Envy Summons Sloth
A research lab in the United States.
It was a building occupied by the ma-in.
"Arghhh! My sources of magi energy... What the hell am I supposed to do now?!"
Envy was rampaging wildly. All the surrounding lab equipment and furniture lay shattered.
Envy had completely trashed one of the ma-in's research facilities.
In response, the upper ma-in, Pallan, had been dispatched in haste. It was a decision reached after intense deliberations.
"There's no choice but to kill Mumyeong and take it back."
Pallan spoke with a sour expression, like he'd just bitten into a bug.
The bizarre sight of an old man bowing his head to a boy.
In truth, Pallan's status wasn't low by any means.
He was one of the 16 ma-in in the present world, holding a leadership position.
But compared to the Seven Deadly Sins' Envy, his power was as good as nothing. Pallan could only curse inwardly.
'The ma-in side has suffered devastating losses too, you damn brat.'
They had gathered nearly all the sources from around the world.
And now they were gone? Envy himself had designated the location and time from the start.
Yet here he was, blaming the ma-in.
"I got careless. Damn it. So damn careless."
Envy flopped down onto the floor.
He never dreamed Mumyeong's apostle would descend and steal the sources. No, who could even imagine such a thing?
Every time the image of that smirking Blue Dragon crossed his mind, rage boiled up inside him.
"I'll kill him. I'll definitely kill him."
The upper ma-in Pallan spoke soothingly to calm him.
"Mumyeong will surely join the SS-rank gate raid. Wait for that moment."
"You think that'll work? Think I can take him alone?"
"......"
Myth-rank apostle Blue Dragon.
Two more beneath him.
And Mumyeong's own power remained unknown.
Grinding his teeth with arms crossed, Envy made his decision.
"First, we need to summon the next Seven Deadly Sin. Damn it, I have to waste my power on this. Follow me, ma-in."
"Yes......"
Envy rose to his feet.
Summoning another Seven Deadly Sin required massive energy expenditure. Pride had gone through with it to call Envy.
Pride must have thought it sufficient. He arrogantly assumed humanity's level was that low.
The result? He got utterly crushed by Mumyeong. A pathetic end for an apostle of the apocalypse.
'Damn, if we had the magi sources, they could've substituted for the energy.'
The deceptive nature of magi didn't stop there.
That much would even bypass some of the system's restrictions. It could've allowed a full descent of the Seven Deadly Sins.
But it had all been stolen.
The plan had no choice but to change.
"We need to recover the sources. To do that......"
Envy headed to a desert region with Pallan. In the middle of the sand-swept wasteland, he called forth another Seven Deadly Sin.
A purple bolt of lightning crashed down. Amid the ominous aura hanging like clouds, a middle-aged man appeared.
Shhh...
The middle-aged man, gripping a staff, slowly opened his mouth.
"Haah, isn't this a bit too early to call me?"
Languid boredom laced his voice.
Seven Deadly Sin: Sloth.
Envy smiled satisfactorily at him.
"There's a human who needs killing. Check the Seven Deadly Sins' record archive."
"A human who needs killing? Where's a human who shouldn't be killed?"
"Cut the crap."
Sloth lazily raised a finger.
The experiences and knowledge of the Seven Deadly Sins were shared.
The knowledge Pride had of Mumyeong flowed into Sloth.
Sloth's thick eyebrows twitched upward.
"This human... He's special."
"Right?"
Pallan, the upper ma-in watching their exchange, felt a pang of unease.
'Two Seven Deadly Sins.'
Perhaps losing the sources was a blessing in disguise.
The ma-in's goals differed from the Seven Deadly Sins'.
The Seven Deadly Sins sought apocalypse.
The ma-in sought domination. Humans needed to stay alive for that plan.
Their current alliance was temporary.
Just a makeshift pact to eliminate Mumyeong.
Then, Envy spoke to the brooding Pallan.
"There are ma-in infiltrated in the present world, right? Throw as many as possible into the SS-rank gate. This time, we'll cut off Mumyeong's air for good."
"Understood."
"Manage your expression."
Pallan forced a smile onto his face.
Only then did Envy nod.
"Good. Just watch."
Now there were two apostles of the apocalypse.
But they had no intention of facing Mumyeong rashly. They planned to eliminate him perfectly, with caution.
'Mumyeong. Let's see you squirm.'
A sinister smile curled on Envy's lips.
No need to overthink it.
Just catch Mumyeong.
Humanity's downfall would follow naturally.
