Chapter 214: The World of the Night

After recovering from his fight with Endo to some extent, Lee Shin asked Zephyr to open a portal to the third district. Subsequently, Lee Shin returned to Earth.

Jack appeared weary from visiting the Demon World, and Laurent smoked his cigarette, looking displeased for reasons unknown.

"I was worried about you guys. You came later than expected,” Sevrino said with concern.

As they returned through the gate that Behemoth had crossed, Sevrino grabbed Lee Shin’s hand.

‘Has the old gentleman stayed up all night?’

There were slight bags under Sevrino’s eyes, and it seemed he had waited long.

"Have you been here all this time?" Lee Shin asked.

"Ahaha, no. I was just resting and—"

"Resting? What are you saying? I saw you walking around here all day." Cain interrupted with a chuckle. He had come over to earth again.

“Well… that was because I could not fall asleep,” Sevrino replied, trying to end this conversation.

Evidently, this was not the case, but Lee Shin disregarded it and let it pass.

"Well, I’m sorry to hear that. How are the other countries doing?" Lee Shin asked Sevrino.

"Fortunately, the other countries did not suffer any significant damage. Many of the gates that were expected to appear have disappeared," Sevrino explained.

The aftermath of their visit to the fourth district to defeat the three Great Devils was clear. Zephyr had already risen to the 24th throne, expanding his influence and growing in power. Therefore, at least within the fourth district, no one would invade Earth due to the pressure. Lee Shin could not say the same for the fifth district, but Earth was at least safe from the fourth district.

"What about the connection with the planet that I mentioned before?" Lee Shin asked.

"Oscar, you mean?" Sevrino asked back.

"Yes, that’s right," Lee Shin replied.

“We found it. And actually, we are preparing to connect that place with another dimension. But you see, because there were so many preliminary tasks to complete… Umm…" Sevrino muttered.

"The decision is yours, Mr. Sevrino, but proceed with the connection to the Oscar planet first. Wait, I mean. Please do it first because I think Earth is gradually stabilizing," Lee Shin instructed Sevrino.

Sevrino’s cheeks started to tremble at Lee Shin’s words.

‘Right… I’ve delayed it too long.’

When Lee Shin first met Sevrino, he had put forth a condition for coming here: finding his missing daughter. His daughter had landed on Oscar. Sevrino obtained this information from Sayr after researching dimensions in Sayr's territory. Back in his first life, he found her, but she had already died at the hands of marauders on that planet.

Since Lee Shin had taken Sevrino from Sayr, it was only natural to help him find his daughter. Moreover, he could use Martyr to revive her even if she had died, provided they could find her corpse.

‘If her soul has gone somewhere, it might be a bit more challenging, but it should be fine because we can use Alice’s Eyes of the Wise Man.’

Lee Shin was confident he could find Sevrino's daughter, but Sevrino's face was filled with hope and doubt as if he were thinking, "Is my daughter really on Oscar?" Sevrino's trembling lips revealed his emotions. They had been apart for too long, so he had trouble believing he could soon meet her.

“But… To be really honest with you, I don't think my daughter is on that planet. It's been too long, and spending time there in this situation might not be right..." Sevrino muttered dispiritedly.

"Then why did you come with me in the first place?" Lee Shin asked with a puzzled look.

"I wanted to get away from Sayr. Even if it may not seem like it, I have a keen eye for people. I've lived for so long but have never met someone like you, Mr. Lee Shin. So, I wanted to trust you once,” Sevrino replied.

"Then, have your thoughts changed?” Lee Shin asked.

Sevrino quickly shook his head.

"No, it did not," Sevrino replied.

"Then please trust me again this time. Your daughter is on Oscar. Don’t let those unnecessary worries make you hesitate," Lee Shin reassured Sevrino and encouraged him.

"Okay," Sevrino replied.

Sevrino’s eyes become moist. The sight made Lee Shin want to find his daughter quickly. After all the help he had received, he had to repay Sevrino now.

"Oh, and Mr. Sikael is looking for you, Mr. Lee Shin," Sevrino said.

“Huh? Sikael is looking for me?” Lee Shin was surprised to hear that.

"Yes! Oh! Here he comes," Sevrino said as he spotted the Angels.

A Combat Angel with two sets of enormous wings flew down to Lee Shin.

"You're finally back," said Sikael as if he had been waiting for Lee Shin.

"Why are you looking for me?" Lee Shin asked, confused.

"Follow me. I have something to say to you," Sikael replied.

Sikael swung his spear, ripping the space before him and creating a white gate. Lee Shin followed him in, feeling comfortable because he had been there before.

