It really seemed like a futile question. Why that location? It was obviously because their enemy made their move there. Considering Chi-Hyunâs personality, everyone thought he would scold Alice, sarcastically asking what she had been listening to and where she had been this whole time. Yet Chi-Hyunâs response differed from everyoneâs expectations.
âItâs something we donât know yet. We made several guesses, but none of them have solid evidence backing them up.â And instead, Chi-Hyun studied the map like he was curious about the question himself.
Chi-Woo didnât know what was going on. He already had an ominous feeling about this expedition, and now his brother was acting strangely. It was then he realized something after organizing everything he had heard. The Sernitas were passionate about experimenting and restructuring living creatures for their own purposes. They modified all sorts of things to the point that they even experimented with a god. And it was clear that they didnât do all this out of sheer boredom alone, but for an important purposeâspecifically, their goal to gain dominance over Liber. Now that things werenât going in their favor after the recent failure of their collaborator, the Demon Empire, they might have finally taken out their secret weapon. That led them to the question:
âWhy that location?â Like Chi-Hyun said, perhaps, the Sernitas were counteracting against humanityâs progress, or they could be trying to stop the Cassiubia League from expanding their territories to protect their important bases from getting stolen. But even then, it made them wonder: âIs that the only reason? Did they really have to go so far for that?â
If they were going to reveal their secret weapon, it seemed only natural that they should do it more properly; or perhaps they should only reveal themselves after establishing themselves a bit more in that area. It didnât seem to make much sense right now.
âThat means itâs either one of two things,â Chi-Hyun continued, âThereâs a mysterious trap waiting in that area.â
âOr thereâs a reason, unknown to us, why they had to choose that place,â Alice finished for him.
Chi-Woo nodded, hearing the twoâs responses. Of course, they needed to find out more about the situation, but it seemed his brother was leaning more toward the latter. He seemed to think that there must be a reason why the Sernitas were making their moves up there. After all, besides its strategic location, there wasnât really anything special about the land. The only particular part about it was that it was the place the Fenrir tribe had once risked their lives to protect.
âI see. So thatâs whyâŚâ Chi-Woo thought.
Chi-Hyun had already revealed his stance at the beginning of the meeting when he brought up the tenth reinforcement, the Cassiubia Leagueâs request, and the Fenrirs in that order.
âThat must be why the Cassiubia League asked us to help attack that area,â Alice said, and Chi-Hyun nodded.
âWe have experience landing a huge blow on the Demon Empire. This is something even the League hasnât been able to do, and they expect us to do the same this time too.â
âBut I still donât understand. This area isnât close to the Cassiubia mountain range, but itâs not so far that they canât reach it either. Even if they are being careful because the Last Dragon almost died in the last war, they shouldâve at least sent their regular army from their main base.â
âThen they might have to do a full-scale expansion.â
âIs the Cassiubia League afraid of going full-scale?â
âThey donât fear it, but the problem is that they would have two enemies. Furthermore, they recently suffered significant damages and casualties while fighting the joint forces of the Sernitas and the Demon Empire.â Then, Chi-Hyun added, âMoreover, the league hopes to maintain the current situation a bit longer.â
âBy current situation, do you meanâŚ?â
âThere is chaos inside the Demon Empire.â Chi-Hyun spun the stick in his hand once. âAs a society, the demons value war and victory above all else. And such an empire not only lost several great demons in a row, but they were also utterly destroyed by a much smaller and weaker army of humans. Thus, itâs only natural that they are questioning their leadersâ capabilities and leadership skills.â
This was a world where the phrase survival of the fittest rang truer than anywhere else and only the strong could survive. Thus, would people continue to accept the Demon Empire as âthe strongâ after their great losses against a weaker force, the humans? At the least, there must be demonic creatures and demons who began to think differently. Yet the great demons in uppermost positions wouldnât back down quietly. They probably would try to protect their position while aiming for higher ranks.
