Chapter 171 – Epilogue – [One]

Han Siwoo opened his eyes in bed.

Looking at the clock, it was nine. Normally, he would have lazed around for another hour. After all, he wasn’t exactly someone with a busy daily life.

But today, he had things to do. Han Siwoo looked at Gaeulbi lying next to him. He gently shook her awake.

“Eulbi? Wake up.”

“Huh, why…”

“We have things to do today.”

While Gaeulbi groaned and sat up, Han Siwoo washed up first. After properly dressing, he left the bedroom.

Heading to the kitchen, he saw a girl.

“Finally awake?”

No, not a girl. She just looked like one.

“Did I wake up a bit late?”

Seo Yun answered Han Siwoo’s question.

“If you had, I would’ve woken you up without hesitation. Just go eat.”

Seo Yun pointed to the dining table as she said that. Seeing the prepared food, it seemed she had made it herself. Steamed rice, kimchi stew, and a fried egg.

“You made this?”

“Yeah.”

It was an ambiguously luxurious meal. Three years ago, just a fried egg would have been considered something like caviar rice balls that even village leaders would have to eat secretly with a sense of guilt (a dish that required frying precious eggs with even more precious oil deserved that much treatment), but these days it wasn’t that extreme. They still weren’t cheap ingredients, but anyway.

“I’ll eat well…”

“You better eat well then. What about Eulbi?”

“She’ll probably come down soon.”

After waiting a bit, Gaeulbi walked over, rubbing her eyes. The girl blinked as she looked at the table.

“Did you prepare this yourself, Seo Yun?”

“Yeah. I came a bit early and had some time to spare. Felt awkward just sitting around.”

“Oh my, our Archangel. You must be incredibly busy every day, where did you find the time for this!”

Seo Yun rolled her eyes, seemingly disliking the title ‘Archangel.’ As Gaeulbi giggled, Seo Yun muttered.

“Yeah, right. Unlike useless Warriors and Martial Artists, this Priest’s time is particularly precious.”

“What are we going to do with Seo Yun? She used to act all disgusted, saying she wanted to become a Warrior or Martial Artist, but now she doesn’t even hide her disdain for Martial Artists!”

“It’s true I prayed to become a Warrior? I also begged not to become a Martial Artist.”

“Can I hit you?”

A moment later, Seo Yun, who had indeed gotten hit, glared at Gaeulbi before turning her gaze this way.

“Siwoo, did you take care of your armor beforehand? Uncle Haengun was really upset, saying it seemed like you were just using the armor Chief passed down to you as furniture.”

“I oiled it all.”

“That’s good then. You know? Today is the day you two unemployed lovebirds have to work for once.”

Han Siwoo slowly nodded. After brushing his teeth, he put on the armor just mentioned.

The armor passed down by the former Chief Oh Haengbok. It took time to put it on since it had been a while, but he managed.

“Let me test if it moves well by doing some exercise.”

As Han Siwoo said that, Seo Yun replied.

“Right, Eulbi, you should hurry up too… Oh, right, a chimpanzee doesn’t need to prepare anything, does she?”

Soon after, Han Siwoo left the house.

The village scenery with rows of houses came into view. Houses lined with red or white bricks… Han Siwoo’s house was one of them.

Looking back, he saw a two-story white brick house. His own house, known as the Gaeulbi couple’s house. A modern, bright building that didn’t fit a medieval Dark Fantasy at all. It was built by construction workers using stone processed by Oh Haengun.

During construction, no Gutworms popped out. No Kobolds rushed out from holes where Gutworms had emerged. It had been like that ever since, for the past seven years since the day the last Goddess was born.

Raising his head, non-blinding sunlight pierced his eyes. Ten years had passed, and now the sun in the sky, though not distinct, had a visible outline.

So, it wasn’t a very cold day, but it wasn’t hot either.

In this weather, even running like this probably won’t make me sweat. Thinking that, Han Siwoo, clad in armor, began running through the village, thumping the ground. People’s gazes poured in.

“Isn’t that Sir Siwoo? Why are you in full armor? Is something going on?”

“I saw Sir Lee Jongho in armor today too, going somewhere. Something must really be happening…”

People seemed to whisper as they looked this way, but Han Siwoo couldn’t pay attention. Because running in this heavy armor left him breathless.

It had been a long time since he last swung a sword or wore this armor.

Seo Yun was right. In such peaceful times, Warriors and Martial Artists had nothing proper to do. Since they had accumulated considerable wealth, there was no need to actively seek work. So, the couple had been unemployed for several years.

It would be nice if it could stay like this forever.

Whether that wish would come true or not depended on the outcome of today’s meeting.

Several years ago, when Pygma Mule led an Aircraft Carrier on a world conquest, most Vampire Lords went out to stop that Ancient Lich but were killed by the bombing from the Fighter Jets loaded on the Aircraft Carrier. The Vampire Lords who didn’t die then were only a minority who had established themselves in places too far away to participate in the battle at the time.

And the Vampire Lord currently ruling China, the Centaur Great Khan, was one of those few Vampire Lords.

The Great Khan and his Centaur legion had been quiet for several years. Likely because they had invaded this land multiple times before, only to lose massive numbers of troops.

