Mixed Novel Haha93.66%

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Chapter 274: Chapter 274

The site was so treacherous that he couldn't believe his own eyes.

Most of the bodies were missing limbs, and he couldn't recognize a single body.

Ho Sung Lee smoked his cigarette and looked up at the starry sky.

Min Sung Kang said that Beatrice was a world made by the Dionysus Gods.

But why did those Dionysus Gods allow for such cruel things to take place?

He couldn't understand.

Ho Sung Lee swore and threw away his cigarette.

After putting it out with his heel, he shook Bowl, who was still sleeping.

In response, Bowl groaned, "Mmm" and slowly opened his eyes.

"Are we here?" Bowl asked Ho Sung Lee.

After putting Bowl down on the ground, he sighed.

"Let's do some good work. Don't make them into the Undead and bury them, so they can rest in peace," said Ho Sung Lee while looking at the bodies on the ground.

"But why are we doing this all of a sudden?" Bowl asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Burying them."

"Because I feel bad for them. We're also the party responsible."

Ho Sung Lee looked at the bodies and knitted his brows.

"Maybe all of these people wouldn't have died if we had nothing to do with them."

"Then Marie would've died," Bowl answered.

Ho Sung Lee looked into the distance and smiled bitterly.

"Yeah."

Ho Sung Lee sighed into the air and began moving.

Bowl followed.

Bowl used his dark magic to dig up graves, and Ho Sung Lee moved the bodies.

After that, Bowl used his magic to fill the graves back up.

Ho Sung Lee and Bowl repeated this process without a word.

"What a nice son of a b*tch. You're doing a good deed."

Once they were half done, Bowl stared at Ho Sung Lee and made the remark.

In response, Ho Sung Lee stretched out his back and smiled bitterly.

"… I'm nice? Me?"

Bowl nodded.

"Yeah. You're doing this when nobody asked you to."

Ho Sung Lee shook his head.

"It's not like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Because I was never a good person," replied Ho Sung Lee while looking into space.

"Back in the day?"

In response to Bowl's question, Ho Sung Lee laughed.

"It wasn't even that long ago. Before I met Min Sung… No, I'm still nothing but a scumbag."

Bowl snickered.

"No, you're nice."

Ho Sung Lee laughed at Bowl, who was smiling brightly.

"Thanks."

"No problem. No, keep working, son of a bitch."

"Stop calling me that."

"Then what should I call you?"

"Forget it. Just keep working."

Ho Sung Lee shook his head and began working again.

He then stopped in his tracks.

That was because he sensed someone.

'Who is it…?'

'A survivor.?'

Ho Sung Lee immediately used his skill.

As a supporter, he had an outstanding searching ability, so he was certain he could find them.

In the 2 o'clock direction.

Someone was inside the village building.

He wasn't sure if it was a person, monster, or a beast.

As soon as Ho Sung Lee waved his hand, 3 dark shadows launched at high speed.

Once the dark shadows found their targets, they slowed them down and shoot up fireworks to notify him of the location.

Right as he was about to get ready to charge toward the signal…

[Your shadow skill has failed.]

"… What?"

Ho Sung Lee stared at the system message with shocked eyes.

His shadow skill was one of his most powerful abilities.

Since the shadows began the search in a secretive manner, it wasn't easy to recognize it and stop it before it found its target.

This meant that his opponent was a player.

And seeing how he deactivated his shadow skill, he was no ordinary player.

Ho Sung Lee stared in the direction where he sensed someone.

Krok had died.

'… Is it his underling?'

Ho Sung Lee decided to wrap up the job and report it to Min Sung as soon as he got back.

***

The Iris tree, which had stopped growing for a while due to the divination sign, had begun to consume earth's nutrients again, according to the system message.

Min Sung, who felt stuffy staying inside the house, went outside and took out the ancient document.

He hoped that there was some new information since he obtained the secret document, but he was let down.

The ancient document wasn't a

quest but just a sign that pointed him in the right direction.

Min Sung put the ancient document into his item window and took out the scroll.

12 names.

It would take too long to take care of them one at a time.

Min Sung wanted to face off against all 12 of them at once if possible.

From his experience in Beatrice, he felt that he had a chance against all 12 signs.

The problem was time.

Once he arrived in the region with 12 different cities, it would take quite some time before he got the opportunity.

Min Sung decided he needed a way to drag out all of them at once so that he could annihilate them in one go.

But just because he was in a rush didn't mean he could act rashly.

After all, that could possibly extend the time rather than limit it.

'I have to think of a way.'

Min Sung's eyes flashed.

***

In the middle of the dark and vast space was a long table.

There was no high seat.

People began to walk into that space.

Eventually, all 12 men and women sat in their seats.

Upon sitting down, a moment of silence filled the room.

They were the ranker players referred to as signs.

In the midst of the heavy atmosphere, one man, who had his face covered with a hooded robe, opened his mouth.

"I'm sure you all know why we've gathered here."

All the players remained silent.

He continued, "There's a player in Beatrice who has been climbing up the ranks at high speed. I wasn't interested when he first entered the ranks, but he's been suspicious these days."

The man took out an item from his item window.

It was a small toy cube.

Once he put it down, the cube moved on its own to create a type of video on top of the table.

The 12 signs all gathered around the video.

Upon watching the video, the signs didn't look very comfortable.

The robed man opened his mouth.

"As you can see, the fact that this new ranker defeated Krok isn't that important. The problem is how the player defeated him."

The signs' faces grew stiff.

"I doubt any of you considered Krok a match, but it's not common for someone to defeat him so easily. Especially if you consider the fact that he possesses the item, Kielle."

"So do you have a plan?" Another sign asked.

The robed man let out a long sigh.

"First, I'd like to ask something. What do you think will happen if we go up against him?"

"From our standpoint…"

"It'll be difficult. It appears that his mindset toward the 1st rank is quite strong."

"But he's just one person…"

"That's why we have to discuss it now and come to a decision."

"If we decided to avoid him, is there a favorable way of going about it?"

"I do have a plan I've been considering, but we have to make a decision first. No matter what we choose, we have to be prepared."

They all looked serious.

"First, we need to watch the video and understand his power. If we can get rid of him without being harmed, it would be best for us to move first."

The 12 signs began to analyze Min Sung, who had recently entered the ranks.

And they came to one conclusion after just 30 minutes.

That they need a better understanding of his power.

In order to check, they had to throw him a bait, and the 12 signs had a very good bait to use.

"Then we've decided. I agree with it. Let's test him first."

The 12 signs' first meeting came to a close.

***

As soon as Ho Sung Lee returned, he reported that someone was watching him and that they deactivated his skill.

Since Ho Sung Lee hadn't confirmed anything and there was nothing to assume, Min Sung just kept it in mind and headed toward the region where the 12 signs resided.

It was fairly far, so even if they raced at high speed, it would take quite a bit of time.

But since he got enough rest and had a good buildup of stamina, he predicted that it would take him around 2 days to arrive.

After that, he raced for 24 hours without stop.

When Ho Sung Lee reached his limit.

Min Sung decided to take a break in the middle of a desert.

After a 30-minute break, they were about to depart again when they saw something approaching with the moonlight behind their back.

Ho Sung Lee grimaced with his guard up.

"… Why are there so many of them?"

As Ho Sung Lee said, there was a large pack headed toward Min Sung's party.

It looked like there were a thousand of them, and all of them were equipped with silver armors and helmets.

"I think they're targeting us."

"I've been itching to fight. Good timing."

Min Sung stared at the army headed toward him. He took Bowl out of his pocket and handed him to Ho Sung Lee.

As soon as Ho Sung Lee accepted Bowl in his arms…

"Wait here."

Min Sung kept his eye on the thousand troops and took out his Gungnir S from his item window.

Min Sung walked toward the large number of soldiers and clenched onto his Gungnir S.

Kaboom!

His Gungnir S lit up the dark desert with white light.

Chapter 275: Chapter 275

***

The army that the 12 signs sent were made up of the Undead, which consumed two-thirds of their power and skills.

There was no better way to check Min Sung Kang's fighting ability than to use these killing machines.

The 12 signs held their breath and waited for the battle to unfold between their Undead forces and Min Sung Kang.

Through this battle, they had to understand just how powerful Min Sung was.

If it was discovered that he was much more powerful than they expected, they would have to discuss their next steps in excruciating meetings.

The ideal scenario for the 12 signs was for Min Sung to die in the hands of their Undead forces.

But they didn't even expect that much because they didn't think it was possible.

The important thing was to estimate his power.

Even if Min Sung Kang won, if he suffered any harm, that would be an effective outcome for them.

The 12 signs hoped for the ideal scenario to take place as they focused on the video footage of the soon-to-come battle.

***

Min Sung watched the disguised soldiers and cracked his joints.

After loosening up his body, he turned his focus on the army.

The army was walking over with confidence as if they had nothing to fear.

Min Sung intended to use a great deal of his force this time.

He didn't have any time to waste.

It was important that he settled things as quickly as possible.

He had to make things sweet and simple.

He couldn't forget that he was limited on time.

He would end them in one go.

Smoke radiated from Min Sung's eyes, and the Gungnir S that he held in his hands gave off magic energy.

Vrrr, vrrr, vrrr!

His Gungnir S made ringing sounds as if it was itching to move out.

Min Sung glared at them with an explosive energy and used his special skill.

As soon as his command fell, his starving Gungnir S charged like an animal.

Slashhh!

Swoosh!

The Gungnir S flew over and landed right in between the soldiers.

And then…

Min Sung's magic energy exploded.

Kaboommmmmm!

As soon as the ghosts of the 12 signs got swept away from the magic energy, Min Sung charged in.

In a matter of seconds, Min Sung took his Gungnir S from the ground. It spun around in the air and swung his Gungnir S.

Kaboom!

Along with thunder and lightning, the magic energy wiped out the army.

They were no different from high-level monsters produced by the 12 signs, but compared to Min Sung's power, they were nothing more than just tin cans.

Min Sung got rid of the 12 signs' ghosts easily.

