Seoyeon Kim, sitting alone in the cafe, her face flushed with irritation.
‘I don’t understand what he’s thinking.’
It had always been like this.
Even when they sat facing each other, it felt as if his soul was somewhere else.
Unlike before, when he used to focus solely on her, the current Hyunmyeong seemed to be ignoring her words.
‘I even cut my hair.’
She had changed her long hair to a short cut and spent two hours trying to find a suitable outfit. Yet, he didn’t even mention it.
A drastic transformation. There was no way he couldn’t have noticed.
- He looks uninterested?
- Can I get up now?
Moreover, he even declared that he would get up before her.
It wasn’t just a declaration. He wasn’t even pretending to get up. He was truly pushing his chair back to leave.
An attitude that was never seen in the old Hyunmyeong.
His eyes, which used to look at her with emotion, now held none.
It was as if he was looking at someone else.
‘We’ve broken up before, haven’t we?’
During their five-year relationship, they had broken up more than five times. But even after breaking up, he always tried to hold onto her.
This time was different.
Despite traveling a long distance to see her, he was as cold as ice.
This had never happened before.
‘How can he act like this in front of me?’
Sure, maybe she could understand the other things.
After all, they had said harsh words during their breakups.
What really infuriated her was that he was looking at another woman in front of her.
- We’re not even related.
In front of her, he strongly denied any connection.
Not at all. Not even a little.
He gave her his number, took her business card, and even made a date. Right in front of her, as if to show off.
“Hyunmyeong, you...”
If Hana Kim were ugly, she wouldn’t have cared at all. She might have even cheered them on, rolling her eyes.
But Hana Kim was revered as a ‘Righteous Goddess’ on YouTube.
A righteous goddess.
It was absurd. What could a woman like that see in Hyunmyeong? They would probably just have a cup of coffee and part ways.
Hyunmyeong, who had nothing going for him.
He wasn’t rich, didn’t have a decent job, and wasn’t particularly handsome or tall.
Was he in good shape? Was he funny?
Who would want to date a hikikomori who only played games at home, except for work and dates? She was the only one who would.
Drrrr!
At that moment, her phone rang.
The name ‘Jinwoo Oppa’ appeared on the screen.
Seoyeon smiled at the name.
A man who was the complete opposite of Hyunmyeong. Literally, everything about him was different.
Though not a regular employee, he was wealthy from his successful business, handsome, and tall. He was in great shape, had a great sense of humor, and was very active, with no flaws to speak of.
Except for one thing.
“Hello? Jinwoo Oppa? What? You want forgiveness? No more secrets? You hid the fact that you can ‘transform’ from me, how can I trust you? You looked like a completely different person, it scared me so much. You won’t do it again? Hmm, okay. This is the last time. If it happens again, it’s really over, over. So come pick me up. The address is...”
*
“Hey, our station’s top dignitary, Kim Won. Caused trouble again?”
“... It’s Kim Hana. Please don’t call me Kim Won.”
Sighing deeply, Hana Kim slumped into her seat.
She was completely drained from frequent visits to the police station.
She had been called in again the next day for additional questioning.
Seunga Seo, sitting next to Hana, turned her chair and asked.
“Who is it this time?”
“A plastic surgery clinic director.”
“Why would he do that, seeing so many beautiful people?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, our Righteous Goddess Kim Won is naturally beautiful.”
“Don’t talk to me. I feel like I’m going to die.”
She really felt like she was going to die.
After being happily employed as a regular employee, everything changed after ‘that incident.’
The workload at the station increased tenfold.
“The section chief is on a business trip and assigned this to you?”
“What? Ah...”
Hana Kim received the file and sighed deeply.
“Isn’t Gracia American? Why me?”
The file contained information about a person called Gracia.
A superhero who split a mountain and defeated ten monsters simultaneously upon her appearance.
The video was impressive, almost like a real movie. The scene where she combined thousands of sword-shaped flashes into one and fired it was especially breathtaking.
A monster that couldn’t be defeated by guns and bombs was taken down in one hit.
Why did such a person suddenly come to Korea?
“She wants to meet you.”
“Me? Why?”
“At first sight, apparently.”
“Stop joking.”
“I don’t know. But it’s causing a big stir. The situation is being closely monitored in the U.S. as well, so it’s probably going to be a high-level diplomatic reception.”
“... I really don’t want to.”
There was no way she, a newly hired regular employee, could conduct an interview with such a prominent figure.
The most notable person in the world right now.
Rumors spread that even other dimension warriors respected Gracia.
The ultimate boss suddenly visiting Korea and wanting to see her.
“Then how about your boyfriend?”
Seunga pointed to a photo on Hana’s desk.
The photo showed a man.
More accurately, the back of a man.
A muscular warrior who instantly subdued a monster and disappeared. Hana had taken the photo herself.
Hana pouted and scolded Seunga.
“He’s not my boyfriend. Just a lucky charm.”
After that incident, everything went well for Hana. The man in the photo was like a lucky charm to her.
She didn’t know his name, where he lived, or anything. All she had was this one photo, but that was enough.
“You play with it every day, don’t you?”
