The Seventh Divine Warrior, Alsharon. As the creature stirred, Byeonggap found himself backing away involuntarily. A terrible sense of déjà vu clawed at him.

‘He was definitely dead. So how?’

The Saraon legion had paid an immense price to take down all seven Divine Warriors. And Alsharon had been the one to seal that cost with its death.

‘An enemy I cannot fight.’

Their monstrous nature defied comparison with any common monster. It was a whole different tier—a different order of being entirely.

“Tch!”

Sim Seungseop gritted his teeth and loosed a bolt of lightning. In that instant, light gathered around Alsharon’s left arm, forming a round shield. The creature blocked the strike effortlessly.

Then light pooled in Alsharon’s right arm. It coalesced into a fifteen-meter-long polearm—the very weapon that had felled thousands of Saraon necks.

“That thing’s dangerous.”

Jeong Seongyeong growled. She glared at her double-bladed axe lying on the ground, then kicked off and snatched it up in a quick motion.

“Watch out!”

Byeonggap screamed. The sharp tip of the polearm thrust toward Seongyeong. She calmly swung her axe to parry. But even with a perfect block, she was sent flying backwards.

“Noona!”

“…Goddammit.”

Luckily, there seemed to be no serious damage. Seongyeong scrambled to her feet at once.

“Above!”

The broad blade of the polearm dropped straight down at Seongyeong’s head. She raised her axe just in time. The two blades clashed, and her lower body sank into the ground from the force.

Before a second strike came, Byeonggap charged in swiftly. He leaped high and unleashed a flurry of sword auras straight into Alsharon’s faceplate.

The explosions staggered the creature. Sim Seungseop didn’t miss the opening and poured lightning into the same spot.

«Kuuoooooh!»

“Die already—!”

Jeong Seongyeong closed the distance in the blink of an eye, twisting her whole body into the swing. The axe blade caught Alsharon’s ankle—and the giant toppled, crashing down.

Without pausing, Seongyeong leaped and raised her axe overhead. Terrifying karma converged into the weapon, forging a monstrous blade that rivaled even Alsharon’s polearm.

The axe—its double-edged head a full eight meters across—fell. Alsharon thrust his shield up to meet it.

Crack!

“Kuh! Kyaa!”

The manifested karma axe shattered into nothing. The shield swept through and slammed into Seongyeong. She hit the ground hard.

Go Byeonggap stepped in front of her.

“Mr. Changhun!”

“Ah’m on it!”

Han Changhun’s healing ability flared, mending Seongyeong’s injuries. In that interval, Alsharon pushed himself back to his feet.

Byeonggap braced, expecting an attack, every nerve taut. But what he saw caught him off guard. A part of Alsharon’s body—specifically, his left arm, the one gripping the shield—was crumbling away into dust.

«Kuoo…?»

His expression was hidden behind the helmet, but Alsharon seemed just as taken aback.

“Pfft! This big bastard’s got no real grit, huh? Guess we got a fighting chance!”

Jeong Seongyeong wiped blood from her mouth, her fighting spirit blazing.

Byeonggap felt a twinge of suspicion at that. He narrowed his eyes, focusing on Alsharon, observing. Then something clicked, and he gave a start.

‘He’s not at full strength.’

Looking closer, the giant was a wreck.

The platinum-gold armor he’d thought was resplendent was riddled with cracks everywhere. To exaggerate only slightly, it looked like a shattered clay doll haphazardly pieced back together.

And his size had shrunk. The Divine Warrior was originally a towering body over fifty meters. But the current creature was barely seven meters tall.

‘I don’t know what happened to him, but he’s incomplete.’

If Alsharon had been in perfect condition, Byeonggap’s party alone could never have won. But with him this diminished, it was a different story. They had a real shot.

“Byeonggap! Can you tank?”

“What do I need to do?”

“Block that monster’s attack just once. Give me an opening—I’ll handle the rest.”

“I’ll give it a try.”

“Good. Let’s go!”

Jeong Seongyeong sprinted forward fast. Byeonggap ran alongside her.

Alsharon, unflustered, swept his polearm in an arc.

“Byeonggap!”

“Got it!”

Byeonggap quickly moved to intercept the polearm’s path. He released his internal energy at full force. Golden mana formed a large shield. In that split second, the polearm and the shield clashed.

“Kkueuuuh!”

The shield of internal energy cracked open with a dry splintering sound. Go Byeonggap had bought himself maybe a second at best, even by his most optimistic reckoning. But that was fine. To an S-rank hunter, a second was anything but short.

A sliver of opportunity he’d carved open. Jeong Seongyeong didn’t waste it—she surged in without a breath. Her axe transformed again into a colossal weapon of slaughter.

