Hayan alone.
If the situation were to break, the advantage lay with us. Of course, other
elves must be blocking the road outside, but we were advantageous if a battle
occurred immediately.
It was obvious as to why they were in this position because we were not
humans to trust.
‘He said he had a question…’
It was security. It must be something that others should not hear.
What he wanted to ask us was likely to be what Kim Hyunsung was currently
talking with the King of Eberia. I didn’t know if I was right or wrong, but I
would know in a moment anyway. After roughly taking a seat, I could see
him opening his mouth.
“I want you to forgive the rudeness from just before.”
“No. There were mistakes between each other. I’m glad to clear the
misunderstanding even if it’s now.”
“No. I think I was too hasty. I sincerely apologize.”
“I think there must have been a situation where you had to do that.”
“…”
“…”
“Did you hear from Elena?”
“What?”
“N-No, brother. I…”
“I’m not asking you, Elena. I am now asking Honorary Cardinal Lee
Kiyoung…”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know, brother. I don’t really understand why you are doing this. It’s
such rudeness to the heroes who prevented the continental crisis. It’s not like
us to behave like this.”
At Elena’s words, I could see Elios glancing at me. He seemed to be thinking

about whether or not to tell us.
I also thought that frustration would be relieved if I knew something, but

unfortunately, I had no information. I thought it would be better if he could at
least tell me something.
It was then that Elios, who had a stiff face for a while, opened his mouth
again after he touched his lips. There was a worried expression, but it seemed
that he calculated that we would know anyway.
“The Blue Guild Master knew about the condition of the World Tree.”
“What?”
“You really didn’t say anything?”
“I swear I don’t know about that. Why…”
“Swear to Elune?”
“Yes, brother. I really don’t know. I’ve certainly never said anything about
the World Tree.”
“Then how…”
‘Kim Hyunsung… This bastard…’
I didn’t know what happened, but I think I could tell as much that Kim
Hyunsung had made a mistake.
The conversation that he was having in the castle was a secret that only a few
elves knew.
From the elves’ point of view, it was natural that they were agitated since
humans who visited the village suddenly talked about the subject of security.
‘He thought he heard it from Elena.’
They, too, would have speculated on this issue, but it was impossible that he
would have heard it from Elena. Kim Hyunsung just told about what
happened in the first round.
“How could this bastard say just like that?”
From his point of view, it was because he thought he had no time to delay,
but even so, it was impatient to talk immediately upon arrival.
If he knew the elves were hiding something, he should have done at least a
bit of preliminary work.
From their perspective, it was not unreasonable to be flustered since a

foreigner who suddenly came talked about a secret that only they knew.
‘This frustrating bastard.’
In fact, Kim Hyunsung was not so stubborn. Seeing that even when releasing
information from the first round, he only did it after creating an excuse, it
was correct to judge that he moved after at least thinking about it.
Nevertheless, I was sure that he had gotten me in mind, by all accounts, for
doing this kind of overkill.
He really was in a hurry.
‘If it’s really like this, he’ll be willing to take any risk.’
It seemed that he didn’t care about the question between us and the elves. I
didn’t even need to explain that it appeared that I was checking with my own
eyes the driving force that made him be backstabbed in the first round.
It was true that it was a little uncomfortable, but as a result, it was an action
taken for me, so I could not resent it.
Rather, it made me feel better, as he thought he had to save me by taking the

risk of getting rumors.
‘Okay, it’s my role to fix this shit. Well…’
I was hoping that the expedition itself would fall apart, but it was correct to
help him as much as it could be dealt with as an international problem.
This much was easy to be fixed. After getting a hint hearing about the World
Tree, it took me an instant to organize my thoughts.
This was probably the most appropriate excuse. I opened my mouth a little,
and immediately I could see Elios looking at me.
“He must have known something that outsiders should not know.”
“Do you know about that, too?”
“No. I don’t, but there is a point…”
“What are you…?”
“There is a foreigner in the State who can look into the future and the past. Of
course, it’s limited, but she can see what we don’t see, just like Princess
Elena.”
“…”
“I don’t know what it is about, but maybe you have heard of it. I don’t know
the details, but the Guild Master is close to the shaman of the State.”
Actually, she was a little closer to me.
“That means…”
“You can rest assured. She’s the type who doesn’t talk about what she sees. I
bet others don’t know. Even with a few knowing, there will be no harm to
Eberia.”
“How… can you assert that?”
“For reference, the fact that a shaman of the State can see the future is also a
secret that should not be told to other countries. There are fewer than ten
people in the State who know this. I think you know what I mean, Elios-
nim.”
“I see.”
This was because we were in the same boat now.
“Then, can I hear exactly what’s going on?”
“Sigh…”
“If you are uncomfortable…”
“No. It’s something you’ll know anyway… I think I can get what the
Honorary Cardinal means. That’s right. It is no longer the same time as it
used to be.”
“…”
With a slight sigh, he began to speak up in earnest. It was roughly

predictable, but I was also curious.
However, it felt different from when listening directly to him.
“Do you know how our elves could deter outside invasion for such a long
time?”
“I don’t know. If I think about what you just said to Elena…”
“Yes. It’s because of the World Tree.”
‘I already heard it and knew it, bastard.’

“To be precise, it is because of the powerful magic that the World Tree emits.
It is no exaggeration to say that our kingdom is maintained by it. Forests and
water are affected, as well as in very minor areas. You can think that it is
because of the World Tree that we have been able to continue to maintain a
closed position. The Kingdom of Eberia does not have to worry about
running out of resources.”
‘He seems to be talking in a too detailed manner…’
“The same is true of barriers that prevent outsiders from entering. The
existence of the World Tree itself was able to avoid great dangers without
large human resource consumption. Yes. Until now.”
‘So there was no separate wizard.’
Somehow I thought the level was too high.
“You’re talking in the past tense.”
“Yes.”
‘I smell something.’
It’s something simple.
“When did it start?”
“It’s been 42 years ago.”
“…”
“Starting from 42 years ago, the roots of the World Tree continue to rot.”
There was no room for denial. The fact was very simple.
No matter how much we were making a show, the elves wouldn’t have
reached out for us.
‘You guys were also having a hard time.’

It was not only the State and Laios that were in danger.
Chapter 350
If I were to think a little bit about their current situation, the answer would
come quickly.
The Eberian Kingdom had been able to live a wealthy life while maintaining
its closing policy until now, all because of the World Tree.
I had no choice but to think that something was wrong right now.
The continent’s resources were not infinite. The reason why the Kingdom of
Eberia, completely disconnected from the outside world, could continue to
develop was nothing else.
‘It means the resources are endless.’
I didn’t know with what mechanism the city was working, but it was
undeniable that most elves depended on the World Tree, and considering that
soil and drinking water were also affected, the answer was already there.
The same went for defense systems. Historically, the Kingdom of Eberia had
constantly resisted external threats. Many countries were now adopting laws
to ban the interracial slave trade, but it was not in the past.
Most of the authoritative nobles had elven slaves. There was even a precedent
that they invaded the Kingdom of Eberia on a national or territorial basis, so
there was no need to explain what the situation was like.
The World Tree was closely related to their lives as well as the existence of
the Kingdom.
However, said World Tree was rotting.
‘It can be said that it is on the verge of breaking down.’

From their standpoint, they had no choice but to find an alternative quickly. If
the World Tree collapsed as it was, the future of Eberia was almost as
obvious.
They would be struggling with resources and would not be able to cope with
external threats properly. If I exaggerated a bit, troops would be sent to bite
them from all over the place.
I didn’t know if that would become a reality or not, but at least it was enough
to make the leaders nervous.
At the same time, the Laios’ demon summonsing case bursts. The State was
still a country that could be classified as a powerful country, and the image of
Laios, who spent most of their time as a neutral country, was inevitably
better.
It meant they would have thought that joining us was their way to live. If they
could trade with the outside world, they could get out of the situation of
limited resources and even prevent other threats.
Of course, the fact that they reacted negatively to black magic also helped to
encourage the choice, but the fundamental reason lay in their own crisis.
When I looked at Elena slightly, she looked serious, but she didn’t seem to
think that the alliance had political reasons.
‘She’s naive.’
By comparison, Elios must have acted with all of this in mind.
It seemed that the State was worried that this would be a cause of concern,
but even in there, Eberia was prey that they did not want to miss.
There were many resources in the forest and the external image we could get
from joining them.
Of course, if we knew that their resources were on the verge of running out,
we would not have proceeded with the alliance on equal terms.
In a way, we were scammed. It wasn’t enough that the back was tingling, but
it was correct to say that we had suffered minor damage.
“The root of the World Tree…”
“It is still in progress. The investigation continues from the point of discovery
to the present, but the cause has not been directly discovered. At first, the
rotting area was very small, but now, about a third of the roots are completely
contaminated. The rate of erosion is very…”
“It’s fast.”
“Yes. It even continues to accelerate.”
“How much is left?”
“It’ll be gone in 30 years, if long…”
‘It’s too fast…’
They are pressed by urgent business.
“Then, Hyunsung has…”
“He said he could solve the problem.”
“You mean Hyung-ssi?”
“Yes. He’s still talking to my father.”
“Can I check it with my own eyes?”
“I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I hope you’ll stay here until his
Majesty finishes the conversation. It’s really not because I don’t trust you. I
just want you to understand that the situation is that much serious.”
“I repeat, but you don’t have to be sorry.”
This was because there was no guarantee that we would not aim for the roots;
I would have made the same choices as he did.
Rather, it was correct to think that this was not too much. Although it was a
little twisted initially, the quarantine measure was enough evidence that they
were showing sufficient consideration to us.
Of course, I felt curious about the case when things didn’t go well afterward.
‘Because Kim Hyunsung is not good at speaking.’
One way or another, I could only grasp the exact situation when he returned.
It was then that I could just hear the knocking on the door.
I was happy to see him momentarily, but I was forced to harden my

expression.
‘That bastard.’
Although it was for me, it was an undeniable fact that he acted without a
word to me.
Of course, it was Kim Hyunsung who showed up. His face, with a smile, was
somewhat proud.
‘Was he successful?’
It was only right to think that he at least elicited a positive response. Kim
Hyunsung, who entered the room with several elves, explained to the guild
members as soon as he arrived.
The elves who had come together were also having a conversation with Elios
in an atmosphere that could be said to be quite harmonious.
Naturally, I was worried that he would leave it up in his mind and then
suddenly go off. He should have been like this straight from the beginning.
When I went straight to the door with a hardened face, not looking at him, I
felt his gaze focused on me, but this method was the most effective to
uncover the secrets that he kept.
‘You don’t know why I’m angry?’
It had been a long time since Cho Hyejin’s case that I used this skill. When I
looked back for a moment, our eyes met, but I saw a bright smile as if he felt
proud, rather than if he had made a mistake.
It was only natural to frown. It was only then that he realized he had made a
mistake, and I saw him running towards this side.
It was a sight to see him following me through the door that was about to
close. Other guild members seemed to be wondering what was going on, but
they did not come inside together as if Kim Hyunsung restrained them.
“Er, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“…”
“Kiyoung-ssi…”
“…”
It was only right to ignore his voice.
“You heard about it from Elios-nim… Fortunately, things seem to have

worked out well. Of course, he said that he would think about it a little more,
but I was told that he would give a definite answer within tomorrow as soon
as possible. He also said he was positive.”
“I see. That’s great.”
“I didn’t think things would go well…”
“Ah… Yes. I see.”
When I tried to make my face harden and show that I was upset, I saw a little
anxious face like last time. I didn’t know if he was quick-witted or not, but it
seemed that he thought I would praise him if he were to achieve some results.
It was so ridiculous that I wanted to laugh. As I was organizing my thoughts

on how to speak up, I immediately heard a voice.
“Er… I’m sorry.”
“Yes?”
“I am sorry for not telling you in advance. I wanted to tell you, but it was a
little impulsive. Also… you’re not feeling well, and I didn’t thoughts.”
‘Oh, if he comes out like this, it’ll be embarrassing again…’
The appearance of apologizing for knowing that he had done something

wrong seemed to show that he also developed tolerance. In fact, I wanted to
be a little more annoyed, but the reaction seems that I didn’t even have to be.
“Sigh…”
“Hyunsung-ssi, at least, shouldn’t I know how things work…?”
“I’m sorry.”
He looked like a puppy left alone in the rain.
‘I can’t get weak.’
I thought about it, but in the end, I had to surrender at his sad shoulder. The
atmosphere was created roughly anyway. I didn’t even need to press him
anymore. When I sighed once again, I could see him glancing at me, but he
seemed to be relieved by my slightly relaxed expression.
“I don’t know how Hyunsung knows about this, but I roughly said that it
might be because of Kasugano.”
“Ah!”
“I don’t know what happened or how Hyunsung knows about this issue, but
it’s not the case that matters. At least I think I deserve to know what will
happen in the future.”
‘Considering how much I have done so far.’
Of course, considering that he didn’t have the time to make excuses, he

wouldn’t have been able to talk about this easily. He still seemed to want to
hide the fact that he was a returner.
“I… I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“No. It’s not because I want to get an apology. Yes. Never. Didn’t I tell you
clearly?”
“What do you mean…”
‘This slow bastard.’
He didn’t seem to realize that if there was anything he would be hiding, it

was an expression to pay the tax quickly. As soon as I hardened my face, I
could see him showing off the dog’s expression in the rain.
I was forced to open my mouth again because he seemed to be able to

understand only if I were to speak directly one more time.
“I told you that I deserve at least to hear what will happen in the future.”
“…”
“…”
“But…”
“…”
Although he seemed to be wondering, it seemed he thought it was only right

to talk about it in the end. I could see him opening his mouth carefully.
“I don’t know how far you have heard it, but…”

“I heard that you said you could solve the current situation in Eberia.”
“Yes. I know roughly the reason. Of course, I am not sure. It’s only
speculations…”
‘Speculation, my ass.’
The words Kim Hyunsung said was the right answer.
“It’s probably being influenced by the dungeon.”
“What?”
“It will be easy to understand if you think about the time of the Cursed
Shrine.”
I understood. Not all dungeons do, but certain dungeons affected the
surroundings just by remaining.
What I could easily guess was that a dungeon was created in the Kingdom of
Eberia. I didn’t know if the dungeon was contaminating the World Tree, or
sucking up nutrients, or if the dungeon’s reward was the key to solving this
situation. It was likely that any of the three would have a pretty high rating.
Perhaps this was the reason he described it as dangerous.
“Do you know the exact location?”
“It’s not accurate, but it’s easy to find. I hope you don’t ask how I got to
know this.”
“Okay.”
“The name of the dungeon is Twisted Demon’s Pond. Most of the main
monsters are demons, and so are named monsters. The rating is above the
legendary-grade. The dungeon strategy is the purification of the pond,
including the killing of named monsters, and you will probably be able to
heal your body there.”
‘So, it’s the third one.’
The detailed situation remained to be seen, but he seemed to believe that a

pond that could cure the World Tree could cure my disease as well.
“I see. Do you think the twisted pond can solve my problem?”
‘This is pretty good.’
I couldn’t even imagine him telling me everything like this just because I put
a little pressure on him. I thought that I could only know simple information
at best, but his current face was quite a pleasure to see.
It seemed as if Hyunsung wanted to confess something, but his voice was not
coming out properly. I realized what he was worried about and what he was
trying to reveal in an instant.
‘Right. Hyunsung. You can tell it all to your heart’s content. You know that
I’m full of understanding.’
“Are you not asking?”
“Why do I…?”
“Do you know all these things?”
“Yes.”
“It’s fine.”
“What?”
“It’s okay if you don’t tell me. It would be a lie if I said I’m not curious, but I
don’t want to make you troubled.”
‘This is the correct answer.’
In response to my trusting response, Kim Hyunsung looked moved.
He even looked to be feeling guilty. It seemed to be telling whether it was

only right to continue lying to me, who gave him such infinite trust. It felt
like his eyes looking at me were somewhat changing. It was then that he
nodded and opened his mouth.
“Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Yes.”
“So…”
‘Bingo!’
“It may sound ridiculous. But in fact…”
It was natural to cheer inside, but it didn’t last long, either.
“Hyung-nim!! Hyung-ssi!! Please, come out!”
The appropriate intruder appeared at the right time.
‘That son of bitch is really…’
Without realizing it, I clenched my fists tightly.

Chapter 351
Chapter 351: Kim Hyuna (1)
‘I don’t know if that pig bastard is helpful or not.’
He could be helpful in decisive moments, but he could also be a blow to

unexpected situations.
This was the moment where I could finally hear the words that Kim
Hyunsung had returned from his mouth. He must have worked very hard.
It was evident that he was trying to unlock the treasure chest impulsively
without even knowing it in a subtle atmosphere. This short break would give
Kim Hyunsung time to think again.
While I was driving him into the wall, an obstruction came out. Of course, it
was not the time to say that it was too late.
‘It’s still possible.’
Naturally, I opened my mouth while looking at Kim Hyunsung immediately.
“What you were trying to tell me…?”
“…”
“…”
“No, it’s nothing.”
‘Damn.’
“I think it’s better to tell you later. Others seem to be waiting, too, and some
problems need to be solved right now.”
‘I knew it. Fuck, I knew it.’
I wanted to ask one more time. However, I couldn’t just ask too openly. It
was unfortunate, but…
‘I guess I could be satisfied with this much?’
In fact, just having thought about revealing the truth at least once was a big
achievement to me. I think I knew how he trusted me just by trying to reveal
a secret that would be too difficult to tell anyone.
The first attempt was made, so the second and third attempts would appear a
little easier. There was still a feeling of stickiness around my mouth, but I had
to let the train go for now.
“Yes. Then next time…”
“…”
I noticed a slight nod. As Kim Hyunsung opened the door, I saw the guild
members looking at this side, turning their heads.
Of course, the most noticeable person was Park Deokgu, who had shouted
loudly. He looked happy for some reason, but it was a face that I wanted to
smack.
Jung Hayan, Sun Hee-young, and Cho Hyejin, who had also been hanging
around, also had smiles blooming.
“What’s going on, Deokgu?”
“It would be faster to hear from Elios than me. Ahem. It’s good news.”
Despite Park Deokgu’s words, Kim Hyunsung looked quite nervous. It was
then that Elios, who was talking with other elves from behind us, opened his
mouth.
“I think I have a few things to tell you. First, I would like to apologize again
and again for the rudeness from before.”
‘How many times is he going to apologize?’
It seemed like he was really sorry. Well, it was understandable since the elves
were known to have a soft personality, but at this point, I was a little tired of
it. Anyway, he started opening his mouth with a rather serious expression.
There was no need to explain that everyone’s eyes were focused on him.
From now on, his answers would determine the path to our party.
“I just received an edict from my father.”
“…”
“To start with the conclusion…”
“…”
“My father decided to accept the Blue Guild’s proposal positively.”
‘Whoa…’
“It was a message to mobilize everything Eberia can do to support the Blue
Guild… I think you have to agree to a few terms.”
‘That’s it.’
“It doesn’t matter. You can tell us right away.”
“Ah… Yes. First, it seems that the elves, including me, should move
together. To get you guys to move, it’s… I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Rather, I want to thank you.”
“Because it is natural to be nervous.”
“Then… another thing is that there is a clause that we won’t talk about this
outside. Of course, this document has no effect, but it would be nice if you
checked it at least once. The committee’s position is that they want to be
assured even in a formal way… I hope you understand.”
“Of course, I can.”
“And finally…”
“…”
“I would like you to tell the State about what you heard from the shaman.
About what Kasugano-nim saw… It may be uncomfortable, but please.”
‘Our Hyunsung is not that good at lying…’
When I turned my head and looked at Kim Hyunsung, I could see him clearly
contemplating. The thing he heard about the future through Yuno Kasugano
was a lie that I roughly put together.
It was very likely that he hadn’t even spoken with her. It was a moment when
I thought it would be better for me to come forward. Kim Hyunsung opened
his mouth with a small voice.
“It is the destruction of Eberia.”
“What?”
I could instinctively know. This bastard was not lying now.
‘Was it the first round?’
Perhaps it didn’t matter if I thought so. Elios felt the sincerity in his face, too.
I could see him immediately responding.
“Is that true?”
“I am just telling you what I heard. I also didn’t hear the exact timing, but I
was told that the Kingdom of Eberia was caught in a war disaster. There will
be a great war unimaginable, and everyone, including humanity and these
races, will struggle with this place as their final stronghold. However, I have
heard that in the end, it will not be able to withstand and collapse.”
At first glance, it sounded like a cult leader shouting about the apocalypse
and hurling curses, but his serious expression was making this absurd remark
sound convincing.
“Can you explain in more detail?”
“I haven’t heard of the cause or anything else. That’s exactly what I heard.”
“Then the World Tree…”
“It won’t rot because we are here. The future may change, Elios. What she
can see with her eyes is not the exact future. Even small actions can certainly
change. Just like now.”
‘Is it okay to think that he has grown?’
He was a bit different from the past that used to act by relying on the
information from the first round. He was confident that he could step forward
and change the future.
I had to nod in satisfaction because Kim Hyunsung’s growth was always

helping me. Of course, personal development was also important, but the
information he had revealed was also interesting.
‘The last resistance? Union?’
This was not a war between the Republic and the State as it was now. It may
probably be about Jin Qing, the masked trash, or an enemy who had not yet
appeared.
‘If it really is… is it okay to assume that the rotten World Tree has been
resolved before that?’
Of course, it was speculation. However, it was hard to believe that the

Kingdom of Eberia, where the barriers sustained by the World Tree, fell and
became the place of final resistance. Of course, it cannot be said that the
defense here was weak, but it did not feel like Castle Rock or the State, made
of high walls.
If the World Tree had completely collapsed yet chose this place as the last
place, the first round commanders were indeed shitheaded.
‘Hyunsung knows how to solve it, and…’
In the context of the situation, it was unknown whether he had been directly
involved, but it was correct to think that the World Tree had gotten cured
before Kim Hyunsung’s final resistance.
He has at least heard of it. In a nutshell, after the World Tree was healed,
there was a fight here, and in the end, humanity had gotten destroyed.
I didn’t know if there were other battles afterward, but the time when Kim
Hyunsung returned would not be too far.
There were many interesting things to think about, but there was no time.
This was because the atmosphere felt unusual.
‘Shit…’
“I see… I got what you mean. I think it’s better to discuss this matter
slowly.”
“No. I think it would be nice to talk while moving.”
“What? That means…”
“We will move right now. Elios-nim, I would like you to prepare an elven
expedition right away.”
“That’s fine, but… it must have been overwhelming for you to come a long
way… if you can just rest for a little bit…”
“We don’t have time to delay. I’ll give you short explanations and briefings
while we’re on the move.”
‘You can take a break.’
“Of course, after that, we will give you enough time to rest. All the guild
members, please get ready to leave right now.”
“Hyunsung, I understand, but… everyone is very tired now…”
“No. We’re okay.”
“We’re okay, too. We still have enough strength.”
“Well, Ki-mo, Hyung-ssi, and I have plenty of physical strength. Ahyoung

and other people are fine, too, right? Rather, I think you’re the one that needs
a little rest, wouldn’t it be better to sleep a little? If it feels a little
uncomfortable, I can carry you and move. Or I think it’s not bad to put you to
sleep with sleep magic and take you. After you wake up, everything will be
resolved. Ah! Come to think of it, does Hyung-nim even have to go?”
This was another problem I didn’t think of. As I naturally turned my head, I
could see Kim Hyunsung nodding.
“Yes. It may be hard, but I think it would be better to move with Kiyoung.
I’ll give everyone just 30 minutes.”
“I’m glad I didn’t unpack. I didn’t think we would move this fast. It’s all
because of Hyunsung.”
“I’m ready.”
“I’m ready, too.”
“Me, too.”
In fact, there was nothing to get ready for. This was because, as Park Deokgu
said, we literally didn’t have time to unpack our luggage properly. I always
thought that Kim Hyunsung was moving in a hurry, but I did not know that
this would proceed so fast. I needed time to think, so I opened my mouth, but
even that was a futile resistance.
“What about the supplies?”
“You don’t have to worry. My father told me that Eberia would give all the
support needed. Maybe my brother is arranging everything.”
“Are you coming with us?”
“Yes. Although I’m weak, I’m thinking of helping. It would be terrible if

something happens with the Honorary Cardinal while I’m away. Since there
is no one else to treat him except me… I can’t help it.”
“No. We are very sorry and grateful. But where are we going…”
“I’ll start investigating the fairy forest first.”
“You mean the fairy forest?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll have to brace ourselves and go.”
I spoke to her as I saw her strange face, and I immediately heard an answer.
“Is it a dangerous place?”
“It’s not, but…”
“Yes.”
“Because the fairies love to play around.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Come to think of it, you don’t know much about fairies. Well… they must
have been forgotten by the continental people… Of course, you won’t have to
worry too much. Although the power of the fairies is special, it does not harm
the human body… For example, it’s all about changing the body’s
appearance or changing gender for a while. Among them, some do little nasty
pranks, but they’re all basically nice.”
This had gotten a bit interesting.
Chapter 352
“It is natural that you cannot see them on the continent. The type of
environment is very important for the fairies to live.”
“You mean the environment?”
“Yes. When our long-time ancestors were active, we heard that they were
found all over the continent, but… At this time, you will not find us
anywhere except the Kingdom of Eberia. Basically, fairies can only live in
unpolluted forests.”
“Well, they’re like an extinct animal… They can only live in the top quality
water area. You mean this?”
“Yes. That’s right, Park Deokgu. Those who have lost their place in life
because of humans’ reckless development… are a little more… Ah. Sorry. I
wasn’t trying to say this…”
“No. I can’t say you’re wrong.”
“As expected!”
“But Elena… I can’t think just like that. Unlike the elves, who are protected
by the World Tree, nothing has been given to humans. Considering that all
the resources necessary to build barriers and walls come from the forest,
sacrifices would have been indispensable for human survival and
development. Assuming the elves didn’t have a World Tree, things would be
more interesting.”
“Ah.”
“The elves would have had to build barriers and build walls. There would be
no continuous fruiting, so they might have needed some land to farm to
sustain the large population. It would have been necessary to create a water
channel for drinking water, and it would have changed a lot differently than
now.”
“T-That’s reasonable.”
“Of course, nowadays, the boundaries are blurred whether it is simply for
survival or to satisfy their own greed… If humans were given the same
means as the World Tree, I think it could have been a little different from
now. I think that’s very unfortunate. When the environment changes, many
things change.”
“I see.”
“I think I talked about useless things too much.”
“No, Honorary Cardinal. I think you were telling from a slightly different
perspective, so I think it helped to broaden my narrow perspective.”
“More importantly, now…”
“Yeah. We will be entering the fairy forest by now.”
“Have we arrived already?”
“Because we came running a full day. From now on, it’s a good place to get
off because it’s a place where we can’t get in by a carriage. Jung Hayan, Sun
Hee-young, I think it would be nice to get ready.”
“Okay.”
“…”
I could see the faces of Jung Hayan and Sun Hee-young, who nodded
slightly.
‘They don’t seem to be in a good mood.’
Interestingly, Jung Hayan seemed to be less upset. Seeing that she didn’t
explode even during the constant conversations with Elena, the proposal
seemed to have worked.
Of course, it may have been decisive to think that she was now in charge of
my health.
In contrast, Sun Hee-young had a slightly darker expression, and I think I

could see why she was maintaining that expression.
‘Does she think her place was taken?’
In fact, Sun Hee-young was in the position of being my doctor before this
false bum show.
Recently, many things happened that made her fall apart from me, and she
seemed to be in an even worse mood because she was deprived of her job.
The series of processes of taking care of me was the only thing where she
could be connected to me, so it wouldn’t be too much for her to make that
face.
Of course, I don’t know if it’s still the same as before. It seemed that Sun
Hee-young was showing interest in me without making it obvious, so I was
consciously pushing her away. Seeing that she continued to maintain a dark
face, it seemed that my plan was not very successful.
She’s just not extreme compared to Jung Hayan. I need to limit my actions
considering she’s gotten a little weird. It was little by little, but I need to
prevent her from having a mental breakdown.
As I smiled, she’s smiled slightly as if she cheered up a little. A very bright

smile stood out. It’s something I’ve always thought, but certainly, her
appearance is close to my ideal type. Of course, only the look.
As I got off the wagon while having useless thoughts, I could see the party
members just starting to get off the other wagons, but in fact, this sight was
unfamiliar.
Usually, we all rode large wagons together, but we divided the people as the
road we took was hard for a large wagon to pass through. Of course, the
horizon was way more worth it to watch than that scene.
“Wow…!” Jung Hayan exclaimed.
“It’s beautiful. It’s really beautiful. This place…”
Sun Hee-young expressed. Of course, my mouth opened, too.
When I first came to Eberia, my reaction had been the same, but the
appearance of colored flowers that could not be seen on Earth was
spectacular.
“Aren’t monsters living here?”
“Yes. This is also one of the areas protected by the World Tree. Of course,
wild animals come in, but basically, it’s a place where even they don’t like to
come… As I said before, the fairies are a little bit serious. Perhaps those
without immunity were startled and left.”
“If possible, it would be better to go back quietly.”
“Okay.”
Even while I chatted for a while, the guild members unpacked their luggage
and prepared to march. As Kim Hyunsung sent a signal, the formation was
provided instantly. The elves were no different from us.
I realized that they were well-trained, but looking at it like this, I felt different
again. Even in the wagon, the two formations were quite complementary,
perhaps as if they had a separate conversation with Kim Hyunsung.
It didn’t feel like it was perfectly harmonized, but it looked like it was well
mixed. It was definitely worth a nod.
I liked it more than anything else that she regarded my safety as more
important than her being a healer. It didn’t seem to be very different from
usual, but it was a good feeling of being cared for one way or another.
Anyway, the party began to march slowly. Of course, Kim Hyunsung was at
the forefront, and I didn’t know if he had ever been here, but he was indeed
busy guiding the people.
Of course, the steps we had taken were quite cautious, not because we felt
that the situation was dangerous, but in order to avoid annoying situations. It
was true that it was boring and difficult as we continued to move on.
After a long time, I resented my cursed stamina. After taking a sip of the
stamina potion, I could see Elena looking at my frowning face.
“Honorary Cardinal, are you okay?”
“If you are feeling tired, you must speak to me. Just as the body breaks when
the soul is weakened, the opposite is possible. No, I think it would be better
to bring it to the front rather than this.”
“No. It’s fine, Elena. In fact, it’s not that hard.”
“You don’t have to refuse. It’s getting darker, and everyone is getting tired…
I think it would be nice to tell you.”
“It’s really okay, really.”
However, the rest had already been decided. As Jung Hayan tapped in front
of her and began to convey her intentions, the news was delivered to Kim
Hyunsung, who was instantly in the lead, and all the elves had begun
unpacking to find a suitable ground.
It was getting dark. It was then that the light shimmered slightly in front of
my eyes.
“Huh?”
“Oppa. Just now…”
“I saw it too, Hayan.”

It felt like a firefly. The only difference was that a small chatter was heard.
Basically, it was a language that even strangers who were equipped with
translation magic could not understand. I was a little puzzled for a while.
When I remembered what we had been talking about all day, I felt like I
could see what was in front of me.
‘It’s a fairy.’
It looked similar to what you imagined—a dragonfly a little different from

the palm of the hand with wings were constantly emitting tiny light.
It would be right to think that it looked like an elf rather than a human, and it
looked very cute.
Strangely, it seemed that a lot of them were gathering near Jung Hayan, but
considering that the place where they gathered is a forest where pure magical
power was gathered, the scene gathering around her did not seem strange.
It was a very pure arrangement, so it attracted the fairies to the temple.
“Fortunately, they didn’t gather a lot.”
“Ah. This is not a lot?”
“Yes. The days are dark, and it seems to be rewarding to move quietly.”
There were enough by my standards, but to them, it wasn’t.
‘It’s pretty.’
In the meantime, the elves were familiar while setting up a camp, and it felt
like they didn’t pay much attention to the fairies. On the contrary, most of the
Blue Guild members were glancing at their surroundings.
I had seen many amazing things so far, but this would be the first time I’ve
seen it, so it was understandable. Kim Ye-ri, who pretended that she didn’t
like cute things, was completely absorbed.
Of course, some who had suffered from the pain they gave already existed.
They robbed the red mask Kim Chang-ryul always wore, and Park Deokgu
became like a Christmas tree. Strangely, some of the fairies had begun
throwing small rocks at Han Sora, but it didn’t seem painful. Instead, she
looked quite shocked.
She, too, was a woman, so she seemed unhappy to be hated by those with
cute faces.
She seemed to know why, but it was natural for her to pretend that it was
nothing. I didn’t have to say anything about the others.
Returning to scholar mode, Hwang Jeong-yeon had her eyes wide open, and
many fairies had begun pulling at her hair and taking her glasses.
Yoo Ahyoung’s appearance was, even more, a spectacle. Quite a few fairies
were pulling her collar. There was even a guy trying to get through her shirt,
so it didn’t need to be said that it was a pretty embarrassing scene to look at.
“Ahh!”
“Stop it. S-Stop now!”
Of course, Elena’s situation was no different. Some of the fairies were using
her ears as if they were trampolines. Looking at the guys’ expressions
jumping from her big ears, it seemed that they were not happy.
‘These guys are really annoying.’
Just in time, several had started rushing to me as well. They were not really
harmful, but it felt really annoying.
“Can’t we do anything to stop them?”
“Ah… Yes. You can kick them out, but if you do, they will bring in more
friends. Maybe it’s time for the kids to fall asleep soon, so they’ll be a little
quiet after dinner. Until then…”
It was when Elena continued talking. Slowly, Kim Hyunsung began to
approach. He also had many fairies attached to him, but he probably had
something he wanted to say.
It was then that I realized that something had become strange. I was not
mistaken. Kim Hyunsung’s body shape can be seen gradually changing.
I didn’t know if he noticed the weirdness either, but I could see his head
down, looking down.
“Huh?”
It was a thin voice.
“This became annoying.”
His long hair was down to his shoulders.
I was able to realize that he was the first sacrifice to their pranks.
“Kiyoung-ssi. Don’t you feel anything uncomfortable?”
‘I’m the one who should be asking it.’
Looking at me was a woman who looked like she was in her late teens.
“Oppa… became a girl.” Kim Ye-ri mumbled in shock.

Chapter 353
“Oppa… became a girl.”
There was nothing else to say because Ye-ri’s description had been highly
accurate. As I looked around quietly, the faces of those still staring at Kim
Hyunsung caught my eyes.
It was no wonder that laughter had come out.
I had heard about this beforehand, but the scene that happened in front of me
was quite unrealistic. Even if I were to guess, he only seems to be about 17
years old, max. It was not only his gender, but his age seemed to have
changed.
The height and limbs were shortened, and the straight hair down to the waist
was noticeable Glossy black hair seemed to be referring to this kind of hair,
all fluttering.
His face looked as if the original Kim Hyunsung had been transferred into a
woman’s body.
I always thought he was good-looking, but when he went to change his

gender, it seemed like he could be comparable to the elves. He seemed to be
unaware of himself, but he looked good enough to say that he was a girl of
matchless beauty.
This was not a subjective evaluation.
The Blue party members and even the elves glancing at him also turned their
eyes as if they looked amazed.
What was even more interesting was that the behavior of a girl in her late
teens seemed a little older to her and, for some reason, was unnatural. For
example, seeing Hyunsung stroking the chin or frowning with a serious
expression oddly looked cute.
‘This bastard is too cute.’
Of course, it was not that my heart was beating or anything.
In the first place, I was aware of the fact that he was younger, and that Kim
Hyunsung was the core. However, there was no denying that I wanted to
stroke his hair at least once.
This was a situation where I was entirely speechless.
As I looked at Elena, I saw her calmly starting to speak.
“It’s temporary. You don’t have to worry too much.”
“Ah, is it?”
“Yes. Basically, if it’s not in the fairy forest, the magic won’t be maintained,
and he will return to his original state soon after leaving the fairy forest or
after a while. Unusually, it is impossible to dispel it in general…”
“What’s the reason?”
“I’m guessing it’s probably because the magic is driven differently. The
boundaries of whether or not the magic used by fairies is indeed magical are
also very ambiguous. I don’t know much, but I can at least affirm one thing.
It won’t be a big problem.”
“I see. That’s a relief.”
Kim Hyunsung nodded as if relieved by Elena’s words. Of course, Kim Ye-ri

and Cho Hye-jin also exhaled a sigh of relief.
It seemed that they were quite anxious to see that they sighed too openly.
Considering that Kim Hyunsung was also the same…
‘It means that he hasn’t been here before.’

He pretended as if it was no big deal, but I thought he might have been quite
surprised because I could see him smiling slightly after rechecking what he
already had heard of.
I didn’t know if this was just acting or not, but it was indeed true that Kim
Hyunsung also experienced the fairies’ pranks for the first time.
In other words, he did not experience this dungeon himself.
Considering that he said that this was above legendary-grade, it was

impossible to proceed with the expedition like a picnic.
‘If you had experienced it, it would be better, but…’
However, the problem was that the atmosphere had gotten blurred because of
the constantly crowding fairies. The chattering around and the serious
atmosphere didn’t mix well. I could see that they had let go of the tension,
even if it was a little bit.
‘Because taking rest is also important.’
It seemed that the others had recognized the implicit permission. It was Ahn
Ki-mo who opened his mouth first.
“I had doubted, but it was true. It’s really amazing. The Guild Master and ah,
Ye-ri… They are affected by magic.”
“What?”
“I mean the gender.”
“Uncle Ki-mo… I’m still the same.”
It was momentary, but his face looked like he got scared. Whether he realized
that he had made a mistake, I could also see him desperately fixing it.
“My, my eyes are strained.”
“…”
“N-No one else has changed on our side except for Hyunsung. Is there any
reason?”
“Isn’t it just because the fairies wanted? I thought I had seen all the strange
sights when I came here, but it still seems that there’s much more. It’s also
the first time seeing Hyunsung changed like that… No matter how brief it is,
don’t we have to change the name? I think it would be okay to call him Kim
Hyuna.”
“That’s rude.”
“Well, Hyejin is too strict.”
“Calling him Guild Master is enough.”
“Ahem. I only said it as a joke. I just wanted to say something useless. It

sounds like a unique experience, but I don’t want to join.”
“That, everyone… must feel the same.”
“I may want to see a little…”
I didn’t know what the intention in Hwang Jeong-yeon’s words was, but I
had no choice but to agree with Kim Ye-ri saying that she didn’t.
Of course, this was a sight that I didn’t want to see either.
When I realized that even the fairies had eyes, Han Sora was constantly being
attacked by the fairies in the midst of that.
For some reason, this was all a little sad.
The other female guild members were preparing the meal, but it was a little
full-fledged, unlike what I thought would be something simple. There seemed
to be a direct instruction from Kim Hyunah, but it appeared that we were
entering the dungeon tomorrow.

‘Didn’t he have anything to say earlier?’
When I turned, I saw him coming this way.
Looking down at the guy who was a little taller than me felt a little strange.
Looking at him patting my shoulder also seemed unnatural for some reason.
“After that, it seemed like I hadn’t heard the answer before… Are you feeling
all right considering you’re not well?”
“Yes. Actually, there’s nothing wrong, but… Elena said it would be better to
take a break. I didn’t want to cause any damage…”
“No. We are almost there, anyway. I thought it would be better to take a

comfortable break for a day or so. Everyone agreed without saying anything,
but the back liners would have struggled physically. Both Hayan and Hee-
young, too, as well as Sora and Jeong-yeon.”
“Since they kept using magic power… are you okay?”
“Yes. Of course. Physically, the problem is… Oh, are you talking about my
condition now?”
“Yes.”
“The clothes I am wearing are uncomfortable, but it’s okay, except for the
shorter height. It seems like it’ll be okay to fight, only the appearance has
changed, but the physical ability seems to be the same. It would have been a
bit uncomfortable if I had been in the position of Deokgu or Ahyoung, but it
seems that there will be an advantage as the body became smaller. Of course,
the answer will come soon as to which one is more efficient.”
‘I didn’t ask about that…’
“I don’t know if it’s because of the mood, but should I say I feel a little
delicate and agile? I think it is correct to think so. Oh, thank you, Hyejin.”
As if the meal was ready fairly quickly, Cho Hyejin handed over the stew
bowl to Kim Hyunsung. Of course, a bowl was delivered to me, too.
Kim Hyuna opened his mouth once again, holding a spoon to his mouth.
“Anyway, I am glad that there was a slight difference. The seizure timing is
also getting delayed… Yes. I’m really glad.”
It was quite a spectacle to see him smiling widely. I could tell he hadn’t
adapted to his body just yet.
“Isn’t it really pretty?”
“What?”
“This place.”
“Oh, I agree. It’s probably a sight that we can’t even see on Earth. Haha.”
“Yes. Of course, it is. No matter where you look on the planet, there will be
no such place.”
“…”
“…”
“Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Yes.”
“It’s a bit sudden, but in fact, I’ve had many times resented for coming here.”
“I think…”
“Yes. Probably most of us did. No one likes being brought here without
knowing anything. There were many times when I cried and shouted without
understanding what the quest was or why I was here.”
“That’s surprising. It didn’t look that way at all…”
“That’s because I thought it would be better to keep my composure in front

of others. But… humans are so fickle, you know? I guess I got fond of this
place, too. I sometimes miss the city walls and Lindel, which I at first didn’t
want to see, and I often think that I don’t want this place to disappear. Of
course, the same is true for Kiyoung and others.”
“…”
“In fact, I never imagined we would get so close. I didn’t know that I would
have trusted Kiyoung this far.”
‘Me too, man.’
“It’s funny, but I began to think, recently, how fortunate it was.”
“Fortunate?”
“Yes. The fact I met all of you, the connection created like this. It’s
unexpected, but I hope to see this scene together even after a lot of time.
So… let’s hold on a little more.”
He got up first and extended his hand to me. It was natural to hold his hands
slightly. When he raised me, I was able to get up naturally.
“I said something embarrassing, but I mean it.”
“No. I appreciated it. I think the same way.”
The sunset background was very noticeable. Even the sunset seems to be
helping him. It was impressive to see him smiling brightly.
It was then that I found that Jung Hayan, located a little farther away, with
terrifying eyes.
It was scary to see her twisted mouth after a very long time. She seemed to
pretend to be okay, but she had on a deformed face no matter who were to see
her.
‘She’s not going to cause more accidents, right?’
Naturally, I let go of Kim Hyuna’s hand momentarily.

Seeing him still smiling, I think he hadn’t noticed anything strange.
‘Stop smiling. Bastard.’
If he didn’t stop, a real monster clash might happen. I beckoned to Jung

Hayan instantly out of anxiety.
She suddenly lit up and ran over here, hugging me.
“Haha. It looks like I took too much time. Then I will take a look around with
other elves for a moment. If you take a rest today, you will be able to enter
the dungeon tomorrow. Again, I believe in Kiyoung. You will be able to
withstand it somehow.”
“Yes.”
With a satisfactory face and patting my shoulder, I felt guilty. What filled up
in his eyes was strong trust and belief.
The dungeon was coming soon, so I was more concerned about the end of
this.
‘It would be terrible if Kim Hyunsung really misunderstands something…’
If I was misunderstood as the masked trash Jing Qing, it would be terrible

because there was nothing more painful than getting backstabbed by someone
you really trusted.
Of course, I was innocent, but I thought I had to think about a case where this
treatment didn’t work or the situation worsened.
‘That pointy ear is the problem.’
If Kim Hyunsung’s solution worked, it would be a great relief. I felt guilty,

but it could be a good thing to clean my soul.
However, the biggest problem was if it didn’t change much.
Even a lie, a small the given situation more tangled than it already is. The
problem was that, although I had been looking for a solution until now, I
couldn’t find any.
At first, my thoughts were inclined toward interfering with the dungeon

journey itself, but the plan was out of the question since I heard Kim
Hyunsung talk about the last resistance and stuff.
It was true that the dungeon must be cleared at any cost. That was how we
responded to future threats.
‘Does it look so disgusting to need treatment?’
It was just when I was lost in my thoughts…
‘How do I look through Hayan’s eyes…’
Jung Hayan was staring at Kim Hyuna a little too much.
As I looked at her holding me tight enough to hurt my arm, I started to think

that, although momentary, I had gotten hit in my head with a hammer.
“Why didn’t I think of this?”
‘Why haven’t I thought about contaminating that elf until now?’

Chapter 354
Chapter 354: An Easy Elf, An Easy Elena
‘Why haven’t I thought of this until now?’
I knew I had to keep a look a bit serious, but I still kept smiling. The problem
hadn’t been solved yet, but it seemed like I had found a good solution.
Even after Kim Hyunah, Kim Ye-ri, and Kim Chang-ryul got clues about the
dungeon together, the laughter continued to pop out of me, and though a loud
voice resonated from the front, I did not pay much attention.
Anyway, it must have been news that the dungeon that Hyunsung was hiding
was found.
Whether this prediction was correct, the guild members and elves were
preparing to enter the dungeon. It was no wonder that Elena also showed an
excited expression; it was pretty fun to see her looking at me whilst moving
her ears up and down.
Looking at her, who looked so innocent, I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t

been able to think of this until now.
In a sense, I wanted to thank both Jung Hayan and Kim Hyuna.
‘There is no need to really cleanse my soul.’
Literally, it didn’t really have to be cured. She was the only one who could
see my condition anyway.
As long as that emerald pointy ear elf didn’t feel uncomfortable with me…
Even if Kim Hyunsung’s plan were to fail, there was a possibility that this
would be solved if I made her believe that the treatment was over.
‘If the characteristic change…’

I was curious about what she would think of me. Belial certainly called me a
disgusting soul, but he did not vomit or frown.
Perhaps it was the effect inherent in my characteristic. It may be a disgusting

soul to Elena and others, but it might not look like that to Jung Hayan.
Of course, Jung Hayan didn’t have Elena’s attribute, but she wouldn’t get
nauseous if she did.
If Elena’s characteristic or disposition would get reversed, there was a

possibility that her perspective on me would also change.
It may be a little difficult, but since I had a lot of time to be with Elena, it was
worth trying at least once.
‘This is not my specialty…’
Of course, I did not feel comfortable. Bringing a pure elf to the abyss was a
very difficult spell for Light Kiyoung, who had been reborn. This was not
even my specialty.
However, I thought it couldn’t be helped for the cause. I had even considered
an unfortunate accident of this innocent elf in the worst case, but more than
that, this showed how cheap I was.
Of course, there were many difficulties in implementing the plan right away,
but…
“Oppa, are you not feeling well?”
“N-No. Hayan. I was thinking about something else for a second.”
“That’s f-fortunate.”
At last, that difficulty began to talk, but it was the right timing.
I saw the party members who were just about ready to enter the dungeon
waiting for me. As I walked while preparing plausible storytelling, I couldn’t
even think that things had gone this far.
‘I need a little more time to think…’
Of course, there was no time to enjoy such leisure. As I thought the time was
urgent, I had decided to enter immediately.
It would have been nice to have realized this before leaving, but after the
train had already left, I have no choice but to do my job well within my
current situation.
For example, this was a quest with a time limit given only to me. From the
moment I entered the dungeon until the dungeon was attacked, at any cost, I
must make Elena realize what the true light was.
As soon as I nodded and walked, a familiar voice came immediately.
[You have entered the Twisted Pond in a legendary-grade dungeon. Number

of people [23/34] checked.]
‘It’s still the same.’
It gave an atmosphere of choking and pressure. It was about time I got used
to it, but I couldn’t get used to this strange atmosphere.
The overall atmosphere of the Twisted Pond was like the Garden of Horror.
Though, in fact, they didn’t have much in common except that they had
plants. This was because the whole place, which we had come through the
underground, was damp and moist, and all the roots and plants tangled
around were rotten.
It was different from the garden that kept it green. Elios slowly opened his
mouth as if something was bothering him before we really entered.
“I had doubts, but… it was true.”
Of course, who answered was Kim Hyunsung. It was time to explain how he
could find clues so easily that even Eberian rangers couldn’t. I was lucky,
anyway. He would speak, but what about it? As long as they accepted it, that
was it.
“I was just lucky because I had received guidance from the fairies. I didn’t
think I would be able to find it this early either.”
“This area has already been investigated…”
“You will not be familiar with dungeons, so it will only be natural.”
“But… it’s really amazing.”
“Oh, it’s that our Guild Master has found dungeons amazingly since long
before. There’s nothing to be weird about. Since we’ve been summoned,
there will be more than ten dungeons that have been found or attacked. It’s
not something to be blamed for… and he is exceptional among foreigners
who are eager to find dungeons.”
“…”
‘You covered it well.’
“Uncle Deokgu is right. Since before. Hyunsung… No, the Guild Master is a
pro in finding places like this.”
“I see. I think I know why you, who have just arrived here, have grown so
much.”
“Well, actually, discovering is important, too, but attacking is even more

important than that. Without Hyung-ssi… no, without the Guild Master and
Hyung-nim, our guild could not have grown this far.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Absolutely, if I were to tell stories of our guild’s attacks on dungeons, a

day wouldn’t be enough. Ah, but I’m a little nervous because it’s still a
legendary-grade… Are you, elves, familiar with dungeons?”
“Actually… We’re not.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. If it’s not for a special reason… of course, it’s not that we won’t go at
all, but it will be difficult to compare with you guys. There are not many
dungeons in the Kingdom of Eberia.”
“That’s not known. It might be hidden here and there, just like this place.”
Even if I were to think about it, the last remark was bullshit. Anyone could
see that he didn’t know a thing about dungeons. Although I was expecting
him to be a little trustworthy, the elves were rather an awkward bunch.
‘Tsk, tsk.’
They really didn’t look experienced. I didn’t know why a group with this
kind of power looked somewhat so awkward.
‘Can I think that they are similar to the Knights?’
I didn’t really know if this could be expressed like this, but it seemed to me
that it was similar to the fact that the Knights possessed by the State were
unfamiliar with attacking dungeons.
Unlike mercenaries and professional treasure hunters, these people were

ignorant of the dungeon itself. It was a completely different story between
going through war or an interpersonal battle and attacking a dungeon.
These were the former specialists, not the latter.
‘Of course, they know the basics, but…’
It meant that there was a high possibility that they wouldn’t know what to do
in sudden situations. Since it was not the forest, their movement would
indeed be limited, and the dungeon itself, called Twisted Pond, didn’t seem to
suit the elves. They had come together to watch us, but perhaps I should think
about the possibility that they might be a nuisance.
“Since you said you’re not familiar with… it would be better to reorganize
the overall formation. Is that okay?”
“I think we’ll listen to it first.”

“There is no change in creating a line around Kiyoung and Elena… Others
except Elios would be better off standing in the rear. Rangers, summoners,
and the rest of the warriors will be in charge of the middle, and we will be in
charge of the front line.”
“Hmm…”
‘He doesn’t look very pleased.’
If it were me, I would have welcomed it with open arms. However, on the
elves’ side, it seemed that they did not like us to be completely in charge of
the front line. They might think so.
In fact, this expedition had been created to heal the World Tree rather than
me. Considering that it was an elven job and a task given to the elves, it
might feel uncomfortable to see the Blue getting the advantage.
If it were an individual group, some would think it would be fortunate to

receive the benefits, but they belonged to a huge kingdom. It meant that we
had to consider several things.
‘They aren’t stupid than I thought either.’
In fact, it didn’t matter what happened with the camp.
‘Hyunsung will take care of the dungeon strategy…’
I just had to do what I had to do.
I didn’t have enough time and ability to pay attention to strategy. It was only
correct to try to solve the immediate problem.
‘How can I do this?’
I must also be careful with Kim Hyunsung and guild members’ eyes. Above
all, I needed to figure out exactly how Elena thought and felt about me.
I planned to start as soon as sufficient preparations have been made.

‘She is the real problem.’
Of course, the most problematic one was none other than Jung Hayan. She
wouldn’t dare put magic on Elena, who had been serving as my nurse, but I
didn’t know what she might do if she were to lose it.
If I were to think about the possibility of having a boat ride with just the two
of us on Twisted Pond, it was not enough to be careful a hundred times.
The ideal thing was to somehow create a situation where we could be alone.
Above all else, this was my top priority. There was no beginning without
talking to her first. There was no way to have an accident if nothing
happened.
No matter what happened, I had to talk to her.
‘How long does it take to attack the dungeon?’
If I were to think about the food we brought, the expedition would take at
least ten days. Even assuming that camps would be made more than ten
times, it was undeniable that time was insufficient. No matter how I was to
think about it, there was no other way than to grab my chest.
It was even hard to walk, as there were no wagons in sight.
There was no law against going in a rickshaw because there was enough
manpower left.
“Cough… Elena, I can’t breathe…”
“What?”
“Cough. Cough…”
When I started with the plan, I felt all of the gazes focused on me.
I looked like a child screaming for a toy. I promised myself to refrain from
doing these bullshit shows as much as possible, but human commitment was
originally easy to break.
When I started with the same symptoms they had seen the last time, I saw
them moving in a hurry.
‘This is not my fault.’
The warped air in the warped place had no choice but to devour some pure
soul.
This was the moment when I desperately needed to cut off the outside world.
Of course, everyone knew that the beautiful elf caregiver should stay with
me.
‘I don’t want to walk. Bastards! “

Chapter 355
Chapter 355: An Easy Elf, An Easy Elena (2)
‘Isn’t this too comfortable?’
It was going perfectly as planned, but it all felt so comfortable that I felt
guilty.
Looking outward, I could see the guild members and elves still struggling.
They were in trouble due to the sudden appearance of a monster.
‘This is tricky.’
This was definitely tricky.
As Kim Hyunsung had, most of the main monsters in the Twisted Pond were
demons. Even so, they were low-level demons that couldn’t be compared
with Belial, but this dungeon was not of a rare or common-grade.
It was definitely a dungeon that had received a legendary-grade, so it was

only correct to think that a demon or monster of at least legendary-grade
would appear.
It didn’t make sense to compare with a mythic-grade creature in the first

place.
If it was the mythic-grade that I had seen so far, it was at least three or four
levels higher than a legendary-grade. In that sense, my semi-mythic-grade
class, the Alchemist of Light, also had endless ways to use it, but the problem
was that I couldn’t research because I was only in bed recently.
It might take a while, but perhaps I should create a potion that would hit the
system’s walls.
‘It’s just a wish, but…’

My body was definitely comfortable, so my thoughts had begun to leak to
one side.
The expedition members who were wordlessly fighting wouldn’t even afford
to do that.
This was because the demons’ faces from at least heroic-grade or higher, and
those who were fighting them looked quite serious.
There was anxiety on Park Deokgu and Yoo Ahyoung’s faces, not to mention
the facial expressions of Jung Hayan or others. Of course, trying to break
through the difficult dungeon with the elves as quickly as possible made them
look like that.
‘It seems that they’re not at ease anymore…’
Of course, the cause lay solely with me.
Even so, since Light Kiyoung, was suffering, they were under pressure to
complete the attack quickly.
I was worried about what to do if an accident were to take place, but I had
begun to feel relieved when I saw Kim Hyunsung – no, Kim Hyuna –
effortlessly splitting the head of one of the demons.
About three hours since I started my comfortable journey in the rickshaw,

Kim Hyunah was still smooth sailing.
As she continued to glance at me, Elena, who was in the same space as I was,
slowly opened her mouth.
“You don’t have to worry, Honorary Cardinal. Nothing bad will happen.”
‘It’s not because of that, but…’
There was nothing bad about thinking that way.
“I would like to help them in any way… I am not comfortable lying here
alone.”
“No. As I said before, you should avoid going outside as much as possible.
This Twisted Pond and the polluted magical power emitted by the demons
are adversely affecting your soul. Moving rashly now will only make things
worse. Blue is strong. The same goes for our Eberian Elune Knights. Nothing
bad will happen.”
“I am not doing this because I don’t trust them…”
“You have to trust them. I’m sure your colleagues totally understand you.”
‘Of course, they do.’
“They will be able to reach the end of the dungeon without any problems.
Please think of yourself first rather than the people outside. That way, your
colleagues will also be able to fight relieved.”
“Yes. I should think so.”
Naturally, I maintained a sorrowful expression. I could see Elena looking at

me worriedly.
[Disposition: Curious Defensor]
Her disposition was a Curious Defensor.
[Checking the unique characteristic of Elena Eberia]
[Emerald Delusional Flower]
Her characteristic was Emerald Delusional Flower.
It made sense if I were to think of her background.
She was an elf who had been stuck only in the Kingdom of Eberia, and
seeing that she was basically interested in humans and other countries, her
characteristic must have stemmed from this.
If one asked me if I didn’t like it, I would answer that I liked it. The
disposition and the characteristic were fine.
I liked the fact that she was curious, and that it went well with the unique
characteristic. Most of all, it was best that she was like a dreamy girl who
didn’t know the reality.
It meant that this was better than dealing with people who were worn out
from the world.
‘It means I have to do something with her…’
First, the most important task was completed. The narrow space was
uncomfortable, but it was a great achievement to be alone with her.
We were even magically blocked from the outside, so this was pretty good
timing to have a conversation.
Of course, the problem of her instinctive rejection of me remained, but as our

relationship progressed or her way of thinking changed, it would eventually
be easier for her to accept me.
‘It’s a problem that I don’t know which direction to shake.’
First of all, there was no disagreement that I needed to get closer to her in the
current situation. We had to talk as much as possible.
I needed to know more about her, and figure out what kind of life she had
been through. The first step required to connect was to understand each other.
As I nodded and opened my mouth, an answer came immediately.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“I’m fine.”
“But…”
“No, Honorary Cardinal. No matter how polluted your soul is, it doesn’t feel
dirty. In my eyes, I can see more of the nobility in it.”
‘Right. Thank you for saying that.’

“…”
“It’s true, Honorary Cardinal. As I said before, I have watched the Honorary
Cardinal and the Heroes of Light through the Goddess’ Mirror. It was a great
sight. Yes. It is vivid enough to make me receive goosebumps whenever I see
it. It will be unforgettable even after a few hundred years that the four heroes
faced the great demon without a single step back.”
“It’s not a big deal, Elena. Everyone else would have done the same.”
“No. I actually thought of myself there, but even if I think about it hundreds
of times… I couldn’t do anything other than sit down. The Heroes of Light
had given me courage.”
“Courage?”
“Yes.”
“It hasn’t been that long, but I had lived in the Kingdom of Eberia for 200
years. Like all elves. Ludwig and my brother, Elios, said that outside the
kingdom was always dangerous, and in fact, I had grown up hearing stories
about other humans. I’ve been told that it’s a scary and dangerous place
outside.”
“So you’ve only stayed in the kingdom.”
“Yes. For me, the outside of the kingdom was just a scary and terrifying
place.”
“You didn’t look like that, but…”
“Didn’t I say this before? It was the Heroes of Light who had given me
courage. Perhaps, if I had not seen the Goddess’ Mirror, I wouldn’t have left
the kingdom of Eberia. And I probably wouldn’t know what my mission was.
Have you ever heard of High Elves?”
“Yes, I have. The story of not being born for a very long time, and the fact
that Elena is a high elf.”
“In fact, being a high elf doesn’t mean anything special. There is nothing
different from others other than receiving the blessing of the World Tree and
the blessing of Elune. Of course, historically…”
“Yes?”
“Historically, the ancestral guardians have always played a huge role. Long
ago, from the time when the human kingdom was not divided, from the days
when humans and these races had been fighting as one, the ancestral
guardians appeared in the world and faced direct danger. You can think of all
the elven companions in fairy tales or history books as the guardians of our
ancestors.”
“I see.”
“I don’t know if this is because of it, but I thought that I would have a role
given to me. And Lee Kiyoung directly found the reason for me.”
“The mission you talked about last time…”
“Yes. I have received a revelation. I mean the Elune’s revelation to heal Lee
Kiyoung’s contaminated soul and join the Heroes of Light.”
I didn’t know what she was talking about right now, but this spelled good
news for me. This meant that it was true from the start that she was feeling
favorable towards me.
‘It’s better if she misunderstands like that.’
If she really thought that she had received a revelation, perhaps I could make
use of that.
‘Yes. I absolutely can.’
There was no reason not to use this since she was making up the story for me
herself.
I thought about this for a moment, but it was in no time to make a decision.
There was no reason to take any more time than this.
As I frowned, I saw her approaching in a hurry to check my condition. She
looked harried. At this point, I could feel the divine power being sent to me in
a hurry, but of course, it didn’t work. This time around, it seemed that a little
different treatment would be needed.
I instantly stopped breathing as much as possible and had begun shedding

tears. To Lee Kiyoung, having 26 years of acting, shedding crocodile tears
was a piece of cake.
“Are you okay? Honorary Cardinal, are you okay?”
“Cough…”
I didn’t forget to shake my arms. No, actually, this was the most important
task.
This was because she had to properly recognize that the time had passed
when she could treat me with divine power.
She kept pouring out her divine power to me, but I had to make her realize
that it was not working anymore. As I shook my whole body as if I went
crazy, Elena immediately became flustered.
“N-No.”
As I rolled my eyeballs and looked at her, I caught her looking at the window
inside the narrow kiln as if she was thinking about asking for help from
outside.
However, everyone was busy helping out in the fight – no one would help her
now.
In the meantime, the event I prepared was soon reaching the peak.
My entire body staggering, I reached my arms out into the air. I showed sad
eyes whilst making grabby motions, almost as if asking for salvation.
“Oh, Elune. Elune… please… ”
“Cou… gh… sigh…”
“Oh, Elune.”
Elena had begun to cry. I felt her tightly holding my arm, all while reaching
out into the air.
That was when my condition stabilized.
“Huh?”
Sighs and doubts of relief lay on her face filled with tears.
She had experienced a miracle of sudden stabilization of my body, which

seemed to die just before, so it would not be unreasonable to make that face.
“Ah…”
‘Right…’
“No way…”
‘That ‘no way’ is true.’
Soul erosion had broken into stage 2.
It was no longer a divine power that was needed. Only Elune could rescue
Light Kiyoung from the crisis of death.
[Stop! You damned demon! (0/1)]
[For unknown reasons, the forced quest of the heroic-grade was canceled.]
Chapter 356
[I’ve released 7 chapters today, this batch and the batch Saturday are too
good ahaha, I’d feel bad cutting it off short. This Saturday, we will start a
new promo as we will hit the 500th Premium Chapter for this series! Look
out for the prices, they’re going to be bigger than last time’s!]
Chapter 356: An Easy elf, An Easy Elena (3)
‘Good. It’s good.’
It seemed like something had just passed, but I didn’t pay much attention to
it. This was because what was important at this moment was Elena’s reaction.
She looked to be speechless, but then, she took her breath as if she was so
relieved by my normal condition.
It seemed to me that she was very surprised by the sudden situation.
Her ears were trembling, and her emerald hair was sweaty, but she thought it
was more urgent to take care of me than to take care of herself.
“Are… are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m okay, Elena.”
“I’m glad. I’m really glad.”
This turned out to be a pretty good event.
Looking at her reaction, the result didn’t seem to be bad either. I think it had
been a little impulsive, but there’s certainly merit.
Elena had a legendary-grade class and legendary-grade attribute with magic

power and luck stats over 90. She was talented with her innate quality of
magic, and she was someone who was expected to have a powerful impact on
the Kingdom of Eberia.
If it were before, I would have tried to bring her to my side at any cost.
I hadn’t been much hung up on talents because my life had improved a lot by
now, but being able to take her as a pet was a good enough reason to take on
the risk.
The dice had been thrown in a very easy way. Since I had decided to move, it
was better to do it properly.
“You don’t look well… did anything happen? Maybe you’re feeling
worse…”
“No. It’s nothing like that. Yes. It’s not that, but… Yes. Yes… Absolutely
not. Rather, how do you feel right now?”
“I don’t know. I feel a little more comfortable than usual.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“I… see.”
“I don’t know how on earth this happened, but thank you.”
“What?”
“It’s just that you’ve stayed with me like this again.”
“Ah… Yes. It’s nothing. I just did what I had to do.”
“Perhaps Elune’s revelation…”
“Yes?”
“It looks like it really exists.”

“…”
“Actually, I was a bit aware that I had only days left to live, Elena-nim.”
“What? You knew…?”
“Of course, I couldn’t diagnose what exactly it was, but it was constantly
sending signals here and there. In fact, I was giving up halfway… I also
thought a lot about whether the role that was given to me only came this far.”
“…”
“Elena said that Elune had a revelation for me… Maybe I have a little more
reason to stay on this continent. Something more important than what
happened at Laios. Haha. Cough. Cough.”
It was quite the spectacle to see her holding both my hands in a hurry. The
anxiety had never left her face.
“Yes… Yes! I think so, too. There must be a reason Elune ordered me to help
the Honorary Cardinal. Yes. Definitely. And… Yes. And there may be
another reason to… why we met.”
‘As expected, she would think like that.’
“Another reason… What do you mean…?”
“N-Nothing. It’s nothing.”
I saw her with her head bent. Although she looked uncomfortable, her red
face, for some reason, showed that she was harboring many thoughts. This
was only natural.
‘Has she ever held a man’s hand properly?’
She was an elf who had been stuck in the forest for nearly 200 years. She was
also a character who seemed very ignorant about the relationship between
men and women in the first place.
Elena didn’t feel uncomfortable holding my hand freely for a handshake, or

putting her hand on my chest for treatment. She wasn’t aware that the
treatment practice so far was in contact with the opposite sex. It was just a
process of treating a patient.
However, when the setting was changed, then her mindset would change as
well.
Once she started to recognize it, it meant that simple treatment actions would
no longer be the same as before.
For a girl with many dreams, the subject of God’s will or destiny was a
subject that she could only nod to.
When I considered that the lines appearing in the numerous romance novels
distributed throughout the continent were all about the will of God,
revelation, and guidance, and destiny, the answer to taming her was obvious.
Even in her imagination, it would be the background where this bullshit

would work, but what happened to her had been a reality.
I couldn’t expect a complete change, but she would definitely be conscious of

me.
‘No, I could do it much faster than I thought.’
Once I had built a quick but solid relationship, it was easy to push things into
her head.
No, I didn’t even need to push. Hopefully, I might be able to get things done
smoothly without such a task. There was no choice but to keep nodding. It
was then that I felt cold energy somewhere.
“Ah…”
A pair of eyes were seen through the small window that was open for me to
see the outside situation.
I was quick to realize that Jung Hayan was looking inside with her face close.
It felt like a snake scanning my back.
‘Shit.’
I felt guilty for a moment, but when I saw Jung Hayan slowly removing her
face from the kiln, I realized that she had not figured out the situation.
She was just wondering what I was doing.
When I saw her worried face, I felt my conscience being stabbed. I wasn’t a
complete douche after all.
‘I’ll do better, Hayan.’
Although it was a useless commitment, it was only natural to suppress the

remorse that had been raised for a while.
Now, I had to start with the immediate situation. It was when she was
constantly checking my knee that I heard a sound.
Craaack!
Baaaaaaang!!!
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
The first thing I heard was a loud voice. I had no choice but to cover my ears
momentarily by the sound of a tearing voice.
I don’t know why, but I felt a huge impact on the kiln.
I momentarily looked outside through the small window, but the party
members could not be seen. No, her body was crashing inside the small kiln
where she was rolling and falling through.
No wonder Elena and my body had gotten tangled. I thought I had to fix my
body somehow, but it was not easy to chant spells in this situation.
‘What the hell is this? Fuck!’
It was evident that the stallions, whether it was an Elven Knight or what, had
an accident.
I wondered if Jung Hayan caused this, but the possibility of this was zero. It
was hard to imagine a scene where she was hurting me even if I were to
simulate hundreds of times.
If she had wanted to kill Elena, she would’ve done it instead of attacking the
wagon.
‘It’s an accident.’
In this context, it was only correct to think so. No wonder I thought I was off
guard.
I should have expected something to go wrong from the time the elves moved
awkwardly.
I didn’t know if Kim Hyunsung or Jung Hayan was currently pursuing us, but
if they were in combat or were in a special situation, there was a possibility
that I could be completely isolated.
It was rather poisonous not to know what the situation was doing outside.
I shouldn’t have blocked the sound.
Fortunately, this kiln was very strong, but it seemed to have come down to a
very deep place seeing that it kept falling even after a long time had passed.
I didn’t know how far it was going to fall, but I knew I had to do something
about it.
“Da… mn!”
Crack!
Bang!
Craaack!
However, even that was not easy.
I could hear the kiln being hit by external objects, with various sounds
resonating. If it weren’t for the spells put on for safety, they would have
already been broken.
‘What about using floating magic?’
Considering that wizards like Jung Hayan, Hwang Jeong-yeon, and Han Sora
could not afford to catch me, the situation may be worse than I had initially
expected.
There was no more light coming through the windows.
As I hugged Elena desperately and clapped her hands, the dragon’s tail
emerged and began to wrap around her body.
The protection magic outside the wagon must protect us, but as there were
situations that we did not know, we must prepare as much as possible in order
to protect our bodies.
‘Shit. Shit.’
The moment I heard a great sound, I fluttered, but there was nothing wrong
with the body compared to the sound.
Strangely, the wagon had not gotten broken in the first place.
I didn’t know how many layers of defense magic had been put on it, but it
was rewarding to have had it.
‘Our wizards are capable.’
Meanwhile, it was pitch black when I tried to look outside.

As I chanted the spell a little, my surroundings began to glow slowly with a
bit of light. As I raised my body in an ambiguous posture, I saw Elena
trembling while hugging me tightly.
Seeing the flinching and moving ears, it seemed that she didn’t know about
this situation.
Of course, I was the same. I wondered how a well-going expedition could

reach such a close.
As soon as I bit my lips, Elena, who had her face pressed right over here,
slowly began to talk to me. There would be no need to explain how the
expression was.
“Lee Kiyoung. How on earth did this happen?”
“I don’t know in detail. I think we fell after being shocked by something…”
“Where are we?”
“I’m not sure either. Nothing can be seen outside… First of all, it would be a
good idea to check the outside situation. In the worst case, I think you should
think about that when we’re far from your party. It is possible that we are
isolated.”
“Then…”
“For now.”
The first thing to do was check where this was, and if there were people who
had also fallen.
I rummaged through the infinite bag that Kim Hyunsung gave me, and
immediately took out the dragon breath potion. As much as that event could
happen, I got ready to get out.
I could see Elena looking at this side with an anxious expression, but I had to
open the door of the kiln slowly for now.
The shrieking sounds heard from outside was exceptionally loud.
I looked around while swallowing, but I couldn’t see anything as if the pupil
was quite bulky.
That was when something fell from the sky. I wondered if it might be the
lovely returner who had come to me, but what I saw was a completely
unexpected figure.
‘Shit.’
It was not even alive.
Reflected in my sight was the upper body of an elf.
“This is terrible…”
My lips had begun to dry.

Chapter 357
Chapter 357: An Easy Elf, An Easy Elena (4)
It was certainly one of the Elune Knights who was dragging the kiln.
It was so messy that his shape couldn’t even be recognized anymore because
of his falling shock, but my Mind’s Eyes kept telling me that he was the elf
who had been with us.
‘Did he fall from where he originally was?’
I simply couldn’t figure out what had happened.
What was certain was that there had been an accident that I didn’t know
about, and the expedition could not respond. Other than that, everything was
unclear.
It happened so quickly, and as I was stuck in the wagon, I had no way of

knowing what had been going on outside.
‘Who was in the backline?’
Most of the Blue Guilds were in the front line.
The ones who were close to the kiln were Ahn Ki-mo, capable of close
combat while at the same time being a back liner, and the elves who dragged
the kiln.
Seeing that this poor guy also looked like this, it would be reasonable to
assume that the accident took place from behind.
‘Is Ahn Ki-mo safe?’
If he didn’t fall here together, I knew he’d be okay, but it was possible that he
had gotten caught in the middle.
Of course, there was a possibility that other guild members had also fallen.
‘Has the ground collapsed?’
All kinds of imagination had entered my name, but there was no clear
answer.
One thing was certain, however. This was not a very good situation.
In any case, if I were to get isolated inside the dungeon, I should consider the
worst, especially since this was a legendary-grade dungeon.
There was no front-liner to protect me, and our supplies were limited.
It was not unreasonable for me to frown. This was because I had realized that
my current situation vastly differed from the norm.
It was only natural for me to check my belongings. I knew I had to check

what I had.
I had a portable alchemy kit.
‘This is something I always carry…’
I had food and drinking water that would normally be sufficient for about five
days.
‘If I save it, I can eat it for 20 days.’
I had a Dialugia catalyst.
‘I brought this generously.’
I was also carrying legendary-grade health potions, as well as other catalysts

and materials.
‘It’s not enough…’
These weren’t bad items to hold onto, but none of them were sufficient
enough to protect my body.
I missed Juliana, who had been left behind back in Lindel.
After she woke up once, she didn’t have a chance to participate in the battle
directly, and having left her alone was a mistake.
‘I’ll have to carry it with me when I return.’
I had to admit that I had gotten quite soft.
Being surrounded by monsters, it was true that I had indeed neglected to

develop myself. I didn’t have the time to be playing in the field, but I
couldn’t deny that I had indeed been idle recently.
Of course, nothing would change if I were to regret it now.
After shaking my head once, I immediately rummaged the arms of the elves.
I had to find out if there was anything useful.
I searched quite carefully, but the only thing I could save was a dagger that
had been sheathed around the waist. In fact, I didn’t know how to use one,
but it was still better than nothing.
‘It’s so light.’
“L-Lee Kiyoung-nim.”
I heard a voice when I looked around slowly again. It seemed that Elena had
become anxious because I did not come back.
“Are you there? Honorary Cardinal?”
“Yes, Elena. You don’t have to worry. I’m going there now.”
Once again, I returned to the carriage, and I saw Elena, looking up at me from
inside.
Seeing her ears trembling, it seemed that she was terrified. She was relieved
to see me, but she didn’t seem comfortable. She had on the same expression
as those I had been with back in the tutorial dungeon.
Although I had already expected it, it seemed that she had not much
experience in real life compared to her stats.
In a way, she had become an annoying baggage for me.
“H-How is it outside?”
“It doesn’t look good. We don’t know where we are now, and we don’t see
anything around… It would be nice to wait for the expedition until the
wagon’s protective magic fades. If they are okay, they will come down here.”
“Yes. Honorary Cardinal is right. They will come to find us soon. Yes.
Definitely.”
‘I hope things go well so easily, too.’
“Honorary Cardinal?”
“Yes.”
“I’m telling you this just in case… In case no one comes…”
“It won’t happen. I don’t know how long it will take, but they will definitely
come.”
There was no way they would not come.
I didn’t know what had happened, but I highly doubted that this event had
managed to kill them. I hated to think of the opposite, and I highly doubted
that Kim Hyunsung would just go down in this manner.
I may just hate to think that way, but I couldn’t imagine Kim Hyunsung
retiring in a place like this, no matter what I were to think.
If those two were alive, it was clear that they would choose to find me rather
than attack the dungeon. They probably knew where Elena and I fell, so they
would be heading right here after the expedition would get overhauled.
‘It will take some time to learn.’
When I thought about Jung Hayan’s crying, blowing, and raging, I thought it
was fortunate that I wasn’t there right now.
Probably everyone is sweating out to stop her.
‘It’s weird that the Anemone’s eyes are not visible…’
Because it is too far, the cast itself may be impossible.
Because Jung Hayan’s stalking camera doesn’t have a long-range.
“The question is, how long can we endure this..? I guess. We’re safe right
now, but you don’t know when the monsters will attack. It would be nice if
the protection magic hanging in the kiln would continue, but it will probably
be a day long. There is not enough food.”
“How much…?”
“If we save it, it will run out in about ten days.”
“Then…”
“First, I think it would be better to hold on while saving as much as possible.

Maybe you also have separate luggage…”
“A-All my luggage is managed by Ludwig… I’m sorry.”
“No. You never thought this would happen. More importantly…”
It was then that I felt that the ground was moving suddenly.
“…”
Elena suddenly held her breath. She was frightened, as it seemed like the
earth beneath us had begun to move. Naturally, I went out of the carriage to
check – and it appeared that this was indeed a true occurrence.
“Wait…”
“I-It is dangerous, Lee Kiyoung-nim.”
“Doesn’t it… seem to be moving?”
“What?”
“It seems that the whole ground is moving. Yes. Definitely.”
No. it was not just about moving. After a while, I started to feel that it was
moving in earnest with a roar.
‘Fuck. Is this?’
Naturally, I hurried to the place where the elf body was. I had noticed
something strange.
The corpse, whose lower body had gotten completely blown away, looked no
different from the previous one, but the cross-section was indeed very
worrisome. I was, by no means, an expert, but I at least knew this much.
It looked like it was bitten by a huge stapler. It had a rough surface as well as
strange saliva.
[Salit’s Saliva (Semi-Mythic)]
[It is a material that cannot be used as a catalyst for alchemy.]
‘Shit…’
I began to look around continuously with the Mind’s Eyes.

I wanted to turn my circuit of happiness at least a little, but the sight I had
witnessed using my Mind’s Eyes again betrayed my expectations.
[Salit’s Stomach (Semi-Mythic)]
‘Fuck.’
[Salit’s Stomach (Semi-Mythic)]
No matter where I looked, it all seemed the same.
‘We were eaten.’
The place where Elena and I fell right now was the stomach of an unknown,
giant monster.
His teeth must have ripped that elf, and only the upper body had managed to
come in. The kiln that Elena and I were riding on fell to this side, fortunately.
‘We have to get out.’
Even Park Deokgu would know that we would eventually get digested after
being here. If we were to stay here and wait around, we would get digested
faster than we would get caught.
“Elena, come out. I think we should move right now.”
“What?”
“It seems that we are in the belly of a monster. For now, I think it would be
better to get out of where we are.”
“What are you t-talking about…?”
“I’ll give you an explanation on the move.”
As soon as the elf came out with a bewildered expression, she frowned. This
was a natural reaction, given that she now understood the situation we were
in.
“Where are we going?”
‘That’s what I want to ask you.’
Of course, this monster’s organs were completely different from humans. It

was no wonder that I couldn’t get a sense of what was going on.
‘Can I think that it is similar to Dialugia’s?’
It was no wonder that it was more comfortable to start with something rather
than start with nothing.
Of course, there were substantial differences in size, but I couldn’t help but
think that Dialugia’s body tour might be helpful on unexpected occasions.
After all, Dialugia’s organs broke down everything it ingested into magical
power, and delivered it to the body.
I was not sure about this, but I was sure of the possibility of it being able to
move its body with a similar mechanism.
This was a semi-mythic-grade monster, after all.
Naturally, I began to look at our surroundings in a much more hurried

manner.
I thought there must be an organ that would transfer the broken down energy
to the body, especially the heart. I looked around right away, but the problem
was that it had gotten so wide that I couldn’t even look closely.
However, there were certainly places where magic power flowed through.
“Elena, please check if there is any place where you can hear a sound. Even
the smallest sound is fine.”
“…”
“Elena-nim?”
“…”
“Elena-nim!”
“Ah… Yes, yes! Lee Kiyoung. What did you say?”
‘Ah… It looks like this one let her fear get the best of her.’
This was not an unreasonable reaction.
If one were to suddenly hear the news that they had entered the stomach of a
monster, anyone would surely react that way.
Rather, it was good that she was not screaming and going crazy. I thought
about abandoning her for a moment, but it was unconditionally helpful that
one priest knew how to do at least something in the current situation.
Slowly grabbing her hand, I could see a face looking up at me whilst

flinching.
Her ears were trembling, and, as expected, her expression was one of fear.
I quickly decided that it would be better to soothe her rather than get angry.
Slowly stroking her head and then opening my mouth, I could see her looking
at me.
“You don’t have to worry, Elena.”
“Ah… Yes… Yes.”
“No matter what happens, I’ll be sure to protect you.”
“…”
I was sure that I had gotten used to saying these cringing things. Of course, I
was only lying. If a crisis were to fall upon us, chances were I would have to
abandon her.
Seeing that this was not enough, I went to hold her hand. Her eyes were still
horrified, but I could see her biting her lips and nodding as if she had decided
something.
“No. I-I… No matter what happens, Lee Kiyoung must be. Must…”
‘Okay. I like that attitude.’
“We will be able to get out of here. The two of us.”
“Yes. The two of us.”
“Er… Honorary Cardinal.”
“Yes.”
“Unless it’s something special, I think it’s helpful to keep holding hands. You
might have seizures again in case.”
“Yes. I think it would be better to do that.”
‘She is really too easy.’
Her strangely red face was definitely not an illusion.
As I turned her hand, which I normally held, and interlocked our fingers, I
saw her head down quickly, as if she felt a little nervous.
Chapter 358
Chapter 358: An Easy Elf, an Easy Elena (5)
“Will the others be okay?”
“They will be okay. There was no other trace except for the one who fell with
us. They must be heading where we are right now.”
“Yes.”
“There is a high probability that this monster is the Dungeon Boss from the
Twisted Pond. He is also the one who has caused the World Tree rot. I don’t
know why the dungeon boss, which should be at the end, suddenly appeared,
but if there is no other problem, the expedition members will also be able to
reach this place within 15 days.”
Though I said that I didn’t know why, that did not mean that I couldn’t
predict why the dungeon boss suddenly popped out.
This was just a guess, but he was probably settled somewhere in the center of
the Twisted Pond.
It was said that this place was a dungeon, but it looked like it took enormous
magic power to keep the demons within the dungeon.
The visa that allowed the demons who could not stay on the continent to stay
here was the magic power emanating from the Twisted Pond, or the World
Tree.
Salit, the named monster, was likely located closest to the Twisted Pond.
There was no way that such a guy would suddenly go for a walk at the
dungeon’s beginning without harboring any plans.
It was correct to think that we were being aimed at right from the beginning,
rather than accidentally being discovered.
‘Because it doesn’t seem like there was a battle after that.’
It meant that he had just swallowed the kiln and pulled out immediately.
That was the reason that Kim Hyunsung and other guild members could not
react to it, and the elves who were guarding the rear did not respond properly.
Of course, considering that it was a semi-mythic-grade monster, it could not

be helped, but it was undeniable that the rear was not able to respond.
In the midst of this, doubts arose as to why he was aiming at me.
Of course, there was an expected answer that arose. Belial, the demon lord,
said that he coveted me, so I must have been coveted by Salit as well.
This posed another problem here.
‘Why the hell did this bastard swallow me up?’
Belial clearly expressed that he was not willing to kill me, and he actually
didn’t.
For demons, a contract would be needed. He even showed himself to be

friendly, saying that he wished to meet me again.
The fact that Salit swallowed me to kill me was far from the devil’s way of
thinking that I knew.
‘Is he incapable of thinking?’
It could be the kind that moved by instinct.
Not everyone who was classified as a demon would think and act like the
72nd Lord.
It would be nice to check his information a little more, but the information
given to me was only this much. It was regrettable that there were parts that
could not be seen with the Mind’s Eyes, which was still a legendary grade
attribute.
The only reason why I could see fragmentary information about him was also
because of the influence of my class.
“More importantly… I-I think it’s really fortunate.”
“I’m sorry?”
“If it weren’t for Lee Kiyoung, I would probably still be there…”
“You don’t have to think that way. I was able to get here because of you.”
“It’s not. It was you who found out that we were inside a monster… I did
nothing… Yes. I was only scared. In fact, I still am. It’s amazing how the
Honorary Cardinal can be so calm. I’m just sorry for not being able to help
you as much.”
“Haha. I am not that courageous as you think. In fact, I’m just the same as
Elena-nim.”
“What?”
“I am saying that I am an equally timid person.”
“But how can you…?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure, but I’m already quite used to this situation.”
“…”
“Elena-nim’s presence also has an impact. If I were alone, it would have been
difficult to hold on. It’s just as helpful to have someone to rely on.”
“Ah… t-thank you for saying so.”
“I’m not just saying, I mean it. Maybe if Elena hadn’t held my hand now, I
would have already passed out. Thank you very much for that alone.”
“Oh.”
As we walked, I noticed that Elena’s legs were shaking, so she must have
reached the limit. It was understandable. We had been walking for two days
without proper rest.
I was also in a situation where my physical strength was at its limit.
It was not unreasonable that she is struggling without her experience of

marching like this. She has high basic stats, so she may have some spare
stamina, but her feet would definitely not be okay.
“I think it would be better to take a break and go.”
“No. I can’t…”
“I was getting tired, too. We’ve been walking for two days without sleeping
properly.”
“…”
‘You don’t have to feel so guilty because I’m also exhausted.’
In the meantime, I kept looking around, but I still couldn’t find anything
weird.
I thought that there might be other monsters in his body, but so far, I hadn’t
found anything special.
If we wanted to take a break, now was the right time. It was inside the
passage to the next organ, and it had the proper terrain to be able to hide our
bodies.
‘Well, I’m not sure if that’ll help…’
Still, this was better than nothing.
As I sat down, she also sat when I gestured for her to sit next to me. She
frowned as if doing this was already painful.
There was no need to explain that this was what I thought it was.
“Can I take a look at your feet?”
“What? No. I’m fine…”
When I took off her boots carefully without listening to her reply, I could see
that the blisters had burst and had gotten all tangled.
Although it seemed painful because of the blood sticking to the boots, the
shame was greater than the pain. Once again, I saw her face blushing.
“T-That’s okay. I can recover myself.”
“You should’ve told me…”
“I thought you would be worried. But I’m fine now, Lee Kiyoung.”
“No. I think it would be better to save your divine power. Since we don’t
know what will happen, you need to fill your stamina. I have a potion, so I
think it would be faster to treat it with this.”
“What?”
‘Not a chance I would let this go.’
Of course, the top priority is to get out of here alive, but I did not neglect my
job.
There was a feeling that the goal was just around the corner, and she wasn’t
as resistant as I thought.
I didn’t know if it was because we were inside the demon, or because she had
already gotten used to it, but she refused to get nauseous or frown around me
anymore.
The same was true now. There was no other rejection while I was slowly
touching her feet. Rather, she had her head lowered, almost as if she felt
embarrassed.
As I took out the potion and slowly poured it over her feet, I saw Elena’s face
twitching along with her ears with the unfamiliar sensation.
‘It’s a little bit concentrated, but this would be better.’
After slowly pouring the potion on her wound, she slowly began to touch her
feet, and her ears were clearly flapping.
She held her breath as much as possible, but she looked to be ashamed of it.
Seeing her overreacting, showing one’s feet must have been embarrassing for
an elf.
‘They’re very small.’
It felt like her feet were a little small for her body. I didn’t know how it
would be considered, but I had to do my best to heal her feet for now.
I put my hand on her calves while I was at it, but she wasn’t too embarrassed
or resistant. Rather, she nodded, wanting to express that it was okay.
“I think it would be good to work on the muscles, too.”
“Yes? Ah… Okay. You don’t need to…”
“Maybe it works great for relieving muscle fatigue. I’m not showing off, but
the potion I made has many benefits. It will be okay if you stay like that a
little, so it would be better to have a quick meal while you wait.”
“Okay.”
“Please take it, Elena-nim.”
“No. This is not necessary. You should eat it instead of me…”
“I’m used to it. Rather, I don’t eat a lot at times like this. I am full enough
with what I ate before. Take it, quickly. It’s an insignificant meal, but it will
satiate you for the time being.”
“T-Thank you.”
“You don’t have to say that.”
I finished with a little smile. I saw Elena reluctantly receiving what I handed
over.
She also looked to be feeling guilty about receiving help alone, but she also
seemed strangely happy.
‘This is working better than I thought.’
I wondered if the improvement was faster than expected, but I didn’t have to
think that this was a weird occurrence.
Couples in action movies and horror movies didn’t kiss for a climax for no
reason. The more desperate and dangerous the situation was, the easier it was
to feel likable.
Of course, if she were to get a good feeling about me paying attention to her a
little here, it was definitely beneficial.
After the expedition arrived at the place where Salit was, the event to restore
my body would begin immediately after the fight, so it was good to pay
attention in advance.
‘They must be coming, right?’
It was only natural for me to feel anxious while chewing the beef jerky that I
had eaten earlier.
I was currently heading to his heart in case the expedition got into an
accident, but it was unclear if things were going well.
Not only his outside, but also his inside felt solid. I couldn’t even be sure that
I could do damage with the Dragon Breath potion.
‘This woman also doesn’t look like she has a high attack power…’
Whatever it was, it remained true that if we settled down, we would surely

die.
We had gotten out of his stomach right now, but there was no guarantee that
we would not be disassembled even if we placed ourselves in another organ.
It was then that Elena’s body, holding my hand, trembled.
‘What’s up with her?’
She looked a little nervous. I was worried if something happened, but it

didn’t look like that.
She was rubbing her lips as if she wanted to ask something very much, but it
felt as if she couldn’t speak easily. I waited to see if she would say she
wanted to go to the bathroom again, but what I heard was completely
unexpected.
“Er… Honorary Cardinal.”
“Yes.”
“M… Maybe…”
“Yes, Elena-nim?”
“Uh, what kind of relationship… do you have with Jung Hayan…?”
‘Now, would you look at her?’
She was looking at me, biting her lips tight as if she had finally asked. Her
face went as red as a beetroot.
‘Look at how upset she was.’
It felt cute how she said what I had been waiting for.
On one side, things got tangled up, but on the other, things seemed to be
working out well.
Seeing Elena, who also seemed a little anxious, I opened my mouth with a
bright smile.
“I love her.”
Chapter 359
[I did this chapter, so please bear with me.]
Chapter 359: An easy elf, an easy Elena (6)
“He will be alive. Because Hayan also said that he was alive. Surely he will
be alive. Yes! Absolutely.”
“… …”
“Hey… Loosen up your face. O-Of course, I am also worried, but Hayan said
so. He will definitely be safe! Hyung-nim was always like a cockroach. He is
someone who can survive alone in the desert. Being alive all this time must
be proof that he’s found a way… I’m sure of it. He must be all right. He
must. Yes. Absolutely.”
“… …”
I swallowed hard.
It was because I felt a gloomy atmosphere. Everyone was not their usual
selves.
He kept opening his mouth as if he was okay, but Park Deok-gu also looked
somewhat anxious, and Sun Hee-young maintained an unusually blank
expression.
Of course, Kim Hyunsung, the Blue Guild Master, looked the most unusual.
Anyone could see he was giving off vibes that made it hard to approach him.
He seemed to be repressing it as much as possible, but nevertheless, the

surroundings seemed distorted because of his killing aura.
‘Have I ever seen him like that?’

At least I have no memory.
Of course, I usually hang out with Jung Hayan and the Vice Guild Master, so
I didn’t have time to talk to the Guild Master, but I know that he’s never
shown such a look.
That’s because I heard it from Yoo Ahyoung and Chang-ryul.
He usually spends a lot of time expressionless, but when he talks to the Vice
Guild Master or Cho Hyejin, he sometimes smiles, and when I just joined the
guild, I remembered that he welcomed me with a smile.
‘He gets quiet.’
He seems to shut his mouth when his anger rises to the top of his head.
Seeing that he didn’t say a word for two days now, it’s clear that he’s more
than just angry.
I had no choice but to think that I saw quite a lot of him in this expedition.
“I’m sorry. I apologize again and again.”
“… …”
“I have nothing to say.”
“… …”
He’s not even talking to the elven leader, so I can see how angry he was.
I think it’s understandable.
It is difficult to say that anyone is responsible for the accident, but if I had to
pick a few, it was the elves that guarded the kiln where the Vice Guild Master
and the Elf Princess were riding.
It is absolutely their fault for drawing the sword while ignoring the command
to evade. Perhaps it was because of their insignificant pride.
‘It’s stupid.’
Although their kind is different, it felt like seeing myself from before.
After the speed of erosion of the Vice Guild Master increased, the elves
except Elios were in charge of the rear boundary for a smooth attack, and as
they also became onlookers, they wanted to show that they could do
something, too.
The problem was that what they had to deal with was the named monster
from this dungeon.
No one expected that he would pop out of the ground, swallow the kiln, and
go back.
Cho Hyejin, who approached the head elf who kept bowing his waist, opened
her mouth.
“I think the Guild Master is very upset right now. I don’t think he’s in a
condition to exchange views on the details of the expedition. If it’s something
important or something related to the expedition, I will try to find a point of
consensus within my own words or as much as I can.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Once again, it’s not something for you to apologize. And Princess Elena is
also with him… so rather than a reprimand for the past, it seems that the top
priority is to go where the named monster is as soon as possible. We’ll break
through as fast as we can, with minimal breaks, with Guild Master at the
center.”
“Then, from now on…”
“We will try to eat within the scope of the supplies and reduce the amount of
sleep time. We don’t have time.”
“Yes. Okay.”
‘He will be alive.’

I don’t know if it were someone else, but it’s hard to imagine that the Vice
Guild Master will die in such a place.
Although he is actually alive…
‘There is no way that man will die.’
He’s never going to die like that.
Of course, he shouldn’t die that way. If there is any harm to Vice Guild
Master’s body, that person who is muttering quietly will not remain still.
Just looking at her gives me goosebumps.
I kept trying to look somewhere else because my legs kept shaking, but I also
became very cautious about her putting those thoughts into action.
She seemed to be quietly lowering her head, but anyone can see that she
wasn’t in her normal condition.
She kept dropping tears and frowning as if somehow uncomfortable.
If something really happened to the Vice Guild Master, the arrows of anger
currently being accumulated may be directed towards an unspecified number
of people.
And that shouldn’t happen.
Seeing Jung Hayan-nim glancing at the elves’ camp with a cold look,
suddenly I had to shudder and think of what happened before.
***
“I love her.”
‘Of course, I’m not in love.’
Sometimes the problem is that she loses her mind, and it can’t be undone, but
if you ask me whether I like her or not, of course, I like her.
I feel guilty for not being able to protect her from the masked trash in the first
round, and I feel a little responsibility in the second round.
I like that she thinks about me, and her recent moves seem pretty cute.
‘This much can be considered to be love, well.’
Of course, it is natural that I started acting to give my words confidence as

much as possible.
Because I already know the answer to why Elena asked this. Maybe Elena
also knows the answer.
If she saw the scene through the Goddess’ Mirror in the first place, it would
be hard to think of Jung Hayan and me as just good friends.
I couldn’t help but think that the reason she was asking about this was that
she wanted to confirm it with my own mouth.
‘It’s obvious.’
“I-I see. I thought so…”
“Yes. When we first met, it was the same situation as now. At that time, we
weren’t alone like we do now, but we ran into a dungeon by chance.”
“Ah…”
Her face was clearly darkening. She has never learned how to manage her
facial expressions.
The proof is that her ears were shaking.
It is not yet possible to determine how far she has fallen for me, but the very
fact that she has asked this question tells me that she is shaken.
I can’t even tell how complicated her mind will be.
I sprinkled various baits and tossed them, but it’s up to her to put up with it.
It was a divine move to include the subject of revelation.
When I thought of Elena, who was heart-broken, I was conscience-stricken,

but she couldn’t get back the ball she had already shot.
It’s even hard for me to keep a face saying, ‘I don’t know why you’re asking
something like that.’
‘It’s not easy to act.’
However, I think I’m cut out for it.
When I opened my mouth again, I began to see her looking at me. Of course,
her ears are still shaking.
“I am very grateful and sorry for her always being next to me. We’ve been
together since then, but I didn’t do anything. Instead, I got a lot of help.
Haha.”
“I see….”
“The way she smiles is very cute, and sometimes she looks angry, but even
that…”
“Yes. J-Jung Hayan is very p…pretty. Her soul also overflows with love.”
“I don’t know if it’s because of that, but I sometimes think about it.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I think it might be fate. Haven’t you, Elena, thought about that?”
“What exactly are you talking about?”
“It means that God will prescribe our destiny.”
“O-Of course. I also received a revelation…”
“Haha. What I’m talking about is a little different from your grandiose story.
Of course, they can be said to be similar, but it is quite different from what
Elena thinks. It may be a little insignificant, but… if you think how many
foreigners and continental people live on the continent…”
“Yes.”
“It is the destiny between man and man. For me, it feels like that to have met
Hayan. Of all the people, it’s certainly no coincidence that I’ve been able to
meet her and build a good relationship.”
“… …”
“There’s this saying from where I come from. People are connected by a red
string. Maybe she and I are connected by a red string. I’m sure of it.”
“Yes… Yes…”
It was then that Elena’s expression was even darker. It’s hard to say
something, but it felt like she’s overwhelmed by a sense of guilt.
It seemed that she was a little annoyed and upset.
Most importantly, she seemed to be sending negative energy. It’s a face I’ve
never seen before.
‘I don’t know if it can be said that it is successful.’
It was then that she carefully opened her mouth.
“B-but. O-Of course, it could be that, but…”
“Yes.”
“Such matters have to be thought… a little more carefully. T-The will of God
is not something that can be judged so recklessly.”
“Oh. I’m sorry, Elena. I wonder if I’ve been disrespectful… I sincerely

apologize for any sensitive subject. I don’t really know about Elune’s
doctrine.”
“No! It’s not that. Lee Kiyoung-nim. Yes. It’s not that. I’m not saying that…
It’s not that it’s different from the doctrine. O-Of course! It’s not that I can’t
believe in the relationship between you and Jung Hayan, but I was worried
that Lee Kiyoung would distort the will of God…”
I bet she is distorting the will of God rather than me.
“Oh, I see.”
“In my case, I heard the voice of God d-directly.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. I have heard it clearly. That is why I was able to tell you with
confidence. B-but Lee Kiyoung is a little different from me, right? I just said
it because… I wondered if you should think about that matter more carefully
as much as you are in a position to spread the will of the Goddess Benignore
to others. I-I’m sorry. If I was too… If I was too cocky…”
“No, Elena. You weren’t. Thank you for saying that. You’re right. I was a
little careless. It is not unreasonable to be concerned when I think of religious
events that have occurred by distorting the will of God.”
“Yes. Yes! That’s why I am saying that.”
She still has a pretty dark face. She’s talking gibberish, but that’s what she
meant in the end.
‘That my meeting with Jung Hayan is not fate.’
She went around, but the key must be saying that. She has a pretty cute way
of thinking.
In my eyes, it was cute that she did what I intended, but she was engulfed in
an indescribable sense of guilt.
The way to become garbage is easy.

The first thing to realize is that she is trash and accepts the guilt as it is,
whether she feels guilty about it or regrets her own actions.
The most important is to realize.
Of course, this is not the end. Obviously, the next chapter also exists.
In this case, it’s a little easier.
‘Because it rationalizes.’
Humans and elves are no different. Every animal that thinks is supposed to
rationalize its own wrongdoing.
Just like the innocent Princess Elena.
When it’s someone that is not used to wrong or negative energy. It’s even
more.
Chapter 360
Chapter 360: Trash Elune (1)
Of course, I was not saying that everything I had said was right. In fact, this
was just my own, personal opinion. This was because each person had a
distinctly different case.
There were certainly people who accepted their own negative behavior, and
those who sincerely repented.
‘It’s a problem because I’ve never seen one, but…’
A person like that definitely existed somewhere on the continent or Earth.
I believed in the Evil Nature Principle in the first place, and I felt that the
former was more persuasive than the latter.
Of course, even if she were the latter type, I would continue to believe that
she would act like the former. The fact that she did something she would
regret was evidence that she was already hopeless.
Real adults didn’t even do things they would regret in the first place.
‘Yes. Absolutely.’
She wasn’t showing any changes as soon as I expected, but whenever she
looked at me or blatantly showed that she harbored complicated thoughts
inside, I had to admit that it had worked to some extent.
I could be sure that, although the resistance had been quite rough, the last
conscience remaining in the Kingdom of Eberia would soon collapse.
The longer we spent time here, the closer she and I would get, and the closer
Elena would arrive at the wise choice.
On the other hand, I was the exact opposite of her.
It was no wonder that I had said that about Jung Hayan.
Of course, I did not directly say things she was sensitive to, like fate or
revelation, but I proceeded with such a nuanced conversation.
It could’ve been a pretty awkward event for her.
I didn’t know if it was because of that, but Elena was getting clingier and
clingier as we continued exploring the interior of Salit. Honestly, getting her
to this point did not take too much effort at all.
Of course, this didn’t mean that the elf was obvious about her feelings, either.
It wasn’t a situation where she could do it, and above all, she wasn’t someone
who had the courage to in the first place.
Whether she wanted this or not, our relationship quickly drew close.
The longer we moved around while holding hands all the time, and as much
as we engaged in contact was inevitable.
In severe cases, we stayed together, even when dealing with the physiological
phenomenon. I was actually firmly attached to Elena, so I didn’t have to
explain how much she trusted me.
It was only natural for us to rely on each other in the worst situation where
we could not survive alone. The circumstances were in favor of the
progression of our relationship.
As expected, it was less than a day after that day that she started talking about
Jung Hayan. Instead of denying the negative energy in herself, she began to
rationalize and accept it.
‘It can’t be helped. Perhaps this is the right way.’
Although there was still a sense of guilt on her face, it was a great
improvement compared to the beginning.
It was still awkward, but it was the first time in her 200-year life to be
insulting others. Of course, the method looked like an amateur’s and looked
cute.
Seeing her ears fluttering, she seems to be thinking of getting started. Where
we were did not matter anymore. What mattered were the thoughts in her
head.
“Er, Honorary Cardinal.”
“Yes, Elena.”
“I-Is Jung Hayan-nim a little bit too jealous?”
Asking something like this was indeed evidence that she was an amateur.
This was the moment when I realized that acting as sly as a fox truly needed
talent.
I was overwhelmed with the awkward acting, but at this point, it was my job
to act fooled, just this once.
As I nodded in affirmation, her ears fluttered once more.
“Actually, it is more than too much. As I said before, she doesn’t even like
me talking to other women. Of course, even though it looks cute, it would be
a lie if it wasn’t a burden. I’m a bit unhappy with it in the first place.”
“I-I see. After all, d… do you think that a broader understanding woman is
rather your ideal type than a woman who has a lot of jealousy…?”
‘That’s Lee Jihye’s way of thinking.’
“Not necessarily. To explain whether or not it is, of course, it can be said that
the broader understanding is better… I don’t think we can tell the difference
between the opposite sex and the same sex as we meet a lot of people.”
“I see.”
“Yes. But why?”

“N-Nothing. It’s just… I just remembered what I felt when I met Jung
Hayan-nim’s soul.”
“Last time, you said it was a soul full of love…”
“O-Of course, Jung Hayan-nim has a soul full of love, but there are parts that
I have not yet been able to talk about. Would it… be better to say that it’s not
just a pure soul…? It is difficult to comment in detail, but it must be
something Lee Kiyoung does not know about.”
‘I hit the right spot. Prepare the popcorn.’
“Was Hayan affected by the demon…?”
“No. It’s not that. Yes. It is not. I-It’s just the nature of Jung Hayan-nim…”
“I see. I felt it from the first time I saw her, but it’s really amazing. Being
able to feel the soul of others… In some ways, you might think it’s mere
unhappiness. Oh! Could it be that even souls that fit well with each other can
be distinguished? For example, if the soul wavelengths match, or if they’re
compatible.”
“Of course. I can’t say exactly, but… I can tell that to some extent.”
“Then, how about Jung Hayan and me?”
It was really interesting to see Elene struggling to form an answer that would
benefit her. Contrary to the stabbing conscience, my heart was beating. The
naive elf who was quietly watching out for me had become a fun little
conquest.
However, in the end, I could see her eyes closed, opening her mouth. Again,
she chose to abandon her conscience.
“You… may be disappointed, but it’s not very good. Yes. If I tell you
exactly, it will be right… to say that it doesn’t match that much.”
“Ah… Is that so?”

“Yes… I… I’m sure.”
As her face darkened from yet another lie, my heart once again fluttered.
She seemed to be regretting what she had done because she couldn’t put up
with her instant greed.
Of course, it was my role to help her not to regret it. She should’ve known
that the consequences of betraying her own conscience could come as joy,
not pain.
Only then could she be one step closer to being trashy.
“Excuse me, but what about Elena and me?”
“What?”
“I’m sorry. This was a little rude for me to…”
“No. Yes. I didn’t mean that. I was just a little surprised… Yes. I-I have to
give you the answer.”
“…”
“It’s embarrassing, but to tell you exactly as it is…”
“Yes.”
“The wavelength of the souls seems to fit very well. Yes. If you’re asking if
it’s good or not, it’s definitely good.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. This is the truth, without any lies.”
She didn’t even remember anymore how much she had thrown up the first
time she met me. At this point, I knew she would want to take things even
further.
She’ll need some ointment to apply to her guilt, and she’ll need some water
to drink.
“According to your words, the revelation that Elune-nim gave you might be
completely different. Hahaha.”
“Yes?”
“Oh! It’s nothing.”
“…”
“We should start moving again. I would like to stay here for another day, but
we’re close to the heart. Let’s cheer up.”
“Honorary Cardinal, what you said earlier…”
“Haha. It’s really nothing. It’s just something… I suddenly remembered. Due
to the current situation.”
“But…”
“I will tell you later.”
I showed her my best rendition of sad eyes. Likewise, Elena’s eyes also held
a spoonful of sadness.
However, I didn’t go on and on. This was important, but the fact that we must
get out of this place still remained.
“Okay.”
“Perhaps, by tomorrow we’ll be arriving at the main organs. Of course, this is

only if I were to assume that my guess is correct…”
“What you think is probably right. We were able to reach this place without
any trouble. However, if we arrive at the main organ…”
“I don’t know if my potion or your divine power will work, but I think we
should try. Monsters like these are usually more vulnerable to internal attacks
than external attacks. We don’t know when the party will arrive, so we have
to prepare in advance.”
“As expected… that’s why you continued studying alchemy.”
“Yes. That’s right. It seems to be difficult in the same way as before. Before,
I got new powers from Goddess Benignore, but I couldn’t use them properly
because I was lying in bed.”
“You also… received the trust.”
“Ah. I guess I didn’t tell you.”
“Yes.”
“I am only an alchemist, but thanks to the consideration of the Goddess, I got

undeserved strength. The problem is, I can’t get a sense of how to use this
power…”
“Uh! Maybe I can help.”
At first, I felt skeptical about her ability to help me. However, as the
moments began to pass me by, I began to feel like she might really be able to
help me.
‘This…’
Maybe it was really possible.
‘Isn’t this really a gift?’
Thinking of the revelation she had received, I began to nod once more.
Perhaps Elena was a gift from Elune to me. No wonder I realized that Elune
was a more cold-hearted fellow than I thought.
‘Phew. This ‘guy’ is also really trash.’

I couldn’t even begin to imagine that she would just hand over her daughter
like this.
Chapter 361
The more I thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
I was sure that the revelation Elena was thinking as well as my conclusion
were far from being the same, but the revelation she received must be to treat
me.
I thought that that much was everything.
I couldn’t even imagine the assumption that there was a connection between
the system-given class, Light Alchemist, and Elena.
‘It sounds so natural that I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of this before. Who
would have imagined this?’
Guardian of the legendary-grade Elune—the one and only high elf.
If I were to simply explain her with adjectives, I would fall short, but the
weight of the names of high elf and god’s apostle was never to be taken
lightly.
This was even more so when I considered that the high elves were born under
the influence of the World Tree’s magic power.
In the first place, it was correct to think that the World Tree itself had the
power of a semi-mythic grade. It had managed to keep the demon that had
currently swallowed us to stay in this world, and it was busy covering the
entire Eberian Kingdom.
Meanwhile, I had gotten influenced by Elune, who was in turn being

influenced by the World Tree. Existence itself seemed to have plans for us.
In other words, she was the daughter of Elune, and the alter ego of Elune. No
wonder I couldn’t imagine Elune turning over her precious daughter.
‘Who would’ve thought her to be this cold-hearted piece of shit?’
I already knew that transcendental beings were not perfect.
However, not only did she have the same mindset as me, but she was also the
type to resort to such low actions. I wasn’t expecting that.
Now I just pitied Elena.
‘Cold-hearted trash.’
Of course, no matter what the circumstances were, they had nothing to do

with me. Rather, I wanted to welcome this.
Regardless of the circumstances, it was only right to take it boldly if it was

beneficial to me.
The transcendental being had also thrown in a gift in the hope that it would
help Kim Hyunsung more, anyway. I still didn’t know what would happen in
the future, but there must be a reason for all of these events.
One thing I learned from this incident was that there was not one creature in
charge of the whole system.
Those who were called gods on the continent were likely looking down at us
from above.
‘Elune, this garbage, can also affect the system.’
Of course, all of this only stemmed from my imagination.
The exact thing had not been decided yet, but one thing that I was certain of
was that they were protecting both Kim Hyunsung and me.
It was only right to think that Elune would go so far as to even offer Elena to
me.
‘Don’t help me with this. You could help me with the situation I’m in.’
Of course, my grievances burst out of frustration. In the context so far, I

could assume that transcendental beings could not be greatly involved in
human death or life.
I didn’t know if it was really impossible, but at least the fact that it imposed
huge penalties was undeniable.
What I was certain about was that the transcendent existence did not want
Kim Hyunsung and I getting split up. There was also a possibility that Elena
would be the catalyst for the alchemy used by the Light Alchemist.
If the latter was true, then it was only right to scream.
As I continued to grin and look at Elena, I could see her face looking up at
me, not understanding my expression.
She shivered for a second as if she felt something, but she still seemed to be
in a good mood.
“Do you have anything you want to say?”
“I just remembered that you said you would help me.”
“Yes. Of course, I can help. I will do whatever I can.”
“It can be a little hard, but I’m not sure if it’s okay. It’s quite rude…”
“You don’t have to worry about it. If it’s anything I can do… I will do my
best.”
I saw her nodding innocently. I knew she would never expect me to decide to
use her for my study.
In fact, her consent was not important. If my guess was correct, then this
wasn’t something I should try. It was something I had to do.
Still, it was more convenient to coax a little more. As the situation was like
this, the depending on how well she would cooperate with me. I knew I had
to get right to the point.
“I think I should take a look at Elena’s body.”
“What?”
It felt like time stopped for a moment.
I didn’t know what was going on, but since her face went as red as a beetroot,
I knew I had to clear things up as quickly as I could. I made sure to only
convey the core details as much as possible.
Throughout the explanation, Elena nodded and sometimes made

exclamations.
It was impressive to see her continually nodding, but the fact that she had a
stronger connection with me would indeed be a pleasing proposition to her.
“I understand what you said, Lee Kiyoung-nim. However, as to how to help

with it, I don’t…”
‘That’s the problem.’
I couldn’t have her blood tested, or her clothes taken off from the beginning.
The whole process was quite problematic.
Considering the time spent discovering and researching Dialugia’s catalyst, it

was absurd to make a new kind of object here.
Naturally, the equipment and catalysts I had in my possession were also

unimaginably poor.
Dragon’s Breath potion and Enhancement Serum were the products of assets
created through numerous hypotheses and experiments.
Since there had been thousands of experiments with hundreds of alchemy

kits, it had been possible to produce results in a short time.
‘Fuck… I am not a genius.’
It is impossible to produce results right away when there were insufficient

resources.
It took decades to formulate a theory, and I didn’t know how much

experimentation I could do.
Although Elena was next to me, the number of other catalysts that could
support her was extremely scarce.
It was clear that all the materials I currently had would run out after four or
five experimentations. I had to think of a different way.
It would be impossible to use Salit’s body as a catalyst. Gathering saliva

would not do me any good, either.
[Salit’s Saliva (Semi-Mythic]]
[It is a material that cannot be used as a catalyst for alchemy.]
I did bring it just because, but it seemed that there were some conditions that
needed to be met in order to use a semi-mythic grade monster as a catalyst.
Just as the Light Alchemist used high elf Elena as a catalyst, I might also
need to obtain a specific class to use the catalyst.
‘Shall I just convert?’
Of course, I couldn’t even try because I didn’t know how to do it, and Han
Sora wasn’t here. However, if it were Belial, perhaps he would respond to
me.
I roughly memorized the magic circle, and the place where I was currently in
was inside of Salit, so perhaps there was a possibility.
Elena’s reaction was a different issue altogether, however.
‘I think I can convince her, but… it’s a little wasteful to abandon the Light
Alchemist…’
However, this was a risk I would be willing to take. It certainly seemed much
more plausible to use a better means for survival instead of aimlessly
wandering around.
I couldn’t just wait for Kim Hyunsung forever.
I understand that I can’t intervene recklessly, but at this point, I think there
must be some action from above.
‘The more I think about these bastards, the more I think they’re being too
much.’
I had dedicated my mind and body to the camp of the light, but what I got in
return was only a semi-mythic-grade class.
How much did I pay for the offering as an Honorary Cardinal of the Goddess
of Benignore? This thought passed through my mind. I bet it would not be an
exaggeration to say that no one had ever sacrificed more than me.
‘That’s right. Right. Even if I think about it a hundred times, it’s true.’
What about the Laios case?
Although there was a slight crisis, the impact of the incident could not be
fully expressed.
Not only did the miracles I showed on the whole continent got broadcasted,
but statistically, the number of Benignore goddess worshippers had increased
significantly.
No, the number had already gone through the roof.
Just as the demon raised results through contracts, if the sky’s existence was
filled with the believers’ results, how much I had contributed to the church
could not be expressed in words.

[I’m in the red, you shitty bastard. I’m in the red, and I’m out of business
trying to settle the mess you’ve made… It’s complete chaos. (0/1)]
That wasn’t even everything. I had even made the Goddess Benignore seem
like a democratic fighter. With the Goddess’ Mirror, praise songs for
Goddess Benignore resonated all over the continent.
[Are you nuts? Is that a feat? You don’t get the situation… (0/1)]
That wasn’t all.
Not only did I always assist Kim Hyunsung, but I was loyal with the
momentum to even offer my life. I thought that if the price for that loyalty
were barely this, it wouldn’t be bad to take Belial’s side instead…
[It is taboo to intervene greatly in things on the ground. Let’s not do this. I
understand you, but if it’s you… (0/1)]
It was too late. The seeds of bitterness had already been planted in my heart.
Now that a demon had eaten me, it was not a bad idea to convert my…..
[Hey, Kiyoung. Let’s not do this. Things are a little bad now. I don’t have
any conditions either. It’s a situation where I use so much divine power that I
have to borrow from here and there. I’ve already borrowed a lot, and it’s
really impossible anymore. (0/1)]
I was on the verge of dying now. There were only five days left of food, and
my legs were all swollen.
I thought that I would have the only glory being together with Kim
Hyunsung, but this was indeed a very cold and hungry path to take. Now I
could understand the feelings of those who had chosen to turn away from the
Goddess.
Of course, I was not making a ridiculous request, like asking her to get me
out of here. I already knew that it was impossible.
However, I never hoped to be put into a situation like this. Wasn’t it their job
to put their loyal servants onto a more comfortable path?
One thing was for sure – Goddess Benignore had to take some pointers from
Elune in terms of treating their favored ones.
‘You understand? There’ll be no such thing as a compromise.’
[Garbage bastard (0/1)]
‘It can’t be hel…’
[Semi-mythic-grade forced quest is activated.]
[Raise your right hand (0/1)]
[Quest Completion Reward]
[Bomb of Light Potion Recipe (Semi-mythic)]
Upon seeing the system light up with the answer to my problem, I perked up
once more.
This was my answer to faith.
‘Long live the Goddess Benignore.’
After all, heaven did not really throw out its believers. At that moment, my
firm belief in the Goddess rose again.
Once again, my heart had begun to fill up with light.

[You are real trash. Really. (0/1)]

Chapter 362
‘Very good. It’s very good.’
I felt as if my heart had been cleared with light. I had no choice but to once
again reinstate my loyalties to the great goddess of Benignore.
As expected, if you build up your virtue, you would surely get something in
return one day.
A smile popped out of me.
Who could believe that a semi-mythic quest that had never been seen would
occur by only raising my right hand?
As I slightly raised my right hand while maintaining a serious expression, a

pleasant sound began to be heard. This was obviously the happiest part of my
day.
[Quest of the semi-mythical grade is completed.]
[Raise your right hand (1/1)]
[Quest Completion Reward]
[Bomb of Light Potion Recipe]
[High Elf’s Tears with Divine Power (0/1) Leaf of the World Tree (0/1)]
[Catalyst for the Light Alchemist Only (Semi-mythic).]
Several other catalysts were listed. Some of them were definitely what I
already possessed.
Of course, the two most important ones were missing, but looking at the
atmosphere, it felt like Elena already had what I needed. It was very likely
that she also owned the leaf of the World Tree.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for our Goddess to throw out such a
useless card.
‘If I did this by myself, I would never succeed.’
The recipe itself was very complicated before the fact that the World Tree
leaves were used as ingredients.
There was a lot more to worry about than I had initially thought, and this was
not something I could create by risking a hundred attempts.
If I tried to do something, I would have lost all the precious catalysts.
‘It would have taken several years.’
Even techniques I had never used were being described in detail.
In general, it was common to use magical power when dealing with alchemy
circles or catalysts. For example, it could be explained as putting the oil
called magic power into a car called alchemy.
However, the alchemy of light from the venerable Goddess Benignore was
not magic power, but holy oil and fuel. There was a significant difference
from what I was accustomed to.
‘It was just a guess. I was really right.’
This was a bit different, but I didn’t even think it would work out so well that
I couldn’t help but try. It was only natural for me to pray out of thanks once
more. I had learned that our goddess always did watch over me.
‘This is it! This is it!’
This also somewhat proved my hypothesis. This continent was being

protected by several gods, and they communicated their will through the
medium of quests.
Intervening too deeply was, of course, forbidden, and they would get
penalized for wrongdoing.
Perhaps the bastard Altanus, who returned Kim Hyunsung, was likely to have
suffered an unimaginable penalty. I could imagine that the Goddess
Benignore had suffered through the same thing as well.
Of course, I couldn’t care less about that now. What mattered was that I
could reap the benefits.
As I kept smiling, Elena began to look at me with curiosity. I hurriedly spoke

up.
“I received a revelation.”
The most appropriate, beautiful, and sure word. There was nothing more
reassuring to her than this.
“What?”
“I think it would be better to walk slowly while we talk about it. Oh, and
what I need right now are high elf tears with divine power and leaves of the
World Tree. Maybe you…”
“Everyone in the Eberian Kingdom has a World Tree leaf. I’ve known that it
has no effect…”
“If Elena-nim can drop a few tears in it, I can convert it into a catalyst I can
use.”
“Lee Kiyoung-nim, I think I know what this is related to, but it’s so sudden
it’s hard to follow. Just explain a little bit slowly…”
“I will explain this later. One thing I can say for sure is that I have received a
revelation from Goddess Benignore. I think I can see why Elena-nim and I
have met. Yes. I’m sure of it.”
Basically, I met her so I could use her. However, I couldn’t just tell Elena that
Elune had ratted her out. Instead, it would be better if I were to tempt her.
“W-What…”
“Elena-nim is someone… I need…”
“Yes…”
“No, it’s nothing.”
“…”
I had thrown out the bait of temptation – it was too late to back out now.
Although I didn’t express it in words, I turned to look at her quietly. I knew

she could discern what the suggestive expression on my face meant – she had
turned as red as a beetroot.
Oh, she definitely knew it.
Her ears were trembling as if she was nervous. However, strange emotions
had come to her face.
‘A feeling of immorality? Achievement?’
It seemed to me that she felt guilty, too, though the joy on her face obviously
overrode that.
Most of all, the fact that I wanted her seemed to make her happy. Perhaps she
thought that she had finally beaten Jung Hayan. Though it felt to me like a
mistress happy at being able to steal the man away from his wife, I didn’t feel
like it was strange at all.
However, I also wanted her to be slightly aware of the fact that what she was
feeling was wrong. Seeing her staring up at me, her lips tightly closed, was
kind of cute.
There was no need for words. She was holding my wrist tightly enough.
Her whole body was trembling, and she had on a very nervous face. Her ears
had drooped down, but she was still smiling.
At first glance, she may seem guilty, but it would soon turn into a pleasant
tension. As expected, I could see her quietly nodding. She obviously thought
that she had won, that I had finally recognized her feelings.
The time itself had become very generous, thanks to the efforts of our
Goddess Benignore. At this point, I wondered if it would be okay to make a
little move.
Honestly, being moderately relaxed made me feel like I was just camping,
not stuck in some monster’s body.
‘It wouldn’t be bad to get trapped at least once more.’
I could feel her pulling my arm slowly.
She turned her head as if asking me to look at her and stopped, but cutely
enough, she had pressed her body back together. I took a step back, and she
took a step forward.
“So, you’ve r-realized it.”
“…”
“I-I already knew. In fact, I had realized it for a long time, but I was
pretending n-not to know. Of course, I wasn’t sure, but I… I think I can know
everything now.”
“…”
“Of course, I know that there is someone Lee Kiyoung already loves…”
“It’s a little bit sudden, but… Elena, this isn’t what I just said.”
“No. I know Lee Kiyoung already k-knows. I’m sure.”
‘Would you look at her?’

She seemed quite determined. Her trembling legs and trembling ears were
really fun to watch.
Seeing that she was saying this despite my blatant excuses, it seemed that
greed had risen in her for the fruit that refused to fall.
“You already know. T-The reason you can’t take another step right now is
obviously because of guilt. B-Because you are too kind.”
‘Right. I’m kind.’
“Lee Kiyoung has said… People are connected with a red string. At that time,
I thought you and Jung Hayan-nim were connected, but now I have realized
that it’s different. Yes. Definitely. Please look straight at me, Lee Kiyoung.
It’s not Jung Hayan… that is your fate. Please…”
‘Whoa.’
I thought that I would have to goad her, but it turned out that the opposite had
happened – she was encouraging me.
“This is not something to be talked about here. We don’t have time for this.
More importantly, Elena, you seem a little excited. If you calm down a little
bit…”
“No. It’s because we’re here that I can tell you. I can tell you because it is
now. Please look straight at me. Please do not avoid my eyes and look
straight at me.”
She had even begun to cry. I felt tempted to harvest some of those tears, but I
knew it didn’t feel like the right time now.
“Please look at me. I hope you don’t hide your emotions. I want you to be
honest and express it as it is.”
“But…”
“I know you feel guilty. But. But…”

“…”
“Hug me.”
“…”
“Hug me.”
Now Elena just looked desperate. I had never imagined that she would act so
aggressively. This only proved my point – that she acted more on impulse
than anything else.
Of course, I could see how brave she was.
Elena had recently turned into a bit of an active personality, but the 200 years
she was trapped in the kingdom had probably helped with this development.
‘She doesn’t seem to care if the fruit is poisoned.’
Her ears were trembling. I could see her coming up and bringing her lips
closer.
Of course, I just pretended to refuse, but I didn’t. Our lips touched in an

instant.
[For unknown reasons, the forced quest of the heroic level was canceled.]
I flinched at the uninvited visitor who had come for a second, but it was
obvious as to what happened next. Perhaps Elena had even noticed. The fruit
she wanted so much wasn’t as sweet as she thought.
As time passed and I was sleeping, the sound of her sniffling from inside of
the monster echoed.
Of course, I didn’t worry about it.
As always, I knew she was going to rationalize herself eventually.

