Two n in armor walked along a dark forest path.
One was a muscular young man in his mid-twenties, and the other was a boyish teenager in his late teens.
They walked silently without exchanging any words, until one of the young knights broke the silence with a frustrated tone.
“Have you heard the news?”
“What news?”
The other knight, who was also tired of this silence, eagerly responded.
“Six days ago, right before we left the Round Table to recruit the new lord, there was a fight in another area.”
“A fight? Fights are not uncommon in this mixed world, are they?”
“Hey. I wouldn’t have said this if it was just a common fight.”
Gareth, a knight of the Round Table and a third-generation saint, spoke with an excited voice as he saw the ignorant knight’s surprised expression.
“This fight happened far away in the territory of the King of Inferno, Hell Realm.”
“Hell Realm? Isn’t that where the Demon King Mara Papayas is? There was a fight there? Did Paradise move or sothing?”
“No way. Paradise has been cut off from the outside world since five years ago.”
Five years ago.
It was when the world called Earth fully entered the mixed world.
The most famous first-generation saint in Paradise, the Enlightened One Sakyamuni, disappeared as a result of his intervention in the lower world.
It was enough to cause a stir in the whole mixed world when a saint who had the title of Divine Spirit, which only four existed in the entire mixed world, violated the system and directly intervened in the lower world.
“I don’t know why he did such a thing with the title of Divine Spirit, but Paradise lost its position as a great power after that.”
“That’s right.”
Percival, a man who walked with Gareth and also a knight of the Round Table, nodded and agreed.
Paradise was in chaos after losing such a big pillar as the Enlightened One.
They had already struggled to cover up the previous incident of Chulapantaka, and it was barely over.
They drew a line between themselves and Chulapantaka, saying that he went down to the lower world on his own and did whatever he wanted, and that it had nothing to do with Paradise.
But it was different for the Enlightened One.
No matter how much they said that Sakyamuni went down to the lower world on his own, it was not sothing that could be blad on him alone as a mber of Paradise.
Ironically, Chulapantaka moved under the command of Paradise but ended up as an individual matter, while Sakyamuni moved on his own but ended up as Paradise’s will.
The first-generation saints of Paradise all shut their mouths, and along with the death of Sakyamuni, which was their biggest concern, so third-generation saints left Paradise.
“But even so, a great power is still a great power. As they say that even if a rich man goes bankrupt, he can last for three generations, there are still many first-generation and second-generation saints in Paradise.”
“That’s true. But what’s important is that they lost their forr glory, right? I don’t know if it’s because of that, but Mara Papayas, who had never been on good terms with Paradise, beca more active.”
“Yeah. That’s why I thought that maybe Paradise had stepped in when you said that. Five years may not be that long, but from their perspective of hating evil, even five years must have felt long. It wouldn’t be strange if they moved again now.”
“You might think so, but that’s not the case. The fight that happened in Hell Realm was caused by an individual.”
“An individual?”
Percival opened his eyes wide and asked.
“Did one of the first-generation saints of Paradise step in?”
“No. I told you. Paradise is still quiet.”
“Then who?”
“A wandering outsider. I heard that he was a transcendent who ca to the mixed world from Earth five years ago.”
“A transcendent? No matter how transcendent he is, there are many strong transcendent under Mara Papayas.”
“That’s why it’s amazing.”
Percival walked silently for a while and couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.
“What happened to that fight?”
“What do you think?”
Gareth smiled like a child and Percival realized that things didn’t go as he expected.
“Don’t tell , that wandering transcendent won?”
“Yes. He single-handedly crushed more than ten transcendent under Mara Papayas and even destroyed Machungung at the top of Hell Realm.”
“What?”
It was unbelievable.
Who is Mara Papayas? He is a first-generation saint and the first Demon King in that world, a terrible being.
He couldn’t have just watched as his territory was invaded, and his huge palace was shattered.
“What happened to the first Demon King?”
“No one knows. The news suddenly stopped.”
“Could it be…”
Percival asked uncertainly, wondering if his guess was right.
“Did he… run away?”
He couldn’t have died.
If he did, there would have been rumors. But the news stopped, which ant he could only have fled.
