The top floor of a mysterious skyscraper that’s closer to the sky than the ground.
Inside the luxurious room, four women were seated around a round table. Their hair, glowing in different colors, emphasized their individual personalities and dominated the room. Each one of them could easily be called a beauty of legendary proportions.
“So,”
The woman with sky-blue long hair was the first to speak, letting her tresses cascade down her shoulders.
“Is everything going well?”
She elegantly crossed her legs and crossed her arms as she scanned the other women.
The woman who responded had her jet-black hair braided to one side. She raised her wrist slightly to glance at the onyx bracelet she wore.
As the blinking light from the bracelet faded, Shion smiled in satisfaction.
“It just finished. Perfect.”
“Good. This will change the combat style.”
The woman with sky-blue hair nodded as she spoke.
She respected him wholeheartedly but believed in moving forward without hesitation if a better approach emerged.
“Of course, who else but the one who coordinated.”
The woman with cropped hair and an aura of subtle holiness spoke.
Her fingertips had been gently caressing the cross on the table since the beginning. The cross was far more than a mere decoration; its presence was extraordinary.
As if to say, “Look at this,” she fondly handled the cross.
“Are you boasting?”
The woman with sky-blue hair smiled while asking, and the short-haired woman nodded slightly.
“Of course?”
The short-haired woman lightly laughed as she pushed the cross on the table with her fingertips; it carried an undeniable sense of pride.
“Hae-in had the church issue a formal certificate in my name. The document clearly designates me as the ‘owner.'”
She held up the cross, showing its softly glowing surface.
“Thanks to that, the old men from the church couldn’t say a word and just nodded.”
She carefully traced its contours with her fingertips, handling it like a precious treasure.
“Truly… it wasn’t necessary to go that far…”
Her voice faded as a look of bliss crossed her face.
“Can you be quiet for a moment?”
Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the room.
The woman with black hair tied back, her crimson eyes gleaming, spoke coldly.
“Please let’s have a productive conversation. Has the holy water supply agreement been concluded yet?”
At this, the short-haired woman slowly turned her gaze.
“It’s still in the elders’ territory, so it’s a bit difficult?”
She tilted her head slightly and placed the cross back on the table.
“But, it will be resolved soon too.”
“Fine.”
The woman with black hair gave a brief nod.
“But, you know, the Master really did buy quickly when Kang Yu-seong died, which caused his stock to drop, right?”
Yoo Hana quietly marveled.
Her eyes carried pure surprise and joy.
“It’s Jung Hae-in.”
Kang Ah-rin responded. Her voice was imbued with pure trust in him.
“After Kang Yu-seong was killed, all the blame was pinned on the demons.”
She chuckled as she continued.
“His stock rose, saving Hae-in some effort and earning money. How great is that?”
Her words were greeted by quiet nods from the other women in the room.
All of them wore satisfied expressions.
“So,”
Kang Ah-rin tapped her fingertips lightly on the table as she continued.
“Please tell me if you remember anything.”
Her soft but firm voice echoed through the room.
“We all know we can’t possibly pay back everything we owe, right?”
Her brief words caused the room to fall silent instantly.
Her words hung heavy in the air like a profound aftertaste.
“Wow, again?”
[‘Glory’ Arcadia has agreed to an exclusive holy water supply contract.]
Recently, exchanges between the two organizations have been increasing.
Kang Yu-seong’s premature death turned out to be a stroke of genius.
It seemed to be part of a snowball effect caused by his death.
Thanks to this, my account sees another giant snowball rolling through today. Watching the numbers climb, I couldn’t help but smile.
“Good.”
Lately, one good thing after another has been happening.
Today is Friday.
With just one more day, it’ll be the weekend, so my steps feel lighter.
Of course, I don’t actually rest on the weekends… but my body feels like a student’s now, and my heart feels like it has returned to student days.
“I need to get the Dongbaek sword… and negotiate the amount with the church….”
Among other things, I have a mountain of tasks to handle. Even if I claim one opportunity a week, it’s not enough.
Moreover, I need to pass appropriate martial arts knowledge to Seong Si-woo soon…
It’s unclear whether this kid has made up his mind.
He turned down his teammates last time and keeps making the wrong decisions.
If he continues wielding a sword…
“Should I beat him more?”
Anyway, I’ll think about that later.
