What are gods and demons? Why are they tied to the ninety-eighth floor when they are supposed to have surpassed mortal limits? Countless people have failed to find the answers to these questions, but one thing is for certain: those who send messages to the lower world are only a small fraction of the total number of gods and demons. Sometimes, gods from other worlds also come knocking.

It was impossible to know the secrets of the gods and demons on the ninety-eighth floor. It was obvious that Allforone had cut the heavenly world off from the lower world on the seventy-seventh floor for a reason, but the situation made it so that no one knew anything about otherworld gods either.

‘No. There is something.’ Yeon-woo felt his connection with Boo clear up. Faust was the great mage who created the Philosopher’s Stone with the Emerald Tablet after receiving knowledge from the otherworld god, Mephistopheles. That meant that he was a player who had found a way to contact an otherworld god.

However, although Boo knew his identity now, he hadn’t recovered all of his memories yet, and he didn’t remember how he’d made this deal. Yeon-woo had been hoping that Boo would recall something soon now that his memories were returning quickly, but now an otherworld god had approached him.

‘The messages definitely mentioned it. It was faint, but kind of familiar.’ Had an otherworld god approached him through Boo? Why?

Anastasia narrowed her eyes at Yeon-woo, the Fox Fire floating threateningly around her. Yeon-woo had no choice but to tell her the truth. “I don’t know.”

* * *

The news that Yeon-woo had woken up quickly reached the ears of his friends.

“Hey! You’re awake!”

“Are you feeling better?”

Kahn and Victoria burst through the door in the middle of the night. Creutz quietly followed them.

“Thanks. I mean it. And I’m sorry.” Kahn knelt and apologized. Victoria, surprised, tried to lift him up, but Kahn shook his head and stayed down. “If it hadn’t been for you, we’d…”

“What happened to Doyle?”

“Huh? Doyle just woke up. He recognized us.”

“Then that’s good. Get up.”

“But…”

“Or you can stay like that. Victoria, has the Ice King left?” Yeon-woo turned to Victoria, leaving Kahn, who was trying to show his apology and gratitude at the same time, kneeling awkwardly on the floor.

Victoria was slightly taken aback and replied with a smile when she realized what Yeon-woo was trying to do. “Yeah. He left because he said he didn’t have anything left to do here. He said to tell you to take care of yourself when you woke up.”

Yeon-woo nodded. It was understandable since he’d only forced the Ice King to join them. However, he was still grateful that the Ice King had done his best the entire time. He almost wanted to invite him into the clan he was planning to found. ‘We’ll meet again if fate allows it.’ The Tower was vast, but it was also a small place in some ways.

Kahn stood up awkwardly when the conversation didn’t return to him. “Ahem!” His face was red from embarrassment. “Cain.”

“What?”

“I happened to hear about your situation.”

Yeon-woo was puzzled.

“I want to help you. Is there anything I can do?” Kahn looked at Yeon-woo with a solemn face.

Yeon-woo looked at Nike, who was sitting on Kahn’s shoulder. Nike twitched and turned his head away, whistling awkwardly. Sweat beaded on his feathers. It was obvious who had leaked the information.

Yeon-woo nodded at Kahn. “You don’t have to say that. I was planning to make you do your best for me even if you didn’t want to anyway.”

“Huh?” Kahn was dumbfounded. Usually, friends would confirm their friendships by patting each other on the back, bonding, and drinking together. He felt like something was off at first, then he suddenly realized that Yeon-woo was behaving that way because he didn’t want to be embarrassed. “I see.” Kahn approached Yeon-woo with a grin.

“Stay away from me.”

“Don’t be shy.”

“That’s not it.”

“The great Hoarder has his moments, too? Hehe.”

“That’s not it!”

“You can tell this hyung of yours. I bet your face is red right now, huh? Take that mask off.”

“Go away!”

Yeon-woo stepped back as Kahn approached him with a mischievous smile. The room grew chaotic as Kahn began to chase after Yeon-woo. Victoria shook her head as she watched them. “Men...” Boys would be boys. A faint smile spread across her face as she looked at the warm scene she was glad to see.

* * *

The tussle between Yeon-woo and Kahn ended in Yeon-woo’s victory.

“Son of a bitch. You actually used your fists?” Kahn muttered as he rubbed his black eye with an egg. He had tried to block Yeon-woo’s blow, but he didn’t have the ability to avoid someone who had reached the high ranker level.

Yeon-woo fixed the mask that had become his trademark. Kahn wondered what he looked like. Did he have a facial deformation like he said or was there another reason? Perhaps it was related to his search for his little brother.

While Yeon-woo was being treated for his fever, Kahn was the one who prevented Anastasia and Victoria from taking his mask off. He believed that Yeon-woo had a reason to keep his mask on, and he wanted to honor it.

Yeon-woo had heard about this from Nike, and he was grateful. Although he seemed frivolous, Kahn was quite thoughtful and a good person to have by his side. ‘But the inferiority complex he had towards Phante and Edora concerns me a bit. I wonder if it’s disappeared with time?’

