episode_0239

Among the various regions, some had held out more safely than I expected, while others had suffered greater damage than I could have imagined.

In a word, my estimations themselves held little meaning…

Regardless, they weren’t sights I wanted to behold for long.

For instance, Korea had held out quite well compared to other places—.

But that was only relatively speaking; if I looked closely, the damage here was also severe.

In particular, the presence of Hyungnim Woohyuk and Soyul, who had coincidentally awakened as an S-class, was crucial, I suppose.

The giants overtly launched mass attacks only in regions where strong individuals gathered, and by the time Cheon Soyul swept them away, they even sent special entities.

Seven blue bolts of lightning were fixed directly onto the giants’ spawn points on each continent, incinerating them as soon as they appeared. However, there were still some entities that survived that annihilation.

“…Hyunjin, huh?”

For example, those guys who slipped out of my range with some unknown special ability.

I was currently searching for and pulverizing those slippery, loach-like bastards one by one.

“Jiwoo Nuna?”

Then, I unexpectedly ran into a welcome face after a long time. It was Kim Jiwoo, who was decapitating small giants near the Taebaek Mountains.

I was startled, then my face brightened, but I quickly had to wipe that expression away.

Because her entire body was covered in injuries as she fiercely fought a car-sized giant with a single dagger.

*Thud!*

I immediately folded the ground and rushed forward, powerfully striking the giant’s side.

Even so, it had no upper body, only the base of its torso.

*Crackle! Shatter!*

With a single punch, the giant’s body, imbued with lightning, was horribly torn apart, pulverizing several rocks and trees.

Jiwoo Nuna looked up at me with a dazed expression, then quickly blushed.

“Ah, no.”

“Huh?”

“I, I can take down one or two of those guys without much effort…?”

I wondered what she was suddenly saying, then she enthusiastically pointed in every direction with the hand holding her dagger, appealing to the remnants of the giants she had defeated.

So, what was it?

Did she mean she wasn’t struggling with that one I just dealt with?

I hadn’t even thought about it, but did she suddenly feel embarrassed?

Perhaps, since she used to be stronger than me, she felt subtly awkward about this reversed situation.

Of course, an A-class close-combat Awakener could probably handle those weakened giants.

I let out a soft chuckle at her slightly clumsy demeanor, which eased the tension that had built up.

And then, I leisurely approached her as she rambled on with excuses.

“Nuna isn’t exactly weak either…?! I knew from the news that you’d become incredibly strong, but, uh, hmm?”

“Just hold still for a moment.”

*Whoosh!*

I flicked my hand, generating sacred power. I could now use it quite skillfully, and my healing speed had also become considerably faster.

Jiwoo Nuna’s wounded body quickly recovered thanks to the flowing platinum-colored light.

“…Ah.”

She, who had been staring blankly at the sight, flinched a beat late and raised her head.

“…Th-th-this power, surely not.”

“Hm.”

Come to think of it, Lucretia’s sacred power was a rather famous ability, wasn’t it?

Even if she saw it for the first time, it might not be strange for her to recognize it at a glance.

I scratched my cheek and replied.

“…Well, that’s how it turned out.”

“W-what on earth did you do to summarize sleeping with the Saintess so briefly…?!”

Jiwoo Nuna covered her mouth in shock, as if she couldn’t believe it.

Thinking it would needlessly become troublesome, I quickly turned my body.

“Well then, Nuna, I need to hurry to other places. I’m the only one among the Arctic Sea members who can move properly right now.”

“Huh, huh? Wait, Lee Hyunjin? Where are you going! Tell me more in detail before you go!”

*Whoosh!*

I immediately used spatial magic to get far away from the middle of that mountain range.

This is truly… Jiwoo Nuna also has a subtly persistent side…

“…Now, where should I go next?”

Still, it wasn’t a lie that I had a lot to do. Every now and then, I would cross through the portal and hear from Haru that there was still no news from the members who had gone beyond the sky, visible even from here.

Of course, there aren’t just one or two S-class Awakeners in the entire world, but even those few dozen wouldn’t be able to cover all the giants.

Most importantly, the worsening state of the atmosphere was also a problem. I don’t know the principle behind it, but the otherworldly magic was polluting the air.

If this flowed past the Awakener front lines and into civilian areas, it would be a catastrophe.

No, in fact, in some African countries, it already…

“…”

My expression hardened instantly. As I said again, I had a lot to do.

