“Hm-hm.”

Go Byeonggap hummed a tune, for once.

His hands worked quickly, packing his gear. A big duffel bag swallowed spare clothes and various emergency supplies. Afterward, he checked his rig—his belt and combat vest hung with useful tools staged for every situation.

Ready, he stood at the front door. Looking back at the empty house, a bitter taste crept into his mouth. Go Byeonggap smiled wryly and turned away.

“See you again, house.”

No answer came, of course. He stepped outside.

A pickup truck was parked in the underground garage. He’d bought it used three days ago in a hurry—a cheap ride, and it showed. Still, the wheels turned well enough.

He double-checked the diesel canisters and preserved rations in the cargo bed. All clear.

“Good.”

He loaded the duffel bag into the back seat and climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Bastards, wait for me. Your Hyung is coming.”

The car rolled out smoothly.

* * *

The first place he went after leaving the house was a café. Busy even on a weekday morning. Byeonggap found the person he had arranged to meet in a corner on the second floor.

A woman in plain civilian clothes. He couldn’t see her face—round hat, mask, the full disguise.

“Come on, why the sunglasses?”

“What, you expect someone like me — a celebrity — to just walk around with my face on full display?”

“Walking around like that is even more suspicious.”

Jeong Seongyeong let out a scoff. Even she had to admit, the way she looked was pretty ridiculous.

Without any hesitation, Go Byeonggap shoved the items he’d prepared across the table. A bankbook, property documents, a personal seal.

Jeong Seongyeong made a sour face. Of course, with her mask and sunglasses on, you couldn’t see it.

“It’s like I said. If you don’t hear from me for over three weeks, hand all of that over to my mom.”

“Hey, Byeonggap… I’m asking because I seriously don’t get it — why are you asking me to do this?”

“I told you. You’re the only person I can trust and leave this with, Noona.”

“No, no, that’s not what I’m asking.”

Jeong Seongyeong took a sip of her coffee and continued.

“You could just give it to her yourself before you go.”

“I don’t want to. How am I supposed to tell my mom that I might die?”

“Bullshit. So it’s fine to notify her after you’re dead?”

“That’s better.”

“You’re seriously a crazier son of a bitch than I ever imagined.”

Go Byeonggap let out a hearty laugh.

Jeong Seongyeong, on the other hand, looked utterly exasperated. She picked up the folder of documents and asked,

“What if I just take this and run? What’re you gonna do then?”

“Noona, you’ve got plenty of money. Compared to your assets, this is pocket change. Why would you?”

Go Byeonggap answered, then tilted his head. A sudden flicker of unease crept in.

“Don’t run off with it. Make sure you give it to my mom.”

“Oh, yes, yes. I’m too scared you’ll come back as a ghost and curse me to even think about it.”

Jeong Seongyeong shook her head. Then, for a moment, her gaze turned serious.

“Hey, Byeonggap.”

“Yeah.”

“What the hell are you planning to do? What are you up to that’s got you making such a big deal out of this? No, don’t answer too fast — just listen. You might be all zen about just tossing this at me and leaving, but have you thought about the people you’d leave behind? Have you thought about your mom, who’d have to hear you’re dead after I hand her this money? And what about my position, having to be the one to tell her?”

“…Sorry.”

“Sorry? Fuck, that’s all you’ve got?”

“I know it’s an unreasonable request.”

“Ugh! You absolute idiot!”

Jeong Seongyeong shouted. Heads turned their way for a moment. She calmed herself down and spoke.

“Come with me. I don’t know what it is, but I’ll help you, okay?”

“I told you. This is something I have to handle alone.”

“Goddammit! Where the hell in this world does that even exist? What, you think you’re some Dark Knight or something? Gonna take on the whole world by yourself?”

Go Byeonggap didn’t answer. Jeong Seongyeong fumed for a moment, then slumped in defeat.

“Can’t you just not go? I don’t know what it is — why not just not do it? Huh?”

“……”

He wanted to say something cool.

