novelraw Chapter 46 : A New Era (3)
Chapter 46 : A New Era (3)
Chapter 46: A New Era (3)
The one who entered as the door opened was exactly the girl he had expected.
“Oh my. There are quite a few guests upstairs as well.”
Vivian smiled brightly and lightly bent one knee before straightening it again.
The Witch of the Maple Tree — Vivian Astraia.
Though it was their second meeting, he still wasn’t used to it.
This must be what it felt like to stand before a wild beast.
Truly, it was like walking on thin ice.
A single misstep would directly lead to death.
Yohan composed his expression.
Vivian’s greeting didn’t seem to matter to him; he continued gazing indifferently out the window, as if her presence was nothing special.
“If I’ve… interrupted your rest, then I’m sorry. I was simply too eager to meet you, and I’ve acted rudely.”
Vivian spoke cautiously, gauging Yohan’s reaction.
Good.
The start wasn’t bad.
“Sit down for now. You’ve come a long way — I don’t wish to turn you away at the door.”
“Thank you.”
Vivian beamed as she stepped closer to Yohan and sat facing him demurely.
Couldn’t she sit at that other table over there instead? The one three tables away looked much softer with its sofa and cushions — that would’ve been perfect.
Thanks to that, his sense of pressure had increased by about 3.8 times.
“You’ve grown since the last time.”
At Yohan’s words, Vivian’s eyes trembled faintly.
“As expected, you recognized it at once.”
No, anyone could tell.
The aura she exuded had changed entirely — how could he not notice?
“That’s right. I’m still lacking compared to you, Sir Yohan, but recently I’ve ascended to the Graceful Moon’s (佳月) seat.”
Graceful Moon… meaning she had reached the 8th month in rank.
‘She’s insane.’
To advance from the 11th Star of July to the 1st Star of August in such a short time — he couldn’t even imagine what she had done.
Had she stormed the Administration Bureau?
Or perhaps annihilated several entire factions on her own?
Tremble, tremble.
Yohan took a sip of chamomile tea to steady his nerves.
“Um… did you like the gift? I thought hard about it and prepared it with care.”
He was wondering when that topic would come up.
A bundle of severed Orc heads.
Even in a slasher movie, one wouldn’t see a massacre of that scale.
And then there was the pot of yellow roses on top — doubling the grotesqueness.
“It was a dangerous gift. If the Administrators had gotten further involved, things could’ve become complicated.”
“It’s fine. If anyone tries to interfere, I’ll just kill them all. Blind their eyes and cut out their tongues — then they’ll have no one to tell anyway.”
Eyes dyed crimson.
Her black hair caught the sunlight, gleaming like polished obsidian.
Priscilla trembled like a leaf in the wind.
It was only natural — she could easily become one of those victims.
And the terrifying part was, Vivian truly seemed capable of doing it.
“You seem to be misunderstanding something. This is my board — I plan it, and I control it. Don’t cross the line, Vivian Astraia. Otherwise…”
Clack.
The teacup touched the table.
“The next time, it won’t end with mere disappointment.”
Any insolence would be repaid with her life.
Not hers — his.
Of course, he couldn’t say that aloud, so he had to convey it through sheer presence.
Whirrr!
Void Magic and Bloodline Power.
As the two alien forces — mana and blood — intertwined, a dark crimson circle formed behind Yohan.
＊
Thump…!
Vivian’s heart began to beat faster.
‘This can’t be…’
The quality or sheer strength of the mana wasn’t the issue.
But—
‘I’ve never seen a structure like this before…’
She felt she could reach it with just one more step forward — yet at the same time, if she entered that space, she might never return again.
Yes.
It was like the Void.
‘And that’s a blood-related ability, isn’t it? It’s so pure, it can’t even be compared to an ordinary blood sorcerer’s power.’
And yet he could use them together so naturally.
It was true that after reaching the Graceful Moon’s seat, she had grown more confident.
Breaking through a Moon rank required both immense luck and bone-crushing effort.
But this—
It was on a completely different dimension.
Even her own Greed (탐) recoiled in extreme rejection before his power.
‘He must’ve shown me only a fragment of it — and even that was enough to make his point.’
Yohan still looked at Vivian without the slightest wavering.
That calm composure — it was the mark of a true powerhouse.
