[16F - Genkelope’s Vessel]

It was the first time in a while that I had visited the vessel.

I was here to attend a meeting with Wicked for the expedition team organized by the Djinns against Orden. The Tower of Wish was the perfect place for two opposing parties to hold meetings because here, everyone resurrected after death.

“There’s a lot of people here.”

“Yeah.”

Many things had changed in the six months I had not visited. For starters, the entrance inspection was now stricter and higher-tech than most airports. Security guards in power armor were all at least level 16.

“It’s changed a lot. It’s mine but doesn’t feel like it.”

Once again, greed boiled inside me. I could bring this vessel outside simply by awakening a new Gift....

“You’re right. So much has changed since last time. I could get lost here now.”

Boss’ eyes roved idly over the crowd. Even at a glance, there was at least a couple of hundred Players waiting to enter the gate. I studied their faces with Boss.

—What do we do from here to get to the 17th floor?

—There’s a separate transport ship. You just have to pay TP to go up. And don’t even think about doing anything stupid on the 16th floor. There’s a PK ban here and almost all kinds of fighting are prohibited. Hotels and restaurants are concentrated in Area 3 so try going there.

—Aha, I see. Thank you.

—And if you want to get stronger, visit the arena and the dungeon. You can practice against NPC guards in the arena, and the dungeon is located at the lowest level.

‘Kim Youngjin’, Essence of the Strait’s Tower of Wish supervisor, and his group of rookies caught my eye. Actually, it might be wrong to call Players who managed to climb up to the 16th floor ‘rookies’.

Anyways, while watching them, I walked past the long line of Players waiting to check in.

“Look, they’re cutting!”

“No cutting in line!”

“Hey! What are you doing?”

“Alright, please be quiet.”

A few players snarled at us, but a security guard stopped them. We entered the ship, accompanied by the guards.

“By the way, Hajin, I heard the Hero Association also tried to make a bargain with you.”

Boss said as we entered the inner area of the vessel.

“Oh yeah, that happened.”

I wasn’t sure who recommended me, but the Hero Association did try to recruit me.

Of course, I had no intention of joining them. Rather, I planned to infiltrate the ‘Tower of Heroes’, the home of the Association, while they were preoccupied with Orden, to save a young child who was being exploited there.

“More importantly, Boss, what do you think of my plan?”

A young child with the ‘Authority of Healing’ who was currently being abused in the Tower of Heroes. The child was seven years old seven or eight years ago, so she was probably a teenager now.

“It’ll likely be difficult.”

We had to rescue that girl.

Eight years ago, the upper echelon of the Association were still in good health, and they raised the child with utmost care. However, things had changed. Now they were exploiting the child only to satisfy their selfish desire to overcome aging.

“But Jain, Cheok Jungyeong, and Jin Yohan seem to want to do it.”

“...How about you, Boss?”

This work had to be done since the girl played a major role in the final half of the story. But now that the greed of those in power had become much larger than in the original story, it was highly likely that the child would not survive until then if we continued to allow her to be exploited.

“I....”

Boss stared at me in a brief silence.

“...I’ll do as you please.”

I smiled in relief.

"Thank you."

"...You’re welcome."

We gave each other a warm smile. We then walked down the street, glancing over the scenery which clearly had changed a lot.

Soon, we arrived at the meeting place. It was a large room in a hotel that I had never heard of. It looked like the hotel was built in my honor, as evidenced by its name [HAJ HOTEL]. A large round table stood at the center of the room. We sat in whatever chair was available, put on our hoods, and waited for the Djinns to arrive.

“Hajin, you stay quiet.”

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

Boss and I sat absently-mindedly. Boss threw a quick glance at me and then fixed her gaze in the air before rolling her eyes up and down. She was reading a ‘Tower FreeWebNovel’.

I got lost in thought. Suddenly a question crossed my mind.

‘What is Chae Nayun doing right now?’

I also realized this not too late.

‘If I’m curious, I could always see for myself.’

I sent a thought to Spartan. ‘Go find Chae Nayun in the Himalayas. Then share your vision with me.’

...As soon as I closed my eyes, the view of a snow-covered mountain stretched out in front of me.

Chae Nayun was at an inn located in the middle of the mountain. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she read a letter in her hands.

—Oh thank God. I’m glad.... I’m so glad....

It seemed the letter was from Yoo Yeonha. Chae Nayun held the letter in her arms while murmuring countless thanks.

I could roughly make out the contents of the letter. Though she seemed to have lost a bit of weight from the recent hardships, she seemed genuinely happy now.

