Four beautiful women with varying expressions were looking at me.
What was it that I just said?
I raised my hand to my forehead. The slight dampness suggested I had broken a sweat while unconscious.
Yoo Hana handed me a towel from beside me.
“Thanks.”
I took a slow, deep breath and looked around. Checking the time, it didn’t seem like I had been out for long.
Luxurious furniture, a tidy bedsheet, and a large monitor hanging on the wall greeted my gaze.
‘Where am I…’
It came back to me. This was the place where I had been hospitalized after passing out from consuming a spirit medicine not too long ago.
Back then…
“Are you alright, Hae-in…?”
Sion asked me, her face filled with worry.
I gave a casual nod. Objectively speaking, I was fine.
I felt a slight mental fatigue, but it was bearable. There was no point in wallowing anyway.
“I’m good. Nothing serious. I just had a conversation with the window over there….”
I pointed to the window nearby, trying to play it down. However, their expressions in response to my calm demeanor were far from reassuring. There was a sense of gloom, even sadness in their faces.
What’s going on? Am I about to die?
I wondered if I had unknowingly received bad news from a doctor, so I carefully asked:
“Did I catch some fatal disease….”
At that moment,
“What? You’re awake?”
The door to the hospital room swung open.
It was Park Kwang-cheol, holding a basket of apples. It seemed he had already heard and come to see me. With confident strides, he entered the room, lifted the basket, and shook it.
“You seem fine?”
He took an apple out of the basket with a casual air, and took a big bite.
“…Why the apples?”
I asked with a baffled look.
“Thought I’d pick some up, but it seems they’re not really needed…”
Park Kwang-cheol’s eyes slowly scanned the room, then settled on the four women standing directly in front.
He counted them quietly on his fingers.
One, two, three… four.
After a brief moment of silence, he nodded, glanced at me, and then subtly put his thumb up.
“You guys should enjoy this among yourselves~”
With those words, he placed the basket on the nightstand by my bed and promptly turned around.
I watched him leave the room, feeling confused,
‘What…’
But seeing his healthy face put me in a better mood. I had been seeing only despondent expressions for a while now.
I felt sufficiently recovered by now.
It seemed like it would be good to get up.
Whatever it was that I saw.
Even if it wasn’t real, precautions were still necessary.
I slowly got up from my spot and picked up Catastrophe, which was lying nearby.
“…Hmph.”
Just in case, I tensed up while grabbing it, but luckily, there was no unusual reaction.
I leaned the window against the bedside and turned around.
Then I addressed the women standing behind me.
“Let’s grab some food. Is the time okay?”
Since Chun Yeoul and Yoo Hana were already here, and Sion and Kang Ah-rin had clearly come especially, I felt it would be proper to buy them a meal.
Kang Ah-rin nodded first. Then Yoo Hana, Sion, and Chun Yeoul silently agreed.
“Okay.”
I had things to discuss anyway, and this was perfect timing.
They stood there silently, still looking at me.
“Can you give me a minute? I’ll change quickly and join you.”
I tugged slightly at the clothing I was still wearing. I was still in my patient gown.
However, the women exchanged subtle glances, shuffling slightly.
Seeing their reaction, I reiterated.
“Will you not leave?”
Let me get dressed.
When I prompted them again, they finally moved, the door opening and they stepped out of the hospital room.
A private room in a quiet restaurant.
We were seated around the dining table.
Before we could even brainstorm what to order, Sion brought up eel.
Claiming that I needed nourishment after collapsing, all four of them strongly advocated for it, and I just went along with it.
-Sizzle.
“…”
The sound of the eel being grilled filled the room.
Come to think of it, this was the first time we were all here together.
While I had gotten to know each of them to some extent, they hadn’t really interacted among themselves.
Especially Sion, who wasn’t even in the same class.
As a result, an awkward atmosphere naturally formed.
Someone needed to break the ice.
I lifted my head and looked across the table. There sat Chun Yeoul, repeatedly moving pieces of the grilled eel to my plate.
“Chun Yeoul.”
She looked up slightly startled when I called her name.
“What?”
I set down my spoon and asked,
“The Paladin of the Church—do they take requests?”
At that moment, all four pairs of eyes turned toward me at once.
The trials of Aldebaran.
In them, I had undoubtedly seen it. A scene where three Apostles gathered.
Three Apostles?
A force that should only appear in the later stages of the main storyline.
To be honest, it was hard to believe. Even from the Demon God’s perspective, Apostles were strategic weapons.
Still, seeing that, my task became very clear.
Balancing the power scales.
If that event were to happen, one team of Vanguishers wouldn’t stand a chance. I would need to call in other teams to at least level the power balance.