Every time he swung his Gungnir S, the ghosts' armors were ripped to shreds.

From in between the ghosts, Min Sung became a tornado and proceeded to swallow them up whole.

***

"… I can't believe this."

Except for one of the 12 signs, everybody gasped without a word.

The way the 12 signs saw it, Min Sung was powerful enough to be one of the top 10 ranking players in the inner continent of Beatrice.

Cold air and silence filled the meeting room of the 12 signs.

***

Min Sung breathed heavily, but he was okay other than that.

Min Sung caught his breath and looked around him.

There wasn't a single Undead soldier who was still moving and alive.

The Undead army of the 12 signs was wiped out on the ground.

Every time Min Sung walked, pieces of armor and bones hit his shoe.

He looked around to make sure everybody was dead and they were.

Upon confirming that fact, Min Sung put his Gungnir S into his item window.

At that moment…

The Dionysus Gods shot him messages.

[The Dionysus Gods are amazed by your hidden power.]

[The gods would like to gift you with points.]

[You received experience points.]

[Your reputation is rising.]

[You are now able to battle the 12 signs.]

[Upon defeating the 12 signs, you will qualify to fight in the reputation war with all

players in the inner continent.]

Min Sung nodded at the system messages.

Since he was now able to participate in any war, he was going to be able to climb the ranks at a higher speed.

"Sir."

Ho Sung Lee stood behind Min Sung with Ssol and called his name.

"We're heading out," Min Sung said while looking in the direction of his destination.

"Right now? But you need a break just in case something else comes up later," said Ho Sung Lee in a worried voice.

"It doesn't take long to recover. We have to move quickly."

Min Sung put Bowl in his pocket and began running.

Ho Sung Lee watched Min Sung take off and followed behind him.

He then looked behind him.

They were just a type of monster, but when Ho Sung lee first saw the army, he was very afraid.

They were not to be underestimated, but Min Sung managed to wipe them all out in a very short period of time.

It wasn't that he didn't see it coming, but Ho Sung Lee was certain as he watched Min Sung's backside.

Min Sung Kang was disturbing Beatrice's ecosystem.

***

The silence lasted a while.

Not a single 12 sign could open their mouth.

That was how serious the situation was.

Meanwhile, the man, who was leading the meeting, opened his mouth.

"This is going to be harder than we expected. If that new player fights us…"

The man dropped his head.

"We will die."

"Even if we can win, we will suffer great harm, and since many are targeting our land, we're in big trouble."

"Didn't you say we had a countermeasure for this situation? What is it?"

All 11 robed people stared at the man in a robe.

He took off the hood from his head and let out a long sigh.

He then looked up and opened his mouth.

"We must break the taboo."

In response to the man's remark, the other signs' faces stiffened up.

They all knew what he meant by that.

"It's not favorable, but that's our only choice."

The signs' faces turned serious, but not a single person refuted.

That was how serious the situation was.

Even if they had only poured two-thirds of their magic energy into the army, meaning they were weaker than the 12 signs, they still possessed a great deal of magic energy.

But a new player who wiped them all out appeared, and he was so fast that it was scary.

The burden of this reality was beyond the 12 signs' imagination.

It was time for them to make a decision.

It was dangerous to break the taboo, but it was the most effective.

It was the only way to resolve the issue without shedding blood.

"We don't have much time."

The man who led the meeting spoke.

It was a long contemplation, but their determination couldn't win over time.

They eventually decided to break the taboo, and the 12 signs immediately left the meeting room.

Since the plan was made, it was time to carry it out.

***

Min Sung's party arrived at their destination which included 12 cities managed by the 12 signs.

There was a small number of people in the village, and in order to enter the first city, Horn, they had to pass through a large gate.

As Min Sung walked toward the entrance guarded by soldiers, he figured they would stop them from entering.

But as soon as they saw Min Sung's face, they didn't bother checking his identity and allowed him to pass through the gate.

"It seems like they know us," Ho Sung Lee said from beside Min Sung.

But Min Sung didn't mind it and continued to walk through.

Ho Sung Lee continued to keep his guard up as he glanced around the village.

The first city was filled with people.

There were middle-aged women, older women, and although most of them were women, they couldn't see any young women.

The same applied to any place in Beatrice, but what set this place apart was the scale.

This place was full of so many people and lively atmosphere that it was hard to believe they were still in Beatrice.

It almost felt like they time-slipped to the Middle Ages.

Although the architecture wasn't glamorous, they maintained better conditions than the other buildings they had seen.

Overall, the city of Horn seemed to be quite wealthy.

While they walked through the village, a group led by a soldier approached Min Sung's party.

Min Sung stopped in his tracks, and they stopped in front of Min Sung and paid their respects.

They were all women, and they were beautiful.

"The 12 signs have been waiting for you. First, let us escort you to the Horn Castle."

Min Sung decided to follow them.

"Lead the way," Min Sung said with a gesture.

The women turned their bodies and began walking as Min Sung instructed.

"It doesn't seem like they want to fight."

Min Sung sighed and scanned the village.

"We'll see."

Ho Sung Lee was impressed that Min Sung was able to sigh.

Inside a city containing inner continent players and the 12 signs who Krok feared so much.

He sighed.

He had known him for a long time, but Ho Sung Lee was still unable to adjust to Min Sung's power.

Chapter 276: Chapter 276

***

Upon entering the castle, Min Sung's party was introduced to their rooms.

There was a total of two rooms, and just like before, Min Sung got one room to himself while Ho Sung Lee used the other room with Bowl and Ssol.

They arrived at Min Sung's room first.

Min Sung opened the door and checked the room.

It was a very large and luxurious room.

"Is it to your liking?" The beautiful female player of Horn, Amelia, looked at Min Sung's face and asked.

"I'm going to wash up and eat first, so tell the 12 signs or whatever they're called to come to Horn by tomorrow."

The entire group that escorted them looked shocked.

It was understandable that they were shocked and the same went for Amelia.

But Min Sung ignored their reactions and entered his large room.

After that, Ho Sung Lee remained in front of the door with Bowl and Ssol.

He was bothered about the looks on the women's faces.

This was an unexpected situation even in Ho Sung Lee's opinion.

He wanted the 12 signs to be gathered together.

It was no wonder they were shocked by it, but the women soon came back to their senses.

"… Right this way."

The women led the way.

The uncomfortable air poked Ho Sung Lee on his skin.

***

While Ho Sung Lee brought Bowl and Ssol to his room, Min Sung was sitting in the lotus position on the ground.

He then began to control his magic energy as told in Samchunkyo's books.

As soon as he finished, time had passed.

His entire body was covered in sweat.

Min Sung took off his clothes and entered the bathroom.

Hot water was already filling the tub.

After washing up, he was changing into his clothes when he heard a knock.

"Sir, this is Ho Sung."

He heard a voice from outside the door.

"Come in," replied Min Sung.

Ho Sung Lee entered the room.

"I'll prepare your meal right away. Is that okay?"

"Of course."

Ho Sung Lee opened the window. He set up the table and began cooking.

Min Sung looked out the window and made a plan.

The 12 signs' reaction.

And what he would have to do from now on.

A white light flashed from Min Sung's eyes as he looked out onto the scenery.

***

The sky turned gloomy followed by rain.

Harmonic, who was the one amongst the 12 signs who always handled the biggest cases, arrived at the gates of the city of Horn.

Upon seeing the badge on Harmonic signifying his identity as a 12 sign, the guards stiffened up and opened up the path.

After entering the gates, Harmonic walked inside the castle.

The players of Horn, who were briefed later on, came running over.

The Horn players paid their respects.

"Send the rest of them away and only the leader will follow," Harmonic said as he took the lead.

The players, excluding the leader, paid their respects and left.

The leader, who remained, followed Harmonic with a nervous look on her face.

They entered the closest office.

Harmonic sat down at the table, and the beautiful leader kept her eyes on the ground out of respect for Harmonic.

Harmonic tapped on the table with his index finger.

After a long silence, Harmonic opened his mouth.

"He entered the Horn castle, huh?" Harmonic asked.

"Yes, Sir."

"Did you hear anything?"

"He made an excessive request."

Harmonic's eyebrow twitched.

"An excessive request?"

"He asked for all the 12 signs to gather here by tomorrow morning.

Harmonic laughed with his head back.

"What an impressive man."

The leader waited for Harmonic to give her a command.

After a moment of thought, Harmonic looked at the leader with sharp eyes.

"Schedule a meeting in the afternoon. And no matter what he does, don't irritate him."

"Yes, Sir."

"You may go."

The leader paid her respects and left.

Harmonic turned his chair. He looked out the window and let out a sigh.

"Where did something like that pop out from?"

Harmonic knitted his brows and put a cigarette in his mouth.

The quiet office was filled with smoke from Harmonic's cigarette.

***

"The food is ready."

Ho Sung Lee pointed at the table with a smile.

Min Sung sat down at the table after a nice shower.

Upon checking the

menu, he was in awe of Ho Sung Lee's choice.

It was hand-pulled dough soup.

Not long ago, he enjoyed the dough inside the pork bone soup, but today, that was the main ingredient.

He saw clams and vegetables in the clear broth. He also saw sliced peppers inside as well.

Min Sung slowly picked up his spoon.

He tasted the broth first.

Gulp.

"Phew."

Min Sung breathed out and shook his head.

He couldn't believe it.

Ho Sung Lee had become an incredible chef.

"This is delicious."

In response, Ho Sung Lee smiled and excused himself.

Min Sung began to eat the hand-pulled dough soup.

After eating a few of the clams, he chewed on the hand-pulled dough.

It was soft and chewy at the same time, and the broth had a deep flavor that flowed down his throat.

While he watched the rain outside the window, he ate the steaming hot hand-pulled dough, and this made him realize just how important meals were in life.

Fat pieces of hand-pulled dough and broth. He felt like eating a piece of Kimchi with it brightened up the overall flavor.

Min Sung slowly enjoyed the hand-pulled dough soup.

***

Once he finished his meal and woke up from his nap, Ho Sung Lee was nearby waiting for Min Sung to wake up.

