Chapter 346. Meeting (3)
The child grew quickly, and the master realized that he alone was not enough to bring out the best in the child. The child needed an even greater role model. In order to blossom as a knight, he had to go to the capital.
His family at the temple understood and supported him. The nuns gave him all they had, three gold coins to use for travel expenses, and the child left for the capital with the knight.
Their journey was not as smooth as they had hoped. They ran into thugs, encountered monsters, and got trapped in natural barriers.
Together, the master and the pupil overcame many obstacles and finally arrived at the capital city.
The capital of Plerion was still magnificent even as the world’s lifespan neared its end. Tall buildings and the bustling streets mesmerized the child.
His master, who used to serve the kingdom as a knight, brought the child to the Royal Palace by connections. There the child met a boy who would later become his lord.
The name of his future lord was ‘Puharen’, a fragile boy trembling with fear and uncertainty.
**
[Earth — Korea]
Morax descended from the pentagram. The advent of this gigantic devil was particularly destructive. His right leg came down first and crushed the grasslands near the border. His left leg destroyed the barriers the Heroes had made.
Just like that, the giant devil set foot on Earth.
“…”
Kim Hajin stared at the devil in silence. Though all Morax had done so far was appear on Earth, his instincts warned him that the current situation was extremely dangerous.
“Hmm….”
The most he could see from the ground was the devil’s knee. Morax’s upper body was hidden from view behind the clouds and the fog.
Kim Hajin decided to increase the distance between them first. Because a sharpshooter had to be far away from his target to be able to aim properly, he needed to be as far away from the battlefield as possible.
“Stay here. I’ll cover you from behind.”
He disappeared, leaving Kim Suho behind. Aileen appeared almost immediately. She had a huge bump on her head from when she fell out of the Demon Realm Gate.
“Hey Kim Suho, what’s that?”
Aileen asked, rubbing her head. Kim Suho tightened his grip around Misteltein.
“It’s Morax.”
“Morax?”
“Yes.”
Morax— the same calamity that destroyed Akatrina in the past.
Kim Suho still remembered the devil, how devastatingly strong it was, and even Puharen’s tears.
“…Well, whatever.”
Aileen increased her magic power. She squinted her eyes and glowered at Morax while stretching.
“Nothing will matter once I kill him.”
It was then.
—We have urgent news! Devils are being witnessed all around the globe!
—Help! Help! We need assistance!
—Requesting backup!
Desperate voices broke out of the Heroes’ smartwatches.
“W-What’s going on? Why all of a sudden?”
Aileen was obviously perplexed. Kim Suho calmly leaned over and looked into the smartwatch of the Hero next to him.
—This is Japan! A huge pentagram suddenly appeared on the ground and countless Djinns began pouring out of it….
—Russia here! D-Devils have appeared here as well!
These voices deprived Kim Suho of his sense of reality. He grew dizzy, his vision clouded and his body staggered. The nightmare of the previous world, which he had worked so hard to forget, seemed to come to life again. This made him sick.
“What's the status quo?”
At that moment, however, a particularly clear voice flowed into his ear. Kim Suho raised his head. Yoo Yeonha was there. She was looking into the current situation with Yoo Jinwoong's smartwatch.
“…”
Her expression stiffened. She looked around again and sighed.
“Father, I’ll get moving now.”
“Yeah, you stay in a safe place. Go on, hurry. Hey, Kim Hwagok!”
Yoo Jinwoong quickly ordered a Hero from Essence of the Strait to accompany Yoo Yeonha.
“My name is Kim Hwagok, a high-intermediate-rank Hero. Please hold my hand, Chief Officer. I have the Teleport Skill.”
“…Okay.”
Yoo Yeonha threw a glance at Kim Suho and held Kim Hwagok’s hand.
Shoong— Soon, Kim Hwagok activated [Teleport] and she was evacuated to a safe place.
It wasn’t long before Kim Hwagok returned to the battlefield again. He held several smartwatches in his hand.
He handed one of them to Kim Suho.
“Chief Officer ordered me to give this to you.”
“Ah, I see. Thank you.”
The smartwatch was immediately connected to Yoo Yeonha.
—Can you hear me?
“…Yeah.”