“No, I just clean the dust off it.”
Seunga chuckled.
Hana was a junior with a strong sense of reality.
“I’m going to have a drink with the entertainment reporters tonight, want to come?”
“I have plans.”
“A date?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, the male reporters will be disappointed tonight.”
Seunga shook her head, genuinely disappointed.
But she was curious. The legendary Kim Hana, who had never accepted any of the countless love calls, suddenly had a date?
Regardless, Hana focused on her work.
If she didn’t clear some of it while she still had her wits about her, she would be overwhelmed.
*
“Kill the traitor!”
“Kill the wicked snake princess!”
When she opened her eyes, she saw Isabella, drenched in blood.
The bodies around her were all soldiers of Faisalmere.
The battle was still raging.
Turning her head, she saw that the warp was still active.
If Isabella had wanted to escape, she could have done so long ago, but she had stayed to maintain their trust.
‘The Queen’s Royal Guard.’
A pursuit team including great warriors.
If she had been even a little late, Isabella would have been dead.
“Is the ‘Communication with the Stars’ complete?”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, the queen was not in sight.
If the queen had come herself, Isabella wouldn’t have lasted long.
It was a stroke of luck.
But she couldn’t rely on luck forever.
“I will clear the path.”
Dozens of great warriors blocked the path to the warp.
Isabella was already exhausted.
【Lv.6】
The level of the great warriors was nearly 6.
If Isabella were in her normal state, killing them wouldn’t be difficult, but she had been holding out for half a day.
She had been protecting someone without any end in sight.
It would be too much to ask her to clear the path.
‘Scratch the Stars.’
The main skill she gained as the successor of the stars.
She had never used it before, but it was finally activated.
<>
<>
Countless starlight seeped into my fist. Then, like wearing a claw made of starlight, sharp blades sprouted from my fist.
For a moment, I felt like Wolverine.
‘Scratch the Stars’ was a wide-area skill that could scratch even the stars. Of course, it could be used as is, but the duration was too short.
“Kill the wicked traitor and the heretic of disbelief!”
“It is the will of the great queen!”
The wicked traitor was Isabella, and the heretic of disbelief was probably me.
I punched the warriors blocking the path to the warp with all my might.
At that moment.
Kaaaaaa!
Huuuuu!
An explosion so loud it hurt my ears, and a pillar of fire rose. However, the pillar was not made of real fire but of starlight.
The great warriors in the starlight had all evaporated.
“...”
“Go.”
Losing her words, Isabella looked at the star pillar.
A star pillar that would last for 41 seconds if launched immediately.
‘Scratch the Stars’ had the effect of blocking and destroying intruders in a wide area by burning all holy power for the duration.
It was an absolute domain.
‘Beyond imagination.’
She was honestly surprised.
Though a one-time skill, a level 1 skill could have such an effect.
It was impossible to gauge how much more powerful it would become when it evolved at level 10.
“Follow me. Those blessed can cross this ‘Pillar of Stars.’”
I crossed first, and Isabella, swallowing hard, followed.
But the other warriors, unable to cross the star pillar, evaporated to the bone.
After more than ten warriors died, they finally gave up the pursuit.
Now, all that was left was to cross the warp.
Isabella’s eyes began to tremble as she looked at the activated warp.
“Isabella. If you want to turn back now, I won’t stop you.”
Long-desired freedom.
She had always prayed and wished to cross the warp and go to another continent.
But now, as she was about to leave the desert she had lived in all her life, a mix of emotions crossed her mind.
Still, even so.
“... No.”
“Then, this is the moment of liberation. Be happy.”
“Yes.”
Isabella chose freedom.
With an awkward smile.
《The ‘Warp’ has been activated.》
《The ‘Warp’ from the ‘Starting Point’ is free.》
《‘Isabella’s’ ‘Curse of Limits’ has been nullified by the ‘Blessing of the Stars.’》
《There are 12 connected cities in the ‘Kaltzmann Desert’ that can be warped to.》
《‘Arcana’ has been selected.》
《Warping begins.》
*
《You have warped from the ‘Kaltzmann Desert’ to the ‘Central Continent.’》
《Welcome to the golden city ‘Arcana.’》
《Tip: ‘Arcana’ is a city of extreme materialism. If you don’t have gold like a tycoon, it’s recommended not to even step foot here.》
As she crossed the warp, she saw countless people.
People wearing golden turbans and riding golden carriages were moving around.
The next warp location connected to the Kaltzmann Desert was the large city of Arcana.
‘One of the large cities connected to the Starting Point.’
The Starting Point was connected to many cities.
Arcana was the wealthiest among them.
‘A place the queen can’t follow to.’
The queen’s pursuit team wouldn’t give up. Perhaps the queen herself might chase after Isabella and me to kill us.
But Arcana, a desert city, had a very poor relationship with Faisalmere.
If the queen and her royal guards entered, it could trigger a war.
It was ironic that the warp was still connected.
“The city... is very splendid.”
Isabella looked around, mesmerized.
Impressed by the tall buildings and the surrounding style.
It was a natural reaction, as it was her first time visiting a city outside the desert.