Chapter 2: The Emperor’s Summons

“Uh, ugh…”

A groan flowed out involuntarily.

It felt like the joints of my whole body were screaming.

No less than 10 hours.

That was the time I spent sitting on a chair making potions.

“The number is currently…”

The bright red potions gathered beside me.

The number had finally reached 200, surpassing half of the target amount of 300.

It meant it took 5 hours per 100 bottles.

“Ha.”

Seeing that, a sigh naturally leaked out.

As time went on, the Emperor’s tyranny worsened.

Unlike that, my body was not sturdy.

Thanks to my broken wings, I couldn’t use the proper power of an angel.

It was only because my divine power was overflowing that I could make potions like this; if not…

‘I would have been exhausted by now.’

Look at the current time.

It has been a long time since the moon rose.

I glanced.

Looking at the clock, it was pointing to 3 AM.

“Haaaawn.”

I was so sleepy and tired.

Sleep was pouring down so much it felt like it was hitting me in the back of the head.

But.

I couldn’t sleep.

If I couldn’t meet the target amount, I would definitely be scolded.

She would make a whole bich fuss.

So I had to hurry.

The Emperor, a pointlessly perfect human, wakes up early in the morning.

With her mind and body twisted, she would definitely come looking for me as soon as she woke up.

‘No.’

If it were her, she would definitely wait for me to come to her.

And she would check the time.

‘How late I was!’

My heart became anxious.

My hands making the potions started to move even faster.

‘Einstein, you b*tch…’

He said, didn’t he?

That time was relative.

As I sped up, the cruel time also seemed to gradually speed up.

Tick-tock.

The sound of the clock was heard.

Before I knew it, 12 hours had passed since I started making potions.

The sun, which had risen at some point, began to shine into the room through the window.

Now there wasn’t even time to sigh.

It must have been that way.

Boom—!!!

A huge vibration shook the cabin I was living in.

“What the…”

This place where I was living was a secluded spot far away from the academy.

The academy was located near the Steel Mountain Range, where monsters frequently appeared for training…

‘And I’m living next to that Steel Mountain Range. Dmn it.’

When I was first sent here, I couldn’t believe how surprised I was when I was attacked by a monster while sleeping.

‘It was a good thing Professor Ariella put up a barrier.’

If not for that, I would have already become a monster’s meal.

Anyway, thanks to that barrier, most monsters cannot even approach my house.

This was an unchanging truth.

[Boom–!!] [Boom—!]

“Ugh..!”

My body jolted along with the chair from the tremendous vibration.

Seeing this vibration, it didn’t seem like an ordinary monster.

‘If it’s a guy that can cause this level of vibration…’

Monster knowledge forcibly learned by the Emperor.

[Rustle.]

The monster dictionary in my head quickly began turning pages.

And soon, I could deduce the identity of the creature.

‘Orc.’

The top predator of the mountain range, twice the size of a tree and carrying a club as big as a tree.

It appeared near my house.

‘Why is a creature that should originally be at the top of the mountain range…’

…prowling around near my house?

[Grooooooar!!!!]

Let me correct myself.

It wasn’t just prowling; it seemed truly angry.

[Boom boom boom–!]

Its footsteps gradually quickened.

And it got closer.

‘Why is it coming here of all places.’

An Orc, a high-level monster.

Taking down that guy was a bit much even for me.

But it wasn’t impossible to defeat it.

Because I was an angel and possessed vast divine power.

However.

‘Time is the problem.’

If I catch that guy, the already pressing time will become even more pressing.

‘Please go away. Please go away. Please go away.’

So I clasped my hands tightly and prayed to a god somewhere.

But that dmn god b*tch ruthlessly trampled on my wish.

“Kyaaaaak!!”

A frail scream was heard.

A male student and a female student were running from afar.

Seeing their school uniforms, they were clearly students of the academy.

Right.

In the dead of dawn.

Running around in front of someone else’s house shouting all sorts of things, that I can forgive.

But…

But…

“Why the f*ck did you bring an Orc?!”

Abruptly.

I got up roughly from my seat.

[Crash.]

The chair I had been with for 12 hours was weakly thrown to the floor.

[Boom boom boom–!]

A house-sized Orc came running, swinging its club around.

“There’s a house!!”

The guys running towards the house with that Orc.

One girl with fluttering pure white hair and a boy with neatly tied-up black hair.

Whatever they did, their bodies were covered in blood.

Given the situation, there was nothing I could do.

“Let’s quickly finish this. Yeah. Let’s quickly finish this and make potions fast.”

Having thus brainwashed myself, I picked up the magic stone placed on the desk.

[Crackle…!]

The magic stone, reacting with my divine power, emitted pure white electricity.

‘The Emperor taught me this too.’

All magic in the world required magic power.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have magic power, but…

[Creak-]

The door of the old cabin opened.

Clutching the magic stone tightly, I glared at the unwelcome guests.

Did they think I would save them?

Their expressions noticeably brightened.

[Groooar!!!!]

The Orc’s roar pierced the sky and echoed.

“You’re noisy.”

My ears were ringing.

So let’s deal with it before it screams more.

[Swishhh.]

The hand holding the magic stone cut through the air.

As if drawing a picture.

Like a conductor directing a piece of music, I drew a cross in the air with beautiful hand movements.

Then.

An imaginary cross shimmering with golden light appeared before my eyes.

Preparation was complete.

[Crackle..!!]

The magic stone held in my hand shattered into pieces.

Dark red magic power hovered in the air.

For just a moment.

That magic power was sucked into my pure white hand as if swirling.

Looking at it with eyes like jewels made from processed blood, I said softly.

“Divine Punishment.”

[Rumbling—-]

Clouds gathered, and the cross, now a cluster of light, soared into the sky.

