As the time for the gate to open approached, Choi Jaeheon endlessly called Ian. But Ian either had his phone turned off or wasn’t answering. While he was struggling with this headache, he met Hong Seoyoon and Yoon Taegyeom in the conference room. He informed the two that Ian had disappeared, and unlike Yoon Taegyeom, Hong Seoyoon’s face was strangely glossy.
Seeing that face, Choi Jaeheon realized where Ian was.
“Hong Seoyoon.”
At the sight of Choi Jaeheon approaching while grinding his teeth, Hong Seoyoon cheerfully waved his hand.
“Heyyy!”
But what came back after the friendly greeting was a collar grab.
“You know where Ian is.”
At the growling words, Hong Seoyoon looked elsewhere and whistled for no reason.
“Where is Ian!”
“Hey, wait. Calm down, calm down.”
“Do I look like I can calm down? That fragile kid is in a dangerous place?”
“Jaeheon. Ian being young is true, but he’s an adult now?”
Moreover, Ian had fallen alone into another world and experienced far more brutal situations. He didn’t mean to belittle the efforts Choi Jaeheon had made until now. Since he’d just embraced the existence he’d desperately searched for, it was natural to worry constantly. However, Ian was an adult who could take responsibility for his own decisions.
“If he wants to do it, we shouldn’t just oppose it.”
“Hong Seoyoon.”
“No, really think about it rationally? The three of us can protect him. And Ian promised not to get involved in dangerous things. He’s been a good listener since way back.”
“Still!”
Choi Jaeheon grabbed Hong Seoyoon’s collar and held his head.
“Still…”
His voice gradually got smaller. He knew Hong Seoyoon’s words weren’t wrong, but he was anxious. What if Ian disappeared or got hurt again like before? Bound by imagination, his anxiety grew larger and larger.
“Let’s trust him.”
While the two were talking, the Guild Master of Haetae entered the empty conference room.
“What? Are you two fighting?”
Jeong Yeonhwa asked, looking between the two.
“No. Fighting? We always get along well, you know!”
At Hong Seoyoon’s smooth words, Jeong Yeonhwa frowned and went to find her seat.
“Let’s talk again later.”
And so their conversation temporarily subsided.
***
Ian stood next to the container brought for meetings, looking up at the sky. He wanted to catch a demon and hear some things. How they came to Earth, what they were planning to do here. There was so much he wanted to know.
‘Catching one demon shouldn’t be difficult.’
The problem was what came next. Ian wasn’t skilled at torturing demons. At most, he only knew how to burn wounds with divine power. The expert in this field was Vermouth. Thinking that and lowering his head, he saw sparkling blonde hair in the distance. Vermouth, who got off the helicopter, walked this way without even glancing at the people swarming around.
‘Did he catch me!’
He tried to flee in shock, but strangely his body wouldn’t move. It felt like he was captured and held in place by those violet eyes.
“Good day to you.”
Vermouth greeted Ian gracefully. Ian nodded appropriately and finally began to slowly pull back his body that had started moving. But as much as Ian retreated, Vermouth approached.
Did he notice? Goosebumps rose along his spine. Although he’d always acted tough in front of Vermouth, he was by no means an easy opponent. It was natural for Ian to be tense. Sweat seeped into his tightly clenched fist.
“Why are you so tense?”
Vermouth stood close as if they were the most intimate of acquaintances and continued speaking. The moment felt endlessly long.
‘No, let’s not worry. Right now Vermouth can’t take me back to Lancia.’
Hadn’t he expected to face Vermouth anyway? Just as Ian confidently raised his head and was about to open his mouth, Choi Jaeheon blocked in front of him.
“What’s the matter?”
At the cold voice, Vermouth curved his eyes into crescents. But his mouth wasn’t smiling at all.
“Indeed. What really is the matter? This person is my secretary.”
Hong Seoyoon joined in too. Yoon Taegyeom was still just watching, but showed signs of intervening if necessary.
“Ah, secretary?”
Vermouth twisted his lips.
“I’m acquainted with that secretary, you see.”
“Acquainted? Really?”
Hong Seoyoon threw the question to Ian, pretending to know nothing. For now, Ian quickly shook his head. He was prepared to meet Vermouth, but if possible, it was better to postpone that moment.
