Chapter 162: Guild (4)

“What are you doing here now?”

Ershil asked Kim Ara with an angry voice.

However, her eyes were fixed on me. Looking like she was betrayed by something, her gaze intensely pierced through me.

I wanted to say something, but I realized that anything I might say would only worsen the situation. It was instinctive, a sense honed in a previous life.

‘I feel wronged.’

-Master, it’s karma. If you embrace a grown woman, you should naturally take responsibility.

-I observed that Lee Seo-ha was at fault here.

‘……’

Black Heaven judged it to be my own affair, while Eternal Heaven nodded in agreement.

Is there no one on my side?

As I felt lonely, Hong Yu-hwa approached me.

Her usual confident stride was missing. She looked at me with a hint of anger.

“What’s this situation? Isn’t dating banned at hero schools?”

“You should be precise, Ms. Hong Yu-hwa. In Korean hero schools, dating isn’t banned, but if you get distracted by it and your grades fall, you get expelled.”

Ershil smiled breezily as she approached Kim Ara.

“More importantly, that position you’re in. It would be better to change it if Lee Seo-ha dislikes it, right?”

“Lee Seo-ha actually likes this.”

“Then please stop it because it’s uncomfortable for me to watch.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Kim Ara withdrew her hand.

I looked at Ershil. Her eyes, usually golden, were now tinted with silver, turning them into a platinum color. It wasn’t just about summoning Melanie’s power. It was evidence that she was slowly drawing on the transcendental powers Melanie possessed.

‘Has she grown?’

I was surprised.

Ershil had cast a secret illusion without Kim Ara noticing.

Kim Ara generally ignores most magic because she inherits the power of the Giant clan, which has anti-magical properties.

‘Moreover, she’s of titan lineage.’

Divine.

Kim Ara’s power, inheriting the lineage of such a divine entity, is extraordinarily special. Ershil managed to penetrate her anti-magic power effortlessly.

“……What are you doing?”

“Since Lee Seo-ha disliked it, I simply utilized what I’m skilled at to avoid intimidating her.”

“……You. Unnecessary meddling. Didn’t I tell you that Lee Seo-ha enjoys this sort of thing?”

“No, right, Lee Seo-ha?”

Ershil sported a playful smile. She was smiling broadly, yet her eyes were ice cold.

Kim Ara’s expression remained blank, her eyes equally frosty.

…This was a perilous question.

Choosing either side meant inevitable suffering for me.

‘What to do.’

-Master, in times like these, you should act with confidence.

-I hate to admit it, but choosing one will likely make her a target for the others, won’t it? It seems unbearable.

-I agree. In the past, the Heavenly Demon could command the world, creating the harem she desired.

-Wow, at this point, it’s not just about manipulating her own memories, but it seems like a regrettable part of history, doesn’t it?

-?

‘……’

I was at a loss for words.

Indeed, they were all playable characters, and to unlock the true ending, one must be chosen.

Each represented a powerful force. Any significant challenge to them could result in total annihilation.

‘……Hmm.’

However, this concern was a luxury at the moment.

Ershil was laughing, applying pressure, while Kim Ara, crossing her arms over her chest, watched me intently.

Hong Yu-hwa glanced at me nervously, then shifted her gaze between Ershil and Kim Ara.

“I really didn’t want to resort to this method.”

I extended my arms and gently embraced them both.

“…Oh?”

“…What?”

They were both taken aback. The warmth of their bodies and the softness of their touch. The mingling of different fragrances.

Setting that aside, I spoke up.

“Just wait a little longer. It won’t take much time.”

It seemed the resolution would arrive sooner than anticipated.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The ashes from the defeated Mines scattered around, illuminated by the moonlight. In the corner of an alleyway, they dispersed into the air.

[The Conceptual Stat Energy of Defying Heaven has reached saturation.]

“……”

I caught the scattering ashes.

Swoosh.

Shadows consumed them, transforming them into soldiers.

Yet, I felt despair.

“Is this really the end?”

I sighed inwardly.

It’s regrettable, but it seemed that this was it. I took care of the aftermath. Recently, the Mines have been causing disturbances. More precisely, their numbers had suddenly started to increase. Noticeably so.

“Too many.”

Suddenly, the number of Mines had exploded.

Thanks to this, the heroes’ attention was drawn there, allowing me to operate more freely.

However, the problem was that there’s only one place capable of orchestrating such deeds.

The Nazi Empire.

