The finals between the United States and China was very fierce. As the nation with the t.i.tle of the world's strongest, the United States had excellent individual skills, and China was just as good. The Chinese players who joined the national team didn't fall behind the United States. China had excellent interpersonal skills and a strong player base.

Beeeeep—!

[The user 'Damian' has been logged out.]

[Please hurry and send out the next player.]

Then right now—

Damian was the first player to go out. He logged out two Chinese players before being violently logged out. He showed a variety of plays worthy of his position of the captain of the US team. However, it was the first time the person nicknamed the 'Brain of America' had come out in the very beginning. Damian was always the strategist for his teammates behind the scenes.

“...It is my turn.”

Michael looked around at the other American players. They all exchanged looks and nodded. In fact, this was a matter of calculation. Damian had antic.i.p.ated this situation from the beginning and told them, 'China doesn't have many people apart from Zhen Sulong, so log out the enemies as quickly as possible. If you step out, then Zhen Sulong will be forced to come out.'

Damian said so and stood up as the first player without any regrets. The words he said before entering the portal came to mind again.

'I got a call from a contact at the Intelligence Bureau. Union's event from the breaking news is fake. Those lights are lights from Star Fruits. I will go out first and be eliminated. Then I will go to the waiting room and gather the Star Fruits with people who can connect. Leave it to me. You just focus on the compet.i.tion.'

Finally, Damian went into the portal. Michael took a deep breath as he reflected on Damian's words. Perhaps after today, the world would be buzzing once again.

'Star Fruits...'

He thought he should be more vigilant. The light of multiple Star Fruits soared into the sky at the same time. It was only a matter of time until a large number of players with Star Fruit abilities were produced. Some of them would be talented like James. By the way, Damian also took James because his presence was necessary to collect the Star Fruits.

Thus today's trump card was only Michael.

'Well, it doesn't matter.'

Michael moved through the portal. There was a loud sound and his body disappeared. He opened his eyes and the surrounding landscapes were reversed.

“Sigh.”

He was strangely tense. Was it because it was the finals?

[The Chinese player will be replaced.]

At this moment, the player on the China side was suddenly replaced. Michael's heart sank the moment he saw the new player. Cold air flowed between the two players.

Step, step.

Zhen Sulong walked forward. “It is a pleasure, Young n.o.bleman Mi. I am Zhen Sulong.”

Zhen Sulong held out a hand over his fist politely. It was a cupped fist salute. Michael had studied the Chinese practices and showed the same gesture. Indeed, Zhen Sulong deserved to be the powerhouse who had defeated Choi Chuntaek. His outward appearance and air seemed like lightning. He was like the pinnacle of a powerful warrior pursuing a distant strength.

“It is a pleasure.”

“I should be saying that.”

Michael carefully pulled out the two swords on his back while Zhen Sulong formed fists and extended them. The countdown message lingered between the two of them.

***

At the Vulcan lava field, near the south lava lake...

“What? You are going to see those crazy women? Are you really crazy?” Park Muyeol's voice that was filled with surprise and astonishment rang out through the lava lake. Fortunately, there was no one around to hear it.

“I'm not crazy so talk a bit more quietly. I'm going to die from the noise.”

“No, that isn't the problem. You mean you're going back to that place called Hesperides or something with the golden apples?”

“Yes. What about it?”

“No, those three sisters tried to kill me. In particular, the one called Arethusa...”

“Shut up. I have an idea. You just have to follow me. In any case, I'm very worried.”

I shook my head as I walked with my hands behind my back. Park Muyeol and I continued to walk past the lava lake. It was normal to fight like this when I was with this guy all the time. He was dull and boring when he was young. Neither Park Muyeol or I could guess that we could talk so much when we got older.

“Okay, let's speed up. We have to go quickly. There is no time.”

“No, what is so urgent...?”

“Punghee~”

Magic power swirled next to me and the divine creature of the wind, Punghee, showed herself. “Puuuung~”

“Huhu. You are growing bigger every day. Haven't you become bigger again?”

Punghee was now as big as a tiger and rubbed her white face against me. She had already reached level 200 and Chunza grew just as much as her. All that was left was for me to grow stronger, and to do that, the cloud elemental was necessary.

I told Muyeol, “Get on.”

“Get on here?”

“Yes. You will just slow me down.”

“Groan.”

Park Muyeol climbed onto Punghee's back with a disgusted expression. The appearance of Park Muyeol on the white weasel was worth seeing. Punghee just smiled and said, “Puuung~”

“Hey. Raise two fingers.”

“Like this?”

Park Muyeol's eyes widened as he raised his fingers to form a V shape. Next to him, I manipulated the air and took a screenshot.

Click!

It was a so-called commemorative photo.

"What are you doing right now?"

“What about it? I'm taking a commemorative photo.”

“No, that isn't it. Why are you suddenly taking this photo?”

“Why did I take it? It is just so funny that I had to take a photo.”