Thus, in accordance with how the Demon Empireâs society was structured, internal conflict was bound to erupt, and this chaos wouldnât subside any time soonâat least not until an outside threat arose. The Demon Empireâs citizens were blood-thirsty creatures who fought each other at any chance, yet funnily enough, if a danger that threatened the empireâs existence appeared, even the worst enemies would gather their strengths to fight it.
âSo, if the Cassiubia League sends out their main army, the Demon Empire may stop tearing each other apart and uniteâŚâ Alice nodded, grasping the situation.
âItâs as you think. If we use only a small number of elite forces, we may accomplish our goal without provoking the Demon Empire,â Chi-Hyun responded.
Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original.
âFurthermore, we would be able to shake the collaboration between the Sernitas and the Demon Empire once more. We would only know when the situation comes to it if the Sernitas are acting on behalf of the Demon Empire right now though.â
Chi-Woo watched the two talk. They responded to each other smoothly with neither missing any beat. It was as if he was witnessing a real meeting.
âThat must be why you called only those in gold tiers and above,â Alice said.
âAlthough I didnât plan on placing restrictions⌠Itâs clear anyone below that tier would die meaningless deaths,â Chi-Hyun replied.
âWhatâs your reasoning behind setting up this standard?â
âIsmile.â
An unexpected name popped up. Everyoneâs eyes widened, and Chi-Hyun placed his focus on his device again. Then he finished reading what heâd read only a part of before.
âBecause I was warned so thoroughly, I made thorough preparations before going. But wow, itâs no joke from the very beginning. I donât know how to describe it. You should check it out for yourself. If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldâve raised my tier beforehand (crying face). I wonât be able to do anything satisfying with my current status. You should take some kids with the right skills. Sorry man that I couldnât live up to your expectations even though you put your trust in me.â
It was a bit strange how Chi-Hyun read the message as it was without filtering anything. Still, everyone could understand how serious the situation was.
âCould you tell us Ismileâs tier?â Alice asked in case.
âAs far as I know, he is not under any contract yet.â
Alice slightly nodded. Even so, this wasnât a situation that she could underestimate. Though Ismile wasnât in any denomination yet, he belonged to the Nahla family, which was usually assessed to come right after the Choi and Ho Lactea families, and the number of merits he came with as backup must be significant. Thus, it was more shocking that such a hero would be so helpless in this situation.
âWait a moment.â It was then someone raised their hand.
âThen, does that mean Mr. Ismile already knew about this matter beforehand?â Apoline asked in a high-pitched voice.
âDidnât I say that the Cassiubia recently made this request to us again?â Chi-Hyun said, peeved. He was annoyed that he had to repeat himself.
âDoes that mean they made the same request at least once before?â
âShouldnât that be obvious unless you are an idiot? Whatâs the point of even asking that?â
âW-What? An idiot?â Apoline wrinkled her forehead. Her mood was already terrible because of what Yeriel did earlier. And her tone turned sharper and colder because of the responses she got, âNoâbut then, why didnât you tell us anything before? Are you asking us to do this now because it didnât work out with Ismile before?â Apoline complained, and one of Chi-Hyunâs eyebrows rose.
âAsk?â He snorted and jerked his chin slightly downward. âYeah, so what?â he said confidently, and Apoline looked a bit taken aback.
âAs you said, Ismile failed to do this task. And I didnât tell you all before because there was no point in telling some useless guys who couldnât do anything. But thanks to some little house playing you have been doing, you became a little bit more useful, enough for me to tell you what was happening. Do you have a problem with that?â
âWhat? House playing?â
âYeah. Donât you know the saying? Even things normally useless are hard to find when there comes a time for them to be of use.â
Apolineâs face became bright red like the twilight of sunset. As someone who was raised preciously all her life, she was enraged by the comparisons and insults Chi-Hyun was making.
âIt seems you are really misunderstanding something, so I will make it clear to you all,â Chi-Hyun said leisurely as Apoline boiled in wrath. âThis isnât a request. I am giving you all an opportunity.â
If they thought about it, there was nothing wrong with what he said. This was an opportunity for them to gain the reinforcements they needed. Perhaps even an exemption for a promotion test to rise in tiers. None of the Celestial Lights were pleased to hear that they were thought of as less than a Nahla member, but it was true that Chi-Hyun was giving them an opportunity instead of taking the chance for himself.