Alsharon tried to dodge with a nimbleness that belied his bulk. But things didn’t go according to plan. In an instant, a whip of lightning erupted from the ground beneath his feet. It coiled around his body, binding him tight.

Sim Seungseop’s support. Flawless coordination.

“Die—!”

Jeong Seongyeong swung her axe, shouting as if invoking a magic spell. The disgustingly massive blade struck Alsharon’s right shoulder cleanly.

The axe blade split the shoulder. His severed right arm crumbled into dust as it fell from the main body.

«Kuuooooh!»

Alsharon let out a thunderous roar. A devastating shockwave blasted outward in an instant. Go Byeonggap and Jeong Seongyeong, standing right next to him, were hurled backward like baseballs hit by a bat, slamming into the ground far away.

“Ugh!”

“Kkeuuuu…”

‘Damn. Feels like every bone in my body just shattered.’

His vision swam. Thankfully, Han Changhun healed them immediately, letting him pull himself together.

Go Byeonggap and Jeong Seongyeong scrambled to their feet. Ahead, Alsharon, both arms gone, was gasping in agony.

Jeong Seongyeong bared her teeth in a grin.

“Nice! Just two more to go. We chop off that bastard’s legs too, and at the end, we rip his head clean off.”

By this point, Go Byeonggap and his party were swept up in the hope they could overcome this hurdle. That is, until Alsharon spoke.

«Rise.»

The bastard muttered. To anyone who didn’t know Asvillam’s tongue, it would’ve sounded like meaningless gibberish. But Go Byeonggap understood every word perfectly.

The moment Alsharon bellowed that command, the monsters that had been forming the ‘Tree’ began to writhe. They liquefied, turning into shapes like flour dough.

And in the very next instant, the gray-brown lumps each took form.

‘Th-these bastards…’

They were soldiers—at least two thousand of them. Their builds matched ordinary humans, but the armor and weapons they bore were strikingly similar to Alsharon’s.

«Divine Army!»

«Strike down the unbelievers.»

At Alsharon’s command, the Divine Army moved as one. They charged in perfect formation, rows and columns tight. The sight was like a tidal wave bearing down on them.

“Damn! Where the hell did these things come from?!”

“That’s way too many of ’em!”

“Hyaaap!”

Sim Seungseop threw both arms wide and detonated his karma, hurling a current field a hundred meters across straight at the enemy.

An attack that would have turned most rabble to ash on contact. These were not rabble.

«Guardian!»

The Divine Army soldiers bellowed a battle cry. The troops holding the front line released their karma and generated shields.

Each one was high-quality. A few hundred of them together made for an impressive scale.

Seungseop’s lightning strike slammed into the hundred shields. Some shattered outright. The soldiers behind them were flash-fried.

But the majority survived.

«Archer!»

The commander barked again. Troops at the rear nocked karma arrows to their bowstrings. They loosed as one.

“What the hell!”

“Get to me!”

Han Changhun stepped forward and spread a dome-shaped barrier.

Snap. Crackle.

“Ugh!”

Arrows rained down like a sudden squall. Changhun poured everything he had into holding the barrier. Then Jeong Seongyeong’s scream sent ice down everyone’s spine.

“Up there! Get clear!”

“Wha— ugh!”

It happened in an instant. Too fast to track.

Alsharon, way off in the distance, took a single leap and came down right onto the barrier. His massive foot stamped it flat.

Go Byeonggap, Jeong Seongyeong, and Sim Seungseop barely dodged. Han Changhun didn’t make it. He was crushed.

“Mr. Changhun!”

«Knights!»

The knights had closed in without warning, swinging swords and spears.

Each one fought at the level of an A-rank Hunter.

The Divine Army swarming like locusts — that alone they might have held. But with Alsharon joining the fray, the whole game turned.

“Kkhak!”

Seungseop was the first to fall. Alsharon kicked him, and he flew dozens of meters. The only healer who could have saved him was already part of the ground.

“Damn it! Damn it all!”

Seongyeong swung her axe at everything in reach. One swing sent six or seven Divine Army soldiers flying limb from limb. But even she had to wave the white flag against that endless tide.

Byeonggap didn’t fare any better. Before he could react, a dozen arrows from Divine Army archers punched into his back. The moment he flinched, countless blades carved into his body.

A solitary scream rang across the grassland. Go Byeonggap and his party were wiped out.

* * *

<Pathetic fool.>

A place of nothing but pitch-black darkness. Someone muttered there. Go Byeonggap could glean nothing except that the voice’s owner was deeply displeased.

