Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: Rift Over London
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Boarding the plane, we were greeted by luxurious seats.
Wow, is this the kind of treatment reserved for VVIPs in the Middle East?
The plane we boarded with Han-gyeol offered the pinnacle of opulent service.
Ji-hoon and Min-hyuk immediately started exclaiming in awe.
"Wow..."
Han-gyeol let out a sigh at the reaction that mirrored her own.
"Hey, stop acting like country bumpkins and just lie down and sleep quietly."
"Country bumpkins? When have we ever experienced something like this?"
"We just did today, so that's that."
"Hey, if you hadn't mutated, you wouldn't even dream of this, right?"
"In the end, I did mutate, didn't I? I went through hell because of it and normalized the Middle East, didn't I? Thinking of it as compensation, it feels like a right I deserve."
Han-gyeol reclined her seat with an air of utmost arrogance. She looked utterly pleased with life.
"Oh, right. I've been meaning to ask. How did you normalize the Middle East? Just blasting beams non-stop?"
"Language barriers weren't an issue, so I basically said I was God's apostle and flashed my teeth a bit. For those who still wouldn't listen, I flexed a little on top of their buildings. They crawled on their bellies after that."
"Wow... You're straight-up a thug."
"What did you call me, you punk?"
"But didn't you say you were constantly self-filtering until recently? What's with the filter being off now?"
"Dad lifted it a little while ago."
"Oh, that was God's doing?"
"I was complaining so much about having a muzzle on that he said it'd be harder for me to adjust otherwise and just released it. Oh, but really extreme insults still get filtered."
"What kind?"
"Fad drips."
"Ah."
Even God can't tolerate fad drips, huh.
I nodded at the plausible reasoning.
I glanced sideways.
Tae-hoon was enthusiastically watching the movie he'd picked up earlier.
"What're you watching?"
"A movie starring Soo-hyun. Lots to learn from it, so I'm studying."
"Oh... What's gotten into you?"
"What's with the 'what's gotten into you'? This is my daily routine."
I was genuinely shocked. He was studying acting even in a place like this?
Sensing my gaze, he shot me a aggrieved look.
"What? Why are you staring like that?"
"Just surprised. Didn't know you were so serious about acting."
Tae-hoon gave me an incredulous look.
"I've decided to go pro as an actor, so isn't this a given? What do you take me for...?"
"Specifically, I didn't expect you to study acting even in a place like this."
"...It's not that grandiose. I'm just watching the movie anyway, so it's a bonus. And in this industry, if you don't constantly switch up your characters, your image gets fixed and you get weeded out. Effort is essential."
"Honestly, wouldn't it be quicker to just eat off your Mutant Management Bureau gig?"
"I do it because it's fun. It's fun. The more I do it, the more fun it gets. Matching breaths with co-stars is fun, and seeing the final product of my acting is pretty satisfying too."
"Looks like your true calling, in a way. But life's unpredictable. Back in the department, you wouldn't even raise your hand for theater stuff."
"Those guys we had to work with back then were total duds."
"Ah."
As we chatted idly, the announcement came that we were entering London airspace.
At the same time, the plane suddenly jolted.
"...What's going on?"
"Probably nothing big. Turbulence is pretty common."
That's when I felt an ominous premonition.
This didn't feel like mere turbulence.
"Hey, hold up... I think we're screwed."
I could only sigh.
"Why?"
"It's a rift."
I'd handled so many rifts that I could now sense the distinctive feeling when one occurred.
The problem was that I was feeling it right now, of all times.
"A rift over London?"
"Yeah. Hey, Han-gyeol!"
"Got it. Hey, everyone, get ready. If it's a rift, we'll handle it and head straight to the concert."
"Got it."
At Han-gyeol's words, the Ark Angels immediately prepared to move.
They seemed accustomed to this, already done with makeup, hair, and outfits.
The coordinators had been hovering subtly earlier—it must've been prep for jumping straight into the concert upon landing in London.
"Does this happen often?"
"Once or twice a month, yeah? We're used to it. Some fans even see us diving from the sky as part of the performance."
"But what about everyone else?"
"If we clear the rift quickly, it doesn't affect the plane much. Erosion Entities are the issue, not the rift itself—the turbulence earlier is about the extent of it."
She sounded like a pro.
Makes sense if they've dealt with this often.
Somehow, everyone else seemed calmly at ease.
They must know it'd be over soon.
Well... better lend a hand in times like this.
"Want me to help?"
"Uh... yeah, that'd make it easier."
"What about us!?"
Ji-hoon, Tae-hoon, and Min-hyuk gripped their seats and shouted.
