Chapter 108
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Victory Celebration
She faced the moonlight.
The clear silver light was reminiscent of cold metal, but thankfully, it lacked any biting chill.
Beneath a sea of stars that looked ready to spill over at any moment, she felt a warmth. Yet, it wasn't a physical warmth like the morning sun.
It was a moonlight that soothed the soul.
A warmth born from the memories of the one who gazed upon it.
The wind, carrying the night air, was cold.
Her pure white hair scattered with the breeze, and after a long moment of facing the moon, the woman let out a long breath.
Standing atop a high hill, the woman was dressed in white.
Her top was sleeveless, and her bottoms were short enough to reveal her thighs. Yet, it was not indecent. It was simply natural.
As if to keep the woman from being lonely, a massive divine beast lying on its belly some distance away suddenly lifted its head. It turned its head in the same direction as the rustling bushes in the wind.
“Racoon-racoon?”
The divine beast of the Red God—Racoon, the Southern Divine Beast, who could be described without exaggeration as a giant red panda—let out a welcoming sound to the visitor who had appeared with the wind.
“It has been a long time, Lord Racoon. You seem as healthy as ever.”
It was a tall old man.
He wore a white robe and a wide-brimmed, white conical hat on his head.
Even without his long, gray beard and the staff clutched in his hand, anyone would have thought him a wizard.
At the sight of the familiar old, wrinkled face, Racoon beamed.
It wasn't just because he was happy to see the old man.
The old man was one of the few humans who could soothe even a little of the woman's loneliness.
Kalein of the Extreme Blaze.
The one chosen by Morgana, the Goddess of Magic. Known to the world as the greatest and strongest wizard alive.
But that wasn't entirely correct.
Because the strongest wizard in this world was not Kalein.
“Hello, Kal. It’s been a while.”
The woman turned around gently. She gracefully swept back her hair as she faced Kalein.
Seeing her flawless, beautiful, and radiant smile, Kalein felt a sense of wistful nostalgia. He paid his respects to the true strongest wizard in the world.
“It has been a long time since I last visited. I trust you have been well.”
“I’m always the same.”
She was one who could wield not only the divine magic of the Four Great Gods but all existing divine magic to its absolute limit.
One who could perform miracles comparable to magic using sacred songs that had been relegated to mere hymns over a thousand years.
A master of the War God's martial arts: Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain, Shadow, and Lightning.
The foremost of the world's Eight Great Superhumans.
The Strongest in the Human Realm, Green Meteor.
Such was her renown. She was the guardian of both Shangri-La and the Duchy of Avalon, having saved both nations from behind the scenes of history countless times, and a being capable of fighting all Eight Great Superhumans at once and felling them all.
But as Kalein faced Green Meteor, he wasn't lost in her power.
He simply saw a pitiful woman who had sent off all her loved ones over a thousand years and was left alone in this world, tracing their remnants and striving to protect them.
“How’s Eva?”
Green Meteor asked, still leaning against Racoon, who remained lying on its belly.
Though a thousand years had passed, her face and voice still held a youthful vivacity.
Kalein naturally stepped on the air and moved to stand before Green Meteor.
He, too, wore a boyish smile he never showed to others—the same smile from when he had first met her—and replied.
“Same as ever. She seems quite displeased about not being able to step in. She’s sulking with pent-up frustration, smashing innocent rocks every day. The other day, I asked if she was having a spinster’s fit and I nearly died. Seriously, if it had been anyone else, they would’ve been killed. How old is she and she still can't control her strength?”
“She really hasn't changed. Not at all.”
Green Meteor laughed, and at her smile, Kalein felt it was worth badmouthing his sworn sibling.
Evanoel, the Pope of the Green God Cult.
A being presumed to be the strongest among the Eight Great Superhumans, second only to Green Meteor.
She had currently left the Green God Cult and was in secluded training in a place untouched by human feet.
It wasn't just to become stronger. It was so that she wouldn't unleash her power in the current human realm.
Kalein had also left the cult and gone into seclusion for the same reason. Among the Eight Great Superhumans, Green Meteor, Evanoel, and Kalein were special.
Like a child showing off to his parents, Kalein chattered on with various stories. After a while, he leaned his back against the Southern Divine Beast Racoon, next to Green Meteor, and asked.
