A cool breeze swept through the quiet night. Yet, the castle’s garden was bustling with loud chatter and lively commotion.
Im Hanna had said it was just a casual gathering to celebrate my survival and share a few stories, but that was far from the truth. This was the largest festival I’d ever experienced.
It wasn’t just us—officials from the central administration, Istantel Row, the Hamill Clan, and several other outsiders had been invited. So it was no surprise the vast garden was packed with people.
Still, despite the chaos, the atmosphere was more joyful and festive than overwhelming, which I found impressive.
“When the elder brother came up with this plan, I just knew. I thought, ‘Ah, this could actually work. It really might.’”
Go Yeon-ju sat at the central table, grinning as she recounted the story. Listening closely, it was clear she was talking about the plan to rescue me.
“At first, I was half-doubting it. There were so many obstacles—who should we save first? Would they even agree? And most importantly, would we have enough GP?”
“That’s exactly why I stepped in!”
As soon as Go Yeon-ju finished, Lee Yoo-jung puffed up her chest and stood proudly.
Only now did I realize that Yoo-jung was one of the key players in my rescue. No matter how much GP Go Yeon-ju and Nam Da-eun had—six hundred million combined—only six hundred users could be revived with a wish. That wasn’t nearly enough to save all the fallen from the Temple of Promise War and the thousands of users from the Northern Continent.
Yoo-jung had found the solution. Like before, when she used GP with my permission, she gathered the GP of every user from the Northern Continent as a ‘proxy,’ including the GP of those revived.
“Alright, alright, enough already. That’s the twentieth time I’ve heard this story tonight.”
“What was that?”
“And honestly, while you strengthened the plan, it was us who did the legwork—explaining the situation to each person one by one…”
“…”
Kim Han-byul’s teasing made Yoo-jung pout, but she had no comeback and quietly sat down, resuming her drinking.
As everyone took turns boasting about their contributions, I casually scanned the crowd. Preparations had long been finished, and the guests were fully immersed in the festivities.
Ahn Hyun and Jin Soo-hyun were already drunk, sleeves rolled up, dancing wildly and drawing amused sneers.
Shin Jae-ryong and Shin Sang-yong laughed heartily, clinking their glasses.
Woo Jung-min chatted warmly with Won Hye-su, while Seon Yoo-woon at the same table glanced at them with a detached expression, sipping his drink like a stuffed scarecrow.
Heo Jun-young smiled at Yoo-woon, who stared blankly back, prompting a dry cough and an averted gaze.
Vivian offered a dish she’d made to Jung Ha-yeon, only to be flatly refused, her spirits drooping. Then she spotted Baek Han-gyeol passing by and brightened.
Baek Han-gyeol wailed dramatically, refusing the food, but eventually took a bite and closed his eyes in contentment. Vivian smacked her lips and looked away just as Geun-won screamed and ran off.
Soo-na gleefully spun the tail of a baby Pegasus like a sparkler, but suddenly lost her grip.
An Sol, sipping milk alone with eyes full of melancholy, was suddenly struck by the flying baby Pegasus and burst into tears.
Gehenna and Han So-young faced off, creating a tense atmosphere. Gehenna scooped up Soo-na, who was staring blankly where the Pegasus had flown, and smiled arrogantly. Han So-young calmly looked around, then brought over Mar, who was petting a nearby unicorn with a smile, and lifted her up the same way. Gehenna was taken aback, and Mar blinked a few times.
Je-gal Hae-sol watched the two women’s power struggle with a strange smile.
I quietly slipped away from the heart of the festival, lit a cigarette, and exhaled a long plume of smoke. The sky was dyed a deep indigo, and beneath it, the shadow of a massive bonfire flickered gently like a campfire.
I stared at this peaceful, everyday scene for a long moment before speaking without thinking.
“Boring.”
Immediately, I regretted saying it.
“Well, yeah, I guess it could be.”
A low male voice spoke from behind me.
“Some might find it boring, sure.”
Recognizing the voice, I felt a drink suddenly pressed into my hand over my shoulder. Without turning, I knew it was my brother and casually caught the glass. I sensed him quietly sidling up beside me.
“But isn’t this the scene you wanted?”
I fiddled with the glass, feeling a bit restless. He wasn’t wrong. Long before this round began, I had envisioned and wished for this future—a world where no one dies, no one grieves. A peaceful world free from worries.
Yeah. That’s right.
But…
My brother spoke again.
“Feeling empty?”
“Not really.”
“Oh, you went to the temple, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Just went?”
“Just… said I’d think things over.”
That was a lie.
‘I…’
After that, I never got a proper answer. But Seraph seemed to plead desperately, hoping I’d understand something. I couldn’t make a choice and slipped away like a fugitive. Seraph didn’t stop me. In the end, nothing was decided. Not yet.
“Thinking it over… I suppose taking time to sort things out isn’t bad. There’s nothing holding you back anymore.”
“Sounds like you’re mocking me, saying it’s too easy.”
“Not at all. And what’s wrong with living comfortably? No one here would blame you. Even those who don’t know the full story.”
