Surha became dumbfounded and Chunghuh shrugged. Surha asked again, âSo, whereâs Karavan now?â
âHe went to the 2nd site. He said he needed to save his site.â
âWhat? And you just let him go? He can be a great help to us! Ignis only has one VicegerentâŠ!â
âDonât worry. We promised to meet again.â
Surha grabbed her forehead at Chunghuhâs words.
âDo you really know whatâs going on here? Do you know how powerful Rupture is right now? There are 4 Lords and 3 Captains, and 2 of the 8 Gods of ⊠and the other Gods who might be helpingâŠâ
âI know, weâre desperate.â
âThenâŠ!â
âBut we are not doomed,â Chunghuh smiled. âHere he comes. Ask him yourself.â
And people turned to the entrance of Edmunt. Jaehwan was walking out of the palace just like how he appeared. Surha mumbled to herself.
âDammit. So, heâs the only one I can trust after all?â
Surha hesitated for a bit but spoke to Jaehwan carefully.
âHey, what happened?â
âWe fought.â
ââŠAre you serious?â
She guessed that when she felt the world power storming from within. A fight against Anonymous? It was easy to guess the outcome for Surha, but they were teleported out of the room by Pierre as he kicked out everyone except Jaehwan from his palace.
âFought?â
Surha checked Jaehwanâs body. There was no trace of any fierce battle.
âJaehwan, you donât seem hurt. Did you really fight?â
âWe didnât fight to the end.â
âOh, I see. So?â
âIt seems he will be of help.â
The subject seemed to have changed, so Surha frowned. She dumbfoundedly looked at Jaehwan. She just realized something impossible had happened.
ââŠWait. What do you mean? Did Anonymous say he will help us?â
âUnder a certain condition.â
Surha bit her lips after counting how many times she had been shocked today.
âW-what did you just do there? I was in this damn place for 3 months trying to persuade him!â
âI told you. I fought him.â
âFought him and then what? Did you win? Even if you became strong, you canâtâŠâ
Then, a boy appeared from behind Jaehwan. He smiled.
âHe canât win?â
âHuh?â
Surha knew the boy right away. It was the brat that talked back to her earlier.
âRunald, were you with him?â
âYes, Sirwen. I am not sure why, but Pierreâs Setting did not work against me. Maybe itâs because I am Jaehwanâs Follower. So you all were outsideâŠâ
Everyone realized it from Runaldâs boastful words.
âHah. Itâs a shame you all didnât see that. Really a shame.â
Karlton jumped up to him immediately.
âRunald! Did you see him fight?!â
âWhat? You saw it?!â
âKid, did you really see?!â
Sirwen and Chunghuh also joined in with their questions and Runald became really proud.
âOf course I did!â
âOkay, go on! Explain. That stuck up bastard doesnât talk muchâŠâ
Runald began to explain excitedly what he had seen. Surha then felt something.
âWaitâŠâ
Jaehwan was looking at something beyond the region. In that sight, Surha felt as if Jaehwan had gone very far.
âHey. Did you defeat AnonymousâŠâ
Runald was still talking, âSo, Naked Jaehwans came out, mixed themselves all over and thrust..â
âNaked Jaehwans?â
âWhat are you talking about, Runald?â
Chunghuh and Karlton were confused. Sirwen also spoke with excitement.
âSo? So? What happened next? So what did those naked Jaehwans do? What did he thrust with?!â
âSo, uh it was..â
Runald was very excited and he went over all his descriptions.
âSo the clothes shot this way and that way and the Naked Jaehwans went to that naked man andâŠâ
âA manâs fight!â
Sirwen gasped in astonishment and Runald nodded proudly.
âYeah, sort of.â
âSo, Pierre could only be persuaded.â
âHell yeah!â
Surha narrowed her eyes. She couldnât get half of that nonsense. Clothes flying around? Naked what?
âDid he see some illusions? He does have good imagination I guess. And what is that stupid Nightmare girl doing⊠saying she understoodâŠâ
Surha shook her head as she sighed and turned to Jaehwan. Jaehwan was still looking far out. Surha called out to him, âHey. You said Anonymous will help us under a certain condition, right?â
âYeah.â
âAnd what is that?â
âThat.â
âThat?â
Jaehwan pointed his finger toward a place and Surha turned to the direction.
âWhat do you mean that. Thatâs⊠huh?â
She felt as if she had been struck down by lightning. She felt like she was shivering. It was one with the most powerful world power she had ever faced until now, world power so hostile that it seemed to have spikes protruding everywhere.
âOh no⊠thatâsâŠâ
Surha felt the other friends coming toward her. They too were now was looking toward the direction Surha was looking.
âSo the rumor was true. Rupture really is working with them.â
ââŠWe have to run.â
They knew it instinctively. The enemies that were approaching werenât beings that they could face. They were the Vicegerents of the âStrongest Godâ in the Tree of Imagery.
Lords of the 12 Regions. And there was the most powerful one among them.
âJaehwan. Even if you have become powerful, you cannot fight them nowâŠâ Chunghuh said as he saw giant world power approaching, destroying everything in its path from the far border of the outer 7th region. Jaehwan shook his head.
âNo, I am not running.â
âWhat?â
âPierre promised to help us if I defeat them.â
Jaehwan pulled out his sword. Chunghuh became silent as he looked at the lone sword that was pulled out.
âI see. So it has come down to this now.â
Everyone realized the silent determination. There was no running anymore. It was not an option. It wasâŠ
âOld man. Itâs time to fight now.â
And at that moment, Chunghuh realized he had been waiting for these words for the last 1200 years.
âI canât call him kid anymore.â
Chunghuh felt like he was going to cry, but he held back.