The moment I stepped into the summoning chamber—
“Long time no see, User Kim Su-hyun.”
A calm voice, exactly as I had expected, greeted me without a hint of deviation.
Silver hair that softly glowed, illuminating the dark space. Pale green eyes, reminiscent of a tranquil lake. Translucent wings shimmering like heat haze. On the central altar sat Seraph, watching me as always.
Our gazes met briefly before I settled down on the cold floor, keeping a slight distance.
“It really has been a long time. Having you come here like this puts my mind at ease.”
Seraph spoke again. The voice remained calm, but there was an unmistakable tenderness beneath it, as if hoping I’d visit more often.
“Yeah. It has been a while.”
My voice sounded blunt even to my own ears. Not that I meant to be rude—it’s just that whenever I’m in front of an angel, my words never come out smoothly.
Seraph’s expression didn’t change, but she calmly smoothed down her long hair, tilting her head slightly left, then right, as if searching for something.
“Why?”
“Ah… what about that child?”
That child? You mean Mar?
“Mar? Why do you ask about Mar?”
“Just… I was wondering if she’s doing well.”
“She’s fine. But that’s not really your concern, is it?”
“…Excuse me?”
“I have no plans to bring her here, so you can stop worrying.”
“…Is that so.”
A fleeting look of disappointment crossed Seraph’s eyes. For some reason, her face seemed to stiffen slightly. I didn’t feel much about it.
I pulled out a cigarette, lit it quietly, and spoke.
“I’ve been through a lot lately, so I have a few questions. Anyway, I’m sure you know why I came.”
“Yes. Please ask. As your assistant, I will do my best to answer—of course, only information that can be disclosed.”
Seraph’s voice was indifferent. Did her attitude just shift slightly, or was it my imagination?
“First, about the title.”
I projected my user info into the air.
<User Information (Player Status)>
Seraph tilted her head in curiosity.
“You mean the title?”
“Yeah. Suddenly, a message popped up saying I got a new title. It’s the first time I’ve seen that.”
“That’s correct. The title system is a newly created feature.”
“Newly created?”
She nodded emphatically.
“Yes. As you know, User Kim Su-hyun has accomplished countless…”
“Achievements. We’re all quite impressed.”
I cut her off mid-sentence, and she gave me a look that said, ‘Stop beating around the bush and get to the point.’
“…The title was created to motivate users by rewarding their achievements. It’s a system linked to the user’s accomplishments. It’s not officially commercialized yet, though.”
Seraph said this simply, then sealed her lips.
“Not commercialized? But I already have one. Godslayer.”
“I said not yet. And in your case, you’re a test subject. There’s no harm in having it.”
I glanced at my user info and continued.
“What does it do?”
“It depends on the title.”
“Who doesn’t know that? I’m asking about Godslayer.”
“…Godslayer is…”
Seraph bit her lower lip.
“It’s a title earned by killing Kushan Thor, who had reached demigod status. In other words, it’s proof that you’ve slain a divine being. With this title, you can freely enter any divine realm, and under certain conditions, events where you meet gods face-to-face can occur.”
“Access to divine realms, face-to-face with gods… doesn’t sound that great.”
“Considering the relationship between gods and giants, it’s not so simple. In the distant mythic era, Kushan Thor played a major role in the Giant War. His death was welcomed by the gods. If you happen to meet them, you might receive some kind of reward.”
“Hmm… a reward, huh.”
The mention of a reward piqued my interest a little. But encounters with gods are rare, and any reward wouldn’t be immediate. As Seraph said, it’s just not a bad thing to have.
Satisfied with that, I moved on.
“Alright. By the way, I heard the Northern Continent’s guardian has gone missing…”
“Judging by your words, it seems you came after hearing from User Lee Hyo-eul.”
Seraph interrupted me this time, still expressionless, staring quietly.
“It’s true that a user from the Northern Continent is missing. But that’s all we know. User Lee Hyo-eul asked for help personally, but it’s not something User Kim Su-hyun needs to be overly concerned about.”
That sounded like a sharp barb thrown back at me. I understood Seraph’s point. Given angels’ usual non-interference, their current focus is probably not on ‘whether Maengara is alive or dead,’ but on ‘whether to appoint a new guardian.’
But then—
“Then, finally…”
This made it even stranger. It was inconsistent. They treat users like lab rats, don’t care about the guardian’s safety, yet suddenly show concern for a user from another continent?
“Rescue the user from the Western Continent. What does that mean?”
“Exactly as it sounds. Currently, users from the Western Continent are being chased by outlaws. We want someone to rescue these fleeing users and bring them to safety.”
“Outlaws?”
“You can think of them as vagrants from the Western Continent.”
I ruffled my hair hard, utterly confused by what Seraph was saying.
“No, no. Seraph, why are they chasing and being chased?”
“We don’t know either. But we suspect the outlaws fear that the escaped users might seek help from other continents. In other words, they’re chasing them to keep the Western Continent’s situation under wraps.”
