A week had passed since Satan’s attack.
While the members of Guardian were focusing on personal training, KangWoo focused on the movements of the Demon Cult.
"They haven’t moved?"
"Right. I've done everything possible, but they haven’t moved."
"Hmm."
KangWoo gulped.
He'd asked Chae YeonJoo to investigate Asia; then he'd asked Gaia to investigate Europe and the USA.
But after planting hundreds of Fissure Seeds worldwide, the Demon Cult hadn't moved again.
'What's going on?'
Their plan to plant Fissure Seeds all around the world hadn't failed.
Although the damage was minimized, it was true that the Gaia System had weakened.
If their goal was to weaken the Gaia System, they should've moved again.
'I thought they'd do a huge summoning again.'
He had planned to devour all of the demons brought to Earth by the summoning.
But the Demon Cult hadn't made any moves.
"How weird."
"Right…?"
Chae YeonJoo nodded.
The normal thing would be for them to move, but seeing that they were hiding at such a time made them feel anxious.
"Well, I'm going to keep investigating for the time being."
"Please do."
"Oh, also… there was something I wanted to ask you."
Chae YeonSoo sat next to him. KangWoo tilted his head.
She pointed to the living room.
"Your summoned monster… Can you really treat it like that?"
She was pointing at Balzac, who, as usual, was focused on cleaning.
The sight of a skeleton wearing a pink apron and a mask was comedy itself.
"It's okay."
[Hahaha! You weaklings! You disappeared without leaving a single speck of dust!]
Balzac even looked happy while cleaning.
Chae YeonJoo shook her head in disbelief.
"Why did you summon such a summoned monster…? It's rare, even among undead monsters."
"I didn't summon it because I wanted to."
To be honest, he wanted an ancient demonic monster like a halcyon.
Chae YeonJoo sighed and kept talking.
"Well, leaving that aside, do you remember you mentioned the Demon of Prophecy?"
"Satan?"
"Yes, Satan. There was something about him I wanted to ask."
"Go ahead."
KangWoo nodded.
"That Satan guy… you said it took human form, right?"
"There's a huge chance he did that."
"Is there anyone you can think of? Since the Demon Cult has been quiet recently, I was thinking that maybe I could investigate who he has transformed into."
"…"
They were words that felt like lightning. KangWoo remained silent.
He opened his mouth while talking confidently.
"It probably won't have any importance. It doesn't matter who he's turned into. Since he entered the Demon Cult, he's probably secretly moving through it."
"Hmm, I see."
"That's why, please, investigate the Demon Cult first. Once we get them, we'll be able to get Satan."
"Okay."
Chae YeonJoo sighed and nodded.
She prodded some more.
"But aren't you, in reality, the Demon of Prophecy? To be honest, seeing how strong you became so fast, it's kind of suspicious."
'Fuck, how did you know?'
He felt like he'd been hit by a stone someone threw as a joke.
But he wasn't stupid enough to overreact in that situation.
"Why? What would you do if I was the Demon of Prophecy?" He asked back playfully.
Chae YeonJoo laughed out loud.
"I'd send you back to Hell as soon as possible."
'Please don't say something as horrifying as that.'
"It isn't somewhere I want to go."
"Tsk. Leaving jokes aside, I'm going to work, so see you later."
Chae YeonJoo got up and walked out of the house.
Slam. The door closed. KangWoo placed his hands on top of his forehead.
"Haa."
'That was close.'
He acted calmly, but it was true that he'd flinched at her sharp remark.
He was just starting to calm down again when…
Whir-
"Hmm?"
His pocket began vibrating when he got up.
It was the crystal ball used for communication given to Guardians members.
"Yes. Did something happen?"
[It's a mission. An abnormal symptom in the Gaia System has been detected in Suwon's S-rank hate. I, Grace, and ShiHoon are going there. So, Mr. KangWoo, please come as soon as possible.]
"Understood."
KangWoo nodded.
Seeing how they hadn't given any missions to him alone, it seemed like they'd been worrying about Satan too much after what happened the other day.
'Did I make them too cautious?'
It was true that, in terms of the Demon Cult, he was more comfortable moving on his own.
But he began wondering if he'd made them too cautious about Satan.
'No.'
When he recalled what Chae YeonJoo had said as a joke, what happened the other day was necessary.
'Thanks to that, they don't suspect me anymore.'
While Satan was invading the vault, he was eating dinner with them.
There wasn't a better alibi than that.
The fact they were being too cautious made him feel a bit suffocated, but he thought that was also necessary.
'It's better than staying still and being overwhelmed.'
Taking into consideration numerous factors, it was better.
"Should I go?"
KangWoo put on the white mask.
He turned to Echidna and Balzac.
'I guess there's no need for all of us to go.'