This was unavoidable.
[Legendary-grade forced quest is activated.]
[For an unknown reason, the legendary-grade forced quest was canceled.]
I didn’t know if I was just thinking it, but for some reason, I felt as if
someone else was crying, too.
Chapter 363
[Today’s free chapters will be released at 5 PM CST along with the details
about the 500th RIM chapter giveaway event!]
Chapter 363: Light Kiyoung Said, Let there be light: And There Was Light
(1)
The next morning turned out to be very pleasant.
Of course, there was still the lingering smell of the disgusting demon, but that
did not deter the good news.
“This is the item you were talking about. I don’t know if this is correct…”
“I’m sure it is, Elena. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“No. I just did what I had to do.”
[Light Alchemist-only Catalyst (Semi-mythic).]
[High Elf’s Tears with Divine Power]
[Light Alchemist-only Catalyst (Semi-mythic).]
[Leaf of the World Tree]
‘My precious…’
My hands had begun to tremble by just looking at it.
‘My precious!!!’
Just having the ingredients prepared just for me made me feel good.
Of course, this was a treasure that could never be priced—though it was just a
small amount of liquid in a small potion bottle, and a small leaf.
I could feel myself about to burst into laughter when I started thinking about
the impact these catalysts would have in the future.
I wanted to get up and dance right now, but I couldn’t afford to. Elena’s
expression did not look that good.
Of course, this was to be expected. I knew she had undergone a lot of

thinking last night. Nevertheless, she still took it upon herself to give me this
gift – and I was proud of her for it.
As I lifted my head once again to look at her, I saw her face, complete with
swollen eyes.
I thought she would be okay, but she looked like she was having a harder
time than I thought.
Her ears were drooping, and she still had unknown guilt on her face. It was
obvious that this elf was kind by nature.
So far, guilt and a strange sense of betrayal had coexisted within her.
‘How do I go about with this…?’
I was once again reminded of how cruel Elune could be.
It was all now spilt milk, and things had already happened. A heartbroken elf
had been thrown away by the god she believed in. It was only right to get her
out before she became unable to make a comeback. In the future, she would
have to continue with me.
As I slowly held her hand, she flinched for a second. Seeing her reflexively
trying to avoid my hand was also quite interesting.
Of course, in the end, she accepted my hand without avoiding it. The tingling
pleasures of immorality once again covered her feelings of guilt.
I thought maybe things wouldn’t get worse when she was talking, or was
with me.
“About yesterday…”
“Yes… er… I’m sorry.”
“No. It is not something for Elena-nim to apologize. I had the same feeling.
And I think it was necessary.”
“Ah…”
“I feel a little refreshed, but… of course, I don’t know if I should call this as
treatment, but it feels something different from before. How does Elena look
at me now?”
“Yes.”
“So, it was that. I… It was that.”
‘Yes… you’re right. You are right.’
She didn’t see me as someone utterly repelling anymore. Though I knew I

still had some negative effect on her, at least she wasn’t resisting the urge to
gag like before.
It was evident that her disposition was changing, little by little, and it was
proof that I had gotten into the heart of an innocent elf.
I couldn’t quite yet determine to what extent I had been settled in, but I
thought that, maybe if I let go of her hand, she could make an extreme
choice.
It is correct to think that the only reason she can withstand the guilt that
weighs on her is my existence.
Perhaps she would make the same choice of Jung Hayan from the first round,
the one that had been toyed with by the masked trash.
‘I can’t let her do that. Yes. Absolutely.’

I couldn’t let the golden goose, no, the precious Elena turn into that.
Elena mumbled alone whilst nodding.
“I see. Yes. It was unavoidable. To heal Lee Kiyoung… Yes. It was

necessary. Yes…”
It seemed that she was now a little out of it. Naturally, I held her hand tightly.
She couldn’t refuse and accepted when I kissed her slightly. Rather, she was
clinging to me, little by little.
What I saw after ending the kiss was a reddened face, and now it seemed like
I would have to do this kind of work for the next few days.
It didn’t matter if she felt this out of curiosity, pleasure, or anything. The
most important thing was to stop her negative thoughts.
There had been a few twists and turns, but for now, my work could be
considered a success.
I didn’t make her dangerous like Jung Hayan, and I had compromised very
well in the right line.
Whatever the process, I had successfully penetrated Elena’s heart.
Above all, it was important that the contaminated soul was healed by a
sincere sharing of each other’s feelings with High Elf Elena.
The next thing to do was quite obvious.
Having dug into Elena’s heart once, it was time to rush to the heart of this
filthy bastard who swallowed me.
‘Did you think you could digest me?’
It didn’t have a ghost of a chance.

“I think it would be better to be going right away.”
“What you said you would make…”
“We will have time in the way. The catalyst itself can be prepared while
moving. It’s all in my head, so you can simply rest assured.”
Elena looked puzzled, but she chose to follow alongside me. It seemed that
she was amazed at my ability to prepare a catalyst that would usually need
processing whilst moving.
No, considering the fact that she was an Elf, she may even marvel at the
process of alchemy itself.
“It’s amazing. Of course, I saw it last time, but…”
Ah, she was interested. This was good; I could keep her distracted from her
negative thoughts.
“That… Are you memorizing all the methods and procedures to make it?”
“Yes. I’m used to it. It’ll probably be ready in a few hours. And then, I can
use the alchemy kit to make potions right away.”
Currently, making a new potion was, arguably, easier than taking candy from
a baby.
Of course, it was hard to say that there was absolutely no difficulty, but it just
felt like cheating on a test. No wonder I felt like a genius.
I could make perfect measurements and sense without a single error.
I was just reading the manual and working on it, but she looked at me with a
face that looked as if she had seen something great.
‘It’s really effective.’
Certainly, as my magic power held divine power, every time I exuded my

magical power, light burst out. Admittedly, I only had little divine power, but
as it was the semi-mythic-grade’s influence, the whole thing looked like a
sacred show.
‘This is the energy of light. Yes. Absolutely.’
I felt like forever ever since I had done some proper alchemy.
Even I couldn’t really figure out what this was. I was just doing what I was
told to do. One thing I was sure of, however, was that It looked like I was
working a miracle.
Just before completion, I suddenly felt like the monster was moving.
‘Huh?’
It is definitely not an illusion. Even Elena looked to have felt the same.
Of course, I wasn’t as flustered, as it wasn’t the first time this happened.

Actually, there had been several movements from him during our stay here.
I remembered he was just tossing and turning around at best. However, the
shock that struck again forced me to realize that something was wrong.
“L-Lee Kiyoung-nim.”
“I feel it, too. I think it would be better to go a little faster. Let’s try to hold
onto each other as much as possible, so we don’t get separated.”
“Okay.”
We couldn’t go back to where we came from. If we fell from here, everything

we worked for would just be in vain.
Once again, I had found myself on an unexpected journey.
‘What’s up with him all of a sudden?’
As soon as I started thinking of useless things, my insides trembled. I

immediately began chanting a spell.
‘This…’
From the vibrations, it appeared as if he had engaged in a fight.
As I embraced Elena tightly with one arm, she also closed her eyes tightly
and began to hold onto my body.
‘Is it Hyunsung?!’
At that moment, he shook his body with a loud roar once again.
‘He came.’
Blue guild members and the Elune Knights of the Kingdom of Eberia had
arrived.
“What’s… going on? Lee Kiyoung-nim.”
“It seems like the expedition has arrived. I don’t know exactly, but… I’m
pretty sure.”
It’s about three days earlier than the expected time for the expedition team to
get here.
If the expedition moved very quickly, it would be about the right time.
“Then how…”
“It doesn’t change what we have to do. Perhaps the expedition is also
struggling. If you and I help them, we will be able to attack the named
monster more easily.”
“Okay.”
“I think it would be better to hold onto me. Please be careful because you
might bump your body.”
“Yes. Okay.”
In the meantime, I noticed her blushing face, but I didn’t care for it much.
‘In the middle of this, she…’
I had to solve the immediate problem now.
I didn’t know exactly how the situation outside was going, but it was likely to
be a tough fight, as I had just said. This was, after all, a semi-mythic grade
named monster.
No matter how good the Blue Guild members were, some sacrifices would
still have to be made.
Since the schedule had been shortened by three days, the back liners with
weak physical strength would probably have already hit the limit.
My mind was a mess, but my hands started to move quickly. I continued to

advance, putting the divine power.
‘Shit.’
I was going crazy experimenting, all while creating Dialugia’s catalyst and
balancing my body.
However, the results were getting closer.
Elena also created a curtain to prevent shock just in case and looked at me
with anxiety. Her expression gave away the fact that she was praying.
It must be a prayer for the heartless trash Elune, but I quickly realized that it
was working.
This was because, after activating the prepared catalyst, a blinding light
rushed out.
‘Nice!’
Chapter 364
Chapter 364: Light Kiyoung said, Let there be light: and there was light (2)
The light burst through from my creation.
The result that had already left the kit and entered the bottle was radiating
such a brilliant light that I couldn’t open my eyes properly. The way it
constantly emitted light made me feel anxious, for some reason.
‘Benignore didn’t backstab me, right…?’
I felt like I was close to exploding due to the anxiety that was building up
inside of me.
Of course, it was hard to imagine that the venerable Goddess Benignore

would abandon me, a devout believer and a proud ally of Kim Hyuna, but it
didn’t mean I did not feel worried at all.
My anxiety only stemmed from the realization that not all transcendental
beings were genuine in their actions. Take Elune, for example.
‘No. Still, our Goddess Benignore is not that kind of being.’
She must have sacrificed a lot already, so she wouldn’t backstab the devout
believer so far. Perhaps she had added her own power to this creation to aid
me.
I was nervous, but I was quite sure that this wouldn’t explode.
“It’s Elena-nim’s divine power.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Please keep sending divine power here. It will definitely work.”

“O-Okay. Please leave it to me.”
No further explanation was needed. She immediately nodded and shoved

divine power into the bottle.
It was a solid fact that Elena’s divine power was a little more concentrated
than mine. As if she had received a golden egg, she continued to inject her
divine power. I joined her in doing so.
Once again, the light began to burst.
I was a little scared whenever it would shake violently, but in the end, the
sound I wanted began to resonate.
‘As expected, I wasn’t wrong. Long live, Goddess Benignore.’
[The combination of Light Bomb Potion, a semi-mythical-grade potion, was

successful.]
[Magic power increases by 1.]
[Light Bomb Potion (Semi-mythic)]
[Alchemist of Light exclusive consumption item: Daily usage limit (3/3)]
[This is a unique potion that can only be activated by the semi-mythic class,
the Alchemist of Light. Created by Goddess Benignore’s consideration and
Elena’s sacrifice, this potion triggers a massive explosion of light that reacts
to the user’s enemies and allies immediately after instilling the user’s divine
power. Allies are immediately healed of serious injuries, but enemies remain
exposed to the effects of the explosion. This potion can be used three times a
day. P.S: Crappy bastard. This is really the last time. I’ve passed my limit.]
Nice! Nice! Sweet! Sweet!
“Lee Kiyoung, I think it’s done. We did it. We did it!”
“Yes. I’m also seeing it, Elena-nim.”

“I-It really… such a thing…”
“It’s all thanks to Elena.”
“No. This is the result of your achievements. Yes. The crystal of divinity
surrounded by this pure light is your feat. You’re really amazing. Really…”
“You’re over complimenting me. I wouldn’t have been able to make it if I

were alone.”
I also wanted to scream. However, it was hard to express my joy due to the
situation.
I felt like I wanted to dance with that in my hand, but for now, it was best to
put the potion in my arms. I wanted to appreciate the brilliance in more detail,
but unfortunately, I didn’t have the time.
Considering the potion’s durability, it may not be broken by a simple shock,

but there was nothing wrong with being careful as anything could happen.
I would only be rest assured if I put it in the infinite bag that Kim Hyunsung
had given me.
As soon as I squeezed it in and moved, I saw Elena grabbing me and

nodding.
‘She seems to be in a good mood.’
There was an unimaginable excitement on her face.
She had an expression that seemed as if she had thought that she had indeed
saved the world. There was even respect on her face whilst looking at me.
‘Right. It’s understandable. I understand. I understand.’
This was a semi-mythic grade potion.
Of course, it was still one step below the mythic grade, but this potion was
definitely and at least on the fringes of the mythic-grade.
I didn’t know how strong it was, but I was sure the firepower would be more
than expected.
It could even recover allies from severe injuries immediately.
It should be a little insufficient, but perhaps it would have a performance that

exceeded a high-ranking priest’s divine power.
The only downside was that there was a usage limit per day.
I didn’t know if it was blocked by Benignore or if it had been restricted

because it was out of standard, but it didn’t matter now, anyway.
‘It’s a fact that it can distinguish enemies and allies.’
No matter how I was to look at it, this object deserved some praise.
‘Let’s go! Long live, Goddess Benignore!’
Since I had overcome the most difficult mission, the next step was a piece of
a cake. If I went into his heart and threw the thing that was in my arms,
everything would be solved.
The expeditions outside would be happy, and I also would be happy. My

contaminated soul had already gotten healed.
Everyone would feel amazed upon witnessing Light Kiyoung’s feat, who had
gained new power whilst purifying his defiled soul.
The situation I was in right now was pretty tough, but when I anticipated the
warm results that would come later, I couldn’t help but smile.
Of course, it was not easy to move.
They were still in the middle of a fierce battle outside. No, honestly, I was
not sure that the battle was going on. I wanted to see what the situation was
like, but unfortunately, I couldn’t.
‘I wish I could convey the situation here…’

Somewhere, I felt a little familiar magic power.
If what I was feeling right now was not my illusion, this pleasantly familiar
energy was hers.
‘Jung Hayan?’
I had to smile.
Of course, after I realized that I had Elena in my arms, I felt startled, but
since it was inevitable, she would probably understand.
Although I felt nervous, I thought she would give a greater significance to

have confirmed that I was alive, rather than the fact that I was holding her.
As I slowly looked around, a familiar eye began to appear in my sight.
‘Anemone’s Eye.’
Sure enough, the expedition had arrived here. I could see the big eye chasing
me.
Not only did this pierce through Salit’s resistance, but to have found my
location accurately gave me goosebumps.
Of course, it was not magic that attacked the outside or the inside, so the
resistance judgment was different from usual, but it was still surprising to
show such magic.
As I looked exactly in the Anemone’s Eye and nodded, I felt as if that thing
also nodded.
‘My expectation was correct.’
I knew it – Jung Hayan couldn’t check on me personally because she was far
away.
It was a moment to realize once again that the reason for this agitation was
because of the expedition.
‘It means it was correct that a battle was in progress.’
She seemed to worry about me even while the battle was going on.
I wanted to tell her to focus more instead of wasting useless magic power, but
I thought that this was better.
This was easier for outside personnel to get my intention as I wanted.
“Tie him up as much as possible. I will run toward the heart.”
“What?”
“And focus on the outside, not here.”
She must have heard it. However, Anemone’s Eye was still following me.
As I looked into Anemone’s Eye and beckoned, I could see the magic
dissipating immediately as if she understood what I meant.
‘Good.’
I didn’t know how much progress was made, but my intention was clearly
communicated.
They must know that the impact he would get affected us as well. I didn’t
know how high his endurance was, but it was highly likely that other attacks
other than those of Jung Hayan and Kim Hyunsung would not work properly.
They were giving him physical shocks, but the attacks had not reached the
inside.
As he was too big, there must be a limit to Hyuna’s cutting. Had I been able
to see the end, Salit would have already been rolling over the ground.
‘It means I have to help.’
I was not doing this because I wanted the final blow.

‘Very good.’
Whether the message delivered to Jung Hayan was effective or not, it felt that
his movement had substantially decreased.
It didn’t seem like they were restraining his movement right now, but they
seemed to be refraining from using magic that could give physical shock as
much as possible.
Naturally, it was now easier to move. Seeing that, Elena began to open her
mouth.
“Lee Kiyoung, are you…”
“Yes. The expedition seems to have confirmed our current location. Perhaps,
in a little while, there will be a signal.”
“I see. It’s really… fortunate.”
“I think Hayan has found me. Seeing the different aspects of the battle, it
seems like they are trying to help from outside.”
“That’s… good.”
“Let’s move quickly. The signal will probably come within minutes.”
“Yes… Yes!”
It was then that I felt a heavy shock once again. I flinched for a moment, but
wasn’t surprised. I felt the pressure of something pressing him from above.
I could feel him struggling, but he was definitely fixed in a corner. The
insides were swaying, but his position didn’t change.
‘We’re almost there.’
My legs hurt, and I was out of breath.
However, perhaps because of the passion for the last hit, or the determination
not to put the expedition members in danger, an unknown spirit had risen
inside me.
I was now starting to remember what I’ve been through all this whole time.
Of course, there were a lot of things to thank for Salit because what I gained
thanks to him weren’t little.
Unfortunately, it was time to say goodbye to him here.
[Heart of Salit]
I had finally reached my destination.
The scene of the huge heart moving violently was overwhelming, but of
course, I didn’t want to just watch it blankly.
I wanted to get out of here as fast as possible. I also wanted to get rid of the
stress that I had been under so far. I picked up what was in the infinite bag in
no time.
‘Did you think you could eat me?’
It must be clear that the energy of light that Light Kiyoung possessed was too
brilliant for him to digest.
Naturally, I poured divine power into the newly created Light Bomb potion.
As soon as the item left my hand, a blinding glow began to spread around the
potion.
“Fuck…”
As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t take a picture of this scene.
A shout burst out without my knowledge. It was a line famous all over the
world, but I wanted to shout it at least once.
“Let there be light.”

‘And there was light.’
And there was light. Literally.
[A feat that cannot be achieved was achieved.]
[A new title is created.]

Chapter 365
Chapter 365: Light Kiyoung Said, Let There Be Light: And There Was Light
(3)
‘Is he really alive…?’
I knew it was wrong to have these kinds of questions. However, in my mind,

an ominous feeling continued to spring up.
In fact, it was not unreasonable to have such anxiety.
This was because I witnessed a large, unimaginable monster swallowing a

carriage with one bite.
No matter how I were to think about this, it was the Elune Knights’ mistake.
Naturally, this left a bitter taste in my mouth. I realized that Elune Knights
were too weak compared to humans, based on the situation’s judgment and
the mental state.
Unlike the Elune Knights, armed with their characteristic arrogance, humans
were always calm and humble. Although the enemy’s level may fall short of
expectations, they didn’t get cocky.
Even if I assumed that this human and the elf’s basic specs were the same, I
thought that the difference between the knights and them wouldn’t change.
‘No. It’s not just Elune Knights.’
The same was true for me.
‘I was at a distance where I could take care of them.’
Nevertheless, I couldn’t even move.

The overwhelming size and majesty made my body stiffen without my
knowledge.
This was the kind of monster I had never seen before.
Even when I close my eyes again and thought of the guy, my legs began to
shake. Other elves would not be much different either.
Nevertheless, these people in front of me didn’t seem to have any other kind
of worries.
Their only interest was whether Lee Kiyoung was alive or not.
They didn’t care about how big and how strong the giant monster was. They
just silently moved.
The wizard seemed to have been half-minded by the shock of the accident,
and the Blue Guild Master had closed his mouth completely. I could also
understand what the little assassin and female warrior with a spear felt just by
watching him, as well as the warrior carrying a large shield by yielding a
hundred times.
However, it was really amazing that the faces of those who were still hard to
say that they had reached the point were not distorted with fear.
‘They must believe.’
It was obvious what they believed in. They believed in the Blue Guild
Master, who was silently walking with a sword longer than himself.
Indeed, the battle he had shown so far seemed unrealistic. That expression
suited him.
His speed was hard to follow with the eyes, and every time the sword was
swung, huge demons fell like fallen leaves.
It felt like it was telling me how far humans could be strong with a sword. He
even made me think of the God of War.
However, it didn’t mean that I felt assured. This expedition is strong.
Several assumptions came to my mind, but I wasn’t sure that this monster
could beat that monster. Even if he was fully prepared and entered, I could
not successfully predict the result.
I shook my head when I remembered that they had a physical penalty.
‘Is it okay at this pace?’
Everyone would already be aware that the current expedition members were
working hard enough. Even without battle, they had crossed a difficult area,
clashing with demons.
In the aftermath of arriving here after countless battles, some had already
reached their limits.
It was hard to imagine how to deal with the demon with such a body.
“Elios-nim, is it really okay to keep going like this?”
I heard a question when I was lost in thought. As I turned, I saw the worried
face of one of the Elune Knight.
“I wonder if they’re not going too far with the expedition. Of course… It’s
not that I don’t understand them, but if they keep going like now, it’ll be a
battle where they’ll lose before fighting.”
“I know.”
“Wouldn’t it be good to ask for support from outside… Or maybe you might
want to consider another method.”
“…”
The elf who asked the question looked terrified. I gave him a bitter smile.
It was because it felt as if the voice contained within the question was being
heard.
I saw his face blushing as if he had noticed the meaning of the smile that
came out without my knowledge. However, he was not wrong.
The opponent was an unrivaled monster. Dealing with named monsters

without recovering health was akin to suicide.
As I slowly looked around, I could see the woman with a spear, Cho Hyejin.
Naturally, I approached her because I had to talk about the problem.
“Cho Hyejin-nim.”
“You came in good time, Elios-nim.”
“Yes.”
“The Guild Master judged we are near the end of the dungeon. It would be
good for the exhausted elves to take a break. It’s not going to be a long time,
but I think they can recover the stamina here for a while.”
“If so, then the main force…”
“He said that the main force would continue with the expedition. Han Sora,
Kim Chang-ryul, and Yoo Ahyoung from the Blue will remain here, prepared
for an emergency with the elves. He said he would ask you to organize it
afterward, as he will open up the road.”
‘Is she serious?’
It didn’t seem like she was joking.
I could actually see those who were getting ready to move.
The wizard, who was constantly crying, was already standing up and
preparing to walk, and the situation of the others was not that different.
I could see how important Lee Kiyoung was to them. Of course, I felt the
same way. I couldn’t even dare to imagine that I would lose Elena.
In the end, I talked without my knowledge.
“I’m going, too.”
“…”
“It will definitely be helpful. No, I definitely want to go together. Some of the
knights will have enough physical strength. It is not enough, but I will do my
best to help.”
“No, no, Elios-nim. Rather, we wanted to ask. To say that you will help
us…”
“It is not something to be thankful for. Of course, I have to go.”
“Then, let’s head out immediately.”
“Yes.”
Of course, my body trembled, but this job would be worth the risk.
Looking at the humans who didn’t seem to be fearful, I felt as if my previous

thoughts were becoming more firm.
The expedition, which was moving slowly, increased their speed more and
more.
‘We’re approaching the end.’
As we went deeper and deeper, the pressure I felt before continued to hit my
whole body.
I tried to pretend it was okay, but I was not used to the feeling of my body
receiving its first rejection. The others were also getting more and more
determined.
That was when Kim Hyunsung, who had been silent until now, opened his
mouth.
It was when I thought that it was getting harder to even breathe under the
unknown pressure.
“Take a deep breath.”
“Yes… Yes.”
“Let’s prepare to enter.”
“Okay.”
“We will make it our top priority to protect Jung Hayan and Sun Hee-young.
Hyejin and Ye-ri focus on protecting the rear as much as possible. Jeong-
yeon will assist Hayan as much as possible… It will be difficult, but Ahn Ki-
mo will take care of the party member’s overall recovery.”
“You mean only me? Guild Master?”
“Yes. Most of the divine power is limited to damage and maintenance of

buffs. The front line will be burdened, but Deokgu has to endure with a
personal potion as much as possible.”
“Okay.”
“If you think it’s dangerous, try to retreat according to the manual. However,
Deokgu will not remain, I’ll be the last to remain. And…”
“Yes.”
“Elios-nim will also be in charge of a key role in the battle. It will definitely
work. The power of Elios and the power of the enemy are close to the
extreme. I know it’s scary. It is not something to be ashamed of. It is natural.
It will be easy to move if you keep remembering that the enemy is also
worried about you.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
He quietly nodded. “Let’s get in.”

We entered into a large void at his voice. It was a difficult place to describe.
It was said that this was a Twisted Pond, but what I saw was a lake whose
size could not even be determined. This was the root of the World Tree that
was connected to the lake. I could see that the ugly magic beast I had seen
before was rooted in.
How should I describe that appearance?
The overall image was more like a snake.
However, the mouth with tens of thousands of teeth was, by no means, an

ordinary snake.
The exterior looked as if he was wearing the surface of a corpse. I saw the
unmelting ice-like eyes staring at me at the same time. No wonder my body
trembled with unknown goosebumps.
However, reminiscing about what I had just heard, I fixed the sword and
grabbed it.
It was a spectacle to see him poking out two huge tongues, but then turning
his head as if he was not interested.
‘Am I not worth fighting…?’
It seemed to have eyes as if looking at an insect.
‘Right. I would look like an insect.’
In front of that overwhelming being, humans or elves would indeed look like
insects.
It was then that his eyes were on alert. Explosive magic began to erupt from
behind me.
“G-G-Give me back. Hic. Give me back.”
“…”
“Give me back! Give me back!! Give me back!!! Give me back!!! Give me
back!!!!”
“Get ready for battle.”
“Give me! I said give me! Give me! Give me!”
“Let’s enter.”
I had witnessed tremendous magic power that I could not dare to measure.
That magic power attempted to change in an instant in the form of magic.
Five magic spells were cast.
After a huge flame and other natural magic spells were created, it looked like
a fairy tale to see magic cast down on a monster of this type.
The earth cracked, and the sound of the explosion went off in no time.
The girl with the sword did not panic. Rather, it was thrilling to see her
immediately getting into the battle posture.
In the meantime, the magic that had been cast had effectively pinned the
monster down to the floor.
‘No way…’
It was not possible to check whether there was damage inflicted or not.
However, it was clearly visible that his body was being pushed out due to a
physical shock.
‘This is nuts…’
The others began to form a square position around the breathless wizard.
As soon as the priest named Sun Hee-young offered a prayer, it was

immediately visible that a crowd of lights emanated from all directions along
with a transparent membrane surrounding the square.
‘Sanctification.’
It was known that only a few high priests could use it. The magic beast’s
gaze that was looking at us like an insect had changed.
In an instant, the moment he got up and rushed straight ahead, he got crushed
by a tragedy that came from somewhere.
What could be seen was a girl holding a sword—the Blue Guild Master and
the expedition leader.
He was someone followed by the adjective of being a genius chosen by God,

as well as being the top ten in the State.
‘I knew he was strong, but…’
“Trash bastard.”
There were goosebumps all over my body.

Chapter 366
Chapter 366: Light Kiyoung Said, Let There Be Light: And There Was Light
(4)
“Trashy bastard.”
Obviously, he had only swung his sword once.
Nevertheless, the magic beast with that large of a size fell. The energy
emanating from the sword was quite difficult to describe. I found it
unbelievable to witness a human that would be able to unleash such a
crushing blow.
The magic beast in front of us was, without exaggeration, a huge hill, a small
mountain.
The fact that a magic beast of that size had lost its balance with a sword
wielded by a mere human made me doubt my eyesight. Even his fellow guild
members were also blatantly looking at him with widened eyes.
Now I had good reason to think that he had been hiding his full power this
entire time.
“Pant. Pant. Pant…”
Unlike the wizard, who had started to pause to catch her breath, the
swordsman was not disturbed. I couldn’t help clenching my fists upon seeing
this scene. The fact that a single human could grow to this extent was
thrilling.
My respect for him had grown.
However…
‘Is there no damage?’

The problem was that the attacked monster was fine.
If it had been a normal monster, its body would have gotten split in half from
the first strike. It turned out that they still couldn’t inflict damage on him,
even with this amount of power.
Once again, the attack magic and the Elune Knights’ arrows didn’t have any
effect. In short, they were just trying to buy some more time.
Of course, from behind, the wizard was chanting another spell again, but I
knew it still would not have any effect.
‘This is not working.’
No matter how I saw this, I knew this was going to be a long, long battle.
If the wizard named Jung Hayan stopped fighting, the monster would
automatically become the winner of this battle. The balance was that easy to
disrupt.
Currently, the means to injure that guy’s skin were her magic, and the Blue
Guild Master’s sword.
As I turned my head, I saw the eyes of the wizard who seemed to have lost
her mind.
‘No.’
I tried to scream, but thanks to the beast that raised his body again and came
flying, I was forced to bite my lips tightly.
In an instant, various supporting spells come down to the man with a huge
barrier and shield.
The warrior, with his mouth full of potion, raised his shield to cover his body.
“Deokgu! Start with the protection magic!”
“Oh, I know! Don’t worry, Hyung-ssi! I’m not going to die here!”
Craaaackkkk!
The defense magic that protected the expedition members had gotten
completely broken.
With a shield, the warrior took the chance, went one step forward, and hit the
side of the beast’s head. He must be trying to change his course, though his
actions did not hold much power. He was nearing his peak.
I was worried that he might not have enough power to endure it, but the
magic that flew at the right time helped him.
“Jeong-yeon, nic… cough!”
“Deokgu!”
If Hwang Jeong-yeon’s spell and his actions did not occur at the same time, I
was a hundred percent sure that Deokgu would have been dead by now,
though he had successfully defended against the monster’s attack.
At the same time as the potion was hurriedly inhaled, the combat priest’s
recovery spell continued to fly towards him.
“Cancel the spell. Hayan, look for… Kiyoung.”
“Oh! Oh! O-Oh! Okay! Okay!”
She hadn’t completely lost her mind yet. I nodded as she canceled the
offensive magic she was preparing to cast once more. However, this meant
that it was the melee group’s turn to attack.
They did not hesitate. With buffs on their side, the melee attackers dove in…
‘It’s perfect.’
The weapons had been infused with the faint outline of divine power, which
had all been thanks to the priest named Sun Hee-young.
I, too, drove the energy inside the dagger and threw it… Though the monster
still looked to be completely unaffected. This meant that he must have some
overwhelming endurance.
“We don’t need to care if we do damage or not.”
“Yes. Okay.”
What their Guild Master wanted was a long-term war.
If even one person were to make a mistake, we would all be annihilated. The
one who induced this tense situation was the Blue Guild Master.
A very hectic time had passed.
The expedition continued to endure his attack, and he also continued to

receive crushing blows and magic with his body. We were put at a
disadvantage, but that urgency and anxiety had elicited perfect concentration.
Everyone was probably thinking the same way as I was.
However, Kim Hyunsung looked to be in a daze, though his movements were

flawless. In fact, he appeared to be in a different realm altogether.
The magic burst out, and the sword swung. At the same time as the shield
would break, I heard the priest’s voice chanting a recovery spell.
‘Focus.’
“Focus!”
“I can do it. Just a little more focus!”
The same went for me.
I bit my lips tightly, and although it was not enough, I swung my sword.
Though it looked impossible, I knew that, given enough time, we would
eventually be able to crack through the monster.
Eventually, our fear of the enemy subsided, and the pressure about making
mistakes gradually disappeared. This was also when Jung Hayan spoke up in
a serious tone.
“S-Stop him from moving.”
“What do you mean, Hayan?”
“O-Oppa said so. He… clearly said it. To keep him tied up as much as
possible. He’s running towards the heart.”
“Is that true? Is Hyung-nim alive? I-Is he okay?”
“Yes. Hic. He’s alive. He’s fine, without a singlewound… Hic. Waaahhh…”
“Guild Master Hyung-ssi!”
“I have already heard it. Change the strategy. We’ll try to keep him from
moving as much as possible.”
“I knew it! Everyone, cheer up!”
‘This…’
As I looked at the wizard reflexively, I saw her nodding. That meant that
Elena must be alive, too.
My fists clenched without my knowledge. There was a reward for not giving
up. I truly felt that way.
I was not the only one who felt is happy. The Blue Guild Master, who had
maintained a stiff face until now, also had a smile on his lips. Anyone could
tell he looked relieved. It must have been hard trying to hide his joy.
‘It could be dangerous.’
Originally, he must have been mindful of the situation, wherein he might lose
more members trying to save one. It was also close to irrational to be
changing the operation of battle now. However…
‘He trusts him.’
The two trusted each other.
Since they believed in each other, he must be able to work without things.
He wanted him to tie the monster up, and that was it.
At his words, which held no further explanation, the entire expedition

changed the route. The Guild Master, the wizard, and others turned right
away without any disagreement.
I would call it crazy on typical days, but I couldn’t find it in me to protest. If

the others were acting without doubt, then Lee Kiyoung must be someone
who didn’t mince his words. Thus, I nodded and went into formation.
To help even a little more, I held my sword as tightly as possible.
“Get as far from the pond as possible.”
“Okay.”
It was no wonder that the enormous magic power burst once again. It looked
like Jung Hayan had drawn all the magic power inside her. She didn’t care
about the future. She didn’t even consider the fact that she could be attacked.
It was then that our opponent sucked in a deep breath.
‘Breath?’
The tremendous energy was aimed towards the wizard who was busy
chanting a spell. However, the man with the shield – Park Deokgu – rushed
in without hesitation.
“It’s dangerous!!”
Despite my outburst, the man did not back down.
‘Isn’t he scared to die?’

When the terrible thought of the warrior’s body being melted past my head,
the Blue Guild Master, who appeared in no time, began to climb on his back.
He had employed speed that was beyond my eyesight. In fact, I didn’t know
what he had just done.
However, seeing the magic beast splitting near his neck and bleeding, I only
guessed that he, no, she, had swung her sword. At this, great energy spewed
up from the monster’s mouth.
The ceiling collapsed. The magic to protect the expedition from the debris
was cast, and at the same time…
Chains of magic started to tie him up.
Whooooosh!
The chains that came out from all directions literally grabbed the magic
beast’s body tightly, and bind magic poured out around the chain. Even the
melee fighters were sending what they had of their magic power.
“Eeeeeeekkk!”
Maintaining the magic was also not easy. I could tell just how much these
humans can endure. If a single thing were to go wrong, the chain might
break.
‘How much power is left?’
It was not unreasonable to feel anxious. I knew it would be hard to handle

what would happen if this happened to fail.
However…
‘I have to believe.’
Just as they believed in their fellows, I also believed in them.
‘Oh, Elune.’
“Eeeeekkkkk!”
‘Oh, Elune!’
Please, let this be a miracle.
‘Oh, God.’
A miracle!!
“We just have to hold on for a little more! A little bit more!”
A miracle!!!
“Oh, Elune!!!”
A miracle!!!!
“A miracle!! In return for their faith and noble struggle!!!”
“Eeeeeekkkkk!”
“Oh, Eluneeee!!!!”
And then…
The world began to be colored with light.
God didn’t answer the prayer, but obviously, right after I shouted Elune’s
name, light from the inside of the monster began to pour hard enough for me
to squint.
Brilliant light continued to emanate through his wound and the scales.
The demon kept screaming. Even amid his howling, there was so much light
that I couldn’t open my eyes. This was the type of divine power that would
be hard to cut through.
The wounds I had gotten so far had healed in no time.

“Nonsense…”
There was no need for other adjectives.
‘Light…’
Between the radiant light, I had to spit out the words that were full in my
heart.
“Let there be… light.”

Chapter 367
Chapter 367: Light Kiyoung Said, Let there be light: And There Was Light
(5)
“Let there be light!!”
‘Thank you! Elune, you piece of trash! I accept your daughter gladly!!’
[A feat that cannot be achieved has been achieved.]
[New title is created.]
[Saint of Light]
[The magic power increases by 1.]
‘Yolo!!!’
I couldn’t help but scream in an emotional manner, my fists tightly clenched.
Lee Kiyoung, the Saint of Light.
I knew better than anyone that it was not polite to refuse a gift from God.
A true believer among the believers best understood the heart of Goddess
Benignore.
Looking at the miraculous things that were happening right before me, it was
not unreasonable to believe that the Saint of Light title had actually been
given to me.
‘This is +1 magic power.’
At this moment, I believed I could find a way to raise my magic power stats
to at least 60. Meanwhile, the sublime light of divine power took away my
attention as it continued to shine with all its might.
It would be normal if I couldn’t open my eyes because of the bright light, but
strangely, the light spread out in all directions, so it proved to be very easy to
see.
Elena was also looking ahead with a dazzling expression at a glorious scene
that could not seem to be explained. The light had begun to surround Salit’s
heart.
Whoooosh!
The divine power continued to extend in all directions.
Even the word “beautiful” would be insufficient to describe this scene now.
I didn’t know if it was because Elune had driven her daughter, but I certainly
seemed to feel the energy of Elune from the Bomb of Light.
That was the natural result of having completed it with Elena as the catalyst,
and I could only thank Elune for this feat.
I couldn’t get a sense of how far the light was going, but one thing is certain:
the effect was more than I expected. It might look even more dramatic
because it had popped inside, not outside the body. However, it still felt
amazing.
The first target, his heart, had already disappeared within the light.
‘Pheeew. This is the power of light! Yes, absolutely!’
[Attack of the legendary-grade dungeon, Twisted Pond completed.]
[New title is created.]
[Guardian of the World Tree.]
[The magic power has increased by 1.]

‘Earned +2 magic power! Hurrah, Yipee!’
The dungeon attack had completely ended with the last blow. The ending was
too futile for a semi-mythic-grade monster.
While my legs hurt quite a while, perhaps because of the influence of the
light, I could feel them eventually getting better.
I thought of eating meat immediately because of my hunger, but I was not in

a hurry, and it was all thanks to the hard work of various things.
Naturally, I opened the status window with happy news. It seemed to have
been opened after a while, but it didn’t change all that much.
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Lee Kiyoung.]
[Name: Lee Kiyoung]
[Title: Mercenary Queen’s Gigolo, Honorary Cardinal of the Holy Empire of

Benignore, Spouse of Dragon, First Discoverer, Alchemist who
Experimented with Dragons, Continental Guardian, Level 4 Manager of
Crack Museum, Guardian of Max, Saint of Light, World Tree Guardian.]
[Age: 26]
[Class: Alchemist of Light (Semi-mythic)]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Basic Alchemy Knowledge]
[Class Effects: Acquisition of Intermediate Alchemy Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Special Summoning Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Advanced Alchemy Knowledge]

[Class Effect: Acquisition of Professional Alchemy Knowledge]
[Stats]
[Health: 30/Growth potential: Common or lower]
[Durability: 25/Growth potential: Common or lower]
[Equipment]
[Magic Shield Ring (Rare)]
[Ramus Tucker’s Introduction to Alchemy (Heroic): Alchemist Only]
[Cursed Sword Juliana (Legendary): Ownership]
[Dragon Breath Potion (Legendary): Consumable Items (No Limit)]
[Bomb of Light Potion (Semi-Mythic): Consumable Item (1/3)]
[Attribute: Mind’s Eyes (Legendary)]
[Unique Characteristic: Temptation of a Liar]
[Overall: God of Taxation L###### ##### For unknown reasons, overall is

not shown.]
‘What is L, the god of taxation?’
My magic power is 53.

I thought it wasn’t going to grow at all, but the fact that I was still moving
forward made me happy. A smile had begun to form on my face. We had just
been able to solve a very troublesome problem, after all.
The remaining problems were all very trivial.
‘Which way is better to show up?’
It was true that it would be a little embarrassing to walk out myself.
As much time had been spent inside him, showing that I had been rescued
would be more appropriate.
I was worried about Jung Hayan, but it didn’t seem bad at adding image-
making as protecting the poor lady. Nothing special would happen, but it was
the moment when the action to be a punching bag would pay off.
“Lee Kiyoung…”
“It’s all over, Elena.”
“Really… It’s really over.”
She seemed to be having mixed feelings. I could see her ears drooping as if
she felt both tired physically and mentally. However, the relief was still
apparent.
‘It would be nice if we were trapped a little more here.’
I suspected whether she was having thoughts like Hayan, but Elena was not
Jung Hayan.
It seemed difficult for her to hide her mixed feelings. She must be thinking
about what to do after we were to out. For me, what happened next didn’t
matter.
Of course, it was indeed advantageous to have her by my side, but the fact
that the princess of a country that had become a guild member would very
much sound unpleasant on the kingdom side.
Considering many things, of course, my head started to hurt. Meanwhile, a
familiar voice had begun to resonate from the outside.
Light flowed in from above as if light had entered a cave. The light pouring
down in the big space was inferior to the light I created, but it was still worth
watching.
‘It’s refreshing.’
No wonder the air flowing in felt so fresh and clear.
In fact, it didn’t felt that different, but it was more pleasant than the inside of
the demon. Unlike me, Elena took a deep breath.
She didn’t say anything, but the time she spent inside must have been very
frustrating.
“Oppa! Oppa! Oppa!”
As expected, the first voice I heard was from Jung Hayan. As soon as I
looked up at the voice, I could see Jung Hayan coming down in a hurry.
I was momentarily startled, but after I let go of Elena’s hand, I got Jung
Hayan’s.
I thought that her strength level had increased quite a bit, but still, jumping
like that, not hesitating, was too much for her.
At the same time I received her, we fell immediately, but I didn’t get upset.
“Waaaahhhh.”
Of course, I heard her crying. For a second, I reflected on whether I had spent
more time making her cry than I had made her laugh.
As I hugged her tightly and stroke her head, I began to hear her hiccupping.
Turning my head slightly, I saw Elena quietly nodding.
I was worried whether she would get angry, but her innate nature seemed to
have not changed.
“Hic. Hic!”
“You worried a lot, right?”
“Yes…”
After I stroke her head for a while, she seemed to calm down little by little.
Normally, she would have gone crazy not to let go of me, but I could see her
stepping aside as if she had recently grown up.
Of course, as soon as I got up, she continued sticking to me, but this was
already something I was used to. As much as she had been suffering so far, I
could endure as much annoyance.
As we slowly rose in the air with floating magic, we naturally left the interior
of Salit.
What came into sight was Elios, the elves, and the Blue Guild members
looking at me with a blank expression.
Park Deokgu was already in tears with a messy expression, and Sun Hee-
young was also wiping away her own tears.
Others were no different.
Hwang Jeong-yeon, Kim Ye-ri, and Cho Hyejin also expressed happy faces,
needless to say about Ahn Ki-mo.
In the newbies’ case, they seemed to be out of battle, but I thought it was a
very appropriate measure. In fact, it was the elf’s response that bothered me
more than the Blue Guild members’ response.
It was interesting to see how he stared at me as if seeing a ghost, all while

running and holding Elena in his arms.
‘I guess it could’ve been seen from the outside.’

He must have felt the power of the trash Elune. It was amusing seeing him
distance himself from me, as if I was someone sacred that he must avoid.
The moment I was thinking about how I could use this, I heard Deokgu’s
voice and the guild members’ encouragement.
It was a pretty obvious moment, but of course, I felt good. Han Sora, Kim
Chang-ryul, and Yoo Ahyoung, who came right after, did the same.
It was not easy to answer because there had been so many questions at once.
It was when I kept making awkward smiles that someone else approached.
“Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Ah, Guild Master.”
It was Kim Hyunsung, no, Kim Hyunah, who still maintained his changed
appearance.
For some reason, the word Kim Hyunsung didn’t fit properly. When I saw his
face filled with mixed feelings, I felt emotional for some reason.
‘You’ve been worried, bastard. Don’t worry, I’m fine.’
He had the expression of a mother bird witnessing the miracle of the dying
baby bird coming to life. He tried to say something, but he kept hesitating as
if he was choking inwardly.
‘Right… man. I’m alive.’
“Er…”
“Hahaha. Well, I’m alive somehow.”
“…”
“I was a little flustered, but… thanks to…”
“No… er…”
“I will give a detailed explanation as we return. I also have a lot I want to
hear. Oh, we should also talk about what to do with that body. I thought you
would take longer, but… who would’ve thought that you would come so fast.
I couldn’t even imagine. You had a hard time, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“So…”
“Thank you.”
“No. You don’t have to…”
“You don’t have to worry too much. Whatever the reason, in the end, we’re
safe. Oh, and I think we should also talk about the healing of the
contaminated soul…”
“…”
‘He must have been really worried.’
That was the expression I could see. It could be more than Jung Hayan or
Park Deokgu, but not less.
Unlike the two who were already crying, the only thing he didn’t do was cry,
but their expressions were all the same. He must have been relieved when he
really confirmed that I was alive.
I thought I had seen pretty many varieties of faces recently, but I couldn’t
even imagine seeing a face that had been pushed to the point of crying. It
even looked like he had dirt all over his body.
He kept hesitating without even thinking of saying anything. He was trying to

say something, but it didn’t seem to come out well.
No wonder he opened his mouth after taking a deep breath.
I wanted to shout out the famous lines that popped out only in third-class
Japanese comics, such as ‘I’m back,’ but unfortunately, it felt too
embarrassing for me to spit out.
“So… hmm. I came back alive somehow. Haha.”
This was enough. It was then that he hugged me tightly.
‘Fuck, that scared me. What’s up with this bastard?’
It looked like he wanted to have a wild man’s hug.
It seemed that my body moved without my knowledge, but the problem was
that his current body was not of a man’s.
There is also a height difference, so it looked like he was dangling.
For some reason, the surroundings bothered me.
Jung Hayan seemed to try not to look this way, but Hwang Jeong-yeon, who
liked gossips like this, was busy making exclamations.
Of course, with the voice I heard after that, I had no choice but to pat him on
the shoulder.
“I’m… really glad you’re okay. I’m… really… you’re… you’re okay.”
I felt like he was being really sincere.
‘That’s it. Hyunsung! That’s it!’
I just had to smile.

Chapter 368
Chapter 368: Resting Unicorn (1)
Park Deokgu opened his mouth just when the situation was about to be
cleared up.
To be precise, he hadn’t stopped talking all throughout the march. He was

back to being his old self.
The only problem was that he was being a little noisy, but it wasn’t too
annoying.
“So, didn’t I say it? Our hyung-nim is someone who would survive even if he
falls alone in the desert. Phew… In fact, I’m saying only it now, but when
others were anxious, I didn’t even bat an eye! I knew he would obviously be
alive. He isn’t an ordinary person. Not only was he alive, but he smashed that
guy’s heart! Phew.”
“I was lucky. I’ve learned a little bit about Dialugia before, and it just helped.
There was also received…”
“Since they’re the same reptile, the internal structure was the same?”
“It’s not that, but…”
If Dialugia had heard what he said, she would be pissed.
‘No. It doesn’t sound that ridiculous…’
I criticized him for a second, but on second thought, it was not really like
that. Dialugia herself would be very upset, but to some extent, it was
something I could somewhat agree with.
In fact, it was my personal reasoning that it was a structure of a higher being

rather than a reptile. Of course, this was only an assumption.
It wasn’t anything fixed yet, and I hadn’t done research on the bodies of other
beings, so I couldn’t give a definite answer, but there was a possibility that
Park Deokgu’s bullshit was not actually bullshit.
Perhaps they had similar structures because they were in the big frame of this
world’s reptiles.
If Salit and Dialugia had nothing in common, the time to reach the heart
would have been even longer.
‘If I think about it like that…’
I knew I had been very lucky.
“Not only that. Not only he recovered and healed the World Tree, but he
achieved a new feat. Salit must have been greedy or felt threatened by the
energy of the light flowing from you. That’s why he swallowed you. Ah.
Come to think of it… Is it really okay now?”
Elena, not me, answered the next question. I wasn’t the one who Park
Deokgu was looking at, so it would be natural for her to answer.
“Yes. Of course, it is still difficult to confirm that it has been completely

cured, but at least… I think you don’t have to worry about the collapse of the
body due to the contamination of the soul anymore.”
“Uh! Is that true?”
“Yes. I’m sure of it. However, since there is still a need to keep an eye on
him… I think he will need to receive treatment regularly.”
“…”
“Yes. If the specialist says so, you should. Anyway… please, take good care
of him.”
“P-P-Please, take care of him. And… t-thank you, Princess Elena.”
“Ah… No, Jung Hayan. This is something I have been given to do.”
Seeing Jung Hayan stuttering and thanking her, I could see that she was
feeling guilty, as her ears were drooping.
In fact, I, too, was sporting a guilty conscience as well.
This was because I did not expect that Jung Hayan would show such a
reaction. I already knew that what she valued most was my safety, but I
didn’t expect her to show as much sincerity as she did.
Of course, it didn’t mean that there had been no hostility at all.
She had seen us through the Anemone’s Eye and saw her sticking to me, so
she could, of course, show this type of reaction.
She glanced at her and forcibly pulled me towards herself. She didn’t say
anything, but she was still subtly expressing for me not to get close to her.
Surprisingly, since Elena noticed this kind of thing quickly, she, too, showed
a subtle reaction.
Nevertheless, it was certainly worth applauding Jung Hayan for behaving like
this. It certainly showed how she had taken the situation.
It wasn’t meant to be, but it was effective to show my acting, much like I was
between life and death. Now Elena wouldn’t say that I had been completely
cured. She would somehow try to hide and stay with me.
The procurement of Bomb of Light potions was somewhat safe. Jung

Hayan’s reaction was also great. This return trip was no different than a
winner’s return trip.
‘I also confirmed my true friendship with Hyunsung.’
For some reason, I had also succeeded in winning the subtle respect of the
elves.
I had gained the ability that fit the new class, and even the most painful
problem called Jung Hayan was getting easier.
No matter how I was to think about this, it would only be right to nod.
Among them, the best thing I could say was that I had confirmed how much
Kim Hyunsung cared about me. Even though it could still improve, I could
feel his sincerity in the way that he was subtly making sure I was comfortable
and safe at all times.
He seemed to have placed me at a distance where he could react in time, just

in case the same thing from before happened.
In Jung Hayan’s case, she was walking next to me without thinking, but other
guild members other than her were not neglecting their guard, with the
special order of the Guild Master.
Even the elves were the same, so there was no need for other words.
Of course, the atmosphere was not at all horrible.
Park Deokgu was constantly talking, and Cho Hyejin’s lips also had a strange
smile. Yoo Ahyoung, Han Sora, and Kim Chang-ryul, who finished a
difficult expedition, were also somewhat relaxed.
Kim Hyuna knew when to be firm with them and when to let them be. It
would not be good news to me if he had been too firm with the guild
members in this situation.
‘It’s the Fairy Forest.’
Since we had already left the dungeon, it was correct to judge that there was
virtually no threat.
Even Kim Hyunsung put the sword he was holding into the sword strap, and
once again, a joyful atmosphere began to surround the expedition.
“By the way, how long will Hyung-ssi stay in Kim Hyuna’s version?”
“It’s not Kim Hyuna, it’s Guild Master, Deokgu-ssi.”
“Ah… Hyejin is too uptight.”

“You’re rude…”
“No. It’s okay, Hyejin. I know there is no malice. Perhaps it’ll be soon. The
Twisted Pond was located in the Fairy Forest, so even if it’s not affected by
the location, it’s time for the effect to end, so I’ll probably be back soon.
Right, Elios-nim?”
“Ah… Yes. When you leave the Fairy Forest, you will soon return to normal.
By the way, it seems strangely quiet. I thought the fairies would come in right
away…”
“Isn’t it because people other than us came in? Everyone must have gone
there…”
“The Fairy Forest is tightly controlled. We left the dungeon earlier than
expected… and even the elves who will meet us must not have heard about it
yet. Even the first rangers must have not yet reached the palace.”
“Hmm…”
“Uh…”
Of course, I don’t want the bothersome guys to come out. I indeed felt good
as I didn’t have to be harassed by them as soon as I leave the dungeon.
Han Sora, who didn’t have to be hit with stones anymore, was laughing
outright, so that should be enough.
‘Is this maybe…’
It was natural to worry about whether something happened.
It was not strange if something had happened in the ten days where we were
completely cut off from the outside world. Of course, it wasn’t that I didn’t
trust Lee Jihye and other authorities, but thinking that things or negotiations
with the Republic went wrong caused a headache to appear.
Kim Hyuna and Cho Hyejin were also stiffing their faces whether they were
thinking similarly, but I soon felt relieved.
“Uhm… er…”
Before long, the fairies appeared in a group. There were even more than the
last time we met.
“Ah… No.”
Han Sora muttered as if she felt an unknown ominousness, but the number of
fairies around us wasn’t decreasing. Rather, it was getting more and more
crowded.
It was not painful being hit with stones from them, but I was sure she didn’t
feel too good being abused by kids who could be said to be cute. At this, I
could see Han Sora’s face turning pale.
If she had ears attached, too, it would have drooped by now.
“I think it’s more than last time…”
“This… Haha. I think today is a lucky day.”
“What are you talking about, elf?”
“I think it’s a unicorn.”
“What?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s a unicorn, given that such many fairies are gathered. I’ve
heard that sometimes it’s seen in the Fairy Forest, but… to think I’d actually
see it…”
“Is that true? Unicorn or something like that really exists?”
“Uncle Deokgu is a fool. This is a place where there’s even a dragon…

there’s nothing strange about having a unicorn.”
“Oh, t-that’s right.”
It was not only Park Deokgu that opened his eyes to what Kim Ye-ri and
Elios had said.
I, who had been waiting for the fairies who tried to beat Han Sora, had to
open my eyes wide. I concentrated my magic on my eyes little by little, so I
felt like I was clearly seeing a horse-like figure.
Of course, the one with the longhorn, shining white was the animal I
imagined.
‘It’s true.’
[Unicorn Larisa (Legendary)]
[This is a legendary-grade monster that lives somewhere in the Fairy Forest.

They have intelligence and live by drinking the World Tree leaves and the
pond of the World Tree. They are very favorable with pure and innocent
people.]
[Checking the status window of the legendary-grade named monster unicorn

Larisa.]
[Name: Larisa]
[Title: God of the Fairy Forest]
[Age: 3473]
[Disposition: Pure Idealist]
[Category: Unicorn]
[Stats]
[Stamina: 100/Growth potential: Legendary or higher]

[Endurance: 82/Growth potential: Legendary or higher]
[Overall: Don’t hurt it.]
After looking at the expedition, I think he had been surprised for a second,
but he did not care as if he judged that we were not people who could harm
him.
Rather, he even walked slowly toward this side as if he found us interesting.
Everyone was looking at him with their mouths open in a sudden situation,
but honestly, in my case, other things were more noticeable.
‘How much is it all…’
No, money was not the problem.
It had a brilliant mane that seemed to contain divine power. In any way, that
could be the catalyst itself. Tails, fur, leather, even tears, and blood.
If I scratched a little bit of the horn on his head, I would be able to purify it as
a semi-mythic catalyst. It was not unusual for me to swallow hard. I wanted
to run right now and defeat him.
However, looking at the atmosphere, it seemed that I was the only one
thinking about that.
In a way, it was an animal that could be classified as God, and it even looked
like it favored us, so I knew I couldn’t do anything about it. Since we had
saved its source of replenishment, the World Tree pond, he seemed to feel
grateful.
“Elena, why don’t you try going to him?”

“What? Brother… I…”
“Can we go? Elf?”
“Haha. If the story about unicorns is true, there will probably be no problems.
I heard from my father and mother that unicorns like pure people.”
“Ohh. You mean the legend that… it likes virgin girls?”
“I know that gender is irrelevant. I heard that my grandfather once said that
he rode on the back of a unicorn when he was a child. And the purity depends
on how to interpret it… so It’s not yet known exactly what kind of people
unicorns like. There are only a handful of people who actually saw a unicorn
in the first place.”
“Ohhh. So, it’s something like that. Looks like he’s coming this way. Phew…
Isn’t he coming looking at Hyung-nim?”
‘That would never happen. Pig bastard.’
All I wanted to do was to avoid getting stabbed by his horn.
The sudden appearance of the unicorn had made all of the Blue Guild
members feel nervous. Meanwhile, Elios kept pushing his sister’s back.
“Elena, it would be nice to go there. Haha.”
“No. Brother, I…”
“Hahaha.”
It went without saying that the elf’s face was becoming increasingly
embarrassed.
Chapter 369
Chapter 369: Resting Unicorn (2)
Her face was getting more and more crumpled by the second.
Although she was stepping back slightly, it seemed that Elena’s strange
behavior was not visible to Elios. Instead, he looked to be proud.
He firmly believed that the reason that unicorn was coming to us was his
sister.
“I-I…”
While Elena hesitated, the unicorn came over here.
Park Deokgu, who only looked at him strangely at first, was also flustered as
the unicorn got closer, and I saw him opening his mouth.
“Phew. It really seems to be coming this way…”
“Is this safe? Isn’t he suddenly attacking or something?”
“He won’t.”
“I’m glad then, but…”
It was natural that I could see Park Deokgu looking at Kim Hyunsung.
Rather than listening to Elios’ words and judging them, he must be trying to
listen to Kim Hyunsung.
“Yes. I think it will be okay.” Kim Hyunsung also nodded.
The expedition didn’t bother to stop or block him as the unicorn never
showed any hostility. However, in Kim Hyunah’s case, it seemed that he
wanted to be prepared if something happens.
Seeing him approaching me, he seemed to have decided that it was better for
me to stay within his own comfort zone.
In the meantime, the Blue Guild members were showing individualistic

reactions.
For some reason, Jung Hayan had the most complicated reaction among
them. She was strangely anxious.
As far as I knew, Jung Hayan never had a boyfriend, nor did she ever get
involved.
Of course, I didn’t know everything about her, but given her behavior so far,
there was no need to prove her innocence through the unicorn.
No, I could confidently say that even if she had proven that in the first place,
there would be no merit. The present was the present, and I didn’t need or
have a reason to care about her past love history.
‘But this…’
But all of a sudden, an idea began to stick to my mind. It was because I was
worried about Jung Hayan’s behavior when I fell into a deep sleep.
‘Perhaps…’
In the meantime, I’ve had this delusion that she might have been doing
something every time I was asleep, but that was only a delusion. I didn’t
really think deeply that she’d be doing something.
For some reason, I felt that my energy was being sapped in the day when I
fell asleep after drinking what Jung Hayan had offered, but I think she
wouldn’t go so far.
Seeing Jung Hayan glancing at me, naturally, I began to suspect that the
assumption was true. She made an astonished expression right next to me,
probably noticing my calculating expression.
I was worried that she would make a fuss about having to prove innocence
once again, but she didn’t seem to do that. However, before I could even say
what to do, she started taking the first step with dignity.
From her point of view, this was to prove her innocence, and of course, her
face looked very careful.
“I-I-It’s a unicorn.”
The tone was also unnatural. Rather, the unicorn, which came here
thoughtlessly, seemed more surprised. It was difficult to explain in words
when he looked at Jung Hayan quietly.
I couldn’t read the unicorn’s face, but he must be…
‘Wondering.’
He seemed to be wondering about whether or not to consider her to be safe.
I didn’t know what kind of thinking there is in proving the innocence, but
now Larisa the Unicorn was definitely struggling with the reflection of a
lifetime. Jung Hayan began to look more and more confident.
She was moving slowly, as if she had no hesitation whatsoever.
The unicorn, who looked closely at Jung Hayan several times, ended up
nodding and began to push his head out in front of Jung Hayan, almost asking
for her to stroke him.
There was no need to explain that Jung Hayan’s face brightened immediately.
“S-so cute… s-so cute. Look. Oppa! Look!”
“Ahh… yes. I can see.”
I was seeing it, but I didn’t know what the hell she wanted me to do. I could
tell she was only happy that she had proved her innocence.
Of course, I felt relieved, too. It turned out that my delusions were nothing
but delusions.
‘Right. She wouldn’t go so far.’
Of course, there was one option I didn’t want to imagine…
‘There’s no way she would go too far.’
Our Jung Hayan wouldn’t.
As I shook my head and looked in front of me, I saw Jung Hayan trying to
get on his back, but as if he was reluctant, he moved away.
“Good boy. Good boy.”
“…”
“Unicorn, you’re a good boy, right? Come here.”
She called for the unicorn as if she was a little embarrassed, but he turned his
back and started moving to the other side.
Jung Hayan’s face was filled with regret for a second, but still, she returned
with a smile as if she thought this much was already a success. She looked
like a triumphant general.
It was visible that she felt she had completed the pureness proof quest.
“The u-unicorn must be tired. Hehe.”
“Yes. He seems to be.”
I finished with a single stroke on her head to her satisfaction, but my eyes
were heading towards the next unicorn’s destination.
As much as I confirmed that he was really friendly to this expedition, I had to

know who he was interested in.
He passed by Park Deokgu, Hwang Jeong-yeon, and the Elune Knights and
was in front of Cho Hyejin.
‘…’
I could see her turning red.
‘She didn’t seem to date much at all.’
“This is different. I am… er…”
She got embarrassed a hundred times more than Jung Hayan.
“I-I have a lot of dating experience… no, it’s not a lot… I mean, this is…”
Seeing her talking gibberish is a spectacle. She seemed to be confused as to

whether to deny it or take it calmly.
Considering Cho Hyejin’s age, she must feel embarrassed that she has never
had a relationship. However, apart from what she denied, she seemed to hate
looking superficial to Kim Hyunsung.
She seemed to be eager to find an appropriate balance, but there was no way
she could find one.
Cho Hyejin, whose ability to cope with such a situation was close to a
eunuch, showed that the more she talked, the more she looked like she was
collapsing.
“I-I’ve done a lot of things like dating. But I believe in premarital chastity…
Yeah! Premarital chastity! T-That doesn’t mean I didn’t have experience…
No, I have experience, but should I say I don’t…”
‘What is she talking about?’
“There is no need to be so embarrassed. I heard that unicorns like pure people

very much.”
“Yes. T-That’s right. I am a little pure… so this is for that reason.”
‘Don’t detonate yourself…’
What was even more pitiful was that Kim Hyunsung wasn’t paying attention
to Cho Hyejin at all.
It meant that she was making all kinds of excuses, trying to look good to
someone, but that someone didn’t care about that at all.
Whether Cho Hyejin was embarrassed or not, the unicorn showed her a
friendly look and continued to rub his neck against her head, and it was not
necessary to mention that her face had turned red again. I even wondered if
she might be humiliated that way.
‘Just attack him already.’
In the end, Cho Hyejin was a spearman, so if she were to learn horsemanship,
it would be useful. Of course, Saint of Light Lee Kiyoung was always ready
to communicate with the unicorn.
‘Oh, that’s it.’
I don’t know why, but his reaction was quite different from Jung Hayan. He
seemed to be acting cute.
Anyone would see this as an opportunity, but Cho Hyejin was still busy
rectifying her blushing face.
If I were her, I would have recklessly climbed the unicorn’s back and see. It
was then that the unicorn got up and started to move again.
With a rather urgent expression, he moved toward this way.
Naturally, I was happy, thinking that maybe I would get chosen even by a
unicorn.
However…
‘There’s no way that could happen.’
At that moment, Elios, who is nearby, pushed Elena’s back.
Jung Hayan, who failed to climb him, looked to have expectations of coming
to her again. But it was the elven family that took the first step.
“Elena, try to stroke him once.”
“Ah… Yes… Yes.”
With a dubious expression, Elena stretched her hand, but the unicorn just
passed by her.
“Pfft.”
The winner’s laughter echoed from Jung Hayan’s mouth.
“S-She must be more superficial than I thought, Oppa. R-right?”
“Ah… Yes…”
“Y-You have to be careful too. You can’t help it because of the treatment,
but… she is not pure. We can’t tell what she’s thinking…”
She even whispered in my ear. She was lightly framing Elena, but I had no
choice but to break out in a cold sweat. However, there was no way I can do
something.
I had no choice but to nod at what Jung Hayan said, leaving behind the
shocked expression of Elios.
In the meantime, the unicorn showed itself to be friendly to Sun Hee-young

and Kim Ye-ri, and lightly passed by Yoo Ahyoung and Han Sora.
Seeing that he wasn’t interested in Kim Chang-ryul and other Blue men and
Elune Knights, there seemed to be no pure men here.
I wondered if I really had a chance, but after reading his eyes, I had no choice
but to step back.
‘Okay. I won’t get close, you bastard. I won’t because I don’t want to.’
The unicorn wandered around for a long time, and the place he eventually
went to was…
“Ah…”
In front of the lovely returner.
“…”
Kim Hyunsung did not panic or blush. He smiled slowly and ended with one
stroke on his head.
“That’s a cute guy. Haha.”
He even patted on his back.
There was a strange feeling of defeat on Jung Hayan’s face, and Elena, who
was not even the target of comparison in the first place, still looked
embarrassed.
It seemed like she was exchanging a strange gaze with Elios, but I didn’t
know what they were talking about.
In fact, I didn’t want to know much.
The expedition members began to flock around the unicorn in front of Kim
Hyunsung, and he began to shake his body lightly as if he felt happy.
“I don’t know if he’s saying it’s okay to climb, but…”
“Oh, try climbing on him. Or maybe Hyejin can try. I don’t know what it is,
but isn’t it good to ride up there?”
“I don’t know. I think it suits Hyejin better than me… Isn’t Hyejin familiar
with horsemanship?”
“I am, but… I’m good.”
“It will probably be of great help.”
It could be said to be an opportunity, but Cho Hyejin looked very

embarrassed.
If she rode something like that and appeared on the battlefield, she would
surely be mortified. While she may be a target of fear to enemies, she could
also be a mockery.
“Riding on his back doesn’t mean you can be the owner of a unicorn. It
would be better to try it. Hyejin, come on.”
“No, I… I mean.”
It’s a sight to see him smiling and pushing Cho Hyejin’s back.
Park Deokgu continued to urge her to climb, and Ahn Ki-mo, other female
guild members, and even the Elune Knights rushed her to head up.
I was all in tears as Cho Hyejin’s face was getting redder.
“I’ll say it once again, but I think that… I will definitely be rejected. It’s not
what you all think.”
“Isn’t it a good idea to give it a try?”
“I will definitely be r-rejected.”
Unfortunately, the probability converged to zero.
After a little while, Park Deokgu just pushed her back, and in the end, Cho
Hyejin began to climb on top of the unicorn with a pitiful image.
I thought about whether he would reject her by any chance some, but the
Unicorn was rather snickering as if he was happy. That was when the two
bodies felt like they were shining brightly for a while.
“Whoooooaaa.”
As expected, I could see Cho Hyejin blushing, surrounded by clapping

expedition members.
[Player Cho Hyejin has acquired a new title.]
[Title: Perfect Pure Virgin]
[Title: Master of the Unicorn]
Cho Hyejin was 26 years old.
This could be called an opportunity, but she did not seem to be pleased with
this at all.
Chapter 370
Chapter 370: Lucky Day (1)
“I mean… it’s nothing that. As I said, I…”
“…”
“…”
No one had been saying anything to her.
The sight of Cho Hyejin, who had been making excuses alone throughout the
journey to the royal castle, looked sad.
Her behavior to ignore her perfect pureness actually seemed a little sad in
some way.
It would be better if I walked around pretending to be okay, but it was also

hard for me to show a reaction because she had been begging like that.
Of course, I understood her sentiment. It must be difficult to withstand the

eyes of the Elune Knights, who looked at her with respect.
There weren’t talking to me, but I could hear them talking to each other.
‘She is a great human.’
‘Perfect pureness. She seems to be a respectable human.’
‘To be chosen by a unicorn…’
There were murmurings like that. There was no way that Cho Hyejin could
not hear what I could.
“Ha… haha. I didn’t know why this had happened, but I think I’ve been
pretty l-lucky. It’s really peculiar. When I was on E-Earth, I was very
popular.”
Of course, it could be said that she was pretty enough, but I was sure there
would not have been a man who approached Cho Hyejin first.
“It must be clear that this unicorn is mistaken. Yes. It must be.”
However, the title didn’t lie.
[Title: Perfect, Pure Virgin]
I was curious as to how someone could get the title of ‘perfect.’
Cho Hyejin’s life, except for Kim Hyunsung, seemed to have been without
close encounters with the opposite sex.
When I thought about it, she even looked a little pitiful.
What was worse was that the insensitive Kim Hyunsung didn’t even know he
had something going on with Cho Hyejin. With her hair turned white, the
image of Cho Hyejin sitting on the unicorn immediately came to mind.
‘Poor dear…’
Of course, it was not just me who felt that for her.
Park Deokgu, who was called to be a love doctor, quietly talked to me as if

he noticed why Cho Hyejin was acting like that.
In fact, I didn’t know if his advice would help, but if Cho Hyejin wanted to
escape from the perfect pureness, she had to grab a straw.
“Hey, it’s not something to be ashamed of.”
“…”
“Of course, it’s a little slower than others, but one day you’ll be able to find
someone that fits you. There’s someone out there for everyone.”
“So I… I’m saying it’s nothing like that many times.”
“If you need a consultation, tell me anytime. I am confident to help you with
both sides. It’s the same with Hyung-nim. Isn’t it? Hyung-nim?”
“Of course. That’s what friends are for.”
“It’s not what you all think. I am just like everyone else… yes. Just like
everyone else. Normally…”
“You don’t have to make such excuses. Hyejin doesn’t have a problem. This
is something everyone can experience. For now, I can confidently say that
accepting is the first. If you keep avoiding it, it will become really difficult to
date. This is also an extension of the relationship between people… It’s a bad
habit to whip too much to yourself. Absolutely.”
‘Is this bastard really…? He’s more serious than I thought.’
“I can tell just by looking at you. Really. Lowering your standards could be a
way… Oh, and more than anything else, Hyejin has been really busy.
Naturally, you didn’t have time.”
“Yes… I certainly didn’t have much time.”
Considering that she had always been attached to Kim Hyunsung, she was
never running out of time.
“It’s hard to do anything right now, but if you talk when you have the time, I
think I’ll be able to coach you appropriately. Hyung-nim will help. Isn’t that
right?”
Actually, I didn’t know what kind of coaching to do, but I nodded, for now.
When I thought of the unicorn following Cho Hyejin, I knew I had to stay
favorable for now. I still wanted to use it as a catalyst.
If Kim Hyunsung really got in a relationship with her, the unicorn may one
day go away.
‘That absolutely can’t happen.’
I felt sorry for my friend, but I hope that she could spend the next 7-10 years
alone – that was, until I could take everything from the unicorn.
“It’s not that Deokgu is correct… Still, it would be nice to hear about it from
you. Kiyoung’s story, too…”
“Well, well thought.”
“You really thought well.”
I sincerely wanted to cheer, but I couldn’t do that. Although I was a little bit
upset, today could be said to be a lucky day anyway.
‘It feels like I just got it…’
Of course, I didn’t get a unicorn.
‘It’s for a guild member… so it’s like mine.’
Yours was mine. Mine was mine.
No matter what I thought about it, it was a situation that would make me yell.
The horned horse didn’t seem to have reached that point, but that didn’t
matter.
The Bomb of the Light potion was the first thing I had gotten after changing
classes.
Assuming that two or three potions could be developed in the future, and if I
thought that the potions’ performance would also be comparable to that of the
Bomb of Light, I could consider that I had gained the power suitable for a
class of semi-mythic grade.
I remembered the time I had spent spearing due to the lack of magic power. I
realized once again that I had really chosen the right path.
Of course, it was not just me who felt happy.
For the members of the expedition, this expedition was no different from
great success.
First, there was the body of Salit.
It was an object that could not be processed for me, but there was one more
production worker beside me in the Blue Guild.
‘Yoo Ahyoung.’
Its outer shell was strong enough to withstand the attacks of Kim Hyunsung
or Jung Hayan.
Of course, it was affected by magic power and the Twisted Pond, so it was
judged upward, but even so, it didn’t mean that the outer shell, which was
initially hard, was going anywhere.
In addition to being able to arm Park Deokgu and Yoo Ahyoung fully, it was
also possible to process weapons with the guy’s bones.
Not to mention my treatment, which was the greatest achievement, I also

gained complete trust from the allies.
The only damage was the two Elune Knights who had died.
It hurts, but if I tried thinking about the death of a guy who I wasn’t close to,
I could safely say it was a sacrifice for a noble cause.
‘Yes. Absolutely.’
It was not just that.
I didn’t know if it was because they had overworked themselves while I was
in the dungeon, but I could see that they were growing, little by little.
Yoo Ahyoung, Han Sora, and Kim Chang-ryul had benefitted a lot in terms
of growth, but the existing Blue Guild members were no different.
Ahn Ki-mo, who was okay, became a little more okay, and in Kim Ye-ri’s
case, who could be called a talent bug, jumped over the wall once more.
‘It’s needless to say about Cho Hyejin.’
Even if left alone, Sun Hee-young would be fine growing alone, and Park
Deokgu’s spec-up was already scheduled.
Kim Hyunsung…
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Kim Hyunsung.]
[Title: The Returner of Altanus, the Swordsman Who Started the 2nd Round,
The One Who Failed, The One Who Embraced Sacrifice. The Enlightened
One. The Sword-Blessed Swordsman. The Unarmed Climbing the Top.
Continental Guardian. The Owner of Durendal. Guardian of the World Tree.]
[Age: 23]
[Disposition: Well-Meaning Mediator]
[Class: Sword Left (Unique Legendary)]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Basic Swording Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Intermediate Swording Knowledge]
[Class Effect: Acquisition of Advanced Swording Knowledge]

Knowledge]
[Stats]
[Intelligence: 75/Growth potential: Heroic or lower]
[Durability: 95/Growth potential: Heroic or lower]
[Attribute]
[Attribute: Mythic (Legendary)]
[Attribute: Sword (Legendary)]
[Attribute: Aggregate (Legendary)]
[Attribute: Job (Legendary)]
[Equipment]
[Magic Resistance Cloak (Heroic)]
[Balmain’s Dense Magic Armor (Legendary)]
[Serena’s Agile Windboots (Legendary)]
[Sword of the 12th Knights: Durendal (Mythic)]
[Overall: Don’t backstab him. Really, don’t backstab him. If you really do it,
I die, and you die. I’ve warned. Never backstab him.]
‘Phew… It’s reassuring.’
It was noticeable how he had grown even more while I hadn’t seen him.
‘When did his class change?’
I remember that his existing class was definitely a legendary grade.
It seemed that there was a certain achievement when I saw that he got a
unique legendary grade when I didn’t check it for a while. The original
heroic-grade Sword Expert had disappeared, and there were four legendary-
grade attributes.
Considering that an average player couldn’t even have a single legendary

trait, it was all worth applauding.
What about the stats?
Needless to say, his agility at 104, stamina at 101, and other stats were never
low.
‘Isn’t the seal unlocked yet?’
It seemed that the mythic sword called Durendal had not yet been used with
full potential.
That sword was good enough.
Kim Hyunsung’s status window itself was very simple, as he was aiming for
a pure swordsman class in the first place. He was strong enough, without any
complications whatsoever.
If I were to think of the swordsmanship that could be judged by his

experience or the system, it was safe to assume that he had more than the
status window clearly displayed.
Perhaps he would be able to face Salit alone.
Of course, the stats needed to grow more.
‘Because there could be something like the Altanus Benignore buff…’
I had thought about whether Cha Hee-ra was stronger than Kim Hyunsung,
but as he grew to this point, I started to wonder if he might be a match to Cha
Hee-ra when she had lowered her intelligence to the maximum.
I wasn’t interested in gossip like who was stronger, but I had to nod to the
fact that the most reassuring people were allies here, anyway.
It was a perfect expedition in many ways. When I slightly turned my head, I

saw Kim Hyunsung, who had returned to his original gender.
‘Ah… That’s over.’
It was a dangerous idea, but strangely, I felt that it was unfortunate.
“You are finally back.”
“Congratulations, Oppa.”
“Thank you, Ye-ri.”
“Congratulations, Guild Master.”
“Thank you, Hyejin.”
I gained a lot, and lost little.
It felt like it was a lucky day.
I felt unknown anxiety with the good luck, but the outside would not have
been a mess after only ten days, and a few days had already passed.
It was already overwhelming just to think about how to deliver this good
news. It was then that the Ranger, who had first run out from far away, had
come in a hurry.
“Wait a moment.”
‘Shit.’
As always, sad feelings had never been wrong.

‘Something must’ve had happened.’
It wasn’t supposed to be a ranger, but those who celebrated the expedition’s

return were supposed to meet us.
The face of the elf running alone was distorted with pain no matter how I was
to see it.
He did not appear to be injured, but it seemed that he had continued to run
without rest. It meant that there was news that needed to be delivered as
quickly as possible.
I prayed that it would not be a big deal, but I had to realize that my hopes
were falling apart as he got closer and closer.
“That… Did anything happen? Why, all of a sudden?”
After all, bad things happened on lucky days.
Elios opened his mouth.
It caught my eyes that the messenger, who had been gasping for a long time,
breathed wildly and opened his mouth.
“Phew… War. It’s a war.”
“Fuck.”
The curse had popped out without my knowledge.

Chapter 371
‘I wasn’t anxious for no reason…’
In fact, this wasn’t something I hadn’t expected at all.
‘I just set the probability low.’
This had been classified as something that rarely happened because the
Republic’s extreme choice could have been self-defense.
The cause was always on our side.
As if international relations were not important, it was irrational itself to

stand up to someone like the demon summoner Jin Qing with the current
circumstances.
Of course, not all countries were as sensitive to demons as the State, the
Laios, or some of the other races.
However…
‘It’s still irrational.’
Turning against God is something that couldn’t be imagined on the continent,

at least.
Of course, even if the demon in the Republic decided their course in that
direction, there would still be questions.
War was not such an easy decision. It didn’t mean that you could prepare for
it in less than a month. At least, if I had been in the Republic leader’s
position, I would have looked and moved a little longer.
That was right.
Of course, the story would be different if the Republic had been working on
this war scenario since before.
‘No. Still, it’s the same as it’s irrational.’
If I were to think about it, there had been a time when the Cheon Gwan-wi
and Wi Ran of the Eight Seats in the State had said that the Republic’s
movement was unusual.
Of course, even so, as long as the situation came to this point, it was not the
time to enter the war scenarios they had. We could never pull the trigger first.
Even more, assuming that the two groups have similar strengths.
If they were to pull the trigger first, there were two reasons. No, three or so.
They were out of their mind, they were confident of winning, or they really
needed to start a war.
Maybe they thought that they needed to deal with the internal threat outside,
or they may have the confidence to devour the State without much damage.
Of course, there was no guarantee that it was they who had attacked first.
Indeed, we had not yet heard exactly how the war broke out.
However, it was undeniable that an uncomfortable situation would have

come.
‘The United Kingdom is also bothering…’
There was also the possibility that some countries, who considered it
dangerous for the State to spread the idea of revolution, had also cooperated
with the Republic.
Both the Republic and the State didn’t choose the monarchy, but unlike the
State, which was made up of a bloody revolution, the Republic only changed
in name from the emperor to president.
Each country’s leaders may have been unpleasantly looking at the people’s
victory, which was achieved through the Goddess’ Mirror.
There was no end when I was to think about it.
No wonder a headache had begun to spring up, all because of the constant
rush of miscellaneous thoughts.
Of course, it was not just me who was suffering from a headache.
‘That…’
Kim Hyunsung also had a complex expression.
‘Are we not expected to have a war? Was the timing early?’
Naturally, it felt frustrating because it was impossible to know what had

happened in the current period of the first round. We didn’t even know if the
current war would work in our favor.
I had no choice but to guess.
The face Kim Hyunsung was showing was far from the one that welcomed
the war.
Even though this was an opportunity to end Jin Qing, the masked trash of the
first round, seeing the expression on Hyunsung’s face told me that he did not
welcome this change in events.
What I could guess right now was that Kim Hyunsung’s return was not at
least because of the Republic, or the first round’s masked trash.
What he was worried about right now was power loss—loss of troops capable
of responding to the unknown threat that he had faced against during the first
round.
If I assumed that a really big event would break out in the not too distant
future, it would be natural not to welcome a fight between humans.
Not only Kim Hyunsung, but also Benignore and Elune trash were not
opening their mouths.
‘Is there a security level? Or can’t you tell me, too?’
If I were to think that there was also the possibility that the masked trash
might be on the side of the unknown, then it was worth considering.
However, I still did not know what I should do about this now.
I couldn’t set the right route to take. I hadn’t heard of the start of the war yet,
but these things had already happened.
The question now was how to solve this war.
‘Should I even try to stop?’
If we were to fight with the spirit of death, the power would be reduced
regardless of this war’s victory or defeat.
Even if the State won, it would suffer great damage. Even if we solved the
immediate problem, we would not be able to prepare for the future properly.
When a heavy silence descended, I spoke up.
“Hyunsung. This…”
“Yes.”
“No, it’s nothing. I have no idea what to do.”
“For… now, we should hurry back to the kingdom to see the situation. We
should also be briefed on how things are going. Is the kingdom of Eberia also
under the influence?”
The elven messenger answered the question. I could see him speaking with
an anxious voice, as if he didn’t know much.
“No, but I have heard the news that the current troops are heading to the
kingdom. Perhaps rather than a direct attack, the better idea would be to
isolate the support forces heading to the State and Laios.”
As long as the World Tree’s magic power was maintained, the troops would
not be able to enter.
What they wanted was the isolation of the Eberian kingdom. They did not
only want to decimate the troops; they also wanted to block their supply.
“What about the State?”
“Yes, Honorary Cardinal. The State is…”
“Yes.”
“At the moment, the front line on the Dawan side has already collapsed, and I
have heard that Castle Rock is being surrounded by enemy forces.”
‘Fuck. It’s more serious than I thought…’
It was shocking news that the Dawan Front had already collapsed. It was
clear that if Castle Rock were to be captured, we would be pushed back to
Lindel.
If we were to get pushed to Lindel, the capital would also be dominated

quickly.
The fact that the Dawan Front collapsed in the first place meant that the Laios
side’s situation was also not very lucky.
‘Ah…’
Even things were going against us too quickly.
“We will return as quickly as possible.”
“Yes.”
The guild members who agreed with Kim Hyunsung’s words nodded. No
wonder we began to move in a hurry.
As we approached the royal palace in Eberia, we could see that there were
certainly some battles.
Many troops were waiting. Fear lay in the faces of some. Even though the
battle had not yet taken place on the Eberian front side, they already looked
like this.
I, too, would surely soon look like them.
The soldiers and guards sent signs as the castle kept getting closer. After a
simple procedure, we greeted each other. Several of the elven commanders
started talking with Elios and Kim Hyunsung seriously.
It felt like the atmosphere had become horrible once again. The only hope I
could see was that I had caught sight of some unfamiliar people walking
towards us.
Even when I looked up straight with my eyes open, they didn’t seem to be
settled here. That would be natural because the race itself was different.
‘Dwarf?’
Certainly, they were dwarves.
It was the same as the description I had read somewhere, with the appearance
that it was hard to think of as human by any way, with the short stature and
the big beard that covered the face.
It felt like one of them approaching us was a dwarf of a high position. Kim
Hyunsung and Elios were also confused by their sudden appearance.
I was not the only one who felt puzzled as I could hear the entire expedition
muttering. I couldn’t imagine that things would have gone this far while I
was inside. There were so many things that happened so quickly that it had
been difficult to follow.
However, I nodded.
I didn’t know what was going on, but at least it wasn’t bad news that he was
here.
“It’s been a while, Volgor.”
“Elios. It’s nice to see you. I couldn’t even imagine seeing you like this…
Did you achieve any results in the expedition?”
“Yes. Fortunately, it ended safely… Is it possible that Volgor is here…?”
“We also decided to add some strength.”
“That’s fortunate out of misfortune.”
“Who knew I would be impressed by human speech? Haha. Come to think of

it, there was an important guest. Nice to meet you, Blue Guild Master, and
Honorary Cardinal of the State. You can call me Volgor.”
“Nice to meet you, Volgor-nim.”
“What?”
“You’re exactly what I heard from the little human woman. You’ve been
having a lot of trouble.”
‘What is this again?’
“Ah. Come to think of it…”
“Yes. Soon after arriving, what exactly happened…? In fact, I don’t really
understand why you came to join us.”
“Five days ago, some humans came to the kingdom. And they had a lot of
conversations with His Majesty the King. I never thought that an elf or that
human woman could change his Majesty’s mind, but in the end, it worked
out. I was also impressed… That’s why we are here.”
‘Good.’
It seemed that they weren’t just being attacked. There was some movement
on the side of the Three Kingdoms Alliance.
I didn’t know how many achievements had been made at the moment, but
they probably thought that it was more advantageous to grow in size.
I think I know who led this work for some reason. Speaking of a little human
woman, I had only one person in mind.
‘Lee Jihye?’
I thought she would be in Laios, but she seemed to have come here.
As I turned my head while talking with the dwarf, I could see those wearing
the guild pattern of the Black Swan. Perhaps the rest of their members would
be coming for me now.
Naturally, I thought I needed to know a little more details.
I couldn’t help but speak up to Kim Hyunsung, Elios, and Dwarf Volgor.
“Hyunsung-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“I think there is something I need to find out for a minute. If you go first and
listen to them, I will catch up with you later.”
He was a bit puzzled, Hyunsung eventually nodded.
“Yes. Okay, Kiyoung-ssi. I think it would be better for other people to return
to accommodation and reorganize. Ahyoung will repair equipment and
expand personal supplies. Others can relax if they need a break. I will take
time to explain the route and the current situation in the future. Please,
Deokgu, Hee-young, and Hyejin, come with me.”
“Okay. Don’t worry about us and go.”
“Then see you in a minute.”
“Yes.”
“Hayan.”
“Yes, Oppa.”
“Go in first and take a nap. I know you haven’t fully recovered yet. I’ll go
right away.”
I didn’t hear an answer at first. She seemed to be trembling, but Jung Hayan
eventually nodded.
She had also consumed a lot of magic power, and she would have hit her
physical limit as she basically had a weak body.
Not knowing when the battle will take place, recovering would be the top
priority for now.
Before long, Kim Hyunsung moved along with Elena and Elios, and others
and the guild members began to scatter to do the work they were given.
Except for Jung Hayan, there was a slight tension on their faces. They all
knew the weight of war.
Humans and monsters were different.
It wasn’t until now that there was no battle with humans, but anyone would
have to show signs of anxiety under the current situation.
Only after I was alone, a member of the Black Swan guild began to approach
me slowly.
“Honorary Cardinal, wait…”

“Yes. You can guide me.”
It was obvious where he was going.
‘Why is she here?’
Lee Jihye was here.

Chapter 372
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t meet you. I’ve had so many things to do. The report
was delayed because I heard that you were coming back earlier than
expected. In fact, I’m also busy sorting everything that happens in a day. I
thought you would be okay, but you look even better than I thought.”
“It’s a compliment, right?”
“Sure.”
When I opened the door, Lee Jihye immediately stood up. Although she was
pleased with the feeling of having seen me after a while, she didn’t dare say
it.
Her appearance was the same. She still had a small stature and an outward
appearance that didn’t fit her age.
She recently looked a little bit blank, almost as if she hadn’t slept well, but
seeing that she was still holding on to her spirit, it seemed she had escaped
the worst of the worst.
“Sit. I’ll serve you a cup of tea. You must have been really surprised, by the
way.”
“Of course. I had an idea but never imagined it would really explode like this.
What the hell is this… no, more importantly, why are you here?”
“I’m here because I think this is the safest place.”
“…”
“…”
‘She is a real trash.’
It was no wonder that I felt instantly speechless with the confidence in her
expression. I already thought that Lee Jihye had a trashy quality similar to
mine, but her actions proved to be faster than I thought.
It was obvious that it was safer to be here than to be at Dawan, Castle Rock,
or Laios. There was a basic defense system here called the World Tree, and at
least there was no direct threat, so here was the right place to pick as the
safest.
What surprised me was that she felt overly confident. Her face without any
shame was so great, even from the gaze of the Light Kiyoung.
“What’s with that look? It’s rude. You know how hard it is to live as an
ordinary person in a place like this. The physical shock that can be felt like a
minor injury to others is also the least fatal injury to me. You have to
understand this much. Honestly, even if it were you, you would have come
running here.”
‘I can’t deny it, but…’
“You’re agreeing with me right now, right?”
Although I flinched for a moment, it was natural to stay as expressionless as

possible. I could see Lee Jihye opening her mouth, as if she thought this was
the opportunity.
“Well, actually, it’s not really just for that reason. At least I had something to
do. If you saw dwarves on the way, you’ll know why I am here.”
“Oh. That’s right. How did you harass them?”
“I appealed with tears.”
“…”
“It was effective to use the tears while showing edited videos that were
circulating during the Laios incident and the things you had been struggling
with. Dwarves are simple. They actually get very affectionate. Of course, that
wasn’t the only reason, but perhaps the tears worked rather better than the
gains or interests they would get. What do you think? This was a pretty good
speech. Want to see it?”
“No… I’m good.”
“Oh. And one more thing. Wouldn’t I meet you quickly being here? It’s
easier to listen to it here than in a hard situation room. Hmm. I don’t know
where to start from… how do you want me to start?”
“Of course, from the beginning.”
Right after I answered, I could see Lee Jihye Lee tapping her finger on the
desk. This was the gesture she did when she had something to think about. I
patiently waited for her to start.
She kept hitting her desk, and somehow it felt good to hear.
However, the sound flowing from Lee Jihye’s mouth wasn’t a pleasure.
“The first was Dawan. In fact, opinions on this part are a little divided, but
the issue is whether the State or the Republic started. Of course, from our
point of view, it is true that they came in first. From their point of view, they
are arguing that this side first picked a fight. Anyway, the little friction that
happened there grew a little… and burst out with a bang, that’s all.”
“Wasn’t there any declaration of war?”
“There was right after that. They said that some of them died in the front line
of Dawan, but our side also had some casualties. No matter how you look at
it, they intentionally picked a fight first. There was no talk of any other
conditions or compensation. They just came in with the troops right away that
night. I guess they were preparing for it, right? Of course, we could prepare
for the surprise attack, but as a result, we were forced to pull the Dawan Front
back in a matter of days. After that, it also affected the Castle Rock…”
“…”
“Did you know that Castle Rock is currently isolated?”
“Roughly. But could things get worse like this?”
“Because some kingdoms, including the Mado Kingdom, came in from the
other side. In the meantime, Castle Rock has been isolated and has remained
like that so far. Castle Rock is also a strategic point that cannot be discarded
on our side. Knowing that support will come, the Republican Alliance
decided to press the Elven Kingdom…”
“That’s why you were sent as a special envoy to persuade the dwarves.”
“Yes. It’s similar. Even though Castle Rock is holding on as much as

possible, anyone knows that the expiration date is running out. The State and
Laios are also trying various things to reduce the burden as much as possible,
but it cannot be denied that Castle Rock is in danger. If you think so, it means
that you and the party arrived just at the right time. It was at the point when I
was thinking we should push it out.”
“…”
“Our purpose is to send reinforcements to Castle Rock in at least ten days. If

we fail, things will get worse. If we lose Castle Rock, soon we’ll be cornered
in Lindel.”
“If they reach Lindel, they can get to the capital soon.”
“Right. Do you have any other questions?”
“I’m curious if the United Kingdom has all turned around.”
“No. Several key kingdoms, including the Mado Kingdom. Of course, it’s not
exact. I’m guessing they’re split in half, but is there a lot you can trust in this
situation? I’m just thinking.”
“If it’s true, it’s okay to say that it’s a fortune among misfortunes?”
“Sure. In fact, I am curious about the reason why the Kingdom Alliance
participated in the war… the State is judging that they’re wary of the spread
of the revolutionary thought. There’s no way it wouldn’t have been a problem
internally when something like that went off right in the country next to
them. They would have been annoyed. As the Republic burst right then, there
is a feeling that they ran in taking that as a chance.”
“I think the same way, Nuna. Other reasons may be intertwined, but we can
see that that the interests were entangled. It’s understandable why they
continue to hold Jin Qing, the demon summoner trash. If they thought they
would start a war anyway, there is no reason to defeat us while taking a big
loss. The Republic is not sensitive to black wizards…”
“Well, right? Anyway, this is a report. It’s not just as concisely as I just
explained. It’s probably written in a little more detail. I’m not sure, but it
contains all the information. Take a look…”
“Oh, one more thing I’m curious about.”
“Please, ask.”
“Who’s in Castle Rock?”
“Yuno Kasugano.”
“And?”
“Count Castle Rock, no, it’s Congressman now. Our Guild Master is also in
Castle Rock. One of the Eight Seats of the State, Cheon Gwan-wi, is also in
Castle Rock. It’s not going to collapse right away. Because the squad isn’t
that bad, some people can at least withstand it.”
It was difficult to say that the Shaman Yuno Kasugano, the Mist Summoner
Cheon Gwan-wi, and the individual’s armed forces were overwhelming, but
these were people who ranked in the Eight Seats of the State. They also
specialized in defense.
The question of how Castle Rock was holding up under such circumstances
had been resolved. After mulling over this, I began to peruse the report given
by Lee Jihye. Reading the detailed progress made me feel a little more
flustered.
‘They really wanted to start a war, huh?’
It really seemed like they had been planning this since the start.
At this point, I thought they had already combined with the Magic Kingdom.
They thought that they had the upper hand and immediately turned the card
over.
What I expected before had partly been right.
Of course, I couldn’t be happy about the war or that I was right about that.
What was more important now was the context rather than the beginning.
What I could see was a huge map. It felt like a mini-map with all the statuses
of the troops.
“Nuna, this is…”
“Oh. I should show you this, too. This is the most updated map. The situation
of the troops is also the latest.”
“It can’t be said that it’s the worst.”
“It must be said that there is a hole with a way out.”
As she said, the situation was not as bad as I had imagined.
On a larger scale, it was true that the Dawan Front was pushed and Castle
Rock had gotten isolated, but I could see that we were gaining an advantage,
too.
Except for the two fronts, the eastern front wasn’t bad, and the western front
was even pushing itself forward.
‘Right. The State is not so incompetent.’

The key was whether or not it was possible to take the troops and supplies of
the kingdom of Eberia to Castle Rock.
If this supply route was in place, it would be of great help to lead the future
situation.
The most important thing to do was join the interracial coalition forces,
which was intuitive enough for a child to see. Now, all we had to wait for
was whether or not they would have a breakthrough or not.
‘This is a little familiar…’
It was similar to the strategy simulation we did last time.
It was a technique of slowly tightening from place to place and trying to take
advantage of it.
Masked trash, demon summoner Jin Qing, this was definitely his work. What
I felt a little curious about was that there were significantly fewer troops in
Laios.
It was certainly disconcerting to deploy the least troops without covering up

the enemy allies. I couldn’t understand the current state of the Laios front.
“Why is Laios like this?”
“Oh. I forgot to tell you. There is a brief ceasefire there. Mercenary Queen is
there.”
“But what does that and have to do with…?”
“It’s all about attacking the enemy’s allies.”
‘They’re out of their mind.’
“The Mercenary Queen lost her mind when she evacuated their people, and
now it’s in that state. We think there’s going to be a loss of troops when we
enter, so both groups are not taking any chances. In the current situation, it is
extremely burdensome to subtract a few named and go there.”
‘There must be a time limit.’
Cha Hee-ra’s attribute Blood-thirsty Madwoman clearly had a time limit of

one hour.
Her presence in Laios so far could not be explained by her status window as
seen by my Mind’s Eyes.
“How long Laios, no, Hee-ra has been in that state?”
“It’s been eight days.”
‘Something is not right…’

Chapter 373
Chapter 373: PTSD (1)
‘Eight days…’
It was a pretty long time.
It would be flustering to think that Laios had been completely excluded

during those eight days. Of course, there may be minimal troops left, but
Laios had still gotten abandoned on the battlefield.
I don’t know how crazy she had gone for the situation to become like this,
but…
‘I understand.’
Considering that Cha Hee-ra’s strength had risen to 117 during the Castle
Rock crisis, it was natural to avoid it.
Even if I were the Republic, it would have been difficult to take some action.
In order to safely subdue it, it is possible to cope with it by sending at least

someone as strong as one of the Eight Seats of the State or the Five General
Tigers.
‘And that’s not easy.’
In the current situation where the front line was still tightly maintained, it was
almost impossible to pull back the named names.
Even if they were on the way to recapture Castle Rock and do the Eberian
isolation operation simultaneously, they wouldn’t be doing anything stupid as
focusing on Laios.
“Is there anything that the State is doing?”

“All they can do is wait… In fact, on the outskirts of Laios, the Red
Mercenary is in charge of the front. Probably they want to get their queen
back when everything is done. Something similar must have happened before
we came in. At that time, I heard that she was in that state for twenty days…”
“How was the situation then?”
“I don’t know in detail, either. No one knows it, and all they did was to bring
the queen who was passed out.”
I wondered if it had a possibility of happening,
‘It is possible if there’s no survivor.’
“It’s because there were no survivors. I don’t know what the queen was doing
in the past and what’s going on in Laios now. Seeing that she is still alive, the
queen must be doing well. I want to give it a little more weight, but what can
I do about it? Castle Rock is more urgent right now. On the Laios side, you
will do something, well.”
‘Do what? You mean bitch.’
Light Kiyoung was not a suicide seeker.
When the Castle Rock Monster Wave had occurred, I remembered it was a
nightmare.
Moreover, Cha Hee-ra at that time had been in a normal crazy state.
Now that she had gone completely insane, my body would be torn as soon as
she was to see me. Perhaps my pelvis would get smashed and chopped like
tofu.
Just imagining it made me have goosebumps behind my back.
When I shook my head, Lee Jihye opened her mouth again.
“Shall we move to another place and talk?”

“It would be better. I also wanted to see the front line.”
“I wanted to show you. I asked to go out because of that.”
As I slowly opened the door, I could see the Black Swan guild members
waiting. They were the escort group of Lee Jihye.
Seeing that their level wasn’t too bad, I could tell how much the Black Swan
Guild Master, Park Yeon-joo, cared about Lee Jihye.
Of course, it was a bonus that Lee Jihye considered her own safety to be the
most important.
The soldiers around me still looked anxious. They must know that the battle
would begin within a few days. No one wanted to die. And, whether you
liked it or not, war created casualties.
I had begun to understand the situation, but it did not make me any happier. It
was because our opponents seemed determined, and had decided to block the
Eberia side.
Despite having the advantages of a castle defense battle, they had no choice
but to enter the field first.
It looked like we would have to do a siege battle. This was the type of work
that could not be built in a short period, but if there was magic, it was easy to
build a city wall.
Of course, this was incomparable to Castle Rock’s walls, but the fact that
there was a wall of that kind was indeed great pressure from the opponent’s
perspective.
“Who is the opponent’s commander?”
Perhaps a wizard.
“We haven’t confirmed it yet. Well, still, one of the Five General Tigers will
be with them, right? Judging by what I can see, he will be in the rear rather
than the front line. As you can see, the situation in front of us is not very
good. The troops are also inferior, but it is in a situation where we have to
even a siege battle. We were on the inferior side, but now that you’ve joined,
it’s going to be better. Hyunsung is also here. Oh, come to think of it, there’s
also Hayan.”
“Hayan can’t be used here.”
“Why?”
“We have to look at things in the long run. I ordered her to recover as quickly
as possible, but in her current state, she will fall back by using magic only a
few times. Even that, magic with a large range should be avoided as much as
possible. And our Guild Master…”
‘I want to hide it much as possible…’
If there was a person who had the most information that had not been
released yet, of course, it would be the lovely returner.
Still, unlike me, who held the title of Honorary Cardinal, there was no
information about Kim Hyunsung at all. I bet the Republic didn’t even take
Kim Hyunsung at a high level.
To them, he was only a child who has been on the continent for less than five
years.
Jin Qing, who knew that I was a scammer, might think that Kim Hyunsung
was a similar kind of guy. It was important that they had the least information
about him as possible.
I could recognize the urgency of the situation, but we must avoid putting in
the strongest from the first fights. Though everyone apparently wanted to end
this as fast as possible, it would be inevitable to prolong the fight eventually.
‘Who uses their weapon from the beginning in the first place?’
“You want to save them for later?”
“If possible.”
“You know that simply pushing out isn’t a good thing, right? It is important
to push it properly without damage. If we don’t have the troops to get to
Castle Rock after the battle, the fight itself will be for nothing. All they have
to do is to hold on.”
“I understand that, too.”
Their role was not to do a castle defense battle, but to hold back the ones
from this side. For them, the city wall is a kind of thing that doesn’t matter at
all.
‘But what can I do?’
Whatever it was, we had to push our own troops forward.
“So, you were here.”
Kim Hyunsung’s voice came just in time. As I turned, I could see him and the
commander.
It looked like everyone had gone on a tour together.
Elios, the dwarf, Volgor, and those I had not memorized the names of yet
were valuable workers who would eventually move on the battlefield.
“Oh my, Volgor.”
“Oh! It’s the little human woman.”
“I was looking around for a moment. I also explained the situation a little to
the Honorary Cardinal here.”
“I see. How have you been?”
“Good. Thanks. Volgor-nim is still reliable.”
Lee Jihye, who immediately adorned an inviting smile, felt surprising even to
me.
However, she was not much different than me. Kim Hyunsung, who was
asking me questions, had forced me to wear the same kind of smile as well.
I felt a sense of shame, but there was nothing I could do.
“Have you heard of it?”
“Yes. The situation seemed a little complicated. I was able to figure out the
rough composition as well. Jihye explained in a lot of detail.”
“What do you think, Kiyoung-ssi?”
‘Think what, you bastard?’
This was the line I wanted to ask him. For now, it was the most important to
open the road unconditionally.
“I heard that the command team is setting the next five days as the timing. If
it is delayed, Castle Rock could become dangerous…”
‘The faster, the better, but…’
It was quite interesting that his face looked like it was asking for permission
from me.
In fact, I was not strong in martial arts, either. Everything I had learned just
scratches the surface.
As I felt like I had been lying too much, they seemed to think I had some
knowledge in that as well. Of course, the important thing was not that he
asked about my opinion.
I felt that how Kim Hyunsung looked was more important to me. He looked
very nervous.
‘Is it obvious?’
The demon in the first round was crouching in the meantime.
Jin Qing, the masked trash, finally revealed his nature and reached out the
demon’s grip to the camp of light.
For Kim Hyunsung, who I believed in having suffered a lot in would not be
unreasonable to become nervous suddenly.
‘How many times has he been backstabbed?’
Interestingly, I felt that he was being reliant on me.
By now, he should have solved the problem somehow if Light Kiyoung had
not been contaminated by the demon’s grasp.
He delayed a lot of time, and he seemed to think he had given time to the
masked villain. He seemed to be pretending to be okay, but his face itself was
stained with anxiety.
My eyes, who were always closely watching Kim Hyunsung’s face, could not
be deceived.
“Of course, I am aware of the fact that we have to get through the road as
quickly as possible, but maybe there is a trap… my opinion is that it would
be better to approach it a little more carefully.”
“What? You mean a trap?”
‘There’s nothing that looks like a trap… well, was there such a thing?’
However, upon closer inspection, there was nothing in here that looked like a
trap.
Rather, this was a very plain and simple problem. This was a fight over
whether or not we could get rid of our opponents and attain victory. Even if
he were the first round’s masked trash, it would have been impossible things
in this situation.
There was not enough time, and the range of motion was still limited.
What could be done was, at best, something using a secret agent or inducing
friction between groups. Of course, it was far from Jin Qing’s style.
When I looked at the mini-map again, I couldn’t figure out what was wrong
with it.
However, Kim Hyunsung’s face was stained with unknown anxiety.
“There may be something for sure, definitely.”
“Ohh. Yes…”
“It would be better to take at least a little more time to watch more. Of
course, it’s just my personal opinion…”
‘No. I don’t think we need to look into it in detail…’
“I think it would be nice if you could also find out a little more, Kiyoung-
ssi.”
“Yes. Okay.”
For now, I had to answer Kim Hyunsung’s request, which he had brought out
very carefully.
We all had to look before we leap. However, the behavior Kim Hyunsung
was showing was no different than analyzing before leaping.
He had a face that showed he was still convinced that there was a trap lying
underneath,
‘Is this bastard suffering from PTSD?’

Chapter 374
Chapter 374: PTSD (2)
“Don’t you see anything unnatural or strange?”
“No. I don’t.”
‘Stop it.’
“You can relax, Hyunsung. The command is taking care of what you are
worrying about as much as they possibly can.”
“But…”
“It’s understandable, but it’s not good to worry too much.”
“Yes. I understood. But perhaps…”
“Yes.”
“Is the detecting magic…?”
“We’ve already confirmed it, but… I will instruct them to investigate again.”
‘You didn’t understand at all. Fuck.’
I understood that he was worried, but I felt a little tired.
In fact, there’s not much time left to enter.
As we suddenly joined this operation, it is hard enough to pay attention to

other parts.
We’re so bust to check even basic things.
Looking at Kim Hyunsung coming every day and saying useless things, it
really looked like PTSD.
He was looking openly anxious even now. I didn’t know what made him so
nervous, but the expression on his face worsened as time went by.
His expression from yesterday was different from today’s. Even I was
affected and thought that we shouldn’t head in like this.
Of course, that didn’t mean that I had delayed the schedule or thought about a
different method.
It was a situation where we could be judged to be superior in power, and I

knew that it would be disadvantageous if we did not manage to break
through.
I could understand Kim Hyunsung, but no matter how I was to think about
this, we could not delay it.
It was true that spending time here was abandoning Castle Rock, an
important strategic point.
It is no wonder that I turned and glanced at the lovely returner. He wasn’t

scared, but he seemed to be more worried about the current situation than
anyone else.
I wanted to look into what Kim Hyunsung was thinking.
“We also have to keep in mind the possibility that the wall itself is a trap.
There may be some magic in the wall itself, and there is also a possibility that
explosive magic is built into the troops protecting the wall…”
‘You mean they would sacrifice such an army?’
“I think internal surveillance should also be a little more thorough. In

particular, a little more thorough vigilance against dwarves… It’s a bit
abrupt, but the investigation into the plague should also be conducted.”
“You mean the plague?”
‘Why are you improvising about the plague suddenly? Bastard.’
“We also have to consider the probability that the current confrontation has
become a mass infection. A type of virus that only infects at close range…”
‘What kind of bullshit is this again?’
The explosive magic was bearable, but with the mass infection that had
suddenly popped out, I had no choice but to hold my breath.
According to Kim Hyunsung’s words, the entire army currently blocking us

had become a carrier of an unknown virus.
I had no choice but to wonder where this idea had come from. There was no
way to make such an inhumane choice, no matter how much of a bastard Jin
Qing was.
‘The masked garbage wouldn’t go this far…’
“Aren’t you thinking a little too much about this…?”
In the end, I had to say these words carefully. At this, Hyunsung spoke up
once more. The candle was burning at both ends.
“I’m not, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“To sacrifice such troops for a simple trap… It will not be easy even for the
Republic.”
“I am not worried about the Republic.”
“What?”
“Jin Qing, he…”
“…”
“I’m worried about Jin Qing. I’m not sure yet, but the devil summoner won’t
tell the difference between friend and foe. For the sake of the purpose, he will
not choose any means, and he might not care about sacrificing the troops of
the Republic or the civilians. You must remember that.”
“What…”
“You should not assume that he is attached to the Republic or any group. You
should simply assume that that’s all a device that can protect his body, even
those closest to him. He is not a human that considers how much he
sacrificed his troops to achieve victory.”
‘This bastard is going too far…’
No matter how trashy trash Jin Qing was, he would not be a human without
any blood and tears.
‘Right. He wouldn’t be that much trash.’
“At least you should not assume that humanitarian methods or war laws
designated by continental law will be considered. The same goes for women
and children. Rather, those who are socially weakened are more likely to be
used as long-term means. Please preach to be extra cautious in child soldiers’
case.”
“Yes. O-Okay.”
“Besides, do not touch other supplies or items coming from outside…”
“Okay.”
“You should be even more careful with the supplies used by enemy forces.
As soon as the battle is over, used supplies must be disposed of immediately.
What I’m saying right now may sound crazy, but you have to be more careful
right after the battle is over.”
“Okay, Hyunsung-ssi. I will remember it.”
“…”
“…”
“Thank you, Kiyoung-ssi. Oh… you can continue sleeping… I’m sorry. I
suddenly came at dawn.”
“No. No. I’m going to be up early today anyway. And a visit like this is
rather nice.”
‘But knock it off.’
It was already the third time today. Once in the afternoon, once before bed,
and once in the dawn.
It would be nice to think about it all at once and tell me, but he seemed to
remember being backstabbed once every now and then.
It was indeed meaningful to indirectly experience how the masked trash

backstabbed him, but I had a guilty conscience for some reason.
Of course, I had nothing to do with the masked garbage, but it was because I
felt guilty that I could not protect Hyunsung in the first round.
Hostage play was the default option. I felt like I had heard all sorts of trash
behaviors.
If everything Kim Hyunsung told me was what he had experienced, then I

thought it was not unreasonable to pay attention like this.
‘So, the entire troop is a virus carrier?’
That wouldn’t happen, but if I really assumed that the plan was going on right
now, the masked trash was the biggest son of a bitch in the world and real
trash, deliberately sending troops to death.
What was more impressive was that the troops would fight, thinking that they
were dying whilst fighting for the country.
‘This is real deception. Deception, I say.’

The thoughts that masked trash Jin Qing planted on them, the cause of the
war, and the reason why his camp shouted justice were all just bullshit for a
bigger sacrifice.
All of the usual wars went like that, but the idea of deliberately creating
carriers and putting them into the war was an unthinkable idea that no one
other than a real bastard could do.
Of course, the enemy forces in front of me were not carriers.
“It doesn’t change the fact that he’s going to die, but…”
‘We must keep the minimum principle. Yes, absolutely.’
Anyway, there was some good news.
First, the lovely returner had realized little by little that Jin Qing trash was
indeed the masked trash. It seemed that he was still not completely sure, but
it was safe to assume that he was almost sure by his reaction.
If he was not worried about that, there was no way he would come and pour
out his anxiety several times a day.
‘For now, I can assume that I have stability.’
I had prepared a few more things, just in case, but at this point, I didn’t even
need to do anything. In fact, I thought that the job should be done in the other
direction.
Assuming that Jin Qing didn’t use wicked tricks, the returner’s gaze may fall
out from him. Anything was fine, but such was a thing I wanted to prevent
from happening.
It was when I was wondering whether I should show a new self-written play.
“Hmm…”
I heard something from outside. It had been a while since Kim Hyunsung
went out.
‘Has it been three hours?’
Unlike what I thought that I would hear a knock on the door right away, the
door started to open both suddenly and slowly.
‘Fuck.’
It was natural to feel instantly surprised.
We were on the front line with the enemy, and it wouldn’t be weird for an
assassin to come in anytime.
I didn’t know how the hell they had gotten here, but that was not what
matters now.
No wonder I had gotten up right away. I put myself on the wall and put my
hand right into the bag. What I got had my hand was the Dragon Breath
potion.
Cool sweat flowed down my back, and thoughts of all kinds began to pass by.
The moment the sweat from my head flowed down the chin and fell, I could
see the doll sneaking into the room.
“Hayan?”
“Oh! Oh! Y-Y-Y-You were up.”
What was visible was certainly Jung Hayan. I had to breathe a long sigh.
‘That scared me. Really.’
“What’s up?”
“I-I slept too much… during the day. I couldn’t sleep, so I just… yes… er…”
She looked really embarrassed. Perhaps she was trying to sneak into my room
again.
Although I was stunned by her halting, I had to give a small smile after
patting her head.
“You should rest a little more.”
“B-B-But, I really can’t sleep.”
“How much has your magic power recovered?”
“It’s hard to say that I have recovered greatly. It seems like I overused it
recently, so it’s still only a little…”
“You can’t overuse it this time. You know you have to be out of combat as
much as possible?”
“Yes. O-Of course.”
“Unless it’s a really dangerous situation, you’d better not intervene.”
“Okay…”
“Shall we go outside for a minute?”
“Yes!”
I could see her smiling continuously as if she felt good to take a walk
together.
‘I was too careless.’
Of course, in the meantime, I had no choice but to focus on self-reflection.
‘I was lucky it was Hayan.’
Of course, an outside intrusion was almost impossible. The World Tree was
helping the Kingdom of Eberia.
However, it was not impossible at all. As this was a world that could not be
understood by simple common sense, there was no guarantee that if it were
an assassin of the level of one of the seats, it would not be penetrated.
‘I guess I have to ask for an escort…’
It was comfortable to move alone, but at least I felt that I needed an escort to
buy me time.
As we slowly climbed up the barrier with useless thoughts, a pretty beautiful

landscape soon came into sight.
Of course, the walls still stood out today.
‘A few days left?’
No wonder I nodded at the greetings of the guards guarding the barrier. It was
then that a loud voice could be heard.
-Surrender.
It was a voice amplified by voice magic.
‘It’s a propaganda activity.’
It was now time to rationalize the war they had waged by playing big voice
magic and time to encourage surrender. It was time to criticize the present
system and the State and appeal that they were justice.
By analogy, it was like a strategic loudspeaker sent to the enemy.
‘Well, that is also important.’
This was the first time I had heard of it today, but it felt like it was pretty
elaborate.
-Dear elves. And I’m also talking to some dwarves. Our anti-State coalition is
not your enemy. You are being deceived. We are deceived by the wicked lie
of the State that disturbs the continent. I will say it again. Our anti-State
coalition is not your enemy. If you do not intervene in the current war, we
promise to pull back our troops immediately.
‘Tsk, tsk.’
The way he spit out his words was indeed amusing.
As I muttered unconsciously, I could see Jung Hayan staring at me.
“Well, let’s do some propaganda activities?”
The enemy was obviously unaware that such propaganda was my forte.
Chapter 375
Chapter 375: Fact Always Wins (1)
‘Dumb humans.’
Of course, knowing the other enemy’s intentions didn’t mean that I could
stop that kind of propaganda.
It was not an option, but a necessity, to demolish the opponent’s morale even
a little before fighting or war. The anti-State alliance probably thought that
they were right, so it was natural to invest in propaganda.
I looked around a bit and found that the elves sitting there were familiar with
that voice.
It was probably heard from the time when the opposite camp’s wall was
established.
‘Was there any response on our side?’
There was no way there wasn’t. I then opened my mouth and asked.
My question was answered by an elf guard looking at the wall. She was
indeed a rare swordswoman. As I naturally saw her stats, the numbers
weren’t that bad.
‘It’s surprising.’
She was just watching the guard, but her stats were about an Elune Knight’s
level. Perhaps Elios hadn’t noticed her.
“Is it always heard?”
“Yes, Honorary Cardinal. I know it is usually heard about twice a day.”

“What is our response?”
“The kingdom also periodically uses voice amplification magic toward the
anti-State alliance…”
“I see. Hmm… How is it? Does it seem to be directly affecting our morale?”
“It doesn’t. Because we know that all the words of our enemies are false, and
we know what the anti-State coalition wants. And there’s no way we can trust
such a ridiculous thing.”
‘Education is in place.’
This was also natural, in a way.
No matter how absurd it was, if you constantly listened to something,

someone would be affected.
They wouldn’t expect to move many people anyway. Even if only one person
would get affected, it could always be considered effective.
The anxiety created by that one would spread very quietly and slowly into the
unit.
Anxiety or doubts continued to spread like cancer cells. The larger the scale,
the harder it was for the command to grasp.
The superior was not God.
No matter how careful the troop management was, it was impossible to know
what the advisor was thinking.
Education was what you needed for that. It was a kind of brainwashing
activity.
We were not at fault. We were justice, and they were evil. They had launched
the first strike. Justification was crucial in this part.
The size and quality, the branch of the troops, and the abilities that the named
could have on the battlefield and its direction could be used.
There were many variables on the continent’s battlefield, but the troops’
morale was just as important as it was, even those who did not know that the
tactics would know.
While tapping the thigh with a finger, the voice amplified continuously began
to be heard.
It was propaganda that deserved acknowledgment.
-The State is disturbing the order of the continent. They made up something
ridiculous about a demon summoner, turning the neutral region into a conflict
zone. Not only did they urge war and encourage conflict, but on the 14th,
eventually, they declared war first and pushed their troops in. Numerous
civilian casualties were incurred, and our anti-Statement coalition had no
choice but to raise the war flag. This is because the lunatic group who wants
a war can no longer be left to roam the continent. The Holy State that all of
you are aware of is not the former State. It’s just a mob under the name of
revolution, with the mask of the idea of sacred democracy!
‘…’
-Oscar, who is currently the leader of the State, is the true rebel of the
Goddess and the one who disturbs the order of the continent. She cannot even
be said to be the leader of the State. She is just a puppet who follows the
words of Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung of the Holy See.
‘It’s not like a puppet…’
Although I flinched a bit, I had no choice but to keep my composure.
I could see the elven guard we talked with earlier looking forward with a
fiery eye, even opening his mouth. I could see him possessing a very cautious
attitude.
“Er…”
“Yes?”
“You don’t have to worry. We know better than anyone else that it is a
ridiculous rumor, Honorary Cardinal.”
“…”
“How dare they? I don’t think any of the elves here think of what they say to
be the truth.”
Occasionally, it was very burdensome to face such eager eyes. The innocent
eyes of the flawless elven guards somehow began to pierce through my
conscience.
Jung Hayan nodded as if the elf who believed in me looked to be okay,

holding my hand tightly.
“Y-Yes. It’s all lies.”
“I-I saw Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung fight against the demon through the
Goddess’ Mirror, and I was really impressed. The story of saving our friends
at the Slave Auction, or protecting Elena while you were in the huge beast.”
“…”
I had to protect her. But for some reason, I wanted to avoid his gaze.
“All the elves will want the same. I hope that those words will not hurt
Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung.”
‘I’m not really hurt…’
“T-That’s right, Oppa. You don’t have to worry about it.”
I was pretty sure she was trying her best to comfort me. She even looked
angrier than me.
In fact, whatever they said over there, I was calm. In the meantime, the
propaganda content was getting more intense.
-Our anti-State alliance is ready to accept you at any time. Please avoid losing
our alliance and pretend. We are not here to fight you. All we want is the
normalization of the continent. It is only our wish to overthrow the pope, who
pretended to be a god, misled the entire continent, and exploited the people
by hiding behind the back of a god, and the puppet queen and the mob who
follows her. I know you hate fights. Please consider carefully. Please listen to
our voices to all of you and the leaders.
After their speech was over, she kept glancing at me, blatantly worried.
‘I’d appreciate it if she thinks so.’
Of course, there was an existing sense of embarrassment, but if the overall

public opinion is this way, there was no need to worry too much.
Of course, we shouldn’t stop educating to maintain morale.
Most elves won’t believe that, but maybe other people, including dwarves,
might be unknowingly affected.
‘I should have read everything yesterday.’
At this point, I am curious about the content of this propaganda. It must be

definitely written in the report Lee Jihye had given me to read.
But I thought I didn’t have to look at the content again now.
‘I can ask, well.’
I just had to ask the elf woman in front of me.
“What is the content of the propaganda on the part of the Kingdom of

Eberia?”
It is mainly content that directly criticizes the human behavior of the

Republic. The Laios incident and the propaganda that they started war first do
not stop. Inhuman experiments, ruthless and thoughtless logging activities,
and even criticism of reckless hunting. Each time the content is different, but
this is normal.”
“I… see.”
‘What’s with the logging activities and reckless hunting?’
From an elf’s point of view, it was understandable to say that, but I could
confidently say that it wouldn’t work for most humans.
I bet they would even laugh.
‘Would they make them feel guilty with only that?’
The essence of this kind of propaganda was to make the other person feel
doubts.
Of course, there could be no humans questioning things like logging or

hunting. A more direct method would be needed.
In fact, we didn’t even have to say anything until we had a sore throat
because we already had the most convincing evidence.
“Hayan.”
“Yes?”
“Let’s prepare the Goddess’ Mirror with Sora.”
“W-Which one?”
“Did what happened in Laios still remain? I don’t need anything else, just
that.”
“Just this one?”
“Yes. Can you do it? Of course, it has to be big enough to be seen by the
other side.”
“I think I can do it if Han Sora trainee, no, if Sora-ssi helps.”
“Really? That’s great. Isn’t it a thing that consumes a lot of magic power?”
“I’ll ask Jeong-yeon to help. And to the other elves.”
“It would be better to do that. When you’re ready, come right here.”
“Okay!”
‘Then I just have to ask for some extra time.’
In fact, there was no problem with this at all.
The elf woman seemed curious about what I was trying to do. She was
pretending to look forward, but I could see that she was moving her ears.
In the meantime, Jung Hayan started moving in a hurry.
‘What else would I need?’
Talking all day only hurt the mouth and hurt the head.
Of course, the meaning had not been conveyed as it was, and the efficiency
was not very good. The amount of magic power that went into the voice
amplification magic was also quite high.
Of course, it was more effective to borrow the power of civilization.
After a while, I began to see Han Sora and Hwang Jeong-yeon, who was
running eagerly at Jung Hayan’s call.
The use of magical hologram artifacts was no different from a professional

level anymore. As a huge magical hologram floated on the Eberian
Kingdom’s side, eyes began to focus not only on the sky, but also here.
Naturally, I began to open my mouth because I needed some time to explain.
“I think it’s better to keep it in the air outside of the advertising time. They
probably know better what is good and what is evil. I will tell the command.
Please spread it to other units. You don’t have to be so surprised.”
“I will go preach right now.”

“Thank you. Hayan, test it right away and activate the magic hologram. They
might not be able to see it. The demon summoner is in close-up detail.”
“Okay!”
“Sign up as soon as you’re ready.”
“I-I’m ready.”
“Then send it right away.”
“Okay, Oppa.”
I felt a little sorry for the demon summoner Jin Qing, but his face was already
sold. Since he had gone through a lot, I thought he could go through a little
more trouble.
No matter how insensitive the Republic was to black magic, it would be hard
to not be shaken by watching such a scene.
‘Special star Belial, thank you again today.’
-My contractor Jin Qing. Your wishes will come true. Come on, unseal this
seal! Then you will have more power in your hands!
What appeared in the Goddess’ Mirror was Jin Qing threatening the light, all
while holding hands with the demon.
There would not be many people who could smile while looking at the true
image of the day that the demon summoner, masked trash Jin Qing showed.
‘You can’t win against the facts by only talking about incitement and
fabrication even for a hundred days. You bastards!”
The power of facts was indeed great.

Chapter 376
‘How dare you try to win with agitation and fabrication?’
If one were to speak without proof, you would never get out of the level of
agitation and fabrication, anyway.
Proper evidence was the most obvious fact.
It was understandable that you wanted to crush my image somehow, but you
had met the wrong opponent.
-My contractor, Jin Qing. Your wishes will come true. Come on, unseal this
seal! Then you will have more power in your hands!
-Contractor Jin Qing. Don’t you want to have this power? It is the power to
achieve whatever you want.
‘Yes, absolutely.’
-Fufufufufu… Hahahaha!
‘Long live the Belial-nim! Screw you!’
Even Ahn Ki-mo and Lee Jihye had no choice but to applaud Belial, who had
been acting eagerly. At this, I looked above the sky, feeling proud.
The scene that appeared on the huge screen was now the demon summoner
trash selling his soul to the demon. The fact that it also showed him trying to
persecute our camp was a bonus.
Perhaps some people on the side of the Republic camp had seen that scene
for the first time.
The Republic and the State were completely cut off, to begin with. Even if
there was an exchange, there was no way that those sensitive to information
control would let us circulate such videos or rumors.
Of course, some people might know, but…
‘They must be seeing this kind of thing for the first time, these bastards.’
They, too, had probably been educated.
‘The Republic’s Jin Qing is innocent, and everything is incitement and

fabrication by the State. It’s something that everyone has made up and
manipulated. You can never believe it or be agitated. You must never get
involved in the tactics of agitation from the State.’
They must’ve said that the State was picking apart to start a war, and it was
the State hidden behind the back of God that was in communication with the
demon.
They must have been making noise several times a day and throwing tickets
to the war.
Most of the troops would know so. However, there was a distinct difference
between listening in words and seeing evidence in person.
‘Because humans are suspicious animals.’
It was successful enough just to make the command group question.
Of course, I firmly believed that the aftereffect of this video would not end
there. Naturally, I had no choice but to affect the mentality of the soldiers of
the Republic directly.
‘To say they’re not as sensitive to black magic as the State or elves?’
“What does that matter? Are you sensitive to this situation right now? Will it
get into your eyes not being sensitive? Huh?”
This was about aesthetics.
Seeing Belial being output as a magical hologram made my heart beat. Belial
was more demoniac than the image of a demon in general.
His face was like a lightning bolt of fire, and his eyes were like flames
burning in the abyss.
His mouth was like a crack in a rock, and his large wings seemed to poke
through a crumpled sky.
This appearance alone made us feel alien and evoked a sense of instinctive
human fear.
There would be no madman in the world who saw things like that and
thought that he was on the side of justice.
‘Yes. Light won’t be light for nothing, and darkness won’t be darkness for
nothing.’
Humans who were not affected by this dichotomous way of thinking did not
exist, as far as I knew.
Light Kiyoung was surrounded by light, and the demon’s warped camp was
so polluted that it produced nausea.
Which side justice was on had already been decided. Galleries that were
currently viewing this magical hologram would also know the answer.
I overdid it a little and started putting magic in my eyes. Though the distance
was quite far, my attribute’s influence allowed me to see some faces.
‘Bastards. You turned pale. Pale.’
The foreigners looked at least better.
However, the faces of those who appeared to be Republicans were a

spectacle.
Their faces were staring blankly at the magic hologram as if they couldn’t
believe it was distorted.
Some were already showing anxiety on their faces. Of course, this didn’t
mean that being a foreigner was different. Some of them were biting their lips
tightly and even sighing.
-You dirty son of bitches of light. This is the power of hell magic. Contractor
Jin Qing, what you want will come true!
‘Whew!’
-Thank you! Thank you! Contractor!!
Just in time, the video was now running towards the climax.
There were very few adaptations added, but all of them were actually what
had happened and were facts.
There was no such thing as a manipulation discriminator on this continent,

but no one could object to this sense of urgency. Now I was sure that the
other camp was in a panic.
Seeing the Republic’s commanders running around and fixing the situation
was enough to make me laugh.
They were all shouting something. Of course, I couldn’t hear it, but I could
already guess what they would be in a fuss about.
They had tried their best to fix the people’s mentality, but it was nothing
more than peeing in their pants for warmth in the winter.
It would rather raise the doubts of those who have doubts, making a fuss like
that. It was impossible to stay still.
There was no need to explain that the amplified voice had been heard once
again.
“S-Should I stop now?”

