Episode 588. Gate of Hell (2)

A cozy restaurant bathed in soft, warm lighting.

Slicing into the luxurious steak, pink juices burst out.

As the meat melted in his mouth the moment he put it in, Lee Hoyeon’s eyes widened.

“It really is tastier when it’s expensive, isn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

Nom nom.

Lee Hoyeon savored the steak, unable to stop marveling.

If I fed this to Liliana, she’d forget all about chicken and everything else.

When I go back to Korea, I should feed her expensive omakase instead of chicken.

“Scarlet. I appreciate you eating with me, but today I’m having a meal with Alice and Irene-ssi. Why weren’t you eating?”

“I was planning to eat after confirming you finished your schedule.”

“There’s no need for that… Why feel sorry?”

“I came here as your secretary in the first place, so why apologize? Although, I have been treated like yesterday’s news for a week.”

“…Was it that bad?”

Lee Hoyeon tapped his finger on the table, lost in thought.

I thought I had taken good care of her.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Scarlet]

• [ Affection: 100 ] (+ 2.8)

• [ Lust: 55 ]

• [ Appetite: 30 ]

• [ Fatigue: 50 ]

Current State: It would have been nice if you hadn’t suggested eating cheese soft tofu every single day for the past few days.

[Upon reaching 100 Affection, she will serve Lee Hoyeon.]

‘…What’s wrong with cheese soft tofu.’

Isn’t it delicious?

I genuinely suggested it because it was delicious.

“Scarlet. Don’t you still crave the warm broth of cheese soft tofu?”

“If you make us eat that during our rare meal alone together, I might just kill you.”

“…I’m kidding.”

Getting hit by Alice and cursed out by Scarlet.

My image has taken quite a hit.

Lee Hoyeon swallowed the meat with a bitter expression.

Still, I can win against them all in bed.

After finishing the meal with self-consolation, he went outside.

Since it was the last day, I thought about going on a date with Scarlet, but my smartwatch rang.

“Hmm?”

Lee Hoyeon looked at Alice’s name on the screen and answered the call.

Thump- thump-

My heart is pounding. It’s a similar feeling to when I meet a formidable opponent.

Lee Hoyeon rushed straight from the restaurant to the Iris Guild.

Brushing past guild members bustling around inside the building, Lee Hoyeon rushed into the Guild Master’s office without even bothering to fix his clothes.

In the Guild Master’s office, Isaac, the executives, Alice, and Irene were visible.

Lee Hoyeon gave a cursory nod and looked at Isaac.

“Guild Master-nim, the video. Please show me the video.”

“Understood.”

Isaac immediately played the video.

It was a video of the Pacific Ocean, filmed directly by the Iris Guild’s Team 2 leader.

My heart wouldn’t stop pounding throughout the video.

[Crackle-crackle-crackle-]

The video cut off after a helicopter was attacked by a monster I’d seen somewhere before.

Although it was a short video, lasting less than a few minutes, Lee Hoyeon fell into confusion after watching it.

Why is this… happening now?

I know that ominous darkness well.

The Gate of Hell.

An event from the latter half of the original work that connects the dimensions of Earth and Hell.

It’s an abnormal phenomenon that occurs when the Gate of Hell opens.

And the gate opening means the Demon King’s descent is imminent.

“Can you tell what’s going on?”

“The giant gate that Iris Guild was guarding… it opened. It’s the work of Pandemic.”

“That gate opened? Then what are that darkness and those monstrous beings?”

“The Gate of Hell opened, connecting Earth and Hell. Now, attacks from monsters like that will pour down all over the world. We need to prepare immediately.”

Lee Hoyeon bit his lip.

Why? The thought ‘Why?’ filled his head.

The Gate of Hell requires immense sacrifices, the deaths of humans, to open.

The value of a sacrifice varies depending on individual magic power, or negative emotions like strong fear and terror, so an exact measurement is impossible. Therefore, predicting the perfect timing isn’t feasible.

…But it doesn’t make sense for it to open now.

It’s at least two years earlier than in the original work.

Lee Hoyeon racked his brain as much as possible.

The possibility of this world’s God forcing the gate open is low.

Because only by offering high-quality sacrifices can Hell be fully realized, allowing the Demon King to use his full power.

Not many humans have died yet.

Even though there are more terrorist attacks compared to the original work, it’s still far from enough.

In the original work, the Gate of Hell starts opening only after several countries have been annihilated.

What did I miss? Has anything significantly changed from the original work?

The reason the gate opened despite insufficient sacrifices must be the butterfly effect I created.

What was the biggest factor among them?

Lee Hoyeon retraced his memories one by one.

Pandemic’s terror. My growth. Capturing the heroines. Conversations with the God of Betting. Conversations with this world’s God.

And when he reached the conversation he had with Chiron not long ago.

Something clicked in Lee Hoyeon’s mind.

“…Lucifer?”

“Lucifer… what are you talking about?”

“Irene-ssi. Please ask Chiron if he can still sense Lucifer’s magic.”

“You mean Wild Gladiator? Understood.”

While Irene fiddled with her smartwatch.

Lee Hoyeon continued to ponder.

Lucifer. Right. There was Lucifer.

Chiron said there was a possibility Lucifer was alive.

Although his corpse was recovered, Lucifer was originally a being strong enough to become the Demon King.

If he somehow came back to life and Maestro used Lucifer as a sacrifice…

It’s not impossible.

