Chapter 315

Estel, known as the Thunder Emperor, was ranked fifty-ninth in the Deep Realm. Among the remaining Usurpers, he was currently the strongest. Originally ranked around third among the Usurpers, he had naturally taken on the role of leader after the deaths of the Flame King and Ephirix, the Guardian of Light. Though there wasn’t a formal hierarchy or assigned positions, there was an unspoken rule that the strongest among them had to take the lead when important tasks arose.

The Usurpers were seated around a round table with the Usurper’s Hourglass at its center. As students in Kiriel’s Korean class, they had recently received a reply from the King of Earth—more accurately, it was a message relayed by Kiriel, who had visited Earth.

These bastards...

Estel clenched his fists in frustration.

The other Usurpers didn’t say a word; they simply gauged each other’s reactions in silence. The agenda for today’s meeting was the investigation of Earth. It had been well over a year since the hourglass had halted. Someone needed to take responsibility and investigate the cause. However, Earth was notoriously dangerous, and no one wanted to take the risk.

“Look, I’m not asking for much. I just need one of you to come with me, that’s all,” Estel urged.

“Hmm...”

“Erm...”

When Estel’s gaze swept over the others, they all averted their eyes. Even though they had obtained permission from the King of Earth to go there, none of them wanted to take any chances. They hadn’t been this cautious before, but ever since they heard about the Overlord’s presence on Earth, no one even dared to utter the word “investigation.”

You all wanted to go together when we were learning Hangul!

Estel thought angrily.

Damned traitors. Sure, being scared was only natural. But this was too much. Out of the eight gathered here, not a single one volunteered.

Unable to hold back any longer, Estel slammed his palm on the table with a loud bang and shot up from his seat.

“You cowards! What are you so scared of?! Acting like a bunch of weaklings! Can you really call yourselves Usurpers? Call yourselves Rankers?!”

Estel decided to challenge their pride, something Rankers in the Deep Realm valued more than life itself. This level of provocation should have at least one of them taking the bait. However, their reactions were completely different from what he had expected.

“As expected of the great Thunder Emperor!”

“Phew... Form is temporary, but class is forever, indeed.”

“Earth doesn’t scare you one bit, huh? Here I am, scared to death.”

Wait—what?

“This is exactly why I’ve always respected the Thunder Emperor more than the Flame King.”

“You too? I’ve thought the same for a long time.

Haha

!”

What the... are these bastards trying to...?

Beads of cold sweat trickled down Estel’s face.

This was going south fast. If he didn’t do something, he would be heading to Earth alone. But at this point, there was no way he would admit that he was scared, either.

He stammered, “Uh... No, wait. That’s not what I meant. Guys?”

“Well then, have a safe trip.”

“L-Luvernine! Not you too?!”

Just as the thought

I’ve been played

crossed Estel’s mind, Luvernine retorted, “Surely the great Thunder Emperor isn’t scared, right?”

This sealed the deal for Estel. “W-who’s scared?! Do you think the Thunder Emperor’s some wuss?! Fine, I’ll go alone! I don’t need anyone else!”

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted.

“Alright, that’s settled, then. Let’s call it a day.”

“Man, I feel like I just dodged a bullet.”

“Seriously, we’re lucky to have the Thunder Emperor.

Hahaha

!”

A tear slipped from the corner of Estel’s eye.

***

“Mister, there’s a weird guy over there.”

Do-Jun followed the children’s gaze toward the pavilion near the supermarket. A man was sitting there, nervously shaking his legs, looking undeniably suspicious, to say the least. His hair was a wild mess, and he wasn’t wearing a shirt. His lower body was covered by nothing more than a ragged cloth. A lightning-shaped tattoo was emblazoned across his muscular back.

The children explained, “He looks kinda... off. He keeps muttering ‘Please, just this once,’ to random people.”

Do-Jun immediately knew the man had come from the Deep Realm. A few days earlier, he had received a letter with a bunch of names signed on it, requesting permission to visit Earth. This must be one of them, but why had he come alone?

Deciding not to dwell on it, Do-Jun approached the man. “Hello. You must be Estel the Thunder Emperor, I presume?”

“Gah! H-how did you—”

At that moment, Yong-Yong trotted over, carrying a small tote bag filled with disposable shampoo, conditioner, and other bath supplies. Having planned to go to the public bathhouse with Do-Jun, he was all smiles until his eyes landed on Estel. His gaze immediately narrowed.

“H-huh...?” Estel stared at Yong-Yong, his jaw slowly dropping open. His eyes darted between Do-Jun and Yong-Yong. Suddenly, he recalled “Kiriel’s Survival Guide for Earth.”

He blurted out, “Y-you have my utmost respect! Please, just this once! I-if you spare me, I’ll do anything!”

Estel, who fortunately knew how to read a room, had instantly figured out that Do-Jun was the King of Earth.

***

“Three adults, please,” Do-Jun said.

After paying at the bathhouse counter, he headed toward the men’s changing room. Estel hesitantly followed behind, looking around cautiously.

Having polymorphed into human form earlier, Yong-Yong let out a

pop

as he reverted to his mini dragon form and darted up the stairs ahead of them. He then jumped onto a cabinet, inserted the key he held in his front paws, and turned it. The locker unlocked with a light beep.

Estel looked at the key in his hand, observing how Do-Jun and Yong-Yong used theirs. He copied their actions and unlocked his cabinet as well.

“You can put your clothes in here,” Do-Jun instructed.