Besides, in the final scene, when the Association’s support arrived, the Apostles retreated quickly. It suggested an intention to avoid conflict with other organizations.
At least, in theory, if the number of forces keeping them in check increased, they might not recklessly engage in combat.
So, I needed to gather them.
Even if the Apostles didn’t appear.
One might think, why not just avoid going to that location in the first place? But, it’s almost impossible.
A complete annihilation of the Vanguishers that, by script, had nothing to do with the original protagonist’s actions.
Even if it could be avoided now, it would inevitably come back with greater force in an unforeseen form in the future.
Hence, it is better to be as prepared as possible within the anticipated range.
That was the revelation I had from the trials of Aldebaran.
I acknowledged my complacency.
As a result, the weak points in my plans began to reveal themselves naturally.
“A shock therapy.”
It wasn’t a pleasant experience, but if there was something to be gained, then it held meaning.
The story was long, and there were still many hurdles ahead.
“I do not accept requests.”
She quietly replied.
So, in conclusion, I needed the Paladins’ help.
They primarily use holy energy-based attacks.
One of the few forces capable of countering the Apostles.
I looked directly into Chun Yeoul’s eyes and said,
“Is that so? Then I’ll place a request.”
The core force of the Church’s Paladin does not accept external requests.
However, there is one exception to this rule:
The being to whom the Paladins have sworn loyalty.
The Saint.
It was time to reap the fruits of the relationship built over time with her and with the Church.
Chun Yeoul put down her chopsticks.
“What is it?”
I surveyed the table once and replied,
“The Apostles.”
At that moment, the atmosphere at the table grew heavy.
“It seems Apostles have appeared.”
Apostles will appear.
It’s unlikely that anyone hearing this would believe it easily. Since the great sealing of the Demon God by the previous hero, most Apostles either vanished or fell into deep slumber, and those few survivors completely concealed their presence.
Thus, most heroes of the current era have never directly experienced the Apostles’ existence. Their malevolence and strength are only recorded in the annals of history.
The recent Shanghai Demon raid—that was the first official Apostle assault in decades.
When the initial reports of the attack came in, the Chinese Hero Association dispatched multiple A-class heroes without any warning. They had the historical records but could not fathom the actual threat posed by the Apostles.
And within a few hours, contact was lost. The result: annihilation.
That’s how much Apostles were regarded as legendary monsters.
I observed Chun Yeoul’s reaction.
It didn’t matter to me whether she believed me or not. As long as the Paladins could remain on standby nearby, we could fight together if the Apostles appeared.
What if the Apostles don’t appear?
That would just be a bonus. The best outcome would be no bloodshed.
Of course, I could be dismissed as someone who made false claims, and in the worst case, it might create distrust between the Church and me.
“Doesn’t matter.”
My pride or reputation held no real importance.
The goal was one thing.
“Preparing for the worst.”
Having glimpsed a future where this wasn’t done, I now knew this was enough.
“It’s fine if you don’t believe me.”
I continued calmly,
“I’ll pay the cost, so even just standing by will do me a favor….”
But.
Chun Yeoul didn’t let me finish. Rising from her seat, she closed the distance in a flash. Facing me closely, she firmly grasped both my hands.
Her fingertips were trembling slightly.
“I trust you.”
A small but resolute voice.
Our eyes met. Her bright blue irises were unwavering.
I was momentarily speechless, but eventually,
“Yeah.”
I couldn’t help but smile faintly and nod.
A massive cavern disconnected from the world.
It’s dark and cold.
In front of the man dressed in black robes, the celestial body loomed as usual, emanating a dark glow.
“…!”
A tiny crack appeared on the celestial body.
From that gap, a faint but definite nebula began to rise.
The swirling residual light tore through the cosmic veil like an explosion.
“…Hahahaha!”
A dry laugh escaped him.
In the confined space where all directions were blocked off, for the first time, a path opened.
Even where this path would lead remained unknown.
But what mattered was one fact.
The path had opened.
-Roar.
The colossal stone gate barring the great cavern slowly opened.
From within its pitch-black darkness, indistinct forms began to crawl out.
They were different from the previous ones. They were larger, more numerous, and possessed a clearer will.
The man’s lips parted slowly.
“You are better than me.”
The world line changed once more.
However, through countless regressions, he had come to one realization—this world was not so easily controlled. If he forcefully twisted the flow to change the outcome, there would inevitably be a price to pay.
The man abruptly rose from his seat. Clutching a sword already stained with demon blood, he exhaled deeply.
“…This time, it might take a bit longer.”
Faint light from the celestial body illuminated his features beneath it.
Under that light, his entire face and body were riddled with wounds.
Yet, there was no room for him to regret or halt his course.
It was time
To bear the world’s suppression.
