With Grugle close enough to spit on, the people stopped dead in their tracks.

The Grugle had lifted their hands—or what passed for hands—above their heads and crossed them into ‘X’s.

No matter how charitably you viewed the Grugle race, reason didn’t apply to them—but this was clearly a sign of no intent to fight.

Go Byeonggap had to make a call. Whether to charge in and slaughter them, or call off the battle.

The latter was clearly more rational. Pitting seven thousand troops against that many heads was practically suicide.

But pulling back as if nothing had happened would leave a foul taste in everyone’s mouth, like walking into a bathroom and walking right out.

“Are they insane… what are those bastards up to?”

Jeong Seongyeong, standing at the head of the formation, scowled fiercely. The karma lined on her weapon seemed ready to lash out at the enemy at any moment.

She wasn’t the only one. Others were tensed up too, on the verge of unleashing merciless attacks.

“Halt! Halt! Everyone, don’t do anything!”

Having made his decision, Go Byeonggap quickly calmed the people down. One reckless bullet could start a war, after all. A single hasty move could turn the battlefield into chaos.

“What’s the plan?”

Jeong Seongyeong approached and asked. Go Byeonggap subtly lowered his sword as he answered.

“Doesn’t look like they want a fight either.”

“Could be gathering energy for a finishing move.”

If that were true, they’d all be dead meat.

But Go Byeonggap sensed no threatening aura at this moment.

His gaze settled on one Grugle in particular. Among the hideous mess of the lot, this one actually held to some aesthetic standard.

A pitch-black humanoid form with enormous wings attached. On its head, a pair of horns exuded an oppressive air.

That one was also making an ‘X’ sign, but soon it slowly lowered its arms.

It stepped forward with heavy footfalls. Then stopped about fifty meters away from their side.

“Looks like it wants to talk?”

“Didn’t know those things could speak?”

“Normally they don’t. But this isn’t normal, is it.”

“Christ, what if they demand we hand over five thousand as tribute for them to eat?”

“Well then, sucks to be us.”

Go Byeonggap clicked his tongue, tasting the bitter air, then turned to look at his people. He told them to hold position for now. A few voices rose with concern, but he reassured them it’d be fine.

“I’ll be right back.”

He stepped forward. The closer he got to the Grugles swarm, the more his palms slicked with sweat. They were ghost-like things, utterly silent, but with this many of them packed together, an oppressive chill bled through the air.

Before long, he stood face-to-face with the lead Grugle. The creature’s visage was utterly blank—no eyes, no nose, no mouth to speak of.

But a second later, its face rippled like wet clay, molding itself into eyes and a mouth. Its lower jaw split wide, stretching into a cavernous maw—a sight that wouldn’t have been out of place in a horror film.

«Kyahahah!»

A spine-tingling scream erupted from its gullet. Go Byeonggap felt every last hair on his body stand on end. And along with it, a strange flicker of familiarity he couldn’t quite place.

‘What is this? I feel like I’ve heard that before…’

«Greetings, special human.»

Then it spoke to him. Go Byeonggap was genuinely floored. Just like Jeong Seongyeong had said earlier, he’d never once imagined he’d be able to communicate with a Grugle.

«Special human?»

«You.»

The Grugle extended a finger, pointing right at Go Byeonggap. Byeonggap nearly lashed out with his sword on reflex.

«Why am I a special human?»

«Because you’re special. Kyahahah!»

Go Byeonggap shut his mouth and sank into thought for a moment.

He shifted his gaze to the horizon. The sun had vanished more than eighty percent below the edge. He didn’t fancy it getting any darker, so he decided to hurry the conversation along.

«What do you want?»

«Madmut.»

«Madmut?»

«Madmut’s body. I want that.»

«…Why?»

«Because I couldn’t eat it! Kyahahaha!»

He got the impression he was dealing with a child.

«What the hell are you things… what are you, really?»

«We are nothing. Nothing at all. Yes, nothing. Are we the wind? Or maybe a pebble? Could be flowing river water, or scattered dust.»

