The calm before the storm. It meant the night before a storm is quiet. But that saying didn’t perfectly apply here. The atmosphere in Korea these days was downright grim.

‘Maybe the storm’s already started.’

Around August last year, the first monster wave had hit the Korean Peninsula. Back then, public anxiety had shot through the roof, with panic buying and shortages of essentials following like needle and thread.

The streets now felt like a replay of those days. People were desperate to buy rice, ramyeon, and canned goods. From big-box stores to corner shops, there wasn’t a single place without a line.

It was all because of the monster wave incidents reported daily.

Go Byeonggap felt that the news was actually fueling the anxiety. The articles they ran were too blatant, too sensational, too chilling. Couldn’t they gloss it over a bit, or even hide it?

Well… if that’s the media’s true role, I guess I can’t say much.

Argentina, they said, had already had over 70% of its territory declared unreclaimable. Neighboring Chile and Uruguay were also struggling with the spreading monsters.

“If the monsters keep pushing north at this rate, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Brazil will be swallowed up before long. In short, the continents across the ocean are royally screwed.”

“Yes, boss. It’s the one who texted you. Yes, yes, I’ll stop by around one. Yes.”

“Going out again today?”

As he ended the call, his mother, Park Yeongok, spoke up with a hint of concern.

“Ah, yeah. Got some errands to run.”

“Why don’t you just stay home in times like these? Things are hardly peaceful out there.”

“I’ll be fine. You stay home and don’t go anywhere, okay?”

“It’s not like I have anywhere to go anyway…”

Go Byeonggap smiled faintly and adjusted his shoes.

“I’ll be off then. Call me if anything happens.”

“Go safely, my son.”

Like anyone else, Go Byeonggap prepared for a potential emergency — but his preparations looked a little different.

The items he sought weren’t emergency rations like rice, ramyeon, or canned goods. They were seedlings of various crops and different kinds of livestock. In these uneasy times, those things were easy enough to get if you had the cash.

Fortunately, he had saved up enough money. There was no more hospital bills to drain it, either.

‘Better to burn through it than hoard it and end up with jack shit.’

He had converted nearly all his assets into cash. And he planned to spend every last won of it.

One might scold him for recklessly blowing money on Seo Sihui’s word alone. But Go Byeonggap saw things differently.

‘Money, I can always earn again. But spilled water can never be gathered back.’

If the catastrophe Seo Sihui predicted really hit, wads of banknotes would be worth less than toilet paper. He’d rather spend it all freely than hug a safe and sob.

So Go Byeonggap kept busy day after day, crisscrossing the country to buy crops and livestock.

The sellers treated him like a savior. They were grateful he was boosting sales in these grim times. In truth, Go Byeonggap was the one who should be thanking them.

“Oh my, thank you so much, sir!”

“Heh heh, I’m the one who should be grateful.”

He visited a ranch and bought two hundred sheep for livestock. He’d even bought a five-ton mega truck and trailer just for this operation. Getting his heavy vehicle license during his military service had been a godsend.

He paid the balance and loaded the livestock onto the trailer. Then he drove out of the ranch and onto a deserted road. From there, he handed over the entire vehicle to Asvillam.

By now, even the goblins didn’t flinch when a truck materialized from thin air. They just thought, ‘Ah, he’s back,’ and moved on.

«My Lord, have you brought beasts again today?»

Kiriyan, who happened to be nearby, acknowledged him. Go Byeonggap lit a cigarette and answered.

«Yeah, sheep. Hey, you furballs. All of you, get over here.»

«Yes!»

The beast goblins swarmed in. Go Byeonggap opened the trailer door with practiced ease and set down the ramp.

The sheep were frozen solid, terrified of the beast goblins.

«Remember where we set those stakes yesterday? Drive them there and let them loose.»

«Got it!»

«Sort the ewes and rams separate. Mash up some feed and get them eating.»

«Yes sir! Alright, let’s go! Kerrrk! Kerk!»

“Maaah…”

The beast goblins snarled, and the sheep fell into a three-rank marching formation. Convenient ability, that.

«Seems like a lot of stuff’s been coming in lately,» Kiriyan said quietly, watching the flock’s rear.

Go Byeonggap blew out a plume of smoke as he answered.

«Guess so.»

«Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?»

«Ah, shut it. What’s this ‘too hard’ bullshit.»

«If you say it isn’t too much, I’ll take your word for it.»