“No. No. Why stop already? Let’s see it one more time.”
“Okay!”
The most important thing in education was obvious.
‘Repeated learning is important.’
It was important to put it in their heads enough to memorize it.
-Please stop sending the video of the manipulated content right now. All of
the videos you are sending are manipulated. It’s nothing more than a self-
written play created to fool you. Dear fellows, please do not be fooled by the
fabrication and open your eyes to the truth.
-Contractor! Do you want power!
-The Republic has never communicated with the demon, and Jin Qing could
not find any signs of black magic. He is innocent.
-Come on, unseal! Jin Qing! You are my contractor.
-They are messing up with the continent. The wicked groups of the State are
disturbing the order of the continent.
-I’ll give you the power to swallow the continent, Jin Qing.
‘Whew.’
It felt like the talking magic hologram was hitting them back. They were
constantly yelling as if they felt bewildered, but I couldn’t hear it properly.
The Republic’s wizards were rather embarrassed, sending out incitement and
fabricated content.
No matter how many times they shouted that what we showed was fake, they
couldn’t possibly wake up with the fact unfolding in front of them. It was not
about worrying about the misled elves, but about the mental state of their
own troops.
Of course, there was no specific way to do so.
-I’ll say it again. I want them to stop sending fabricated footage right now.
You are being deceived. All of this is a self-written play made by Honorary
Cardinal Lee Kiyoung. It’s just a dirty trick to trap the Republic.
‘Yes, you bastards. Keep being noisy about it.’
-Hyung-nim… Hyung-nim! Hayan! Please be patient. Just a little bit! Just

hold on a little!
-Don’t falter. All of this is manipulated. It was not the Republic but the State
that summoned the demon.
-These dirty guys! Damn. Damn! Hyung-nim! If you hold on a little more,
support will come! Hold on until then. You know you shouldn’t die by
overdoing it, right? Don’t overdo it. I warned you. I won’t forgive you if you
pass out overdoing yourself. I won’t forgive you!
It was not just directed to the elves, it was also to themselves.
They were all insisting that it was fake, but the desperate appearance of Park
Deokgu popping out through the magic hologram was enough to inspire
emotion. The same went for Han Sora.
It looked like she would pass out at any moment.
It was a moment when that would make me want to cry again.
Needless to say, the appearance of Jung Hayan and I, who were already being
limited whilst being dyed with light.
Surrounded by the divine light, the appearance of the demon summoner’s

debris fighting against the summoned Belial was like a hero mentioned in a
fairy tale. As it was a real situation, it seemed to me that the video was
selected very well.
Surrounded by filthy evil groups, this was a famous scene that we saved the
neutral country of Laios from danger.
The elves were also becoming solemn while looking at us in the magic
hologram.
“Hayan, activate your voice amplification magic. Put my face on the

hologram right now.”
“Yep!”
At this point, it was the right timing for me to pop out. Clearing my throat, I
tried my best to refine my voice. It had been a long time since I had done this,
so I still felt pretty nervous.
As expected, my mouth didn’t let me down.
‘The frame is important. The frame.’
I had already decided with which frame to choose.
The political conflict between the State and the Republic was out of the
question, for now. It was only right to exclude the State and Republic
completely from this frame.
This was not about being different. This was about right and wrong, common
sense and non-common sense.
To interpret this war only as a conflict between the two countries was stupid
in any way. This war was not a fight between the Three Kingdoms Alliance
and the anti-State alliance.
‘It’s a fight between justice and evil.’
‘It’s a fight between fact and fabrication.’
‘It’s a fight between light and darkness.’
Slowly, my voice began to be transmitted.
As I spoke calmly, I immediately heard my voice with the voice

amplification magic applied loudly.
“Be with the light, everyone.”
-Be with the light, everyone.
‘Good.’
-Please get on board with us on the side of the light. Please hold our hand for
the continent. We shouldn’t aim our swords at each other.
‘The sound quality is also good.’
-We are facing a common enemy. Humanity is witnessing an unimaginable

enemy together. What you have just seen is the proof, fact, and enemy of all
of us.
‘The flow is not bad.’
-The Three Kingdoms Alliance was not launched to disturb the continent,
destroy order, or cause war. It’s the opposite. It is to protect all living things
on the continent, humanity, heterogeneous races, the land given by the
Goddess, and all who live on it. I think you’ve just seen the magic hologram
just before. What you’ve seen for yourself is never false or manipulated. It
really happened, it’s a nightmare that fell on Laios months ago, and it’s an
ordeal that we must overcome together.
‘Yes, that’s right. Absolutely.’
-There were still demonic forces crouching around the continent. People like
Jin Qing, who caused the Laios crisis and succeeded in summoning the
Demon Lord, are still looking for opportunities everywhere. Of course, our
State was no exception. The State remembers. The numerous things that the
demon worshipper Ito Souta has caused… the State remembers.
Still, thinking about what happened then made my heart ache.

Chapter 377
-It’s not just in the State. There are already demonic minions hiding in each
kingdom or continent. Like Ito Souta, the demon worshipper of the State, and
Jin Qing, the demon summoner of the Republic, they are disrupting the
continent’s order with their own purpose. Even at this moment, the forces of
darkness continue to consume light and the continent. They are moving to use
their power to achieve what they want. This situation is the picture they
wanted. Everyone, please open your eyes. Don’t be fooled by the demon’s
voice and look at what really matters.
Naturally, I looked at the top of the city wall with serious eyes. There were
eyes that were already moist. It seemed quite plausible, even if I were to think
about it.
The light that gently wrapped around my body added a sense of trust to what
I said.
‘As expected of Light Kiyoung.’
Even if I thought about it again, I wanted to say that this was a real game-
changer, now that I had gotten the class as Alchemist of Light.
It would have been less persuasive if it had been ugly darkness surrounding
me while talking about this.
-What they want is the destruction and fall of the continent. They want to
take away your family, the place where you live, everything you have to
protect. Your enemy is not humanity, but the demon and its minions who
have put you where you are now. The Republic’s current regime, whose roots
have been rotted by demon summoner Jin Qing, is the target of your sword.
No one would disagree that this was a fact, all without a lie.
-Please throw away your weapon. We need to hold hands together and face a
greater threat. We need to root out the demon, including the demon
summoner Jin Qing. We must protect our living base and take a step forward.
Conflicts between nations and ethnic groups must be abandoned, and
everyone must take a step forward. It is time to make a decision toward the
light. Why are you there? What did you go to the battlefield to protect? Are
you in place to protect what? The Three Kingdoms Alliance is not your
enemy, but your ally. It is time for all who live on the continent under the
name of light to gather strength. Please make a decision.
Make it or not.
-Stand up. Do not be swallowed up by the dark, but get on board with the
light. The continent can become one under the name of light.
Of course, I could see the elf looking at me. It looked like she had been quite
impressed.
The situation was similar for the enemy camp.
The Republic soldiers, who had already been agitated since the Goddess’
Mirror popped out, were influenced by the soft light that I was emitting.
The command team tried to respond as much as possible, but they were all a
step too late. Before entering the full-scale wordy warfare, I thought I could
say one more word.
-The power of darkness is too great. The power of the Three Kingdoms
Alliance alone cannot save this continent. A small candlelight cannot light the
darkness, but I could realize from the experience of the Laios crisis that a
group of people could light the darkness. You are the candle that can light up
the darkness. It is a light that can illuminate the darkness for everyone,
whether the ones with strong force or those fearful of the sudden war.
It was then that a loud voice had come from the other side.
-It is fabricated evidence that the Jin Qing military is a demon summoner.
Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung, who jokes with the continent and stands out
as a puppet of the State, is the continent’s achievement. The Laios incident is
also his own play and what he propagates through the Goddess’s Mirror…
-What you believe is a hoax. It is a hoax to cry out for justice without solid
evidence. Believe what you see with your own eyes. Believe what you see,
not what you hear. Whom the unimaginable powerful demon calls to be his
contractor? Who was the one who brought great despair and danger to Laios?
Who is the one who refuses to come out and refuses the trial enforced under
continental law? Perhaps you don’t even know that the Three Kingdoms
Alliance has been formally put to trial. Think again. Ladies and gentlemen,
who have been holding his breath in the safest place since causing all this
confusion! I am standing in front of you now. Unlike Jin Qing, the demon
summoner, I’m standing here to talk to you!
-Don’t be fooled. Not everything seen through the Goddess’ Mirror is true.
-Look at you now. Can you say it’s not true either?
I wanted to send a thumbs up to Jung Hayan, who immediately turned the

camera at the signal I gave.
What the magic hologram was now showing was the spokesman for the
Republic. Instantly, a startled face was reflected in my view.
‘Is she Russian?’
It wasn’t clear whether she was a foreigner or Russian, but when I checked
with my Mind’s Eyes, the needed information poured in immediately.
[Checking the status window and talent levels of the player Yev Karina.]
[Name: Yev Karina]
[Age: 34]
‘Russian.’
I felt that I didn’t even need to see the other side.

She looked like a non-combat type in the first place, and it was hard to say
that her stats were also transcendent.
It wasn’t as terrible as Lee Jihye, but I thought it was likely that she was a
wizard capable of self-amplifying voice amplification magic, probably from
the Jin Qing line.
Her irritated face even looked a little cute.
It was obvious as to what she was actually thinking. I could already predict
what she was about to say.
‘Something like denying the frame of light and darkness.’
Or…
‘Or try to turn it upside down.’
Either way, she would soon be reborn as a demonic official, anyway.
***
-Look at you now. Can you say it’s not true either?
‘Why am I here?’
I had no choice but to question from inside.
I heard that the current location had not been confirmed, but the command’s
judgment that it would be located in the State’s capital or Lindel had
collapsed.
‘No. Still, nothing changes.’
Instead, it was better. All forces were currently blocking Eberia.
If the operation was successfully completed after the Siege of Castle Rock
begins, the overall war situation became even more advantageous.
Lindel, then the capital.
This war was on the verge of victory. The problem was that many people,
including myself, were feeling pressured by the current situation.
‘I have no choice but to deny it.’
It was not all, but it was enough to see the soldiers confused.
The Republicans, in particular, were imbued with uncertainty. Some

foreigners were also confused.
Of course, I thought they had to be. The previous video was that shocking.
Ordinary black wizards usually ended up calling a lower or intermediate
demon.
I had never seen or heard about a transcendental monster full of malice that it
was even fearful of being faced. Even though I didn’t see it in person, my
whole body was trembling, so I wouldn’t need another expression.
‘That kind of thing… exists on the continent?’
If the demon lord’s image that was being reflected in the Goddess’ Mirror
was really true, I could understand the ridiculous story Honorary Cardinal
Lee Kiyoung was mourning.
The vain story that there was darkness targeting the continent.
However, if I were to think about this place as a standard, it was not really an
empty story.
Anyone with an adventurer title would know how dangerous the malicious
beings hiding all over the continent were.
Of course, I believed in Jin Qing. However…
‘Even if that video is manipulated.’
It doesn’t change the fact that it’s destructive.

Having heard of the detailed situation, I could not escape the growing seeds
of doubt. What if Jin Qing really was a demon’s servant?
What if most of the people of the Republic were really being deceived by Jin
Qing?
What if that Honorary Cardinal was chosen by the light?
If the purpose of the military was not consistent with that of the Republic…
Demon Worshipper Ito Souta, Demon Summoner Jin Qing…
I started to doubt this a little more. I had to admit that he was already deeply
involved.
‘It’s a lie. It’s definitely… fabricated.’
I knew nothing good would come out of questioning, but strange thoughts
kept popping up in my head. What I needed to do in this situation, however,
did not change.
The Republic, including myself, had already gotten their second wind, and it
was impossible for ordinary people to resist it.
‘I’m doing what I need to do.’
I needed to comfort the soldiers and to respond to the Honorary Cardinal’s

words.
I had long thought about it, but I still acted instantly. As soon as I exhaled
and opened my mouth, a loud voice began to be heard.
My reflection in the Goddess’ Mirror looked uneasy even when I saw it for
myself.
However, this was for the best.
‘It’s propaganda, and it’s a tactic. Let’s never have questions.’
-Everything is enemy propaganda and tactics. This is a deceit tactic to defeat

the allies’ morale. Oh, it wasn’t Jin Qing who summoned the demon. The
Honorary Cardinal of the State was the one who caused the crisis. It is an
elaborate script created to start this war and a ploy to take the Republic! You
must not listen to them. They are the real demons. Those who deceive and
agitate the people are the demons that should not be settled on the continent.
We must remember how much blood has been shed because of the riots in the
name of sacred democracy.
‘Right.’
-This is a self-written play using Laios people’s lives as collateral to attract

the neutral country of Laios to them. The demon summoner is not Jin Qing,
but the State’s Honorary Cardinal and the people with him!
‘Is it really? Wouldn’t it be okay to say that those who risked their lives to
protect Laios were really the ones who summoned the demon?’
It wasn’t acting at all.
The large warrior was resisting, shedding tears sincerely, while the Honorary
Cardinal Lee Kiyoung and the wizard were constantly vomiting blood and
resisting transcendent power.
‘Was it really an act?’
-Everything… is a trap. It is a self-made play that tries to obscure judgment.

Imagine why the State attempted to attract the neutral country, Laios. Think
about why they were trying to attract different races. It is this war that they
aim for and want. It is the Three Kingdoms Alliance that denies the Republic
with a sword in order to take our possessions and is disrupting the order. All
these situations are what demon summoner Lee Kiyoung wants! He is the one
who summoned the demon! Jin Qing wouldn’t do that!
It was then that a big, thundering cry broke out.
-What lies are you telling?! I am a clergyman chosen by Goddess Benignore

and Elune, a messenger chosen by God! You servant of the filthy demon!
At this point, a divine light that I had never ever seen before came out,
blinding me with its sheer brilliance.
Chapter 378
[Released 9 chapters today. Only about 25 of you guys signed up for the
giveaway. There’s a high chance of winning something!]
Chapter 378: Fact Always Wins. (4)
“Are there any other soldiers agitated?”
“There… are not, Karina-nim.”
“How about on the other side? Check it.”
“There aren’t any, too. Of course, it is difficult to say that the atmosphere is
the same as usual, but the spread of useless rumors is being prevented as
much as possible… Since we are thorough not only in related education, but
also in the speed of admission, there will be no morale affected.”
‘That’s impossible.’
I thought that this was definitely a lie. The Honorary Cardinal shouted, all
whilst being surrounded by brilliant light. And it was just after I watched the
incident in Laios.
There was no way that soldiers who could not shake off the fear of war would
not be anxious to see that.
‘It wasn’t invented.’
It was a great light that I had seen through the Goddess’ Mirror, a divine light
that was incomparable even to that time. I hadn’t even been on the continent
for a long time, but this was the first time I had ever seen that level of divine
power. I thought it might be a simple trick, but…
I even thought that he might have really been chosen by God. There was no
need to mention that I couldn’t sleep properly after witnessing that scene.
If Lee Kiyoung or someone related to him really had one hand in the demon’s
summoning, as the Republic was promoting, no matter how I were to think
about it, I could not understand this divine power.
Of course, not all clergies were good.
However, most clergymen who had reached the stage where he had had a
strong faith.
They served God, prayed for those in need, and lived only for God. The
divine power possessed by the Honorary Cardinal exceeded the saints of each
denomination. It was safe to say that it was equivalent to the transcendental
beings who had left their names in history.
In other words, if he really had anything to do with the demon…
‘It is impossible to obtain the same divine power as now.’
This was only a conviction, not speculation. I didn’t know in detail exactly
with what mechanism the divine power worked, but I was aware that the
demon summoner or those involved in black magic could not possibly get
that kind of divine power.
‘You must never trust him, Yev Karina. Absolutely.’
The words of military commander Jin Qing suddenly came to mind.

However…
‘If he’d rather be honest…’
If Jin Qing had any purpose, I would have endured and accepted it. I would
have nodded if he had summoned a fearful being for the benefit of the
Republic. If he were honest…
‘What can I do with questioning? He wouldn’t do that.’

Anxiety in the command and control room led to anxiety for the entire army.
I began to anxiously bite my lips. It was then that the voice came from
outside.
“Yev Karina-nim. Senior Bishop Priest wants to see…”
‘Damn.’
If I were to think about it, it was the expected procedure.
“Tell him to come in.”
“Yes. I will tell him as it is.”
Shortly after some time had passed, I could see an old man with gray hair. He
may appear to be a tacky old man at first glance, but no one would consider
the one in front of me to be an old man with nothing to do.
Even in the Republic, a religious body exists. Of course, I couldn’t say that it
was the foundation of a nation like the State, but their position in this society
where priests were essential was not entirely small.
The same was true of priests who were serving in the military. Turning away
from their voices was no different than turning away from the religious body
itself.
That was why I did not feel happy with this situation now. I could roughly
predict what that old man would say.
“What is it? Bishop Priest.”
“Ahem… It’s about what happened yesterday, Yev Karina.”
“I have already announced our position regarding what happened yesterday…

There is nothing to say about it. The Republic’s position is already…”
“Of course, but… there’s something that’s not quite right about it. Could you
dispense the others for a second?”
“No need to do that, Bishop Priest.”
“This is a request.”
“…”
“…”
‘That’s why I didn’t want it.’
I had to exhale because I myself knew the meaning of those words.
“Please go back to each location and check the unit again.”
“Yes. Okay.”
“…”
“…”
“So… May I hear what you want? Senior Bishop Priest.”
“I have to talk to him…”
“I’m sorry? What are you…”
“I will talk to the Honorary Cardinal of the State. If you can arrange a seat
separately…”
“That’s ridiculous. Even if it’s you, I can’t let what you just said slip. To say
you are going to meet him in this situation? We’re in a war. Our job is to
defend this place, and we shouldn’t think about anything else. My job was to
cut off the reinforcements and supplies going to Castle Rock. It was not my
job to have the priest and him meet.”
“Our job is not to win this war, but to defend the Republic.”
“To win this war is to protect the Republic, Priest.”

“Do you really think so?!”
“…”
“You really haven’t thought about any other possibilities after looking at that
just now? His divine power is not a lie. Do you really think he summoned the
demon and trapped Jin Qing, just as he said? Could the demon summoner, or
the one who does what he’s involved in, have that kind of divine power?
Goddess Benignore will laugh. The gods are not involved in the present
world, but they are not just watching, either. Those who have bad
personalities are not given such divine power! He is a saint, and he is the one
chosen by the light. Heavenly saint…”
“He is a scammer! Senior Bishop Priest!”
“How can a scammer show that kind of thing? What we witnessed yesterday
wasn’t what we saw in the Goddess’s Mirror… it was actually happening,
and it was real. There are some talks already coming out among the priests.
In order to appease them, you must arrange a meeting with Honorary
Cardinal Lee Kiyoung.”
“But…!”
“How long have you lived in the Republic? Yev Karina, I grew up in the
Republic, and I am still standing here to protect the Republic. I have no
intention to do anything that harms the Republic. I just want to know
something. Whether what we know is the truth… I know that you are loyal to
Jin Qing. I, too, don’t think he is that kind of person. But at least I want to
check it with my own eyes, if he really is the one who has been chosen by
God.”
“Jin Qing is not such a person.”
“It could be a third party’s job.”
“Jin Qing also spoke of the possibility of a third party’s actions. But in the
end, everything was the trap of Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung…”
“There is a possibility that this is also a third party’s work. I can tell just by
looking at his eyes. He’s not a great man who would do that. He is a human
chosen by the light. To say that he summoned the demons and trapped Jin
Qing… I would rather believe that the demon has done some volunteer
work.”
“…”
“More than anything else, do you think it makes sense that he was able to set
a trap for Jin Qing, which have never seen the Honorary Cardinal Lee
Kiyoung before? The demon and everything that was there, the magic that
fell to summon the demon… really… you think it was all just for Jin Qing
alone?”
“As a tactic to pressure the Republic…”
“Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung didn’t even know that Jin Qing was in
Laios.”
“How can you affirm that, Bishop Priest?”
“Did you not look directly through the Goddess’ Mirror? All the people from
the neutral country were watching what happened at that time in Laios. If Jin
Qing’s words are true, doesn’t it mean that Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung
was dealing with the fearful creature as a servant? Do you think that the one
who has such power fooled Jin Qing in line with Honorary Cardinal Lee
Kiyoung? Do you think that makes sense? Do you think that the demon, who
could threaten the continent, listened to a man and played a play only to
entrap Jin Qing? Does this mean that he even had planned and executed it all
in a month? It’s not easy, even if the coincidences were to overlap. I’m just
talking within the line of common sense right now. Yev Karina. If really… if
Cardinal Lee Kiyoung really wanted to confuse the continent, he would have
summoned the demon once again. He wouldn’t have done this annoying
thing. He wouldn’t do that.”
‘Shit…’
I wanted to deny it, but it was pretty hard to deny. This was because the
Priest Bishop hadn’t said anything wrong.
The reality of the tremendous incident that took place in Laios…
To have played a play to deceive Jin Qing just by listening to a mere human,
even a child wouldn’t believe that. It was more realistic to think that there
was indeed a third party, and that it was trying to separate the State and the
Republic. I know I couldn’t do this, but my expression had been growing
darker and darker by the moment. As I muttered, I immediately heard an
answer.
“How… can you affirm that, Priest Bishop?”
“That’s why I want to talk to him.”
“…”
“That’s why I want to have a conversation. To see what kind of person he is

with my own eyes… and if he is really an envoy chosen by God? What he’s
thinking. And…”
“…”
“If there is a real threat to the continent.”
“…”
“There are many things I want to hear. As he said, we may be thinking

wrong. It is not at each other that we need to aim our swords.”
“The conversation…”
“It’s a request.”
“I can’t give you permission.”
“Yev Karina!”
“I mean, officially.”
“Ah…”
“I can’t officially give you permission. If it’s discovered that Senior Bishop
Priest will meet Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung… it will have a huge impact
on morale. There is no guarantee that it will not be used as a propaganda
tactic by enemies. But… I will take action so that you can meet him
unofficially. Of course, that would require their agreement. First, I will
convey our intention. As soon as…”
“As soon as possible.”
“I know. Senior Bishop Priest. Because the war is coming soon.”
I had no idea whether this was right or not. My head had become very
complicated, thinking about many things at once. However, I knew the
reason why I nodded at the proposal of the Senior Bishop Priest.
‘Because I want to know the truth.’
Shortly after, about an hour after sending the letter.
An identical letter had arrived from the Kingdom of Eberia. It was true that I
didn’t expect much. However, the letter of Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung
had implied a perfect affirmation.
[I also want to solve this problem through conversation. We salute the High
Bishop Priest’s determination who is loved by the light and the concession of
the beautiful and noble Yev Karina. -Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung.]
“So… Yev Karina will be coming, too?”
I couldn’t easily nod to that question.

Chapter 379
Chapter 379: Fact Always Wins. (5)
‘I will remain here and keep my seat.’
‘Will you?’
‘Yes, if you don’t come back within three hours…’
‘That won’t happen.’
‘No, if you do not come back within three hours, I will send troops right
away. I told you clearly. It’s just for three hours, Senior Bishop Priest.’
‘Okay, I’ll make sure to come back within three hours.’
‘The condition is not to use this meeting for propaganda. You must tell him.
And right after returning…’
‘Yev Karina, I’ll tell you what we talked about.’
‘Yes, then, please, Senior Bishop Priest.’
‘No, I’m feeling rather grateful. It must have been an unreasonable request…
Then, I’ll be back.’
‘I’ll accompany you to the entrance.’
The conversation I had exactly two hours and 22 minutes ago was constantly
lingering in my mind. Naturally, the thought of whether or not I did the right
thing crossed my mind.
It was certainly not impossible to communicate between the confronting

troops during a war, but this was certainly an exception.
I didn’t even ask for permission from a senior unit for the meeting of
Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung, and the Senior Bishop Priest of the
Republic.
I couldn’t even imagine them accepting the proposal from this side so easily.
‘They don’t think it’s a trap?’
From the standpoint of the State, it was certainly understandable to think of

this as a trap. The Republic mainly contained propaganda that slandered
Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung and actually pointed him as the official
enemy of the continent.
However, he seemed overly calm, waiting at the meeting place. He really

didn’t look like to be thinking this was a trap. I had only encountered him for
a second, but his quiet smile was still in my mind.
He believed that the Republican camp would not do anything useless.
‘No… why didn’t I go in with Bishop Priest?’
This was an excuse telling myself that I had to stay here. In fact, the answer
was already there.
‘This was because I didn’t have the confidence not to be shaken.’
I must have been afraid that all my beliefs regarding the Republic and about
my values would collapse.
I indeed wanted to know the truth. However, I didn’t have the confidence to
face him directly. Though contradictory, I thought it couldn’t be helped
because I was a coward.
‘It’s also someone I will fight…’
Looking out the window, I could see the small tent where they were still
talking.
It was natural to wonder what kind of conversation was going on. It was then
that a voice came from the side.
“Will it be fine? Yev Karina.”
“Oh, Jun Weng was here.”
“…”
“It will probably be okay. They’re not going to do anything stupid. Although
it’s an unofficial conversation, it’s a conversation between priests. The Senior
Bishop Priest is not going to do such a stupid thing either.”
“I see. Senior Bishop Priest…”
“No need to worry. He’s a little stubborn, but he’s someone that the Republic
really needs. He will never do anything that harms his home country. From
his point of view, it’s us instead that wouldn’t look trustworthy, because we
are foreigners.”
“I guess so.”
“Yes.”
“But Karina-nim…”
“Yes.”
“What is the reason?”
“Yes, I honestly don’t understand well. Of course, it is because of Bishop

Priest’s honor…”
“Well, I’m not sure either, really.”
“…”
“I don’t doubt Jin Qing. However, this war has some weird aspects. It feels
like it’s moving according to someone’s plan. Maybe…”
“Yes.”
“Perhaps the Republic started the war. I’m not sure, but there’s a high
probability.”
“That’s…”
“It’s a personal thought. And it’s also the thought I’m suppressing as much as
possible. Of course, even if the Republic is wrong, I will be with the Republic
and Jin Qing. That doesn’t change, Jun Weng, but…”
“Yes.”
“I want to know what the truth is. I don’t want to be dragged around without
knowing anything. That’s why I nodded to the Bishop Priest’s proposal. I
need to know what I’m fighting for. At least, I think so.”
“I see.”
“Has Jun Weng never doubted the Republic?”
“It’s not that I haven’t, but… I don’t think I’ve ever thought deeply like
Karina-nim. Of course, I can fully understand Karina. But… it wouldn’t be
nice to go too deep. Come to think of it, Jin Qing always said that he worries
about such Karina.”
“Really?”
“Yes, he said that thinking deeply is an advantage, but being too indulged is a
disadvantage. And also, because of that personality, he said that it doesn’t
suit the battlefield…”
A bitter smile had been created. My pride was hurt, but I was able to
understand enough.
That was why I was assigned to the guardian rather than the one who fought.
That was why I was confronting Eberia, not Castle Rock.
“You know well, Jin Qing…”
“But that’s why he said you would shine more in a place like this.”
“…”
“…”
“Haha, that’s good news. He was really thinking of me… that’s good news.”
“There must be a reason why he told us not to trust Cardinal Lee Kiyoung.”
“Yes. That, too…”
‘There must be a reason.’
“You said that it was for fighting. A little while ago.”
“Yes. That’s right, Jun Weng.”
“Is there not enough reason to fight for those who currently believe in
Karina?”
“Ah…”
At this point, it now felt as if the complicated things were being organized all
at once.
Of course, nothing had been organized. Still, the seeds of doubt were growing
in my heart, and my head hurt because of many thoughts.
I felt like I knew what to do. I had to do my best in the work given. That was
all for now.
Anyway, the battle would take place, and if I were to make a mistake, many
would die. It was inevitable that the soldiers of the Republic and the soldiers
of the State would collide.
Which side was friendly and which side was the enemy had already been
determined.
“I see… yes, I see.”
There was also a faint, unknown smile on my lips. Absurdly, I had forgotten
such a simple thing. Tactic was indeed an efficient way to win. It was a way
to win the battle while minimizing the damage of allies. The work to be done
was set.
“Let’s get up. Three hours have passed.”
“Yes. Karina-nim.”
After taking a few steps, I could see the Bishop Priest. What was a little
surprising was that Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung was coming with him.
Of course, the escorts were together, but the very casual appearance seemed a
little strange.
There were eyes that could be said to be a little torn, a sharp nose, and
strangely red lips. Overall, it was difficult to say that he was handsome, but
his face felt erotic somehow.
However, when he smiled, a very nice-looking face came into my eyes.
“I heard about you, Yev Karina-nim. Thank you for making this difficult
decision.”
“No, Honorary Cardinal. Please keep your promise. This conversation is…”
“Of course, I will not use it for propaganda. To use the way we talk about
God is… I don’t enjoy it either… what do you think? It’s a little
disappointing to just go like this, you could talk with us, too…”
“No, I’ll go back right away. Thank you for being friendly, but as of now,
we’re enemies. Afterward, I’ll meet you once everything is over.”
“Okay, unless any one of us doesn’t die… Yes. You’ve decided that way.”
“…”
“Unfortunately… hmm… no… hmm… it’s really unfortunate. I don’t want

to fight either… I want you to understand our current situation, Karina-nim.”
“Of course, I understand. Your side… and our side, too. Then see you on the
battlefield.”
“Yes, I don’t know if the meeting place will be the battlefield… anyway,
thank you. Bye then.”
It was no wonder that I could see him slowly turning his back. Even the
voices of conversation could be heard.
“I came out so far as Hyung-nim said, but I hope this will not happen next
time. My heart was beating, but are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be okay? I just trusted. Deokgu, them, and you, too.”
“Well, thank you, but it’s a little embarrassing. It would be better to go back
quickly. Maybe the chase team will follow us.”
“It won’t happen.”
“You trust people so easily.”
The one he was talking to must be the warrior that I had seen through the
Goddess’ Mirror.
I thought that was a familiar face. Although I was interested, I was forced to
turn my head right away. This is because a voice was heard from the front.
“What should we do? Karina. Even now, rangers…”
“No, we don’t have to do that… we will meet them anyway.”
“Yes, then, I will do so.”
“More importantly, how was the conversation, Bishop Priest?”

“…”
“Bishop Priest?”
“Ah… Did you call me?”
“Yes, how was the conversation…?”
“Well, that’s it. He seemed to be a better person than I thought, so I spent a

little more time talking to him. I’m sorry about this.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Hmm… You’re still thinking of fighting…”
“Yes, there’s nothing to be done. Perhaps the same can be said of the
Honorary Cardinal that the situation cannot be changed. It’s a situation where
each side can’t yield…”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Instead, have you solved your questions, priest?”
“It’s uncertain to say it’s actually solved, but I feel refreshed. I think I know
roughly what he is thinking… and I think I know what kind of person he is. If
the eyes of this old man are certain, he can be said to be an envoy chosen by
God. No, I can be sure. He is a saint chosen by the Goddess Benignore.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes…”
“Then the Laios case…”
“He wouldn’t do that. He’s not like that. He’s a man who can’t even lie
properly. He is the one who is worried about the blood that would spill
again… He is someone who suits the expression of a saint. Yes,
absolutely…”
“Still… we are going to fight.”
“I see…”
“…”
“…”
“And the thing in your hand…”
“Oh, it’s wine.”
“What?”
“Have you heard of the sacred wine that only high-ranking priests of the State
can drink? This is what is left after drinking today. He said to take it as a gift.
It’s not poisonous or dangerous, so don’t worry. So, would you like to go in
and have a drink?”
“No, I…”
“I am not talking about getting drunk together. Karina, please listen to what I
have to say for a moment.”
“That’s…”
“Maybe it will be something very important.”

Chapter 380
“Maybe it can be something very important.”
For some reason, everything that was unfolding was leaving a bad taste in my
mouth. However, I had to nod slowly. I had to figure out exactly what they
talked about inside.
The disadvantage of the current Republican camp was its ignorance of enemy
information and the influence of the World Tree of the Kingdom of Eberia. I
had only learned recently that the Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung had been
staying in Eberia, so there was no need for other expressions. It was stupid to
think that this was the only card they were hiding. If I were to think about
them hiding various cards…
‘There may be some information.’
Even in a very small conversation, you could make a lot of guesses. In order
to effectively finish this battle, I needed first to understand what the opponent
is thinking.
‘It’s not just about defending.’
The issue was how long it would take. In terms of time, there was a high
probability that the war would start tomorrow if it was early, and the next day
if it was a little slower.
Enemy troops must be prevented from arriving at Castle Rock, so they must
be held for at least five days. Even if the enemies were to arrive, it must be
after the capture of Castle Rock.
“The situation is favorable.”
The walls were solid, and the troops were superior. They were in the position
of a castle defense battle, not a siege. If I induced long-term battles around
the wizards’ physical distribution and priests…
‘They won’t break down so easily.’
They would never fall easily. Soon after a while, I heard a knock on the door.
Who it was was obvious. I could see the Bishop Priest’s face, entering the
room with a slightly complicated expression. It was a dark face, depending
on every angle I looked in. I thought I could roughly see what he was
thinking.
‘He doesn’t want to fight.’
That was probably it. From the priest’s point of view, it couldn’t be helped.
“What do you want to talk about, Senior Bishop Priest?”
“Oh, nothing special. Perhaps, Yev Karina, you have more you want to hear
from me…”
“You’re… right, Senior Priest. The lack of current information is undeniable.

Which cards do they have on the State’s side? Also, you have to tell me what
kind of conversations you had inside.”
“It was a simple conversation between priests. You probably won’t be able to
earn anything even if you listen. What we talked about was not about the war
in the first place… It was about peace and coexistence and a new step. It was
about what the Goddess really wants, and it was also the direction we priests
should move forward. There is a difference between the gods enshrined in,
but everyone’s roots are the same… Haha. Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung,
he said he was an atheist until he came here. Can you imagine? An atheist…
to be an atheist on this continent!”
“In fact, the place where we came from, there were a lot of people who had
the same idea. There is no such thing as divine power there.”
“I heard there was constant war. On Earth, where the foreigners came from.
What was interesting is that the wars caused by religion also took up a large
number of them. Of course, this doesn’t mean that religious war doesn’t
happen either, but… it would be impossible to compare it with the Earth. I
heard that countless people fought for their religious beliefs. Fighting for a
god who may or may not exist, a god who does not reveal himself and does
not have divine power…”
“Certainly, it happened. No, maybe even now… they will be fighting.”
“He didn’t understand it, but he said now he can understand. Of course, that
doesn’t mean he can understand distorted fights. He said he could understand
the faith of fighting for what he believed in. I think I can see why Goddess
Benignore and Elune made him their messenger. Honorary Cardinal Lee
Kiyoung, his faith is pure. He is a very clean person.”
“What?”
“He’s a real priest with pure faith. He knows the road he’s trying to go is
dangerous, but he’s not afraid. He doesn’t hesitate to fight in the name of
God. He even said he was studying Varian’s doctrine… Hahaha. It’s time to
reflect on myself once again. Have I ever fought under the name of God? Am
I qualified to say I am a priest? About what I’ve done far…”
“You did many things. And the Senior Bishop Priest will still do a lot in the
future.”
“No, all I did was… nothing. I didn’t do anything for God.”
“No, priest.”
“Open the way.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You have to open the way. They have a cause, and we don’t. You have to
avoid fighting. There is no reason for the people of the Republic to shed
useless blood. All he wants is to be one under the name of light. All he wants
it’s to catch the demon summoner Jin Qing and end this chaos. We have to
open the road and head to Castle Rock together.”
“What?”
“I told you we should be with them, Yev Karina.”
“What are you talking about, Senior Bishop Priest? We’re at war now.
Opening the way? That makes no sense… And doesn’t the Priest Bishop
know better than anyone else that Jin Qing is not someone like that?”
“I was talking about possibilities. If he is really confident, why didn’t he

come out in the continental trial? Why was he consistent by not answering
questions from the State? He’s the demon summoner. I saw it clearly with
these two eyes.”
“I think you are drunk. I’ll listen to that tomorrow. Please go back now.”
“I’m not talking nonsense, Yev Karina. I saw it clearly! He said he received
divine revelation! He’s the demon summoner… He has to get the proper
Inquisition trial.”
“I told you I thought you were drunk! Bishop Priest!”
“Jin Qing, didn’t he say he was the demon summoner?! Yev Karina!”
“If you talk about useless things anymore, I will rule it with military law!”
“…”
“…”
“I’m sorry… It Looks like I got excited for a moment…”
“Phew… No. I can fully understand you…”
“Would you have a drink with me?”
“I’m fine, priest. My head hurts, so just go back. And what happened today
will be posted regardless. No, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything. Please, think
again.”
“Okay… Okay.”
“I didn’t say much, but I respect the priest a lot. I want us to meet him with a
smile tomorrow.”
“…”
As I watched the priest walk away, his drooping shoulders came into sight. I
couldn’t even begin to imagine what conversation they had.
I bit my lips tightly. I looked at the wine on the table. Naturally, I took it
without knowing it. But soon, I had no choice but to throw the glass that the
Bishop Priest’s poured to the floor. It was because I realized my choice had
been a mistake.
“Fuck.”
And…
“You should have drunk that drink, Yev Karina.”
I turned to the place where the voice was heard in an instant, and what I see
through the cracks of the dark was the old man with gray hair. His eyes were
full of madness, and an unknown hostility lay in his face. Naturally, I started
chanting a spell.
However, the moment I saw the dagger in the hand of the old man who ran
into me suddenly, sudden fear and disconcert hit my mind. It didn’t mean I
hadn’t been through this kind of situation. However, the unusual appearance
of Bishop Priest made it difficult to think about other things.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
“You should have drunk it! The sacred wine I handed you!”
“This… This crazy old man!”
“I’m crazy? You think I’m crazy?! The crazy one is you. You bitch, servant
of the filthy demon!”
“What… are you?!”
“Do you think we don’t know the plans of the demon worshippers?! A plan
to summon the demon once again to Castle Rock?! Do you think we don’t
know you’re trying to summon a complete demon once again by offering
sacrifices to everyone there? When I received the revelation from Varian, you
thought I would be deceived by obvious means!”
“This is bullshit!”
“I saw it! I saw the future, and I’m actually experiencing it! I also received a
revelation! Varian’s revelation saw the Republic become a sea of fire! What
you guys are trying to do in Castle Rock! I realized it all, this stupid thing! I
realized why you were going to start this war!”
“This… Let go of me!”
“Do you dare try to harm Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung? Are you trying to
harm him, knowing that he has been chosen by God?! He is Varian’s son, and
a chosen messenger! A mere demon’s servant like you can’t do anything to
him!”
“Crazy… old man!”
It felt like my mind went blank instantly. I struggled, but once again, it was
difficult to speak out because of the metal stuck in my stomach.
“I will fight, too. To protect the people of the Republic, I I will be with
Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung!”
My vision became blurred. However, it was no wonder that I thought that I

should hold onto my mind properly. Stuttering, as I reached out my arm,
something of an unknown shape was caught in my hand. I then hit his head
with it.
When the Bishop Priest fell to the ground, my body was released from his
restraints, and I heard him gasping. I didn’t know what had happened, but
what was certain now was that Bishop Priest was not normal. Looking ahead
again, I saw that his broken head was rapidly recovering with divine power.
“You finally revealed your true color… You dirty demon’s servant.”
“No… I’m not that…”
“This dirty bitch!”
“I am not that!!!”
Once again, I struck the object in my hand at the priest who stretched out his
dagger. I felt a dull sensation for an instant, but my body, which had already
swung in fear, was now out of his control. To survive, I let go of reason to
survive.
“I’m not!”
“Ugh!”
“Demon’s!”
“Gasp…”
“Servant!”
“Gasp!”
“I just want to protect!”
“Ahhh!!”
“The Republic! I just want to protect Jin Qing!”
“This… dir… ty… serv…”
“Just die!”
“…”
“Die! You traitor!”
“…”
“Dieee!!!”
Something sticky splattered on my face. As I leaned down my arms without

strength, what was in my hand had statue.
whose sword and shield was covered with blood. The reason was unknown.
However, looking at the statue, somehow, I laughed. It was then that a huge
sound came out.
Baaaaaannngg!
Before even knowing what happened, I could see the soldiers’ faces coming
in to report turned pale.
“Yev Karina! Interracial coalitions are flocking to the walls… what… w-

what have you done…”
“…”
“What have you done?!”
There was no way I could answer. My whole body was losing strength.
‘As expected… Jin Qing… was right. Jin Qing… was right.’
It felt as if the voice I heard before was echoing in my head.
‘You must not trust him, Yev Karina. Absolutely.’
“As expected… Jin Qing… wasn’t wrong…”

Chapter 381
Chapter 381: Holy War (1)
‘It’s not going as planned.’
-Die!
-…
-Die! Traitor!
-…
-Die!!!
‘Savage… So, so savage.’
Yev Karina looked virtually like a demon’s servant through the Goddess’
Mirror.
Striking the head of a revered priest in the Republic with the statue of look
like a psychopath killer to anyone’s eyes.
I knew it would not be hard for people to believe that she was a member of
the brigade from the first round. No, not only the brigade.
No one could deny that she indeed looked like a demon’s servant. Even
Belial would laugh out loud if he were to witness this scene.
‘That’s a good stuff, good stuff.’
Not only were her face and clothes covered with blood, but her hair was in a
messed up craze.
This was no different than a criminal caught in the act.

In fact, it was a little different from what I had originally intended, but this
wasn’t all that bad, either. If it were as it was, the Bishop Priest’s death, who
had been moving for justice, would not have happened.
He would be useful, too.
‘The Senior Bishop Priest moved too early.’
It seemed that the sacred wine did not fit the taste of the Senior Bishop Priest.
I had explained that it was an urgent situation, but I hadn’t expected him to
move in such a hurry. I had refrained from using this tactic as much as
possible because of this kind of side effect, but…
‘Since she was someone qualified I met after a long time…’
It would be unfortunate to send him off empty-handed.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t worried, but the result itself wasn’t bad, apart from
what I had been worried about.
Anyway, the enemy’s commander was almost dead, and the Republic’s
soldiers had come in at the right time.
This meant that confusion could not possibly be avoided.
The Bishop Priest’s desperate martyrdom would soon spread within the unit.
Everyone would see the truth through the Goddess’ Mirror, even if they were
to try to hide and conceal the demon minion’s identity, to say the least.
In fact, I didn’t even need to do anything else.
Even at this moment, several sounds were being heard from the inside. He
must have preached to the priests under his command to some extent.
‘The priests of the Republic are also quite good.’
I felt stupid upon having looked down on them in the past. It was also true
that I doubted that they would be a little different from the ones from the
State.
However, I could once again confirm that everyone felt the same way about
God. This siege had gotten easier, thanks to the Bishop Priest’s ultimate
sacrifice.
As I looked outside, I could see the soldiers preparing for the fight. I really
wanted to fight together, but I still felt too comfortable within the safe
confines in the rear.
‘I have to do things like speech.’
Just in time, I started to hear a slow knocking on the door.
As I walked outside, I saw Elena waiting for me. Naturally, it felt like this
was the first time that I had seen her after a long time.
However, I didn’t show the fact that I was happy to see her.
It seemed that she was watching out for Jung Hayan, and now that I was
about to participate, it was time to get a little serious.
Not surprisingly, I could see her slowly opening her mouth.
“Probably…”
“Yes?”
“You will probably be a great source of courage for the soldiers, Lee
Kiyoung. I’m sorry I gave you a very burdening role.”
“No, Elena. It’s just embarrassing to say it’s a heavy role. This is a place that
should be protected because this place is now my hometown, too. Rather, I
am very grateful for the opportunity to help.”
“Honorary… Cardinal.”
“…”
“…”
“Then let’s go, Elena.”
“Okay.”
As if she had seen Elena slightly blushing, Jung Hayan began to frown, but
she didn’t care much because I hadn’t fully recovered yet.
I always felt good when going up on the platform. As I looked around, I

began to see some familiar faces.
The Blue Guild members who were forced to head into the battlefield seemed
a little nervous.
Others seemed to be determined, but Yoo Ahyoung, who was having such a
large-scale war for the first time, seemed quite nervous.
Kim Chang-ryul was so calm that it felt a little amazing. Park Deokgu had
some unknown anxiety on his face. Kim Hyunsung looked the same.
‘He seemed uneasy.’
Of course, Kim Hyunsung would think it would be better to go in after

preparing a little more, but now was the time.
The urgent thing to do right now was to support Castle Rock. It would be
counterproductive to argue now.
I thought about making a trap that Kim Hyunsung would approve of, but I
wasn’t confident enough to gamble like that right now.
I had to keep the troops in front of me as far as I could and head to the Castle
Rock Front. Anyway, the more I climbed the stairs, the more my vision
began to expand.
As a commander in the backline, I looked safe in any way. Of course, there

was no way I could show a relieved expression.
This was the beginning of an important war, and most of the troops must
have feelings that were hard to imagine.
As I slowly turned my head to both sides, I could see those who were
alleviating the anxiety in their own way.
Some were resolutely tying their swords or helmets, while others were busy
praying. Some were holding their colleague’s hand or patting them on the
shoulder, while others were quietly looking at the enemy in front of them.
One thing they had in common was that they waited for my voice, standing
on the podium.
‘I can feel the pressure.’
I could bet that no one could look at this scene without any thoughts.
As soon as I had adjusted the crumpled clothes and opened my mouth, I

could see the soldiers listening in immediately.
“The most important thing in a fight is justification.”
-The most important thing in fighting is justification.
However, my voice was not light. The place had become very quiet. When I
opened my mouth again, everyone was listening with rapt attention.
-Yes. It is justification. It is important to witness and face properly why you

have to fight, why you have to lift your sword, why you have to risk your life,
and why you have to take away precious life. We lifted the sword. We made
up our minds to fight, and now we are facing the enemy. I will ask you. Why
did you lift the sword? What is the cause and justification for lifting our
swords?
There was no way someone would answer.
It wasn’t a question I had asked to have an answer anyway, but everyone

would indeed be feeling it.
-Why, why are we here now? Why are you facing your fearful enemy with
your sword? Why are you standing here with a flag, knowing that you may
lose your life? I believe everyone knows. Probably everyone is aware of it.
This fight! This fight is for the future! Our good cause is not who invaded
first or who disrupted the order of the continent. Our cause lies in the future
we should live in and enjoy.
This was correct.
-A future for prosperity among races! It is the future where there is a perfect
harmony between different races and humans. It is a future that is made up of
harmony, not to fight against each other. I am here. As a human who stood on
the other side of the tribe for an immeasurable amount of time, I am now
standing on the battlefield with you. I am here now to face a common enemy.
It’s a small step right now, but it will soon lead to a big leap forward, and it’s
the utopia we need to build together.
Naturally, I looked at Elena, who was next to me.
The daughter of the notorious Elune and the Bomb of Light potion’s precious
ingredient quietly smiled at me and nodded.
No sentence would probably sound sweeter to her than what I just said. Of
course, I thought it would be the same for most of the other elves.
‘I like harmony.’
-That future is the future for this continent and light. It is not for a dark
continent but a future with light. Benignore, Elune, Varian, and all the lights
that exist on the continent live in harmony.
This was an important speech.
With confidence apparent in my voice, I once again looked straight into the
soldiers’ faces. The divine power that surrounded my body was just a bonus
effect.
Some devout elves’ eyes began to change as if they remembered the radiant
light from the last propaganda activity.
-That future is the future for the things we must protect! It is the future for
our ideas, freedom, and right thoughts and actions.
This was also important.
Of course, it would be standardization, not regulation, but saying that would

not induce the effect that I was going for.
-That future! It’s the future for our future generations. It’s the future for our
future generations who will live on the continent in the future. The place our
sons will live will not be a continent full of darkness. The place where our
daughters will live will not be where humans and different races point their
swords at each other. The place where our children will live will be where the
right ideas and philosophy are placed. You are here for all of this. We are
here for the future we must protect and for the future we each dream of. Some
are here for the family, some for drinking and singing together, some for the
loved ones, and some for the future with God!
‘Here, I hold my breath and…’
-We are strong!
And thus, I uttered it.
-Those with cause and justification are strong. An army with a cause and
justification is strong. We will win! In the name of every God that exists on
the continent, we will triumph. We will win that way to draw our own utopia.
‘This is good.’
-Let’s take a step towards the future.
All the soldiers stepped forward. There was conviction in their faces, and
everyone held their weapons straight.
-That step is a step toward the future. Let’s fight together. For the utopia, we
draw. For our future generations! For all who live on this ground! Let’s go!
The shouts burst out in no time.
It was impossible to tell if it was a polite shout or simply to forget fear, but
the noise had grown louder.
Dwarves were acting the same as usual, while the elves were being unusually
responsive.
Numerous troops reworked their helmets in response to the signals of the

commanders of each unit and took one more step.
-All! Advance!
Soldiers crammed themselves into a large battlefield. It was truly a sight to

behold.
-Let’s go together! Those who fight with the light!
‘Someone, pour some light!’

Chapter 382
Since there were no visual effects that would make this look even more
spectacular, I felt kind of sad. I had really wanted to reenact what my brain
had been visualizing all this time.
However, seeing that there was no response above, it seemed impossible to

raise a hand to either side in a battle like this.
‘You just need to sprinkle some light on the scene, but even that you won’t
do. I’m disappointed, Benignore!’
Though disappointed, I had never heard of transcendent beings in the sky

supporting any individual or group.
Of course, I had experienced it firsthand, but that was an exceptional case. It

was unfortunate, but I also knew it couldn’t be helped.
‘Because it’s not bad even without it.’
The current scene was ideal enough.
This side was the army of light, and the other side was the army of demons.
This was a fight where the good and evil forces had already been determined.
While looking at the scene with satisfaction, I heard Elena’s voice next to me.
“…”
The moment she chanted the spell, her enormous divine power covered the
allied forces.
‘Whew!’
If my eyes were correct, it must have been a buff type of divine magic.
The power itself wasn’t that satisfying since Elune hadn’t bothered helping,
but at least we had gotten the buff.
‘She’s too cheap, that Elune…’
I had anticipated it since she had sold her own daughter, but it was certainly
not like her to not aid in this situation.
In any case, the army of light had begun to get influenced by Elena’s divine
power.
Elena, who had actually unleashed the spell, had her ears drooped. She
seemed to have exhausted most of her divine power.
The divine power had surrounded almost all of the troops, so it was not
unreasonable to look like that.
After nodding, I had begun to walk again.
Of course, I didn’t mean to stand together on the battlefield. I just went to the
control room where Lee Jihye was because I didn’t want to fight where an
arrow could hit me anytime.
“Let’s go, Hayan. What will Elena do?”
“Sigh. Sigh. I want to watch the battle here. Maybe I could help.”
“You can’t overdo it, Elena. This is not the last battle.”
“Yes, Honorary Cardinal. I will take it into account.”
‘It’s not necessary to take it into account…’
If, by any chance, it would take a long time for her to recover after retiring, it
would be difficult to use her abilities in later battles.
The stamina consumed in the Twisted Pond did not fully recover yet.
Having to look afterward, we had to hide and save my power as much as
possible. That was why I hadn’t given other missions in this battle to Jung
Hayan, or to our lovely returner.
Jung Hayan’s mission was to maintain the Goddess’s Mirror with other
wizards, and Kim Hyunsung’s role was to be prepared if anything were to
happen.
I had told him many times not to run wild, so I knew he would obey me
unless a big twist were to happen.
Of course, it was undeniable that if Kim Hyunsung were to use his strength,
we could easily take the victory, but I felt reluctant to expose his power.
At present, it would be sufficient to cover the battlefield properly.
Of course, it was Kim Hyunsung’s role to take care of the Blue Guild
members.
Thinking that some elves and dwarves would definitely die was definitely a
snobbish way of thinking, but it was what I genuinely felt.
As I put magic power into my eyes, I could see Kim Hyunsung, who looked
around with his sword. He must be trying to keep his eyes on the location of
the other guild members.
‘I think I can be relieved with this part.’
It would be right to put a point that at least one worry could be relieved.
Anyway, before the proper siege could start, I had to go to the control room
quickly, so I could see a simple tent as soon as I moved.
Opening the installed door and going in, I could see Lee Jihye looking
through the magic holograms.
In addition, I also saw some people of the Black Swan, elves, and even
commanders on the Dwarves’ side.
‘It’s a very good environment.’
The advantage of reading the flow of the battle in real-time did not even need
to be explained.
On the large main screen, I could see the entire force, and in other mirrors, I
could see each unit separately.
Of course, there were separate screens for the named ones. It was correct to
manage heroes who could greatly influence the battlefield, such as Kim
Hyunsung and other Blue Guild members, Elios, and the dwarves.
If this had been a modern battlefield, I wouldn’t need to do that, but the
continent’s war was way different from a modern war.
It was certainly convenient if one were to compare it to chess.
General soldiers were pawns, and other heroes with different abilities were
bishops, knights, queens, and rooks.
I knew that pawns could be weapons if used well, but the other roles’
importance was not accurate to chess.
What adventurers above the heroic-grade could do was not simply move a
few more spaces.
They lead the troops, take the lead in front of the soldiers, and influence the
pawns around them, including themselves.
Just like now.
“Come here, come on. Prepare the spirit magic. Implement defense magic
before the collision. The same goes for the summoners under the command.”
‘Were there summoner elven sisters?’
I couldn’t remember properly.

However, I could at least get a rough spec. Although it was uncertain to say
that they were at the Eight Seats’ level, they had enough level to call them
named.
The existence of a variant that popped out behind their backs in an instant
was sure to be what the elves called spirits.
-Ahhhhhh!
As soon as they began to emit something unintelligible, the soldiers’

defensive magic was definitely different.
It hadn’t been a long time since Jung Hayan was also focusing on the screen,
with her eyes shining as if she was impressed. It was then that Lee Jihye
opened her mouth again.
“The magic of the enemy archers and wizards will fall again. Once again, we
will implement defense magic.”
Her voice resonated within the entire control room.
Perhaps that voice would propagate through the Goddess’ Mirror.
‘The correspondents will send signals to each commander and named heroes
in their own way.’
Those who received the situation before the enemies’ arrows and magic fell
would immediately implement the defensive magic.
‘The tactic genius will like this.’
Of course, Jin Qing was not here. However, it didn’t really matter if he held
the baton or not.
Leaving the tactic genius aside, the level of infrastructure we had was way
different.
In other words, his tactical strategy was not going beyond the board game
level, no matter how hard he would want to try. There was no need to
mention the difference in the system we had—how the whole force moved,
and how we could get the details.
There was no way he knew better than we did.
The speed of delivery of orders from the control room to the battlefield was
also painful to take note of.
‘Because it’s all about having good items.’
The unit command system’s infrastructure equipped with the Goddess’

Mirror was a legendary-grade item that could be used from the rear.
It had near to unlimited visibility, and a communication system that could be

delivered to individuals. It could even calculate the timing of the enemies’
incoming magic.
Even with these things, if we were to lose the battle, I had no choice but to
doubt Lee Jihye’s qualities. After the crisis once passed, I could see Lee Jihye
looking at me.
“Blue Vice Guild Master, and Hayan is also here.”
“Long time no see, Jihye-ssi.”
“Yes. It has.”
“The current situation…”
“I think it’s good to see it as good. I don’t know why, but the enemy forces
certainly look confused, and ours aren’t. I don’t know the source or reason,
but I’m just grateful. Thanks to that, I think we can go a little easier. Of
course, it doesn’t change that we have to be careful. Do you have anything to
say to them?”
“No. Not yet. I don’t think I need to.”
“I was very impressed with the speech, Honorary Cardinal.”

“It’s an honor to say that.”
“I am more honored, well.”
“So. Are you confident about this battle?”
“Are you asking if we can win or not?”
“…”
“Or are you worried about how much damage we’ll suffer? I’m sure we
won’t lose. Opp… No, Honorary Cardinal. I don’t want to show
incompetence even though you laid the groundwork like this.”
‘It’s a good attitude. Good attitude.’
It was not just words. It was hard to say this, but she was also talented in
tactics.
The ignorant in me had a hard time understanding exactly everything, but it

certainly seemed that the forces of light were slowly driving the forces of the
demon out.
“Support for Unit 3. Elios is coming.”
‘Good.’
“Elune Knights, stand at the front line. Priests and wizards, assist the Elune
Knights.”
‘Very good.’
“Unit 4 does not climb the walls. Wait. Wait.”
‘That’s it, Jihye. That’s right.’
“The wizards under the 7th unit attack the top of the wall, and the Varian
priests who do not resist will be protected by the warriors who climbed the
wall.”
‘Yolo!’
Gradually, I could see that the walls were getting colored with friendly
colors. The outer side of the wall had been destroyed by the spirits after a
long time.
The dwarves with shields that pushed in seemed difficult to be dealt with
even from the enemy’s point of view.
They seemed to understand and used the characteristics of the conflict itself.
The enemy didn’t respond properly, and the prepared coalition was very
organic.
‘It’s a magnificent view.’
The other Operations Department members, who were watching the situation
in the control room together, were also quite surprised.
It seemed that they didn’t think that things would go so smoothly.
Of course, some had been resisting from either side.
-Stop them! Stop them from coming up! We can win by pushing them as far
as possible.
However, he also soon had an arrow stuck in his forehead.
-Ahhhhhhhhh!
After him came some other general soldiers.
-Gasp. Help me. Help me…
-Mother. Moth…er…
-What are the commanders doing?! What are the priests… Gasp!
-Help me. Help…

-Support! Support! Priests! Where are the priests… Cough.
Most of them died in confusion.
Of course, they had to be. There was an absence of a commander.
Of course, after Yev Karina, someone must’ve taken over immediately, but
the confusion remained unchanged.
Since the priests woke up, there must be a problem with the retention power
itself. Among the it was probably psychological that was the most
problematic for them.
With doubts in their minds, it was, in itself, absurd to hold the sword whilst
thinking about whether they were being played by a demon’s tricks.
Most of them would simply wield a sword to survive.
This meant that no one was as easy to deal with as an army fighting with the
devil in the brain.
“An army, with justification, is strong.”
The sight of the forces of light striking the forces of the demon was definitely
pleasing to see.
Chapter 383
Most humans had fragile states, especially those in situations that soon
became a war.
There was no way ordinary humans could endure prolonged situations where
they had to kill and watch each other die.
‘That’s why it’s important.’
The cause and justification of the war became more and more paramount.
Fight for God.
Fight for the country.
Fight for the family.
That was why they had taken it upon themselves to educate their minds on
matters of war. The same was true about the “we are right” justification.
There was a distinctive difference between fighting to defend and fighting to

invade. In their case, however, the cause had been lost.
The central commanders screamed their hearts out with their sense of duty,
but there was no possibility for such a cry to get into the ears of ordinary
soldiers.
They had doubted the purpose of the war from the beginning.
They pondered whether the demon summoner was simply deceiving them, in
which case it would have been like having the devil live in their brains. It was
better to shoot arrows in fear. Some screamed as they attempted to get out of
the situation– people who weren’t as bad as the others.
Many of them had given up on fighting.
The more they went on the defensive, the worse the situation got. That was
how powerful the visible effects and facts became.
The scene reflected by the Goddess’s Mirror perhaps was enough to confuse
them even more.
-Die!
-…
-Die, traitor!
-…
-Dieee!!!
The scene where Yev Karina beat the Bishop, revered by the people of the
Republic, with of the main focuses of the propaganda.
Even though allied troops were already invading, the soldiers of the Republic
continued to stare at the sky blankly.
The prior footage had been deleted, causing most humans to focus on the
scene rather than the context.
Why did Yev Karina, the demon servant, kill the Bishop?
Rather than asking such a question, they chose to focus on the situation in
which she smacked his head.
Some people would think humans weren’t that stupid, but based on the
extreme articles, news, tabloids, and modern people who got caught making a
fuss, I felt like that wasn’t the case at all.
Moreover, the people of the Republic were not familiar with tabloids. It
wasn’t worth mentioning that the effect was bound to be even greater.
That was a battlefield with never-ending screams and howls.
Leaving Lee Jihye behind as she constantly gave out orders, I looked around
quietly until I saw the Blue Guild members working hard.
Watching them move efficiently and working together smoothly, I felt proud.
Among them, Park Deokgu stood out a little, not because he was active.
Rather, it was the opposite. It felt like his movements weren’t the same as
before.
He raised a shield and climbed on top of the wall, but it was noticeable that
he was displaying subpar performance. He sometimes looked around with
widened eyes, unable to concentrate on the battle itself.
Yoo Ahyoung showed better performance, so there was no need for other
expressions.
-Deokgu. Front! Front!
-I-I know!
-Help… help me…
-… …
-You have to move. Deokgu! Deokgu! You’re not in bad condition, are you?
-It’s not that, but…
-The order has been given. Unit 4 has started to come up.
-Can we move now?
–Y… yes. I think… that would be better…
He was definitely hesitating. He was unable to adapt to the horrors of war.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the enemy soldiers crying out for help or crying
out for their mother.
‘Sigh… This bastard.’
I bit my lips tightly. I never thought he would show such ridiculous behavior.
I didn’t expect him to get used to it completely, but I felt like a fool who had
said he would at least adapt to it a bit.
I thought about whether I should make him return right now. If he wandered
around like that, he could be hit by a stray arrow.
After raising him like he was the apple of my eyes without compensation, I
felt like I was watching my own son get stuck in the corner of a room.
Just as I kept muttering to myself about his confusion, I suddenly realized

that I hadn’t been paying attention to him at all.
‘This bastard… Did he even gain any experience?’
I slowly searched through my memory.
However, no matter how many memories I recalled, none of them were

scenes where he gained battle experience.
He must have seen a lot indirectly. However, he had never used his fists in an
actual battle.
When I first started sparring with Yoo Seok-woo, he had his eyes closed
tightly, and whenever something similar happened, he quietly avoided
watching it.
It wasn’t that he had never collided with humans. It was just that he had
never finished them directly.
‘I don’t think he’s ever done that.’
Honestly, I was a little disconcerted. As long as someone had entered the

continent, anyone would experience it at least once.
If they were lucky, they would see it in the tutorial. If not, they might see it
after entering the continent. Even if it wasn’t against another human, it could
be against humanoid monsters and criminals or thieves.
However, in my memory, Park Deokgu had never had any similar experience
before.
I felt stupid. How could I not notice that about the soft-hearted man earlier?
He stood out, looking hesitant despite being able to push a little further
forward. It was evident that he was going easy on them. Watching him, I
began to get worried.
I knew how weak that pig’s mentality was despite his strong facade.
-Deokgu! Deogku!
-I-I said I’m going now.
-It’s the support!
-O… okay.
In the middle of that hectic battlefield, watching him stupidly turn his gaze to
the other side made me feel frustrated.
Left without any other option, I had to point it out to Jihye.
“Park Deokgu and Yoo Ahyoung are… ”
Before I could even finish speaking, Lee Jihye nodded and immediately gave
a new order.
“Unit 7, focus on protecting the surrenderers and the priests. This is your top
priority. Unit 7, focus on protecting those who surrendered from the
frontlines and the priests.”
“Order received.”
I continued to watch Park Deokgu and Yoo Ahyoung as they confirmed their
new orders.
-Park Deokgu!
-Yes?
-A new order has been given. The content is different from the previous one.
They want us to protect those who surrendered from the battlefield and the
priests. It’s a top priority.
-Ah. I see. Q-quickly…
-Yes. The location is being transferred. Shall I take the lead?
-No. I think it would be nice for me to take the lead.
-Then do it.
-Careful!
-Oh, thank you. Park Deok-gu.
I was sure I wasn’t hallucinating when I saw his face brighten up a little.
However, the slightly brightened expression soon began to turn into an
anxious one.
He noticed why that kind of command suddenly came.
The original purpose of Unit 7, including Park Deokgu and Yoo Ahyoung,
was not to protect the priests. A different unit was definitely in charge of their
new mission, which had been announced through a prior briefing.
The purpose of Unit 7 was to support other units in ascending the walls.
I said that I would give orders according to the situation through the
Goddess’ Mirror, so he might be thinking that I must have seen his unsightly
appearance.
‘It was fortunate we could afford it.’
If the war were running tight, I wouldn’t have been able to pull him out. I
could only do what I did because the tide of the battle was on our side.
Even though not much time had passed, the demon was already gradually
losing its power.
‘That’s why the priests are so important on the battlefield, everyone.’
I began to wonder if this war had been going in our favor too much.
‘Is it obvious?’
In the first place, I already thought that the troops and walls blocking the
Eberian front were all looks with no substance.
It was unreasonable for their tactic to be viewed as nothing but their way to
buy time. Their strategy focused on endurance, and it didn’t seem to be
hoping for victory.
That was why there was no support from the other side. No, I didn’t even
have to find a reason.
The same was true for the masked trash in a situation where there were
nowhere for large numbers of floating troops could be placed.
‘These bastards can’t afford it either.’
The most important thing at the moment from their point of view was to
attack Castle Rock.
I didn’t know if the masked trash abandoned the Eberian front or not.
One thing was for certain: the Castle Rock front was more important than the
Eberian front. If he didn’t protect it, he could be put into a situation where he
couldn’t remove his troops in the first place. Well, it didn’t matter either way.
If the enemy commander and priest line were solid, we might have had to
wait and see if the enemies would attack Castle Rock.
However, the result was the opposite. The Eberian front was collapsing.
The enemy commander was shouting for a retreat, and those who were
withdrawing were starting to stand out. Some could be seen surrendering and
throwing their weapons. Priests who risked their lives and didn’t even
participate in the fight were a bonus.
It’s only been eight hours since the battle started.
The battle was gradually reaching a conclusion.
“Then I’ll be going to the frontlines, Jihye-ssi.”
“Yes. Do that, Honorary Cardinal. I’ll finish the job in the control room…”
“Thank you for fighting with us until the end.”
“Yes.”
She didn’t announce our victory.
However, I heard a shout that made my ears ring. The command post wasn’t
the only one that was aware of our situation.
The ordinary soldiers were also aware that victory was on the way.
It seemed that there were many more occupied areas than unoccupied areas.
Afterward, we would have to recheck the troops, but it seemed that the
damage was small enough for us to consider this a significant victory.
‘How did they climb up on this?’
As soon as I reached the frontlines, I was greeted by a large wall.
It was definitely taller than I thought. I didn’t think I could even dare to climb
it after seeing it up close.
As I kept walking, taking care of the soldiers around me, I reached the place
where Deokgu was. The guy with the prisoners and priests in tow slowly
approached my side, but I saw his head bend down when I looked at him.
He was visibly depressed.
I wanted to talk to him, but the most important thing right now wasn’t him.
Giving him advice or scolding him could be done afterward. My top priority
was to check if she’s alive or dead.
Initially, that was the Bishop’s role, but I had no choice but to appoint an
agent after his death.
Although the crackling sound and sensation were unpleasant, I had to smile
upon seeing Kim Chang-ryul.
“Is she alive?”
“Yes. Vice Guild Master. She is alive.”
“That’s fortunate. How is her condition?”
“She’s still out of it. We’ve already applied First Aid, so there’s no longer
any harm to her life, and she’ll be able to wake up after she calms down.”
“Very good. Oh. Let me see her now. Is she in the room?”
“Yes.”
Kim Chang-ryul guided me to the room. No matter the circumstances, his

skills were a blessing.
I wanted to applaud him for his first aid. I liked the part that he cared for
details I didn’t bother thinking about.
Upon entering the door, I could see the dead Bishop with his head broken.
There was also Yev Karina lying down on the bed.
As I touched her cheek with my finger, I could see her unfocused pupils
looking at me.
“Jin… Qing…?”
“Sorry, but I am the Honorary Cardinal, Yev Karina. Hahaha.”

Chapter 384
Chapter 384: The Winner Doesn’t Pay the Price (1)
“Jin… Qing…?”
“Sorry, but I am the Honorary Cardinal, Yev Karina. Hahaha.”
Her colorful expression was quite interesting.
She looked unfocused, still, and was struggling with comprehension.

However, as she regained consciousness, she realized that I wasn’t Jin Qing.
Her startled face was quite amusing.
‘Do we really look alike?’
Our appearance was different, but our body shape was similar, so it was also
understandable.
Since it hadn’t been that long after she got up, she should’ve still been dizzy,
and considering that Kim Hyunsung almost misunderstood me as the masked
trash, our silhouettes must’ve looked alike.
The distorted expression she had on her face was only natural.
Instead of looking at the Jin Qing that she wanted to see, she saw me
smirking. It was quite satisfying to watch the look on her face change.
It had been a while since I had seen such a face since I entered the continent.
In Elena’s case, although she had nausea, there was still an unknown
admiration, along with respect, on one side of her face.
However, Yev Karina’s face was completely different.

Friendly feelings were out of the question. Her eyes were full of hostility
regardless of the perspective I looked at it from.
Yev Karina looked like she was staring up at a piece of trash she didn’t want
to deal with or as if I was a pile of dog shit she accidentally stepped on.
It hurt a little, but I wasn’t offended at all.
If I had been in the loser’s position, I would have been quite upset as well,
but we won, and winners would always have time and patience to be
understanding and tolerant.
‘Yes. I am generous. Absolutely.’
“Hahaha. That’s a funny face. I don’t think I’ve committed a crime like that.
I’m the one who saved your life, you know. You could be a little thankful. Of
course, you should thank Chang-ryul here first.”
“…”
“Why are you looking at me as if you want to kill me? Am I not a lifesaver? I
helped you become comfortable. Unlike other prisoners, we’re giving you
special treatment. I mean it.”
“…”
“Isn’t it polite to answer when someone talks to you, Karina? Am I wrong,

Chang-ryul?”
“No. The Vice Guild Master is right.”
“Well, he said it’s only proper to talk to me. Say something. Or perhaps
you’re still not feeling well? Do you need a potion?”
Naturally, I smiled and smirked, but she still refused to respond. She just
continued to look at me as vigilantly as possible. It felt impossible to get
closer to her.
“I think we could be good friends…”

“Ptooey!”
Something sticky hit my face.
“…”
“…”
Kim Chang-ryul immediately tried to reach out to her, but I gestured him to
stop. Slowly, I wiped the saliva off my face.
“Dirty human.”
“Haha. Among Korean proverbs, there’s a saying that says you cannot spit on
a smiling face. Well, I guess that’s not common in Russia. Of course, the
story on Earth is useless, but I am a bit disconcerted as I was born in a
country where mutual respect is one of our foundations. Where else would
anyone treat prisoners so humanely? I’m going to feel a little sad if saliva is
your payment for my gentle treatment, Yev Karina.”
“Trashy bastard.”
“So. How is Jin Qing, our demon summoner? I haven’t seen him since Laios.
In fact, because of him, I have been through some hard times. I can’t explain
in detail, but that’s why I was in the Kingdom of Eberia. I stopped the demon
enough to break my body– Oh, I think Chang-ryul may go out now.”
“Will you be okay?”
“Yes. Don’t allow anyone to enter this place until the situation has been
cleared up.”
“I will preach as it is, Vice Guild Master.”
“Thank you, Chang-ryul.”
He looked a little worried, but in the end, he decided it was safe based on her
condition.
I sent out Kim Chang-ryul because of the same reason.
As I nodded, Kim Chang-ryul opened the door. Cheers from outside soon
filled the room.
-It is the victory of light!
“Woahhhhhhhhhh!!”
-This victory was only possible because of everyone’s cooperation. It is the

first step toward coexistence and a leap toward the future. With the guidance
of the Goddesses Benignore and Elune, the interracial union has emerged
victorious!
“Woahhhhhhhhh!!”
She seemed to be working on propaganda activities outside. The voice that I

heard continuously unmistakably belonged to Lee Jihye’s.
In the meantime, the battle must have been completely completed.
—-b sorry to interrupt, this following part is unedited due to some

unfortunate circumstances… I made this chapter half price for the
inconvenience.}—-
A face mixed with various emotions was a spectacle.
I don’t ever want to be in that position myself, but when other’s make it, it is
a pleasant look every time.
“Well, that’s how the battle ended. The priest of the Republic. Oh, it would
have been a little harder if it weren’t for the priest lying there with his head
crushed. Come to think of it, I forgot to say thank you to the martyr of God.
It’s such a pity.”
“Who would have known that a religious statue would strike him in the
head?”
“…”
“If a person asks a question, it is polite to answer it, Yev Karina. Oh! Just in
case, you’d better not think about doing your stupid skills again. Haha.”
“Kill me.”
“Why are you asking me to kill? A priest chosen by God can’t do things like
murder easily. No matter how evil they are, a life is a life. Goddess
Benignore is generous to those who repent.”
“Do you think I’m gonna open my mouth?”
“I’m interested in the cheap information you know, of course, but that’s not
what I really want. Yes. What do you think, Yev Karina? How did you see
this war?”
“…”
“If you don’t want to talk, you can just listen. It would have been better if we
could exchange stories. Of course, you don’t have to worry, I won’t use this
for my propaganda work.”
“You scammers. You think I’m gonna believe you?”
“I am not a liar. Of course, I understand the confusion, but if I were a real

crook, would Elune and Benignore have chosen me to be their
representative? How can you call a person who doesn’t even remember the
last time he lied a fraud? I didn’t think you would be scared of a bee. Oh, but,
If you were afraid of bees, you wouldn’t be under the Devil Summoner in the
first place. Mhh.”
“I know you made this up—dirty bastard. Now I know what kind of person
you are. You’re hopeless trash. Trusting you even a little bit was my biggest
mistake. Are you having fun? Do you feel good when you fool people and
play with them as you please? You’re nothing but a scumbag piece of trash.
Disgusting, you’re looking down at me like this now, but someday you will
pay for your lies. Remember that.”
“Yev Karina thinks of me like that, so I’m just giving you an example that’s
easy to understand. Is there good or bad in this kind of war in the first place?
The bad guy and the good guy, they’re just two sides with different
ideologies and different interests. Don’t you know that? The Republic started
this war in the first place.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It is the same for you. You’re like this even though you know that your side
started propaganda activities first. If I’m a crook, you’re a crook, too. Of
course, I’m a little bit worse off, but basically, we’re of the same kind.”
“This is crap, crazy bastard!”

Chapter 385
Chapter 385: The winner Doesn’t Pay The Price (2)
Yev Karina looked dumbfounded.
That was something that she already knew was coming. Even the Senior
Bishop lying over there knew the story. All I did was give her a reminder.
The winner wasn’t the one to pay any price. That was a universal truth.
It was a simple law. Nothing could be clearer than it.
It meant that even if we tried to cover the didactic morality with all sorts of
words, our lives were destined to lead to that point regardless. Yev Karina
also seemed to agree with my words.
She merely bit her lips as she looked at me, but that reaction was all I needed
to see to know she agreed with me.
Looking back at her, I smiled once more. I knew I had to continue the
conversation.
“Am I wrong?”
“…”
“I don’t think you have any intention to answer. Well, I’ll just accept your
silence as affirmation. Haven’t I told you that already? People like you and I
are the same. If Yev Karina had won this battle, it would have been me to pay
the price. If you thought that way, you should be feeling a little disappointed
right now. Pfff.”
“I am different from you. You… You are trash.”
“Why is your hatred directed towards your own kind?”

“I am not trash like you! Mean swindler bastard!”
“I’m not thrilled to say that I’m a scammer, but it’s undeniable that I’m a
messenger chosen by God, Karina. The divine power doesn’t lie. Haha. Jin
Qing is also a demon summoner. I’m not sure what the difference is between
your lie and my lie that makes you heat up like this. Aren’t you the same?
Have you not sympathized with agitation and fabrication to promote morale
and eventually bring people who don’t know anything into war?”
I paused for a moment, then continued again. “In a way, you and the heads of
the Republic are even worse. You can say it’s an excuse to defend my own
morality, but you don’t even have the means to rationalize yourself. The one
who picks a fight first will always be the one who’s prepared for war, and the
one who declared war was you. Who’s the trash and the scammer now?”
“Stop with the bullshit, trash human! I am not talking about the process. I-I’m
talking about your means to an end. After all, you lack even the most
minimal sense of ethics. Continental laws and war regulations were not
created just to be ignored. Senior B-Bishop is not someone who would…”
“You are referring to the Bishop, whose head was broken by a brilliantly dull
technique. Gosh. In case you misunderstood the circumstances, I would like
to say I did not act in any way that violated the laws of war. I just gave a
bottle of fine wine as a gift.”
“You know that’s not what I mean!”
“You also know what I’m talking about, Yev Karina. I’ve never violated any
form of war regulation. You know that even if I controlled the Senior Bishop
from behind, it wouldn’t be against the law. It is you who are irrational.
Because you think I’m a piece of shit, you feel like it’ll improve your
situation a little if you try to console yourself with belittling me. That’s why
you’re condemning me.”
“Ptooey!”
“I think that’s how you cheer yourself up. In the first place, if you weren’t
really like me, you wouldn’t even be in this war. You would be stuck deep in
the woods, devoting yourself to studying ethics. In the end, you and I are the
same.”
“I did it for Jin Qing and the Republic soldiers!”
“Ah…”
“…”
“…”
“Aha. After all, that’s what it was. Hahaha.”
“What? What did you…?”
“I had my doubts, but I guess that’s really it. What you just said is not a lie.
Right?”
“What are you doing now…?”
“Well, all I just said was a joke. You don’t have to get all worked up, you
know. I guarantee you we’re definitely different kinds of humans. I have to
admit that much. You aren’t moving for your own comfort.”
Karina had a weird expression on her face that seemed to wonder what
bullshit I was talking about.
Yev Karina was a completely different kind of human compared to Lee Jihye
and me.
While her unique characteristic and disposition didn’t always tell the right
answer, she and I were still far from being the same.
‘You are a friend with a strong sense of responsibility.’
Her face distorted at my sudden change in attitude. Seeing that she was
reacting nervously, she seemed to realize that she had just made a mistake.
For example, the sophistry just before was just to make her feel worked up.
The entire conversation had been manipulated from the beginning to capture
her weaknesses. I needed to find ways to deal with her.
“You’re amazing. Great. Hmm. It certainly might be. I think I know now why
demon summoner Jin Qing appointed you here. If the war didn’t go down
like this, it would have been quite annoying. You must have endured with
minimal damage to have some form of benefit. Your purpose isn’t to win the
battlefield. I think I know now.”
“What, what?”
“I don’t know if you know, but in the first place, the demon summoner didn’t
expect you to win. Jin Qing only wanted for you to hold on and hold the
elves. I’m not sure, but I think he tends to avoid battles. It seems to me that
he only wanted to maintain and hold on to this front until the end of the
Castle Rock siege.”
“…”
“You have completely ruined that mission. Well, I can understand why. You
probably didn’t know that I was staying in the Kingdom of Eberia, but from
the standpoint of the demon summoner, it must have been a shame. Huh?
Why are you making such a surprised face? You must have noticed that the
demon didn’t expect much from you. That’s why no reinforcements came.”
There were more complex reasons, of course. Perhaps Yev Karina knew that,
too, but…
“That’s not it. The current front…”
“I know that there is no room on the frontline. I also know that there’s a
reason why you had to come to this place. I guess that person doesn’t think of
you as much as you think of him. That’s sad. There is nothing more
heartbreaking than one-sided love.”
“No matter what you tell me, I…”
“Yes. Of course, you won’t betray him. Hahaha. You seem to have mistaken
something, Yev Karina. I’m not trying to drive a wedge between the two of
you right now. Just think of it as a joke with my bad personality. It’s
undeniable that you and this force have been abandoned. It’s true to a certain
point! I don’t use low-level tricks that shake people’s mentality. It’s not an
appropriate behavior as an envoy chosen by the light. Yes. Absolutely.”
“…”
“There is a slightly more rational way for me to do things, but why would I
go through the trouble to do that? And since it already came out, there was
something that Senior Bishop lying down there should’ve done. I even
arranged a seat in advance. It’s an essential one. Since someone smashed the
precious priest’s head, the reserved seat became vacant. I understand you’re
sad about being abandoned, but you still have to work, right?”
“Kill me.”
“Will you not even listen to what I have to say?”
“I don’t want to know or even wonder about whatever bullshit you’re talking
about. Just kill me.”
“Why do you keep telling me to kill you? You just have to listen to it and
decide.”
“Kill me! Just kill me!”
“There are quite a few prisoners, Yev Karina. There are quite a few people
who surrendered. The same goes for the Varian priests who are with us.”
“You…”
“Gosh. This is a problem. The fact that there are many prisoners is not
necessarily pleasant to our side. It’s enough to become a force capable of
backstabbing us in case of emergency, and it is also hard to deliver supplies
that will be responsible for many prisoners. I would rather not have them. I
ended up not thinking like a priest. I’m not particularly knowledgeable, but in
Chinese history, I think it was the Jangpyeong War? I mean the case in which
300,000 surrendered troops were buried alive. Our demon summoner must
know about that better.”
“Son of a bitch…”
“Of course, I’m not shitty enough to do that, but I don’t know how things will
change. If something goes wrong, there may be a situation where I will hold
my tears and make a decision.”
“Son of a bitch! And you call yourself human?!”
“I was just talking about the possibilities. Yev Karina knows that I’m not
going to do such crazy things. There will be a lot to lose politically.”
“Son of a bitch! Piece of shit! “
“Even though I’m the one chosen by God, forsaking those who try to
repent… It must be heartbreaking. If I did that, they wouldn’t appreciate me
in later history books. Above all, my conscience won’t simply hold up. Still,
Yev Karina, I don’t yield.”
“…”
“I never yield. Avoiding it is something any other person would’ve done, but
not me. I’ve made a decision, so it’s up to you to yield. Look into my eyes.”
I could see that she was avoiding my gaze. Her expression that was used to
be filled with disgust turned into fear very slowly.
“Do you think I can’t do that?”
“…”
“I have told you clearly, Yev Karina. If you reject my offer, I will abandon
half of the prisoners. You will be executed as a demon’s servant, and I will
make the same offer once more after I find the right person. Of course, if the
successor refuses, I will throw away the remaining prisoners.”
“You… Someone like you…?”

“Aren’t they forcibly brought, Yev Karina? You have to laugh and send them
back to their hometown. They were brought to the battlefield by accident, but
they are all dear children of other people’s homes.”
She had no choice. Her pupils were trembling as I stared at her. She looked as
if she was thinking about her options silently.
‘I don’t think I need to explain separately…’
She must have already anticipated what her role would be.
“Should I make the choice a little easier? First of all, I think you should try to
determine if there is a demon’s minion among the prisoners. One-third of
them are highly likely to be contaminated by the demon. These people have
to go through cleansing quickly. Yes. Absolutely.”
“W-Wait a second.”
“Have you made a decision?”
She couldn’t answer. However, I knew she was already half-determined.

Chapter 386
Chapter 386: The Winner Doesn’t Pay The Price (3)
“It’s definitely tricky.”
“Yes, Jin Qing. It is even more so because the walls themselves are extremely
specialized in magic defense. The barrier of the shaman of the State is
also…”
“It won’t be that easy to attack.”
“Yes. There is no other answer except for an all-out siege. The story would
be different if we could deal a strong physical shock to it, but it’ll be difficult
to destroy the wall itself unless something like a dragon arrives. If the supply
situation inside Castle Rock wasn’t acceptable, then it might take more time.”
“It would have taken far too long. How’s the state of our troops?”
“The damage is less for a few knocks on the gate. They, too, are saving
arrows as much as possible…”
“Castle Rock is important.”
“…”
“But not important enough for us to use everything on it. The Eastern Front
isn’t the only road to Lindel or the capital. The Celia front had also been
completely pushed back yesterday. The same goes for Dawan.”
Castle Rock was vital, but it wasn’t valuable enough for them to pour out
everything they had on it. In other words, the Castle Rock Front was a pie
that everyone could drool over.
I was deeply impressed when I thought of the time I had accumulated to turn
this significant and essential front into the perfect bait. It had been designed
so that not only enemies but also even allies wouldn’t notice the grand
scheme at play. The large painting made me refreshed my memory about how
brilliant Jin Qing was.
Anyone who observed the troops’ movements or the current front on a large
map would’ve assumed that the Republic was aiming for Castle Rock.
Even during the numerous wars in the past, Castle Rock had always been a
formidable wall against the Republic and an impenetrable fortress for the
State.
Even when all other eastern fronts were attacked, it was never possible to
obtain Castle Rock, and historically, Castle Rock became a symbol of sorts.
‘If we pierce…’
On the contrary…
‘If they don’t go through…’
That was the kind of situation that always revolved around Castle Rock. Of
course, I couldn’t dismiss it as a simple symbol.
Still, Castle Rock was one of the crucial strongholds between the State and
the Republic, and the benefits of obtaining the place were beyond words.
That was why the named ones settled to protect Castle Rock when troops had
been pushed into the Eastern Front.
Three out of the Eight Seats of the State always stood to protect the small
castle.
That wasn’t all. The main troops the State was proud of also laid coiled
within Castle Rock. Naturally, the quality and quantity of the forces invested
in other regions gave relatively more investment than focusing all of them on
one side.
Castle Rock had become harder, but less critical areas had indeed become
softer as a result.
The way he saw them wasn’t big but relatively invisible. We had cut off
supplies to Castle Rock and reinforcements coming from other regions.
Other than the eastern front, we scored points and even gave out some of the
areas.
One could be seen as a small amount, but collectively, it was by no means a

negligible number. It was clear that the opposite side would think the same
thing, but I felt I had no choice but to follow the Republic’s intentions.
They knew that when Castle Rock became open to them, Lindel would be
next, and then the capital. I knew that this condition would persist unless
there were other
‘Right. Unless there were other
However, when I had recently recalled the state of Eberia, I had no choice but
to bite my lips tightly. It was because no letter came after the full-scale battle
had begun.
There was no news, so our main unit also sent a separate reconnaissance
team.
Of course, I knew that this was an overreaction.
It was hard to communicate with each situation in a place where the

communication system hasn’t been properly developed yet. There were only
reports on each area’s overall condition, but I thought it couldn’t be helped
because of the distance.
‘The correspondents may have been caught. Or maybe it’s because I really
couldn’t afford it. Regardless, there won’t be anything special.’
I hoped there was nothing special about it. My anxiety still rose, though.
As I shook my head once more and looked next to me, I could see a man with
the same expression as myself.
Upon seeing the man, I immediately noticed the unknown emotions that were
smeared all over his face. I knew I had to comfort him.
“Y-You don’t need to worry, sir. Even if he is on the Eberian front, nothing
will change.”
I had been telling myself the same thing.
“I’m not worried, Katya.”
“You have such a dark expression, Jin Qing. The Operations Department
believes that the Eberian front will not be easily pierced. I think the same.
Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung is just a scammer. He’s someone who can’t
do anything but deceive and agitate, wasn’t that what you said? Of course, I
expect that it could be a little more but my sister will never fall out of the
way.”
“Yes. I know. I try to think so.”
“I’m also… worried. If I say I’m not, it would be a lie. In fact, that’s why I
tried to stop her. Still, maybe! Maybe! She must have known your will as
well. She also understood because she decided on her own. Trust her and wait
for the results. She will surely give you good news.”
“Of course she would. Katya, are you okay?”
“I am okay. I believe she’ll be able to get through this.”
Honestly, uneasiness had started to arise from within me.
However…
‘She will be able to persevere.’
I knew her better than anyone else.
It was difficult to say that the walls would be penetrated in a short period of
time due to the structure of the military. The ratio of priests was high, and it
was the wall where the Senior Bishop was located.
She was soft-hearted and couldn’t work hard, but considering that sister was
also a better person than anyone else, and it was absurd to think that she
would get defeated that easily.
At that point, I felt agitated.
Even at that time, battles continued to be waged on several fronts.
The Eberian front shouldn’t be treated as if it was special. Everyone was

struggling just as much. I thought I had to watch the situation as calmly and
objectively as possible.
‘The role of the Eberian front is only to save time. Right now, it’s better to
focus a little more on the Eastern Front.’
The western front had requested more wizards, and the northern front also
needed more priests.
Although the supply unit had been running smoothly, it was still difficult to
control all fronts. Every day, countless numbers of troops were dying.
The Eberian front, which had been quiet so far, had only just joined the
battle.
Just as I was coming into an agreement with myself, the door suddenly
opened, and a member of the Operations Department entered.
“General.”
“You can talk.”
“E-Eberia…”
“Yes.”
“The Eberian front collapsed. T-The exact amount of damage has not been
compiled at this time, but the news is that most of the troops appear to have
been held captive, and the enemy is currently preparing to advance towards
Castle Rock.”
“…”
“…”
“W-What?”
“I-It’s exactly as I said, Katya.”
“H-how? But not much time has passed?”
“I don’t know the details. All of the retreating troops also seem to be tied
up… R-really…”
“Nonsense. No way! Something must have gone wrong!”
Instantly, negative thoughts filled my head.
From the enemy’s point of view, this was a siege. Although the wall had been
built with magic in a short period, it still wouldn’t collapse easily.
If I considered our troops’ size and quality, there was no way they could’ve
proceeded like roasting beans in a lightning fire.
“The battle concluded that quick? No way. There has to be some form of
error. Where are the people who brought the news? Where are the
reconnaissance units that have returned?”
“Now…”
“Tell them to come– no, I’ll go to them directly. I’ll check for myself what
exactly they’ve seen to make them come up with that nonsense.”
“Katya!”
I pushed past in a hurry. I could see the faces of the startled soldiers, but I
couldn’t find it in me to care.
As I moved to the place where the reconnaissance team was waiting, I

noticed a large crowd had formed around it.
“Where are the rangers? I have to listen to it myself.”
“You can’t come closer, Katya.”
“What are you talking about?!”
“We are currently investigating an item sent from the Eberian front. You
have to wait. It could be dangerous.”
“Step aside! Right Now!”
“It could be an artifact with a curse. For now…”
“No, I’ll check it myself.”
Everything felt hectic. Negative thoughts kept entering my head. My hands

were shaking, and I couldn’t seem to make rational judgments.
It was then that someone quietly came next to me. As I turned my head, I saw
Jin Qing, who had been in the room a while ago. I began to hear a familiar
voice, effectively calming me down a little.
“If it’s an artifact, I’ll check it. That’s an order. Please step back.”
“But…”
“I said it was an order.”
“Yes. Okay.”
Rangers and wizards who could dismantle the trap retreated in an instant.
What came into sight was a letter in an envelope and an unknown device in a
long stick shape.
“General, this is…”
“It’s not the kind of artifact that can cause harm. It’s probably the Goddess’s
Mirror, a magic hologram device, and it has a structure that seems to discard
itself automatically once its use has been executed. I see no other traps or
magical effects to it. You can rest assured.”
“I see. If that’s a magic hologram, wouldn’t it be possible for us to use it?”
“No. It’s impossible because there is no control tower to transmit video. All
we can do is accept one-sided information. Are you sure this is from the
Eberian front?”
“Yes. To be precise, it was attached to the leg of our carrying pigeon. Judging
by the circumstances, it’s probably a letter from Eberia…”
“Probably a message. If you put in a little magic power and immediately…”
That was when the general slowly put magic power into the device.
A translucent membrane began to rise above the bar. The image of Yev
Karina, my sister, sitting on a bed could be seen.
Soon, an unfamiliar voice began to echo from it.
-Ahhh. Can you see it? I’m going to start now.”
It was a spectacle to see him sit down while slowly moving to the side. With
her head down, the guy tapped on her shoulder jokingly.
-I hope it arrives safely. Ah… First of all, I think it’s only right for you to
introduce yourself. Right? Could you briefly introduce yourself?
-33 years old… Yev… This is Karina.
Her head had begun to turn pale.
[TL NOTE: Casting couch lmfao]

Chapter 387 If we hit these goals, I
will do a 25* mass release
****
Chapter 387: The Winner Doesn’t Pay The Price (4)
No other expression came to mind. I felt like my mind was turning blank.
I couldn’t even breathe properly. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing through
the magic hologram.
The person on the screen was definitely my sister.
Not only was she bowing her head, but she was also trembling. Seeing her
shedding tears was unexplainable. Naturally, I didn’t understand what was
going on.
Less than a day had passed, and yet the Eberian front had already been
completely ruined. And that damn son of a bitch was patting my sister’s
shoulder.
It would be natural for some questions to arise.
‘This is a manipulation.’
It was all manipulated content, but perhaps I only thought of it that way
because I didn’t want to face reality.
However, I couldn’t think of anything else in a situation where I couldn’t

understand anything. I had to believe that the scene I was witnessing right
now was a lie and that it had all been fabricated.
A quiet voice then began to erupt from the screen.

-Thank you for introducing yourself, Yev Karina. Still, it seems to be a little
insufficient. It would be nice if there were a way to prove that you are really
who you say you are a bit more clearly. Let me ask you some questions.
What do you usually do in your spare time?
-I… read.
-That’s a little unexpected. How long have you been here?
-7 years.
-What is your favorite food?
-Stew.
-Hmm. I don’t think it’s enough, but at this level, they’ll at least know this
isn’t being manipulated. I would like to have more time like this for those
who still have doubts, but unfortunately, we don’t have time, so I think it
would be better to finish as quickly as possible. Oh, my name is Lee
Kiyoung, 26 years old. I am the messenger of God. My hobby is studying
theology, and my specialty is to pray. Everyone probably knows my face,
right? Yev Karina?
-Yes. That’s right.
-Ooh. I don’t know how many people are watching this. From now on, the
scenes you will see through the Goddess’ Mirror might be a little
provocative. If you’re not ready, it’s better not to look at it. This is a message
to demon summoner Jin Qing, not to others. And I’m just saying this, but it
would be better if you don’t try to duplicate or export the footage illegally.
You know that permission is needed to transmit from our control tower
anyway. Trying to play a joke on the magic hologram would be meaningless.
This artifact is for single-use as well. Now, I’m counting to 10, after which
I’ll go straight to the point. As I just said, the scenes you’ll see from now on
might be too provocative. Now! Yev Karina should get up and get ready.
In an instant, negative thoughts began to pass by in my mind. Before I could

say anything, the voice of General Jin Qing was heard.
-Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!
“I want others to leave. This is also an order.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I have to check it myself, sir. No, I have to… see it with my own eyes.
Please. Please let me stay. Please.”
“Yes.”
I felt nervous, but I had no choice but to witness what’s about to come. It was
something I had to watch and endure.
-One. Now! Let’s talk in earnest.
“Huh?”
-Yev Karina, please sit again. Haha. Were you startled just now? Hey. I don’t
know if you thought I was about to do something weird to Yev Karina, but if
you really thought so, you’ve been fooled. Even if I look otherwise, I am
someone who was chosen by God. I’m avoiding immorality as much as
possible. There will be no harm done to Yev Karina. Yes. Absolutely.
-…
-However, I hope that only Jin Qing is watching this magical hologram. It
wouldn’t be beneficial for anyone if many people were to see it. That’s like
finding multiple people reading a secret love letter of yours. Well, it doesn’t
matter at all if you watch it with your friends in the Republic, but I
recommend that you watch it alone if possible. You’ll understand what I’m
talking about soon enough. Yes. It’s precisely what you’re thinking. It’s just a
little, but it’s true that I’m bluffing.
-…
-I hate getting caught in useless gossips, so I put on my own safety device.

I’d like to point out that even if this video spreads all over the continent, I
won’t lose much.
“Crazy bastard…”
“…”
It made me angry, but he was still right.
Even if the video were to spread all over the continent, it wouldn’t be able to
shake the entire public opinion about what was currently going on.
-Now, then. Why did I suddenly take a video like this and send it to our
demon summoner? There are two main reasons. If I dig into the details, there
will be a little more, but first, I’ll talk about those two. The first is because I
want to tell you that Yev Karina is in my hands. Isn’t it?
-Yes.
-I’m so grateful. Yev Karina has decided to join our Holy Allied Forces. She
decided to repent for her past as the demon’s servant and is now fighting for
the light, didn’t you?
-Yes.
-Yev Karina seems to have been taking care of you for quite a while. While
having a good time with me, things like Jin Qing seem to have been erased
from her mind, but apart from that, I am also worried that I have stolen the
General’s girlfriend. Of course, this is a joke. Don’t take it too seriously. The
important thing is that she currently got on board with me, so I hope you
know that. Now. Yev Karina, please let them know about your future
aspirations as well.
-…
-What are you doing? You have to reveal your future aspirations.
-I, I…
-Yes, yes?
-I repented for my past mistakes of living as a servant of t-the last demon,

and I… was reborn… with the heavenly blessing of the Honorary Cardinal
Lee Kiyoung. N-Now I will never stand on the dark side again and will do
my best to take the lead of the light side and drive out the power of the
demon.
-A little more firmly!
-I-I have been reborn as a light. I will now take the lead in saving the
Republic’s evil forces, taking Goddess Benignore’s side!
She didn’t mean it. I could notice that much just by listening to her voice.
When I turned my head carefully, I could see Jin Qing nodding as if he was
thinking the same.
-You did very well, our Yev Karina. Very well. It may be difficult to
understand, but it has become like this. I’m sure you’ll come to terms with
what I’m saying. Now with the first subject done, time to proceed to the next.
In fact, the reason I mentioned it earlier is to match the assortment.
Personally, I also wanted to show off my skills. When sending this kind of
message, doesn’t it seem a little too strange if there’s only one reason? So I
was forced to make this feature, as well as to drive you nuts.
-…
-Of course, the real reason is that this is a declaration of war. The Republic
also declared war on the State, so I think it’s only right to answer that.
However, it’s more of a warning. Our allied forces will be targetting the heart
of the Republic from now on. Together with the other races currently here, I
will advance directly to the Republic’s capital.
“That’s ridiculous…”
-You might think it’s ridiculous. I think so, too. But what can I do? For me, it
is you who can end the war the fastest. I want to exclude useless sacrifices as
much as possible. All of them are workers who have worked for God and for
the State, so isn’t it a waste to think about losing their lives this way? Hence,
after working hard, I had to make that decision. But it’s not impossible at all.
It won’t take any more than 20 days for our army to stab the heart of the
Republic. Yes. It’s exactly 20 days. In the meantime, inevitable sacrifices
will have to be made in Castle Rock, but if we think of it as a sacrifice for a
more significant cause, then it can’t be helped.
The State couldn’t possibly abandon Castle Rock. That was an issue that
anyone who had studied military strategy must have already realized.
-It’s only natural for you not to believe me. You may be thinking it’s a crazy
idea and a ridiculous attempt, but I will repeat it one more time. I intend to go
into the heart of the Republic. From here on out, I’ll be turning the army to
cross the eastern front right away. Perhaps, by the time you’re done watching
this video, we’ll be ready to go.
“It’s bluff.”
-It’s not a bluff.
“This is just deceit and bullshit. I know you, Lee Kiyoung.”
-It’s not deception. It’s not bullshit.
“You are scared now. That’s why you’re talking about useless things. You
know you’re at a disadvantage like the chess game we played at that time, so
you bark like a frightened dog. Because you know that if you act with the
standard tactics, you’ll be pushed back. Do you think this childish
psychological warfare can stop me? Does this war feel like a joke to you?
This is not rock-paper-scissors. No one is shaken by the fact that you put out
your rock, you scammer.”
-I am not a scammer. Of course, you think it’s hard to believe, demon

summoner. But I will not bed. I do not yield. When we bump into each other,
it should be you, not me, who have to step aside. I have told you that I am
going to the capital of the Republic. You will come here. You will send
troops to stop me. You will have no choice but to pull back the forces holding
down Castle Rock.
“You will be the one to step aside.”
-It’s your job to step aside.
“I am not moving.”
-I will not move.
“I know this is bullshit.”
-I know you’re nervous because you’ve been beaten.
“It’s because I didn’t know you were a damn scammer!”
-Just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you can’t get backstabbed. The
smarter you are, the more delicious your back is. I know it well because I
have done it a lot.
“Lee Kiyoung, this motherfucker! Don’t mess around! This filthy scammer
trash!”
-Just like this situation.
“What?”
-I’ve said everything I wanted to say. It would be better to stay away. In

exactly 5 seconds, this little thing is going to explode. Did you think you
could lower your guard just because you can use detection magic? You
should know by now that some magic doesn’t get caught by detection magic.
“Jin Qing!”
“Damn!”
-Five!
“Right now!”
-Four!
“I will cast defense magic!”
-Three!
“… … !!!”
-Two!
“Come this way!”
-One!
“Katya!”
-Baaaaaaaaannnggg!!! Oh, my! Oh, my! I saw everything. You just flinched.
Jin Qing! Oops. Our Jin Qing is too naive! Puhahaha! You’ve been tricked
again. Puhhahahahaha!
“This…”
-You’ve been tricked again! Puhhahahahaha! Where in the world would there
be magic that doesn’t get caught by detection magic? Are you really a
wizard? Pfff. Hahaha!
“This…”
-And how much firepower would it have if it only had such a small catalyst?
At best, it would break with a cracking sound. Puhahaha. I shouldn’t do this,
but I laughed when I thought of Jin Qing’s face while flinching.
“This…! This bastard!”
-Bye then! See you in the capital, General.
“I’ll kill you… I’ll kill you… Son of a bitch.”
-I pray that everything you want will come true. Well then. Oh! One more
thing. Hmm… You have been deceived again, Jin Qing.
Baaaaannnngg!
Chapter 388 We didn’t reach our
review goals rip. Instead of 25 s, I’ll
do around
Chapter 388: Cheap Psychological Warfare (1)
“…”
“Cough! Cough! Cough! General! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I haven’t been damaged. It’s just a simple trick. There is no
damage. What about you?”
“Cough. Yes. I-I’m fine, too.”
The smoke caused us to cough nonstop until it had all dissipated.
After the smoke had cleared up, the first thing that caught my eye was the
soldier’s distorted face. I kept staring at him unknowingly because of the look
he had on him. I’ve never seen him make such a face before.
However, I had the feeling as he did.
My hands shook uncontrollably. Of course, not all of my emotions were due

to my wrath towards him.
The reason for my anxiety laid in my sister’s current condition.
‘Is she okay? She will be okay, right? No, she looked to be okay. She must be
okay.’
She wouldn’t possibly be hurt.
Although she was showing herself to be very nervous, she seemed safe in the
magic hologram.
She was not being treated as a legitimate prisoner of war, but she didn’t look
like she was being tortured, at least.
I was nervous, but it was also relieved. I just had to keep thinking that she
was alive for now.
A voice began to enter my ears as if someone had spotted my worried face.
“Yev Karina will be fine.”
“Yes…”
“He considers Yev Karina to be necessary, and he thinks that he will benefit
from keeping her alive. He won’t kill or harm her right away. I don’t know
why Yev Karina is working with him, but…”
“My sister is not that kind of person. I’m sure he’s got something on her.”
“Yes. I also trust Karina. I’m sure of it.”
As we talked, I could see people walking around the door while trying to
scout the situation.
I wanted to talk a little more about my sister, but we had to brief the
Operation Department members first. I knew what the best thing to do here
was. However, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad.
There was nothing about Yev Karina in the briefing of Jin Qing.
The only emotion visible in my eyes was the anger I had against Honorary
Cardinal Lee Kiyoung. It wasn’t unreasonable for me to be angry, but that
was the first time I saw him so worked up and distraught.
I couldn’t find his usually calm and calculated appearance.
He seemed to be maintaining his composure on the outside, but it showed in

his body language. His breathing was subtle.
It was a tiny difference, but it told me all I had to know. He was furious. Still,
he was never the type to reveal his true feelings.
Perhaps the emotion that he was feeling was more akin to betrayal.
When he first heard the news about the State’s Honorary Cardinal, the
General looked as if he sympathized with him. His pride must have been
seriously hurt as he realized his true identity and was confronted
inappropriately.
Of course, the same was true for the magic power hologram.
It was strange not to get angry even if I were to think of it as a joke and
deception from start to finish.
The briefing continued despite the heavy atmosphere. They were only given
short information, but they could already deduce a lot of details from it.
He sighed again as the others nodded to show that they understood.
“Then… if it’s just as he said, Eberian troops are now heading to the capital
of the Republic?”
“No. We can’t be sure about anything just yet. We can’t overlook the
probability that the words a while ago are all deceptive. Personally, I think
it’s all a lie. Honorary Cardinal is just like a stray bullet. He’s the one who
inflates and excites himself. If he’s really heading to the capital of the
Republic, he won’t let us know in advance.”
However, nothing changed. Everyone was still on edge. I was forced to listen
to the General again.
‘He has a point.’
Heading to the capital of the Republic was indeed a ridiculous remark no

matter what one was to think. If I had been a member of the State’s camp, I
would have done my best to stop his plan.
It was impossible to advance to the capital before deciding whether to

proceed or not.
The forces of the Eberian Kingdom had not even crossed the front line yet.
‘It’s crazy.’
Even if they forcefully push and break through the frontlines, they would still
lose too many troops.
There was no way such an extreme decision was possible.
“Well, then, General. What did the video mean, then?”
“I think it’s to cause confusion. It’s all lies and deception. It’s all just a
manipulative performance, so to speak, like a clown in front of a camera.”
“A performance…”
***
“So, it’s all a show.”
“I am not sure what you’re talking about, Yev Karina.”
“It’s all acting, what you captured on the camera. None of those were the real
you.”
“Do you even know me well enough to determine who the real me is?
Nothing is as upsetting as pretending to know a stranger, Karina. Oh. Now
I’m pretty close to you to be a stranger. Hmm. Well, let’s say you make
sense, too.”
“The exaggerated expressions, gestures, and provocative expressions are all

false. You exaggerate that you’re going to throw a bold move and make him
think you’re actually going to act on that idea. Did you really need to do
that?”
“Ooh. I know what you’re talking about. Each animal has its own different
way to survive. There aren’t many beasts on Earth that grow larger when
scared. Humans always learn from nature.”
“It will all be revealed soon. No, there is no way the he will not notice.”
“It’s not that predators are fooled because they are stupid. It’s not because
they’re stupid, Yev Karina. What appears to be obvious can work better than
you think. It’s a bit different, but if you ask people to choose between a
beggar and someone with a nice suit to go out on a date with, a hundred out
of a hundred will choose the latter. This is only natural. Animals often play
with obvious tricks. Humans are also animals. Appearance and disguises are
effective. Oh, and to put in a deal with such a disgusting expression. I’m
bald-faced, so the deal definitely won’t happen. It’s just your face that will be
frowned upon.”
“…”
I could see him smirking while stroking my hair. Momentarily, my whole

body had goosebumps, but it was pretty hard to say anything else.
The current situation was dark as there was nothing I could do except quietly
bow my head.
‘This person is not a stupid person.’
The more I thought about it, the more the idea felt genius in my mind.
He was, by no means, a stupid person. Perhaps Jin Qing, who was watching
the video, knew it better than me.
Since he knew other people’s minds better than anyone else, he was indeed
well-informed. It was difficult to say that the magic hologram was just
psychological warfare, no matter what.
Every portion of the hologram had a part to play.
From the beginning of the video, it was provocative and forced the watchers
to concentrate.
Treating me like an object, acting like a third-class boss, all of his remarks
were indeed a performance. Deceiving others with a light lie and making
them aware that he could fool them at any time.
He showed off his abilities and confused their minds with useless sophistry.
The same was true for the exploding blank bullets and the tomfoolery before
that.
All the actions, speeches, and provocations that took place were all for show.
It was orchestrated to convey the words that he would go to the Republic’s

capital. It felt so strange that it made it seem like there was no room for
thought.
‘He’s like a blank bomb.’
I thought that there couldn’t be any better expression than that since it felt
like an understatement to compare him to a mere blank bullet.
No, he was the kind of person to hide actual bullets among false ones.
‘Jin Qing must know. He must be thinking that way.’
“What are you going to do?”
“Well, I think you know the answer already. Honestly, I haven’t decided yet.
The purpose was to confuse rather than convey my intentions. In fact, you
know the situation better than me, Yev Karina. I bet you know what I’m
thinking.”
“No. I…”
“You remember what I said, Yev Karina. I don’t yield, and that’s not a lie. I
have already decided to go in and have notified them. All that’s left is for
them to decide how to respond.”
“…”
“I do not yield. It doesn’t matter what they choose to do.”

***
“Don’t be shaken. He is not like a soldier or a policeman. He is a scammer, a

copycat, and someone who knows nothing but deceiving others.”
I thought he wasn’t such a disparaging opponent. However, looking at the

frowning Jin Qing, there was a bad taste left in my mouth.
‘He doesn’t want to admit it.’
I had to think that my speculation was correct.
I, of course, didn’t think he was off guard or underestimated him. He wasn’t

that kind of person.
“Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung knows better than anyone that his situation
isn’t advantageous to him. I don’t know if he’s familiar with Castle Rock’s
current situation, but the whole context explains it. Sending me that magical
hologram would also be an act to hide his anxiety.”
“In that case, Lee Kiyoung, what he’s aiming for is probably…”
“The division of forces. Confusion on the command group. What he wants

most is for us to take back the forces currently preparing to attack Castle
Rock. He will be waiting for us to take action in any way.”
“But, General, it is not necessarily impossible for them to head to the capital
of the Republic. Perhaps he’s drawing a picture of going to the Republic
through Laios…”
“It must have been said with that in mind. This is a common technique. If he
didn’t have a way to head to our capital, he wouldn’t have sent a video like
that. It would be correct to think that he said it because it’s actually possible.
I understand that this is a remark that was made with the Mercenary Queen
staying at Laios in mind.”
“…”
“He cannot possibly abandon Castle Rock.”

“Yes?”
“He must have thought so. No, he will abandon Castle Rock and will
eventually come this way.”
“General, that means…”
“… If it had been the previous me, I would have thought that it’s a simple,
deceptive tactic and that his words aren’t worth listening to.”
“…”
“Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung will be heading to the capital. I’m sure of
it.”
***
“Then…”
“You already know the answer, Yev Karina. Why do you keep asking? We
are going to the capital. I will abandon Castle Rock.”
“Are you… Serious?”
“I don’t know… am I? Am I lying?”

Chapter 389 Cheap Psychological
Warfare (2)
Chapter 389: Cheap Psychological Warfare (2)
“Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung will head to the capital. I’m sure of it.”
“Do you think that’s possible?”
“He’s a scammer, but he is also quite bold. It’ll be easy to understand if I

were to say that he is someone who knows when to roll the dice. He will
probably cross the Dawan Front and join the Red Mercenary staying in Laios.
If he’s lucky, he’s planning to enter the heart of the Republic with the
Mercenary Queen. Considering the supplies remaining in Laios, he may have
calculated that they can reach the capital. It will be touch-and-go, though.”
“It’s certainly not impossible at all, but it’s hard for us to understand that he’s
telling us his plan ahead of time.”
“I think he probably knows about it.”
“What…?”
“He’s aware that we’re benefitting from other fronts while using Castle Rock
as bait. That’s why he wants us to remove the troops from Castle Rock. The
purpose of his performance that seemed meaningless is to give Castle Rock
room to breathe even a little. I think we can be happy about this. It’s like
telling us that Castle Rock is in such a bad condition that he needs to do
something useless.
“Then, Jin Qing…”
“The main forces will remain at Castle Rock. Rather than letting the enemies
move as they want, we have to tie them up so tight they wouldn’t be able to
breathe. Of course, after delaying the enemy’s advance by organizing a
minimum number of troops, we will make them use up supplies as much as
possible, and we will defeat their troops with no retreat. It’s going to take
some time, but there will be plenty.”
‘It’s a standard procedure.’
That was a textbook tactic, keeping the pressure on Castle Rock and going
straight into the battle.
Enemy troops would head to the capital, but if some of the capital’s forces
could be detached, it would be possible to delay the advance.
The bogged down enemies would consume supplies and would slowly
become isolated and dry out. It was reasonable enough to give it some more
consideration.
However, the plan was not without risk at all.
‘What if the enemies don’t head to the capital?’
If Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung and his troops didn’t head to the capital,
the Castle Rock Front’s position might become a bit embarrassing.
We hadn’t talked about how we would divide our forces, but investing even
just 1/5– no, even only 1/7 elsewhere could already pose some risks.
We might just get fooled by the cheap psychological warfare they were
employing upon us.
However, Jin Qing’s face remained unchanged. He was confident in his own
judgment of the situation. He really thought that Honorary Cardinal Lee
Kiyoung was going to head to the capital.
I had to speak, even if it was only to ease the anxiety in my mind.
“Jin Qing.”
“You may talk.”

“How many troops do you have in mind to send to the capital?”
“About 1/6 of the total force.”
“That’s…”
“They will also be supported with a considerable amount of supplies. The

fight that will occur in the capital will be more prolonged than the fight that
will occur within Castle Rock.”
“Er… I don’t doubt you, but if they don’t head to the capital…”
“Even if they don’t, we can still attack Castle Rock. If they head to the
capital, we’ll still be able to afford to do it. If we consider the power that is
currently gathered in Castle Rock, it’s possible.”
“How…”
‘Can you be so sure?’
I had significant doubts about this, but I couldn’t seem to voice them out.
“You are wondering how I can be so sure.”
“I-I’m sorry, Jin Qing.”
“The answer is very simple.”
“And that is…?”
“I got a message. A very thankful message.”
***
“You already know the answer, Yev Karina. Why do you keep asking? We
are going to the capital. I will abandon Castle Rock.”
“Are you… Serious?”

“I don’t know… am I? Am I lying?”
I could see a teasing expression on his face. Until now, I have never thought
of myself as hot-tempered.
I thought I was someone who could maintain my composure, but that was
before I met Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung. There was something about
him that could easily provoke my anger. Perhaps he was aware of that.
As I turned my head and looked elsewhere, I could see him pulling his face
even more.
“Hmm. The answer hasn’t actually been decided on yet, Karina.”
“What?”
“To be precise, I couldn’t find an answer until the video came out. It was
literally just cheap psychological warfare, and I said that just in case. It is
difficult to say that our current army is weak, but I want to conserve their
power and win. Of course, we should avoid any meaningless casualties. Isn’t
everyone a worker who has stood up for us?”
“Are you saying that the video was just for that?”
“To be precise, yes. I wanted to see a reaction.”
“That’s…”
“I just wanted to see a reaction.”
“That’s a stupid idea. Acting after seeing the reaction…”
“I know. I know. It’s stupid to move our troops after the Republic on the
Castle Rock front moves first. It’s not about moving small squadrons, but
rather about moving large battalions of troops. It’s silly to move two or three
steps behind your opponent. That’s not what I meant.”
“Is there any chance that in the artifact…?”

“There is no such thing as a wiretapping device. The good relationship
between the two of us would’ve been completely discarded from that point
onwards. If I had been able to peek from one place to another in the first
place, I wouldn’t have gone through this hassle. Hmm. I would like very
much to have such a device.”
“If so…”
“I don’t know if you’re setting some expectations, but Yev Karina. What I
want to try is not the reaction of the demon summoner. Yes. It was your
reaction.”
“…”
“Actually, it’s hard for me to be sure. Smart people stay alert even if they are
caught in a tiger’s den, right?”
“…”
“I thought you would definitely try to send some message. And I was right.
Now, let’s watch the video. It would be better to replay the video you and I
took. Finger. And your pupils.”
“Your finger. And your pupils and your legs.”
-33 years old… I’m Yev… Karina.
“Your finger here.”
-It’s a little unexpected. How long have you been here?
-7 years.
“The little finger here, too.”
-First, I want to tell you that Yev Karina is in my hand. Isn’t it?
“The pupils here. Honestly, I don’t know in detail. It’s not like the Morse
code, and I don’t know what this code is… well, that wouldn’t matter. It’s
like a code and a signal only used by the Republic anyway. Or perhaps it’s a
demonic conversation that only works between demon summoners. For me,
chosen by the light, I don’t know what those signify. One thing is for certain.
You are trying to send a message to the demon summoner.”
“That’s a ridiculous delusion. If you’re thinking about trying me out… you

made a mistake. I didn’t send any messages.”
“Hmm. It might feel like that. Certainly, there is no difference from your
usual behavior, and if I just let it go, one would think it to be normal. But,
Yev Karina, my eyes are good. It’s a little bit better than others, and I think
my observational power is a bit better. I can see Yev Karina attempting to
deliver messages to the demon. It looks like you still haven’t been purified.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I don’t know. It’s a matter of checking whether it makes sense or not. Of

course, it will take some time to interpret the codes you sent, but honestly, it
feels like there’s no need to interpret them. Oh! I think I know this part for
sure. Fast forward a bit here.”
-I am not a scammer. Of course, you think it’s hard to believe, demon

summoner. But I will not bend. I do not yield. When we bump into each
other, it should be you, not me, who have to step aside. I have told you that I
am going to the capital of the Republic. You will come here. You will send
troops to stop me. You will have no choice but to pull back the forces holding
down Castle Rock.
“A finger here, too. Shall we look back again?”
-But I will not bend. I do not yield.
“You seem to be flinching a little, Yev Karina. Let’s see look at it again.”
-I do not yield.
“That’s something I heard a lot. I remember saying the exact same thing to
you. Actually, this sentence is part of the values that made me into who I am
now. Didn’t I tell you about it once or five times?”
“…”
“Getting someone to think of someone as someone else is harder than you

think, Yev Karina. I had to do a useless show. I also had to show the
appropriate behavior. Now, let’s ask a question here, Yev Karina. What kind
of person do you think I am? Hopefully, you think I’m someone who doesn’t
yield just like what I instilled in your head— Cough! Oh, excuse me. I’ll
repeat the video again.”
“…”
“Even though I have repeatedly shown you who I am, if the current message
sent to the demon summoner is negative, wouldn’t I feel a little sad?”
-I do not yield.
“The finger movement you see here means that it could be possible. Or there
is room to think about it. Or, Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung will head to the
capital. Or, Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung is a person who does not yield.
How is my delusion? Isn’t it quite plausible?”
“It’s wrong. Your thoughts are wrong. You’re barking up the wrong tree.”
“No. I can’t be wrong. I’m not good at interpretations, but I’m sure I’m right.
Even Jin Qing trash, who’s so focused on the meeting, believes that I will
head to the capital thanks to your message. Phew. Comradeship is good,
right?”
“Believe whatever you want to believe, Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung.