«What the…»

«Hand over Madmut’s body!»

The creature’s face suddenly swelled ten times larger. Its already gaping maw split open wide as a crater.

Go Byeonggap stumbled backward, leveling his sword at it.

«And if I can’t give it to you?»

«Mmm, no, that won’t do. You absolutely have to get it for me.»

Go Byeonggap suddenly realized something. The Grugle in front of him wasn’t just a Grugle.

He glanced upward—toward the sky—and asked sideways.

«Are you a demon?»

«Before we were bound by time, that’s what they called us. But now? Yes. In your lowly creatures’ tongue, you’d call us gods! Impressive, isn’t it? Heheheh!»

«Gods… impressive. Then if you’re so impressive, why don’t you go cut off Madmut’s head yourself?»

«Mmm-mm. No can do, no can do. Not with this worthless body. That’s why I’m asking you, special human.»

The Grugle craned its neck. The thing stretched like rubber, and its head slid right up to Go Byeonggap’s nose.

The stench of rot poured off its black face. Go Byeonggap wrinkled his brow and stepped back two paces.

The creature kept talking, unfazed.

«We’ve been watching you all along, you know.»

«Me?»

«Mm. You—and that girl too.»

The Grugle’s gaze shifted. Go Byeonggap followed its eyes to Seo Sihui.

Himself and Seo Sihui. The common thread was obvious: both were linked to Asvillam.

«But you pull me more than that girl. Why? Because you remind me of the man who shared wisdom with us long ago! Kyahahaha!»

«You mean Landriol.»

«Right! The man who held hatred for Madmut! He’s in here!»

The creature shoved its face toward Go Byeonggap’s chest. Go Byeonggap stepped back two paces again.

«I’d appreciate it if you’d back off a little.»

«Why?»

«The smell’s too strong.»

«Hweeh…»

The creature sulked and pulled its head away.

«Anyway, go fetch Madmut’s body. That’s how we’ll become complete.»

«And if I can’t?»

«You must!!»

The creature howled. The sound was so thunderous it shook the entire field.

The people flinched, tensing up. They looked ready to unleash an attack any second.

Go Byeonggap didn’t want that, so he signaled that he was fine.

His eyes flashed with killing intent. He spoke irritably.

«Hey, you goddamn bastard. Do you think Madmut is some half-eaten kimbap roll lying around in a marketplace? You think I just go pick him up because you ask nicely?»

«…Can’t do it?»

«Why don’t you do it yourself? Wasn’t it you demon folk who kicked Madmut out of the heavenly realm in the first place?»

‘This might be an opportunity.’

What the demon wanted was Madmut’s head. If he played this right, he might pull off a clean win without lifting a finger.

Besides, this was a demon that had already beaten Madmut once. It was an even greater natural enemy of gods than the Saraon.

But the Grugle in front of him shook its head.

«We can’t,»

«Why the hell not?»

«We can’t leave this place. All that can move are these worthless husks.»

The creature turned its head to glance back at the mass of Grugle behind it. Go Byeonggap’s question was a probe, a feeler thrown out into the dark.

«You’re saying you can’t get out of the heavenly realm?»

«Right.»

«Why?»

«Because we’re unraveling. We’re incomplete as we are now. That’s why we need Madmut’s body—we need an immortal, everlasting form!»

«A moment ago you were strutting around calling yourself a god. Now it’s the weak routine?»

«Hngh…»

Go Byeonggap sheathed his sword. Then he folded his arms and added,

«Since you can’t move freely yourselves, you needed an errand boy to fetch Madmut’s carcass for you. And I’m that errand boy.»

«Right! Kyahahaha! You’re special—you can fulfill our wish!»

«My goal is to kill Madmut too.»

«Kyahahahaha! Good! Good!»

«But I can’t do it right now.»

«What!?»

The Grugle shrieked, genuine surprise in its voice—and a blade of murderous intent beneath it.

«Madmut is strong. As I am now, I can’t face it.»

Go Byeonggap swallowed hard. He kept his face calm, but cold sweat crawled down his spine in rivulets.

