Chapter 149 – LV.Thirteen Priest Seo Yun – [One]

After the funeral, Oh Haengun officially succeeded to the position of Chief of Happy Village.

Thus, the nickname “Chief,” which had belonged to the orc Oh Haengbok, became the official title for the leader of Happy Village. Even though it was done with the villagers’ consent, Oh Haengun felt burdened by becoming the new leader.

“I’ve never even been a class monitor or squad leader in my life…”

Although he lamented like that, he ultimately accepted his role.

The first thing he did as Chief was address the merits and faults of the previous battle.

“Lee Jongho’s Party, the kids fought harder than the adults, even getting hurt. Everyone agrees they deserve compensation, right? Then as rewards, the official ownership of the magic items given last time, 4,000 contribution points each, and a 32g Meteor Fragment…”

In that manner, he bestowed various rewards to everyone according to their efforts in the last battle.

“Now, Seo Yun’s Party, who has become our village’s Level 1… Actually, since Seo Yun is now Level 13, if we decided the leader by level, she should have become our village’s Chief…”

As it seemed some villagers were hearing this for the first time, a few Players looked over in shock. Among them, Gaeulbi, who was also receiving a reward, glanced sideways at Seo Yun with a bitter expression. From Seo Yun’s perspective, she seemed displeased that her level had risen so high.

‘If I raise it just 2 more levels here, I’ll Ascend…’

Oh Haengun explained how Seo Yun had taken on the most dangerous missions almost single-handedly, how she infiltrated the enemy’s hidden fog to take out commanders, and so on, detailing how much perilous work she had done for the villagers. The villagers’ admiring gazes continued to focus on her, and Oh Haengun said,

“…So, Seo Yun is pretty much the top contributor for this battle, right? So, I’m going to give her one-third of the Meteor Fragments currently held by Happy Village. Anyone opposed?”

Instead of opposition, thunderous applause erupted. Seo Yun was satisfied with the reaction but didn’t show it outwardly. With her characteristic impassive expression, she asked,

“I can understand the contribution points, but Meteor Fragments are nice. You gave a small one to Jongho’s Party earlier too; seems the village has gathered quite a few Meteor Fragments again?”

“Yeah. We collected some from the last hunt. A swarm of Mothmen we caught without much thought luckily had Meteor Fragments on them? Seems they were transporting fragments gathered from around the world and were passing through the Korean Peninsula… And Han Siwoo, that guy might seem unassuming, but he’s now the top-ranked Warrior in our village. He probably went into the fog with Seo Yun. Since he lacks proper armor to wear, our Chief’s armor…”

Han Siwoo, perhaps mindful of Gaeulbi’s gaze, accepted the praise and reward with a slightly stiff expression.

Meanwhile, Gaeulbi, who had also contributed notably by relentlessly firing her crossbow to kill several Centaurs in the last battle, received a reward in the form of a sizable Meteor Fragment. However, she wore an expression as if receiving punishment rather than a reward, nearly ruining the award ceremony atmosphere.

“And Mr. Arnold, sigh. Everyone knows he also contributed tremendously, right? He’s a top contributor alongside Seo Yun…”

He intended to give Arnold the former Chief’s warhammer, Spell Shatterer. Even though they excluded him from hunting expeditions for being an outsider, hadn’t he risked his life and fought for the village multiple times? It seemed they needed to give him something significant as a reward.

However, Arnold refused the reward, citing that his greatsword was an Artifact no less splendid than Spell Shatterer.

“It’s an item that absorbs impact upon clashing with other weapons, allowing for an even contest even against opponents with a difference in Strength. As I’ve forged my Soul primarily for Agility, not Strength, until now, I cannot wield another weapon to fight giants and the like. That splendid hammer would likely just rot in storage if I received it…”

In that manner, Arnold gracefully declined the item that was almost a symbol of the former Chief, and also refused the offered Meteor Fragment, stating he already possessed enough.

In the end, he received no particular reward, only the villagers’ praise.

“Arnold! Arnold!”

Truly, fervent applause and cheers poured forth for that Barbarian Warrior. Seo Yun felt a slight twinge of envy at the praise he received, yet acknowledged that the Barbarian Warrior deserved such acclaim. This time, he had truly fought selflessly, risking his life for others. For this alone, he truly deserved to be called a hero.

After the battle awards were also concluded, Oh Haengun worked without rest. He moved around the village, repairing the collapsed fortress walls and expanding the underground parking lot to serve as the official shelter. Except for the fact that an orc and several Warriors were now buried underground and Spell Shatterer was enshrined like a decoration in the newly erected Chief’s tent, the village had also returned to its former state.

Thus, it seemed everything had fallen into place. Everyone in the village roughly knew about some ancient (though its actual age was less than ten years, but according to its setting) skeleton monster sweeping through Europe (Players who went to the Sun Ship to request support had heard from the Paladins and spread the word), but wars in distant lands naturally didn’t feel very pressing.

Everyone enjoyed the regained peace, and it seemed everything would run smoothly again.

That is, it seemed that way until a winged woman poured all sorts of horrifying words from her pretty mouth.

