episode_0233

“…” Lucretia Hael bit her lip as she tied her snow-white hair into a single knot.

She had always believed that after being grandiosely dubbed the ‘Saintess,’ she had witnessed her fair share of gruesome sights.

That is… things crumbling, breaking, many people getting hurt and suffering…

It was a position where she couldn’t help but witness such scenes. After all, she was the only one in this vast world to awaken the miraculous power of divine energy.

So, what she wanted to say was this:

“Haa…”

In other words, no matter how tragic the sight she witnessed, her mind remained unbroken.

For instance, even on the day of the Istanbul catastrophe, Lucretia remained unshaken.

Though the city was devastated beyond recognition, and many cried out in agony.

She silently did her part. Like a ‘Saintess,’ she saved those in distress.

“This…”

That’s why, at this very moment, the reason Lucretia couldn’t help but truly despair, couldn’t help but groan in such sorrow, was simple and uncomplicated.

“This is just too much…”

It was simple, without complication.

Because it was too horrific.

Thump, rumble… THUD…!

“…” Footsteps resounded. Even a remarkably tall person, if they were ‘human,’ probably couldn’t create such a maddening roar.

So, those were giants. Beings in human form, but not human.

Massive beings, too large to even dare look up at their upper bodies.

Wearing black clouds like belts…

Monsters that began to stomp all over the world, stretching out their legs.

Crunch-

Lucretia gnashed her teeth fiercely. Blood trickled from between her lips, but she paid it no mind, stretching both hands upwards.

No matter how overwhelmingly powerful the enemy, if it harmed people.

She would always confront them with all her might. For the initial resolve held by the girl who had acted as an Awakener since childhood remained undimmed.

“Let’s do this, you damned monsters.”

Muttering a vow quietly, her golden eyes flashed fiercely.

In her outstretched palms, a platinum-colored beam of light converged.

Crackle, fizzle!

“Die.” CRASH!

The attack, which shot forth with a sound like thunder, crushed the leg of a giant that was about to demolish the city’s harbor.

*****

South Korea, Busan.

“It’s been a while, Yeonhwa.”

“…Ah, Soyul Unnie.”

At Cheon Soyul’s bitter greeting, Hong Yeonhwa weakly waved her hand.

Though it had been a long time since they saw each other, they had no leisure to comfortably enjoy the lingering feeling of reunion.

The very purpose of their gathering was far too grave.

To exaggerate slightly, it was a summons for a battle staking the nation’s fate.

Despite being students… both of them were near Special A-rank powerhouses, weren’t they?

They had to do their part to stop the giants walking out of the sea.

Especially in the current situation where most of the nation’s top forces were absent, every single A-rank individual was precious.

“…Um, Unnie, Oppa…”

“…” Cheon Soyul silently embraced Hong Yeonhwa, who was carefully asking about Lee Hyunjin.

At present, there was nothing she could definitively answer.

They both had satellite phones, but couldn’t get through. It was probably because an unusual situation was unfolding on the other side as well.

According to the Awakener Association, these unidentified giants had appeared simultaneously worldwide…

However, if there was one specific location that could definitely be called their origin.

That place was the Arctic Ocean.

A region where Jörmungandr once rampaged, where its corpse was buried, and where several Special S-rank and higher powerhouses were currently gathered.

‘Was it that the more high-level Awakeners gathered in one place, the more giants converged there?’

Cheon Soyul gently bit her lip, recalling the news she had heard through broadcasts.

If she had known this, she would have insisted on joining the subjugation force.

But now, it was a meaningless hypothetical.

Now, she had to focus on the present…

At this moment, what the Awakeners gathered in Busan and she herself had to do was clearer than anything.

THUMP!!

It was then that loud footsteps resounded. All the waiting Awakeners flinched, immediately entering combat stance.

“…They’re coming.”

As if someone had muttered, the giants gradually revealed themselves from beyond the distant sea.

Cheon Soyul held lightning, and Hong Yeonhwa held flames at her fingertips, narrowing her eyes.

And at the moment the giants approached a certain distance.

Crackle, fizzle!

The prospective Archmage, capable of unleashing the most potent attack among the Awakeners gathered on this coastline, stepped forward.

“—Huu.”

Cheon Woohyuk, wreathed in chilling golden lightning, glared at the giants with a dignified gaze.

And immediately after a small flash shimmered at his silently raised fingertips.

FLASH! BOOOOM!!!

With the eradication of five giants aligned in a straight line as a starting point, the war between monsters and Awakeners began.

*****

Whoosh-

A place where remnants of lightning crackled, flames incinerated seawater, and violet greatswords embedded in the exposed deep-sea earth vibrated.

On that savage sea, which could literally be called a battlefield of apocalypse, Lee Hyunjin subtly wiped away the sweat trickling down his face.

“Huu…”

This Arctic Ocean, where they had gathered to subjugate the Moonlight Cult… certainly, nearly hundreds of giants had been generated.

But in a way, it was a meaningless waste of power. That is, from the Otherworld’s perspective.

Because the individuals gathered at this location were truly the planet’s top forces.

“…By now, they must all be dead, right?”

Haru and Yang Chan-ho even cooperated to slice through the giants. How could those brainless, oversized monsters survive?

