The first thing that caught my eye was a densely wooded forest. The entire frame was filled with dark, shadowy trees, yet somehow, it didn’t feel unfamiliar.
But it wasn’t the scenery that truly held my gaze. Deep within the gloomy forest, a line of figures was pushing through the thick underbrush.
And it wasn’t just a handful of them. There were so many that, even with the camera seemingly high above, the end of the procession was nowhere in sight. Easily numbering in the thousands.
Suddenly, the footage zoomed in on the group. I didn’t recognize any faces, but one thing was clear: these humans were not from the Northern Continent. These guys were…
“Do you know who they are?” someone asked.
“…They’re from the Western Continent.”
“That’s right. Everyone in the footage is a user from the Western Continent.”
“And the location is the Pitch-Black Forest… is that correct?”
Seraph nodded slightly, confirming the guess.
“More precisely, the outermost edge of the Pitch-Black Forest. Based on their average marching speed, they should reach Mule in about eight days.”
According to Seraph, the Westerners were about to invade this land—following the exact same route they took two years ago when they launched a surprise attack on Mule.
My heart pounded wildly for a moment, but thanks to my clairvoyance, I managed to calm myself. At least this was less shocking than hearing that the Southern Continent had fallen.
Actually, the Western Continent’s invasion made a bit more sense. They had previously allied with the Outcasts to invade, and their land was basically a colony ruled by demons. It was no wonder the angels had resorted to the extreme measure of sealing it off, given how little chance of recovery there was.
Still, there was something off about all this.
“But there’s something you absolutely need to know.”
Just as I was about to voice my doubts, Seraph spoke again.
“As you know, Suhyun, the Western Continent slipped from our control after the last incident.”
“They didn’t slip away—they were abandoned. We brought back the few normal users, but left the rest behind, right?”
“…Since then, the population of the Western Continent has dropped to less than ten thousand, with no new users replenished. Yet, the number of people currently seen in the Pitch-Black Forest is close to five or six thousand.”
“Five or six thousand?”
Hearing that, my confusion only deepened—not because the number was too large, but quite the opposite. Didn’t they get crushed and run off last time, even when they came with twice that number?
And the situation now was completely different. The Western Continent probably hadn’t even managed to take Iris.
Of course, I couldn’t just assume the Westerners were weak. In a world ruled by survival of the fittest, those who remained must have some fighting ability.
But even so, there was no comparison to the Northern Continent. Population, number of combat users, quality of equipment, skill level—across the board, we were far superior. And they came with only that force? Even if they brought their entire army, it wouldn’t be enough.
Unless they were desperate to die, it was hard to believe. Yet, it was happening.
“Could the population have dropped due to constant civil war?”
“Actually…”
Seraph hesitated briefly, glanced around cautiously, then continued carefully.
“There are currently close to two thousand users left in the Western Continent.”
“Two thousand?”
“For the past few months, we haven’t paid much attention to the Western Continent. We checked occasionally, but only to monitor the cities.”
“…?”
“As a result, we failed to notice their movements in advance. In other words, we concluded it was a deception.”
“A deception?”
“If it weren’t, why would they leave as many as two thousand users behind?”
“Wait, wait a minute.”
The conversation was moving too fast. I needed to calm down and organize my thoughts.
So far, two facts were clear: first, the Southern Continent had allied with the demons; second, the Western Continent was coming to attack us.
What still didn’t make sense was the Western Continent’s position.
Seraph’s point was that they deliberately left two thousand users behind to avoid suspicion if the cities suddenly emptied. In other words, they were trying to evade the angels’ watchful eyes…
But why?
Questions kept piling up.
The timing was suspicious, too. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the two incidents were connected—like gears slowly locking into place.
From what I could piece together, the Western Continent’s movements had some hidden purpose. Worst case, Simon might have been resurrected. Or someone similar had appeared.
“Gabriel proposed a likely hypothesis.”
At that moment, Seraph continued.
“Suhyun, you must have felt it too. Even if we realized it late, it’s obvious that no matter what, the Western Continent can’t defeat the Northern Continent. The power gap is just too huge. …So why come at all?”
“Why?”
“Probably as bait.”
“Bait?”
“Yes. While the Northern Continent’s attention is focused on the Western Continent, they might be trying to achieve something using the Southern Continent…”
“……”
Seraph’s vague words lingered in my mind like an echo. Suddenly, the tangled mess of thoughts seemed to clear. At the same time, I felt a strange relief that I was the one assigned as guardian.
If someone else had taken the role, they might have dismissed it and insisted on stopping the Western Continent first.
But I understood Seraph’s words better than anyone. Not to mention the angels, I had experience fighting demons. I knew exactly how Satan operated. Yes, if it was Satan.
That much made the current situation somewhat clear.
“So the Southern Continent’s movements are what really matter.”
Seraph frowned slightly and shook his head.
“I’m sorry. We’re using every means possible, but the situation is dire.”
So, in the end, we still didn’t know.
“But there is one guess.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“The Eastern Continent.”
“The Eastern Continent?”
That was unexpected. Why the Eastern Continent, of all places?
“I heard that before the connection was cut, rumors suddenly spread in the Southern Continent about conquering the Eastern Continent.”
“I don’t get it. If they were heading to the Central Continent, that’d make sense. But why would the demons target the Eastern Continent? There’s no reason for that.”
“There is a reason.”
“There is?”
I couldn’t help but ask, sensing the certainty in Seraph’s voice.
“If they succeed in occupying the Eastern Continent, the demons will gain two enormous advantages.”
“From the demons’ perspective, not humans’.”
I asked again, and Seraph quietly nodded.
“But before that…”
Just as I was about to ask what those advantages were, Seraph spoke first.
“At this point, Suhyun, your decision is crucial.”
He extended his clenched fist forward, then opened his middle and ring fingers simultaneously.
“You have two paths to choose from.”
The moment I heard “two paths,” a strange sense of déjà vu washed over me.
When was it? I felt like I’d heard something similar before.
Maybe after the dragon-sleeping mountain campaign, from Ganesha?
“I want to erase demons and demonkind.”
Right. I had asked that inside the monument.
And Ganesha had said…
“Unfortunately, that’s not something I can answer precisely.”
“But I can offer one prophecy.”
“Ha ha. Don’t be so surprised. You see…”
“The path you walk will split into two.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------
I’m sorry.
Not only is this update late, but it’s also shorter than usual.
I actually fell asleep right when I started writing today.
When I woke up, it was past 3 a.m., and I hurriedly started writing from there.
I wanted to at least meet the usual length, but there’s no excuse.
I’ll do my best to prevent this from happening again.
Once again, I sincerely apologize. (__)