If he were alone, it would've been another story, but Grace, Gaia, and Kim ShiHoon would be there.
There was no need for him to take both summoned monsters.
Tap-
KangWoo opened the window. As he used the Authority of Sky, his body started to float.
* * *
"Hey, Hyeongnim!"
The Suwon Hwaseok S-rank gate. As KangWoo entered the gate he'd visited the most, he was greeted by Kim ShiHoon.
Kim ShiHoon, Grace, and Gaia were all wearing white masks.
"Where did it appear?"
"I'll guide you."
Gaia pointed to the lake in the middle of the gate with her finger.
"That's…"
"What's… that?"
They saw a blue gate as they approached where she had pointed.
"Are demons trying to come to this world?"
"No, I don't think that's the case."
Kim ShiHoon shook his head.
"The fissure from where demons appear is black, but this…"
"Is blue."
* * *
Grace also looked at the gate with great interest.
Everyone was excited…
But KangWoo couldn't make such an expression.
'Wait, this…'
His expression hardened. A blue-colored gate…
It was definitely the one he'd seen while summoning Echidna and Balzac.
'Don't tell me this is a gate connected to the Ernor Continent.'
He couldn't make such a conclusion since he'd only experienced it two times, but it was true that there was a chance that it was the case.
KangWoo couldn't help but feel anxious.
'Fuck, don't tell me…'
Whir-!!
Before he could finish his thoughts, a blue light came out of the gate.
The gate, which was two fingers wide, started to get wide enough so a person could pass through.
Clang-!
"It's dangerous!"
The one who reacted first was Kim ShiHoon.
Kim ShiHoon took out the El Quero blade and shouted.
Grace also took out her rapier.
There was a tense atmosphere.
Tap. Tap.
"#@$%@#…"
A young, blonde, handsome man walked out of the blue gate.
He was wearing shining silver armor and had a golden sword on his waist. The young man opened his mouth.
An unknown language came out of his mouth.
"What the…"
Kim ShiHoon made a confused expression while grabbing the sword.
The blonde young man waved his hand in the air while making a surprised expression.
"A… Ah. Can you understand me now?"
"Who are you?" Kim ShiHoon asked in a sharp voice.
The blonde young man looked at Kim ShiHoon for a while but soon bowed.
"My name is Reinald. I'm the Emperor of the Arnan Empire."
"What…?"
It was obvious that they would be surprised by what Reinald said.
The atmosphere became cold.
'Oh, fuck.'
The only one who understood what was going on was KangWoo.
'Why did that bastard come here?'
His head hurt.
Reinald…
The hero from another world that crawled out of the Gate when he summoned Echidna.
It was the person who'd made a scene in front of him.
"The Arnan Empire? Where's that?"
"It's a country on the Ernor Continent."
"And just what is the Ernor Continent…?"
Gaia blurted out the last part of the sentence.
Reinald looked at the white mask she was wearing.
After looking at her for a while, he began trembling.
"Ah, it's you! Yes, I'm sure you're the person Mr. Tyrion spoke of. The goddess of the other world. The incarnation of Gaia."
'What's wrong with this bastard?'
He wasn't sure who Tyrion was, but it seemed like he already knew about Gaia.
Since Gaia was wearing a mask, it seemed like he'd read some sort of energy in her.
"I don't understand… Who are you? And where's the Ernor Continent?" Gaia asked in a confused voice.
Reinald opened his mouth.
"The Ernor Continent is…"
The longer his explanation became, the more surprised people were.
It wasn't Hell, where demons lived, but another world.
Gaia, Kim ShiHoon, and Grace listened carefully to the tales that sounded like something that sounded like a movie that would most likely appear in the science fiction genre.
'I'm fucked.'
In that situation, the only one who couldn't listen to what Reinald was saying was KangWoo.
A cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed they weren't going to fight.
No. Rather than that, it seemed like the hero from another world and Earth's hero would exchange some intense feelings.
Gaia, Grace, and Kim ShiHoon took off their masks as they talked, but KangWoo didn't dare to do that.
'That bastard probably remembers my face.'
It wasn't hard to imagine how Reinald would act if he took off his mask.
'Why did he come here?'
He wasn't sure why he'd crossed dimensions and gone to Earth.
The better the atmosphere between the Guardians members and Reinald, the more anxious KangWoo became.
"But why did Mr. Reinald cross dimensions and come to Earth?"
Gaia asked what KangWoo was wondering the most.
"The reason why I came here is…"
Reinald grabbed his sword while making a heavy expression.
"To eliminate the Demon King Balzac, who escaped to another world."
"…"
There was a heavy silence.
KangWoo grabbed his head with both hands.
The situation worsened.
'Fuck.'
Things never worked as intended.