âLet me make it clear to all of you. Iâm not making a request, nor am I forcing you all.â Chi-Hyun turned away from Apoline and looked back to the rest of the people in the room. âBut I promise you all one thing,â Chi-Hyun emphasized, âAnyone who makes progress in a task like this will be given special privileges.â
Though individual tiers were decided by the growth system, Chi-Hyun held authority in everything else. For example, even if a hero reached gold tier, they wouldnât be able to gain control over a zone or establish an official faction without Chi-Hyunâs approval.
âI advise you all to work hard if you want to make your gold tiers worthwhile.â Then he smirked seeing Apoline chewing her lip with a bright red face, âWho knows? If you do well this time, people may think more highly of the Afriliths than the Nahlas.â Chi-Hyun spoke like he knew what Apoline was thinking and considered her pathetic. Apoline heaved. Though she had heard the rumors, she didnât think he would be this rude. But in the end, she couldnât retort even as her fury shot up. As higher authority called for greater responsibilities, she needed to do necessary work for the right reward. What could she say more when he was telling her to grow her skills if she wanted different treatment?
âBut still, how could he talk so rudelyâŚ!â Chi-Hyunâs attitude angered her the more she thought about it, and unable to quell it, she was about to say a word when she suddenly heard a loud snort.
âHeâs bringing up families every chance he hasâŚâ It was a mocking tone. Though he murmured to himself, he was clearly talking loud enough for Chi-Hyun to hear him. Chi-Hyun also turned around. Even without seeing who was speaking, Chi-Hyun could tell it was Chi-Woo. He also knew why Chi-Woo was talking in this manner and was about to simply drop the issue when Chi-Woo added another line.
âHow can anyone speak in fear of him?â
Chi-Hyun frowned seeing his brother brood annoyedly. In a voice much lower than before, Chi-Hyun asked, ââŚMr. Choi Chi-Woo? It sounds like you have been harboring a lot of complaints.â
Chi-Woo stared back at him like he was waiting for this moment. âYes, I have tons.â Chi-Woo spoke clearly with bold eyes. âWhy? Can I not even say a word of complaint to you, Mr. Choi Chi-Hyun?â
ââŚâ
By the way Chi-Woo spoke, it sounded like he was about to charge at Chi-Hyun any moment now.
âIf you have any complaintsâŚâ Chi-Hyun thought briefly whether or not he should just kill this guy, but in the end, he said, ââŚYou should take the issue up to me separately.â He repressed his anger and inhaled deeply.
âAh, yes. If thatâs what you wish, I guess Iâd have to comply,â Chi-Woo continued to speak mockingly like he wasnât scared of how Chi-Hyun would react.
âThe meeting is over. Since I have relayed all important information to you all, I leave the rest to your individual judgments.â Chi-Hyun got down from the pedestal and walked across the conference room. He looked like he was fuming with rage. It was the same for Chi-Woo. Thud! Chi-Woo pushed away his chair hard and got up.
âTeacherâŚâ
âIâll be back.â
Ru Amuh called out worriedly, but Chi-Woo glared and quickly followed as Chi-Hyun headed outside.
âWhyâŚ?â Apoline said in surprise seeing Chi-Wooâs furious steps. âW-What? Why is he acting like that? I thought he disliked me?â she thought. Apoline thought like how Emmanuel acted to shield Yeriel, Chi-Woo had gotten angry at his brother in her stead. Not knowing what was really going on, she thought there was no other explanation why Chi-Woo wouldâve suddenly gotten so mad.
âBut they are familiesâbrothers related by bloodâŚ? Wait. Is it becauseâŚ.?â Apoline chewed on her fingernails in confusion and wondered, âPerhapsâŚ?â Her eyes rolled around; considering her age, perhaps, it wasnât strange that she began to have wild imaginations about what just went on.
