Se-yul’s attitude was definitely over the top, but I stayed silent because I understood how she felt. The idea of saving time by sending a ‘mission message’ was good in theory, but from the recipient’s perspective, it was bound to cause confusion. Of course, the angel anticipated the chaos and, unusually, decided to intervene personally.
…At least it was a small mercy that I had leaked the rumor to Ko Yeon-ju beforehand.
I focused first on the Western Continent and relayed the information Seraph had given me, piece by piece. The enemy was about ten days away from Mool, with fewer than six thousand troops, and so on.
“What? Only five or six thousand coming? That’s it?”
“Those idiots.”
Se-yul was incredulous, clearly struggling to understand, while Gong Chan-ho scoffed quietly.
“Then why bother gathering like this? If it’s just that many, our Northern Alliance alone could wipe them out.”
Though he spoke casually, he was clearly interested. After all, he was the second to arrive after Kim Deok-pil. Whatever the circumstances, he was excited just by the fact that war was breaking out. Gong Chan-ho was that kind of user.
“That may be true, but you’re not allowed.”
“Not allowed? Why not?”
“Even if the entire Northern Alliance faces the Western Continent, you have to join the Eastern Continent relief mission.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s necessary. That place looks tougher.”
“Hmmm…”
Gong Chan-ho seemed about to argue but suddenly fell silent. Probably weighing his options—‘Where can I have more fun causing chaos?’
At that moment, Han So-young quietly raised her hand.
“So, the Mercenary Lord plans to repel the Western Continent while also going to relieve the Eastern Continent?”
“Yes.”
“Since the Western forces aren’t as many as expected, that’s possible. But the key will be how many troops we assign to the relief force.”
“……”
Her calm voice rang clearly in my ears, and I couldn’t help but admire her. As expected of Han So-young. She’d only seen the message but had already pinpointed the most critical issue in the current situation.
“We’re thinking of about five thousand for the relief force.”
“Eh? Only five thousand?”
Someone immediately questioned the number in disbelief. I saw Han So-young’s expression turn ambiguous, so I quickly added:
“There’s a condition. To be clear, the relief force will be made up of the Northern Continent’s absolute elite.”
“And that condition is…?”
“At least four years’ experience, participants in the war four years ago, those who took part in the Steel Mountain Range campaign… and members of the clans or affiliated clans present here. Of course, there will be some exceptions to the fourth condition.”
“Hmm… I don’t know. Still, five thousand seems too few…”
Kim Deok-pil stroked his patchy beard and licked his lips. Most others showed similar reluctance. As I slowly scanned the room, I suddenly caught Lee Hyo-eul’s eye.
“I think I get it. Five thousand. Not exact, but roughly the number of users who meet your criteria at this point. So you’re not just taking any users, but experienced ones?”
“That’s part of it. Also, the more people you have, the slower the march.”
“I still wish you’d reconsider. Even if you bring the best elite, isn’t that number too small? Just gathering all the clans here would easily exceed ten thousand.”
“That’s why I said ‘at least.’ If there are more, of course we’ll take them.”
He wasn’t wrong. Counting all the affiliated clans, the number would easily surpass that. But this time, the situation was different. Unlike before, I was now in command of the entire army. That was certain.
One thing I’d learned from the first round was that wars on the Whole Plain weren’t about numbers—they were about the users.
It was a far cry from ancient wars of the past. One user could kill a hundred, or even more. The best example was the Legion Summoner. Sure, numbers helped, but bringing in mediocre players only got in the way.
From that perspective, five thousand was the optimal force I could control.
Then my older brother spoke up.
“Soo-hyun, what about information on the Southern Continent?”
“Unfortunately, I haven’t heard anything. It seems completely shrouded in mystery.”
“Then the chances they’re advancing toward the Eastern Continent?”
“Pretty high, they say.”
He folded his arms calmly and lowered his chin slightly—a habit when deep in thought. Knowing the situation to some extent, he must have felt more than anyone else that this was no time to be complacent.
Anyway, the important points were covered. Now all that remained was to wait for the angel’s cooperation to end, quickly organize the relief force, and head to the Eastern Continent.
“So, what do we do now?”
At that moment, a question came from nearby. I looked ahead.
“First, I want to thank you all. And I understand. Suddenly receiving a message, then hearing that the Western Continent is attacking and we have to go relieve the Eastern Continent—it must have been very confusing.”
“But the situation is urgent. As I said, no one knows how far the Southern Continent has advanced. We need to act as quickly as possible.”
“This meeting will end here. You should immediately go to your assigned angel to hear the full situation. If you agree, select users who meet the conditions I mentioned and contact me right away.”
