It was at that moment.
‘…I’m sorry.’
Suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind.
‘My abilities weren’t enough.’
‘Everything was going according to plan… I thought it would be the same this time…’
‘Now I realize how narrow-minded that was…’
‘I’m not fit to be the Supreme Commander.’
Was it during the assault on the Steel Mountain Range? After the battle with Kushan Thor, my brother had reproached himself right in front of me. I can still vividly picture him slumped against a tree, quietly blaming himself. Why does that memory suddenly overlap with the present?
A sudden silence fell. The quiet felt a bit awkward, but I calmly gathered my thoughts. First, it was clear that my brother had been doing a lot of thinking while I was out. So instead of getting swept up emotionally, it was better to approach this logically.
The Guardian of the Northern Continent.
It’s definitely a good idea. Of course, more than 80% of people don’t even know a guardian exists—but that’s mostly among regular users. Many of the major clans settled in the Northern Continent have benefited from the guardian’s protection and are aware of their presence.
In other words, the issue I pointed out would be neatly resolved. Users are naturally self-interested, and after all this time of treating each other as strangers, suddenly handing over a few records and asking to be friendly would naturally raise suspicion. But if I subtly reveal my identity here, everything falls into place. Historically, guardians have helped clans unconditionally countless times.
In the end, everything was as my brother said. Unlike past guardians who drifted between clans holding only the ‘justification,’ I already have the ‘force’—the mercenary clan, the alliance with Istantel Row, and Haemil. And if my brother’s actions help me win the ‘hearts of the people’ as well? There’s no way I wouldn’t wield more power than any guardian before me.
That said, it’s not without problems. There are two major obstacles that make it hard to think only of a rosy future.
First, my relationship with the angels is pretty bad. (Granted, mostly because I’m the one hostile toward them.) And second, I don’t have the capacity to take on the guardian role alongside everything else. I’ve always felt sorry seeing Lee Hyo-eul exhausted, and realistically, managing both the mercenary clan and the central administration is a huge challenge.
After weighing everything for a while, I finally leaned toward one side. I spoke cautiously.
“Well… you know as well as I do that the guardian role is basically an angel’s errand…”
“That’s why you should do it. Even the angels don’t seem to mess with you, and if it’s you, Suhyun, you can claim rightful authority instead of being a lackey. More than anyone else.”
“Hmm. Still, being a guardian…”
“Hmm? Why?”
“Because the angels and I don’t get along…”
“That’s no excuse.”
My brother shook his head firmly but calmly.
“You shouldn’t think that way.”
“Huh?”
He looked thoughtful for a moment, then continued steadily.
“Since we’re talking about it, let me be blunt. As long as we share a common enemy—the demons—I want you to have a good relationship with the angels.”
“…So you’re basically saying I should become their lackey.”
“No, that’s not what I mean. You don’t understand me at all.”
“……”
He looked frustrated, then softened his tone.
“I get why you’re hostile toward the angels. I’m not telling you to like them. But there’s a saying: ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ Given the situation, we need to cooperate with the angels and use them as much as possible. Of course, never trust them fully, but at least pretend on the surface. If I were you, that’s what I’d do.”
Hearing that long explanation, I suddenly found myself at a loss for words. Damn it. This is why I hate arguing with my brother. He came prepared today, logically blocking every escape route. It’s hard to argue when he’s so right.
“That may be, but right now, I just don’t have the capacity to take on the guardian role…”
“Oh, don’t worry about that either.”
“Huh?”
“I already told them. Even if you become the guardian, Lee Hyo-eul will handle the basic tasks, and you’ll keep your position as head of the central administration. Of course, you’ll have to step in for major decisions, but you won’t need to worry about the small stuff.”
He’d already arranged that? I couldn’t help but chuckle dryly. At this point, I had no choice but to follow his advice.
“…I really feel sorry for you.”
Maybe he noticed my expression because he gave a bitter smile.
“I know it’s complicated, and I feel like I’m putting too much on your shoulders.”
“No, that’s not it.”