Kim Suho nodded. He shrugged as he looked into the smartwatch.
“By the way, did you learn a new skill? Your voice is… soothing.”
There was something special about Yoo Yeonha’s voice. The comforting voice seemed to find its way to him naturally even at a time like this. It was thanks to her voice that he had managed to remain sane.
—Yeah, sort of. But I won’t tell you what it is. Focus on the current situation for now.
“…”
Kim Suho grabbed his sword in silence.
At that moment, a woman approached him. Her scent was familiar.
It was Chae Nayun, as he had expected.
Chae Nayun looked up at Morax with Balmung in her hand.
“…He’s freaking huge. How is this size even possible?”
She muttered, and Kim Suho gave a small smile.
Chae Nayun turned to Kim Suho and comforted him.
“Don’t worry too much, though. What’s wrong? You don’t seem yourself.”
“…”
Kim Suho remained silent and scratched the back of his neck. He felt a little ashamed of the fact that his fear was so apparent.
Chae Nayun slapped Kim Suho on the shoulder several times and grinned.
“It’s okay. Everything’s gonna be fine. Grandpa is here. He’s gonna take care of that.”
Chae Nayun was as confident as Kim Hajin had been before. The difference was that her confidence was proven almost immediately.
Koong—!
The surrounding nature resonated.
Grass, trees, the earth, all colors of nature became clearer and began to spur. They quickly gathered together to form a huge human figure.
This was the avatar of the Immortal made by Chae Joochul with his Authority.
The avatar straightened herself up. She was as big as Morax.
“…Wow. I haven’t seen this technique in a while.”
Chae Nayun blurted in admiration. Kim Suho looked up at Mother Nature in a daze. Her legs were trees and soil intertwined, her body was made of Chae Joochul’s magic power, and her arms and head inherited the energy of the azure sky.
This was the great ‘Four-colored Immortal’.
“Well, let’s just leave him to Grandpa.”
Chae Nayun slapped Kim Suho on the shoulder.
Morax began moving towards the Immortal. He stretched his arms towards the divine creation, and the Immortal did the same. The two great forces crashed into each other, causing a devastating shock wave.
KWaaaa—!
Submerged in the wave of gravity pushing against his whole body, Kim Suho grabbed his sword.
**
[Vassago’s Colosseum]
Meanwhile, Cheok Jungyeong and Jin Seyeon became Rank 9 Gladiators. But Jin Seyeon’s heart was not in the Colosseum anymore. She had just discovered that the Demon Realm Gate opened and devils descended on Earth….
“You need to pee? Whatcha nervous for?”
Cheok Jungeyong sneered at Jin Seyeon as she wandered about the waiting room.
Jin Seyeon turned to him with a frown.
“Aren’t you worried at all?”
“About what?”
“Devils have descended on Earth! This is the biggest crisis in the history of humanity since the Great Change. Yet, you’re-”
“Say, what do you think we’re doing right now? Are we just playing around?”
“…What?”
“We’re also trying to stop a devil, are we not?”
“…”
Jin Seyeon fell silent. She had nothing to counter him with. It was true that they were here to protect humanity from a devil.
Not knowing what else to say, she glared at Cheok Jungyeong, sighed, and threw herself on the couch.
“But still. Four devils have appeared at once. Four! Morax, Baal, Phenex, Vual-”
“What? Ball?”
“No, no, not ball, Baal. The pronunciation is similar, but…. Wait, stop fooling around!”
Cheko Jungyeong’s sordid joke angered Jin Seyeon.
It was then.
A bird appeared from nowhere. It fluttered its wings and landed on Cheok Jungeyong’s shoulder.
“…What’s this?”
Cheko Jungyeong and Jin Seyeon looked at the bird in a daze. The bird tilted its head a couple of times, and…
—Peep.
…Chirped.
At the same time, a sentence rose above the beak of the bird.
[My name is Observer No.3]
It was a rather sassy self-introduction.
“…What? Observer?”
Cheok Jungeyong frowned, and peep—, the bird chirped again.
[I shall help you communicate with my master]
“Haha. You’re pretty feisty for a little guy. Just who is your master…?”
