Chapter 459. Preparation for the End 1

The moment they crossed each other, Little Chick bounced back from the impact and rolled on the ground. However, Little Chick did not give up. It kicked off the ground right away and violently pecked toward Seol Jihu, who was reaching out.

A large hand flew across the sky like an arrow, and a sharp beak cut through the air.

A fierce fight broke out. They sweated blood while exchanging several moves. They crushed the garden weeds as they rolled around, and small craters appeared in the dirt.

A great war between a man and a bird sent the garden shaking. Though it seemed like there would be no end to it, the victor was decided in a split second.

Ah!

The large hand succeeded in s.n.a.t.c.hing the birds body. Inside the devastated garden, the sweet taste of victory was handed to the human.

Keuk! If only I had enough energy!

Little Chicks beak shook in anger. Seol Jihu grinned and brought Little Chick up to his eye level.

You lost, right? Now, hand it over.

Little Chick stopped glaring and blinked.

What are you on about? Did something happen to your brain when you revived?

What about you? Why did you attack me?

No reason. Looking at you just made me angry.

You little b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

Seol Jihu was about to squeeze his left hand but instead, put his right hand in front of Little Chick.

Anyway, hand it over. You said you would.

?

Dont think I forgot. I distinctly heard before I lost consciousness.

Little Chick still seemed to be doubting whether Seol Jihu was out of his mind. However, after a moment of staring dazedly, it dropped its lower beak in a fl.u.s.ter.

T-Thats.

Thats?

Well.

Well?

Seol Jihu grinned with his mouth, protruding out like a monkey. Little Chick grunted, annoyed with Seol Jihu. It squirmed out of his hand, then shouted.

When did I say that!?

What, youre going back on your words now?

Hearing this, Little Chick boldly put out its leg. This time, it was Seol Jihus turn to be speechless.

Hmph, you took the fourth and fifth stage practically for free, and now you want the sixth and seventh stage too? Whered you drop your conscience?

You said youd unlock them!

If you go back alive! Did you go back alive? Huh!? You couldnt even climb a measly, little hill and collapsed!

Seol Jihu fell silent. Now that he thought about it, Little Chick was right.

But the final battle is going to happen soon. I figured training with the sixth and seventh stages would help if Im going to fight the Parasite Queen.

Seol Jihu suddenly turned sad. Little Chick flinched

Cant you see this? Hmm?

Then he yelled while pointing at its forehead with its tiny wing.

Shouldnt you help me reach adulthood before asking me for this? How can I unlock anything when I dont have the means!?

That was right as well. Seol Jihus eyes rolled.

The contribution points I have might be a little tight I do think it will be enough, though.

You just revived. You should take care of yourself and rest a little more. Why are you already cooking something up?

What good would it do to wait? If we have to fight anyway, its better to do it as soon as possible.

Hmm, that means the Parasites lost and retreated again. Well, given the nature of parasites, I guess it makes sense not to give them too much time.

On a side note, Phi Sora was hiding behind a tree, sneaking glances and eavesdropping in on their conversation.

What the h.e.l.l are those guys doing?

She had a dumbfounded expression. At first, the two of them were fighting like they wanted to kill each other. Now, they were having a serious conversation with grave looks.

I dont know the details since I just woke up, but I can imagine what happened. Anyway, the sixth and seventh stages arent so easy to master.

I know.

What do you know? Starting from the sixth stage, you cant use the Authority youre granted off the bat. For the seventh stage, you have to be mindful of your physical state too.

Little Chick furrowed its brows in the middle of talking. It was only then that it felt the divinity flowing out of Seol Jihus body.

You A-Anyway, you need time to get used to them!

Dont worry.

Seol Jihu grinned.

Ill have more than enough time.

Didnt you say the battles right around the corner?

You just have to make time then.

Seol Jihu winked.

Do you want to come too?

Hearing Seol Jihus vague question, Little Chick tilted its head.

*

Seol Jihu spent the rest of the day peacefully in Seo Yuhuis arms and held a meeting the next morning. Before getting to the main agenda, there were a few things he needed to take care of.

Hows Sinyoung doing?

Extremely busy. Representative Yun Seora is running around day in and day out, taking care of matters on Earth and in Paradise. She has her work cut out for her.

This wasnt surprising since every executive was executed.

I was wondering why she wasnt picking up. I guess it will be hard to see her for a while then.

Representative Yun Seora, you mean? Why?

I wanted to thank her. It was Miss Yun Seora who acquired a Royal Oath, right?

Kim Hannah nodded.