<Pathetic fool. Worthless brat.>

The voice came again. Byeonggap felt a spike of irritation.

«Shut your mouth, Landriol.»

<Mujil.>

«I told you to shut it.»

He threw the threat—then startled at the sound of his own voice. What the hell? Was he still alive?

Byeonggap opened his eyes. He swept his gaze around, but there was nothing to see but pitch-black darkness, its end beyond measure. He strained to find Landriol in that void, but no matter where he looked, the bastard wasn’t there.

Then, as if mocking him, the voice came from behind.

<We Saraon are the natural enemy of the gods. And you, who inherited that will, were brutally trampled—by a mere half-breed, no less. Truly pathetic, beyond redemption.>

Byeonggap spun around savagely. Then he sneered.

«I’m human.»

<Surely you’re not about to claim that the creatures you rule are human.>

«They’re goblins. Not Saraon.»

<Why don’t you drop that pathetic wordplay?>

«Goddammit, why do you have to show up and run your mouth? I’m already pissed off enough to fucking die!»

<Yes, weakness is a frustrating thing.>

«Shit… If you’re hovering around in front of me, does that mean I’m dead? Then I guess this is some kind of afterlife. More boring than I expected.»

Byeonggap clicked his tongue and lay flat on the ground. Landriol crossed his arms with a deeply displeased expression.

<It’s hard to believe I was defeated by a wretch like you. But then, if it weren’t for that tiny girl, you wouldn’t have laid a single finger on me.>

«Ha. Didn’t they teach you that losers don’t talk? A dead man who should have croaked ages ago, spouting nonsense now? If you’ve got a problem, let’s throw down right here.»

Byeonggap said that and glanced at Landriol. The muscle packed into that massive body, over two meters tall, was incredibly threatening. He looked away.

«Put some clothes on, will you? What are you, a pervert, parading around naked?»

<Cut the nonsense and get up.>

«What? …No. I’m not in the mood to fight right now. Later.»

<I said get up. Any later, and it’ll really be dangerous.>

Landriol strode over. Byeonggap thought he’d been dragged into a hassle. Damn this mouth of his.

«Hey, hey… I said later, so lat—»

<Get up!>

Landriol bellowed.

And Byeonggap opened his eyes.

“Huaaah! Huaaah!”

His vision was red. Blood streaming down his forehead. Byeonggap unconsciously tried to wipe it away, but his arm was bound, making even that impossible.

‘What the hell happened…’

He rolled his eyes, taking in the situation.

It was already dark—he hadn’t even noticed when the sun went down.

The first thing he saw was the enormous tree—the one the Divine Warrior Alsharon had emerged from. He was tied up in tentacles that had sprouted from its trunk.

And he wasn’t alone. Every hunter was bound to the tree, unconscious.

‘Where’s Alsharon?’

For some reason, Alsharon and the rest of the Divine Army were nowhere to be seen. Go Byeonggap seriously debated whether he should feel relieved or uneasy about that.

“Seongyeong noona! Mr. Seungseop! Mr. Changhun!”

He called out to his companions at the top of his lungs, but they showed no sign of waking. Even his own voice came out as a weak rasp. He had no strength left—even breathing felt like a chore.

‘Is this tentacle draining my power?’

He could feel it. The tendril wrapped around him like a leech was steadily siphoning his strength away.

There was no way he could break free with what little power he had left. But there was still a way out.

He opened the gate and slipped into Asvillam.

He collapsed onto the dirt floor with a heavy thud.

“Nngh…”

He lay sprawled out, unable to so much as move, just writhing helplessly against the ground.

To make matters worse, his consciousness was starting to fade.

‘It drained too much of me. Someone… someone help me…’

He forced his leaden eyelids open. A flickering light danced at his bedside. A moment later, a voice reached him.

«Lord?»

Go Byeonggap lifted his head with immense effort to see where the sound came from. A beast goblin, clearly a guard, was holding a torch, shining it his way.

The creature’s face went pale.

«M-My Lord!»

The beast goblin—named Gagab—came running over in a panic, gasping for breath, and propped Byeonggap up. Then he started shouting all around him.

«The Lord has collapsed here! Is anyone there! The Lord—!»

«Shh. Quiet… quiet down, you idiot…»

«My Lord! Are you all right? Your body is a mess!»

Gagab looked like he was about to cry.

‘I can’t let Mom see me like this.’

Even in this state, Go Byeonggap was worried about his mother.

«First, move me somewhere.»

«Shall we head to the Lord’s quarters?»

«No. Let’s go to Bamond’s—Bamond’s house.»

«Understood!»