However, for the past few months, the Dawn Corps stationed in Ilsan had encountered Centaur scouts. They reportedly had several minor skirmishes.

The meaning of that fact was clear. Another invasion of the Korean Peninsula.

Since all the troops sent out before were completely annihilated, they would likely bring a stronger force this time. There were even speculations that the Great Khan himself might take the field this time. That Epic Level Warrior.

To prepare for the identified threat, Oh Haengun, the mayor of Haengbok City, gathered Players and key figures from various regions today.

Lee Jongho, who had been away from his hometown for nearly a year, also responded to the summons. Having just returned to the village today, he was bewildered by the changed scenery compared to when he left.

“Why has the village gotten so big?”

Seong Juri scolded Lee Jongho for his words.

“I told you, it’s a city now? Haengbok City, Haengbok City.”

“It just doesn’t roll off the tongue…”

“Anyway, Uncle Haengun must have worked hard.”

“Why Uncle Haengun?””The stone used to build that building, all of it was made by Uncle Haengun, right? With that rock mage spell. He even cast the magic himself when setting up the large pillars.”

“Then he must be incredibly popular with the people.”

“Thanks to that, he got elected mayor with North Korean election-level vote percentages.”

“Even with magic, still… I can’t believe it got this developed while I was away in Guatemala…”

“Speaking of which, how was Guatemala?”

“It was good for hunting. I gained 3 Levels in a year…”

“You gained 3 Levels?”

“Yeah.”

“I heard there are still lots of monsters overseas, so it must be true?”

“That’s right. It’s only in Korea that monsters have been completely wiped out. Overseas, there are still plenty of creatures.”

Lee Jongho said it as calmly as possible so it wouldn’t sound boastful. He tried to act humble like that, but it wasn’t easy to hide his pride.

It’s a world where Players, and Players fighting monsters, are hard to find. Because of that, if Players want to level up, they have to open Dimensional Gates and go abroad.

Lee Jongho and several other Players went on an expedition to hunt. Their efforts of setting up and operating a hunting camp for a year had paid off. Now his Level was 9, which had become extremely rare. At this point, wasn’t he truly a superhuman among superhumans…?

He was feeling inwardly proud of that fact when a girl appeared who could make even a Level 9 Warrior feel humble.

Hearing a thump, thump sound, Lee Jongho turned his head and his eyes widened.

“Seo Yun…”

The girl he was seeing after a year (whatever her actual age might be) still looked exactly the same as before. That youthful and distinctive appearance still captivated his gaze. And feeling embarrassed by that fact, Lee Jongho deliberately spoke as if unimpressed.

“Is Seo Yun still not eating well?”

“I hear she eats passably now.”

“But why hasn’t she grown at all? I heard Seo Rayeon eats well and grew like a weed.”

“They say she doesn’t grow at all even if she eats. Probably because her Health is 12 points, her body seems completely fixed in that state?”

And that Health 12-point Seo Yun was not alone.

Dozens of people in red clerical robes followed behind Seo Yun. Each one was a Priest Player, as precious now as they were in the past. Seong Juri stated a fact Lee Jongho already knew.

“It’s the Hearth’s sect. Seo Yun’s stalkers.”

It was said that the Frenchmen who once took refuge in Korea returned to their homeland and spread the fact that the ‘Archangel of the Hearth’ was in South Korean territory. As a result, the existence of the Archangel of the Hearth became widely known overseas, and devotees of the Hearth Goddess gathered in this land to see their Archangel.

Thus, a powerful and unignorable group was born on the Korean Peninsula. A religious group consisting of dozens of rare Priests and thousands of lay believers.

Normally, Seo Yun kept her distance from those who worshiped (or in her own words, stalked) her, but it seemed today she had decided to lead them personally. Even the sight of her walking with a Level 15 Warrior and a Level 15 Martial Artist on either side was nothing short of majestic.

Lee Jongho also knew the reason why the girl was putting on such a show of force today.

“Seo Yun is here? Ah, thank you for coming, members of the sect.”

Oh Haengun appeared ahead. His gaze swept over the people gathered here.

Following that gaze, Lee Jongho also looked around.

He saw the Players gathered here.

First, he saw the Barbarian Warrior Arnold. He was dressed in a suit instead of his previous half-naked armor, but he still looked like a Barbarian Warrior. The impossibly large Greatsword he carried made him look that way.

Next to him stood the Avatar Body of the Troll Mage. He must have opened the Dimensional Gate to allow the Players to gather here.

Besides them, Paladin William and many other high-Level Players were gathered in one place.

“With this, isn’t it a force that could take on about one division?”

Someone said it jokingly, but even with such powerful superhumans gathered in one place, they couldn’t feel at ease. In Lee Jongho’s eyes too, most seemed tense.

The person they had to face today deserved the caution of all these superhumans.

“He’s here.”

At someone’s words, everyone turned their heads. And flinched.

In the center of the village stood a man who definitely hadn’t been there just moments before.

At a glance, he just seemed like an ugly man. With eyes bulging out like a frog’s, he looked at everyone gathered here and grinned.

