The Savior of Paris Makes His European Rounds
Although I had left the training to Analyst Thomas, my duties were not limited to a single task.
“Bellevue Palace? Isn’t that the German president’s official residence?”
“Yes. The president has earnestly requested an audience with you, sir.”
Marco bowed deeply.
Whoa.
Yu Jinho, you’ve made it big.
The head of state contacting me first, asking to meet.
“From the looks of it, the president isn’t the only one who’s reached out.”
“Correct. I’m filtering the requests as much as possible.”
“Forget the filtering. Pack the schedule as tightly as you can.”
“Are you sure that will be all right?”
“If I want to plant roots in the European branch, I need to show my face around.”
I had also broadened my goals somewhat. There was no reason not to make full use of my current fame.
By removing Rene Davis, we had eliminated a major tumor from the future, but Europe’s overall player strength had taken a heavy blow in the process.
If I showed my face here and there during times like these and passed along a few tips about the future, wouldn’t the continent’s player power rise naturally?
–How unusual. I expected you to refuse, calling it a hassle.
“Goddess. You haven’t tried Germany’s famous desserts yet, have you?”
–I never had the luxury for such things.
“I can’t possibly meet the president empty-handed. Surely they’ll serve the very best desserts.”
–So you are going for this goddess’s sake?
“Of course.”
–You certainly have a silver tongue.
Even as she spoke those words, she couldn’t hide the way the corners of her mouth kept turning upward. What a truly honest goddess.
“There’s no helping it. If the fuss bothers you, we can always cancel…”
–Your sincerity moves me. I shall accompany you this once.
“Since we’re going anyway, please grant me the honor of escorting you.”
Using dessert as an excuse was one thing; having her materialize on the spot would be awkward. I knelt on one knee and gracefully extended my hand.
Flash!
Nyx, now manifested in her homunculus body, took my hand with a soft smile.
* * *
The conversation at the presidential residence was nothing remarkable.
“It would be wonderful if someone like the savior of Paris existed here in Germany as well.”
“You flatter me.”
Praise for preventing France’s Great Collapse, requests for assistance should any gate crises arise in Germany in the future—light pleasantries, nothing more.
“And who is the person accompanying you?”
Nyx. Goddess of Night.
“She is a Constellation I have contracted with.”
“Child. You have been of great help to your contractor, so do not feel burdened.”
Myths had become reality with the Tower’s appearance, yet this was clearly the first time the Constellation lady had seen cake. The president’s expression was indescribably strange.
On the way back to the guild house after receiving lavish hospitality, Nyx spoke inside the car.
“There was no important discussion.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“The leader of a nation should be busy beyond measure.”
She seemed genuinely puzzled why he would waste time on idle chatter. I chuckled lightly.
“The meeting itself carries meaning.”
I turned on my phone and showed her the articles flooding the internet.
The Savior of Paris Meets the President!
Germany Building the Future Together with the Yeokcheon Guild?
What Lies Ahead for the Yeokcheon Guild’s European Branch?
“We never discussed any of this, did we?”
“No, we didn’t.”
“Then how…”
“The simple fact that the meeting took place is what matters.”
Not every message needs to be spoken aloud. The mere success of a meeting requested by the president sent a clear signal across Germany—and all of Europe.
“How was the dessert today?”
“It was superb.”
“There will be plenty more opportunities to eat delicious things in the future.”
I’m glad you’re satisfied.
* * *
Once called the hero of the spice route and now even more renowned as the Savior of Paris, Jinho’s visit set the entire European continent ablaze.
“He met with the German president?”
“We must invite him immediately.”
“With Rene Davis gone, we need a new deterrent.”
In an era where player strength equaled public order, when the mana inside a gate crossed its threshold, it would simultaneously spew monsters and synchronize with the land. A monster wave would erupt, and if left unchecked, the territory would transform into another world, robbing people of their very homes.
Securing ties with powerful players who would step forward in times of crisis had become essential for any nation’s peace and safety.
Moreover, many were paying close attention to everything Jinho had accomplished so far.
Even after reaching Diamond, his Rating Points remained in the upper ranks. The 60th floor zone was where even top players who had accumulated levels during stagnation periods struggled, yet the Savior of Paris had somehow nurtured those very players.
It wasn’t about Team Yellow Storm or the Martial Extremes. The dazzling growth belonged to those Jinho had recruited while laying the guild’s foundation.
“Karla and Ping Lei were promising talents from the beginning.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. How many people get called promising talents?”
“That man named Kim Youngsoo was supposedly stuck in Bronze for years.”
“The Savior of Paris must possess some special secret.”
The driving force behind Jinho’s own dazzling growth had also accelerated his comrades at a similar pace. Across Europe, people sought to uncover that secret so they could strengthen their own players.
The entire continent was stirred by the visit of the Savior of Paris.
* * *
Marco, now the gateway for countless handshake requests, reported with exhausted eyes.