I didn’t think that way. Even though we had a plan for my return, no one else knew about it, and I had no one to lean on. While I was struggling to keep my head above water, my brother was quietly taking care of things. Actually seeing the vague plan slowly take shape made me feel more grateful than anything.
Just then, a faint vibration sounded, and my brother pulled a small crystal orb from his pocket.
“Hmm? Oh, really?”
“Got it. I’ll be there right away.”
After a brief message, my brother sighed deeply, looking regretful.
“Suhyun… I’m sorry, but…”
“No, go ahead. It’s fine.”
There was no reason for him to apologize. After the announcement today, it would be strange if he wasn’t busy. As a clan lord himself, he surely had important matters to attend to. In a way, it was my fault—I was the one who asked him to do this.
“Alright, thanks. Think it over.”
He tapped a thick envelope and turned to leave.
“Oh.”
But just before opening the door, he stopped and looked back at me.
“By the way… since you were there, can I take your silence as an answer?”
“An answer?”
“A choice between two options.”
“Oh~ no, not yet.”
I shook my head with a faint smile, and his eyes widened.
“You still haven’t decided?”
“Well… is there really a need to decide right now?”
“What?”
“Exactly. The situation hasn’t come to a point where I can decide, and there’s so much to do. No point counting chickens before they hatch.”
Seraph said not to fear change born from experience. It strangely resonated with my situation. Unlike the first cycle, stained only with pain and sorrow, this cycle I’m in now is definitely different.
“Anyway, I don’t know yet. Maybe after going through more, my thoughts will change. Until then, I’ll keep thinking it over. Why, is that not allowed?”
My brother lifted his chin slightly and nodded slowly, as if considering something.
After a moment.
“Nothing says it can’t be done.”
The sound of the door opening overlapped with his calm voice.
“No, I was hoping you’d say something like that.”
Before stepping out, he gave me a charming smile.
After he left, I quickly prepared to leave as well. Though I’d thought a lot, once I’d made a decision, I wasn’t going to hesitate. I didn’t want to miss this chance by dragging my feet.
Even on the way to the temple, countless thoughts crossed my mind. No matter how right his words were, expecting decades of prejudice to vanish in an instant was wishful thinking. The idea of a ‘guardian’ still didn’t sit well with many…
Still, I understood my brother’s intention. He didn’t want me to become a king in the true sense. To put it simply, he wanted me to be a unifying figure. From start to finish, all focus was on ‘me.’
Anyway, since he’s laid out the groundwork this far, there’s no reason I can’t do it.
But how exactly does one become a guardian? I felt awkward contacting Lee Hyo-eul directly. Since the position was vacant anyway, maybe I should just meet him and bring it up?
Lost in thought, I finally entered the summoning chamber—and instinctively paused. Because the angel lying—or rather, sprawled—on the central altar wasn’t Seraph.
Seraph was standing quietly behind the altar, alongside three other archangels.
‘You’ll be meeting again soon.’
That phrase I’d heard earlier suddenly came to mind.
“So you really came?”
A vivid voice echoed through the space. The angel reclining on the altar was Gabriel. Without even looking at me, he smiled faintly as he meticulously trimmed his nails.
“So, coming here means… you’re thinking of becoming the guardian?”
Is he going straight to the point?
“Or… do you just want to mess around with Seraph again?”
Just as I thought that, Gabriel glanced up at me with a mischievous tone.
“G-Gabriel-sama.”
While Seraph looked flustered, I took a step forward, then sat down on the gray floor, calmly staring ahead. Michael had his eyes closed solemnly, Raphael crouched nearby with a big grin, and Uriel crossed his arms, glaring at me.
Seraph didn’t know what to do, and when our eyes met, he shyly looked away. Gabriel chuckled once more and went back to trimming his nails.
“So, what’s it going to be? If it’s the latter, I’m willing to step aside.”
His tone was indifferent, but his eyes were sharp and steady.
“First… did you meet with my brother?”
“Oh, so it’s the former.”
Gabriel snickered and nodded casually. His legs kept twitching, which was oddly irritating.
“Yeah, that’s right. Honestly, I was a bit surprised. I wondered what sudden whim made the Crown Prince want to see us.”