You are nitpicking over something useless now. To think that the main unit
in Castle Rock is shaking just because I barely moved my finger is stupid. I
didn’t send a message to them, and… it would be bad for you to move your
troops based on nonsensical guesses. It’s gambling.”
“Whew. I appreciate it, but I do not believe only in you, Yev Karina. I also
believe in the demon summoner Jin Qing. I believe he would have caught the
signal you sent in that short video and fully trust it. Undying comradeship! I
also believe in that. Whew…”
“This is such ridiculous bullshit…”
“Only I can judge whether it’s bullshit or not, Yev Karina. Now, then I’ll ask
you one more thing. Until now, I have repeatedly appealed and appealed to
Yev Karina that I am the one who does not yield. Do you have any guesses
on how I will move in this case? Will I advance to the capital without
yielding, or am I going to do the opposite?”
“…”
“Am I a man of God who keeps my words, or am I a son of a bitch who turns
his words and beliefs around and changes his attitude? “
“…”
“The answer is… It’s the latter. Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung is a fucking
dog who habitually changes his attitude. I yield too, Yev Karina. Woof!
Woof, woof! Woof! Puhahaha! Let’s go! To Castle Rock!”
“… “
“Let’s go to Castle Rock!! Woof! Woof! Woof!”
“Fucking… dog.”
“Do you think that I am doing this because I want to do this? Humans are
supposed to be forced to give up their faith sometimes, Yev Karina.”
Chapter 390 The Power of
Friendship, Love, and Faith (1)
Chapter 390: The Power of Friendship, Love, and Faith (1)
“So, is the journey a little comfortable?”
“Fucking dog…”
“I’m offended by you condemning me like that. From my position, I have

Are the prisoners still intact despite being betrayed? If I were really a
psychopathic trash, I would have buried all the prisoners currently being held
by allies alive. I wouldn’t be dragging them to the battlefield like this.”
“…”
“Didn’t you tell us that you will play a great role on the side of the light as
well? Naturally, this isn’t where your role ends. You made up your mind to
work for the light, but you should do much, much more for us. You will
continue to work hard in the future, so be sure to make up your mind firmly.”
“If you think that Jin Qing will be shaken from this, it is a mistake.”
“Is there any reason not to be shaken? He is a human, not God. Moreover, the
gods can also be backstabbed. What makes you think he can endure it? Even
smart people often make wrong judgments. Like you.”
“I don’t want to know.”
“It often happens when you trust others. A successful businessman goes
bankrupt after being backstabbed by a close friend or goes out of business
due to a bad guarantee. That’s usually the case when people who are unlikely
to ever suffer from fraud sometimes collapse. They believe in others too
much. Neither socially successful people nor people with special talents that
are different from others are backstabbed for being stupid.”
“Jin Qing is…”
“It may be hard to believe, but there are about three people who absolutely
believe in me. No, there are four. I look stupid, but I don’t think that can be
helped. I can affirm that if I’m in Jin Qing’s position and the ones I trust are
taken prisoner; I’ll still trust them. Of course, there will be several reasonable
doubts, but even taking those into consideration… I will want to believe.”
“…”
“It’s you, not me, that Jin Qing trusts, Yev Karina. Of course, he’ll think of
several ways of how I’m going to move, but what he believes in is you. In
that sense, this operation will be a significantly fun time. If…”
“…”
“How do you think the Republic will judge this situation if we head to Castle
Rock instead of heading to the capital? Will they simply think that he was
backstabbed by the son of a bitch who can’t keep his word? Or will he think
that Yev Karina, who he believed in, was enlightened with light and was on
board with me? Aren’t you curious? If he believes in the hints you gave, he’ll
be truly shocked. He probably won’t be able to tolerate it. Perhaps you’ll be
revered as the greatest backstabber in the history of the Republic. Yes.
Absolutely.”
“… …”
“I know. Those with great character in the Republic can never blame Yev
Karina. Who would dare blame someone like Yev Karina? I just keep talking
because I am anxious and worried. Well, time will tell the results. Now! Let’s
go! The organization seems to have been finished to some extent, and now all
that remains is moving.”
“Piece of shit…”
“It will be fun. Isn’t it a prevalent cliché that light wins through the power of
friendship and faith? Pfff!”
***
‘I received a message. A very thankful message.’
‘You mean a code? That’s…’
‘This is a message from Yev Karina. Katya, you were right.’
‘W-when did my sister…’
‘Throughout the whole time the magic power hologram was in progress.’
‘I-I see. She did. It was like that.’
‘Yes. She is still fighting with us.’
When I recalled what I had just heard, I couldn’t help but clench my fists. It
was natural for me to be worried.
Considering the current situation my sister was in, it wasn’t enough to worry
a hundred times.
The Eberian front had collapsed entirely, and Honorary Cardinal Lee
Kiyoung captured my sister.
That just gave me more reason not to give up.
‘She hasn’t given up yet.’
Even in the worst possible circumstances, she was constantly looking for a
way to fight.
Even at that moment, when I remembered her sending the message and Jin
Qin catching it, I couldn’t help but nod. It was difficult to say that the
contents of the interpreted message itself had a lot of information.
All I heard was the size of the overall troops.
The current situation on the Eberian front and the fact that Lee Kiyoung was
more likely to go to the capital were all delivered. Since there was a limit to
the amount of knowledge that could be conveyed in simple sign language, the
only information she could provide was at that level.
Of course, this was a remarkable achievement considering that they had no

information before that. The number of troops to be sent to the capital was
also decided because of her message.
The troops to detach and to remain were organized based on the Eberian front
forces.
It wasn’t like Jin Qing to leave Castle Rock, the only troop that could respond
if anything happened.
Units reorganizing in the blink of an eye was enough to leave anyone jaw
dropped. Even some of the Republic troops currently maintaining the eastern
front had been borrowed, so there was no need to explain the extent of their
capabilities.
In summary, he arranged units that could respond immediately to the Eberian

army while maintaining a force to guard against enemy attacks.
Of course, there were risks involved in their formation.
The troops maintaining the front and the prestigious Castle Rock had to be
reduced little by little. We had to gamble on sending significant forces to the
capital.
Nevertheless, there was only one reason they were able to proceed with such
a plan.
‘Because it’s Jin Qing’s judgment.’
Everyone trusted him that much. Jin Qing judged that they could survive with
the troops that he left.
If that was his decision, then all we had to do was follow. Until now, the
Republic had been moving that way, and in fact, it had produced excellent
results.
All the commanders believed in his judgment.
Of course, there was no doubt about his skills, and in reality, the formation
itself had turned out to be perfect.
There was no noise either, but it wasn’t due to distrust towards him, but
rather towards others.
“The formation itself is so good that we cannot say anything. I was worried
about the high proportion of summoners in the enemy troops, but I’m sure
enough you will keep their feet tied. The supplies we brought seems perfect.
Hmm, I thought that the Dawan front side might lose a little power, but…”
“I’m glad then.”
“Of course, it doesn’t mean I don’t have any worries.”
“Is there anything I missed?”
“No. I’m not saying you missed something… Hmm. Even though I am not
comfortable with saying this, but it should be worth thinking about this
thought of mine at least once.”
“You can talk.”
“What… I want to say is that…”
“…”
“I would like you to think that this is advice from an elder. The… The
Eberian Front collapsed too easily, no matter how much I thought about it. I
just can’t understand how it happened. Considering the size of the Eberian
troops delivered by Yev Karina, it makes no sense.”
“What do you want to say, Riot-nim?”
“Of course, I know that it is not polite to say this in the presence of Katya-
nim, but I wonder if Yev Karina…”
“… …”
“I think you should also think about the possibility that Yev Karina is having
other thoughts.”
“Riot-nim, are you saying that my sister betrayed us?!”
“I don’t mean that. But I think we shouldn’t ignore the possibility itself.
Considering the number of priests on the Eberian front, the size of the troops,
and the walls’ size, does it make sense that they were defeated in one day?
Yev Karina said herself she would now stand on the side of the State… I-I
didn’t see the magic hologram, but she seemed too well to be a simple
prisoner.”
“It’s as if you wanted my sis, no, Yev Karina to have suffered.”
“I didn’t mean that, but we need to consider that as a factor. If we assume that
the Eberian front was attacked with Yev Karina’s influence, it explains why it
was dominated so quickly. I wonder if she had wrong thoughts with the
continuous propaganda of his enemies, which resulted in her making an
extreme choice.”
“That is a ridiculous calumny. Jin Qing, that’s not even worth hearing.”
“But you have to think about it at least once, sir. I hate to think of the
situation this way, too, but you should also think about the possibility that she
has turned her back on us.”
“You… Do you really think my sister left me and passed over to the State?”
“You don’t have to raise your voice, Katya! I was just talking about the
situation as it is. Strictly speaking, the responsibility for the defeat rests with
Yev Karina, the general commander of the Eberian front. No matter how you
think about it, you shouldn’t think about it emotionally.”
“Say that again.”
“Stop.”
“…”
“…”
Suddenly, the room grew silent.
I had to bite my lips tightly at the remarks of the old man in front of me. It
might be my imagination, but it was difficult to judge that there was no
political intention in that statement.
‘This old man is as sly as a fox.’
Everyone here knew that my sister was spending the most time with Jin Qing.
Saying that she would turn her back on the Republic was absurd. She would
rather die. There was no way she could do that.
It was ridiculous even to say that the information provided by her code was
false.
Moreover, the suspicion that she had been betraying us due to the Eberian
front’s time must have been made with the post-war situation in mind.
‘He dares talk about betrayal even though I am there?’
It was then that the Jin Qing’s voice solemnly rang out.
“Katya and Riot are both right. It’s worth thinking about it.”
Unable to control myself, I accidentally raised my voice.
“Sir!”
“If there is a possibility, it’s obvious that we should think about it. And I’ll
keep the possibility of Yev Karina’s defection in mind. We are also making
preparations if anything like happens. However, it is unlikely. Not because I
have been with her for a long time. It is improbable that she would have
turned her back on us even if we were to look at it rationally.”
“Ah…”
“She has no contact with the State. She would have neither motive nor time
to betray the Republic. It is not yet known why the Eberian Front fell so
quickly, but I can bet the reason is not because of her defection.”
“But…”
“You don’t have to worry, Riot. I also have all the possibilities open.”
“I-I’m sorry for saying something useless.”
“No. It was something worth considering.”
He finished quietly, and there was no saying if he believed her

unconditionally, but as I turned my head, I could see Jin Qing’s face, all full
of conviction.
‘He trusts her.’
As he said before, he must have thought about several outcomes already. But
basically, there was no change in the fact that he believed in my sister.
The face he was showing told me everything I needed to know. I smiled.
‘He believes.’
Perhaps my sister would repay that belief. Just as I was thinking about such
thoughts, we received another report.
“Sir, the enemy forces are moving.”
“Where?”
“I think they r-really plan to head to the capital.”
‘Good.’
“We will move right away.”

“We will move right away.”
“Yes, sir.”
“The organized troops will leave as soon as possible. Perhaps we’ll be able to
arrive on time. The Siege of Castle Rock will also take place exactly two
hours after.”
“That means…”
“We will capture Castle Rock in three days.”
“Yes, sir.”
“There is no need to be anxious. Even if there are them. I understand that this
is a hard and exhausting time for everyone. Some of you must be having a
headache and doubts about okay. We are strong. We won’t be dragged down
or forced to collapse.”
“…”
“Arise. It’s time to fight.”
I was not the only one who felt that the atmosphere had changed a little.
Unknown trust arose from Jin Qing’s face as he talked. He was not saying
anything significant.
However, his face and attitude could cause a person to feel uplifted. I thought
that it was probably because of the trust contained in his eyes.
‘He’s pretty trusting.’
Not only me, but all the commanders present, and the troops who moved
together, all felt their morale rising.
It was okay to call it a form of confidence.
It was the confidence in himself who had raised such an army and the
confidence in the people he had chosen.
In unison, the people started moving to follow Jin Qing, who got up first. I
wanted to join the Siege of Castle Rock, but I was assigned on a different
mission.
“Katya.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If you see a bad situation, you should return to Castle Rock right away.”
“Yes. Okay, sir.”
“You should always think about all the possibilities.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I believe you will do well. After the Castle Rock attack is over, I will
return.”
He tapped my shoulder, then immediately moved on.
I have had many thoughts, but I didn’t have time to think too deeply because
there was not much time left before our departure.
As soon as I got outside the meeting room, the voice that came right away
was a bonus. We were already in a hurry to prepare for leaving.
“We will move right now. Move fast! Pack supplies, too! Are you ready
yet?”
“…”
“We have to get to the destination before the sun sets.”
“Are we ready to go?”
“Yes. I-it’s almost finished. After the last check, we can leave right away.”
As I nodded, I saw the army raising the flag.
As I stepped forward and got on the prepared horse, I heard a loud shout from
where the other side’s troops had been gathered.
It must be the force entering the Siege of Castle Rock.
‘We can win.’
I didn’t know how long the siege would take, but I could undoubtedly say
Castle Rock itself was already at its limit.
The supplies inside were running out.
The same could be said about the magic power built into the wall and the
soldiers’ strength inside.
Looking at the evident variables, it wasn’t bullshit to consider it possible to

attack within the day. Although we took a portion of the troops, the power
left at Castle Rock proved to be more than enough.
The infrastructure we had built up so far proved that.
Regardless of whether it was the State or the Republic, one side would suffer
significant damage from this battle.
Perhaps it was a situation where we could see the end of the war. It was far
too evident in terms of power that our forces had the advantage.
However, it was inevitable for my steps to become sober.

‘We have to win.’
It was a fight that we couldn’t lose.
We couldn’t lose the battle at Castle Rock and fail to stop the Eberian army
from advancing to the capital. We’ve already expected many allies to lose
their lives.
“Let’s attack!”
***
“I’m curious if there’s even a need to do this. If it goes wrong, not only
Castle Rock but Dawan as well will be in danger.”
“Do you have to keep complaining like that? It’s already spilled milk.”
“I’m not saying this for nothing, Wi-ran. Castle Rock is definitely at its limit.
It was only because Yuno Kasugano, me, and Park Yeon-joo were here that
the castle made it through so much. It was the balance that three out of Eight
Seats of the State were keeping together. I admit that Lee Kiyoung is an
outstanding person, but this a huge gamble. These women can’t afford to
hold anymore. They won’t be able to keep the barrier up another day, no, two
days. The same goes for the Dawan Front. But because you were there, it was
pushed only that much…”
“Stop babbling. It’s embarrassing for a man to keep doing that. Do you think
we don’t know it’s a gamble? I’m doing this because it is the only thing that
can reverse the current situation. The Dawan Front had already collapsed
anyway. I know best since I was there. It felt like a waste to invest troops…
Sons of bitches…”
“But…”
“What do you mean, but? I regret getting on board with you whenever you’re
babbling like this.”
“Same here.”
“Honestly, you also doubt the ability of the Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung,
right?”
“…”
“The results are telling us otherwise. Things are moving the way Honorary
Cardinal Lee Kiyoung wants, plus the fact that he took you out of Castle
Rock. It’s also true that we are currently entering Laios. It was because of
something like a pheromone potion he gave that made Mercenary Queen
calm down. Even if we are also part of the State’s Eight Seats, it’s 100 times
better to think and move like them than to work our asses off running away
and enduring. More than anything…”
“…”
“Who knew the Republic’s troops would move, too? Have you ever imagined
something like this?”
“That’s why I’m feeling nervous.”
“Well. I don’t know what happened, but the Republic’s priests seem to be
loyal to the Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung. It’s understandable for the
priests to be scared as the opponent is said to be a demon summoner.”
“Is he?”
“You don’t have to worry too much. We only have to do what we are ordered
to do. You have enough magic power left, right?”
“Of course.”
“That’s fortunate. I was worried that you might have run out of it in Castle
Rock. I guess you saved some power for the final resistance? You’re still the
same.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
I had to nod quietly. Wi-ran was indeed right.

It was Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung, one of the Eight Seats of the State,
who had found the way out when we were all driven to a corner.
If he had not appeared, we would not have been able to wage war on equal
grounds.
‘Competent bastard.’
He was the kind of person I would hate to have as an enemy.
I had felt that way since I first saw him, but the more I knew about him, the
more I felt like that about him.
It was not because of his character but because of his meticulousness and
boldness.
He dominated the Eberian front in a day, and his power to turn the Republic’s
priests into allies was disconcerting. It was unbelievable that it only took him
a few words to change the flow of the war.
‘It’s understandable that Cha Hee-ra is so hung up on him.’
When I heard rumors that the Mercenary Queen had begun hanging out with
a newcomer who had just entered the place, I also thought it was bullshit.
I thought she had simply found a new toy.
I naturally forgot about it. After some time, I had forgotten entirely about the
Mercenary Queen’s Gigolo.
Not long after that, he got a position in the State’s Eight Seats.
‘He’s not ordinary.’
I knew that a dragon chose him. I knew that he was an excellent alchemist.
Other than that, everything was ordinary. It would have felt credible if the
wizard, who was with him, had been in the same Eight Seats.
His body’s strength was indeed the weakest.
He had strong fellows around him, but he was far from being powerful no
matter how I thought about it.
I thought that the Vatican and the emperor had some sort of influence, so of
course, I questioned the decision and actually opposed it.
However, after opening the lid, my jaw dropped. His achievements were
beyond words.
I couldn’t even list everything that he had done.
He had quickly turned the Empire into a State and became the Honorary
Cardinal of the State.
Afterward, he accepted the half-circumvented the foreigners into the

community called State and came up with a policy for the foreigners.
In other words, all the politics and law for privileges were all just for himself.
It was around that time that my anxiety about him arose. It didn’t mean I had
become hostile or disliked him. What sprang up had been a touch of
uneasiness.
I came to realize that he was an outstanding person.
‘He’s not like an apostle of God.’
He was not as holy or divine as he was propagating in the State. Instead, it

was the opposite. He moved thoroughly for his own gain and for those
around him. He did everything he could to take advantage of all the
circumstances in front of him and survive.
I evaluated Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung to be evil.
Of course, I felt dubious, but I was even more convinced after I left Castle
Rock.
There was an exit small enough for only one person to pass. It was the only
entrance to the now completely collapsed black market.
It was a secret passage known only to officials. That was the reason why I
was able to get out of Castle Rock.
Thinking about it again, it was a funny situation.
The fact that he knew such a secret doorway was no different than the fact
that the Honorary Cardinal of the State, who had been admired by everyone,
was the owner of the black market.
As I moved slowly, a familiar face slowly came into sight.
“Commander of the Eberian front. Have we ever met before? Oh, come to
think of it, I heard about you from the Honorary Cardinal. Is it Yev Karina? I
guess that was you.”
“And you…”
“…”
“…”
“Do you know me?”
“N… Now I see what he meant. I see it now. W-why are you here? You
should be at Castle Rock at this point… No, you have to be in Castle Rock.”
“Didn’t I ask you first if you know me?”
“Damn… F-Fucking dog… fucking dog! He said that he definitely wouldn’t’

touch the prisoners!”
“I will ask you again. Didn’t I ask if you know me?”
“One of the Eight Seats of the State… Mist Summoner Cheon Gwan-wi.”
“Correct.”
“What… What are you trying to do?”
“Well. I just obey orders. I don’t feel good about doing this. I just want you
to know that it couldn’t be helped because this is a war.”
“You…”
After being bitten by a dog, there’s nothing one can do, even if I think about
it.
“There’s too much fog.”
“How about taking a break before moving again, Katya? This area is
extremely foggy at dawn, so there is a possibility that enemies will ambush
us, even more so if we can’t see anything. Moreover, the soldiers are also
exhausted…”
“No. We will continue to march. However, we will slow down a little. It’s
already getting late. Has it been confirmed in which direction the Eberian
forces moved?”
“The reconnaissance unit is checking, but it’s still in the air. There have been
reports of large troops passing through Laios, but after the fog entered…”
“So, they’re really heading towards the Republic.”
“What about the Castle Rock front?”
“I haven’t received any letters yet.”
“We have to wait for good news to come. How about the other units?”
“It’s the same. Currently, the retreat route and supply routes are being cut off
due to the fact that the enemy’s military force and exact location are not
known. There is also information about dragon sightings.”
“A dragon…”
I adjusted the sword on my waist.
‘It’s too quiet.’
The whole situation felt like it was being designed just as how I wanted it to
be.
Although the ground we had to cover was wide, we managed to surround the
enemy troops, and it seemed that they were actually feeling the pressure. Not
only was their supply line cut, but the reinforcement forces also had no holes
to enter from.
Troops deployed little by little from all over the eastern front strangled the
enemy and kept their surroundings in check, so it was impossible for them to
breathe.
The only thing the enemy could do was to move forward.
‘Because their retreat is blocked.’
It wasn’t because of the fog.
However, it had been so quiet that this forest, entirely covered with silence,
was enough to make me feel strange anxiety.
It was convincing enough that the troops were roaming this area. No, it was
obvious that it was to get rid of the soldiers that were pursuing them as much
as possible.
With few traces left behind and combined with the fog, this place was the
best place for them to hide.
However, that was all. It was only about buying some time when I thought
about their inability to break through the tight siege.
I had the possibility of guerrilla warfare in mind, but I couldn’t even find any
signs of attempting to fight or reconnaissance.
‘Strange.’
If I were to think about the hand that the enemy had, the fact that they moved
like that was unfounded.
“Let’s stop for a moment.”
At that moment, a negative thought passed through my mind.
‘No. The enemy is here.’
Information was constantly coming in that traces of small forces had been
discovered.
“Is there anything bothering you?”
“Where is the closest ally?”
“It is confirmed that there is a troop led by Choon-wi in the vicinity. I know
they are coming from the southwest, but…”
“I think it would be nice if they join together with us. No, we better wait for
them here. We will set up a camp. Let the soldiers rest. It’s just five hours.”
“Yes. I relay your orders.”
“Send reconnaissance troops around. If they see any unusual signs of

activities, they are to report it right away.”
“I knew it. You’re being bothered by something…”
“Yes. I am. I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but it seems that the
concentration of magic here is a little too high. Is this area always infested
with such a thick fog?”
“Yes, this is normal. Not as much as today, but you can think of it as
normal.”
‘Strange.’
It wasn’t just my imagination—the feeling of something prickling all over my

body. When I took a deep breath, thick air would come in, causing me to feel
dizzy.
Unpleasantness from no apparent reason flowed. It was not because of the

damp ground or air.
Looking around, I noticed the others were in a similar situation.
I thought it was just because of the tension, but my body kept sending out
signals that it was uncomfortable.
‘Damn.’
“It’s annoying.”
My voice had protruded without even knowing it. I felt even more surprised
after I spat it out of my mouth.
That was when a noisy sound started to come from behind. However, I didn’t
really care. I was used to such a fuss now.
“It looks like a monster has appeared.”
“Is it the eighth already?”
“Yes.”
“I know that the monsters in this area are relatively docile… Handle– no, I’ll
take a look at it myself.”
“You don’t have to.”
“No. I want to check it with my own eyes.”
I moved swiftly towards the commotion.
After reaching the rear ranks, I immediately saw people surrounding the
monster.
Of course, what stood out more than the group was the intermediate, fairly
large-sized monster.
Its red eyes looked to be drowning in rage. Although it repeatedly screamed

and resisted, it couldn’t fight a large number of humans.
It was up against no ordinary humans, after all. It was fighting a squad of

elites.
It was only natural for a monster to succumb when faced with such powerful
forces. Just as I was about to take out my sword, I heard a voice addressing
me.
“There’s no need to do that. I will take care of it myself.”
I turned to follow the sound and saw the lieutenant approaching the
commotion.
However, more crimson-colored eyes came into view. It was not just them.
Little by little, everyone’s eyes were becoming bloodshot.
‘Something’s wrong.’
I could feel it.
Until now, I hadn’t been able to detect it properly, but the more I looked
around, the more I saw strange occurrences. Lost in my own thoughts, the
monster screamed.
“Lieutenant.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Investigate the monster you’ve caught. Afterward, if you see other monsters,
capture them immediately as well. Investigate what kind of magic or curse
they’re being affected by. Check if any soldiers are experiencing physical or
mental problems. Check all the water and food supplies that we have.”
“There are no signs of magic or curse. Both water and food supplies are
normal as well…”
“Alchemy. Does your unit have any wizard with alchemy knowledge? It
doesn’t matter who they are. Make them analyze the monster as quickly as
possible.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll let them know immediately.”
‘Something’s not right.’
There had been some subtle body changes on the troops.
Of course, they hadn’t been greatly affected yet, but whatever it was, it
wasn’t the kind that could be laughed off.
The moment I realized that Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung had an in-depth
knowledge of alchemy, my anxiety began to amplify. I felt like we’ve walked
into a trap.
It could easily be if I assumed that the enemy forces set up a trap aiming at
squads that would come from the main unit. However, I couldn’t think
entirely like that.
‘Is he throwing Castle Rock away to get us?’
Currently, it was safe to say that the enemies were all moving in a hurry.
The Siege of Castle Rock had already begun a long time ago, and they
already knew that the main unit would head to the capital after the siege.
It was the perfect time to fight.
To keep the grounds equal, they had to deliver a blow against the Republic. It
wasn’t the enemy’s main force, but it was our task to stall for time with the
incoming troops.
They knew better than anyone else that the more time it took, the more
disadvantageous their situation became.
The enemy’s actions in the forest seemed to wish for us to remain in it. It felt
more like they were trying to hold down the Republic’s troops.
‘There are a lot of numbers to call it a bait force.’
It was quite large in scale as well.
I would only be exaggerating a little bit if I said it had the scale to affect the
entire main unit.
It was even more probable to be a bait force if I were to think about the
selection’s splendor.
Although the exact number had not yet been determined, it merely wasn’t
profitable for their side to use such forces large enough to be used in siege
warfare, to tie up several squads’ feet.
‘What the hell is your intention? Why…’
“Er… Katya.”
“Yes?”
Just as the wizard was about to continue talking, a hole was pierced into her
forehead.
“Er…”
“…”
“Prepare to fight!”
“Prepare for battle!”
An arrow had been impaled into her head. A loud voice echoed across the
vicinity before she could even fall to the ground.
“Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!!!”

“Where did the arrows come from?!”
“From the northeast. Northeast!”
“Arm yourselves. We will check the exact location of enemy troops, where
they set up the camps, and where their troops are.”
“Yes, sir.”
As I was giving out commands, a volley of arrows had flown into our
location again, striking ally soldiers down.
“Damn. Let’s move quickly. Pull back the troops for now to the other side.
Spread as much as possible to avoid being mass-massacred by the arrows,
and don’t stop moving!”
“Retreat! Retreat!”
“Cast shield magic. Prepare for the second attack…”
“Ahhh!”
“Ahhhhhhhh!”
“D-Die! These filthy demon minions!”
“The motherfuckers!”
“I will cleanse you! Dirty demons! Unclean demons!”
‘Shit.’
Screams kept coming from our sides.
I couldn’t see if the enemy had come, but I felt that our formation was
gradually collapsing.
‘Not good.’
No commander would ever wish to be with the enemy forces in a fog so
dense we couldn’t even see an inch in front of us.
Even if with the numerical advantage, no army would ever want to be stuck
in such a situation.
“Keep the line! Keep the ranks! Keep in line, and don’t let yourself get
separated! Form a line with shields! Focus!”
“Gather!”
“Gather quickly!”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
More screams echoed from the sides, followed by what sounded like bodies
hitting the ground.
As I pulled out my sword, I saw the face of a man protruding from the fog
surrounding me.
He sported bloody eyes, and saliva drooled from his mouth. His bizarrely
distorted face looked like it came out of a horror movie.
Their appearance combined with their charge while holding daggers had
involuntarily evoked a primitive fear.
“Dirty demons! Hiiiiic! Die! Die!”
“What?”
“You guys, hihihihi! You think they’ll leave you alone!? These dirty guys!
G-God will not forgive you!”
“C-Crazy…”
“Diieeeeeee!”
“Son of a bitch!”
Naturally, I had begun to wield my sword, effectively beheading the zombie-
like creature.
“What… what. What… is this…?”
The noises and screams that continued to reverberate all over the fog-covered
battlefield slowly became exceptionally louder.
“What… is this?”
However, what stood out more than that was the appearance of a doll. It had a
separated neck and body.
“Varian’s believer…”
The clothing it adorned was what the priests of the Republic wore.
‘What the hell is going on?’
The person’s appearance naturally surprised me.
I couldn’t fathom why the Republic priest was running with his mouth
evidently foaming.
I looked around in hopes of making sense of our situation, but I couldn’t see
anything because of the thick fog. Nothing changed, even after applying the
maximum magic power to my eyes.
My brain was gathering up lots of questions.
I had a lot of questions.
“Trap! It’s a trap! Stick together as much as possible!”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“We’ll respond to the threat once we’ve regrouped! Don’t get separated!”
‘Where?’
We could hear a loud voice, but I couldn’t seem to figure out where to gather.
Our sights had been limited far too much. Allies and enemies were now
mixed together inside our smokey cage.
I also realized that the fog surrounding the current troops seemed a little
different from usual.
‘The magic power is highly concentrated.’
I couldn’t feel any traces of magic power until now, but the fog surrounding
us seemed to have been artificially created. I felt like I was in a dungeon.
‘Magic… Is it magic?’
Someone came to mind.
However, he wasn’t supposed to be where we were.
The thought that there was a mist summoner here who should be participating
in the Castle Rock battle was ridiculous. It was unreasonable to pull a
significant person away from their defensive line when it’s already being
beset from all sides.
No, I couldn’t even understand how that person could have come out in the
first place. I was confident that our troops had the entirety of Castle Rock
busy.
If she and some of the troops escaped Castle Rock, they should’ve gotten
caught on our radar.
I felt like I was losing my breath, and my mind was being overloaded.
I knew that I must analyze the situation calmly, but it wasn’t easy to make
practical judgments about what was happening. In fact, I didn’t even have
time to think that much.
The most important thing at that point was to overcome the situation.
However, my already burdened mind wouldn’t allow me to focus on it.
“This dirty demon! Eeeeeekkk! Dirty demooon!”
Those who wielded weapons indiscriminately were hard to be seen as sane. I

stepped back and swung my sword, causing blood to dye my face red.
Intestines spilled out as screams continued to echo across the battlefield.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
Even with one arm completely blown away, the crazed being continued to
run after me in a way that reminded me of maniacs and zombies.
I bit my lips tightly and cut its throat again, finally causing it to lose its life.
Another figure ran towards me that looked to be the same as the last one.
With a slash from my swing, the puppet collapsed as well. Another figure
approached me from behind through the fog at the very same moment.
I oscillated my sword when I heard a voice, but as I stopped myself just as I

was about to cut its throat.
“It’s me! It’s me, Katya!”
“Mi… Mythica!”
“You were here.”
“And others… No, can you tell me how the situation is right now?”
“I’m s-sorry. In fact, I can’t figure it out. I only got here by accident. For
now, we need to prepare something to cover our mouth and nose. I don’t
know if you’ve noticed, but…”
“Are you talking about the fog?”
“Yes. It’s probably Cheon Gwan-wi’s doing. No one else can spray fog all
over such a wide area. How she got out of Castle Rock is unknown, but this
is definitely her work. I think she covered her magic power by using a
catalyst in the existing fog, but unlike before, the concentration of magic
power is very explicit. And not only that.”
“Did you find out anything else?”
“I’m uncertain about this one.”
“It doesn’t matter whether you are or you’re not. Just tell me.”
“Okay… i-it’s just a guess, but this fog probably contains magic or some
kind of weird drug. It might be a curse as well. I don’t know in detail either,
but… seeing that the priests’ purification magic doesn’t work, it’s highly
likely that other means had been used.”
“Go to hell!! Hehehehehehe!”
“Careful!”
“T-Thank you, Katya.”
“Keep talking. I will open the way.”
“Yes, yes.”
“What do you mean by other means?”
“I think it’s a kind of alchemy potion. I haven’t figured out how exactly it
works, but it’s probably a stimulant of some kind that induces hallucinations.
One thing is certain: the more exposed you are to this fog, the stronger the
effects. The monsters that attacked the troops earlier were probably also
affected by this fog. Of course, as I said, these are all my personal guesses. If
magic or the priest’s purifying spells don’t work, there’s nothing else I can
think of. I’m sorry I can’t be much help.”
“No. The insight is helpful enough. It’s probably something really close to
Mythica’s speculation. I also thought that my body was sending some signals,
little by little. It’s a bit different from mental magic. If it were such magic, the
effect wouldn’t have lasted until now. The lower the resistance, the faster it’ll
take effect. The longer the time it stays in effect as well.”
“Yes. You’re right. The lower the magic power or HP is, the more lethal I
think it is. Perhaps the probability that Lee Kiyoung made the potion and
Chun Gwan-wi turned it into the fog is also…”
“We can think so, too.”
“That’s all I can guess. K-Katya. What will you do from now on…”
“First, I’ll rearrange our troops. Find sorcerers and drive out the fog in any
way. There is no other workaround.”
“Okay.”
“We will move a little faster. Mythica, stick to me and follow.”
“Okay!”
In fact, it wasn’t a significant achievement altogether.
But at least, they made sense of how things were going and how matters were
going on.
The biggest question now would be how to deal with this absurd situation.
“Die! Die! Die! God Varian will not forgive you!”
“L-Let go of me!”
“Motherfuckers! Motherfuckers! Die! Lunatic bastards! “
“You’ll be the ones who’ll die, cursed children of the demon!”
The more I made my way out of the fog, the more I saw spectacular sights.
I saw armed people surrounding and beating a single soldier. I also saw
someone crushing another person’s face with its bare hands.
I wanted to go and save them, but the problem was I couldn’t tell the ally and
enemy apart.
There weren’t just those who were wearing Varian’s uniform. There were
also those wearing the Republic military uniforms and those wearing their
insignia.
Even those who appeared to be civilians were mixed in the fray. It would be a
waste of time to distinguish them apart.
It went without saying that the situation was rapidly escalating more and
more as time passed by.
“Dieeee!”
“I’m an ally! An ally! Don’t swing!”
“Die! Fuck off! Don’t come close! No one. No one comes close!
Motherfuckers!”
“This crazy bastard!”
“Don’t come close!”
“Unite! Unite!”
“Form a dense formation! Defend with dense formation!”
“Don’t come closer, you crazy bastards! Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“God will punish you!”
“Dirty demon bastards! Disappear! Die!! Goddess Benignore and God you.
These punished bastards!”
“Kill them! Kill them all!”
“I’m an ally. Don’t swing. Ahhhhhh!”
“I’m an ally! Ally! Gab! It’s me! Me!”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
‘Shit…’
“Damn…”
‘Shit!’
“Katya-nim.”
“Please stay close. The rear troops are probably in formation around the
wizard.”
“Yes… Yes.”
No word could better describe the scene than the word hell.
Blood continued to splatter as a foul smell rose from the sticky floor. My
body was damp due to the blood, and my hair was drenched in sweat.
Screams and shouts pierced into my ears nonstop, and voices asking for help
kept ringing in my head.
The more I breathed in, the dizzier I got. At that point, I knew the drug was
working.
Of course, it wasn’t just me that was getting affected.
Everyone around me was under its effects. Anyone who approached anyone
was treated like an enemy.
People continued to wield their swords in fear, cutting their own allies as they
got surrounded by actual foes. More and more individuals got brutally
murdered while the fog continued to force madness into their minds.
It no longer even looked like a battlefield.
‘What are we fighting against? What…’
“Die!!!”
“Help. Help me… Save me!! I am not… I am not! Gasp.”
“You guys think you will take over the Republic…”
“Don’t do this. Don’t come closer! It’s my fault. I did everything wrong, so
don’t come any closer. Please don’t do this. I…”
“Help me. Please. Mother…”
“Kill them! Kill… Eeeekkk!”
“Dieeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
‘Help me.’
“…”
‘Help me. Katya… Please help me. Please… save me.’
“Sister…”
It wasn’t because of the fog. My vision was becoming more and more
distorted.
I saw and heart hallucinations. As I continued to swing my sword, those who

fell with blood on their faces began to look more like demons.
‘I’m just hallucinating.’
Everything was just hallucinations. My mind was getting blurrier and

blurrier.
It was like magic. No, it felt like a curse.
“Mythica… are you following me properly?”
I looked back, but the glasses-wearing man was nowhere within my view. I
bit my lips tightly, but nothing changed. It would be impossible to find him in
this state.
“Katya!”
The moment I turned to the voice coming from the side, I saw a giant
monster.
“N-Now.”
“Die…”
“What?”
“Die… just die! This monster bastard!”
“What are… gasp.”
The monster’s neck was slashed apart instantly. However, when I cleared my
eyes, the head of an unknown soldier was the one rolling on the ground.
It had become increasingly difficult to breathe, and my face had become

distorted with an unknown fear.
It felt like all I could see was red as the world spun around me. Tears started
to fill up my eyes when I tried to make sense of such an unintelligible
situation.
I bit my lips tightly, but I felt like the incomprehensible reality kept putting
my mind into a corner.
‘Save me… Katya.’
“You must be purified! You have to be purified.”
‘Katya.’
“I will deliver salvation. The salvation of light! The army of light will drive
you out!”
‘Save me, Katya!’
“Salvation of light!”
“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

Chapter 394 The power of
friendship, love, and faith (5)
Chapter 394: The power of friendship, love, and faith (5)
-I don’t know if I’m using this thing right. It’s my first time using such a
device. But send a report anyway. The situation is reaching its end. The
enemy’s main unit has been thrown into confusion, and about the capture of
the central figure… hmm. I can’t say for sure that it’s possible, but I’ll try my
best for now. As soon as they are ready, they will be sent to Castle Rock. I
don’t know if they’ll make it on time, but that’s their responsibility, not mine.
The battle there will take a long time, so it probably won’t be a problem.
“I think it’s going well. It would be nice to prepare some footage or

something. You’re also very inflexible. You just say what you want to say.”
-Just in case they’re curious. Let’s send the whole situation.
“Ah, I think it’s going to be sent.”
-You will receive the salvation of the light! Who dare! Who dare! Say
something about demons!
-Gasp… Ahhhhhhhhh!
-Blaaaarrghh…
-Shut up! You dirty informants of the State!
-I’m an ally! Don’t attack! Ally! Stop! Ahhhhhhhhh!
-Dirty demon minions! Be cursed, demons! Even if you fall into the inferno
and die, you will suffer forever!
– You pagan cult crazy bitch! Die! Die!!

-The apostle of God… Die… I… will fight even if I die…
“…”
“…”
“It’s worse than I thought.”
“Yes.”
-That’s all for my report. As you ordered, this is going to be discarded

immediately after it’s sent. Oh, also, she said she had something to say. I
disagreed, but you know her better than me, so I hope you understand this
much.
-O-Oppa. H-How are you? I… I’m doing well. And so is Sora. It’s been two
days since I haven’t seen you. Two… days. I-I miss you. Hic. I miss you so
much. I’m so worried about how you’re doing… are you feeling better?
Make sure you eat every meal and get treatment every day. Definitely! I’ll
finish things up as soon as possible and come back. Please wait! Smack!
Smack! Smack!
“…”
“…”
-I love you. Hihi.
“Blargh. I wish I didn’t see it.”
“Don’t react like that. It’s just cute. What’s the big deal?”
“It’s indeed cute, but it doesn’t look like that from the same woman’s
perspective. Do you think I don’t do that because I can’t? Do you want me to
show a decent aegyo?”
“No… I don’t think it will suit you.”
“Aren’t I cuter in appearance? I’m a little smaller and cuter than Jung Hayan,
right? It’s too hard to say that she’s cute because she comes out and goes in.
Wherever I look, I have to take that concept, and it just interferes with
Hayan’s face. Hey, why do you keep picking your ears when someone is
talking? You’re not ignoring me, are you?”
“No. It’s not that. My ears are itchy for some reason.”
“I guess someone is cursing you. You deserve it. It wouldn’t even be weird.”
“I think you’re being too harsh, Nuna.”
“But I’m didn’t say anything wrong. Pfff! You know that this time was
particularly vicious, right? You have to be sure that the people involved in
your operation will keep their mouths shut. Even if it is known, I will
announce that I helped, but the image shouldn’t be damaged for no reason.
It’s a holy army after all, right?”
“Yes. Right. It’s holy. Absolutely. Well, actually, you don’t have to worry
about it. What happened there will always be treated as an unfortunate
accident. Isn’t it ridiculous to question ethics in a war where killing and
dying is a common occurrence?”
“Curse and magic that shake your mind are strictly taboo even within
continental law. The same goes for black magic.”
“Since I don’t use magic or curse, I’m safe. The State will not use black
magic, so it’s safe.”
“You’re good at getting away.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
I could see Lee Jihye’s face giving exaggerated applause.
She was expressing admiration for my personality, but it was like pot calling
the kettle black.
It was ridiculous to see that the hidden contributor who actively agreed with
the plan and paid attention to the details was now showing to be conscious.
Of course, it wasn’t her true feelings. She was half teasing, and above all, she
seemed to be in a good mood.
She kept humming while watching the footage over and over again.
The enemy fell into the trap.
As a commander, it certainly felt good.
The result was extraordinarily excellent considering there was no damage to

the allies, and there weren’t going to be any useless prisoners.
But…
‘It’s a bit too much to be humming.’
“Hmmmm.”
She’s even moving her head up and down, feeling the rhythm.
I always thought I was trash, but when I saw Lee Jihye, I felt comforted
knowing I was less of a piece of trash than her.
“It really is good to have you, you know? You made me realize that I am a
little less vicious than others. You’re ruthless beyond belief. When the demon
is summoned, it will probably think you’re its brother. Oh, has it already
done that before?”
“…”
Apparently, she was thinking the same thing. Although I felt a sense of
shame, I did not bother to show it.
I felt the need to change the topic before I was hurt any further.
When I opened up a serious conversation, I felt grateful to hear Lee Jihye

answer sincerely.
“When will it arrive?”

“Anytime soon. By now, the news that our troops are approaching has
probably been heard by the enemy force, too. I wanted to move a little bit
more secretive, but as expected, our demon summoner doesn’t neglect to
send out scouts even in the middle of a siege.”
“I wanted to surprise him. It’s a shame.”
“He will be surprised. The reconnaissance team keeps catching their scouts,
so the enemy won’t even know its exact size. At best, they’d think of it as an
assortment of support units. They all know that our troops went into the
Republic. They must be thinking we gathered the remaining troops from here
and there. Of course, there is no possibility that all of them had been
detected–”
“Detection?”
“It’s just a guess. But it’s also an issue to be prepared for. If you’re in a
position to lead a big force like this, you have to think about every
possibility. Overall, the situation is fine. No, it’s a problem because it’s too
fine.”
“First of all, the movement of the troops. I can’t exactly figure it out, but I’m
worried that there are too many troops out there. For example, think of a
force that won’t matter regardless of whether it exists or it doesn’t. It would
be right to say that it’s a surviving force that can interfere with maintaining
the battlefield. It’s not always good to have many people in a fight. You have
to think about the supply, and you have to consider the percentage of melees
that can be protected with shield magic. Although the squad was separated
from the main unit, it wouldn’t matter if such a small force is left out.”
“…”
“That’s why we haven’t heard good news from the other fronts yet. I was out
of breath on the other fronts. It takes a blow with a little more power to make
up for the previous losses.”
“What about the other circumstances?”
“I have it under control.”
“…”
“Almost the entire eastern front has been dominated. We could celebrate the
fact that the enemy didn’t notice our movement towards Lindel, but that’s
like saying that we don’t know how things outside of the Eastern Front are
going. Both sides are paying as much attention as they can to each other’s
movements. Our enemies are not fools. It’s quite problematic that the
positions of the troops located where the mist summoner is are unknown.
Some have been trapped nicely, but where are the others? It would be nice if
they were wandering in the forest of fog, but what if they’re not?”
“Hmm…”
“In the strategy simulation data that you passed before, I thought that the
demon summoner had a strong tendency to tighten and bite opponents, but
the actual situation and the game are different. Rather, a single surprise attack
can across more effectively if you have this kind of tendency.”
“If you’re right…”
“Yes. That means the soldiers currently in the forest may have been thrown
away as well. It may look like they’ve gone too far, but in the first place, Yev
Karina may not have even cared about it.”
“… …”
“Loosen your face up. It’s not necessarily bad. Just being able to bring some
of the enemy troops into the forest of fog is a great achievement already. I
wanted all of them to be trapped inside the fog, but that would be hoping for
too much.”
“What would you do if you were Jin Qing?”
“Well. Aren’t I the same as you? What will you do?”

“Using the capital as an excuse and sending good bait to the forest of fog…”
“Attacking the main unit the moment they let down their guard. The same
thing we’re doing now.”
‘This trash.’
I felt like I was cursing myself for some reason, but I couldn’t ignore the
possibility.
Lee Jihye’s words were convincing explanations.
It was currently impossible to precisely determine how many troops entered

where the mist summoner, Cheon Gwan-wi, was.
It was worth suspecting that not all of the squads had gone into the forest of
fog.
There’s also the impossibility to rule out the chance that some troops were
sent to the forest of fog as the rest turned back.
I focused on the map that Lee Jihye was closely looking at as she pointed to a
spot with her finger.
“If our speculation is right, there is a high probability that we will bump into
each other right here before entering Castle Rock. To be precise, there’s a
possibility that we might get attacked. The terrain is disadvantageous for us
and good for the enemy. The central unit in Castle Rock can also help. Of
course, he may be distracted for a while in the siege, but anyone would be
mad after encountering the one who screwed them up. And no offense, but
when you provoke people, you have an insolent look on your face. I bet even
the Buddha would feel pissed upon looking at you.”
“That hurt a little… Anyway, if you’ve read this far… I take it you’ve
prepared countermeasures as well?”
“First, we pray that the enemy did not dig a trap. If they did, the only answer
is to pierce through it. From there on, it’s a battle of tactics.”
‘Tactics.’
It was easy to say.
However, she admitted that the demon summoner was excellent when it came
to such factors.
Even in a strategy simulation game based on the database obtained before,

Lee Jihye had never beaten the demon summoner.
She even admitted it herself that she couldn’t win.
We didn’t know how much she had sharpened her skills since then, but the
demon summoner was undoubtedly powerful.
With anxious thoughts, the soldiers continued to march.
Bang!
In that instant, a loud roar emerged from the road.
I thought it would unfold like that for some reason, but I felt even dirtier.
“Fuck…”
“… …”
“Do we have countermeasures prepared?”
“Yes.”
Although she nodded her head confidently, I knew she couldn’t help but feel
anxious.
“I was hurt a lot, too, and I have to show that the game and the actual
situation are different.”
I had no other option but to nod at what I heard afterward.
“You mean there are tactics in place?”
“I already have them in motion.”
“So what is that…”
“Tactic Kim Hyunsung.”
“Huh?”
“The tactic Kim Hyunsung. That’s the tactic I prepared.”
“Ah…”
“You know better than me. That’s why I kept hiding it.”
“Puhahahaha. Ah. Yes… Phew. I forgot that! I forgot our Hyunsung!”
I wasn’t sure if it should be called a tactic, but its destructive power alone
could be regarded as such.
I laughed, but not because I was suffering from mania.
He’s a monster of expenditure created to house the gods.
He’s a real messenger who had been returned by Altanus and was favored by
the Goddess Benignore.
His mythic-grade armament and the stats he had were already more than
enough to call him a monster.
There was no need for complicated tactics.
Tactic Kim Hyunsung itself was all the strategy we needed.
“Initiate the tactic ‘Kim Hyunsung’!!”

“Roger that.”
Chapter 395 Regressor Instruction
Manual (1)
Chapter 395: Regressor Instruction Manual (1)
The war they were experiencing and modern warfare was distinctly different.
I had mentioned it several times already, but that wasn’t even enough to
overemphasize it.
‘Yes. Right. Absolutely.’
Whenever I thought about the impact that a single individual could have on a
war on this continent, that answer always came swiftly into my mind.
For example, the power Jung Hayan showed at Laios and the mist summoner,
Cheon Gwan-wi’s actions at the forest of fog.
The same went for one of the Five General Tigers, who played a significant
role in pushing Dawan and Celia out.
How about Cha Hee-ra, who possessed a power that exceeded the mythic
grade?
A single entity paralyzed the entirety of Laios, influencing the war

significantly.
Of course, in Cha Hee-ra’s case, various factors were intertwined, but it’s an
appropriate example of how great of an impact an individual could have.
To put it simply, they were tactical hacks. While most people were warriors,
there were those who were more like tanks.
If an enemy force suddenly pushed in with a tank on a battlefield of swords

and bows, everyone would have no choice but to be surprised.
If the enemy had strategic weapons, we needed our own to counter them.
If they had a warrior with enough endurance to prevent themselves from

being pierced with ordinary arrows and swords, we would need an archer that
could impale through them.
The continent’s war history developed in such a way, though a few changes
occurred after foreigners fell in.
The results themselves did not change. The only thing that changed was the
process.
How many tutorial dungeons one had completed became an indicator of a

country’s national power.
As such, the appearance of foreigners was also shocking to them.
In that relationship that had been tightly held together, new and powerful
people began to enter.
They naturally weren’t invincible.
If a swordsman’s defense were hit with an attack more robust than it was, it
would break. If a wizard was in its place, then even more so.
It was even more riveting when taking into consideration the possibility of
descending to the lower world due to a blind arrow that flew in while they
were off-guard.
Even a swordsman with seemingly bottomless stamina would start to feel

exhausted at some point, and even a wizard who had tremendous firepower
would eventually run out of magic power.
If an enemy could keep such ridiculous beings in check, it could reduce the
scope of my movement.
Then what about Kim Hyunsung?
What if there was no enemy tactical weapon that couldn’t be kept in check on
our side?
‘I do not need to say it.’
He’s a human chosen by God.
He had so much talent that ordinary people couldn’t even dare to surpass it,
yet his hard work never stopped.
The status window visible through the Mind’s Eyes was far too exquisite for
words to capture it.
The Mercenary Queen had a strength that could exceed the mythic grade, but
that guy was well-rounded in all aspects.
All his figures except Intelligence were 90 or higher.
He had legendary-grade attributes.
He’s like the main character in a novel or a cartoon.
I could confidently bet that the current Kim Hyunsung was the strongest in
the human world.
At least, among the humans I had seen, there was no human beyond Kim
Hyunsung.
-Prepare for battle!
-Prepare for battle!!
-Immediately respond to magic and arrows! Wizards, keep the defense magic
up!
Kim Hyunsung hid in a position away from the noisy troops, a calm look
dominating his face.
In the returner’s arms, it seemed possible to even sleep in the middle of the
battlefield.
He exhaled deeply as he did some light stretches to loosen his body.
The priests’ buffs poured out, and the wizards’ secondary magic started to
focus on him.
From anyone’s perspective, it seemed that the main factor of the battlefield
was that bastard.
Even the troops that were suddenly attacked felt flustered.
They were prepared for battle, but it was still natural to be surprised when
met with an unexpected assault.
I could still hear the explosion.
Lee Jihye and I watched the situation from a relatively safe distance,
preventing any shock from reaching us, but it was difficult to say that there
were no damages outside.
Baaaannnggg!!!
Boooom…
Boom…
“That force wasn’t deployed to attack allies. Its main purpose is to slow the
march or to make the allies accumulate damage.”
“Really? Anyone who looks at it would think they simply want to attack.”
“I think they’re that desperate. I wanted to preserve and move our troops
properly, but it can’t be done without any damage. First of all, the terrain is
disadvantageous. I wanted to avoid it, but I think this is a fight that we have
to face. Maybe it’s a good thing that we’re confronting them here.”
“When are you going to use the Kim Hyunsung tactic?”
“It’s not something to be deployed recklessly. We need to use it as effectively

as possible to live up to its name. Where the name is used is important, but
the most important is how it’s used. Let’s see… We need to open up a path.
It’s my job to deliver the bombs as risk-free as possible.”
“Hmm… Well, okay. Can I leave it to you?”
“Yes. At least, for now.”
“I’ll go outside for a second and review the situation.”
“Don’t get hit by a random arrow for no reason. Just take it and come in.”
Lee Jihye wasn’t saying something useless. As soon as I stepped out, I started
hearing all sorts of roaring sounds.
The temperature was different as well.
It’s not that I haven’t been through that kind of situation, but the scale was
different, so it felt more real.
From the skies fell all sorts of offensive magic, and allies gathered around to
cast defensive spells.
Baaaaaaannng!!
Craaassshhh!!!
“Wizard Support Unit! Shield casting! Shield casting!”
“Collect maximum magic power! Move fast! Faster! Out of bombing range!
What are you doing?!”
“Ahhhhhh!”
“Priests! Priests!”
“This is an order to prepare the response magic! This is our top priority.”
“Cast after confirming the magic circle.”

“Ready to cast!”
“Launch!”
“…”
‘Are they already retaliating? They react quickly.’
It’s evidence that the unit was well trained. I wasn’t the one who taught them,
but I couldn’t help but feel proud.
With the control tower, they responded well to unexpected situations.
However, it looked like their magic couldn’t reach the enemy located on a
relatively higher slope than us.
The situation was no different from an uphill battle.
I could confirm that the demon summoner prepared quite a bit.
“The warriors are to keep their formation as they move forward. You all are
to avoid damage to the rear as much as possible. Consider it your top
priority.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Gather around the ones with defense artifacts! Push back in!”
“Shit! Don’t let them come up!”
Lee Jihye continued to give orders in the command room, and the troops
followed her orders in real-time.
Of course, overall, all we were doing was decreasing our distance from the
enemy, but giving instructions down to the smallest details was different
from just approaching and charging in.
‘There’s no problem in the damage dealt with our teammates, but this…’
The problem was that the wizards’ magic powers and the priests’ divine
powers were being rapidly consumed.
Even if they were to penetrate the enemy ranks successfully, the question was
whether they would have enough stamina to continue the next war.
‘This is what they want.’
Of course, the enemy could easily remove its troops.
It’s already beneficial for them to undercut our physical strength, and if they
could cause a lot of damage to our forces, then they’ve done their job quite
excellently.
In many ways, the situation was unfavorable for us and advantageous for the
enemy.
I had to be curious about the timing of when the tactic Kim Hyunsung would
be dispatched.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Medical Corp! Medical Corp!”
“5th platoon, direct fire magic! It looks like the shield is broken.”
Our troops were taking damage.
I wondered if something had happened, but I thought that wasn’t the case.
She’d also know when the right time had come.
As I was contemplating whether to ask for more details in the command

room, something caught my attention.
‘Huh?’
I saw ice flying over our heads.

To be more accurate, it was ice in the shape of a spear.
‘Is it really made of ice?’
It didn’t seem to be visible to other people’s eyes.
It felt like time was passing by slower than usual. I was wondering why I
couldn’t notice it until it came so close.
The spear flew our way and broke through our defensive magic. It made me
feel a chill crawl down my spine.
Although I was the one who cast it, the dragon shield still emerged slower
than the flying speed of the spear.
It wasn’t just an attack that ended with minor injuries.
It’s no wonder that I felt annoyed by my dull body that wouldn’t move.
I tried to avoid fatal injuries by twisting my body away from it as much as

possible, but the damn thing that flew right in front of me was enough to
make me think of all kinds of things.
‘They have someone capable.’
There’s someone specialized in assassination or shooting among them.
Being able to throw a spear that couldn’t be seen from such a long distance
was difficult to execute if it wasn’t someone named.
I leaned away as much as I could.
Clink!
I heard the sound of a glass breaking.
“Huh?”
“Are you okay?”

Kim Hyunsung stood next to me.
‘Why are you here? No, when did this bastard come here.’
I remembered him getting ready to charge.
We’re located far away from the main unit.
I didn’t know when he noticed the spear flying towards me, but it’s a mystery
how he got to where I was in no time.
Actually, what was a little more surprising was his appearance.
‘Fucking handsome.’
Half-holding me, he completely broke the invisible spear with his other arm.
Regardless of whether it was made of glass or ice, he turned it into powder,

causing it to sprinkle down onto the ground.
It felt like I was looking at a filtered picture even though he was just standing
still.
Even the sun shone just at the right time to make me feel like he’s in a
photoshoot or a movie.
Kim Hyunsung began to speak first just as I was about to with a strangely
ambiguous pose.
“I think it would be better to go inside, Kiyoung-ssi. It’s dangerous outside.

At least just until we get rid of the snipers… since everyone will be aiming at
you.”
“Yes. I… was careless. I didn’t know protection magic could be pierced so

easily.”
“It’s probably magic that focuses on penetration. An attribute may have

influenced it. It’s threatening, but it probably won’t reach into the control
room. Quickly go inside.”
“Ah… Yes. Okay. Thank you, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“It was only natural for me to do that.”
“Okay. More importantly… can you stay here like…”
“It’s a little late, but it’s fine. I just received an order. Then… I will come
back.”
“Yes. Catch you later.”
“Oh! And I keep telling you, but you need to be as careful as possible,
Kiyoung-ssi. Please tell that to the command and control room.”
“Then…”
I was left speechless after seeing him disappear in an instant.
I hurriedly entered the control room, not wanting anything aimed at me to

come again.
Kim Hyunsung was reflected in the magic hologram as he ran.
It’s almost obvious where he was charging towards.
‘He was following the angle of the spear.’
I watched him go to the position of the sniper that tried to aim for my life.
“How is he so fast?”
My eyes felt strained just watching him move.
Shortly after that, screams began to echo from all directions.
“Nuke is falling!”
[Active: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=a5OPCzVjvL8&ab_channel=DropAwCl]
Manual (2)
“What was that just now? What kind of man gets hugged like a princess?”
“You saw that?”
“Of course I saw it. Why did you even go out and snoop like that? I didn’t
think I had to tell you this, but your face is like a living provocation totem.
And refrain from looking at him with bright eyes. That’s why those types of
novels are sold even during times of war. Did you know that the percentage
of female soldiers coming back alive is really high in the State? I don’t know
if it’s a joke, but they said they couldn’t die because they had to wait for the
next book. It’s helpful, but you know better than anyone that getting caught
up in useless talk is bad…”
“What novel?”
“You don’t know?”
“I know, but what does that have to do with this…”
“Oh, no. It’s nothing. You can be so slow sometimes.”
“Huh?”
“You don’t have to worry about it. Anyway, did you get hurt?”
“No. Thanks to someone, I’m fine.”
“Take care of yourself. If it wasn’t for Hyunsung… sigh. Nevermind, just

look at the screen. We have to keep showing the GPS. It would be better for
you to do this. You understand Hyunsung better than me.”
“What screen is this?”
“It’s a magic hologram for tactic Kim Hyunsung. It’s in first-person because
it’s difficult to follow the movements with a normal camera. The basic route
is decided… all you have to do is show the GPS, take coordinates, and set
targets. You can help in other small areas if you think it’s possible
considering Hyunsung’s abilities. You know this. I wanted to do it, but I
think you can do it better. I have to look at other branches as well.”
“You surely are prepared.”
“To use a tallboy, you have to prepare for it. Obviously, he still has
limitations in physical strength and magic power. It’s better not to make him
overdo it. I’ll also focus on that because the enemy doesn’t seem too easy.”
“We’re not being pushed back, right?”
“We’re not, but… It’s not that there are no anxiety factors at all. Right now,
focus.”
“Okay.”
‘She’s definitely a successful bitch.’
It was enough to think about it.
I knew she was smart, but I never thought she would use that method.
Kim Hyunsung’s first-person view. Considering that my instructions were

being delivered, I thought it was like playing a game.
A game where I felt like I was botting.
I didn’t have to control it. Our tactic weapon, Kim Hyunsung, automatically
took care of the enemy.
‘I think this is okay… No, it’s awesome.’
Of course, Kim Hyunsung’s judgment on the battlefield could be trusted.

He was dozens of times more experienced in battle than I was. It was clear
that he knew how to fight and how to eliminate the target.
But the story was different when it came to war as large as the one we were
waging.
Kim Hyunsung’s vision was limited.
Unless they’re looking down from above, nobody would know for sure how
the overall war was going.
He could get isolated from getting agitated alone, or he might not be able to
see where he needed support from.
It was my role to assist him.
Kim Hyunsung was wearing one large-view camera and one personal camera.
I could bet no role suited me better than that.
It was even more so when I recalled that I might know more about his body
than Kim Hyunsung himself.
‘Good.’
-I’ll get through right away.
Kim Hyunsung, who started running in earnest, couldn’t be judged by a

commoner’s gaze.
Lee Jihye was right.
If it weren’t for his personal camera, I wouldn’t have even noticed how he
was moving.
‘Is he really human?’

The surrounding scenery passed by very quickly.
Fast was an understatement to his speed.
He looked faster than a bullet train.
He unsheathed his sword in an instant, and the enemy’s limbs in front of him
were blown away.
Before the parts of the enemy’s body fell to the ground, Kim Hyunsung was
already elsewhere, his sword still in hand.
As soon as he swung, the enemies’ weapons and limbs flew in all directions.
Of course, before they could come down from the sky, Kim Hyunsung had
already reached his next destination.
-Tap, tap, tap, whoosh!
The reactions the enemies showed were different.
-Ahhhhhhhhh!
-What! What? What… what is this?!
-Stop him! Don’t let him come up! Block him as much as possible!
-Just now! Ahhhhhhhhh!
-Shit! Medic! Medic! Priests!!!
-What crazy situation is this?! Fuck!
He had an insane speed.
Rather, my reaction to guiding him felt slower.
It was hard to convey information to Kim Hyunsung.
‘He’s too fast.’

A101 at 11 o’clock.
-Done.
Then B21 at 9 o’clock.
-Done.
Change the route.
Southwest.
After arriving, kill the enemy wizard.
Immediately head to E point.
-Done.
He and his sword danced.
He had already reached the destination and eliminated the target before I
could even say anything.
“Jihye, Lee Jihye.”
“…”
“Jihye!”
“Yes… Yes? What? I’m busy right now.”
“Send me a few more of the Goddess’s Mirrors. One for each point.
Quickly.”
“Why?”
“I can’t check on him because he moves too fast. Quickly. I have to look a
little wider.”
“W-Wait a second.”
“Okay.”
Lee Jihye immediately sent me mirrors that showed each point as if she had
checked the situation over there.
Naturally, I moved my hands and eyes rapidly since it was being sent in real-
time.
Since Kim Hyunsung moved faster than the speed at which I could roll my
eyes, I had no choice but to do that.
It’s ridiculous enough to make me clear my throat.
I could bet that I could react that much because I was an eye user. If it were
Lee Jihye, she would have had to give up midway.
I specified the coordinates and kept them displayed.
I set targets and figured out in real-time what battlefields needed our tactical
nuclear weapon most.
‘It’s not enough. It’s fucking not enough. I’m not enough.’
I couldn’t follow Kim Hyunsung’s movement.
I had to deliver information constantly, but I couldn’t do that. I felt frustrated

to death.
It felt like I picked up a Lamborghini as my first car without knowing how to

drive.
I felt miserable not being able to fully utilize the lovely returner’s potential.
But there was no way I would give up.
As I moved my fingers, I constantly changed the battlefield’s position. I also

ensured the personal screen that Kim Hyunsung was wearing didn’t stop
moving.
I couldn’t give time for Kim Hyunsung to space out.
He would be suspicious of the orders I gave him if the guide who led him
was clumsy.
‘My head hurts.’
I wasn’t a genius or even smart, for that matter.
By the time I felt that my brain wasn’t receiving the information I was
receiving with my eyes, it started to get wet under my nose.
The scent of blood continued around my mouth.
It’s hard, but I felt like I wanted to praise myself just being able to follow
Kim Hyunsung’s moves little by little.
I wanted to pat my head, but I didn’t have time for that.
Enemies were also sending out troops to respond to the tactical nuke.
But it was different.
-This motherfucker! Dieee!
The pig that appeared with pride was immediately put to rest when his throat
was sliced open.
-Keep the shield magic up! Shield magic! Buy a little more time!
The guy who shouted and chanted had his wrist cut off and died right there.
I didn’t know how to distinguish between the one who killed and the one who
didn’t get killed, but Kim Hyunsung seemed to have an exact feel for it.
Personally, I thought it would be nice to kill them all, but there was an
advantage that came from leaving some simply wounded.
“The wizard casting in the 213.41 area has been confirmed. The target is
assumed to be from the main unit.”
-Noted. I’ll finish this and deal with it.
“Next.”
-Done.
“Next.”
-Done.
“Next.”
-Done.
It’s quite a long distance, but I believed he would arrive on time.
As soon as he took out a dagger and threw it, the enemy’s shield magic was
broken, and the small weapon impaled into the caster’s forehead.
-Done.
‘Fucking fast.’
However, that action just now consumed some magic power.
Of course, it didn’t show any effects yet, but it was efficient to save magic
power if I thought about the future.
“You can slow down a little. Save your strength.”
-Okay.
‘Is that guy for real?’
What I was witnessing was the scenery our lovely returner was in front of.
I could see soldiers and some named faces with the monster that they cannot
deal with.
Although I was simply looking through the screen, their breathing, Kim
Hyunsung’s breath, and the sense of urgency of the scene were clearly
conveyed.
It didn’t mean that there’s no danger, however.
Hundreds of arrows flew in at once, and platoons and magics organized to

deal with Kim Hyunsung continued to intercept him.
Even though I wondered if he would have stepped back, It’s a spectacular

sight to see him let their attacks slip by or get stopped.
I had never witnessed such a degree of godhood.
‘Isn’t he too strong? Isn’t that a breach of balance?’
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that he was a masterpiece created by the

gods.
The pure awe of how a human could become so strong began to rise.
Avoid or cut.
Block or cut.
It’s incredible to see such a simple process repeated hundreds of times.
‘Right. That’s the exact expression.’
Most soldiers had their arms cut off without even being able to move a
muscle, and even those who had reached a certain level couldn’t withstand
the maximum ten moves.
It’s probably obvious what the enemy commander was thinking by now.
They must’ve thought that a moving nuke fell right in the middle of their
troops.
It was natural to feel that way.
Even I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing with my own eyes.
It was then that I felt that the movement of the enemy troops changed a little.
‘They are starting to put some pressure.’
I could see that some of the visible troops, in general, were concentrated on
Kim Hyunsung.
“Jihye.”
“…”
“Jihye!”
“… …”
“Honey! Honey!! Wife!!!”
“Yes? Yes? What?”
“Send one more priest and one more wizard. Only send named ones with a
long maximum range. No, just create a list of local priests and wizards and
send them to me.”
“A-are you okay?”
“What?”
“You have a nosebleed.”
“It’s okay. Send the list. Quickly.”
“O-okay. I-I guess you’re using it more than me…”

“Just show me the Goddess’s Mirror. Quickly.”
The Goddess’s Mirror that filled my vision– no, the magic hologram, was
spectacular in its own way.
“I don’t know if we should create an instruction manual for this,”
I muttered to myself, but somehow I felt like that was really needed.
“That would be fun. What would be the title?”
I didn’t answer, but I repeated the right title to myself.
‘Regressor Instruction Manual.’
‘That’s it! Hyunsung! I love you!! Fuck!!’

Manual (3)
‘Is this possible? Something like this… is it really possible?’
I couldn’t help but question it.
It’s true that when I first heard it, it left a bad taste in my mouth.
In the middle of the battlefield, moving under orders was virtually

impossible.
We didn’t know when or where something could happen that would cause a
battle to take place.
Not only did the situation change every minute, but there were also factors
outside of the commander’s range of predictions that frequently occurred.
A, which was the destination, the location might have to be moved, and the
possibility of a stray arrow or magic falling on the point marked with the
coordinates couldn’t be ruled out either.
It’s understandable to build a camp in large-scale battles while moving troops

into units, but I had never seen or heard of giving such a situation to
individuals.
That’s why I wasn’t happy.
Even if the Goddess’s Mirror could be used to see the battlefield with a wide
field-of-view, the responsibility to respond to fell on me.
After entering the first operation, it was still sluggish, and I didn’t like it.
However, after a short period, I had to admit that it was beyond my
imagination when I opened the box.
‘This doesn’t make sense.’
I thought I could do it alone by merely marking the coordinates of a route or

place, which would allow them to place weapons wherever I needed them.
However, setting targets and paying attention to details was another problem.
There was a limit to human brains’ capacity, which meant there was a limit to
the number of information humans could visually accept and judge.
Not only were they unable to see everything clearly, but there wasn’t enough
time to organize the information as well.
If my movements were slow, I would be able to accept them, but to respond

to his speed was close to impossible for normal humans.
‘I have special eyes, Hyunsung-ssi.’
Maybe this was what he meant by saying that.
What he was doing was not something an ordinary human could do. No
gamesman or military officer I knew of could pull off what he was doing.
My internal evaluation continued to pile up.
When I first met him, I just thought he was just quite useful.
The same person who left a mediocre impression on me was now an

indispensable friend and a brother who led me.
I wondered where the hell that genius was hiding in the first round.
Saving him by wielding my sword in the tutorial dungeon was the best thing I
did in the first and this round.
‘Enemy!’
I could see archers pulling arrows in front of me, but I didn’t really need to
move.
The coordinates would be taken right away anyway.
As expected, I could see the signal coming in right away.
-C point is 321.12.
“Noted.”
Although the barrier was thick, he still charged on.
‘I can get through.’
A big man with a huge shield and ax swung his weapon at me.
As I swung my sword, I felt the familiar unpleasant tenderness of the human

body. Blood soon spurted out of the man.
I kept moving my feet and gave him no time to rest.
In the meantime, commands continued to come.
My body naturally responded to the voice.
His constant commands gave me the feeling of him being right next to me.
A colleague who protected one’s back couldn’t be any more reliable than
him.
Moreover, it wasn’t only his commands.
‘The buff is running out.’
-C points 321.69
“Done.”
As soon as I arrived at the place, divine power began pouring into my body.
The priest who gave me divine power also had his jaw dropped as if he found
it absurd.
The only command that the priest received was to pour divine power at the
exact point.
Maybe he couldn’t even properly check my movements.
‘I can understand.’
I could understand how that priest felt.
The feelings I felt now were the same as those of my allies.
It’s too absurd.
I never imagined that that kind of thing would be possible. It was like a stage
made for me.
There was nothing to think about besides cutting my enemies and getting to
the destination I was assigned to.
I didn’t even have to worry about magic and arrows falling from the sky.
Why?
Allied protection magic always protected me at that point anyway.
Baaaannggg!!!
With that loud sound, a curtain spread out over the sky and blocked the
enemy’s magic.
The ally wizard, who cast the defense magic, was looking at me perplexed
from a distance.
It was all due to him witnessing the result of a ridiculous command to cast
shield magic where the enemy definitely was a few minutes ago.
‘This… he’s reading the battlefield.’
There was no better way to explain the situation.
Wounds that I inevitably received were immediately healed while I moved.
Buffs on my body never ended as if there was no time limit.
Just by moving to a specified point, a nearby allied priest added divine power
to me as if he was already waiting.
If there’s a place where I felt was too far, or if I were uncertain if I could
pierce through the enemy lines, magic would fall to open the path for me.
The same was true for the warriors who were pushing troops out together.
They pushed away the enemies in such a way that opened enough space for
me to find the enemy’s face.
‘No way.’
I could feel pleasure in my heart.
I didn’t enjoy fighting very much. My pleasure came from the fact that I
couldn’t help but feel like we’ve become one singular unit.
“Die! This monster bastard! Gasp!”
I heard an ally’s voice overlapping with the scream of a fallen enemy.
“Hyunsung, behind you!”
I heard him shouting, but I didn’t care.
I wasn’t told to be careful, just as expected.
A loud shriek soon came from behind me.

When I looked back, I saw the enemy’s face falling backward with an arrow
on his forehead.
The ally archer who shot the arrow showed the same expression that others
had shown so far.
Perhaps we were all feeling the same emotion.
Even if there seemed to be no laws, we were all organically connected like a

spider web.
-Move to the next location.
“Done.”
-Next.
“Done.”
-You can slow down. Pay attention to your stamina.
“Done.”
‘This person is a genius.’
It wasn’t unreasonable to think of him like that.
“Gasp!”
“This crazy monster! Die! Stop him! Don’t let him come up!”
“Do not spare magic and arrows! You only need to get one shot. Just one
shot!”
“But!”
“Shut up and pull the string! Don’t let him com… gasp!”
-Thank you.
“No problem.”
While I took a short breath, divine power was poured over me again,
replenishing the buff.
The sight I saw after looking back was absurd, even if I thought about it.
Although my current growth level could never be labeled as slow, I couldn’t

remember having such a satisfactory battle even during the first round when
growth was almost over.
It couldn’t even be seen as a war.
If I said that I ran with a rough off-road in the past, now it felt like driving a
very luxurious sedan on a paved road.
I had similar magic power and displacement, but the condition of the road
was different.
I clenched my fists.
‘I think I can fight all day.’
Of course, it was an exaggeration.
However, if the battlefield continued to be in that state, it wouldn’t be

impossible.
-Caution. 12 o’clock position.
“Noted.”
When I looked away for a moment, I responded to the voice and saw the
spear.
The spear that came out in an instant was the magic that was aimed at
Kiyoung awhile ago.
When I lifted my sword and cut it with a crackling sound, I saw a shard of
glass exploding.
-I will take the exact coordinates. I think they set Hyunsung as the target.
“Yes. I’m checking.”
-Going.
“Okay.”
The moment I tried to charge forward, the spear came again.
It was natural for me to move to the next coordinates immediately.
Bang! Some of the enemy troops were hit by the spear, causing it to crumble.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
Seeing that there was no answer to whether they’re blocking or avoiding,
It seemed like the decision was left to individual discretion.
I wanted to look around for a second, but I didn’t have time to do that.
The next attack was already coming at me.
‘Block it.’
As I swung my sword upward, I heard a clinck again.
‘Block.’
Clinck!
‘Avoid it.’
Craaacckk!!
‘Block it.’
Clinck!!
It wasn’t easy to move in a place where a massive quantity of troops was

concentrated.
However, ally troops continued to open the way for me.
The command and control room transmitted coordinates, which allowed me

to move safely to the location within the shortest amount of time.
Until now, it was impossible to accurately determine the person who threw
the spear.
However, the enemy’s position had finally been located by the command
room.
Another glass spear passed by my shoulder, grazing it.
‘It’s fine.’
That attack damaged me, but it wasn’t deep.
‘Focus.’
Another spear surged towards me again, which I destroyed immediately.
Clinck! Clicnk! Craaaacckkkk! Baaaanngg!
Naturally, I put more strength into my attacks, causing the surroundings to

turn into a mess.
Since the opponent was powerful, it wasn’t unreasonable for such a situation
to unfold.
But I was getting closer and closer to my destination.
I continued to cover the distance between me and my goal, leaving havoc in

my wake.
The enemy was also probably aware that I was getting closer.
-Speed up a little.
“Noted.”
I had an inkling why he suddenly asked me to speed up. Maybe the other
one’s moving.
The spears that continued to be thrown at me were less frequent.
As the number of variables increased, my destination changed accordingly,

but I could still follow the opponent.
If the fight had progressed normally, the possibility that it would have been
difficult to chase after them couldn’t have been ruled out.
It would’ve taken a long time to get to where I was.
I would have been physically exhausted and might not have been able to
handle the troops coming at me from all sides.
But that was already far from being possible with him at the helm.
He’s already checking where the spear was coming from and estimating
where it would fall.
I didn’t even have to worry about other attacks.
“Tie him up! Tie him up as much as possible! Up until you widen the
distance… Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“That’s c-crazy! Genia!”
“Tie him as much as… gasp!”
Once again, I injected magic power into my feet and hit the ground as much
as possible.
The surrounding landscape changed in an instant.
A frightened man threw a spear right in front of me.
“Son of a bitch! Die!”
-You do not need to avoid the last attack.
“Noted.”
If I twisted my body, he’d be able to widen the distance again.
I had to take my chance before he hid in the crowd.
I was a little nervous, but I bit my lips tightly.
As I swung my sword without avoiding the spear, I could see him greatly
startled.
“Mad bastard!”
It was then that the body shone with a sound.
There was no damage despite being attacked.
When I instinctively glanced sideways while swinging my sword, I could see

Park Deokgu taking damage instead of me.
He must have triggered the attribute to receive damage from others instead.
I had goosebumps on my back.

Manual (4)
‘No way.’
“C-point 321.12.”
-Done.
“C-point 321.69.”
-Done.
‘Is that guy for real?’
I had no choice but to open my mouth while the battle was going on.
Even though my irises were already moving as fast as they could, it was still
difficult to follow.
I had already reached my limit.
I wanted to praise myself for what I had done so far, but I couldn’t.
The war situation was continuously changing, and the information I received
continued to change with it.
It’s too ridiculous.
It was disconcerting to see him carry out orders easily that would’ve already
been difficult to achieve for others.
He was so fast that I had to modify the route in real-time.

‘Damn.’
The problem was that I thought whenever I felt like I had adjusted to it, I
made mistakes that made things worse.
I shouldn’t have put in the wizard or the priest.
I knew he could move a little faster, but assisting Kim Hyunsung going with
the flow was not easy on its own.
There was a limit to continuously injecting him into an allied position and
replacing buffs.
I was somehow able to block the falling magic or placed warriors in advance
to clear the way.
I felt like my ability wasn’t enough to be of adequate help.
‘The details part is unreasonable.’
A situation in which other support types other than replaceable buff, magic,
or divine power was made available for him was unreasonably unlikely.
I thought he would have moved much more comfortably than now if he had
support from unique characteristics with heroic-grade or legendary-grade
attributes.
Kim Hyunsung’s output could still be improved.
I was worried that I was restricting his movements.
I liked the idea that I could help him out, but drawbacks inevitably occurred
while Kim Hyunsung received my orders.
“You can slow down. Take care of your stamina.”
-Okay.
‘Okay, let’s take a break…’

-Gasp!
-This crazy monster! Die! Stop it! Don’t let him come up!
-Don’t spare magic and arrows. You only need to get one shot. Just one shot!
‘I told you to slow down, this bastard…’
-Shut up and pull the string! Don’t’let him come up… Gasp!!!
-Ahhhhhhhhh!
-The enemy is one! The enemy is one!
“Slowly down, this mean motherfucker!”
-What are the warriors doing…
-Magic! Stop it with magic! With magic! Ahhhhhhhhh!
“Thank you, Hyunsung.”
-No problem.
‘I told you to slow down. You got excited, fuck.’
It felt like my head would burst open just by assisting Kim Hyunsung while
he was moving with excitement.
My eyes continued to receive information, but my brain that deciphered it

couldn’t withstand it.
The faster Kim Hyunsung moved, the more pressure would be put on my
shoulders.
Not only did I keep all the magic holograms within my vision, but I had to
organize the information that was received. It was natural for my average
mind to be overwhelmed.
‘This… am I receiving intelligence correction?’
I didn’t know to what extent I could receive the information.
I had never used my head that hard when I was on Earth in the first place.
However, I personally determined I should be able to withstand that level of

strain because I had a high intellectual stat.
If it had been me during the tutorial time, I knew I couldn’t have sustained
that state for more than 15 seconds.
Five seconds might’ve been my limit.
Before my brain overloaded, I thought that the nose bleeding due to it was
only possible in cartoons and movies, but after it, I felt like a fool.
There were times when I laughed loudly, treating it as a lie for dramatic
production, but now I understood that feeling better than anyone else.
My head continued to ache as if it would break, but I had no choice but to

keep receiving information from my eyes.
I didn’t even have time to wipe the blood from my nose. Even at that
moment, Kim Hyunsung was waiting for the signal from the command and
control room.
“Why is this bastard making me work so hard?”
If he moved a little slower, it wouldn’t cause any problems, but it’s a

spectacle to watch him move eagerly as if trying to make me surpass my
limits.
Even though he still had a little time to spare, I could see him flying right
away.
When that happened, I had no choice but to follow him.
As I bit down on my lips tightly, the spear that flew from afar passed by Kim
Hyunsung’s shoulder.
“Ah.”
-It’s fine.
‘Shit…’
Seeing a wound on one side of his shoulder hurt me.
Of course, it just passed, but if my reaction had been a little faster, there
would have been no such wounds.
‘I missed it.’
No wonder I bit my lips tightly. My pride felt damaged.
I wanted to find the guy who threw the spear towards Kim Hyunsung as fast
as I could.
Kim Hyunsung must have been set as the target as well.
‘You shouldn’t get hurt, Hyunsung.’
The enemy was slower to set Kim Hyunsung as the target than I thought.
It was an error on his part, thinking that I would be supporting the other part
of the war.
He must’ve been prepared to end the fight in an extremely damaged state.
He must’ve known well that he would be in a fight and suffer.
‘This is a tricky type.’
Rather than being arrogant, it’s annoying to those who learned of their
limitations the same way I did.
He seemed to put his own safety first as he had already secured an escape
route.
Once again, he created and threw a spear towards Hyunsung, causing it to

soar with incredible speed.
It’s natural to figure out what’s around.
It was also challenging to move the troops with Park Deokgu and Yoo
Ahyoung, continue transmitting coordinates to use magic to nearby wizards,
and move my left and right hands in different directions.
I was worried that my hands might get twisted, but that wouldn’t happen.
Kim Hyunsung continued to move as efficiently as possible as I watched him

from the hologram.
It’s more fun than I thought.
He never got ruffled. Avoiding or cutting spears that made me feel

intimidated just by looking at them, he moved to where I told him to go.
I was feeling some form of pleasure.
It felt like pieces of a puzzle were falling into place perfectly. It’s enough to
give me a strange emotion.
Just by giving the right support at the right place and timing, the returner
would soon sweep the enemies with ease.
‘This returner will annihilate everyone soon!’
Even though the glass spears were flying in all directions, it was spectacular
to see him continually avoid them or strike them with his hands.
The culprit wouldn’t even understand what was happening.
I received the information about the named enemy while delivering

coordinates to Kim Hyunsung nonstop.
His reaction was so quick that it almost felt like he was moving without my
commands.
He followed the exact destination and route I gave him.
He was up against a tricky opponent who kept striking in from a blind spot.
He was more of a sniper than a spearman.
If he could narrow down the distance, the game of tag would have
immediately ended, but the opponent was also getting help from their unit.
The wizards, the priests, and the warriors were always moving together.
After the number of spears he had thrown, I could see through the Goddess’s
Mirror that he was beginning to pull himself away as if he thought it was no
longer possible to defeat his target.
To my eyes, however, just the thought of his spears made me feel daunted.
‘It hurts my head.’
Kim Hyunsung’s physical strength needed to be preserved as much as

possible.
However, it was beneficial to deal with those who were strong like that.
“Unit 7 will enter the place where the coordinates were taken.”
-Noted.
Allies and enemies continued to accumulate damage.
Kim Hyunsung was blocking attacks as much as possible, but he couldn’t

stop all the glass spears that kept on targetting him.
“Jihye, please open the road.”
“Yes? Where?”
“I’m going to send Unit 7 into the location where the coordinates were
marked. You just have to pay attention to them so that they can go up in the
shortest time possible. I’ve already put them as close as possible.”
“I can’t afford to do that, but uh…”
“First priority. Quickly. We’re going to catch the named enemy, so focus a
little bit more on this side.”
“Oh, the spearman! I’ll try then. I just have to open the road, right?”
“Yes, as quickly as you can. I’ll do the rest from there on out.”
“Yes. Okay.”
The troops could be seen moving, causing a route that had been blocked off
to open up.
As if such routes were visible to Kim Hyunsung, the place where he was
headed was in perfect sync with the course I thought of.
It was evident why Kim Hyunsung, who couldn’t look back on the situation
as a whole, could move like that.
‘Sense.’
It’s not about moving by looking or by judging.
That was probably the sense he developed as a result of spending countless

hours on the battlefield.
I didn’t know if he’s aware of it, but he’s probably a great asset that could
stand out even more if he studied tactics.
“You don’t have to avoid the last attack.”
-Noted.
It was an instant that the 7th unit broke through the road and moved to Kim
Hyunsung.
Kim Hyunsung’s face, while he swung his sword, was visible.
I thought it was advantageous to avoid useless fights, so I said he didn’t have

to avoid it, but I wondered how that might’ve sounded.
If he doubted me, even by a little, he would not be able to act efficiently.
But, of course, Kim Hyunsung did not avoid the spear flying to him.
‘Yes, fuck! He’s going by faith. Hyunsung!’
I could see the distorted opponent’s face.
The spear almost touched Kim Hyunsung’s body before it shattered with a
clinking sound.
Kim Hyunsung swung his sword at the surprised opponent.
Just as he was about to get hit, the opponent screamed.
-Aegis!
“Huh?”
A large shield was created on his left arm.
‘What the!’
He once again created a spear of glass on his right arm and reached out to
Kim Hyunsung.
‘Is it dangerous? Isn’t that dangerous?’
Seeing the unidentified shield confirmed with the Mind’s Eyes, I became
inevitably worried.
Unit 7 was heading toward the team surrounding him, but Kim Hyunsung
was already exposed to the enemy.
It was a decisive mistake not to call the wizard in advance, thinking it would
end already.
Park Deokgu, who gave him his unique abilities, couldn’t afford two activate
it another time.
but there was no breakthrough.
“Av…”
Before even yelling to avoid it, the body of the lovely returner became hazy.
It’s unfathomable how he suddenly stood behind the enemy’s back and had
already swung his sword at such a speed that left the enemy unable to react.
The guy holding the spear looked flustered.
Kim Hyunsung was clearly rushing in front of him.
However, it wasn’t unreasonable for him to make such a face. He had been
pinned from behind, after all.
Not only did he blow up his entire arm holding the shield, but the limbs of the
enemy soldiers around him soared into the air in the blink of an eye as well.
Perhaps it wasn’t even visible to ordinary people.
Had it not been for the eyes I had, I wouldn’t have been able to understand
what just transpired.
When the enemy triggered the artifact, Hyunsung moved to the center of the
enemy force, and the arm with the shield had already been cut off before the
enemy realized that Kim Hyunsung had disappeared.
-Ahhhhhhhhh!
-Stop him! S-stop him!

-Gasp!
“Great…”
I felt ridiculous for worrying about him a little bit.
‘This bastard… I can’t tell the end with him.’

Chapter 399 If he were an enemy (1)
Chapter 399: If he were an enemy (1)
“There really is no way to explain this. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him
fight properly, but what’s this… how can this person… how can a person be
so strong?”
Lee Jihye muttered to herself with a blank expression.
Looking at how she stared at the screen with shocked eyes, it seemed like she
couldn’t make sense of the scene no matter what she was thinking.
How about those who are in the middle of that crazy battlefield?
They would’ve felt his presence more than us, who could only look at a map.
‘Tactic Kim Hyunsung. Tactic Kim Hyunsung.’
From Lee Jihye’s point of view, it could be a phrase thrown around as a joke.
However, there were traces of Kim Hyunsung all over the map reflected in
the magic hologram.
Their enemies weren’t beaten to death randomly, either.
Most of them were made unable to battle rather than killed.
It was perfectly normal to be dazed by the scene. Everyone knew that

keeping them alive was much more difficult than killing them mercilessly.
Of course, I had similar feelings.
I knew that he was strong, but it was hard to accept that one person alone
could affect the battlefield that much.
I knew that the named ones could turn the tide of war.
However, what Kim Hyunsung was showing was at a different level among
the non-standard beings.
but the guy who steadily fulfilled his orders seemed a little unfamiliar.
As I looked at the armed figure standing on the screen, goosebumps began to

rise all over my body.
The feeling that all of my vellus hair seemed to have stood clearly showed
how awed I felt.
He looked like the warrior in stories, ready to save the day at a moment’s
notice.
‘Right. Hyunsung, you are the best. Whew.’
Perhaps Lee Jihye would feel it more than me.
Unlike me, who had closely observed his performance, it was her first time to
witness Kim Hyunsung’s actual ability.
She hadn’t even looked into his stats, so the shock she felt wasn’t the only
one.
It was quite the sight, watching her with her jaw dropped.
I wondered if I had such an expression after giving the command in the

commanding unit.
“Isn’t he great? Did you see him swing his sword in the end? No, what about
when he caught the wizard before that?”
“How would I see something like that? And can you sort it out by saying that
that’s great? I thought that all the named ones I’ve seen so far were monsters,
but he’s even beyond monstrosity. I thought he was special since I first met
him, but… no matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand him. I
doubt that he’s even human, and you just say he’s amazing. Is Hyunsung
really human?”
“Then what would he be?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know how to describe him, but one thing I know is that
he’s special. If you think about it, it’s the same in the tutorial. How is
someone… of course, memories of the past can’t be compared to the feelings
I’m feeling right now, but he seemed weird since then.”
“Pfff. Really?”
“Of course, I know that you influenced this work… no, you do look the same
in my eyes. Just a little less. Still, it’s undeniable that he’s an
incomprehensible person. The world really is unfair. I can roughly
understand why you hang on to Hyunsung, making every effort. Yes.
Really… you’re not dreaming right now, are you?”
“No. Actually, even I didn’t know he would be this powerful. I just roughly
expected something out of him, and he went beyond that. Do you understand
the reaction of our guild members?”
“I can tell not just by looking at your guild members, but by looking at the
soldiers around. How ridiculous is what I’m seeing right now? If someone
like him decides to rush to kill one, I’m sure no one can stop him. No one.”
“Yes, but… don’t think too deeply, Jihye. That kind can be regarded as a
different race from us anyway. And what about the unit?”
“It’s fine. They were taken over by another commander now. The crisis
period has passed, and the named enemy has also been captured, so we can
be a tiny bit at ease. Of course, it’s we’re not in a situation where we can rest
assured yet. First, we need to finish the battle as quickly and safely as
possible. And then reorganize the unit and head to Castle Rock. What the
demon summoner wants the most is for us to take our time here.”
Naturally, I nodded at Lee Jihye’s voice.
We only caught the enemy commander, but the battle was still going on.
Of course, judging from the current situation alone, the winner and the loser
had already been determined.
However, even a mouse driven into a corner could still sometimes bite the
cat.
No matter how optimistic our situation was, we couldn’t be relaxed.
The Siege War and the Defense War were probably still in progress at Castle
Rock.
If that battle’s purpose were to delay the main force’s entry, it would have
been half a success for Jin Qing.
‘Although I think we can sort things out faster than I…’
“But it’s still slow.”
Considering the post-processing and the troops’ condition after the battle was
over, it was a victory, but it couldn’t be regarded as flawless.
Although the enemy had been significantly damaged, our own casualties and
damages weren’t low.
It’s not fatal, but if I were asked if we could continue with the next battle
with no problems, I’d shake my head.
I was glad that at least Kim Hyunsung was here.
If it weren’t for the lovely returner’s performance, the situation would have
been more tangled now.
Anyway, there were two options to choose from based on our situation.
To push our troops a little more to reach Castle Rock as fast as possible or
recuperate from our losses to remain in good condition though it would slow
us down.
‘The answer has already been decided, but…’

I had no choice but to worry.
Turning my head to look at Lee Jihye, I wondered if she was of the same
mind.
Anyone could tell she was worried about something just by watching her
tapping the table and rocking her thighs.
But she probably already knew which one was the wiser choice.
“You can return, Hyunsung-ssi.”
-The battle is not over yet. Will it be okay?
“I think it would be better to return, for now. This isn’t the end of the war.”
-Okay. Noted. I will return with the captured enemy.
“Okay.”
It’s not bad to face the enemy who would be in the siege of Castle Rock.
However, considering that I didn’t know what could happen in the future, it
would be wise to maintain our power as much as possible.
In particular, managing the physical strength of the named ones was one of
the essential elements.
If the returner were met with an accident in the middle of the war, our
situation would become severe.
As I opened my mouth, Lee Jihye also looked at the Goddess’s Mirror to give
out instructions.
However, there was still an unknown worry on her face.

“Hey, what’s going on?”
“Nothing. I just have something in my mind right now.”
“It’s correct to go with this now, right?”
“Ah, yes. You’re worried about the troop’s condition. I’m nervous, too, but I
think it can’t be helped. Castle Rock doesn’t seem to have collapsed yet, and
I know they’re in danger, but we have to hope they can hold out a little
longer. If we take a wrong step and we get tremendous losses, the war will
end over there. It’s probably the situation the enemy wants the most.”
“If Castle Rock falls into Jin Qing’s hand…”
“Then things will get complicated once again. If we ever come close to that
time, I wonder if we’ll have to ignore the continental law and the
international community and use biochemical weapons. Otherwise, the
damage on us could be huge.”
As she said, things would get too complicated. It’s not something that ended
with losing a foothold.
Either side could suffer irreparable damage from that single battle.
It would not be too much because there were many investments from both
sides, enough to end the war.
The troops and supplies consumed by the State couldn’t be counted.
Of course, the Republic also consumed that same amount of resources to

level the playing field.
It could be hypothesized that the war would end in the next fight, but it
couldn’t be helped that the war’s flow would heavily tilt to one side even if it
didn’t.
That was the current situation.
The demon summoner also gathered all the troops from the eastern front, and
the State wasn’t going to allow defeat without a fight.
Except for the minimum army needed for defense, all interracial alliance
members were brought into the war.
He was also aware of such a situation.
Since he thought that what was needed was a base, he must be focusing on it.
As I looked into the Goddess’s Mirror, I could see Kim Hyunsung, who was
still on the battlefield helping the allies fight against the remaining enemy
troops.
Even though I told him to return, it seemed like he couldn’t pass through
easily.
But seeing that he kept heading towards us, he was just helping with one
hand.
‘Right. Right. Please don’t overdo it, Hyunsung. You have to take a good
rest.’
The enemies persistently fought back against the allies in retaliation.
I didn’t know if it consisted of only loyal guys, but it’s annoying to see them
struggling to the end.
“Should I just wipe them out…”
Naturally, I was a little nervous about being held back.
It would be strange not to have those kinds of thoughts, considering our

enemies kept screaming about claiming Castle Rock for themselves no matter
the cost.
‘Would it be better to send Dialugia first?’
Or.
‘Is it necessary to open the way right now?’
It was risky to send those who had enough physical strength left first, but it
was a necessary gamble considering we’re in a hurry.
I needed to consult the idea with others.
When I slightly turned my head, I could see Lee Jihye still tapping on the
table with a stern expression.
Her serious face seemed to hold all the worries of the world.
I had only ever seen her like that thrice.
Remembering that she usually didn’t think about anything else when doing
her duty, she looked quite different then.
Her face was too dark to say that it was the expression of someone that had
won the battle, so I also became anxious.
‘Fuck. Did something happen with her?’
Maybe I was just reading too much on it.
“Jihye, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Is there any problem?”
“No. Not really. Our situation isn’t that bad either. I just had a delusion by
myself.”
“What delusion?”
“It’s a thought anyone can have.”
“…”
“For example.”
“For example?”
“What if he were an enemy? This kind of thought.”
Naturally, I looked up straight at Lee Jihye. I could see the face of a small
woman staring right back at me.
“What do you think? If Kim Hyunsung were our enemy. Do you think we
could handle him?”
‘Would you look at her…’
Her expression and ambiance were far too serious to pass her thought off as a
joke.
“What do you think? If Kim Hyunsung were our enemy, do you think we
could handle him?”
She didn’t ask the question as a joke. It occurred to me that that was what she
had been thinking about all those times. I could roughly understand what Lee
Jihye was thinking, considering the scene she just witnessed probably felt too
much of a shock to her.
Looking at her, I could see her anxiety displayed on her face. Her eyes were
shaking, and her skin had a bluish tint to it.
‘So that’s what she’s worried about.’
She must have thought there was a high probability of Kim Hyunsung
becoming an enemy. Honestly, it was an idea that one would typically think
about at least once. I had also thought about it. It was even more impactful
due to Hyunsung’s performance. Any influential person who saw him would
be reacting the same way as Lee Jihye. What he showed was phenomenal and
game-changing.
He was the epitome of how far a human could climb. In my case, since I was
with light, I looked less different from the others, but the complete
dominance he displayed on the battlefield was enough for him to be
warranted to be kept in check.
For her, who had many useless worries, it wasn’t unusual to seriously think
about what it would be like if Kim Hyunsung became an enemy.
“Could we handle him?”
“…”
“…”
“I told you not to look at me strangely. I asked that with confidence.

Honestly, I never thought he would be that powerful. Imagining Kim
Hyunsung as an enemy, I suddenly got an anxiety attack. If I had to fight
him, I would straightaway just say ‘GG.’ Even if I were to assume that I
would be with you, I don’t know how we could be a match for him. It’s
impossible to fight someone like that with just us alone.”
I thought so, too. If he suddenly flew in and swung his sword, there was no
way I could avoid it.
“We live in a world where today’s friend can easily become the enemy of
tomorrow… It won’t happen, but if Hyunsung tried to push you down,
there’s nothing you can do, right? Of course, I know that he is stupidly kind,
but that doesn’t mean that he’s a pushover or would do something that would
put him at a disadvantage. Just think about the tutorial. I understand that you
trust him, but considering that human greed can change anytime, it’s not like
there’s not even the slightest chance that you two can be torn apart.”
“Well, I don’t think we’re going to be torn apart… and why are you talking
about this while we’re in a dire situation?”
“I am telling you this because of the current situation. Just be prepared for it.
If you prepare for it after it happens, it’ll be too late. I’m sorry for saying
something so senseless, but I just suddenly thought about it. It’s something to
be insanely anxious about. I understand now why the cliché about purging a
group of warriors that finished an adventure was born. A dagger too sharp is
dangerous to its owner, right?”
“That won’t happen.”
“Can you be sure? You’re someone who has a lot of doubts.”
“…”
“I’m not saying this because of my greed. It’s based on heartfelt worry. I’ve
never said anything about beating a rival because I want to see my man be the
number one. It’s true that I’m a little bit greedy, but I’m not that psychotic. I
just want to hear your answer. If you can be torn apart and meet him as an
enemy, can you handle him? If there is a means to control him, what is it?”
Naturally, I started to think.
‘You don’t have greed, my ass…’
To be honest, I couldn’t believe that even 1% of Lee Jihye’s greed did not go
into it, even more so when I thought of Lee Jihye’s disposition. She wouldn’t
really like that there’s someone with the power to keep me in check or put a
brake on me. After the war was over, the continent would be on the path of
peace. Of course, I didn’t know if there would be quests remaining, but it
would surely look like that in her eyes, who had no way of knowing about the
first round.
When the fight was over, there’s only one thing to do: share what we got.
Considering that, Kim Hyunsung’s position was ambiguous. Until now, he

was just the Blue Guild Master. The power he had was limited, but no one
would believe that it would continue that way after the war. Even then, the
achievements in that battle deserved points. The public had already learned
how strong Kim Hyunsung was.
I’ve heard that great power came with great responsibility, but I had a
thought that was a little different.
Great power came with authoritative power.
The power Kim Hyunsung had would inevitably bring authoritative power.
Even if it’s not in the State, he had a high probability of getting a position
somewhere. Externally, he would be known as the Guild Master of the guild
to which the Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung belonged, so he was already set
to receive a suitable position. There, Lee Jihye’s worries were bound to
appear on the surface.
She felt unpleasant about someone who had a transcendental force beyond
control getting authoritative power. Considering her personality, it would be
weirder if she stood still seeing someone who could keep us in check and cut
our throats at any time, growing.
Of course, she was worried about me. I had thought about that a few times,
too. It was no wonder that I recalled Kim Hyunsung’s face. However, no
matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t imagine him pointing his
sword at me. There was a chance that he would misunderstand me as the
trash of the first round, but I had many insurances for my life in that case, so I
had the confidence to get away with it.
‘If I can just finish this, things might go well…’
It’s also ridiculous that he would abandon me because of his greed. At least,
the Kim Hyunsung that I had seen so far was far from being that type of
individual. Of course, we never really knew when or how human
relationships would change until it’s already right in front of us.
‘There’s no way he would do it.’
Organizing my thoughts quickly, I spoke slowly, and Lee Jihye looked at me

as if she was still suspicious.
“There’s no way we’ll be torn apart.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. There’s no way we’ll split up, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You know that if you’re too greedy, you’ll get burned, right?”
“W-What did I say? I know that. It’s something that I can fully say, seeing
how you’ve acted so far.”
“As you said, I’m not without ambition, but I’m well aware of my place and
limitations. Even if Hyunsung wanted us to become enemies, I wouldn’t want
that. Think a little differently. What can our enemies do to me if that kind of
thing is on my side?”
“Hmm…”
“That person is on our side… I bet there won’t just be one or two individuals
who’d tremble just by having my fingertip move. I’m the one with the nuke
button, after all.”
“How can you be so sure? Even if you think that way, there is no guarantee
he won’t suddenly change his mind about being allied with us. And I’m not
telling you to be greedy. I’m just telling you not to take away what we
already have.”
“Jihye.”
“Yes?”
“Do you think I’m the kind who losses what I have?”
“…”
“Do I really look that way?”
“No.”
“Then the conversation ends here. There’s no problem. Don’t talk about that
in the future. Whether in front of me or front of others. Never say anything
about what’s right or wrong about this. If that situation ever comes, I’ll take
care of it. I believe you know better that we can’t cause trouble in the current
situation. I think my head will explode just thinking about being the demon
summoner.”
“Okay. So don’t look at me like that. I was really worried. If you don’t have a
problem with it, then I’ll trust you. Yes. I have to trust you.”
“If you have time to think about senseless things, finish the battle ahead,
Jihye. The same goes for organizing troops to go to Castle Rock.”
“Yes, yes. Okay. I got it.”
The conversation ended with that. Lee Jihye nodded as if she got it by closing
her mouth tightly, but her lips pouted as if she were still somewhat
dissatisfied. She understood it deep down, but it felt like she was still
unhappy about something. I wondered if she’d do something useless without
my awareness, but she wasn’t stupid enough to do that.
“Don’t do anything dumb, Jihye.”
“I said I got it, so stop. I won’t do anything. Instead, don’t regret it if you get
backstabbed.”
It was then when I heard a knock on the door.
“Speaking of the devil.”
Who knocked on the door was obvious. Lee Jihye slowly opened the door,
and I could see Kim Hyunsung quietly waiting outside.
“Oh! Hyunsung!”
“I’m sorry to come here so suddenly.”
“No. Thank you for your hard work. You were really amazing.”
Looking at Lee Jihye smiling brightly after changing her face in an instant
was a bit scary.
‘There is no fox like her.’
She changed her behavior so much I couldn’t even find any traces of her
worries about not being able to handle him. If I had to pick a faster converter
than me, I could assure anyone that Lee Jihye would be at the top of the list.
“You must be busy…”
“No. Not at all. The battle is coming to a close. But why did you come…”
“There’s no exact reason… I’m just curious how things are going.”
“Ah… Yes. Yes. Sit. Want me to prepare some tea?”
“No. It’s fine, Jihye-ssi.”
While having a brief conversation with Lee Jihye, Kim Hyun-sung, who
entered the room, glanced at me. He must be curious about the command and
control room quite a bit. I didn’t know why, but he seemed a little excited. It
felt like seeing a child in an amusement park. In particular, it was a bit funny
to see him snoop at the seat where I sit.
“So, this is your battle station.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Hyunsung.”
“No. Kiyoung was… greater than me. Were you controlling of all of this?”
“It’s too much to say I was in control. I think it’s more accurate to say I was
just analyzing the situation and delivering information…”
“Why are you saying like that? Kiyoung-ssi. You even had a nosebleed. I’ve
never seen anything like that. You were staring at the magic hologram
throughout the entire battle without stopping your hands and eyes. Hyunsung
should have seen it…”
“Ah…”
It was disconcerting to see her performing as if she thought that was the
chance. I was a little embarrassed, but it was a nice assist because I suddenly
saw Kim Hyunsung looking at me with worry.
“I see. Are you feeling better?”
“Yes. There’s no problem. I overdid it for a moment, but it doesn’t seem like
there’s anything wrong with me. It’s because… Jihye helped a lot.”
“I’m glad then…”

“Hey. Still, all the decisive things were done by Kiyoung. All I did was focus
on some annoying chores. Oh. What’s in your arms?”
“Oh. I forgot. Actually, I came because I wanted to deliver this.”
When I looked at Lee Jihye as if I was telling her to look at it, she nodded as
if she understood. There’s a small shield in Kim Hyunsung’s hand. It was the
legendary armor that the named enemy had.
‘Don’t worry, Jihye. That won’t ever happen.’
Naturally, I smiled.
‘I’ve never doubted you, Hyunsung.’

[Incomplete Shield of Aegis (Legendary)]
[A shield that the God of Heaven gave to the Goddess of War. Unlike before,
it had been split into several pieces. The shield did not lose its power despite
being torn apart, perhaps thanks to the magic power contained in it. It
dramatically increases basic magic resistance and allows the user to summon
parts of the Aegis Shield for a limited period of time in exchange for a huge
amount of magic power. Summoned Aegis Shield unconditionally prevents
any form of life-threatening attacks.]
‘Whew. It’s a luxury product. A luxury.’
I checked through the Goddess’s Mirror first, but it was definitely an

understatement to call it a luxury. The fact that it unconditionally prevented
any lethal attack alone told us about how valuable the item was. In fact,
giving me something well-suited for tanks was just an indicator of how much
he thought of me.
“Ah… This…”
“It’s something I got.”
“No. I’m fine, Hyunsung. It doesn’t suit me.”
“It’s better for you to have it. I’ve thought about it deeply. It’s something
Kiyoung should have. There is no guarantee that the same incident with the
spear won’t happen again.”
“If it’s before…”
I certainly remembered. I went outside to check out the situation but almost
died due to a spear flying towards me. I had completely erased it from my
mind. I never imagined he would be bothered by it.
‘Whew… Look, Jihye. This is our Hyunsung. Don’t ever dare to talk about
backstabbing in front of Hyunsung!’
“It’s something I don’t need. I’m not the type to fight while blocking in the
first place… It would be better for Kiyoung to carry it for insurance. I was
already thinking about attaching an escort… I think I’ll feel a little relieved if
you accept this.”
“Still…”
“You must take it.”
“If… you insist… yes. I will take it gratefully.”
Although I wanted to accept it immediately, rejecting it initially was a virtue

of Koreans. Even if I waved my hand in rejection, Kim Hyunsung would’ve
put the shield on my left wrist regardless. Accepting, pretending to give in,
and equipping the item all happened in a matter of moments. It felt
comfortable, the way it wrapped around my arm with a pleasing ‘clunk’
sound. It didn’t suit me, but it still felt assuring to have gained a way to
protect my body.
Above all, I liked that it’s comfortable to move with it. It’s better to carry
around because it’s not an ignorantly large and heavy shield.
‘Fuck. Am I a little stronger now? It looks like I’m a little stronger now!’
It’s not fundamental, but it had its own attack power. I thought that if I had
that type of armor, I would also be able to deal with some of the melee
positions. Of course, it’s only my personal imagination. Considering that Kim
Hyunsung crushed the named enemy even with the shield, it was impossible
to say that arms were everything. I looked at him with genuine gratitude. In
return, I saw boundless trust in his eyes.
“Er… but.”
“Yes?”
“If you could keep this a secret from Deokgu…”
“Ah…”
“In my opinion, it suits Kiyoung rather than Deokgu. Of course, that’s based
on my personal judgment… that’s why I’m worried that Deokgu would be
disappointed.”
“Haha. Yes. Okay. It would be better to keep it a secret from Deokgu.”
“And from other guild members…”
“Yes. I will keep it a secret to other guild members.”
‘Why is this bastard so cute?’
It made me want to bite his worried expression somehow. Looking at Lee

Jihye, the way she stared at me with a suspicious look on her face was quite
uncomfortable. Her doubts about Kim Hyunsung seemed to have faded, but I
felt like she had a different doubt in her mind. I even felt an unidentified
nervousness on her face.
“Hyunsung-ssi should take a little rest. The next fight will be more taxing.
The enemy forces are already retreating little by little anyway…”
“You mean we’re holding them all back?”
“Well, they also have to prepare for the next fight.”
“In… fact, I have something to say about it.”
“Yes?”
“I told you once before, but… I still feel that something’s not right…”
“Ah… yes… tell me please.”
‘This bastard is starting again. Again.’

Kim Hyunsung’s back, which was stabbed several times, seemed to be
showing signs of PTSD once again. Of course, it was less than the first time,
but it seemed like he had various thoughts with the last fight coming.
“I can’t get rid of the feeling that it’s a trap. Should I say it’s too easy…”
“A trap?”
“Yes.”
Lee Jihye, who saw Kim Hyunsung’s back phenomenon for the first time,
naturally reacted as if asking, ‘What is he saying?’ Since he was so serious
about it, she became flustered. Lee Jihye looked at me as if asking, ‘what’s
up with him now?’ She didn’t seem to be taking the trap talk seriously. In the
meantime, she nodded and reacted in a way that made her look surprised as
she accepted what he was saying. Lee Jihye’s face asking to get rid of the
strange uncle quickly was superb in many ways.
‘What’s up with this guy?’
Lee Jihye had that expression.
“We need to be careful.”
Kim Hyunsung continued to complain about the pain in his back. In fact, it
was an incident that I could laugh and pass over, but I was worried about
what Lee Jihye said earlier.
‘Although the Demon Summoner is doing well…’
The problem was that he wasn’t doing something like masked trash. He had
to be more vicious and meticulous. The standard method itself was
destructive enough, but it was too honest to call him that title. The masked
trash that appeared in Kim Hyunsung’s memory was truly the incarnation of
the devil. It’s safe to say that he was the ultimate version of human trash. He
was the lowest of lowest that did all kinds of disgusting and perverted things.
On the current battlefield, the dirty stuff Kim Hyunsung talked about had
never appeared in any of the battles or skirmishes. It would be nice if he
could let it slip safely, but if there was some suspicion in his mind, I might
really have to make an alternative plan, as Lee Jihye said.
‘How troublesome…’
It felt like the situation was also very dangerous. The fact that the three of us
were in such a small space suddenly made me worry like crazy.
‘Come to think of it, she was also a masked trash… he won’t notice, right?’
He might’ve misunderstood Lee Jihye and me as a couple of masked trash

from the first round, causing me to take a step away from her instinctively.
Of course, the mask seemed to have various spells, including voice
modulation processing, but I wanted to avoid getting strange
misunderstandings.
“The things Hyunsung said.”
“Yes…”
“Honestly, I can’t say that there’s a possibility of realization. Of course, those

are called taboos in the Continental War Act. Some of them are even so cruel
that they don’t even appear in war laws. It’s too absurd from my point of
view. If anyone does such a trap, I would call him trash, not human. No, the
word human trash is not enough. They’d be dirt that cannot be collected
separately. Dirt.”
“He’s someone who can do that.”
“I’ll think about it from different perspectives, Hyunsung. It’s right to look
before we leap…”
Although Lee Jihye’s words had a point, I was forced to speak up.
“Even if there are things prepared… it will probably be hard to use it

openly.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Considering the current Republic’s internal situation and the situation on the
battlefield, the use of such inhumane tactics will feel like poison to Demon
Summoner Jin Qing. He still denies that he is the one who caused the Laios
crisis. The cause and morale of the soldiers will inevitably be affected. His
position in the Republic will also be damaged. More importantly, he cares
about the international community’s gaze.”
“Hm… I see.”
“He’s not going to make a stupid choice that could turn even bystanders into
enemies. L-last time I couldn’t tell you, but I think you can rest assured in
that part, Hyunsung.”
“But…”
“Yes.”
“If he gets in a tight spot that he can’t afford to consider other

circumstances… perhaps…”
I clenched my fists when I felt like we could let that slip by. Lee Jihye then
voiced out her thoughts.
“It can’t be said that there is no possibility. I think this war is also because
Demon Summoner Jin Qing couldn’t let go of what he had. If that kind of
person is put in a tight spot… well. Do you understand what I’m talking
about? Because humans, who have nothing to lose, become cruel.”
‘This masked trash Lee Jihye.’
I didn’t think she would blur the board like Park Deok-gu here. It’s a sight to
see Kim Hyunsung nodding and clenching his fist. There were anxiety and
worries on his face, but there was no guarantee that the Demon Summoner
would do it like the masked trash.
‘Should I have to prepare?’
There were some things I had thought about as insurance, but I had to worry
about whether I should actually implement it. But there was no choice. The
battle there was ending, and we would be at Castle Rock. Lee Jihye, who was
talking to him, looked at the Goddess’s Mirror.
“Don’t chase those who retreat. Reorganize the troops as quickly as possible
and move straight to Castle Rock. A new formation is sent to each unit, and
the advance squad must move immediately.”
-Noted.
“Transmit this to the entire unit. If there is an unknown phenomenon or

anything suspicious, please report it to the command and control room
immediately. Report all the small things. Lastly, organize a separate
reconnaissance squad consisting of rangers and wizards, and form a separate
task force to be prepared if anything happens.”
-Yeah. Checked.
“Please let all the troops know that this will be the last fight.”
-Yes.
Seeing him nodding his head, Kim Hyunsung seemed to be quite satisfied
with Lee Jihye’s message. I didn’t think he had been relieved of his anxiety,
but he seemed to be able to understand the situation at least.
“Then I’ll be getting ready with the lieutenants here. Kiyoung and Hyunsung
should go outside and get some air.”
“No.”
“I’m not really telling you to get some air. The whole unit is exhausted.
Perhaps if you two are with them, their morale would increase. I also ask of
you to supply a fatigue recovery potion.”
“Yes. Okay.”
“Oh. One more thing. Please stop by the side where female soldiers are
concentrated. That would be helpful.”
‘How would that be helpful?’
I found it weird, but for now, I was forced to nod.

Chapter 402 Morale improvement
(1)
Chapter 402: Morale improvement (1)
“I think they’re feeling better than we thought.”
“But the fatigue that built up in their body will be inevitable. It’s not the
worst, but it doesn’t seem very optimistic. I’d like for them to relax a little
bit… but we’re not in a situation where we can.”
I saw Kim Hyunsung nodding. Even though Lee Jihye said she would care as
much as she could, he seemed nervous.
I once again worried that he would complain about his tingling back, but
fortunately, he didn’t raise it up.
If it were a place where there were only two of us, it would seem that he
would speak his mind immediately, but now that we were moving together
among the troops, he couldn’t do something like that. She wasn’t dissing Kim
Hyunsung, but I could certainly understand his thoughts.
‘Yes, that’s right, Hyunsung.’
“We will probably get there in a few hours. And they know we’re heading
there right now.”
“Perhaps…”
“No. Of course, there is no guarantee that the same battle from before will
occur again, but the terrain from here to our destination isn’t suitable for
ambushes. The enemy troops we’ve just faced were just surplus troops picked
up from each front. Their only goal was to buy some time. Additionally,
sending other troops to us separately would be a difficult decision for the
Republic. They’ve got everything they want from the battle we just had.”
“For example, what?”
“You can think of it as information, time, and physical condition.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, the burden on our side has piled up, but they also can’t relax. The
Republic is probably feeling a lot of pressure mentally. Even if they’re
pushing the western and northern fronts, they’ll want to recover a lot of their
investment in the Castle Rock side. If we’re lucky…”
“This could be the last battle.”
“Yes. Even if the war continues, it won’t go the way it is now.”
‘He is meticulous, though.’
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that we were not the only
ones who were betting on the next battle.
Sending surplus troops to this side could mean that they would try to hold us
back, but it was also to grasp our exact power. It’s safe to think that it was
deployed simply to check what cards we had.
It meant that our side was already rushing with all the cards that could be
used. Tactic Kim Hyunsung was the most prominent example.
I wanted to hide it, but…
‘It’s not something that I can just hide easily.’
If Kim Hyunsung had not been put in, there was a high possibility that we
would still be fighting there. It was evident that he knew we were getting
nervous. I knew that the demon summoner was trying to get information from
our side by putting Castle Rock as bait, but I had no choice but to reveal
some of our cards.
Hiding his cards as much as possible and checking our cards. The way he got
under someone’s skin, controlling the details, in a way, felt like he’s a perv.
Of course, this worked just as well. The fact that we didn’t have a good grasp
of Castle Rock’s forces was also an extension of that. If I self-evaluated the
overall situation, the one who was buying time was the Republic; hence
we’re the one who’s pressuring them.
“Ah.”
“Are you okay?”
“Ah… yes.”
‘Fuck…this is embarrassing.’
I almost fell forward while complex thoughts. I didn’t because Kim

Hyunsung caught me. If I had rolled on the ground, I would be humiliated in
front of the troops.
“Right, you said you overdid it. Perhaps…”
“No. It’s not that. I simply fell…”
“You may have accumulated fatigue without your knowledge. It’s good to
work hard, but above all else, you have to take care of your body. There’s a
possibility that the influence of the Twisted Pond still remains.”
“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”
“You’re not alone. It’s okay to take care of yourself a little more.”
Naturally, I realized that he wasn’t just saying those words. He looked

sincerely worried. The atmosphere got warm.
Patting my back after he raised my body was like the main character of a
romance comic. The same was true of the immediate laughing and talking.
I felt like I could see why Kim Hyunsung’s harem was so crazy about him.
It was just then that I felt some stinging gaze behind my back. There was
even an unidentified exclamation.
As I looked back, I could see the troops staring at Kim Hyunsung and me.
Most of them were made up of female soldiers. Some elves were even mixed
in with them. Their reaction was strangely fascinating, with their ears
moving.
‘It’s like Elena…’
In fact, it was hard to say that the soldiers were in good condition. The battle
had just ended, but they already had to go straight to marching without proper
rearrangement. But seeing their twinkling eyes, it seemed that they
understood how important the war was.
‘That’s why the justification is important. Yes, absolutely. It was a good

thing to have educated them.’
When I first joined the march, the situation was actually worse than it was
then. Lee Jihye’s prediction that Kim Hyunsung and my troop patrol would
be effective was right.
The response was better than I thought, so I even felt puzzled. All we did was
distribute the fatigue recovery potion and held small talks, but not only the
surroundings but also the relatively distant units were well affected.
Of course, it wasn’t that the reaction didn’t make sense. It would be

embarrassing for me to say it, but officially I was a messenger of the gods
chosen by the Goddess Benignore and Elune. Of course, it had a good
influence on the State’s soldiers, and it was even more in the case of elves
with excellent faith.
What about Kim Hyunsung?
Although he was a little less than that of a man named Lee Kiyoung, he
deserved respect. What Kim Hyunsung showed in the previous battle made a
strong impression on humans and the other races. Although their viewpoints
were slightly different, humans were not the only ones who were in awe of
powerful beings. It was the same for the elves, including the Elune Knight
and the Dwarves.
If I were in the position of learning swordsmanship, I would have looked at

Kim Hyunsung with envy. No one would be upset by the fact that the objects
of respect were marching and walking together. If a division commander
suddenly visited the unit, they usually would be nervous, but the case was
different from that case.
The important thing was that just watching Kim Hyunsung and I had a good
effect on the unit. That’s why we continued to march and spent time with the
troops. Looking at the female elves reacting to each of Kim Hyunsung’s
actions, it seemed that one of the reasons was that he was handsome.
Every time he took action, I heard small quips, so I felt bitter about the fact
that looksists were prevalent in the continent. Even now. He simply laughed,
but there was another exclamation that made the surrounding troops agitated.
“Stop, you bastard. No, why is her nose bleeding?”
Some were even looking at me, covering their nose. It wouldn’t be too much
for me to be embarrassed.
Whether he knew about it or not, he was busy telling accumulated stories.

Unlike his first nervousness, his constant conversation seemed to have eased
him up to some extent. It looked like Kim Hyunsung missed that kind of
conversation, seeing him talking about things that had nothing to do with the
war. The subject was also quite diverse.
“Do you have any intention of learning swordsmanship?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Because you seem to have better eyes than I think. If you can see the attack,
we can react too.”
“No… I am not very talented physically…”
That kind of conversation.

“I want to return to the guild house quickly.”
“Yes.”
“I wish I had a good night’s sleep for about three days.”
“Doing nothing else?”
“Yes. I just want to sleep.”
“It will increase the amount of work you have to deal with.”
“Ah…”
“It’s a joke. Manager Kim Miyoung is doing a good job, so you will probably
be able to enjoy enough break time soon.”
That kind of useless talk. However, all conversations had something in

common: assumptions about what they’d do after the war was over. No one
would argue if anyone said that was the most enjoyable conversation that
could be held in the current situation.
‘This bastard is also human.’
He must have had thought that he just wanted to take a moment to relax
rather than to erase the anxiety about even minor events. It was undoubtedly
a little fun and interesting. There were parts in my head that did not match the
image of Kim Hyunsung. Talking with excitement for a long time, he once
again spoke to me.
“Oh. Come to think of it, Kiyoung-ssi.”
“Yes.”
“Have you talked to Deokgu?”
“Ah. No. In fact, right after we left Eberia, I was so busy and had no time to
care for people properly. Is there any problem?”
“It’s not really a problem, but… Still, it would be better to go to him. He
seems to be having a hard time in many ways.”
‘Well…’
“He doesn’t seem to be able to accept war itself well. It’s the first time he had
hit humans with a sword… He’s too soft-hearted.”
‘His softness is becoming a problem.’
I didn’t think it would happen if he wasn’t strong. Instead of fearing that he

might die, he was caught up in fear that he might kill. Since he was someone
who couldn’t get hurt with a sword or arrow, he must have had time to think
of useless thoughts on the battlefield.
Of course, it should be the most significant reason he was naturally gentle,

but if it were the Park Deokgu before receiving the buff, he would have
swung his sword to survive.
‘The next battle will be the same…’
Until now, Lee Jihye and I had been taking minimal care, but I couldn’t
guarantee that I would be able to afford to do that in the last battle. I felt that
it might be more helpful if he didn’t participate.
Rather.
‘Shall I take him out of the formation?’
I thought it would be easy to do it if the mission was to shut down the rear
command and control room. I hadn’t thought about it too deeply, but there
was room for other guild members to pay more attention to.
“How is the guild’s condition?”
“It’s not bad overall. Everyone is adapting better than I thought… even…”
“Ah… Yes.”
“Yeah. In Hyejin’s case, she has become really famous. It seems that the
elves are very impressed by the way she stirs the battlefield on an extremely
rare unicorn. Pure Spear. No matter how I think, it seems to be a suitable
nickname for Hyejin.”
“Yes… Yes.”
‘Maybe she would hate it, but…’
The expression of simply hating was insufficient.
“What do you think, Kiyoung? Should we go where the guild members

are…”
“Yes. I think it would be nice to do that. I think I have to talk to Deokgu.”
“It will probably be of great help. Oh! And.”
“Yes.”
“I know you haven’t taken the fatigue recovery potion yet. It would be better
to have a bottle.”
‘I appreciate the thought. Bastard. “
“It’s okay…”
I already secretly emptied two bottles. If I took any more, I felt like I’d be
full. The moment I was about to reject the potion, I saw the galleries looking
at the situation.
‘What…’
It felt like the whole unit was walking with Kim Hyunsung, and they were
telling me to take the potion. I wasn’t mistaken. I began to feel that the unit’s
morale would be significantly reduced if I didn’t receive the potion there.
When I slightly removed my hand, I heard the expression of great
disappointment and an unknown sigh.
‘What is this. Fuck…’
There was no choice. Eventually, when I reached out and accepted the potion,
small cheering sounds came out accompanied by claps.
My steps toward Park Deokgu began to feel heavier for some reason.
Chapter 403 Morale improvement
(2)
Chapter 403: Morale improvement (2)
I hadn’t seen the guild members’ faces in a long time, but they didn’t look
bad.
Since Jung Hayan and Han Sora were in the fog forest, I didn’t know how
they were.
When I recalled what I saw in their most recent communication with us, they
seemed to be adjusting surprisingly well.
Han Sora seemed to be under the stress of having to stick with Jung Hayan,
but I thought it couldn’t be helped since she had no choice.
‘I feel sorry for her, but…’
Her efficiency went up when she’s with Jung Hayan. Not to mention their
combination was amazing.
Although she felt very uncomfortable, they had good chemistry, so it was
impossible to separate them from the director’s perspective.
I was hoping that she would be put far away from Jung Hayan after the war
was over, but honestly, it wasn’t easy to do that.
Yoo Ahyoung and Kim Chang-ryul, who came with Han Sora, also seemed
to have adapted very well.
Yoo Ahyoung, who had a legendary talent in her stamina stats, specialized in
long-term battles, and Kim Chang-ryul always fulfilled his role even if he
wasn’t always in the spotlight.
I wasn’t on the battlefield together with them, but their appearance in the
magic hologram was quite impressive.
Kim Ye-ri and Cho Hyejin, who only looked at Kim Hyunsung, didn’t need
any other morale boost, which was the same for Sun Heeyoung as well.
It wouldn’t be strange if those three became masters of other small and

medium clans.
‘It’s a bit uncertain, but the same goes for Ahn Ki-mo.’
If I dared to rank them…
Kim Yeri, Cho Hyejin, Sun Hee-young.
Those three were the Blue’s tier 1 in name and reality.
Ahn Ki-mo, originally from the Red Mercenary, and the woman of Park
Deokgu, Hwang Jeong-yeon, a mage scholar, were tier 1.5 to 2.
I could say that three of his chicks, including Sora, were on tier 2 to 3.
Of course, that wasn’t limited to Blue.
That was when the entire continent was classified into about seven levels.
I didn’t include those who were part of the Eight seats of the Continent or the
Five General Tigers of the Republic.
It didn’t make much sense to classify their strength level under the same
numbers for those outside the norm.
‘Park Deokgu is…’
To be precise, about 1.5.
If I was feeling kind, he’s tier 1, and if I wasn’t, he’s tier 2.
Unlike those with transcendental talents such as Sun Hee-young, Cho Hyejin,
and Kim Ye-ri, he was made through pure effort.
His lack of attack power was flawed, but it was safe to say that he was
outside of usual standards as a simple meat shield.
Of course, if I were asked if he showed a worthy performance in the war, I

would have no choice but to shake my head.
Even if he had almost no attack power, people with relatively low rank
wouldn’t be able to prevent Park Deokgu’s attack.
Unlike Cho Hyejin and Kim Ye-ri, who at least pretended to be hurt when hit
by a sword, that pig wouldn’t even blink an eye when attacked.
If he only wanted to, he could be a tyrant on the battlefield.
Nevertheless, it was a sight to see him taking a step back.
Of course, I understood.
Considering his nature, there was no way he could endure that kind of
environment.
At first, it was a little annoying and frustrating, but.
‘I have to accept it. What can I do?’
No matter what I said, if he didn’t make up his mind, he’d only be forced.
I could nod to it in the previous battle, but the next match had a high
probability of having an accident.
Rather.
‘You should just stay at home.’
Someday, the day might come when I would have to push his back, but today
wasn’t that day.
Excluding Park Deokgu alone would not cause the front line to collapse, and
even if the enemy attacked the command, he would be able to serve as a
shield, so it’s a reasonable choice.
“So…”
“That’s right, Deokgu. You don’t have to go out in this battle. I will form a
separate squad, and you will go to the rear unit where we can prepare for the
enemy’s surprise attack. The same goes for Ahyoung and Chang-ryul.”
“Can we do that?”
Not really.
‘What’s the advantage of having authority?’
With my current position, I could make the impossible possible.
Of course, I knew it’s wrong considering the situation, but I wasn’t the type
that cared about that in the first place, and it wasn’t difficult to set aside a few
of our guild members.
Yoo Ahyoung and Kim Chang-ryul could die, so they had to be excluded.
Kim Ye-ri and Cho Hyejin also nodded as if it seemed to be a rational choice.
There was no need to mention Ahn Ki-mo, the newbies head who was
secretly worried about them.
He smiled at me after what I said.
“That’s good. I was getting a little worried about them. It should be alright to
leave them to Deokgu… Yes. It seems to have worked out well in many
ways. Perhaps the battles that will take place later will be a little different
from what we’ve been through.”
“Yes. That’s right. And this is Hyunsung’s judgment?”
“No. It’s the command’s judgment. I assumed that there could be a situation
where the rear command and control room would be exposed to danger, and
this will serve as a useful countermeasure.”
“Hmm. I see.”
“Yes. So, that’s how it is. Oh! Ye-ri or Hyejin will probably move with
Hyunsung first. You may fall apart afterward, but….”
“Really?”
“Yes. Hee-young as usual….”
“I just have to stay with Elena-nim?”
“Yes. You will probably be safe.”
The safety of the high priest was the responsibility of the entire army.
Sun Hee-young probably wouldn’t be in danger.
As I looked around, I noticed Park Deokgu’s gloomy face.
He seemed to think that he was the reason for the rear formation.
His eyes were filled with shame.
But he didn’t specifically refute my words.
“Hmm… W-well. Is there anything else to do?”
“Not really. The progression of the war won’t change because you are out.”
“T-then… If it is the command’s decision, it cannot be helped…”
‘It feels like he doesn’t really want to be left out.’
He bit his lips tightly and nodded without adding any other word.
If it were because he was scared or something, I would have been a little

annoyed, but I was forced to nod because it was so like him.
“Er…”
“It’s no big deal, Deokgu. You just have to make sure to do what you were
tasked to do.”
“Don’t worry about that. And… I-I’m sorry…”
“There’s no need to be sorry. I’m more relieved to have you by my side.”
“If you mean that, then leave it to me. I’m not going to let anyone touch the
tip of your hair. Hmm. I will definitely do it.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
He looked cute when he nodded his head.
He seemed to be relieved too.
He thought I would blame him.
But the result was the opposite.
As if I was cheering him up, I saw a faint smile on his lips as I patted his
shoulder.
Since then, it was the continuation of what I had previously talked about with
Kim Hyunsung.
I couldn’t even talk to the guild members, so when I found the right material
and threw a topic, I had to watch them talk all over the place.
Sun Hee-young quietly took place next to me, and Park Deokgu joked around
as if he had been a little energized.
The little kid pretended not to be interested, but it felt as if she was trying to
listen more than anyone else to the story that was being told.
I thought we looked like a family.
“When the war ends… how about going for a picnic?”
“I’d like that. But where?”
“I don’t know. I heard the Mirror Lake in Nabot’s estate is famous. It

wouldn’t be bad to go boating. What do you think, Vice Guild Master?”
“It’s not a bad idea, Jeong-yeon.”
“I have been in the State for a long time, but I’ve never gone there. It must be
stunning, right? It should be quite romantic as well.”
All of the topics had a common ground.
Many kinds of stories came and went, but the premises were the same.
‘When the war is over.’
We talked about what we were going to do after the war was over.
The war hadn’t been going on for that long, but everyone there probably felt
like it’s been going on for years.
It wasn’t limited to the Blue Guild members either. I thought the entire army
felt that way.
The regular soldiers marched while talking to each other, the noisy little
dwarves, and even the elves.
I thought everyone was having similar conversations.
It wasn’t surprising to find myself continually thinking about it.
Catching myself smiling, I realized I was missing that kind of talk.
I also realized that it had been a long time since I talked about anything other
than serious conversations.
‘I’m glad I came to meet them.’
It’s not that there were some achievements.
Successfully encouraging guild members could be called an achievement, but

it wasn’t the type that was visible.
I thought it would be a waste of time, but I felt as if it was right to listen to

Kim Hyunsung.
My tired head felt a little clearer.
I managed to refresh my mind, which was full of complex thoughts.
I thought that the guild members were also feeling similar emotions as I was.
I participated in the conversations until the sun began to set slowly.
There was some calming tension in the whole unit.
‘It looks like we’re almost there.’
We must be reaching our destination.
The command and control room gave each unit’s field commanders the signal
that the battle would soon begin.
I heard the sound of soldiers bustling everywhere as they maintained the lines
or checked the supplies and equipment.
Those who were praying could be easily noticed.
Blue Guild members were also in a similar position.
“Then, I’ll be going. Everyone, don’t get hurt.”
“Yes, Heeyoung-ssi.”
“Then, I’ll be going too, Vice Guild Master.”

