Translator: Marctempest
Editor: The Reader
Chapter 354
The fire hadn’t burned down the entire village. Thanks to me extinguishing the flames before they could reach every corner, the village’s damage miraculously stayed below half.
The house of the village’s eldest, who others referred to as the village chief, was one of the spared buildings.
“H-here’s something to drink.”
The village chief offered me water with trembling hands. He couldn’t shake off his anxiety.
It was understandable. He had seen me swiftly annihilate hundreds of soldiers from the Black Thunder Lord’s army. How could he not be tense?
Though he wanted to send me out of the village, he didn’t have the power to do so.
Besides, I was the village’s savior. Regardless of how I looked or the power I held, it was an undeniable fact that they owed their lives to me.
Even if the wolf pack was gone and a tiger had come in, they had to bow their heads.
“I have many questions.”
I smiled brightly at the woman sitting across from me.
Kate, Jimmy’s older sister, felt a strange sense of incongruity from my smile.
When I was wearing the mask and sweeping away the soldiers, I seemed like the scariest person in the world. But now, sitting face-to-face, I was just a polite young man.
Wondering which was my true self, Kate kept her guard up.
“So, what are you curious about?”
Kate signaled to the village chief that she would handle things, urging him to leave and not worry.
The village chief left with a grateful nod, practically fleeing the room. In the end, only Kate, Jimmy, and I remained in the room.
“I’m curious about how this world has changed over the past five years.”
“If you’re talking about the past five years… after the Great Explosion. Why are you suddenly curious about that? With your skills, it’s strange not to know.”
“I woke up after a long sleep. Everyone I knew was gone, the surroundings were different, and even common knowledge had completely changed. I met Jimmy while trying to get my bearings. Does that answer your question?”
“…Yes. So, what exactly are you curious about?”
“Everything.”
“Everything?”
“I heard the general story from Jimmy, but there are still many details I don’t know. What is the Black Thunder Lord? What happened to the Divine Spirits? Where did the Tellers go? Everything.”
“Got it.”
Kate began to explain everything she knew to me.
“Where should I start? After the Great Explosion, Earth became completely part of the mixed world. As a result, the mental realm merged with the surroundings and became part of this world. The Tellers who roamed Earth could no longer stay here.”
“Because it’s no longer a business site.”
“That’s right. Earth is no longer an lower world. While it hasn’t fully become part of the upper world, it’s true that contact with the Divine Spirits has become much easier. The number of direct contractors has increased significantly.”
Direct contracts.
With Earth becoming part of the mixed world, the Divine Spirits began approaching the collectors they had their eyes on.
The indirect sponsorship, which was only in the form of points sent through the Tellers, disappeared after the Great Explosion.
Instead, direct contracts involving power, stories, and various tools became popular. The Divine Spirits expanded their ranks.
“Of course, people who weren’t favored by the Divine Spirits remained in the same dire situation. The fate of the unchosen is always miserable.”
Ordinary people who hadn’t awakened before also started awakening, but not everyone received the Divine Spirits’ favor.
In a changing world, the gap in talent still existed.
Those who became followers of the Divine Spirits rose quickly, while those who didn’t remained stuck below.
After direct contracts became common, the gap between people widened instead of narrowing.
People who wanted to climb higher stuck to the followers of the Divine Spirits. The relationship between a lord and their followers was always like that.
“This village is a refuge for the weak who weren’t chosen and gathered in the outskirts.”
“And it’s under the control of a lord.”
“It has to be. Every place not ruled by a Great Divine spirit or an ordinary Divine spirit is under the control of a lord. There’s no land without an owner in this mixed world.”
“I heard talk of rebels. What are they?”
Despite the difficult question, Kate answered without hesitation.
“What else? They’re people who rose up to resist the lord’s exploitation and oppression. The Black Thunder Lord’s army calls them rebels, but they call themselves the Liberation Army.”
“Hmm. I see. The world has changed this much in five years…”
“Do you have any more questions?”
“Yes, I want to know more about the Black Thunder Lord. Tell me everything you know about her.”
“…The Black Thunder Lord, or Demon Sky Kang Hye-rim, is one of the lords ruling this area. Her power is so overwhelming that even other lords don’t dare to touch her. I still don’t know why she rules such a remote place instead of a core area.”
Kate continued.
“Five years ago, before the Great Explosion, Heavenly Demon Kang Hye-rim was one of the most famous collectors in South Korea. I didn’t know because I was on the other side of the world, but that’s what I’ve heard.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, in the early days after the Great Explosion, she wasn’t that bad, according to rumors. But as time passed, she changed. She started suffering from madness and eventually…”
Kate shrugged.
“…turned out like this. I don’t know why. Even her companions eventually scattered.”
“What happened to her companions?”
“Who? Oh, Demon Sky’s old companions? Hmm. I don’t know much about that. There were just rumors of them splitting due to differences of opinion. It drew a lot of attention, even in the mixed world. There’s no way to know their whereabouts.”
I wanted to know the whereabouts of Kwon Jia, Seo Sumin, Yoo Young-min, and Baek Seo-ryun besides Kang Hye-rim, but Kate knew nothing more. It was impressive that she even knew this much.
From what Kate said, it seemed Kang Hye-rim changed after the Great Explosion.