"Please have a seat," said Sikael.

"Do all Angels have this ability?" Lee Shin asked, seemingly amazed.

"No. Only commander class Angels and those who lead the Combat angels can use Heavenly Space,” Sikael explained.

"Oh, is that so?" Lee Shin replied.

The ability could create a space isolated from all others except one, so it sounded quite tempting to Lee Shin, but he was sure they wouldn’t teach him this skill even if he asked.

"Michael sent a message,” said Sikael, looking at Lee Shin.

"Why didn’t he tell me directly?" Lee Shin asked, puzzled by the extra steps.

"Mr. Michael is busy traversing different dimensions, acting on behalf of the Heavenly God,” Sikael explained.

"All right, I see. So what is the message?” Lee Shin asked.

Sikael took a sip of his tea, cleared his throat, and began speaking.

"Thankfully, you didn’t invade the fifth district. It’s way more dangerous than the fourth district. Moreover, Baal already knew that you were going to invade the Demon World,” Sikael explained somberly.

"What? He already knew?" Lee Shin asked in surprise.

Lee Shin’s face wore a frown as he wondered how Baal found that out.

‘Wait a minute…’

In hindsight, Lee Shin did find Naberius and Berith’s arrival in Astaroth’s territory strange. It was quite a coincidence that the Great Devil Naberius, seated on the 24th throne, came over and got defeated, creating a straight path to the fifth district for Lee Shin. However, if Baal knew about his intention of invading the fifth district, it all made sense.

"Was Baal targeting me or something?" Lee Shin muttered, trying to piece together the puzzle.

"You must be wondering how Baal knew about it already. Baal has a prophet. They aren’t perfect, but they can somewhat predict the future. That prophet must have seen you coming," Sikael explained.

Sikael delivered Michael’s message verbatim, ignoring Lee Shin’s question. However, how he delivered it ensured that Lee Shin got his answers, likely because Michael had already predicted his questions.

"Baal is much more dangerous than you think. So, don’t think of going to the fifth district,” said Sikael, delivering Michael’s message.

Lee Shin was not happy to hear that. Who was he to give orders like that? If he were face to face with Michael, he would have said a few words to him, but it seemed pointless in this situation, so he just stayed quiet.

"And the Heavenly God has made a decision regarding this matter," Sikael said with serious countenance.

"What is it?" Lee Shin asked.

"He has decided to send the Secretary to Earth.”

"You mean the Heavenly Secretary?” Lee Shin asked with a look of confusion.

Sending the Secretary from the heavenly realm to Earth suddenly was truly an unexpected and shocking decision. In terms of combat power, the Secretary might not be as strong as Michael, but she was more influential than even the Great Angels.

"Why are they sending the Secretary?" Lee Shin asked because he could not understand the reason behind it.

"Are you curious? Then ask the Secretary that," Sikael replied as if he did not care.

“Michael, you’re listening to this right now, aren't you?" Lee Shin asked, feeling a bit suspicious.

"..." Sikael did not say anything.

Sikael kept his mouth shut. It seemed like Michael was listening, but there was no way to confirm it.

"Climb the Tower. This is the answer from the heavenly realm," Sikael added, not giving Lee Shin much useful information.

"When is the Secretary coming then?" Lee Shin asked, trying to understand the situation.

Sikael’s pupils returned to their normal state after he finished delivering the message from Michael.

"I don't know either. They will come when the time is right," Sikael replied, avoiding the question.

"

Tsk

, fine," Lee Shin muttered.

It was not a satisfying answer, but it was acceptable. If the Secretary guarded Earth, it would be more reassuring than anything else. After coming out of the Heavenly Space, Lee Shin quickly assessed the situation on Earth, completed maintenance, and entered the Tower again.

‘I should climb the tower quickly before the Secretary arrives.’

***

[You have entered the 85th floor.]

[You have selected the ‘Hell’ mode.]

[In the World of the Night, Obscarit, please find and deal with the Great Evil hidden within.]

A thick veil of darkness enveloped everything, obscuring any trace of light. Not even a single ray managed to penetrate the gloom, leaving the surroundings eerie and mysterious.

Thump. Thump.

As Lee Shin walked, the soft squishing sound beneath his feet persisted, indicating that he was stepping on something. Gradually, his eyes adjusted to the darkness, allowing him to make out the blurry shapes scattered throughout the area.

‘Am I finally on the 85th floor?’

In the World of the Night, a realm shrouded in darkness, there existed a powerful ruler known as the King of Shadows. First, Lee Shin had to find that guy.