"I'll cast a safety spell just in case."
"Oh."
"But what kind?"
"Just protection magic? Probably enough to survive even if the plane explodes."
"...You're casting that on everyone here?"
"Why not?"
Han-gyeol gave my words a look like she'd seen a ghost.
"You're a real monster."
"What're you saying? You're one too. Hey, these people haven't seen your true form, right?"
"Argh, don't mention my true form. I try not to bring that out if I can help it."
For reference, Han-gyeol's true form was the bizarre angelic figure people usually saw in the media.
Six wings covered in countless eyes.
Terrifying enough to make anyone instinctively fear it, despite any reassurances.
How I saw it... I once caught a glimpse from the sky while she was swiftly clearing a rift in Korea.
I nearly blasted magic at her, mistaking her for an unidentified monster.
Luckily, she reverted quickly, averting disaster.
"And me noobing magic for easy wins isn't new. Just roll with it already."
"...I know, but I can't stop thinking about it."
Han-gyeol shook her head. Anyway, we quickly opened the plane's emergency exit.
Wait, is it okay to open this?
"Hey, is it safe to open? Won't the pressure difference endanger everyone?"
"It's an emergency. We open it. You cast protection on everyone anyway, right?"
"True... but how do you handle it without me?"
"We have basic protection abilities too. We're 'angels,' after all. Not your level, but enough to shield from pressure or impacts."
"Ah."
"Anyway, hold on tight when we open the door. Protection magic's up, so no worries about getting hurt. Close the door after we leave. Oh, you guys head to the venue later—the managers will guide you."
At Han-gyeol's words, my friends just nodded vigorously without a word.
The Ark Angels and I opened the emergency exit and leaped into the sky.
They unfurled their wings, and I sped toward the rift.
It was fairly large, but smaller than the one over Do-yeon's school before.
This size... piece of cake.
I casually told Han-gyeol.
"Hey, you guys go straight to the venue."
"Oh, straight there?"
"But isn't that too early?"
"Concert starts in five minutes, actually."
"...What?"
I stared at Han-gyeol in disbelief.
No way the schedule was that tight from the start.
"Couldn't be helped. Schedules overlapped so much... We pulled it as far forward as possible, and it ended up like this. If it got too late, we planned to jump from the plane anyway."
"...Just hurry up, then."
"Will do. Oh, come to the venue while you're at it. No one in our fanbase doesn't know you."
"You're straight-up telling me to steal the show."
"You are a show-stealer. Do a cool hero landing. Bet my life savings the crowd gives a standing ovation."
"Fine, just go already."
"Got it. Girls! Straight to the venue!"
At Han-gyeol's call, the Ark Angels acknowledged and flapped toward Wembley Stadium.
Alright... time for me to clean up these things.
* * *
Wembley Stadium was packed.
Today was the day everyone had been waiting for—the Ark Angels' concert.
The reason fans in this distant land were so crazy about the Ark Angels was simple.
They were the real deal heroes.
More than their idol roles, people raved about their heroic exploits.
A band of angels traversing the globe, saving those tormented by rifts and Erosion Entities.
Impossible not to go wild for them.
With their concert today, excitement was inevitable.
How would they take the stage?
Descending from the sky with wings spread?
Or riding lifts like typical idols?
The Ark Angels answered with the former.
The problem was the rift growing even larger as they descended.
"Th-that!"
"A r-rift!"
Someone shouted. A panicked voice.
Why were the Ark Angels fleeing the rift toward them?
Had an Erosion Entity beyond even their power appeared?
The stadium crowd plunged into total chaos.
But their panic subsided soon after.
The Ark Angels' leader, Seraph, spoke to them.
-No need to worry. No need for chaos. The rift will vanish shortly.
Hearing her calm voice, the crowd's frenzy quickly ebbed.
Yet doubts lingered.
Who would make the rift disappear? Some ability Seraph had kept hidden?
As they pondered.
KABOOOOM!
Flames erupted in the sky.
Like a supernova exploding, the rift was engulfed in a massive blast and vanished without a trace.
The crowd could only gape at the spectacle.
And then.
BOOM!
From the heart of the explosion, a woman with dragon wings burst forth, plummeting toward the stage at blinding speed.
A flawless hero landing that demanded the term.
The crowd instinctively stared at the woman on the screens.
Black gleaming horns and hair.
Radiant golden eyes.
And enormous wings on her back.
No one in the world didn't recognize those features.
The one who made Korea the safest nation on Earth.
Mutant Management Bureau Director, Yoon Seo-hyun.
Her appearance threw the stadium into a different kind of frenzy.