The evil empire that won World War II was spreading its influence here.

“This is not good.”

There were few reasons for them to act.

For such an empire to mobilize, they too must pay a heavy toll. The Nazis, who won World War II and unified the world, appeared here, but that was only in a parallel dimension Earth.

They were isolated upon arriving here and were waging war against the world.

And there’s only one reason for them to conduct such a large-scale operation.

It was Seo Ga-yeon.

“Are they finally targeting her?”

I had suspected as much.

The situation in the USA had calmed down more easily than they expected. The battle among the transcendents ended with minimal civilian casualties.

I went to a suitable place, hid my mask, and changed my clothes.

The clothes were a uniform. Other clothes are similar, but the uniform has temperature control magic and various convenient features by default.

Wearing the uniform, I headed to the guild.

The guild’s membership had significantly increased, with Park Woon-hyuk at its center, attracting many others. The Dark Heaven group alone boasts over 50 members, while the main guild, the Milky Way Guild, included Kim Ara, Seo Ga-yeon, Park Woon-hyuk, and the Electronic Witch.

-It’s really bustling.

“Not bad.”

I waved my hand, combining the Spiritual Presence and the Conceptual Stat Energy of Defying Heaven into a sphere, which I then hurled towards Eternal Heaven.

-Yum yum, thank you!

Eternal Heaven joyfully devoured the black sphere, its expression filled with happiness.

Suddenly, four tails appeared, flickering with energy.

“He’s growing well.”

In the U.S.A., a dragon was guarding the inheritance.

After learning The Seal of Absorption and applying it to the dragon, an immense quantity of power was transferred to Eternal Heaven. Since then, Eternal Heaven had been growing rapidly, and I had been feeding her Energy of Defying Heaven whenever possible.

“After all, the current capacity of Energy of Defying Heaven is full, so I have to use it here.”

Eternal Heaven, unaware, happily consumed the Energy of Defying Heaven I provided.

I watched with a faint smile.

-Master, pay attention to me too.

“But you can’t consume the Energy of Defying Heaven, can you?”

-Master, I could if I really wanted to.

“……”

I didn’t think so.

Unbeknownst to Black Heaven, She was actually a part of the Heavenly Demon, created by transferring some aspects of the Heavenly Demon’s personality. It seemed that activating a certain trigger might reveal the Heavenly Demon, but she remained hidden for now.

“Have you heard? Recently, there have been unusual movements in Japan and China.”

“Japan and China?”

“More precisely, certain forces are infiltrating and unleashing Mines, causing chaos there. The Nazis are considered prime suspects. But they are currently preparing for war, so we are also quite puzzled.”

“…Really?”

Park Woon-hyuk wasn’t usually interested in political affairs, but if he specifically mentioned it, their movements were very unnatural.

“I knew it.”

They knew about Seo Ga-yeon.

The being that will eradicate the demons.

“But is that woman alright?”

Park Woon-hyuk quietly pointed at Kim Ara, who was standing silently beside me.

“She’s fine. More importantly, how’s the training going?”

“It’s not going well yet. I’ve been training as you taught me, but it’s still difficult to manage.”

Sparks gathered in Park Woon-hyuk’s grasp, overlaid with wind. True to his title as the master of lightning and wind, his affinity for these elements was tremendous.

“But how do you know all these things?”

“Seo-ha is amazing. She knows everything because of that.”

“I taught her at the beginning.”

Responding to Park Woon-hyuk’s question, Seo Ga-yeon and Kim Ara answered on my behalf. They bragged about me to Park Woon-hyuk as if they were bragging about themselves, and Park Woon-hyuk just smiled bitterly.

“You are right. The elder is incredible.”

While Seo Ga-yeon and Kim Ara were busy praising me as if it was their own achievement, Seolhwa Ryeon appeared.

Her outfit was still imposing, dressed in tight-fitting clothes as usual.

“You are…?”

“Seolhwa Ryeon. A guild member.”

She too had joined.

I had recommended her first, and she happily accepted. There was a sense of responsibility as well. She had deliberately not shown her power to avoid drawing attention from others.

She was merely honing herself like a sharp awl.

That’s why she was living in poverty, and I forcefully inducted her into the guild.

“Having just 300 a month should be fine.”

Seolhwa Ryeon’s abilities were not just that, but too much money at once could spoil her financial sense.

It was right to open a separate account for Seolhwa Ryeon and treat her according to her abilities.

“I’m sorry that all I can give is money.”