Min Sung got up from the bed, and that was when Ho Sung Lee cautiously approached.

"Sir, I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"One of the 12 signs asked to meet you."

"Today?"

"Yes. He asked if dinner time is okay with you."

Min Sung thought about it and then nodded.

"Tell him I said yes."

"Yes, Sir."

Ho Sung Lee paid his respects and left the room.

Min Sung got up from the bed. He sat on the sofa with some water and looked far into the distance.

***

It was dinner time.

Ho Sung Lee went to Min Sung's room with the leader.

"Let's go, Sir," said Ho Sung Lee with a nervous look on his face.

Min Sung put on a long cardigan. He put his hands inside his pockets and gestured with his chin.

The leader led the way, and Min Sung and Ho Sung Lee followed from behind.

Not long afterward, they arrived at a large room that appeared to be a meeting room.

Min Sung knitted his brows at the empty room and glared at the leader.

"Harmonic is on his way. You'll meet him soon," the leader said respectfully.

Min Sung sat in the high seat of the table and crossed his legs.

"I shall return with Harmonic."

The leader nodded and left the room.

Ho Sung Lee stood close with his hands put together.

A moment later…

The fancy door opened, and Harmonic entered.

He was wearing a long and dark uniform.

He appeared to be in his early 30s, and he had blonde hair and a handsome face, which gave off a different image from what he was used to seeing on players.

Harmonic smiled and sat near Min Sung with a relaxed look on his face.

He didn't seem to mind that Min Sung was sitting in the high seat with his legs crossed.

"I apologize for being late. I had something to tend to. I hope you'll forgive me."

He assumed that meeting one of the 12 signs would take quite a bit of time, and he thought they would be quite cocky.

But Harmonic was the opposite of what Min Sung expected.

"Have you eaten?" Harmonic asked Min Sung with a smile.

And Min Sung's response was cold.

"What do you want?"

The air turned cold.

The atmosphere was so heavy that Ho Sung Lee found it hard to breathe.

Harmonic's smile slightly turned into an awkward stiffened face.

However, he fixed his face to look relaxed again.

"Well, if I have to put a label on it, I'd say I just wanted to have a chat."

Min Sung uncrossed his legs. He put his elbows on the table and rubbed his face as if he was washing his face.

He then glared at Harmonic with killer eyes.

Upon receiving that gaze, Harmonic's face stiffened.

Min Sung then smiled at Harmonic.

"Hey," called Min Sung in a low voice.

"…"

Harmonic received Min Sung's gaze with a flushed face.

"I came to kill you, so I can increase my rank."

"…"

Min Sung's fierce eyes penetrated that of Harmonic.

"What did you want to talk about?"

The air froze still.

"The 12 signs gathered and discussed it. We decided to help you."

Min Sung knitted his brows. He leaned back in his chair. He stared at Harmonic and opened his mouth.

"You'll help me? How? Is there another way to boost my rank?"

Harmonic shook his head.

"Isn't your goal to return to your own star after this? That's why you're trying to increase your rank, so…"

Harmonic continued with a twinkle in his eye, "We'll help you take a shortcut so that you can do that without participating in the ranking war."

Ho Sung Lee looked at Harmonic in shock.

He had just said that they could skip the ranking war and that the 12 signs would help them.

It was a shocking proposal.

Chapter 277: Chapter 277

"Why are you making such an offer…?

Harmonic cut Min Sung off.

"Like I said, we're raising a white flag, meaning we've surrendered. There's no other reason."

"Why not?"

Min Sung's eyes were filled with distrust.

"We've confirmed just how skilled the new player is, and we've given up because it's clear the 12 signs will never beat him. Nothing more, nothing less."

Min Sung laughed at Harmonic.

"Then what did you mean by a shortcut?" Min Sung asked with curiosity.

"The Iris tree, which connects your world to Beatrice. We'll tell you where to find the weapon that will cut off that tree once and for all."

His proposal was more tempting than expected.

If he could cut down the Iris tree, he didn't have to waste his time trying to stop the tree from making earth go extinct.

Just like Harmonic said, it was a shortcut that would allow him to skip the ranking war.

Of course, he wasn't sure if there really was a weapon that could cut down the Iris tree.

Min Sung thought that anything that the 12 signs said could be an excuse or a trap, but their proposal was better than he thought.

It was time to check if it was true.

"But how can I trust you? Why should I accept your offer?"

"We've already broken our taboo because anything related to the Iris tree is taboo for us."

"Yeah, but how can I trust you?"

"You'll have to check for yourself. Of course, there are risks. If it was that easy to obtain the weapon to cut down the Iris Tree, most of the players in the inner continent would have gone back to their stars by now."

"Then why don't you 12 signs or the other ranker players go after that weapon?"

"Because most of us like it here in Beatrice."

Min Sung looked at Harmonic in confusion, and in order to alleviate his curiosity, Harmonic continued, "Beatrice is a charming place because… you can become stronger. People can become stronger at a faster pace in Beatrice than their own stars. Power is something that is addicting and hard to refuse."

Harmonic appeared to have been enticed by the power that Beatrice gave him as well.

"What's the weapon that can cut down the Iris tree?" Min Sung asked.

"To be exact, it's a hammer and nail."

"If I hammer a nail into the Iris Tree, I can cut it down?"

"That's correct."

"Where's that weapon located?"

"The entrance to Heaven."

"Heaven…?"

"The territory of the Gods. It's the territory maintained by a low-level god."

"You're saying I have to fight a god."

"…"

"Do you know how to get to that entrance of Heaven?"

"Of course. The items required to use the portal connecting to the entrance to Heaven are divided amongst us 12 signs."

"You're saying I can use that to go to the entrance of Heaven. Then how can I trust that I can log out there?"

Logging out was a system that allowed them to return to earth.

If that system didn't work in Heaven, it could mean he could get trapped there.

"The 12 signs will accompany you. Will you trust us then?"

"Maybe."

"But you must make a clear decision whether or not you'll fight the low-ranking god to obtain the weapon."

Harmonic made it clear that he couldn't yield in that respect.

"How strong is the low-ranking god?"

"Not a single player has challenged the low-ranking god to obtain the weapon. That has been a taboo, and the players of the inner continent are not keen on breaking the taboo because it's the gods' territory."

"Then did you make this offer thinking I would take it?"

"If you don't accept this offer, we'll give up some of our reputations. With that, please bypass our 12 signs' territory."

It was a white flag.

They had no intention to fight.

They strongly wanted to end this without shedding blood.

It was a problem that was clearly not a trap.

The reason why he was so certain of that was because of their rebellion against the gods.

He never liked that the Dionysus Gods were rolling the dice and gambling with them.

He didn't like that he was the Dionysus Gods' toy, and the

ones who were trapping him here and making Earth go extinct were not the players of the inner continent but the gods.

He had to make a decision.

Whether to go to the low-ranking god or start with the 12 signs and obtain the 1st ranker title to return to earth.

He had to choose one or the other.

It was a dilemma, but it didn't take long before he made his choice.

Min Sung decided.

"I'll go to find the weapon that can cut down the Iris Tree. Gather the 12 signs by tomorrow," ordered Min Sung.

Harmonic smiled and nodded.

"Sure."

Harmonic got up from his seat and left the room.

A quiet place.

Ho Sung Lee glanced at Min Sung and smacked his lips.

"If you have something to say, just say it," commanded Min Sung.

"Well, I just feel a little anxious, that's all. You know how suspicious I tend to be. It doesn't feel right. Even if the god is low-level… I don't know if we can handle him."

"So what do you think we should do?" Min Sung asked.

Ho Sung Lee smiled awkwardly.

"I simply follow your decisions."

Min Sung stared at Ho Sung Lee and then got up.

"Iced Americano."

"Yes, Sir."

After their short conversation, Min Sung and Ho Sung Lee left the place where they chatted with Harmonic.

***

"Hehehehe…!"

Harmonic tried to hold in his laughter as he walked down the hall.

He didn't know it could be resolved so easily.

Who would've thought he would accept such a ridiculous offer?

He didn't know if it would work, but that man gave in.

He didn't have high hopes.

There was certainly a weapon that could cut down the Iris tree, but how could any human defeat a god?

There was one thing that Harmonic hid from Min Sung.

That was the fact that all the players who attempted to fight the low-ranking god had died.

He lied when he said not a single player had tried.

The 12 signs were planning to push Min Sung toward the low-ranking god to get rid of him once and for all.

Rather than fighting him and putting themselves at risk, it was best to throw him at the low-ranking god as bait, but he didn't know he would take the bait so easily.

"Hahaha…!"

He couldn't contain his laughter.

He had prepared all sorts of countermeasures for if he refused, but that was all pointless.

Things worked out so easily.

Harmonic sent a message informing the other 12 signs of their gathering tomorrow and acted quickly so that they could proceed with their mission before Min Sung changed his mind.

Harmonic sent his message and caught his breath.

'That was easy.'

Harmonic was smiling, but he quickly fixed his face when people appeared inside the castle.

The workers of the castle scanned Harmonic from top to bottom and then lowered their heads.

Harmonic did his best to keep in his laughter.

***

Ho Sung Lee's head throbbed.

He had no idea Min Sung would make that choice

He thought he would at least give it some thought, but he immediately accepted the proposal on the spot.

A low-ranking god who's even stronger than the 12 signs.

He couldn't believe they were now going to try to kill a god. Ho Sung Lee wanted to deny reality.

But Min Sung had already made his decision, which meant he had to go as well to kill the low-ranking god.

COMMENT

The way Ho Sung Lee saw it, the direction the 12 signs were thinking was so simple that he could understand what they were intending.

It wasn't them who was fighting Min Sung.

Even if Min Sung defeated the low-ranking god, he would then leave Beatrice, so there was no risk for the 12 signs.

Of course, it was good that the 12 signs were backing down, but fighting the low-ranking god to obtain the weapon to cut down the Iris tree was a whole different issue.

He wasn't sure if they were doing the right thing.

He wondered if he should tell Min Sung, but he only had two choices.

