Inside a tranquil forest, where the appearance of demons had stopped people from entering, a woman carrying a bow was walking. Seeing how she checked her smart.w.a.tch for where to go, one could tell this was her first time here. However, she didn’t seem nervous in any way.
After treading on the gra.s.sy field for some time, the woman stopped when she arrived at her destination. A small log cabin was standing amidst the trees and vegetation.
The woman stood in front of it. The wooden door had no decorations and only a simple doork.n.o.b.
“Huu….”
When she grabbed the k.n.o.b after taking a deep breath, the person inside opened the door first. Startled, the woman took a step back.
“Oh, you’re here~”
A woman greeted her with a bright smile. The woman inside the cabin treated the visiting woman affectionately as if they were old friends.
However, the visiting woman didn’t enter the cabin and stood outside the door. She looked into the cabin beyond the smiling woman’s shoulders.
The wide sight of the ‘Divine Archer’ unfolded.
There were people she was familiar with and also people she only saw through doc.u.ments.
“Don’t just stand there. Come in~”
Jain called her amicably. Beyond her shoulders were Khalifa, Setryn, Jin Yohan, and Cheok Jungyeong. Only after confirming the members of the Chameleon Troupe did she open her mouth.
“No, not yet. I haven’t accepted your offer.”
“Really? Then why are you here~?”
“…I have a condition. I am willing to cooperate so long as you agree.”
“Oh? And what’s that~?”
Jain asked with a giggle.
Koong— At that moment, the cabin shook, and Cheok Jungyeong rose from a seat in the darkness. Due to his huge stature, his head almost touched the ceiling.
Jin Seyeon swallowed hard. But as she had come determined, she spoke without wavering.
“There can be no killing during this process. I will make them face the punishment of the law.”
When she said this, five gazes inside the cabin fell on her. Jin Seyeon felt her muscles tense up as she waited for Jain’s response.
“…Mm~ We expected as much~”
Thankfully, she didn’t seem to be against it. In fact, she seemed to be saying, ‘Try it if you can’.
Jin Seyeon thought inwardly.
The rumor seemed to be true.
The Chameleon Troupe supposedly had an ironclad rule. And that was— to solve any disagreements with a fight, with the victor having the final say.
Jin Seyeon was confident in her abilities, but the one facing her, Cheok Jungyeong, was a tough opponent. Of course, that didn’t mean she had no chance of winning. She had brought [Huang Zhong’s Bow] precisely because of this rule.
“Huhu.”
Jain, who was rubbing her chin and pondering, suddenly broke out into a smile. Jin Seyeon roused her five senses and grabbed her bow.
Jain spoke.
“Sure~ Let’s do that~”
She agreed.
“In that case…. Eh?”
Jin Seyeon was taking out her bow in preparation when she heard his and became dazed. ‘What did I just hear?’ She stared at Jain blankly and tilted her head.
Seeing this, Jain said it once again.
“We’ll do that. No killing. Only justice. You guys are okay with that, right~?”
But what was even weirder was the other members’ reaction. Jin Seyeon was sure Cheok Jungyeong would disagree, but even he was nodding his head.
Jain grinned.
“Then you’ll be working with us now, right?”
“Huh…? Ah, wait?!”
Jain grabbed Jin Seyeon’s hand and pulled her into the cabin.
**
[Essence of the Strait, Chief Officer’s Office]
Five days had gone by since the victory against Baal. Yoo Yeonha was currently sitting on her office chair, staring out the window.
The sky that had been reddish-black returned to its clear color. Just looking at the endless, blue sky warmed her up. The chirps of the birds, the fluffy clouds, and the blazing sun all seemed beautiful.
“Huu….”
Yoo Yeonha shook off this sentiment with a sigh and turned her gaze to her desk. A mountainload of doc.u.ments were stacked there. They were all post-war matters she had to take care of.