***
Chi-Woo went to his brotherâs office after a long time. But now that he was there, he didnât know what to do. His brother didnât say anything after calling him all the way here and simply glared at Chi-Woo while sitting at his desk. But Chi-Woo wasnât the same as before; he wouldnât cower before his brother anymore, and he slumped on the sofa chair without hesitation and crossed his legs and arms.
Seeing this, Chi-Hyun said coldly, âDid I say you could sit, Chiâno, Mr. Choi Chi-Woo?â
âSir, I sat because you didnât say anything. How could you invite a guest and not even ask them to sit? Itâs ridiculous.â
âSir?â Chi-Hyunâs usually indifferent face turned exasperated. âYouâŚha. But I donât recall inviting you as my guest.â
âHow strange. I clearly remember you telling me to talk to you separately not long ago. What could that be but an invitation?â
ââŚâ Chi-Hyun became speechless. He had forgotten that his brother never lost in an argument once he got angry; since they were children, Chi-Hyun never beat his brother in this regard. It was unbelievable how well Chi-Woo could blabber even when he was so young.
âChi-Woo, do you really believe what you are saying?â In the end, Chi-Hyun was the first one to back down from this strange way of addressing each other as formal strangers and turned the other direction. âIs that really the attitude of someone who has done wrong?â
âAnd itâs okay to ignore your brother who has gathered his courage to apologize and throw a die and a talisman at his face to humiliate him?â
As soon as Chi-Hyun succeeded in making a point, Chi-Woo retaliated with several counterattacks in a row. And the way Chi-Woo smoothly spouted the lines seemed to indicate that he had a lot of pent-up anger.
ââŚNever mind.â Chi-Hyun also had more to say, but he decided to give up. It was only going to be tiresome to argue about who was more in the wrong. They were just going to go back and forth.
âAh, is that so? Good. Then I guess I would do you the favor of leavingââ
âYou know the guy you wanted to introduce to me?â Chi-Hyun purposefully changed the topic. âI met him recently. Well, he had quite a good plan.â Seeing Chi-Woo calm down a bit, Chi-Hyun continued. âI invested 300,000 royals for now.â
Chi-Wooâs response was indifferent since this was information he already knew. âSo?â
ââŚThatâs unexpected. I thought I would at least hear a thank you.â Though he couldâve insisted on hearing more about the project and changed the arrangement to his favor as the investor, Chi-Hyun had only lent the money to Zelit since he came from Chi-Wooâs introduction. Thus, Chi-Hyun expected Chi-Woo to be grateful, yet his response was disinterested.
âWhy should I? Did I ask you to invest in him? I just told you to hear him out. And didnât you lend him such a huge sum of money because you thought the conditions were good too?â
Chi-Hyun became speechless again because Chi-Woo was right. He wouldnât have lent a coin if he thought the project wasnât good and only invested because he saw the value in it.
Thus, Chi-Hyun licked his lips and changed the topic again, ââŚAre you going to go? You know what I talked about in the conference room earlier.â
âYeah, Iâm going to go. Why? Are you going to prevent me from going again?â
âNoâam I not even allowed to speak anymore?â Chi-Hyun burst out in annoyance. He just wanted to talk at this point, but Chi-Woo seemed to want to fight in every sentence. In the end, Chi-Woo let out a humorless laugh.
âIf you have a conscience, you should think about why Iâm acting this way.â
âWhat did I do so wrongâŚâ Chi-Hyun started but he couldnât finish his sentence. Now that he recalled his past actions, his brother wasnât exactly wrong. He had threatened, bound, forcefully dragged Chi-Woo away, imprisoned him, andâŚChi-Hyun fake coughed. âHmph. It could be dangerous. Though Ismile doesnât have a denomination yet, you canât undermine his skills.â
âIs that so?â Chi-Wooâs expression seemed to say, âso what?â A little part of him was confident. âI donât know. Itâs not like I was playing the whole time either. Wonât I know for sure once I try?â
ââŚSounds like youâve become quite strong,â Chi-Hyun said even though he already knew everything. âSince you are so confident, I want to see your skills once.â
Chi-Hyun couldnât stop Chi-Woo from going after making a promise to his master. But he was still worried. He admitted that his brother had progressed considerably compared to the past, but it was Liber they were talking about. Though itâd be a lie to say that there were countless enemies stronger than Chi-Woo, there were still quite a good number of them. Furthermore, who knew what would happen where? His brother was still lacking in critical experiences. Thus, Chi-Hyun wanted to squash a little bit of his brotherâs arrogance that had reached the sky after gaining a bit of power.