Obtain the weapon or fight in the ranking war.

Between those two choices, Min Sung decided to try to leave Beatrice as soon as possible.

They didn't know if this was an act of vain or if it was really a shortcut like Harmonic said until they saw the outcome.

Ho Sung Lee smoked and looked out the window from his room, and his mind was confused and complicated.

"Son of a b*tch. Bring Master his coffee," said Bowl.

Ho Sung Lee, who was blankly smoking, immediately put out his cigarette. He washed his hands and began making coffee.

***

Min Sung chugged his Iced Americano and then put down his glass.

A fight against the low-ranking god.

No matter his rank, he was a god.

This was the first time Min Sung felt nervous about a battle.

"Um, Sir."

Ho Sung Lee, who was standing behind Min Sung, called his name.

Min Sung glanced back, and Ho Sung Lee gulped and opened his mouth.

"The offer that the 12 signs made comes with too many risks. It's a god, and there must be a reason why the 12 signs made this offer…"

"I've already made my decision."

"… Yes, Sir."

"Prepare dinner. Tomorrow will be a tiring day."

Min Sung's words sounded peculiar to Ho Sung Lee today.

Ho Sung Lee nodded with a sigh.

"Yes, Sir."

Min Sung nodded.

Ho Sung Lee swallowed his fear and began preparing the meal.

Chapter 278: Chapter 278

***

Today's meal appeared.

It was a meal that was no different from the usual.

Ho Sung Lee didn't like to call anything a feast and raise his expectations only to be criticized.

Min Sung liked that about him.

In any case, it looked like a good meal, and he wanted to quickly go back to earth so that he could have a meal at a typical restaurant.

He wanted to escape from the endless fighting.

He would fill his belly and carry on.

Today's dinner was hot pepper paste pork belly.

The red pieces of pork belly were placed on a pretty plate, and beside it was vegetables, white radish, and Kimchi stew.

There weren't many side dishes, but Ho Sung Lee's meal appeared to be plentiful.

It was harmonious and abundant.

I smell something spicy.

Min Sung focused on the menu. He wiped his hands with a wet wipe and picked up a piece of pork belly with picked up a piece of lettuce with his other hand.

He put rice on top of the lettuce followed by a thick piece of pork belly, as well as some garlic and spicy paste.

He then wrapped it up and put it in his mouth.

He opened his mouth wide and chewed the mouthful of food.

The refreshing flavor of the lettuce along with the spicy pork belly and the garlic blew his mind.

Min Sung was certain that his spicy pork belly would taste good even after it was cold.

Gulp!

After swallowing a piece of lettuce, Min Sung proceeded to the next step.

He wrapped another piece of spicy pork belly with garlic and white radish and put it into his mouth.

The sweet and crispy radish and the spicy pork belly mixed together, and along with the scent of the garlic, the flavors gave off a different charm.

It was delicious.

After eating his second wrap, Min Sung decided to eat it on its own.

He placed a piece of spicy pork belly on rice.

This was the best way to experience the flavor of the spicy pork belly alone.

As soon as he got a taste, the sweet and spicy flavor of the hot pepper paste tickled his nose.

Sweet and thick piece of spicy pork belly.

The dinner was so perfect that it was worthy of being his last meal if need be.

Min Sung forgot about all his troubles and continued to wrap his meat in a piece of lettuce.

***

The 12 signs arrived in the city of Horn.

Before meeting with Min Sung, they gathered at the meeting room in the Horn Castle.

And Harmonic, who was in charge, told them about Min Sung's personality ahead of time.

"He tends to have a very offensive nature, but when it comes to the world, there's something very dark about him. He has a lot of power, but he doesn't use it in a political sense. Since he is the isolated type, if we go along with what he says without irritating him, we can resolve this easily," Harmonic explained to the 12 signs.

"Then is our plan to simply lead him to the low-ranking god?" Horn, the owner of the castle, asked Harmonic with big eyes.

He was asking if there was another intent.

"Of course not."

"…?!"

Harmonic laughed at the 12 signs, and that was when the 12 signs realized it.

That Harmonic had a different plan in mind.

"But it'll only be possible if you agree to it."

Horn tapped on the table as he waited for him to continue.

"Go on and tell us."

Harmonic saw the urging eyes of the 12 signs and showed a twinkle in his eye.

While he fights the low-ranking god, we will target his back. We must kill him. That was how we pay him back for making us break our taboo."

Upon hearing Harmonic's plan, one of the 12 signs with a bald head opened his mouth.

"But if the low-ranking god finds out we were involved, he won't leave us alone."

"We'll prepare an excuse. Something that he'll be convinced by. That's what we have to do today

in this meeting. An excuse to convince the low-ranking god."

"Hm…"

The 12 signs looked into the distance and thought deeply.

Their faces contained suspicion of whether the plan was rational.

As a result, Harmonic continued, "I'm sure you've all seen how powerful this new player is. If we don't do this, do you really think there's a way to get rid of him without shedding blood?"

"…"

"You must get rid of your suspicion."

Harmonic urged them, but some of them still couldn't agree to the plan.

"But… rather than breaking the taboo of messing with the low-ranking god, it might just be better to let him into our territory," said one sign.

"We can't do that because it would cause two problems," replied Harmonic with stern eyes.

"Two problems? What do you mean?" A sign close to Harmonic asked.

"First, if we let him into our territory, it's possible we will become the target of high-ranking players."

"Groan…"

What Hamonic said made sense, so the other signs simply groaned.

"Second, if we try to let him in, it's possible that new players will target us as well for our reputation. I don't know if we can handle that harm."

"…"

The meeting room turned still.

Harmonic was saying there were risks that couldn't be avoided.

For that reason, throwing the new player at the low-ranking god was the best way to avoid risks.

That was because gods reduced their physical involvement in the human world as much as possible.

So as long as they didn't show signs of malicious intent toward the gods, such problems could be resolved without trouble, and the other 12 signs agreed.

Their thoughts didn't extend further.

They all accepted that Harmonic's plan was for the best.

All 12 signs nodded at the same time.

Harmonic's proposal was accepted.

"Let's talk about how we'll calm down the low-ranking god."

They proceeded with the rest of the meeting.

***

The next morning.

Ho Sung Lee woke up much earlier than Min Sung.

He barely got any sleep.

He closed his eyes for just a moment, but he might as well have stayed up.

The reason was that he was nervous about the thought that the 12 signs would lead them to find the weapon that they could use to cut down the Iris Tree.

Ho Sung Lee smoked while looking out the window with a troubled look on his face, and all sorts of thoughts crossed his mind.

Following the dreadful moment, someone knocked on his door.

When he opened the door, there was a woman in a maid uniform letting him know that it was time.

Ho Sung Lee put out his cigarette. He sighed and walked out.

It was time to fight a god.

In order to wake up Min Sung, he took Bowl and Ssol to his room.

As soon as he knocked and opened the door, Min Sung was enjoying a warm cup of tea.

He didn't seem to be fazed by the fact that he had to fight a god.

He was impressed by Min Sung.

He should've been used to Min Sung by now, but he was someone who was hard to get used to.

He wasn't someone he could read so easily.

Ho Sung Lee didn't think the 12 signs were cowardly or foolish.

They were powerful with a strong will to survive.

That was the only reason they could become so powerful and secure the position of one of the most powerful in the inner continent.

And since they were so powerful as a group, they resolved problems so efficiently.

Despite being powerful, they made wise choices to protect something even if it hurt their pride.

As a result, Ho Sung Lee was worried.

No matter how powerful Min Sung was, the idea of bringing the weapon that could cut down the iris tree was an idea proposed by the 12 signs.

Nothing came that easily.

If this was a shortcut that would allow him to skip the ranking war, it was bound to come with bigger risks.

But Min Sung probably knew that as well.

And the fact that he still made the choice meant that Min Sung had his reasons.

Ho Sung Lee decided he didn't know until he saw the outcome.

"The 12 signs have gathered, and they will depart as soon as you come out."

Ho Sung Lee informed Min Sung of what he had heard.

Min Sung put down his tea glass. He got up from his sofa and stretched.

Bowl ran over to Min Sung. He hopped into his pocket and went inside.

And then…

"Let's go," Min Sung announced.

Ho Sung Lee breathed in and out before following Min Sung out.

***

As soon as they left the castle, the 12 signs were waiting.

They showed off a presence that was not to be underestimated.

It was clear that every single one of them were more powerful than Krok, whom they fought before coming to Horn.

And there were 12 of them.

Ho Sung Lee held his breath from the tension, but Min Sung's face looked as relaxed as usual.

Min Sung walked toward them.

The 12 signs scanned Min Sung.

There was no greeting with respect, but there were no looks of malice either.

They were simply there to accompany him.

Nothing more, nothing less.

"We're going to open the portal to Heaven, and we will lead you to the low-ranking god. That's all we are here to do," explained Harmonic.

Min Sung nodded as a response.

"Then we shall proceed."

Upon Harmonic's remark, the 12 signs opened their item windows and took out the items required to create the portal.

Chapter 279: Chapter 279

What the 12 signs took out were magic scrolls filled with words.

They then formed a circle and spoke together in a humming voice.

COMMENT

It caused a strange and bleak atmosphere.

And a moment later, they closed their eyes and lips.

In the midst of the silence, blue light began to shine from the scrolls as soon as they opened their eyes.

And that light floated up to the sky and became one.

Once they ripped the scrolls.

Rippppppp!

A portal gate opened along with the sound of the space ripping apart.

A round gate formed that radiated with a blue light.

After looking back at Min Sung, the 12 signs walked through the portal gate.

Every time one person passed through it, a ripping sound rang as they disappeared through the portal.

They had all gone through with just Min Sung and his party remaining.

Min Sung led the way, followed by Ho Sung Lee and Ssol.

***

As soon as they walked through the portal, they felt a tingling sensation, and once Min Sung opened his eyes, he could see that he was in a whole different world.

He was standing in a place that was all clouds beneath him.