At the same time.

“Get out of the way.”

[Bang—!!!!!]

A bolt of lightning, tearing through the sky, plunged towards the ground.

The ground was overturned, and trees were uprooted completely.

It was the result of magic imbued with one high-grade magic stone and immense divine power.

The Orc wouldn’t have even left a bone behind.

“Whoops.”

Annoyed, I used magic that was excessive for the Orc.

Momentarily, dizziness surged, making my body stagger.

It was a side effect of forcibly injecting magic power into a body that had none.

‘I need to use it when making potions too.’

Potions were made when divine power and magic power were harmonized.

Thanks to that, I always kept countless magic stones nearby when making potions.

‘It’s going to hurt a lot tonight.’

This level of dizziness wasn’t enough to stop potion making.

I’ll probably feel even more pain after making the potions.

“Hoo…”

Any more worrying is a luxury.

Letting out a sigh, I turned my back like that.

As much time as was delayed, I have to push harder to make the potions.

“Hey, wait a moment.”

It was then.

A dying voice was heard from below my feet, and my leg wouldn’t budge.

“…”

[Swish!]

My head quickly lowered.

A chilling killing intent filled my red eyes.

The boy who had grabbed my leg below me swallowed hard upon seeing my gaze and spoke.

“Uh, please help us. We were crossing the Steel Mountain Range to take the test today… The test time is coming soon. You’re an angel, right..? Right? I saw it in the newspaper. Angels are servants of God. So please share some potions. Please..!”

“…”

At the boy’s words, I twitched my eyebrows and subtly checked my waist.

‘When did I bring this out?’

Several potions were tied there.

It seemed I must have unconsciously tied them to my waist before coming out.

But that was it.

If I share the potions, I’ll need time to fill the empty spots left by those potions.

Time is already tight.

Wasn’t it enough that I dealt with the Orc for them?

“…No.”

[Slap!]

Shaking off his hand, I didn’t hesitate and hurried my steps towards the cabin.

It was right then.

[Swish–!!]

A wall of ice was erected before my eyes, scattering pure white cold air.

It was blocking the path towards the cabin completely.

[Grind.]

A vein popped out on my forehead.

“What the f*ck are you doing?!”

I glared at them, shouting in a tone full of annoyance.

Pure white hair, like freshly fallen snow.

Blue eyes, like the Pacific Ocean frozen solid.

A girl, looking like a perfect Yuki-onna (Snow Woman), glared back at me.

“I’m busy. Hurry up and remove this.”

It wasn’t an empty threat.

Even now, my small wings fluttered with impatience.

Whether she knew my feelings or not.

The girl just glared at me without saying a word.

In response, I also glared back into her eyes.

Right.

I had been careless.

“Now’s the time!”

“…!”

I tried to turn my body at the voice coming from behind me, but it was already too late.

My body was tightly bound by a black shadow.

“Aren’t you going to let go of this?”

“Let go? For an angel, you’re dumber than I thought, aren’t you?”

The guy grinned as he looked at me.

It was a voice that grated on my nerves.

“…Stop. Don’t provoke the Angel-nim. We’re just taking the potions and leaving.”

“Yes, yes. Of course.”

At the girl’s sharp words, the boy nodded roughly.

More importantly.

‘They want to take my potions?’

My finely sculpted brow furrowed fiercely.

‘First, I need to break free from this, and then get a magic stone from the house.’

Then I can use magic.

“So, I…!”

I struggled to somehow escape from the shadow.

But.

“Ugh…! Ugh!”

No matter how much I shook my body, there was no sign of breaking free.

‘Ah, the sun is rising!!’

To make matters worse.

Desperation gradually filled my voice.

“Let go of this quickly!”

I had to make potions.

The time the Emperor would wake up was approaching.

“I’m sorry.”

“If you’re sorry, let go. Let go of this!!”

“I don’t think that can happen.”

[Swishh!!]

The wall of ice that had blocked my path broke with a loud noise.

“Hoo.”

Wiping away the sweat that had beaded up, perhaps because maintaining it was difficult, the girl approached me.

A beauty with a cold demeanor.

The child’s face, emanating a cold beauty like a frozen rose, suddenly came closer.

[Hic, k!]

A hiccup escaped involuntarily.

And then I felt it.

The potions attached to my waist.

The girl’s hand touching them.

[Snap..!]

The belt at my waist snapped, and the entire pile of potions went into the girl’s hand.

“Give them back…! Please…!”

“I’m sorry.”

The girl’s lips moved.

It was a cold voice.

“Don’t just apologize by saying you’re sorry, give them back!”

I struggled in the shadow’s embrace.

Even so, the shadow didn’t release me.

“Drink.”

“Ah, okay.”

[Gulp gulp.]

The potions I made with difficulty went into the mouths of those two b*tch.

“Ah, ahh…”

My eyes were stained with despair.

Unlike me, their faces gradually began to regain vitality.

[Sparkle sparkle.]

Their bodies were enveloped in light, and the wounds that had been bleeding instantly healed.

At the same time.

“Ugh..!”

The power of the shadow binding me grew stronger.

“The shadow will release in 30 minutes. Then…”

“Wait, 30 minutes?”

“That’s enough. Let’s go quickly, Princess!”

“What, what?? Wait a minute..! Just a minute!!”

Without a magic stone, I cannot use divine power.

I tried to reach out towards the departing guys, but even that was blocked by the shadow, preventing me.

They left like that.

[Chirp–!] [Chirp–!]

I remained bound for 30 minutes after that.

And.

As soon as I was released, I returned home and made potions with tears in my eyes.

When I had made 298 potions like that.

“Her Majesty the Emperor is calling for you.”

A death sentence was pronounced upon me.