“……”
“But honestly, what surprises me more is that you actually showed up. I half-expected it, but I never thought you’d really come. So, what’s your story?”
“Uh…”
I barely managed to trail off. I couldn’t bring myself to speak. Just facing them like this made my stomach churn with nausea. Those despicable women.
…But.
“A little…”
I had to hold it in. At least for now, I needed to suppress my emotions. I reminded myself of what my brother said: mindless emotional outbursts only drain you.
“My feelings have changed, I guess.”
At that moment, Gabriel’s restless leg suddenly froze. Michael opened his eyes, and Raphael’s gaze sharpened.
That’s when I realized—this was a test of sorts. I wasn’t a guardian yet. They were probably scrutinizing me closely to gauge my true intentions.
“Hmm~”
Finally, Gabriel responded. He slowly sat up and perched lightly on the altar.
“I want to hear more. Care to elaborate?”
He was an archangel. Half-baked acting or lies wouldn’t work on him. But there was a way—mix a tiny bit of falsehood into an almost entirely truthful statement.
“What do you want to hear? I still hate you all. That’s an undeniable fact.”
“What did you say…!”
As expected, Uriel snapped at once. Better to cut this short.
“But I admit I misunderstood you a bit.”
“Misunderstood? Ha, misunderstood?”
“Yeah. Misunderstood.”
“Uriel, shut up. No, wait—just be quiet for a moment.”
Uriel was raging like a wild beast, but Gabriel sharply cut him off.
“Impudent fool! Lord Gabriel! What did I say?”
“Uriel?”
“The moment he woke up, the Seraphim cast a veil! They put up protective magic to keep our conversation from leaking! Even now! Something’s definitely going on…!”
“U-ri-el~?”
Uriel growled on, undeterred.
“…Didn’t I tell you to shut up?”
Gabriel turned his head slightly and spoke in a cold voice. Within a second, Uriel froze like ice. I felt nothing, so it must have been a focused killing intent aimed solely at him.
With just his gaze, Gabriel subdued Uriel, then turned back to me with a gentle smile—as if inviting me to continue. I shrugged.
“I’m not usually into self-flagellation, but honestly, I think I was blinded by blind emotions all this time. Looking back, it was simple. I hate demons more than I hate you.”
“Hmm~ How much more do you hate them?”
“Enough that if one appeared right in front of me, I’d tear it apart and kill it. I guess ‘hatred’ is the right word.”
“Hmm, hmm.”
At Gabriel’s question, Michael let out a sound of admiration. As an angel who always leads the charge in battle, he seemed to like what I said.
“But isn’t it the same for you?”
“No doubt about it!”
Michael answered immediately, as if it were obvious.
Suddenly, I caught a familiar look. For some reason, the Seraphim stood slightly behind the archangels, eyes tense and fixed on me. When our gazes met, he gave a barely perceptible nod. That was the moment.
“…?”
Uriel glanced at the Seraphim for a split second.
“Alright. Then the talk’s over.”
He quickly averted his eyes and slipped his hand into his robe.
“Demon extermination. As long as that’s the goal…”
He put a cigarette to his lips and smirked—a cold, knowing smile. The die had been cast, the water spilled. There was no turning back now.
Yeah, I…
“As a guardian, I might even cooperate with you.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Kim Yuhyun’s perspective has actually appeared before.
It’s briefly mentioned at the start of Chapter 810, but I imagine many readers might have skipped it.
So, I’ll copy and paste that part here in the afterword.
Please note that the afterword doesn’t count toward the official chapter length, so I appreciate your understanding.
What is the current state of the Northern Continent?
If we consider the continent as a whole, it’s safe to say that most of the achievable progress in the Old Northern Continent has been made. Major cities like Barbara, as well as general cities like Princica, Halo, Monica, and Pamela, have all reached a very high level of stabilization. The small northern town of Mule is lagging behind somewhat, but it borders an undeveloped area, so that’s understandable.
The situation in the New Northern Continent, Atlanta, is similar. After conquering the Steel Mountains and breaking through the Warp Gate, not only the vanguard but most combat users from the Old Northern Continent have moved over. Using their experience from the Northern Continent and the Steel Mountains as a springboard, exploration activities are more active than ever. It’s too soon to say the area is fully stabilized, but the speed at which it’s approaching that point is undeniable.