“Hiding the situation? So they’re chasing them to silence them?”
“Yes. The current state of the Western Continent is very bad. Like the Northern Continent, it’s almost impossible for users to operate normally.”
At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind.
“Wait a minute. Could it be…”
“I think I know what you’re implying, but rescue doesn’t mean annexation. The Western Continent is simply deemed unable to cleanse itself. We want to save the legitimate users, excluding the outlaws. In human terms, it’s more like evacuation or migration.”
“……”
“By the way, most users from the Western Continent are migrating to the Southern Continent, where even more outlaws are chasing them.”
Seraph’s words came like a storm. I pressed my throbbing forehead and began sorting through it all.
The Western Continent’s situation is dire.
It’s become a lawless zone where normal activity is impossible.
A minority of legitimate users are migrating to other continents, but outlaws are chasing them to silence them.
The angels want us to rescue these users and bring them to safety.
Okay, I got that much.
But one thing remained.
“Let me say again: what we want is simple. We hope someone can rescue the Western Continent’s users as quickly as possible. And we believe User Kim Su-hyun is more than capable of meeting our expectations.”
“Why?”
“……?”
“Why?”
“I don’t understand the intent of your question.”
“Why? You don’t care about the guardian’s safety, but you’re so eager to rescue users from the Western Continent?”
At that moment, for a split second, a flicker of agitation flashed in Seraph’s eyes. I was certain—there was some reason. A very big reason.
“That is…”
Seraph began quietly.
“It’s information I cannot disclose to User Kim Su-hyun.”
“What?”
“Don’t you want to refuse this request? The reward is not insignificant.”
“Hey, you’re…”
“Then you may refuse. The number of outlaws chasing from the Northern Continent isn’t that large. Even if not you, we can assign this to another user.”
“Seraph!”
My eyes involuntarily hardened. My voice rose without me realizing it.
“Are you… joking right now?”
Growling, I asked, and Seraph sighed thinly.
“A proposal was recently made, and it was conditionally approved.”
“But…”
“This request is one of the conditions tied to that approval. That’s all I can say.”
“That proposal…”
I spoke quietly.
“Somehow, it doesn’t sound like a good one.”
“……”
“Did you agree to that proposal?”
“…Yes.”
Seraph squeezed her eyes shut and said it with difficulty, as if forcing the words out.
I let out a dry laugh. Suddenly, I felt drained.
Right. What did I expect from an angel? They’re always like this.
“If you want to do it, just do it. If not, don’t. …Well, you’ve always been like that. I guess I just forgot for a moment.”
Seraph lifted her head sharply. I smirked and stood up.
“User Kim Su-hyun. I believe there’s some misunderstanding.”
“Well, I don’t know the details, but I don’t think it’s a misunderstanding. Anyway, the request? I’ll accept it. You guys worked hard to set the stage, so I guess I just have to dance my part again, right?”
“That’s not it. This is User Kim Su-hyun’s wish…!”
“Shut up! You’ve always been like this…!”
Our voices overlapped.
Just as I was about to speak, I suddenly caught myself. My emotions had flared up without me realizing it, and I almost brought up what happened during the first session. I immediately shut my mouth and looked away—and, oddly enough, Seraph wore the same startled expression. Suspicious…?
An awkward, uncomfortable silence settled between us.
“…”
“…”
We glared at each other for a long moment. Seraph pressed their lips tightly shut. Their eyes remained calm and still, but their slightly parted lips and trembling wings betrayed their tension. I cursed inwardly.
This is exactly why I hate coming to the temple—or rather, the summoning chamber. I hate fighting every time I come here, and I hate seeing them look so pitiful, as if they’re the victim.
How much time had passed?
I flicked away the cigarette butt that had burned down to the filter and ground it out with a heavy step. Without hesitation, I turned around.
“U-User Kim Suhyun…”
Then, a faint voice drifted to my ear, as if trying to stop me from leaving.
I stopped dead in my tracks.
“Thank you, Seraph.”
I clenched my teeth and looked away.
“Huh…?”
Seraph, half-rising from the altar, narrowed their eyes slightly.
Just before I stepped into the portal—
“Thank you.”
I spoke quietly, sincerely.
“For always remaining such a disgusting presence. Truly, thank you.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Stacato / Royujin, I have something to say… and that is…
nonononame / Royumi, I have something to say about Memorize… Actually, about this novel… (To be continued in the next chapter)
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I’m sooooo curious! No, seriously, I’m so curious! #@(#ㅃ&@(#$#)(*!
No. Seriously. Dear readers, what is this? Even if you feel like the story is cut off abruptly, how can you cut off the comments like this? Huh?
Honestly, I don’t even know what to say right now. I’m a reader too, in a way, but this is the first time I’ve seen a reader cut off comments like this.
I just posted today’s chapter, so please keep writing your comments! I’m dying of curiosity. ㅜ.ㅠ