“However, this is not mandatory. If you choose to stay in the Northern Continent and focus on defense, we respect that decision. But even then, please inform me, as we’ll need to select new clans to participate.”
As I finished speaking, Se-yul immediately stood up, turned without a word, and briskly left the meeting room. Just as the others hesitated to rise, someone suddenly spoke.
“Um, brother, I have a question.”
Park Hwan-hee looked at me with a bright smile. For a moment, I wanted to ask who she thought I was the brother of, but I bit my tongue—can’t spit on a smiling face.
“What is it?”
“Oh, it’s nothing much. If defending the Western Continent is an obligation, then the Eastern Continent relief is a kind of mission, right? So participation is optional, but we got special priority.”
“That’s right. And?”
“Then, if we succeed in this special mission, is there a reward?”
I chuckled lightly. She wasn’t like this at first, but after working with a merchant clan, she’d become quite pragmatic. Or maybe that was only natural—each choice carried different weight.
“Once the force is organized, a new message will pop up, so don’t worry.”
“Oh, will the angel tell us that too?”
“Of course. It won’t be disappointing.”
“Okay, got it.”
Park Hwan-hee nodded enthusiastically and smiled brightly, as if that was all she needed.
After a moment, the users began turning and filing out one by one.
I just watched silently as they left in a line toward the exit.
After the hastily convened emergency meeting ended,
all the users gathered at Mercenary Castle headed to the temple without exception. Except for one.
Kim Yoo-hyun, the leader of the Hamil Clan, was walking toward his base in the Northern City. Because he simply didn’t need to go.
‘Is he nervous?’
Kim Yoo-hyun suddenly chuckled. Thinking back to his younger brother’s demeanor during the meeting made him smile.
Kim Soo-hyun hadn’t pushed others with charisma as usual but had maintained a consistently cautious attitude. When discussing the expected troop composition, he even looked grim. It was proof he was anxious and tense.
‘Not bad.’
Still, Kim Yoo-hyun had faith in his brother. While those unaware of the situation showed unease and anxiety, after meeting Gabriel, Kim Yoo-hyun had gained a firm conviction.
And surely Kim Soo-hyun knew and felt it too. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have mentioned ‘at least five thousand.’
Yet, the fact he was still tense meant…
The whole affair seemed simple but was actually complex. But that was the privilege of knowing the inside story. Kim Yoo-hyun could vaguely sense the hidden intentions behind the current situation.
Satan knew they were at a severe disadvantage and that they had no choice. So as a second-best plan, they triggered multiple situations simultaneously, trying to steer the outcome in their favor.
In other words, they planned to buy time, build up enough strength, and then strike decisively once.
But Kim Soo-hyun had met that head-on.
Despite the chaos, he neither clung to defending the main base nor took the risky move of advancing into the Central Continent. Nor did he hesitate. He made the best choice in a short time. Most importantly, he didn’t underestimate the situation despite the advantage; instead, he remained vigilant, which was reassuring.
Of course, the skill that brought the situation this far deserved praise, but Satan’s plan was effectively shattered. Now, all that was left was to hope for the enemy’s complacency—and Kim Soo-hyun was wary even of that.
In this situation, it was safe to say the Northern Continent had no chance of defeat.
At this point, the enemy almost seemed pitiful. If he were Satan, he’d be gasping for air in this suffocating, relentless pressure.
‘Satan…’
Thinking that, Kim Yoo-hyun quietly lifted the corner of his mouth. His faint, silent smile was both excited and chilling, as if looking forward to what was to come.
“How do you plan to get out of this now?”
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
With this chapter, Episode 4 has come to an end. Starting next time, we’ll be diving back into Episode 3. It’s funny—what began at Episode 8 has now circled back to 3. Feels like the end is finally within sight.
…That said, the next update might come on Saturday, May 16th. I have a meeting this afternoon with Joara and some collaborators from other companies. It’s about the visual novel project that had been on pause for a while. (It was originally supposed to be released between January and February—sorry for the delay. ㅜ.ㅠ) I’m not sure when I’ll be done and back home, so if there’s no update on the 15th, please consider it a one-day break. I’ll share more details about the visual novel once I return.
From Episode 3 onward, the story will pick up speed quite a bit. For those who’ve gotten used to the slower pace so far, it might feel a bit jarring. Heh.
Reader A: Pfft.
Woongnam Royujin: ?
Reader B: You’re speeding through it lololol. Didn’t you say you’d finish by episode 600?
Woongnam Royujin: ;;
Reader C: I was expecting at least 800 episodes. And you’ve already passed that by a long shot.
Woongnam Royujin: ;;;;
A-anyway, I’ll do my best to close that gap as much as possible.
To everyone heading to work or school, have a lively and wonderful Thursday! :D