That Demon King? The one whose fa was clear even in Mabinogion, where they belonged, even from far away? The one who ran away after being invaded?
“That’s what everyone thinks.”
“Huh, unbelievable.”
“It’s not certain, but it’s the only explanation. The Sky Palace was destroyed, most of his transcendent followers died, and even five hundred Celestials and five Celestial Captains were killed.”
“And that was done by a single unaffiliated transcendent?”
It was unbelievable.
Even a first-generation Spirit would need a lot of power to do that.
Unless it was soone at the top of the Demon King Alliance, like the Heavenly Emperor, or one of the Sword Immortals of the Thirty-Six Heavens, no individual could cause such a big commotion.
Especially not a transcendent from Earth.
“So there’s a strange rumor going around.”
“A rumor?”
“Yes. The transcendent who destroyed the Sky Palace was actually a very powerful transcendent since she was in the Lower Realm.”
“That’s… even more absurd. If he was a transcendent in the Lower Realm, he should have beco a Spirit without any problem.”
“That’s why it’s strange. But not everyone becos a Spirit when they get stronger, right? So people give up on becoming a Spirit and focus on honing their own strength.”
“That’s… true.”
They were all Spirits who had answered the call of the ‘Horizon of Stories’ to ascend to a higher seat.
But there were also a few who didn’t.
Those who didn’t ascend to the stars as humans, but instead explored and challenged their limits with their innate talents.
One of the Four Divine Spirits, [Justice Who Drank Poison], called them ‘Overcors’.
“Like that magician who is with our king.”
“Shh. That’s enough.”
Percival raised his hand to stop Gareth’s chatter.
When Gareth asked him what was wrong with his eyes, Percival pointed his finger at the front.
Beyond the forest path they were heading to, a red light flickered.
It was evidence that soone had arrived earlier and set up camp, but that wasn’t important.
“If the information is correct, that’s it, right?”
“…Yes. That’s right.”
Gareth nodded nervously.
They had left the Round Table and wandered through this remote forest for this mont.
“The Book pile lord is there.”
“Really. And Book pile lord? What a weird na. Who ca up with that?”
“The Heavenly Emperor, I heard.”
“…Now that I hear it, it sounds kind of cool.”
Percival nodded quickly and corrected his strange thought.
That wasn’t important.
They had co to et Yu-hyun.
***
Yu-hyun sat quietly and looked down at the burning bonfire.
Next to him, Kang Hye-rim was still sleeping with her eyes closed like a dead mouse.
It had been over a week since the Black Thunder Lord died and Kang Hye-rim was reborn. But she still showed no sign of waking up.
She wasn’t dead. She was alive. He could still hear her breathing if he listened carefully.
He didn’t know why she couldn’t open her eyes. Maybe it was because of the shock of death.
As he silently watched the firewood burn, Yu-hyun suddenly opened his mouth.
“Take care of her for a while. Descartes.”
[Yes, my lord.]
His voice ca from thin air, and soon Descartes appeared wearing a plague doctor mask.
Until now, Descartes, who did not show himself even when Yu-hyun called him, belonged to Kang Hye-rim, who was the Black Thunder Lord.
But after Kang Hye-rim collapsed, Descartes was able to return to Yu-hyun.
Yu-hyun knew that, so he didn’t bla him and naturally entrusted Kang Hye-rim to him.
“Co out.”
As soon as Yu-hyun’s words ended, the bushes rustled and two n appeared.
One was a blond young man with a muscular build and long hair, and the other was a young boy who still had a childish appearance.
Yu-hyun didn’t judge them by their appearance.
The fact that they had such appearances in this mixed world ant that they were already proving themselves to be Divine Spirits.
The books floating above their heads backed that up.
“Just tell what you want.”
“Are you the Book Pile Lord?”
The blond knight, Percival, asked that.
Yu-hyun didn’t look at them and kept his eyes fixed on the bonfire and answered.
“Didn’t you know when you ca looking for ?”
“I see. I apologize for being rude. I am from the Great God Mabinogion…”
“The Knight of the Round Table Percival. And next to him is the Knight of the Round Table, Gawain’s brother Gareth.”
Without even introducing themselves, Yu-hyun’s answer pierced their nas and Percival opened his eyes wide.