Sacrifices are fundamentally human.

Only humans, as sentient beings, can possess fear and wield magic power.

And Lucifer fits that condition.

“L-, Lee Hoyeon. They said Lucifer’s magic surged last night and then completely disappeared. I was planning to tell you when you came to the training room anyway…”

“…Haa. You should tell me things like that right away.”

That crazy centaur bastard.

Lee Hoyeon swallowed the curse, looking around.

Seeing paper and a pen in the Guild Master’s office.

Lee Hoyeon began writing down, as much as he could remember, the methods for dealing with Hell’s monsters he’d seen in the original work.

Since the Gate of Hell opened quickly, there will be even more sacrifices.

“Guild Master-nim. The attacks will begin as soon as those monsters grasp Earth’s situation. Please spread this information as widely as possible.”

“This… Yes. Understood. Lee Hoyeon, what are your plans?”

“I have to return to Korea as planned. There’s a lot I need to do there.”

“Is that so? If you think so, there’s nothing I can do.”

Isaac nodded.

He wanted to ask Lee Hoyeon to help more with Iris Guild’s affairs if he could. Lee Hoyeon was the only one in the world who knew this information.

However, one shouldn’t always rely on Lee Hoyeon’s help.

It was a virtue of an Iris Guild Master, something he had taught Alice as well.

“Irene-ssi. I’ll be going now. It’s fortunate we at least had our last meal together.”

“…Lee Hoyeon. Are you trying to go back to Korea now? According to what you said, staying here at Iris Guild would be the safest. Why don’t you stay here a little longer?”

Lee Hoyeon swallowed hard as he looked at Irene, who was trying to hold him back.

The emotions in her eyes were fear, anxiety, and affection.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Irene]

• [ Affection: 100 ] (+ 1.9)

• [ Lust: 60 ]

• [ Appetite: 20 ]

• [ Fatigue: 40 ]

Current State: It’s much safer to be protected by Iris Guild.

[Upon reaching 100 Affection, her affection towards Lee Hoyeon will become equal to or greater than Alice’s.]

100 Affection…

Her feelings are deeply appreciated.

However, Lee Hoyeon placed his hand on Irene’s backhand and shook his head.

“Irene-ssi. I’m sorry. But Victoria Academy is in chaos; if I hide, who will fight?”

“B-but. You saw it too, right? Even the strong Team 2 leader from Iris Guild died.”

“That’s why I have to step up and stop it. You know how strong I am, right?”

Irene looked at Lee Hoyeon with a sense of regret.

She knew that holding Lee Hoyeon back would be selfish.

Indeed, his strength was among the world’s best, and he had things to protect in Korea.

Yet, she couldn’t hide her selfish desire not to let him go.

“Irene-ssi, please help me from within Iris Guild. I’ll be in touch.”

“…Alright.”

As Irene reluctantly nodded, Lee Hoyeon responded with a smile and looked at Alice standing beside her.

Surprisingly, she appeared calmer than Irene.

“Alice. Um, I’ll find a solution as quickly as possible and contact you.”

“Do as you please. …I won’t just stand by either. I’ll find a way to help you.”

Alice looked at Lee Hoyeon with mixed feelings.

She also wanted to hold Lee Hoyeon back if she could, but with her older sister making such a fuss, she couldn’t cling to him herself.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Alice]

• [ Affection: 100 ] (+ 3.1)

• [ Lust: 50 ]

• [ Appetite: 20 ]

• [ Fatigue: 40 ]

Current State: Why is Unnie acting so embarrassingly?… But it would be safer in France.

[Upon reaching 100 Affection, she becomes more honest with Lee Hoyeon.]

Lee Hoyeon sighed as he looked at Alice.

He knew the two sisters were worried about him, but he had to return to Korea as soon as possible.

There were precious heroines to protect in Korea too.

Still, I can’t just leave.

Leaving like this after what happened last night would make me a terrible guy.

Lee Hoyeon placed his hand on Alice’s cheek as she looked at him.

The heat of her cheek seemed to represent Alice’s worried heart.

“…Ah?”

The moment Alice showed her confusion, Lee Hoyeon approached her and hugged her.

Suddenly embraced, Alice looked at Lee Hoyeon with bewildered eyes.

Her face instantly heated up, turning red like a tomato.

“Wait for me, Alice.”

“Y-you. Lee Hoyeon…”

“Irene-ssi too. I’ll bring good news soon!”

“Mhm. Understood.”

After finishing the brief hug with Alice, Lee Hoyeon made eye contact with the stunned Irene and took her hand.

Then, as soon as he confirmed her nod, he left the Guild Master’s office.

He wanted to reassure Irene too, if possible, but if he hugged her as well, it would be difficult to leave Iris Guild alive.

[…Hey. Wait! Catch that crazy black-haired guy! Catch him! How dare he touch whose daughter! You son of a bitch….]

[Guild Master-nim! Please, please right now…!]

[Darling! Now is the time to cheer for your daughter!]

Ignoring the voices coming from behind him, he headed towards the open space of Iris Guild.

Dududududu-

As soon as he entered the open space, the sound of wind echoed across the ground.

A small private jet, the one used to come to France, was waiting, ready for immediate departure.

He had asked Scarlet to arrange it beforehand.

“Scarlet. Thank you. You had it ready right away.”

“Yes. You may board immediately.”

“Let’s go.”

Time was of the essence.

Lee Hoyeon boarded the plane.