âYou want to see them? Do you want to have a duel or something?â
âIf you want, I could teach you a thing or two,â Chi-Hyun spoke purely out of concern for Chi-Woo, but Chi-Wooâs response was unexpected. âHuhâŚis there really a need? You are not that strong.â
â?â The legend wasnât âthat strongâ? This was completely out of the blue. Noel, who had been listening to the two argue warily, doubted her ears.
âTo tell you the truth, I fought you in the image representation space.â Chi-Woo seemed convinced. âI donât know about your magic skills, butâŚyou are really bad at pure physical fighting.â
It was more aggravating how genuinely Chi-Woo spoke.
âWhat, what?â Chi-Hyun was baffled. In the first place, Image Representation was made based on personal experience and abilities. Thus, even if the space recreated him, it was nothing more than a very small part that Chi-Woo knewâthough of course, it was truly him the last time he fought with Chi-Woo in the space; he had simply acted to provoke Chi-Wooâs awakening and obviously didnât go all out. How dare Chi-Woo talk like that was all he was?
âYou went down two timesâŚâ
âHey,â Chi-Hyun got up. âLetâs fight one more time. Not in the image representation space, but in reality. I will properly fight you.â Chi-Hyun clenched his fists like he was intent on showing Chi-Woo his place.
âHm~ No, I wonât do it~â Chi-Woo got up from his seat too and said irritatingly. âIâm too busy. I have to prepare for the expedition.â
And seeing Chi-Woo turn around, Chi-Hyun urgently shouted, âHold up there. Hold up.â
âI do not listen to orders coming from those weaker than me.â âWhat did you say?â Chi-Hyun shouted and hurriedly extended his arms as Chi-Woo moved. Swirl! Invisible webs of mana tried to wrap around Chi-Woo, but failed. It failed to move farther as if it had hit a giant wall.
âLook at this guy?â Chi-Hyun forced out more mana, and Chi-Woo raised his hand. Flash! Light burst out, and with the sound of bells, clusters of lights lingered in Chi-Wooâs palms. It was the class ability of a gold tier High-Ranking Exorcist: La Bellaâs Bible.
âI knew youâd do that.â Chi-Woo chuckled seeing the cluster of lights take form. âWhy donât you try harder.â
Chi-Hyun stared blankly and retrieved his mana. The mana elements his brother used now was�
âOh, you know when to back away. As expected of the legend. How wiseâŚâ As his brother backed away, Chi-Woo exclaimed like he was impressed and laughed. Nearby, Noel heard Chi-Hyunâs blood pressure rise.
âY-YouâŚâ Chi-Hyun pointed at Chi-Woo while clutching the back of his neck. He could push things further if he wanted to, but only stopped because his brother could be seriously injured.
âYou shouldnât worry about me. Itâs you who should stay safely put in this city instead of causing trouble everywhere unnecessarily.â
What? âYou bastâ!â Chi-Hyun jumped over his desk and simultaneously, Noel grabbed him and pulled him back. âMy Lord! Endure it! Please, this is your younger brother!â
âRelease your arms!â
âYoung master, please go quickly! Quickly!â
As Noel pulled Chi-Hyun back with all her strength, Chi-Woo quickly opened the door and escaped. From behind, he heard his brother shout, and he chuckled as he ran across the corridors.
âHa! That serves him right!â Chi-Woo looked more refreshed than ever as if he had shaken off a great burden.
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