Despite being overloaded with work, Yoo Yeonha clenched her fists and encouraged herself. Once everything was taken care of, Essence of the Strait would meet its second prime and rise above Korea to become the ruler of the world.
As she was focusing on the doc.u.ments again, Yoo Yeonha caught sight of yesterday’s newspaper.
[s.h.i.+n Jonghak’s Confession - This was a disaster brought upon by s.h.i.+n Myungchul’s Regression!]
“….”
Looking at it, she felt her heart become heavy. After the annihilation of Baal, the confession s.h.i.+n Jonghak made caused a huge stir around the globe. As a result, s.h.i.+n Myungchul’s previous position as the Saint Hero shook.
But because of s.h.i.+n Jonghak’s achievements in fighting Baal, his decision to donate most of his family’s wealth to rebuilding, the still-existing threat of demons, and most importantly, Yoo Yeonha’s terrifying media manipulation helped s.h.i.+n Myungchul avoid becoming ‘trash that should burn in h.e.l.l’ (as Jin Sahyuk put it).
“…Ehew.”
Yoo Yeonha sighed once again and moved the newspaper to the corner of the desk. She suddenly remembered her father, who had promised her to make ‘a certain announcement’ soon.
Jiing—
At that moment, her smart.w.a.tch vibrated. It was from her secretary, Jin Sechan. He had been living in the Republic of Leores0o 0and had only returned thanks to s.h.i.+murin’s power. Apparently, he worked as a secretary there too.
—This is Jin Sechan.
“Yes, go ahead.”
— The demons have launched a surprise attack in Seoul. Their commander is one of the New Evils. Their goal seems to be the ‘Demonic Energy Gem’ that is currently under the a.s.sociation’s management.
“…Is that so?”
Yoo Yeonha rested her chin on her palm.
Although the threat of Baal had disappeared, demons still remained on Earth. Despite descending on Earth along with Baal, they had chosen to stay and live here afterward. Some even joined the Djinns’ forces to make Pandemonium their home.
Because of this, a new term called the ‘New Evils’ had been coined. Although the Nine Evils collapsed during the war, the few members of the Nine Evils who survived had formed a new organization.
“If it’s Seoul… there’s nothing to worry about. Kim Suho happens to be there. Ah, but send some people over, so we can look the part.”
—Yes, understood. And about what you’ve said before. The Chameleon Troupe Foundation…
“The Chameleon Toupe has disbanded.”
—My apologies. The Yi Byul Foundation is proceeding smoothly.
The Chameleon Troupe had disbanded, and Yi Byul remained as Yoo Yeonha’s partner. Yoo Yeonha had fervently recruited her. By tweaking her background a little bit, Yoo Yeonha felt like Yi Byul could act as Essence of the Strait’s Hero. After all, it seemed like she was interested in the job.
“What about it?”
—Well, it’s about the scale of her wealth…. I’ll send you the relevant info.
“Got it.”
Yoo Yeonha didn’t think too much of it, but when she saw what Jin Sechan sent her, she doubted her eyes.
“…She really ama.s.sed quite a fortune.”
Yi Byul’s wealth was enough to make even Yoo Yeonha surprised.
She possessed more than ten private islands, and including all the treasures, artifacts, stocks, and ‘World of Wish’ items, her wealth was hundreds of trillions of won.
They were all a.s.sets that would only increase in price as time pa.s.sed.
“Oh? She was a majority shareholder of our companies? With this much, she should be able to single-handedly feed all war orphans.”
Her a.s.sets included stocks of Essence of the Strait’s subsidiaries. She even had them on a business scale rather than an individual one. She sure was greedy.
—We’re managing her a.s.sets as efficiently as we can, but the sheer scale of it is making it a bit difficult….
“Be as honest as possible and donate most of the profits. Make sure you watch the employees so they don’t do anything stupid from greed.”
Yi Byul was the former leader of the Chameleon Troupe. Doing something underhanded could get them all killed.
—Yes, understood. Then we will put out focus on rescuing children.
