“At 10:30 AM local time, a raging inferno engulfed an empty lot in New York, defying all attempts to douse it with a fire hose. Astonishingly, amid the flames, four enigmatic figures were discovered. Moments later, the fire subsided, and a lone individual emerged from the ashes. It is none other than Jonathan Hunter, esteemed leader of the Jonathan Investment Finance Group and a director within the renowned World Awakened Association, famously referred to as the King of Hell. With the expiration of the association’s ominous deadline for all Awakened, Jonathan Hunter immediately…”
Na Jeon-Il felt a burnt taste in his throat, and he was the only one on the second floor of his large house. His wife was downstairs with her older sister and brother-in-law. Even now, the couple couldn’t let go of their daughter Ji-Ae and were trying to find a solution with his wife.
According to the resident registration, Ji-Ae was almost forty. If they added the time she spent in the Stage of Advent, then her actual age would be similar to her parents. They had to let go of their child, but they didn’t have time to prepare such a mindset.
They were not the only couple like this. The Stage of Advent had happened suddenly, and so many parents around the world had lost their children. In reality, the parents who had to have their kids’ funeral without ashes and those who could only confirm their kids’ whereabouts through the roster even if they returned were in the same situation.
However, no one should have blamed the Awakened for not caring for their family as they had spent decades in hell without them.
Moreover, that didn’t only apply in the Stage of Advent. Since they lived fiercely, everything other than the members they shared money with became meaningless. Blood-related siblings, lifelong friends who shouted to stick together for the rest of their lives, and even their own parents didn’t mean much to them.
As time went by, they scattered from their hearts.
<Seon-Hu’s mom: Honey, can you come down? Don’t just stay there. Or should we come up?>
Na Jeon-Il’s face was being reflected on the dark screen of his phone. He now recalled the face of his father. Looking back, life was too short. His father had devoted himself to the company for the wealth and honor of his family. He only took care of his family throughout his entire life.
He felt it was cruel that he didn’t recognize his parents’ dedication in the past. In that respect, his son Seon-Hu was different from him.
Na Jeon-Il grabbed a portable battery and went downstairs.
“Jeon-Il, can you do something about it?” his sister-in-law asked.
“You should try something,” his wife said.
Na Jeon-Il responded, “What power do I have? I am retired now.”
“You have a lot of friends. Chairman Jamie cherished you a lot too.”
“Let’s say that we found what she has been up to. Then what? Ji-Ae will have to take the lead because she is in a high position in the association. Seon-Hu will have to be on the battlefield as an Awakened.”
Na Jeon-Il’s voice became louder.
“He should have been on the battlefield now. So, what? What do you expect me to do? What the hell are we doing with our grown-up children? Maybe they are older than us.”
Na Jeon-Il, who was usually calm, was suddenly angry. An awkward atmosphere filled the air, and he sat down on the couch with a remorseful expression.
“Calm down. There is still no call from Seon-Hu, right? Not yet?”
“Ji-Ae and Seon-Hu have left our embrace. How long can we live clinging to them? It might be hard, but let’s let them go.”
However, Na Jeon-Il’s eyes were trembling.
“Don’t say that… They say that big firms even grant the wishes of the dead. I just want to know if our daughter is safe and well… Just that… Please…”
Of course, things didn’t flow the way people wanted. What he said to them was actually meant for himself.
Seon-Hu would have contacted me…
Na Jeon-Il gazed blankly at the phone and shook his head. Regardless of whether it was possible or not, he had long figured out through which channels he could reach someone who knew the internal affairs of the World Awakened Association.
His screen then lit up with his touch. He had gotten a phone call unexpectedly. It was from an unregistered international number.
<Mr. Na? Sun’s Father?>
It was a thick voice that had a natural strength to it, and at the same time, it was very polite.
***
“Where is the call from?” Na Jeon-Il asked.
<Association. I’m Jonathan Hunter. An-nyeong ha sae-yo?[1]>
“Is it true? Are you Jonathan Hunter? Jonathan Investment Holdings… Jonathan? True? True?”