“Maybe.”
Despite his encouragement, I felt an inexplicable emptiness.
A heavy silence settled.
“But you know…”
My brother seemed to want to change the subject.
“Say, just hypothetically…”
“Go ahead, I’m listening.”
“If you finished with the angels and stayed here, what would you do?”
“Huh?”
“You wouldn’t just keep living like this as a user, right?”
“Of course not.”
The moment I said that, his expression shifted slightly. Strangely, as soon as I heard the question, my senses sharpened. The vague, distant scenery suddenly came into sharp focus. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.
“This is nice and all, but there are still things to do, right?”
“Things to do? What else is there here?”
“Plenty. First, after taking some time to regroup, we need to deal with the remaining Western and Southern Continent scum. We’ve been through enough.”
“And then?”
“Then we use the Western and Eastern Continents as forward bases to conquer the barren wastelands and the Frost Canyons. I don’t know much about those places either, so it’ll be an adventure. At our current level, we can definitely take them on.”
“Really?”
After that, my brother fell silent for a while. For some reason, he kept drinking with a stiff expression, then gave a bitter smile.
“You… you’re only smiling now.”
“What?”
“You looked so drained just a moment ago.”
“Me?”
He said no more, just leaned back and drained the rest of his drink. I absentmindedly raised my hand to my face and realized I was smiling.
Then—
“Yahoo! Here comes the rake, no, the king!”
A lively shout rang out, and my view suddenly tilted as if I were being dragged away.
“Alright, everyone! Let’s start the king’s game you’ve all been waiting for!”
Snapping back to reality, Je-gal Hae-sol grabbed my arm, hoisted me into the air, and shouted at the top of his lungs.
“What—what are you doing?”
“Hey, don’t back out. You look pathetic sitting in the corner like a transfer student at the festival’s main event.”
“W-what?”
“Alright, I’ll start with a question! Among the women here, who’s closest to our clan lord’s ideal type?”
Suddenly, the noisy crowd fell silent. Sharp gazes rained down from all directions. Flustered, I quickly looked away.
My brother still stood there, watching me with a bitter expression. He leisurely swirled his glass, then slowly turned and walked away.
I…
“…”
Just stared after his retreating figure, lost in thought.
More readers participated in the event than I expected. Thank you all! (__)
Originally, I planned to select five winners on a first-come, first-served basis and five more randomly, but after seeing the number of comments, I decided to expand the selection pool. (The initial condition remains the same, of course.)
I’m posting the content first and will begin the selection process immediately. I’ll update the results here as soon as it’s done, so please check back later.
Also, some readers have expressed concerns about the slow pacing or the resolution of Seraph’s plot threads. Please don’t worry too much. As I mentioned before, Episode 0 will definitely wrap up within episodes 6 to 10, including the resolution of Seraph’s story. So please relax and enjoy the remaining chapters. :)
And now, the event results!
The correct answer was Go Yeon-ju. :)
First-Come, First-Served Correct Answer Prize
(5 minutes in the serialization section, 6 minutes in the announcements, 4 minutes in the garden) — 100 tickets each
Xyroe, Unkn0wn, Machunryeok, Fishman, Card Insurance, Blackfirst
(Blackfirst, please send me a private message—I couldn’t find your login ID.)
Apron, Shatien, Don’t Ask Moller, Malfurion Stormrage, White-Haired Mage, Ho0149, Shubidubi, Whinea, Seong-i’s Dad
Random Prize (unrelated to the correct answers) — 100 tickets each
Morkaren, Ken12, Moonlight Master, myverry1, kyyc3748, Jjun1218, Deulmaro, Panggal, Nourvorse, dhgkdldy2
Spirit Award
(For those who showed little interest in the event but still left comments about the serialization) — 50 tickets each
NineBreaker, OdinZ, LoveLikeTheMoon, Lariat, International Economics
Good Vibes Award
(For those who called me “Royujin,” which made me happy) — 50 tickets each
Evergreen Sky, Mongu Hunter, Apulrigo
“Hey, Why Are You Like This?” Award
(For those who persistently call me “Royumi” despite my repeated refusals—please, I’m begging you to stop; this is a bribe of sorts) — 10 tickets each
hwang3820, Sad Moon Cat, Yenika
“Same Feeling” Award
(For those who, like me, felt the frustration of yesterday’s server connection errors) — 10 tickets each
Sky Road Cat
“Suddenly” Award
(After calculating, I realized I had more tickets left than expected, so while wondering who else to give them to, I thought of these readers from their comments) — 100 tickets each
Danbeol Sinsa, Hobak Hobak, Isulmeoreu, Jjutteongi, Fantasy Land, Rocket Dan, Idealiste, Melis, hohokoya1, Optolove, Game Master, Resite, Ome, UrDREAM, Flute
That’s all.
I wanted to give prizes to as many people as possible, but there are limits, unfortunately. ^^;
Congratulations to all the winners, and to those who didn’t win this time, I ask for your understanding.
Tickets will be distributed in order starting from now.
Thank you all so much for your continued love and support! :D