Seeing her like that made me feel a little melancholic.

She was the first person in this world to express her feelings for me. I never forgot the vivid, heartwarming affection she gave me. I still didn’t know what she saw in a man like me.

—Chae Nayun. What are you doing there.... Wait, are you crying?

At that moment, someone came up to Chae Nayun.

I hadn’t expected to see him there. The only named character in the Himalayas should’ve been Heynckes.

—I-I’m not crying. What do you mean I’m crying? More importantly, aren’t you going back to Mt. Baekdu, Master?

‘Wolf of Valhalla’, the Master-rank Hero Yoo Sihyuk.

He frowned at Chae Nayun.

—How can I leave when that old geezer is trying to steal my disciple from me?

—What anchovy is calling me an old geezer?

...I watched the interesting turn of events with anticipation.

“Hello—!”

Suddenly the door of the room we were in burst open, and a huge, upbeat cry rang out. We both stopped what we were doing and looked over.

‘Wicked’, who recently rose to the top of the hierarchy among the Nine Evils, was making an entrance into the room.

He approached us with steps full of confidence.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Wicked, ‘Ha Yeonhee.’”

Though her name and appearance were too young to be called Wicked, Boss and I shook her hand in turn. WIcked’s underlings rushed in and stood on either side of the room.

“Now, let us start the meeting! Hahaha—!”

Wicked said and again laughed heroically.

**

[Vast Expanse’s Cave]

Meanwhile, in a cave home to Vast Expanse and his hunters, the coziness of which was superior to most ‘towns’, the leaders of two groups were having a conversation.

“Me?”

“Yes. The Association would like for you to join the Orden Assassination Team.”

Vast Expanse’s Yoon Kwangwon.

Essence of the Strait’s Yoo Jinwoong.

Yoo Jinwoong looked into Vast Expanse’s eyes calmly. His eyes, infused with azure magic power, shone brightly from a distance. His thick beard was exceedingly stunning, and his long hair made him look rather like a sage or a hermit. Vast Expanse had aged elegantly.

“...If you’d like to recruit me, you’ll need at least tens of billions of wons.”

“That is a cheap price, considering we expected hundreds of billions.”

Yoo Jinwoong replied with composure.

“Also, what use is money if you lose all of your land to monsters?”

At Yoo Jinwoong’s words, Vast Expanse smiled.

“Say, what do I look like to you? Why do you assume the Association is willing to pay such a high price to hire me?”

“...That’s a strange question. Are you not the immeasurably strong Vast Expanse?”

Vast Expanse slowly shook his head.

“No. I only see myself as an old man. Strange. Yoo Sihyuk is merely eight years younger than me, yet he looks your age.”

Sentiments were embedded in his voice. Without any words, Yoo Jinwoong simply waited for Vast Expanse to continue.

“That is probably the normal rate of aging for a superhuman who has mastered the ways of magic power, at least until he’s seventy.”

Vast Expanse stroked his beard. The hand that patted the beard was covered in age spots.

“But not for me. My side-effect is growing old.”

Side-effects of Gifts.

Of course, they were very rare these days with every Hero being systematically managed. However, side effects were common among Heroes of the past, who had to fight day after day without proper management.

Yoo Jinwoong asked, trying to divert his eyes away from the wrinkles on Vast Expanse’s face.

“Then what is it that you want?”

“I heard the Association has custody of a child with the Authority of Healing.”

“...Yes, that’s right.”

Yoo Jinwoong nodded.

There was a girl with the ‘Authority of Healing’ at the Tower of the Heroes. Her Authority could cure all illnesses and injuries, except for death.

But the misuse of her power at a young age could potentially double the side effects. So the Association had vowed to protect the child and promised her a peaceful childhood. However... these days, high-ranking officials of the Association had begun to take advantage of the child. She was being used as a tool to extend their lifespans.

“I heard that she can even reverse aging.” Vast Expanse spoke a streak of anticipation flickering in his eyes.

“Reversing the aging process is, in some ways, putting off death.”

“I’m aware, but even now she’s being used to extend the lifespans of several political figures. Now, is that the right thing to do?”

Yoo Jinwoong did not answer. Just recently, the child had used her power to heal the scars left on Chae Joochul’s body by the devil. But everyone would understand that healing Chae Joochul was for the public good.

“Don’t you know that the Association is rotting away? I can assure you that some Heroes have already switched sides, allured by Orden’s proposal. Orden did come to me once. He said he would offer me youth, but I declined.”