“Did you know?”
“I just found out.”
“…”
Percival’s mouth burned.
He had already heard rumors about the Book Pile Lord.
A newcor who appeared like a cot after knocking down the Black Thunder Lord, who had a reputation in the mixed world.
‘I only heard that he was wandering endlessly with the corpse of the dead Black Thunder Lord.’
Percival’s eyes glanced at Kang Hye-rim, who was sleeping next to Yu-hyun.
The Black Thunder Lord was alive, not dead.
And what was that plague doctor mask wearing thing that was near her, protecting her?
“Ahem. If you know about us, I’ll get straight to the point. Book Pile Lord. Won’t you join us in Mabinogion?”
Mabinogion, the Great God who handled Celtic mythology on Earth.
They had a lot of first-generation Divine Spirits and were a group that didn’t get pushed around in the mixed world.
Just by saying their na, they would make people bow their heads and co in.
But Yu-hyun’s answer was different.
“Get lost.”
At his blunt words, Percival’s eyebrows rose.
“Isn’t that too much?”
“…”
Yu-hyun turned his head and stared at Percival as he looked at the burning bonfire.
The mont he saw his heavy eyes, Percival unknowingly shuddered his shoulders.
‘What kind of look is that…’
He was confident in his fighting ability as much as a second-generation Divine Spirit, but when he faced Yu-hyun, he felt that thought disappear.
As Percival wondered what to do now, Gareth tapped his arm.
“Gareth?”
“Percival. Let’s just go.”
“No, but…”
“Hurry up.”
Gareth didn’t explain why and grabbed Percival’s hand and pulled him.
Yu-hyun muttered softly as he watched them.
“Good decision.”
With that said, Yu-hyun looked at the bonfire again.
Gareth stopped walking when he thought he had dragged Percival far enough.
“Gareth. What is this? Why did you suddenly…”
“Percival. I’m sorry if this sounds rude, but please don’t misunderstand and listen to .”
“What?”
“If we had stayed there any longer, we would have died.”
“What?”
Percival closed his mouth before he could ask what that ant.
“You know what I an, right? What happens when you make eye contact with the Book Pile Lord.”
“…I heard he was a pretty ta guy, but when I saw him in person, there was no wounded beast like him.”
“I realized it as soon as I saw him. That man, I an the man called the Book Pile Lord… Do you rember?”
“What did you say?”
“Don’t you rember? The story of the teller that caused a sensation five years ago. The one who gave up his protection and fought in the borderlands by himself.”
“Oh, right. I never saw his portrait, but I heard his na. Was it Kang Yu-hyun?”
“That pile of books lord… That’s him, Kang Yu-hyun.”
“What did you say?”
“At first, I was doubtful, but I recognized him as soon as I saw his face. He and the Black Thunder Lord Kang Hye-rim were colleagues a long ti ago.”
Percival couldn’t understand.
The Black Thunder Lord and the pile of books lord were colleagues in the past? But wasn’t it known that the pile of books lord killed the Black Thunder Lord?
What on earth had happened between them?
No, more than that, the fact that the Black Thunder Lord, who was thought to be dead, was still alive…
“That’s not the important thing. You know that we were late to co here, right? It’s been a week since the rumors about the pile of books lord spread.”
“…Yes. To be honest, I thought he had already been taken by another great army.”
“Then why do you think he’s still alone? Do you think no one else ca to him in the anti?”
“Don’t tell , he rejected all the offers?”
“That’s not all. If that was the case, I wouldn’t have said this.”
Gareth lowered his voice and told Percival the important fact that he had noticed.
“So of the Divine Spirits died by his hand.”
Gareth shivered as he recalled it.
He had the power to see the ‘karma’ of those who were killed by him.
That’s why he stepped forward to recruit the pile of books lord.
He had the ability to see how amazing and dangerous he was.
And what he saw from Kang Yu-hyun, the pile of books lord, was
A ticking ti bomb that should never be touched.
Especially, the karma of the dead that floated behind his back was so vivid and strong that anyone could tell that they hadn’t been dead for long.
“If we had bothered him more… We would have died by his hand.”
“…”
Percival couldn’t deny it, even though he thought it was absurd.
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