Yeon-woo instantly recognized the creature in front of him. Although he was shrouded by a shadow that made it difficult to see his appearance clearly, the glowing yellow eyes that pierced through the darkness were familiar. These were the same eyes his brother had seen countless times in his diary, the owner of the Channel that had been quietly observing him for a long time.

“Yes…so you’re alive, Kalatus.” Yeon-woo’s eyes widened at the unexpected meeting. To think that he would meet Kalatus here, when he thought he’d have to go to the Dragon Temple first to see him. He never imagined that Kalatus would contact him through Edora.

The ancient dragon Kalatus narrowed his eyes, and a rueful, self-deprecating laugh seemed to float out of an area that seemed to be his mouth. 『If this condition can be described as alive...』 His eyes curved up. 『Still, it seems you already found that child. And it seems like he’s sleeping quietly right now. That’s a relief.』

Kalatus’ gaze was fixed on Yeon-woo’s chest where he kept the pocket watch. He was looking at Jeong-woo.

“So you were the one who sent Jeong…!”

『I’m sorry, but I need to cut you off. I have to get to the point quickly because there’s not much time left.』 Kalatus’ shadow faded for a moment and his voice seemed to crackle in and out. Why was his connection so choppy? 『You should come here as soon as you can. Hurry.』

Crackle. His voice started to break up like staticky radio. 『There’s something I must give you. Before they come.』 Crackle. 『Qu…ick…!』 After those words, Kalatus silently vanished.

Yeon-woo was flung out of the Channel and brought back to reality.

“Ora…boni.” Edora’s blurry eyes refocused. She must have also seen his meeting with Kalatus, because she looked surprised. “What was that just now?”

“It appears Kalatus wanted to tell me something through you.”

“You do know him?”

“A little bit, through my brother.”

“Oh.”

Yeon-woo was deep in thought for a moment, Kalatus’ words echoing in his head. Hurry. He could understand that. It was probably Kalatus’ vestige that had contacted Yeon-woo, not the true Kalatus. However, he didn’t understand what he meant by the phrase “before they come”.

What did that mean? Was someone getting in Kalatus’ way?

“Then I suppose you should hurry.”

“Yeah, probab—”

Suddenly, before he could finish, Edora reached out to take his mask off. Yeon-woo was blank for a moment. Was his mask supposed to come off this easily? He instantly thought of the culprit who must have played this trick on him: Henova.

Before he could react, Edora quickly put her lips on his. It was an unexpected peck. Edora smiled shyly at Yeon-woo’s widened eyes. “Thank you. I mean it.”

There was a pause and Yeon-woo looked at Edora, who was too pretty at that moment. “Edora.”

“Yes?”

“You’re not going to stop there, right?”

“That’s…aack!” As her eyes widened adorably, he pulled her close and kissed her.

* * *

“My dear daughter. You are the only one who might satisfy my old grudge.”

The Spring Queen, Waltz, recalled her mother’s words. She could always hear her voice clearly whenever she closed her eyes. Her mother always looked up to the sky and promised to her ancestors that she’d resolve their resentment. The Summer Queen had stroked Waltz’s hair as she told her that if something went wrong and she wasn’t successful, she would leave things to Waltz.

After these memories came the ones of her mother dying from the bolts of lightning that fell from the sky. The Hoarder was there, too—the foe she had to kill one day, as well as the Martial King.

Creak. She came to her senses as the carriage stopped. Waltz slowly opened her eyes as the door swung open.

“My liege.”

“I’m coming out.” Supported by her subordinate, Waltz exited the carriage with elegant, majestic steps. Then, she wrinkled her nose at the familiar smell that blew in her face, one that she’d encountered many times recently: the scent of a bloody battlefield.

It was a scent she had smelled too many times recently.

“The Head Bishop and Alliance Master are already waiting.”

Waltz nodded and followed the guide into the battlefield. Players from the old Eighty-One Oculus trailed after her. They desired to continue the legacy of Red Dragon with Waltz at their head. Although their number had shrunk, each of the ten players had a threatening aura. People around them backed away with frightened expressions, and it was clear why they were still high up in the rankings of the Eight Clans.

“We’re here.” The guide stopped in front of a large tent.

“Wait here.” Waltz gave a short command to her subordinates and entered the tent, where three men sat around a large table. Iron Lion Ivan glared at her threateningly while the Head Bishop smiled affectionately like a kindly old neighbor. The last person was one of the three consul members that led the Elohim, Roman Dictator Magnus.

“I didn’t know such a familiar face would be here.”

Magnus frowned at Waltz. Waltz and the Elohim had an enmity, and three consul members had died because of her. The Elohim had suffered a lot of damage, while Waltz managed to immediately take over the Summer Queen’s empty spot among the Nine Kings. It wouldn’t be unusual for them to start fighting as soon as they saw each other.

However, Magnus just snorted, as though he didn’t even want to respond. He didn’t have any intention to discuss past events. The Elohim was in a truly desperate situation, and they needed to fight back. In fact, he wasn’t even supposed to be there.

Magnus was an old hero who had saved the Elohim from a quagmire and, with Thor’s Apostle Hyatt, led them to their present glory. He was strong enough to be mentioned in the same breath as the Nine Kings, but he had recently retired, leaving everything to the next generation. He’d been enjoying a relaxing life in the country, but the Elohim was now facing an unprecedentedly dangerous situation.

They temporarily abolished the three-member consul system that was created for the purpose of checks and balances, and brought back an authoritarian system that focused power on just one person. Magnus had been invited to take up that role.