“Our secretary says he doesn’t know you?”
Vermouth’s smile deepened.
“I think he’ll know soon. Very well. Then I’ll see you in a bit.”
He thought he’d cling on longer, but unexpectedly Vermouth backed off cleanly. However, judging from his meaningful words, it seemed there wasn’t much time left until the dungeon opened. He’d always been ghost-like at sensing such signs.
Right at that moment, the air trembled strongly and the sky tore open.
A giant hand ripped through the crack and emerged, and monsters poured down through the gap. Monsters with wings immediately flew up, but those that couldn’t fell straight down. Weak individuals died instantly, but even so, the monsters threw their bodies down without a moment’s hesitation.
“Aaaah!”
Screams came from all directions. Awakeners who kicked off from where they’d been staying immediately attacked the monsters. The Guild Masters who had been in the conference room were the same.
Yoon Taegyeom immediately drew up water. Fortunately, because the Han River was right next to them, it was much easier to use his ability. The water he summoned pushed away and swallowed the monsters. The monsters trapped inside suffocated or were crushed to death.
On the other hand, Hong Seoyoon fiercely burned the ground.
“Kuaaaak!”
And Choi Jaeheon crushed the monsters whose bodies were burning. As initially discussed, each guild took charge of their own areas and blocked the monsters. Since cooperation seemed difficult from the start, they’d chosen that method.
Vermouth didn’t step forward even seeing the Awakeners struggling, but just stood beside Ian.
Ian sighed and looked up at Vermouth. When he removed his sunglasses, an infuriating face was revealed.
“Why are you here?”
“You know it’s not yet time, don’t you?”
In the sky Vermouth looked up at, a giant hand that had completely emerged from the gate could already be seen. If that’s a hand, how big must the body be?
“It appears to be the giant race.”
The clan that fell to hell after starting a rebellion coveting the gods’ position. They too were called demons.
“Looking at the size, it seems like a half-breed. Isn’t it easy for you?”
“Not quite. The divine power consumed since crossing over to Earth hasn’t been returning. Isn’t it the same for you, Ian-nim?”
What pretense! Vermouth was the strongest person in Lancia even excluding divine power. Being counted as the number one powerhouse there literally meant an existence that could crumble mountains and cut through rivers. Still, the fact that divine power wasn’t recovering was useful information.
‘Then my power might not be divine power to begin with.’
Ian had no restrictions using his power after returning to Earth. There were no cases where the power he used didn’t return. It seemed the goddess Regnasia of Lancia hadn’t granted abilities but had summoned someone who already had power.
“Doesn’t divine power work best against demons?”
“So?”
“To face the giant race, it seems my power needs to recover.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Then there’s no helping it. Let’s pray that the Earthlings can defeat the giant race on their own.”
He didn’t know how infuriating Vermouth’s brightly smiling appearance was.
“You’re really a bastard.”
“That’s right. I’m your bastard alone.”
“Fucking bastard.”
“I’m always delighted by your curses. Because you only say them to me.”
He cursed because there was no one else to curse at but him. Other people besides Vermouth still fell within the category of normal people.
“So, what will you do?”
Ian exhaled deeply and grabbed Vermouth’s collar.
“You bastard, you better fight well.”
Soon Ian’s lips touched Vermouth’s cheek. Vermouth was different from the S-ranks he’d seen here. If their power was a lake, Vermouth’s power was like the ocean. Would scooping a few buckets of water from the ocean be noticeable? Of course not. But Vermouth’s power was strangely hitting rock bottom.
“What nonsense did you pull?”
“Me? I merely faithfully performed my duty as an S-rank Awakener.”
While grinning like that, before he knew it his hand rose and slapped his cheek with his palm.
“Go.”
Vermouth rubbed the cheek Ian’s hand had touched with an ecstatic expression.
“Yes, I’ll be back.”
Lancia’s strongest, the goddess’s first Holy Knight, dragonslayer, Grand Master, and so on. The being from another world with dozens of titles moved. At that moment, all the monsters that had been rushing at humans like mad stopped moving.
This masochistic imbecile
They’re kinda like an old bickering couple