“Great.”
—I’m hanging up.
When the video call ended, Yoo Yeonha stretched. Then, she picked up her smart.w.a.tch to rest a bit. Rachel had messaged her while Yoo Yeonha was working.
[Rachel - Photo]
“Ah, this.”
She quickly tapped on the message.
As expected, a picture of Evandel popped up.
She must have just eaten cake as she had whipped cream all over her mouth.
“She…. She’s too cute.”
Yoo Yeonha stared in a daze, then began to type a reply while her shoulders trembled.
[Hiding something so cute… G.o.d, she’s so cute. Oh yeah~ Didn’t you say Evandel liked dolls, right? The next time we meet—]
“…Mm?”
While typing a response, she suddenly felt like she was forgetting something. She felt embarra.s.sed.
She was only sending a message, so what was she embarra.s.sed about?
Because she couldn’t figure out the reason no matter how hard she thought about it, she erased the message she already had and just got to the main point.
[You don’t have to use Evandel as a weapon to convince me. The conference will happen. I’ll take the portal over at 6 p.m. two days later. I plan to be generous during this conference with England, but I suggest that you don’t go too overboard with requests.]
Rachel’s reply came quickly.
[Of course. Evandel and I are eagerly waiting, President ^-^~]
This message even came with two pictures of Evandel. The first was her jumping after a b.u.t.terfly, and the second was her taking a nap with Hayang.
“Wow…. Ah.”
For a moment, Yoo Yeonha’s face melted from the cuteness, but she quickly let out a dry cough and went back to work.
**
[Seoul Special City - Road to Gw.a.n.ghwamun]
The difference between a limousine and a standard car was simple.
If a standard car went clunk- clunk- as it drove, a limousine would go shooong- and go forward like a snake. It was obvious why people would choose the latter. It was a natural decision given the human’s instinctual desire to survive. After all, shooong- was quicker and safer than clunk- clunk-.
“Ah… mm, ah. Mm. Ah, mm….”
But a mutant defying the natural state was bound to exist. Sitting in the back seat of the limousine, Kim Suho twisted his body in discomfort.
Like a child who was holding in his pee, he squirmed for a long time before finally speaking out loud.
“I think it’ll be faster for me to get off and go on foot.”
“No. This is an official business matter at an official place.”
Kim Suho’s personal secretary refused firmly. Kim Suho scratched the back of his neck. As expected of the ‘witch’ who formerly served the Demon King, she was thorough in taking care of her master.
Today, Kim Suho had returned from Manchuria’s battlefield and was heading to the Hero a.s.sociation.
Although only five days had pa.s.sed since the annihilation of Baal and the demons that descended with Baal still remained within Pandemonium, the a.s.sociation was hosting a banquet.
Kim Suho, of course, didn’t want to go. But because the former president, Kim Sukho, insisted, he had no other choice. Yun Seung-Ah wanted him to go too if possible, and Kim Suho also felt like he owed him since the scholars.h.i.+p he gave made Kim Suho’s family’s lives a bit easier.
“Kuhum.”
Instead of resisting, Kim Suho unfastened two of the c.u.mbersome suit b.u.t.tons and looked out the window.
Under the clear, blue sky, the view of Han River entered his sight. After watching the surface glistening like jewels, Kim Suho turned his head thoughtlessly.
“…!”
Then, he faced a woman who wasn’t there a moment ago.
After appearing without a trace, she had naturally taken the seat next to him.
How should he put this? It was a rather terrifying, horror movie-like experience.
Kim Suho’s heart jumped up at the woman’s sudden appearance, but he tried to look calm as he stared at her.
“Where are you going?”
The ghost… no, Jin Sahyuk asked.
Kim Suho glanced at his secretary. She was stealing glances at the back mirror, but it didn’t look like she had any intention of kicking Jin Sahyuk out.
“…The a.s.sociation.”
Kim Suho replied leisurely.
