The heated atmosphere quickly turned cold in an instant.
âI definitely said I was against that.â
âLooks like words canât get through to you, huh? This will make things difficult. You know that, right? Besides, it looks like things will get very, very difficult for you.â
It was an obvious and blatant threat. Unfortunately, it was never going to work against Kim Jin-Woo.
As soon as Kim Jin-Woo raised his hand, a swarm of lights gathered to the spire of ValhÇŤll. Seeing the flashes that contained the power of lightning within, the Heavenly Giant Lordâs expression turned grim.
âI know that MjĂśllnir is a pretty strong weapon, but that does not mean we did not inherit weapons of our own. Think carefully.â He acknowledged the difficult adversary that was MjĂśllnir, but it seemed as if he had a way to stop it.
However, despite the Heavenly Giant Lordâs confident attitude, Kim Jin-Woo didnât even bat an eyelid. He remarked, âLooks like thereâs no other way.â
Ignoring the Heavenly Giant Lordâs words, he looked at Catherine and continued, âItâs not as if I didnât receive any help from you at all, but I have no intention of removing the fragments for free. I originally intended to wait a little longer, but it looks like thatâs going to be difficult because of these friends of yours.â
Catherine narrowed her eyes upon hearing Kim Jin-Wooâs words. Even in the face of the threat of two Highlordsâthe Lords who had awakened before him and accomplished many achievementsâthere was something this latest Highlord believed in that gave him so much confidence, something she didnât understand.
âAnd what is it that I should consider before I make my decision?â She cleverly asked why she should be on his side.
âUnfortunately, I have no intention of attempting to convince you. But out of your loyalty, Iâll tell you this. If you donât decide right hereâŚâ Kim Jin-Woo began as his presence gradually increased.
The expressions of the two Highlords who had laughed at him, and Catherine, who remembered him as the Highlord who had only just awakened recently, soon hardened like stone. The three Highlords seemed to be startled by Kim Jin-Wooâs power that was beyond their imagination, despite his having been the last to awaken.
ââŚYou die,â Kim Jin-Woo finished.
The power of Greed, too great to be called a mere threat, had swallowed up countless enemies before. Its chaotic energy had snowballed exponentially as if to engulf the entire world.
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The three Highlords likely didnât know that Kim Jin-Woo, who was the successor to the One-Eyed Lord, wasnât yet perfect, but was still the fragment of the Wandering and the Lord of Greed; a mutant who had also absorbed the powers of the Lord of Brilliance and the Fairy Lord. Having absorbed the power of as many as five Lords, he was far stronger and more intimidating than they had thought.
However, the difference in power wasnât enough to overcome the numerical disadvantage. The Beastfolk King and the Heavenly Giant Lord, realizing the ugly turn of events, ground their teeth.
âFool! You threaten even the Wailing Lord, whom you should have turned to your side! Her pride is stronger than you think.â
Violent energy that seemed to tear the world apart flowed from the body of the Beastfolk King, and heavy energy that seemed to crush the world like a mountain flowed from the body of the Heavenly Giant Lord.
They were indeed powerful. However, while Kim Jin-Wooâs turbid, chaotic energy was gradually pushed away by the two Lords, he spoke once more. âIâm certain sheâs a proud one. But above that, her ability to analyze the situation is faster.â
Upon hearing those words, as if Catherine had made a decision, she took one step forward. She grumbled, âUrgh, if you put it that way, I canât leave you disappointed.â
The two Lords looked at her with disapproval. The Giant Lord remarked, âSince you came forward so strongly with your words, I trust that you have a plan in mind.â
However, contrary to their thoughts, it was Kim Jin-Wooâs side that Catherine decided to stand by.
âYouâre not thinking of starting a fight with them simply because you have faith in that castle of yours, are you? If thatâs the case, I have no choice but to change my decision too,â Catherine said. However, there was no sign of hesitation from the Wailing Lord, as if she had already made up her mind.
âWhat are you thinking? I donât understand why you decided to abandon the easy way out and choose the difficult path to walk,â the Beastfolk King growled, expressing surprise that the meeting he had thought so lightly of could become so complicated and end in a division.