“Is there anyone who stands out?”
“There is. Racoon took a liking to him, too.”
“Oh?”
Green Meteor casually flicked her fingers. She showed Kalein the characters of light she had seen.
[First World Quest Cleared]
[Quest MVP: Choi Kang-seok (Male)]
[Second World Quest Cleared]
[Quest MVP: Choi Kang-seok (Male)]
“The names are the same?”
“Because it’s the same person.”
Green Meteor smiled gently. With another flick of her fingers, a cluster of light spread across the night sky, projecting the images of several Players into the darkness.
It was the likeness of Choi Kang-seok and other Players whom Green Meteor thought were showing promise.
Of the 370,000, only about 9,000 survived.
And among them, only a handful could be counted.
The current number of surviving Players was around seven thousand. Players had died in many places besides the World Quests. It was just that there were no clear statistics, and since it wasn't a conspicuous massacre, the Players themselves didn't realize it.
The Green Meteor of a thousand years ago would never have understood what was happening in the human realm now.
No, even now, she didn't completely understand.
But she, who had lived for a thousand years, the guardian of this world, had no choice but to admit that this was necessary.
Only the second one was over.
There were still five World Quests left.
A lonely wind blew. The ethereal images of the Players drawn in the air scattered and vanished.
Kalein, who couldn't easily open his mouth due to an unknown heaviness, forced a smile and looked back at Green Meteor.
“Will you be going to Shangri-La? It’s a special day, after all.”
The moment he spoke, he realized his mistake, but the water was already spilled. Fortunately, Green Meteor was neither saddened nor angered.
Understanding his heart, she simply raised a hand and gently stroked his head.
The sight of a woman who looked no older than her early twenties stroking the head of a white-haired old man was not the least bit awkward.
It was the anniversary of the death of the Legendary King, Thunderbolt, who had unified the world a thousand years ago—the Elder and guardian of this world.
Green Meteor looked up at the sky. She gazed up at the King’s Star, which shone brightest even in the sea of countless stars.
***
The Black Dragon settled on the now-calm surface of the sea. Since it was an airship shaped like a boat to begin with, it could float as smoothly as an ordinary vessel.
Seong Yu-jin, tightly hugging the limp Kang-seok, flew toward the deck of the Black Dragon.
The other Players, celebrating their victory, were also too exhausted and either hurried back to Sicily or moved to the massive Shangri-La Navy airship nearby.
As soon as Kim Kang-san and Park Han-yeong got on deck, they tended to the collapsed Choi Yu-ra. Seeing the blood covering her face and chest, Park Han-yeong burst into tears.
Oh Ha-na, who had slumped down next to the descent hatch, drained of energy, let out a sigh of relief that she didn't have to perform the final summoning.
Yang Jun-gyu slammed his head onto the control yoke and chuckled. The tension that had gripped his entire body released all at once, leaving his mind blank.
*I’m alive. I’m alive. I’m alive.*
As that single thought filled his mind, Sekhmet, who had been quietly looking down at him, reached out, grabbed him by the neck, pulled him up into a fierce hug, and planted several pecking kisses on his cheek. The release of tension had left Sekhmet just as dazed as usual.
Hugging Sekhmet back, Yang Jun-gyu smiled sheepishly. Amidst the thought of being alive, he squeezed in one random idea.
*‘W-what should I ask for?’*
A lecherous thought flashed across Yang Jun-gyu’s face, but thankfully, Sekhmet didn't see it.
***
[Promoted from High-Rank Fighting Master to Fighting King.]
[Title: Apostle of the Red God acquired.]
[Title: Apostle of the Yellow God acqui—]
Kang-seok instantly dismissed the string of light characters and landed on the deck of the Black Dragon with Seong Yu-jin.
Fortunately or unfortunately, in the time it took for them to reach the Black Dragon, Park Han-yeong had managed to wipe all the blood from Choi Yu-ra's face.
Unable to change her clothes, she wiped away the sweat and poured a stamina recovery potion into Choi Yu-ra's mouth. She greeted Kang-seok and Seong Yu-jin with a tear-streaked face.