Jin Sahyuk perked up her brows as if this took her by surprise.
“You? Why are you diving into politics?”
“It’s not politics. It’s not like it’s a meaningless conference either.”
“…To be honest, I don’t care about someone like you. What about that guy?”
Jin Sahyuk asked. Kim Suho fell into thought. That guy? Was she talking about s.h.i.+n Jonghak?
“Jonghak should be in Africa right now.”
“No, not that r.e.t.a.r.d.”
Jin Sahyuk furrowed her brows. Kim Suho tilted his head and asked back.
“Then who?”
“That guy. You know, that guy.”
“Stop being cryptic. Who’s….”
He suddenly stopped in the middle of his sentence. An unpleasant sensation emerged in his head like something was on the tip of his tongue.
But no matter how hard he thought about it, nothing popped up.
This ‘someone’, whom he naturally forgot, was hard to remember through unnatural means.
“Don’t worry. You don’t have to hide him. I won’t try to bring him to my world.”
Jin Sahyuk said with a shrug. But the more Jin Sahyuk acted this way, the more confused Kim Suho got.
“…?”
When she saw that Kim Suho was staring at her with a confused look, she continued in frustration.
“I’m going to leave alone, okay? I don’t want to involve an unrelated person.”
Only then did Kim Suho think of words to say.
“…You’re leaving? To Akatrina?”
“That’s right. Unlike you, I have a strong attachment to my homeworld.”
Jin Sahyuk’s voice carried a rueful pride. Jin Sahyuk wanted to go back home as soon as possible, and the only reason she was still on Earth was to make preparations - like gathering food.
Kim Suho stared into Jin Sahyuk’s eyes. They were no longer blood-thirsty like in the past but instead deep and full of life. Her eyes were glistening with a righteous will.
Kim Suho smiled bitterly and shook his head.
“I miss our homeworld too.”
“Yeah, because your homeworld is Earth. Stop playing with words and tell me—”
“No.”
Kim Suho cut off Jin Sahyuk.
Jin Sahyuk glared at Kim Suho with a scowl.
“I miss Akatrina too. That’s my homeworld. I’m still using the swordsmans.h.i.+p I learned in Akatrina here, and I’m still living by the principles I set there. No matter how much I deny it, I can’t erase Akatrina from my heart.”
“….”
“So I decided to accept it. My life in Akatrina… wasn’t the happiest. Well, it was miserable, to be honest, but I don’t resent the world because of it. I’m here because of Akatrina, after all.”
Kim Suho’s short life in Akatrina had mostly been a mixture of betrayal, sorrow, despair, and frustration. But deep inside, there was some happiness and love as well.
Kim Suho finally felt like he could accept these memories as a whole.
But Jin Sahyuk angrily punched the back seat of the limousine.
“…Shut up. I don’t care about that. I need to know where ‘that guy’ is—”
Kiiik— At that moment, the limousine suddenly came to a stop. It wasn’t just the limousine. All the cars in front of it stopped or hit the guardrail. Next, a boom rang out and shook the surroundings.
Kim Suho quickly threw the door open and went out to look at the situation.
He could see demons flying in the sky over the Han River.
“…Jin Sahyuk?”
“What.”
Kim Suho held up his scabbard and spoke to Jin Sahyuk who had approached him again.
“You’ll help, right?”
“…What?”
“Why are you so surprised? You helped us when we fought Baal, didn’t you?”
“Are you mad? Why should I? I have my hands full with Akatrina.”
Jin Sahyuk narrowed her eyes dumbfoundedly.
Kim Suho chuckled playfully before pleading with sincerity.
“Your former humble servant requests of you.”
Jin Sahyuk paused just as she was about to pa.s.s by. Perhaps because this was the first time Kim Suho talked to her in such a formal way, she stared at Kim Suho without moving. With emotionless eyes, she scrutinized his face.
Soon, a big grin emerged on her face.
“A request from a servant who killed his king….”