“Good luck.”
Sun Hee-young and Hwang Jeong-yeon, who were included in the rear
support group, Cho Hyejin, Kim Ye-ri, and Ahn Ki-mo, who were located in
the front, began to move forward.
They also hugged each other tightly or shook hands, and surprisingly, I
managed to confirm that the relationship between Sun Hee-young and Cho
Hyejin was close.
I began to move as well.
The more solemn the silence of the troops, the louder the sounds from afar
began to be heard.
I was too familiar with the magical explosions, the shouts produced by
humans, and the terrain itself.
It’s a little different, but it’s definitely a place I had seen before.
We were approaching Castle Rock.
“Prepare for battle!”
“Prepare for battle! Each unit, prepare for battle!!”
The command didn’t take the time to give a speech.
I had to know what the current situation was like, but seeing Lee Jihye’s
judgment, who ordered to prepare for battle, I could already deduce that it
was dire.
As I walked to the other side of the soldiers, I felt a little tension and uplifting
feeling on everyone’s faces.
All I did was pat their shoulders.
“Prepare for battle! Raise the flag! Each unit, prepare to advance to the
enemy unit immediately!!”
I hadn’t been concerned thus far, but I could feel the heavy pressure they
were carrying.
They adjusted their helmets, raised the flag, and pointed their spears forward.
of buffs were poured out as I felt the wizards raise their magic power.
The unit was ready to advance.
By now, it’s obvious what orders were issued from the command and control
room.
Without my knowledge, I gave an order.
“All forces advance.”
A loud shout began to be heard.
“All forces! Charge!!!”
The voice made my ears ring.

Chapter 404 Last Battle (1)
Chapter 404: Last Battle (1)
What I witnessed in front of me turned out to be a magnificent scene.
I had even begun thinking that I wanted to charge into the battle with them.
Seeing the people running through the plains with their spears pointed
forward as they screamed at the top of their lungs made me feel excited.
“Charge!!”
“Chaargeee!!”
“Wahhhhhhhhh!!!”
“For Goddess Benignore!”
Divine power continued to fall over our cavalry unit.
The ground trembled before their might as a strange heat began to rise from
our camp.
I felt stunned by the scene so much I forgot to head to the command and
control room. Soon after, magic began to bombard us from the enemy camp,
to which we answered back with defense magic that protected our troops and
wrapped around our allies.
Our magical prowess was on par with the enemy.
Of course, I didn’t know if the enemy had been hiding their true power, but at
least it felt like it would be easy for our troops to reach the enemy.
As if they thought they couldn’t handle our entire army in melee combat,
magic spells continued to drop across the fields, causing loud explosions to
reverberate and damaging our forces. However, that amount of casualties
turned out to be insignificant.
As I watched the enemy troops prepare to greet us with shields and weapons
unwaveringly, it was made clear to me that they had been waiting for us all
along.
A device to prevent the rushing cavalry rose above the ground, causing some
of the horsemen to roll over the floor upon being unable to withstand its
strength.
I couldn’t discern the life and death of any of the soldiers who had fallen,
even though sacred power immediately rained down within the area.
‘We’re not doing terrible so far.’
I looked around and tried to make sense of the transpiring events, not because
I doubted Lee Jihye’s judgment, but rather because I thought I should be
aware of the overall situation.
Watching the enemy who had already set up camp, they were definitely
expecting us to arrive.
Castle Rock had been nothing but a bait.
What I wanted was a huge battle. That plain was the stage that he himself had
created.
It was safe to say that it was designed to get the information he wanted and to
initiate the battles he desired at the right time.
As for the quality and quantity of the troops, I couldn’t determine which one
was superior.
Looking at the siege itself, I could say that my judgment was correct from all
the perspectives I could think of. If they were attacking the castle instead, I
could be more relaxed.
I could’ve reorganized formations, set up camps, built frontlines, and waited

for reinforcements.
Of course, it was still fortunate that the castle hadn’t been dominated yet, but
it was inconvenient that it was all part of the plan of the guy who had
designed that very situation.
Either he had hidden moves… or he had some form of insurance.
Other than that, there was nothing that could explain the current situation. If
he wanted to see the war last a little longer, he should’ve focused on blocking
the road a little longer.
It would’ve been proper to plan the battle in such a way that would prevent
the main unit from arriving at Castle Rock to drag us back.
I didn’t know what conclusions had come from the Demon Summoner’s
command, but they didn’t want to prolong that war either.
In a way, I could see that our interests matched.
The difference was the amount of information available. That in itself could
be a problem.
“Hyung-nim, are you not going in? It’s dangerous to stand around in the
open.”
“No. I’ll go right in.”
At this, I nodded and went into the simple control room.
I could see Lee Jihye, who was still busy controlling the troops by holding
the mana hologram.
As soon as she looked at me from the side of her eyes, she spoke to me, her
voice carrying a hint of irritation.
“You sure took your time. What were you blanking out there for? You
should’ve come quickly to help me out.”
“I thought you would be doing well on your own. Never mind that. How is
the situation?”
“Neither bad nor good. We succeeded in pushing our main unit to the enemy
forces… Oh! I like the fact that we didn’t take that much damage.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“The problem is that there is no problem. This is all making me anxious.

They certainly made a lot of preparations on their side. Can you see the
named ones on the screen?”
I glanced at the Goddess’s Mirror. I could definitely see the faces of those
who could be labeled as named.
The Russian versions of Park Deokgu, Shaolin, and Jin Qing were not visible,
but those in the same league were all waiting for the right time to join the
battle.
“I’ve seen some of those guys in Laios, but there are faces I’m not familiar
with…”
“I haven’t figured out everything yet. Seeing how they were brought here
from each region like that, we can assume that they are betting everything
they’ve got on this battle. Thanks to that, it’ll be easier in other areas, but it’s
not we can’t celebrate that now. Anyway, it’s good that we caught the spear-
thrower from before. I think it would be more inconvenient for us if he joined
that lineup.”
“It would be hard to ask for support from Castle Rock, wouldn’t it?”
“Castle Rock isn’t in battle right now, but they’re trapped. They’re like a
princess captured by the Devil. I know this is dangerous, but I can’t help it. I
want to abandon the princess, but I can’t.”
“That’s an appropriate analogy.”
“Yeah. And this again…”

“Oh. Tactical consultant Kim Hyunsung.”
“I won’t use it yet. You stay on standby as well, for now. If the path opens up
or the situation becomes unfavorable, then I will put you in. Until then, I
think you can take charge of Unit 6 and 7. I’ll send the coordinates now.”
“Noted, Jihye.”
The battle was just beginning.
The Goddess’s Mirror reflected the troops hitting each other with swords and
spears in order to push their opponents away.
When I looked at it from a distance, each unit looked to be maintaining their

camps closely. However, from a closer point of view, they were starting to
mix with each other slowly.
‘It’s not that bad.’
-These filthy demon minions! God will not forgive you!
-Crazy bastards, you all are the demons!
-Stop the dwarves from entering! The midgets!
-Who are you calling midgets? You, humans, sold your souls to the Devil!
Unlike the guys who already had ranks, what that side should aim for was to
smash them.
In that sense, the dwarves who broke through the ranked ones deserved an
appreciative nod.
That troop had both small and solid bodies fully armed with good quality
armor, allowing them to be advantageous in such a battle regardless of the
situation.
My mouth fell wide open as I watched them wield a large ax to break through
the shield-equipped enemy lines.
There were battles that could be dominated due to their small statures.
That was how humans dealt with medium or large monsters.
They had made the opponent run out of stamina by pushing up from the
bottom, causing them to lose balance, or by persistently attacking the lower
body. They could be called specialists in that area.
I could see our troops pushing their way through the path that started to open
little by little.
‘Nice!’
On the other side, great summoners continued to conjure spirit magic.
They couldn’t deal gigantic blows, but they constantly scratched enemies’
nerves, something commendable in such a war.
I liked the feeling like the troops themselves were popping up like popcorn.
Since one summoner kept at least two to three enemies at bay, their number
was enough to add sufficient power to the frontline.
Naturally, some places were forced to be pushed back. However, it was better
to focus on areas they had pierced through than on areas that were on a
stalemate.
Connecting to the screen dedicated to Kim Hyunsung as if I was the driver of

a Lamborghini, I finally noticed that the guy had been waiting for my
command.
-Should I go in?
“Yes. I’ll give you the coordinates.”
-Okay.
“Don’t overdo it. We’re just beginning. All you have to do is add firepower
to the forces that have begun to be mixed together.”
-Yes. Noted.
As I had already done it before, it felt a little easier to do it again.
First, the goal was to place allied troops, including Kim Hyunsung, at
strategic points.
It didn’t feel as hectic as before because he wasn’t alone. The troops were
constantly opening the way.
I didn’t know if it was because of that, but I kept feeling as if something was
missing. I thought it couldn’t be helped.
My head already remembered Kim Hyunsung’s movements.
My lack of frustration when I commanded him kept making me hold my

breath.
‘Still.’
Kim Hyunsung was, after all, Kim Hyunsung.
Of course, the synergy was good with them, including Kim Ye-ri and Cho
Hyejin, who had gone together.
Since it was composed only of high-quality troops, it was understandable, but

what they were currently showing was also a series of surprises.
-Requesting support! Requesting reinforcement! Please send reinforcement as

soon as possible!
-Priests!
-Support… gasp!
I knew better than anyone else that people shouldn’t get their feet tied in that
kind of situation.
We continuously moved troops and smashed the opponents from within.

Pushing their way to the center along with Kim Hyunsung certainly seemed
to have no sense of incongruity to be called the army of God.
‘I think it’s okay to take him out now.’
The distance from the opponent’s wizard and priest squads was a bit
uncertain. It was difficult to judge whether Kim Hyunsung could be sent out
separately.
‘You can escape even if I calculate the risks wrong, right?’
It would be possible if I kept providing the coordinates.
I knew that the idea of wanting to benefit a little more was dangerous, but I
genuinely believed in Kim Hyunsung’s ability. After entrusting the troops to
the nearest dwarven unit, I gave orders to the lovely returner separately.
Dozens of magic holograms now lined up in front of me.
Before I could even start, my head was already aching, but I wanted to
experience that strange feeling once again, so I started moving my fingers.
Shortly after that, my nose bled again, but I couldn’t afford to worry about
that.
“I’ll send you the coordinates. It is a standalone action. It won’t be far away,
Hyunsung.”
-Noted.
I couldn’t confirm if it was just my imagination, but Kim Hyunsung’s voice

also sounded a bit excited.
After I confirmed that Kim Hyunsung was running into the enemy forces
immediately, I focused on the hologram. It was like being sucked into the
screen in front of my eyes.
Despite being the second time, I was still amazed.

“Goals have been set. Start with the enemy wizard squad.”
-Noted.
It was harder to find a path compared to the last battle.
The enemy’s formation had been properly deployed, making it more difficult
to make a path.
However, under the influence of the surrounding forces, I pushed Kim

Hyunsung into the path that began to appear little by little.
The ability to produce results as soon as he was deployed was impressive.
As expected, the way he wielded his sword was incomprehensible. He

stabbed, twisted around, then advanced.
Perhaps none of the named ones in the enemy’s possession could move that
much.
The difference from the previous battle was that Kim Hyunsung wasn’t going
easy on them.
‘He couldn’t afford to.’
It was something I couldn’t be happy with.
Magic poured out from all sides, and swords and spears were swung and
thrown. He was moving forward somehow, but I thought he was probably
focusing several times more than usual.
Weapons and limbs continued to soar into the air as screams echoed across
the battlefield, but the orthodox swordsman didn’t stop moving towards his
destination.
He seemed to be getting farther and farther away from the main unit.
It was natural to wait for progress after urgently putting one squad inward.
Kim Hyunsung was nearing the front of the enemy’s wizard squad.
‘Huh?’
Craaaaacckkkk!
Along with a thunderous sound, an unknown magic power swept through that
side.
“Jihye, just now…”
“Damn… Damn! What happened to the Goddess’s Mirrors?”
‘Fuck.’
The magic holograms in front of Lee Jihye began to turn off one by one. My
mouth moved seconds faster than it took for my mind to grasp the situation
fully.
“Hyunsung! Retreat!”
Ziiing!
Along with a sound, the magic hologram in front of me also went dark.
“That son of a bitch…”
Only then did I realize what the Demon Summoner bastard was aiming for.
“That son of a bitch…”
Only then could I realize what the Demon Summoner bastard was aiming for.
He was aiming for the command system.
In a way, it certainly seemed like a checkmate. It was hard to imagine the

degree of confusion that the field commanders and the troops on the
battlefield would feel.
The means of communication, which had been maintained all throughout the
war, had been effectively disabled.
There was nothing that could express how dire the situation was. It would be
strange if the allies didn’t feel confused.
‘I relied too much on the mirrors.’
It was a method to move the entire army like one body organically. However,
it was also a one-sided method.
One control tower had control over numerous troops. I never thought that its
advantage could be turned into a weakness.
We had lost that advantage in an instant.
It seemed that he already knew that our side was controlling the troops
through the Goddess’s Mirror. It was natural to find out about it, but coming
up with a countermeasure against it that quickly was extraordinary.
I realized that the last battle’s strategic move and the one before were aiming
for that situation.
The question that remained was how he completely paralyzed the control
tower.
‘How did he do it?’
I couldn’t fathom what the exact method was, except that it was magic.
Perhaps they had the means of negating the artifacts made by magic
engineering, or perhaps the organically connected magic power had been cut
off.
Demon Summoner Jin Qing himself was a wizard who had reached a high
level.
It was by no means unlikely that he had directly inspected the last battle.
Thoughts and speculations flew into my head, but I couldn’t find a definite
answer. What mattered was the result, not the process.
It was more important to find a way to retaliate rather than determine how he
could screw us up so hard.
However, I couldn’t help but swear in such an urgent situation.
“Fuck…”
“There’s no need to panic. Even without the magic hologram, we can

maintain the command system. It won’t be like before, but… the basic will be
possible. Yes. It’s possible.”
“Can’t it be repaired?”
“The magic holograms are already under your jurisdiction. You should’ve
brought your son. Well… Even if he had come, it wouldn’t change much. I
don’t know when it will work again, but that’s not that important now. First,
we need to get the troops back. I was just getting used to it, too. This is
inconvenient. Really… It feels like I’ve been backstabbed.”
“…”
“I’ll be honest, oppa.”
“Yes?”
“There’s no guarantee that we will win. The other commander seems to be

five steps ahead of me. I could have leveled the playing field somehow with
the Goddess’s Mirror, but it’s impossible from this point on. I will endure as
much as possible, but…”
“That’s bad news.”
“I want to say with confidence that we can win, but I am telling you this in
case our ranks collapse. We have to think about the worst-case scenario. We
also have to think about the possibility of suffering extreme casualties.”
Lee Jihye, though filled with anxiety, left the command and control room
immediately.
Fortunately, we had a different kind of command system in place for such a

situation, but that was a far-fetched idea.
Not only was it less efficient, but we also weren’t familiar with it.
The masked trash had an obvious advantage in the current situation.
She couldn’t easily guarantee what would happen from now on, based on
what she just said.
I thought that saying he was five moves ahead was too much of an
overestimation, but Lee Jihye knew him better than me, so I couldn’t tell if
she was entirely inaccurate.
Contrary to me, who only had occasional encounters with him, she simulated
hundreds of different types of games with a program made up of Jin Qing’s
data. Without the Goddess’s Mirror, the game of chess had become extremely
unfavorable for her.
I went out with Lee Jihye, who was biting her fingernails. Her face displayed
her stress, letting me know immediately of the general situation.
‘Shit.’
Of course, the enemy’s movement was suspicious.
They seemed to be opening their arms to embrace our entire army as if that
was their chance.
Even I, who didn’t know a lot about tactics, could realize that the allied
forces were in danger.
The named ones who were waiting had also joined the battlefield. Massive
explosions started to be heard continuously.
The enemy forces engulfed the allies as they pushed against us, not wanting
to miss the opportunity.
“I’ll fix it now.”
I controlled the troops with hand signals or flags, but even that didn’t feel
easy because of the enemy troops constantly clawing and biting at our ranks.
The troops were important, but I couldn’t help but worry about Kim
Hyunsung, who was left isolated in the middle of the enemy camp.
I focused my magic as much as possible on my eyes, but I still couldn’t see

him.
I didn’t think he would get hit easily, but it was unrealistic to believe that he
wasn’t in danger.
The surrounding troops’ quality wasn’t excellent, but if I assumed that other
named beings helped them, his situation could become even more life-
threatening.
Thinking of the returner waiting patiently for me, I couldn’t just stand still
there.
‘If Kim Hyunsung dies… ’

The story would end there.
Whoever won or lost the war was important, but what followed after that
would still be a problem. If the transcendental being were to die, the
continent’s future afterward was obvious.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
My plan to enjoy rich movies and other benefits at the side of the returner
would be ruined in an instant.
‘He can’t die.’
There was no choice but to do something about it.
I was the one who pushed him into such a dangerous situation in the first
place.
‘Fuck… Kim Hyunsung.’
I organized my thoughts in an instant.
Looking at Lee Jihye’s distressed face, I spoke with conviction.
“Nuna.”
“Yes?”
“I’m going down.”
“Yes, good– What? Are you crazy?”
“Prepare the reserve. I’m leaving right now.”
“What…?”
“We have no other options left anyway, right? You can control the troops
alone. I have nothing to do. This is the best move we can do right now. It
would be efficient if there were at least one commander from the inside who
could give general orders.”
“That’s not the problem here. Can’t you see the situation right now? I’m
trying to fix it as much as possible, but getting through is also a problem.
You’ll die if you crawl in there yourself. You will definitely die.”
“My fate will be the same if we lose this war, anyway.”
“…”
“Don’t worry too much, because I’m enough to protect myself, nuna. I have
to live for a long time like a parasite. If I die after I’ve achieved everything,
that would just be unfair. I won’t be able to close my eyes properly.”
“I know that, but…”
“I’m going.”
“…”
“…”
“I know. Damn. Don’t be dumb. If you die, I won’t be able to do anything

about it.”
“I won’t die.”
That’s right.
If I had died there, it would be so unfair that I wouldn’t be able to close my

eyes properly.
I bit my lips and moved swiftly.
After completely leaving the command and control area, I laid my eyes upon
the unit protecting the rear.
The current situation seemed to be just as pessimistic in their eyes, judging

by how they looked.
The disrupted command system’s effect must’ve been a lot stronger on them
than on us in the command and control room.
Contrary to us, who were at least a little aware of the situation, it would have
been nothing but pure confusion for them. Since even I came out, they looked
as if their worries had been confirmed.
Glancing sideways, I saw someone running towards me in a hurry.
It was Park Deokgu, who had been assigned to the rear unit.
‘Right, this bastard was here.’
“H-Hyung-nim!”
“…”
“What is it? Are there any problems?”
“I’ll tell you more about it later. Something’s happened, Deokgu. Get the
troops ready. I will be going into the frontlines right now.”
“Hyunsung is being isolated. The same goes for Hyejin and Ye-ri. They
should still be fine, but they will soon be swept away by the enemy.”
“What kind of problem happened…?”
“It’s a long story. We have more pressing matters right now.”
“C-Can I go with you?”
‘This pig bastard…’
Naturally, I looked at him quietly.
Honestly, I expected that he would ask to go with us, but I didn’t think he
would bring it up without hesitation.
He was pretending to be fine, but he seemed to be sorry to stay here.
“I-I don’t know if I will be helpful, but I want to come with you. Anything
can happen to you, and it would be more reassuring for me to be by your side
than others. Didn’t I say I wouldn’t let them get anywhere near you?”
“Right… Thank you.”
“It’s nothing to be grateful for. It’s part of my duty. Let’s go save our guild
members.”
“That’s our top objective, but that’s not the only reason why we’re going out
there.”
‘We need someone to fix the situation on the battlefield.’
There were many things I could do in relation to that.
But our top priority was to go into the frontlines and settle our foothold.
“I-I got it. Then the troops…”
“Perhaps Jihye will prepare them for us. Leave the minimum number of
troops in the backline. It doesn’t have to be large, just enough to break
through and help the isolated units.”
“Okay. Then, quickly.”
‘She is quick.’
Just as Park Deokgu seemed to feel lost, a unit had already been formed and
sent our way.
It all happened in an instant to help me repair what had been damaged.
My heart trembled when I looked at the battlefield where the roaring sound
was coming, but it was better to try all of our options than waste time waiting
around for a miracle.
Looking back, I stared at the faces of those who nodded.
“We’re going.”
“It’s so sudden… Are you really okay with this?”
“I’m fine.”
“There is no problem then. Well, I just suddenly got nervous. I don’t know if
it’s my imagination, but I feel like it’s been such a long time since I last stood
by your side in a fight like this.”
“It’s not your imagination. It has been a long time.”
“Standing next to you like this makes me remember about the tutorial… well,
that’s it.”
“Save the small talk for later. Let’s go.”
I saw Park Deokgu pounding on his shield.
As if they took it as a signal, the allied troops also struck their shields with
their swords.
Cold sweat flowed down my face for being among the soldiers who had
ferocious looks on their faces.
I seriously thought about whether I was doing something useless, but at least
it would be more helpful than staying still.
It didn’t really sink in that I was among the troops that were charging faster
and faster.
I didn’t scream, but I suddenly understood the feelings of those who cried
and charged on the battlefield.
Arrows and magic kept falling from the sky. The sounds of our footsteps
trampling on the ground made my heart beat faster.
I couldn’t even remember when I started to walk.
‘Damn.’
The closer we got to the enemy, the more I felt pressured.
When allies and enemies finally collided, it felt as if the entire unit’s impact
was rushing to this side.
Craaaaassshhhh.
“Motherfuckers! Die!”
“For Goddess Benignore!”
Noise and hostility were constantly piercing my ears.
Finally, we were on the battlefield.
‘Shit!’
It wasn’t my first time joining the frontlines.
Although I had been away from the scene for so long, I had already faced all
sorts of dangers just following Kim Hyunsung from the early days of Blue. In
fact, I used to participate in melee battles frequently.
However, those were only small scale skirmishes or dungeons.
It was the first time that I had fought in a large-scale battle between humans.
I had to admit that the feeling was different from when I looked at the
situation through screens.
The heat of the battle. The noises and screams that reverberated across the
field, and the thick smell of blood and sweat.
I wasn’t flustered, but I couldn’t help but frown at the unfamiliar

environment I was in.
‘I guess I shouldn’t have come down.’
It was uncomfortable to be in the middle of the battlefield after leaving the

safe rear seat, but that train had already departed.
I had come too far to regret it now.
It looked as if the shock felt by the frontlines was felt all the way to the
backlines. I could see the warriors up at the first row beginning to mix up
among the enemy soldiers.
Bang!
Crash!
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Shit!”
“Gather up! Gather up!”
“Son of a bitch!”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
Crack!
Even my eyes now failed to see the events properly.
All I could witness were the backs of our allied forces struggling to push
back the enemies, their armors and shields constantly banging against each
other.
I wouldn’t have been able to understand the situation properly if I hadn’t

been an eye user.
Unlike my confused mind, my eyes continued to receive information around

me.
Even walking felt difficult due to the bodies of those who had already fallen.
It was amazing as to how our allies keep breaking through the enemy forces.
Looking at the situation carefully again, I could see Park Deokgu wielding
his shield with a crumpled face.
Watching him stick by my side as he pushed the opponents away with a

shield constantly reminded me of the tutorial.
The guy blocked, and I stabbed in return.
Of course, I didn’t do that at the moment, but I was reminded about how
reliable he was in battle. It was a method that usually only worked for tutorial
monsters, but it would be quite efficient in a place with limited space to
move.
Soldiers behind the frontal force continued to thrust their spears beyond the
shield wall in my stead.
“Hyung-nim, are you following me properly?”
“Keep looking ahead. Don’t mind me.”
“I-I said I got it. Which way are we going?”
“West. Joining the nearest unit should be our goal for now.”
“Got it. Can you follow without any problems? I have no idea what’s
happening, but I’ll definitely take you there.”
“Okay, focus, Deokgu.”
“You are the one who should follow me properly!”
We pushed our way through as quickly as possible, but our movement was
naturally slow.
I wanted to throw a Dragon Breath potion.
However, I couldn’t use such weapons to my heart’s content without

damaging our allies.
The same went for alchemy summons.
Above all else, it could give away my position. Troops hurried from the
reserves.
They were capable of breaking through enemy forces but not strong enough
to withstand an intensive offensive. If they discovered that I was currently
mixed with our force, the enemy wizards would rain down spells into our
location.
Joining the main unit behind the enemy lines was the top priority for now.
The reserve team was also aware of that. That was why they were moving so
desperately.
“Pierce through!”
“Don’t be pushed! Don’t be pushed! We have to connect with the main unit
at all costs!”
“Gasp!”
Their task was to send me to the main unit.
I could see warriors falling one by one, but there was nothing I could do other
than sending a brief divine power.
I wanted to hold their hands and drag them away, but if I paid attention to
those who had been forcefully retired, I would end up isolated.
No matter how unconscionable I was, it was hard to watch those who were
risking their lives for me and pretend like it was nothing.
‘Shit. Shit.’
Crash!
Craaaackk!
“Block! Block!”
“Block ahead! Lift up your shields! Magic is raining down on us! I said, lift
up your shields! What are you doing!?”
“Arrows incoming! What are the ally wizards doing!?”
“Priests! We need a priest over here!”
An arrow struck clear and true into the soldier’s chest, looking for a priest
right next to me.
One man managed to push into our ranks with a spear, but a large shield
immediately blocked his advance.
The allied soldiers swiftly filled the gaps again.
As I looked down, I saw the soldier with an arrow in his chest gasping for
breath. A friendly combat priest hastily checked his condition, but there was
no hope.
Naturally, he didn’t try to extend his life by sending divine power into his
body as much as possible.
This was because he already knew how stupid it was to expend resources on
the hopeless.
‘That’s why they say a lot about war. Fuck…’
Individual deaths were a tragedy, but many deaths remained statistics, some
had said.
I couldn’t help but think exactly that way.
There wasn’t even time to mourn the death of our allies.
It was impossible to determine who died, and who was alive.
Each of the people who died might have had their own stories, but they were
just another casualty, another corpse in the context of the war.
No one remembered those who were dying.
“I will remember.”
“C-Cough. Thank… you.”
The sight of the soldier throwing up blood and closing his eyes quietly made
me grieve.
Of course, I wouldn’t remember, either.
However, saying those words to give him peace of mind was the least I could
do. I nodded, looking at the soldier with his eyes closed relatively
comfortably, but I had a bitter taste in my mouth.
Leaving the deceased soldiers behind, we continued to move forward.
As time passed, I gradually got used to the noise of the battlefield.
I even became numb to the sight of death.
“Die!”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Motherfuckers! Motherfuckers! Motherfuckers!”
“Stay strong! Bastards! Just a little more! Don’t lose! We just need to break a
little more!”
“Don’t let them put even a single finger inside our ranks!”
“Arrows incoming! Lift your shields now! Priests and wizards, protection!
We need protection!”
Volleys upon volleys of arrows rained down upon us.
A large shield then obscured the view.
Some of the arrows pierced through it, making me think that there was an
archer among the enemy that could use tremendous magic power.
However, the damage wasn’t significant enough to cause the tide of battle to
sway to their side.
Allies, including Park Deokgu, once again took up the shield and moved
forward by slaying or cutting those around them.
It felt like the highlands weren’t too far.
It was then that a roar and a scream came from our side.
‘Shit.’
Allied troops were flung into the air, bouncing and skidding away from the
frontlines. I didn’t know the exact details, but what happened was obvious.
‘A named enemy?’
Craaashhhh!
Craaaaaacckkkkk!
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Block! Blo… ck. Don’t… gasp!”
‘Who’s the bastard?’
The face of the motherfucker running from afar was quite familiar. It was the
Russian who was as big as Park Deokgu.
Valentin Alexandro.
One of the Five General Tigers of the Republic, Ronaf’s Slayer, Ronaf’s
Brawler.
The motherfucker saved the Demon Summoner Jin Qing while injuring his
right arm by Jung Hayan’s magic during the Laios crisis.
I bit down on my lips harshly upon seeing him charge through our allies like
a battering ram.
‘Have they discovered my location?’
Perhaps it wasn’t that.

Magic bombardment hadn’t fallen onto our position yet.
The most rational cause I could think of was that the enemy refused to allow
our reserve team to join the main unit; hence they put him in our way.
The person blew away heavily armored warriors with ease, showing exactly
why people who had that level of power like him were called out of line.
The roaring sound of the guy covered in blood sounded the same as a huge
monster’s.
‘Is there no support for allies?’
Lee Jihye would’ve already noticed.
However, there was a high probability that they wouldn’t be able to send
support in time, considering the allies’ situation who were completely
surrounded by the enemy forces.
A little farther from that place, there must’ve been a friendly force breaking
through as well.
I managed to decipher that knowledge based on the four-nation alliance’s flag

that I constantly looked out for with my eyes.
However…
‘Will they arrive in time?’
It would be nice if they could come in time, but they would still be in a pinch
even if they did.
Having to stop that crazy gorilla was a huge burden to carry.
‘No. We can stop it.’
It could be possible with the current troops.
It was possible to buy some time with alchemy summons and Dragon Breath
potions. I also had the Bomb of Light potion just in case, so maybe we could
be a match to that ignorant bastard, even if it was just for a while.
I also had a shield that was stronger than anyone else next to me.
The problem was that they might be able to confirm my position after that.
The reserve would be constantly kept in check by the enemy forces before we
could even join the main unit.
However…
There was no choice.
We were in a situation where I could not expect support right away.
‘Block as quickly as possible and join the troops who came out to meet us as
soon as possible.’
I was anxious, but that was the most reasonable option. I then barked an order
immediately.
Park Deokgu looked at me.
“Deokgu, prepare for battle.”
“Can we win?”
“It’s possible. Get ready. We have to go out of our way to meet that thing.”
“…”
“…”
“Hyung-nim.”
“What?”
“I am not a fool either.”

“What bullshit is this all of a sudden?”
“I know how things are going, I mean. I know we’re in a dangerous situation
right now, and I know that you shouldn’t be here. No, the enemy shouldn’t
know that you’re here… Well, that or this is the same, but…”
“Shut up and get ready, pig bastard. This is a highly urgent matter. I don’t
have time to take on a joke.”
“You go first. I will be in charge of here.”
“Stop bullshitting me. Do you think this is an anime movie? Don’t overdo it
just to create an impressive scene. Shut up and prepare for battle. I’m not
kidding anymore.”
“I told you to go first. I’ll take charge here. The remaining troops will take
you to the main unit.”
“What bullshit…”
In an instant, Park Deokgu grabbed my shoulder.
He had such a big body that I had to look up.
Strangely, what I saw before continued to overlap with what was happening
in the present.
The memory of the first round I saw through Yuno Kasugano.
“I’m sorry I look so shameful. Now I can see why you were able to stand on
the battlefield so calmly. Thank you for your consideration, thank you for
being with me, thank you, and… Thank you. Of course, I know it sounds
stupid. I know that you don’t trust me much…”
“Don’t do anything stupid!”
“If you can…”
“Stop with the bullshit, crazy pig who doesn’t even know his place!”
“I can do better.”
He pushed me away.
I was pushed back against my will, and the allies caught me.
Once again, troops involved in the war were mixed between Park Deokgu
and me.
In an instant, the brawler came in rushing with his large body.
I could see the pig grabbing his arm with a large shield on his back.
Baaaaaannngggg!
The last scene I could see was the scene of two hands grappling against each
other with a loud crash sound.
“That stupid pig bastard!!” I had to scream.

Chapter 407 Dialugia, Juliana (1)
Chapter 407: Dialugia, Juliana (1)
“Let go of me, you motherfuckers!”
“It’s too dangerous!”
“I told you to let go of me, motherfuckers!”
“You must not do this, Honorary Cardinal. Please, please be patient.”
“Shit. Shit!”
“I’m sorry, Honorary Cardinal. But…”
“Shit! Fucking stupid pig bastard! Stupid bastard! Does he think he’s worth
something?! That stupid pig bastard!”
Naturally, I couldn’t hold back the anger from bursting out of my mouth. I
saw the startled soldiers.
Those who looked at me with disbelief reacted as if they were witnessing

something incredibly wrong.
It was so clear that they were thinking about whether the person they were
looking at was really the Honorary Cardinal.
‘Shit.’
“Damn…”
Thanks to the momentary anger that had gotten the best of me, it completely
destroyed my image.
It was the first time I had shown that side of mine in front of others.
It wasn’t unreasonable for them to feel bewildered, considering the image
they had of me never raised my voice, much less curse, and remained
respectful when dealing with people.
I instantly realized the weight of the mistake I made.
I would’ve made a fuss about it like usual, but I couldn’t even care about it at
that moment.
As I breathed in slowly and exhaled, I could feel my frustrated heart calming

down a little.
I was still angry, but I knew getting agitated in a situation like that wouldn’t
help. Thankfully, the soldiers’ face helped me to regain reason.
‘I have to be cold.’
I had to be calm and cold.
Anger didn’t help.
Anger… didn’t help.
Useless agitation was poison.
In particular, it would only make the current situation worse.
‘That pig bastard… pig bastard! That stupid pig bastard!’
My anger wouldn’t subside, nonetheless. I felt like Park Deokgu couldn’t

defeat Valentin no matter the circumstances.
I admitted that he had grown considerably. I also knew that his endurance stat
was almost beyond regularity.
However, simply being strong was a different story in battles. It wouldn’t

have mattered if the opponent was just an idiot, but Ronaf’s brawler was one
of the five said to be the strongest in the Republic.
It would be weird not to worry. No, there was no chance of winning in the
first place.
No matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t think of any situation where Park
Deokgu could beat him.
What remained was how long he could endure.
He was a strong man, and he wouldn’t die easily, but it didn’t mean that there
was no chance of dying.
Even if he played out the situation as defensively as possible, the fact that
every moment was dangerous wouldn’t change.
It wasn’t just for him.
The allied troops being held back around them were also weaker. This was no
different from taking a step into a dangerous situation.
The rider of ally troops must have had already sent hand signals to Lee Jihye,
but the key was whether Park Deokgu could endure it until the support unit
arrived.
I should’ve known it from the time he kept spouting out bullshit.
‘He thinks he’s the main character of a movie.’
It was already too late to return.
It would be a more reasonable choice to go back after joining the main unit
and forming a support force. I felt like I wanted to run right now, but it would
be foolish for me to go back to where we came from.
‘Yes, this is reasonable judgment.’
“Reasonable judgment, reasonable judgment… Shit. Okay. That’s a

reasonable judgment.”
It was correct no matter how I thought about it.

I had to move forward soon as possible.
“Er… Honorary Cardinal?”
“Honorary Cardinal.”
“Ah yes.”
“Er. I-I’m sorry.”
“No.”
“…”
“Rather… I’m sorry. I showed an ugly side of mine.”
“No. I-It doesn’t even make sense. To say it’s an ugly side… we can fully
understand.”
“… Thank you. We have to join the main unit as fast as possible.”
“Yes. Okay.”
“I’ll direct our movement.”
“Perhaps…”
“No. I won’t go back there. It would be better to breakthrough after joining

the main unit. The command team probably got the information. They’ll do
something about it.”
“Yes. Okay.”
I saw the unknown soldier slowly nodding.

I was worried about whether he was thinking of something bad about me, but
I felt he got even more loyal.
I didn’t know why, but I had to think that it was fortunate that there weren’t
any additional problems arising. Naturally, I nodded and started to move
again.
The battle was still progressing.
We were slowly getting closer to the main unit, but I felt that the troops were
moving as a whole, so I thought I had to find the right path.
The masked trash and Lee Jihye were probably having a battle of wits from
above.
The change in the real-time situation would also be its effect.
‘This is indeed fortunate.’
The main unit had not been completely dominated yet.
It was clear that they were constantly looking for an exit or exposing the
enemy’s weak spot, and the soldiers inside were busy fighting, but if I could
see this scene from above, I knew I would find a rather interesting view.
‘It’s good for the pig.’
He wouldn’t have to keep being isolated there, so if he was lucky, he would

be able to join another unit.
As I visually confirmed that the allies were getting closer, I became

increasingly impatient.
The troops in front of us were also starting to head over to us as if they had
seen us. The enemy forces’ resistance was strong, but it was weak enough for
us to be able to penetrate through it sufficiently.
However, the troops that were supposed to bring me to the main unit were
also gradually decreasing.
It was more accurate to say that they kept being murdered, though.
“Magic! It’s magic! Cast defense magic!”
“Protection! Protection!”
At that moment, a huge fireball fell over us once again.
Craaaasshh!!
Several soldiers were engulfed in flames despite their shields.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
That was just the beginning.
The fireball that was falling in earnest was causing damage to both sides
absurdly.
This meant that something was wrong, or someone had lost control.
Or perhaps that was his aim all along. Regardless, the magic that fell from the
sky continued to wreak havoc.
Of course, what I had to do didn’t change at all.
I had to pass through the ranks of allies and enemies alike. I had to keep
moving forward nonstop.
It was then that, once again, another great shock came to the ally forces. This
wasn’t an attack.
The enemy and the reserve team, who were fighting with the nearest unit,
collided with each other.
It would have been like a jackpot from the enemy’s point of view, but the
allies fought harder with the unexpected support.
“Push a little more! Bastards! Push them out! It’s support! Support troops!”
‘Although there aren’t really that many of them to be called support troops.’
Still, it was good the battlefield, which had been in a tense standoff.
It was natural that I also helped without knowing. Even though it was just a
little bit of damage with an alchemy spell, it was still better than nothing.
Of course, I knew we had to save my magic power. At this point, however,

we really couldn’t afford it. We were constantly being delayed.
The battlefield engulfed in madness approached each individual, bringing

them great confusion.
When I looked around a bit, I could see that the enemy troops were heading
our way.
The situation was so annoying that I barely managed to hold back another
series of curses.
It looked like the masked trash had sent in more reinforcements.
I frowned at the sight. Due to the nature of the guy who liked to take
advantage of the smallest details, he didn’t leave the detached squad and
reserve squad unattended.
The idea of dominating the troops with the reserves was so explicit, but I
thought that was inevitable.
No, to be precise, it could be avoided. It would be okay to change routes after

leaving the squad as it was, but.
‘That’s not allowed.’
It was irrational to find a new path once again. It would be faster to join the
allies in front of us and break through the enemy’s ranks together.
The direction the troops were moving and how the war was going continued
to fill my head.
‘How far is the main unit?’
If we went through them quickly, we could get to the main unit right within
the expected time.
“Prepare for battle!! Prepare for battle!!”
We were already ready for battle, however. We were in the middle of the
battlefield, after all.
I said those words simply to prepare them for meeting the new faces running
towards us.
‘It might be difficult, but…’
There was no other choice.
Taking a short breath and swallowing my saliva, I heard screams and shouts
covering the battlefield.
It wasn’t very pleasant to be in the middle of a battlefield where blood

splattered, and limbs often flew from all directions.
I had no choice but to close my lips tightly and sigh in frustration. The
sounds of the soldiers hitting each other kept entering my ears.
The existing units among the troops that had just begun to be mixed also
joined the reserves.
I couldn’t remember the name, but the face of the person in charge of the
enemy forces was quite familiar.
This was a face that died and came back alive.
Troops continued to be detached from the main unit. Rather than being
detached, it would be more appropriate to say that the enemies were cutting
them off and isolating them.
He was accumulating damage by cutting the troops to obtain minor
accomplishments.
After hunting the fallen troops, he often scraped their surface again.
It was a creepy, meticulous, and perverted tactic. It was exactly the same as
what he showed in the game we played before.
‘We’re being pushed back.’
I felt like Lee Jihye was going through a lot.
If things were going well, we shouldn’t have been hunted down after our
allies who joined us had fallen. It didn’t seem like we were being beaten one-
sidedly, but it didn’t change the fact that we were suffering.
‘The situation isn’t good.’
Park Deokgu was facing Valentin, and since Kim Hyunsung was isolated, his
location could not be determined.
The same was true for the unit where Kim Ye-ri and Cho Hyejin belonged.
Even the main unit continued to accumulate damage.
It might seem okay right now, but the power difference would be noticeable
after a few hours.
It was no wonder that I felt that the current situation had to be reversed
somehow.
Even a very small hole was fine. If there was a hole, we could somehow
squeeze into it.
‘Should I use the Bomb of Light potion?’
Of course not.
Although the range was wide, it was limited. I didn’t bring it to use for only
that many troops.
‘Or perhaps should I create some distraction.’
That wasn’t bad at all.
I thought it would help to create some form of distraction. I organized my

thoughts instantaneously.
When I tried to give orders to the unit colliding with the enemy, I could see
the enemy’s face squeezing through the spaces in between our ranks.
‘An assassin?’
I didn’t understand how they kept passing through the big guys.
Of course, the priority action was not to understand the situation but to get
out of danger.
I pulled my body back and raised my hand, but it was faster for the enemy’s
dagger to reach my throat than for me to execute an alchemical summon.
The warrior next to me also had a spear in his hand, but he wouldn’t have
reached us if he were the kind to be hit by a spear that easily.
‘Shit!’
I bit down on my lower lip in desperation, but that feeling didn’t last long. A
sword fell down from the sky, penetrating the top of the assassin’s head.
“Juli… Juliana?”
Naturally, I looked up at the sky in a hurry. I couldn’t stop myself from

cheering at what I saw.
“Grooooooaaaaaarrr!”
My wife, who I hadn’t seen in a long time, had finally arrived.

[Uploaded 7 today, I am considering a daily release for better NU Seo… not
sure yet.]
Crack! Craaasshhh!
The sight of her stepping on the enemy like they were ants was indeed
ridiculous to behold.
The dragon with a giant horn made anyone on the battlefield feel both fear
and awe.
Actually, that was the reaction of the enemy forces.
Some raised their heads as if they couldn’t believe it, others had their mouths
wide open, and a few even rubbed their eyes. They might have heard about
the fact that there was a dragon through a briefing beforehand, but there was
a distinctive difference between hearing a story and actually seeing it.
It was even more surprising for the original inhabitants of the continent.
Having a surprised look on their faces was only natural. She was so huge that
anyone had to look up to see her in her entirety.
She had enormous eyes, huge fangs and claws that awakened anyone’s
primal fear, and a glossy black and white outer shell that looked harder than
most armors.
And it probably was.
She ignored any attack coming from the common soldiers. Her basic magic
resistance was also beyond imagination.
For some reason, I was proud. Of course, to be easily targeted was a
weakness. However, in that kind of battlefield, there was no ally as reliable as
her.
“My…”
“Attack! Attack! Rain down magic upon her!”
“It’s a dragon! A dragon!”
“Attack the wings! Wings! If we follow the briefing, we can catch it!”
“Check the location of the unit responsible for the dragon! Do it now!”
Although the surroundings had already become noisy, it seemed that our
proud Dragon General couldn’t hear the cry of the people, including human
companions.
With a single swipe of her tail, the enemy soldiers were blown away into the
sky simultaneously.
It was quite spectacular to watch her tail scratch the ground and sweep entire
ranks of troops equipped with shields.
Craaaasshhh!
“Huuuh?”
“Get out of the way!”
Baaaaannnggg!
It even looked as if magic had fallen. Of course, nobody could just end the
battle with that.
After inhaling deeply, she exhaled her Breath at the enemy’s side, causing a
large beam of light to crash onto the opponents’ ranks in an instantaneous
manner.
Naturally, her body began to be pushed back by its sheer recoil.
A huge defensive magic circle wrapped around the place where the Breath
fell, but it didn’t take long for it to start producing crackling sounds. The
Breath poured through the cracked protective magic, increasing the fatalities
of their opponents.
The power of the Breath spewed out of her mouth as if vomiting her
resentment towards her hardworking parenting.
I didn’t know how much damage she did, but it was enough to say it was a
pleasant scene for us.
‘I love you, wife!’
I expressed my passionate support unconsciously. I wanted to dance, and it

felt unfair that I couldn’t do just that.
Had it not been for the surrounding eyes, I would have already stuck to
Dialugia’s leg and kissed her passionately.
She continued breaking the heads of the nearby enemy forces. Although it
was moving a little different from her, Juliana was also active.
The self-moving ego sword penetrated through the narrow and densely
populated battlefield and pierced the ordinary soldiers’ necks without
hesitation.
Of course, it didn’t work with those at a certain level, but there were a lot of
soldiers who couldn’t handle Juliana.
The sword flew around the battlefield like a mosquito, moving vertically and
horizontally without a wielder fascinatingly.
‘That’s why they always talk a lot about ego swords! An Ego sword! Haha!’
Typically, some humans were strong to the weak and weak to those who
were strong.
I couldn’t deny that I was such a human, but even I couldn’t imagine that my
fighting abilities would also follow that personality.
‘The Seal-Clubber!’
It was a nickname that was a bit unpleasant for me to give myself. However,
there was no word that better expressed my combat ability than that title.
I smiled widely.
It was then that a voice echoed in my head.
-Did I get here too late?
-Gedric! My Gedric!
-Aren’t I asking if I’m late, husband?!
-My Gedric! Where have you been? Why have you…
-It’s been a while. Where on earth were you, and what were you doing…
Aren’t you curious about how Max and Luria are doing? It’s really hard to
see your face. So, have you fully recovered? You must have been really sick.
Yes. Really!
-Gedric, Gedric!
-Are you listening to me? If you are listening, answer!
-Gedriic!!
There was a momentary head-shaking noise, but I was still in a good mood.
This was the first time where the unpleasant nagging and cries for Gedric felt
so adorable. It seemed that they couldn’t hear each other.
They were pouring out only what they wanted to say. Although my head had
been rumbled a little, I was ready to listen to any annoyances or craziness.
First, Dialugia.
‘No. You arrived at just the right time, Dialugia. So, is Tol To-ri doing well?’
-She’s not. You don’t know how hard it was to stop her from following you
when she heard the news that you were sick. Yes. It was really hard.
‘It would have been nice if you said that it was enough to be worried.’
-Then, what should I say as the reason why her father doesn’t come to see
her? Of course, I understand that you have your own life and work, but…
please do not neglect your family because of this useless war. Max is also
very upset. Please make sure to spend a lot of time with Luria after this war
ends.
‘Of course. Of course, I will. Definitely.’
-Why do humans waste time doing these useless things every time…?
‘As you know, it’s not a war we started. They started it. From my
perspective, I believe you’ll take it into consideration since it is to protect the
precious place of life, Dialugia. If we let them be, they would push their
troops back to Lindel, where the precious nest is located. What would be
worse than that? While you’re protecting our home from within, you can
think of me doing the same from the outside.’
-…
‘Ahem. Ahem.’
-You’re never out of rebuttals as always. A human like you… sigh…
‘Well, it’s all true, so what can I do?’
The irritation on Dialugia’s face was highly evident.
However, it didn’t look like she could refute it, so she was soothing her anger
by swaying her tail.
‘More importantly, now…’
-You don’t have to worry about the human Park Deokgu. I left someone there
on the way who could help him, too.
‘What?’
-The human with red hair. Cha Hee-ra, that person.
‘Yo, Yolo…’
-What is Yolo?
I had been expecting it, but when I thought that Cha Hee-ra had gone to Park
Deokgu, I felt like a heavy burden had been removed from my shoulders.
My already wide smile had gotten even wider.
I felt completely reassured that the Russian Pak Deokgu’s head would be
completely shattered.
‘It’s nothing. First, prepare to move. It would be dangerous to stay here. You
can go up to the sky and keep them in check. No… I think it would be better
for us to go to the main unit together.’
-Okay.
It was formal and rough for a conversation between a husband and wife that
had met after a long time apart, but I thought that much was okay.
We were in a situation where we had to keep moving, so I couldn’t focus on

the conversation properly.
Juliana’s voice echoing in my head didn’t help, either.
Even at that moment, the voice calling out to Gedric made my head ache. I
had to change the channel as quickly as I could. It was already screaming.
-Gedric! My voice! Can’t you hear my voice? Gedric! Gedric! Gedriiiiic!

Gedriiiiiic!
I immediately held my breath and began to let my mind talk. I wasn’t ready
yet to meet Juliana, but I already saved the story in my mind.
‘Ohh. My Juliana, why are you here?’
-Gedric! My voice has reached you. Gedric! My everything. My love. My all!

Where have you been? Gedric! My Gedric!
‘It is because of them that I haven’t met you. This bunch of filthy demons
locked me up, tortured me, and threatened me all this time. You don’t know
how much I’ve missed you, my Juliana!’
-Ah…
‘Those demons are trying to turn the continent into the new hell!’
In fact, I only avoided her because of the memory of her sucking my magic
power, but it felt convincible.
Not perfect, but it was still a good excuse.
Of course, a little more supplementary explanation was needed. I thought it

would be nice to whisper sweet nothings, but I didn’t think she needed any
prior explanations when I looked at her condition.
-These… dirty guys. These dirty! These dirty guys dare to!!!
“…”
-I… I will tear you all to death. I’ll tear you down!
“What is this?”
-These trash bastards. You dare, dare!
Black energy began to surround Juliana.

I had an ominous feeling about it. The black haze of smoke clumped together
and began to form some strange shape.
‘This crazy…’
[Due to her out-of-control anger, the legendary-grade weapon, ‘Cursed

Juliana,’ has been forcibly awakened.]
“So, what does this mean…?”
[Juliana’s seal is temporarily released, and materialization is in progress. -

Duration 60 minutes]
“What?”
-You guys, you guys. You guys! Daare! Dare! To try to disturb Gedric and
me? You guys, daareeee!
“…”
‘This is crazy.’
My jaws dropped open in shock.
I looked at Juliana in doubt with the system’s message, but the

materialization was really in progress.
It was just like what I saw at the Cursed Shrine before.
She had messy hair and blind eyes.
A grotesque dark madwoman was standing with a sword.
She didn’t seem to have realized that she had a body. She randomly swung
her sword and screamed, and no matter how I tried, it was impossible to
control her.
She even felt stronger than when I met her at the Cursed Shrine.
Just looking at her already told me she was legendary-grade.
-You daaare! Dare! My Gedric… confine my Gedric! And, and! Threaten…

violate him? You guys? You guys!?
I never said that I had been violated.
-Those who don’t even know their places! Curse, the curse will fall. Curse!
Will fall!! All you guys will be cursed!! You will suffer even after you die.
Forever! Even your remains will suffer forever!
Its grotesque appearance, fully revealed, caused awakened instinctive fear.
Of course, the soldiers were more bewildered than I was.
In addition to spraying a curse, black tentacles were being conjured from all
sides to tear down the surrounding enemies.
With the continuous screaming, she looked like a madman who sold her soul
to the Devil.
‘I have to pretend I don’t know that thing.’
That was the best I could do in that situation.

I thought I had to pretend I didn’t know her desperately.
‘I thought she was crazy, but…’
As the battle progressed, I realized that she was more out of her mind than I
could fathom.
Of course, it made sense for her to get that enraged.
The reunion with her better half, whom she had never ceased to love, lasted
for only a few moments.
She thought her lover was in a situation wherein he was kidnapped and
imprisoned by an unknown demonic force. Considering that the two of them
had a tragic ending before, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for her to get so
angry.
I had a lump in my throat due to the story that would’ve brought tears to
anyone who heard it, but it didn’t change my decision to get out of there.
She was simply that grotesque.
-The curse! The curse will fall upon you! The curse! I will drag your
carcasses and travel around all kinds of continents. I will give you the most
miserable death so that you will continue to suffer even in the afterlife! These
trash bastards! These dirty bastards! I will trample on your corpses and make
everyone associated with you suffer eternally in the fires of hell!
The black smoke swiftly enveloped the enemy forces. Although purification
spells were constantly procured, Juliana’s curse was impossible to be
exorcised with divine power.
It wasn’t the kind of ability that showed its effects in a short period of time,
but it was enough to affect the troops standing in the middle of the battlefield.
“Don’t come here! Don’t come any closer! Shit! Don’t come any closer!”
“Block! Don’t let her come! Mother, mother!”
“S-Save… Run! Run! We’ll all die! We’ll all die!”
Our enemies continued to scream in fear, not even the unexpectedly good son
was left in peace. Juliana looked more like a maniac than a swordswoman as
she wielded her sword and with her torn mouth wide open.
“Don’t come here!”
-You deserve this pain! Kyahihahahaha! Humans like bugs! Ugly humans!
You deserve all the curses! Die! Die! Die! Diiiiieee!
The tentacles, extending from her in all directions, pierced through the enemy
soldiers’ armors too easily.
Those who were stung by tentacles weren’t given a swift death. Those who
were shouting all kinds of things were already under the influence of the
curse.
She dragged around the body of a soldier who had already died several times.
She was also seen hitting his head over and over again with the handle of her
sword.
As the battle progressed, the enemy soldiers affected by the curse continued
to shout in confusion. It was only natural for normal human beings to be
scared of the situation.
Even I didn’t want to be in that place. Therefore, I moved away from it in a

hurry.
This was because even the ally troops were staring at Juliana as if they were
tired of her, and I felt my consciousness grow heavier. I had no choice but to
say something.
“It’s dangerous. I-it looks like the seal I had put on her has been released.”
“Ah…”
Of course, that was bullshit, but for now, I had to insist on that like it was the
truth.
I didn’t even know who I was talking to.
However, seeing the soldiers nodding hard, I was a bit relieved.
‘That’s why it’s important to leave a good impression.’
“I-I see. Honorary Cardinal, then that’s…”
“It would be nice for you to join the main unit along the way.”
“And the Honorary Cardinal…”
“I will go first.”
“How… Oh, I see. Okay.”
The soldier nodded with his eyes widened. It seemed like he agreed only after
looking at Dialugia.
I, too, started moving right away.
The soldiers around me were protecting me, trembling with fear that there
might be any problems, but I was certain that the place surrounding me was
definitely safe.
Juliana was drawing all kinds of gazes, after all.
I wanted to fight with her since she was struggling alone, but I couldn’t do it.
It was not because I didn’t want to be in the same space as Juliana.
There was something I had to do. It was close to Force majeure.
‘Right. This is Force majeure.’
-Gedric! Gedriiiiic!
As if she had noticed I was moving away; a creepy sound came from behind
me.
The voice made me shake. It felt like it could scratch windows. She seemed
to want to chase after me, but she was blocked by the enemies that rushed to
surround her.
It was the beginning of their ‘Juliana Raid’.
-Gedric! How dare! You bastards! You bastards! My Gedric! Can’t you get
out of my way right now?! You, humans, are less than insects!
“Surround her!”
“Be careful not to be affected by the curse. Frontline, guard ahead!”
“Don’t get cut by the sword! Keep a distance away from her as much as
possible and drag her into a long-range battle. Never stop the purification
magic!”
The battle that transpired in the middle of the war field was magnificent.
-Get out of my way! I said, get out of my way!
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Shit!”
-The curse will fall upon you! The curse! Anyone who interferes with Gedric
and I will be cursed and shall die miserably!
“Gasp!”
-Aah! Gedric! No need to worry! My Gedric! Please wait for a bit! Your little
baby bird will go to you soon!
No matter how I looked at her, I couldn’t think of her like a baby bird. I had
cold sweats, but I did my best to turn my head away.
I tried my best to get away from the unidentified creature, even if for just a
little. That was when I saw Dialugia bowing her head to me to make it easier
for me to climb over.
-I thought it would help, but it must have been a mistake to bring it.
“No. It’s helpful enough. Just… no, it’s nothing. I will go up.”
-I don’t want to pick you up, but…
“…”
-Okay. Yes. I got it.
I boarded onto her swiftly. She slowly lifted her body as I grabbed onto her
horn tightly.
The reserve team that had been with me began to look smaller.
Everyone seemed to be impressed.
I didn’t know if it’s an appropriate expression, but they were looking up at

me as if I was the main character in a fairytale.
I subtly nodded at them.
I felt like I was departing as a hero like in the history books.
Just being with a dragon was already enough to win public envy. Moreover, a
messenger, chosen by God, had been riding that dragon.
Although the blind belief that I could solve everything felt burdensome, I
couldn’t help but reassure them from where I was.
I thought it was now the time to accept the familiar gazes humbly.
“Please, Honorary Cardinal.”
“Thank you, everyone.”
After a short greeting, Dialugia fully rose in the middle of the battlefield.
Arrows and magic instantly targeted her.
After I pretended to be cool, I tapped on her horns. Image management was

important.
“Let’s go, Dialugia.”
-I’m not familiar with the sky.
“It would be better than being on the ground. A unit specifically made to deal
with you will be here shortly. There’s no reason not to take advantage of this.
Oh, and before flying, please flap your wings once as strong as you can. I
also ask for you to roar as loud as you can. I want everyone to look at us.”
-I’m not a spectacle. Even in this kind of situation…
“I’m not telling you to pretend to be a clown. I have no intention of making a

show. It’s all to boost morale. Have you not seen how symbolic your
existence is during the Sacred Democracy Revolution? Think of it as showing
off your beautiful figure to them, and take a nice pose.”
-I’m not feeling like it.
“This fight will be recorded in history. Maybe you and I will also appear in
the stories people share, like the human chosen by a dragon. It’ll appear in
the history book that our Dialuria will learn. The Alchemist of Light and his
wife against the demon’s army! Shouldn’t you, too, keep the balance as a
dragon that’s just a few on the continent?”
-Are they really the demon’s army?
“Yes. Absolutely. And if I say it’s not an army of demons, what does it
matter? History is written by the victors anyway. Oh, that doesn’t mean they
deny that they are the army of darkness. The one who summoned the Demon
Lord to Laios was certainly the head of the enemy. Demon Summoner Jin
Qing. He is the one who caused all of this.”
-…
“I’m telling you the truth. Now, let’s quickly become parents Tol To-ri can
be proud of. Humans will also respect our Dialuria. I’m sure of it.”
-…
I didn’t hear an answer, but I already knew the choice she was going to make.
She raised her head mightily and delivered a thunderous roar that shook the
ground.
Everyone looked at Dialugia and me, both allies and enemies.
After she took to the spells began to ascend, all aimed at her.
Of course, Dialugia wasn’t slow enough to be hit by such forceless attacks.
She had deadlier abilities than such spells, but avoiding their attacks in the
sky felt like watching a well-crafted aerial combat scene.
Of course, I was on top of her, so it’s okay to assume that I was experiencing
the 4DX sensation.
The wind blasting against my face made it very difficult to breathe properly.
It wasn’t easy to open my mouth, and as I talked into her, I heard her voice
once again.
‘You should avoid the blue ones. It’s probably magic made to stop you. It
looks like a kind of bondage magic, and if you get caught, you might fall.’
-I don’t know, but considering the density of magic power, I guess it is.
‘The basic hold magic…’

-Maybe I can resist. It would be better to hold onto me tightly so that you
don’t fall off.
A large blue magic rope flew toward Dialugia from all directions.
When I took out the Dragon Breath potion and threw it, the blue magic rope
burst into pieces with a loud sound.
However, some attacks proved to be difficult for her to avoid.
Dialugia seemed to have the same thought as me.
She seemed to think that the magic sent by high-level wizards was dangerous
and was offsetting the inevitable ones.
She kept avoiding their assaults, and her actions were optimal to get into the
enemy command’s nerves. Although it couldn’t be seen as direct damage, it
was undeniable that the damage being dealt against the enemies was
accumulating.
It wasn’t surprising that a dedicated unit and specialized magic had been
created specifically for Dialugia.
‘Where is our Hyunsung?’
I had been looking for him, but it was too hard to see anything.
It was normal that I couldn’t easily find him.
I was on the back of Dialugia, avoiding the magic soaring towards us at

tremendous speeds.
Whenever we entered a lull, I looked around as much as possible, but it

wasn’t easy to check everything because the range was too wide.
One thing that made me feel relief was that the wizard units assigned as his
targets before communication was cut off were no longer visible. I was
starting to feel like my concern was nothing but a groundless one.
‘He will be okay, right?’
If he was looking at us, he must’ve moved the moment he saw it.
Now that the allies had finally gained some breathing space, it became more
plausible for him to get out.
That was when I felt a huge flow of magic power from above us. To be
precise, it was not a flow of magic power, but a strong pressure.
‘What’s that?’
A meteorite was falling from the sky.
“That’s nuts…”
A large meteorite was falling toward the densely gathered main unit.
“It’s awesome. Really. Jin Qing, you trash bastard…”

Chapter 410 I’m Glad. Light
Kiyoung has descended (1)
Chapter 410: I’m Glad. Light Kiyoung has descended (1)
This was a malevolent trap.
I didn’t know how much he had been trying to dominate Castle Rock, but I
had no choice but to come out swearing.
Of course, it was difficult for the enemy to see that as an optimal situation. It
was obvious that they were in a hurry, too.
He probably wanted to drop the magic he prepared after pushing his troops in
as much as possible. However, it was clear that the operation had been
twisted due to that appeared out of nowhere.
If I were Jin Qing, I would have activated that magic after reducing the
enemy wizards’ stamina a little more.
However, the current timing couldn’t be considered as regrettable, either.
Enemy forces still surrounded the main unit, and it was undeniable that that
magic would inflict enormous damage to our side.
If it really fell, then the war would be over. I wasn’t the only one who knew
about such an obvious fact.
A loud voice could be heard from below. After a few moments had passed, I
began to feel great magic power trembling from within.
I was certain that it’s caused by someone forming a defensive magic circle
that could respond to the enemy’s magic. However, it wasn’t certain whether
the improvised defense magic would be able to stop the meteorite.
I was able to realize why the enemy allowed themselves to be stuck at Castle
Rock.
‘Were they preparing that all this time?’
I wasn’t sure. However, the odds were high. It didn’t just end with Castle
Rock as bait.
Considering that it took time and manpower to unleash that kind of magic, I
thought they could have been preparing since the beginning of the war, or
maybe even after I had sent the message.
Perhaps there was a device on the command side that could materialize and
maintain that magic.
It was more systematic than the magic that fell at Laios, assuming that the
range was limited to prevent their allies from being damage. It even seemed
to have accurate coordinates and even calculations of possible errors.
I knew that there were many talented wizards in the Republic, but I thought
the one who gave them help to create such powerful magic…
‘The Magic Kingdom.’
That much was obvious.
Perhaps that was both a message and their means of vengeance.
It could be interpreted as a blow of tenacity as part of Jin Qing trash’s will to

return what happened in Laios. I looked up at the sky with my Mind’s Eyes.
[Semi-mythic grade magic]
[Meteor]
The level of the manifested magic was a whopping semi-mythic grade.
‘Can I stop it?’

I had the Bomb of Light potion, but no matter how I looked at it, it was
unlikely that I could stop it with one shot.
After peeling off the magic power as much as possible, we could burst free at
it. Maybe we’d have a chance.
Of course, that didn’t mean we’d succeed, but…
-That…
“First, get as close as possible.”
Still, I had no choice but to try.
If that fell, I would lose everything I had ever achieved and everything I’d get
in the future.
While Dialugia hesitated for a moment, a huge defensive magic circle began
to cover our allies.
Finally.
Baaaaaaannnngggg!
A huge crashing sound started to reverberate into my ears.
The defense magic created by the main unit was blocking the meteorite.
I became hopeful for a second, but all it did was slow that thing down. It
looked somewhat unnatural to watch it continue falling, gathering clouds and
air in the sky.
Shortly afterward, a shattering sound exploded as the huge shield got

completely smashed.
“Breath! Breath!”
-I don’t know if it’ll work.

“But it would be better to try it first.”
I thought I had to try everything at that point.
I could see a huge light accumulating in Dialugia’s mouth, taking a deep

breath as per command. The draconic figure shot out her Breath towards the
meteorite, exerting so much force that my body was pushed back even though
I was tightly holding onto her. It was a mythical scene, but it wasn’t as
pleasing when it was happening right before my eyes.
“Shit. It’s still not enough…”
-I think it’s better to avoid it. The closer I get, the higher the chance that I’ll
get swept away.
“No. Let’s go up. I can stop it.”
-Are you serious?
“I’m not sure if it’ll work, but I’ve got a plan.”
-…
“Just go up. Gosh! You have no faith! No faith.”
-Because you’re not very trustworthy. I didn’t have faith from the beginning.
And I don’t think there will be any in the future.
Contrary to her words, Dialugia continued to approach the meteorite.
The allies cast defensive magic once again, causing the meteorite to hit the
translucent membrane in return.
I had hopes for the spell, but the second barrier broke down faster than the
first. Of course, it wasn’t meaningless to continue to cut down the magic
power built into the magic itself, but no matter what I thought, it wasn’t
enough to block it.
As I looked at my right arm momentarily, I gazed at the small shield Kim

Hyunsung gifted to me.
[Incomplete Shield of Aegis (Legendary)]
[A shield that the God of Heaven gave to the Goddess of War. Unlike before,
it had been split into several pieces. The shield did not lose its power despite
being torn apart, perhaps thanks to the magic power contained in it. It
dramatically increased basic magic resistance and allowed the user to
summon parts of the Aegis Shield for a limited period of time in exchange for
a huge amount of magic power. Summoned Aegis Shield unconditionally
prevented any form of life-threatening attacks.]
‘Would this work against that?’
Part of its details was that it could prevent lethal attacks unconditionally, but
that was likely to only react to things below the legendary grade.
It was out of standard in the first place since it’s semi-mythic. When I
thought about the meteorite, I wondered if that little shield could block such
great magic.
‘I still have to try.’
“Breath. Once again.”
-This is the last time.
“It doesn’t matter. First, stop that thing. Since it’s the last time you’re
shooting it, use all the magic power you have.”
-I was going to do that even if you didn’t say it.
She blasted another Breath of the Dragon out again.
Another defense magic circle had been created as well.
It was unknown exactly what sound came from the bottom, but it’s probably
the ally wizards screaming.
Perhaps they were vomiting blood, like Jung Hayan at Laios.
It would be the same to the enemy who manifested such magic, but after that,
both wizards would be unable to use magic for the time being.
‘They’re probably at their limits now.’
I couldn’t afford to look around the battlefield, but it was already obvious,
even if I couldn’t see them.
-Is it really going to be okay? Really? What can you do?
“Aegis!”
Leaving the anxious Dialugia behind, I immediately shouted the activation

word after the third defensive magic was smashed.
As light emanated from the small shield, a huge barrier began to form in front
of me.
The effect looked gorgeous, but I didn’t know how much it could endure. The
shield continued to be maintained above Dialugia’s head, but it didn’t take
long for it to crack and shatter.
“Aegis! Aegis! Aegis!”
‘Unconditionally blocks a fatal attack, my ass!’
If I paid for it, I would have asked for a refund unconditionally.
I already expended a lot of magic power.
-I don’t think it can take anymore…
“Okay, so go back! Go back! Go back! Quickly now!”
Craaash! Craaaack!
Whenever the barrier broke, my body felt like it was burning in the heat.
I was probably the only one who had witnessed the huge meteorite falling
right in front of me.
I worried about whether or not I would die like that.
At the same time, a fourth shield blocked the path of the meteorite. It was
stopped for a moment, but it continued getting closer to the ground soon
after.
‘Would it be better to reduce its core a little more?’
I thought it would be better to reduce the intrinsic magic power a little more,
but there was no way I could do that. All I could do was throw two potions
towards it.
“This disgusting bastard! Taste the power of light, motherfucker!”
It would be nice if that could block it, but it was unclear whether that would
happen. However…
Whoooosh!
Along with the sound of a huge light flashing, the surroundings were
illuminated.
A blinding light.
The huge light began to devour some chunks of the falling meteorite.
‘Right. That’s it! Fuck! That’s it! Keep it coming! Fuck! Let’s go! Bastard!’
Whooooooosh!
The sight of some parts of the meteorite being completely engulfed by streaks
of light seemed to suggest that the potion I had was working.
What it touched gradually became light with a resounding roar. I wanted to

get up and dance, but it felt difficult to move my body properly.
Still, I had to cheer for the fact that my plan worked. It was then that the
falling meteorite showed an unusual reaction.
“Uh?”
The meteorite was split in half.
Baaaaaaaannnnnggggg!
One was completely swept away by the light, while the other remained intact.
The other half continued to fall toward the ally troops.
“Dialugia! Breath! Breath! Breath!! Breath!!”
-I-I can’t… more importantly, the balance! I’m falling! I’m falling!
“Damn! Damn!!”
When my face momentarily crumpled, I witnessed the half that fell off was
cut neatly once again.
It became obvious as to who did it.
I could tell without having to look at it. There was no one else who could cut
that.
‘Hyunsung! Fuck! I believed in you!’
Of course, I wasn’t in a situation where I could see that right now.
After the Bomb of Light potion completely swallowed the meteorite,

Dialugia turned to face the ground at the impact of the explosion. I held onto
her horn as tightly as possible, but it felt like I was going to bounce right off.
“Damn!!”
-Hold on tight…
Baaanngg!!
“Cough! Cough! Cough! Dialugia! Dialugia, are you okay?”
-I can… endure it. And you…
“I’m fine too.”
‘What happened to the meteorite?’
Strangely, our vicinity had gone quiet. Rather, the entire battlefield became
quiet.
I saw the troops looking at Dialugia and me as if they couldn’t believe it.
Perhaps that silence was the aftershock of witnessing such an incredible

scene.
Of course, it was.
Even I still couldn’t believe I just stopped it.
At Laios, the scene was made up, but I succeeded in preventing something
similar. The powder of light falling from the sky enveloped the entire army.
If I were a devout believer, I would’ve knelt and shouted Hallelujah on the

spot.
“The Second Coming of Benignore… Benignore’s Second Coming…”
“It is the Second Coming of Goddess Benignore!”
‘This is a nice atmosphere.’
I didn’t even have that effect in mind, but the reaction was much better than I
thought.
‘It deserves to have a good effect.’
The meteorite powder falling from the sky created the perfect glowing
blanket. It was truly befitting to call it the Curtain of Light.
The image of a man riding a dragon was in its middle. In my eyes, it was
perfect.
Thanks to the use of excessive magic power, my legs were trembling, but I
instinctively thought I had to say something.
I applied the voice amplification magic to my words as I spoke.
-Please! Stop fighting, dear Republics!
Adrenaline coursed through my veins.
-Throw away your weapons!
As expected, I enjoyed talking more than I enjoyed standing on a battlefield.

Chapter 411 I’m glad. Light
Kiyoung has descended. (2)
Chapter 411: I’m glad. Light Kiyoung has descended. (2)
It was the perfect moment for me to deliver a speech.
Although the meteorite crisis had passed, the fact that our allies were
outnumbered hadn’t changed.
The remaining magic power of the wizards wouldn’t last long, and Dialugia
could no longer afford to deal with them.
It was only natural to feel tired as she used her Breath until she reached her
limit in order to reduce the meteorite’s magic power, which was surrounded
by semi-mythic grade magic.
Kim Hyunsung probably wasn’t in peak condition as well.
No matter how much of a Superman he was like, there was no way he could
be fine considering he dealt with that tremendous magic and consumed his
stamina behind enemy lines.
If he were normal, it would be almost impossible even to move.
Even though that wasn’t the case, it was undeniable that it would have an
adverse effect on him.
‘I also have a bottle of Bomb of Light left…’
Enemies still surrounded our allies.
I couldn’t consider that we’re at a total disadvantage since the enemy’s

wizards had reached their limits, but it didn’t change the fact that the overall
situation didn’t look good.
I didn’t know whether that method could work, but there was no harm in
trying.
The battlefield had entered a lull, after all. I had to make the best use of that
opportunity.
‘Even the picture is good.’
God’s messenger amid a crowd of falling lights.
I watched them falling from the sky, not distinguishing friend from foe.
Once again, I spoke. Although it was temporary, the faces of those looking at
me were reflected in my view.
-I’ll say it again! Everyone! Please stop fighting! Dear Republics! Throw
away your weapons!
“It is the second coming of Benignore.”
“It is the second coming of the Goddess Benignore.”
“Honorary Cardinal…”
“Honorary Cardinal! It’s dangerous!”
The anxious voices of our allies echoed across the battlefield.
But what’s more important to me was the reaction of the Republic.
Naturally, I quickly tried to read their faces.
Some reacted as if I was talking bullshit, but others hesitated.
It felt like there were more of the former, however.
Since they had been educated in advance, I immediately understood that

they’re trying not to listen to me.
Nevertheless, since we had entered a lull, my voice clearly reverberated
across the fields.
-Please throw down your weapons. Any further battles with each other are
useless. Would you really rather we keep hurting one another in this war
that’s not yours to fight? This war didn’t happen with you or your family in
mind. What are you holding your sword for? What are you standing there
for?
“…”
-You are not here to protect your country. This war of madness did not
happen for the Republic. The leaders of the Republic know better than
anyone else that the State never invaded your country! As the chosen
messenger of Benignoreand Elune, I request for both Goddesses to punish me
if there’s deception in my words! If I’m lying, Goddess Benignore won’t ever
forgive me. The State wasn’t the first one to attack. What you know is by no
means true. Open your eyes. Open your eyes and confirm the truth yourself!
There was no response.
-The people we need to fight together are laughing at this situation from their
high horses. Jin Qing, the Demon Summoner who caused this war, is hiding
in the Republic’s shield and is manipulating you to fight his battles for him!
He promotes conflict between our two countries for his own security and the
continent’s confusion. That’s what the evil forces rooted in the continent are
aiming for! Our enemies aren’t each other, but rather those who are
threatening the peace of our lands! We must join forces to defeat the predator
that will one day come for us!
“…”
-It would be impossible to fight off the incoming threat unless the entirety of
humanity joins their powers together! Throw away your weapons, ladies, and
gentlemen. It’s time for us to stop this war. There is nothing left to gain from
this war that’s caused by someone’s conspiracy and agitation!
I thought I could understand why there was no response.

They might be thinking that they’ll feel like they’re losing as soon as they
reacted to what I’m saying.
But it’s not just for that reason.
It wasn’t because my words did not shake the soldiers of the Republic.
The priests who used divine power seemed to feel like they needed to listen a
little more, but that didn’t matter.
They had been swinging swords at each other’s throats until recently.
There was no way that their wrath would go away just because I suddenly
said something like that.
If we had the Goddess’s Mirror, it would have been possible to incite what I
wanted to incite faster. Talking without showing facts just wasn’t that
convincing.
If that continued, I was certain that the war’s tiny embers would be sprayed
with oil once more.
The Demon Summoner didn’t even feel the need to respond to my words.
But I had no choice but to keep talking.
-For something more pressing than our nations and our values, we must lower
our swords and hold hands. As an ally of the Republic, the State will never
pierce our swords into your ranks first. The history of conflict will disappear
after this war! We have to try to gain peace. Please throw down your swords.
What happened here today is just the first step, but it would be a gigantic leap
if we can end the history of endless wars! Stop fighting!
The question was what that oil was.
-We can go hand in hand toward greater value. Throw away your weapons!
As I was talking, an arrow flew towards me.

‘That bastard.’
In that instant, I could feel how high its magic power was.
I didn’t know where it came from, but it was quite powerful.
I flicked my finger and hurriedly built a wall, but my body was pushed back
by the explosion.
I didn’t roll on the ground pathetically, but it’s probably enough to spark the
new flames of war.
Just in time, once again, an explosion started to be heard from the enemy
camp.
I didn’t know whether it was made up or not, but agitated voices began to be
heard once more due to it.
“Shit!”
“Don’t stop! It’s a trap!”
“Honorary Cardinal! These dirty bastards!”
“What are the wizards doing?!”
“Raise your weapons! Gather up! Prepare for battle! Each unit, prepare for
battle!”
“Don’t be pushed! Hold on! Hold on!”
“Protect the Honorary Cardinal! Quickly use the remaining magic power to
create protection magic!”
My speech was long, but madness fell again without paying heed to my
words.
The enemy kept pushing through the crowded soldiers while our allies
endured and prevented themselves from getting pushed back.
‘This isn’t good…’
It definitely wasn’t an ideal situation.
If the battle continued like that, both sides would still sustain great damage
regardless of the victor.
However, it was also undeniable that the allies were at a disadvantage.
Even if we won, it was a victory that would leave us with deep wounds.
Only our neighboring countries would be cheering.
Of course, what I wanted wasn’t the honor to leave the battlefield with only
wounds to show.
“These dirty demon’s minions!”
“Motherfuckers! Don’t go easy on them! Bring down the arrows! Arrows!”
-Stop fighting! This is all unnecessary. Dear Republics! You are being
deceived. We must no longer be puppets to the evil forces! I know it will be
tough, but stop fighting! You have to put away hatred and anger and get rid
of your bloodlust. We must unite hand in hand together!
“Kill!!! Shit!!”
-Stop fighting! Everyone! There is no reason to spill blood meaninglessly!
“Don’t let them push us back!”
-Stop fighting! Everyone! Please stop fighting!!
“You dogs of the dirty Republic!”
“Puppets of the State! Don’t go easy on them!”

I shouted my lungs off, but it’s hard for my voice to be heard on the
battlefield when madness had already swept away the hearts of the
combatants.
Intentionally placed moles spoke louder and louder, bringing confusion to the
battlefield.
There were people hiding within the skirmishes, heating up the atmosphere,
but there’s no way we could catch them all.
‘They’re smart. Fuck.’
I would probably have deployed a similar tactic if I were in their shoes.
As I was in an advantageous situation, I felt that it would be better to block

the conversation channel completely.
It’s unfortunate, though.
If the atmosphere of the battlefield had subsided a little more, the

continuation of the war would have been avoided.
However, it was illogical for me to try to fix the current situation.
‘Shit. This won’t work out well…’
I was starting to feel more and more anxious.
Perhaps the dirty Demon Summoner had the same thought.
‘It’s over.’
Or something like:
‘We just have to keep going like this.’
Or something like:
‘All we need to do now is deliver the final blow.’

The ace in the hole he’s been hiding had been reduced to nothing, but he
must’ve thought he had benefited enough.
‘That must be what’s on his mind. That’s for sure.’
It’s a little bit early, but I thought there was a possibility that he was already
holding a toast of victory.
If it were before he received the gift I prepared, it would be fully

understandable to act like that.
-Stop fighting!!
With my head aching, it became difficult to bear the laughter at Lee Jihye’s
signal from a distance.
It was earlier than I expected, but it’s a pleasant situation.
I wanted to laugh out loud.
But it didn’t need to be said that the inability to do so felt like a lasting regret.
I shouldn’t know what’s happening out there right now.
I shouldn’t know at all, but the masked trash Jin Qing should know.
Some people had already started to turn blue. Perhaps the lovely returner was
also biting his lips.
“These dirty bastards!”
“These demon-like bastards of the Republic! How can you guys wear human
masks and do this…”
“Those dirty bastards! Motherfuckers!”
“That Demon Summoner…”
“What bullsh…”
-Damn! Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!!
It was natural for the enemies to become speechless by my sudden change of

heart.
But if one were to look back, they’d notice why I suddenly issued such an
order.
What was visible from afar was an unknown battalion.
Reinforcements specially brought in from the forest of fog.
Of course, it wasn’t me who called for them.
Oh! Technically, I was unofficially the one who brought them, but officially,
it would be the reinforcement force brought by the Demon Summoner Jin
Qing trash.
“The u-undead…”
“Undead?”
They were Undead wearing the armor of the Republic and holding the flag of
the Republic.
-You finally revealed your true colors! That dirty Demon Summoner!!
Jin Qing was staged to have sacrificed his troops in the fog forest and turned
them into undead beings.
-God will not forgive you, dirty demon!
He’s the masked trash that had committed an act so unforgiving it couldn’t be
forgiven even in the name of God.
Demon Summoner Jin Qing.
The combatants were visibly confused by the unexpected appearance of an

Undead legion.
Chapter 412: I’m glad. Light Kiyoung has descended (3)
What I witnessed couldn’t be expressed in words.
It would be strange not to be surprised upon seeing the number of undead.
It looked the same as before.
The allies’ mouths dropped open as they watched the absurdity of the scene,
while the enemy remained confused as to what to do in the situation they
couldn’t even understand.
It was impossible to determine if they were friendly or not.
My urgent voice made them realize that the Demon Summoner Jin Qing sent
the undead army, but the Republic didn’t seem fully convinced yet.
“Damn…”
“Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle! They’re undead with a minimum grade
of heroic or higher!”
It was just as the random soldier said.
The undead created by Han Sora and Jung Hayan with great care was
different from those of common or rare grades.
They were at least higher than heroic. There were even liches among their
ranks.
Honestly, I didn’t expect they would be able to do that much.

Jung Hayan always did the unthinkable, but that time it felt like she really did
create an army of demons.
It’s a different kind of achievement, but it’s never going to fall behind when
compared to the meteor that fell right before.
‘She even summoned Belial. That shouldn’t have been hard for her.’
Of course, compared to the demon lord being summoned, the quality was a
bit inferior, but the sight of the undead surrounded by black fog was still
threatening.
Rather, it was rather effective in some aspects.
Unlike Belial, who was alone, they put pressure onto the battlefield just
through their sheer numbers alone.
It was obvious what Kim Hyunsung was thinking right then.
They were a little weaker than necessary, but it’s more than enough to satisfy
his cautiousness.
I even wondered if there were other ways that were less vicious. I tried to
think hard about it, but that was the most humane solution I could think of.
I couldn’t make any more plans due to my conscience, so there was no choice
but to shrink back.
At that moment, I was physically exhausted.
Compared to Jin Qing from the first round, the insanity of the masked trash
that turned the Republic soldiers into undead beings was enough.
It was all for the victory of the war.
He became the demon who abandoned everything to wreak havoc in that

land.
That was the true identity of Jin Qing trash.

“Grooooaaarr…”
“Grooooowwwll!!”
There were also many types of undead beings in their ranks.
To make as many of them as possible, they had to create low-level skeletons

that mingled among the undead who maintained the same abilities as they
had when they were alive. There were also dark knights and liches who
possessed even more power than that.
Still suffering as pawns even in the afterlife, the undead showed their
resentment towards the Demon Summoner in their own way.
I began to speak once more.
I knew better than anyone else that timing as good as that seldom came.
-Everyone! That is the true identity and purpose of the Demon Summoner!
-Look at those restless soldiers. Look at the fallen beings holding the flags of
the Republic. This war has never been for the State and the Republic. This
war has been planned and executed by a degenerate demon! Open your eyes!
Join hands with us!
‘Join us! We will welcome you with open arms!’
-Do not lift your swords against each other. The continent’s existence is at
stake. We must not allow those fallen beings to take our home. They’re
aiming for the State right now, but their next goal would be the Republic. Lift
your swords together! Please join forces for the sake of all the races living on
this land!
‘Let’s unite!’
-The place where the Republic’s leadership is located has already become a
playground for the Devil. Stand with God! I sincerely ask you to be with the
Divine. Everyone! Join the Army of Light!
“Quicky, you bastards! This is urgent!’
It’s like a politician going to an election.
I thought I spoke with tenacity, but the atmosphere seemed a little weakened.
I tried to convince them as much as possible, but the Republic soldiers

weren’t reacting properly.
But my voice was definitely reaching them.
I could tell that just by the fact that they had stopped attacking our allies.
Neither the enemy field commanders who used to issue aggressive orders nor
the soldiers who lost their companions in that war of madness showed any
signs of violence.
When a common enemy emerged, the only thing they could do was swallow
hard.
The situation was different from the previous one.
Unlike before, my words were backed up by evidence.
Internal confusion was tantamount to the pre-determined procedure.
“W-what is this…”
“Is that really a support force?”
“Oh God…”
especially affected.
The religious priests of the Republic had closed their eyes and began to look
for their God.
-Believers of Varian God! Please, be with us! Fight for God! Please!!
None of them wanted to take the first step, but it was working.
Unlike before, he was trying to react to my shouts desperately.
At best, I thought there would be a spokesperson, but that was certainly the
voice of the Demon Summoner.
He pretended to be as calm as possible, but I could feel that he was a little

agitated.
Maybe it’s a natural reaction.
It wasn’t unreasonable to get agitated about it, considering he’s about to

accumulate more achievements as a Demon Summoner once again following
the last Laios crisis.
He must have already burned up at the thought of being praised by the demon
officials.
‘Trash bastard.’
-It’s all manipulated. Those undeads have nothing to do with the Republic.
They are nothing more than Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung’s self-made
play to cause confusion. Just like at the Laios crisis, he is a demon who
deceives everyone with black magic.
-I am the messenger of light chosen by Benignore and Elune. You should be

ashamed, Demon Summoner! The light given to me is the light to judge
demons. It is a light to judge you, who tricked the innocent soldiers into
shedding meaningless blood! You, who caused wars to incite chaos in the
continent. If I had anything to do with those dark forces, then let all the gods
on the continent punish me. This divine power is the proof and the greatest
power to deny your lies!
-Shut up, you filthy scamming bastard. It is you who are putting the continent
in confusion. Don’t think that hiding behind God’s name will hide the dirty
things you’ve done! The truth will always be revealed. Do you think I don’t
know the dirty things you’ve done in the State? I know that you used
democracy as a shield to cause chaos in the Empire and to create a black
market.
-Your lies have no power against me, dirty demon. Aren’t your words right
now an incitement and manipulation to hide the truth? Republicans!
Everything that demon summoner says is a lie. Like the current situation both
of our nations are facing, every word that comes out of that mouth is a
whisper of the demon. It is all false that the State has invaded the Republic,
and that the Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung caused the Empire’s chaos, and
that he has a black market. Don’t believe what you hear. Trust what you see!
Open your eyes to the truth! Do not let yourself be blinded by agitation and
hoaxes!
-The truth will be revealed! You are a dirty scamming bastard!!
-The light is the truth, Demon Summoner Jin Qing!
-What you have is not divinity. Even if the light were real, the God who gave
you such power could not be normal. It can’t be normal!!
-To deny the divine power of God is to deny God! The sky is angry, demon!
Your image in the Goddess’s Mirror is true, and my divine power is true. The
blood flowing on the battlefield, the sight of everyone suffering, and every
human being swallowed by darkness are true! How dare you say that you are
the truth! Don’t think your dirty words will fool everyone!
-This crazy bastard! Why would the Republic bring the undead now…
-Fight back, everyone! Please join me!
What seemed a bit ambiguous to answer, I answered with a sincere and

divine voice.
-Why would we…
-Please be with us! Be with the light!
In fact, there was no need to argue.

The undead troops, who had already gone crazy, were running around as
foam formulated around their mouths.
Thankfully, the undead army could distinguish the State and the Republic.
They were leaving the Republic’s soldiers alone and only aimed their swords
at the State’s soldiers, spreading black magic and performing all sorts of
disgusting acts.
Even if he kept denying it, the reality unfolding before our eyes could never
be disputed.
“Grooowwwlllll!
“Divine power! We need more divine power!”
“Grooooaarr!”
“Block them! Shit! Dirty Demon Summoner bastard! Are you not afraid of
God! You demons!”
“Raise your sword for the continent! Don’t stand with the darkness!”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!!”
The power of light that began to be pushed by the undead made my heart
pound.
If it weren’t for the crowd of lights that were constantly falling, it wouldn’t
be strange for casualties to increase rapidly.
“Don’t lose!”
“Don’t fall down! We are Eberian knights fighting under the name of Elune!
Let them know that there is still light on the continent!”
“Priests! We need the priests!”

“Pull the injured away from them! Form a line! Gather together and block the
undead!”
The elves who liked to get serious were resisting the darkness, began to cry.
The same was true for the Dwarves and the State’s Knights, who quivered at
the face of the undead.
There were no casualties yet, but it would only be natural for soldiers to die.
They wouldn’t have been able to withstand that long if they hadn’t formed a
durable formation.
-It is light that illuminates the darkness. We are small candles, but one by
one, together, we can make even the abyss glow! Every drop of strength is
necessary. Please realize the meaning of the current situation!
After shouting a phrase that sounded like a famous song’s lyrics, I, too, began
to move.
-We have to attack the State’s scammers right now! All of these are just part
of their manipulative tactics! The undeads have nothing to do with the
Republic, and if we strike the State now, the real truth will be revealed. Raise
your sword again and fight!
-We shouldn’t fight each other! Humanity’s true enemy is already right in
front of us! Keep your eyes wide open. The light will show you the truth!
-Republic soldiers, raise your swords right now! Raise your swords!
-I have an order for the State soldiers! I will not allow you to aim your
swords at the Republic soldiers! They are not enemies! They’re not the ones
you should fight!
-This c… crazy bastard! Who do you think will be fooled by that scam?!
-Everyone… please unite your strength! The light will be with you! Don’t
listen to the Demon Summoner! Please remember what happened at Laios!
He is the creator of this undead legion!
-Don’t respond to his craziness. The entire army… !!
-The light will be with you! I will be with you! Don’t be afraid! Never be
afraid!
-Lee Kiyoung!
-We can stand united in front of this great threat!
That holy war would unite humankind.
It was still too early for a toast.
However, epic background music began to play in my mind.

-The light will be with you! I will be with you! Don’t be afraid! Never be
afraid! We can stand united in front of this great threat!!
-Republicans, listen to me! You must never believe the lies of the State!
-Believe what you see!
“It’s a pity that we can’t record this…”
It truly felt regrettable.
It was unfortunate that I wouldn’t be able to replay the situation.
I never would’ve imagined that I would be able to see such a sight at the end
of that war, after all.
I had been informed of it to an extent, but the actual sight was more than
what I imagined.
“I have to keep this stuff…”
“Lee Jihye, what did you just…”
“No. it’s nothing.”
“Ah… Okay.”
“More importantly, is the Goddess’s Mirror recovery still not done?”
“Yes. Actually, there is still no progress, but it looks like we’ll find a way
soon. I don’t know if it’s due to the influence of the magic that fell before,
but it seems that the magic power blocking the communication system has
weakened. Maybe it’ll recover naturally…”
“Please make its recovery our top priority.”
“Yes. I will try my best.”
“Trying isn’t enough. Make it work as soon as possible. Please.”
“Okay!”
‘I knew it. He really is really trash…’
The scene unfolding in front of me gave me goosebumps.
There was no scam as large-scaled as that one.
A horde of undead was exuding a terrifying sense of intimidation, even from

a distance.
As they attacked our allies, they looked like an army of demons that had risen
from hell to end the humans of the continent.
It was rare to find an undead legion as large as the one before us.
The forces of light continued to collide against them to stop their advance.
It was sublime to watch ally troops surrounded by falling orbs of light

gathering together to block the waves of darkness.
The moment was so great that it moved even me despite already knowing that
it’s a hoax.
The series of situations that unfolded as if following a well-written script had

a huge impact on the Republic.
Of course, it would.
With the situation becoming direr every second, it began to showcase which
side’s holy and which side’s evil.
They’re probably just not showing it, but their minds must’ve been falling
apart already.
The reason they still couldn’t move was that there was no decisive factor.
It was clear that everyone had already realized what action they had to take.
That was why the timing was very important.
Before the Republic’s troops were affected by the Demon Summoner’s

theory of rapture, I had to remind them of their faith as much as possible.
‘This is a historical scene.’
Everyone would remember it even after the continent’s history had passed
1,000 or 10,000 years.
That story, which continued from the Laios crisis to the present time, would
forever remain and remembered as the heroic story of Honorary Cardinal Lee
Kiyoung.
‘And…’
My body trembled just by the thought of it.
As I watched the battlefield with a serious expression, I heard a voice talk to

me again.
“Lee Jihye, the troops…”
“No. I don’t think it matters now. There would be no more meaning to

anything else that I have to say. I did everything I could. It now boils down to
whether or not they’ll be able to overcome their fears. For now, leave the
minimum number of personnel needed in the command. Everyone else,
including the rear unit, should head straight into the battlefield to support our
allies.”
“Yes.”
“Please.”
Even the lieutenant in front of me seemed to think that they should also help
as much as possible.
He must’ve been heavily burdened due to the current situation.
On his face, his sense of responsibility was clearly displayed.
‘It’s fortunate that there are many sublime humans on our side.’
I didn’t want to join that party either, but the most important thing at that
point was to make the Goddess’s Mirror work properly.
The fact that the undead was there meant that Jung Hayan had returned.
Maybe she was heading to our location.
‘Then…’
The Goddess’s Mirror would be able to work normally.
-Cardinal Lee Kiyoung of the State is a scammer and a deceiver. Do not be

shaken by his words! Stop the State’s troops! Don’t let yourselves be
manipulated!
‘He talks too much.’
It was then that the malfunctioning system returned.
“L-Lee Jihye.”
“I’m also watching now.”
“I don’t think there’s any more magic power left to keep it blocked.”
‘Good news.’
“Please strategically position it right away. We should capture as many of the
struggling people in the Goddess’s Mirror as possible. Some may not have
grasped the details yet. It’s not a fight that can be overcome by the Republic’s
troops or the State’s troops alone. The undead can only be defeated if the two
factions work together. Please do it immediately.”
“Noted.”
If the undead did not distinguish between the forces of the State and the
forces of the Republic, the situation could have been a little easier, but in
order to properly trap the Demon Summoner Jin Qing, it was more effective
to set our forces as the undead legion’s sole target.
It must be that she was picturing for them to move on their own accord,
rather than pushing them to move around.
It was undeniable that the picture changed depending on how one directed
and edited existing facts.
Of course, I knew what picture he wanted most at that moment.
I immediately put my hands on the control unit.
Soon after, the Goddess’s Mirrors began to appear everywhere.
Largely positioned as propaganda in the rear camp, the main hologram

showed the struggles of an ally.
It didn’t show heroes such as Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung or Kim

Hyunsung.
The scenes captured by the camera were only about ordinary soldiers. It was
the image of small citizens who could evoke empathy and were in the same
situation as the majority of the combatants.
‘This is the right thing to do.’
-Block them! James! James! Divine power!! Don’t let them in! We must
protect the Honorary Cardinal!
-Oh, God. Oh, God!
-We can hold on. If we keep holding on, reinforcements will come.
-Take the injured back! Retreat!
-Isn’t there enough divine power?
-These dirty bastards… Did you think you would be forgiven after doing
this?
-Raise your shields! Don’t lower your spears! The continent’s survival is at
stake. Don’t let them push us back! Our families are just right behind us. If
you get pushed here, everything would be over!
-Maria!
It had all been planned, but it was the reality for some.
The image of the common soldiers resisting the invading darkness rather than
fighting for personal selfishness and profits was heartbreaking.
Some were bleeding and crying out for priests, while others risked their lives
to defend their companions.
Heavily wounded soldiers and the priests who vomited blood as they tended
to their wounds were visible.
Everyone was struggling in their own way, surrounded by a shroud of light.
‘This can work.’
It is not an image of someone far away.
The scenes that are currently showing in the Goddess’ Mirror are none other
than their own.
Who they really should be aiming the sword.

Who is right and wrong.
Scenes projecting their image continue to pass.
Naturally, I thought it would work. It should be enough to move the

hesitating Republican forces.
‘Move.’
The idea that those who had faced each other as enemies would fight together
felt too farfetched.
I thought whether it would be more appropriate to remove the distinction

between allies and enemies, but…
‘Move!!’
His judgment couldn’t have been wrong.
That scene was orchestrated for opposing sides to join hands and become
one.
‘Move!!’
-Block them! Shit!! Hold on as much as possible!
-Divine power…
-Respond while enduring as much as possible. The command post will

probably send reinforcements soon…
-Raise your shield. Don’t give up… Raise your shield!!
-We can be one. Fight with us! Together! Fight with us!
-These dirty corpses!!
His judgment couldn’t be wrong.

‘Move!!’
“Move! You stupid Republicans! You still don’t know who the real enemy
is? Do you think it will end when the State has been wiped out? Why won’t
you all realize that their next target would be your stupid Republic! Fight
with us! Dumb bastards! What the hell are you all still standing around for
after witnessing what those corpses are doing? Raise your sword! Protect
yourself and leave your name in history! You little puppet bastards!”
I screamed my frustrations loudly and struck the table in front of me.
As I vented out my frustrations, I finally managed to witness the reaction we

had been waiting for.
Due to my sudden outburst, the surrounding lieutenants looked at me with

their eyes wide open, but I didn’t have the luxury to defend myself.
Checking what was currently happening as displayed by the Goddess’s

Mirror, anyone would’ve reacted as I did.
-Shit…
-Damn. The sword… raise your swords! We’ll start by driving out the
undead!
-Help the State!
-That’s…
-It’s for
-We must support them with divine power! I hope that all of Varian’s
believers who can afford it will follow me. We can save the fight against the
State for later. holy knights, begin from the left! Move out!
-Shove them on the floor! Now!
-Damn… I also…
“Yes, that’s it. That’s it!”
I clenched my fists.
The small help spread out from the Varian believers and the holy knights
were quickly transmitted to the rear’s large mirror.
It was still a small picture.
Alone, it wasn’t that valuable.
However, it was still necessary and important.
It would help those who didn’t know what to do in deciding.
Nothing could move such a large group as efficient as crowd psychology.
As if the North and South Koreas had become one, the wave of harmony
slowly crashed onto the battlefield.
The video continued to promote that beautiful scene, encouraging unity

between enemies and allies.
The undead also aimed at the Republic soldiers as if they had been waiting
for that incredible timing. The war between humans and undead, dark and
light, began.
It was an overused cliché that had been appearing since the old cartoon
movies.
But it was also that effective.
“Would clichés be clichés for nothing?”
In fact, I didn’t even need to watch anymore.
The only question remaining was how to complete the big picture.
A picture that showed an easy end wasn’t good.

That role was no longer mine to uphold, but I could at least roughly predict
what kind of picture Kiyoung was painting.
There was always something that followed those who were in crisis.
The content to be written in the history books that the future generations
would study might be a bit groundless.
I nodded pleasantly at the moment unfolding before me.
In fact, I was a little nervous at first.
But as a result, a beautiful situation was being produced.
It was probably the most disgusting outcome for the Demon Summoner.
Honestly, if I were in his position, I would have thought about how I could
reverse the situation.
‘He will have no answer.’
I finally put him on a checkmate.
It was like encountering the detectives while holding a weapon at the scene of
a murder case.
It wasn’t that different from Laios.
All the evidence and circumstances pointed to him as the Demon Summoner,
and the escape hole was completely blocked.
Of course, that wasn’t the end of the gift I prepared for him.
‘I admit it.’
Of course, I had to admit it.
He was an excellent military commander.

During the war, he was backstabbed several times, yet he remained vicious
and dangerous.
executed. Most of them were spotted and debunked. He ended up having to

walk into his trap with his own two feet.
If I had been in his position, I would have ripped off my hair again and again.
It was possible to say that he was in trouble to that extent.
Still, I could be sure.
He couldn’t reverse the situation.
The situation that was taking place then had nothing to do with the war.
It was illogical to think that he could use the numerous knowledge and
strategies stored in his head in his situation.
The entire state of affairs was no longer under his control.
Waves of dialogue and consensus continued to transpire as everyone united.

Humanity joined hands against the undead to drive them out of existence.
In that situation, they no longer cared about who’s in command and whose
camp they were in.
There were only two options.
To look at the situation blankly. Or, like last time, do his best to run away.
Of course, he could only do the latter if he had the means to escape.
There was no need for voice amplification anymore.
There was no need to respond to his voice, nor did I need to heat up in anger.
The only mission I had left was to be faithful to that situation and stick to my
public role.
‘I have to finish it well.’
As we reached the climax, finalizing the picture was more important than
anything else.
I could watch the situation safely from behind, but I didn’t want to do that.
To show that I was fighting harder than anyone else, I needed to hold up a
spear.
I had to become a showy asshole, like what politicians often became right
before elections.
It didn’t seem like much, but it certainly worked.
“For the continent!!!”
“For the light! For Goddess Benignore, Elune,
“Raise the flag! Let’s prove that the light is still alive on the continent!
Benignore’s sons and daughters!”
“Don’t stop with the arrows!”
It could certainly be called a crisis.
However, the image of humanity constantly resisting was enough to give a

hopeful message.
Perhaps I wasn’t the only one thinking of a bright future.
As I stood on the front line with the spear, I saw the hideous undead that I
desperately didn’t want to face.
They seemed to have flinched when they looked at me, but they continued to
fulfill their role faithfully.
The common soldiers struggling to stop the advance of the undead were
worthy of being painted.
As time passed, my face became covered with sweat and dirt.
The picture was good enough.
Oh! Of course, scenes that made the surrounding people worry shouldn’t be
left out.
“Honorary Cardinal! You have to go inside. It’s dangerous!”
“Sigh. Sigh. I can’t just look. I am okay.”
“Everyone is fighting together– even the soldiers of the Republic. If I hide,

many people will blame me. Phew. I have to play the role I have been given.
I can also fight the undead.”
“But…”
“I will not listen anymore. We’re in an urgent situation. I hope you

understand.”
“Yes, yes…”
“I can add even at least a little power. Everyone, stay strong!”
There were huge nuisances with me standing in the frontlines. Even if I said I
was fine, those around me still worried.
They had no choice but to continue to move forward with me, to protect me,
which limited their actions.
However, we couldn’t miss out on the free propaganda clips.
The Goddess’s Mirror was shining on our side as if it was playing along with
me.
It hurt her to be unable to show a more dramatic look.

However, the way I continued to exude divine power was enough for me to
be considered a messenger of God.
“The Honorary Cardinal is with you!”
“The Honorary Cardinal is with us! Raise your swords!”
My presence alone was enough to raise the morale of our troops effectively.
It’s upsetting that I had to be among the disgusting undead legion, but I could
endure it.
When I thought I needed a new spark, a huge corpse started running over
towards me.
I knew he couldn’t hurt me, but it still gave me chills.
‘I can play with this bastard a little…’
Although I smiled too widely at the thought of creating an emotional

situation that would take all tears and make them have a runny nose, I could
see the ally troops surrounding him instantly.
It looked like they didn’t want to see me in danger.
Without Kim Ye-ri, Ahn Ki-mo, and Park Deokgu, I realized again how hard
it was to stage an emotional moment.
‘Manipulation is not easy.’
I had to approach it a little more realistically.
If it were finished in a halfhearted way, it would leave a bad taste in my

mouth.
Kim Hyunsung could be convinced by giving him the impression that not
only the ally troops but all of humanity were in danger.
Looking at the Goddess’s Mirror, I could see the lovely returner’s face
stiffening.
Taking an even closer look, he seemed quite tired.
I knew that he was safe, but his whole body was covered in scars. He also
seemed to have run out of magic power. I felt sad.
He could even rest a little, but I can still see his nervousness.
It seems to me that he’s still anxious since it’s a situation he already

expected.
‘I wonder if it’s similar to what happened.’
Of course, I had to think that I did well at causing the undead chaos.
These undead were gifts for Jin Qing, but also Kim Hyunsung.
It was to help dispel his doubts that the masked garbage was going to fall too
easily.
The question was if our lovely returner would be satisfied with that.
In the Demon Summoner’s case, it seemed to have been satisfactory enough,

but Kim Hyunsung, who was still anxious, seemed to feel that there was more
to come.
‘Is this not enough?’
I thought that it would be enough like how it was for the masked trash, but I
thought that the wicked tricks that turned allies into undead were just a warm-
up.
I really wanted to prepare something else, but I had neither ideas nor time.
‘Fuck.’
What I could do right then was to create a more dramatic situation.
Doing something more might cause side effects.
It could leave a bad taste in my mouth, but once the war was over, I could
cover it up enough if I just glossed over it. No, I could erase the suspicion
with the heavy blow I had prepared.
Naturally, I once again raised my spear.
The picture that I wanted was to resist the undead with as many troops as
possible.
But there wasn’t enough sense of danger.
‘I think it will be more realistic if some of the dead here could rise…’
I didn’t know if she understood it, but as if it was waiting for my signal, the
soldiers of the Republic began to rise.
Although they were all low-ranking undead, it would be enough to burden the
exhausting troops.
“The enemy…”
“They’re all low-level undead! Don’t dismantle the frontline! Hold on as

much you can!”
“Weary soldiers, go to the rear! Those who still have enough stamina to fight
should take the lead!”
“Oh, Goddess Benignore!”
The undead who had received more and more momentum screamed and
shrieked as they occupied as much land as they could.
As if they accepted the meaning of the need for support a little differently,
Jung Hayan and Han Sora began to put their efforts in earnest.
It felt like a legendary-grade undead had popped out from somewhere.
As time passed, it wasn’t easy to get rid of the feeling that the frontline itself
was being pushed back.
‘Fuck, is this one too strong? I guess it’ll be really hard to hold on…’
The formation was slowly collapsing.
The line maintained by physically exhausted soldiers began to show gaps,

allowing the undead to squeeze into the ranks.
“Support! Support them with divine power!”
“But…”
“Fortify the side that is falling apart. Republic troops, help the State as much
as possible.”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Don’t lose! Hold on!!”
It felt like the ranks were collapsing faster than I thought.
I thought they would hold on a little longer, but it seemed that all of the
troops couldn’t physically do that.
‘That much should’ve been obvious.’
The undead legion came while the State and the Republic were fighting
earnestly against each other.
It was the same with Kim Hyunsung, but it was clear that the named people
in each region were also feeling a tremendous burden.
Needless to say, the common soldiers were having an even tougher time.
It’s already a crisis, but I wasn’t sure if it’s the threat Kim Hyunsung was
imagining.
The burden left on the troops was already too much for me to even think
about adding more.
‘It’s getting more dramatic…’
“Damn it! Hold on!”
“Unit 13 collapsed! Support Unit 13! Priests!”
“The Republican troops… are by the undead unit.”
“They’re still alive. Build a unit right now and save them.”
“We can’t afford to do that.”
“Damn! Oh, God!”
“Goddess Benignore! Will you really abandon us? Goddess Benignore!”
‘When it gets even more dramatic….’
“Elune! Grant us the power to protect the continent!”
‘A little more, a little more…’
“Oh, Elune!”
The troops’ lines that made up the surrounding camps began to be broken
through.
The undead who pushed through the narrow gap was starting to attack the
priests and wizards.
Even some of the Republic’s troops were completely swept away by the
lifeless foes.
It wasn’t strange to keep looking for God.

The moment I looked up to see the situation a little more, I saw Park Deokgu
struggling through the Goddess’s Mirror.
The moment I saw the guy crushing the undead attacking the Republic’s
soldiers with a shield, I naturally raised what was in my arms.
I could no longer withstand my heavy conscience.
voices coming from all over the place seemed to be swallowed for a moment.
The light spread all over me in an instant.
Whoooosshhh!
The world brightened.
The gazes focused on its source.
However, perhaps because of my heavy conscience, I couldn’t properly look

into the soldiers’ eyes staring at me.
Short but impactful phrases echoed across the fields the moment I closed my
eyes to avoid their vision as much as possible.
“It is a hierophany… a hierophany.”
“Goddess Benignore…has come.”
‘It’s this, right?!’
It was just as I calculated.
The second card, which I made just in case, was definitely fulfilling its role.
‘Benignore’s descent cosplay.’
It was the effect that came with the Bomb of Light potion.
‘I am Benignore itself, bastards!”

[You… really, this bastard. Let go of me! Let go of me! Don’t stop me!
Elune, you bastard, won’t you let go of me? Motherfuckers! That bastard has
done it! I can’t stand it anymore! (0/1)]
[Due to an unknown reason, the rare-grade forced quest was canceled.]
A hopeless battle.
The dark forces were pushing the forces of light. The most divine brilliance
appeared just as the darkness was about to devour the last glimmer of
holiness.
‘The Goddess’s Descent.’
Of course, it’s nothing more than a simple bluff.
However, it was effective enough that I could feel my body being surrounded
by the light.
Chapter 415 I’m Glad. Light
Kiyoung Has Descended (6)
Chapter 415: I’m Glad. Light Kiyoung Has Descended (6)
The Dragon Breath potion was a potion that one could not drink.
It had been concocted in a glass bottle, similar to the organ that conjured the
Breath, which used Dialugia’s magic power and blood as its catalyst.
Rather than considering it as alchemy’s essence, it was more appropriate to

think of it as a bomb that used several complex techniques.
It was made to burst, so, naturally, one shouldn’t drink it. In the first place,
nobody should drink blood. Even as an enhancement serum, drinking blood
itself carried a multitude of risks.
However, the new potion didn’t have such risks.
That potion, which had been handed down as a gift from the respectable
Goddess Benignore and trashy Elune, could clearly distinguish between
enemies and allies.
[Bomb of Light Potion (Semi-mythic)]
[Alchemist-of-Light-exclusive consumption item: Daily usage limit (3/3)]
[This is a unique potion created by Goddess Benignore’s consideration and

Elena’s sacrifice. It could only be activated by the semi-mythic class,
Alchemist of Light. It triggers a massive explosion of light that reacts to the
user’s enemies and allies immediately after instilling the user’s divine power.
Allies are immediately healed of serious injuries, while enemies remain
exposed to the effects of the explosion. It can be used three times a day. P.S.
Trash bastard. This is really the last time. This is my limit.]
It could cause a huge and brilliant explosion.
What if I drank it?
There was no way I wouldn’t be curious about the possibilities.
Of course, I came up with an answer immediately. I didn’t even have to make

various assumptions. There was a guy who had taken it before me.
‘Salat did.’
To be precise, he didn’t drink it, but he took it into his body.
He struggled in pain, but the light that burst out of his body at that time
reached even the ally expedition, proving its effectiveness.
Even if I drank it, the effect wouldn’t change. It would cause damage to
enemies and recovery to allies.
It had limited range, simple ability, simple functionality.
There was no need to complicate it. Taking it didn’t give one transcendental
power, nor did it cause any dramatic changes.
Of course, it didn’t cause God to descend, or greatly increase the user’s

divine power, either.
The function remained the same.
Yes, it was the same, but the appearance of the user changed a little.
As my eyes followed the voices coming from all directions, the light
spreading out from me instantly filled my view. I felt like I could hear a
whooshing sound resonating from inside my body.
There was a feeling that my stomach was bubbling up, but nothing was
wrong. Rather, I felt a little better.
Not only did it heal all the wounds, but even the fatigue had also been blown
away.
It was truly spectacular to watch the light that illuminated me continue to

wrap around the troops.
Those who had fallen stood up, and those who had been hit by arrows or
magic also got healed in the end.
All of them had their mouths wide open, both the Republic and the State, as
they witnessed the great miracle created by both Elune and Benignore.
‘I can barely see… Fuck.’
I couldn’t help but feel proud as I watched the light slowly blanket our
troops.
Perhaps it was also due to the brilliance of the light that had evoked a sense
of paralysis within the battlefield.
This marked the third time that I had used it.
For an instant, silence dominated the battlefield because even the undead
were under the influence of the light.
“She has descended. Goddess Benignore has descended.”
My ass.
She didn’t descend, but, naturally, I was glad they thought of it that way.
As I turned my head and looked into the Goddess’s Mirror, I could see Light
Kiyoung, who had become the light itself.
Not only was the bright light shining throughout my body, but it also
continued to revolve around me. Even the rays of light pouring out of my
eyes looked divine.
My body slowly began to rise into the air as I muttered the floating magic
with my remaining divine power.
The way they looked at me with their mouths open proved to be very much
amusing.
“Goddess Benignore… Goddess Benignore!”
-I…
“Sniff.”
‘Stop crying. Bastards. Let me talk. Stop crying.’
-I heard your voices.
The place became quiet as soon as I started to speak.
Jin Qing’s voice, which had never stopped talking in the first place, could no
longer be heard.
The undead stopped moving as well, and it was not because they were being
disturbed by some transcendental power.
It was simply Jung Hayan controlling their creations, but the undead legion
was doing their best to show off their acting skills. They began to mime, as if
there was a wall in front of them.
I couldn’t understand what they were doing, even when I saw it with my own
eyes.
Thousands of people bore witness to the scene, with shock enveloping their
faces.
When I opened my mouth satisfactorily, I stared right into the eyes of those
looking at me.
-There will be a lot you want to know. Why am I, Benignore, here? Why did
I come out like this, when I had never been here for thousands of years?
But… All will be revealed in due time. I cannot explain my motives right
now. All I can tell you is that the current continent is in danger.
“…”
“…”
-What you are looking at is just the beginning. The forces that threaten this
world are yet to show themselves. The countless cursed beings you see now,
and the demon’s servant hiding… This threat is just the beginning. All the
hardships you are going through now will feel like tiny things compared to
the adversities that will soon come.
‘Good.’
No matter how much of a scammer I was, this level of trickery made even me
tremble.
I felt anxious about saying something wrong, but I continued speaking

smoothly and with a holy air, contrary to my worries.
-Sons and Daughters of Elune and Varian, and everyone that lives on this
continent. The reason I borrowed this divine, pure, and clean human body
today is to deliver this message to you again.
I looked around slowly.
-Those who threaten the safety of the continent exist.
I held my breath for a second.
-Even at this moment, they are constantly trying to taint the continents with
their colors. It may be difficult for the human body to handle. However, you
can overcome it. Please, unite under one banner. If everyone in this world
comes together, we can survive this threat. You will surely be able to
overcome it. You will be able to overcome all hardships and adversities by
becoming one in front of the name of the light.
Once again, I finished my speech with a strong tone.
-Please decide firmly.

I could have made a direct comment on Demon Summoner Jin Qing, but I
didn’t need to keep referring to him. Saying ‘demon’s servant’ was enough. I
knew our priests would be able to notice how things had worked out.
“Ohh. Goddess Benignore…”
“Goddess Benignore. Goddess Benignore!”
I responded with a calm and serene smile to those who eagerly called out the
name of the Goddess Benignore.
My role was now over.
As I slowly raised my hand and reached out to the cursed undead, I could see
the reanimated bodies already suffering.
“Grooowwllll!
“Gruuunnttt. Gruuunntt.”
-You will be saved.
As I slowly shook my hand, the undead around me began to fall apart.
“A miracle…”
“Goddess…”
“Grooooowwlll!”
-…
“Grruunnt.”
Whooooooosshhh!!
As I drew a circle with the other hand, more of the undead returned to the
afterlife.
Of course, they were not influenced by even a drop of divine power. The
light was advancing as a trick, but in truth, it wasn’t great enough to kill the
higher undead.
It could probably only tickle them.
The reason why the undead was falling like dominoes was naturally due to
Jung Hayan. It ended when she reached out her hand, terminating her
technique.
This was indeed a well-designed grand scam, but since we managed to reach
that point, the result didn’t look so bad.
Of course, even my teardrops shone brightly after drinking the Bomb of Light
potion.
It seemed sacred even to me to see the undead, who had once filled the
battlefield, returning to nothing en masse.
It looked to be a little exaggerated, but it had to be at least at that level to be

worth calling it a miracle. Watching all the priests praying, I could roughly
predict how the atmosphere would change.
-All who have suffered will be blessed.
At that point, it was a little hard even to move my hand. However, I kept
smirking.
‘It’s over.’
This was as good as done. No, it was definitely over.
There could be no excuses or words for what I was witnessing.
I could only be proven to be fake if the real Benignore actually came down
and told them otherwise. Those who now looked at me had reverence in their
expressions, both the State and the me as if waiting for me again, and the
elves who worshiped Elune also showed their respects.
-I will entrust the future work to you, the owners of this land. There is not
much time left… I borrowed this body without even permission. Please, take
care of this divine-human. I won’t be able to come down for a while after
this, but always remember.
“Goddess Benignore…”
-We are always listening to your prayers and watching your actions. Please
keep that in your hearts.
“…”
-You are not alone.
After saying those last words, the light that had been well-timed began to
disappear. Of course, my body floating in the sky plunged to the ground.
However, I did not feel flustered or scared.
I knew someone would catch me anyway.
It was not Kim Hyunsung or Park Deokgu who made sure my body was safe.
It turned out to be the ordinary soldiers.
As if catching a singer who jumped to the audience, they stretched out their
hand.
The only difference was that I felt they were quite reverent.
I simply closed my eyes as I listened to their cries and the sounds of weapons
being dropped to the ground.
“Sniff…”
“Mother…”
The war was over.
Nobody said it first, but I knew everyone was feeling it.

When I slowly opened my eyes, I could see the clouds that covered the sky
passing by and the light pouring out.
The war was over.
“It’s over.”
“Yes, Honorary Cardinal… it’s over.”
I laughed cheerfully, then continued to ask the warrior a couple of questions.
“What happened… here?”
“Don’t you remember?”
“No. I remember being surrounded by light, but no, even after that… I
remember, but… Did it really happen? My mind is hazy.”
“Perhaps you will understand soon.”
The moment I raised my head after coming down to the floor, the soldiers of
both the State and the Republic greeted me.
They looked at me with a blank expression. I felt like they couldn’t figure out
what to do.
Perhaps everyone was waiting for me to tell them.
Eventually, I had to speak with the most soothing voice I could muster.
“The war… The war is over.”
At my words, powerful cheers soon reverberated across the lands.

Chapter 416 A Good Place to Live
(1)
Chapter 416: A Good Place to Live (1)
-The war… The war is over. Yes. The war is indeed over. There is no longer
any reason to aim the tips of your swords at each other’s throats. There have
been many misunderstandings, and the period of hostility against each other
proved to be long. It stretches longer than this day and farther than this place.
However, the history of our war against each other is now over. Throw away
your hatred, your desire for vengeance, and your anger. I know how hard it
is. Everyone has lost a loved one.
-…
-The State and the Republic both have lost a fair share of friends and
families. Some have lost their loved ones, some their precious comrades, and
others their families, but everyone has to overcome that pain. This is all that I
can ask for from everyone. I know how difficult it is for enemies to hold each
other’s hand, but we have to keep advancing. We need to go one step further
for the grander cause. We have to become a little more mature. We must
overcome our agony and proceed with peace in our hearts.
-…
-Republicans, raise your heads. This is not your fault. All of you from the
State, please reach out to them. This is not their fault. We know better than
anyone how little we are in front of a great current. Learn to forgive one
another. Only then can we move on. There is no need to shed tears or to
collapse. Let’s move forward together. Let’s all work side by side to put an
end to this cycle of hatred. The values we pursue may differ, but we have a
great task ahead. Those who threaten this continent are real. They are still
hiding all over the lands as they plot to conquer this very home the gods gave
us. That is the message that Goddess Benignore left to us today. If we
become one, we will be able to push through the hardships and adversities
that will come. Raise your head! It may be difficult to heal today’s wounds,
but you’ll soon have new flesh. When the dark clouds are cleared, and
sunlight pours down… A new era will open. Flowers can still bloom on this
blood-stained land.
-… …
-Let’s unite our forces. Under God’s will, we can become one.
As expected, everyone went strangely quiet.
It was natural to be a little solemn.
Usually, I would hear the sound of glasses clinking in a noisy but cheerful
atmosphere, but after seeing the footage through the Goddess’s Mirror, the
atmosphere had become more serious.
It was just as expected.
Nick, who was right next to me, began to speak to me. It was a voice that I
didn’t want to hear, but just this once, I felt like I could put up with him.
A week had already passed since the war.
Since he was a guy who knew a from him.
“He’s really… a great person.”
“Yes. I don’t get tired of watching that many times every day through the
goddess mirror.”
“Absolutely amazing. He’s beyond normal. Maybe that won’t be easy either.
He was also the one who suffered the most damage in that war. In fact,
during the Laios crisis, he almost died. Didn’t they say that he was in the
Eberian Kingdom to heal? In a way, it’s like he’s the one who had gone
through tough times the most. In fact, in that situation, do you think it’s easy
to shake hands with the Republic soldiers without any conditions? It showed
how generous he is.”
“Yes. Absolutely. I was there too, and it was amazing. Tears poured out
without my knowledge. In fact, the Republic soldiers cried too, but they
probably did more than me in their case. I also saw the descent of the
Goddess Benignore on the body of Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely! It’s not even comparable with watching through the Goddess’s
Mirror. With his hand! He just gestured, and the undead guys just fell apart
all at once! When he swung his left hand one more time, everything was
completely surrounded by the light, and bang, bang, bang! Before the descent
of the Goddess Benignore, he ran right into the battlefield with a spear. Can
you believe that?”
“Whoa…”
“Few people have the guts to do that. That Demon Summoner bastard hid
until the end, but was dragged out. Tsk. It’s terrible to say what would have
happened without him. We would be battling with the soldiers of the
Republic even now and eventually…”
“I would be glad if it ended like that, but we wouldn’t have come back alive
from that battlefield. Anyway, does anyone know what the Honorary
Cardinal is doing now?”
I focused my gaze on Nick.
As if he knew, he drank the water from the glass and began to talk slowly.
“This is a bit hard to say…”
“Why don’t you just tell me? This meal is on me today.”
“Perhaps you will soon be able to receive official information through the
Goddess’s Mirror. No, this is not something that can be delivered through the
Goddess’s Mirror…”
“I believe you didn’t forget how long we’ve been friends, Nick.”
“Ahem. This is really hard to say… If you say you’re going to keep your
mouth shut, I’ll tell you. It’s a promise that you really need to keep. It was a
special instruction from manager Kim Miyoung from the Blue Guild, so I
also struggled to obtain the information.”
“Yes. Absolutely. I will keep my mouth shut. So, just…”
As I filled the empty glass with beer, the guy began to spill information while
reading our faces.
“The fact is… He doesn’t seem to be in good health.”
“What?”
“Shh.” 3333
“Quiet. Michael! Shit.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It’s so sudden…”
“If you think about it, it’s not sudden at all. Do you think it’s easy to receive
God with a human body? Even if he is a vessel to hold the Goddess
Benignore, it must’ve still been too much to handle. It wasn’t even long since
he got up from the sickbed, and his physical condition wasn’t as usual. His
condition is improving rapidly, but…”
“Is that true?”
“Absolutely true. Like the last time in Laios, he seemed to be worried that
many people were guarding the castle… He’s sacrificed so much, but he still
continues to care about people like us.”
“Whoa…”
“Of course, there are other external reasons.”
“External reasons?”
“Isn’t he like a symbol of peace now? He actually played the most decisive
role in bringing the war to an end, and how would he feel hearing the news
that he’s not well? He must be worried that the whole thing being discussed
will be overturned.”
“You mean about the tutorial dungeons being completely integrated and
operated as one educational center?”
“Not only that. The issue of alliance with the Republic, the Declaration of
End-of-Continental War, the Continental Peace Agreement, and the initiation
of a new anti-discrimination law. There are a lot of things that are politically,
economically, and even militarily entangled. Of course, I don’t know all of
them, but they’re all sensitive issues… Rumors has it that this is the reason
why he dragged out his ill body and continued to be active. Well, it’s
heartbreaking. The aides are helping him as much as possible, but he has to
solve everything by himself to feel better. Manager Kim Miyoung is also
worried. It seems like they’re discouraging him from working too much, but
can anyone break his passion? They said that it was because of Kim
Hyunsung’s request that they got him to take a short break recently…”
“He’s a war hero.”
“Come to think of it. He was amazing too. It’s a blessing that there is not just
one such person but rather two in the State. Goddess Benignore has indeed
blessed us.”
“Changing the topic… is there any new information about Jin Qing?”
“Well, that motherfucker. It’s the same every time. Cutting that
motherfucker’s throat wouldn’t be enough. I don’t understand why they’re
putting a guy like that on trial. He’s still crying out that he’s not the Demon
Summoner. Oh, it’s coming out now. Look at the Goddess’s Mirror.”
-As the trial of the Demon Summoner Jin Qing approaches after he caused
great confusion in the Republic, everyone is starting to become more
attentive. Reporter Kim Seong-gyeong of Lindel Broadcasting System will be
bringing you this news. Reporter Kim Seong-gyeong?
-This is Kim Seong-gyeong of Lindel Broadcasting. Helena, the Director of

Inquisition from the State, who received Jin Qing, the Demon Summoner,
from the Republic on the 2nd, finally arrived in the capital along with Senator
Marlin. There’s more tension here than ever, as he caused an event that got
much attention from the whole continent. The Holy Knights, which is the
pride of the State, Pope’s Holiness, and Oscar herself are here.
-I am not a demon summoner. I am not a demon summoner. Gasp. Lee

Kiyoung, you motherfucker. Lee Kiyoung!! Lee Kiyoooouuung! I am not a
demon summoner! Cough! You guys are being fooled! The real demon is that
bastard! That bastard is the real demon!
-Cover his mouth!
-I am not a demon summoner! I have never summoned an undead or a

demon… I am not!! Cough! Cough!!
-Some argue that immediate execution isn’t ideal for the continent’s safety.
The Director of Inquisition may be possible to grasp the exact truth of the
incident and obtain information on the dark forces rooted in the continent.
Given the seriousness of the situation, the investigation will be conducted by
agencies. With the Republic’s pledge to fully support Demon Summoner Jin
Qing’s investigation, all attention from the continent will be drawn. Once
again, I am reporter Kim Seong-gyeong.
-Yes. Next news. This is news for those who might have been feeling down
with this serious information. The best-seller, Genius swordsman and
Alchemist…
“That… Demon Summoner!”
“He deserves to be beaten up! Ptooey!”
Before the next news came out, swear words began to be heard from all over
the place.
Of course, we weren’t much different either.
Everyone was probably feeling the same way. They found it ridiculous to see
him lying with a straight face.
“That trashy bastard. What the hell is there to investigate? They have to put
him on the guillotine right away.”
“Tsk. Have you seen the face reflected in the Goddess’s Mirror? His eyes
were so red. It was like he wanted to beat someone to death! He was like that
when he was first caught. When he came with the soldiers of the Republic
grabbing him, he screamed so much that, I’m telling you, it gave me
goosebumps.”
“It’s more problematic that it’s not just him. Didn’t they say that dark forces
are hiding across the continent? If I could, I’d help with the execution right
away, but considering the possibility that he knows kinds of information, they
can’t do that. It is also in the best interest of the State to follow due process. It
was the same during the sacred democracy revolution. Even with that bastard
being trash, Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung wants to give him a fair trial. He
knows that, yet he’s going crazy like that…”
“There’s a reason why he’s a demon summoner. Anyway, tomorrow,

everyone…”
“Ah, I’m thinking of going hunting after a long time. Monster hunting should
not be neglected. Due to the prolonged war, the monster population has
increased a little.”
“Aren’t you too unhealthy right now to go hunting? Saul? The wounds…”
At this, he slowly nodded.
“Well, that’s true. Actually, if a guy like me tried hard, I don’t think I’ll be
much help… Still, wouldn’t I be useful someday? I want to rest a little more,
but I have to step forward like the Goddess Benignore, and Honorary
Cardinal Lee Kiyoung said. Honorary Cardinal never rests, so why should I?
Then I’ll be going first. Thanks for the good story, Nick.”
“Don’t overdo it, Saul.”