“Today’s schedule is a visit to the Austrian Parliament building.”
“Master. Can I come too?”
“Why?”
“Because parliament buildings probably have tons of kangaroos.”
He couldn’t possibly think Austria’s national symbol was a kangaroo… could he?
Hmm.
Please.
Tell me I’m wrong.
“Um… there aren’t any kangaroos in Austria?”
“I hate myself for having to answer this question seriously.”
One day it was Austria. The next, I drank coffee with the president of Italy.
“Geudae, why are you not ordering your usual…”
“Shh. Stay quiet.”
If I asked for an Americano she would probably hit me with the cup.
There were so many places calling for me. Not only Western Europe—Britain, Spain—but also Central and Eastern Europe: Poland, Czechia, Hungary. Love calls poured in from every direction.
“I wish I had five bodies.”
“Like that card game where collecting five wins?”
“That card’s about being torn into five pieces, you know.”
Was she making a death threat?
“Jinho-nim. The Constellation says she could divide you into fourteen pieces.”
“Ack, fuck.”
Who was she trying to castrate?
After Osiris was cut into fourteen pieces by his brother Set, he restored the separated parts and became the god of the underworld. The only minor problem was that a fish had eaten his genitals, leaving him a eunuch.
“Tell her to stop saying such horrible things.”
“She says she’ll do it without any lasting harm.”
Shoo, shoo. Go away, you horrible thing.
What surprised me was that despite being called the Savior of Paris, the French government had sent no invitation.
“That makes sense. The French have tremendous pride.”
Marco let out a short sigh.
Europe’s strongest ranker, Rene, had betrayed humanity and turned the entire country into another world. The psychological wound on the French people was apparently enormous.
“Quite a few of them have come to resent you, Jinho-nim.”
“Wow. After everything we went through to save them!”
Jiyoung’s face flushed red with anger.
Hmm. It was understandable. France had always possessed monstrous pride.
“It’s good enough that they aren’t coming to commit terrorism.”
“Still! They can’t even say thank you to the person who helped them!”
“Miss Jiyoung, the French citizens will express their gratitude before long.”
Marco broke into a sweat trying to calm her.
“Because it will be them who end up sorry.”
“I didn’t mean it like that…”
“Either way, it doesn’t matter.”
Arme Rouge. The colossal power that had protected France since the Tower’s appearance had vanished. Filling that void would take a long time. When high-difficulty gates began appearing, they would have no choice but to turn to the Yeokcheon Guild.
Even while racing through the packed schedule, I still had things I needed to do.
Fusion Qigong activated.
Select fusion target.
“I will fuse Ignis and Lightning Inferno.”
Hell Gazer has been registered to Fusion Qigong.
You may register one additional fusion skill after 24 hours.
◈ Type: Active
◈ A grand magic that pours forth mana bearing the dual properties of fire and lightning.
“Whoa.”
I had expected five stars, but I hadn’t anticipated it being classified as grand magic. The title was reserved for spells powerful enough to twist providence and interfere with natural laws. Raw destructive force alone was not enough.
–Wasn’t the spell that child Sergey used also grand magic?
“You mean Ice Age?”
A powerful spell that twisted the mana in an entire region and exerted semi-permanent effects. It was only thanks to Rene Davis’s scheme that the area had been half-transformed into another world; otherwise, temperatures would have remained below freezing for years.
–You even considered the aftermath.
“If I hadn’t, the backlash would have been ten times worse.”
Just thinking about Sergey made my head ache. I set the man aside and examined my new skill.
The standout feature was its dual attribute. Possessing both fire and lightning properties simultaneously meant that even basic deployment would amplify destructive power through both elements. If I used Eclipse to strengthen harmony rather than repulsion—
“The result should be spectacular.”
I was looking forward to it.
–Will you not test it immediately?
“If I fire grand magic recklessly, there’s no telling what might happen.”
A spell that interfered with providence and natural laws could not be contained by something as flimsy as a sparring field’s barrier. Unless it was inside a gate or during a Tower climb, testing it was out of the question.
–With your schedule so full, testing seems impossible.
“There’s no rush. I can experiment once I return to Korea.”
I had decided to stay in Europe for two weeks. To complete every appointment in that time, I had to keep moving without rest.
Not every reception during my tour of Europe was friendly.
“Savior of Paris! I wish to witness the strength of the world’s strongest—guh!”
The Hungarian ranker flew away with a single blow. What was his name again? Death Mask? I had never heard it in my previous life, so he probably hadn’t accomplished much during the era of destruction.
Rankers from every European country threw down challenges as though they had been waiting for my arrival. The governments that had invited me looked visibly flustered.
“You need not concern yourself. We will handle it on our end.”
“It’s fine. Wouldn’t your nation’s players gain valuable enlightenment from crossing fists?”
“Haha. We are grateful for your generosity.”
After meeting with each country’s dignitaries and thoroughly educating the fearless challengers, the two weeks passed in the blink of an eye.