I checked all the items I'd obtained from hunting on Jeju Island.
It was a full inventory since arriving on Jeju.
'Good call going to Jeju.'
The results were highly satisfying.
A substantial haul remained in my hands.
First, three apostle-exclusive weapon shards.
Two black.
One white.
No blue shards.
Now my total shards:
Five shards complete an exclusive weapon.
'Just one more for Lucifer's exclusive weapon.'
The real deal, not a fake.
Its power was highly anticipated.
'With luck, I could complete it in the SS-rank gate.'
And that wasn't all.
I'd stocked up on Unique Skill Reset Scrolls and Cooldown Reset Scrolls.
No more Myth-rank rewards was a shame, but...
Nothing to be done.
With a Myth-rank apostle like Blue Dragon already summoned, wanting more would be greed.
'Perfect condition for tackling the SS-rank gate.'
Current Level: Lv. 140
Even eight levels higher than yesterday.
The apostles had worked especially hard. They'd kept hunting while I slept.
"Master, we'll arrive soon."
Blue Dragon pierced the clouds and descended to the ground. In the heart of the city stood a massive SS-rank gate.
A huge crowd gathered around the roughly 20-meter gate. Reporters with cameras and broadcast vans filled the area.
And not just that.
Whirr whirr whirr—!
Several broadcast helicopters circled overhead, transmitting live.
"The humans seem to grasp the importance of this gate raid. Swarming like bugs."
Lucifer remarked. Calling people bugs? That's how higher beings saw them, apparently.
"The internet's blowing up! And we're on live broadcast right now."
"Lemme see."
"Move, Gabriel. Don't block Master's view."
Cheon Iryeong held up her smartphone. A YouTube live stream showed the massive Blue Dragon descending.
Gates appearing simultaneously worldwide.
A chance to elevate national prestige.
No bigger event than this.
Woooah—!
Blue Dragon landed softly. All eyes turned our way. Cheers erupted.
"Mumyeong! It's Mumyeong!"
"The real Mumyeong showed up!"
"He commands the Blue Dragon as a summon?"
"Don't miss this!"
Click, click—!
Reporters' flashes popped nonstop. Immense attention focused on me.
Before I knew it, Lucifer donned his bread bag mask. Gabriel veiled her face in light.
We descended one by one from Blue Dragon.
The robe hid my identity, so no pressure. No matter how many photos, my face stayed concealed.
'Glad I kept the robe. Most useful item.'
Constellation 'Master of the Black Star' beams with pride.
I'll keep hiding my face from now on, no question.
With that resolve, I headed to the guild tents.
Lucifer and Gabriel followed behind me.
Then Cheon Iryeong and Blue Dragon, face shrouded in mist.
Kero trotted proudly after them.
"What's that cute dog?"
"Where'd it come from? Shoo it away."
Treated like a stray passing by.
That was when it happened.
"Mumyeong-nim!"
A man rushed up to me.
Acting Association Director Yoo Jincheol.
"You've arrived. We were waiting. Allow me a quick briefing."
Yoo Jincheol bowed politely and began.
"As you know, SS-rank gates open simultaneously worldwide. Up to 60 can enter."
Up to 60?
News to me.
"The Association formed raid teams with top 3 ranked guilds. 20 top hunters from each guild."
Lucifer tilted his head at Yoo Jincheol's words.
"Wouldn't ranking order be better?"
"A similar attempt failed due to lack of cohesion. We can't afford failure this time..."
Yoo Jincheol glanced around. Right in the city center. The system seemed deliberate.
"You'll raid with Bulmyeol, Mumyeong-nim. But no obligation to follow the guild master. Proceed as you see fit."
Better than strangers.
I'd familiarized with the guild members this time too.
"We humbly ask for your success."
Yoo Jincheol bowed and withdrew. Then he started barking orders energetically. Total opposite from moments ago.
"Hey, you not going?"
Lucifer eyed Cheon Iryeong. She nodded wistfully.
"I am. Time to go. But Mumyeong-nim, call me anytime for support."
Cheon Iryeong closed her eyes briefly, clasping her hands. Pure white light seeped into me.
Holy power envelops your body.
All stats increase by 20%.
Experience gain increases by 1.3x.
A buff.
A top-tier one.
Few buffs matched this performance, as far as I knew.
"I taught her. Impressive, right?"
Gabriel grinned proudly. Apostles couldn't use skills due to restrictions.
A loophole via Cheon Iryeong.
Quite handy.
I nodded to her.