Gagab quickly hoisted Byeonggap onto his back. Then he sprinted at a speed he’d never reach again in his life.

Soon after, the two arrived at Bamond’s dwelling. Gagab pounded on the door two or three times, and Bamond opened it, rubbing his eyes.

«What business at this hour… Hah! My Lord!?»

«Bamond! The Lord is in dire straits. Heal him, quickly!»

«B-Bring him inside at once!»

Go Byeonggap had already lost consciousness. Bamond laid him flat on the ground and rushed into healing. Gagab stood close by, his eyes anxious.

«Well? Is the Lord all right? Is he going to be okay?»

Bamond’s face was deeply furrowed.

«The wounds are bad, but what’s worse is how utterly drained his life-force is. What in the world did he face…»

«The Lord isn’t going to die, is he? Bamond, please, save the Lord!»

Bamond let out a groan. Then he snapped his head up and spoke.

«Ea! Go find Ea.»

«Why Ea?»

«She manages the kitchen’s ingredients, doesn’t she? Tell her to find dragon meat. We need that meat!»

«Ah, right!»

Gagab bolted out, panting. Bamond fought back tears and devoted himself to healing.

«My Lord… open your eyes. My Lord…»

* * *

«Here again? …Damn it, we meet again.»

<Do not think I am pleased to see your face.>

«The feeling’s mutual.»

Go Byeonggap snorted and plopped down. Landriol stood some ten paces away, his face sullen.

<Pathetic wretch.>

«Fuck! Can you shut up with that?»

<Having witnessed your disgraceful state with my own eyes, how could I?>

«Yeah, well, it’s not like you contributed anything.»

<I contributed nothing!?>

Landriol’s voice was fierce. He strode over and grabbed Byeonggap by the collar, yanking him up.

<Say that again. That I contributed nothing?>

«You gonna let go? Want to die again?»

Go Byeonggap radiated an equally menacing aura. He shoved Landriol’s arm away.

Landriol glared at him with narrowed eyes, then let out a deep sigh.

<Why don’t you use the power I gave you? I even deliberately cut off and gave you the core essence — were you planning to carry it to your grave?>

«I wish your bullshit would at least have some coherence.»

<Stop playing dumb. I know you’re subconsciously rejecting me.>

Go Byeonggap swallowed his words. He sneakily averted his gaze and, out of habit, patted his inside pocket. Damn it, no cigarettes.

<Is it because of your hatred for me? Is that more precious than your life?>

Go Byeonggap didn’t answer this time either. He just ignored it. Landriol kept talking.

<Those humans with you — they look like they’ll die soon. Don’t you have a plan to save them? As you are now, you’ll just tread the same path as before.>

«Shit, then you tell me! How do I catch those monstrous things?»

Landriol crouched down in front of Go Byeonggap. He looked both angry and like he was smiling.

<You don’t even know the basics of combat, do you? Catch the low with the low, and the high with the high. Don’t you have something you can call a force?>

«…You mean take the goblins along?»

<Do you have anything else to field? They’re the ones who refused even ration and clung to you. Their loyalty should be beyond doubt?>

«Of course I know. How much they love me, the little guys.»

Go Byeonggap thought of the goblins and let a faint smile slip across his face. In an instant, his expression hardened into resolve.

«That’s why I can’t. I can’t let those kids get hurt or die because of me.»

<What’s that supposed to be? Have I ever seen such a blockhead!>

Landriol bellowed. His voice boomed so loud it seemed to shake the entire space of darkness. The sheer heat of his anger prickled Byeonggap’s skin.

Landriol kept pouring out his heated tirade without pause.

<What do you think a king is? And what do you think a subject is?>

«What?»

<A king is a lamp that lights the horizon; a subject is the kindling that burns its body in the flame. A king is one who stands at the highest place; a subject is the foothold that offers its back to lift the king higher. No king burns of his own accord, and if such a one exists, he will be the first flame to gutter out. No king touches the high tower by himself, and if such a one exists, he will be a fool fallen into delusion or arrogance.>

«…….»

<I have withdrawn from the front line acknowledging your potential, but I cannot help but ask once more. Are you a nursemaid who coddles those beneath you, or are you an Emperor who rules over all the people? Think well before you answer!>

«I am…»

As Go Byeonggap hesitated with his answer, Landriol’s face flushed red and white by turns. In that way, some time passed.

Landriol let out a series of resentful sighs before speaking.

<I shall give you time to think. Come find me again once your mind is settled.>

The pitch-black space began to flood with bright light. Landriol was swallowed by the shadows, quietly vanishing without a trace.

And Go Byeonggap opened his eyes under the watchful gazes of countless goblins.