Kahn and Doyle had been wary of Phante and Edora during the Tutorial. Yeon-woo wondered what would happen if they all gathered in one place. ‘Kahn’s stronger now, too.’

The Seventy-Two Bian that Kahn used was too advanced for even Yeon-woo to follow. After he absorbed the Monkey King’s exuviae, his understanding of the exuviae deepened, but it was only focused on combat. There were various types of Bian, so the path he took was different from Kahn’s. “Kahn.”

What?” Kahn replied in an irked voice. He was still rubbing his eye.

“You heard where I’m going, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know when I’ll be able to return. It’s dangerous, too. It’s a place where I’ll have to fight divine beings. It’s different from the Tower.”

Kahn realized that Yeon-woo was speaking in a serious tone and put down the egg, narrowing his eyes. “What are you trying to say?”

“How are you going to nurse Doyle? Don’t you have to be here to block the Bian of the Devil Army?”

Even though Doyle had regained consciousness, he was still weak from demonic energy after being the Head Bishop’s vessel. Kahn’s Bian was the only thing that could keep it at bay.

“Oh, Victoria said she would help with…”

At that moment, the door burst open. Yeon-woo turned to look and his eyes widened when he saw Doyle standing there. He looked tired but his eyes were clear. “Please let me join, hyung.”

“You’re awake.”

“Yes, it’s all thanks to you. Thank you so much.”

“Tell that to Kahn.”

“Hyung just did something that he was supposed to do. Shouldn’t he be scolded instead for being a nuisance to the people around him?” Like Kahn, Doyle hadn’t changed. Yeon-woo laughed. “Anyway, like I said...”

“No.”

“Please take me to Tartarus.”

“Hey! Where are you trying to go in that condition…” Kahn shot up to convince Doyle, but he was forced to back off even though he’d only taken a few steps as black demonic energy rose like sparks around Doyle.

Doyle opened his right palm. The sparking demonic energy whirled around it before the palm sucked the energy in until it was condensed into small form. It was a dexterous show.

Kahn looked at Doyle in surprise. Yeon-woo looked at the form with his Draconic Eyes and clucked his tongue. “The remnants of the Head Bishop.”

“Yes, that’s right.” Demonic energy had been left inside Doyle’s body even though the Head Bishop was gone. “And I have quite a bit of the Head Bishop’s knowledge.” It was likely pieces of the vestige of the Head Bishop. To Doyle, it was a way to turn misfortune into good luck.

The Head Bishop’s mind would help him grow in the future. Moreover, he had the pure demonic energy the Head Bishop had accumulated. He had enough strength. “Actually, this has all been possible because of Lady Persephone.”

“Persephone?” It was a completely unexpected response.

Doyle nodded. “She tied me to the living world and kept me from being swept away into the Beyond. She said that I’d wake up soon, so I should relax…”

Yeon-woo had been wondering how Doyle managed to survive despite the Head Bishop’s occupation of his body and avoid being noticed by the Head Bishop. If he had Persephone’s help, then it wouldn’t be a surprise.

“It would have been difficult for a god to interfere directly like that since you’re not an Apostle.”

“Um…I’ve actually been Lady Persephone’s Apostle for some time now.”

Kahn and Victoria’s eyes widened. It was something Yeon-woo hadn’t expected either. Didn’t Persephone already have an Apostle, Bodi of Green Yin?

“I don’t know much about it except that he became a heroic spirit according to Lady Persephone.”

Thoughts spun in Yeon-woo’s head. Persephone had gotten rid of her Apostle and appointed Doyle into the position. Considering how difficult that process was, it was a sign that she wanted to be actively involved in their business. Was that how badly she wanted to reunite with her husband and end the rebellion in Tartarus? But if not…Yeon-woo remembered the bitter smile on Hades’ face when he delivered Persephone’s letter to him. It was the first sign of emotion that appeared on that cold and exhausted face.

Yeon-woo shook his head. He couldn’t make rash judgements. The gods’ complicated business would only be a nuisance. ‘So was I played by the gods and demons?’

He closed his eyes. From Athena to Persephone, all the gods and demons had known how this would end. Athena had looked at him sadly during the entire incident, and Persephone had stepped up herself to take Doyle as her Apostle. She would have been in trouble if the Head Bishop’s ceremony had ended in success, but her gamble had paid off. An Apostle who used the power of the Heavenly Demon. It was an accomplishment that no god had ever been capable of.

Yeon-woo felt like he was a piece on a chessboard. It was a familiar feeling to him. It seemed that to the gods and demons, the lower world was only a source of entertainment.

[Athena shakes her head, saying that’s not the case.]

[Persephone is silent.]

“And Lady Persephone told me to deliver a message to you.”

“What?”

“She said, ‘As soon as possible’.” She wanted him to hurry.

“I’ll recover in a few days and organize my thoughts. Lady Persephone’s power will be of great help in Tartarus. Don’t you think I’ll be a huge advantage to you?”

Yeon-woo couldn’t help nodding. And that was how the members of the party for the new journey was decided.