“What? Come here for a second. This jerk. The taste of this stick...!”

“Punghee, let's go.”

“Puuuung~♡”

There was a gust of wind. It was all coming from my legs and Punghee. Punghee was the first one to move. There was a loud sound and Punghee flew forward like a lightning bolt.

“Eh? It isn't over there. Ah, I don't know. I'll just catch up.”

There was a burst of wind and I followed after Punghee. I caught up and shouted at Punghee, “Punghee! This way!” 

“Puung!” Punghee's firm answer followed, and Punghee and I quickly headed to the place called Hesperides. The navigator was naturally guiding us.

[The first apostle, 'Prometheus,' is starting the route guidance.]

“It's too faaaaaast...!”

Park Muyeol's loud voice was a bonus.

***

At Hesperides Gardens, in the Temple of Clouds...

The three sisters Aegle, Erytheia, and Arethusa were enjoying the same routine as always.

“Hum hum~♪ hum hum hum~♬”

Aegle hummed a song as she refined the barrier using her power, the 'protection clouds.' It was because there were quite a few clouds lost since the last human invasion. She didn't know anything else, but she wanted to protect this Temple of the Clouds where she could communicate with her father.

She touched it. As if making clay, she tightened and hardened the barrier. 

She had a childlike purity.

“Sit down! Stand up! Sit down again—!”

Meanwhile, Erytheia was training the monsters here using the 'deception clouds.' She was alarmed when she saw humans slaughtering the monsters so easily. She also didn't want to lose the Temple of Clouds where she could communicate with her father. Therefore, for the same reason, she was with Aegle to further train monsters in the vicinity.

“Kyarurung...”

A wolf-like monster growled at Erytheia. Erytheia frowned slightly when the clouds of deception didn't work well. “Sit.”

“Grrung...”

“I told you to sit down—!”

Erytheia shouted as she wielded the whip of clouds created by Arethusa. In fact, only the sound was loud. The cloud whip didn't hurt that much. However, there was nothing more painful than this if she was wielding it with a real determination to kill the target.

“Yip!”

In any case, now Erytheia wished it was in pain, so she believed the whip she just wielded was quite painful. The wolf-like monster sat down quickly. Erytheia smiled and threw one fruit, allowing the wolf-like monster to enjoy it. Erytheia suddenly felt hungry as she heard the noises. 

“...Aegle!”

“Huh?”

Aigle, who was stroking the clouds, turned around and blinked her innocent eyes. They were really big eyes.

“Is Arethusa still in the workshop?”

“Yes, she has been like this for a month already~”

Aegle's tone kept rising like she was in a good mood. However, it was different for Erytheia. Arethusa had stayed in her cloud workshop and didn't appear for a month. She was determined to make proper weapons and armor so she wouldn't miss the intruders next time.

“Oh, I want to eat something delicious. Annoying!” Erytheia complained.

Out of the three sisters, Arethusa was the most dexterous. Thus, she was very good at cooking. The three sisters who inherited the blood of a G.o.d didn't need to eat a lot. They wouldn't starve to death as long as they ate the fruits grown here, but this didn't mean they didn't have the desire to eat something delicious.

“Hah, I don't know when she will come out...”

Erytheia sighed and Aegle offered some words of consolation.

“Erytheia, shall I cook~?”

“...No, I'll refuse.”

By the way, Aegle's cooking skills were the worst. She didn't know the difference between salt and sugar. In any case, Aegle absolutely couldn't be allowed to cook. Never.

“Then Erytheia, why don't you try it~?”

“Me?”

“Yes~ You haven't done it before~”

Ah, was it like this? Erytheia looked back on the past. Certainly, Aegle and Arethusa might've cooked, but she had never done it.

'Well, what's so special about cooking? I can confuse a delicious-looking monster and order it to enter boiling water.'

Erytheia was thinking about the creepy and b.l.o.o.d.y words in her heart when she heard it. Aegle and Erytheia's heads became dizzy at the same time.

“......?”

"......!"

Aegle and Erytheia's eyes met. Then they simultaneously ran toward the Temple of Clouds. The place they arrived at had a crystal ball in the middle. It was a crystal ball that allowed them to check the situation of Hesperides in real time.

“Intruders, right...?”

“Wait a minute.”

Erytheia manipulated the crystal ball to zoom in and she could see the intruders more clearly. They were beating at the barrier. The intruder was the strange human with a cloud on his face from the other day.

“That man is...”

“Don't you think he is the human from the other day? The man with the cloud on his face.”

“Yes. This time, there are two humans with clouds on their faces.”

The other was an unknown human. In any case, it seemed like they both had clouds on their faces. The other human even had hair that fluttered like a cloud of feathers. In any case, an intrusion wasn't a good thing.

“Who broke in?”

At this moment, a voice was heard behind them. Aegle and Erytheia turned their heads at the same time.

“Arethusa~”

“Sister, you came?”

It was Arethusa standing there, armed with cloud weapons and armor while fire shot from her eyes.