“U-um, what exactly is this place?” he asked.

“It’s a place to bathe.”

“Oh... I see.”

Estel removed his lower armor, War Grid, and placed it in the locker. Following Do-Jun, he walked toward the shower stalls.

Do-Jun opened a packet of disposable body wash and handed it to him. “Use this. Just apply it to your body and rinse it off with water.”

“Y-yes, okay.”

The air soon filled with a pleasant fragrance.

After washing up, Estel stood in front of the hot bath where Do-Jun was already soaking. Yong-Yong floated on his back in the water, belly up, lazily drifting from side to side.

Cautiously, Estel lowered himself into the hot bath. Warmth enveloped his body, melting away the tension he hadn’t realized he was holding. Without thinking, he let his shoulders relax, only to stiffen again when he met Do-Jun’s gaze, snapping into an upright posture like a newly enlisted soldier.

Get a hold of yourself, Estel!

he mentally warned himself.

Seeing how tense he was, Do-Jun said calmly, “Relax. There’s no need to be so stiff.”

“I-is it really okay for me to relax...?”

“One of the reasons people come to bathhouses is to relieve fatigue. If you stay that tense, you’ll end up leaving with new knots in your body that you didn’t even have before.”

Bathhouse

, Estel repeated the unfamiliar word in his mind, determined not to forget it.

As he soaked in the warmth, a thought crossed his mind: maybe Earth wasn’t as dangerous as he’d heard. In the Deep Realm, there were rumors that making eye contact with the King of Earth meant certain death, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Don’t you... see me as an enemy?” he asked Do-Jun.

“If I did, I wouldn’t have brought you here, would I?”

This was Estel, the Thunder Emperor—a Ranker ranked fifty-ninth and a Usurper. Do-Jun was aware of that much. But that was about it. Unlike others, he showed no particular hostility. That was why he had spared him.

The Usurpers were meant to safeguard the Usurper’s Hourglass and oversee the Encroachment. However, they had been failing at their role for a while now.

“I have a mission. We Usurpers... have a duty to ensure that all planets in the universe are absorbed into the Core. It’s the task given to us, who have been bestowed the power of the Hourglass. Essentially, our existence equates to harm to Earth...” Estel said.

Do-Jun added, “And when the Encroachment is complete, it leads to the Great War.”

“Yes.”

“And the Great War determines the King of Dimensions.”

“Correct.”

“What will you Usurpers do after a King of Dimensions is chosen?”

“Pardon...?”

“Just curious,” Do-Jun said casually.

Estel blinked. He had never considered that question before. All he had ever known was that he needed to complete the Encroachment. That had been his sole purpose since he became a Usurper.

What would I do then...?

***

“Mister, six baked eggs and three sodas, please.” Yong-Yong placed a 5,000-won bill on the counter.

The staff handed him a large bowl with six baked eggs and a small dish of salt. Yong-Yong placed three cans of soda atop the eggs, balanced the bowl on his head, and carried it to the bench area.

Yong-Yong picked up one of the baked eggs and smacked it against his head. Cracks appeared along the shell, and he carefully peeled it away before dipping the egg into salt and popping it into his mouth.

“Ahhh... Nothing beats eating baked eggs after a bath.” He sighed.

Curious, Estel mimicked his actions—hitting an egg against his head to crack the shell and peeling it off. The egg’s surface was brown, unlike the white boiled eggs he had eaten in the Deep Realm. Tilting his head in confusion, he dipped the egg in salt and took a bite.

“It’s... it’s delicious!” he exclaimed.

The flavor was much richer than the eggs he’d had in the Deep Realm. And the soda—its sweet, fizzy sensation tickled his tongue. The two truly were a match made in heaven.

“Hey! It’s two per person, you selfish jerk!” Yong-Yong shouted.

“H-huh?” Estel had already grabbed his third egg, but froze mid-bite, his cheeks stuffed like a squirrel’s. Egg yolk smeared the corners of his mouth.

Without a word, Do-Jun stood up, took his wallet, and headed toward the snack counter.

***

In the end, Estel and Yong-Yong devoured two full trays of baked eggs together.

“Well, we should get going now,” Do-Jun said to Estel.

“Alright. Thank you for today.”

“If you’d like to explore more of Earth, you can ask Kiriel. See that food stall over there? Kiriel’s inside.”

Estel followed Do-Jun’s finger, turning to look at the bustling food stall crowded with customers. He shook his head. “No, I should go back now.”

Do-Jun nodded and headed toward the elevator.

Left alone, Estel tilted his head back, gazing up at the sky.

“What will you Usurpers do after a King of Dimensions is chosen?”

He recalled Do-Jun’s question and pondered for a moment, but no answer came to mind. Even if he succeeded in completing Encroachment, what meaning would that hold for him?

It seemed like there would be no meaning at all.

***

News of Estel’s return from Earth quickly spread among the Usurpers. A group of Usurpers gathered, curious about what he had discovered.

“Hey, Estel! Why did you come back so soon? Were you scared and ran away?”

Estel scoffed as if the mere suggestion was laughable. “Scared? Ha! Listen up, you fools! I went to Earth, stood face-to-face with Earth’s ruler and the Overlord...”

The Usurpers collectively gulped.

“And I went to a bathhouse, ate baked eggs, drank soda—I did it all!”

Estel’s story spread like wildfire throughout the Deep Realm. And thus, he became a superstar among its residents, earning their admiration and respect.