Ho Sung Lee looked around with wide eyes and a dropped jaw, and Bowl stuck his head out of the pocket to enjoy the view.

Ssol ran around the clouds with a joyful look on his face.

"Right this way," said Harmonic, and the 12 signs led the way.

Min Sung's party walked on the clouds.

It was fascinating that they could walk on top of the clouds.

It didn't feel like they were walking on clouds but rather the ground.

They continued to walk on the fascinating clouds and proceeded on their tiring journey.

Since this was a big deal, Ho Sung Lee didn't think to talk to Min Sung.

Unlike Ho Sung Lee, who was under pressure, Min Sung's face looked as though he was tired of walking.

"How far do we have to walk?"

Min Sung asked, obviously expressing his dissatisfaction.

"Just a little further. We'll be there soon," Harmonic answered with a relaxed face

Not long after he said that, something began to appear.

It was a large wall on top of the clouds.

It was so high that they couldn't see the end of it.

"This is the entrance to the Heaven where the low-ranking god is," Harmonic explained while pointing at the wall.

"How do we get in?" Min Sung asked while tapping on the wall.

It was going to be hard to open with force alone.

An unknown power was keeping the wall up.

"We'll open it for you."

"How far are you going to accompany me?" Min Sung asked Harmonic.

"We will guide you until you meet the low-ranking god, so do not worry. Also, before you try to fight, I suggest you ask him for the item that will cut down the Iris tree…"

"I'll take care of that on my own, so open the door."

Harmonic smiled and nodded.

"Sure."

Harmonic met eyes with the other 12 signs, and in response, they all took out a necklace from their item windows. They put it around their wrist and put their hands against the wall.

As a result, a gold light spread across the surface of the wall.

It was so vibrant that it almost looked like a work of art.

In no time, the endless wall turned into gold light, and on the surface where they placed their hands appeared a large magic square.

A white light flashed from the magic square, followed by a white light that nearly blinded their eyes.

And once that light disappeared, the door, which turned back to grey, had a door on it.

Harmonic opened the door, and the 12 signs entered through it.

Min Sung and his party also walked through.

On the other side of the wall was a completely different world from the clouds.

Despite there not being a sun in the sky, the sky was red, and the ground was red as well.

The world was completely red, and the ground was smooth and level.

But on a land like that, beautiful trees were planted, and they also saw mountains in the distance as well as lava

boiling on the ground.

"This is the world of the low-ranking god, who likes to create all sorts of things. Isn't it spectacular?" Harmonic asked with joy.

But Min Sung's face was straight.

"Where's the low-ranking god?"

Harmonic smiled with his eyes.

"If you go straight this way, you'll see where the low-ranking god works. He's usually there, so you might run into him if you're lucky."

"If he's not there, where else could he be? Like his home."

"We can't tell you that much."

Min Sung nodded.

"I see. Then are you saying, I can meet the low-ranking god who has the weapon that can cut down the Iris tree as long as I go this way?"

"That's correct. We will continue to guide you…"

"No, no need," Min Sung said in Harmonic's direction.

"I'm sorry? What do you mean…?"

Kaboom!

Min Sung took out his Gungnir S from his item window and stabbed Harmonic in the stomach.

Slash!

The Gungnir S penetrated Harmonic's abdomen.

"Cough!"

Harmonic coughed up blood.

"… What are you doing?!"

Harmonic stared at Min Sung in shock.

Min Sung pulled out his Gungnir S without a word.

Blood and intestines poured out of Harmonic's stomach.

And the other 11 signs, who saw this, took out their own weapons with their eyes jolted wide open.

Min Sung knocked down Harmonic, who was grabbing onto his stomach on the verge of falling, and swung his Gungnir S with his right hand.

Kaboom!

The Gungnir S rang with a loud thundering noise.

A white magic light charged toward the signs.

Boommmmm!

An explosive sound.

The signs, who blocked out Min Sung's magic energy, glared at Min Sung with the desire to kill him, but they didn't have time to express such emotions.

That was because Min Sung's Gungnir S, which left his hand, stabbed through one of the signs' neck.

Min Sung jumped off of the red ground and began running.

In the blink of an eye, Min Sung pulled out his Gungnir S from the head body. He jumped off of its shoulder into the air.

When the signs saw Min Sung in the air, they decided it was their chance and unleashed their divinations toward Min Sung.

A large Aura targeted Min Sung.

Counter barrier.

Min Sung launched the skill that returned an attack that he received.

As a result of his counter barrier, the attack bounced off of Min Sung and returned to the players.

Since the signs were solely focused on the attack, they didn't have the time to calculate a defense against the counter barrier.

As a result, they were exposed to the attack.

Flash!

The 11 signs were unable to dodge or block out their own attack and suffered damage as a result.

And they got swept away by a large force.

Due to the strong hit, some had their arms broken off. Their legs have broken off or suffered substantial blood loss from wounds.

Min Sung flashed his eyes at his opponents, who couldn't get up, and stabbed his Gungnir S onto their bodies.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Every time his Gungnir S stabbed into their bodies, there were noises of pain and groaning.

Some signs managed to get back up, but they were unable to defend themselves due to the fatal blow.

Seven of the signs were dead on the ground.

Harmonic was on the ground as well.

The only ones remaining were three signs who managed to put up a defense.

Min Sung stared at them with cold eyes and walked toward them.

"… You coward!"

"This is not what we promised!"

"How could you attack those who tried to help you?"

The three signs screamed while blood spurted out of their mouths, but Min Sung simply smiled.

"I know what you were planning," Min Sung replied in a low voice.

In response, the three signs' faces hardened like rocks.

"If you think you can just end us like this, you're mistaken!"

The three signs charged toward Min Sung at the same time with their weapons.

Min Sung scanned their attacks with cold eyes and dodged them all.

Due to their injuries, they were slow, and the Aura within their weapons was so weak that it wasn't sharp or powerful in the slightest.

In Min Sung's eyes, the three signs looked like they were standing still.

Min Sung clenched back on his teeth and launched his power.

Kaboom!

Thunder and lightning shot through his Gungnir S, and Min Sung's power launched in the form of an attack.

Min Sung dropped his Gungnir S down.

Slash!

The sign to his left lost his head.

After that, the Gungnir S slashed the neck of the sign in the middle.

Despite their reputation as the 12 signs, they were weak to Min Sung.

The thought of how nervous he was because of them made him feel annoyed.

Of course, his counter barrier played a big part in killing the 12 signs, but even if he didn't use that skill, it wouldn't have been difficult for him to kill them.

The last remaining sign besides Harmonic screamed and swung his large sword.

Min Sung quickly dodged his attack and thought for a moment.

'If I end up fighting the low-ranking god after this, he's probably on a different level than these inner continent players.'

'I wonder how powerful they are.'

'The gods.'

Min Sung had such thoughts as he swung his Gungnir S.

Kaboom!

Along with the sound of thunder, he cut the last sign aside from Haromic in the waist.

The sign's body fell over while spilling blood.

While the 11 bodies laid on the ground covered in blood, Min Sung looked back at Harmonic, who was in the middle of treating his own wounds.

Chapter 280: Chapter 280

***

Harmonic glared at Min Sung, who killed all of the signs except him, but that was all he could do.

The injury was so serious that it took longer to treat it.

The situation was at its worst.

He thought that they could easily resolve the situation by throwing Min Sung Kang to the low-ranking god as bait, but that was nothing more than his foolish hope.

The new player was one step ahead, prepared to kill all of the 12 signs.

It wasn't that his attitude changed last-minute.

He had planned it ahead of time.

The thought that the timing of his counter barrier might have been calculated as well made his body feel completely defeated.

The pain in his head sunk down to his chest and made him feel stuffy.

"Don't look so teary-eyed. It makes me want to kill you even more," Min Sung said with a light smile over his lips.

Harmonic bit down on his lip with a pale face and struggled to get up using his weapon.

"Kill me."

In a short period of time, Harmonic accepted his defeat.

Struggling any longer would be nothing more than pathetic wriggling.

Underestimating the new player named Min Sung Kang was the biggest mistake of his life.

It wasn't that the new player who didn't understand the world, but it was the 12 signs themselves.

He felt pained about the fact that he treated that brutal beast well, but the damage had already been done.

It was all over.

"Why are you hesitating?" Harmonic asked in anger while staring at Min Sung from the middle of the 12 signs' bodies.

Min Sung walked toward Harmonic and stood right in front of him.

Harmonic felt the urge to attack him right then and there, but he knew it would all be in vain, so he didn't bother.

He was just curious why he was staring without killing him.

He was ready to attack first and get killed as soon as that curiosity was satisfied.

For Harmonic, it was painful to be alive.

But this player, who he tried to lure into a trap, was cold and cruel.

Min Sung swung his Gungnir S and cut through Harmonic's shoulders.

"Ugh…!"

While Harmonic grimaced at Min Sung at the pain of losing his arms.

"I'll kill you as soon as I find the low-ranking god. Lead the way," said Min Sung.

Harmonic stared at Min Sung with a blank face.

It was clear that he had no intention to kill him just yet.

'… What is going on here?'

His heart felt great regret.

And after a moment of contemplation, Min Sung reached his hand out and grabbed Harmonic by the neck.

Crack!

"Ugh…!"

Magic energy flowed out of Min Sung's hands.

At the same time, great fear rushed in.

Harmonic felt it.

That Min Sung Kang was able to use magic to control his brain.

"I-I'll lead the way. I'll lead the way!"

Harmonic shouted desperately.

He had a feeling something bad was going to happen.

He felt so scared that he felt like his body was going to melt, but luckily, he stopped blowing magic energy into his neck.

"Huff…! Huff! Huff!"

Harmonic caught his breath.

"Move," instructed Min Sung.

Harmonic swallowed his bloody saliva and began walking with a grimacing face.

***

Ho Sung Lee watched Harmonic walking while bleeding and couldn't stop thinking about how horrific it was.

Ho Sung Lee was startled because not even he knew Min Sung was going to do such a thing.

On top of that, he killed the 11 signs aside from Harmonic in the blink of an eye.