<Jonathan: Yes, sir. I am Jo-na-than Hunter. I called to let you know about your son. Currently, he is on a non-combat mission. So… >
The call lasted quite long. The family sensed from his changing expressions that this was no ordinary call. Some Korean words were occasionally mixed in Na Jeon-Il’s speech, but they were only simple words and sentences and mentioned Ji-Ae and Seon-Hu’s names.
As soon as Na Jeon-Il finished the call, his wife asked, “Where was the call from? Is it true? Right? It’s about Seon-Hu and Ji-Ae, isn’t it?”
However, Na Jeon-Il didn’t answer instantly. He seemed to be lost in deep thought, which made his waiting family members anxious. Na Jeon-Il’s gaze was fixed on the image of Jonathan, which was displayed on the television in the living room. There, Jonathan’s eyes were fierce and menacing, contrasting with the extremely polite voice from a moment ago.
A moment later, he responded, “Don’t worry. Seon-Hu and Ji-Ae have been pulled out of the battle.”
“How?”
He shook his head. “They are on an important mission. Not fighting, but something important…”
“Can you explain in detail?”
He shrugged. “They are the citizens of the Savior’s City. Most of the Awakened from there are on the same mission.”
“Are you sure?”
“There is no doubt.”
“Can we really trust that? Who was it?”
“It was someone we can trust. You two should go rest.”
With a cluttered mind, Na Jeon-Il returned alone to the upper floor. From where he sat, the photo of his son stood out more than the television. Since childhood, his son had shown a gift for finance. Therefore, he had received love calls from Jonathan Investment Group from a young age, which was an exceptional case, and established himself as a Wall Street financier.
Nonetheless, Na Jeon-Il wondered if he had let Seon-Hu be exposed to society during his most blessed youth too early. No matter how much it was his son’s wish and he had talent in that field, he often regretted it because everything had happened as he had given him permission.
Wall Street was somewhere you couldn’t always succeed. People on Wall Street may seem glamorous on the outside, but inside they were often corroded. The success and wealth they enjoyed came at the cost of their lives and mental stability.
Na Jeon-Il had seen many such people during his tenure as a bank manager. However, he felt like he could shake off some of his regrets. If it had not been for that experience, then how could Seon-Hu have built a relationship with such a global figure? That connection must have played a significant role in Seon-Hu’s return to life from the stage as the one who took care of him was Jonathan Hunter.
“But still…always be careful, son…”
Two weeks later Na Jeon-Il received a call from his son. It was on the day when the whole world seemed to be once again plunged into war but calmed down for a while.
***
<Na Jeon-Il: I heard it from your boss, Jonathan…>
As if worried someone might overhear him, Father whispered Jonathan’s name.
<Na Jeon-Il: Are you back now?>
“I have to go back.”
<Na Jeon-Il: Okay, don’t worry about us.>
“I might not be able to contact you for a while due to the nature of my mission. But don’t worry. As soon as things are resolved, I will come to see you, Father.”
<Na Jeon-Il: But, umm…no, let’s talk next time.>
“Please, go ahead.”
<Na Jeon-Il: Back then, I was too overwhelmed to ask your boss, but these days I have this thought. Maybe I was also a pre-Awakened. All the things I went through are similar to what is known. I have a thing called an insignia on my chest.>
“Then, you must have entered the Stage of Advent.”
<Seon-Hu: Are there no exceptions?>
“No. Even if it is an insignia, that is not bad. It will help you in some way.”
<Na Jeon-Il: I had a lot of luck during my tenure. Is it actually an insignia… Then, I should have entered the stage. This is so weird.>
“Don’t say that. I…I am always grateful for going there and coming back without you guys, Father.”
After hanging up, I put on the clothes brought by Lee Tae-Han. In one month, his face had aged considerably.
“Except for some Awakened, most of them are on the battlefield. Oh, Odin. The Queen of Elves is leading the corps into war herself. Also, the Great Blue has been resurrected and is confronting Osiris. Considering the circumstances, the Great Silver might have also revived, but so far there is no confirmation.”