“If I don’t do this, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

“Better to die for a cause than live a lifetime with a sour stomach.”

That kind of thing. But it didn’t suit him. So Go Byeonggap just smiled.

“I have to go.”

“Tch…’”

“And I’m not looking to die. I’ll be back — guaranteed.”

“…You just try dying. I won’t let you off easy.”

“Alright, time to go.”

Go Byeonggap rose to his feet.

“If things work out, I’ll tell you everything that happened.”

“Don’t need that — just take care of yourself.”

“Got it.”

Go Byeonggap left the café. Jeong Seongyeong sipped the last of her coffee, staring at the empty seat where he’d sat for a long beat.

Settling into the driver’s seat, Byeonggap punched the destination into the navigation. A long drive ahead.

“Let’s go. To Jirisan.”

* * *

Go Byeonggap had lost the Lord’s authority. Let’s set aside why that shit happened for now. What mattered was that afterward, he could no longer cross into Asvillam.

He’d spent a long time thinking. How could he get back to Asvillam? To be honest, no answer came to him.

You can’t hoe the field without a hoe — and he’d lost the damn thing. No way around it.

So at first, he just waited. Stared at the horizon, waiting for Landriol to open the gate to Earth. But what was that bastard doing? In the past two weeks, he hadn’t opened it once.

Truth was, even if he could slip through a crack in the gate, it was still a problem. He hated to admit it, but Landriol was strong. A head-on fight was a gamble he couldn’t guarantee.

He’d have to catch the bastard off guard. And that meant watching for an opening.

So he circled back to the beginning and started searching for a way into Asvillam.

But there was nothing. No matter how long he searched and thought, nothing.

From the start, this ability was something only he possessed in this world…

-What if he wasn’t alone?

The road only appeared when he shattered the notion that he was unique.

And Go Byeonggap could recall someone who had shown a power eerily similar to his own. The mastermind behind the development district attack — Kim Hana. There was something different about her.

‘And if not?’

If not, then it wasn’t. He’d find another way then. For now, he had to gamble on even the slimmest chance.

Around two in the afternoon, Go Byeonggap reached the foothills of Jirisan.

He parked at the base and began the climb. The coordinates Kim Hana had given led to rough terrain without even a hiking trail. A civilian would be asking for a death out here. But for Byeonggap, it was nothing.

He scaled the mountain like he was out for a jog — breezing past it. Even when rock faces or vines blocked his path, he didn’t stop.

After about two hours of hiking? He reached a spot a normal person couldn’t have reached even after half a day.

A small stream halfway up the mountain, surrounded by the same dense broadleaf trees as always. He drank from the water to wet his throat, then swept his gaze across the surroundings. Pulling out his phone, he checked the map.

“GPS says this is the place, though.”

A shabby wooden cabin. Or a secret hideout in a natural cave.

No matter how he looked, there was nothing like that.

He scanned every inch of the area—just trees, everywhere.

“Ah, hell. Am I really that dense?”

A hollow feeling finally settled in. Come to think of it, it wasn’t like they’d made a concrete promise to meet today, was it?

How would Kim Hana even know he’d come….

“That’s a bit awkward.”

She appeared!

Go Byeonggap spun around, startled. Just moments ago, no one had been there—yet now Kim Hana stood in that spot, one eye playfully squinted.

No hostility in her stance. Her clothes were a worn-out dress, and she carried no weapon.

“I’d rather you not draw that.”

Kim Hana pointed at Go Byeonggap’s right hand. He reflexively let go of the sword hilt he’d gripped and replied.

“Fair enough. I didn’t come to fight.”

“For someone who didn’t, your gear’s a bit excessive.”

“It’s not for here.”

Kim Hana tilted her head but didn’t ask for an explanation. Instead, she brought up something else.

“It’s been quite a while since I told you to find me, yet you only show up now. In fact, since you took so long, I even tried looking for you on my end a little while ago. …But you were nowhere to be seen.”

“Been busy for a while. By the way, where are those kids you’ve been dragging around? Strange not seeing them.”

“…….”