Truth was, Kiriyan had every reason to worry. After splurging for a few days, Byeonggap’s bank account had shrunk to less than half.

The feeling of his carefully hoarded storehouse emptying out stung. He tried to soothe it with one cigarette after another.

‘When the world goes to war, won’t I even be able to smoke?’

That flicker of unease passed through him.

Go Byeonggap debated stockpiling maybe fifty thousand packs of smokes, or just quitting altogether. Sadly, he never settled on an answer.

«How’s the wall? Nothing going on?»

«Around noon, a dozen or so Grugles charged in, but we took care of all of them.»

«Anyone hurt?»

«One of the guards sustained a light injury during the fight, nothing else.»

«Good to hear. You disposed of the Grugle corpses properly?»

«Yes, scattered them in the forest.»

«Good work.»

He lightly clapped Kiriyan on the shoulder. Kiriyan broke into an easy smile, then opened his mouth deliberately.

«Truly… it’s only with you, my Lord, that Asvillam feels at peace. When he—when that one was here…»

«Hey, Kiriyan. I told you not to bring that up.»

«Ah, my apologies.»

«It’s all water under the bridge, isn’t it? Digging up old business just makes your stomach twist.»

«I-I only meant to say that I’m glad things are good now.»

«Yeah, I know, I know. Weren’t you on your way to the wall?»

«Yes, I was.»

«Better get going, then.»

«Understood!»

Kiriyan gave a quick bow and left. Go Byeonggap stuck another cigarette in his mouth, savoring the view of Baltadren sprawled before him.

Goblins moved like interlocking gears, busy as hell. But their faces weren’t stained by weariness or drudgery. Everyone was grinning, pure and bright.

Damn if these guys didn’t look best when they were being simpletons, giggling like idiots.

‘Right. No point brooding about it.’

Go Byeonggap recalled his last talk with Seo Sihui.

She, with breathtaking shamelessness, had demanded the following from him.

“I want you to become the Fourth Spear.”

She said she was planning to assassinate Go Geonryong. The man who, in name and reality, was the strongest in the world.

He didn’t bother to sneer at the plan itself. If anything, he felt like applauding her for it.

From what he’d heard, the scheme wasn’t completely outlandish either.

What he didn’t want was to be the one to step up and become that assassination tool. She might have been ready to stake her life on a grand cause and conviction, but he sure as hell wasn’t.

Go Byeonggap had too many people to protect. He had to protect his mother. He had to protect the goblins who trusted and followed him.

“If that worst-case scenario you’re worried about really does come to pass, I promise I’ll fight on your side. But I won’t move on your command. I’ll act on my own judgment.”

That was what he’d said to Seo Sihui.

Seo Sihui had clung to the argument until the very end—“If the assassination fails, there’s no future anyway!”—but she couldn’t quite manage to convince Go Byeonggap.

Frankly speaking, even if Earth went straight to hell, he could just keep living in Asvillam. He’d already made his peace with that.

‘‘Let me do what I can.’’

I’ll do what I can.

* * *

It had been quite a while since Go Byeonggap last tore through Asvillam. The time was still around four in the morning, before dawn had even begun to break.

«Aren’t you going to get some sleep?»

«No, my Lord. How could I sleep while you remain awake?»

Dorma was riding in the passenger seat.

They were currently on their way to Chitosan.

‘‘If Merilin were the only one in the backseat, it’d be just like that day.’’

Not a pleasant memory. A glance to the side showed that Dorma seemed to feel the same way. Two men with nothing much to say to each other, so he just pressed down harder on the accelerator.

They drove without stopping for roughly eleven hours. They arrived at Chitosan around three in the afternoon.

Lord Kunta of Chitosan, upon seeing Go Byeonggap, wore an expression that was neither joy nor anger.

«Why have you come only now!»

«Haha, seeing you waiting here like this, I take it my letter reached you properly.»

«…It did.»

Go Byeonggap glanced left and right.

«Is the envoy we sent doing well?»

Kunta pointed at a building with a fed-up look on his face. It was a mess hall.

«She’s in the process of draining Chitosan’s treasury.»

«Don’t take it too hard. She must have been exhausted from all that flying.»

Go Byeonggap stepped into the mess hall first. A tiny harpy was gulping down a bowl of pale, watery porridge.

Then their eyes met.

«Ah! Lord!»