Hearing this, Kim Suho also smiled.
A servant who killed his king, and a king who killed her servant’s everything.
Jin Sahyuk didn’t apologize to Kim Suho. And Kim Suho wasn’t expecting an apology either.
“This benevolent lord shall grant your request.”
Jin Sahyuk was Jin Sahyuk because she was Jin Sahyuk.
There wasn’t a king in the world who apologized to her servant.
“Thank you ve~ry much. Also… I’m sorry about the past… Pft.”
Kim Suho took out Misteltein as he chuckled. The sword’s brilliant light illuminated the Han River.
“You sure have a good sword. Of course, that just means you’re weak without your weapon.”
Jin Sahyuk also chuckled and roused her magic power. Black magic power shot up, equipping her with armor and creating countless spears and swords in the air.
Meanwhile, the demon army shot down from the sky.
Kwaaaaa—
Jin Sahyuk fired her spears and swords and tore their bodies apart.
Kim Suho also sent sword strikes flying at the fearless demons who didn’t know who they were facing. As he swung his sword and looked at his Misteltein slicing his enemies in halves…
…He couldn’t remember anything.
What was it?
Wasn’t there something important about this sword?
Memories with a precious person should be stored in this sword….
So why?
Why can’t I remember?
Kim Suho forgot naturally, and he couldn’t remember naturally.
But he wanted to remember.
He desperately wanted to recall.
But—
“Kuhahahahaha—! So you’re Kim Suho!”
A loud, ringing roar interrupted his thoughts. Next, a powerful enemy appeared and blocked Kim Suho’s path.
“It’s good to see you—!”
He seemed to know Kim Suho.
Kim Suho could also identify him by his appearance.
A demon whose entire body was wrapped in black metal. Although he looked like he was wearing a ridiculous, full-body spandex suit, his 3-meter-tall height, monstrous muscles, and intimidating facial features made him the most famous member of the New Evils.
He went by the name Iron Evil Lord. The number of High-ranked Heroes he attacked totaled 28, and 20 of them had lost their lives. He was not an opponent to be taken lightly.
“I shall be the one to kill you—!”
As iron nails flew toward him— Kim Suho stopped thinking.
**
…When I opened my eyes, I was in the middle of Seoul Station.
It was unlikely that Boss abandoned me here, so it must have been the co-author’s doing.
I was thankful.
The co-author had said that the ‘evanescence would progress slowly’. That meant Boss would forget me even while I was in front of her. Being here like this was far better than seeing her forget.
I checked today’s date with the newspaper covering my stomach. About six days had pa.s.sed since Baal’s annihilation.
After checking the date, I checked what I still had with me.
But as expected, there was nothing.
Gifts, Authorities, Arts, Physiques, Skills, SP, the System, DP, items…. Everything I obtained through the power of the author was gone.
Immediately, I was at a loss for what to do for the future. The reality I tried to deny flooded in like a tidal wave, and a little bit of tears rose up.
But I had no plans to sit still and cry. I had experienced death twice. Although I lost everything I possessed, I still had the memories and persevering mindset I built-up.
…Though I said this, it still took me a day to leave Seoul Station.
Thankfully, there was one place in this world where I could stay.
The apartment room I first woke up in.
The place that belonged to Chundong.
I headed there thinking ‘what if’, and the 90-square-meter home greeted me just as it did when I opened my eyes in this world.
I had returned to the place where everything began, having lost everything.
“…Ehew.”
And now.
I was slouched on the couch, watching TV.
—Although the threat of Baal has disappeared, a troublesome force called the New Evils has risen. The world’s greatest Hero Academy, ‘Cube’, has officially announced its revival.
That was news.
—Hero s.h.i.+n Jonghak has decided to concentrate all his might in subjugating the New Evils. Although s.h.i.+n Myungchul’s actions summoned Baal to this world, the public is still rooting for s.h.i.+n Jonghak. Revealing his grandfather’s sins and trying to atone under the bright sun, one can easily tell how pure-hearted he truly is….