What about the ‘cities’? The central administrative body manages the central city, while the eastern city is controlled by the Istanbul Low Clan, the western city by the Old Northern Alliance, the southern city by the Mercenary Clan, and the northern city by the Hamill Clan.
Old rivalries between clans have faded into the past. Since the rise of the Mercenary Clan and the establishment of the central administration, relations between cities have improved dramatically. Unless the world turns upside down, Hamill and Mercenary won’t turn their backs on each other. Istanbul Low has maintained friendly relations with the Mercenary Clan since its inception, and the Old Northern Alliance hasn’t acted antagonistically.
What about internal conditions? Development is going well. The four outer cities are thriving, and the inner city has also been fully developed. The once dilapidated and shabby appearance from the first discovery is gone, replaced by a clean, well-organized new city. The more solid the base, the easier it is for users to engage in other activities.
Putting all this together, the Northern Continent currently has the capacity to stabilize Atlanta and is growing stronger every day.
However.
‘At best, this is as far as it goes.’
Thump. A light knock on the desk. Fingers tapping intermittently like piano keys. It might seem meaningless, but it’s a habit—Kim Yuhyun’s way of thinking deeply.
‘If the goal was simply to live well, this would be fine. But…’
Right. If the ultimate goal was to live forever in the Whole Plain, the current situation would be perfect. But if the final goal is to return to Earth, things look different. Having heard the past circumstances, Kim Yuhyun couldn’t help but question the future.
To be blunt, it doesn’t look bright. If it were just a matter of conquest, why hasn’t Kim Suhyun mentioned an expedition until now? Even if it’s a stretch, getting the Zero Code would end everything. The only conclusion is that they’re not ready yet.
And that’s not all. Thinking about the ‘demons’ darkens the outlook even more. When Kim Suhyun mentioned demons, he spoke as if his blood ran cold. They’re probably no pushovers. Considering all the obstacles, the current situation, and the users from the first cycle, it’s impossible not to worry.
They say a cornered rat will bite the cat. But demons aren’t rats. That’s what makes them scarier. You can’t predict what crazy schemes they might hatch, and they have the power to pull them off. So when demons start moving in earnest and clash with us, will the Northern Continent be able to show the strength it had in the first cycle?
The answer is no. If demons appear and act, it won’t be an ‘expedition’ but a ‘war.’ Those two words carry vastly different meanings. The Northern Continent has very little experience acting as a unified group. The Barbara conquest, the Atlanta conquest, and the war with the allied forces three years ago are too few examples. Especially after the Steel Mountains campaign, the problems became painfully clear.
‘This can’t go on.’
That’s why Kim Yuhyun feels the urgent need for change. It’s too risky to just let things flow as they are, and it’s pitiful to leave everything to Kim Suhyun alone. At the very least, he who knows the situation should help.
Of course, this doesn’t mean planning a reenactment of the Warring States period—that would be foolish. Since deliberately provoking war isn’t an option, the only way is to increase combat experience by other means. So when the decision was made to reveal two-thirds of the secret library’s records, he was secretly pleased. He worried someone might monopolize the information otherwise.
But that alone isn’t enough. What the Northern Continent needs most right now is a leader—whether a user or a clan head—who can take the lead. Like the Golden Lion clan lord who led the Barbara conquest years ago. In other words, a unifying figure.
Plans for this are already somewhat in place. Kim Suhyun simply ordered the secret library’s records to be made public unconditionally, but Kim Yuhyun had no intention of doing so. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Especially now, with the Northern Continent’s guardian position vacant, it might be the perfect chance.
‘I feel a bit sorry for Suhyun… but I just can’t think of anyone else.’
Kim Yuhyun sighed deeply. Maybe by offering help, he was just adding more burden. But no matter how much he thought, no one else came to mind. Kim Suhyun, who experienced the first cycle firsthand and rose to the top, was the best candidate.
The first step toward returning home is ready.
But before that…
“First things first, I need to set the mood.”