âI need you to do something for me,â Deborah said.
âWhat is it?â Orgon asked.
One of the God of Creationâs sources, which glittered like a star in the night sky, appeared in between the two gods.
âThatâsâŠâ Orgon narrowed his eyes. It seemed like he knew what it was.
âItâs the God of Creationâs source. I want you to split it in half.â
âI just need you to do it.â
Orgon glanced at Kang Oh. âI told you Iâd do whatever you asked, so⊠Fine. Iâll do it.â
The Blacksmith God stretched out his hand, which was so much larger than the source itself, and softly grasped it.
âHow long will it take?â
âOne week should be enough.â
âUnderstood. Also, Kang Oh.â
He could feel the black silhouetteâs gaze upon him. Kang Oh reverently bowed his head.
âAfter one week has passed, take the split source from Orgon and finish off the Mayanes.â
âIâll do my best,â Kang Oh replied, and Deborah nodded her head.
The purple veil gradually disappeared. Once the goddess completely vanished, Kang Oh could once again feel the heat of the temple.
âCome back in exactly 7 days,â Orgon said.
âIs there any way for me to come here directly? Climbing Mt. Helver isnât easy.â
âI imagine it wouldnât be easy for a weak human like you. Follow me.â Orgon turned around. Whenever he stepped on the floor, the ground would resound with a heavy thud.
Kang Oh immediately followed him.
At some point, his eyes widened.
[You have discovered the source of fire, the Sacred Flame.]
[What an amazing discovery.]
[Fame has increased significantly.]
He was faced with a giant tree. The entire tree, including its roots and branches, was composed of shining metal. However, its leaves were made of white flames!
The flames covered the tree like maple leaves.
Orgon pointed at the tree with his finger. Then, one of the metal treeâs white, flaming leaves rose into the air and flew in front of Kang Oh.
âItâs a leaf of the Sacred Flame. You can use that to teleport here.â
âThank you.â Kang Oh carefully grabbed the white flame with both hands. Surprisingly, it wasnât very hot.
âLeave.â Orgon waved his hand.
âIâll come back in a week.â
Kang Oh said his farewells and ripped a return scroll. Silver powder flew through the air, and his form completely vanished.
Gainusâs Nest was as mysterious as always. The arch-shaped entrance was made of brown vines, and the ceiling resembled a purple semi sphere with shining stars that formed various constellations. Most importantly, there was a clear, giant lake in the middle!
Kang Oh, Gainus, and Cyndia were conversing atop the lake. Although they stood above the water, they didnât sink due to Gainusâs magic.
âA split source, huhâŠâ Gainus stroked his long, white beard.
âWeâre preparing the bait, so now we just have to lay the trap.â
Once he left the Great Temple of Lava, Kang Oh let Gainus and Cyndia know about the split source, and they decided to meet at one place.
As you can see, they had decided to meet at Gainusâs Nest. And right now, they were formulating a plan to lure in the Mayanes.
âWill the Mayanes take the bait?â Cyndia asked.
Kang Oh was certain they would. After all, they wouldnât be able to miss an opportunity like that.
âThen weâll have to let them know. How should we go about this?â
âThe sources were originally one, so theyâre drawn to each other. By strengthening this property with magic, the Mayanes will learn about the split sources,â Gainus said.
âThen now we have to figure out where and how weâll set the trap,â Cyndia said.
âFirst, we need information on Jigon and Orga. Weâll use that information to determine how weâll lay the trap.â
âLeave that to me. They were originally my responsibility, after all.â
Gainus drew a circle with his finger. Then, Jigon and Orga appeared like holograms.
âJigonâs the one with jade eyes, and Orgaâs the one with purple eyes.â
Jigon was much taller than Orga, and was also extremely handsome. On the other hand, Orga looked like the next door neighborâs naughty little brother.
âThereâs a high possibility that theyâre wingless, as they tore off their own wings. Then again, they have such pride in their wings that they mightâve regrown them already.â
âIs there any difference between a Mayanes with and without wings?â Kang Oh asked.
âThey canât fly without their wings. However, it doesnât really interfere with their power or the God of Creationâs power either.â
âI see.â Kang Oh nodded his head.
âMoving on. Orga is extremely skilled in controlling water. Heâs also capable of using cold energy too.â
âSo Orga is water and ice,â Kang Oh softly muttered. He kept that information firmly in his mind!
âJigon uses giant flames and powerful light.â
âFire and light⊠the sun?â
âRight. Heâs crazy enough to call himself the Sun God.â
Kang Oh recalled the Mayanes heâd fought thus far. Krishan used a whip, while Diabol used a spear.
Then what about Jigon and Orga?
âWhat kind of weapons do they use?â Kang Oh asked.
âOrga uses a bow. Jigon wields a sword made of fire.â
After that, Gainus explained everything he knew about Jigon and Orga. With it, Kang Oh was able to paint a detailed picture in his mind. They had to be about as strong as the other Mayanes heâd fought in the past.
âThen where and how will we set the trap?â Cyndia asked.
âDo you have any place in mind?â Kang Oh glanced at Cyndia and Gainus.
âIt should be a place without any water or fire around.â
The sea, a lake, or the desert was no good. Obviously, a volcanic region wouldnât work either.
âWe should pick an unpopulated area, and prevent civilians from getting caught in the crossfire,â Cyndia said. It was a response fit for a priest.