Extremely clumsy English, as if pronouncing it for the first time in decades, flowed from his mouth.

“Oh… In this small land too, there are some pretty strong kids, huh?”

Whether that was genuine admiration or a contemptuous sneer was unclear. Lee Jongho could only hope it was the former.

Oh Haengun approached the ugly man. He showed a polite, yet not servile, courtesy and spoke.

“Please come inside. Both of you.”

The ‘both of you’ Oh Haengun mentioned were as follows. That ugly man and Seo Yun.

Without even nodding, the ugly man entered the building first. And Seo Yun followed him inside.

Seo Yun looked at the ugly man who had entered the building with her. Only after confirming the door was firmly closed did she call the man’s name.

“Pygma Mule.”

Then, the ugly man’s skin melted away like smoke. Thus, the bones hidden behind the illusion were revealed.

The gems embedded in the skull glowed.

The Ancient Lich Pygma Mule, the Final Boss of the Immortal Kingdom, spoke telepathically.

「Angel of the Hearth. I heard you wished to meet me? My Goddess also commanded me to comply with that request…」

“Yeah, I called you. Lich.”

Seo Yun treated the most powerful being in the Mortal Realm as if he were a subordinate.

It was a cheap trick to elevate her own authority. If Pygma Mule had roared ‘How dare you act rudely before me?’ at this point, Seo Yun wasn’t confident she could keep up this act.

Fortunately, Pygma Mule didn’t seem to care whether she called him a Lich or a skullhead.

His interest was focused on her appearance.

「Oh…」

Was he only now checking her face? Pygma Mule’s Eye Light remained fixed on her face, not leaving.

Only after a long while did Pygma Mule mutter.

「My Goddess’s voice… A face resembling my Goddess…」Seo Yun bore a striking resemblance to the girl who had long ago Ascended as the Goddess of Beauty. That must be why. Her most ardent follower, Pygma Mule, could not conceal his awe.

“Of course she looks similar. Are you surprised?”

「I am surprised. Very… She truly resembles my Goddess. Is she a blood relative from thousands of years ago?」

“Not a direct blood relative, but roughly that kind of relationship.”

「Ahh…」

While feigning nonchalance, Seo Yun felt relieved. She had thought this appearance would help in negotiations with that skull-faced one, and it seemed her calculation was correct. It truly couldn’t be anything but fortunate.

Seo Yun let Pygma Mule gaze his fill at the face resembling his Goddess, then spoke in an indifferent voice.

“To get straight to the point, I called you to make a proposal beneficial not only to us, but to you as well.”

「What kind of proposal?」

“That horse-bodied Great Khan up there seems to want to attack us again. It seems he won’t listen even when the Goddess of Beauty tells him not to. Since he gained no pleasure from the previous few invasions, it seems he intends to lead the attack himself this time.”

「Ah, so you want me to help stop that horse-bodied Great Khan…」

“No. There’s no need for you to help us. Someone like him can be held back by the Warriors I command.”

「With all due respect, that horse-bodied Great Khan is a Warrior who could Ascend at any moment he wishes. My help would be crucial, would it not?」

“I repeat, I called you not to request help, but to make a proposal.”

「Come to think of it, the forces I saw earlier were no pushovers. With a Warrior on the verge of Ascension and a Mage to boot, you might somehow manage to hold him off… So, what is your proposal for me?」

“While the Great Khan clashes with my forces, can you strike the kingdom he rules?”

「You want me to rob him while he’s away?」

“In crude terms, yes.”

Pygma Mule seemed to think for a moment, then nodded his skull.

「That should be fine. He is, after all, a presumptuous wretch who does not heed the command of the Goddess who has finally returned to our side. I had already resolved to punish him some time ago.」

“If you had such resolve, why did you leave him be until now? To my knowledge, your military might should be second to none, surpassing all other Immortal Lords.”

「Not that I wish to make excuses, but lately, the Skeletons I command have more than one or two enemies they must face in battle.」

“Were you fighting another Vampire Lord?”

「Not that. Lately, some insignificant wretches have been competitively launching his steel birds into my territory.」

“Steel birds?”

「Rivet-joint? Something like that, I believe. I too once had hundreds of those toys, but I smashed them all to pieces…」

He seemed to be talking about Fighter Jets. So, Fighter Jets from outside were scouting Pygma Mule’s territory?

‘Perhaps the survivors from Europe have regrouped…’

She had heard through the church about news of the original owners of the land from which the Vampire Lords had vanished—the citizens and the provisional governments they had re-established—emerging. It seemed they were preparing to confront Pygma Mule in earnest. Now that Meteor’s Wrath was no longer a fear, they were using modern weapons, forming armies, organizing properly…

Her heart raced, but Seo Yun maintained an expression of disinterest. Pygma Mule, as if even that expression pleased him, continued to stare only at her face, and Seo Yun spoke.

“And there’s one more thing I want to ask.”

「What is it?」

“About a Mage’s Avatar Body. I know you are quite a skilled Mage yourself. Do you know anything about Avatar Bodies?”

「Of course I know well. I here am also an Avatar Body. Ah, to think I would find it so agreeable that that vile main body sent me here in his stead.」