"See you later!"
Cheon Iryeong returned to Cheongmyeong satisfied.
"Well then..."
We headed to Bulmyeol.
Familiar faces gathered under Bulmyeol's tent.
"Welcome, Mumyeong-nim!"
"We've been waiting."
"Uh, want a drink?"
Bulmyeol members jumped up to greet me. Only Yoo Jihun stayed composed, guiding me.
"Supplies are prepared. Raid expected to last at least a week to two weeks."
Backpacks lined up with survival gear. Four total, one per apostle.
"Entry soon."
"Guild master still not here?"
"He'll come. Never late."
I sat in Bulmyeol's tent, eyeing the gate.
Countdown ends.
SS-rank gate activates.
Vrrr—.
A strange hum, and the gate's interior brightened.
The exact moment it fully activated. Someone pointed skyward, yelling.
"What's that?!"
"Where?"
Boom—!
A half-naked man plummeted from the sky. The road cracked massively where he landed.
"Th-that guy's..."
One guild member spat out his drink. Jeju raiders entered combat stance.
Lucifer and Gabriel rose.
"Everyone, calm down."
Sa Choiheon emerged from the back of the tent. He addressed me directly.
"He's rough, but he'll be useful in the end. Thanks to you, Mumyeong."
"......"
"Name's Ho Young."
Ah.
The guy from yesterday's communicator call?
I hadn't done much.
Just a word since he wanted to die.
Sa Choiheon looked quite pleased.
Bam—!
Ho Young glanced back briefly, then kicked off toward the gate. Ripples surged on its surface.
A fierce gust whipped my robe.
Sudden entry.
An unplanned accident.
⊳ Available: 1 / 60
Entertaining gossip for the public.
Great scoop for reporters.
Sad news for someone.
"I can't enter...?"
A lowest-ranked hunter under the left tent muttered blankly.
Entry into the SS-rank gate began. Guilds passed through the lined reporters.
Leading was Bulmyeol's Sa Choiheon.
I stood behind him. Glancing back, famous hunters stretched in a long line.
Hit me how fast I'd risen.
F to S-rank.
Literally in a flash.
But this scene was different. 59 S-rank hunters starting a raid—nothing like TV or videos.
Their tension and resolve permeated the air.
A raid that couldn't fail.
The weight was on another level.
'Hope it goes easy.'
With Seven Deadly Sins interference likely, tension crept in.
I'd memorized the guilds beforehand.
Cooperation might happen. Better to know them.
Three participating guilds.
Guild Rank 1: Bulmyeol.
No explanation needed.
Korea's top guild, led by Sa Choiheon.
Guild Rank 2: Cheongmyeong.
Guild master: Rank 2 Chae Arin, holy sword wielder.
Rumored unique ability: Hero. She never confirmed.
Also home to Rank 3 All Master Cheon Iryeong.
Guild Rank 3: Paegong.
Guild master: Rank 6 Lee Changhyeon. Known warrior with gigantification.
Amid flashes and cheers, 59 hunters stepped into the gate.
Space rippled, vision flipped.
Familiar sensation now.
The temple's interior. Gray-tinged walls and floor. A large fountain at the center.
Silence fell among the tense hunters. Only the fountain's trickle sounded.
"We're safe here. Treat it as a safe zone. The real challenge starts there."
Sa Choiheon broke the quiet, pointing ahead.
Three paths lay before them.
- Patience
- Wrath
- Ignore
System messages hovered over each, indicating their nature.
All three paths must be cleared to reach the next plaza.
National rankings apply to this raid.
Rankings grant national benefits.
Sa Choiheon stepped forward first. He examined the broken traces on the floor and paths, then spoke to me.
"Ho Young took the center. Where you headed?"
Asking me?
Glancing around at the hush, all ~60 hunters' eyes fixed on me.
"......"
Everyone awaited my answer.
With deadly serious gazes.
Waiting for my choice.
Yes.
The weight of Mumyeong was no longer light.
Lucifer and Gabriel sent telepathic messages.
Decided then.
Best I take the strongest one.
......These guys are noisy.
No sense of crisis.
Read the room.
Anyway, the third path: Ignore.
Seemed fine.
Whoosh.
I held up three fingers.
Hunters buzzed immediately.
"Whoa, as expected..."
"We could do that."
"That confidence in an SS-rank gate."
I squinted.
What? Picking 3 means what?
Turning to Sa Choiheon, he smiled like he knew it.
"Clearing all three at once? Quite the ambition."