The slimy creatures beneath his feet and around him were Shadow Slimes. They were harmless as long as they weren’t provoked first. If someone attacked them, sharp spikes flying in from all directions would try to pierce them.

‘Shadow Slimes tend to move toward where the shadow is darker.’

The Shadow King had the darkest shadow in this world. Therefore, just by observing the movements of the Shadow Slimes, Lee Shin could locate the Shadow King.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The Shadow Slimes continued to gather around Lee Shin. Their physical traits allowed Shadow Slimes to hide in the ground; hundreds were already beneath Lee Shin’s feet.

‘Is it because of the Shadow Space?’

Lee Shin wondered if his shadow was actually darker than the Shadow King’s.

Gieek— Giek!

Kieeek— Kik!

Kekeek…

‘They are slowly gathering around me.’

The inhabitants of this realm lived in darkness and had highly developed sensory organs. However, being under the Shadow King’s rule had made them start fearing shadows.

‘My shadow is definitely different from the Shadow King's; since it also seems powerful, they are not trying to fight me.’

Thousands of undead lived in Lee Shin’s Shadow Space, and each one of them had its own shadow. That explained why these creatures weren’t attacking him.

Stomp... Stomp...

Lee Shin walked for what seemed like an eternity, navigating through an endless sea of darkness where nothing was visible.

"

Krrr!”

A Shadow Slime growled.

Lee Shin heard the growl but decided to ignore it.

"

Grrrrrr—!

" The Shadow Slime growled again.

For the first time, a Shadow Slime lunged at Lee Shin. It seemed to have a class higher than others as it didn’t even fear Lee Shin’s shadow.

‘Warrie.’

Warrie emerged from the shadows, swiftly swinging his sword to strike the creature. The clean-cut sound echoed as the creature's arm dropped to the ground. Warrie’s red eyes glowed in the darkness as he and the slime exchanged a few more blows.

Soon, the presence of the slime blocking Lee Shin’s path disappeared. Warrie sheathed his sword and returned to the shadow space.

"When will he show up?" Lee Shin muttered, trying to grasp the situation.

Lee Shin continued walking after looking around for a bit. The creatures following him were likely lower in rank, as they seemed afraid. However, the number of creatures attacking him increased as he ventured deeper.

Fwhoosh!

May materialized flames, illuminating the surroundings and momentarily dispelling the darkness that had persisted until now. The light now felt unfamiliar.

Baaam—!

Something massive struck the ground, creating a deafening noise and leaving the ground shaking.

Crack—

There was another loud bang, and many Skeletons shattered, their mana returning to Lee Shin. Something massive, so enormous that he couldn’t even take it all in without moving his eyes and head, had appeared before him. Lee Shin conjured a sphere of light and saw that before him was a giant with an entirely black body and yellow teeth. The giant raised its fist, which alone was bigger than Lee Shin, and aimed it at him.

[Shield]

Baaang—!

The giant emanated immense pressure, crushing everything around it. The Shadow Slimes that had gathered beneath Lee Shin scattered in all directions. Even the other, stronger creatures surrounding him dispersed quickly. The second he had spent noticing all these details was enough for the fist to come rushing at him.

[Lightning Strike]

Blue thunderbolts materialized in and around Lee Shin’s fist.

Pizz—

Next, Lee Shin merged the thunderbolt with an impact spell and launched it toward the Giant's abdomen.

Baaam—!

The blow struck the Giant's belly, making him stagger back. Apart from his colossal size and surprising speed, this Giant monster did not seem particularly formidable.

[Shadow Space]

From the Shadow Space, Lee Shin took out a sturdy lance crafted from undead bones and infused it with mana. The black mana coiled around it like a snake and started spinning.

‘Die.’

Lee Shin threw the lance straight toward the Giant's head, maximizing its penetrating power.

Crack—!

"Grrrrrr..." The Giant groaned in pain.

Before the Giant monster could even react, it was dead. Lee Shin walked past its corpse without sparing it an extra glance. As he continued, the scattered creatures scattered swiftly converged upon the fallen Giant, voraciously devouring it.

‘When will he show up?’

Lee Shin realized he could not find the Shadow King in this place. His only option was to wander around and hope to detect his presence when he got closer to Lee Shin.

Sssss—

Suddenly, Lee Shin noticed that the Shadow Slimes were moving erratically. He could deduce that the one he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

‘The Shadow King…’

Stomp… Stomp… Stomp…

Soon, the Shadow King’s silhouette emerged from the darkness. The Shadow King, with a human-like appearance, approached Lee Shin.

"A human?" Lee Shin was surprised by the revelation.