‘Have I once again failed to grasp his true intentions?’
Vivian clenched her hands tightly and lowered her head.
At the same time, the maple leaves outside began to fall endlessly.
Rumble, rumble!
The entire café shook.
Yohan let go of his teacup before it shattered in his trembling hand.
Damn it.
If he made her any moodier, all of Yeouido might vanish in an instant.
Before it was too late, Yohan casually muttered,
“Still, your sentiment wasn’t bad.”
That part was genuine.
He didn’t particularly dislike her earnestness.
Then—
“……!”
Vivian’s face twisted with indescribable emotion — a mix of joy and ecstasy.
Her drowsy eyes opened wide, and she kept biting her lip with her small teeth.
Outside, the maple leaves had now fully bloomed in brilliant colors.
“This world… I rather like it. Drinking tea and looking at that scenery is my only real pleasure here.”
“Yes…”
No, don’t look here. Look out the window.
He wished she’d stop gazing at him with that hazy, dreamy stare.
“I don’t want to see this world destroyed. If possible, I’d like to come here again tomorrow, next week, even next year — to sit and enjoy another cup of tea.”
He spoke of his reason for taking part in the episode.
Of why he had to survive the Apocalypse, the playground of the Transcendents.
And he added that standing on equal footing with ordinary humans — not as a superior being — was part of his plan as well.
“I think… I understand what you mean now.”
Vivian nodded.
From then on, the air lightened noticeably.
After hearing Yohan say “not bad,” Vivian seemed to soften completely.
Especially after seeing Elizabeth I, who was born from the Seed of Living Spirit, she had changed into an entirely different person.
“Wow. To think you’re raising this little one yourself — that’s amazing.”
“Kiee!”
She even ran downstairs, saying she’d personally prepare tea to go with the cake.
Come to think of it—
Perhaps he could make use of her in the second episode.
With a few safety measures, the potential was certainly there.
Watching Vivian busily serving maple leaf tea, a faint smile curved Yohan’s lips.
＊＊＊
Vivian’s arrival brought about several major changes.
The most noticeable change among them was Kim Geunsik’s attitude.
“Ah… Ahhh! For the great God to descend upon this world—so miracles truly exist!”
Vivian’s unique demonic energy was immense.
Even when compared to other Evil Gods, it didn’t pale in the slightest.
Because of that, Kim Geunsik had come to believe that Vivian was the incarnation of one of the Evil Gods, and thus began to worship her as a deity.
Yohan had instructed Vivian to recruit Kim Geunsik. After hearing a rough summary of the situation, she obediently followed the order.
“The one the Cult is trying to awaken will only use you and then discard you. You’re all completely caught in his scheme and are walking down the wrong path.”
“T-That can’t be… Is that true? Then what… what should I do? I… I just don’t know….”
As Kim Geunsik fell into panic, Vivian gently patted his head.
“But you don’t need to worry too much. There is a way. First, go back to the Cult and report every one of their movements to me—without missing a single detail. If I can fully grasp his plans, then I’ll find a way to deal with it.”
“I shall obey your sacred command.”
Kim Geunsik bowed deeply before Vivian.
Vivian looked at Yohan with her half-closed eyes, smiling as if to ask, Did I do well?
She even wore the expression of a puppy waiting to be praised.
“Yeah. Not bad.”
Yohan nodded.
Yet, watching Vivian’s pleased reaction stirred a complicated feeling in him.
A girl who had always been the one used by others.
What would Vivian do when she eventually learned the truth?
Would he still be able to speak to her while she smiled like that?
There was no way to know for now.
But one thing was certain.
When that time came, he needed to be prepared.
＊＊＊
That night.
The place Yohan headed to was ‘Running Rabbit’ in Itaewon.
He had promised to visit after the end of the first episode, and now seemed like the perfect time—new requests should have come in by now.
His companion this time was Seo Changhee.
He had given Scarlett and Park Yeri the task of finding a suitable place to live somewhere in Seoul.
“Unbelievable. Seriously? Am I some kind of sucker? We’re not talking about pocket change here. Why do I have to use my money to find a house in Seoul? And what’s this? It has to be near a subway station, at least average-sized—and what now? Bungeoppang district? How am I supposed to know where they sell fish-shaped pastries?!”