He couldn't believe it with his own eyes.

How powerful was Min Sung Kang?

Ho Sung Lee was worried that he was going to fight against a low-ranking god.

But Min Sung Kang just showed off so much force that he was no longer worried that he was going to fight a low-ranking god.

He couldn't help but believe that he could actually defeat a god.

And the fact that he thought such a thing surprised Ho Sung Lee himself.

'A human who defeats a god.'

Was that really possible?

Min Sung Kang had always exceeded his expectations, and it was possible that it was going to continue to happen.

***

"This is where the low-ranking god works," Harmonic said while dropping down.

Min Sung

looked around.

They said the low-ranking god enjoyed making things, and his workplace indeed looked like that of a blacksmith.

There were all sorts of things that the low-ranking god had made, and each item gave off substantial energy.

While Min Sung looked around the low-ranking god's workplace, Harmonic targeted Min Sung's neck with one of his skills.

Bullets of Aura shot from behind Harmonic's back.

Min Sung swiftly swung his hand as if he saw it coming. He blocked it out with his magic energy and used his Gungnir S to stab through Harmonic's thigh.

Slash!

It broke through his bones.

As soon as he pulled out his Gungnir S, he lost feeling in his legs.

"Ugh…!"

Harmonic flashed his eyes and attempted to use his skill again.

But Min Sung knew… that Harmonic's attack wasn't to harm him, but that it was to make his own death come quicker.

"A promise is a promise."

Kaboom!

Min Sung's Gungnir S made a thundering noise as it stabbed through Harmonic's heart.

As a result, both of his legs flew into the air along with the rest of his body.

Plop!

Harmonic laid on the ground as black blood poured out of his mouth, and he died slowly.

Min Sung took out his Gungnir S.

After brushing off the blood, Min Sung slowly looked in his 2 o'clock direction.

The presence of whoever was walking toward him was so strong that Min Sung was certain it was the low-ranking god.

And then someone appeared.

He looked no different from a human, but the difference was that his face looked neither like that of a man or a woman.

He was also blindingly beautiful, and he was wearing a robe made of black fabric.

He was the low-ranking god, Themeus.

Min Sung stared right at him, and Themeus stared back with a grimace as if he was displeased with his presence.

"How dare a human step in here?" Themeus asked in a dignified voice.

Although he was just speaking, his voice rang loudly.

Ho Sung Lee felt daunted and cowered while glancing over at Min Sung and Themeus.

However, Min Sung's eyes didn't shake in the slightest bit as he stared back at Themeus.

"I heard you have a weapon that can cut down the Iris Tree. I need it."

In response to Min Sung, Ho Sung Lee's eyes jolted wide.

He was speaking informally to a god.

Was he implying that he was on the same level as a god?

Whatever the case, Min Sung's attitude toward the god was enough to almost make him faint.

But unlike Ho Sung Lee's thoughts, Min Sung stared at the god in an offensive manner.

The god, Themeus, scoffed at Min Sung.

"Do you know who I am…?"

"I already know you're the low-ranking god, and I also know the gods are a bunch of perverts gambling with humans beneath them."

Min Sung continued with a stronger tone, "And that annoys me so much that I want out of the dirty gambling. Is that a good enough answer for you?"

Themeus stared at Min Sung with big and shocked eyes.

He then dropped his head back and laughed loudly.

After laughing while grabbing his belly, Themeus snickered. He stopped laughing and then smiled at Min Sung.

"You're a funny one, aren't you?"

"I'd like the weapon that will cut down the Iris tree now."

"It doesn't sound like you're asking."

"I don't intend on asking. Maybe I'll try out threatening."

Themeus pointed at himself.

"Threaten me?"

"Why not?"

Themeus laughed.

"Wow… This is entertaining. Do you underestimate me that much? I'm a god. Like you said, I'm a low-ranking god, but still…"

Kaboom!

As soon as Themeus finished, Min Sung's Gungnir let out a loud roar.

When Themeus saw that, he scoffed.

"I'd better show you what the difference is between a god and a human."

Min Sung glared his eyes at Themeus.

"Don't smile like that. It insults me."

"I feel like I'm finally faced off against a decent human man. Not only do your eyes contain an offensive nature, but I can see you've had quite the experience. Since it'd be a shame to kill you, I'll keep you alive."

Min Sung lowered his head and kricked his teeth.

"… I'm getting sick and tired of this."

Boom!

Min Sung jumped off the ground.

With a flash of light, Min Sung situated himself right beside Themeus.

He then swung his Gungnir S, which was covered in thunder and lightning.

But Themeus easily dodged the attack with a straight face.

Min Sung laid continuous attacks, but Themeus dodged them all as if he was mocking Min Sung's speed.

"Is that all? You're no better than that Devil God, Veld. What a disappointment."

"I was just checking, too."

After that remark, Min Sung began to increase his magic energy and speed.

Themeus' relaxed face began to change.

Kaboom!

A large amount of magic energy transformed into thunder and lightning and charged toward Themeus.

Themeus stepped back with a stiff face and stuck out his hands.

His transparent barrier blocked out Min Sung's countless rays of magic energy along with a deafening sound.

Ho Sung Lee blocked his ears. He grimaced and began to step back.

If he watched any longer, he felt as though he would catch the next train to his afterlife.

Clang!

Min Sung dropped his Gungnir S.

He activated his special skill.

His Gungnir S penetrated through Themeus' barrier and charged toward his forehead.

Chapter 281: Chapter 281

Themeus opened his eyes wide and fixed his hands on his sword.

He also considered that weapon as a masterpiece and the best that he had ever made.

With that sword, Themeus struck Min Sung's Gungnir S, which was flying his way.

Thud!

Along with the impact, Themeus grimaced.

He managed to strike the Gungnir S away, but the impact that he sensed through his arm was so powerful that he felt dizzy.

Before he could even attempt a counterattack, Min Sung had already grabbed onto his Gungnir S only a short distance away.

In order for a god to apply physical shock to a human, the corresponding conditions had to be met.

And in the case that a god meddled in the physical world, that god had to take responsibility for the consequences.

And in the case that the god took the same physical form as a human, they would suffer damage from strong power regardless of the fact that they were a god.

Themeus' face turned from relaxed to serious.

Themeus was ready for a light sparring, but the human named Min Sung Kang wasn't that weak.

If he didn't pay attention, it was possible that he could actually be killed by a human being.

Themeus didn't look down on Min Sung any longer.

He decided to give it all he had, and he used his authority with sincerity.

Gods had a variety of powers, and among those of Themeus, he had a buffer that made his weapon one step more powerful.

Even the most ordinary sword became extremely powerful with Themeus' power.

That was Themeus' power.

Themeus launched his power, and as a result, the sword in his hand shined with a brilliant light.

Min Sung's Gungnir S and Themeus' sword faced off against each other.

And from that point on, Themeus looked at the human named Min Sung Kang differently.

It was no longer sparring.

That was because the human was much too powerful.

The human he was fighting was so powerful that thinking of it as light sparring made him look arrogant.

It appeared that his force was close to that of a god.

'How can a human become this powerful?'

He was curious, but he didn't have time to think.

The battle came first.

***

This was the first time in a while that Min Sung felt nervous during a battle.

Despite the god being of low rank, he was very skilled.

Beyond the power of both their swords facing off against each other, there was something else that was hidden and giving him pressure.

That pressure felt heavy upon his mind.

And the same went for Themeus, but Min Sung wasn't able to know that Themeus felt that way.

Min Sung was also solely focused on his battle against Themeus.

Boommmmmmm!

As soon as Min Sung's sword collided against that of Themeus, an impact that was more powerful than anything he had felt, made Min Sung shake.

Min Sung jolted his eyes wide open.

The feeling that he could possibly defeat this god swept over him.

Min Sung had already abandoned his greed, but he still felt stimulated by some things.

That was how luring the territory of the gods was.

Min Sung's attack poured upon Themeus.

His Gungnir S worked without stop, but Themeus didn't back down.

Every time the Gungnir S and Themeus' weapon collided, sparks flew, and by controlling his distance he kept the option of fleeing open.

But that didn't mean Themeus felt completely free.

Themeus felt like he was going to die.

He thought he would have some fun with the human, but he was afraid he was going to go extinct at this rate.

'What kind of human is this?'

Themeus swung his sword with all of his focus.

But Min Sung's abilities had just begun.

Swoosh!

Min Sung spun like a top to avoid Themeus' sword, and at the same time, he spun two more times and slashed through Themeus' body.

Rather than shedding blood, the god's body got chipped away.

Themeus stomped onto the ground hard with a raging face, and when he swung his sword at Min Sung, something surprising happened.

Dozens of weapons formed in the air, and they all

charged toward Min Sung at the same time.

Upon spotting Themeus' dozens of weapons, Min Sung charged his Gungnir S with magic energy.

He then rolled on the ground and lowered his sword upon the flying weapons.

Roarrrrrrr!

Boommmm!

As a result of his magic energy, Themeus' weapons bounced off.

And Min Sung slipped through the crack and swung his sword at Themeus himself.

When Themeus saw Min Sung's unexpected counterattack, he activated another power.

He intended to restrain his opponent within his weapons.

As a god, he had made all sorts of things, and since all of the things he had made contained powers, they possessed outstanding ability.

A dark liquid shot up from the ground with Min Sung in the center.

The sky was open, but as soon as he tried to escape, the magic energy restrained 90% of his movements.

Themeus believed that now that he trapped Min Sung within his weapon, he could now attack.

***

Although the black liquid had him trapped, Min Sung wasn't taken aback.

He had already found out that a powerful force was above him.

But escaping didn't seem easy.

So Min Sung had no choice but to quickly enter the shop and see what he could spend his experience points on.

And what Min Sung chose wasn't a skill or a power.

It was magic energy output.

Since he wasn't able to purchase a decent skill or power with his current number of experience points, putting it all into magic energy was the most rational thing to do.

So Min Sung picked the magic energy without hesitation.

Once he used his experience points, Min Sung sensed unlimited strength flowing through him.