Instead of answering, Kim Hana furrowed her brow.

“Why are you speaking informally?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected jab, Go Byeonggap was at a loss. He stared blankly for a moment, then replied a bit crudely.

“Then you speak informally too.”

“I’m not really keen on that. Though, honestly, fussing over formalities at this point is pretty ridiculous. I suppose getting older has made me a bit strange too.”

“You don’t look old enough to say that.”

Kim Hana, at most, seemed to be around Byeonggap’s age. Of course, with an awakener of her caliber, you couldn’t judge age by appearance—from S-rank and up, they reached the realm of agelessness.

“I’m twice as old as Mr. Byeonggap. In terms of days lived, more than four times. Maybe even hundreds… ah, never mind. Forget what I just said.”

Kim Hana let out a small sigh, then continued.

“Coming to find me means you want to know the truth of the world. I can tell you. But before that, a promise first…”

“No, I came to see you today for a different reason.”

Go Byeonggap cut her off. Kim Hana rolled her eyes for a moment before asking.

“A different reason?”

“Yeah, send me to Asvillam. We can talk after that.”

“Asvillam?”

She echoed.

“What’s that?”

“You don’t know Asvillam?”

“That doesn’t sound like a person’s name. From the way you’re asking to be sent there, it must be some kind of place — but I don’t know any nation or city by that name. More to the point, why are you asking me?”

Go Byeonggap fell silent for a beat. For a second he wondered if he’d come to the wrong person.

‘No. No — trust what you saw.’

He recalibrated and tried again.

“You can cross between worlds, can’t you? Earth and somewhere else?”

“…!?”

Kim Hana’s eyes went wide. Her mouth dropped open. Byeonggap knew in that instant he’d hit the mark.

Her face said it all. How?

“H-How did you…”

“Because I used to be the same kind as you. Not anymore, but still.”

“The same kind?”

“Huh. Figures. No need to hole up in a dump like this — you must have something better on the other side.”

Byeonggap prodded her like he was already on his way.

“Instead of standing around here, let’s just go over, shall we?”

Kim Hana swallowed hard, then nodded.

“…All right.”

She reached out her left hand and grabbed the air. The next moment, space split open in four directions. Inside, a pitch-black vortex churned.

‘Montage is a bit different from mine.’

But who cared. Byeonggap started to step in without thinking — and only stopped himself at the last instant.

He gave an awkward look.

“I left my car at the foot of the mountain. Any chance we can bring that along too?”

«…»

* * *

«Kek!»

«Huff… huff… huff…!»

The hob goblin gasped for breath. Around him, four normal goblins lay sprawled — every one of them battered and bruised.

«Grrrk…»

«Aah… it hurts…»

The downed normal goblins groaned. The training swords had no edge, but they weren’t pillows either.

«…»

The hob goblin set his sword down. His palm was stinging from how hard he’d been gripping it. He slowly turned his head.

All around, he saw his own kind aiming weapons at each other. They howled and swung wildly.

The hob goblin thought the sight was horrifying.

«Send the fallen to the mines. Keep only the strong.»

Just then, Landriol appeared at the arena. The goblins who’d been sparring immediately bowed. They all trembled in fear.

Landriol glanced around the arena and frowned.

«Drop the formalities and get back to it.»

At the command, the goblins scrambled upright and swung their weapons again. They’d been at it for half a day already.

«Your Majesty…»

«What is it, Merilin?»

«They all… seem quite exhausted. It’s late, so perhaps for today—»

«Merilin.»

«Yes.»

«Those bastards, those Divine Army dogs — they don’t care about our circumstances. Whether the sun sets or a downpour lashes us. They just press on, relentless, never stopping.»

Merilin bowed her head low and could not speak a word.

Landriol turned to look at the goblins.

«Look at this pathetic sight. The Saraon, who once feared nothing under heaven, have grown so weak. In this state, even if we fought again, we would only be trampled by the Divine Army.»

«You… speak truly, Your Majesty.»

Landriol clasped his hands behind his back and walked slowly. All around the arena, sounds of groaning echoed.