Magnus hadn’t been interested in returning to the corrupt world, but he couldn’t refuse his descendants’ desperate pleas. He’d ignored Waltz’s provocation nonchalantly because the Summer Queen’s daughter was nothing more than a young child to him.

The Head Bishop greeted Waltz. “Welcome. It must have been a difficult journey considering how far away you were.” The Head Bishop beckoned for her to take an empty seat.

However, Waltz just looked at it indifferently and spoke to the Head Bishop without any intention of sitting down. “There’s someone completely useless here. Why is he here?”

“Oh dear. What are you saying? How can we pursue the world in such a black-and-white way? The Heavenly Demon loves all creatures as they all have his touch…”

“I don’t have time to listen to your sermon. Get to the point.”

The Head Bishop smiled faintly. “I’m saying he’s useful, too. He’ll help fill out our numbers and to be bait. If necessary, we can use him as firewood, too. It will make things easier.”

“That’s true, too.”

Ivan clenched his fist as the two—as well as the nodding Magnus—talked. Only a fool wouldn’t understand whom they referred to as useful bait. Even though he was right there, they were blatantly talking about using him.

Unfortunately, Ivan didn’t have the power to protest against them. The Lion Alliance was the combination of many famous clans, but they couldn’t be compared to the Eight Clans. Above all, Ivan, their leader, was definitely not strong enough to be one of the Nine Kings. The only reason he was part of the meeting was that he had arranged it.

The Head Bishop, Waltz, and Magnus didn’t think of Ivan as an equal. He was just a servant who served a purpose. Technically, only two people’s opinions mattered.

“Fine. The conditions are simple.”

“That’s what I wanted.”

“We can’t bother each other.” Waltz’s eyes blazed. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

The Head Bishop smirked. “You’re saying we should walk our own paths.”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Of course not.”

“How neat.” The silent Magnus finally added a few words. The Head Bishop patted the table in satisfaction and stood. “Then I’ll take my leave now that the discussion is over. I have lots to prepare.” As he left, the bishops quietly waiting outside followed him with bowed heads. Magnus also quietly got up and led Uros and the Seven Member Squad away. Waltz also left through the door she’d entered with the Oculus.

The meeting ended without Ivan getting a single moment to speak. He clenched his teeth. Grind!

* * *

Yeon-woo climbed the mountain with light steps after spending the night unexpectedly with Edora. He’d left quietly so he wouldn’t disturb her, but she was already up and splashing ankle-deep in the stream.

“You’re here?” She greeted him with a welcoming smile. Was it because of what happened the night before? She seemed more energetic than usual. Yeon-woo found himself chuckling. Although Edora couldn’t see his face through the mask, she could tell what expression he had on his face from the sound of his laughter.

“When did you wake up?”

“It hasn’t been that long. I guess you’ve just come back from somewhere.”

“Yes, the market out front. I needed to stretch and get some food.”

“What do you have?”

Yeon-woo raised his hand and stopped Edora from coming closer. “I’ll make you something soon, so just wait.”

He was going to cook for her? Oraboni himself? She hadn’t ever seen Yeon-woo cook except for when he made Sesha’s food, and her eyes widened.

Yeon-woo grinned as he pulled out his cooking equipment from a subspace. Then, he began to clean the ingredients he’d found on the mountain.

Edora left the stream, clasping her hands behind her back as she prowled around Yeon-woo, peeking at what he was doing.

He was frying something in a large wok over an intense fire, but she had no idea what it was. As a member of royalty, she never had to cook , so the only ingredients she recognized were vinegar and sugar.

He sliced pork thinly, mixing it with some starch before frying it in oil. She followed him around curiously as the smell began to waft in the air. However, Yeon-woo told her to sit down, so she had to stay back.

Soon, he placed two dishes in front of her. One contained fried pork, the other a thick sauce. Edora cocked her head to one side. She’d never seen them before. “What is this?”

“Something called tangsuyuk.”

“Tangsuyuk?”

“It has a nice, savory taste.”

“How do you eat it?”

“Hold the meat with this and dip it in the sauce.”

Yeon-woo gave Edora some chopsticks. She fumbled with them as she picked up a piece of meat, dipped it in the sauce, and put it in her mouth. It was hot but after she blew on it a few times, it cooled down to a nice temperature. “Ah.”

Nibble, nibble. Her eyes widened after she chewed a couple of times.

“How is it?”

“Delicious.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Yeon-woo’s eyes curved under his mask.

“It’s savory and sweet, and the sauce is so good. So is the texture of the meat.” Edora ate a few more pieces and smiled shyly. “I never thought I’d ever eat a meal you made for me. You’re good at cooking, just as I thought.”

“Only some dishes. It’s not much.”

“But it’s still amazing that you can do this much.” Edora put another piece in her mouth and smiled happily. “It’s like we’re newlyweds, right?”

Yeon-woo wordlessly stroked Edora’s head. She closed her eyes at his touch. “Oraboni, I think you’ve changed a lot during the time we haven’t seen each other.”

“Really?”

“Yes. In the past, it was like you were being chased by something…but now, it’s like you’re more relaxed. Like you’ve been relieved of a burden. Something like that.”

Yeon-woo thought she might be right. Crossing Tartarus, reuniting with his brother, and making friends one by one had changed something inside him.

“Will you tell me what happened?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Even better. We have good food, too.”

Looking at her bright smile, Yeon-woo sat across from Edora.

“But Oraboni, dipping the meat in the sauce seems too plain. How about just mixing it in?”

“No…!” Yeon-woo tried to stop her, but Edora already poured the sauce over the pork. It was reminiscent of the battle back home between those who dipped the meat and those who poured the sauce over the meat.

Crunch, crunch. “Yup. It tastes better because it’s blended together!”