The harpy called out as soon as she saw Go Byeonggap. She was still young, and since all the goblins around her kept calling him Lord, she must have just picked it up.

He was neither a Lord to her nor anything of the sort, but he just let it slide.

«You managed to find your way here, huh?»

«Yeah, I just kept going the way you told me, Lord, and there it was.»

«Good. Well done.»

This harpy had one hell of a twisted fate herself.

During the brief period when Landriol held Asvillam, this creature was used as a ‘target.’

They’d chain weights to her legs so she couldn’t flee, then practice javelin throws against the harpy flailing in the sky.

Lucky or cursed, she proved useful enough as a moving target that they’d heal her just enough to keep her alive. At least she managed to hold onto her life.

After Landriol retreated, Go Byeonggap found the harpy rotting in a steel cage. When he discovered her, she was completely consumed by monster’s ferocity.

Even the mere sight of something goblin-like sent her into fits, shrieking and squawking in convulsive panic.

Deeming her beyond taming, he decided to kill her. But then Ea, taking pity, erased the harpy’s memories.

Only then could the harpy reclaim her former gentle nature.

«Enough eating—get up. Time to head back.»

«We’re going?»

«That’s right. We’re going.»

Go Byeonggap led the harpy out of the dining hall. Castle Lord Kunta had gathered Chitosan’s residents in a wide open clearing. The civilians clutched light bundles to their chests.

Go Byeonggap approached and asked,

«Is everyone here?»

«Yes. All 819 have assembled.»

«The relocation method is exactly as written in the letter. I trust you’ve all memorized the instructions I gave.»

«Isn’t it just ‘stand still and wait’?»

«Correct. Then we begin.»

Go Byeonggap opened a gate to Earth. At the sight, the spirits’ eyes went wide. Kunta had been forewarned, but he still couldn’t hide his astonishment.

«Th-this must be what the letter mentioned?»

«Yes. Just cross over there. Please help control the crowd.»

«Understood! Alright, front row—start crossing through!»

The spirits obediently followed Kunta’s orders.

Beyond the gate lay an abandoned factory in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province.

The site was so tucked away in a remote corner, and had been left to rot for well over a decade, that no one ever came near it.

Just to be safe, Byeonggap had scouted the area for days and confirmed that no one else set foot in the abandoned factory.

It was the perfect hiding spot for the spirits for a few hours.

He guided every last spirit into the factory grounds. Dorma and the harpy came along too.

«Just stay here silent and hidden for half a day. I’ll come get you around midnight.»

«Understood. We’ll wait, trusting only in you.»

«Don’t go outside under any circumstances. Keep the residents under tight control.»

«Don’t worry.»

«Dorma, you stay here too and help manage the group. No one should come, but just in case, stay hidden tight.»

«Don’t worry. I’ll see to it.»

«Right. I’ve left water and provisions over there — help yourselves when you need to.»

«Yes, sir.»

«See you later, then.»

Go Byeonggap hurried back to Asvillam. Then he ran toward Baltadren at a blistering pace.

At first, he’d considered chartering a bus to transport the spirits. But the more he thought about it, the more inefficient that method seemed. So he devised an alternative: moving personnel through a Gate.

Running at 180 kilometers per hour for several hours got him to Baltadren. Driving all day had left him utterly drained, but collapsing into sleep wasn’t an option.

He crossed back to the mortal realm and managed to bring the spirits out safely.

«Whoa… whoa!»

«This is Baltadren?»

The spirits couldn’t close their mouths at the majesty of Baltadren. Compared to this, the Chitosan ruins they’d lived in were no better than a backwoods village.

Goblins who’d been waiting in advance stepped in to guide the spirits.

They moved to a small basin adjacent to Baltadren. Houses and amenities had already been built — all that remained was for them to move in and live.

«You will now reside here in ‘Insula.’ This space is reserved solely for spirits, so please make yourselves at ease.»

«A-are you sure it’s all right to give us such a fine place?»

«What’s the harm? We’re going to live helping each other from now on, aren’t we?»

Go Byeonggap extended his hand to Kunta.

«They say even a brush of sleeves is a fateful encounter. Whatever the case, I hope we get along well going forward.»

Kunta grasped Go Byeonggap’s hand and shook it.

«Thank you for calling us here. I’ll do my utmost not to be a burden.»

«Yes. Good.»

That day, 819 spirits settled in Asvillam.

Asvillam’s national strength grew even stronger.