A bright light flashed from Min Sung's eyes.

***

Themeus' expectation didn't turn into reality.

He thought it would now be a one-sided game, but that belief was shattered into pieces.

That was because with magic energy output alone, Min Sung Kang managed to break out of the black walls he had created.

Boommmmmm!

As the dark walls shattered into pieces, Min Sung walked out and stared at Themeus, who was floating in the air, with cold eyes.

Themeus clenched his teeth and flew toward Min Sung.

Themeus' left arm then showed off a round shield that glowed with a gold light.

As soon as Min Sung swung his sword, Themeus put up his shield.

The sword and shield collided, but Themeus didn't lose his balance.

Half of the damage drained through his shield, and after a smooth twist of his body, he swung his sword at Min Sung.

But Min Sung dodged Themeus' strike and at the same time, he made his way in.

He used the fist that wasn't holding the Gungnir S and attacked Themeus' side.

Pow!

The heavy impact nearly put cracks in Themeus' face.

After that, Min Sung used his forehead to hit Themeus' head, and he then stabbed his Gungnir S into his abdomen.

Slash!

As the Gungnir S penetrated Themeus' abdomen, his legs flew into the air.

Min Sung stabbed his Gungnir S into the ground.

Thuddd!

Crackkkk!

The ground cracked as if an earthquake occurred.

"Ugh…!"

Themeus coughed.

Since he wasn't human, he didn't throw up blood, but his body began to chip away greatly.

Min Sung stepped on him. He took out the Gungnir S from the ground and lowered it on his forehead.

Kaboom!

Along with the sound of thunder, the Gungnir S stopped just 1-centimeter away from Themeus' forehead.

Themeus stared up at Min Sung.

Min Sung took away his weapon and looked down at Themeus.

"… Why did you stop?" Themeus asked.

"If I kill you, I'll never know what the weapon that can cut down the Iris tree is or find it."

Themeus closed his eyes and smirked.

"I see."

Themeus laughed and slowly got up with a pale face.

Although he had a hole in his stomach, he didn't seem to have been impacted as much as a human would've been, but that didn't mean he wasn't affected.

Themeus slowly got up in a tired manner.

"Are we going to keep going?" Min Sung asked.

"I'm not that foolish."

Themeus laughed without much energy.

Min Sung nodded.

[The Dionysus Gods are angry.]

[The Dionysus Gods feel betrayed.]

[The Dionysus Gods are requesting that you stop immediately.]

Kaboom!

The sound of thunder could be heard.

He couldn't tell if it was the gods' rage or if it was just good timing.

"Those crazy gambling sons of b*tches."

In response to Min Sung's remark, Themeus looked at him with confused eyes.

"I'm not talking to you. Those gambling gods keep rambling on."

Themeus laughed quietly.

"Of course, they are. You broke the taboo."

"I don't care."

"I know that."

"Where's the weapon?"

"I'll give it to you. Don't press me. And before I hand it to you, remember one thing."

"…?"

Min Sung looked at Themeus with knitted eyebrows.

"Big responsibility follows breaking the taboo."

Min Sung scoffed.

"You've got to be kidding me. You're the ones gambling with human beings. If they're that mad, tell them to come down here. I have no interest in playing around with Dionysus Gods."

Themeus smiled.

"I knew you'd say that."

"Now give it to me," Min Sung spoke coldly, and Themeus smirked as he used his power to summon the weapon that would cut down the Iris tree.

Chapter 282: Chapter 282

***

A light formed on Themeus' fist, and that light began to grow bigger.

And as soon as Themeus opened his eyes, the item that Min Sung was looking for.

The item that could cut down the Iris tree appeared.

Just as Harmonic explained about a nail and hammer back in the city of Horn, the items that Themeus summoned were just that.

The dark nail was as big as a man's forearm, and the hammer was very thick.

"This isn't something I hand over easily… But this is out of respect for you as a human being, so you'll have to pay the price for it yourself."

Min Sung nodded at Themeus.

"Thanks for keeping your promise. It appears that not all gods are crazies that are obsessed with gambling."

"Gods get bored, too…"

Themeus said with a bitter smile.

"You, too?" Min Sung asked.

Themeus shook his head.

"I'm a low-ranking god who makes weapons. I don't have time to be bored, haha. But it feels strange hearing that from a human. Or maybe…"

Themeus looked at Min Sung with deep eyes and continued, "Maybe you're not even human anymore."

"Don't say such a dreadful thing," Min Sung said with disgust.

Themeus smirked and nodded.

"Yeah. You're human. Now go back and cut down that cursed tree. I'm sure that nail and hammer will do it."

"That's what I intend to do."

Min Sung looked back at Ho Sung Lee.

Ho Sung Lee, who was watching from a very far distance, immediately came running over.

"We're going back to earth," said Min Sung.

Ho Sung Lee took turns looking at Min Sung and the item that Themeus handed over with shocked eyes.

"… You've succeeded. Are we really going back?"

"Yeah."

"I thought it'd take a long time, but we're going back already. What a miracle."

Ho Sung Lee looked like a military soldier who was discharged before his date.

The realization that he could leave the unfamiliar world of Beatrice and go back home made Ho Sung Lee feel emotional.

Min Sung put his nail and hammer into his item window and played around with the interface system.

The way to go back to earth was simple.

All he had to do was log out through the system as if it was a game.

Ho Sung Lee also hurriedly opened his system.

Meanwhile, Themeus watched.

Before they returned to earth, Min Sung glanced at Themeus and gave him a nod.

Themeus accepted his nod with his eyes.

As soon as Min Sung touched 'return', they flashed like lightning and disappeared.

Ho Sung Lee also disappeared soon afterward.

Once Min Sung's party departed, Themeus clicked his tongue.

"We're in big trouble."

Themeus sighed and organized his complicated thoughts.

"I don't know. I'm sure he'll handle it on his own. Anyway, that human is really strong. Themeus, you've grown weak."

Themeus rubbed the belly that Min Sung stabbed and grimaced.

"… I should get back to work."

Themeus shook his head and headed back to his workplace.

***

They regained consciousness in the dark.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he felt as though the air of earth was welcoming him back.

And the first thing he saw was the Iris tree.

When he looked around, he saw that he was in his own yard, and he could also see the large Iris tree, which was growing at a fast pace.

While Min Sung looked at the Iris tree, Ho Sung Lee opened his eyes, followed by Bowl and Ssol.

"Oh…! We're back!"

Ho Sung Lee looked around with shocked eyes, and Bowl and Ssol ran around with joy all around Min Sung's house.

Meanwhile, Min Sung glared at the Iris tree as he took out the nail and hammer from his item window.

Min Sung hammered the nail into the tree without any hesitation.

Since it was a nail made by Themeus himself, the tree, which couldn't be harmed in any way before, immediately began to chip away as soon as the nail touched it.

[This is taboo. If you break the taboo, you must pay the price.]

[Stop it!]

[Go back to Beatrice!]

[You mustn't cut down the Iris tree. Stop it.]

[If you don't stop, there will be catastrophe!]

[What you're doing is foolish…]

Min Sung, who was just about to hammer in the nail, looked up at the sky with a

grimace.

"So noisy."

After mumbling to the Dionysus Gods, he hammered the nail for them to see.

Thud!

The one hammer of the nail created a large crack in the Iris tree.

He didn't even use that much force, but the outcome was extreme.

"Wow…"

Ho Sung Lee dropped his jaw and looked up at the Iris tree, which was cracking away.

Meanwhile…

Bang!

The hammer went at the nail once more.

Every time Min Sung hammered the nail, the Iris tree suffered bigger and bigger cracks.

Min Sung continued to hammer as if he was a blacksmith.

He wondered if magic energy could speed up the process, but the hammer refused to absorb any magic energy.

It was similar to how he was unable to cut down the Iris tree without Themeus' weapon.

But even without magic energy, it wasn't long before Themeus' weapon caused for the Iris tree to go down.

As a result, Min Sung didn't rush in hammering.

Chips of the Iris tree continued to fall from above Min Sung's head, and the more he hammered the nail, the deeper the cracks got.

The Dionysus Gods no longer told him to leave the Iris tree alone or go back to Beatrice.

They had given up as soon as he began hammering the nail.

With no one to bother him, Min Sung was able to focus on hammering.

And as a result, he began to see the end.

Ho Sung Lee, who was watching blankly, flinched and ran toward Min Sung.

"Sir!"

Min Sung stopped hammering and looked back at Ho Sung Lee.

"What?"

"The neighbors. Shouldn't we evacuate the people living in this area before we cut down the tree?"

He was right.

He had returned to earth from Beatrice, and because he was in such a rush to cut down the tree that was eating up earth's nutrients, he didn't think it through.

"Call Ji Yoo Kim and tell her to evacuate the people immediately."

"Yes, Sir."

While Ho Sung Lee immediately found his phone and called Ji Yoo Kim, Min Sung stared up at the Iris tree.

It was much taller than before.

And a green liquid also flowed from the tree, but that light was growing faint.

That signified that it was dying due to Themeus' items.

Min Sung looked back at Ho Sung Lee in the living room, and while he talked on the phone, he showed Min Sung a circle hand gesture.

He had reached Ji Yoo Kim, and it appeared that he was ordering for everyone in the area to be evacuated.

Min Sung looked back at the Iris tree and sighed.

He almost caused a huge accident.

If this tree was to go down upon the neighborhood, it would be a catastrophe.

The thought that he could've destroyed countless restaurants due to his rash action made Min Sung feel as though cold air was blowing through his head, chest, and stomach.

"I delivered the message. She said she'll dispatch all her men, and that it should be resolved within 1 hour."

Min Sung nodded as he looked up at the Iris tree.

"It won't go down before then, right?"

In response, Ho Sung Lee broke out into cold sweat.

"I hope not."

After staring at the Iris tree for a while, Min Sung turned toward the living room.

Like Ho Sung Lee had said, he just had to pray that the Iris tree would stay up for the next hour.

"Since we have some time, let's eat," Min Sung said as he returned to the living room.