‘Though it’s somewhat suspicious that their upper bodies didn’t exist at all…’

Lee Hyunjin dusted off his sleeves, turning around.

“These guys, their combat ability is rather poor compared to the physical force they can exert.”

“R-Right, Senior.”

Ryu Seeun, who was similarly tidying her disheveled hair, answered with a start.

She let out a cough, then glanced around, speaking as if puzzled.

“For something grandiosely called ‘annihilation’ or ‘apocalypse,’ it wasn’t… quite as threatening as I expected, hmm.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Lee Hyunjin, who had listened to her words quietly, then playfully called out to another person.

The sky-blue-haired girl, who was floating in the sky, intently gazing somewhere.

“She says that, what do you think? Reincarnator Senior-nim.”

“…Huh? Oh, no.”

“What do you think?”

Ryu Seeun turned pale and tried to cover Lee Hyunjin’s mouth, but Lee Hyunjin merely pushed her forehead away, grinning.

Even he thought the situation was mostly over, so he added a bit of playfulness.

“…It’s not over yet, you idiot Junior-nim.”

“Huh?”

“Do you think the apocalypse is called the apocalypse for nothing? If it were going to end like this, would I have even considered fleeing to the moon? Hmph.”

It was right after she uttered those words that Lee Hyunjin and Ryu Seeun’s expressions stiffened.

CRACK!

Once again, space shook violently. Not only the sea, but this time, the entire sky began to crack and gradually split open.

“…This is insane.”

This time, Lee Hyunjin couldn’t help but recoil in terror and curse.

They were clearly things they had defeated, things they had completely annihilated.

“Th-They seem to be coming back to life…”

“I can obviously tell without you telling me, Seeun-ah?”

“…Hmph.”

Lee Hyunjin needlessly chided Ryu Seeun once, then twisted his lips.

It wasn’t a time to smile, but it was a forced cynical grin.

“Alright… Let’s fight until one of us can’t revive. If we kill them until they’re dead, they’ll eventually die, won’t they?”

Whoosh-!

And just as he was about to create ice pillars by conjuring ice and lightning energy from his entire body.

“Hmph, do you really think you can win like that, you idiot?”

Thwack!

“Ugh.”

He couldn’t complete his magic, his back of the head getting slapped by Haru’s hand as she floated gently towards him.

Lee Hyunjin, looking dumbfounded, clutched the back of his head and turned to look at her.

“No, then what should we do…?”

“There’s a strategy for everything, ahem.”

Haru, who had puffed out her non-existent chest and put on airs, soon made her expression serious again.

And after confirming that those around her were focusing on her, she opened her mouth again.

“Listen carefully, everyone. It might be hard to confirm from here… but by now, the whole world is probably in chaos because of those giants with no upper bodies, you know?”

“…What? What do you mean?”

At those words, even Yang Chan-ho, who had been standing some distance away, couldn’t help but flinch greatly.

He quickly pulled out his satellite phone from his pocket, and soon, after checking the accumulated messages, his expression twisted.

“I can tell what kind of messages those are.”

“Tsk…!”

Haru muttered indifferently, and Yang Chan-ho, furious, crushed his satellite phone.

Just as she said, chaos was erupting everywhere. Truly, all over the world.

“There’s only one way to solve this.”

And Haru calmly continued her explanation. After all, she was the only one who knew the strategy for this world.

Although even that had failed in the original work… she couldn’t not explain it.

“Beyond the gate, the ‘Otherworld’ is currently in a state of extreme sensitivity in its connection to our world… Meaning, it’s more closely linked than ever before.”

“…”

“Simply put, both sides find it easier to send something from their original world to the other side. So, I guess that’s why those beasts are constantly regenerating, right?”

Haru chuckled, pointing with a cute gesture at the giants approaching once again.

In any case, wiping all of them out wasn’t particularly difficult.

“Essentially, to resolve this entire situation, we ultimately need to eliminate their root cause.”

It ultimately wasn’t a complete solution.

After all, they would be replenished infinitely.

“…The root cause?”

“The Otherworld itself.”

Lee Hyunjin asked, and Haru answered immediately, her eyes narrowing shrewdly.

She pointed upwards once more.

“See that blue sky, splitting open?”

“…”

“We’re going to cross over there.”

After a brief pause, she observed the stiff reactions around her, shrugging with a meaningful smile.

“Well, if you all truly want to resolve this situation, that is? Hahah.”

“…”

“If anyone here wants to run away to the moon like me, please speak up now…”

“Nonsense.”

Clang!

And a harsh metallic clang cut short her tempting, almost demonic whisper.

Yang Chan-ho, true to his moniker of ‘Hero,’ drew his holy sword with a solemn expression.

“Enough of such pointless talk. You’d best tell us the truth right now, Moonlight Cult Leader.”

“…Hmph.”

“How exactly do you propose we cross over there… and what are we supposed to do after we cross into that Otherworld?”

Yang Chan-ho lowered his voice threateningly, and Haru wore a twisted sneer.

She had intended to speak anyway, but she didn’t like being ordered around.

“Listen, Hero-nim. Do you think I’m the kind of person who has to speak truthfully just because you ord—”

“Sajeo.”

“…”

“Just speak quickly. Unless you truly wish to freeze to death by my hand.”

“…Yes…”

Seol Hayeon grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, and Haru dejectedly fiddled with her fingers.