“Yes. I won’t.”
As he slowly opened the pub’s door, I saw a scene that felt both familiar and
unfamiliar.
Less than a month had passed since the war, but things had already changed
so much.
I still wasn’t used to the sight of elves and dwarves walking in the streets.
The same could be said for atmosphere.
‘New world.’
“It’s a good world to live in.”
I smiled quietly.
***
“It’s a good world to live in.”
“I-it is, right?”
“This meat softly melts in my mouth.”
“S-s-s-softly melts. Yes, it does. Hehehehehe.”

Chapter 417 A Good Place to Live
(2)
Chapter 417: A Good Place to Live (2)
“Oh, I told you not to gather those, but why are you gathering them again?
Gosh.”
I spoke a little bluntly, but I wasn’t particularly upset.
As I sat on a chair made of the finest leather, I watched the people praying
eagerly.
The endless crowd could be said to be similar to or more than that of Laios.
If only the conditions were provided, it would be more than enough to fill the
entirety of Lindel.
It wasn’t just Lindel in the first place.
It would be more than enough to fill a lot more than that, considering the
unimaginable crowds of elves and dwarves in Castle Rock, Dawan, Celia,
and Eberia. Even in the unrelated United Kingdom, a similar situation was
being produced.
Even though I hadn’t swayed the public opinion, it already had that much of
an effect just because they had seen me suffer from a life-threatening danger
like at Laios.
That meant that their impression of me was good. It certainly didn’t make me
uncomfortable.
‘It was definitely a good one.’
The climax of the war was still being broadcast in the Goddess’s Mirror.
It was a miracle that tens of thousands of undeads were put to rest
simultaneously when a person embraced by the light simply swung his arm.
No, he was a miracle in himself.
Since then, the image of Goddess Benignore, who had given the message to
go forward as one, was said to be so divine that humans dared not judge it.
The image was enough to make me worry that even I would be blinded.
Of course, there was no need to say how the State’s people, full of faith in
God, would accept this certain phenomenon.
If a human who saw that labeled it as fraud, I wouldn’t have anything to say
to them even if they would get stoned to death in the streets.
‘Absolutely.’
That became even more likely upon recalling what I had gained through that
miracle.
The war had left a huge scar on the continent. Many died and suffered, and
due to the Demon Summoner’s evil tricks, some people were unable to close
their eyes peacefully even after death.
The mental shock that the cursed undead gave to the entire continent proved
to be beyond words.
There was a lot of human and material damage. Some areas were considered
impossible to recover.
The power of the State and the Republic had been reduced severely. There
were places where the production facilities had been totally damaged, or
where the terrain itself had completely changed.
Prestigious restoration wizards and renowned experts judged that even on

that magic continent, it could take several decades to return to the pre-war
era. Above all else, the number of human casualties was also hard to ignore.
Of course, because of a couple of turn of events, the continent had begun to

move toward one goal.
They had brought their power together, and had agreed to throw away all
their history of war and conflict to prepare for the incoming threats.
issues to be discussed, the official announcement or declaration was

postponed, but it seemed like it would only be a matter of time before the
continent’s leaders gathered in one place.
The miracle that happened in that war turned the entire continent upside
down.
If I were to think about it from a certain perspective, the current Light

Kiyoung was no different from being the continent’s center.
The Goddess’s descent was also important, but I had devoted my whole body
to prevent the war, and the post-war settlement had also been done pretty
well.
It was the right choice to forgive all the Republic soldiers and to declare
peace with everyone.
This was the second coming of Goddess Benignore. Because of this, I was
now known as the Son of the Goddess Benignore, and the Deputy of Goddess
Benignore.
There were rumors that the Goddess Benignore had even descended to save
the continent.
I thought it was a bit exaggerated to phrase it in this way, but I also thought
the same thing when I saw the demons being swept away with a simple hand
gesture.
In fact, it was true that I was receiving protection from the Goddess
Benignore, and it was also true that I had been communicating with her.
It meant that about half of the adjectives like the Second Coming, the Son,
the Incarnation, and the Deputy were true. Though the titles could be
explained through that, I still could no longer measure my true worth because
of how highly the people now regarded me.
Indeed, the word vertical ascent wasn’t enough.
Although the Kiyoung Coin’s market value was originally high, the unit price
became higher due to that incident.
Naturally, those who couldn’t invest in that coin would currently be punching
the ground in regret. Everyone who had been hostile to me, even by a little,
had begun to spoil me with presents.
As I hummed silently to myself, I heard a knock on the door.
Turning to face the entrance, I saw a fairly familiar face.
My personal secretary stood in the doorway, lifting her glasses with one
hand. Of course, it was difficult to say that her exact position was secretary,
but it was the role she had been recently playing, so it didn’t really matter.
“Manager Kim Miyoung.”
“Oh! You were eating. Sorry.”
“No. No. It’s fine. I’m almost finished, and it’s my fault for not getting ready.
As you can see, sitting here, I have nothing to do but lie down and look
outside. Anyway, you came at the right time. I was getting a little bored. Do
you have any new news? No, the next schedule…”
“Yes.”
“You can tell me right away.”
“Yes, Vice Guild Master. First, the good news… ahem. I’ll tell you
everything. This is a list of gifts from the nobles of the continent, including
the members of the Republic. All of them are currently being stored in the
guild house storage. Special features include catalysts and ancient alchemy
books stored in the Republic. In addition, the Eastern Congressional Union
and the President of the Republic also personally sent a gift with a message
of hope for recovery.”
“I see.”
This was why power was so good.
“They also asked to meet you personally, but…”
“Oh, that… I don’t really feel like it. It’s hard to move at the moment, and it
is uncomfortable to act because of others’ gazes. Please tell them that I will
contact them separately for personal meetings.”
“Okay. I will relay your message to them.”
“Please tell them that politely.”
“Noted.”
“One more thing, Oscar wants to come to visit you herself…”
“Hmm. Please tell Oscar that she doesn’t have to come. She’s probably busy.
Even if she’s not, I’ll soon stop by the Capital, so please tell her so. Come to
think of it. I should see Pope Basel as well. There are many things he may be
curious about… Oh! More importantly, how’re the guild members? I mean,
Deokgu and Hyunsung.”
“Park Deokgu-nim is in his sickbed. His treatment seems to be working quite

well, meaning he should recover within a few days, but he remains
unconscious until now.”
“Hmm. That Valentin Alexandro, is that son of a bitch still in jail?”
“Yes.”
“Please tell Helena, the Director of Inquisition, that I’m asking for a special
favor—no, it would be better for me to contact her separately. Well, I’m glad
that he will recover completely within a few days. And…”
“In Guild Master’s case…”
“Yes.”
“I think he has a lot to think about recently. I keep noticing him looking out
the window or worrying about something… He hasn’t said anything special,
but he’s definitely different than usual. Of course, I’m not worried about it,
but I think it would be wise for you to talk to him.”
“Hmm.”
‘That bastard.’
Due to the report about the lovely returner, I had no choice but to tap the
armrests.
“And…”
That was because worries had begun springing up in my mind.
‘It’s all over, but what’s wrong with him?’
When he came to me for a visit, he gave off some strange vibes, but it
seemed like he was still the same at the guild house.
I thought he might be bothered, but I didn’t think he would be still spacing

out.
Kim Hyunsung was not thinking badly about that war.
Rather, it was the opposite.
I didn’t know anything else, but he looked very satisfied with the results. I
didn’t know how bad the first round was, but each continent’s force could’ve
been fighting up to that point based on his reaction.
I didn’t want to think they would have done such a stupid thing, but… It was
also possible that they were fighting even after the unknown threat had
erupted.
They would not only fight for one small bowl, but they would be dragging
each other into a hollow.
‘If that’s the case, the first round must have been hell.’
Compared to the first round, which ended due to the masked trash’s activity,
it was safe to think that they had all turned over a new leaf.
There were some damages, but if I compared the current situation with the
first round, this was simply a drop in the bucket.
The continent had, so to speak, fully preserved its physical strength for the
coming threats.
I didn’t know why he was acting weird, but…
‘Is he thinking that Jin Qing is not the masked trash?’
Although it was quite difficult by my standards, he could’ve felt that Jin Qing
was dull.
The masked trash that had harassed him so much in the past kept screaming
that he was not a demon summoner. Because of this, it was difficult to judge
what kind of emotion Kim Hyunsung might have felt.
I, who had a little respect for him, after seeing that, felt pretty turned off.
Instead of the charismatic masked trash, there was simply one loser who was
held in evil.
What would Kim Hyunsung have felt at that moment? Emptiness, or

satisfaction?
It wasn’t easy to judge for me, who had no means of knowing what was
going on in his mind.
I didn’t know why, but he even seemed depressed.
I thought that I would have to refine his mental condition someday, but now
that the work had piled up, there wasn’t enough time for it.
‘I’m glad he’s doing his job at least.’

If it weren’t for that, the entire Blue Guild members would have been having
a hard time.
Manager Kim Miyoung was waiting for me as she saw me tapping the
armrest, suddenly lost in thought.
As I shook out of my reverie and hurried to speak, I saw her quietly smiling.
“…”
“…”
“Ah. I’m sorry, Manager Kim Miyoung.”
“It’s fine. Can I continue with what I was saying…?”
“Yes. You can do that.”
“It’s an extension of what you said about meeting Pope Basel.”
“Yes. It doesn’t matter if you schedule it as soon as possible. Perhaps… I’ll

have time next week.”
“Actually, there’s a reason why Pope Basel is looking for you in a hurry.”
“What? Did anything happen with Jin Qing? Or the trial schedule…”
“No. It’s not because of that… Er… I don’t know how to say it, but…”
“Yes.”
“The Benignore statue is shedding tears of blood…”
“What?”
I steeled myself. What bad news in such a good era!
‘What happened?’
I didn’t know why, but something seemed wrong up there.
‘Ah, what’s up with her again?’
Suddenly, my head started to hurt.

Chapter 418 A Problem From
Above (1)
Chapter 418: A Problem From Above (1)
My head started to hurt.
‘Fuck. That can’t be good.’
Unfamiliar situations like these were unwelcome.
When I opened my mouth, tapping my thigh out of sheer nervousness, Kim

Miyoung began answering right away.
“You say it is shedding tears of blood?”
“Yes. I heard that the Holy See is currently investigating the exact reason and
cause. It’s also something that has not been announced externally.
Considering the confusion of the State’s people, that much is obvious, but…”
“It’s not the right time to announce publicly. No, they wouldn’t be able to say
anything like that.”
“Yes. I know he is ailing, but Pope Basel wanted you to come to the capital
as soon as possible. If possible, within the day…”
“Grunt.”
“If you don’t want to, I will tell him…”
“No. It’s not because of that. It’s not. I am not reluctant.”
‘I have to go regardless.’
It was a request from none other than Pope Basel. This was also a matter
related directly to the Benignore Church. It would be strange if I didn’t go.
Even if I was sick, I had to attend those events unconditionally.
Other things could be lightly ignored, but considering that most of the power
I had came from there, I couldn’t afford to ignore them as well.
The problem was that the situation felt too serious for it to be treated simply
as a mysterious phenomenon, especially in the State.
‘Why are you suddenly shedding tears of blood? Fuck.’
I didn’t even know that such anomalies could occur to the Goddess statue. It
was lamentable as to why she hadn’t used those means so far.
I felt like it was an ominous sign.
The reason why the Holy sector wasn’t reacting in any other way was to
prevent confusion among the people, no more, no less. If that were wrongly
spread outside, the confusion would be incomparable to the previous one.
‘It must be hell inside.’
Considering Pope Basel’s character, who originally had a hot temper, the
atmosphere would probably be quite stressful. In addition to this, I knew
what would happen when our Pope Basel, who was kind only to me, was now
mad, so I had to swallow hard.
In fact, I had initially thought there would be basically no problem.
Originally, the race of gods was a little bit cheap and sometimes did strange
things.
Like the trashy Elune, for example.
However, I had to be a little cautious as I recently caused a pretty big event

using their names.
It was a situation similar to the saying, ‘guilty conscience needs no accuser.’

Of course, I was not guilty. However…
‘There is a one in a million chance.’
It wouldn’t happen, but what if. What if… it was revealed that the Goddess
descent was a lie?
‘Everything will be ruined.’
Everything that I had built up so far could collapse.
It was a little over the top to think like this, but I also thought that the Holy
side might first notice and would want to start investigating me.
Saying that the Goddess statue was shedding tears was enough of a reason to
interrogate me.
Of course, that wasn’t a serious issue because I could prove my purity and
sacredness again through Benignore.
If that was the case, it would do more than just make me feel annoyed.
‘Benignore wouldn’t be preparing to backstab me, right?’
Benignore might just want to do that in earnest.
To think that of the numerous priests in the Holy side, no one would think
that Benignore’s voice was unreasonable.
One of them must have heard her voice, and there was a possibility that she
was planning some nonsense to screw me up through the statue’s tears of
blood.
It was even more so when I thought about the fact that I had a little, very
little, dust-like influence on the continent in the first round.
There was stability on the continent at that moment, and the sons and
daughters of God didn’t have anyone ready to step up to the task yet.
It was not at all strange timing to catch and torture me, who they thought had
been a risk factor.
Naturally, I remembered the old saying, ‘Kill the dog after hunting is over.’
The ones from above might be making a move to remove me from taking the
chance to be careless.
‘Am I reading too much into it?’
However, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
‘Still, I did so much for them. They shouldn’t come out like this. Fuck, dirty
bastards…’
I had saved the world many times, helped the lovely returner both materially
and emotionally, and helped unite humanity.
I had accepted the daughter that the trashy Elune threw away and handled the
shit that And what I did wasn’t any common achievement, either.
If it were someone else, they wouldn’t have tried to mess with it.
I had instilled stronger faith in the worshippers of the Goddess Benignore and
gave a great deal of effort to create the strongest Church. With the sacred
democracy, I raised her name and established God’s dignity by dealing with
the evil undead.
It didn’t even end there.
In the name of the light, I even punished the demon and saved the people of
Laios from the crisis. I re-sealed the ancient god in the museum and reduced
its risk to the future by proactively handling all sorts of threats against the
continent.
I was the best they could ever hope for. I could affirm that there would be no
one else like me.
‘You want to come and attack me like that now? Nonsense. If that is the case,
then it doesn’t make sense. There’s no way you can do that wearing a god
mask.’
Even Belial, the 72nd Demon King, wouldn’t treat me like that.
They should be giving me gifts instead. This kind of treatment was

ridiculous. It wouldn’t be enough even if I made a formal protest. No, if they
really thought of doing that, I was ready to make them regret their decision
right there and then.
‘Can you hear me? Are you really going to attack me like this? Fucking
bastards? Can you hear me? If you turn your back on me, you and I will all
be doomed. Do you understand?’
We really would.
‘Do you think Kim Hyunsung will be on your side?’
However, there was no voice coming from the sky.
I didn’t feel nervous, but I suddenly started to get upset. I wondered if Kim
Hyunsung was lost in thoughts because he had heard the news about me.
‘Fucking demon bastards. So, they will come out this way, huh.’
I thought they might have stopped monitoring me for a second, but seeing
that a forced quest wasn’t created even after a few minutes, it seemed that
something happened.
Earlier, it was a simple doubt, but I began to get more suspicious.
I kept tapping the table as I waited for the quest to come down from the sky,
but nothing happened.
There were two possibilities.
1. There was something wrong going on up there.

2. They were really preparing to get rid of me as I thought.
If it were the former, it would end with a light incident, but if they really
chose the latter, I would show them how bad of a choice that was.
I stood up.
Manager Kim Miyoung looked at me with a slightly startled expression as

she called out to me.
“Vice Guild Master?”
“I think it would be better to go to the Capital right away.”
“Okay. I will prepare it. How do you want me to prepare the schedule…?”
“I want to leave this evening, please. I’m moving in a rush since it’s an
urgent issue. I think there really is a problem in the Church.”
“Who do you want as the entourage…?”
“Jung Hayan and Park Deokgu… no, I will take Cho Hyejin. In addition,
please contact Yuno Kasugano and Heera, manager. And… Dialugia and…”
“Should I contact Miss Elena too?”
“Is she in Lindel now?”
“Yes. Yesterday I fixed the Blue Guild enrollment form, and as of today,
she’s an official Blue Guild member. Her position has not been decided yet,
however…”
“Good.”
“Is everyone going to the Capital together?”
“Yes. For now, that’s the plan. And um… Send what I’m writing now as
letters to all the guilds in Lindel, including the Black Swan Guild. Please wait
a moment. It will be over soon. And… I would like you to send this one to
the elves and dwarves. You can give this one separately to Han Sora.”
“Okay.”
“And after arriving at the Capital, if an incident breaks out, spread the letter I
am writing now throughout the continent through the Goddess’s Mirror,
manager.”
“Vice Guild Master, I’m sorry, but when you say incident…”
“If anything really happens, you will naturally know. If nothing happens, I
think you can immediately destroy what you received… It’s just a
precautionary measure, so you don’t have to worry too much. And put the
items I’m writing down in Dialugia’s nest. The more secretly, the better. Of
course, what I’m talking about right now is security. When you go outside,
don’t say anything to anyone, manager.”
“O-Of course, Vice Guild Master. B-but… is this er… perhaps…”
“I can see what you’re imagining… haha. You don’t have to worry about it. I
just want to be prepared for any scenario. Yes. This is just a backup plan.”
“Okay, then I’ll make it happen right away, Vice Guild Master.”
“Thank you very much, manager Kim Miyoung.”
“Yes.”
As I nodded my head and looked at her back that’s heading out of the room, I
felt relieved.
‘It’s good to have people with great talent and skills underneath me.’
I was honestly sure that she was several times smarter than me.
When she first came in, I thought things didn’t go well for her because she
was unlucky. Or maybe she was a little less selfish.
If it weren’t for her, my life in Blue would’ve been several times harder. I
cleared up my thoughts once again.
‘Would it be better to inform Jihye in advance?’
If my relationship with the false god Benignore was broken, she was one of
those who could play a pivotal role at the beginning of the mess.
‘And Hyunsung too…’
Lee Jihye was important, but it was also urgent to sweet-talk the lovely
returner.
That one was a bit difficult to deal with, but I could make him come over to
my side enough based on the trust I had built up with him so far.
It was a bit hard to take them together to the Church at that time.
‘That’s because continuous management and care are needed.’
Of course, all of those might’ve just been my delusions, but if I considered

the chances of it happening, it was not unreasonable to be prepared a
thousand, no, a billion times.
Being used, discarded, and abandoned, did not exist in the Light Kiyoung
dictionary.
I had to be prepared to fight against the fallen Goddess Benignore and the
trash gang following her with the Mace of Light at any time.
[Common-grade forced quest is activated.]
[No. No. This is a misunderstanding… so, I mean. I can explain every…

thing… it’s a misunderstanding! Benignore! Say something!! You can’t!!!
It’s a misunderstanding… (0/1)]
[Due to an unknown reason, the common-grade forced quest has been

canceled.]
[Quest creation has stopped.]
“For a fallen god, a Mace of Light.”

I could surely throw this weapon her way should the need arise.
Above (2)
A new message seemed to have popped up, but I couldn’t seem to afford to
pay attention to it.
Not only was the seed of doubt already in my mind, but a flower bud had
already formed as well.
Even though I was trying to block my thoughts as hard as possible, the

situation wouldn’t even let me stop it.
If I was feeling kind, I could probably take out a little bit of suspicion, but the
truth was that I wasn’t kind enough to cancel what I was preparing.
‘Do you think I would be that stupid?’
Naturally, I couldn’t believe anything until I could check it with my own

eyes. That message was one-sided. I didn’t even know whom it had come
from. They had stopped creating quests for unknown reasons.
It was only proper for their credibility to decrease.
[Quest creation has been temporarily suspended due to an unknown reason.]
‘Unknown reason, my ass…’
Perhaps, after getting their problem solved, they were now thinking about
stabbing my back.
I didn’t know about Benignore, but I wouldn’t put it past Elune.
The probability of Benignore, who believed in herself and lived for herself,
abandoned me didn’t feel low after I’ve witnessed Elena being abandoned.
They’re like peas in a pod.
From the very beginning, these fallen gods had no recognition and loyalty.
They were just mischievous parents, ready to backstab their sons and
daughters for their own greed and gain.
‘I’ll let you go comfortably on your way.’
I hated the wrong custom of Goryeojang (an ancient burial practice whereby
a dying elderly was left to die in an open tomb). Still, at that time, I had no
choice but to decide to go up the mountain with Benignore loaded on a
carrier.
Of course, doing so required very careful planning.
I hadn’t pressed the play button yet, but I was already nervous about the
safety device I prepared if the worst came.
Considering that the opponent was a fallen god, it still didn’t feel enough.
I wrote a separate manual for Lee Jihye and checked my belongings in an

instant. First, I had to be able to protect myself.
I had Juliana, who had become quiet due to the aftereffects of being forced
awake and due to potions and, of course, the legendary shield Aegis. I began
to check my weapons’ condition in preparation against the worst.
It looked like I was leaving for an expedition.
I exaggerated my preparations a bit even though I was just visiting the

capital, but doing so relieved me a little.
I felt like I had become a local. As I was looking at myself quietly, once
again, I started to hear a knock on the door.
It was obvious as to who it was. As I opened the door with a wide smile, I
saw a familiar face.
“Hayan?”
“Oppa, did you call me?”
“Oh. Please wait for a second. I’ll be out soon. Have you heard the news
already?”
“Yes. That w-we’re going to the capital. That something urgent has
happened…”
“Yes. Other people will also go with us. That’s fine, right?”
“Yes. O-Of course.”
“Hee-ra is going too, as well as Elena and Hyejin.”
“…”
At this, Hayan’s expression dimmed.
She must have already heard about the selection, but it looked like it upset
her when she heard it again directly from me.
“Don’t let it bother you too much. It’s because of work.”
“Yes…”
“Who’s my favorite person?”
“Ah!”
As I opened my arms widely, she went closer and quietly hugged me.
Although it was cringing to say those kinds of lines, the recipient at least
enjoyed them.
It was important to fill the collar with the taste of the customer.
Jung Hayan was also one of those who could be classified to have an
important role, just like Kim Hyunsung.
Jung Hayan, a wizard with overwhelming and irreplaceable talent, was the
kind of human coveted not only by humans, but also by the gods. I had taken
good care of her, and in that situation, I thought it was only mandatory to
comfort her.
She was doing a good job at taking charge, and she had alleviated her anger
control using the marriage as a stabilizer.
Her self-esteem that hit bottom recently was also rising to the point of
breaking through the sky.
The new Jung Hayan, who had become tremendously strong, and had
changed by receiving a proposal, grew to the point where she could finally
stand talking with others.
It was a bit sad to think that the result obtained from risking my life would be
barely enough, but nobody knew how much I missed that mental stability.
Although the prologue was long, the important thing was that Jung Hayan’s
current mental state was very stable.
“But what happened? It would be nice if you had a little more rest. You
weren’t lying down the past couple of days…”
“There seems to be a problem at the Church. It doesn’t seem like a big deal,
but I don’t know what would happen. Didn’t Elena come with you?”
“She’s getting ready to leave outside with Hyejin. Because you said we
would be there for a week, the guild employees are also packing the luggage.
S-so, oppa. If we go to the capital, will we sleep in the Church?”
“Yes. Probably so. Or maybe we could rent a separate building. It will

depend on the situation. Shall we go out?”
I didn’t know why the place I slept in was an important factor, but she didn’t
seem very happy about the idea of sleeping at the Church.
That kind of behavior felt ominous, and I felt like an animal upon sensing it.
I looked at Jung Hayan, who held one of my arms tightly, as I expected. I felt
a bit embarrassed since I felt that she would never let my hand go, but I was
still forced to move silently.
Even if I hinted at it, she would never let go, anyway.
In time, the guild’s griffon take-off area came into view. I could see two other
people already there.
There was Cho Hyejin, taking the griffons out of the feedlot, and Elena,
looking at them from a few steps away.
The elf smiled and waved at me upon seeing me, but her expression stiffened
when she saw Jung Hayan clinging onto my side. Cho Hyejin simply bowed
as usual.
‘Gosh…’
I could see Elena’s face looking emotional. I was afraid that if she bit down
on her lips too tightly, she would explode.
I didn’t think Elena, who’s weak-minded, would show any behavior like (old)
Jung Hayan, but I thought she might have a side that I didn’t know about.
The proof was that she was there even though the Eberian Kingdom opposed
the notion. In fact, she was someone that could be called my colleague.
She laughed as if she felt carefree, but in reality, she was someone abandoned
by the fallen gods. She was like a missile pad that was all ready to launch a
ballistic called resentment towards the sky.
Since then, since she could showcase a big performance in swaying public
opinion, she required special management and treatment.
As I smiled slightly and waved, she greeted me with a gloomy smile. Seeing
this reminded me of the time Elune had abandoned her, and my hostility to
the sky’s existence rose again.
‘To such delicate elf…’

No wonder my lips remained tightly closed.
Whether she knew what I was thinking or not, Elena began to greet me
hesitantly.
“Should I call you Vice… Guild Master?”
“No, Elena. You don’t have to call me so stiffly. Haha.”
“Ah…”
“You’re indeed a member of the guild, but with Elena-nim’s status, it’s
difficult to treat you as a common guild member…”
“You don’t have to give me special treatment. Please…”
“No. It’s not special treatment. Blue is not that rigid, and… We are
personally acquainted. I’m also trying not to be stiff with the other members
and Hyunsung. You can also act as usual. Anyway, it’s a bit late, but
welcome to the Blue Guild, Elena. Take good care of us.”
“No. I should be the one saying that. Take good care of me, Lee Kiyoung.
And… Jung Hayan too.”
“Yes, yes… Please… Take good care of me. A-A-And welcome to Blue.”
“Thank you.”
“Are we ready to go, Hyejin?”
“Yes, Vice Guild Master. When Cha Heera arrives, I think we can leave
immediately. Dialugia decided to join later, and Yuno Kasugano will meet
you at the capital….”
“Oh, I see. Thank you for your hard work.”
“I just did what I had to.”
It was nice to get things done quickly.

The news that Hee-ra was also going was something to be cheerful about.
Just as I was thinking about her, I saw a doll with red hair coming towards us.
She was definitely her usual self with some of the Red Mercenary’s
attendants.
“It’s been a while, honey. No, I can’t say it’s been a while since we met a few
days ago.”
After the war, I talked with her right away, but somehow it felt like I hadn’t
conversed with her in a while.
Her hair, which was rough like her, was not tidy, reminding me of a red
lion’s mane.
What was a little different was that there were dark circles under her eyes.
“Are you sick?”
“Stressed out due to frustration.”
“…”
“…”
“Don’t let it bother you. As you already know, I’ve gone crazy for quite a
while. You can think of this as the aftereffect of that. It’s been a long time
since I’ve been out of my mind for so long, and recently, it feels like it’s
getting worse. Still, I can’t adjust to it. Shit. It’s ten times more painful than
having a hangover. I shouldn’t have worn that.”
“The Berserker Set?”
“Did you see?”
“I didn’t see it in person. I only heard about it. You were apparently wearing
armor and had a weapon. Is that a legendary-grade item?”
“Yes.”
“I want to see that at least once.”
“Do you really want to see it?”
“No…”
“That’s a good call. I don’t want to show that much, either. More
importantly… Why did you even gather us all? You’re too heavily armed for
a picnic. Did you find a dungeon in the capital?”
“No. It’s nothing like that. Just think of it as thorough preparation.”
“Well, I trust your judgment. but hmm… I want to take a relaxing break this
time around. Can we do that, honey?”
The way she looked at me with an innocent smile somehow felt terrifying.
She wasn’t openly threatening me, but I felt like a herbivore in front of a
carnivore.
No, it’s not my imagination.
The way she looked at me from head to toe was like a wild beast looking at
prey.
It was then that Jung Hayan grabbed my collar tightly.
‘You guys… don’t do that again.’
I knew better than anyone else what would happen if those two confronted
each other.
It somehow ended well last time, but there was no guarantee that it would end
so well if it were to be repeated. In the end, I had to be careful with my
answer.
“It’s important to take a break. Oh, it’s already this late. Let’s get on the
griffon. I think it would be better for you to ride with Hayan and Elena, and I
will go with Hyejin. Right, Hyejin?”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“Now then. Come up quickly, Hyejin.”
“…”
“Quickly.”
“This feels quite uncomfortable, Vice Guild Master.”
“It’s the same for me, so just get on.”
Immediately taking a seat, I held on to Cho Hyejin’s back.
The three women were showing a little flustered expression, but fortunately,
they didn’t show any jealousy.
When I saw them riding on the griffon together, I thought it was only proper
that I wasn’t there.
“Don’t hold on too tightly, Vice Guild Master. It feels really uncomfortable.”
Of course, taken in a different context, I felt hurt upon hearing this.

Above (3)
Even eye-catching sceneries became boring after being viewed too much and
too frequently. Such was the case with the scenery upon traveling to the
Capital.
I was fed up with seeing the mountains and cities, mountains and villages,
mountains and rivers, and the endless landscape. I no longer found it as
beautiful as when I had first seen it.
When I arrived at the capital, the sight I saw felt warmer.
“Goddess’s representative!”
“Blessed by the Goddess Benignore!”
Naturally, I waved to the State people that were cheering for me from afar. I
wanted to get off at the entrance to hold each person’s hand. It was a little
disappointing that I couldn’t do that. The current situation, in which we had
no choice but to move in a hurry, made me feel frustrated.
“Hold on tight. We’re arriving soon.”
“Okay, Hyejin.”
“It’s uncomfortable if you hold on too tightly, though. Please avoid excessive
physical contact.”
‘What does she want me to do, then?’

“I’m sorry.”
“…”
“…”
Regrettably, the place where the Griffon landed was where the former
Emperor, and now the leader of the State, currently lived.
I could see the faces of those who were already waiting for me. They were
Senators Catherine and Elise. These were my dear allies, including Marlin
and Oscar.
I didn’t know if my feelings were correct, but this pretty much felt like
Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung’s return to the social world.
I saw Yuno Kasugano arriving from Celia one step ahead, as well as other
important connections that had been established in the past.
“It’s been a while, Oscar. You don’t have to come out to meet me like this…”
“No. Of course, I have to. You are the hero who saved the continent. Are you
feeling any better?”
“It’s hard to say that I’ve fully recovered, but it’s not enough to make me
immobile. I’m sorry I came to see you so late.”
“No. If you say it like that, it makes me sorry instead. I would like to serve
you with tea first, but…”
“I’ll pass by after I’m done with my work.”
The face of the former maid Alice, now named Oscar, noticeably brightened.
It seemed as if my words sounded sweet to her.
‘She is still the same.’

Her hair, which used to be short like a man’s cut, was now a little longer and
became bob cut.
I smiled because I knew her saying she wanted to serve tea wasn’t just a
hospitality comment.
If something happened, it was important to give a good impression in

advance, as the palace should take the initiative as well.
‘In fact, you don’t even have to do that…’
That was why Oscar and I were close.
Considering that I was the one who had put her in that place, to begin with, it
was only natural.
Of course, she wasn’t the only one who had a good relationship with me.
“Senator Catherine. And… Senator Elise! It’s been a while, Marlin Young-
ae.”
“It seems to be getting harder and harder to see your face as time passes,
Honorary Cardinal.”
“Haha. It looks like there are true feelings in that joke, Senator Catherine. I’m
sorry for not coming to see you often. As you know, I haven’t had the time,
recently…”
“There’s no problem here. We know better than anyone else that the
Honorary Cardinal is doing a great job for the State. I hope you can think of it
as an affirmation in my longing mind. I wanted to see you that much.”
“I don’t know how much I missed tea time with the three of you. You don’t
know how much I thought of it while lying in bed.”
“Is that true, Honorary Cardinal?”
“Yes, Marlin Young-ae. It’s absolutely true.”

“Perhaps that’s the same for Senator Marlin, Honorary Cardinal. Every time
we met, she talked about you so much my ears start hurting.”
“Is that true?”
“S-Senator Catherine!”
“Can you see her blushing right now?”
“Haha.”
Marlin Young-ae was still showing the actions of characters from old love
comedies.
Also, Senators Catherine and Elise, who responded with all their might, were
still the same.
If there was something different from before, the aristocracy’s etiquette was
almost omitted.
Seeing that they’re properly adapting to the changing times, I felt quite
proud.
After that, I turned to greet the Celia people, including Yuno Kasugano.
“So, we meet again.”
“Yes. Mast– no, I mean– Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung. How have you
been?”
In addition, I concluded the formal greeting with the other characters.
Doing small talks like patting them on the shoulder or giving words of
blessing was an extension of social networking.
Cha Hee-ra, who had also come with us, also greeted the happy faces that
surrounded her.
Simultaneously, Jung Hayan looked at Yuno Kasugano quietly, as if she

seemed to be recalling an incident that occurred a long time ago.
Although I swallowed hard, looking at Jung Hayan that raised her nose
confidently, I was able to breathe out a sigh of relief.
“By the way, Honorary Cardinal, why did you come to the capital
suddenly…”
“Haha. I came because I had some business at the Church.”
“You mean that Church?”
“Yes. It’s hard to tell the exact reason, but…”
“It looks like something happened.”
“Perhaps it’s something trivial, Oscar. You don’t have to worry about it yet.”
“Recently, I felt that the Holy See was a little unsettled… I couldn’t really
interfere with it since it was something going on inside the Church, but the
atmosphere didn’t seem very good. His Holiness Pope Basel has shown a
very worried face recently… Can you please tell him that he can tell me
anytime if he needs any help?”
“Of course. Pope Basel will surely be happy to accept it. Perhaps there will
be an official announcement within today.”
“Okay.”
‘Is he keeping it a secret from her too?’
It made sense, to some extent. The State almost completely separated the
concepts of politics and religion anyway.
‘She must have a lot of worries on her plate, too.’
My partner, who was moving with me, was suddenly stamping her feet. That
already told me how she was feeling.
She was pretending to be calm, but I knew that must be burning deep inside.
It wasn’t something I had to worry about yet, so I put it aside, but I could see
that she was feeling leery.
As I was walking slowly, I noticed some personnel approaching from a

distance. I already knew who they were.
It was Pope Basel, surrounded by the Holy Knights.
‘There’s quite a lot of them.’
Of course, this was a normal escort force. However, at that point, I looked at
the Holy Knights with suspicion as well.
It wasn’t a big deal, but because of my mentality that always assumed the
worst situation, many useless worries aggravated me.
Of course, there was no reason to feel nervous right away. Even if something
were to happen…
‘I have enough power.’
I didn’t have to look nervous; otherwise, it could open a can of worms. In this
situation, it was more advantageous for me to look the same as usual at that
moment.
I smiled at Pope Basel, who smiled in return.
I didn’t know whether his response was false or not, but the seeds of doubt
faded a little.
Unless Pope Basel was acting, there would be no movements of the Church
trying to get rid of me.
“Pope Basel!”
“Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung!”

It was in that instant that a surprisingly loud voice popped out.
It was like a baby bird’s cry of bitterness as it waited for the mother bird.
Romeo’s voice as he looked at Juliet’s death would not be that passionate.
What accompanied the voice was relief and longing. Since it’s been a while
since the Pope had seen me like everyone else there, it’s understandable, but I
was able to take a breath because of his reaction being better than expected.
‘Good.’
As he came striding, the footsteps of the Holy Knights with him also began to
accelerate.
Looking at him a little closer, I noticed Cardinal Basel’s face clearly looked
visibly thinner.
As usual, he still looked neat, but he had lost a lot of weight. Perhaps he
couldn’t sleep and eat well.
I saw him when we moved Jin Qing to the capital just a week ago, but he was
far different from that time. Tears were even accumulating in my eyes.
It showed me how much of a hard time he had been through.
When I saw that old grandfather’s weakened appearance, I held his hand
more tightly.
It was a spectacle to see him greeting Oscar and the other lawmakers while
holding my hand.
Of course, it didn’t suit formality.
It was a mistake that Pope Basel would not make, but I felt sad as it seemed
to be a point to tell us how much of a hard time he was having.
“You really did a great job, Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung. You don’t
know how much I worried that I couldn’t visit you in Lindel…”
“It’s not enough for you to worry, Pope Basel. I’m much better than what is
known. Rather, it would have made me feel more uncomfortable if you really
came to Lindel.”
“Is it… Yes. Right. You must have thought so. YYou did really well coming
here, Honorary Cardinal.”
“It’s a matter about the Church. It’s something related to me too. I couldn’t
just stand around doing nothing. You must be very upset.”
“Right… Honorary Cardinal, have you ever heard any voices from Goddess
Benignore recently?”
“Not recently… but I have never even dreamed of this happening. I think it’s
better to see the condition quickly, Pope Basel.”
“Right. We don’t have time to mingle around here. Let’s move quickly.”
“Yes.”
After the short answer, I moved hurriedly, of course, with my dearest escort
army.
Pope Basel’s reaction gave me a little relief, but it was still much better to
move with them.
Seeing that the Holy Knights weren’t holding us back, it seemed that they
were allowing my people to go in together.
‘That means he trusts me that much. It’s not bad.’
“Pope Basel, can you tell me exactly when the anomaly occurred?”
“Of course. I know it was around 2:00 am, two days ago. It was first
discovered by a common priest praying to the Goddess statue. After 10
minutes, I witnessed Benignore crying too. It’s embarrassing, but we still
haven’t figured out exactly what caused it. Heretic inquisitors and bishop or
higher priests are doing their best, but…”
“…”
“We haven’t made much progress. Access to the main hall with the statue is
currently restricted to bishop-level priests, and we’re trying to be as careful as
we can to contain the spread of the rumor, but we can’t cover the sky with a
palm.”
‘Of course, it’s like that.’
The Church suddenly restricted access to the main chapel, and the priests’
faces above the bishop’s class were bluish.
It was amazing that stories were not coming out from the priests below that
level.
While we were moving, I could see the priests with stiff facial expressions.
The atmosphere got darker as we entered the main hall, making me break out
in cold sweat.
I slowly opened the main hall door with Pope Basel in the lead, and what
greeted me was a spectacle.
‘Why did she cry, gosh.’
I had no choice but to harbor such thoughts in the face of such a

phenomenon.
‘But, can that be used as a catalyst…?’
The same was true for the information that came into the Mind’s Eyes.
Above (4)
[Benignore Statue’s Tears of Blood (Semi-mythic)]
[This is the tears of the Goddess Beginore, which is classified as a semi-

mythic grade catalyst.]
‘It seems like I can use that.’
There was no information on how to use it, so it was impossible to make an

accurate judgment about that aspect, but it did state that it could be used.
I was hoping that it would be a mythic-grade, but this was pretty acceptable
as well, although I couldn’t help but think of them as petty all the same.
‘It means that, to get the mythic grade, I have to torture Benignore.’
It was a bit disappointing, but I was still lucky to have found such a thing in
that place. Naturally, I wanted to collect the catalysts that were still flowing
down its cheeks.
If Pope Basel and the others weren’t with me, I would’ve stuck to that statue
like hot glue.
“Oh, God…”
As soon as I looked at the statue again, I heard Pope Basel’s sigh.
Even though he had already seen it multiple times, it sounded as if it was still
heartbreaking to see for him. Of course, I could understand.
Pope Basel was one of the strongest believers in the Church, and he held the
purest faith.
It was normal that he had been battles, but he couldn’t have reached such a
high position without the will to hold on to his faith constantly.
It was certainly sorrowful to see the statue’s appearance in this manner.
Perhaps, if she had looked a little less as if she had been treated unfairly, she
wouldn’t be looking sad like that.
As a whole, though, the statue of Benignore looked beautiful.
Of course, I didn’t know if the image of that Goddess matched the actual
appearance of Benignore in the sky.
If there was anything unusual, she had a somewhat unjust-looking face. She
was certainly beautiful, but there was resentment all over her expression.
It wasn’t unreasonable to think the Goddess looked like she was down,
considering she was indeed pouring out tears of blood from her eyes.
“Sniff. Goddess…”
It wasn’t just Pope Basel. Priests belonging to levels equal or higher than the
Bishop gathered in that place, sighing in such a melancholic manner.
I pretended to pray as I secretly investigated the room. I was worried that

something else would happen to the statue.
‘Goddess Benignore, are we still on good terms? You’re not aiming for my
back, are you?’
There was still no answer.
I tried to read the people’s faces, but I didn’t feel like they were about to do
something.
They didn’t bring me here to catch me, and they didn’t get a pledge from the
Goddess Benignore.
It seemed that I could also judge that they didn’t know what the cause of this
abnormal phenomenon was. It was still too early to come to a conclusion, but
at least it seemed okay to let go of the delusion that Benignore had indeed
fallen and gone crazy.
It was a little disappointing, but it wasn’t bad, either.
“S-So, did you hear it, Honorary Cardinal? The Goddess’ voice…”
“Hmm…”
‘What should I tell them?’
I wanted to hold a lying party confidently while nodding, but I opted for the
opposite response instead. However, if I told him that I had realized
something, I would be able to see the Church’s reaction.
‘I also need some time to organize my thoughts…’
I had to bite my lips and shake my head to make it even more believable.
Maintaining an expression made me look like I had just lost a country was
too easy for Light Kiyoung. When I opened my mouth, I felt all the gazes
focused on him.
“I can’t hear it. I can’t hear… Goddess Benignore’s voice.”
“Huh…”
“A-Actually… I can partly predict why Goddess Benignore is looking like

that. However, it still feels too early for me to open my mouth…”
“What do you mean?!”
‘He sure did rush to answer immediately.’
He had the face of a traveler, who had been wandering the desert for dozens
of days before finally finding an oasis.
‘That’s not acting.’
I had been thinking about it for a while, but when I saw Pope Basel’s
expression, which seemed to be telling me to tell him quickly, I was
somewhat convinced.
Benignore had not yet fallen.
“I’m sorry, Pope Basel.”
“Tell me quickly, Honorary Cardinal.”
“… If it’s okay, would you please leave for a moment? I want to be with the
Goddess alone…”
“Yes. I-I will. Absolutely! What are you all doing? Get out, quickly!
Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung said he is looking at the Goddess’s
condition. Everyone, leave the main hall! F-For how long do you want us to
be away, Honorary Cardinal?”
“It might take a little while. Please don’t worry too much and wait
comfortably, Pope Basel. I will bet my all to reveal what the Goddess truly
wants.”
“Please, Honor Cardinal. Thank you.”
‘I got it, so let go of my hand. It hurts…’
“If you ever need anything, just tell me, whatever it is!”
“Yeah. I will make sure to do that.”
“I’m really glad the Honorary Cardinal came. Really…”
“No, Pope Basel.”
‘I got it, so get out quickly. My head’s starting to hurt too.’
“Please, take care of it. Please!”

‘Just get out…’
It was quite a sight to see him holding both of my hands tightly and pleading
repeatedly.
In the end, it took a long time before the people began to go outside.
My insurances, including Jung Hayan and Cha Hee-ra, started looking at me

as if asking if I was going to be alright.
I felt a little anxious, but I still nodded to reassure them. I watched them walk
out with the Pope. I was still curious how those women would spend their
time separately.
However, there were more pressing matters to handle than them.
‘I should do my job.’
Though my thoughts were complicated, I still had to fulfill my duty. After

taking out the alchemy kit I always carried, I set it in a position where the
tears of blood were likely to fall.
‘Good.’
The empty glass bottle that I used to catch the dripping blood tears felt very
lovely. If I waited for an hour or two, I knew that it would eventually be
filled to the brim.
“She wouldn’t be crying out of the blue for a gift… What’s wrong with her?”
No matter how I thought about it, there was no reason for her to have such
problems.
‘She’s not even at war against the demon…’
“She mustn’t be confined somewhere.”
Assuming that all the achievements I’d made had become the merits of
Goddess Benignore, it was only proper for her to scream out of pure bliss
instead.
Perhaps those were tears of joy, not tears of sadness.
She must’ve been shedding tears of joy because she united humanity and
took the continent out of a crisis. It wasn’t strange to think so.
It was only a joke, but the reason I couldn’t hear her voice might be because
she was too busy having a party.
‘It’s a dereliction of duty and negligence.’
Of course, the probability of the assumptions I made being right was indeed
quite low.
However, without hearing her voice and without an explanation for the blood
tears, I couldn’t come up with an excuse. Since I hadn’t been able to
determine the cause, I had no choice but to grasp and use the results of my
will.
First, there was the excuse to calm the high ranks of the Church, including
Pope Basel.
‘I think I can use the demon one more time…’
It was an old-fashioned idea, but nothing was as good as that.
I needed an oracle to quickly deal with demon minions hiding across the
continent. Since the demon’s minions were damaging the continent’s vital
forces, it wouldn’t be hard to believe that there was a problem in the sky.
I was about to deal with a couple of bastards besides Demon Summoner Jin
Qing, anyway.
Those who were uncooperative to me…
“Because all of them are involved with the demon. It can’t be helped since
it’s for the future of the continent…”
It went without saying for the State, the Magic Kingdom, and the Republic.
The same went for motherfuckers who had only been looking after the war
began.
Like the saying, ‘Neutrality is the best idiocy,’ they also needed to take
responsibility for not choosing any side. Of course, that didn’t mean I
planned to make everyone my enemy.
When wars broke out, all the things I’d done before it became meaningless,
so I thought I could pick a few key people.
I chose the elder wizard of the magic kingdom, Medilive.
The wizard’s tower where that motherfucker, who talked about the balance of
the world, lived was actually…
“It was the demon’s spire… we almost got in trouble. I almost got tricked by
the demon.”
I also chose the high warlord of the Republic, who took the lead in causing
the war.
“The Demon 72 Corps commander’s servant, the 72 Corps commander’s

shelter. I can’t give him a chance.”
Even within the kingdoms where nothing had been involved, many people
had to be removed from existence.
The manager of the Demon’s Canyon. The lord of General Strait, who was a
demon minion contributing to polluting the sea. Many people had to be
tackled, not as an individual but as a group.
Of course, it was heartbreaking for the fightable troops had to disappear, but
those guys weren’t helpful, anyway.
They were also those who could stab my back anytime, and they could
become threats to the world if left alone. There was a justification. There was
also a reason.
It wouldn’t be bad to wipe them off all at once using that opportunity.
I agreed with myself. Personally, I thought it wasn’t a bad excuse.
Dealing with all the demonic officials spread across the continent couldn’t be
completed instantaneously. I had to provide sufficient time to execute my
plan.
I also had to think of other reasons to justify the cause. If it was Pope Basel,
he would be able to agree with my opinion.
From then on, I organized the list of all the demonic officials in my head one
by one.
‘I can just say that I got the information from Jin Qing.’
If I told the people that he had snitched out all the demonic officials, I would
be able to create a plausible story.
‘It’s good. It’s good.’
There might be a problem in the sky, but there was no problem on earth.
Rather, it was working so well that it made me happy.
Feeling grateful, I placed my hand on the statue’s shoulder without thinking.
“She has a face that makes her look as if she’s been treated unjustly.”
[Please. Sniff. Please… Lord… please… ]
“What?”
[Can you hear me? Can you hear me? Lee Kiyoung, son of a bitch!
Waaahhhh… ]
“What’s this?”
[Can you hear my voice?]

“I can…”
[I’m glad… I’m glad. That’s a relief. Really… I’m really relieved. Thank
you. Thank you very much. Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung. O-Our lovely
Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung! I didn’t betray you. I never thought of that.
I would never do that. It’s all because of circumstances. I’ll explain
everything slowly. Don’t do anything useless. Don’t do anything weird. Let’s
take things leisurely, just like this. Don’t do anything useless. Never do such
things!]
As soon as I took my hand off the statue, I couldn’t hear the voice anymore.
I had no choice but to wonder why she was contacting me that way.
When I put my hand on it again, the voice started to come back.
[I like you. I’ve never thought of betraying you. I never thought of you as
trash or a mean bastard… We have a good relationship. So let’s not do
anything that can harm each other. It’s wrong to call me Benignore, the fallen
god. I have never fallen and have never turned the continent into an enemy.
Can you think that over?]
I nodded slowly, not wanting to stop the words that poured down like a
waterfall.
Shortly after Benignore talked about the depraved new plan, she told me
something that both confused and surprised me.
[I… I went bankrupt.]

Chapter 422 [The latest free is what
a lot of you guys have been waiting
for… anyways, thanks for the
support!]
[The latest free chapter is what a lot of you guys have been waiting for…
anyways, thanks for the support!]
[I… I went bankrupt.]
‘What do you mean, bankrupt?’
[I… I have nothing… It’s because I’m broke… that I keep… crying… and
stuff. I haven’t fallen. It’s absolutely nothing like that. Sniff. So please don’t
do that.]
I didn’t know if her reply could be called useful information. However, I

couldn’t help but admit that I did feel a little happy.
My hypothesis was very slightly right.
The demon performed with contracts and the gods with faith.
When she said she went bankrupt, it didn’t mean she had lost all the money
she had, but she probably meant that she had lost her divinity.
[You’re right.]
‘How could you lose all the divinity you’ve collected so far? I don’t
understand. Are you extravagant?’
[What? This son of a bitch. Trash bastard! You dare say that to me?!]
‘…’
[No. No. I shouldn’t have said that… my bad. I’m really sorry… Honorary
Cardinal Lee Kiyoung, you know that my most cherished believer is Cardinal
Lee Kiyoung, right? I haven’t fallen. So you can’t do that.]
‘…’
What a double-personality psycho.
However, it didn’t seem like she was completely out of herself. I was mostly
curious about why she had to contact me that way.
I already thought that divinity was necessary to create quests, but I couldn’t
imagine she wouldn’t be able even to do that.
“…”
[…]
In fact, I didn’t even have to think.
Wasn’t she the one who could easily give me an answer?
“Our Goddess Benignore, do you know what this lowly believer is wondering
about?”
[Basic quests have already been set by the system. For example, the system
manages the quests you can receive when entering a dungeon or fulfilling
class-change quests… It’s different in the case of forced quests or quests sent
to individuals. We use our divinity directly. Of course, unimaginable divinity
is consumed. Gods cannot intervene in human affairs. Originally, that’s the
principle. Forced quests are against that principle. Of course, the amount of
divinity used varies greatly depending on the content and difficulty, but
anyway. The same applies to the rewards paid after completion.]
‘Good to know.’
[I ran out of all the divinity I had, and I’ve also run out of the divinities I
borrowed. All for… my proud believer… sniff… Lee Kiyoung… Sniff…
Honorary Cardinal.]
“So, it seems to me that our Goddess Benignore is saying that it was me that
caused her bankruptcy.”
[No, of course… it’s all my fault. All… A-Anyway, that’s why I could only
contact you this way. I can’t create a forced quest… I could only do this.]
“There isn’t only one deity, right? There is also Elune trash… you could have
contacted me through other means as well… although it would only last for a
while. I wonder how you even lost your divinity.”
[I-I can explain! The same goes for the others and all the other gods are
bankrupt. It’s because I borrowed a lot of divinity here and there… there
were so many unavoidable situations… yeah… even externally…things.. got
a little bad. I got caught by bad guys…]
‘Were you managing the continent with your feet?’
[It’s not that. My… My proud Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung. And those
words are blasphemy.]
She had denied that this wasn’t the case, but I thought otherwise.
How on Earth did they manage to instantly ruin the continent that had been
doing well for so long?
I could understand the bankruptcy of Benignore alone, but the news that
everyone who was in control of the continent was collapsing alarmed me.
I wasn’t exactly sure if the example was appropriate, but the continent was
like a workshop to the sky’s beings.
They gained divinity through the continent and managed it with that divinity.
Of course, there were many things to use it on. They also had to keep demons
in check and solve natural phenomena.
I could also assume that some of the divine powers used by priests used their
divinity.
Besides, the continent already had an adequate amount of population. It

didn’t increase easily anymore. Many divinities could be accepted in such a
continent, but they would be limited.
Although knowing that, they used it like a parvenu. Such a miserable end
could be seen as expected.
She was seriously crying there, but in the end, it turned out to be entirely their
fault.
‘I can see how it went.’
I wasn’t sure if such concepts existed above there, but based on human
systems, I thought Benignore borrowed some sort of divinity from that was
not enough, she borrowed from the gods of the surrounding kingdoms too.
The gods of the continent eventually needed to use a collective guarantee.

Thanks to that, Benignore got her hands on divinity from external parties.
She would’ve been happy for a while. She must’ve been enjoying a good life
with abundant divine nature. However, that happiness lasted for only a
second.
After a certain duration, the divinity coming from the outside became a
problem. It was no different than calling it the IMF exploding in the sky.
I was able to understand to some extent why Benignore was so friendly.
‘She’s worried about being doomed. Phew… That’s amazing. Amazing.’
Even now, the divinity must be fixedly entering.
It was natural that the number of believers would decrease as soon as the
story that the fallen god Benignore had become evil-polluted and crazy.
A mob might even come in to smash the statue of Benignore, who was being
driven by evil spirits. Of course, that was only if Operation Benignore
worked well, but even if it were only half-successful, it would be threatening
enough for Benignore, who was struggling because she couldn’t afford to
send a quest.
I didn’t know what the consequences would be when all the gods’ divinities
had been depleted, but no matter how I thought about it, it wasn’t a good
situation.
They could disappear or fall to the ground.
“Am I right?”
[…]
“Well, well… Our Goddess Benignore seems to be having a lot of trouble

right now.”
[That’s why you’re a quick-witted dog…]
[No… That’s not right. Believer Lee Kiyoung. Most of them are correct, but
I’ve always been friendly to you.]
“At first, you weren’t. Goddess Benignore.”
[T-T-That’s Elune. Elune was in charge of you. Halfway through, the person
in charge has changed. It’s something I didn’t know well, and I couldn’t help
it. Think about it, Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung, my lovely son, all the
things I did for you. There’s the Bomb of Light potion! There’s also the semi-
mythic grade class! In addition to that, I helped you a lot. Why would I hate
you? You increased the number of my believers and did your best for the
Benignore Church. We are a team. At first, Elune was the one in charge.
Really! Elune, that bastard was in charge!]
“That bastard really is an irreparable piece of trash.”
[I… I think so sometimes. She also sold her daughter off. I never abandon my
sons and daughters. In particular, I never neglect the people like you. When
did I ever disappoint you? We are a team. One team.]
I thought it would be unlikely that Elune trash was the one in charge, but it
would be understandable if it were her trash power.
[The rumors about Elune aren’t that good anyway. There’s nothing good
about being close to him, and more than that, Honorary Cardinal Lee
Kiyoung. I have something to say…]
“No, no, I’ll talk first.”
[Okay… Do that. My proud son…]
“I had something I wanted to ask if ever I got an opportunity like this. It was
one-sided up until now, but finally, I got a window where I can have a two-
sided conversation. I have a lot to ask, so I’ll put the prologue away and talk.
First, the thing I’m curious about. Where are you now? Are you here in this
statue?”
[Yes and no. To be more precise, no. My body is still above… it is difficult to
explain with human concepts.]
“Really?”
[Where are you touching, you bastard!]
“You said you weren’t here.”
[Only a part is hidden. Only a part… a part… is hidden. Because of the

bastards urging me to pay my debts… motherf– no, my lovely Honorary
Cardinal Lee Kiyoung.]
“Why didn’t you say that right away. And are you overreacting with me
barely stroking the statue? You won’t even feel it anyway. But do you really
look like this?”
[Similar… It was made from the memories of a sculptor who saw me in a

dream. So this is the second question?]
“No. I just asked because I was curious. You’re prettier than I thought.
Honestly, you’re my type.”
[I-I hear that a lot… Well, you can’t say that, though. It’s blasphemy.]
“Well… Anyway, the second question. What happens when humans die?”
[What?]
“Like I said, what happens when humans die? Honestly, it’s something I’ve
always been curious about. Imagine you’ve met a transcendental being.
Naturally, you’d want to ask.”
[…]
“…”
[Listen, and please don’t misunderstand me, Honorary Cardinal. I swear in

Benignore’s name… Even I don’t know that.]
“What?”
[I don’t know what exactly happens. That’s not under my jurisdiction. There
are parts that we can say, and parts that we cannot say. There are problems
with security issues and problems with other aspects. But that… that question
can’t be answered. We don’t really know about what happens after not only
human death but the death of any living being. I don’t know what happens
when we are destroyed. I don’t know if you’ll believe it, but I hope you do.]
“Well… I believe you.”
[Really?]
“Really. I didn’t even expect to hear an actual answer anyway. I thought you
wouldn’t know for some reason. So, do you mean that you can reveal
information that has security embedded in them?”
[That’s impossible too. Of course, it would be nice if I could, but I’m not
allowed to tell anyone about it. Even if I tell you, you won’t hear anything.]
“So, you’re saying you can only tell me bullshit?”
[That depends on the question. What are you curious about?]
“…”
[…]
“Why did you bring us here?”
[…]
“I’m not blaming you or anything. I am very satisfied with this life now. I’m
just curious about this too.”
[This has no security, but it’s also something I can’t talk about in detail. To
be precise, we didn’t bring you. They left you over here, and we accepted
you.]
“What are you talking about? The Earth left us here?”
[I can’t tell you the exact details. But it is true. Of course, I know it’s hard to
accept. It must be harsh for foreigners. The tutorial dungeon is designed like
that because we had no choice. We cannot accept all of the humans who
come in. Of course, we also recognize that the method was violent, but that
wasn’t our decision either. I swear by my name, it was inevitable. Sorry…
that’s all I can tell you. I can’t tell you… about why or how things work.]
“So, you’re saying there’s security in those details.”
[It’s really unfortunate.]
“What?”
[Being abandoned in a dimension… It’s really unfortunate.]
I didn’t know why, but her voice seemed to pity me.

Above (6)
“What about it?”
[Even though you’re this kind of tras–no, human, you didn’t deserve that…]
‘What the hell are you saying? I’m fine.’
Honestly, I really was.
I could understand that something had happened on Earth, causing the people
who managed it to give us over, but it was a little difficult from my point of
view to think of it as sad and unfortunate.
To put it bluntly, I didn’t feel anything.
If she were to say something about being abandoned by my parents, it would

be worth crying about, but I was abandoned by the Earth, not by my parents.
The scale was so great that it was difficult to say from where to mourn.
‘God is a god, after all.’
Their perspective was different from humans. Compared to the beginning,

when she was going crazy, she now seemed very quiet.
Noticing that she was answering my question seriously, the statue in front of
me began to look slightly different. As I was lost in thoughts, I heard
Benignore’s voice again.
[I’m glad if you think you’re fine… Anyway, that’s what happened. I-it’s a
bit sad from our point of view.]
“It can be seen that you accepted refugee. Well… Should I be grateful?”
[You don’t have to. It was an unavoidable choice for us as well.]
“Hmm… So you mean something is wrong with Earth right now?”
[There has always been a problem there. The same is true for this world,
but… If you are asking if there is something different from usual, the answer
is yes. But I can’t tell you the details. That place is out of my jurisdiction, to
begin with. Besides, they want to hide themselves over there…]
“Hmm…”
[Hmm… Wait a minute. If you’re worried about your sister, you can rest
assured. Rather…]
Yulha had a personality that would keep her alive even if left alone in
Antarctica, so I wasn’t really that worried.
“No. I’m actually okay about Yulha.”
[So the questions end here?]
“I have one more.”
[What?]
“Kim Hyunsung. Does this also have security?”
[Partly. There are parts I don’t know. But there is something I can tell you.
What exactly are you curious about? The first round?]
“The reason he returned. And what on Earth is Altanus who brought Kim
Hyunsung back?”
I could say that was the main question, and it was the one I was most curious
about.
Seeing how she became quiet for a while, it also seemed to be hard to answer.
As I slowly patted the statue on the shoulder, I heard her voice again.
[The reason he returned was that Altanus wanted it.]
“…”
[Altanus is a god and a manager like us. And she was also in charge of Kim
Hyunsung.]
“As expected. Where is Altanus? Can I meet her?”
[No. It’s impossible.]
“Why?”
[Altanus no longer exists.]
“Ah…”
[She is dead. No, to say that she has disappeared would be more appropriate.
She paid the price for turning back time. But we are taking over that will.]
‘Is that so?’
Thinking about it for a bit, it was only natural.
Creating forced quests and giving down classes also required divinity. I
couldn’t even imagine how much divinity it would take for a god to perform
a nonsensical and ridiculous miracle like time regression.
It wasn’t just that it affected the sky, but it completely turned back time.
Perhaps Altanus was likely a higher god than Benignore. If she were
common, that wouldn’t have been possible. I never imagined that Benignore,
who had been hiding part of herself in the statue, could turn back time.
‘Tsk.’
[Altanus loved the man. And… She also sympathized with his life. After a lot
of thought, she sacrificed herself to turn everything back. Of course, I tried to
stop her back then, but… I respected her. No god can probably make that
choice. That feeling is a common value among us.]
“Can you tell me what the first round was like?”
[You already have a rough understanding about it due to the special human
named Yuno Kasugano. I don’t know in detail, either.]
“You can’t remember the first round either?”
[Yes, and no. I can’t remember everything, but I do remember Altanus’s

will.]
“I don’t know what Altanus’ will is. It’s not something I can accept. You
can’t see the black world that Yuno Kasugano can see?”
[Don’t make fun of human possibilities. She is special. The same goes for the
human named Jung Hayan and Cha Hee-ra. Human possibilities are endless.
Right now, you alone with the Mind’s Eyes… no, actually, it’s nothing. Of
course, some of us can see the black world you’re talking about, but there are
limitations too. Managing dimensions is a lot more complicated and difficult
than you think. If we really could have solved everything, Altanus wouldn’t
have brought Kim Hyunsung back.]
“Possibilities?”
[Yes, possibilities. Altanus must have seen it too.]
“You guys aren’t perfect either, huh?”
[Right. We’re not perfect. Remember that well, my proud Honorary Cardinal
Lee Kiyoung. We’re not perfect either. We’re imperfect. It’s just the place
where we stand that’s different from those on the continent, but we’re not
very different either. Never forget that we’re not perfect.]
“There is no need to emphasize that much. I think I can already tell that just
by looking at you. Rather, you seem to have vaguely avoided the question.
Goddess Benignore, what I’m curious about is the reason that Kim Hyunsung
returned. Saying it’s Altanus’ will isn’t what I want to hear. Tell me exactly
what threat there was and what made him return. In short, the reason for
failure.”
[That doesn’t have security, but I still can’t tell you the answer. It would be
better to listen to or watch Yuno Kasugano or Kim Hyunsung. One thing I
can tell you is that you are right.]
“What?”
[There is a threat. What Kim Hyunsung is preparing for is for that threat. And
I- I hate to admit it, but you, you have been… d-doing well…]
“Hmm. As expected. For that, I’ll accept the compliment gratefully. By the
way… I feel like I didn’t hear much more than I thought…”
[I-I can’t help it. I really can’t help it… Do you think I don’t want to tell you?
I want to get comfortable too!]
“Oh, I’ll ask one more question.”
[Ugh. You have a lot of questions. Now I, too—]
“That’s obvious. I was dragged in without knowing anything, and I got

caught up in something without knowing anything. Wouldn’t you be the
same? Anyway, the question. Can we… hmm… go back to Earth?”
[You want to go back?]
“No, not really. I’m just curious about it.”
[Impossible. You are the residents of this place now. You can’t go anywhere
else.]
“I’m a little disappointed now that I heard it.”
Of course, my disappointment wasn’t that deep. If anyone asked if I had no

attachments, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.
But what could I do with something that had already happened?
I couldn’t even openly complain that I couldn’t return to Earth. I couldn’t

believe it completely, but it seemed that Earth itself had thrown us out, and
Benignore and the others accepted us.
As I looked up at the statue, I could see Benignore still shedding tears of

blood.
[T-This is inevitable. It’s like a sign. I already stopped crying.]
“What sign? A sign that the continent’s base is falling apart?”
[Kind… of.]
‘Fuck.’
“Anyway, if you restore your divinity, everything will return to normal,

right?”
[Basically, you’re right. Oh, anyway, this time I want to say….]
“Out with it. I don’t know what it is, but… is it serious?”
[It’s a bit serious.]
The way she talked showed that she was indeed worried about something.
However, after a while, her voice began to be heard again.
[M-maybe. Quest creation has stopped for unknown reasons. Haven’t you…
heard about it?]
“What? I think I did.”
[It’s something related to that.]
“Wouldn’t it be obvious that the creation stopped since you’re like this?
That’s… no… fuck…”
[I-I’m sorry. My…]
“S-Stop bullshitting. Fuck.”
I bit down on my lips that instant.
It was so ridiculous that laughter popped out of me. it was something that
could be deduced by even an elementary student.
She couldn’t create quests because she was now out of divinity.
I could understand that. It was something I was already expecting anyway.

The problem was that Benignore wasn’t the only one suffering from that
condition.
Well, in the case of others, they were in a better situation than her, but it
wasn’t much different.
We were all one family aboard a sinking ship.
When I started feeling anxious, I heard Benignore’s voice once again.
[The minimal system such as class or tutorial dungeon will be maintained,

but… legendary-grade dungeons and some heroic-grade dungeons… will be
blocked. A-and all the raid monsters that were sleeping will be s-sealed…]
“Why block that? Why will you block that… Why block…”
[That’s because some dungeons are dangerous. Think about the museum. S-
So, that kind of dungeon… To use your words, they need to be monitored by
gods. We have turned some places into dungeons, but many dungeons were
created naturally or because of cracks. Not only will the humans who enter
them be in danger, but if the raid fails or if a problem arises, it will be
impossible to fix it. We don’t want to block them either, but this is something
that we have to do…]
‘Fuck…‘
The problem had become a little more serious.
It became even worse when I looked at the current situation. I wanted to

applaud very, very much that humanity had united as one.
However, if that was the end of it, the worst outcome would remain a
possibility.
They would become stronger as they fought.
There was no room for denial.
Humans were able to grow stronger in the first round because they had time
to fight among themselves. I wasn’t complimenting stupidity back in the days
when they cut open each other’s throats.
Rather, it had gone to show that through conflict, it was possible to improve.
The threat Kim Hyunsung was preparing for existed. I was expecting it, but it
was time I heard it from Benignore.
‘Is there no other choice but to block the dungeon?’
It was no different than blocking the growth road.
Heroic-grade and legendary-grade dungeons were the places special

personnel went to. The confusion when such places became inaccessible
would be indescribable.
If they blocked even raid monsters, the situation would be even more serious.
All processing factories that worked based on monster corpses would be

closed, and the dormant workforce would be forced to roam the streets. It was
safe to say that the armed forces and the economy would end up getting
heavily damaged.
Supplies were sold because of dungeons.
Because people were entering dungeons, merchants could make money.

That system had already been established too deeply.
To exaggerate a little, it was comparable to a situation in which petroleum

had disappeared from modern civilizations.
‘It’s going to be a complete mess…’
Of course, the sales volume of Made by Lee Kiyoung potion would also drop.
‘Kiyoung Coin decreases in value.’
“Shit…”
‘The value of the Kiyoung Coin shuts down!!’
“Damn.”
‘Let’s go with Mirror Lake!!!’
This was admittedly an exaggerated reaction, but it was only natural for the
situation to remind me of a situation I didn’t want to imagine.
Whether or not she knew about my confusion, I had no choice but to shout at
Benignore, who was getting on my nerves again.
[A-And… for the time being, the creation of quests on all continents will be
stopped. I-I don’t know when it will resume…]
“…”
[…]
“Hey, you crazy troll!”
My voice was filled with sincerity.

Above (7)
Silence then dominated the entire room.
It took a long time before I heard Benignore’s voice again. I thought she
would respond to me by screaming, but it was rather the opposite.
The way she talked in such a small tone of voice, not even ants could’ve
heard her. It felt oddly shamefully dirty.
[…]
“…”
[This is all because of…]
“What?”
[Do you think I wanted this to happen…?]
“What?”
[I-It’s nothing.]
“…”
I honestly had nothing to say to her broken replies, either.
The reason behind the incompetent goddess Benignore’s bankruptcy was that
the divinity she had associated with me must’ve had some sort of effect on
her.
‘No, no. Actually, it’s not even that. In my case, I was just rewarded for my
actions… And that is a completely different situation from this.’
If I was generous, I could say I had greatly contributed to her bankruptcy…
‘It doesn’t make sense, right?’
Soon, the order of the continent would collapse.
What Benignore had said was probably just a small part of it. If that
happened, the quests and dungeons would not function properly, and this in
turn, would have countless side effects. It seemed like the ones who had been
managing the continent the entire time had ended up abandoning it in the end.
With these thoughts in mind, I felt as if the room’s temperature was rapidly
rising.
I didn’t know if she knew what I was currently feeling or not, but Benignore
kept making more excuses as the seconds continued to tick by. I couldn’t
give her a suitable answer, so I could only respond by sighing.
[…]
“…”
[I-I’m sorry…]
“…”
[I-I’m sorry, my proud Honorary Cardinal. You know how much I care for
Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung, right? T-This is not your fault, so you don’t
have to worry too much. Forget what I just said. Can you do that?]
“Gosh… I know that much. Did I do anything wrong? This is your mess.
You’re really funny, you know that? Even after giving you divinity from
down here, are your capabilities so low? There are limits to being
incompetent… Honestly, I’m not in charge of you, so I can’t say anything
about this, but I still think you have to reflect on this. It would be bad for you
to get insulted by me, a human, but this is my advice as a true believer who
serves you.”
[Uuugghhhh.]
“Or did you get distracted somewhere else?”
[Uuugghhh.]
My desire to scold her was strong. However, this would’ve been an

extremely unproductive behavior. What mattered at that moment was not the
cause, but how I could solve the situation. If everything I heard from here on
was true…
‘I can think of it as another threat.’
It wasn’t a problem that could simply be solved instantaneously or easily.
If it were simply a problem like defeating a raid boss, it would’ve needed a

much simpler approach. This was a bit more complicated than that.
This was a social problem, and it was a
“Do you have any solutions in mind?”
[No. Such a thing… It happened so suddenly that we had no way of doing

anything. In an instant, like a bubble that burst…]
‘Damn…’
[A-Anyway, that’s it. The basic system will still work. It may be a little
unstable, but…]
“It’s unstable? How exactly is it unstable?”
[I-I don’t know for sure yet.]
‘What on earth is she talking about?’
“So… Why are you suddenly telling me this? Does this mean you want me to
clean up your mess?”
[You’re right… it’s partly that. I-It’s not an area where you can do anything,
but at least I was hoping you could control the chaos that will happen on the
continent…]
“You’re asking me to manage the continent?”
[No. That’s not possible. I mean that. If so many things change suddenly, our
sons and daughters living on the continent will get extremely confused. I
think it would be nice… If you could fix it… Our Honorary Cardinal Lee
Kiyoung is good at that.]
“So, you’re saying you do want me to clean up your mess. Just because we
prevent people’s confusion doesn’t mean the problem will end there. Do you
know how far the ripple will come the moment the system becomes
paralyzed? There will be tremendous social chaos, and some countries will
go bankrupt like you. The commoners will be driven to live on the streets. Of
course, I’m sure you already know that without me telling you. It doesn’t end
there either. It’s temporary, but losing our means to level up will also be
something to worry about. Do you know how important that is? Just because
you think you’ll be able to fix it, it doesn’t mean you can. We’ll just end up
holding on.”
[…]
“Exactly when will you be able to fix everything?”
[At least three years… Actually, I don’t know the details. If I can pay off my
debt quicker, I think I can fix it faster. Of course, heroic-grade dungeons and
legendary-grade dungeons will open up faster than that.]
‘This is a real problem…’
Looking at her casually explaining, I couldn’t help swallowing hard.
It would take three years at the earliest.
I thought that Benignore backstabbing me was the worst case, but our
problem was just as bad.
It was hard to determine the superiority and inferiority of the former or the
latter.
I replied to her after a while.
“Do you have anything else to say? Anything at all. Perhaps there’s
something I should know.”
[No… That’s all.]
“…”
[I’m embarrassed now…]
“It’s not me you should be embarrassed about. You should be embarrassed

about yourself. Anyway, okay. I want to think about it separately.”
[Think what? What? What? Separately?]
“What did I just say? I’ll think about it separately.”
[Y-You don’t have any other thing in mind, right?]
“What another thing?”
[That… That… I’ve heard of something like a plan to backstab the fallen
God Benignore…]
“It’s nothing like that. I won’t do that, of course. I’m thinking about
something else. I’ll do it on my own to get things done, so don’t worry about
it. I’m going to use your name a bit. You should know that.”
[Oh, really? Of course, you should. If that’s what Honorary Cardinal needs to
do, then that’s what you should do! By the way… You really didn’t have any
other plans, right, Honorary Cardinal? Y-you know how much I care about
you, right? Y-you’re not going to do anything weird… We are a team, okay?]
“I said I wouldn’t. What are you nervous about? I’m not the kind of person
who just stabs the back of others. I don’t want to be on bad terms with you. I
just need some time to think about it. Wouldn’t you be disconcerted if you
were in my place?”
[T-That’s fortunate then, but…]
“Anyway, I’m going. People outside have been waiting for far too long. As
for the reason you are crying, I will look around a bit.”
[Okay.]
“And prepare a reward. A really good one. If I solve this properly, you better
have it ready.”
[…]
The loud voice immediately disappeared when I lifted my hand away from
the statue without waiting for her answer. As I looked up at the statue, I saw
that the tears of blood were still flowing.
I touched it once again just in case, but I could no longer hear her voice. She,
too, had finished her business there.
As I looked at the statue from a little farther away, I felt even more absurd. It
was weird that we conversations, and one of them included unloading a huge
problem of me.
‘It’s too unexpected…’
Of course, I thought there would have been a problem, but I didn’t expect it
to be such a major accident.
I couldn’t help but laugh due to how ridiculous it was. I didn’t even know
where to begin to fix it.
Of course, it wasn’t that I didn’t have anything in mind. When I thought

about it in simple terms, there was indeed a primal solution to the problem.
‘The first step should be to increase the people’s faith.’
It was only proper to make sure that Benignore and the others could regain
their place as soon as possible. Thanks to the impression that had been
accumulating over the years, people’s faith in God had been firmly
established in the continent.
The most important task was to gather divinity, give it to Benignore, and then
return the unstable continent to its original state.
Within two years, no, a year, all the gods on the continent had to be revived. I
had to become a life-rehabilitation consultant who could bring the gods into
the people’s lives a little faster.
The second was…
‘To provide alternative resources for this problem.’
The first step might force to speed up the timing, but in fact, the second part
was the hardest.
It was unreasonable to think that there were alternatives to quests and

dungeons. In other words, there was no such thing as creating jobs. This was
a place where anyone could grow, get rewards, and even collect gold. This
was something that could give jobs to foreigners who wandered the streets.
If I couldn’t fix that, the problem would get worse.
High-level foreigners who’d have nothing to do would enter rare-grade

dungeons and common-grade dungeons in order to survive, and beginners
who needed to grow would naturally have their feet tied.
Fights could also happen frequently.
Assuming the worst-case… It would be something like the growth of

humanity completely growing stagnant due to the three years wherein
Benignore messed up.
There was a possibility of regression, let alone a standstill. Of course, I had

the option to simply ignore it, thinking that had nothing to do with me, but…
‘How could I?’
There was no way I could do that.
In many ways, I had fallen into a dilemma. The problem was that, no matter
how much I thought about it, I couldn’t really think of a solution. It was at
that time that the words I spitted out were all stuck in my chest.
“I can’t even make a dungeon, fuck.”
‘…’
“I already have it.”
At the same time, something I hadn’t been able to care about because of my
busy schedule had already started to come to mind.
When I hurriedly activated my Mind’s Eyes, I could see the title that
remained in one corner.
I thought it was worth thinking about.
‘Isn’t this also blocked?’
It still had to be checked, but the Crack Museum was still likely to work.
That was under my jurisdiction, not the jurisdiction of the gods. In the first
place, the Crack Museum was a dungeon judged to be unrated and was
actually nearly being opened.
Closed beta services were often implemented, but it didn’t reach open-beta
due to lack of time.
The ink on the business plan had not yet dried up. If anyone asked if it could
be used by legendary-grade and heroic-grade foreigners, it was indeed worth
a nod.
There were quite a number of monsters still remaining in it, and there were
many chimeras made by Max.
Now that entry to dungeons was completely impossible, the value of the
Crack Museum was beyond words.
‘Because I can sell potions there. No, do I only have potions to sell?’
Potion business, dining business, accommodation business… If I could

develop it a little further, I may be able to do something like a souvenir
business or a casino business.
Gold was supposed to go around.
I didn’t know anything else, but I felt like I could certainly turn around the
economy.
“Crack Land…”
It would be a magical place to revitalize the economy of a stagnant continent.

At this, I couldn’t help but smile due to the plausible solution.
Chapter 425 Winner And Loser (1)
Chapter 425: Winner And Loser (1)
I had to revise the details, but it didn’t matter much if I would decide to go
with the basic framework.
There were also other parts to be considered, but the rough foundation was
already in place.
Lee Jihye and my lovely son, the museum manager, Max, had last checked
out a few months ago, so it should be ready to open before Benignore’s
stupidity could affect the continent.
I couldn’t help but move joyfully.
As I slowly opened the door, I felt the gazes of those pacing back and forth
with anxious faces gathered instantly.
The first face I could see was Pope Basel’s.
Archbishop Jaina and the Director of Inquisition Helena were together, and
the way they both came running and held my hands made me step back
unconsciously.
Of course, I was feeling good at the same time. I could accept this situation to
some extent.
“Honorary Cardinal! Did you hear… Benignore’s voice?”
‘Yes, I heard. That stupid bitch has decided to ruin everything here. Don’t
believe in Benignore, Pope.’
I wanted to say that, but I couldn’t. It didn’t matter if I told the Church the
general story.
“Yes. I definitely heard it. Actually, I don’t remember it well, but… I
remember faintly communicating with her.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. In fact… That’s the first time I have ever received trust in this way, and
I am sorry to have kept you waiting, Pope Basel.”
“No, no. You were spending time with the Goddess, weren’t you? More
importantly… What did she say? Is she okay?”
“In fact…”
“Ah, it must be bad news.”
“Yes. It’s definitely not good news.”
“Ho… Ho… Something happened to the Goddess, that’s what you mean?”
“It’s not enough to worry about. The Goddess is still safe. But she warned us
of possible anomalies all over the continent, starting with this.”
“I heard that Benignore and the other continental gods are in a very weak
state right now. As Pope Basel already knows, the reason behind it is that the
power of demons rooted in the continent is already harming the continent’s
vital force. The demonic minions, which have not yet disappeared, are taking
their place across the continent and threatening this sacred land.”
“Those… those… those damn bastards…”
Watching Pope Basel tremble made me feel like he would lead the Holy
Knights immediately and rush to exterminate the evil forces.
‘I guess it’s not all that bad.’
I knew Pope Basel trusted me, but I didn’t think it would be to this extent.
Perhaps the previous Goddess descent incident was a decisive factor towards
that trust of his.
‘It’s not strange, though.’
I had proven that the Goddess Benignore had entered my body and
communicated through Light Kiyoung. It would be strange for him not to
believe I had a few conversations with her.
‘I can use this, too.’
Thinking about it, I realized there was no need to rush the museum.
Although most dungeons had been blocked, there were many heroic-grade
and legendary-grade dungeons on the continent. The dungeons were where
all the demon officials were hiding.
It was a place that had not been judged by the dungeon system, but what
about it? Even if people killed humans, no, demons, their experience would
still increase.
Rewards, experience, items, and fame, the Demon’s Spire, where the demon
official Medilive resided, could still be considered a legendary-grade
dungeon.
The number of people who could enter them was limited, and it was a place
that must be raided with a party, not an army.
The same was true of the dungeon where many other demonic officials
resided. Dozens, no, hundreds of dungeons per day could be created in the
current continent.
All the gangsters that hindered humanity from becoming one were the ones
called demons. This was a continuous holy war where each individual could
fight for the gods they worshipped. I’d be able to get more divinity that way.
I thought that, at that level, Benignore and the other gods would also be able
to rest comfortably.
‘Whew… it’s perfect. Perfect. Benignore, this is how you manage things.’
There were certainly some vague aspects, but the detailed parts could be dealt
with later.
As I was looking at Pope Basel, I began to hear his voice once again.
“Do you know where they took root, Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung?”
“I haven’t heard about that yet… But I’ll do my best to locate it, Pope Basel.”
“It’s reassuring… Yes, it’s reassuring. Indeed, it’s Honorary Cardinal Lee
Kiyoung, after all. Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung is truly a messenger of
the Goddess Benignore. What’s the reason why you can stand even though
you went on so many battlefields and fought against countless threats? If it
were not for you, the Church wouldn’t have grown as vigorous as it does
now. I am truly grateful to the Honorary Cardinal. I am very fortunate that
someone like you is by the Goddess’s side. Indeed…”
“No, Pope Basel. Rather, Goddess Benignore…”
“…”
“Goddess Benignore is always watching you. She asked me to tell you that
she’s grateful.”
“Huh…”
This was a bonus for the fool who only thought about Benignore. I said it as
if it wasn’t a big deal, but I could feel my hand being held even more tightly.
How he looked after that was even more amusing.
“I-Is that true?”
“Yes.”
Tears had begun piling up in his eyes. It was certainly rare to see the old man
in tears.
Even though this had been a lie, seeing him like that made me think that I did
well in providing that kind of service.
“Goddess… Thank you. Thank you, Goddess Benignore.”
“…”
“My past years of serving only Goddess Benignore have never been wrong.”
“Yes. She must have been watching all this time. She’s always with us, after
all.”
Of course, I didn’t know if she was actually watching over us, but if Pope
Basel was happy, that was enough for me. The people watched in the back as
they nodded at his warm appearance.
Perhaps the high ranks of the Church were happier than I was.
It must’ve been difficult for them to deal with Pope Basel’s anger throughout
all those years.
There had even been a guy who even gave me a grateful look for putting him
in a good mood.
“I-I’ll go in first, Honorary Cardinal. I wanted to spend time with you, but
today I have to pray to the Goddess all day long.”
“That’s a very good decision, Pope.”
“And, as soon as you identify the whereabouts of those dirty demon minions
rooted in the continent, please let the Church know. I will send the Holy
Knights in myself.”
“Yes.”
“Do they dare to harm the Goddess, Director of Inquisition Helena?”
“Yes.”
“You are going to start interrogating other informants spread across the
continent from Demon Summoner Jin Qing today. I can’t stay still for even
one moment.”
“Yes, your Holiness.”
‘Ah. Jin Qing bastard… You’re going to have a hard time.’
I hadn’t expected Jin Qing to suffer.
The trial was coming soon, and it was a relatively relaxing time, but I had to
remain silent for the guy who would soon be subjected to unexpected and
harsh torture.
As far as I was concerned, it was convenient for the demons’ whereabouts to

come out of Jin Qing’s mouth.
I thought it wouldn’t be that bad to try to meet with him once. There should
be a relatively cumbersome negotiation process, but it didn’t matter.
Who was strong and who was weak had already been decided. If I offered
something, the other side had no choice but to accept it.
‘They say it’s better to strike while the iron is hot.’
It didn’t sound much like an irrational plan.
“I’ll go there myself, Pope Basel.”
“Will you do that?”
“Yes. I, too, can’t stand it because I’m worried about Goddess Benignore. I
don’t know if it will help, but let me convince him.”
“If the Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung is coming, then that’s reassuring.
Yes!”
“I just do my best for the Goddess.”

“I trust only in you.”
‘Okay. I’ll also trust only you.’
When I saw Pope Basel moving away after a hug, I began to smile. When I
realized that finally, the work was over, Jung Hayan, who had been walking
around at a reasonable distance, rushed in.
Cho Hyejin and Yuno Kasugano slowly approached us as they talked, and
Elena was still watching out for others.
The people I brought in to be prepared if anything happened had become

surplus power. Of course, it would be better to think of it as a form of
vacation, but the problem was that I could cut the tension with a knife.
I thought Hee-ra would also come towards me quickly, but she seemed
curious about something else.
“Honey.”
“Yes”
“Benignore’s voice… Did you really hear it?”
“You don’t believe me?”
“Since you lie around a lot… Well, it’s your karma.”
“…”
“…”
“It’s true, Hee-ra. Honestly, I didn’t think I could hear it, but things worked
out well. Maybe I had answered all the questions in my mind that you would
be curious about… I’ll tell you more about it later. There are more important
issues than that. I’m sure you’ll be surprised to hear it.”
“What is it?”
“Quest creation will stop for a while across the entire continent. Of course,
there will be differences in each region, but there are no other quests except
class-related or tutorial dungeons.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Access to dungeons above the legendary-grade level will be restricted. It

seems it was true that something happened up there.”
“That’s… not good news. But that’s quite amazing… Honey, are you really
communing with the gods?”
“I only just got lucky.”
“Anyway… it will get quite noisy… Can you fix this? No, how long will that
even take?”
“Three years. Of course, if we try to reduce it, we can probably lessen it. I’m
thinking about how to do it in my mind. That’s why I’ll visit Jin Qing. I
didn’t really want to see his face, but I have no choice.”
“Hmm.”
“I-I don’t like him very much.”
“Me too, Hayan. But what can I do? I need to. Oh, and you don’t have to
follow me from here on out. I think everyone should just rest in a suitable
place. Let’s eat dinner together after work.”
“Okay. Well, I had something to do in the capital anyway.”
“Okay…”
“Yes. I’m only going to have a quick conversation with the Demon
Summoner.”
Jung Hayan had appealed with her eyes, as if asking me to take her too, but if
I were to take one, I would’ve needed to take all of them.
Since it wouldn’t take much time, it wouldn’t be bad if I went back and forth
alone.
‘Is he doing well…?’
Actually, that was a little late.
Since he was put in jail, I couldn’t even see his nose.
“That bastard’s life span is way too long.”
As I moved to the underground interrogation room located within the Church,

the dark and damp interior greeted me immediately.
The entire place didn’t fit someone as holy as Light Kiyoung.

‘Is it my first time coming here?’
As far as I could remember, it was. Places like interrogation rooms ran by

heretic inquisitors honestly didn’t exactly suit people like me. It felt like
going into a dungeon.
Of course, there would be no accidents, but I was slowly becoming mentally

nervous. It was only normal that I would feel that way.
Screams and groans were echoing all over the place. There was even a guy
begging to be killed, forcing me to flinch unconsciously. I was a coward,
after all.
I didn’t know what the hell was going on to make him plead for death to
come, but I could picture what had happened to him without having to be
there.
‘What are they doing to the prisoners?’
The Benignore Church had always operated a heresy interrogation room.
But I couldn’t confidently say that it wasn’t operated in the way I thought of.
Pope Basel’s rise had led to a rise in the heretic interrogators’ positions in the
church, and that situation had coincided with the great revival.
All religions had heretic interrogators and demon hunters, but the units of the
Benignore Church had grown in size beyond my imagination.
That was why I had to be curious.
I had to know whether the factory that extracted those negative feelings
contributed to the bankruptcy of Benignore.
‘It’s theoretically possible.’
Its chances of happening couldn’t possibly be ruled out.
As a devout Benignore believer and a true ally of Pope Basel, I was a bit
reluctant to say this, but the place truly only suited demons.
Although there was light behind the darkness, it was far from being a facility
that should be operated in the name of light. If such a place was devouring
Benignore’s divinity, it made sense that she would go bankrupt.
Although she earned a lot, she was also being taxed highly at the same time.
“It’ll be hard for the ones above.”
“What did you say, Honorary Cardinal?”
“It’s nothing, Director of Inquisition Helena.”
“…”
“…”
“Er, Honorary Cardinal. If you feel uncomfortable in this place, I can call the
Demon Summoner to meet with you somewhere else instead…”
“No. Helena. Honestly, it doesn’t feel pleasant, but I know to some extent
that a place like this is needed. It’s more important than how it’s making me
feel. It’s something that no one wants to take charge of. You can be proud of
yourself. This is not something dirty. It’s more sacred than anything else.”
“…”
“Benignore would definitely be delighted to see this sight. Haha.”
Of course, Goddess Benignore would have frowned and cried for us to stop
this nonsense. However, I couldn’t just say that.
It could be bad news for Benignore, but this kind of place was a necessary
evil.
I, too, wanted to reduce the size in order to increase the amount of divinity
that went to Benignore, but it simply wasn’t possible.
Even if Benignore had gotten contaminated and her body was rotting, this
place must continue to operate.
At this, I saw Helena’s face slowly loosening up as if she liked my opinion.

Honestly, it was a bit scary to be alone with her, but she seemed to be in a
good mood after hearing that the gods were indeed watching over her.
She quietly bowed and spoke to me.
“Yes, Helena.”
“Er… I was thinking of holding a prayer meeting with Archbishop Jaina…”
“If you invite me, of course, I’ll go. It may be a little difficult right now, but a
prayer meeting with the Director of Inquisition Helena and Archbishop Jaina
would be a great joy for me. I’d love to participate.”
“…”
“I think… I can go in alone from here.”
“Will you really be okay?”
“Of course.”
“If you say so. If anything happens…”
“I know.”
As I looked at her slowing moving away after bowing, it really seemed that
she was in a good mood. I had met her a lot since then, but this was the first
time we had talked this much.
Although her personality was the opposite of Archbishop Jaina, the two had
such great chemistry. Regardless, her role ended there.
Mine was just about to start.
“Is it around here?”
I mumbled and took a seat at the door. I didn’t even have to ask, myself.
It looked like he was receiving special care compared to the other prisoners.
Seeing how there were barriers made out of divine power blocking my way, I
felt like I had gotten in the right way.
When I quietly injected my divine power, the barriers cleared away.
After performing a similar action a few times, I finally opened the large iron
gate and entered the door. The interior came into my view instantaneously.
“I’m… not…”
“…”
“I said… I am not a demon summoner.”
“…”
‘So pitiful.’
Watching him unable even raise his head was quite spectacular.
His whole body was wounded, and his feet and hands were bound by chains
made of legendary-grade metal.
As if that was not enough, he was hung on something like a cross, and there
were a lot of tools on one side of the cell. I didn’t know how those were used,
but I couldn’t bear to look at them due to their bizarre shapes.
It felt horrendous, just thinking about it. Surprisingly, he had the mental
strength to maintain his sanity despite going through such harsh torture.
If it were me, the moment the chains were attached to my arm, I would’ve
said anything to be freed again.
The mental power was deserving of the masked trash that turned an entire era
into hell.
Even Kim Hyunsung suffered from the guy in the past.
“I am not a demon summoner. I am Jin Qing of the Republic…”
I couldn’t begin to imagine how wrongly accused he must be feeling for him
to continue murmuring while half unconscious. It looked like he had
mistaken me for a heretic interrogator.
I didn’t know how I’d say hello.
After checking his body’s condition with my Mind’s Eyes, I was able to
release the hanging guy while nodding confidently. I thought he would stand
firmly, but he weakly collapsed to the floor with a thudding sound.
‘He can’t even talk?’
If he couldn’t, my visit would become a whole lot more annoying. However,

as soon I began to speak, I could see that he was looking at me.
“It’s… definitely been a long time.”
I used a friendly tone, as if I was meeting a nostalgic lover. Although I did

my best to negotiate somehow, the masked trash hadn’t abandoned his old
personality. The wrath in his expression was unmistakable.
“You…”
“Never in my wildest dreams would have I thought I would meet you again
in this way. Why don’t you sit down first? You probably haven’t eaten yet, so
I brought water and some food to fill your stomach. It’s very difficult to
smuggle these in here without the knowledge of the heretic inquisitors.
Hahaha.”
“You…”
“If you look at me like that, I’ll get uncomfortable.”
“You. You! Lee Kiyoooouuuunng!”
“What, what! Come on!”
That’s why they said ‘never to bite the hand that fed you.’
Looking at him running towards me, hitting all the food I’ve prepared with
all my heart in the process, he looked like the starving demon from the
tutorial dungeon.
It was the face of a criminal who knew no grace.
“Son of a bitch! I will kill you!!!”
I didn’t know how he still had so much strength, but it was a spectacle to
watch him standing up firmly with both legs as he threw punches at me.
Of course, there’s no way a guy who, not only in appearance but also in stats,
had degenerated down to an anglerfish could hurt me.
I wanted to treat him like a gentleman, but the potential violence inherent in
such a sudden attack was revealed.
I launched a body blow on his left side after avoiding his right hook, which
he swung slowly like a turtle. Although magic was not activated as my
courtesy for the weak, Jin Qing’s body shook tremendously.
“Gasp!”
I felt like I had become trash, but I couldn’t help but feel the power I hadn’t
felt in a long time.
I landed a kick like a gust of wind as he swung his left hand again.
Although there was no force, the way Jin Qing immediately hit the wall was
terrible.
‘Am I… surprisingly good at fighting?’
I clenched my fists for no reason.
However, when I looked at him sitting on the floor and vomiting blood, I
realized that it wasn’t a well-earned victory.
Unable to get rid of his anger, he continued to rush at me with a loud voice.
This time, however, he didn’t come swinging his fist like before.
“I’ll kill you… I’ll kill yooouu! Cough.”
“Hey. Why do you keep saying that you’ll kill me, Jin Qing?”
“Lee Kiyoung, son of a bitch! Lee Kiyoung, you son of a biiitch…”
“I’m here to have a conversation with you, Jin. I didn’t come to provoke you.
The fight just now was a force majeure. I don’t have a hobby of beating up
people who can’t walk properly, so please understand my side using a broad
mind. And… you seem to have hurt your intestines a little. I will use divine
power on you enough to communicate properly and for it not to be painful. If
I heal you too much, you will charge at me again. I don’t like violence, so
let’s talk it out.”
“You… you!”
“It makes me feel worse to see how resentful you are, Jin Qing. Of course, I
understand why, but weren’t we in a situation where we had no other choice?
In the first place, it was you and the Republic that started the war. We simply
took the victory in response. Right now, we can continue hurting each other,
but since the winners and losers have already been decided, the losers should
just applaud the winners.”
“This motherfucker… How dare you say that? I will surely kill you. If not in
this life, then in the next. Even if I die, I’ll curse you..”
“What’s the use of cursing me after you die? I came here to have a
conversation in the first place. Why don’t you sit down? I didn’t come to talk
about something useless. It could be something useful for you, too.”
“The conversation…”
“Yes. I mean, it would be fun to do things like talking about the old days
after so long. Isn’t talking about past fights a way to get acquainted?
Honestly, dealing with you was really hard. There were times when I wanted
to run away. I don’t know what you might be thinking, but it was a great
match.”
“Shut up.”
“It was a bit vague… to say that it was a match. I hope you won’t do
anything as stupid as saying you won’t talk to a scammer. I have made you a
demon summoner, but haven’t you made me a trash bastard who started the
war? If I had been defeated, I would have been tortured here as a war
criminal. Let’s just try to understand each other.”
“…”
“…”
“Isn’t it funny that you’re feeling wronged? Please calm down a little. Only
then can we have a proper conversation.”
I was right. If Jin Qing had defeated me, I would be looking just like him.
The war criminal Lee Kiyoung, who had confused the continent and threw it
into chaos, should’ve had his head chopped off in a guillotine.
I didn’t know if he agreed with what I said, but the Demon Summoner
Masked Trash Jin Qing quietly began to look at me.
It felt like he had organized his thoughts to some extent. After a moment, he
stirred.
“…”
“…”
“What do you want?”
He seemed to have calmed down. He didn’t look as disgraceful as he was a

couple of moments ago.
He looked confident, displaying the same highest villainous mentality from

the first round.
“I want you to testify.”

“I want you to testify.”
“What?”
“As I said, I want you to testify. After all, I like that you are very
straightforward. Usually, when you negotiate like this….”
I got pretty annoyed.
Nevertheless, the bastard looked at me quietly, not saying anything useless.

He looked like he wanted to listen to what I had to say before judging my
idea.
Seeing how he wasn’t worried about being stabbed in the back, not caring
about trifle things. I could roughly predict where that mentality came from.
‘He has nothing to lose.’
Even if he got backstabbed, at this point, he had nothing valuable left to lose.
It seemed to me that he had let go of himself, causing me to nod

unconsciously.
At that time, he was aware that he was currently in a weak position, so it was
easy to talk to him.
It seemed like a good situation, but I still felt a bit alert in case anything
happened. After preparing myself for any sudden events, Jin Qing suddenly
began to speak.
“No. I will ask questions first. You said you wanted to talk. You should be
able to tolerate this much.”
“Of course.”
“How is the situation out there right now?”
Any human would’ve been curious. It was natural to ask that, as the
information that could be accessed after being locked up in prison was
limited. He wouldn’t be able to make use of the information he would get,
anyway.
I also wanted to show off the results of my victory, and… above all else, I
was secretly having fun with the conversation.
“I don’t know. Well, it’s going very well. As you might expect, the war is
over. Humanity has become one and is building a new system against the
incoming evil threat. Because of you alone, all of humanity has been united,
so I think I can thank you for that. I have to thank the Republic too. It was
pretty fascinating to see them shut up as if they didn’t start the war.”
“…”
“Didn’t you feel that you had a lot of trash to clean up? Some people in the
Republic are very openly proclaiming that you are the one who caused the
war. They say they’re innocent, and all of it was done by Demon Summoner
Jin Qing’s evil tricks. Of course, all the kingdoms on the continent, including
the State, believed their story. There were some uncertain parts, but basically,
the State forgave the Republic. I received some things later on, but I
succeeded in completing the picture where everybody wins.”
“Motherfuckers…”
“They got rid of you. Whew…. and not only that. The Republic is using the
children who haven’t heard of you as propaganda. When they learn of you
and start throwing stones while trembling, they say it’s all because of you.
I’m a shitty person, too, but there is plenty of garbage over there as well.”
“What are you trying to achieve with all this sweet-talk?”
“This is not sweet-talk. I’m just telling you the truth. The powerful people of
the Republic have abandoned you, and even those who followed you.”
“…”
“…”
“Of course, there are still other people suffering. Your underlings are
awaiting trial with you. The loyalty of those people surprised me a little too.
No one is dead yet. You don’t have to worry about that as the Church is
keeping them locked up.”
“Are they safe?”
“Yes, they’re safe. I don’t know what will happen after the trial is over, but
they say they’re ready to die. It’s hard to talk to them. They always shook
their heads, saying that they would never betray you even after trying to
conciliate with them. It seems you chose your lieutenants quite well.”
“…”
He looked icky, I presumed from several things. I couldn’t tell if he was in a

good or a bad mood. Of course…
From his perspective, it was indeed understandable to think like that. I

would’ve been like that too, if I were in his place.
No matter how anyone heard that those who followed them were suffering, it
wouldn’t sound good.
“Do you have any more questions? No, more importantly, have you calmed
down a bit? Your reaction is quite different from before…”
“Bullshit. If I could, I would beat you to death. But…”
“I understand that, Jin Qing.”
“I mean that I agree with you, you swindler…”

“…”
“What will happen to them?”
“The bad people, or the good?”
“My people.”
“They will die with you after the trial is over. Even though you’re the demon
summoner and they’re your servants, which have harmed the continent, there
is no need to use uselessly cruel methods in this new era where everyone
coexists. It will be quick and painless. I’m also considering using my potion.
Perhaps it’ll be less painful. It would be as if they’re falling asleep in a
dream, drifting away from a painful place. Who knows? Will they be able to
return to Earth when they die? I can be sure they’d be more comfortable
dying like that than being here.”
“Is that your offer? If that’s really all, you’d better go out right now. I have
already suffered a lot while I was here. If you think I’ll be tempted with those
words…”
“No, of course not. That’s not everything. Oh, first of all, I have to give you
an offer. Take a look at this.”
As I handed what was in my arms, I saw him looking at it. I thought I needed
to explain the rest, but looking at the expression on his face, I felt that there
was no need to do that.
The masked trash already knew very well what I wanted from him.
“Political opponents?”
“It’s similar. It also includes a list of people from the Republic who sold you
out. All of the people in that list…”
“You’re thinking of dealing with them. That sounds a lot like you. It’s an
idea befitting trash.”
“Yes. They are all demonic minions. It won’t be a problem if I reveal them,
but wouldn’t the picture look better if you’re the one who reveals it? You will
be able to take revenge against those who betrayed you. Some of them are not
necessary, but I put them in as a bonus. The continent’s situation is a little…
Well, the more experience one has, the better the situation would be for them.
Oh! If you accept it, I would be particularly grateful if you could tell the
people about the Devil’s Spire with more emphasis.
“Didn’t you say that you united the continent?”
“Their existence is useless. It’s obvious that they’re in the way.”
“…”
“They are also people with different values. I would like to embrace them all,
but… this is all the will of the Goddess, so I can’t help it.”
“Are you…”
“Yes?”
“Are you really a messenger chosen by the Goddess?”
“That’s not a lie. I am really communicating with the Goddess. As you might
expect, the Goddess of this world is not fair. At least the one I’m related with
isn’t. It is no lie that God has chosen me.”
“That’s ridiculous. Crazy bastards. Shit. Crazy… bastards… why…”
“I don’t know why, but what you’re saying is… blasphemous. How dare a
human try to understand the will of the Goddess? Still, this might comfort
you a bit. The reason I could scam you is because God has chosen me. You
are superior and smarter than me. I can feel the spirit of the continental
people.”
“Don’t look at me funny, motherfucker.”
I could see a face very despondent to my murmur. It was as if he denied

everything in the world.
Jin Qing didn’t seem to want to ask why I did so much shit to him.
I couldn’t help but agree with his generous way of thinking. What I told him
had indeed affected him.
“Now, it’s time for you to choose. That’s the end of my offer, and that’s the
end of what you will get in benefit. Whether you accept it or not is entirely up
to you.”
“Do I have a choice? No matter how I think about it, I don’t think there’s an
option where you can save me…”
“Surprisingly, that’s also an option. I think you won’t accept that option,
but… ahem. Anyway, if you listen intently, you might like it. It’s the first
option if you accept my offer.”
“Tell me.”
“You can save your life. You will live miserably, but you will save your life
anyway. Officially you will be executed, and everyone will think you are
dead. It’s like going into an underground prison and staying there. It’s a place
where you can eat and sleep, and it’s comfortable in its own way. Think of it
as something roughly similar to being exiled.”
“…”
“And the second option is… as you might expect, it’s the guillotine for you.
You will die swiftly and painlessly. The trial will proceed smoothly, then the
announcement of this list will also be announced to the public, and in its own
way, it would be your goodbye to this continent.”
“…”
“I’ll let you take off your stigma instead. I’ll say that an unknown force
actually brainwashed Demon Summoner Jin Qing, and his sacrifice allowed
the continent to become one. Or maybe we can assume that the people on this
list were controlling you from behind. Rather than being executed… I don’t
think it’s bad for you to show that you couldn’t endure what you have done,
causing you to end your life after you regained sanity, or that your opponents
killed you. There are so many options to choose from. I’ll look at the details a
little more, but… essentially you will be going out with honor. Oh! Instead,
please understand that this other option can take a while.”
“Ha…”
“You will survive to the end while being cursed by the entire continent, or
you will take care of the enemies of the Republic and keep the least honor.
Two options. I think those are reasonable.”
“It’s your freedom. Honestly, you are already out of my reach. I once
respected you a little, but now I don’t have that feeling, and to be honest, I
don’t care much about it. My head is about to explode due offering this
because it would make it easier to solve complex situations. Of course, there
is no option to combine the first and second options. I am not worried about
what happens after either. If you refuse, then that’s it. You will die as a
demon summoner, leaving nothing behind. You will die as the worst trash
that sold the continent to the demon.”
“…”
“Now, what do you think? Isn’t it quite appealing? Life or honor. If I were to
choose, I’d choose the former…”
“One more thing.”
“I’m sorry, but there would be no negotiation.”
“I want you to be considerate of those who are here. They are innocent. Let
this end only between us.”
“…”
“…”
“Please.”
“Well. I will think about it. It’s an easy thing to do. Anyway, I would like
you to answer quickly. I’m quite late for dinner. Is it life or honor? Or will
you not accept such a deal with a son of a bitch like me.”
“…”
“…”
A short time had passed by.
It probably wasn’t an easy decision, but I thought I could see what choice he
would make.
The answer was so easy. I didn’t think I even needed to ask.
“Honor.”
That was what he wanted.
‘He’s quite a difficult person to understand.’
It wasn’t just him.
The Second Princess Charlotte was of the same mind.
Our Princess and the Republic’s Jin were the ones who had chosen the latter
of the two options. From my point of view, it was bound to feel strange.
In Charlotte’s case, of course, she couldn’t die like him, but if she too were in
a position to choose, she would certainly have chosen the latter.
‘What’s the use of honor when you die?’
People could always throw away honor or personal value in the trash in the
face of death.
If I had been in his situation, I would’ve held onto his pants and convinced
him to keep me alive.
However, he seemed to want to choose an honorable death more than to
continue to live somehow.
As I stood up, I saw the Demon Summoner looking at me. His eyes, which
seemed to have already given up on everything, made me feel a tad
uncomfortable.
‘That’s the difference between you and me.’
It was better a living coward than a dead hero.
“It looks like the conversation is over… well, I’ll be going.”
“Keep your promise.”
“Yes. I’m not trashy enough to lie, even in this situation. It won’t be dealt
with right away, but history won’t record you as a demon summoner. You
can rest assured that I am making this an oath under the name of the
Goddess.”
“…”
Of course, things like oaths under the name of the Goddess had nothing to do
with me.
However, I could see that the suspicion in his eyes was gradually fading
away.
“I believe that you have already memorized the list I gave. I will discard it.
And I’m telling you just in case, but it’s better not to do anything stupid. You
won’t be able to do it right, but you know better about what happens to
people who uselessly spread rumors.”
“I know.”
“Well, then.”
“There will come a time when the things you’ve done will eat you off.”
“No way. If there really is anything like that, would I be here now? Winners
take no risk.”
“…”
“Then, this is really goodbye.”
If I came to his trial, I might be able to see his face, but I knew this had to be
the end.
I might need to look at his face through an official event or the Goddess’s
Mirror. There were still many issues that had to be dealt with involving him,
after all. However, Jin Qing, which once stood at the center of the Republic,
ended there.
From that point onwards, he had already given up on his life.
As I went outside and looked back, I could see him quietly closing his eyes. I
didn’t know what he was thinking.
“Asshole.”
I would never understand what he was thinking.

Chapter 428 She’s Still The Scariest
(1)
Chapter 428: She’s Still The Scariest (1)
Jin Qing was a kind of insurance for me.
It wasn’t easy to create a story where he was brainwashed, even though I

would be the one making it. There were many things to be concerned and
worried about.
No matter how much I were to think about this, there were many too many
issues happening for me to deal with it.
Nevertheless, the reason why I had to put the keyword brainwashing or

exploitation on him was quite obvious.
‘It’s because it’ll help me.’
That was what I had thought.
It could be a beautiful story for him, but that was likely to be a beautiful story
for me as well.
Kim Hyunsung, who had been thinking a lot recently, was certainly the
cause.
Personally, I thought the suspicion of the masked trash on me had been

completely peeled off, but honestly, he didn’t seem to have been suspecting
me from the beginning. Still, nobody would know what could happen.
Considering that the lovely returner might misunderstand me one day, that
kind of insurance didn’t lack importance, no matter how much of it I did.
‘If…’
I could use it as an excuse if Kim Hyunsung misunderstood me as the villain
in the story.
‘I think it would be great if I could make them think about the possibility of
being brainwashed…’
The masked trash of the first round did not commit such vile acts by his own
will.
Rather, the unlucky character who had constantly fought against inner evil
suited him more.
Every night, he suffered from what he had done. He was nothing but a lonely
and hurt man who covered his body in self-inflicted wounds.
My mind came up with a two-and-two morbid setting, wherein the mask was
also a means to cover his crying eyes, but such a thought seemed so cringe
that I decided to set it aside.
Still…
It wasn’t impossible to pull off.
Even if it wasn’t perfect, moving with those frames in mind could be a way
to get out of the worst situation.
Someone would laugh at me for thinking about such useless details when it
was already over, but even if I was to be careful a hundred times over, all it
would take was a single mistake for everything to crash.
Since I didn’t know when an accident would happen, it was only right to
create as many fail-safe plans as possible. What was a little surprising was
that Jin Qing had taken the job so easily.
‘Is it natural?’
Regardless, he wouldn’t have had any reason to live any longer except for
revenge.
He could be thinking that he shouldn’t look more disgraceful since he didn’t

have the means or opportunity to take revenge in the first place. The way I
saw him was shocking. He was pretty broken up.
Even though his pride was huge, I thought that all the circumstances
surrounding him were making him suffer.
‘Anyway, it will be solved properly…’
The process wasn’t short, but the strand had been caught.
Quests and dungeons being blocked would be solved through the upcoming
Crack Land and the dungeons where demon officials resided.
In the former case, Max was handling it on his own, and in the latter case, if I
left the matter up to Lee Jihye, I would be able to get the job done quickly.
Of course, I had to direct the Crack Museum creation directly to establish a

billing system. It was also true that my heart sank for a second in such a
ridiculous situation. The appearance of a customized solution that fit
perfectly was enough to make me feel ecstatic.
A moment of thought during an uncomfortable meal was enough to make me

feel good. Cha Hee-ra had begun speaking.
“You seem to be in a good mood, honey. Do you like the food?”
“Yes, Hee-ra. This is delicious. It melts gently in my mouth.”
“Although we’re already at the capital, I have to leave immediately. I lost

interest. I was hoping that I’d be able to stay for quite a while. There’s a lot to
change here due to the revolution, so there’s a lot to see, honey.”
“I also want to go around a little, but… something urgent happened. I told

you. For the time being, quest creation and dungeon creation will all be
blocked. It’s not a situation where I can stand still. Honestly, I was going to
eat dinner at the guild… It’s such a waste to have come this far without doing
anything, so I stopped by here.”
“Did you finish the Jin Qing job properly?”
“Yeah. It’s not that bad.”
It was Elena, the Elf Princess, who spoke next.
“Er… Lee Kiyoung, sorry to ask again, but is that really true?”
“Ah… Yes. Elena, this is the message I received directly from Benignore, so
I’m sure of it. Maybe Elena can communicate with Elune.”
“Come to think of it. A long time has passed… I can’t feel him.”
‘It’s because you’ve been abandoned, but…”
I couldn’t just say that.
“Goddess Benignore said that something big happened up there. She said that
the influence of the demon rooted in the continent is affecting their location
as well.”
“T-Then how…”
“I can solve it without difficulty. Blessings will fall upon everyone, including
those from Benignore and Elune, if we drive the demons that have rooted
here away. Through the power of the light, we can once again prove our
strong faith in them.”
“You have to work hard.”
“Yes. There is also a lot to worry about. Even the dungeons that the
Goddesses manage themselves for the foreigners have been completely
suspended. There will be great social confusion. To minimize that confusion,
we have to do what we can. Monster subjugation quests are now too deeply
embedded in our society. The eastern part of Castle Rock, where the monster
forest is located, is fine, but Celia, which has a relatively small forest, will
inevitably have a more serious problem. Yuno Kasugano, have you…”
“I couldn’t think of anything else, Honorary Cardinal. Please provide us with
a guideline, and we will then follow it.”
“Ah… Okay.”
“It makes sense to deal with the confusion that foreigners will feel. I agree
with your sentiments. There is something wrong with the system that
maintains and balances this continent. Perhaps in time, all the foreigners will
realize. We have to make an official presentation, and we have to be prepared
for those who would dare threaten the Honorary Cardinal.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
I saw Yuno Kasugano smiling faintly. The problem was that she wasn’t the
only one sending me a smile.
Cha Hee-ra and Jung Hayan were seated on either side of me, and Yuno
Kasugano and Elena were next to them.
Also, Cho Hyejin was sitting next to them. I didn’t regret bringing them all
for safety, but I had to regret it to some extent when this kind of situation
came instead. No incident occurred, but I still regretted having brought all of
them together.
‘I’m sitting on a bed of anxiety and laying down on a bed of thorns. Fuck…’
Sitting alone felt tiring.
They weren’t fighting and yelling at each other, but no one looked at each
other. With their gaze fixed only on me, they muttered their own story.
The way they acted like the others weren’t there was spectacular. If there was
anyone who didn’t notice what was happening in that situation, I would
definitely applaud him.
When one person asked a question or talked, someone else would talk at the
end of that first person’s sentiments.
As soon as the conversation with that person was over, I was swept into a talk
with the next person.
Even for me, who liked to talk, it was hard to withstand it.
It was completely inappropriate, but it felt like I was a human cake getting
eaten piece by piece by the people there. It was like they were taking turns, or
it was as if I were in a high-pressure interview.
One of the anxiety factors was Jung Hayan being depressed because many
talks were about work-related things, and she couldn’t compete with it. At
this point, I couldn’t predict when she was going to start behaving
unexpectedly.
However, it was Cho Hyejin who quietly threw a stone in that situation.
“Yes?”
“Hayan has something on that I’ve never seen her wear before. I thought it
was an artifact… it doesn’t seem like that… have you received a gift?”
‘Fuck…’
It was a violent herbal medicine that was more bitter than the backstabs that
was set up by Jin Qing and Charlotte.
‘Why is she wearing that again?’
In an instant, everyone’s eyes converged on the ring finger of Jung Hayan’s

left hand. Everyone was aware of it, but it was the first time that someone
mentioned it directly.
Jung Hayan, who hadn’t been in a good mood ever since sitting at that table,
began to show a delicate act of covering her precious wedding ring with her
hand.
It was akin to Gollum, which was an inappropriate example, however, even a

child would know that she wasn’t in any way trying to hide the ring.
She covered the ring with her hand, but she intended to show it off with that
very action.
She raised her chin up, her confident eyes telling them exactly what she
wanted to say.
“Ah… T-This is nothing.”
‘Damn.’
What awkward acting.
Jung Hayan’s face that laughed at the other women there seemed annoying,
even to me.
It was a skill to have such a cute face depict such a saucy expression.
The others’ faces were no different.
I could see everyone flinching as if they had seen the ‘one ring that would
rule over them all’.
The problem that had been buried under the water had now risen above the
surface.
It was quite the sight to see her taking the ring away, as if what couldn’t be
caught was caught.
Yuno Kasugano and Elena, who had already known about the ring in
advance, looked at it bitterly.
“What ring is it?”
“N-Nothing. It was just a gift from oppa.”
“So, what is it?”

“I-It’s a secret. A secret between the t-two of us. Hehe.”
“…”
“Since it’s a secret. I should never say it.”
The way Jung Hayan smiled and answered Cha Hee-ra was overwhelming.
So far, Jung Hayan’s words felt more powerful than the provocations I had
done to my enemies.
It was childish and ridiculous, but that kind of provocation was extremely
effective when used in the right situation.
However…
Surprisingly, Cha Hee-ra possessed a rather gentle mien. I knew she would
not fall into provocation.
‘As expected of our Hee-ra!’
Yuno Kasugano and Elena seemed a little bit envious, however.
‘I’ve already told them…’
I don’t remember when exactly, but I remember talking about an important

person to me and wanting to be together and stuff.
They probably recalled that memory clearly. I mean, they were certainly
jealous, but I felt that they were deeply comforting themselves, saying it was
okay.
‘I-I guess it’s okay…’
The result wasn’t too bad, considering that Cho Hyejin had just dropped a
bomb.
Nothing happened throughout the entire duration of the meal, and the
situation seemed to be over.
“Then… shall we go?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going straight to Lindel?”
“I think I’m going to go to Celia, Elena.”
“Okay. It was nice to meet you, Yuno Kasugano. Please go carefully.”
“Honey. And second. Come quickly. You said you didn’t have time.”
Until I witnessed that one side of the table where Cha Heera was sitting was
torn like a sheet of paper, folded and discarded…
‘It’s made of iron… that table. Fuck…’
I quickly realized that the laughing Cha Heera wasn’t really laughing.
(2)
It was a table made of metal.
It wasn’t a legendary-grade metal like Orichalcum or Mithril, but iron was

still iron.
At the minimum, the raw material should be around heroic-grade or higher in

terms of quality. It could certainly be used to create weapons. It was absurd
to have made a table with this kind of material, but as I had seen the strength
that crushed it barehanded, feelings of disconcerting and fear were
intersecting.
‘Oh, that’s right. She’s that kind of person.’
Many people could easily cut metal or transform its shape using magic, but I
could confirm that there were fewer than five people who could do it using
simple force, even if I searched for them in the entire continent.
I couldn’t even sense any magic being generated. It meant that she had
achieved such a feat purely with her fingers.
I looked at the scene with a disconcerted face for a moment, and upon being
called by her familiar voice, I couldn’t be helped but be wary of her.
“What are you doing? Come quickly. It’s time to go home. Huh?”
“…”
“What are you doing, honey?”
“Nothing, nothing. I’m coming.”