Park Yeri had shouted for a very reasonable cause…
But—
“Hoho! Well, money isn’t everything in times like these, right? Supporting a talented monster so they can clear episodes more efficiently is far more important.”
Faced with the right mix of sword and intimidation, she had surrendered quickly.
She promised to start scouting real estate offices immediately, so by the time everything was done, they’d surely have a cozy new home.
A short while later, Yohan met Seo Changhee in front of the subway station.
Seo Changhee’s expression was slightly different from usual.
It was no wonder.
[Due to the ‘Blessing of the World Tree,’ you have glimpsed a fragment of the future.]
The scene he had witnessed right after the first episode ended—
It had been from the latter part of Episode (30).
Tremble.
His arms still shook faintly, the lingering effect of overwhelming fear.
‘If things continue like this, there’s no chance.’
Seo Changhee bit his lip hard.
He needed far stronger allies and far more opportunities.
Even for a brief moment, the sheer difficulty shown by the system had gone far beyond his comprehension.
His gaze turned toward Yohan.
‘He’s growing so fast… even without the system’s blessing like I have.’
From Withered Garden to the recent Louvre Museum raid—
Nothing about him was ordinary.
‘There has to be a reason.’
Talent-wise, he was sure he far surpassed Yohan.
In skill too, they shouldn’t even be in the same league.
Which meant—
He must’ve obtained something truly incredible, like a major Hidden Piece.
Perhaps an item tied to information networks or knowledge-related abilities.
‘If that includes a way for me to grow stronger…’
He had to find out this time.
Who knows—
If it turned out useful enough, he might even consider taking Yohan in as his first subordinate.
“Ahem!”
Seo Changhee cleared his throat.
“What? Caught a cold? Or do you get withdrawal symptoms if you don’t brag every few minutes?”
“It’s not that. I was just wondering if you might be able to help with my ability somehow.”
“Hm. ‘Equivalent Exchange with the World,’ right? It was definitely interesting. But from what you said, you’re already strong and have incredible potential. Why the rush?”
“I can’t tell you everything, but I have a reason I need to grow much faster. And if it means becoming stronger, now’s not the time to care about the method.”
“You’d do anything, then?”
“Yes.”
“You can keep that promise?”
“I swear on my honor.”
“Oh? Is that so.”
Yohan grinned wickedly.
‘This feels ominous.’
Seo Changhee didn’t realize it yet—
That Yohan already knew exactly what he was plotting.
[Special Info: Seo Changhee plans to extract only the information you possess, then designate you as his first subordinate.]
Information obtained through the Eyes of the Prophet.
Seo Changhee was so simple-minded that the cost to view this special info was practically nothing.
And the result was rather grim.
“No pain, no gain. Even if the world ends tomorrow, I’ll still plant an apple tree today…”
Minutes later, Seo Changhee found himself reading a book of quotes he’d just bought at a bookstore.
Friday night, 10 p.m.
The subway to Itaewon was packed with people.
“Do I… really have to do this?”
“You agreed, so no complaining. You think getting stronger is easy?”
Through the ‘Equivalent Exchange with the World,’ the Word Spirit (언령) was activated.
What was being exchanged here were Seo Changhee’s embarrassment and shame.
The more the hero’s dignity crumbled, the greater the corresponding power he would gain.
That was the fastest way for Seo Changhee to grow stronger.
“But still, this is a bit too much…”
“Hey. Didn’t you say you’d do anything? You’re always talking about being a hero, aren’t you? Is your resolve to grow stronger that flimsy?”
At Yohan’s rebuke, Seo Changhee’s face twisted in anguish.
It was his own words—he couldn’t back out now.
“I-I kneel… b-but…”
“Louder! Don’t forget—you need to feel and mean what you say!”
Simply put, the more he humbled himself, the stronger the Word Spirit’s power would become.
“I-I-I kneel… only to gain momentum!”
“Good!”
That night, a video titled “Line 6 Villain” went viral on ViewTube.
— “I’ve seen the Commander-in-Chief of Line 1 and Jarvan, but this is my first time seeing a Quote Generator on Line 6.”
— “Wow. Cringe overload, but the guy’s actually kinda handsome.”
The strange compliments were just a bonus.