Cheok Jungyeong shuddered slightly as if he had suddenly realized something. Jin Seyeon stared at Cheok Jungyeong who had frozen in place.
“…Aha.”
After organizing his thoughts, Cheok Jungyeong let out a chuckle. He lightly patted the head of the Observer on his shoulder and gestured at Jin Seyeon to come near him.
“Oi, come here.”
“What is that?” Jin Seyeon asked brusquely.
Cheok Jungyeong answered, “It’s a messenger from the Seat of Black.”
Jin Seyeon flinched.
She continued to wander about the room, pretending to be indifferent.
“Seat of Black?”
“Yup. Oi, Black. Are you currently outside? I’m with Jin Seyeon right now.”
Cheok Jungyeong whispered to the Observer. About 3 minutes later, the bird chirped, relaying Black Lotus’s message to him.
[Yes, I’m outside. But things aren’t looking too great. Where are you right now, Cheok Jungyeong?]
“At Vassago Colosseum.”
Jin Seyeon focused all her senses on the conversation between Cheok Jungyeong and Black Lotus, all the while feigning indifference.
[How are things on your side? Will you two be able to beat Vassago?]
“Of course, I can kill him easily. My companion here, on the other hand, wants to appease.”
[Huh? She wants to appease a devil?]
“Yup. Sounds crazy, don’t you think?”
“Excuse me, but I-”
“Shh.”
Cheok Jungyeong stopped Jin Seyeon.
Jin Seyeon’s face was distorted like a bulldog, yet Cheok Jungyeong continued smugly, paying no mind to her apparent discomfort.
[Does she have a plan?]
“I don’t know, she says that Vassago loves treasures or something. So she wants to appease him with the items you made. You know, stuff like furniture. Nonsense, right?”
[Mm… you’re right, that sounds a little reckless. It’s not much of a plan.]
Black Lotus’s disapproval made Jin Seyeon blush with embarrassment.
It was then.
—So far, six gladiators have achieved Rank 9.
Vassago’s voice descended from the ceiling of the Colosseum. Cheok Jungyeong quickly hid the Observer, and Jin Seyeon looked up at the ceiling with a nervous expression.
—The last match shall begin two days from now.
Six gladiators have achieved Rank 9.
Vassago boldly announced that he would fight against all six of them at once.
“Here, hand the bird over to me.”
After the announcement ended, Jin Seyeon stretched her arm towards Cheok Jungyeong.
At that moment, however, Vassago interfered again.
—And, you two.
Cheok Jungyeong and Jin Seyeon flinched.
They weren’t too worried, however. Vassago had announced before that the gladiators were free to plot and scheme against him in the Colosseum. So the Observer shouldn’t be a problem….
—Your tribute was well received.
As expected.
Jin Seyeon gave a sigh of relief and leered at Cheok Jungeyong as if saying ‘Told you this would work.’
—There’s someone on Earth who can make things like this? You’re saying that a human-made such a delicate object?
“Apparently, according to him.”
Jin Seyeon pointed at Cheok Jungyeong with her chin rather coldly. Cheok Jungyeong shrugged, and then pulled out the Observer hidden behind his back.
“Take a look at this. This is a bird he sculpted with his magic power. You can tell how talented he is, no?”
Cheok Jungeyong set the bird free. The Observer chirped as it fluttered around the ceiling. The way that the small bird danced like a butterfly was pretty cute.
—Hmm….
Vassago observed the bird in silence.
Jin Seyeon whispered, “See? It’s working.”
“So what? I also thought this was a good idea.”
“Stop lying.”
“Why,” Cheok Jungyeong added with an unusually serious look. “I had our members investigate, and they told me that Vassago’s incarnation body used to be super extravagant. So it’s no surprise that Vassago is blinded by riches, just like his incarnation bo-”
—I can hear you.
Vassago declared coldly.
Cheok Jungyeong and Jin Seyeon fell silent.
The devil continued with a chuckle.
—Though I cannot say that the incarnation body’s inclination has not affected me at all. As you intended, your tribute has satisfied me greatly. I’ll visit you soon. It is only natural for a greater being to award lower being’s good behavior. You shall wait for me.
This was the answer that Jin Seyeon had been waiting for.