âIt should also be large enough for me to revert to my true form and go crazyâŠâ
Gainusâs true form was that of a giant, majestic dragon!
âI have a place in mind.â Gainus snapped his fingers.
âMaam Cliff?â Cyndia tilted her head. Since she had lived in the Goddessâs Land all her life, she was unfamiliar with the continentâs geography.
On the other hand, Kang Oh knew exactly what he was talking about.
âThe one in the west?â
He was especially knowledgeable regarding the west, as heâd spend a long time there working as a mercenary.
âThis is what it looks like.â Gainus twirled his finger around. Then, an image of Maam Cliff appeared in the air.
Maam Cliff. It was nicknamed the âThe Prison that Holds the Devilâ.
It was like a deep, giant well. Essentially, it was a cliff shaped like a giant donut or ring with a pit in the middle of it.
Cyndia seemed to understand after getting a look at it.
âNow weâve decided where weâll set the trap.â
Kang Oh, Cyndia, and Gainus all looked satisfied.
After that, they continued their discussion in order to form a concrete plan to kill the Mayanes.
Gainus, Cyndia, and the Church of Death headed for Maam Hill in order to set the trap.
On the other hand, Kang Oh would come in a week with the split sources in hand. In the meantime, he was free.
He called Eder and Sephiro, and explained what heâd discussed with Cyndia and Gainus with them.
âWeâre finally continuing the goddessâs mission.â
Only by accepting the goddessâs mission was Eder able to avoid her divine punishment and return to his original body.
Therefore, completing this mission successfully was his main priority. If he failed the goddessâs mission, then he may once again be cursed by the Goddess of Death.
âIâm looking forward to it too.â Sephiro beamed.
He was in the same position as Kang Oh. If he completed the goddessâs task, then he would be rewarded handsomely. Thus, he would complete the quest no matter what.
âAnyhow, if I give the split source to Gainus in a weekâs time, then he, Cyndia, and the Church of Death will take care of the preparations,â Kang Oh said.
âThen we donât have to wait in Maam Cliff?â Sephiro asked.
âNo. I negotiated with Gainus.â
âI told him that Iâm the only one who can kill the Mayanes, so itâs in everyoneâs best interest if I get stronger. And I also told him to call me only when the Mayanes appear.â
Gainusâs magical prowess was tremendous. It would be easy for him to summon Kang Oh wherever he may be.
âThatâs just like you.â
âJust because weâve laid the bait doesnât mean theyâll bite immediately. In other words, we donât know when theyâll show up, so staying there would be a waste of time.â
Time was worth more than money, after all.
âIndeed.â Sephiro nodded his head.
âSo what are we going to do now?â Eder asked.
âIsnât it obvious? We do what we always do.â Kang Oh grinned.
âDo what we always do?â Eder tilted his head. âAnd what is that?â
The scramble for soul dungeons was over.
The owners were mostly well established by now.
Most of the soul dungeons were owned by the 4 great guilds, as well as the large guilds. Small guilds or independent players werenât powerful enough to claim a soul dungeon for themselves, and didnât have enough manpower to keep them safe either.
âThe Lash Guild got their hands on Alaka Cave. The hell is this? The large guilds are taking everything.â
âIâm sick of them. Ptoo!â
âItâs the same here as in real life. The rich only get richer.â
The player base lamented over the state of the soul dungeons. The previous era, when people were fighting over soul dungeons, was like the United Statesâ western expansion. It was a time filled with opportunity.
However, these opportunities slowly diminished, and like real life, where the huge conglomerates absorbed everything, the large guilds had mostly taken control of the soul dungeons.
Then again, this happening was inevitable. After all, independent players and small/intermediate sized guilds had no power. Without power, they couldnât keep their soul dungeons from the larger, more powerful guilds.
Some players were singularly powerful enough that their power trumped an entire organization.
âOnly members of the Lash Guild can enter Alaka Cave. Get lost!â
The entrance to the cave was shaped like a toadâs open mouth. Players wearing gargoyle armbands stood in front of Kang Oh.
There was more than one guard too. Twelve members of the Lash Guild stood before Kang Oh, wearing murderous expressions.
Lash was a large guild, which had risen to rank 12, and was known for their misdeeds. Then again, they were just like other large guilds in that regard.
âSo he says.â Kang Oh glanced at his companions. Sephiro, Eder, Tasha, Sara, and Waryong stood beside him.
Eder, Tasha, and Sara nonchalantly looked at him as if saying, âDo what you want.â. Waryong just yawned.
Only Sephiro seemed uncomfortable with the idea. âStop stirring up trouble with large guilds, will you!?â, Sephiroâs gaze seemed to say.
Kang Oh turned his head and stared at the members of the Lash Guild.
âIf large guilds like Lash have taken over a majority of the soul dungeons, then how am I supposed to make a living?â
Kang Ohâs lips twisted strangely. He really disliked it when weaklings gathered together and acted like they were all that. No, âhateâ would be more accurate.
âIf youâre weak, then you get trampled underfoot. Thatâs how it works. If you donât want to die, then get lost,â a guard yelled maliciously. This was apparently how he always spoke.
âIf youâre weak, then you get trampled underfoot, huh⊠Go ahead and try.â
Kang Oh smiled like the devil himself.