«Umm… Your Majesty.»

«Speak.»

«I dare not question Your Majesty’s will, but looking at the path You have taken since Your return—»

«Spare me the preamble and get to the point.»

Merilin paused for a moment, then asked.

«Are you perhaps… preparing for war?»

«Yes.»

Landriol answered without hesitation. Merilin’s eyes widened.

«W-with whom?»

«You ask the obvious. Of course, it is to punish Madmut and the foolish rabble who follow him.»

«But as I said before, on this continent there is only us. Not even Madmut — the demi-humans beyond the Saraon are…»

«We will invade the other world. Madmut is there.»

Merilin could not answer. Her words had seized in her throat. Landriol studied her reaction, then furrowed his brow.

«That expression — you find this displeasing?»

«Ah, no, not at all! How could I dare to?»

«Merilin.»

«Yes, Your Majesty.»

«I once desired peace on earth. I wished that the foolish creatures who waged bloody wars for petty gains would stop. So I unified the land, imposed rules and order, and governed the rabble. They no longer fought over land or food.»

«Yes, I know this well.»

Merilin, born in the age of peace, remembered that time. Under Saraon rule, the demi-humans had lived in harmony.

Setting aside racial bias and looking only at objective fact, that era had been one of plenty. Anyone on earth could sleep with a full belly and a warm back.

Landriol had been revered as the ‘God of Earth’ then.

«But.»

Landriol clenched his fist. Veins bulged along his forearm.

«But that twisted-hearted Madmut could not bear to watch it unfold. He saw me called the God of Earth and called it arrogance. And for that petty reason alone, he sought to annihilate the Saraon! Is that truly the measure of a noble god?»

«……»

«Even more galling was the conduct of the rabble, who groveled in fear. They forgot the grace of being gathered and sheltered, and betrayed us. When we should have united against a god, they stabbed us in the back! How is that different from raising a blade against one’s own parent?»

Crack!

The ground split beneath Landriol’s presence, unable to bear the weight of his fury. Merilin quickly moved to soothe him.

«Y-your Majesty. Please, compose yourself.»

«Hah… I only understood after I lost Barin.»

At the name Barin, Merilin flinched. Barin was the queen’s name—the only woman Emperor Landriol had ever truly loved.

Even as one of his seven concubines, Merilin had never dared speak a word to Barin.

«W-what is it you understood, Your Majesty?»

«Why do you think I stand here, defying even the laws of nature?»

«W-well, is it not to rebuild Asvillam and restore prosperity to the Saraon once more?»

«Rebuild Asvillam?»

Landriol let out a scornful snort.

«Asvillam is already buried beneath the earth—how could it ever be rebuilt?»

«What?»

«The reason I still draw breath is this: to inflict the same despair upon those who drove us to it! I will not close my eyes until I have Madmut’s head at my feet. That is what I have come to understand!»

Merilin stared up at the Emperor with vacant eyes, then looked away.

Screams and groans still echoed from every direction. Several goblins had collapsed from exhaustion. Watching them with eyes like frozen lakes, she asked:

«But Your Majesty, are our numbers not far too meager to wage war against a god?»

At her question, Landriol let out a groan.

«True enough. Barely fifteen hundred… But it is the general’s duty to take the enemy commander’s head—the rest are nothing but arrow-fodder. Damn it. I never expected the demon bastards to pull something so absurd.»

«…What?»

«There will be no great trouble. Thankfully, I planted the Seeds of Enlightenment in time, and they’ve already sprouted. Meager as they are now, things will improve with time. And if I buy knightesses from the Ancient Shop—»

«Y-Your Majesty!»

Merilin cut Landriol off with a shout. He made no attempt to hide his irritation.

Undeterred, Merilin pressed on.

«Did you—did Your Majesty know the demons would invade the mortal realm?»

«…»

Landriol stared at her intently. Her legs trembled, but she did not look away.

After a moment, Landriol answered calmly.

«Yes. For it was I who lured the demons into the mortal realm.»