There were no major changes in her expression. However, her subtly
distorted face seemed to elaborate how bad Cha Hee-ra’s mood was.
The reason she didn’t explode was that she knew how embarrassing it
would’ve been to get mad at something like that. Someone in her position
should be able to cope with Jung Hayan’s childlike provocation.
If I thought about it, I had never seen Cha Hee-ra getting genuinely angry.
At best, she only gave out warnings when people, including Jung Hayan,
bared their fangs at her.
In the end, she let those situations smoothly slip with a smile. After that, there
would never be any topics raised about the incident.
She was forgiving and didn’t fret over the little details. She was the greatest
human.
‘That probably means she’s holding a grudge…’
If she felt dissatisfied, she should’ve just said it out loud, and if she got upset,
she should’ve just expressed it right away.
It wasn’t only me. Everyone else considered Cha Hee-ra to be such a person.
It suddenly started to amplify my anxiety to find out that she had something
hidden inside.
Whether she knew of it or not, Jung Hayan was passing by the side of the
redhead proudly with her victorious smile.
My back trembled, thinking that the angered beast might suddenly raise her
hand to smash the insane wizard’s head. Truly, it was a catastrophe.
What was even scarier was that that might not be the worst ending.
‘I have to take care of this right away.’
She must be trying to deceive the others through her transparent guile, but it
was only proper for me to take care of it.
After, I started to worry about Cha Hee-ra, even as I said goodbye to Lee
Kiyoung’s personal corps, including Oscar, Marlin, and Catherine.
When Cho Hyejin climbed onto the griffon and gestured for me to climb
behind her, I carefully chose my next words.
“I will ride with Cha Heera.”
It would be nice if she were a little disappointed, but Cho Hyejin started to
nod with a bright face.
Rather, it was Jung Hayan who looked as if she was about to cry.
She looked at me with anxiety in her eyes as if she was telling me to think
over my choice and that it wasn’t right, but I had no choice.
I had to drink the beverage the way it was brewed. This balance of power had
to be maintained.
As soon as it tipped to one side, my body’s balance might also collapse.
It had to be perfectly balanced between right and left.
“Then, Master, I will visit Lindel immediately for the museum case.”
“Do that, Yuno.”
“I shall.”
After having a conversation away from prying ears, I sent Yuno Kasugano to
Celia immediately.
Of course, I immediately moved towards the red-haired gal.
Her face was somewhat cold as she looked at me. She seemed to want to hit
me, at least even once.
Of course, such an accident should not happen. If such a moment occurred,

my head would burst open like tofu.
“What? Why should you go with the second option, huh?”
“No, it’s just. I have something to tell you….”
“Tell me what?”
“Well, rather than having something specific to say, it’s just that I can’t
remember the last time I spent time with you. I don’t think it would be
troublesome to enjoy a conversation on the griffon… So…”
“…”
“…”
“Get on.”
“…”
Naturally, I became even more careful. This situation was indeed dangerous.
Although I was worried about Jung Hayan’s future moves, it was only
important to douse the place where the flames were burning first.
Just after the griffon carrying Jung Hayan, our Elf Princess, and Cho Hyejin
soared into the sky, the griffon that we were riding began to slowly rise.
I smiled at the fan club whilst waving passionately from below, but it didn’t
take long for the smile to disappear from my face.
‘Okay. It’s time to take care of this one too.’
Cha Hee-ra was Cha Hee-ra, and the Red Mercenaries are the Red
Mercenaries.
She was still in the middle of the power structure and had a significant
position within Lindel.
Even if I had become a bigger figure, she was not someone I could handle as
I pleased.
Thinking about her loyalty to me since I first came in, I couldn’t just abandon
her coldly.
No, if I tried to leave her in the first place, there was a strong possibility that
my head would fall first.
Honestly, I couldn’t even imagine that Cha Hee-ra would react in this way.
‘She has an unexpectedly cute side.’
When I thought about her usual self, it was strange to see her moping around.
Of course, I had to put such thoughts aside for the moment.
I had to think about how to lighten her up first.
‘What do I do?’
‘Think, Light Kiyoung.’
‘Don’t think about your pride.’
I recalled what Jung Hayan did when I showed that attitude. I had found the
answer.
I wasn’t sure if it would work. No, I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I just had
to man up and do it with thick skin.
“You know I like you a lot, right?”
“…”
“And I’m grateful too… Honestly, it’s thanks to you that I came this far. You
believed in me a lot when we first met.”
Aegyo.
Somehow, it felt like I had become the girlfriend trying to cheer up her
boyfriend, but it seemed that that method was effective when employed on
Cha Hee-ra.
That was because what she wanted wasn’t someone to lead her.
If she had been hoping for that in the first place, she wouldn’t have
approached me. My voice was full of cuteness, which tickled her gently.
I rubbed my head on her back and moved my hand, holding her waist tightly
around her stomach, locking my fingers, and gently stimulated her.
It didn’t suit me, but I did my best to be flirtatious in hopes of stimulating her
senses.
If she were Cho Hyejin, she would have pushed me out of the griffon.
Instead, her body kept flinching as if it had gotten affected by my unique
characteristic.
‘Whoa. I bet I can even work at a host bar. I’m the best.’
Perhaps I did have a little talent. Somehow, she had begun to play along.
Was this how Diao Chan felt when he played with Lu Bu and Dong Zhou?
Was this how Yang Guifei and Cleopatra felt when they played with the
world?
It was disgusting even for me to do cosplay as if I had become such a guy,

but her reaction was good, so I inevitably got excited.
‘The sex symbol, Lee Kiyoung!’
I was disgusted with myself.
“Don’t be mad, Hee-ra.”
“…”
“It was inevitable. And it was a simple gift I gave to cheer up Hayan because
she was going through something difficult. You know that I like you a lot,
right?”
“…”
“I like your red lips and red hair. I like your confidence. You’re not really
angry, right? I’m the one who’s exaggerating, right?”
‘Why is she so quiet? Is she really that angry?’
“You know I can’t help it. I, of course, think that you are the first, but…”
‘Is she really mad?’
I could only see her back, so I didn’t know how she was reacting.
However, even after a long time, she was still in the same position, so my
special move didn’t seem to work. In the end, I had no choice but to put my
hand in the bag that Hyunsung bought.
‘Do I have a good ring?’
I had put various bribes in my bag in case Jung Hayan exploded, but I
couldn’t get anything worth using.
As soon as I leaned in out of anxiety, I found a red ring with the same symbol
as her that began to stand out.
After taking out her ring, I gently patted one of her arms.
She didn’t look back yet. But watching how she gently flipped one of her
arms over to me, she didn’t seem to hate that kind of touch.
Of course, what I did from there on out was what truly mattered.
I felt like she couldn’t even imagine that I would put a ring on her.
I could see her body flinching a bit as if she felt the cold metal sliding down
her finger. After putting it on her, she slowly pulled her arm back and looked
at her hand, emitting some form of unknown excitement.
‘It’s time to deliver the final blow.’
I embraced her warmly.
“Cha Hee-ra, I love you. I really love you.”
I muttered words that were only half true.
Something unexpected happened right after that.
“Huh?”
The griffon, which was flying properly, suddenly deviated from the path.
The advance team, that was going first, didn’t notice it, but the griffon that
had deviated from the route was falling at full speed.
‘What. What is this?’
I was nervous about whether or not I touched a nerve. However, I didn’t feel
any hostility.
“H-Hee-ra?”
She didn’t answer. However, what I heard was the sound of breathing that
continued to grow rougher.
‘Son of a…’
If there were a Griffon Race, this was a performance that would catch a
trophy.
The griffon, which came down to the ground swiftly, entered a place I wasn’t
aware of and started to fly continuously through a strange cave.
‘Where are we…?’

Perhaps we were in an abandoned dungeon.
I’m not sure if Cha Hee-ra even knew where we were going. All I could do
then was to hold onto her tightly and endure the wind resistance.
When the griffon finally arrived at our unknown destination, I opened my

tightly closed eyes and took a look around.
“Where are we?”
It was so dark that I couldn’t see anything.
“Light…”
As I carefully made light, I saw a really small dungeon-like space.
However, what stood out more than that was a beast staring right at me with
red eyes.
She glared at me with bloodshot eyes.
“I didn’t mean to do this. But… you seduced me first.”
“Huh?”
“I said that you seduced me first.”
“Huuh?”
I felt pressure comparable to encountering the Ancient God from the Crack
Museum.
My body was stiff, and I couldn’t move properly. All I could do was watch
her slowly approach me.
I suddenly remembered Jin Qing’s last line.
‘There will come a time when the things you’ve done will eat you off.’
That bastard couldn’t have meant what was currently happening.
(3)
[9 Chapters today! This dude is so scuffed this mini-arc LMFAO.]
‘I’m alive, Fuck. I survived. I did it. I survived.’
Those were my first thoughts as I slowly opened my eyes. There wouldn’t be

another day where I’d be as thankful for being alive.
I tried to spit out words of victory to myself, but I couldn’t even hear my own
voice. It was as if my throat had already dried out.
For some reason, it was also difficult to breathe, so I stretched out my hand to
open a potion, but I couldn’t open it either due to my trembling hands. I felt
no energy course through my body.
I was nervous about missing the golden time if I missed the opportunity now.
The potion bottle miraculously opened when I felt the flames of my life
gradually disappearing.
With a slurping sound, I drank the fluids in it.
Of course, I couldn’t consider I’ve already recovered completely, but at least

I managed to apply first aid. I felt the pleasure of drinking a sports drink after
going to the sauna.
“I almost died.”
It wasn’t a joke. I had almost really died.
In fact, I didn’t really remember what happened yesterday.

I had to think back immediately about what happened after the first few
hours. I woke up halfway through, but all I remembered was red hair swaying
and red eyes looking at me from above.
I couldn’t help but force a laugh out because it was too ridiculous. Of course,
it was a happy moment.
I could even feel a little excitement in the strangely upside-down situation…

but that was both the beginning and the end of what I could remember.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that my body was experiencing its worst

condition ever since I came to the continent.
It felt like all of my energy had been sucked out of me.
I didn’t weigh myself, but… I could confirm that I had lost more than about 5
kilograms. My body’s condition was far from normal.
What worried me in this embarrassing situation was Jung Hayan.
Perhaps in the middle of their journey, she realized that Cha Hee-ra and I had
deviated from the path and disappeared from sight.
Although I was worried that she would cry and make a fuss, it was also
interesting that she didn’t come to where I was.
No, maybe it wasn’t that she didn’t come, but that she couldn’t. That was
more probable.
For some reason, she lost my coordinates or couldn’t enter the place where
Cha Hee-ra and I were.
‘Is this a dungeon?’
A dungeon that only allowed two people? Or was it a place out of the reach
of detection magic?
Either way, it didn’t matter what it was. When I thought of what would
happen once I’ve gone back, my head hurt once again.
I was naturally afraid of what was going on at Lindel without me.
It was then that a voice came next to me.
“Did you wake up, honey?”
“Ah… yes.”
“Sorry. I was too much, right?”
“No. It was good for me, too.”
The problem was that I felt like my life was being threatened.
“I’m glad then.”
Cha Hee-ra’s face looked to be in a really good mood when I saw her up
close.
Her crumbly hair and skin seemed to have gained new life, and the dark
circles around her eyes had perfectly disappeared.
Her face, which had changed enough to distinguish between before and after,
made me exclaim too. She looked as if she’d lost all her worries and stress in
the world. It was as if she had been given nutritional supplements.
The Cha Hee-ra beside me was truly in her best condition.
“Wait. Let’s have some breakfast and leave.”
“Until morning?”
“It’s not something extraordinary. I was just in the mood. Or should we leave
after having breakfast and some light exercise, honey?”
She had the look of Bear Grils aiming for innocent animals. I quickly realized
that I had to hurry and get out of there before becoming a valuable source of
protein.
“No. I told you I’m busy. There are many things to do, though… anyway,
you look really good.”
My voice felt like it was trembling.
“I told you I was frustrated, right? It felt like a dark cloud was in my head
yesterday, but now it feels perfectly clear. It’s perfect. Really.”
However, she had traded it off with my physical exhaustion and pain.
Still, I thought it was fortunate that I was with Cha Hee-ra in this situation. If
I had been with Jung Hayan in a place like that, I wouldn’t have been able to
relax as I did with Hee-ra.
I would’ve been worried about whether she would trap me here.
At least, Cha Hee-ra didn’t seem to have such strange thoughts.
‘But why does she look like that. Don’t think about weird things. Please don’t
lock me up. Fuck. Don’t lock me in….’
After thinking, Cha Hee-ra stood up.
She kept looking at the place as if she was disappointed, but she had no
choice but to move due to my request to hurry out.
“I contacted Blue.”
“When?”
“About 5 in the morning. They didn’t have to worry about useless things
while you were passed out, but problems might arise anyway. And honey.”
“Yes?”
“This ring is a proposal ring, right?”

“…”
“…”
“It’s… similar.”
Of course, I wanted to say it wasn’t, however, I had an ominous feeling that I

might just get locked away, so I had to nod with all my might.
I didn’t know if she knew what I was thinking, but Cha Hee-ra was
constantly looking at the ring attached to her left ring finger with a delighted
expression.
I thought that yesterday’s incident wasn’t the only reason why her steps
seemed particularly light today.
“But where are we?”
“I don’t know. It looks like a dungeon. There were also a few monsters,
although not anymore. Oh, and… when you say you’re busy, is it about the
Crack Land?”
“Right. I have to take care of that right now. The dungeon itself seems
capable of opening without difficulty, but its sub-contents are lacking. I
should go and handle the business. I’ve got a rough plan in my head, but
properly executing it is another story.”
“Like what?”
“Are there many things to sell besides the dungeon? If we do business in

front of it, it’ll be a big hit, Hee-ra. If I can name it as the Bulgogi museum or
the Baeksuk museum, I can get double, no, triple the original profits. Not to
mention dungeon supplies such as battle rations and potions… I can also
create special dungeon zones, tourist zones, special economic zones, and
other bullshit to increase its value. There is no substitute. It’s a jackpot. I’m
sure of it.”
“Aren’t you exploiting it too much?”

“I’ll just get paid a fair fee. It’ll become the only monster dungeon in a world
where dungeons have disappeared. What’s wrong with making a profit?
Moreover, it would be in a situation where there is only me who can manage
the dungeon. Rather, I think I’m being generous. I’m sure I’m being
generous.”
“I think you’re thinking of something big… It will cost some initial

investment.”
“It’s a little difficult to do with the funds stored in Blue alone, but…”
“Take what you need from the Red Mercenaries and use it.”
“What? Really?”
“You can think of it as an investment. I had never lost money when I listened
to you, and your money is my money, and my money is your money anyway.
Don’t feel burdened. Take as much as you need. Don’t worry about anything
else. I’ll take care of the workforce, so don’t worry. Just tell me if you need
anything, honey.”
‘Whew. The give and take circumstances in here are good. Okay! Let’s get
married, Hee-ra! Let’s go with the marriage!’
Of course, that was just an idea.
However, Cha Hee-ra’s comment made it worth thinking about seriously.
‘A woman must have the ability.’
I originally felt that she was generous and cool, but she could also be warm
and gentle.
From the time we got on the griffon until we arrived at Lindel, Cha Hee-ra’s
gentleness continued.
However, her happiness circuit was running fiercely, but that lasted only for a
moment. As I got closer and closer to Lindel, I was forced to think of other
worries.
I remembered the bomb I had just abandoned.
Jung Hayan recently had become a little quiet, but still, Jung Hayan was Jung
Hayan. I had to have a look at her. No one could predict when her embers
would rise again.
However…
‘It should be fine, right?’
She wouldn’t have gone openly crazy again. Even so, after continuing
repetitive learning, she should be aware that I hated such behavior.
It was natural that the longer the flight time, the more anxious I felt.
I began to see someone sitting in the distance. I couldn’t even hear Cha Hee-
ra’s warm voice at this point anymore.
On one side of the landing pad, the person waiting for us with her knees
together was, without a doubt, Jung Hayan. I didn’t know why, but I felt pity
for some reason when I saw her running towards us as if she had seen the
griffon from afar.
‘Right… you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m complete trash. But this time,
please let it go quietly.’
When the griffon finally landed at Lindel, Jung Hayan ran to me and hugged
me.
“…”
It’s somehow cute that she tried to be held in my arms without saying
anything.
However, the look she directed at Cha Hee-ra with her face on my chest
wasn’t cute.
Her gaze looked like she was about to turn into a lunatic. She didn’t put up a
killing aura as if she remembered the warning, but I still got chills.
“You’ve heard, right? I forgot to do something, so I went into a dungeon with

honey. You should go there too.”
I would never enter that place with Jung Hayan. There was a high probability
that an article about the Honorary Cardinal’s disappearance would appear in
the headline after that.
Anyway, Cha Hee-ra hugged me and even patted on Jung Hayan’s shoulder.
However, she did it with her ringed hand. It was a little gesture, but her hurt
pride was restored.
“Then I’ll go first, honey.”
Of course, the other side’s pride had gotten hurt.
She was biting her lips somehow to stop the tears that were accumulating out
of pure resentment, but the tears still dropped down.
‘What do I do with her?’
What was even more heartbreaking was that the war of nerves that was taking
place was gentle. It wasn’t even close to a fight. It was hard to imagine what
would happen when the mad women surrounding me would begin to fight
with all their might.
Even without Jung Hayan and Cha Hee-ra, it would cause unimaginable
destruction.
Yuno Kasugano followed me blindly, but Lee Jihye, who declared to be the
final winner, was also another kind of monster.
‘No. Rather, Lee Jihye is the best.’
She had the most sense of reality. Even though she stayed quiet, it felt like
our elf princess was also hiding a heart disease.
“Nothing happened. It’s because she really had something to do, Hayan. I’m
sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance. Shall we go to see a play after work
today? I’ll come right after finishing my work at the Crack Land. It probably
won’t take more than a few hours.”
“…”
“Stop crying. You understand, right?”
Nod.
“You haven’t been out here since yesterday, right? Come in quickly and take
a nap, Hayan. You must be tired. I will take you to the room.”
She nodded.
“You’re a good girl, right?”
“I…”
“…”
“O-Oppa…”
“Yes?”
“W-w-when… When are we getting married? You… you said we were

getting married, right?”
She was indeed still the scariest.
“Gasp. You said we were getting married… Sniff.”
I slowly realized that the medicine’s effect had been decreasing, little by
little.
Chapter 431 Life Threat (1)
Chapter 431: Life Threat (1)
The fact that the medicine’s effect had already run out was utterly ridiculous.
I bet an improvised marriage would almost prove to be a mythic-grade potion

made just to appease Jung Hayan. It would even be more satisfying than
brewing up an elixir.
If I were to exaggerate this a little bit, there would be no shortage in

expressing it as the supreme elixir that could calm any anger.
‘Is it too loose?’
I had to regret what had previously happened a little. I had said I was busy,
but it only made me feel like I had neglected to manage her.
Of course, I couldn’t help it when I had been in Salit’s stomach with Elena.
‘No, that’s not it. If I think about it, it wasn’t necessarily like that.’
I started to reflect on myself, but considering what I had done so far, I

realized that I hadn’t really neglected her that much.
As I knew how terrifying Jung Hayan could be when she was out of her
mind, I had to devote my time to her to a certain extent, even during the
busiest times. For example, I could take her out on a short date.
Even if my schedule proved to be hectic, I always made sure to hug her

during breaks, and I even took a piece of my time to give her peace of mind
by executing physical contact. I had done my best to take care of her.
Had it been her usual self, that would’ve been enough to satisfy her.
I thought that the reason reality came so quickly could be because she had
raised her overall expectations. Had she been her usual self, she could have
been satisfied with just having spending time with me like that, but the
medicine called marriage had now raised the bars higher.
It was like becoming more and more resistant to a drug the more one took it
into their body. This reminded me of the saying, ‘Do someone a favor, and it
becomes your job,’ she also considered the favors I did for her as her natural
right.
‘I’m a bride-to-be, so it’s only natural.’
‘I’m a bride-to-be, so you have to do this much.’
It had been normalized at this point. I didn’t exactly know what Jung Hayan
was thinking, but I knew she was thinking those kinds of thoughts.
‘I should have controlled my progress with her better.’
Looking at her madness-stained face, I realized that I made a terrible mistake.
The medicine I administered in Laios was certainly used too prematurely.
I thought about taking back her ‘natural right,’ but when I saw Jung Hayan’s
face, such an option had automatically been removed.
I didn’t just rule out my thoughts because I knew that giving and taking it
back was the worst I could possibly do. If I were to take away the rights she
could deservedly enjoy, it could lead to a headache.
“You said we were going to get married… Sniff.”
Even though she had been thinking of a scene I didn’t even want to imagine,
watching Jung Hayan cry indeed felt painful.
Her face displayed resentment against Cha Hee-ra, as well as her distrust of
me. It was hard to see her like that.
She didn’t openly reveal hostility, but she did express her dissatisfaction with
me.
“I said I’m busy right now…”
“You… said we were getting married. Sniff. When are we going to… When?
W-When!?”
‘Look at her raising her voice. Did she go nuts…?’
“Raising your voice like that won’t solve…”
“Sniff. I hate Cha Hee-ra… I hate her so much. Soooo much!”
‘You provoked her first.’
Even the way she started talking to herself was quite spectacular to watch.
Her voice was too quiet to be heard, but she was definitely talking to herself.
It was unimaginable to see the usual Jung Hayan screaming at me.
I realized how extreme her anger had become at that moment.
‘Should I shout as well?’
Power should be dominated over through even greater power.
I wanted to shout ‘how dare you raise your voice at me!’ like the eighth
leader of the Yangban family, born in the Joseon Dynasty, but her eyes,
looking at me, were not shaken like the loyalists who didn’t succumb to harsh
torture.
‘Fucking scary.’
She was like a bomb that was about to explode.
“Who told you to raise your voice like that?”
Amid my own confusion, a loud sound began to come out of my mouth

unconsciously.
“Sniiiiffff.”
When she bit her lips tightly as her arms trembled, I started thinking that it
wasn’t going to work.
She couldn’t hear my voice at that moment. It was natural that I even thought
about bringing Kim Hyunsung in to utterly defeat her.
I wanted to pull my body back a little, but her hands holding onto my collar
didn’t want me to move.
If we were secluded or in a closed room, I would’ve peed my pants.
It was impossible to administer stronger medicine in the current situation. If I

raised the bar one step further, I might find myself later on in a situation I
could no longer handle.
Looking at Jung Hayan staring at me with her glaring eyes sharply raised,
apologetic feelings welled up, however…
I had to think about something that could overcome the current situation first.
‘Should I gently soothe her as I did with Hee-ra yesterday? No. That’s not
right. I could be doomed.’
It was only natural to worry about whether the same thing would happen
again.
I recalled the memory of enjoying the temptation that entered through my

whole body and into my mind. However…
‘I only have this.’
Unlike the previous situation where there were only two on the griffon, I was
in the middle of Lindel.
As I saw in the unicorn case, Jung Hayan wanted to keep a pure position
more than anyone else. I could guarantee that she wouldn’t blindly attack me
like Cha Hee-ra would.
‘The effect has already been proven.’
The method might be slightly different, but it should appease Jung Hayan,
who was currently getting even angrier.
As I slowly peeled her off since she had buried her face in my chest, I could
see her teary eyes more clearly.
I gave her the most alluring smile I could muster, looked at her, closed in on
her face, then kissed her eyes.
“Don’t cry, Hayan.”
“Sniff…”
After stroking her hair with my fingers, I began to touch her ears gently.
“I told you that the situation is a little unfavorable right now. I told you many
times to understand if it’s something related to work… If you whine because
of this kind of stuff, it’ll be a little hard for me, too.”
“Ahhh…”
It’s wasn’t much, but it was a touch that stimulated the five senses for some
reason.
As expected, she began to tremble and blush. I was worried that her legs
would soon turn rubbery and sit down on the floor.
“Aaaahh.”
Her reaction proved to be more intense than I expected.
“Why wouldn’t I want to get married to you immediately? I have to be

patient because of the situation. Just thinking of you every day… makes my
heart burst. Look. Like this…”
My heart was pounding because of fear, but I whispered sweet words in her
ear and did my best to alleviate her anger in my own way.
In fact, it was not that I didn’t have any physical contact until that moment,
but it would be more impactful this way.
I was in a situation where I was trying to sprinkle pheromones as much as

possible, after all.
“Ahhhhhhhhhh.”
Something felt off.
“Sigh. Sigh. Sigh.”
Not only did her breathing become harsher, but the way she was looking at
me had also changed.
Her eyes, which seemed to have lost their morals, were now changing
bizarrely. For some reason, Jung Hayan was blushing, and she had started
twisting her body. I didn’t know if she was crying or laughing.
‘This fucking…’
My consciousness had now begun to blur.
‘Huh? What’s going on… What?’
I was starting to feel sleepy, and my legs felt like they were slowly losing
strength. I tried my best to keep my increasingly heavier eyelids open, but I
found that I couldn’t stop it.
‘Is this your doing, Jung Hayan?’
I couldn’t even feel her magic power rising, let alone the spell. I didn’t know
if it was an aftereffect from Cha Hee-ra finally hitting me, or if it was Jung
Hayan who was the perpetrator, but I slowly began to tilt my body forward.
I then heard a voice in my ear.
“A-A-Are you tired?”

Her voice didn’t seem worried at all. In fact, she sounded pleased. Though
she tried her best to look worried, I knew her all too well. Her desires were
practically glistening.
“I-I’ll take you there. T-T-To your room. You should take a good rest today.
Hehehehe…”
“Ah… Yes. Suddenly my body is so… p-potion, please…”
“I-I will feed you. First, lean over h-here. Here.”
“Right now…”
“Ah, okay…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“Wake… up.”
“…”
“Oppa, wake up. You said you had a meeting. What are you doing? What’s
this?”
“Lee Jihye…?”
I slowly opened my eyes.
I didn’t know what time it was, but since I could still see the brightness of the
day, it didn’t seem like it had been a long time since I lost consciousness.
I thought I was with Jung Hayan, but Lee Jihye turned out to be the one
sitting next to me. She had a flustered and worried look on her.
Meanwhile, I was having difficulty understanding what had just happened.
‘Where is Jung Hayan, and why is she here?’
“Huh? You really woke up.”
“What, what? Have I been sleeping for a long time?”
“You’ve been asleep for three days.”
“What!?”
“You were sleeping for exactly three days, you must not be feeling well.”
“There was a Templar who came from the Holy sector…”
“What? Why did a Templar suddenly come?”
“I don’t know what’s going on as well… They said there were signs that your
life might be in danger. After checking your condition and saying it seemed
okay, he went back, but… It’s a mess around here because of that. The Elf
Princess also took a look at your health condition… Is she a woman we can
actually trust? Does it make sense for a person like you to suddenly have his
life endangered? I think this is all suspicious.”
‘What is happening now?’
“Why Elena, of all people? No, what is Elena doing now?”
“The treatment must have just ended. She must be resting now. Doesn’t it
smell like the scent of a forest right now?”
“I don’t know… Anyway, wasn’t Hayan here?”
“I said you’ve been asleep for three days. Half a day had passed since she
brought you here. Seeing that you weren’t waking up, it seemed like the Elf
Princess went into your room to see your condition. About three hours after
that, the Templar came immediately. I’ve never seen a Templar come out. It
was really amazing.”
After I had become the Honorary Cardinal, that was the first time a Templar
had been mobilized out of the shadows.
I couldn’t figure out what had happened while I was sleeping. However,
something troubled me above all else.
‘Elena?’
Why did her name pop up again?
One thing was for sure. I almost went to Benignore’s side with great disgrace.
If I had really lost my life, there would have been no better comedy than that.
It was no wonder that I felt bitter.
As I looked at Lee Jihye’s face without knowing it, I could see her face
closing in on me.
“By the way, oppa, you look so sexy today. You usually already do. But your
appeal is just way stronger right now…”
‘Not you too, fuck…’

Chapter 432 Re: Life in that World,
Starting From Zero (1)
Chapter 432: Re: Life in that World, Starting From Zero (1)
I thought I knew what it was like to die of weakness by then. I couldn’t even
believe that I had been sleeping for three days.
When I thought about the fact that a Templar came to visit me, a member of a
group that never showed their face even in times of great crisis, I could at
least understand that what I went through shouldn’t be seen as something
comedic.
I definitely managed to endure Cha Hee-ra, but after that, Elena’s guilt-ridden
theft had completely shattered Light Kiyoung’s body.
Lee Jihye, who was humming and adjusting her clothes, danced to a rhythm
as if she was in a good mood. Her flushed and sweaty face felt strangely
sexy.
Of course, I couldn’t afford to start another rambunctious round. Could a

body cursed by the demon even do that?
I had a hard time moving my body even, though I had already taken several
potions. It felt as if I had been beaten with at least a semi-mythic grade
debilitating curse without wearing any artifacts, and I wasn’t joking, either.
“I’ve been asleep for three days?”
“Yes. They said it was because your body was exhausted… The experts also
said that there’s nothing wrong with you. She’s giving you potions in sap, so
it’s understandable. In addition to the potion you made, you’re also taking
something from the World Tree, so she must have taken care of your health
properly.”
‘I hope so, Jihye.’
“After the Templar took a look at you, he began to mumble and went outside,
saying that there was simply a misunderstanding. Even after that, it was a
little weird that you only fell asleep. But you were really tired, right? And it’s
also been hard for you mentally. Why are you making that face, though? Are
you not feeling well? Shall I bring in a priest?”
“No. I’m still tired. This is driving me crazy… Did I really take something
from the World Tree? All I did was sleep, but why am I so tired? Is my body
really fucked up? No one has put an energy drain spell on me, right?”
“You’re just getting older. Well, looking at you today, it looks like you’re
still alive and kicking. Or was I that attractive?”
“…”
“We have good chemistry, right?”
I nodded roughly at Lee Jihye’s useless words and groped around the desk
next to the bed with my weak hands, causing something to fall.
[Visitor list]
[Lee Jihye] 08:43 AM – 09:50 AM
[Cha Heera] 11:00 AM – 12:14 AM
[Jung Hayan] 15:03 PM – 15:10 PM
[Elena] 18:05 PM – 20:02 PM
[Cha Heera] 22:23 PM – 23:03 PM
[Cha Heera] 05:02 AM – 06:04 AM
[Lee Jihye] 08:23 AM – 09:10 AM
[Jung Hayan] 09:21 AM – 09:29 AM

[Jung Hayan] 10:55 AM – 11:05 AM
[Jung Hayan] 12:11 PM- 12:22 PM
[Jung Hayan] 15:42 PM – 15:52 PM
[Elena] 18:05 PM – 20:02 PM
[# # # # # #]
‘What’s this?’
It all felt so ridiculous that I almost laughed. At the same time, I couldn’t help
but feel really grateful for them coming regularly.
‘Thinking of me so much would make me cry.’
Still, it was also noticeable that they gave me a break in the middle of the
visits, as if they thought I needed personal time and time to rest.
Jung Hayan only stayed for ten minutes every time she came, as if she tried
her best to finish her business with me very quickly. Cha Hee-ra stayed for
about an hour. I didn’t see Elena’s name much on the list, but as she was
well-regulated, she visited me twice on the same time frame, filled in two
hours, and then left.
Even Lee Jihye was a regular. It seemed that organically adjusting the time
and coming by seemed to express her personality well.
As I looked at her quietly, I saw her clearing her throat.
Although other people were coming by, most of the visitors for the past three
days were those four. Since I didn’t know how much they thought of me up
until now, I couldn’t help but shed tears of gratitude.
I wondered if they had done something to me…
‘No. There’s no way they would.’

No matter how weird those people were, they wouldn’t have behaved
impulsively around me as a patient.
I shook my head.
After I cleared my mind, I began to gulp the contents of a potion silently.

Once again, I felt something like the water of life going down my throat.
‘Did I choose to be an alchemist for this? I’m dying in shame.’
“You’re drinking a lot of potions.”
“It’s like a pick-me-up. It’s a rejuvenating drink too. I really feel like my
body has weakened.”
“You did a lot. Honestly, it’s time to take a little break. It would be strange if
you didn’t feel anything. I don’t think it’s anything serious, though.”
“If so, that’s good.”
“But you’ll be told not to overdo it for a few days. Do you think you’re
alone? In those three days, the country, no, the continent was in chaos… Oh,
is this something you already know?”
“That the quests are gone? And that the dungeons disappeared too? I was the
first one to hear about it.”
“Hmm. Pope Basel was right. It seemed like you should have announced it,
but as you know, you couldn’t do that because you were lying in a sickbed.
Pope Basel himself preached that meaning to the continent.”
“Good job. What was the public’s reaction?”
“Hmm.”
“It was a tremendous uproar. Well, it would’ve been weirder if they didn’t
react that way. The system that has maintained the continent has been
overturned all at once. Fortunately, the foreigners had work to do. As you
know, the Demon Summoner Jin Qing testified about the spread of demonic
officials on the continent. Thanks to that, the Adventurers Guild is preparing
to go on an expedition to the scattered evil dungeons. And… there is also the
Crack Land.”
“That’s still…”
“It’s about to open, oppa.”
“What? It’s been completed?”
“The day you passed out, Cha Hee-ra personally came and told me that I’d
have to proceed with it immediately. I could tell what you would be
picturing, so I just proceeded with that, but that’s a good thing, right?
Manager Kim Miyoung helped me a lot. Oh, that person’s ability is very
good.”
“She’s a valuable talent. I think I need to raise her salary.”
“Please do that. Please give her a generous bonus, too. Currently, the funds
are coming 30% from the Blue and 60% from the Red Mercenary. About 5%
came from the Black Swan and 5% from Yuno Kasugano… Those are all
after I limited all the small things. I used the dwarves, Max, Lindel’s wizards,
and other human resources to set up a distribution network using a minimum
workforce. In fact, it’s embarrassing to call it a commercial district because I
didn’t have time to make it better. It would be better if you go and experience
it yourself.”
“I thought it would be good if things progressed swiftly, but this is going way
too fast.”
“Oh, this is just the framework. From the beginning, Max was the one who
was constantly preparing. There are a lot of things to refine externally, but
there’s nothing wrong with the internal affairs of the museum.”
‘Of course, there isn’t.’

She had finally revealed her true nature, but that didn’t happen in just a
couple of days. I simply nodded in reply.
‘Okay… you really are good quality. After all, we are soulmates.’
I didn’t know how she could always tackle the issues I needed to focus on the
most. In my eyes, she had become even lovelier.
It was then that Lee Jihye spoke once more.
“You look satisfied.”
“I actually am. Thanks, nuna.”
“Then I can also get one now, right?”
“Uh?”
“The Infinity Stone… no, the ring on Cha Hee-ra’s and Jung Hayan’s finger.
Could you give me one too? It isn’t very pleasant to be the third, and I think I
deserve one too. I’ll wear it all the time, so don’t worry.”
“Ah. Yeah…”
It would’ve been complicated even if I were to say I couldn’t.
‘And there is no reason not to give her one as well.’
Considering what Lee Jihye had done so far in the first place, she was more
than deserving of it. It wouldn’t look cool since I was lying on the sickbed,
but I took out the ring with a large yellow jewel and started to put it on her
finger.
Lee Jihye seemed expressionless as I did so, but once I had finally slipped it
into her finger, she laughed as if she was in a good mood.
“If you can get up, let’s go for a meal.”
“I can get up. By the way, were you always here?”

“It’s because I was busy preparing Crack Land for its grand opening, I was
always busy. It’s been quite a while since I last returned to our guild. Anyone
would think I’m from the Blue Guild.”
“Hmm…”
As I nodded and stood up, it was surprising to see that my body was well-
functioning. I felt like I was getting healthier as I started walking around.
As I stepped outside, the people who we passed by looked at me and greeted

me.
Most of them sported a surprised expression and gave me different gifts or

thoughts, but, of course, Elena was the one that stood out among them.
She couldn’t come to me easily. Rather, she hesitated at a distance.

Interestingly, there was terrible guilt written all over her face.
‘What did she really do to look like that?’
She looked a little different from her usual self. She was lowering her head as
her ears reddened.
I tried to talk about my current physical condition, but it was regrettable that I
couldn’t do it since the moment I approached her, she ran away from me.
That wasn’t the only thing that I found strange.
‘Where are the other people?’
“Where are all the Blue Guild members?”
“Where do you think? They’re at the museum. I told you we’re finishing the
final touches. Deokgu also woke up two days ago and joined them right
away. There are probably many Red Mercenary members there too. Actually,
you should’ve been there this morning. What a shame.”
“Are you promoting it?”

“Yes. I always am. It has no choice but to work as it’s a substitute for other
dungeons anyway. Well, you know this better, but…”
When we arrived at the restaurant, she ordered a simple dish.
“It isn’t much since it’s just the drawing of the design, but I think you can
take a look at it…”
After taking a spoonful of food into my mouth, I, too, began to see the Crack
Land’s exact appearance.
‘It’s not all that bad.’
If this was a collaboration between manager Kim Miyoung and Lee Jihye, it
would surely feel reliable enough.
I had to experience the details myself, but I thought they basically had the
right idea.
I couldn’t predict how the current market would accept it, but the basic
composition deserved applause.
‘It’s what I exactly had in mind.’
They had devised a structure that typically exploited the commoners.
“I don’t think I need to see it…”
“No. You have to see it. Because it’s not reflecting your opinion, I think it
would be better to experience it yourself.”
“Is there a way?”
“What kind of stupid question is that? Aren’t you the one managing that
place? It won’t look good if you just enter it normally. You should wear a
disguise and experience it from the perspective of a commoner. It should be a
great change of pace. It’s divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced
courses, and the ranks are rare, heroic, and legendary.”
“Would that be good enough…?”
I was actually feeling lazy, and it wasn’t really a busy time.
After coming to Lindel, I expected to have a crazy time, but my focus had
been almost entirely on Crack Land due to my duty to the people.
Above all, I wanted to get out of the current situation a little.
‘It would be less dangerous to enter the dungeon.’
I thought something similar as I pushed the fatigue recovery potion back into
my throat.
“It would be better to do that.”
“Sure.”
“I know I suggested it, but it’s still strange that you accepted it. Then…
Should I set up a separate party?”
“No. You don’t have to. There are a lot of parties in the square. I’ll go get
one myself.”
Only through the eyes of the common people could I feel exactly how much
Crack Land could exploit them.
Chapter 433 Re: Life in that World,
Chapter 433: Re: Life in that World, Starting From Zero (2)
I started moving around after having my body checked.
If I went to the square a little later, there was a possibility that I wasn’t going
to be able to find a suitable party.
Lee Jihye’s expression as she watched me checking the luggage seemed a

little disconcerted. She didn’t think I would really go through with it at all.
“You’re actually going? What made you decide that? Why don’t you just rest
here?”
“No. I was going to look around anyway. I’m just as nervous as you were
while you hurried to open it before sending in the testers… I’ll have to figure
out what the problems with it are.”
“Since when have you been so passionate?”
“That’s how important it is to me.”
That was not the only reason why I suddenly wanted to leave for an
expedition, but it wasn’t wrong, either.
‘It’s really important.’
Of course, I thought Lee Jihye and manager Kim Miyoung had done a good
job.
However, what they were capable of and the degree of completion the
dungeon attained were two completely different stories.
If they were museum managers, I could have entrusted it to them with
confidence, but unfortunately, Max and I were the only museum managers on
the continent.
He was level 5, and I was level 4.
It meant that I was the general manager of the museum that was going to
open that day.
It would be strange for the CEO not to show up even though he was running
that big business. It would be like the greedy man felt that he didn’t want to
proceed in vain, considering the continent’s fate was at stake.
I had to see if it exploited the people in a balanced way. It shouldn’t exploit

too hard, yet not too softly.
It was, after all, still important to keep instilling hope and while accumulating
damage.
The players’ growth was also a market that I had to pay attention to. It had to
make them desperate. That was the significance of the Crack Land – to make
the foreigners desperate.
Additionally, it had to bring tremendous financial gains to Blue.
It was easy to say, but it was inevitably delicate in many ways. It wasn’t
particularly strange for me to want to experience it the way commoners did.
“You’re pretty famous… what are you going to do with that? It would be
unreasonable to try to do something with magic…”
“Can’t I just go out in disguise? I have a surprisingly common face.”
“To be honest, your face isn’t common at all. It’s not like there’s no
peculiarity. Even so, I think you’re going to look a little different if you just
change your hairstyle and the equipment you usually wear. You have a
standard image of being the Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung, so if you
deviate from that image, it might be okay…?”
“…”
“No, it won’t work. First, your face stands out too much.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“But you still have to do things right. What about wearing a mask? Although
that would look a little suspicious…”
‘Don’t even think about it! Jihye! Are you crazy?’
“That, I refuse to acknowledge.”
“Well. You don’t have to cause useless cautiousness. You’re not going to
enter the rare-grade, right? Heroic-grade?”
“Yes.”
“Then magic is also rejected. They’ll notice everything. Oh! Wait. It doesn’t
mean there’s no way. Wait here. I’ll be back soon.”
She nodded as if she just had the brightest idea, and then she went away. She
had that certain expression wherein she looked like she came running out of
the bath and shouted Eureka.
After all, she always had sharp means around problems.
I didn’t expect much, but after a while, I couldn’t help but be shocked
because of what Lee Jihye had brought.
“Is this okay?”
“What? Where did these guys come from?”
“When Hyejin brought the unicorn, she hid and brought them. It’s fine,
right?”
“I-I think it will be okay, but this is…”

“You said that the effect lasts a few days anyway. I think it will be just right.
Go with this.”
“It won’t be bad.”
***
“Cheol-woo oppa?”
“…”
“Cheol-woo oppa!”
“Oh, Minji.”
“So? Is there anyone useful?”
“No. I don’t think so… I can’t find anyone. I knew it would be difficult to
find a backline at Lindel, but it’s really hard to find one since they’ll feel like
they’re starting from scratch. The good ones I found already had a party… In
fact, our front line isn’t that strong either. The wizards we want won’t be
satisfied with it. If I knew it would be like this, I would have brought more
wizards into the clan even if it was unreasonable.”
“That’s easy to say, but hard to commit to. If they don’t grow after you bring
them in for no reason, it’ll just be a waste for all parties involved. Having
many wizards can also be a problem… Someone like Jung Hayan from the
Blue Guild could pop out. I would be really nice to that person…”
“Jung Hayan is a very unusual case. Even a wizard who is active in a

medium-sized guild would not be enough. That’s why the wizard pool is
small.”
“Instead…”
“Huh?”
“How about applying to the Demon’s Spire since we’re in a stalemate

anyway? I heard that it gives many supplies, and if we enter a raid, won’t it
be easier to organize a party than now? If you get acquainted with the wizards
who entered the same raid, you can sneak a suggestion to join the clan… Isn’t
it the Magic Kingdom, after all? They have good wizards…”
“That’s not allowed.”
“Ah…”
“It’s still dangerous. It’s not a place we can just barge into with our level.”
“I don’t know… I heard that the Tree Next Door Clan is also heading to the
Demon’s Spire…”
“It’s a dungeon that should be at least heroic-grade or higher in terms of

rating. We have many people who have just entered the heroic-grade, so it’s
hard for us. Of course, it doesn’t mean that there is no possibility at all, but I
don’t think there’s a need to move in a hurry. It won’t be too late, even after
gaining experience at the Crack Museum.”
I was arguing against the idea, but in fact, it wasn’t that I didn’t think about
going to the Magic Kingdom.
Unlike the Crack Museum, where people had to organize their own parties,
the Demon’s Spire, which required a relatively large number of people, was a
lot friendlier towards people like us. Considering that I had some connections
and that the supply support won’t be small, the rewards could be greater.
Of course, that was only true if I ended with some supplies left, but it was
still worth considering in many ways. However…
‘Not yet.’
All the clan’s squads could only do heroic-grade.
There was a high probability that a dangerous accident would occur if we

went beyond the intermediate level.
The reason the clan could continue running was because we were careful.
Although the world had changed, the act of unreasonably trying to gain an
advantage always triggered accidents.
“I thought you would say that.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“No. Even Daegun said that you would definitely oppose it. I just thought I
should try to convince you anyway. I wasn’t even expecting anything.”
“Daegun, too?”
“Yes. Who would say you’ve not been friends since childhood? You two
really fit each other. Sometimes, I feel really jealous.”
“Hahaha.”
“Don’t laugh. I’m not kidding. There really are clan members who feel
alienated because the Clan Master and the Vice Clan Master are too close.”
“I’m sorry to have made them feel that way… should I apologize to the clan
members? By the way, where is Daegun now?”
“He was looking for a party at the bar. I don’t know if the wizards, who have
been drinking since morning, will be helpful in the expedition, but we’ve
been in such a hurry. It’s time to leave soon… Ugh. There really aren’t many
people. Why does this happen at such timing? Those demonic officials… I
want to catch them and put them all into firewood. And even…”
“It can’t be helped. In fact, it doesn’t look as bad as people might think.”
“What?”
“Even if heroic-grade dungeons are continuously released, there’s no

guarantee that we will either bid or find that dungeon. In a little while, the
tutorial dungeon will open… This time, the whole continent is united, so they
said they would run an education center. Maybe many large guilds will be
paying attention to dungeon auctions. They have to raise beginners who will
join the guild. In that sense, with the funds our clan has… It means that
winning a heroic-grade dungeon is close to impossible. And I can’t rely on
luck.”
“Well…”
“Although the pool is a little narrow… Still, it’s great that we can still go to a
dungeon. If the dungeon is directly managed by the Goddess, it would surely
be friendly to foreigners. Also, it was announced that large guilds would be
supporting small and medium-sized clans. We have to see this as an
opportunity no matter what.”
“If we don’t get nervous, someone will definitely come while we’re waiting.
There will be one or two people who would be thinking the same thing as
us.”
“After three hours, if no one comes up…”
“Then, it would be better to leave. There will be a wizard who’d fallen behind
in front of the museum.”
“I wish there would be.”
It was just a simple wish.
Finding a wizard seeking a party in front of a dungeon was nearly impossible,

no matter how I thought about it. However, I didn’t want to just stand still.
As a new opportunity came, I had to move desperately.
It was only natural that I wanted to wait a little stronger.
“We’re looking for a wizard who wants to join our party. We’re a clan with a
strong frontline and priests. The destination is the Crack Museum heroic-
grade dungeon. We are looking for people who will happily hunt with us in a
family-like atmosphere. You only have to share some part of your stats and
your class. If you are interested, we will do our best to accommodate you. If
you come, we will leave right away. We are the Friendship Clan!”
“We’re looking for a wizard to hunt with, and is kindhearted! Our Clan
Master oppa really likes people! Please come join us!”
I could see Kook Minji speaking right next to me.
However, our voices couldn’t be heard since all the parties that filled the
square were shouting as well. I raised the sign I was holding a little higher,
but it didn’t seem that easy to find a party member.
It was then…
In the distance, we could see someone with a staff approaching.
‘Uh?’
She had a face that could be said to be overall beautiful.
Her torn eyes, pure white skin, and blood-red lips stood out.
Her entire body was covered with a robe, and her gait looked strangely
awkward. I wasn’t sure if her foot was injured, but she certainly had a
staggering posture.
What stood out more than her posture was her face.
‘How can someone have that kind of look…?’
Sexy was an understatement. Was she a succubus? Her torn eyes were
enough to awaken anyone’s lust.
It would be more appropriate to say that she looked erotic.
People didn’t usually say that when evaluating a person’s appearance, but
that was the most accurate description of her.
I had met many people so far, but that was my first time looking at someone
like her. I didn’t even need to mention that just looking at her made me feel
like I was blushing.
Staring blankly at her for a moment, I watched the woman with a foreign
charm stand in front of me as she parted her dangerous lips.
“I am… a wizard, but a different kind of wizard. If it’s okay, can I join the
party? I heard that you were leaving for the Crack Museum.”
Her voice made my lower body tense beyond my control.
“I guess I have to introduce myself first. Nice to meet you, Friendship Clan.
I’m Lee Kiyeon, the Summoner Wizard.”
Chapter 434 Re: Life in that World
Chapter 434: Re: Life in that World Starting From Zero (3)
‘This is so uncomfortable…’
I had accepted Lee Jihye’s suggestion because I thought it would be okay, but
it proved to be too excruciating.
The look I wore was indeed unbearable, despite not wearing a skirt. Even
waking felt awkward because I felt like my skeletal system had changed.
Although I was familiar with gazes settling upon me, it was essentially
different from the gazes I received as Lee Kiyoung. These ones bothered me
more.
Even those who were drunk in broad daylight gave me onceovers.
As long as they didn’t see me like a slut it didn’t matter that much, but it was
still undeniable that it felt unpleasant.
‘Men…’
They were all the same, myself included.
When I looked to the side, I saw my reflection on the window. I couldn’t say
that I looked beautiful, but I indeed had an attractive face.
‘Okay… I’m satisfied with this, at least.’
It was enough to arouse interest.
I had a face that wouldn’t get rejected for a party job offer.
In fact, when looking for a party, one’s look played an important role as well.
It was for the same reason that companies had come to value the appearance
of the interviewee.
If one were a well-known adventurer, they could get out of that restriction,
but expeditions made people picky. Not only did they spend a few days with
someone they had never seen before, but they also had to trust others, even in
situations where they wouldn’t be able to see one step ahead.
Impressions were just as important if one were to assume that all kinds of
problems could occur. People didn’t want to go on expeditions with someone
who looked like a scammer or a murderer.
In that aspect, Lee Kiyeon was enough to fit into the cut line.
Nodding as I walked, I noticed the people entering the square.
‘Who should I pick…?’
It was also important to test the waters. Since I had never gone through that
kind of trouble, it was easy to admit that I felt lost.
‘It won’t be easy to find a job…’
Of course, I quickly realized how wrong I was.
“We’re looking for frontline combatants to go hunting together!”
“We’re looking for an archer to go on an expedition to the nearby Goblin

Village! We prefer those who have a good sense of direction. We’ll leave as
soon as you join!”
There weren’t only parties looking for members.
“My class is a rare-grade assassin. If you let me join, I can go anywhere. I

have a lot of experience, and my damage output is pretty good. I’m different
from other bandits. Please let me join! I don’t even need someone to heal! I’ll
just bandage it up!”
“I’m a heroic-grade hunter! I will chase anyone you want me to! I’m looking
for a party to join! Please!”
Even the number of individuals seeking a party couldn’t be ignored. No, to be

precise, there were more individuals than there were groups.
Most of them were thieves who constantly screamed to promote themselves.
‘Looking at them, they’ve turned out to be low-class people. However, I

already knew that.’
They were those located at the bottom of the pyramid. Priests, wizards, and
usable tanks were all ranked at the top.
In particular, there was only a small pool of wizards.
The Blue Guild never had to worry about getting wizards, so I was a little
puzzled at first, but giving it a little thought, I knew that I could easily
explain the phenomenon.
If the world were a game, it wouldn’t happen.
Unlike in games where magic could be used at the push of a button, that
world’s magic was clearly treated as a scholarly subject.
The title of wizard could only be obtained through desperate efforts apart
from simply being smart. Even rare-grade wizards were considered precious
in the continent.
Most of the wizards who had reached heroic-grade were members of large
guilds or were treated as high-level personnel that were allowed to travel
Some were like government officials stuck as researchers, while a few

wizards had never gone on a hunt because they feared the outdoors.
Of course, even such people had no problem making a living.
Given the circumstances, it was obvious how a skilled wizard would be

treated. As the number of thieves and assassins increased, the gap in their
status and those classified as high-ranking occupations became larger.
Of course, that was in the wild. It was completely different from the
ecosystem of large guilds that already had good wizards in their ranks.
Perhaps half of the gazes directed at me contained that reasoning.
I was holding a wizardly staff, after all.
“Hey, wizard, if you are above heroic-grade, how about the demon’s…”
“Sorry. I’m not at that level yet.”
“How about going out to the field?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Let’s hunt rare-grade raid monsters…”
“I’m sorry. Raid monsters are a little…”
“If you have time, we can have a cup of tea somewhere quiet.”
“I’m Lee Kiyeon, the summoning wizard.”
“…”
‘What’s up with this motherfucker?’
“Excuse me? Can you hear me?”
“Oh! I’m sorry. S-so…”
“I’m Lee Kiyeon, the summoning wizard.”
“Right! Yes. It’s nice to meet you, Lee Kiyeon.”
‘Gosh, a clumsy one?’
Watching him becoming flustered proved to be quite entertaining.

He shouldn’t be looking like a beginner if he was really a heroic-grade. I got
anxious because of his behavior. I thought that maybe I had approached the
wrong group, but the abilities seen with my Mind’s Eyes didn’t lie.
I watched Lee Cheol-woo look at me after coughing, almost as if he was

clearing up his mind.
“I’m sorry. I was…”
“No. No. I can understand. More importantly… Can I join your party?”
“Before that… Can you please explain what kind of job the summoning
wizard is?”
‘He’s not clumsy, after all.’
“Oh. I got ahead of myself. Of course. I don’t know how to explain it at best,
but…”
“…”
“Think of it as being in the middle of a summoner and a wizard. It’ll be easier

to understand that way. I can use common-grade magic, but doing more than
that is a bit difficult. If I overdo it, even rare-grade magic is possible.
Although my specialty is summoning magic, it’s impossible to keep a
summoned around for a long time. It’s quick, but it’s still possible to strike
with it.”
“Hmm…”
“Is it a little vague?”
“No. It’s not. However, it’s an issue that requires the consent of the party
members… Of course, I must thank you for approaching our party, but since
you’re not an ordinary wizard…”
‘Ha… fuck… No to special job discrimination, you punk. ‘
“It’s a heroic-grade class, and it hasn’t been long since I changed classes. My
stats also fit heroic-grade.”
“I see.”
‘This is why regular parties are annoying.’
Looking at his disposition and quirks, he seemed to have his personality in a

rut.
It looked like he was wondering about it, even though I didn’t think it was a
big deal.
Of course, as a party leader, it was not that I didn’t understand his sentiments,
but having to wait was annoying. The people in the square gradually
decreased while he was wasting my time.
‘Are you going to accept me or not?’
I wanted to turn back after telling him to screw off, but I had no other choice.
I realized what kind of treatment people with special classes often got.
Even if I went to a different party, I probably would be in the same situation.
‘Since I am neither a wizard nor a summoner, I look too widespread.’
It was indeed a vague class if I were to think about it.
“Oh, can’t I join? I think I have to go today… Ha. What should I do.”
“Of course, it’s possible.”
I had finally gotten some good news.
However, the voice came from behind me.
When I turned my head naturally, I saw a warrior wearing a shield and blunt
weapon.
‘Kim Daegun?’
He was a typical frontline warrior with high durability and stamina. Just
before I could greet him, Lee Cheol-woo greeted him first. They then started
to have a conversation without me.
“Daegun.”
“There is also a saying that the system doesn’t lie. It’s a heroic-grade class,
and she’s saying she’s matched the stats too. Why are you still wondering
about her? It’s better to go out there and do something than to stay here. You
can listen to the details as you head to the destination. If you don’t like her,
you can just reward her.”
“Yes. I probably won’t be disappointed. I’m sure of it.”
“If so…”
Success was right before my eyes. When I nodded with a satisfactory

expression, Kook Minji’s face next to him became noticeably unpleasant.
The lines she voiced out after that was surprising.
“I vote against it.”
‘Gosh, what’s up with her now?’
“I understand what you guys are thinking, but I am a little… I don’t feel good
about this.”
It was truly hard to make a living in Lindel.
‘You’re a woman too, dammit. Can we live with some cooperation?’

“Can’t… we?”
“What is it, Minji?”
‘Right. What is it? Did do I do anything wrong? Why can’t I just go hunting?
Huh? Can’t I go out to the dungeon?’
“Just by looking at her, I can tell she doesn’t have that much experience. Am
I right?”
‘What bullshit are you talking about? Who else has as much experience as I
do?’
My experiences were a little different from other people’s, though.
“She doesn’t have muscles in her legs and her arms. Her hands are too fine,
and her nails don’t have one scratch… No matter how I look at her, her body
doesn’t seem like it has gone on many expeditions. I don’t know where you
are putting your personal supplies, but… That bag is a Chanelia Hermes,
right? Luxury brand. It looks pretty, but it’s not practical.”
‘What bullshit are you talking about? This is a gift from our Hyunsung, bitch.
It’s an infinite bag. It’s not trash! It’s a bag you can’t buy in your entire
lifetime.’
“Who carries a luxury bag like that when going to an expedition? It’s only
good to look at, but its utility is horrible. You’re not going to the dungeon to
flirt around, are you? You should have prepared the minimum. Even if you’re
a wizard, you should have your own personal supplies. We can help with
things like tents and camps, but it’s only proper to have the basics ready
before requesting to join a party, Lee Kiyeon. Cheol-woo and Daegun aren’t
just random nobodies. You even put on full makeup… I don’t know if you
want to look good for someone, but that seems a bit off for me. Who goes on
an expedition wearing makeup? Will you wake up in the dungeon and put
makeup in there, too?”
‘What’s up with her? She’s going really crazy. What are you doing? Why are
you so angry?’
She sounded right, though. However, I couldn’t just say that and nod.
“I-I’m not wearing makeup. Not even a bit.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“What?”
“I didn’t come after putting on makeup. If you look closely, you’ll

understand.”
“Then those lips and skin… That mascara on your eyelashes…”
“Take a closer look.”
And about the infinite bag…
‘I shouldn’t tell them about it.’
“I’m sorry about the bag. It’s been a long time since I last left the lab. This
bag is the only one I had. Before I left the lab, I disposed of everything that
seemed useless. I had no idea that this would happen… a-and there are some
circumstances that I cannot talk about.”
“Even so…”
“I don’t have much experience in expeditions, but I’ll work hard. No, if you
trust me, I’ll do my best. At the very least, I won’t be a nuisance. Please.”
“How are you so sure?”
Even Light Kiyoung had a bit of muscle. However, Lee Kiyeon was truly
thin.
It was irrational in many ways to say that I had cleared not only heroic-grade
dungeons, but also legendary-grade dungeons with that body.
Even if I told her, she wouldn’t even believe it anyway.
It was better to create a story enough to make them agree with my request.
“Two or three rare-grade dungeons? I’ve been out on the field more than
that.”
“Lies. I don’t think such a body…”
‘This girl! are you interrogating me?’
“If you don’t believe me, then I have nothing left to say, but… it’s true.
Although it happened some time ago.”
It felt like she was really doing an interrogation.
When it came to that point, one side would usually give up to some degree. I
couldn’t figure out why the hell she was attacking me that much.
If she was doing that from the start, it was no different than telling me not to
join.
She was ruining the atmosphere even before leaving. Who would want to
proceed with the expedition with a party like that?
Had both sides not been desperate, we would have already gotten angry and
pulling each other’s hair.
‘Okay, fuck. I’ll try to understand.’
If I were her, I wouldn’t want to accept myself as a party member either.
Lindel’s ants were living more fiercely than I thought. Thinking that this was
a life-threatening problem, I nodded.
To be honest…
‘It’s my mistake.’
There was a useless misunderstanding in the makeup part, but it was a

mistake to go on an expedition without a backpack.
‘You lived without knowing too much. You grew up too cherished. Kiyeon,
this girl.’
I hadn’t worn any bag since after the first expedition.
Initially, all the basic tools I needed were in Chanelia Hermes. Other than
that, Park Deokgu carried the bags, and the guild staff organized the items.
It meant that I couldn’t even remember my newbie days anymore. Besides,

my newbie days and their newbie days wouldn’t be the same.
They had been thrown out with nothing, and in my case, I had started with a
high salary.
Even if I was a veteran with quite a few years of experience under my belt, it
was not surprising that I couldn’t understand their customs.
‘Ha… Did I make a mistake? I guess I did.’
I couldn’t make any more excuses.
I had no choice but to entrust Kiyeon to them.
Even at that moment, I wanted to join a different party, but the job market
was already closing down. I looked at Kook Minji with a sad expression, but
her expression remained cold.
‘This one is firm.’
She wasn’t giving up. I guess this meant that I had to target someone else.
I stared at Lee Cheol-woo quietly. As soon as I shot my gaze, he came to my

rescue.
‘This one was friendly from the start. Niiiiiice. Cheers, our Kiyeon!’
“Don’t push her so hard, Minji. I’m sorry, Lee Kiyeon. I will apologize on
her behalf.”
“What?”
“She’s nice, but sometimes she tends to lose her cool. I’m a little puzzled that
you didn’t bring the basic supplies, but… I believe there must be some
circumstances at stake.”
‘Whew. That’s it.’
“Then…”
“I think it would be okay if you come with us. Daegun, what do you think?”
“I was in favor of it from the beginning. Minji, don’t go pouting like that. I
understand what you’re worried about, but… We’ve got nothing else to lose.
If you think about how easy the expedition will become because we have a
wizard, we should be thankful.
“Yes, but…”
“You have to apologize first.”
The two men started to look at the spoiled girl with silent eyes. In the end, it
was her that raised her white flag.
“I’m sorry. I was being rude.”

“No. It’s okay. I know my circumstances can become quite a source of
misunderstandings, so I understand. We won’t be together for long, but I look
forward to working with you.”
“We really appreciate it, Kiyeon. What are you doing, Cheol-woo? Give her
the temporary party contract.”
“You have a contract, too?”
“It’s the formal procedure.”
‘There seems to be all sorts of things.’
When I looked at the contract issued by the priest after carefully pulling it
out, several provisions came into my eyes.
It was not complicated, and it was also very concise.
It was truly a formal contract. It was about the provisions for escape or troll
behaviors, compensation, and distribution.
Perhaps it didn’t have a great legal effect.
Nobody could tell what would happen in a dungeon unless they turned the
Goddess’s Mirror completely on for 24 hours.
It seemed to me that it was simply meant to instill alertness.
It was a little messy, but I succeeded in getting a party anyway. At that point,
I began to ask about their personal information and details.
“It’s not only the fours of us, right?”
“Yes. We have three more colleagues.”
That seemed like the right number.
“Maybe they are preparing to leave from the accommodation.”

“I see. Where is the clan house? Western region?”
“It’s… embarrassing, but there’s still no place we can call a clan house. I
thought that buying equipment was more important…”
“Ah…”
“This is embarrassing.”
“No. That was a great choice. You’re trying to improve a little more. There
aren’t many people who invest in equipment in the beginning. You’ve judged
well. So that’s why your equipment is shining like that. Isn’t that robe also
heroic-grade? The quality looks really good…”
“No. It is a rare-grade.”
“I guess it looked like that because the user carried it well.”
“B-B-B-By the way, how long has Kiyeon been here?”
“Not long. Has it been two years now? It will be three years soon. Cheol-woo
and Daegun…”
“We’ve been here for four years.”
‘It’s not that long. Not bad.’
Entering heroic-grade in their fourth year meant their growth proved to be

extremely fast.
On average, it took about six or seven years to get those stats.
Their clan didn’t seem to be the type to act based on impulse. I thought of
them as people who had a clear vision and were climbing up from the bottom.
I couldn’t help but admit that I had chosen the right party to join in.
I didn’t usually think of it, but I felt like I could see them along the top after a
little more time.
I quickly realized that it would be wise to memorize their faces.
Since we decided to go on an expedition together, it was only proper.
I watched two of the members laugh at the basic sweet-talk I gave them.
I still didn’t know why Kook Minji was so dissatisfied, but it seemed that she
had made up her mind.
“We’ll lend you some basic supplies.”
“Will that be okay?”
“Yes. Our clan is generous. It won’t be a problem to prepare another bag.”
“Thank you for doing that. I feel like I’m already indebted to you. I’m so
sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’re a team.”
“You’re so cool… You’re so reliable. I feel relieved.”
Buttering them up would never be a bad move. As I put on a pleasing smile, I

saw him slightly smiling.
That was the moment I knew my sweet talks that melted even Pope Basel had
paid off.
Moving a little quicker, I saw their accommodations. It seemed like they

lived with their luggage there as if it was true that there was no clan house
yet.
After Lee Cheol-woo went inside, asking me to wait, I watched three women
taking the vacant seats.
‘One archer, one swordswoman, and one fighter.’
I didn’t know if it was just my imagination, but they didn’t seem to like me
that much for some reason.
I greeted them with a smile with my unique friendliness, but they only
formally nodded, and there was no other reaction. Only when Kim Daegun
introduced me did I really feel like they were saying hello.
“Let’s introduce you. This is Kiyeon. She will go on the expedition with us.
She’s a summoner, and she’s reached the heroic-grade in her third year.”
“Special class?”
‘Why are you surveying me?’
“I’m looking forward to working with you, Kiyeon.”
“Yes. Me too.”
“Reaching heroic-grade in your third year is amazing.”
“I just got lucky…”
Everyone seemed to have the same expression as Kook Minji.
They looked as if they were looking down on me. Contempt rather than
looking down was more accurate.
‘What do newbies know? I’ll show you later, girls, what it’s like to be semi-
mythical.’
I knew that, the moment they would see it, I could already envision them
changing their opinion of me. However, it didn’t take long for that pledge to
collapse. It was a mistake to ignore the potential of those who came up from
the bottom.
‘Fuck… Couldn’t we just go in a carriage? Why are we walking? Why are

we walking when there is a carriage? Do you have no money to pay for that?’
“Ugh. Sigh…”
‘It’s heavy. Fuck. It’s fucking heavy. I don’t think I can carry this… my
shoulder… I think I’m going to die. Deokgu, fuck, please take my luggage.
Where are you, Deokgu? I miss you, Park Deokgu!’
“Sigh. Sigh. Ugh.”
Inevitably, a groan started to pop out.
Even when I tried to stop it, it still came out.
‘Why aren’t we taking a break? Please, let’s take a break. Let’s drink water
and eat food, bastards.’
“Sigh.”
‘My waist. My shoulder! Lee Kiyeon will die, you bastards!’
“Sigh, ah… ah!!”
“Do you need help?”
The contemptuous gazes of the female clan members were more evident than
ever now.
“Ah. Sigh.”
“…”
“Sigh. Sigh. Ugh.”
“…”
“Siiiigh.”
“…”
‘Ha…’
The sounds coming from Lee Kiyeon made even me blush upon hearing
them.
I tried to say a word because it was so ridiculous, but after hearing Cheol-
woo’s warning to act politely, I couldn’t easily say something.
Due to that, I had to swallow the curses that were fighting to flow out of my
lips.
‘What an eyesore. Is she crazy? She’s doing that on purpose, right?’
She was blatant enough to make me 100% sure.
It was true that I didn’t like her when I first saw her. What I was thinking was
just as expected.
I was certain of this right after seeing her with full makeup on and a luxury
bag in her possession. She had even reasoned out that she wasn’t wearing
makeup.
‘She definitely is.’
She should be.
‘How dare you lie to my face?’
I didn’t know how she looked in men’s eyes, but she couldn’t fool women.
She seemed to value looking good for the opposite sex more than actually
preparing for the expedition. I would actually prefer it if she was that kind of
person.
I would have been able to stand it if she simply acted like a fox or did
something naughty.
I knew very well what type of person she was.
It was not common, but I found more women of that kind in Lindel than I
thought I would.
‘Cheap-like bitch. Ugh, she really is cheap.’
There was no need to describe her further.
‘Did you really reach heroic-grade in your third year? Does that make sense?
Do you think you’re Blue Guild Jung Hayan’s successor? Why is she not
receiving offers when she has such a talent?’
She probably didn’t do anything stupid enough to cheat her stats, so it was
clear that she had gotten into heroic-grade, at least.
The question, however, was how she entered the heroic-grade.
Her legs and hands had no signs of battle. Her scar-less body told me very
well how she had lived thus far. She didn’t even have the most basic
knowledge.
It looked as if it was the first time she saw a temporary party contract. She
didn’t even know what wizards should do.
‘It must be a problem because you’ve never fought.’
At that point, the answer was obvious.
She only had one reason why a woman with no talent or connection could
receive that much push.
‘She has a sponsor. And it looks like the sponsor is a large guild executive.’
I was 100 percent sure at this point.
Not only was she provided with various conveniences in life in exchange for
her body, but he must have taken her on small and medium-sized expeditions
and fed her with experience to gain her current abilities.
If I thought of it that way, all the questionable actions she exhibited could be
explained.
‘The summoning wizard, my ass.’
Although she had chosen wizard as her primary job, she couldn’t adapt
because of her lack of intelligence. Her affinity with pets was poor as well,
causing her to feel lost.
Her experience was boosted, so she had to change her class, and she couldn’t
make the right choice in the system in the end.
Although the name sounded good, I could bet that there would be very few
skills unique to the class.
‘It’s too obvious.’
I even rationalized the reason why she came so far.

‘She must have been abandoned.’
She must’ve eventually gotten abandoned by her sponsor and was driven to
the streets.
I didn’t know exactly what happened between the sponsor and that woman,
but it was despicable to see her trying to carry a luxury bag.
It was quite funny that she chose to go on an expedition instead of entering

the entertainment district. From the beginning, she wasn’t interested in the
expeditions at all.
What she was interested in was getting a good guy in order to settle down.
She must be trying to get either Cheol-woo or Daegun. Observing her

attitude, I couldn’t help but feel like that was the case.
“Do you need help?”
Dummy.
“Sigh. Huh. Yes? Yes? Can I ask for your help? I feel like I’m being too
much of a nuisance…”
“I was worried about this march because you didn’t seem used to it. You can
give your luggage to me. You don’t have to refuse. It’s natural for the party
members to help each other.”
“But… I’m really sorry…”
“It’s okay, Kiyeon.”
“No, you really don’t have to do this, Cheol-woo. I feel like I’m
shameless…”
‘You say ‘you don’t have to do this,’ but you’re smiling?’
“It’s better to do this than to have you pass out in the middle of the attack.
Kiyeon, please take care of your physical strength.”
“If you say so… Thank you, Cheol-woo. I will take this favor gratefully.”
“And… you don’t have to be sorry. Everyone knows that wizards struggle
physically.”
“Yes. Thank you so much for your consideration.”
In the end, it was Cheol-woo and Daegun who carried the bags. Meanwhile,
Lee Kiyeon stretched as if she was relieved.
Watching her hold onto her Chanelia Hermes tightly was really irritating. It
was as if something was boiling inside me.
Perhaps it was not just me who felt that way. The three people living together
in the guild were no different.
“That woman…”
“Have you seen her before, Minji?”
“No. At least I don’t think I’ve seen her near our dorms… but, well, isn’t it
obvious just looking at her?”
“Yes. It’s obvious. Gosh… People just can’t seem to change. Isn’t she
embarrassed? She seems to think that the strength she gained is her own.
She’s someone who doesn’t even know the basics…”
“I know, right? I don’t know why she came with us all of a sudden and do
that shit. Maybe she was thrown away by her sponsor.”
“Isn’t she trying to get a suitable man to act like a madam? These days, they
do that a lot to clear up their history. Although I don’t know where the
rumors started, the stock price of Lee Cheol-woo and Kim Daegun from the
Friendship Clan is also rising these days. Honestly, they are pretty good. One
is a frontline warrior, and the other is a priest. They are people who didn’t
join a large guild not because they couldn’t, but because they didn’t want to.
Their future is promising, and she was like a gold digger on the prowl. It was
better if she didn’t come. She smiles gently and says something like, ‘you’re
so cool and reliable.’ while innocent Cheol-woo just laughs at it. He’s just too
nice. I haven’t been able to fully understand what kind of person would fall
for such a woman, but seeing Cheol-woo makes me slowly understand it.”
“You sound as if you hate her. Have you talked to him about it?”
“Yes. I told them before leaving… They said she doesn’t look like that type
of person. I was even scolded not to be rude to her.”
“Gosh. Unbelievable. It’s so obvious. You just have to look at her, and you’ll
immediately see that she’s a gold digger, yet they don’t think she looks
cheap? Among the people working at night, those who look like that are
widely spread. Listen to her deliberate moaning. You can see her intentions
clearly. Does she think that still works these days… so vulgar…”
“Do you know what’s even funnier?”
“What?”
“If this expedition goes well, I think she’s thinking about getting accepted as
a member of the clan. It makes no sense. Really. Just thinking about living
face-to-face with someone like that makes me want to hurl.”
“Gosh. Really? That can’t happen. Hey.”
“I know. It doesn’t really make sense.”
“How about you go and talk to her?”
“You can just go blackmail her. The choice is yours, but it wouldn’t be bad to
give her a warning. If that woman was sponsored and it was by a big one, she
would be scared to proceed with the expedition. She would tremble…”
“That’s true. Well, but what if the expedition is canceled because of that?
Cheol-woo is really looking forward to this expedition….”
“I don’t think I can keep tolerating her. Because of people like her, other
women are insulted. If you’re going on an expedition, you have to act as an
adventurer, you know, instead of becoming a burden. Women are not subject
to protection in this continent, right? Look at people like Cha Heera. Instead
of having her as a role model, some people use their femininity to exploit
others. That’s a problem.”
“I know, right? It’s annoying.”
We heard a voice speak while we were quietly talking about her.
“We will take a break here.”
“Already?”
“Yes. Just a short one. I’m a bit tired. I’m sorry. Sorry, Daegun.”
“No. I was just about to take a break too. It seems like it’s too much to set up
a camp, so let’s just find a place and have a meal. If there’s anything like a
snack, we could…”
‘Really… you’re too nice.’
Everyone knew that the reason why they were taking a break wasn’t because
of Cheol-woo.
It was probably in consideration of Lee Kiyeon.
The way he claimed to be tired to help her just showed that he was indeed an
innocently good man. As I quietly looked at Cheol-woo, I saw him getting
water and handing it to the woman.
‘You’re a real fool.’
The way Lee Kiyeon took the water as she smiled at him caught my eyes.
She even seemed to have rubbed her hand with his when she took it from
him.
When I saw Cheol-woo’s very red face, I thought it was almost certain.
‘Ha!’
The next look of her was a spectacle.
“Oh my God…”
“Are you okay?”
Why did that cup of water spill on her chest?
“It seems like I keep showing my clumsy side. Actually, I was a little tired
last night… I’m not like this usually… I’m really sorry.”
Hah. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was tired every night.
“If you have something like a handkerchief, could you lend it to me for a
second?”
“Yes… Oh, okay.”
“I’ll wash this and return it when I have time. Is it okay to wipe off my sweat
too?”
“Yes, yes, it’s fine.”
‘Ha.’
It felt like fire was spewing out of my eyes.
“Wait a minute…”
“Yes.”
“I’ll go over there, unnie.”
“Okay. Control yourself.”
I wasn’t trying to threaten her or anything of the sort, but I couldn’t stand it
without saying a word.
As I walked toward the place where the party members and Lee Kibitch was,
I could see her looking at me with a wide smile.
“Minji, how can I help you?”
“I want to ask you something.”
“Sure, if I have the answer…”
“Who was it?”
“The Black Swan? Blue? Red Mercenary? Or is it from the other side? I
thought it was a large guild… It’s above medium in size, at least, right? Do
they still do that? There are a lot of trashy guys here.”
“You know everything. You don’t have to pretend like you didn’t
understand.”
“So what are you saying…”
“Who was your sponsor?”
That felt good.

“The Black Swan? Blue? Red Mercenary? Or is it the other side? I thought it
was from a large guild unconditionally. It’s larger than medium-size, right?”
“You know everything. You don’t have to pretend like you don’t
understand.”
“So what are you saying…?”
“Who was your sponsor?”
It was so absurd.
Naturally, Cha Hee-ra’s name, the leader of the Red Mercenary, came to
mind instantly. It was true that Lee Kiyoung grew by being sponsored by Cha
Heera.
But, not Lee Kiyeon.
‘Was there anything weird about me?’
Naturally, I had to wonder why she was suddenly talking about sponsorship. I
couldn’t remember doing anything that would make others suspicious.
At least during that expedition, I was very cautious about not being caught as
Lee Kiyoung, and I never even brought up anything about large guilds.
I was acting carefully to avoid them finding a connection between the Blue,
Red Mercenary, Black Swan, and me.
‘Is it because I left my bag with him? Am I being interrogated right now
because I took advantage of others? No, fuck, I couldn’t do anything back
then! I felt like I was dying!’
If I could, I would’ve endured it.
However, I really thought my shoulders would fall out. That kind of manual
labor wasn’t necessary for the high-grade body of Kiyeon.
If my speculations were true, I had to applaud Lindel’s commoners once

again.
‘If you don’t like outsiders, you should go with someone you know… why
are you throwing bullshit at me after taking me in…? It seems the dungeon
culture around here is extremely toxic. Are you moss or what?’
I heard that sometimes, that kind of problem popped up.
According to that information, after accepting someone into the party due to
member insufficiency, they just ended up forgetting about that person.
The non-manner play was a tactic where acquaintances united and

disregarded one person during the entire expedition. The distribution itself
was designed to be advantageous to them as well.
Although that wasn’t illegal under the State’s law, it was an act that was
rejected by the public.
Thinking that the woman before me might be of that kind, my head started to
hurt.
‘No. The boys are too cooperative to say that…’
It was then that I thought I didn’t know much about the world.
Although she didn’t directly mention it, it might have looked like a wizard
sponsored by a large guild went out on an expedition as a joke.
When the contract first popped out, I showed a puzzled expression, and
above all, reaching heroic-grade in the third year was difficult to achieve
unless it was done with a sponsor.
If the talented wizard didn’t receive an offer from a large guild or medium
clan, the answer would be obvious.
‘There’s must be a sponsor.’
Honestly, the question itself was not pleasing.
Lee Kiyeon wasn’t sponsored by a large guild and had to join the party. Lee
Kiyeon was simply struggling to make a living.
How should I make my excuses?
As I was organizing my thoughts for a while, a voice came from the front
again.
“Ha. Look at you, pretending not to know. Why do you pretend to be so

naive? It’s already obvious. It’s all written on your face, Kiyeon.”
‘Let me try to gather some info first.’
“I don’t really know… What you’re talking about. Why are you talking about
sponsorship all of a sudden?”
“Sponsorship? Right. I guess that’s also a sponsorship. It’s sponsorship you

received in exchange for selling your body. That’s the real sponsorship, isn’t
it?”
‘What bullshit is this again?’
“No, what the hell are you talking…?”
“I’m also a bitch that knows about things. I also struggled on the streets of
Lindel. After four years in, I know how this place works and how you got
your heroic-grade in the third year. How can you wear such luxury goods
when you have nothing? Why don’t you have common knowledge about
basic expeditions? Above all else, your behavior is too obvious. They say that
old habits don’t die, but to think you want to do it that way even in this
expedition?
‘What’s up with her? I did what? What did I do?’
“I think I know what you’re thinking. If you’re struggling to find a new life
from now on, don’t live that way anymore. Is it fun to live as a people-pleaser
as you shake your ass gently? You must be ashamed of yourself.”
“…”
“Don’t try to charm these innocent guys. You must’ve heard that the
Friendship Clan is promising, right? That’s your intention, right? It would be
really creepy if that’s the reason why you approached us.”
‘What bullshit are you talking about, bitch. Friendship Clan, Love Clan, or
whatever, I haven’t heard of it. Your thoughts are even creepier.’
“Because of people like you, real adventurers like us are being insulted. Is it
Cheol-woo, or is it Daegun? Put away the thoughts of getting them and
clearing your identity. Someone like Cheol-woo might not be interested in
your dirty body anyway, but… I’m telling you all this because it’s
uncomfortable for me to see it. You shouldn’t be doing this during the
expedition. Hey, Kiyeon. This is a warning.”
“A warning?”
“Yes. Warning. Since it’s already like this, we will move together until the
end of the expedition, but this will be a warning for you to do anything that
stands out. If you’ve decided to clear your identity, show it with your skills.
Don’t let the atmosphere blur as you moan, pushing your chest out. Or I’ll
mobilize all of my contacts and bury you completely in this area. Do you
understand?”
‘What, mobilize all your personal connections?’

“You’re not even pretty… it’s always the ones who have an ambiguous
look.”
“…”
‘But I’m still prettier than you. You look like a pumpkin…’
“Let’s not focus on useless things, but focus on strategy. And remove your
makeup.”
“I didn’t put…”
“For god’s sake!”
“…”
“…”
For god’s sake! What should I do with her?
It would have been a little less unfair if I had actually done something bad.
I didn’t even allure them or shake my hips. It was hard to understand the
bullshit she was spouting out.
My clothes were fairly modest, and although I was carrying Chanelia

Hermes, my equipment level was just average.
‘I’m extremely modest!’
I had the classic look of a conservative wife and the queen of modesty.
However, even though I put in such effort, the public’s evaluation was cold.
It would be strange not to be flustered.
However, saying anything to the injustice, Kook Minji spat out one more line
and began to disappear from my view.
“Don’t live like a prostitute.”

She walked away triumphantly as if she said a famous line…
‘Aren’t your clothes worse than mine?’
At least I covered my whole body with a robe. That woman was a thief and
was wearing tights that stick against her body.
I didn’t know why the hell it had a deep neckline, but I could see so much of
her cleavage.
I still couldn’t imagine that there would be dumbasses that thought that body
exposure would be a defense. In simple terms, all of her curves were
revealed.
I didn’t know who she was calling a prostitute, but no matter who saw us, the
modest one was Lee Kiyeon, and the one who used her body carelessly was
Kook Minji.
Looking at the mirror for no reason, once again, my whole face was reflected
by it.
No matter how I looked at it, this was one modest face.
What was wrong with her?
‘Jealousy? Or was she trying to look strong?’
I didn’t know the reason, but naturally, I thought about whether to exact
justice. The situation would be cleared up quickly.
After revealing that I was Lee Kiyoung, I would just immediately hit her head
continuously.
Small clans, such as Friendship Clans, could be completely erased from the
continent if I wanted to. It wasn’t only that.
It might be a little bit too much of a consequence for a mistake, but I could
label them as the demon’s henchmen.
The problem was that I couldn’t undo the spell myself in the current
situation.
Of course, believing it or not was their freedom, but considering the

possibility that I could get caught up in other rumors for nothing, I thought
that it might be too much to do something there.
‘I don’t feel like it.’
Actually, this was a little annoying.
Not much time had passed since I left for an expedition after getting a party,
and if I were to ruin things so quickly, I’d feel a little better, but I would have
to get a new party and go through the same process again.
If I shouted that I was the country’s Honorary Cardinal, I would be glad if I

wasn’t treated like a crazy bitch.
‘Nothing will happen.’
If I were in my Light Kiyoung form, I wouldn’t hold back against her. All the
same, I had to control myself.
‘You should stay quiet until the end of this job, Kiyeon.’
After checking what I had, I could deliver punishment slowly.
Since there was something that I wanted from that party, once I got it,
everything would work out naturally. As I grabbed the strings of reason and
moved forward, I could see the party members waiting for me.
The four gloating women stood out more than the men looking at me with
silly faces.
Kook Minji must’ve told the saga to the rest of the scum.
‘She’s all excited because she got a blow in.’
Her expression made it obvious.

‘Okay, keep laughing. Smile a lot. It won’t last long, bitches.’
Not only was Lee Kiyeon quiet and pure, but she would still be considered
shy even when going back to the Joseon Dynasty. I didn’t know why they
considered such a woman as a bitch, but what happened earlier seemed like a
pleasant thing for them.
Their facial expressions changed a little after Lee Cheol-woo, and Kim
Daegun approached me.
“Can we leave?”
“Ah. I guess I made you wait. I’m sorry, Cheol-woo.”
“You didn’t. We were just getting up from our seats.”
“Thank you for your consideration in many ways.”
“It’s only natural.”
“You just have to come with us comfortably, Kiyeon. The atmosphere itself
would have been uncomfortable to you since we are all acquainted here… It
is only proper for us to be as considerate as possible. Isn’t that right, Cheol-
woo?”
“Right. You are right.”
“If you need help, you can speak to us without burden. If you have trouble
walking, you can climb up on my back and go. Haha. It’s a joke.”
“The clan atmosphere is nice.”
“If you don’t have a place you belong to, you could sign up… this is also a
joke.”
“Daegun, you’re being silly…”
When I thought about it, it could be said that the atmosphere that had been
formed was warm.
While talking to the two men, I saw the females’ faces becoming more and
more rotten. I felt like I could finally understand why they attacked me.
‘Aha…’
It’s so obvious that it’s hard to notice.
‘Whew. Are you really jealous?’
It was clear that they were jealous because of those two men, who were the
clan’s center, coming to lick my feet.
My modest charm made me a queen bee even if I didn’t make a move.
‘The queen bee herself!’
They must’ve thought that I had stolen the men.
As if she was extremely bothered about Cheol-woo, Kook Minji’s face was
especially a spectacle. She had the same expression as Jung Hayan.
The other women were no different.
Their delighted faces had already disappeared. It would be okay to assume

that their bluish faces were getting worse. I couldn’t help but think of what I
had to do.
But I thought I’d retreat for the day. As soon as I took a step back,
expressions of relief stood out.
‘I’m not interested in dicks either, bitches. How about we get along well,
hmm?’
Keeping a certain distance for smooth progress was only proper for me to do.
However, those crazy guys approached me all day long as if they had gone
nuts, trying to indulge in small talk.
It kept happening from that point on until the moment we arrived at Crack
Land.
‘What. Fuck. What’s wrong with these bastards? Why are you so clingy?’
Chapter 438 Welcome to Crack
Land (1)
Chapter 438: Welcome to Crack Land (1)
‘Ha, these bastards’ dispositions and characteristics are extremely average.’
In the end, I had decided to choose the most ordinary group of all. This was
because I knew they were the ones who would be the least affected by my
special characteristic.
The same went for the female members.
They didn’t have a perfect personality like Kim Hyunsung or Elena of the
past, but at least they weren’t people who sported a distorted disposition.
Still, they were the types who refused to let me engage in serious
conversation with them.
The rest, however, seemed to do their best to talk to me every chance they
got. They even seemed to be trying to gain my favor as well.
I understood their motives quite well because I was also a man. Not only did
they act as if they would give me everything they had, but it also seemed to
me like they were willing to even lick the spaces between my toes.
They were completely far from my type, but I couldn’t help but realize that
Lee Kiyeon was far more attractive than I thought. Due to that, the four
female members of the Friendship Clan were glaring even harder at me. I
wanted to push them away too, but nothing ever worked.
I was receiving kindness beyond what a party member actually deserved.
They hadn’t done anything nonsensical, as if they didn’t have the guts, but I
couldn’t help but feel like they were becoming more and more annoying.
‘At least we arrived.’
I had a hard time enduring the men’s desperate actions and the women’s
contemptuous gazes, but in the end, I succeeded in coming there without any
further troubles.
‘I guess I will do a massage with a potion later. Fuck… My legs are hurting
like hell.’
Although I didn’t achieve anything great, I considered the march itself to be a

challenge. I couldn’t remember walking that much, except during the tutorial
dungeon.
At the time, I didn’t notice it because I was moving desperately, but now that
I always had a full belly and a roof over my head, it already felt ridiculous
having to traverse such a distance manually.
However, I wasn’t annoyed when I finally arrived.
‘She did better than I thought.’
Contrary to Lee Jihye’s statement about the subpar quality due to lack of
time, the quality seemed really high. The roads had been properly paved, and
while there were many places under construction, some places already
resembled what looked like a proper shopping mall.
The size of the construction was almost certainly as big as a major city.
That wasn’t enough, considering humans from all over the continent would
be visiting.
‘It’ll definitely be better after a week or so.’
This proved to be my first impression of Crack Land.
“We’re here.”
“I think there are more people than I thought. Haha.”

“It’s definitely more than we expected.”
“Absolutely. I don’t know if we’ll be able to get in today.”
“We probably will. I heard that it could support a large number of people in
the first place. I think it would be better to register first. Even if it’s a little
later than intended, won’t we be able to go in tomorrow?”
‘We’re a little late.’
Overall, however, I didn’t think it was all that bad.
Anyway, the party had to recover from the march, and I had to look around
the place a little more. I needed to know exactly how things were going.
‘It’s quite good so far.’
“It would be better to find accommodation first. We can’t just keep moving
around in this state.”
“Yes.”
Naturally, the Clan Master nodded and moved on.
While we walked, I saw many kinds of adventurers. High-ranking ones stood

out, as if they had known about it before others.
The races were also diverse. Since there were also black and white people, it
seemed that some of them had come to the place while flying on a griffon.
The place where the party had gone to was a big bar. It was also a lodging
business.
As soon as I went inside, I heard people greeting us from all over the place.
“Welcome to the Crack Inn, Adventurers! By any chance, are you new to our
inn?”
‘The service here is pretty good.’

“Yes. We just arrived. Do you have any room left?”
“Yes. Of course, dear adventurers! Currently, there are only 20 rooms left for
each room type! There are four types of rooms serviced by our inn, consisting
of Common, Rare, Heroic, and Legendary grades. If you look at the catalog,
you’ll find a detailed explanation about each type, so please refer to it. The
Common-grade is one gold per day, the Rare-grade is five gold, the Heroic-
grade is twenty gold, and the Legendary-grade is fifty gold. This is per person
and does not include service charges.”
‘Wow…’
The rooms here cost 100,000 won, 500,000 won, 2 million won, 5 million
won a day, and the service cost wasn’t even included!
‘Jihye, fuck, you call yourself human? What’s up with these prices, fuck…
are you serious? If you’re going to exploit them, do it moderately.’
However, I couldn’t help but smile all the same.
The price was like a kid’s joke for me, but it was definitely a burden for
adventurers who had just begun to grow.
As expected, the expressions of the Friendship Clan members turned sour in

no time. I could see them thinking that they might end up spending more
money than they would be making.
The Clan Master began to think about it, and the Vice Clan Master turned
over the catalog.
“Clan Master, isn’t it too expensive?”
“But we have no choice…”
Naturally, I also opened the catalog silently. When I saw the legendary-grade
room, I nodded.
‘Phew. It looks better than my room.’

It was no different from being a grand palace.
The things that came as free items were no joke, either. A priest who could
chant the fatigue recovery spell was on standby for 24 hours.
Not only was the ‘Made by Lee Kiyoung’ potion provided as a standard, but
the meals that were served were of the same high quality as a high-end
restaurant’s dishes.
In addition to providing conveniences for long-term customers, there was

also a training hall that could only be used by customers who availed the
Legendary-grade room.
It was definitely possible to live here without suffering through any

problems.
‘I want to live here…’
The Heroic-grade room wasn’t that bad, either. It felt like looking at my room
from the past.
Overall, it looked luxurious, and the quality of free stuff was lower than that
of a Legendary-grade room, but it could be fully accounted for.
Of course, the story was a little different from the rare-grade. It felt more like
a studio.
Everything a person needed was there, but honestly, I wouldn’t be able to

sleep comfortably if I slept in such a place.
The Common grade for me was…
‘It’s like a pigpen.’
“We should get the Common-grade, right?”
“Yes. Here… For the Common-grade….”
It was enough to make me, unknowingly, talk to myself.

“Nonsense. How do you sleep in such a place…? Ugh.”
Their gazes focused on me instantly. Everyone was now glaring at me.
I could feel the women members looking at me in contempt. I realized I made

a mistake, but there was no shame in making that statement.
‘Stop looking. It came out without my knowledge. And honestly, you don’t
like sleeping here too. Fuck… The bathroom is also shared. Can you imagine
how dirty it will be?’
Being honest was not a sin.
I didn’t know if my face wasn’t looking good, but they went silent at my
sudden word. In the end, it was the big guy who opened his mouth first.
“I think we can afford a better room for at least a day. Cheol-woo, we have
enough budget. It’s not that we don’t have the money.”
“We don’t have much left since we got new equipment. We do have the
money we’ve saved for the clan house, but… That’s money we really
shouldn’t touch, so maybe…”
“I don’t think it would be bad to take a comfortable rest for a day.”
“But…”
“Tomorrow, we will enter the dungeon, but until then, I think it is important
to take a good rest. I think that a Common-grade room would rather ruin our
condition. Wasn’t it you who said we should always be at our peak before an
expedition? Let’s spend it with no worries at least once. In the end, it doesn’t
matter for you and me, but our female clan members…”
“I’m fine.”
“Me too.”
“We slept a lot in the streets, anyway.”

‘I’m not okay, bitches. Don’t pretend to be nice.’
“…”
My expression had become gloomy at once.
“Isn’t Kiyeon not feeling well too?”
“No. It’s not that. Just my legs… don’t mind me. I’ll be fine after I get
enough sleep.”
“Look, Cheol-woo. We won’t get a decent sleep in that room. I’ll really feel
that I rested if we stay at least at the Rare-grade…”
‘Good job, big guy.’
“After we complete the dungeon attack, we’ll be getting a lot of profits

anyway. Just let it slip this time. Let’s spend a little more just this once with
the thought of regaining it back. It’s embarrassing to keep this scuffle going
like this.”
“The possibility of failure…”
“I’ll work hard. Please, Cheol-woo.”
“If you say it like that… it would be better to do that.”
‘Right. That’s right.’
We availed the Rare-grade room. I wasn’t entirely satisfied, but I smiled

pleasantly.
“We will take a Rare-grade room.”
“It’s an excellent choice, adventurer. For those of you who have visited a
Rare-grade room to attack the dungeon, we are offering a rare-grade health
potion made by the Blue Guild as an opening promotion.”
“I-I see. Thank you.”

‘It’s the bottom line of garbage. I won’t have it even if it’s for free.’
However, I could see the faces of the Friendship Clan people brightening up.
Getting 500,000 won per night and giving a low-grade garbage potion. It was
a typical Seller-People’s description.
The staff were just giving these in order to please the people.
I wasn’t sure if she knew what I was thinking or not, but the receptionist once
again started preparing to exploit the adventurers with a friendly expression.
Every single one of them would be a merit system. What was going to
happen next would be important.
“You’re adventurers who will attack the museum, right?”
“Yes.”
“Which one…”
“We have just arrived and haven’t applied yet. If an application is needed, we
will do it right now and come back.”
“No, adventurers! You don’t have to. Our Crack Inn can help with that part.
What grade would you like the dungeon to be?”
‘It’s adventurer-friendly. I like this.’
“A heroic-grade.”
“A heroic-grade dungeon will be a total of 500 gold. But you can use it for
300 gold as an opening promotion!”
“Okay.”
“I have registered a total of six people. Departure seems to be possible only

tomorrow afternoon. Just follow our guide immediately after checking out.
And if you need expedition insurance…”
“What is expedition insurance?”

“It’s a failsafe plan in case your expedition fails. Our precious adventurers
only have one life. Skilled people belonging to Crack Land are prepared for
special situations such as expedition failures 24 hours a day. The insurance
also includes a high priest to increase the survival rate. High-ranking people
can help with hunting sometimes. The price is the same as the
accommodation. They are divided into Common, Rare, Heroic, and
Legendary.”
“…”
“…”
“For those with insufficient funds…”
“…”
“We also provide loan services.”
‘Wow… Lee Jihye, aren’t you being too trashy?! That doesn’t mean I don’t
love this!’
In the last line, even I had to reply.
“Loan services?”
At this, a demonic explanation ensued.

Chapter 439
A loan? What kind of loan was this?
The glowing eyes of the innkeeper reminded me of Lee Jihye.
‘And you call yourself human, Jihye? You’re really not.’
I had many ideas, but I had never thought about a loan system. It was a secret
weapon that could maximize the profits of Crack Land.
‘You’re really vicious. Lee Jihye, there’s definitely a reason why you’ve been
such a shitty person the first round, too.’
I, too, often felt like I was trash. Of course, it was only on occasions, but I
had been troubled by the sudden sense of shame.
Looking at Lee Jihye’s work, it felt like all of my worries had promptly been
resolved.
No matter how great Lee Kiyoung was, he was still a firefly in front of a
nuclear power plant, and a children’s pool in front of an invading tsunami
whenever he was faced with that woman.
I couldn’t help but applaud at Lee Jihye’s viciousness. She was indeed trying
to make all the adventurers in Crack Land indebted.
I could definitely see the picture. Adventurers who came there and spent
money would definitely end up entering the dungeon in a dazed state.
Unexpected spending was bound to accumulate, and eventually, they would

use up more money than they originally planned for. If the attack was
successful after entering the dungeon, people could recover the things that
had been blown up, but if it went wrong just once, their account balance
would automatically stay at a negative.
There was no way those people could easily leave Crack Land.
There was nothing more miserable than an expedition that put the adventures
into a deficit. That in itself would serve as a catalyst for the adventurers to
challenge themselves with a swollen dream. It could also be the reason why
they’d enter the dungeon again after careful analysis and research.
They would be forced to spend money to prepare for the dungeon raid once
again.
They would need to pay for accommodation fees, supplies, equipment,

dungeon entry fees, insurance fees, meals, etc. It was clear that even if good
results were achieved the second time around, it would be difficult to
compensate for what they had already expended.
‘Ha…’
In the end, there was nothing that could be done except to be sucked into the
pit of hell Lee Jihye had dug up.
Before leaving Crack Land, they had would already be in debt.
Even if they earned for a lifetime, they would only be able to pay the interest
while they wandered around the continent’s hunting grounds. Some might
think that this was a bit heartbreaking, but this was still the reality.
Although they would lose everything, the experience would make them
stronger and put them in a position to live better.
It meant that they would reflect on themselves in the past and be active all
day long.
There was no such thing as an injection that didn’t hurt. The big picture
would make Elune trash, and Benignore shed tears of emotion.
‘Whew…’
Even while I was lost in my thoughts, the inn employee still looked at our
party like a hawk looking for its next prey.
‘Right. It’s understandable.’
Anything that the inn employee sold to us would be an achievement for her.
No one could endure the eyes that tempted consumption.
“There are also loans…”
“Crack Land is prepared with the adventurers’ convenience in mind. It is our

motto at Crack Land to put our customer’s comfort first.”
‘Look at her lying without even stuttering.’
“There are a lot of inconveniences for adventures, but we can combat it with
many different kinds of services that would allow the adventurers to focus
only on their expeditions. Some of those services are the expedition insurance
and loan deals.”
“We don’t want the loan… How exactly does the expedition insurance
work?”
“It works exactly as I said earlier. In fact, in the case of expedition insurance,
common adventurers often avoid it, but… statistically speaking, considering
that the dungeon survival rate of a heroic-grade party isn’t high, it’s
recommended to be availed. In the case of an accident, no one would be
compensating for it. Of course, in the case of an experienced adventurer, they
would already be completely familiar with the procedure in the case of
failure. However, if it’s a recently created party, or if you’re working together
for the first time, it’s better to go in after employing the expedition insurance.
The Blue Guild, the Black Swan Guild, and the Red Mercenary Guild also
emphasize the importance of expedition insurance in many ways.”
“Hmm… a recently created party…”
“Yes. There are many cases like that. In addition to accidents that occur
during hunting, we also help in mediation to make sure the adventurers won’t
have to worry about conflicts or distribution issues with party members.”
‘Don’t get hooked, you morons.’
However, I felt like they were already caught.
“I think… it would be better to consider it. Isn’t that right, oppa? It would be
fine if only the old members are coming, but we have an outsider this time.
We haven’t yet confirmed if we’ll be able to work together properly…”
‘Don’t look at me, bitches.’
Of course, the inn’s receptionist swooped in at this opportunity.
“Oh! This wizard must be a new party member. You must be anxious. Of
course, I’m not looking down on our beautiful wizard. However, there aren’t
many cases where a newly created party can move as one unit immediately.
With a few dozen golds per person, preventing accidents in advance is
certainly considered a merit option. Of course, the choice is up to you.”
“Hmm. That’s…”
“No, Daegun. I think it would be better to try it. We don’t know what kind of
accident can happen, as she said. We would like the common-grade
insurance.”
“Excellent. Please read the contract carefully and sign on the indicated parts.
Oh, and one more thing.”
“Yes”
“Did you know that the Dungeon of the Crack Museum is randomly
conducted in all manners, unlike other dungeons?”
“What does that…?”
“Three kinds of boss monsters and three kinds of reward items will all come
out randomly, sir. Some people return from hunting without difficulty, but
many people suffer from encountering an unexpected monster. For example,
many people encounter poisonous monsters or monsters that use curses. Did
you bring an antidote or items for curses?”
“N-No.”
“You don’t have to worry too much, our dear adventurers. Prepared for such
a case, our Crack Land sells special-monster-response packages. These are
the 11 types of potions created by Lee Kiyoung, the Alchemist of Light,
included in the package. The price is also very reasonable.”
‘Knock it off, you guys. You’re all demons.’
“Of course, we also sell the lower version of the package, but I personally
recommend all 11 kinds of potions. Unlike low-level potions with an
expiration date, the potions made by the Alchemist of Light Lee Kiyoung do
not expire, even after a long time. In the case of the temperature maintenance
potion that maintains body temperature, it is very effective because there is
no need to prepare separate measures against cold or heat dissipation. It’s
perfect for fire and ice monsters! The prices are also much lower than those
sold on the market.”
“That looks fine.”
“I think we’re spending way more money than we first planned…”
“No, think about it carefully, Cheol-woo. It’s good to have this one. Even if
we don’t use it for this expedition, we can continue to use it afterward. It
would be nice to have at least one package.”
“Think about it and decide. It is a product that can be purchased directly from
the Blue Guild.”
“Wouldn’t we need this? You aren’t very confident in detoxifying spells

either. If a heroic-grade poisonous monster suddenly pops out…”
“That’s true…”
“There’s no rush. Think about it thoroughly.”

The way the inn employee was smiling was spectacular.
‘Who is this?’
I was naturally curious about her.
‘Why was such a capable person in a place like this?’
Such a capable person should be treated properly. Like a professional

infomercial host, she had a voice that aroused the desire to purchase, and her
presentation was close to perfection.
Listening to her explain things was pleasing to hear, making it harder for
anyone to resist.
Even I wanted to buy my own products.
“If you buy it on-site, we will give you a set of 3 high-quality health potions
as a gift.”
“We will buy it.”
“Excellent choice, sir.”
It hadn’t been long since we entered the Crack Land. In a few hours, the
amount of money our party had spent was already unimaginable.
‘Wow, she’s really ripping them off.’
As I looked around, other parties were also caught by the employees.
The way the party members were all holding the special-monster-response
packages delighted my eyes. Even rare-grade parties were holding the
packages like precious treasures.
‘However, a rare-grade party wouldn’t be able to afford that.’
There was a 100% probability that they had availed a loan.

It was possible due to a loan. I was sure of it.
Considering that my potion was made to counter heroic-grade or higher

monsters, it was like trying to buy a sledgehammer while trying to crack a
walnut.
Additionally, the parties were also being ripped off in other ways.
There was a guy who was looking at the list of equipment that Yoo Ahyoung
made.
‘That’s also a loan.’
There were also people purchasing useless consumption items. I wasn’t sure
if they were there for a rest, or simply to go shopping.
‘I really like this so far.’
The fact that the quality of convenience was high was the part I really wanted
to praise. All the systems were organically connected, removing the need to
go to multiple places.
As soon as a person entered the inn, they could apply for dungeon entry and
find out about expedition insurance, and they could even borrow money or
purchase weapons.
That meant they didn’t have to bother about going around and could focus on
the expedition itself.
Of course, there were shopping malls for those who wanted to explore the
place, but anyone could do everything there without having to go out. I
hadn’t looked at the back of the catalog, but the book listed all the Crack
Land services.
It had the strength to control the entire operation of Crack Land with only one
command tower.
‘Convenience.’
Of course, there might be some side effects such as price-fixing or
lowballers, but…
If I asked if it could protect the continent, it was indeed a very trivial matter.
‘Can you see it, Metel Manager? How so many people love your museum.’
Max’s mother, who was in heaven, must be smiling.
The part that was a little problematic was whether it was ripping people off
too much.
I did think that people could be uncomfortable with a little explicit

salesmanship. However, that thought soon dissipated.
I nodded unknowingly at the scene at the restaurant.
“Phew. You mean you came in this morning and got this?! A legendary-grade
item! The Queen of Truth’s necklace! Crack Museum! It’s very generous!”
It was Pak Sergei, the foreigner from Russia.
“You guys go in quickly, too! This is too generous!”
‘Why are you here?’
Next to him were Ahn Ki-mo and Kim Ye-ri.
‘Don’t go acting around without my knowledge.’
“The Crack Museum! It all looks so generous?”
Somehow, the strong voice made me feel like I was a beneficiary of the
Crack Museum, too.
Land (3)
“You don’t look so good, Kiyeon…”
“No. It’s nothing.”
Usually, adventurers were supposed to spend the rest of their time socializing
after finding a party. Beyond simple meetings, there were cases of drinking
parties and unity competitions in big expeditions.
It could be considered as evidence that the chemistry and closeness of party

members were important.
Of course, some groups didn’t allow getting close to each other in private, but
at least the foreigners from Korea who lived in Lindel enjoyed those events.
As for me, I just wanted to rest.
However, the members of the party I joined seemed to think they needed that
kind of time.
With the whole innkeeper matter done, we unpacked our luggage and started
drinking rum, paired with a big dinner at a bar located under the Crack Inn.
I didn’t like the food that they had ordered, but since I finally could enjoy a
civilian’s life after such a long time, I at least enjoyed the calm atmosphere.
I mean, until I saw Pak Sergei and Argirmo, who had seemingly appeared out
of nowhere.
“Phew. You mean you came in this morning and got this?! It’s a legendary-
grade item! The Queen of Truth’s necklace! The Crack Museum is very
generous! Everyone, come quickly! You’ll lose money if you don’t go! This
is a blessing from the Goddess Benignore!”
‘This moron…’
“Thank you, Crack Museum! It’s not just this! There are also a lot of
advanced catalysts! I can sleep in a legendary-room tonight!”
Although they looked like white people on the outside, they certainly looked
like Park Deokgu and Ahn Ki-mo in my Mind’s Eyes.
At the same time, the way Yetni Kova was acting like a Russian proved to be
entertaining.
‘And you said you don’t like acting…’
Honestly, Kim Ye-ri didn’t look like a kid. Her skills could already be
nominated for Best Actress.
Pak Sergei bent over his body and waved his necklace as he spoke. I wasn’t
sure if he knew I was watching them or not.
“Everyone’s drinks are on me tonight!!”
“Stop, you bastard. Don’t do that.’
I had to believe that he would pay with his money.
‘What are you going to do if you get caught…?’
Of course, there was no possibility of that ever happening. None of the

people who came to that place could ever detect that kind of magic.
The large tavern wasn’t of bad quality, but the lower classes of society
frequented it.
Even a legendary-grade individual wouldn’t easily detect it, and it was

improbable for them to come to such a bar in the first place.
‘All of them are in a private room or drinking in a place with premium
goods.’
If I had come with Lee Kiyoung’s body, not Lee Kiyeon, I wouldn’t have set
foot in such a place either, unless if it was to encourage our workers.
Perhaps he saw me glancing at the other side over and over again, but the big
man in front of me had begun to talk to me.
“Do you know them?”
“No. I just thought they’re noisy… It’s my first time seeing them.”
“People like them are everywhere. It’s better if you just ignore them. I
recently heard rumors that new people are emerging from the Republic
side… It’s probably them. That big one, Pak Sergei… even though he is a
muscle-filled man, he’s classified as a wizard. The magical properties he uses
are uniquely called physical properties.”
‘Where did you hear such information that even I didn’t know? Their
community is pretty active… and, you stupid bastard. Physical property
magic doesn’t exist in this world.’
“The warrior next to him is Argirmo. They call him Berserker. They say that
once he tastes blood, he doesn’t stop until the other side collapses. Thousands
fell by his weapon…”
‘He’s a priest… although he’s a combat priest… he can’t even taste blood.’
“And that woman is the Clan Master Yetni Kova. She’s their leader. She is
said to have an unusual class called dancer. I heard that she has an attribute
that captivates both men and women with her fatal dance.”
‘Fatal temptation skill, my ass… Ye-ri, don’t put your wishes into acting. So
shameless, even though you’re just a kid… Hyunsung will weep at the guild
office. Don’t do those kinds of setups. Please don’t.’
I had to pick at several things there. Usually, for that kind of acting, the
details to be put in were important.
I couldn’t help but think that the acting group had already lost its soul
because director Light Kiyoung was missing. However, there were also parts
that I wanted to praise.
‘That kind of thing is fine…’
Letting everyone know that you got a good item was definitely something to
avoid, but if the purpose was to promote the Crack Museum, then it was a
whole different story.
In fact, the most reassuring part was that he was in good health.
Although I already heard from Lee Jihye and knew that Park Deokgu had
completely recovered, he looked healthier than usual when I actually saw him
face to face. He looked like he didn’t even get hurt from the beginning.
‘Pig bastard…’
I couldn’t help but appreciate the fact that he looked the same as ever.
I was worried that they might find me, but they didn’t seem to be interested
elsewhere. They were focusing on something completely different.
‘If that’s the case, I don’t have to worry.’
It was currently more important to focus on the conversations happening near

them rather than the conversations far from them.
That was their purpose in the first place.
“Yetni Kova, Pak Sergei… it seems they’ll go up one more step. I can’t see
what item it is, but I’m jealous that it’s a legendary item. On the other hand,
I’m also happy because there’s a chance for us to get something like that. It
seems that the probability of that happening isn’t as bad as I thought.”
“I don’t know. We’ll only know once we go, but… that’s why there is a lot of
content prepared at the Crack Museum, oppa. He’s not the only one I saw.
Quite a few people were bragging about items here and there. Honestly, I was
a little worried because I thought we had invested too much gold… I wish
that such items would come out to our clan…”
“We have to make it happen, Minji. As you said, we spent more money than I
thought. Only when heroic-grade items at the minimum come out will we be
able to recover from our expenses. They said there were a total of three
chances, so our odds are good enough. And if we fail, we can think of it as a
great learning experience…”
“I think buying the potions was a good choice. I wanted to use the potion that
the Alchemist of Light sells. Of course, it would be better if nothing happens
during our raids so we won’t have to use them immediately.”
“I was right. Buying that package is a long-term advantage. We’re not going
to stop our adventurer life after this expedition, right? Since we can continue
using it, it’s definitely a profit for us. By the way, Kiyeon, does the food
here… suit your taste?”
“…”
Honestly, it didn’t suit my taste. The awkward smile seemed to be an

unspoken answer.
I could see them embarrassed.
The stupid guys who became almost like my servants were agitated, and the
female members were, once again, staring at me with contempt.
‘Ah, I made a mistake again.’
I had done something I’d be hated for.
“No. No. It’s delicious. I’m just not feeling well. We should celebrate, so
shall we make a toast?”
“That sounds good.”
“Cheers to the expedition to the Crack Museum!”

“Cheers!”
“Cheers for a successful expedition!!”
When we clinked the glasses together, I glanced towards Kook Minji, but her
atmosphere was still cold.
I guess she really hated my guts. I had no choice but to realize again that
being too modest had inevitably resulted in antagonism.
‘Well, it’s your loss.’
Even after my efforts, if she built a wall, I couldn’t do anything about it.
Naturally, I emptied my glass without any regrets.
“Whew…”
The refreshing sensation of drinking after a long time made me make a

pleasant sound unknowingly.
‘Everything is bad, but this one is quite good.’
I didn’t know who made it, but this particular dish was really delicious. The
sauce on the outside was especially excellent.
I wanted to eat it all at once, but it was impossible.
“Hmm… mhmm.”
I first caught the sauce that was about to fall off.
After that, I chomped down on it. When it was ready to some extent, I took a
big bite.
“This is really good. Hmm.”
The two men were blushing. The four women looked at me with contempt
again.
That was when I saw a group approaching our way. They were four men with
large builds.
‘What do you want?’
Naturally, I had to be bothered by their stare.
Although I had a hunch that a scene from old martial arts novels was about to
pop out, I couldn’t even imagine that it would come true.
“How about having a drink with us? What’s your name, lady?”
“Play with us instead of playing with such poor guys.”
“What’s your name? I think it’s my first time seeing you. Are you from
Lindel?”
What happened to those guys who always couldn’t get out of the same
pattern?
These two guys, who were completely ignoring the guys from our party,
didn’t seem nice.
Meanwhile, the big guy from our side, Daegun, started to frown with the
situation turning sour.
“What?”
‘Don’t act so full of bravado, Daegun. I think he’s stronger than you…’
It wasn’t possible to judge all fights with the status window, but I could still
see that the drunken dogs in front of us were more powerful than our party.
If a fight began, it would be a tie in terms of numerical superiority, but

honestly, there was no reason to fight. I refused to cause a fuss.
Lee Cheol-woo, who was next to me, was trying to mediate between them as
much as possible as if he thought the same way, but it was simply impossible.
“Let’s not do this here. Let’s go outside and talk.”
“Cheol-woo, talking won’t work with them. There will always be trashy
people like them in this society.”
“No. What did we do to be called trash? Is it such a sin to ask her to play with
us?”
“If my party member is offended, it’s a sin. Isn’t it wrong for you to talk to
someone for no specific reason? I don’t want us to touch each other.”
“We’ve spoken to that lady out of pity, but I guess she’s reacted too
sensitively.”
“What?”
“How will she stay still when it’s obvious that she’ll have a hard time with
guys like you?”
“These motherfuckers, what?”
“Daegun! Stop!”
“You want to try me? Then try me.”
“Come outside, motherfucker!”
This was indeed a volatile situation. The atmosphere was rapidly getting
more serious.
Rare-grade parties were getting out of the way, and the people’s attention was
focused on the sudden turmoil.
‘Ha… I’m really tired.’
I was naturally annoyed by the trouble I was in. I wouldn’t have to get caught
up in it if I was Light Kiyoung.
Still, I had to think that I had to solve the situation somehow before the guard
arrived.
‘I need to appease and send them back, then put a separate complaint later.’
I was just about to open my mouth when I heard someone speak.
“Physical magic.”
“Huh?”
“Backdrop.”
I could see the bully in the middle being thrown to the floor.
‘Park Deokgu, you moron!’
An unexpected hero had appeared.
“Why don’t we all just enjoy our drinks?”

Land (4)
‘It’s not physical magic. He just grabbed and turned him over…’
I found this all ridiculous. However, I also personally thought that the name
wasn’t all that bad.
The one who received the physical magic ‘backdrop’ was already on the
verge of crossing the Rainbow Bridge, all because of Park Deokgu.
‘Watching him now, he’s pretty strong.’
I already knew that Park Deokgu was much stronger than the first round.
However, when I looked up at him from below, I was able to realize once
again how strong he really was.
Those sacrificial lambs looked like such small insects in front of him, but
they were actually powerful adventurers who had risen to the heroic-grade.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that they had been above Park Deokgu
during the first round.
My jaw unknowingly dropped when he threw those people on the ground

with one cast.
I also realized how well-positioned Blue was.
Park Deokgu’s position in the Blue, which was filled with monsters, was a
meat shield.
He could be useful enough in party play, but he was weak enough to be

called a superpower in interpersonal battles.
He was far behind compared to other rivals, including Cho Hyejin, who had
gotten a unicorn and became a monster, and Kim Ye-ri, who had
immeasurable talent, but…
His ridiculous endurance stats fit perfectly to become a civilian killer.
Park Deokgu, no, Pak Sergei, was a man that was easily strong against the
weak.
“There are always people like this.”
Meanwhile, my party members were all watching with their mouths wide
open.
At that point, I thought it was time for the bullies to run away, but the guys
with higher specifications didn’t remain still.
“Who are you?”
“Physical magic. Iron skin.”
“Ahhhhhhhhh! My hand!”
“Physical magic. Iron Strong Arm.”
‘This bastard!’
With the majesty of his “physical magic,” which also seemed capable of
deflecting magic, the bullies were getting embarrassed, one by one.
Eventually, one of them tried to pull the sword from his waist.
He wanted to swing it, but the party members next to Pak Sergei didn’t let
him do that.
In the end, he wasn’t able to pull it out.
Why?
The Berserker was now crazy for blood. In less than a second, Argirmo was
holding the handle of his weapon.
“I’m warning you. If you pull it out… you’ll die.”
‘Don’t get carried away…’
He looked like an idiot, but the expression of being cool fit him perfectly.
“These shitty asses! Who do you think we are?!”
Again, a loud voice had boomed out.
It was then that the Clan Master Yetni Kova appeared.
“Dance of fascination.”
I didn’t know what kind of fascinating dance that was, but the way she
twirled around was elegant.
“Everyone! If you don’t want to be fascinated, you better look away.”
The finish was just a normal kick.
I was worried that she would end up breaking his neck, but watching his body
heave, I confirmed that he was alive… for now.
Knowing the effects of the dance of fascination, all the adventurers there
turned their heads. Still, knowing that the enchantment and the temptation
were all bullshit, I was able to see firsthand that the ordinary kick hit him
exactly on his temples.
Although she was making the sexiest pose as possible, the appearance of Kim
Ye-ri, seen through Mind’s Eyes, was ridiculous, and it made me laugh.
‘Ye-ri… what do you want to be when you grow up….? This uncle is
crying.’
It seemed that she indeed harbored a secret fantasy of becoming a Femme

Fatale.
With their efforts, the place was reorganized easily.
The bar became quiet since the trash was cleaned up before the Crack Inn
guards could even come. Everyone looked surprised.
They must have already known that those trash bullies had a certain level of
ability since they were at the level where they could roughly estimate how
strong their opponents were.
It was only natural to look like that, as they had confirmed the three newly
emerged people in the Republic with their own eyes.
Some of the strongest were watching Pak Sergei.
They probably thought it was likely to meet that day or the day after.
‘It’s fun to see how things work here like this.’
It was especially impressive that small clans united with each other and split
or fight fiercely.
I could see some people who looked like scouts whispering or blocking their
conversations with magic. They clearly didn’t want their words to leak out.
They were surely talking about the new people of the Republic.
I didn’t know which direction Yetni Kova, who had become the center of the
storm, would lead the clan in the future, but honestly, it was not something I
cared about.
Rather than that, we had to solve the situation first. Pak Sergei opened his
mouth just in time.
“Hey, I’m sorry for unexpectedly causing a fuss.”
“It’s fine. Thanks for your help.”

“It’s nothing. I’m worried that I intervened needlessly…”
“You didn’t. I wanted to avoid such friction as much as possible…”
“Aha! You are about to go on an expedition.”
“That’s true. We don’t know what will happen if we get caught in an accident
like this before an expedition. If you ever get hurt, it’s ruined. It could affect,
perhaps, the next day’s schedule. I was worried whether I really disturbed,
but that’s fortunate. So, where are you from?”
‘Why does this bastard keep talking to us?’
It would be better if he just quietly returned to his seat as soon as possible,

but instead, he kept talking.
I already knew that Park Deokgu liked to chat, but I didn’t expect him to talk
to a party he met for the first time. The Friendship Clan also didn’t seem to
think badly about his personality.
Eventually, the Clan Master opened his mouth.
“From Lindel. I guess you are the Republic’s… No, no, how about joining us
for a while, what do you think? I’d like to pay you with a meal.”
‘This kid is smart.’
Lee Cheol-woo, Master of Friendship Clan. He was reasonable in his own

way. No, it was more appropriate to say that he wasn’t one to miss
opportunities.
It was true that the Friendship Clan was a clan that could be classified as a
heroic-grade, but in their case, they were more like a newbie that had just
come up. The new people of the Republic, including Yetni Kova, had
appeared to be in a clan with a legendary-grade at hand, and it wouldn’t be
bad because of the networking.
‘He probably wants to hear information about the Crack Museum.’
Of course, this wasn’t a good situation for me.
However, I was anxious that they would grow suspicious of me.
Luckily enough, Yetni Kova and others didn’t care much about me.
“Ah… you don’t have to.”
“Since you said everyone’s drinks were on you, I’d like to serve you some
snacks.”
“Ah… well, if you talk like that, I can’t say no.”
“Thank you.”
“First, introductions. I’m Pak Sergei. This is Argirmo. And, this is our Clan
Master, Yetni Kova.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“…”
Ahn Ki-mo nodded briefly, and Kim Ye-ri nodded without responding.
It might seem a little embarrassing, but Lee Cheol-woo continued to talk after
nodding.
“I’m the Clan Master Lee Cheolwoo of the Friendship Clan from Lindel.”
“Hmm…”
“This is our clan’s Vice Clan Master Kim Daegun. This is the assassin Kook
Minji. And here…”
The eyes of the guy who was introducing the party members stayed on me at
some point.
He didn’t know how to introduce me. At this point, it was probably better for
me to introduce myself.
“I am Lee Kiyeon, who joined the Friendship Clan Party on this expedition.”
“…”
“…”
In an instant, their eyes focused on me.
In particular, the gaze of Park Deokgu, who was staring at me, was quite
suspicious.
Ahn Ki-mo was also intently looking at my face.
It didn’t matter if I got caught, but Park Deokgu’s voice echoed when I
thought that it would be nice if they pretended not to know.
“Have we seen each other before?”
“What?”
“Oh, it seems I’ve seen you somewhere… Hmm. I’ve definitely seen you…”
“You… must have mistaken me. I’ve never been outside Lindel.”
“Sniff, sniff.”
‘What? What’s he doing?’
“You smell familiar… Have we really never seen each other?”
‘Are you a dog?’
His actions made the atmosphere quite strange. At this, the Friendship Clan
members had begun to grow weary of him.
However, realizing that his actions were a mistake, he quietly picked up the
sausage in front of him and began to eat it.
Of course, he still kept glancing at me. He continued doing so while the rest
asked information about the Crack Museum.
‘This bastard is strangely fast to notice my disguise.’
Fortunately, there hadn’t been an incident in which the Gangwon-do love

doctor tried to pull a trick on me, but this definitely wasn’t a pleasant
situation.
“So… What’s the Crack Museum like?”
“It will probably be okay. We got a rare-grade sword. One heroic-grade

armor came out, but I honestly thought that even if it were this much, it
would’ve been already worth it. But a legendary-grade necklace… Honestly,
I’m not saying I couldn’t even imagine.”
“If it’s okay, can you tell me about the difficulty level?”
“Oh, come to think of it, you must have applied for heroic-grade. Am I
right?”
“Yes. That’s right. We’re still in the beginning, but I thought this was the best
place to gain experience.”
“The difficulty level won’t be too hard. It was a little insufficient for us. In
fact, we also wanted to enter the legendary-grade, but… we don’t have the
level to go to the legendary grade… Still, we will probably be able to enter
next time. I will be able to become stronger based on this item I got today.”
His role was definitely a decoy.
The way he said he could get stronger while shaking the necklace without
context was proof of that. Perhaps he had received a mission from Lee Jihye
to show off the legendary items.
Although it was just a show-off, the Friendship Clan members looked

envious. The fact that a legendary necklace appeared in a heroic-grade
dungeon…
‘It’s ridiculous.’
They had already heard about it through publicity, but they had actually
confirmed it with their own eyes.
I had a semi-mythical-grade item a while ago, and I was fed up with the name
‘legendary-grade,’ but legendary-grades were by no means negligible.
There were not so many legendary-grade items in the Blue Guild.
People like Ahn Ki-mo and Sun Hee-young weren’t legendary item holders.
It was a supreme treasure that was too valuable to have a proper monetary
value; it was a cheat that could help anyone become a powerful individual,
just by equipping it.
It wasn’t just those on Earth who were enthusiastic about lottos.
“There are probably thousands of items in the Crack Museum. I don’t know
why it keeps them, but one thing I can be sure of is that the quantity of items
is fixed.”
“Ah…”
“Want to know what it means to have a limited number? The owners of

legendary-grade items stored in the Crack Museum are the ones that had gone
first and took them. Of course, the odds are low, but it’s gambling that’s well
worth it. Usually, adventurers get stuck in front of a heroic-grade wall where
they feel like they can no longer grow. These items are helpful in those
situations.”
“I see.”
“There is an opportunity for ordinary adventurers like us to step up. That

alone makes the Crack Museum worth it.”
‘This is convincing. You bastard, you’re so good at talking.’

“And… all the expenses paid here are military funds for the future.”
“What?”
“Everything we consume now… in fact, they are funds to fight for the
continent.”
“Ah…”
“You have probably heard of it – the threat that’s looming on the horizon.”
“I’ve certainly heard of it, but that…”
“It’s not rumor or bullshit. The thing that threatens the continent exists.”
Park Deokgu said this with a heavy voice that didn’t seem to have a single
hint of falsehood. He also had an expression that looked like he was carrying
a very big burden.
At this, I suddenly remembered that Park Deokgu was practically someone

who had been given three lifetimes to go through.
‘How many times has it been for this pig bastard?’