Vast Expanse’s eyes arched into a gentle smile. The smile was a mix of solid self-esteem unique to a man who believed in himself and revulsion directed to the others.

“I think there are Ten Evils in this world, not nine. People say these days that ‘Wicked’ triumphs over all others, but my opinion is different. The worst of the Ten Evils is ‘Unsightliness’”. His mellow voice was filled with apparent hostility. “It’s the Association.”

In a flash, Yoo Jinwoong’s expression turned into a frown.

“...You. How could you say such a thing?”

“The seven chairmen of the Association are rotting away while hiding under the light of Shin Myungchul’s achievements. Do not trust those codgers who are tarnishing the name of the Great Hero. They must be dragged down from their seats.” Vast Expanse spoke solemnly.

Yoo Jinwoong simply let out a sigh.

Vast Expanse and Shin Myungchul. Even Yoo Jinwoong wasn’t aware of the relationship between them.

All he knew was that Shin Myungchul was the revered Hero of all Heroes, who had been active since Outcall, and that Vast Expanse was a latecomer who admired Shin Myungchul.

Vast Expanse continued, “Give me the girl. I will take care of her. I do not give away what’s mine nor do I let my possessions break. I won’t lay a finger on the child until her Authority has matured.”

“...Even if I wanted to.”

‘He’s impossible to persuade,’ Yoo Jinwoong thought as he murmured dejectedly.

“One of the biggest sponsors of the Association is Chae Joochul.”

Chae Joochul.

The name was feared by both humans and Djinns alike. Chae Joochul’s influence was stronger now than ever.

Nevertheless.

“Hahahaha....”

Vast Expanse gave a rather leisurely laugh. Yoo Jinwoong felt envious at the words that flowed out of Vast Expanse’s mouth the next moment, amidst the laughter.

“I am not afraid of Chae Joochul.... Haven’t I told you that there is only one thing that I fear? It is ‘getting old’....”

**

[England — London]

Evacuation and mobilization orders were issued throughout England as oceanic monsters started to rage. Citizens were urged to evacuate inland, and Heroes and guilds were ordered to gather at the shore. Rachel, the ‘leader’ of the English Royal Court guild, arrived at the English Channel with members of her guild.

“What’s the situation?” She asked.

Government officials answered Rachel gravely. “Sea monsters are going on a rampage across the English Channel. Although we have the assistance of mystical animals, barriers and the breakwater won’t last long.”

The Thames River, which ran through the heart of London, was safe thanks to ‘Essence Barrier,’ but the seaside, where bigger and higher-ranked monsters were rampaging about, was helpless. An even bigger problem was Ireland. Ireland had already abandoned its capital, Dublin.

“Confirmed monsters are; multiple intermediate-rank grade-1 Crentios, three high-intermediate-rank grade-8 Sirens, high-intermediate-rank grade-5 Crasios Catfish, high-intermediate-rank grade-1 Kraken....”

One of the officials was reporting, when suddenly....

Kuoooo—

Far away, a giant catfish created a waterspout over the surface of the sea. A whirlpool, combined with violent currents and massive magic power, transformed into a typhoon that rushed inland.

Rachel drew her sword in the face of the natural disaster created by a monster. A water elemental appeared from the Fairy Sword ‘Galatyn’.

“Wartortle, stop it!”

The water elemental dove into the sea and formed a new current. This current rotated in the direction opposite of the typhoon created by the catfish. It bounced the typhoon upward into the sky, offsetting it with ordinary rain clouds.

“Sunshine, Earth, Fiery.”

However, merely stopping its attacks wasn’t enough. Only by killing the monster could they put an end to this struggle for good.

Rachel called for her elementals. Now fully grown, they stood sternly and glared imposingly across the sea.

“Everyone, please get ready!”

Rachel wanted to create an environment suitable for the assembled Heroes.

She planned to order Wartortle to block the flow of currents, Sunshine and Earth to form artificial land, and Fiery to partially evaporate the sea water to expose sea monsters lurking at the bottom of the ocean to the Heroes and their arrows, spears, swords, and cannonballs.

“Wartortle...?”

However, there was no need for Rachel’s elementals to come into play.

Chwaaaa—!

From somewhere far away, a giant weapon flew in. Surprised by its power which was even greater than its overwhelming speed, all Heroes looked back in a daze.

A countless number of weapons flew through the sky. They crushed the horde of sea monsters with ease. Monsters could not escape from this attack even by hiding underwater. The weapons, composed of enormous magic power, easily plowed through the sea water and cut off the heads of the sea monsters.