Eventually, conflicts with her companions arose, leading to the breakup of White Flower Management.
‘Is it because of me…?’
It was highly likely.
It wasn’t narcissism. I had always been aware that I was the focal point holding White Flower Management together.
“What kind of person is the Black Thunder Lord?”
I didn’t call her Kang Hye-rim because I didn’t want to equate the person I knew with the Black Thunder Lord.
“The current Black Thunder Lord… is a madwoman. She locks herself in her fortress, exploits people, and kills mercilessly for minor resistance.”
The appearance of rebels was precisely because of this.
Once known as the Promising Sword Empress, Kang Hye-rim had fallen apart, becoming the Demon Sky who tormented people from her lord’s seat.
It was hard to believe, but reality proved it.
It left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I gulped down the water in front of me.
Kate, with half-open eyes, asked.
“…Were you acquainted with the Black Thunder Lord?”
“In the past.”
I quietly placed the empty glass on the table.
“We knew each other. I never thought she would turn out like that.”
“…You knew her? Who exactly are you?”
“Kang Yu-hyun.”
“Never heard of you.”
“If you don’t know, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
I shrugged. Despite building a considerable reputation, five years had passed. It wouldn’t be surprising if people had forgotten me.
Even famous celebrities become forgotten if they don’t stay active for just a year. I had been asleep for five times that duration.
If the world had remained unchanged, some might still remember me, but the world had changed drastically over the past five years. To people now, collectors and Tellers who were once famous no longer held any significance.
“Anyway, thank you for saving us. Without you, we would all be dead. Um…”
Kate trailed off, hesitating to say something.
“You want to ask if I can continue protecting the village?”
“…How did you know?”
“It’s obvious. If the soldiers sent to root out the rebels disappear without a trace, what will others think? They’ll assume the rebels got them. And then? A larger force will come. You’re anxious because you know this.”
“Then…”
“Even so, I can’t help.”
“But…!”
I cut off Kate’s words with a cold voice.
“Do you think I acted purely out of goodwill? It’s true I helped, but that was just to justify my intervention. I killed those soldiers because I deemed them beasts drunk on blood. Humans who don’t see other humans as humans are harmful even if they live, so I removed them.”
“…But there are still many like them left. The army won’t leave you alone.”
“Yes, I know. So I’ll fight them. I won’t deny that. But fighting them and protecting you are entirely different matters.”
“That’s…”
“I understand your disappointment. Maybe you want more help since you’ve received it once. But clinging to me isn’t a good idea.”
I glanced outside.
“I have no intention of joining your Liberation Army.”
“…What?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”
I smirked, showing the empty glass in my hand.
“You dared to put something in my drink. How bold.”
“That… that’s…”
Kate’s face turned pale. Jimmy, who had been listening quietly, looked up at his sister.
“Sis? What does he mean? What drug?”
“N-no, I don’t know…”
“Seems she genuinely doesn’t know. So, the village chief did it on his own.”
I slowly stood up from the chair.
Kate’s mind raced. She hadn’t drugged the drink. She had no intention of doing so. Yet, my words meant someone had acted independently.
She panicked.
“W-wait! It seems someone on our side made a mistake…”
“Mistake or not, those people outside. They’re with your Liberation Army, aren’t they? How discreetly you’ve surrounded me.”
I sensed the presence of people moving outside. They seemed to be trying to move quietly, but they couldn’t escape my sharp senses.
They didn’t show hostility, but that could change. I couldn’t trust people easily in situations like this.
It was a harsh world, but such was reality.
“I’ll go out and persuade them!”
“What do you expect me to trust?”
Standing by the door, I shot a sharp retort at Kate.
Kate froze, unable to say anything.
“I think I’m showing plenty of patience by not being angry at you. Am I wrong?”
“…No, you’re right.”
“Your reaction tells me you didn’t plan this. But others did.”
“I… I…”
“When I was being polite and asked you nicely, you should have acted accordingly. Relying on someone’s goodwill leads to this. So, just stay put and watch.”
Because there’s nothing you can do.
Kate bit her lip and lowered her head at my words. Jimmy still didn’t understand the situation, looking between his sister and me with confused eyes.
“Savior… sir?”
“Tell your brother, too. I can’t leave him in the dark.”
With those words, I left the village chief’s house.
Outside, I was met by a crowd. Faces I hadn’t seen in the village. Each one had an imposing aura.
Their outfits varied. Some wore armor, while others were dressed for mobility.
Among them, I spotted the village chief.
His eyes widened in shock upon seeing me walk out calmly despite supposedly having been drugged.
“You have a poor way of greeting guests.”
“Surrender.”
The man at the front spoke abruptly.
I found his words amusing and laughed. My gaze turned to the village chief.
“Didn’t you tell him? What happened to the soldiers who invaded?”
“He told me everything.”
“And you still say that to me?”
“It was only 300 men.”
“Hmm. Strange. When did 300 men become insignificant?”
Having slept for five years, I had no idea about the new standards.
“Surrender. If you do, I promise to treat you with respect. Otherwise, I’ll subdue you by force.”
The amusement disappeared from my face at his words.
Whether in the past or now, people always acted arrogantly until you showed them true power.
I donned the Mask of Aporia.
Four red eyes glowed ominously.
“Try it.”