Chapter 442 Modest Image (1)
Chapter 442: Modest Image (1)
“That’s…”
“Yes. This is what our hyung– no– the Blue Vice Guild Master and Honorary
Cardinal of the State, Lee Kiyoung, has said. There is indeed a threat looming
over the horizon.”
“…”
“Ignorant guys like us didn’t know. I also don’t know what’s going on in this
place where peace has come after the war… Given the current situation of the
continent, that’s not necessarily an absurd lie. Some quests were jammed out
of nowhere, and the dungeons began to restrict us from entering. The State
and the Republic, the United Kingdom, and even the Interracial Union are
uniting for a common goal.”
“That…”
“Let’s not force ourselves to create an atmosphere in our attempts to calm the
chaotic continent. Let’s not pressure ourselves with the sudden news, either.
Many large guilds and nations are already training to prepare against these
threats. Because of that, lots of confidential conversations are already being
held. More information will probably be released as more time passes, right?”
“Are the demonic dungeons’ rise the aftereffect of the Demon Summoner Jin
Qing’s capture?”
“I think we can put it that way. That being said, the current status is that our
clan, who had been dormant so far, also appeared this time because we
couldn’t ignore the continent’s crisis. It’s our home anyway. We should try to
save it much as we can.”
“It feels like I’ve heard a very serious story. I feel ashamed. Our clan only
thought about making a living to survive…”
“Well, that’s what everyone does, don’t they? That just makes Honorary
Cardinal Lee Kiyoung even more amazing. He doesn’t care about himself.”
“You seem to know him well.”
“Yes, I do. That isn’t everything, even. Crack Land is also in the business of
losing money. Rumors say that he is starting this with a debt to the
Republic… How tight would it be to collect military funds there? Think
about it.”
“Hmm…”
“Imagine if the friendship Clan Master is in the position of the Blue Guild,
Black Swan, Red Mercenary, or another large guild. Would you open the
Crack Museum to civilians?”
“That’s…”
“Some would have made that choice, but I can assure you that not most will.
If you can get items from it with only the parties that belong to several large
guilds right now, why would you lend the dungeon filled with honey? Which
madman would give others a chance to become stronger on the continent? I
mean, it’s pretty obvious as to why he did that. He thought that the balanced
growth of the continent is the top priority. Our Honorary Cardinal must have
thought so!”
“Balanced growth…”
“That’s right! This is balanced growth. Experiences and items that can be
obtained in dungeons. In any case, this is a business that the dungeon where
the officials would be at a deficit. That’s why we are here. What can we do?
We can become stronger and provide help to the threat that will arise later.
That’s why our clan came to the Crack Museum. That’s probably why
everyone did. Am I right, everyone?!”
“You’re good at talking, Pak Sergei! Although you’re a Republican, you’re

saying great things!”
“Of course, I do! Absolutely! Come here and get a drink!”
“That’s right! You are absolutely right!”
The guy’s voice made the entire bar buzz again as he asked for their opinions.
Most adventurers nodded at Pak Sergei’s remarks. There were even parties
that applauded and cheered at his words.
He seemed to be exhibiting drunken behaviors with a red face, but people

like him usually ended up helping a lot in such a place. I was worried that this
would break my reputation, but I had soon become confident that that would
never happen.
‘This pig bastard really….’
‘Are you really not a regressor?’
I thought about it without even realizing it. I had joked about it, but
somehow, I also felt suspicious of what happened. The power of that pig,
which proved to be insanely useful when it wasn’t needed, was indeed
outstanding.
Of course, he usually trolled about things, but he always came through for me
without fail during the moments when I really needed him.
That role was also included having to advertise the Crack Museum, and it
didn’t seem like that was the end.
I didn’t know what Lee Jihye ordered him to do, but I felt like he was doing
more than the minimum.
After about 40 minutes of socializing, he began to address the party. It had

given off the hint to wrap up the conversation.
“Ahem. I’ve stayed for too long. It would be better for me to go.”
His manner of farewell was a bit too unpredictable, but I couldn’t say I was
surprised. He knew that our party was going on an expedition tomorrow, so
this must be out of consideration.
He understood that it would be hard for the Friendship clan to end the
conversation.
‘Look at his kindness…’
It was what made people respect him. There was gratitude in Lee Cheol-
woo’s eyes, as if realizing the favor he did.
“We have to prepare for tomorrow too… Thank you so much for your good
words today and for your help, Pak Sergei.”
“Adventurers should help each other, after all.”
It was quite a heartwarming scene.
“Let’s go, Kiyeon.”
“Yes. Cheol-woo.”
Seniors and juniors greeted each other and bid their farewells.
Personally, it was a bit of an uncomfortable meeting, but at least it was

helpful for the Friendship Clan. Not only did they get a lot of information,
but they were also able to get the right thoughts and mindsets.
‘Right. Absolutely. Opportunities like this are uncommon.’
I also waved at them, joining the group in saying goodbye. Pak Sergei looked
at me with a strange expression before nodding.
“I’ll see you again later.”
It felt like I had passed the crisis safely. However, I quickly realized that it
was just a personal wish.
Knock, knock-
Soon, I heard someone knocking on my door.
When I opened the door, I saw Ahn Ki-mo and Park Deokgu shaking a filled
bottle.
In particular, Park Deokgu was looking at me with a dog-like expression.
“Come in.”
He had a big smile.
“Long time no see, hyung-nim.”
It did feel like it had been a long time.
***
“Why didn’t Ye-ri come?”
“She didn’t come because of the fascination dance. She’s probably mortified
of it by now. Anyway, why is your room so small? Can you move to a bigger
place?”
“No. This is enough. It’s uncomfortable, but… it would be funny to change

rooms now. I’ve already unpacked all my luggage here.”
“Well, okay then. By the way… according to what you said, are you here as
Lee Kiyeon for inspection or something?”
Hmm. Yeah. Actually, I was just trying to do a simple disguise, but I think
it’s hard to remain incognito with that. This body isn’t as uncomfortable as I
thought it would be.”
“Somehow, you have a face that feels familiar. No, the face is subtly
different, but the smell is similar.”
“What smell?”
“Well, your smell. The faint smell of medicine, as well as the smell of a
mixture of this and that…”
“You noticed me only with that?”
“There is actually something else! The bag! Seeing that bag you carry every
day, I thought of you immediately. And the name is too similar! Honestly, I
didn’t know at all at first, but when I thought it might be you, everything just
strangely fitted perfectly! You can fool a ghost, but you can’t fool Park
Deokgu’s eyes!”
“…”
“Can I call you nuna from now on?”
“Nuna, my ass. Just call me as usual. Ahn Ki-mo, make yourself comfortable.
It’s been a long time since we drank together.”
“Thank you, Vice Guild Master. By the way, I was really surprised. I didn’t
even imagine that you would turn out to be so beautiful. If you hadn’t really
given a hint with your bag, we wouldn’t even realize it was you.”
“I will take that as a compliment. How’s the guild?”
“It’s the same. Since this project takes a lot of work, we’re extremely busy
maintaining and repairing it. There are more things to do than I expected. The
same goes for the Guild Master. He’s still very busy. Oh! I haven’t contacted
the Guild Master yet. Should I call him here? Or even Hayan…”
“No. You don’t have to do that. They’re busy, and I don’t want to bother
them. I hope you keep this matter between you two, and Ye-ri.”
‘Never let Jung Hayan know…’
“I thought so. I already told Ye-ri that in advance.”
‘Thank you, Ki-mo.’
“My lips are sealed. Trust me.”

‘I don’t believe you. Bastard.’
He took an oath as he pounded his chest, but I was scared that he would run
in and report it to Jung Hayan.
Of course, I could tell that Park Deokgu wasn’t a tattletale, but it was also
undeniable that he was extremely talkative when he was around Jung Hayan.
I had no choice but to change the topic in a hurry before it could be further
discussed.
“But why did you pick up that kind of disguise? Physical Wizard… and
what’s up with the blood-mad Berserker, Ki-mo?”
“Ahem. I’m feeling ashamed. It’s a role I’ve always wanted to play… Still, I
am comforting myself by saying that it seems a little better than the dance of
fascination.”
“Certainly, that… was a little too much. Ye-ri, that little kid is so shameless. I
will have to conduct a sex education class at the Blue Guild soon.”
Ahn Ki-mo, who had taken this as a joke, spat the drink out.
The overall atmosphere turned out to be pretty good, the three of us sitting in
a small room and chit-chatting. It certainly felt like it had been a long time
since I had spent time like that.
In particular, I couldn’t even remember when I had a drink with Park

Deokgu. The way he kept talking nonstop was enough to make me bored, but
not that time since we
“Is your wound okay?”
“Well, since my body is healthy and strong, then I’m fine. More importantly,
are you okay? I heard that even a Templar had come…”
“I’m physically fine. I was a little tired, but it seemed to be because of

that…”
We asked each other’s regards.
“Vice Guild Master, when will you finish this?”
“I’m just going to go in and out of the dungeon. It won’t take long.”
“Hmm… I see. For some reason, it’s too bad to end this meeting like this.
What do you think about having another drink with us after you’re done with
all your work?”
“I’m definitely up for it.”
“Sure.”
We continued talking about useless things.
I, too, didn’t want to end the good time after a long time. As I looked outside,
I realized that it was already dawn.
After realizing that I would sleep only for a few hours now, I was stunned for
a second, but I could still sleep for about four to five hours.
‘I can take the fatigue recovery potion.’
Ahn Ki-mo started to open his mouth when he noticed I was sleepy. He
seemed to have realized now that it was better to leave.
“Let’s go, Deokgu. He is going to the dungeon tomorrow, and it seems that
we have taken much time off the Vice Guild Master.”
“Ahem. Ah, it’s too bad to end this like this… hyung-nim, let’s just stay for
another hour.”
“We can do this after I come back. I also want to be with you, but I’m so
tired I can’t stand it.”
“Then, it can’t be helped, but…”
“Get out, you bastard. Let me sleep.”

When I pushed him away, he reluctantly stood up.
“Then, Vice Guild Master, see you soon.”
“Well, call me if you need anything. I will come running.”
“Okay.”
As I was about to open the door and see them off, I heard a voice.
“Ah.”
As I turned my head naturally, I saw a woman from the Friendship Clan.
I didn’t know why she was out at a time like that, but I could see her looking
at Argirmo and me with a shocked look.
As soon as she checked out Pak Sergei popping out of the room, deep disgust
began to permeate her face. It was as if she was looking at an insect, or like
she was looking at human trash that couldn’t be cleaned up.
The moment I realized the misunderstanding, I swallowed hard.
“…”
“…”
“You seem to be misunderstanding something…”
The crazy bitch who had joined them had now dragged two men into a room
a day before the expedition.
That was the moment when my image was solidified from Light Kiyeon to
Bitch Kiyeon.
I saw her closing the door in a hurry as if she saw something she shouldn’t
have.
‘My modest image is over, fuck.’

I heard the sound of the modest behavior that I had built up so far collapsing
from a single mistake.
Chapter 443 Crack Museum
Remodeling (1)
Chapter 443: Crack Museum Remodeling (1)
[You have entered the unrated dungeon Crack Museum.]
[No population limit had been detected.]
[Unrated forced quest is activated.]
[Quest: Museum Tour (0/1)]
Honestly, that was all my hard work down the drain.
‘Fuck… pig bastard. You ran away without fixing this situation at all.’
Actually, I didn’t have the time to worry about him. As soon as I got up in the
morning, I had to run wildly into the museum.
The contemptuous gazes of the four women were enough to make me feel
daunted.
I wanted to clear up the misunderstanding from yesterday, but I couldn’t even

do that. It was because I felt them consciously avoiding me as if they saw me
like a dirty insect.
I didn’t know if Lee Cheol-woo and Kim Daegun had heard the news, but
when I saw them approaching casually, it felt like they either didn’t believe it
or they didn’t hear about it.
They might have also thought it didn’t really matter, but from my
perspective, it felt like they didn’t know about it yet.
The more they treated me kindly, the more contemptuous their gazes became.
I wanted to start things in a good mood, but I didn’t think it would go so
smoothly.
‘That’s not what happened… I’m Light Kiyeon, not Bitch Kiyeon…’
I kept muttering this inside, but it felt like an empty echo. In that sense,
entering the museum was a good breakthrough. Everyone belonging to the
party had been distracted by the new environment.
It was a familiar status window and a familiar background. However, it felt

subtly different.
That was only natural. The Crack Museum, an unrated dungeon, had been
reborn as a new place in such a way that it had become completely familiar to
commoners.
One of the first things I noticed was that it finally had a truly museum-like
appearance, unlike before when it had looked dull.
The second was that the population limit had been removed. It felt like there
were more than hundreds of parties gathered in the large space.
Considering our party started in another room, I thought more people were in
the museum. It was also true that I thought we would start the battle
immediately.
However, Max, who felt proud of the Crack Museum, didn’t stick to that
format. Since it was his hobby to show off how great the collection inside
was, the battle only began after that display.
It was just as I heard from Pak Sergei and Argirmo.
The parties without prior information about it looked startled, but most
seemed familiar as if they knew it. Rumors had already been spread about the
inside of the large cave.
Lee Cheol-woo spoke to me as soon as I started to appreciate the sight.
“This is amazing. It’s definitely… really great.”

“Yes. I feel that way too. Honestly, I didn’t think I would see such a sight.”
‘I did put in a lot of effort.’
Items and monsters were all displayed in the stylish exhibition hall. In a place
where people gathered, the exhibition was decorated so exquisitely that it
could be called the main attraction.
The four members, including Kook Minji, were also busy exploring the
museum feverously.
For a moment, it seemed that yesterday’s events had all been forgotten.
It was then that the eyes of all the party members who were observing the
museum focused on one place.
-Welcome to the Crack Museum, adventurers. I’m Max, the dungeon

manager.
The voice came from somewhere not far away. As I turned my head
naturally, I finally saw my son after a long time.
[Checking the information of the dungeon manager Max.]
[The legendary-grade attribute, the Mind’s Eyes, is reading the dungeon

manager’s hologram.]
[Manager Max’s hologram]
[It is an agglomerate of magic power created by manager Max. Since it is a

virtual image without a substance, the status window and information
window can’t be checked. Limited access to information in the museum.]
‘This is also the same.’
This was but a dummy, but it was still nice to see him.
I remembered him crying with Tol To-ri, not wanting me to leave. He looked
so stern, so in a way, it felt very cute.
-I see that many adventurers came to visit us today as well. Here are a few
things you should be aware of, along with some precautions before your
museum exploration begins. The exploration you so desire takes place after a
tour of the museum with this general knowledge. After viewing the exhibits,
you will be scattered per party to experience the museum yourself, so please
be aware of losing party members whilst looking around.
-Ah! As a reference, I will tell you in advance, but you will get a penalty if
you touch the exhibition hall carelessly. For some items, we are taking tough
measures such as exit measures, so please be careful.
“Yes.”
What a good host. Although he was a museum manager, he looked like the
perfect guide.
Unlike the former Max, who was forced to pretend to be stern, he had a little
cuteness with him.
-Before giving a full explanation, we need to find out about our museum’s
history, right? The Crack Museum is an even older place than you can
imagine. It is a place created by the Crack Guardians to seal the crack and to
remember it. For a long, innumerable time, the Crack Guardians have locked
themselves in this place and focused solely on sealing it. All items or
creatures managed by the Crack Museum have come through the crack. Of
course, some things had come in since then, items made by the museum and
chimeras, but the Crack Museum’s basic characteristics were this.
“It’s uncanny.”
-The Crack Guardians have dedicated their all to sealing the crack. However,
they have always worried about the balance or invisible threats ever since.
That’s why they said that we should always be alert about cracks and why
they created this museum. That’s also why most of the rewards of exploring
the museum are made up of weapons called treasures.
Everyone was looking around, amazed. They probably couldn’t help but look
like that.
Most of the people who lived on the continent wouldn’t even know what a
crack was. The fact that the Crack Guardians protected the continent far
longer than I could count without releasing anything into the world was quite
a feat.
To them, everything here would be amazing.
Of course, since I had come there more than once, I, a level 4 manager of the
Crack Museum, knew about it all. I wasn’t that surprised.
However, when a new structure appeared, my jaw naturally dropped open.
-Could you look to your left for a moment? Museum explorers, I’m a bit
embarrassed, but I want you all to meet my mother and father, who gave me
my existence.
‘Why am I there?’
Metel the Crack Guardian and I were close to each other, crossing our arms
together. And even…
‘Why is the Guardian Metel pregnant?’
My jaw dropped.
“Isn’t that the Honorary Cardinal?”
“It must be someone who looks like him. He said that that happened at a time
longer than they could count… The outfit and style are completely different.”
“Is it?”
“He said it was a Crack Guardian. He must be a person who resembles him.”
-Although they don’t exist now.
‘Do not kill me at your leisure, son.’
-They are alive in my heart.

-Guardian Metel, my mother and father did their best to develop and manage
the Crack Museum. If it weren’t for them, the Crack Museum and I wouldn’t
exist. Of course, even the current continent would’ve ceased to exist.
I felt so disconcerted that I couldn’t help but laugh.
In particular, the pregnant Guardian Metel was the best. The statue in my
shape began to move slowly and then began to stroke her belly. He even
kissed it.
Bringing his ears to the belly made him look extremely devoted to Metel.
‘It’s a golem.’
The way those sculptures exchanged lovely eyes with each other made me
feel like there was real affection between them.
‘Max… who told you to make something like this. Who… asked for a soul
wedding… Max! Dad is a person too! A person!’
Even if I had never touched her hand, I had somehow made Metel pregnant.
All I ever did was look at her face once.
If Jung Hayan were looking at that, she would chant a spell out of the blue to
destroy the statue.
Although I felt disconcerted, I also felt somehow bitter. It was because I

could understand why my son made it.
‘I’ll have to hug him after this is over.’
I pledged to have some more father and son time with him.
Looking at Max’s dummy, he looked embarrassed due to his blush. I thought

he would be actually ashamed too.
‘I’m sorry that I’ve been a horrible father…’

-Well, shall we move on? The items next to you are legendary-grade items.
There is a lot of time, so please take a look slowly. Once again, for caution’s
sake, all items on display are protected by the system. Please be mindful of
your own actions so as not to engage in dishonest behavior.
“Wow.”
“Look at this. This… Cheol-woo!”
“Kiyeon, come here. There are staffs like this too.”
“Oh, yes.”
‘I’ve already seen everything, Cheol-woo. So, deal with the guys talking to
you.’
“It is a legendary-grade staff. It really has a legendary-grade item. It’s also

listed in the museum catalog.”
-Legendary-grade items have a very low probability of being looted in

heroic-grade dungeons and a low probability in legendary-grade dungeons.
Heroic-grade items can be looted with a low probability in rare-grade
dungeons and with normal probability in dungeons of the same grade.
Additionally, there are also mass-produced heroic-grade items sold on the
market, so please keep that in mind.
“Look at this! It’s a mythic-grade hammer. Daegun, isn’t this something that
can’t be priced?”
“Kiyeon, take a look at these robes here. It’s an item that appears in Heroic-
grade difficulty, but it seems to have a pretty good chance of dropping.”
‘The same goes for you. Kim Daegun, you bastard.’
-These are legendary-grade monsters. We also have three mythic-grade

creatures, but please understand that except for the mythic-grade monster you
are seeing, it is difficult to find the two species as they currently require
extreme attention.
‘It’s been a while since I saw this one too…’
Even though I saw it before, I couldn’t get used to it.
It was a monster with green skin sitting in a chair made of weapons. It had
huge horns, a huge tail, and seven weapons floating around.
It was exactly the way I saw it last time.
The humans surrounding it were all swallowing hard. They must be thinking
the same thing I did when I first saw it.
‘How do we beat that…?’
It was an overwhelming existence. This was a monster that ordinary human

common sense couldn’t seem to understand.
That monster wasn’t even genuine, but a well-made counterfeit.
Max smiled as if he had got in a better mood when he saw them murmuring.
-You probably can’t deal with mythic-grade creatures. Ahem. There was a
little accident last time… Originally, mythic-grade should also be included in
your expedition, but um… thank you for your understanding.
With the authority of the museum’s level 4 manager, I had completely sealed
them. Those kinds of creatures shouldn’t appear in the world.
Come to think of it, when I came last time, I couldn’t see that green monster
with my Mind’s Eyes.
‘Didn’t it say it didn’t have the level to do that? I think it will work now…’
My Mind’s Eyes had grown, and my class had already been rated as a semi-
mythic.
In some ways, we were on similar levels.
As I was trying to activate my Mind’s Eyes, there was a pain in my shoulder.

Even my body was pushed forward. As I turned my head reflexively, I could
see Kook Minji’s gang. Far from apologetic, they pretended not to notice
how they had just pushed me and chattered with each other.
‘Don’t let my personality come out… bitches.’
Little by little, I was about to cut off my patience.

Chapter 444 The First To Cry Will
Survive (1)
Chapter 444: The First To Cry Will Survive (1)
To think that they would go so far as to bully me…
Perhaps the event last night turned out to be the decisive factor for them. It
had ruined my entire image, after all.
Honestly, even I would have taken the same action. From their perspective,
the expedition would be a big event that could determine the clan’s future
direction.
Instead of having a good rest and saving energy, the new member had come
to seduce two bigshots. Such an act would undoubtedly deserve criticism.
If they had made such an issue a little bigger, it would be enough for me to be
expelled from the party immediately, and even become material for public
discussion of other groups. I wouldn’t have anything to defend myself with.
If I had been a Friendship Clan member, I would have been fired, or had
received an appropriate penalty.
It seemed that there had been some misunderstanding, but even considering
that wouldn’t be enough to label me as clueless.
‘Fuck…’
However, it was unexpected that they would reveal hostility in such an

outright manner. Even the expressions on their faces mocked me. I didn’t
know what they were planning, but they seemed happy with the thought of
screwing me up.
Honestly, I didn’t like that face. I wasn’t used to being messed with.
“Pff.”
“Pfff.”
“Kukuku.”
My ears rang with their obnoxiously mocking laughter.
“Phew.”
I didn’t want to play along with their joke, but my annoyance was now
rapidly rising.
‘These bitches…’
As I looked ahead, I could see the people already chatting away from a
distance. In the meantime, Max continued to give details about the museum.
He couldn’t even imagine that his father would be getting a blow in the
shoulder there.
‘It’s enough for everyone to notice…’
Perhaps, if he slowly looked at the members one by one, he would be able to

notice that I was Lee Kiyoung.
Considering that he had discovered that Kim Hyunsung was unusual and that
I had special eyes, I thought he would indeed notice. However, as he was
trying to take care of a huge number of people at once, he had no time to
actually take a look.
Anyone could see that the situation was hectic, so it was understandable as a
whole.
‘He seems a little bit excited too…’
He looked thrilled since he had said all he wanted to say, and the museum
explorers were responding well. There was even someone taking notes of
what Max said as if he was studying. There was also a guy who was
sketching the monsters and items in the museum’s exhibits.
They probably intended to acquire as much information as they could about

this place, seeing as they would come back more times in the future.
Of course, there weren’t only people who were studying like them.
A fairly high percentage of individuals leaned forward from place to place,

acting as if they were really in a museum.
No dungeon revealed the rewards in advance. Depending on the dungeon’s

naming and rank, we could only predict what kind of items would come out,
but there was no place to display them openly, like the Crack Museum.
It was natural for adventurers who were interested in the rewards to look
around excitingly.
“Look over there.”
“It would be hard to get something like this…”
“It’s if it’s a continent-style weapon, but I want to try it out. I’m also curious
about what it has as special abilities…”
“I don’t think we could sell it… Let’s see if there’s anything else we can aim
for.”
Everyone had a serious look on their faces.
Max smiled heartily. The museum had instantly boomed. The reaction of the
visitors inspired him. The way his voice became even more cheerful and
determined during the speech was interesting to watch.
In short, this was our usual Max.
“Are the items displayed all that can be looted?”
-Of course, the items here are not all that you can find. Our Crack Museum
continues to collect items that can be said to have high historical value. For
example, relic-grade items spread across the continent. Most of the things
worth preserving are kept in the museum. Of course, such items are also
included in the reward list. There are probably things you’d be surprised to
find.
“I see…”
-There’s no need to worry. Items specially made by our museum also covers
the issue of item insufficiency. Do you have any other questions?
“What about the exact probability…?”
-It’s difficult to give you a definite answer. Those are the things that the
Crack Guardians have designated themselves… However, I can tell you that
everything is done randomly, and we will be giving you additional
opportunities if you wish. Oh! It’s about time to start exploring the museum. I
wish I could stay all day with all of you, but if we wait a little more, the
people who will come in will be put on hold… All explorers present must
move in accordance with the Golem’s orders. Please be careful not to lose or
mix party members. If you don’t follow the orders, you might be forced to
leave.
“Kiyeon, this way.”
“Yes, Cheol-woo.”
“Let’s move as quickly as we can.”
“Don’t block the way! The legendary-grade dungeon parties will go first.”
As if the comment about being forced to leave left a lasting impression, the
people moved quickly.
They wouldn’t want to be kicked out since it was an expensive dungeon.
I would never get used to witnessing the adventurers stand in an orderly

manner under the guidance of the magic golem. The party members looking
around the exhibition hall had now gathered together and were guided to their
seats.
Of course, our party was no exception.
Kim Daegun, who was looking at the warrior items from a distance, and the
four female members, who seemed to have something planned, also
approached Lee Cheol-woo.
“Minji, have you already organized the list of items?”
“Yes. I checked all the things I thought were useful, but not all since we
didn’t have time. But it doesn’t seem like it would cause any significant
result. The items displayed in the main exhibition hall probably can’t be
easily looted. The same goes for monsters. I was worried about what to do if
a legendary-grade monster or a mythic-grade monster appeared, but it looks
like there’s no probability of that happening, or if there is, it would be slim.
“Okay. Good work.”
“No, no, it’s only my job.”
“It looks like we should wait for now. According to what I heard yesterday,
we might have some spare time. It would be better to prepare for battle from
now on. We should prepare some light snacks as well. Before entering, check
your equipment in advance. Even though we’ve already checked everything
in the morning.”
“There may be people who haven’t checked because they didn’t have time. I
think it’s good to have such free time like this. Right, Kiyeon?”
Since she looked at me while she said that, it sounded like she was attacking
me. No, since she had called my name in the first place, I was certain that she
was indeed trying to hit me.
‘I didn’t have time indeed.’
However, I was curious about her intention to say it while we were waiting
for our turn to enter the museum in earnest.
‘Fuck… perhaps…’
Kim Daegun and Lee Cheol-woo still didn’t feel anything strange.
However, when I saw the four people holding back their laughter as much as
possible, I already knew what they were thinking.
‘Satan is an angel compared to you guys… you’re all trying to kick me out.’
I was sure they planned to push me out right before entering.
‘Don’t you need a wizard?’
To be precise, they might have thought that, at this point, they didn’t need
me. From their point of view, Light Kiyeon was nothing but a freeloader.
Hearing the story from Pak Sergei yesterday, they might have decided that
the attack was possible with six people, or at least trusted the adventure
insurance. There was that or they might have found another wizard, but my
conclusion was that they thought they would be able to adapt even if things
went south.
This all felt so ridiculous to me. It was because I could see what their
intention was for testing me out.
‘So, they want me to suffer.’
That was the reason why the female members didn’t talk to Lee Cheol-woo
and Kim Daegun about it. They would’ve wanted to screw me up in a more
decisive moment.
If they were professionals at it, that was definitely something they would’ve
at least considered. This was no big deal, but obviously, it didn’t feel very
pleasant.
‘Are you even humans?’
Good adventurers shouldn’t be treated the way they were treating me. Once
again, Kook Minji opened her mouth when I was about to speak.
“But boys… aren’t you smelling rotten seafood?”

“I think something smells rotten. It’s like a strange fishy smell… It smells a
little bit worse than that, actually. It’s like a rotten squid… ugh… It’s really
dirty and disgusting. Am I the only one who can smell it?”
“I can smell it, too.”
“Me too.”
“Bleargh. Ugh…”
“…”
Kim Daegun and Lee Cheol-woo seemed worried that they had eaten
something wrong, but they would soon find out what that was all about.
“Boys.”
“What’s going on? Just say it.”
“I don’t know. You’d better ask her. I think the strange smell comes from
that one.”
“What?”
“Minji, watch your tongue. How many times do I have to tell you not to
speak that way?!”
“I’m not saying that for no reason, Cheol-woo. I have a basis for my claims.
She is neither an adventurer nor anything valuable in the first place. She’s a
gold digger trying to get a free ride in life. Does she really need to enter with
us? No. We wasted time in getting her. It would be much more helpful to
have her kicked out…”
“Minji!”
“From the beginning, Lee Kiyeon wasn’t taking this expedition seriously.
Her only purpose is to somehow flirt with you guys to clear her identity. It
would only be harder for us if we enter the dungeon with a person who’s
selling their body and soul.”
“Apologize right now.”
“No. I don’t want to apologize. Ask her about what happened yesterday.”
“What?”
“Because Mijeong saw her at dawn yesterday.”
“What in the world did she see?”
“Pak Sergei and Argirmo. They came out of that woman’s room.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. I saw it with my own eyes, Cheol-woo, Daegun. I even made eye
contact with her.”
“…”
“…”
“Er, I mean, that’s a misunderstanding…”
“What would members of the opposite sex be doing during the night? Were
you even aware that we were on the verge of an expedition, Kiyeon? Or
maybe it just didn’t matter? You’re really healthy, I guess. When we were
marching, you didn’t stop whining, yet you suddenly had the strength to play
with two men. How much did they pay you? How much did you get for doing
that? No, how did you get a secret rendezvous in the first place? Is there a
community of body sellers? I also tried to tolerate you as much as I could.
The atmosphere was good, and I didn’t want to spoil it like this, but that was
too much. I’m saying it because I can’t stand it anymore. Dungeons like this
are for adventurers, not for people like you.”
“Listen…”
“What would you like to do? Would you like to go out yourself, or should I
drag you out myself?”
‘Fuck.’
Naturally, I took a look around.
The first step was to figure out what the public’s opinion was like.
I first checked the two men who would be my strength.
However, Lee Cheol-woo and Kim Daegun both harbored strange faces.
I didn’t know about Kook Minji, but it seemed that the woman called
Mijeong wasn’t someone who lied.
They looked at me as if they were waiting for an explanation.
Twenty-seven years of political life. I didn’t even imagine I’d be put in a

corner politically in a place like that.
Of course, there was a way out.
However, before I could even organize my thoughts, my eyes were already

prepared to execute my plan.
I did it almost unconsciously.
“Sniff. Sniff.”
I heard a different type of cry coming from me.
‘The one who cries first will survive for sure…’
Within half a second, the crocodile tears began to pour.
“Sniff…”
Chapter 445 The First To Cry
Survives (2)
Chapter 445: The First To Cry Survives (2)
That wasn’t the only option.
However, before I could even begin to formulate a judgment, the liquid

coming out of my eyes told me that this would be the closest answer. I
couldn’t make another choice by then.
As thick crocodile tears poured down, I looked at the agitated faces of Lee
Cheol-woo and Kim Daegun. They looked as if they were confused about
what to do.
“I mean…”
“Ha…”
I also noticed the darkening faces of the four female members.
They looked as if they were asking what the hell I was doing. They had
obviously didn’t expect me to do this – the first to cry is always the one who
survives, wasn’t it?
They seemed to be reading the atmosphere and maintaining their ground.
‘If you’re not sure, don’t bet on your victory, bitches.’
I was sure that this wasn’t what they had been picturing.
They would have thought that everything would go smoothly after such a big
humiliation. After receiving the support of Lee Cheol-woo and Kim Daegun,
she would’ve suggested officially kicking me out from the party, and if that
weren’t possible, she might have come out somewhat stubborn.
It was about time I made all of their plans collapse in one blow.
My cry, which sounded so sorrowful, filled the quiet hall.
‘It even sounds sad to my own ears.’
“Sniff.”
Of course, what they chose to go for was a hard line of policy as expected.
A sharp voice echoed again.
“Wow, really… unbelievable. What makes you think you deserve to cry?”
“Sniff…”
“Do you think anything will change? It’s really ridiculous.”
“Isn’t she a completely crazy bitch? That one.”
“I really… phew.”
However, there was no way their tactics would work.
Lee Cheol-woo and Kim Daegun were already under the influence of my
skill.
The way they were blocking me from them, stronger than the Berlin Wall and
Castle Rock’s Wall, felt like I could troll any way I wanted, and they would
still protect me until the end.
Even though public opinion was already moving in favor of me, I was still
grateful that she also chose to harshly shout at me.
At that moment, I realized that the tactic to disguise myself as a victim

thoroughly was much more effective using the body of Light Kiyeon, rather
than the body of Light Kiyoung.
“What do you think you guys are doing?”

“We’ve already told you. She’s not the kind of person you think she is. It was
weird from the beginning. She applied for a party without bringing anything.
Are you telling me to go to the dungeon with a woman like that? It’s
dangerous as it is. She won’t be any help.”
“How many times have I not told you not to mess around, Minji?”
“But I’m not. I’m doing this because I think it’ll help the party. You are just
being fooled.”
“Kiyeon, are you okay? Calm down…”
“Sniiff.”
I listened to them talking loudly as I ensured that my tears wouldn’t stop

pouring.
Lee Cheol-woo comforted me as Kim Daegun confronted the rest of the

party. The old proverb that said whoever cried first never lost had once again
stuck itself into my heart.
“Wow, this is really absurd. Really.”
“Are you really going to go down this path?”
“Kook Minji.”
“It’s not our fault! You’ve heard the story before, right?”
“You must have misunderstood something. Kiyeon is not that kind of

person.”
‘How can you say I’m not that kind of person if you don’t know me, Cheol-
woo? Still, thank you. I won’t forget this. But you can’t trust people too
easily.’
“Misunderstanding, my ass. Mijeong has confirmed it with her own eyes.

Hey, Kiyeon. Am I wrong? Didn’t you run into her this morning?”
That was where my words would matter.
Of course, this was a little far-fetched, but the appropriate excuses were
already prepared.
“I-I just received an offer…sniff… to join the clan. I was also surprised…
what you’re thinking… sniff… didn’t happen. It didn’t…”
‘It wasn’t me that was obscene, but the dirty thoughts in your head.’
“A clan recruitment offer at dawn? Who would believe such an excuse…”
‘You’re asking who? Your boys would.’
“He said we would leave early in the morning… sniff!”
“Can you please speak in a way we can understand?”
“Sorry. Sniff. I-I’m sorry.”
“No. It’s not something you should be sorry for.”
“Sorry. I’m… sorry…”
I was actually developing a sore throat. Nobody who witnessed the scene
could say that I was acting.
It was unfair that the sounds of me crying were blocking every word I said.
Of course, I knew I also looked silly. It must’ve felt frustrating how I

couldn’t speak properly because I couldn’t control my feelings.
Lee Cheol-woo and Kim Daegun were busy trying to appease Light Kiyeon,
as if something really did go wrong.
“You don’t have to tell me.”
“How can you believe her? Do you really think they came to make a
recruitment offer at dawn? Why weren’t the Clan Master with them if they’re
recruiting new clan members? You can’t expect us to believe that, right? Do
you know how ridiculous that sounds?”
“I’m sorry. Sniff. I… I was wrong.”
“It’s not Kiyeon’s fault. You don’t have to apologize.”
“No… I was wrong…”
‘I deserve justice.’
‘This is Light Kiyeon!’
“So, you’re playing as a victim to the end? To the end?!”
“I’m sor…”
Lee Cheol-woo’s arms held onto me as if I couldn’t stand it anymore.
The innocent guy seemed startled for a moment, but he started patting my
shoulder as if he wasn’t an idiot.
‘If you can’t even do that, you’re an idiot.’
I hadn’t seen his face, but it was probably very red by now. Of course, I
didn’t intend to end it there. I had prepared the mocking laughter for a better
blow.
This was because the more agitated they were, the more advantageous my
position became.
I naturally turned my head slightly while being held in Lee Cheolwoo’s arms.
My eyes met exactly with Kook Minji’s eyes.
I didn’t know if it was good luck or bad luck, but the other three women were
talking to Kim Daegun at the time.
I kept making the crying sound, but I began to smile. Perhaps, to Kook
Minji’s eyes, I would look like a vulpine woman.
At this point, her face was shaking.
I felt like I wanted to compliment her because she was holding up her anger
well. Since she had been evaluated as a moving taunt totem, it was a little
surprising.
Even many demon officials could never hold back their anger against my
mocking laughter.
However, it only lasted for a moment.
As I started to act cute with my head on Lee Cheol-woo’s wide chest, a

thunder-like voice resonated throughout the hall.
“You vulpine woman! Stay away from him!”
“…”
“…”
“Watch your tongue. Kook Minji!”
“This fucking slut bitch! Didn’t you see it? She just laughed at me. Fuck! She
laughed at me!”
“Kook Minji!”
“You!!”
‘You look too ugly, Minji.’
She came running at me. Anyone could see she was out of her mind.
Although Lee Cheol-woo blocked to protect me, he couldn’t stop the agile
thief with the body of a weak priest.
Eventually, she hit me on my arm.
She just wanted to push me out, but I didn’t want just that.
It had been a long time since I last showed off my Hollywood-worthy acting.
I fell to the ground, and Lee Cheol-woo stood out as he hurriedly helped me.
Kook Minji, with a bold face, was stunned as if she just realized the mistake
that she made.
The expressions of the other three women also didn’t look that good. In any
case, she touched my body, and in the end, I had gotten hurt.
Even if I did something wrong, in the end, they were the ones to blame.
The perpetrator and the victim were obvious at that point. it was not
unreasonable that my human Berlin Walls were agitated.
“I-I’m sorry…”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
There was great anger in his voice.
“O-Oppa…”
“The expedition is not over yet… you really have to come out in this way?!”
“No…”
“Are you aware of how you look right now? Knock it off, Kook Minji.
Knock it off! Why the hell are you doing this? It’s just for a while… and you
can’t even stand that? I didn’t know you were like this.”
‘That was an excellent line. Whew. Were you always like this, Cheol-woo?! I
can recruit you as an actor! That drama line was awesome!’
“Oppa, listen, that woman…”
“I don’t want to hear it. Minji, I don’t even want to see your face right now.”
“O-Oppa.”
Minji’s eyes began to tear up, and pity bloomed in my heart for her. She
looked as if her parents had betrayed her, which meant that Minji probably
saw Lee Cheol-woo as someone important.
However, Cheol-woo replied to her coldly, anyway.
“Apologize.”
“Uh…?”
“Apologize to Kiyeon right now.”
“But…”
“Don’t disappoint me even more, Minji. I’m being as nice as possible right
now. Apologize.”
This was no different than telling her to let go of her pride.
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy, but Kook Minji slowly began to approach me

in the end.
I was worried about her throwing a dagger at me, but seeing her head bowing
with her mouth closed, it dawned on me that she wasn’t that crazy.
This had happened because she could not stand a moment’s anger.
“I… I’m sorry. Gruunt.”
“…”
“I-I’m sorry. Gruuunt. I… was wrong.”

‘Right. Knowing that you’re wrong is enough, Minji. Don’t mess with me
recklessly. This is social life. You shouldn’t cry last but rather cry first. The
first cry always has an absolute advantage.’
In fact, I really wanted to push her into a corner a little bit more.
However, if Kook Minji did that much, I should also show some softness. It
wouldn’t make sense to make her even angrier. We had to go on expeditions
afterward. If the misunderstanding deepens, we can’t trust each other’s backs
going forward.
“No… I am more… sorry. I think I made you misunderstand because… I’m

not good enough.”
At that point, the little war had ended.
The other three women also bowed their heads.
“I think I misunderstood something. I’m sorry, Ms. Kiyeon.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No. It’s okay. It’s really okay, so you don’t have to lower your head like
that. It’s partly because I didn’t behave properly.”
‘You’ve become too nice, Kiyeon.’
Had it been my usual self, I would have completely destroyed those rude
bitches. I deserved a sincere apology and a thank-you just for ending things
so lightly.
“She also has a heart of gold.”
The small murmuring voice of Kim Daegun entered my ear.
He was correct, no matter how I was to think about it.

Chapter 446 Friendship Clan’s
Friendship-Breaking Sound (1)
Chapter 446: Friendship Clan’s Friendship-Breaking Sound (1)
‘Will we be able to do well in this state?’
Lee Cheol-woo’s face best expressed our situation.
No matter how I thought about it, it was almost irrational to do something at

that moment.
The atmosphere as a whole had already darkened. It was only natural since
the party members had just gone through a great conflict.
Although blindfolded apologies were exchanged and we were forced to

create a warm atmosphere, just a few words didn’t mean that the past’s
baggage would disappear.
Although it had improved a lot from before, Kook Minji’s face still wasn’t
very friendly.
I had no choice but to be patient. With this, I felt as if I had to stay quiet for
the rest of the expedition’s duration.
She wasn’t picking a fight, but her face itself was hostile enough. If I were
the Clan Master of the Friendship Clan, I would definitely have left the party
behind.
It was unreasonable to continue the expedition and think it would end

smoothly in the current situation. However, giving up apparently wasn’t one
of the Friendship Clan’s options.
When I considered the cost of entering the heroic-grade dungeon, the rare-
grade room price, insurance cost, and other miscellaneous expenses, it
became even more unviable.
To retreat meant they’d be drowning in debt.
‘I think my head is starting to hurt…’
For the sake of safety, we had to rearrange the party once more.
It was an option that everyone knew, but the clan wasn’t strong enough to
bear such a heavy loss. I couldn’t help but wonder if I made too much of a
mess.
I was lucky that I had insurance.
If I didn’t even have insurance, I would have gotten out of the dungeon if the
risk of heavy losses became too high. Nothing was more precious than life,
after all.
Kook Minji and her group caused the situation, but I naturally felt sorry since
I was partly responsible for it too. In this case, I had to speak up.
“Do not worry too much. I’ll try harder.”
“No, it’s fine, Kiyeon. Please don’t overdo it. Just follow the instructions
carefully. If there’s any problem, we will take care of it.”
‘This guy is…’
His eyes didn’t expect anything big.
I understood why he had such a face, but I felt disappointed for some reason.
‘Okay. Think as you please, because I will take care of everything anyway.’
The people around me were all monsters, but I wasn’t that weak either.
At least, I could be a match against a heroic-grade.
No, I could be a little more competent.

The Dragon Alchemist’s ability to create wings and tails using Dialugia’s
catalyst was a bit difficult to use in there. However, the ability of the unique
heroic-grade Living Alchemy Summoner, which was my previous class, still
proved to be in good shape.
It wasn’t bad to have confidence in my abilities, considering that, unlike

before, I had abundant legendary catalysts in my bag.
Light Kiyeon wasn’t feeble. No, she even deserved to be called the supreme
ruler.
As I agreed with myself, Kim Daegun was busy trying to keep the party
members distracted.
‘Right. You have to do that.’
While calling Kook Minji separately and talking to her, he started taking care
of the other three women’s mentalities.
Although the effect seemed to be insignificant, it was better than ignoring it.
Kook Minji and the four members’ expressions certainly loosened up to some
extent, and it seemed their patience grew stronger as well. It should be
enough to last until the end of the expedition.
Two women in Kook Minji’s gang no longer seemed to like the party
anymore, but since they had invested, they would still work hard until it had
finished.
This was just my theory, but it felt like the Friendship Clan’s progress
wouldn’t be bright after the expedition.
Kook Minji, who admired Lee Cheol-woo, was likely to remain in the clan,
but I wasn’t certain about the rest. Because of today’s incident, I wondered if
the friendship of the Friendship Clan would be disbanded after the
expedition.
Lee Cheol-woo and Kim Daegun, whom I saw as the clan centers, also felt
the atmosphere, I was sure they would criticize themselves as well.
How would the expedition end?
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the fate of the clan was at stake.
That was why the faces of the main members were filled with deep
fierceness.
-Friendship Clan party will enter in 1 minute.
“Everyone, stand up. Although we just got out of a bad situation, I hope you
don’t think about it anymore once we enter, Minji.”
“I will try, oppa. And I’m sorry once again.”
“No. I should be the one saying that. I’m sorry, Minji.”
-Please enter the heroic-grade museum battle room. All monsters will appear
three times, and there is a high probability that a named monster of heroic-
grade will appear. Rewards will also be given three times, and the probability
is random. Please take note that the battle will begin as soon as you spin the
wheel on the right side of the battle room.
‘The spinning wheel is still the same.’
“What a unique system.”
“Right… it looks like a kid’s joke, but the danger is real. Is everyone
ready…?”
“I’m ready.”
“Me too, oppa.”
“Yeah.”
“Then, I’ll start right away.”
[The wheel is spinning.]

Everyone watched at the spinning wheel nervously.
If a tricky monster were to come out, there would be problems in later battles,
so everyone hoped for an easy one to come out.
Everyone was probably waiting for a rare-grade monster to come out. That
was the most profitable outcome for them.
Of course, things weren’t that easy.
[The lower-level named monster of heroic-grade, the spirit of the fallen tree,
Ambrosia, has been selected.]
It was not all that bad, though.
If it was a monster from the tree element, it was easy to deal with. Undeads
that pushed priests to the limit or poisonous monsters were far more difficult
to deal with in the first place.
It was a hundred times better than a fire attribute that would drain our stamina
if we got close.
There might be a reason why the fire attribute artifact was the most
uncommon, but it wasn’t that hard.
“Not bad.”
“Yeah. It seems that we got a good one to start with. First, prepare for battle.
Let’s start with figuring out the pattern. Daegun, please.”
“Okay.”
“Please refrain from using magic or other attacks until he attracts the
monster’s attention completely. Kiyeon, I will give you a separate signal.”
“Yes. Please do.”

“Prepare for battle. Go.”
With a clanking sound, the rotten tree bastard revealed itself.
Lee Cheol-woo, a priest, gave all kinds of buffs to Kim Daegun, who
immediately charged ahead. Meanwhile, Kook Minji focused on Kim
Daegun’s movements as she had to be prepared for any unexpected
developments.
They were not as bad as I had thought.
Their abilities were enough for me to appreciate, and it was hard to find any
flaws. However, that was my mistake.
‘What… what are they doing now?”
It was quite a sight to watch him bravely rushing in and grappling with the
big monster.
Kim Daegun, who ran in with a confident expression, was having a one-on-
one battle against it.
I understood that he wanted to show the world his bravery, but we weren’t in
a solo hunt.
It was so clumsy that it was impossible not to compare him with Park
Deokgu, who at least provided space for other party members to enter.
‘I guess Deokgu is really talented after all.’
It wouldn’t be unreasonable to agree with Park Deokgu’s potential talent. In

fact, Lee Cheol-woo was the same.
He was qualitatively different from Sun Hee-young, who could be considered

as the Head Priest of the Blue.
A lot of idiots thought that a priest simply healed and gave buffs, but
actually, a priest was a class where the user’s qualities were extremely
important.
Depending on how much divine power they had, it was also important to
properly time casting spells. What was even more ridiculous was that those
two weren’t even the worst.
Kook Minji jumped around meaninglessly, distracting the tanker.
The ranger fired arrows needlessly.
I didn’t even know what the hell the woman who was given the role of a sub-
tank and melee damage dealer was doing.
If I had to compare her position in the Blue, although it was very similar to
Cho Hyejin’s position, it seemed like she didn’t really understand what she
was supposed to do.
The worst was the woman with a sword. She was the one who was playing
Kim Hyunsung’s role.
‘She is complete trash. Is… she even a person?’
Comparing them to our party was a bit unfair in the first place.
I was even sorry about daring to mention them, looking at their personal
abilities. However, they didn’t act like that even when Blue was at heroic-
grade.
They had low individual specs, sure, but their teamwork was something I
could admire.
‘They just don’t know how to hunt.’
They didn’t seem to have a mentor.
The way they started was different from our party, in which the lovely
returner had trained us rigorously since the days we were newbies.
I didn’t know if they knew what I was thinking. Their pride began to appear
on their smiles.
“It’s a good start.”
Lee Cheol-woo’s face seemed to say, ‘This is the Friendship Clan.’ Kook
Minji grinned mockingly despite not actually doing anything useful. They
were entertaining to watch, at least.
I could see the great pride they had in their abilities.
“I think we can really start with the damage now!”
‘What were you doing so far… bastards? ‘
“Kiyeon, please do the casting right away.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t have to overdo it. Save your magic power and be as efficient as
possible… we can take care of it.”
‘How can you be so sure?’
“Noted.”
This was both annoying and boring.
I tried not to do too much, but I thought I had to make them realize the power
of a semi-mythic.
As soon as I reached for the infinite bag, I got the catalyst that I thought I
would never use in my life.
[Fire Giant’s Refined Magic Powder (Legendary)]
It was too expensive to be used only to defeat a heroic-grade monster.
It didn’t make sense to use legendary-grade catalysts in a heroic-grade

dungeon in the first place. Of course, that wasn’t the case for Light Kiyeon,
who had more than enough money.
As I snapped my finger, a big fist of fire started to fall from the air.
“Daegun, wait.”
“Okay.”
Perhaps he wasn’t that slow, but it was noticeable that he moved quickly
when the magic fell.
When I flicked my finger once again, a large hand protruded from the floor
and grabbed the monster.
‘Why isn’t this bastard dying?’
Even though I had used a legendary-grade catalyst, my chronic problem of

having weak attack power wasn’t solved.
It was definitely hard to say that it had been efficient.
Dialugia’s catalyst would have been a little better, but I was currently only
using unique heroic-grade alchemy magic.
Of course, it didn’t mean that it did no damage at all.
It was a shame that the monster wasn’t exterminated immediately, but anyone
could see that the fallen tree’s spirit was taking damage. When I flicked my
finger, a big fist fell again.
As soon as I flicked my finger again, the monster’s upper body burst into
flames.
It looked quite mismatched when the big guy punched the relatively small
tree spirit.
The fallen tree’s spirit screamed in pain, but the fire giant didn’t stop.
Craashh!
Baaaannnggg!!
Craaackkkkk!
Baaaannnngggg!!!
Craaaashhhh!
Baaaaaannnnnnggggg!!!
The total price of the catalyst I used so far proved to be astronomical.
However, all of the Friendship Clan members who weren’t aware of such
facts had their mouths wide open.
“It doesn’t… make sense…”
‘It does!’
Chapter 447 Friendship Clan’s
Friendship-Breaking Sound (2)
Not only did the fallen tree become a complete mess, but there was no part of
him left unscathed in the end.
As if to show that he had been beaten properly by the fire element, his whole
body was scorched. He couldn’t even maintain his proper shape.
Since he had been beaten for a long time by an overwhelming mass, he could
no longer keep his actual form. Rather, he was pretty lucky to receive only
that much damage.
Personally, however, I was a bit bitter.
The result itself deserved to be acknowledged, but my absolute lack of

damage hurt.
Regardless of my sentiments, it wasn’t unreasonable for them to be surprised.
It was clear that Lee Cheol-woo, Kim Daegun, Kook Minji, and the rest of
the party weren’t expecting much from me. They thought it would be fine
enough to have me just do my role, but they were so surprised that their jaws
ultimately dropped upon seeing my performance.
The four members tried to read each other’s faces.
To that extent, Light Kiyeon’s achievements were great. It was like I caught
the heroic-grade monster with a few magic shots.
Perhaps, in their eyes, I probably looked like Jung Hayan, a genius wizard.
At least, looking at the gazes they had on me, it seemed that it would be okay
to think so.
Lee Cheol-woo and Kim Daegun were rubbing their eyes, and the Kook
Minji and her gals turned pale.
‘Now you trust me, right? Huh?’
It was clear that they were trying to solve the puzzle of why Pak Sergei and
Argirmo came to me and made the offer, even though they knew it was rude.
They might have doubted me before, but now the puzzle pieces fit very
easily.
Why?
The answer was too obvious.
‘They offered recruitment because I’m skilled, bitches. That’s how far apart
our leagues are. I’m in an entirely different dimension. You misunderstood
because you have never gotten that kind of recruitment proposal.’
Even after the battle was completely over, everyone remained silent for about
a minute.
At this point, I wondered what kind of attitude I had to maintain. That was
because there were too many things I wanted to say.
However, I quickly realized that I didn’t have to decide what to do.
I could hear the voices pouring out before I could even say anything.
“You’re amazing… er, you’re really amazing.”
“How did you do that, Kiyeon?”
“Yes? Just as usual… isn’t it something that any wizard can do?”
“No. I’m telling you, average wizards won’t be able to produce that kind of
firepower. Your casting speed is fast, and the power of your magic is too high
to say it belongs in the heroic-grade.”
‘That’s obvious. I used a legendary-grade catalyst, so you can’t compare it to

the heroic-grade.’
‘Okay. What are you sorry about?’
“No. There is no need to be so sorry.”
“We seem to have misunderstood…”
“I have received a lot of such misunderstandings. I’m used to it. You really
don’t have to worry about it.”
“I’m really sorry, unnie. I said some stupid crap.”
‘When did I become your unnie?’
“No, it can happen.”
‘The speed at which these girls changed their attitude isn’t a joke.’
“Please talk comfortably. Can I call you Kiyeon unnie?”
‘Amazing. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to do that because it’s too

shameful.’
“You didn’t seem to have high magic power, but you’re really amazing!”
Even Kook Minji, who I thought wouldn’t be doing this, was now buttering
me up a bit.
‘Ability is something great in the end.’
Honestly, what I was doing at that moment was just amusing myself. It
wasn’t a bad feeling to receive such recognition.
I felt like I could see why the old novels’ dragons ran around pretending to be
human for so many days. It was hard to explain, but there was a sense of
pleasure that tickled my whole body.
‘Right. Since I’m already doing this, I’ll give you some bonus.’
“Oh! And while hunting earlier… there was something that bothered me a
bit, can I tell you?”
“Yes. You can tell me, Kiyeon.”
“Um… I’ve actually been in the Red Mercenary Named Monster Response
Team before I came here. It’s up to you if you want to accept it, but I keep
seeing things that stand out.”
“You mean the Red Mercenary?”
“Yes. It was only for a while.”
“Is that true? Huh. You can go ahead and tell me.”
“I want you to listen without getting offended.”
“Why would I?”
“First, Daegun tends to be a little self-centered. Of course, he has the burden

of facing the monster face-to-face on his shoulders, but it would be better if
he trusted the priest in the team and gave a wider space. Since there is even a
sub-tank.”
I could see the guy blushing.
I wondered if I shouldn’t have said that, but these were all constructive
comments, after all.
That time, I addressed the sub-tanker included in the Kook Minji squad.
“Also, you know that the role of the sub-tank in the party doesn’t end when
the main tank falls back, in which case you’ll have to enter, right? I don’t
know if you two have trouble communicating, but it feels like there is no
swap process. The main tank at the front can also be a little more relaxed if
the sub-tanker gives the main tank a little more trust.”
“Ah… okay.”
“The two of you have to play your role so that the close-up damage dealer
can also have a wider array of actions. Also, there aren’t many party
members who wish for the assassin class, Minji. It’s good to keep moving,
but your movements distract us… it would be better to provide long-distance
support in general. You know how to handle crossbows, right? If the
monster’s attention has gotten a little lighter, it wouldn’t be bad to fight as
melee, but that doesn’t happen.”
‘You’re not even close to Kim Ye-ri, so you shouldn’t move like that.’
“The most uncertain position is the close-up damage dealer in the party… no
matter how low your endurance stats or stamina stats, I wonder if you’re
spreading yourself too much. I understand if you are concerned about getting
injured, but it can’t be helped if you are in the assassin class. When an attack
comes, you must either avoid it or lift your dagger with the belief that the
tanks will block it. It may sound a little cruel, but you have to be prepared to
be seriously injured. The same goes for the long-distance damage. You know
that firing arrows until the monster’s attention is totally taken puts a lot of
stress on tanks, right?”
“Yes.”
“Also, it seems that Cheol-woo is wasting his divine power. In the case of the
monster that just came out, Daegun would have survived even without the
buff. After the first buff, it would be better to focus on the team’s close-up
damage dealer. Please consider the timing of your healing spell. Casting must
be done right before the big attack falls. That way, the divine spell can take
effect right after it hits.”
“I see.”
“Everyone’s ability seems to be good, but it feels like you’re not in sync… If
you understand the positions of the party members, the results will be much
better.”
I was worried about whether I was too direct. However, I didn’t see any
hostility in their eyes.
The power that I showed them before certainly helped in making them take
my criticisms properly. In fact, Goddess Kiyeon’s speech must have played a
huge role.
I said something about the main tank and about the priest, then pointed out
something about the sub-tank, mentioning the close-up damage dealer by the
end. In that way, the responsibility was transferred to each other.
If only an individual were pointed out, they would just end up feeling bad,
but if I pointed out that there was a problem in the group as a whole, the
results might be slightly different.
‘It’s great. Very good. You’re too nice, Kiyeon.’
It was enough to make me ponder whether or not I had provided too many
services for a party that I would only stay in briefly. As expected, I could see
them nodding and conceding.
What was a little sudden was that the party members in that place were
showing anxious expressions. It was as if they were trying to create a good
impression in the eyes of a large guild’s scout.
‘Okay. I like that attitude. That enthusiasm is important. Your qualities aren’t
bad. You can get enough offers.’
Blue wouldn’t recruit them.
However, if they were lucky, a large guild might recruit their party.
“Let’s take the reward first… and then, would you like to make the next
named move as I said? I will be prepared for a sudden situation.”
“Thank you, Kiyeon. It seems like we’re only getting help.”
“No. I’m glad I can help you like this. Well, let’s start with the compensation
wheel.”
“Oh. Yes.”
[Rare-grade item Warrior’s Horn was selected.]
“Ugh. It’s a rare-grade item…”
“Don’t be too disappointed, Daegun, because there are still two more
opportunities left.”
“Okay. We can’t help it anyway. Then, would you like, Minji, to spin the
next monster?”
“Okay. Oppa.”
[Heroic-grade lower-ranked monster Hell Gatekeeper Kasarak has been

selected.]
‘Well. This is okay too.’
“We will prepare for battle right away.”
Everyone was nodding. Of course, there was a grim expression on their faces.
It started just like before.
Lee Cheol-woo’s buff poured onto Kim Daegun, and Kim Daegun entered
the monster’s range, and the battle begins.
‘It’ll be better than before, right?’
It was natural to think that.
Unlike before, when there was no foundation at all, the minimum foundation
had been built. However, it also seemed to be just my illusion.
“Swap! Swap!!”
“You can’t get too close, close-up damage dealer!”
“Daegun! You have to turn your head!!”
“Why aren’t there any buffs coming! Buff”
‘Fuck. This is a mess.’
“Minji! The arrows! Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot! Stop the damage! Stop the
damage!!”
I was wrong.
The positions weren’t perfectly defined.
Even if you said it was five minutes before the end of the game, there was
nothing to say.
If they’d fought like before, they could have caught it even if it took time, but
what they were showing now was enough to say that they were on the verge
of annihilation.
The sub-tank and main-tank swap processes were bizarre. They couldn’t even
execute it properly.
As if she took my word that she should be prepared to be seriously injured,

the close-up damage dealer was getting too close and turning the attack into a
mess.
Whether Kook Minji wasn’t familiar with a crossbow, she gave the monster a
gift of berserk by hitting the crossbow in Kasarak’s left eyeball, and I didn’t
know what the long-distance damage dealer was doing at that moment.
Lee Cheol-woo was better, but he gave the buff to the close-up damage dealer
sooner than necessary.
Kim Daegun, who was struggling with tanking due to the berserk gift, wasn’t
seen to.
‘What are they doing? Really.’
If it continued like that, there was a high probability of them crossing the
Jordan River. No, I was certain that they would.
In the end, I was forced to take action.
The situation was dealt with when a fire giant climbed up and hit the Hell
Gatekeeper Kasarak’s head. With this, the party could finally take a deep
breath.
I was worried that they would turn that ugly attack into my responsibility, but
they wouldn’t do that if they had a conscience.
To say that it was my fault wasn’t right, but…
What they chose to do was worse than that.
“Cheol-woo, I trusted you, but no buff came.”
They were now blaming each other.
I could hear the Friendship Clan’s friendship beginning to break.
‘That’s not it, bastards. That wasn’t my intention. I wasn’t trying to ruin your
relationships.’
Chapter 448 [I’ve released 10 free s
today to push the plot along to the
next arc! Premium is nearing !]
[I’ve released 10 free chapters today to push the plot along to the next arc!
Premium is nearing Chapter 600!]
“Cheol-woo, I trusted you, but no buff came.”
Although it was a trivial line, all problems had begun to start with that small
mistake.
Many already knew this, if they were an adventurer from Korea, they
would’ve already known the meaning of those words.
In fact, I knew he didn’t mean what he had said. He just said it out of
frustration.
It became difficult to judge whether or not it was possible to evade

responsibility when I saw him muttering like a grunt. The reason behind his
regretful remark was certainly clear to me.
‘He must feel embarrassed.’
He had just been talking to excuse his poor performance.
Even at that moment, Kim Daegun, who was blushing, seemed to think that
the way he presented himself was unbecoming of him.
Thinking about his disgraceful behavior, I couldn’t help but blush,

considering the fact that he couldn’t even face the monster moving clumsily.
This was not a heroic-grade warrior’s behavior.
It was worse than the trolling Park Deokgu from the first round did in the
dungeon.
I didn’t even have to think about how ashamed he, who had been making a
living through his sword for years, would be. He would want to sink through
the floor.
As he glanced at me even after he finished talking, it seemed that it partly

was because he wanted to look good in front of me.
‘It’s not his fault, huh? These kinds of guys are usually the ones who harbor
the fault.’
Lee Cheol-woo also seemed confused. He was obviously not expecting this,
either.
“I’m sorry. I decided to invest a little more in the close-up damage assassin…
Kiyeon also said that…”
Lee Cheol-woo’s gaze turned to where the assassin was located.
He said he was sorry, but his skill in avoiding responsibility was as good as a
politician.
“Eun-hye got too close to the monster. It became difficult to get its attention.”
“I just did… as Kiyeon unnie said. I moved, risking my life. I was prepared
to be seriously injured. Wording it like that makes me feel bad.”
“You have to do all that while looking at the situation. It’s not just getting
close, right?”
“No, the problems came when an arrow pierced Kasarak’s eye. It got twisted
from there.”
‘It was twisted from the beginning. Bastards. ‘
However, some of them seemed to agree with that opinion.

In fact, if I had to pick the best scene, the attack that ravaged the monster
deserved to be in the best three.
Kook Minji was in the lead to be blamed.
It was quite interesting to watch the responsibility for the poor battle results
be passed around as if it were a bomb. Kook Minji also flexibly escaped the
situation after realizing she was about to be labeled the weakest link.
“The arrow hit him because the rotation speed made it move. I couldn’t help
it.”
In that case, Kim Daegun and the sub-tank had become the primary focus of
the conversation.
They couldn’t deny the existence of a problem in the rotation.
Any one of them could’ve been labeled as the troll in that fight, and it
wouldn’t feel doubtful.
They passed the blame around, making me feel like I was watching the Crack
Museum’s spinning wheel.
“You can’t say that, Minji. Ha… it’s so burdensome swapping without a
backup…”
So far, everyone’s attitude had been lukewarm and very passive.
Of course, they had to be. From the first time I saw them, they seemed to
have a pretty good relationship with one another to the point where they
couldn’t openly criticize the members.
An answer could be formulated just by looking at Lee Cheol-woo, who just

laughed at the four members’ finger-pointing, including Kook Minji, several
times.
Of course, it didn’t mean that no friction had been created from this event.
Perhaps I was the catalyst for this, after all. I had created a crack in their
relationship.
In the hearts of the female party members, there was a lot of disappointment
towards male party members.
Even at that moment, the faces of those looking at Lee Cheol-woo seemed to
be looking for trouble. Lee Cheol-woo’s admirer, Kook Minji, remained
favorable towards him, but the others were clearly dissatisfied.
The problem was that they weren’t the only people who were dissatisfied
with the Clan Master.
There was no way he wouldn’t notice the subtle emotions in Kim Daegun’s
eyes, looking at his best friend.
‘This bastard is jealous.’
It was obvious envy.
He wasn’t revealing his inner self like Jung Hayan looking at Cha Hee-ra, but
he certainly had jealousy in his gaze. Perhaps I was the cause of that as well.
The first reason was from when I acted cute in Lee Cheol-woo’s arms. The
second reason was that I had put more devotion to the Clan Master.
‘Did I talk in a way that made it sound like he was doing well during the
briefing?’
I didn’t remember it well, but I remembered saying things carefully to

prevent the Clan Master from losing face.
If I had walked over him in front of the clan members, his authority could get
damaged.
Perhaps this had stimulated Kim Daegun.
He looked as if he didn’t like the fact that Lee Cheol-woo was considered a
more competent and capable man than him. Additionally, his embarrassment
must’ve doubled due to the scene he made and the scene of him screwing up
as a tank.
In such a case, those who had a position akin to a supporter were definitely
advantageous.
The attention of everyone wasn’t as focused on them when in battle.
Regardless, it was safe to assume that the cause of the current conflict was
male jealousy.
For the Friendship Clan members, whose voices became louder and louder,
the action I had to take was simple.
I had to end the fight and save Kim Daegun’s spirit, who thought he had been
defeated.
“Then why?! Are you telling me you didn’t even know the monster went into
a frenzy? This is not your first fight.”
“I already told you that I had to focus on other things. I know what you mean,
but it seems a little vague to say that it’s entirely my fault.”
“Right. You always do that.”
I had to intervene at that moment. “No. No. Everyone did well. I think I gave
criticisms and suggestions that were too hard from the get-go. Different
parties have different ways of hunting, but I think I said too casually. I think
it would be better to do it your way.”
‘You damn hopeless morons. The future of the continent is dark. What
should I do with you?’
“No. Kiyeon. We’ve always known what you said. Our skill level is
definitely insufficient.”
“It’s not. It had a smooth flow during our first battle. It seems that the
confusion was only aggravated because of me. Fighting as a group isn’t
something you can master within a couple of days. You don’t have to be so
stressed, Daegun.”
“…”
“We already know that Daegun is a talented warrior. We can see how much
experience you have just by looking at your breathing and how you distance
yourself against monsters.”
‘And now you’re grinning from ear to ear, you bastard. There were only two
things worth seeing in your performance.”
“I’m just embarrassed… for showing such a disgraceful behavior.”
“No. You showed us everything you could show as a tank. It’s not your fault,
so don’t blame yourself. It isn’t easy for other tanks to be able to stand up
against a named monster in a frenzied state for a long duration without any
buffs.”
I finished this with a refreshing smile.
Only then did he visibly calm down a bit. “Kiyeon is right. If I had a buff, I
would have been able to deal with him better.”
‘Why did you have to say that now, you asshole?’
Naturally, I looked at Lee Cheol-woo momentarily due to what Kim Daegun

resentfully said.
I felt his eyebrows wriggling, which was out-of-character for such a quiet guy
as himself. It was clear that he was getting agitated. His face was slowly
reddening.
“As I said, that wasn’t possible, Daegun.”
“I didn’t say anything else. I just said it was regrettable… I was talking to
myself, so you don’t have to feel bothered, Cheol-woo.”
“How can I not be bothered? I also have to manage the divine power. If you
didn’t charge so ignorantly in the first place…”
“What? Doesn’t that mean that your lack of divine power was due to me
running to protect the party members?”
“Ha… That’s not what I meant.”
“That’s not what you mean, my ass. That’s the only meaning your words
have.”
‘Stop. You bastards. ‘
At that rate, Lee Cheol-woo was likely to be forced to take the blame.
Even his best friend turned his back on him, and he was generally disliked
due to the stance he took during the prior predicament where I was involved.
It was just as expected. All the females but Kook Minji had now started to
criticize him one by one.
They weren’t openly dissing. Rather, they were executing proper, subtle
maneuvers. I thought they had an edge in that kind of fight, considering the
speed at which they switched sides wasn’t a joke, but the way they were
biting at him reminded me of a pack of wolves on a hunt.
At that rate, they would be reaching a conclusion in less than ten minutes.
‘I have to stop it.’
In fact, it didn’t matter what happened, but I still couldn’t help but feel a
sense of responsibility. The situation became worse because of my goodwill,
after all.
I pulled them away from each other’s throats. I could at least sprinkle some
antiseptic on the sore wound, right?
“Everyone did a good job. It’s not really anyone’s fault. You don’t have to
become heated up. I’m so sorry for this. I guess I shouldn’t have done that…
Everyone, loosen up. Adventurers go through this often.”
‘Yes, it’s not really anyone’s fault. All of you are the problem.’
“…”
“…”
“We should continue with the expedition, right?”
“Yes. We do.”
“Okay. Let’s do that.”
“Come to think of it. We haven’t even checked the compensation.”
The party was already suffering from a big wound.
‘There is still room for a reversal.’
If an item above the heroic-grade came out, it could still lighten up the party
members’ mood.
They looked like their hearts were pounding as if they had huge expectations
for the contents of a treasure chest.
“It would be better to do that.”
“It would be better to continue, boys.”
“Okay…”
“We got a rare-grade before this. I think it would be okay if we get a heroic-
grade. No, it has to be a heroic-grade. It’s uncertain if the second monster can
be used as a catalyst…”
“Ugh. It must be limited.”
“We’ll see once we spin it. Let’s begin.”
“Then I will spin it.”
“Benignore, please…”
I could see the women praying. The museum had an unexpected effect that
increased the divinity of Benignore.
‘I think this is going to work.’
Although not intended, I thought the museum would greatly help the gods,
including Benignore.
Anyway, after a short prayer meeting, the woman boldly spun the wheel.
‘Let’s go!’
“Purple! Purple!!”
“Heroic-grade! Heroic! Or legendary!”
“Please! Please!”
“Heroic-grade! Come out, heroic-grade!”
“Please…”
‘Let’s go! With the power of Benignore!’
Tinkle!
[Common-grade item, the manuscript of ‘The Love of a Genius Swordsman

and an Alchemist’ (Uncut version: rated R) was selected.]
“…”
“Huh?”
“… “
Kim Daegun cursed and threw down his shield.
“Fuck!”
This expedition was obviously over.

Chapter 449 Our Hyunsung (1)
Chapter 449: Our Hyunsung (1)
I didn’t mean this in any figurative way whatsoever. The expedition was
really over.
Of course, we didn’t abandon our last chance. Sure, we all felt upset, but we
still had to maximize our profits. Besides, there was still hope that a
legendary-grade item might come out next time.
However, the results were miserable. We had gained yet another rare-grade
item.
It was a very shabby result compared to the horrors they faced due to the last
named monster hunt. This had obviously been a huge loss.
The adventure, in which they risked almost all of their fortune, ended
miserably with two rare-grade items and a manuscript.
In short, this expedition left nothing on the party but a scar. There was no
need to mention that the atmosphere sucked.
I wasn’t expecting this at all. Whether the Friendship Clan’s members were
out of luck, or whether the museum’s reality was too terrible, we were yet to
figure out, but at least the hardships they faced were real.
‘Looking at it from the perspective of a businessman, it was profitable,

but…’
It was hard to look at the expressions on their face.
Although it wasn’t enough for everyone to come together to resolve the

crisis, the previous minor quarrels were still pushing them back to a situation
that was akin to the Cold War era.
‘Friendship Clan slumps.’
I wondered if they still had the strength to continue running the clan. Even I
couldn’t guarantee that it would remain stable.
Seeing how all the female members but Kook Minji had terrible expressions,
they seemed to have made up their minds. They looked like they were
looking for the right timing to cut ties, as if they hadn’t forgotten the maxim,
‘A slump means to cut ties.’
The innocent Lee Cheol-woo seemed not to notice it yet, but I could already
smell the end of the party. Even a blind man would know that the end of the
Friendship Clan was coming soon.
‘This is their end.’
I was certain of this fact.
The Friendship Clan would be done for within a week. No, it might disband
at that very moment.
“…”
“…”
‘I should cut ties with them quickly too.’
Although I felt a little sense of responsibility, it disappeared with a shake of

my head.
It was because I thought that I had done all that I had to do. Although there
had been some small accidents, I could confidently say that my contribution
exceeded 70% in the process of dealing with the named monsters.
“Er… what are you going to do now, boys?” Kook Minji broke the silence.
“I don’t know. First, I have to go to the dorm and think about it. We still have
money to stay for a few days. It would be better to dispose of the items here.
We either get a loan and come back here, or we find another route. Although
we suffered a lot of damage… We can’t just stand still like this.”
‘Don’t get a loan.’
“Something must’ve gone wrong. I don’t know why there is such a book in
the museum in the first place…”
“You heard it. They also have items from the continent that they think are
worth holding. If it is a manuscript from a best-seller, so they would have
determined that it was worth exhibiting in the museum. I can’t understand it
either, but the price will be fairly good. I don’t know how much we can get if
we sell it to collectors, but… we have to try to sell where we can get the best
price. Damn.”
“It’ll be difficult.”
‘It’s not easy to place such an item in an auction.’
It might be sold at a slightly higher price if someone wanted it for sure, but
that all just naïve hope. No matter how much it would be, it would certainly
be insufficient to make up for the party’s loss.
Considering that auction fees were enormous, there might not be much they
could actually get.
‘Okay, I will handle the fee.’
“I can handle that much.”
“What?”
“I have some connections with the auction house. If you leave it to me, I will
sell it and send you the payment. You can write a separate transfer contract.
Since the fee is too high… if I talk to them, they will understand.”
“No. No. There’s no need to write a separate contract. If you have

connections, I think it’s better to ask them. More importantly, what are you…
going to do now?”
‘What do you mean? I have to go do my job.’
This was the right time to cut off ties with them now.
“I do not know…”
“First, let’s go have a meal. Although it was a failed expedition, I still have a
few things I want to say…”
‘I hope it’s not a recruitment offer, you bastard. How can you think of
holding me in this situation? You have no shame. You can’t do that.’
Just as I was about to express my rejection, the three women took the timing
first.
“Oppa, we have something to tell you.”
“Huh?”
“We really don’t want to say it right now, but… it seems that we’re done
here.”
“What? What is it all of a sudden?”
“We’ve been thinking about it for some time, but I think right now is the best
timing to tell you. I think it’s better for us to go our separate ways at this
point. We don’t have any reason for it, but… there wasn’t really any contract
term, anyway. “
“Don’t you think this is too sudden?”
Kim Daegun, who could be said to be one of the clan’s central figures, also
felt surprised.
He tried to keep calm, but his face told me he was certainly having a hard
time doing that.
The clan was at a crossroads between survival and disbandment, and three
members suddenly left the six-member Clan. It wasn’t unreasonable to have
such an expression.
However, there was no way to criticize their actions.
Internal affairs were also the responsibility of the Clan Master and the Vice
Clan Master. They neglected that responsibility when they became crazy at
the sudden arrival of a vulpine woman.
“We don’t have to get a payment. It will be hard for you in many ways.
However, we’ll take a rare-grade item. Is that okay?”
“That doesn’t matter, but no, I mean. How about talking a little more? If you
leave without any precautions like this… I don’t think it’ll look good for you
either. I think it would be good to think about it after you decide what you’ll
do first.”
“No. We understand you, but I don’t think we’re compatible with the
Friendship Clan. We felt that in today’s hunting. Also, the overall atmosphere
isn’t the same as before. We have nothing to say except we’re really sorry.”
“Girls, how can you do this out of nowhere?”
“Minji, you should think about whether this is really a community worth
working on. Anyway, we’ll go first. If we cross paths again, don’t ignore us,
boys. We can meet occasionally and do something like hunting. Minji, we
must keep in touch… Kiyeon unnie, we will also keep in touch with you.”
It was all quick and cruel.
The women of the former Friendship Clan disappeared without saying

another word. I felt shameful again, since I felt like I was the one who put a
dagger into the heart of the Friendship Clan.
Kim Daegun and Lee Cheol-woo looked desolate.
Of course, Light Kiyeon wasn’t the owner of a personality that could think
about their situation.
I had to cut ties with them quickly. It hurt my pride that the kids stole the first
move.
“I’m sorry. I have work to do, too.”
“What?”
“Um… the expedition was fun, Cheol-woo, Daegun. Minji and I had a little
misunderstanding, but I still enjoyed it.”
“How can you…”
“I don’t think this is where I’m supposed to be. In fact, I feel uncomfortable
about belonging somewhere… I’m sorry.”
“Kiyeon, let’s talk for a second.”
‘Don’t be clingy.’
“No.”
“Kiyeon, how can you…”
‘What, man. We weren’t that close for you to be saying that.’
“Kiyeon, if you were uncomfortable with our clan’s expedition, I will

formally apologize. I hope you think about it again.”
“…”
“Please, even if it’s for my sake.”
‘Why the hell would your sake matter?’
Cheol-woo’s sake never mattered.
“In fact, I shouldn’t be saying this, but in the next expedition, if possible, I
hope we can move together as a clan. Of course, we know we are not good
enough, but I hope you think about this positively.”
“That’s a bit… I want to go with you too, but… I really have something to
do.”
“Why don’t we go to the dorms and have a meal together? We received a lot
of help from you this time, and we would at least like to say thank you.”
I bet, the moment I went to the dorms and had a meal with them, I would be
caught in a swamp that I wouldn’t be able to escape from. I was sure they’d
try to hold onto me somehow.
If they gained the resource called Light Kiyeon, they would gain enormous
profits that would cover all the damages.
They had already confirmed with their own eyes how powerful I was, after
all.
“Y-Yes, unnie… let’s go together. I’m sorry about what happened before.”
Even Kook Minji had started to say weird things.
The thief’s psychology of recruiting someone who deserved to belong to a

large guild made me clear my throat.
“Kiyeon.”
‘Enough, you bastard.’
It was quite a sight to see him holding my hand. His face looked very serious
for some reason.
“Er… Did I do something wrong?”
“No. It’s nothing like that.”
“I don’t know if I’m mistaken, but I thought Kiyeon and I were sharing the
same feelings in the dungeon…”
‘What feelings?’
There was always that one person that was confused about a girl’s actions.
I was only nice to them for a while, but they stuck to me as if we were
exchanging great feelings.
The innocent-looking guy spat out strange lines with a beet-red face, but such
means could barely shake the impregnable heart of Light Kiyeon.
Rather, it made me feel even more annoyed. It was rather creepy to see a man
suddenly looking at me with a serious face.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. This is making me uncomfortable.

Can you please let go of my hand?”
“Kiyeon.”
“Let go of that hand, Cheol-woo.”
Even the big guy had come into the mess. Love and war ran rampant in the
middle of the city, after all.
Kim Daegun, that bastard, also suddenly appeared and stood between Lee
Cheol-woo and me. It was hard to see him confront Lee Cheol-woo. He
probably felt like a knight defending the princess by grabbing my other hand.
I felt even more embarrassed due to the gazes that were now focusing on us.
“Would you both let go of me?”
“Kiyeon, please think about it one more time… I want to talk to you.”
At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind right before I tried to use
a rather tough measure to escape.
“Please, let her go.”
The moment I looked back naturally, I saw someone who was of a different
level from these ugly people. In fact, he looked like a Greek God in
comparison to them.
He had a sword sheathed against its waist.
The armament was modest, but the symbol embedded in his chest revealed
the identity of the person who suddenly appeared. I couldn’t continue with
further description of his appearance since it would make me look pitiful.
‘What the hell, you bastard. Why are you so handsome?’
The Blue Guild Master.
The lovely returner.
It was Kim Hyunsung.
“I’ll warn you one last time. Let go of her.”

“Blue Guild Master?”
“Uh…”
The two men standing beside me looked dumbfounded.
He didn’t say anything else, but he seemed to be asking why I was there. I
had the same question.
I couldn’t even imagine meeting that guy while he was walking in the middle
of the city alone.
‘Whew. You righteous bastard.’
There was a high probability that he couldn’t put up with seeing two strong
young men harassing a woman. After all, it happened in front of him.
“I’ll introduce myself first, Blue Guild Master. But this is not what the Blue
Guild Master thinks. There seems to be some misunderstanding. We are the
Friendship Clan of Lindel…”
“Isn’t the woman not liking it? I don’t know what’s going on, but I think
you’d better stop here.”
“Kiyeon. Say something…”
He was looking for help, but the timing of cutting ties had already passed a
long time ago.
When my wrist was free, I hurriedly moved to the place where Kim
Hyunsung was.
I looked like trash, but I thought I had finally got rid of them.
“Thank you for your help, Blue Guild Master.”
I switched sides as if it had all been planned.
“Kiyeon!”
“Cheol-woo, the expedition was fun, but I think that’s it. I hope you can think
of how rude what you just did was. I will ensure that the obtained item will
be sent immediately upon disposal. I think it would be better for me to
contact you after you’ve cooled off.”
“Then…”
“I hope to meet you with a smile the next time we meet.”
As I finished speaking, I saw their faces turning pale.
Lee Cheol-woo, who was about to cry, looked a little pitiful, but my business
with them was over.
I checked everything that could be checked, and overall, I was able to figure
out the level of the adventurers and what kind of life they were living. There
was no reason to go with them anymore.
Cutting ties had always been a grim endeavor.
Lee Cheol-woo, who glanced at me, soon realized that Kim Hyunsung was
quietly looking at him and politely bowed his head.
“… I’m sorry, Kiyeon. I didn’t mean to hurt you… As you said, it would be
nice to cool our heads a bit before meeting again. I really enjoyed this
expedition together, and I hope we can meet again. I will wait at the dorms
we stayed yesterday, so you can send the auction money there. Then…”
“Yes. Goodbye. I will not send you off.”
He looked like he had just lost a country.

Kim Daegun, who was at a loss for words, also bowed to me and followed
Lee Cheol-woo. Kook Minji did the same.
After the very brief amusement, I looked at Kim Hyunsung, but he didn’t
seem to be looking at me.
‘He didn’t notice?’
Although there were options to hurriedly leave or reveal that I was Lee
Kiyoung, meeting like that also wasn’t bad.
I wondered what Kim Hyunsung was thinking about recently and where and
what the hell he was doing. I also thought about the possibility of being
caught in the middle, but…
‘He’s really slow, isn’t he?’
It was unlikely that he would notice my disguise unless I openly gave a hint.
Even at that moment, he wasn’t suspicious of me. It was the exact opposite of
Park Deokgu.
Hyunsung looked at me without ulterior motive, nodded, and started going

his own path.
‘What. You’re already going?’
Absurdly enough, it was me who felt the urgency to call out to him.
“Blue Guild Master!”
Fortunately, he looked back.
“Yes?”
“Thank you for just now. It was getting a little difficult.”
“I just did what I had to do.”
“Excuse me!”
“Yes.”
“I would like to treat you with a tea as a thank you… Are you free?”
“You don’t have to.”
‘This damn slow bastard!’
I thought I could finally understand why the female group surrounding him
made shitty faces every day. He was beyond slow.
Park Yeon-joo, Cho Hyejin, Charlotte, and Kim Ye-ri were going to suffer
forever.
I could roughly predict how hard they were suffering. I could guarantee that
he wouldn’t notice, even if I gave hints with my whole body.
There was no reason to hold onto him. As I smiled at him, he began to look at
my face in earnest.
‘What?’
“You look similar.”
“It’s nothing. Come to think of it, it seems like this is also fate, so let’s have a
little tea, no, a meal.”
My heart sank at that moment. I couldn’t help but be elated by his voice.
‘He knows we’re similar. My heart almost fell.’
My strange resemblance with Light Kiyoung must’ve earned his favor.
Usually, Kim Hyunsung wasn’t someone who would initiate having a meal or
tea with others.
On the contrary, if it was a stranger, he avoided or became wary of them.

After so long, his shields eased up a lot, but he wasn’t like that at all when he
just popped out of the tutorial.
The reality was that he didn’t even attend meals. I was bound to rejoice a
little due to his growth. He had become slightly more amiable.
If he was coming up with such a suggestion simply because someone

resembled Light Kiyoung, it meant he still had enough liking for me. That put
aside some of my worries.
“Yes. Let’s do that. I’m more than grateful to have dinner with the Blue
Guild Master.”
“…”
I could see his face slightly blush. I wanted to make fun of him for some
reason.
“Is this a date request?”
“N-No. It’s nothing like that. Such a thing…”
He obviously looked hesitant.
It was a little fun because it felt like usual.
However, this lasted only for a second. He calmed his breathing and looked
at me quietly.
“I’m not usually like this. I’m not the type to suggest having meals with
others or ask for time, but…”
“Yes?”
“I think I want to do that today.”
‘Hyunsung, aren’t you a player?’
It wasn’t that big deal of a line. However, it was easy enough for a handsome
guy like him to prick women’s hearts.
If it weren’t me who was in front of him, I could almost certainly have joined
Kim Hyunsung’s harem.
“What a coincidence. The same goes for me.”
“That’s really a coincidence. Then, let’s get going.”
“By the way… Did you come alone?”
“The other guild members…”
“They are still working. I’ve only come out to get some fresh air.”
“You must have been frustrated.”
“Yes?”
“That’s usually the reason. When you’re feeling frustrated while working,
you come out to get some air, right? That was what I meant. Looking at the
expression on your face, you seem to be really frustrated about something…
Did I hit the nail right on the head? Huhu.”
“There… might be something making me frustrated. You must be used to

reading faces.”
“Not really. However, it seems that the Blue Guild Master is the type to show
his emotion on his sleeves…”
“You mean me?”
“Yes. At a glance, you seem to be expressionless, but I think I understand in

a way for some reason.”
“This is the first time I have ever heard of such a thing.”

“Really? It’s a little surprising. It seems to me that you’ve heard it a lot from
people around you…”
“Haha.”
I could see him smiling warmly, and I was also certain that he had started
walking much faster.
However, as I watched him slowing down to keep the same pace I had, I
realized that he wasn’t even that boring.
Manners were well established in him, considering he was damn slow.

Perhaps it was what women who liked him felt.
‘Hyunsung, fuck. Aren’t you too cool? Knock it off, or else I will fall for you.
Bastard. ‘
I also liked that the conversation was going smoother than I thought. He
seemed to have improved on his socialization skills as well.
It was like a sudden blind date, but there was no sense of incompatibility. As
I felt like I was having a normal conversation, I was able to speak without
having to calculate anything.
Maybe that’s the same with him.
Even after entering the restaurant, he acted differently. It wasn’t like him to
pull out the chair for others.
“Please, sit down.”
“These manners are burdensome… I guess you are familiar to be with

women.”
“No. It’s not like that. I’m not.”
“You don’t have to hide it. It would be even weirder if someone like the Blue
Guild Master didn’t have women around him. If not, can I take this as a sign
that you want to look good in front of me?”
“Um.”
“I’m joking, I’m joking. I know that you’re not that type of person.”
“How?”
“You’re famous. Oh! Can I order some wine too?”
“Yes. Of course. I invited you to have a meal, after all.”
“Then I won’t hold myself back.”
“Yes.”
I wanted to eat expensive food anyway. All I had eaten lately were things that
were hard to say that was good except for those sausages.
‘The atmosphere is good.’
From there on, how I planned the direction of the conversation was
important.
It would matter how he thought of me. I had to make myself likable enough
to get him to open up to me.
Our lovely returner’s mouth wasn’t talkative enough to tell those to a woman
he’d seen for the first time. Rather, considering that it was the opposite, there
was a high possibility that he was already drawing a line between us.
‘Should I openly seduce him?’
That one was dismissed.
It was unlikely that a guy who daily enjoyed the harem life with numerous
beauties would react.
It might be advantageous to keep some distance. There were some cases

where one could say things that they couldn’t say to the person closest to
them, but they could to the ones that had maintained some sense of distance.
Considering the likelihood of that happening, that was possible.
First, I would have to talk about my worries. Then, I’d listen to his worries.
It would be best to take that route.
I wanted to get to the main point out immediately, but I didn’t want to make
him wary by moving so straightforwardly right from the beginning.
The first step was to enjoy the atmosphere in moderation. The second was to
test the waters.
“Were you at the museum?”
“Yes. It was a really nice place. Most of all, I like the Adventurer Insurance.
It helps people avoid the worst possible scenario. Of course, I know there will
always be risks, but everyone has combat anxiety.”
At this, I started with the most common topic. “In fact, I have seen you from
a distance before. I thought you were handsome back then too. You’re really
tall. You hear that a lot, right?”
“I don’t hear it much. I do hear it occasionally.”
“Ah, I see.”
I didn’t forget to make some light jokes.
We talked for hours without knowing how much time had passed.
I was worried that he would be bored, but there was no sign of that. Rather,
seeing that he was blushing, he looked immersed in the atmosphere.
As the distance between the chairs gradually became closer, the vigilance of
his mind seemed to be breaking down.
The problem was…
‘Isn’t this too fucking close?’

I thought I needed to adjust the distance between us a little.
LMFAO Hyunsung POV:
3cb31bf9995ed27a42938c6a7ca27908.jpg
‘I should adjust the distance between us.’
Getting any closer had to be avoided.
Lee Kiyeon’s objective wasn’t to have a strong relationship with Kim

Hyunsung. Rather, it was the opposite.
I had no intention of playing with fire overnight. This was just a one-time
thing.
I only aimed for a simple relationship where we would meet by chance,

accidentally had deep conversations, then went on each other’s ways without
regrets.
If we got too close, I might need to keep in touch with him regularly.
Naturally, I leaned back.
I didn’t know if this was a good thing, but Kim Hyunsung didn’t take my
signal as a sign that I wanted to distance myself from him.
He thought I was just moving over.
He wasn’t the kind to react to those actions in the first place, but as this was
an important occasion, I had to be cautious about my movements.
‘I guess it’s a good thing.’
Of course, the conversation continued.
It went back and forth between light talk and a bit of personal talk.
What was a little surprising was that Kim Hyunsung had begun to talk about
himself little by little.
At best, everything he said was all that everyone knew. However, it was
important that I was making him talk.
“I see. I feel like I’m seeing you in a new light. I guess being in the position
of a Guild Master representing Lindel isn’t all about convenience.”
“Yes. There are a lot of politically intertwined stories. It’s not a position
where I can just do as I please. I need to think about the Vatican’s side, and I
need to consider the surrounding cities’ position. I said it like I was good at it,
but in fact, I’m all thumbs when it comes to this…”
“But the Blue Guild is doing well, right? You’re doing good, not only with
the military force. but with the political issues, too…”
“That’s because of my close friend.”
It wasn’t long after that the lovely returner mentioned me.
“Close friend… Oh, the Honorary Cardinal.”
“Yes.”
‘Whew. Hyunsung mentioned me as a friend… I’m going to cry. Hyunsung,

you know how much I cherish you.’
“So, you seem to have a close relationship, just like the rumors said.”
“I don’t know. At least I feel that way. It hasn’t even been long since we’ve
known each other… it’s a bit weird. Sometimes I wonder if it would feel like
this if I had a brother. At first, I didn’t think of him that way… he has such a
strange charm.”
‘Hyunsung, I know how you feel. I feel the same way.’
“The Honorary Cardinal is probably thinking the same way. I don’t know
much about you two, but I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“People talk about us?”
“Uh-huh. Everyone already knows how loyal the Honorary Cardinal is to the
Blue Guild Master. Actually, the word loyalty doesn’t even seem to fit…”
“Haha. Yes. It would be far from something like loyalty. Rather, it is a little
embarrassing. Loyalty…”
“It would be easier to call its friendship. Yes. Friendship. Actually, I’m a
little bit envious.”
“Why?”
“You found such a valuable relationship here.”
“Oh…”
“It’s not easy to find someone you can trust. At any time, you can be
backstabbed… It’s not easy to trust people with no worries.”
“I understand.”
“…”
I wasn’t sure, but the timing, I thought, was just right.
He was already drunk, and the atmosphere was heightened enough. If I

dragged more time now, there was a possibility that he would become fuzzy,
so I had to make up my mind.
I could feel Kim Hyunsung’s gaze at me as I slowly talked with emotion.
“In fact…”
“Yes?”
“I also had such a person. A person like the Honorary Cardinal to the Blue
Guild Master. A person who felt like a real sister.”
“That means…”
“Yes. She’s not here now. There was an accident, and eventually, she died.
And it was all because of me.”
“Oh?”
“It’s a common story. I didn’t trust her.”
“Ah…”
“She believed in me. And I didn’t.”
“…”
“…”
“I don’t know why I’m talking about this with someone I’ve met for the first
time.”
I knew it was more effective to bring up the story with teary eyes.
As I glanced at Kim Hyunsung’s face, I noticed that he had gotten

embarrassed. It seemed like he didn’t think that the conversation would
suddenly become a human documentary.
However, in his perspective, he must’ve felt like this was now the right time
to comfort me.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“I shouldn’t have told you that. A crying woman is not attractive…”
“No. That’s not it. Rather, it’s more…”
“You have a unique taste.”
“Ahem. I don’t get it.”

“I’m sorry. Your reaction is so cute that I keep joking around unknowingly.
Well… anyway, that’s it. It’s not all that great. It’s something that commonly
happens across the continent. A lot of time has already passed, and I have
overcome it to some extent… You don’t have to comfort me with that face,
Hyunsung.”
“Okay.”
“Then, should we have another drink?”
“Once again, I’m really sorry.”
“Will you keep making me depressed? Let’s toast quickly. Clink. Uh… This
wine is strong.”
I could see him laughing slightly and drinking it.
However, his smile wasn’t natural. I felt like he was thinking of something
different.
‘Did it work?’
Just looking at his face, I thought it worked.
I felt worried at first because it was a bit outright, but it seemed he didn’t
think there would be any other meaning.
I felt a little happy, but in other ways, I also felt bitter. This meant that Kim
Hyunsung had felt a bit suspicious of me.
‘Hyunsung, fuck. It really hurts. What did I do for you to become suspicious
of me? I’m not the masked trash. I don’t have any skeletons in my cupboard.’
However, I had to take in this fact humbly.
There were several problematic scenes in the process of desperately trying to

protect the continent. Perhaps, from Kim Hyunsung’s point of view, even if
he didn’t want to, there must’ve been some things that were bothering him.
Considering that, I could understand his reasonable doubts.
Didn’t he say we were brothers? Brothers usually grew up fighting.
Naturally, I slowly spoke up once more.
Since I had already told my story, it was time to listen to his story. Of course,
I had to do it carefully. I had to approach the situation cautiously.
“You’re wearing that face again.”
“What?”
“You’re wearing a frustrated expression. Do you want to get some air?”
“You really are used to reading other people’s faces.”
“I told you it’s just on your face. It seems I shouldn’t have told you that…”
“No. It’s not that. I just had something to think about. It’s about trust.”
“Do you mean the Honorary Cardinal?”
Kim Hyunsung sent a bitter smile. Perhaps it meant something positive.
“Is there something wrong?”
“No. There is nothing wrong with him. Rather, the problem lies with me.”
“What?”
“It’s a matter of my humanity.”
“It’s not frustration. It’s only a sense of shame.”
“Yes. If I have to express it, I think that word would suit me better. It’s a
sense of shame.”
“If you don’t mind, can I hear what it’s about?”

“…”
“I don’t know if this will help, but…”
‘Ha… is he backing out?’
When I was about to get a bit disappointed, he began to continue talking

again.
“The suspicion never leaves my mind.”
“What?”
“Just like what I said, the suspicion never leaves my mind. It’s not that other
people have a problem. Really… it’s just a personal matter.”
“Ah…”
“It hurts me not being able to repay his trust. I know it’s not true, but I still
kept creating useless thoughts in my mind, and eventually, I came to the point
where I couldn’t face him properly anymore. I don’t know when or how this
happened, but my humanity was ruined. I shouldn’t do this…”
‘This stupid bastard. Hyunsung… Why are you being so nice?’
I felt anxious, but I also felt happy because I had now discovered what kind
of state he was in.
I didn’t know how the hell it happened, but Kim Hyunsung definitely
doubted me. The problem was that he was taking it as if it was his fault.
Perhaps because he had been backstabbed in the first round, Hyunsung was
convinced that he had PTSD, which meant he couldn’t face people properly.
It seemed he was also very distressed.
I could finally see why he had been avoiding me despite him saying we were
like brothers.
‘It’s understandable since he’s been betrayed so many times… I understand,

Hyunsung.’
In fact, not all the faults belonged to Kim Hyunsung.
Some events or circumstances could be reasonably suspected. He simply

didn’t connect the pieces one by one. Instead, he only stored them in his
mind, so he unconsciously hid the puzzle.
He refrained from having any thoughts whenever something happened.
It meant that even when I didn’t do anything, he would take a step first then
restrain himself.
‘Kiyoung is not that kind of person. I can’t doubt him.’
He was in a situation where the negative energy in his heart kept insisting to
doubt the innocent me.
“Every time I catch myself thinking like this, I feel that my humanity… is
getting worn out.”
“It’s not.”
“…”
“I don’t know exactly what kind of situation you are in, but I feel that you’re
not a person with worn-out humanity. I’m not saying this to comfort you.
Hyunsung is a good person. It’s been only a few hours, but I truly feel that
way. “
“…”
“I’m right.”
“I guess I’m drunk too. I don’t usually talk about this.”
“It’s because I spoke about it first. I don’t know if this will help, but… as a
senior who had a similar experience, I would say…”
“Yes.”
“It would be better to talk to him about it.”
“Ah…”
“Honestly, talk about everything you have kept to yourself until now. It will
definitely help. It’s not good to keep procrastinating. You said he was like a
brother.”
“Yes.”
“If Honorary Cardinal feels the same, he will be able to understand you.”
“Ah…”
‘Right, you bastard. We have to get it off of each other’s chests.’
I saw him quietly nodding.
“Shall we have another drink?”
“Yes.”
‘This wasn’t bad overall.’
I had acted naturally enough.
It felt a bit heartbreaking to backstab him in such a way, but it felt like an
inevitable choice since it was only to get rid of the negative energy inside the
lovely returner.
Naturally, I felt good about the result since it was better than I thought.
I vowed to be careful, but it had been a while since I had a drink with him,
and I ended up drinking a little too much. At this point, I felt like I was
getting a little tipsy.
As if I looked drunk even to Kim Hyunsung’s eyes, he began to worry.

“You look very drunk.”
“No. Ugh.”
“I think it’s better to get going. I will take you to your dorm.”
“It’s okay. I’m not that weak enough for you to worry. Let’s drink a little
more.”
“No. I think I’ll feel better if I take you to your dorm now.”
‘Do not take me there, asshole.’
This atmosphere was definitely getting weird.

“No. I think I’ll feel better if I take you back to your dorm now.”
‘Shit.’
Upon hearing this, my gaze naturally fell onto him. Of course, there were no
other emotions visible on his handsome face.
I had begun to get worried about him having strange thoughts, but I didn’t
have to worry.
He must be thinking about whether I’d be caught up in anything that might

happen on my way back. It was unreasonable to think the herbivorous man
that had been certified by the unicorn would think about anything else.
I also thought about whether it was okay to accept his goodwill, but it seemed
too beautiful to finish our meeting like that.
‘No. This bastard is also a man.’
It wouldn’t be weird if anything had happened.
It was something I just realized, but the atmosphere had become quite strange
compared to before.
A man and a woman met by chance, showcased unusual behavior, got drunk,
and even felt strange bonds with each other.
If it were a normal relationship between a man and a woman, it wouldn’t be

strange for them to rush to the Crack Motel right away. Of course, we had no
intentions of doing just that.
‘How long do I have left?’

What was more problematic was that the magic effect placed by the fairy was
about to end.
Although there were differences depending on the magician and the target,
the fairy’s prank duration was only limited to three days.
Considering that this was already the third day, I had to be careful not to get
found out.
The moment I was caught, the seeds of doubt in Kim Hyunsung would grow
rapidly.
‘The effect should last a little longer.’
Light Kiyoung had weak magic resistance. However, since I couldn’t

guarantee anything, I shouldn’t waste any more time.
“It’s really okay.”
I had to keep my mind upright, but I sounded tipsier than I had initially
imagined.
No matter how I listened to it, it still sounded like the voice of a woman who
was completely smashed. Kim Hyunsung looked worried again.
As I glanced to the side, I could see a lot of empty bottles. I didn’t know
when I drank all of that.
Honestly speaking, however, I knew it was not strange for me to easily get so
drunk. I had just come back from an expedition, after all.
I didn’t put much effort into it, but my whole body was feeling tired because
I had moved my body too much for nearly three days. In such a situation, it
wouldn’t be unreasonable for me to feel like I would fall the moment I stood
up since I had drunk more than usual.
His face was already overwhelmed with worry. It was as if he knew how bad
my condition was even though he was slow.
As I faced an unexpected crisis, I pushed my bag further into the robe and
looked at him once more.
“I think it’s better to get going. Where’s your dorm…?”
“I’m not staying in any dorm. I just ran into Hyunsung before looking for
one… There are probably many rooms at the Crack Inn, so it’s better to go
there.”
“If you haven’t got one yet…”
“Yes?”
“Why don’t you come to the Blue Guild branch? I don’t know if you’ll like
it, but it’s probably more comfortable than a room at the Crack Inn.”
‘Don’t be so absurdly kind, you bastard.’
“No. That’s a bit… I’ve already bothered you in many ways, so I can’t do
that anymore. I also got a good meal like this, please don’t make me feel too
embarrassed, Hyunsung.”
“No.”
“This is a little too much.”
“It’s okay.”
“I’m really okay, too.”
‘Why is this bastard so firm?’
The anxiety that had once disappeared began to rise again. I wanted to run
away immediately, but I found that I couldn’t.
No, in the first place…
‘Even if I say no… Will he stay still?’

Probably, even if it meant following me, he’d try to make sure I got in the
Crack Inn.
He was simply that kind of person.
It would be better to ask him to take me there quickly. It was risky, but it felt
like it was the most plausible of all the options I had.
I stood up without saying anything, and yet I almost collapsed in an instant.

My head was spinning, but I managed to keep the balance by holding onto
the table.
I managed to react on time because I saw him flinching momentarily.
“I think you’ve had too much. Really.”
“If… that’s the case, please, just take me somewhere close to the Inn.”
‘Don’t laugh, Hyunsung. I will get too attached.’
“Okay.”
It was already dark when I walked slowly out of the restaurant. Stars
embroidering the sky were enough to make people exclaim in delight.
I was a little flustered due to the situation, which had now created a romantic
atmosphere, but I slowly kept walking.
“It looks like there are a lot of stars today.”
“There really are. Sigh…”
“Are you okay?”
“Except for being a little dizzy, there’s nothing wrong with me. I’m so sorry.
It seems like I’ll be bothering you until the end.”
“You really don’t have to worry about it. You can think of it as a return for
relieving my frustrated feelings…”
“What did I do? I just said things that anyone could say. Even if you asked
the people around you, everyone would have said the same thing. It wasn’t a
great help, but it’s a little embarrassing to tout it like that.”
“…”
I kept a slightly coy look on my face. Thanks to the lights on the street, his
face seemed red.
‘It’s too hard to walk… I went way over the top. Fuck… Kiyeon, why did
you do that? Why did you have fun losing your mind?’
Of course, this was a mistake I wouldn’t usually make.
I had drunk without thinking due to the feeling of having fun with my little
brother after a long time.
Since it was hard to even walk, it was right to accept Kim Hyunsung’s
suggestion.
I was walking as quickly as possible, but the scenery didn’t change. I could
even feel myself staggering.
No matter how good Crack Land’s security was, it wasn’t appropriate for a
woman to go around alone at night like that. This was still a place full of
monsters that could cut the throat of an adventurer with a single swing.
That case became even more evident when I thought about the fact that many
people were met with trouble while walking alone.
I could understand Kim Hyunsung’s perspective on this.
While walking and talking slowly, worries appeared on Kim Hyunsung’s

face. However, he couldn’t figure out how to act.
It was clear that he wasn’t able to decide whether to lend his shoulder or
carry me. He must be wondering if it would make me uncomfortable if he
touched me.
‘He’s too naive.’
I understood that he kept his distance to be careful of unintended physical

contact, but that was just being an idiot.
If I were a real woman, I would have been annoyed by his kindness.
‘Hold hands confidently! Put your hand around her shoulder! Sneakily! You
have to do it, man!’
Of course, I wasn’t hoping for that.
Rather, I thought it was fortunate that he didn’t make unnecessary physical

contact, but I still couldn’t help but think that his behavior was pathetic.
He was keeping a proper distance, but his steps were in line with mine.
Although he seemed to be prepared if ever I fell, it also made him look like
he had no dating experience, but rather just had great manners.
With the situation like that, our pace was becoming even slower.
It would take a while, even though we’re heading towards the Crack Inn.
That was when my body sent an abnormal signal.
‘Why is it so hot?’
I couldn’t figure out why, but it felt like my body suddenly became hot.
My breathing became rougher, and my weary body was becoming even more
fatigued. No wonder I was getting flustered by the sudden abnormal
phenomenon.
Although I didn’t show it, I started having cold sweat.
‘Magic.’
The magic cast on me might be slowly dissipating. No, it felt like it was
going to disappear in a little while. I was certain of it.
Little by little, I could feel the magic power in my body burning. It wasn’t the
magic power I had.
It was the magic power from an external source. The moment I lowered my
guard, it began to spill out.
‘Shit.’
My breathing became even rougher without knowing it.
Although I had been walking with confidence, nothing had changed.
The Crack Inn was still far away, and Kim Hyunsung was looking after me
like an escort.
He glanced towards me when the harsh breathing came out without my

knowledge, but his kindness wasn’t welcomed at all.
“Sigh…”
“Are you okay?”
I couldn’t afford to answer. I had to focus my mind on holding onto the

magic power that was about to leave my body.
If the magic were to be released here, everything would really be over for me.
I wasn’t sure if Kim Hyunsung knew what I was thinking or not, but he
refused to yield.
‘Go away quickly, Hyunsung.’
“I think this is enough. From here on… ugh. I can go alone.”
“What? But…”
“We already passed through the dark alley and… it’s a big road now…”
I sounded like I wanted to pee. Even when I listened to myself, it didn’t

sound good.
“There isn’t much left to go, so I want to take you all the way there. It’s
dangerous during nights like this. Even if it’s a big road….”
“It’s really okay…”
‘Wrong. This bastard doesn’t want to listen.’
He certainly could be single-minded sometimes. I swallowed hard due to his

stubbornness.
As I kept holding on to the magic power that was about to flow out like a
fountain, I was quickly becoming more and more exhausted.
I was talking, walking, maintaining magic, and feeling dizzy, all at the same
time. To top it all off, more tasks were being added slowly.
If I lost focus, I was certain everything would flow down like a dyke with a
hole.
‘Kim Hyunsung… you fucking…’
It was then that a bad idea came up.
Although it might be a pretty big swing, that was the most obvious way to
immediately get rid of him.
It would definitely work. Considering Kim Hyunsung’s personality, I was

certain of it.
I had dozens of thoughts.
However, before I could even organize my thoughts, words popped out of my

lips.
I began to tell a story that would drive out our innocent Hyunsung.
“I can really go alone, Hyunsung. Really. I understand what you are worried
about, but I’m starting to feel uncomfortable.”
“But…”
“If I told you this much… I seem to have clearly expressed my intentions…
please go back.”
“I will go with you a little more.”
“No, it’s really okay.”
I slightly showed that I was getting annoyed, but as expected, he was slow to
notice. I scuffled with him, but he didn’t give much of a thought about it.
As I slightly stumbled as if to fall, I could see him grabbing my shoulder like

a gesture of a butterfly rushing toward the spider’s web.
The eyes of the innocent returner were looking at me with relief.
However, it didn’t take long for those eyes to turn into embarrassment.
Why?
He would have seen a very uncomfortable Bitch Kiyeon’s face with his own
eyes.
“I’m sorr…”
Before he could apologize, I cut him and opened my mouth immediately.
“I’m… not that kind of woman, Blue Guild Master.”
‘I’m sorry, Hyunsung…’
“What?”
‘I’m really sorry…’
“As I said, I’m not that kind of woman. Haven’t you been too explicit
compared to when we were having dinner?”
The remorse in my conscience began to awaken after a long time of

unresponsiveness. Kim Hyunsung looked at me as if he didn’t know what in
the world was going on.
It felt like my heart was being torn.
I felt heartbroken, thinking that I had hurt the lovely returner’s feelings.
If he asked what kind of situation we were in at the moment, my remorse

would go away, but the innocent bastard was currently thinking about what
he did wrong.
Whether or not he knew that the situation itself was a bit forced, I could see
something similar to guilt on one side of his face.
‘It’s pretty understandable.’
In fact, there was plenty of room for misunderstandings to occur.
Even though I repeatedly refused his offer of taking me back to the dorm, he
kept clinging to me, so rather than looking like a knight guarding the
princess, he just looked like a horny delinquent.
If it were a woman who had gone through all sorts of things, she would’ve
just let him do that, but from the standpoint of the cautious Light Kiyeon, it
was not unreasonable for her to judge that he was harboring some evil
intentions. This was even more so when I considered that we even had
physical contact at the end.
‘He grasped and held my shoulder. Didn’t he even touch my belly? This wily
bastard…’
Of course, our Hyunsung would’ve only done such actions to save me from
falling, but since he touched her whole virgin body, he should take
responsibility for it.
I had to stand my ground more firmly.

When I thought about it, a guy who had advanced magic power management
knowledge could’ve held me without having to use his hand. I didn’t know if
he had forgotten about it for a moment, but it was an unexpected mistake in a
sudden situation.
He was probably aware of his mistake, too.
Of course, in spite of all those circumstances, his modest acceptance of my

words made me lament.
‘He still couldn’t wake up even though he was backstabbed in the first round.
This bastard.’
I even thought it was fortunate that he met me first. If a gold digger-like

woman had stuck to him, it was natural to think that a big accident could
happen.
There was nothing more terrible than an article with a title like ‘the Blue
Guild Master’s alleged molestation crime’ running around at Lindel.
Of course, I had no intention of letting such an article go out. No, I couldn’t

imagine he would be in that situation with other bitches in the first place.
However…
‘Think of it as learning social studies, Hyunsung.’
We didn’t know what could happen in life. I couldn’t be certain that it

absolutely wouldn’t happen. Pain was but a blessing for the youth.
‘Yes. Pain is a blessing for the youth.’
I was sure he’d face a similar situation a few times in his life anyway.
It was better to experience pain that Light Kiyoung had arranged for him to
grow than to go through a lot of pain later on.
‘I’m going easy on you.’

I nodded unconsciously at the rationalization. At that time, Kim Hyunsung
seemed to be thinking about what to say.
“…”
‘I have to talk first.’
“Even though I clearly expressed my intention to refuse, you kept insisting,

so I can only think that you’re treating me as a cheap woman.”
“There seems to be some misunderstanding. I…”
“I’ll admit that the atmosphere was good today, Blue Guild Master. I had
fun… and I don’t think it’s unreasonable to have that feeling. But not like
this. I’m sorry if I’ve given you any room for misunderstanding. I never
meant to. I am very grateful that you saved me and served me with a good
meal, but if this were the price, it would have been better not to have helped
me.”
“It’s not that.”
The atmosphere had now become colder.
“If you need a woman to spend the night with, find one elsewhere.”
“No.”
“I guess you usually do it this way? They say no one in the world is
trustworthy… Were you planning to do this from the beginning?”
“No. Absolutely not, so…”
Naturally, I began to show off that I felt offended.
Hyunsung seemed puzzled about how to fix the situation. He probably felt
like he had to explain somehow that this was a misunderstanding, but he was
forced to keep silent while my words rushed in like wildfire.
He must have been thinking about whether he was rude or not. Of course, he
wasn’t.
It was irrational to overreact the way I did to his action after he proposed to
take me home.
The physical contact was to prevent me from falling, and the persistence of
staying by my side was to protect me from danger.
In fact, rather than calling Kim Hyunsung a rude person, it was more
appropriate to view Bitch Kiyeon as a sensitive person.
No, she was more like a crazy bitch.
However, Hyunsung looked like he had still been caught in the act.
Of course, what could be said to be the number one contributor to his reaction
was my extreme acting ability. Not only did I bite my lips tightly, but I also
had a few tears in my eyes.
Along with the expression of disappointment, I showed complex emotions

engulfed in shame.
Did I have the look of a female protagonist who was betrayed by someone
she believed in?
I couldn’t check my current expression with a mirror, but just by looking at

Kim Hyunsung’s face, I was certain that my acting skills were good enough.
I didn’t even need to drag it too long. In truth, prolonging this would only put
me at a disadvantage. It was better for me to hit and run.
“If I knew you were like this…”
“T-This is a misunderstanding. It wasn’t really intended in that way. I’m

sorry if you’re already hurt, but… I hope you can believe me.”
“Are you really sure that you didn’t have anything else in mind?”
“…”
“…”
“Huh?”
“…”
‘You can’t stop there, you bastard. Even if you had, moron, you have to
pretend you hadn’t.’
“I won’t deny that I was a bit interested.”
‘Hyunsung, you’re also a man, after all.’
It seemed like it was an interest the size of an ant’s nail, but he wasn’t lying.
Even the way he lowered his head told the truth.
“I’m sorry. I sincerely apologize if I made you uncomfortable.”
‘No. Make some excuses. You shouldn’t be apologizing right away,

Hyunsung. If you apologize in this situation, you will lose…’
The sincere apology made me feel even guiltier. After all, it took two to
tango.
The other side needed to be moderately agitated or making excuses for me to

keep arguing back. Even though it was unfair, he still chose a sincere apology
instead of a petty excuse.
If I went a little further from there, the odd one would be Light Kiyeon.
In the end, I also had to give up one step. I didn’t even have time to play
around like that in the first place.
“Sigh…”
“…”
“I got it. So, please raise your head.”

“I’m sorry.”
“No. Looking at you, it feels like I also misunderstood you. It seems that I
had a shameful thought… even though you’re not like that. But… I hope you
go back today.”
“…”
“I’m indeed a little drunk, but I’m not a three-year-old child. I’m
undoubtedly a heroic-grade adventurer, and… how many times have I told
you that I can go back to the dorm alone? I understand you’re worried, but I
hope you know that too much kindness can be misleading. No, honestly, I’m
still upset. Whatever your intentions were, I might find it insulting enough for
me to accept them. I believe you know what I mean by that.”
“Of course, I know.”
“We had a good start. I want to finish it well. I am saying that I want us to
leave a good impression on each other.”
“Yes.”
“I’d like to call it a day. I’m sorry.”
“No. Rather, I’m even sorrier. I apologize again.”
‘I’m telling you not to apologize…’
“Okay.”
‘I was being so careful. Fuck.’
I felt proud of myself for a moment, and thinking that I had solved a difficult
mission, I nodded.
Kim Hyunsung had also become fully aware that stubbornness could be
irrational. Although I was worried about whether he was following me or not,
I knew that he wouldn’t do anything of the sort since he admitted that he
made a mistake.
Perhaps looking from a distance was all he could do.
All that remained for me was to go back to the Crack Inn. My head was
spinning, but I started to walk as quickly as possible.
There was no more time to delay.
Of course, I did my best to avoid falling or stumbling.
The moment I showed that I wasn’t fine even for a bit, he might come out
and meddle with my affairs again.
My body and mind were already at their limits. The moment I loosened my
guard, it felt like the effect would disappear like a popped bubble.
I bit my lips tightly. Every step I took was full of tension.
It felt like I was striding ahead, but I was worried about how I was looking
from behind. As I went down the big stairs on the big road quickly, I worried
that I would fall.
‘Fuuuck… I think I’m doomed…’
My body stumbled momentarily.
I was able to hold onto the railing and miraculously endure the ugly
appearance, but absurdly enough, one of my shoes had come off.
‘I’m not even Cinderella, fuck!’
“Kiyeon! Your shoes…”
I heard the voice calling me from behind, but I was sure I shouldn’t react to
it.
‘He’s still watching. This stalker bastard. Please go home!’
There was too little time to go back.

At that moment, I had no choice but to hope that he wouldn’t do anything
useless like passing me the shoes. I didn’t know if this was unfortunate or
fortunate, but it seemed like he was not thinking about doing that.
Although I felt something in the back, I moved quickly without looking back.
‘Please…’
The Crack Inn, which felt so far away, was now getting closer.
It felt like I was soon going to lose my focus, so I hurried up as much as

possible.
‘Please!’
I opened the door.
“Good night. Welcome to the Crack Inn!”
“Legendary-grade. Room. Quickly, please.”
“Ah… Yes.”
“I don’t need change.”
After throwing a bunch of gold coins, I went straight up.
“Check-in…”
“I will go up right now.”
“Certainly.”
“Room number?”
“I’ll guide…”
“I don’t need it. Just please say it q-quickly.”

“O-Okay.”
‘If he’s sane, he won’t follow me to the inn.’
However, I couldn’t relax until I actually entered the room.
I couldn’t really figure out what happened. It felt like my head was becoming
blank, and I also felt like I wanted to pee.
After I said I didn’t need a guide, I immediately entered the room, and before
long, I was able to reach the safe space with a bang.
“Safe…”
That was when all the magic power in my body was drained.
As I turned my head and checked the mirror, a familiar man was reflected
right in front of me.
In fact, the appearance of Light Kiyeon also didn’t look bad, but I certainly
liked my true appearance more.
I sighed deeply.
My bare feet bothered me, but I started to smile, thinking I had accomplished
my mission brilliantly.
‘Everything has been perfect.’
It would’ve been a more perfect expedition if Kim Hyunsung didn’t make the
fuss about finding the shoe owner.
Chapter 454 Results and Evaluation
(1)
Chapter 454: Results and Evaluation (1)
This little game was finally over.
I wanted to sleep right away, but I knew I couldn’t do that. There were many
things to deal with and to think about.
However, I first had to burn the evidence. I thought it would be better to

make it look like Lee Kiyeon moved to another continent than make it look
like there hadn’t been any Lee Kiyeon from the beginning.
Acting swiftly, all the items that had been used were discarded.
I decided that the situation was over to some extent after contacting Lee Jihye
for administrative processing. Tomorrow at dawn, the woman named Lee
Kiyeon would probably be treated as a being in the far-off United Kingdom.
‘Is there even a need to do this?’
I thought of something like that, but at this point, it was better to be careful. It
was not like I was going to lose money if I did things a little more
meticulously.
‘Furthermore…’
It didn’t matter if Kim Hyunsung threw away the shoes that Bitch-erella had
left behind, but I couldn’t imagine witnessing such a scene.
Since he confessed that he was a bit interested, it was better to think that he
would be more likely to come in the morning. Of course, he would realize by
then that he was too late after hearing the news that I had left.
I wondered if it would be better to leave a letter, but it would be more helpful
to help him cut ties with Light Kiyeon rather than to give him false hope.
‘You should leave it as a good memory. Yes. Absolutely.’
If he clung to me too persistently, it would feel like it would not be bad to

deal with it like she died in a dungeon. Regardless, I thought it would be nice
to erase the event from my memory.
It was because there were too many things to catch up to for me than to dwell
in the past.
Since the fairy magic that confused Jung Hayan’s detection magic had been
released, she probably already felt where I was.
Since it was late, she must be in her dreamland already, but she’d come right
over when the morning came. I thought it was a reasonable choice to get up a
little early and go straight to the Blue Guild branch.
“I should just sort things out a bit and go to bed quickly. Ugh….”
Organizing matters after finishing big jobs seemed to have become one of my
habits.
Since I wasn’t intelligent, I had to do it once in a while before deciding on a

course of action.
‘First…’
The Crack Museum.
‘It wasn’t bad.’
It was definitely a composition that had helped the adventurers’ growth.
The response was better than I thought, and I quickly felt that the system
itself was well established.
The price was just right, too. It felt a bit expensive, but it made it up for that
through inclusions.
If I were to rate it, it would be about 4 out of 5 stars.
There was no need to remove or add anything to it. Depending on the drop
rate or rising complaints, services must be released, but it was still enough to
fill the Goddess’s vacant seats urgently.
The problem was on the other side.
I was worried about the Friendship Clan.
To be precise, I could say that I was worried about the adventurers currently
struggling in Lindel.
In fact, I had to check their status, but the Friendship Clan, as they said, was
one of the influential clans that had just started making a name. A sigh
escaped past me at this.
Of course, the Friendship Clan wasn’t connected to the Blue Guild in any
way, but if I thought that we had to fight together in the future, it would be
natural for me to worry.
‘Their level is too low. No, it’s not even a level issue.’
As I recalled the unsightly behaviors they displayed, my anxiety started to

grow more and more.
The Crack Museum could fill in the grades and specs, but I was confident
that it wouldn’t work in other areas.
While thinking about the first round’s situation, an answer dawned on me,
one that answered why I was seriously thinking about such an issue.
I didn’t know exactly how the first round was going, but if my predictions
were correct, it was likely in a warring period at that moment. Regardless of
whether it was a war between nations or between foreigners and continent
people, it would have resulted in endless fighting.
It was clear that Lee Cheol-woo and Kim Daegun of the Friendship Clan
would be in the middle of the battlefield. Even if they didn’t try to
accumulate experience, I was confident that they would have accumulated it
along the way.
Not only would they have to fight all day, but they would have had to stand
up from the death of a colleague.
If I thought about it in simple terms, of course, the second round was better
than the first round.
At least, I had reduced my useless losses and gathered up my strength.
However, if I thought about it from a slightly different perspective, it was

also hard to say that the current situation was excellent.
The first round environment reduced the number of people who could fight,
but it also gave a big hand in weeding out the weak. I bet the people who
survived various incidents and fought until the end with Kim Hyunsung were
experienced enough to be called veterans.
What about the adventurers of the present day?
They showed pathetic behavior in fighting heroic-grade named monsters.

Considering that our lovely returner failed in the first round even with such
warriors, we couldn’t succeed with guys like the Friendship Clan members,
even if we had lots of troops.
“This is a problem…”
It would be strange not to take it seriously.
It was necessary to find out when and where the threat would erupt but
considering Kim Hyunsung’s reaction; it was difficult to say that it would
erupt soon.
He didn’t look that busy.
The problem was that there were no events prepared until then. There was no
conflict and no war. No quarrels and no growth.
With events such as the Crack Museum or the Demon Dungeons, they could
match the specs, but not the mental aspect.
There would be no one like a chosen warrior coming out of the crisis and no
one like a hero awakening from the death of his companions.
Why?
Everything was peaceful.
Turbulence created heroes and made armies stronger. It sounded like bullshit,
but that was an undeniable fact. I felt like I had to create a conflict since none
existed.
‘Should I wear a mask?’
I thought about such nonsense, but even an artificial conflict would be good
for the current continent. It meant that it needed to face a little more crisis.
The question was how to spread the crisis.
‘Should I release the mythic-grade monsters from the museum?’
That was dismissed.
It was undeniable that if the tentacle-like Ancient God or the one with horns
on the head were released, it would be impossible to fix the crisis.
‘Should I start a war?’
That was worth thinking about.
It didn’t feel right to tear open a recently closed wound. However, that option
was also rejected.
There was no guideline on which ones to use as a sacrifice, and adding salt to
the wound should be avoided.
The continent had just become one. It was impossible to blow away the
patients healed with my own hands to spread a conflict.
Or…
‘Is it hard to get Belial?’
He was a demon, and I felt like he would cooperate for some reason.
However, remembering that he backstabbed me, my doubts began to grow. In

the end, my head began to hurt.
I couldn’t come up with a particularly good idea even while lying down on
the bed. No, it wasn’t something I could decide on my own in the first place.
“I need Hyunsung.”
I naturally thought that establishing communication with Kim Hyunsung was

urgent.
I had to find out exactly how things were going, what he thought about the
current situation, and his reasoning if he thought it was okay. I also had to
know if there were any directions for improvement.
At the moment, he seemed to be focusing on developing his own power, but

he must have a plan. I felt like I wanted to spend the rest of my life only
trusting Kim Hyunsung, but there was no way I could trust a guy who d

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[Start the tutorial.]

-Do you want to join the game?-

[Name: Lee Ki-young]

I wasn’t used to seeing the sudden floating screen.

[Attribute: Heroic grade: Do you want to read it?]

[Check the talent levels of the player Lee Ki-young.]

I couldn’t keep up with it all.

The sounds of unknown beasts could be heard from outside.

It was the same for me.

Weapons weren’t by any means scarce.

So it was only natural that I ran straight away to pick up a spear.

‘Shit, what to do?’

I thought about various different things.

I’m not the only one to be flustered, of course.

There were screams all over the place.

“Please, get me out of here. Please….”

“Wah wahh… Please let me live. Please….”

“I’m calling the police! The police!”

[Name: Park Deok-gu]

[Title: None. You should try a little harder.]

[Disposition: Enthusiastic musclehead]

[Strength: 21/Growth potential: heroic (ideal)]2

[Agility: 16/Growth potential: rare (below average)]

[Stamina: 21/Growth potential: heroic (ideal)]

[Intelligence: 10/Growth potential: rare (below average)]

[Endurance: 30/Growth potential: heroic (ideal)]

[Luck: 11/Growth potential: common (below average)]

[Magic: 00/Growth potential: common (above average)]

[Overview: Overall, it’s well-balanced. You will grow well as a warrior

‘You didn’t have to tell me that….’

It was more like his whole body was covered in muscles.

If you pretend to be friendly, you can definitely buy him as an ally.

First off, I’ll hang around him with a spear in my hand.

When I practiced a movement with my spear, Park Deok-gu looked pleased

“Are you going to fight too?”

“Thank you. Let’s get ready for now.”

What he said was rude, but he looked satisfied.

Just exchanging a few words was effective.

I opened my mouth again.

This time, I was talking to everyone.

“Stop messing around!”

There should be many people who can fight.

It’s unknown how many enemies will come, or what type.

Someone muttered something.

“For now, let’s fight!”

No one here was used to fighting, of course.

The mood in the room was gradually improving.

The way things were going really wasn’t bad.

“Women should also pick up weapons.”

“Oh. Yes, yes….”

I knew what I was saying.

But at least I was sure I could survive.

‘Tutorial. She said it was a tutorial.’

[The starting point will open in a moment. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.]

[The starting point has opened. Good luck to all participants.]

But it was only my imagination that we would be able to do something, to be

Blood flew from the back over to here.

“Aaaaah! Help me!”

Screams rang out in an instant.

It was seriously pandemonium.

There was no way we could survive this.

It was hard for everyone to face the reality before us.