But he couldnât be blamed for thinking that way. In the Underworld where power was everything, from the point of view of the first awakened Highlord, it was to be expected that he would think lightly of the last awakened Highlord and attempt to imprint his sense of superiority on the latter.
âIt is not too late to think twice. There is no need for us to fight like this. If we keep this up, the end result will not be too nice for you,â the Heavenly Giant Lord said.
It really seemed as if the standoff could only come to an end with a bloody fight.
âIt is two against two. The losers will get nothing, and the winners will not come out unscathed either,â the Heavenly Giant Lord continued. As if trying to belatedly take control of the situation, he was unusually hesitant despite his size.
However, what the two Highlords received was a completely unexpected answer.
âItâs not two against two, but two against three,â a voice suddenly whispered in the Beastfolk Kingâs ears.
The Beastfolk King tried to turn his head but froze on the spot. Sharp black nails that seemed ready to rip his throat apart at any moment suddenly appeared out of the blue.
âWho are you?!â On behalf of the Beastfolk King, who had yet to grasp the situation, the Heavenly Giant Lord stepped forward and demanded the identity of the being who had suddenly intervened.
âMe?â the voice replied. As if wrapped in darkness, the grayish shadows gradually coalesced together and formed a human figure.
âIâm the Fifth Highlord you didnât know about. The True Blood Lord.â Angela finally revealed herself, replying as she raised an eyebrow. âAnd Iâm the faithful slave who has given up her entire body and soul to the being over there.â
The sudden appearance of a fifth Highlord, whose existence they knew nothing about, caught the three Highlords by surprise, leaving them feeling perplexed.
âH-how!? Iâm certain the Fourth was the last to awaken!â The Beastfolk King, momentarily forgetting the situation he was in, screamed in shock, but ended up having his throat cut by the long, sharp nails that had materialized from the darkness.
Angela continued, âOf course, I awakened in a slightly special place, after all.â
Angela had inherited the Highlordâs power in the Back Floorâa realm that didnât exist anywhere in the Underworld, and yet existed everywhere at the same time. It was to be expected that the other Highlords were unaware of her existence, considering that the Back Floor was a realm so distant and separate from the rest of the world that even summons who shared destiny with their masters would have their communion cut off by it.
âI never dreamed you had such a hidden card up your sleeve.â Catherine was the first to break free from her startled emotions. She cackled with amusement at the unexpected reinforcement. âBut arenât you cutting it a bit close? If I took their side instead, even with the support from the True Blood Lord, itâd be two against three.â
âIâll take my chances,â Kim Jin-Woo shot back.
He was in possession of the Giant Slayer, MjĂśllnir, and he also had the power of Gungnir, although it could only be used once. Even in the worst case, Kim Jin-Woo didnât think he would ever lose.
âAnd I believed you would choose to side with me,â he continued.
âWhy is that?â Catherineâs interest was piqued by Kim Jin-Wooâs statement.
âBecause I felt you would never be able to forgive her,â Kim Jin-Woo replied. Catherineâs smile faded from her face, and a dark shadow fell around her beautifully curved eyes.
âYou inherited the name of the Wailing Lord, and your song must have been one of reluctance, sorrow and hatred,â Kim Jin-Woo continued.
Through HliĂ°skjĂĄlf, Kim Jin-Woo found out that among the Ancient Lords, there were some who had lost their True Names. The Usurper was one of them, and another was the Wailing Lord.
The Wailing Lordâs True Name was the âGuide to the Afterlifeâ of the Dead.
However, with the original Wailing Lordâs own death, he had been unable to find someone to guide him to the Afterlife, eventually turning into the Wailing Lord who sang of death and mourning.
And now, that name had been passed on to Catherine, and no one could truly understand how deep her hatred lurked within her bright and cheerful persona.
âPhew.â With a long sigh, Catherine regained her composure. âThatâs pretty weak supporting evidence, but I wonât deny it. Itâs not that wrong anyway.â
Half of the âweak evidenceâ had been presented to Kim Jin-Woo through the revelation of the lore of the Ancient Lords by Mimir, while Catherineâs tragic past had been revealed to him by HliĂ°skjĂĄlf. But of course, he had no intention of revealing that fact, and he simply smiled back without uttering a single word.