Kim Kang-san had gone to the Black Dragon's cockpit to ask Sekhmet for healing magic. He hesitated for a moment at the sight of Yang Jun-gyu and Sekhmet wrapped in each other's arms—and at Yang Jun-gyu's face, which seemed not just relaxed but about to melt—but he remembered that the young couple’s sweet romance wasn't the priority right now. With an entrance that deserved a crashing sound effect, he shattered their mood, grabbed Sekhmet, and hurried back to the deck.
Choi Yu-ra had wanted to hold on until Kang-seok and Seong Yu-jin returned.
But the relief that it was all over snapped the taut string of tension, and she could no longer hold on. Hearing Kang-seok’s voice faintly, she surrendered to slumber.
“It’s just exhaustion. She’ll be fine after some rest, so don’t worry too much.”
The Yellow God was also the god of medicine, so the priests of the Yellow God Cult had served as doctors since ancient times.
After checking Choi Yu-ra’s condition, Sekhmet spoke firmly. Park Han-yeong finally seemed relieved, her shoulders slumping as she repeatedly murmured, “Thank goodness.” Kim Kang-san wiped away the tears that filled Park Han-yeong’s face.
Kang-seok caressed Choi Yu-ra’s hand.
*‘I’m sorry, but please hold on a little longer—’*
The words he had relayed to Choi Yu-ra through Iris. Guilt felt like a blade piercing his chest.
Although Park Han-yeong had cleaned her face, the blood soaking Choi Yu-ra’s chest clearly told him what had happened.
Kang-seok’s lips moved several times before he gently squeezed her hand. The sight of Choi Yu-ra’s face slowly finding peace under Sekhmet’s divine magic was some small comfort.
Seong Yu-jin sat next to Kang-seok and wiped Choi Yu-ra’s forehead.
“Uhm. Anyway, we won! Yu-ra will wake up soon… Uh, um… so…”
Yang Jun-gyu, trying to lighten the mood, eventually let his shoulders slump again. But his clumsy attempt was what brought smiles back to the group.
Yang Jun-gyu was right.
They had cleared the second World Quest, and not a single member of the Adamas Guild had died.
He was a little worried about Go Min-gu, who wasn't here, but since there was nothing wrong with the guild member list, he was surely alive.
As the atmosphere improved somewhat, another being who had been watching the group even more cautiously than Yang Jun-gyu spoke up.
[Um, excuse me.]
It was Iris. At the careful voice, Kang-seok and Seong Yu-jin instinctively looked up at the empty air.
A small cough could be heard.
Iris spoke again.
[I know this might not be the right time, but this is really important, so I have to say something.]
[That… the Red God’s Divine Artifact, Thunderclap, where is it right now?]
Kang-seok and Seong Yu-jin blinked. They looked at each other, and then Kang-seok shot up from his seat and began frantically patting himself down. A panicked Seong Yu-jin also stood up and started patting him down.
To the other guild members who couldn't hear Iris's voice, it looked as if Kang-seok and Seong Yu-jin had suddenly gone mad.
The quick-witted Seong Yu-jin quickly explained.
“The Red God’s Divine Artifact! Thunderclap is gone!”
Park Han-yeong and Kim Kang-san shot to their feet as well. Sekhmet looked like she was about to scream.
Thunderclap.
The most important Divine Artifact of the Red God Cult, with a thousand years of history!
He must have dropped it right after striking the sea and creating the island. That was the only explanation. If so, Thunderclap was now—
Everyone had the same thought, and they all turned to look at the sea.
The vast, open sea.
Thunderclap, sunk deep in the waters of unknown depth.
Imagining the priests of the Red God Cult charging at him, crying for a holy war, Kang-seok desperately reached his hand into the air. He prayed and prayed with a fervent heart.
Did his prayer get through?
A faint light emanated from Morning's Glory, which should have been depleted of power.
Thunderclap shot up through the surface of the water and landed in Kang-seok's trembling hand.
Like Morning's Glory, Thunderclap seemed to have exhausted all its divine power, as it no longer emitted a red glow.
The Divine Artifact of the Yellow God and the Divine Artifact of the Red God.
Facing the artifacts of the two gods, who were also husband and wife, Kang-seok let out a ragged breath and then glanced around.
Alongside his party members, who had been watching with bated breath, he let out a long, long sigh of relief. A slightly goofy smile touched his lips.
***
“That scared ten years off me.”