I’m currently walking to Cheonmu Hall for today’s class.
Though it’s called Cheonmu Hall, it’s surprisingly a lecture room for theoretical classes.
Moreover, it’s said that a current hero will be specially invited to give a lecture today.
I’m quite looking forward to it since I haven’t seen any top-tier heroes with my own eyes before.
The time is exactly 9 a.m.
Arriving precisely on time is, after all, the basic duty of a student, isn’t it?
-Creak
I opened the back door of Cheonmu Hall.
-Bang!
And I closed it again.
“What the heck?”
Is my eyesight playing tricks on me?
I slowly reopened the door and cautiously peeked inside.
Despite the loud noise from closing the door, all the students’ eyes were still firmly fixed on the hero standing on the podium.
The man with an all-back hairstyle and sunglasses, even indoors, was someone I knew—not just a little, but quite a lot.
Our eyes met.
Even though he was wearing sunglasses, I could sense his gaze clearly.
And I grinned, flashing my gums.
He was none other than the person I had consulted about Seong Si-woo’s analysis back then.
Park Kwang-cheol.
The professor who handled theoretical classes pointed at the man next to the podium and said,
“Please give a warm welcome to our guest today.”
-Clap, clap, clap, clap!
The lecture room was filled with thunderous applause.
“Hello, I’m Park Kwang-cheol.”
Park Kwang-cheol greeted the class after lifting his sunglasses slightly.
His single sentence was met with cheers from students, regardless of gender.
It was understandable. He wasn’t just a hero but also a beloved star of the public.
With a smile, he continued,
“My organization… you all know, right? Vanguisher.”
As soon as he spoke, another round of applause and cheers erupted.
I sighed quietly as I sat down, watching the spectacle.
Then I sent a message to Sion.
[Jeong Hae-in]: Sion, Mr. Park Kwang-cheol is here.
And within just 5 seconds, a reply arrived.
[Sion]: What? Where?
[Jeong Hae-in]: Right in front of me.
[Sion]: ?? Why is Uncle Kwang-cheol here?
Damn, that’s what I just said.
[Jeong Hae-in]: I don’t know either. It’s some kind of special invitation lecture…
[Sion]: Ah, I think I recall something from Grandpa… Someone was reluctant to come, something like that.
So, that’s why he is here.
[Jeong Hae-in]: Ever since I entered, he’s been staring at me. What should I do?
[Sion]: Wow… I hate that. Stay strong…
I lowered my head and focused on the desk in front of me.
Blending into the background was the top priority.
However, contrary to my worries, he surprisingly proceeded with the lecture in an orderly manner.
He even mentioned some of the most recently established theories while continuing his lecture.
Objectively, his lecture was intriguing. I was even absorbed.
“Ah, already this much time has passed. Let’s have a 10-minute break?”
Park Kwang-cheol checked his watch and announced.
Usually, students rush out as soon as a teacher announces a break.
However, today no one moved.
At that moment, a female student hesitantly raised her hand.
“Teacher, may I ask a question?”
“Yes, go ahead,” Park Kwang-cheol replied generously.
“It’s not related to the lesson…”
“Eh, it’s fine.”
“Then, how do I join Vanguisher?”
Though this particular girl had asked the question, in reality, she was representing everyone.
That question was undoubtedly in the mind of every student.
Especially Seong Si-woo, sitting in the front row, was eagerly waiting for the answer with shining eyes.
Led by the old man, Vanguisher is one of the top teams in the world.
However, they are famously selective about recruiting members.
Moreover, joining them equates to proving oneself as one of the top heroes.
Unfortunately, in the game, there are almost no chances to interact with them.
‘They were annihilated in the early part of the original story.’
In the original story, Vanguisher is wiped out in an early surprise attack by the demons.
They existed solely to indicate the overwhelming strength of the enemy and the despair of the situation.
‘But things are different now.’
I exhaled slowly.
That event hasn’t happened yet.
And, this time, I can prevent it.
I have enough information and a plan.
If I can stop their deaths, they will undoubtedly become a great help in the future.
But honestly, that’s not the only reason.
Somewhere along the line, they’ve become more than just characters from a plot I had devised.
Vanguisher, who were once reduced to a single line of text in the original story, have now deeply intertwined with my life.
At least for Sion’s sake.
No, for my own sake.
I won’t let them die.
Definitely.