Kwaaaak—!

The weapons continued to rain down.

‘Who in the world could possibly cast an attack of this level as easily as a flick of a finger...?’ Rachel looked back, confused and astonished.

“Ah!”

As expected, Shin Jahyuk was there. With her arms folded, Shin Jahyuk was releasing weapons filled with magic power, just as she did in Crevon.

Rachel wasn’t sure why she came here all of a sudden; nevertheless, Shin Jahyuk was a great addition to the allied force. Rachel shouted loudly.

“Aim for the monsters—!”

Heroes, encouraged by the remarkable strength of their ally, returned a boisterous roar, and Rachel did what she had planned to do with her elementals.

“The water is gone! Leader dried the sea!”

“Attack the sea monsters on shore!”

“Die, you monsters, die....”

......Three hours after the fierce battle.

Rachel greeted Jin Sayhuk at the Vice Leader’s Office of the English Royal Court guild. Jin Sahyuk sat in front of Rachel and looked around. The frugal yet elegant interior seemed to reflect the nature of its owner.

Rachel bowed to Jin Sahyuk first.

“Thank you for coming all the way to England even though I haven’t asked for—”

“Enough of that.”

Jin Sahyuk interrupted Rachel and leaned forward. In that posture, she looked straight at Rachel. It was unexpected eye contact.

“...?”

When Rachel tilted her head in confusion, Jin Sahyuk smiled and continued. “Remember that letter you gave me last time?”

“...Ah, yes.”

Rachel finally had a rough idea of where this conversation was going. Jin Sahyuk probably wanted her advice regarding Kim Hajin.

...It was just that, but Rachel felt uneasy as if a small fire had started in her stomach.

Rachel clenched the hands on her knees into fists. Jin Sahyuk took a glance at them and said calmly.

“Thanks to you, I’ve arranged to meet with him.”

“...Pardon?”

At that moment, Rachel’s shoulders trembled slightly.

“M-Meet? You’re meeting him?”

“Yes, I think I’ll see him within a month. Anyways....”

Jin Sahyuk continued, watching the dazed Rachel in amusement.

“What does Kim Hajin like? I’d like to prepare a gift.”

This was obviously intended to poke fun at Rachel. And it worked well. Confused, Rachel couldn’t even look at Jin Sahyuk’s face properly. Her wriggling fingers and aimlessly wandering eyes were almost too pitiful.

“I, I’m not sure....”

“Hmm? Judging by that, I guess you aren’t very close to—”

Rachel cut in before Jin Sahyuk could finish her sentence. She herself did not know just where her impatience had come from.

“B-Book. He likes books.”

“...Books?”

Jin Sahyuk frowned. She found it hard to believe that there was a man who loved books.

“Yes. You probably don’t know this, but Hajin-ssi was always at the top of his class in Theory at Cube.”

“Um... really? Is that good?”

“It’s not just good, it’s incredible.”

Rachel continued with a stern expression.

“One professor in particular always praised him, saying Hajin-ssi could have won a Nobel Prize if he only focused on Theory. This professor was also a Nobel laureate himself.”

“Mm, yeah? Nobel Prize, you say.... Anyways, I get it, thanks. You’ve been a great help.”

That was all she needed. In the first place, the reason she came all the way here was to observe how this elegant princess would react to her provocation. Right now her life was full of boredom and she needed a little entertainment.

However, when Jin Sahyuk turned back, she heard Rachel’s voice from behind.

“Miss Shin Jahyuk.”

“...Hmm?”

Jin Sahyuk turned to Rachel again. Suddenly Rachel’s face had become very serious. Her expression was stiff and she was biting her lips. At that sight, Jin Sahyuk almost broke into a burst of laughter, but she managed to hold herself back.

Rachel said to Jin Sahyuk, “Since you’re being introduced to him as my acquaintance, please don’t get too comfortable with him. My country considers Kim Hajin-ssi a top priority in diplomacy. Hajin-ssi is the Technical Advisor at Essential Dynamics and also Jeronimo’s....”

Rachel’s polite yet strict warning went on.

“Fenrir has a close relationship with our government—”

“Okay, okay. I get it.”

Jin Sahyuk cut her off and turned around. She could feel Rachel’s burning gaze land on the back of her head.

‘She’s pretty fun to tease.’

“I’m leaving.”

This whole meeting was a complete waste of time, but Jin Sahyuk felt it was worth it as Rachel had shown her such a satisfying response.

Now in a much better mood than before, Jin Sahyuk left Rachel’s office with light steps.