Presumably, Oh Haengun felt a sense of duty as the new Chief to do something immediately. However, having just overcome a crisis, starting some grand undertaking was also tiresome, so he found and executed one important but slightly less exhausting task.

That was listening to a prophecy from an Angel. The former Chief Oh Haengbok had done it once before, but last time, a prophecy about the Chief dying midway came out, making the atmosphere grim, and since prophecies required Souls and weren’t free, they couldn’t obtain sufficient prophecy.

“This time, let’s listen in more detail, and if it seems something big will happen, let’s all prepare and make plans. Everyone, find and bring lamps and Souls.”Amidst the gathering of the village’s key figures, preparations to hear the prophecy were complete. Seo Yun also gathered there, watching as the lamp glowed and a female angel emerged from within.

The angel, surrounded by a purple halo, opened her mouth.

「Have you summoned the Fallen Angel once again?」

Her voice and demeanor were both exquisitely beautiful, but everyone gathered before her seemed tense. After all, hadn’t this angel’s prophecies been one hundred percent accurate so far? In the end, Oh Haengbok died under the sunlight, Gaeulbi met the aunt she had hoped to see, and several other minor prophecies had come true. None of her prophecies had been wrong; only some had yet to be fulfilled.

After placing several glass vials containing souls as Fortune Fees before her, people requested prophecies one after another. As each person listened to a prophecy meant only for themselves and stepped back, Seo Yun’s Party Members also gained another chance to hear a prophecy.

When Han Siwoo stood before her, the angel spoke.

「My prophecies are not about seeing what one wishes to see. If I have once seen a specific future scene from someone, it takes quite a long time before I can see another. And from what I see now, the future I saw for you earlier has not changed.」

After Han Siwoo stepped back with a deeply disappointed expression, Gaeulbi didn’t even stand before her. It seemed the previous prophecy, which had come true in a completely undesired form, had wounded her.

And when Seo Yun cautiously stood before her, the villagers once again looked at Seo Yun. This time, the angel did not offer any great surprise.

「Likewise, I cannot tell the Goddess a future different from the previous one.」

“Is that prophecy certain? Could there be room for a different interpretation…?”

「Well… I once angered a Goddess by giving her a prophecy, so I cannot speak carelessly. However, the reason I do not explain my prophecies in detail is not out of spite or to make them seem more mysterious. It is simply because I cannot.」

“Why?”

「I merely see scenes different from the present overlapping with someone through special eyes, and I do not receive any annotations for the scenes I see at that time. So, Goddess, I implore you not to be too angry.」

In this way, the angel only spoke respectfully to Seo Yun, once again confirming to the villagers that she was truly something noble, of high status, and great.

After Seo Yun stepped back feeling a slight sense of superiority, the next to stand before the angel was Oh Haengun.

And the angel, who had delivered the Prophecy of Death to the former Chief, now bestowed a Prophecy of Death upon this Chief as well.

「You shall be resurrected twice and die three times.」

Oh Haengun blinked for a moment as if not understanding the words, then asked.

“I’m going to die too?”

「Yes.」

“Two resurrections but three deaths… So if it’s death, resurrection, death, resurrection, death, then in the end, it’s just death…?”

「Perhaps.」

Everyone stared wide-eyed, alternating their gazes between the angel and Oh Haengun. Seo Yun also sent a surprised look toward the two.

After giving a Prophecy of Death to the former Chief, now to this Chief as well?

When the former Chief, Oh Haengbok, heard the prophecy of his own death, he suddenly recited a splendid line to lighten the mood, but this Chief, Oh Haengun, lacked such sense or audacity.

Oh Haengun seemed only to belatedly realize the seriousness of the prophecy. His pupils dilated and then shook uncontrollably. Seo Yun had to secretly recite a Calm Spell to help this Mage maintain dignity as the new Chief.

After a while, Oh Haengun, having barely regained composure thanks to the Spell’s power, seemed determined to continue working for the village as the new Chief despite the foretelling of his death. Placing one more glass vial as a Tribute, he asked.

“Instead of a prophecy for me or any other individual, can you not give a prophecy for everyone here? Seeing that I’m going to die, it seems something is going to happen…”

「A prophecy for the entire village. Let me see once.」

Then the angel closed and opened her eyes.

She slowly looked around at everyone present and Happy Village, then uttered another grim prophecy.

「The first Skeleton shall lead an army and storm this place. Weapon-wielding Skeletons will fill both inside and outside the Fortress Wall, and the Purple Moon shall rise over this land dozens of times.」

Seo Yun immediately understood what the prophecy meant. Pygma Mule, the reason she must Ascend to become the Goddess of Beauty she dreads becoming. The angel was saying that Skeleton Mage would invade.

“Pygma Mule is leading an army to invade?”

「Unless I am mistaken about the name possessed by the Great Warrior of Beauty, yes.」

Oh Haengun continued asking in a dazed voice.

“When exactly? When will such a thing happen?”

And surprisingly, the angel answered that question as well, but it only made the earlier prophecy even more terrifying.

「In 67 days.」