Ho Sung Lee, who followed him into the living room, asked, "Food?"

He looked as though he heard something wrong.

But he didn't hear it wrong at all.

"Well, there's no problem as long as they evacuate. So if we say they'll come in 2 hours, that's long enough to prepare and eat a meal."

When Min Sung said that, someone came down from the 2nd floor.

It was Woong Jang and Sia Jang.

"You're back!"

Woong Jang greeted them with a bright smile, and Sia Jang cried as she ran over to hug Ho Sung Lee.

"I was scared you were never going to come back," said Sia Jang while crying.

When Sia Jang said that while crying in Ho Sung Lee's arms, he couldn't help but look awkward because of Woong Jang's presence.

But Woong Jang didn't care and continued to smile at Min Sung.

"I knew you'd be back."

Min Sung smiled back at Woong Jang.

"I ate well thanks to you."

"Hm…?"

Woong Jang looked at Min Sung with wide eyes, and only after looking at Ho Sung Lee did he realize what he meant and laughed.

"Oh, you mean the recipes."

"Ho Sung Lee has improved significantly in his cooking. He might be almost as good as you."

"Oh, really? Maybe Ho Sung Lee and I should face off in a match once all of this is over."

"I'll be the one to taste the food."

"Of course."

"Anyway, I'm hungry right now. What is there to eat?"

"I'll prepare something for you right away."

Woong Jang rolled up his sleeves and smiled with confidence.

"Thank you."

After smiling warmly at Woong Jang, Woong Jang headed to the kitchen to start cooking.

Min Sung glanced over at Ho Sung Lee who was tied down by Sia Jang, and then he stretched his neck and walked over to the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee.

Ho Sung Lee was unable to move due to Sia Jang, who was still crying, so all he could do was scratch his head.

Chapter 283: Chapter 283

***

Ho Sung Lee watched Woong Jang cook with his arms crossed.

Woong Jang smiled and glanced over at Ho Sung Lee.

"I heard you've improved. Min Sung praised you greatly."

Ho Sung Lee watched Woong Jang's wrinkly hands as he showed a bitter smile.

"It's all thanks to your recipes. I'm not good compared to you."

"You're modest, too."

"Stop teasing me. It looks like you're making chili shrimp. Am I right?"

"You catch on quick."

"Sir."

Ho Sung Lee urged him to stop making fun of him, and Woong Jang simply laughed and nodded.

"Today's main is shrimp. Like you said, it's chili shrimp and butter garlic shrimp."

Woong Jang answered with a smile, and Ho Sung Lee continued to watch Woong Jang work with the ingredients.

The way Woong Jang cleaned up the living shrimp was fascinating.

Once Woong Jang removed the shrimps from their peel, the shrimp continued to wriggle around.

The unbelievable level of freshness caused Ho Sung Lee to gulp, and Woong Jang smiled at Ho Sung Lee, thinking he was adorable.

"Can't you do this, too? Why are you so surprised by the preparation of the shrimp?"

"Chef Woong… Is deception a hobby of yours?"

Woong Jang laughed before beginning to cook for real and focusing all of his attention on it.

Woong Jang appeared to have an opinion of his own when it came to Chinese cooking.

Since he had recipes for almost all foods, it was possible that he was highly proficient in food from all around the world.

Once a person became interested in something, they felt inclined to gain expertise, and as a result, they were bound to master the art to a very high level.

For that reason, Ho Sung Lee, who was now interested and talented in cooking, could sense just how impressive Woong Jang was as a chef just by watching him prepare food.

***

"Sir, it's time to eat."

Woong Jang announced that the meal was complete.

Min Sung, who learned how much the world had changed through the TV, turned it off and walked over to the table.

Woong Jang pulled out his seat, and Min Sung sat in front of the table.

Woong Jang was just about to leave after paying his respects when Min Sung pointed a seat, so Woong Jang looked at Min Sung with strange eyes and sat nearby.

"It's Chinese food."

"That's correct. It's called triple shrimp box, but I'm not sure if it'll be to your liking."

Min Sung smiled lightly.

"I'm sure it's delicious."

Min Sung picked up his fork.

The shrimp box that Woong Jang made consisted of chili shrimp, butter garlic shrimp, and a salad.

It had a simple image perfect for one meal.

Min Sung jabbed his fork into the butter garlic shrimp first.

He then put it into his mouth and chewed on it.

He felt the fatty shrimp meat bursting inside his mouth, and the sweet sauce smelling of butter and garlic tasted delicious.

"Can I bring you a can of beer?" Woong Jang asked.

"Sounds good."

In response to Min Sung's acceptance, Woong Jang immediately got up. He opened the fridge and brought over a cold can of beer.

Min Sung cracked it open and gulped it down.

The carbonated alcohol made him feel refreshed and pleased all throughout his body.

In order to deal with the bitterness, Min Sung immediately put a chili shrimp into his mouth.

It was sweet. The sweet chili sauce always tasted good.

And since shrimp was the main, it was bound to be delicious.

Chili shrimp was so powerful that almost everyone would agree that chili shrimp was the truth.

The combination of the sweet chili and the shrimp was perfect.

On top of that, the refreshing salad.

The sauce of the salad was so clean that it was capable of offsetting the sweet flavor of the shrimp.

As a result, despite the large portion of shrimp, Min Sung finished all of it without leaving anything.

He also finished the salad.

He could sense a special freshness and quality that was different from that of Ho Sung Lee.

'The real thing is different.'

"That was the best shrimp dish I've ever eaten. Thank you."

"Thank you."

After praising Woong Jang, Min Sung wiped his mouth with a tissue and leaned back in his

seat to catch his breath.

"I heard the prices have skyrocketed."

In response to Min Sung's remark, Woong Jang nodded.

"It's to be expected. The tree that appeared in your backyard absorbed so much nutrients at a fast speed that it affected the crop industry, so the food prices skyrocketed as a result."

"What's the current situation?"

"It's just the chaos of the market caused by anxiousness. Now that the tree is gone, it will stabilize again. You don't have to worry about the things you see on the news."

Min Sung's worry alleviated, and he then heard how the world had changed from Woong Jang.

Everything depended on how fast Min Sung would get rid of the Iris tree.

But since the people of the earth had no way of knowing when that would happen, they had no choice but to get swept away by chaos.

Since the tree was removed faster than expected, Woong Jang predicted that the market would recover sooner than later.

At that moment…

"Sir."

Ho Sung Lee entered the kitchen and called for Min Sung.

"Commander Kim called. She said all of the citizens have been evacuated."

"Already?"

Not a long time had passed.

The time it took for Woong Jang to prepare the food.

Even with the time it took to eat and talk to Woong Jang considered, it still didn't take long.

So it was surprising that they had already evacuated.

"It appears that the citizens realized that the tree was going to be removed and actively responded on their own. From their stance, the quicker the tree gets cut down, the better."

Min Sung immediately got up. He went to the yard and opened his item window.

After taking out his nail and hammer, Min Sung stood in front of the Iris Tree.

The Iris tree looked so treacherous that it was almost pitiful.

The cracking status of the tree was so serious that it looked like it would fall over on its own from rotting.

Min Sung put the nail against the tree and looked up at the sky.

"Watch carefully, you gamblers."

Min Sung smirked and began hammering.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Following the continuous hammering, The large Iris Tree made a large cracking sound as if it was about to fall over.

Min Sung continued to hammer, and as a result, the spot where the nail was positioned broke.

Crackkkkk!

The large tree fell over.

The sight of the Iris Tree falling over was quite the sight, and in order to film it, countless helicopters and drones were in the sky.

Min Sung wasn't happy about the fact that the tree would destroy so many buildings, but surprisingly, that didn't happen.

Boommmmmm!

The mysterious tree shined with a silver light, and its fragments scattered in all directions.

The fragments were vibrant like snowflakes, and the bright light created a fantastic atmosphere.

That moment was very short, and the Iris Tree disappeared without a trace as if it had never existed.

And although the Iris Tree had disappeared, the nail and hammer Min Sung received from Themeus didn't.

He got the feeling that if such a thing happened to happen again in the future, he could use the tools again.

In order to use the items again one day, Min Sung put them back into his item window and brushed off his hands.

The realization that he finally got rid of the Iris Tree made him feel relieved inside.

And that feeling not only resonated with Min Sung but the rest of the people in the world.

'Anyway, what do I eat for dinner?'

With that thought, Min Sung went back into the house.

Deciding on what to eat was the most difficult thing to do for Min Sung.

***

The Dionysus Gods, who had gifted Min Sung experience points in Beatrice, began to gather in the function room.

They all looked angry.

They all were in the form of human beings, and they were all standing gathered around a statue.

They all stood in the way they wanted, but they all felt the same way.

They felt angry and wanted to kill Min Sung.

Upon seeing Min Sung's potential, they gifted Min Sung with experience points.

By gifting experience points and helping the player achieve great success, they could also receive a reward in return.

And that was power.

They could put great power within their hands.

For that reason, the Dionysus Gods judged the players and gifted them with experience points.

And when they picked Min Sung as a player with great potential, they thought they hit it big, and they dreamt that they would be able to obtain great power.

So what Min Sung did to them was a huge blow.

As a result, the Dionysus Gods were not fond of Min Sung, and their rage was evergrowing.

While the Dionysus Gods who gifted Min Sung experience points gathered around, only one god had yet to arrive.

The god that had yet to arrive was in the form of the Demonic Realm's Devil God, Veld.

"Why isn't that dark bastard here yet?!"

One god screamed loudly.

In the midst of the savage atmosphere, the dark gate opened, and the Devil God, Veld, appeared with his shoulders hunched over.

The Devil God, Veld, crawled in.

"Hurry in here!"

One god screamed.

Veld flinched. He walked over slowly and stood at a fair distance away.

As soon as Veld arrived, the meeting finally began.

The initial topic of the meeting was no different from talking about Min Sung, who cut down the Iris Tree, behind his back.

And Veld, who was considered the lowest-ranking god and the only one considered from the dark side, had no choice but to quietly listen without the right to express any rage.

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