âThat aside, what are you planning on doing with those guys?â Catherine asked, quickly returning to her cheerful mood as she looked at the two Highlords who were frozen on the spot as if they had been nailed down.
âWell, what should I do?â Kim Jin-Woo asked, an ominous flash shining in his eyes.
Catherine said in surprise, âIf possible, itâd be better to keep them alive. If theyâre gone, weâll have to fight Night by ourselves.â
She added that she didnât know when the other Highlords would awaken, and she was concerned about the fight against Night. But there was a fact she could never even have dreamed of.
The powers of the other Highlords she was waiting for had already been absorbed by Kim Jin-Woo, and apart from the Earth Dragon and his powers, the other Highlords would never be able to reappear in the Underworld ever again.
But of course, there was no way Catherine would know of that fact, which was why she had insisted that they gather the rest of the Highlords and consolidate their powers.
âThatâs pointless. Sparing the lives of those who have already bared their fangs against you is a foolish act. Besides, this isnât like the lowly, sympathetic surface. This is the Underworld.â Kim Jin-Woo spoke firmly, as if he had already made up his mind.
âUrgh.â When it came to the laws of the Underworld, Catherine suffered beneath them and followed them just as much as Kim Jin-Woo himself; thus, she found herself unable to stop him.
âWould you believe me if I told you Iâd now cooperate with you and take the lead in preventing the unification of the surface and the Underworld?â The Beastfolk King, who had already suffered numerous wounds from the nails that had appeared from the shadows, belatedly grasped the situation and announced his intention to change sides.
âItâs clear that you think getting out of the situation would be the end of it,â Kim Jin-Woo replied.
Although it was true that the Beastfolk King had taken his opponent lightly and thus acted rashly, he was also a warrior who had fought hundreds of battles before his ascension to Highlord.
âNo, now that the disparity in our powers have been revealed, itâd be foolish of me to act recklessly.â Instead of coming up with incoherent excuses, the Beastfolk King frankly acknowledged his inferiority and requested to become Kim Jin-Wooâs subordinate.
âWhat are you doing!?â The Heavenly Giant Lord, who had been watching the scene unfold, shouted in horror.
âIf even the True Blood Lord is his slave, then a beast becoming his subordinate is nothing specialâŚâ the Beastfolk King replied.
âYou bastard, donât you have any priâŚâ the Heavenly Giant Lord began.
âLetâs be honest, since when was pride ever important? You and I both know itâd be better for us to survive as slaves than to die a dogâs death here. After all, we lived for a long time as tunnel diggers and slaves, havenât we? Itâs funny how youâre talking about pride now.â The Beastfolk Folk trembled from the pain inflicted by Angela, as he revealed his most honest feelings on the predicament he was in. He continued, âBut still, it would be better to be a subordinate than a slave. Iâm sure even he wouldnât want to be calling a black guy like me his slave.â
Kim Jin-Woo sneered at the brazen attitude of the Beastfolk King, who spoke as if Kim Jin-Woo had already accepted him. He muttered, âWhat an interesting guy.â
Seeing a hint of acceptance on Kim Jin-Wooâs face, the Beastfolk King quickly fell to his knees.
âMaster, what shall we do?â Angela asked. She hadnât known things would turn out this way, and she looked at him with a conflicted expression.
âLetâs put off dealing with him for now,â Kim Jin-Woo said. He then turned his attention to the Heavenly Giant Lord, who looked lost and unsure of what to do.
All of them had lived like slaves become they became Highlords. The giant belatedly made up his mind and fell to his knees.
However, Kim Jin-Woo was just a little faster. He said, âUnlike the Beastfolk King, you have a backbone.â
The Heavenly Giant Lord, whose knees had just been about to touch the ground, looked up in bewilderment.
âSo let me match you in return,â Kim Jin-Woo continued.
âW-wait!â the Heavenly Giant Lord exclaimed.