In the end…was what Orca said the truth? Then, I could understand why Jonathan had no choice but to shock society. No, I should have empathized with him.
Anyway, Entegasto couldn’t cross the barrier of Elsland. Entegasto’s mission of invading Elsland was a punishment akin to a death sentence. Doom Kaos did not send him with any expectations in the first place.
Entegasto had lost its divinity, and the transcendents of the enemy faction began to move. All the situations that Orca had informed me of turned out to be true.
No one looked for me until I was resurrected. Yeon-Hee didn’t tell anyone the location of the Life Vessel, not even to Lee Tae-Han or Jonathan. Orca’s castle had been filling up with the Maruka clan day by day, and Orca’s descendants bred more of their kind.
The outer wall of the building where Orca’s castle was had long been covered with the organic matter of the Maruka clan, and it began to be infused with Orca’s power. Moreover, security was strengthened on each floor and room, even down to Orca’s chambers.
However, Orca often did nothing, just being a lump on the throne. At first, I thought it was being lazy, but I soon learned what was behind its seemingly idle behavior. It was communicating with the two Maruka clans in the real Maruka homeland and the Continent of Death in another world through the memory bank of its clan.
One day, Orca muttered to itself in a whisper.
“We never accepted Doom Entegasto, the god of other races, as our god. Doom Entegasto was abandoned by the great being. He is an abandoned god. He lost. His divinity. In Elsland.”
Though its pronunciation was inaccurate and its words were choppy, I was able to understand what it wanted to convey. Its statement aligned with what Lee Tae-Han started reporting.
“How much equipment has been collected? Has the bone ring been collected?”
I asked about the bone ring first. Then, Lee Tae-Han handed me a map. It was a map summarizing the situation briefly. It also included the status of my items being collected. Odin’s Golden Armor has been retrieved, and Zeus’s Lightning Spear was left in ruins. The necklace, Lunea’s Light, and the returning stone had not been found.
“The bone ring is being protected by the citizens of the Savior’s City.”
My powers directly affected it, so contact must have been impossible. I was relieved and finally, the situation on the map caught my eye at once. The front line had moved down a notch due to the advance of the elf corps.
“When did you find the bone ring?” I asked.
On the map, the ring was located in Sector twenty-two. It was quite far from the front line stretching from Sector forty-one to forty-six.
| 48 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 41 |
| 40 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 33 |
| 32 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 |
| 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 |
| 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
| 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Sector 42-46: Frontline
Sector 45: Greenwood Expedition Headquarters
Sector 43: Elf Corps Headquarters
Sector 36: Undead Corps Headquarters
Sector 33: Awakened Headquarters
Sector 28: The place where The Great Green died
Sector 27: Entry area for Olivia’s offensive team
Sector 23: Origin of the powerful wave of force, area where the destroyed spear is abandoned
Sector 22: Entry area for the Savior’s City citizens. Bone ring storage area
Sector 7: Where the Fire Spirit King appeared. Breastplate was retrieved from here
Sector 1: Awakened Forward Base
“About seven days ago.”
There was no doubt as to why the Elf Queen had left Elsland to join the battle. It must have been due to a divine trust from the Old One, whether indirect or direct. It was a fact that the Great Blue and the Great Silver had undergone resurrection following Entegasto’s defeat.
If Osiris was currently facing the Great Blue, then where would Silver be? What about Black? The whereabouts of these two dragons were unknown as they were not sweeping through the frontlines.
Of course, one could assume that the only dragon that had revived was Blue. One could also say that Black was injured in the war against Entegasto. However, these were just assumptions favorable to me. If they were concocting some scheme without engaging in the frontlines…
It was obvious that there was a high possibility that they were waiting for an opportunity to ambush me. Then, where would they likely be lying in ambush?
The area where the SSS-class bone ring fell! That would be the first place I would go to after my resurrection. In that case, what I needed to do was clear.
1. “Hi” in Korean. ☜
Comments