That was clearly Yoo Yeonha’s media manipulation.
—Hero Chae Nayun! Are you expecting to become a Master-rank Hero? Everyone from the a.s.sociation is expecting it.
—Huh? N-No! Now’s not the time to be thinking about that sort of stuff. We have a lot of reconstruction to do. There are people we have to protect and rescue. There are lots of enemies to defeat. So I want everyone to be focused on that. Ranking Heroes as fun can come later. Anyways, I’m going back to work.
That was an interview with Chae Nayun.
Around her neck was the necklace I gifted her.
—A nameless angel is supporting children who lost their families during the war. Even from a rough estimate, the donation amounts to a trillion won….
That had to be Boss.
Still lying on the couch, I kept my eyes on the rectangular TV screen. I looked at the people who would lead brilliant lives in the world that was no longer a novel.
I wrapped my hands around my face, feeling both happy and depressed.
—Iron Evil Lord, who attacked Han River, has been successfully defeated. The Creator’s Sacred Grace will continue to fight demons with courage and determination….
Kim Suho was standing on a podium, discussing a recent attack on Seoul by the Iron Evil Lord.
“…Well.”
Looking at Kim Suho, I murmured in a quiet voice.
“I’m sure I can survive somehow….”
This wasn’t my first rodeo as an extra.
From the beginning, I was meant to be someone who would live like I didn’t exist.
Since I made the decision, there was no need to regret, cry, or be sad.
I just had to start over from the beginning.
“Ah, should I really try applying as a background actor or something?”
I think I’d be a pretty good actor….
I turned off the TV and got up. After taking out a bottle of water from the fridge and drinking it, I ordered delivery. It was a 23,000 won spicy braised chicken. Thankfully, I could survive a month without starving thanks to the money Kim Chundong had in his desk.
After that… well, I’d probably have to look for a part-time job.
In any case, once I ordered food, a stifling silence filled the room.
It was the kind of empty silence that made you feel alone.
“….”
I picked up a chopstick from the kitchen’s utensil holder. Suddenly remembering my [Master Sharpshooter] Gift, I gave it a light throw. The chopstick… didn’t fly at a terrifying speed and simply fell and rolled on the ground.
“Haha, obviously.”
I had tried the same thing a thousand times already.
It was about time I accept it.
That ‘Kim Hajin’ as a character had really disappeared.
It was then.
Ding—
The bell suddenly rang.
“Huh? The delivery’s here already?”
Since when did spicy braised chicken take 3 minutes to make?
I tilted my head and opened the front door.
“h.e.l.lo?”
But no one was there. My foot only b.u.mped into something.
“What’s this?”
It was a huge package about the size of two boxes of fruit combined.
I furrowed my brows and knelt down.
There was a small letter attached to the side of the box.
[This is my final gift.]
“…Eh?”
Dokun— Immediately, my heart jumped a beat.
I carefully looked around the hallway before quickly taking the box in. It was so heavy that I couldn’t lift it and had to drag it over.
“Haa, haa….”
Even doing something so simple made me gasp for air.
After placing the box in the living room, I considered ripping the tape apart with my hands before quickly bringing a pair of scissors from the kitchen.
“Huu….”
With a deep breath, I cut off the tape sealing the box.
Then, I opened it.
“….”
I became speechless.
Emotions welled up from deep inside my heart.
Inside the package was….
A black suit engraved with a lotus symbol and a beautiful, silver gun.
They were the pieces of equipment I used to use.
“….”
I stared at them blankly before hitting the box with my head.
I didn’t cry. I refuse to believe I did.
I was just grateful. Grateful that he would leave me with at least these.
And if I expressed my grat.i.tude, maybe he would send me more gifts in the future.
“Ah… hurgh…. Uk….”
Strange sounds were coming out of my mouth.
But that was really how I felt.