*Rip!*

I once again tore open the space ahead and crossed continents. Europe, North America, and some parts of Asia were still relatively intact…

“…First, after I clear out the remaining continents one by one.”

Let’s do that, and then return.

To where I should be.

It might be a somewhat long journey, but since I’ve started, shouldn’t I see it through to the end?

I, holding lightning in one hand and freezing cold in the other, burst forth high above the giants.

Looking down at the giants who, sensing me, paused their ponderous steps, I ultimately couldn’t suppress the urge to speak.

“Peek-a-boo, you monster bastards.”

They wouldn’t understand anyway, but what does it matter?

I immediately swept both my arms downwards.

*Rumble! Boom!*

*****

“…So that woman from back then, and your master, are both beyond the sky right now. To defeat the master of the otherworld.”

“Yeah, something like that.”

*Crunch!*

As I turned the brain of a giant, which had reached out to grab my ankle, into mush, I answered Lucretia’s question nonchalantly.

By now, I had wandered the world for quite some time, meeting many people…

It was quite a reunion with Lucretia, but it didn’t feel particularly profound.

Well, I was glad to see her, but I was just too tired to fully enjoy it.

Under Lucretia’s disappointed gaze, I awkwardly scratched the back of my head.

Then, pretending not to notice, I lifted my head and looked up at the portal I had created.

The large blue portal, created at a suitable height, was still maintained even after a week, moving me from place to place.

Simply opening a spatial gate with just my own power would require considering mana exhaustion.

So, where exactly was that portal getting its power from to be maintained?

“…Gasp, pant. *Haaah*…”

“Mm.”

“*Ugh*, *hic*…”

Naturally, there was someone else diligently supplying the power.

And naturally, the identity of that being was none other than Haru.

She, whose form could vaguely be seen beyond the portal, was still struggling to maintain it.

What’s more, she was making resourceful use of the Staff of Void, and even the core of an anomalous entity that ‘he’ had plundered from Istanbul back then.

Of course, even with such item-based help, it wouldn’t have been an easy task.

It was a moment where I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, as she was sweating profusely, her eyes hollow.

I glanced back at Lucretia and asked.

“Didn’t you say there was a sacred power ability that recovers lost vitality?”

“…I did, didn’t I?”

It was something I’d heard in passing during pillow talk in bed once.

A technique that restores not only external and internal injuries but also states of exhaustion.

It was a high-level technique that I couldn’t use yet. Therefore, to make Haru comfortable, Lucretia’s help was inevitably needed.

“Hmm.”

I gestured towards Haru with my eyes. Lucretia quietly followed my gaze and looked at the blue-haired girl beyond the portal…

*Smile.*

She smiled brightly and uttered a single phrase.

“Do I need to do that for her?”

“…Ah, right.”

The Saintess, who had been badly burned by Eileen in the past, didn’t seem to have any intention of making that girl, her superior, comfortable.

Haru, who had been eavesdropping on these conversations from beyond the portal, her expression greatly contorted.

“What on earth did you do to make *me* suffer too, darling…!”

And she continued to grumble and whine, but that wasn’t my concern.

I naturally ignored her complaints and turned back to Lucretia.

In any case, I had successfully stabilized various parts of the world by continuously moving around for a week.

Should I say the giants had lost their power now? More precisely, I suspect it’s the result of the ‘Master’ beyond the otherworld weakening.

My active role, waiting for the Master of the otherworld to be subjugated, might soon come to an end.

That premonition grew stronger, and I now longed for a little rest.

“Lucretia.”

“…Uh, eh?”

Through none other than the Saintess, that is.

I suddenly pulled her into a tight hug.

Her face intensely reddened at the sudden physical contact as she looked up at me.

With a smile she rather liked, I uttered a low, seductive phrase.

“Want to go to bed?”

“Y-yes, yes…”

The result was quickly obtained. I was truly sorry to say this, but Lucretia had quite an easygoing personality when it came to such matters.

Feeling just a hint of guilt, I gently pressed my lips to her forehead.

“…Hey, no. Wait. Are you really going like that? You, you should stay with me! If you made me work like this, at least be a conversation partner…!”

As she watched the two of us get further and further away from the portal, the blue-haired girl somewhere screamed with all her might, but…

“I can’t hear you very well, what was that?”

“…Yaaah!”

I neatly ignored her and went indoors. How hard do you think I worked for the past week, taking short naps and sweeping away giants?

Don’t disturb me, legal loli. I have the right to rest…!