And for good reason—this was a gamble. Those things needed him. That need came from their hope that he would deliver Madmut’s severed head.

But if they decided he couldn’t deliver on that hope, he had no idea how fast their attitude would turn.

«But if you help me, I might be able to bring you Madmut.»

«We’ll help! That’s why we came!»

«How can you help?»

«This! A gift! Kyahaha!»

The creature pointed at the Grugle sprawled out behind it. A colossal legion of Grugle stretched across the view—easily over a hundred thousand of them.

‘With those things, though…’

Right now he needed two things: an army and absolute power.

To stand against the Hexagram Order and the monsters they commanded like limbs, he needed a corresponding force of his own.

And to take down Go Geonryong, he needed power that surpassed that bastard.

«You’re giving me those Grugles?»

«We can give you more. We’re gathering all our discarded shells scattered across the continent here. Kyahaha!»

«But tell me this—how do I control them?»

Go Byeonggap asked without much thought. But the creature showed signs of fluster.

«Uh… you can’t?»

«Of course I can’t. What trick am I supposed to use to handle those rampaging things?»

«…»

The creature paused for a few seconds.

«Wait a moment.»

Then it vanished. Go Byeonggap knew because the Grugle he’d been talking to just moments ago had its features smush into a potato-like blob.

About two or three minutes passed. When eyes and a mouth appeared again on the Grugle’s face, Byeonggap instinctively knew the creature had returned.

It spoke.

«So if you give me the power to handle those things, I can bring back Madmut’s body?»

«It’s worth a try.»

«Then we’ll give you a piece of ourselves. One of us will dissolve into nothingness! So you must bring back Madmut’s body!»

«Hmph! It’s not like any of you bastards have anyone else to rely on, right?»

«Guh… Don’t test us! You must capture Madmut!»

«I promise I’ll do my best.»

‘Not like I have a choice if I want to live.’

The Grugle in front of him began to condense into a single point. It soon became a fist-sized sphere, a palpable orb radiating a pitch-black aura.

Go Byeonggap sensed his conversation partner was on the verge of annihilation. So he hurriedly asked,

«One last question. Was it you who brought me back to life a few months ago when I died?»

«Right, you’re special, so we can’t just let you die. Hee-hee!»

«…I’ll say this much—thanks for saving me.»

The sphere drifted towards Go Byeonggap. Then, as if merging with a soul, it was absorbed into his body.

‘The power…’

Go Byeonggap felt a terrible strength flooding his body. It was a different kind of energy from karma or internal energy.

He stared intently at the dark-tinged smoke seeping from his fingertips.

‘This is…’

<The power of a demon.>

Landriol abruptly surfaced from within his consciousness. Go Byeonggap waited in silence for what he would say next.

<It has been a long time since I’ve felt this sensation.>

‘Hey, Landriol. What can I do with this power?’

<You could do things only a god can do. You could defy the providence and laws of the world to work strange wonders. In a way different from sorcery.>

‘Then can I create something like the Ancient Shop?’

<The Ancient Shop is the magnum opus of my life. It is not something your paltry imagination can imitate.>

Landriol continued immediately.

<Do not misuse that power. It is finite and cannot be recharged. Save it for when it is truly necessary.>

‘I’ll do that. …Going back to sleep again?’

<Yes, I am weary.>

Landriol then withdrew his presence.

Go Byeonggap looked at the horde of Grugle filling the field. He knew instinctively. There were exactly 154,762 of them here.

And twenty times that many were converging on Baltadren from every direction.

He stood there blankly for a moment, then murmured softly toward the Grugle.

«Gather.»

At his single word, over a hundred and fifty thousand Grugle surged together as one. The people jumped in surprise as the creatures, who had been sitting still like rocks, suddenly moved.

Go Byeonggap raised a hand to signal that everything was fine.

Without delay, Go Byeonggap created a massive gate leading to Earth.

And then he transmitted his concept directly to the Grugle.

«Eat everything that isn’t a goblin or a human from Illumission.»