Since both sides are busy right now, maybe you can express your grat.i.tude by sending the Federations promised aid to Scheherazade first. That should be more than enough.

Arent other organizations working with them?

They were before the war. Now its a total mess. Eva is the only city that isnt in total ruins.

Seol Jihu smacked his lips.

I guess it cant be helped then. Do that. Id still like to meet her later, though.

Ill try to leave her a note. By the way, what about the Triads?

I talked with Mister Hao Win on the phone for a bit on Earth. He said hes busy at the moment but would be down to grab drinks once the Parasite Queens defeated.

Kim Hannah chuckled.

So, youre finally learning the ropes, calling them first and all.

Of course. If it werent for the Triads helping me, I wouldnt be here right now.

Its good that you know. They stopped you from jumping out of the window as soon as you revived. Of course you should pay them back.

Seol Jihu glared at Kim Hannah. She put on an air of innocence and began to jot something down on a piece of paper, humming.

Its not my fault you kicked Master

Judging by the subtle jabs she was making, she must still be angry about what happened a few days ago.

Oh yeah, is your T doing well?

Yes, she got a little dirty, so I made her take a bath, and now shes sleeping under the sun.

What a shame. I wanted to see her again too.

It might be a little difficult right now. I do have Black Lace with me here. Do you want to see her instead?

No, its fine. I can just see T tomorrow.

Oh my, but tomorrow is going to be Fish Nets day.

Kim Hannah played along without batting an eye. It seemed she had gotten used to Seol Jihus antics.

Seol Jihu scratched his head awkwardly.

Anyway, Ill leave the rest to Kim Hannah.

Seol Jihu swept his bangs up, then blinked. He called everyone to the office, but

?

For some reason, everyone was staring fixedly at him or laughing. For example, Chohong was grinning with her back against the wall, Phi Sora was chuckling in front of the desk, and Eun Yuri was giving him a piercing look.

Seol Jihu felt like he was missing something. Beside Seo Yuhui, who was hugging his head from behind his chair with her head on top of his, Teresa was sitting crossed-legged at the edge of his desk, sending him seductive looks, and a small weight could be felt on his left leg since a while ago.

What are you doing here, Your Majesty?

Hmm?

Charlotte Aria tilted her head up. She was leaning on Seol Jihus leg, reading a book.

Seol Jihu wasnt the only one who was taken aback. Baek Haeju was the same. She looked like someone who only expected to see one thieving cat but saw six predators eyeing the same prey.

Of course, the prey himself was oblivious to all this. He was rummaging through his pocket, trying to bring up the main topic.

As you all know, we will join hands with the Federation and launch an attack into the Parasites territory.

This would be the first time in history that the humans and the foreign races invade the Empires territory.

Theres still some time before then but we cant say that were necessarily in an advantageous position. Although now only half of the Army Commanders remain, the Parasites cant be considered gravely hurt as long as the Parasite Queen is alive and well.

Seol Jihu spoke about this heavy topic in a light tone before taking out the item he prepared.

Since our next battle will be in the Empires territory, the Parasite Queen is sure to appear in full force. This will be the final battle that decides the fate of the three forces, so.

Tak, tak, tak! He shook a pouch, and three faintly s.h.i.+ning orbs fell to the table.

We should boost our strength in preparation for that battle.

Diligence, Charity, and Temperance. Everyones eyes widened as they stared at these three divinities.

Seol Jihus plan was simple. It was to offer the divinities in exchange for contribution points and using Divine Wishes to help accelerate his teammates growth.

Divine Wishes were only omnipotent when it came to things that the Seven Sins could grant, but there was a clear limit. If the maximum power of a wish were equivalent to ten points, then the cost to revive an Earthling would also be ten points. In this case, a single Divine Wish would only be able to revive one person.

But by the same logic, one would be able to ask for multiple wishes using a single Divine Wish. For example, one could ask for a weapon and an armor, each costing five points.

And so, the first thing Seol Jihu checked was how close everyone was to being promoted. As they fought against the Parasites for a month since the second Imperial Oath Expedition, he expected them to have ama.s.sed a decent amount of experience and contribution points.

Even in reality, Yi Sungjin was promoted to Level 4, and Yi Seol-Ah was promoted to a High Ranker. Not only that, Eun Yuri, who made significant contributions in the war, skipped two levels to become Level 6.

Unfortunately, there wasnt anyone who was promoted to a Unique Ranker. Valhalla had several Level 6s, but most lacked contribution points needed for the promotion. Apparently, a few only fell short by a few points

It doesnt matter.

Seol Jihu didnt care. Helping people level up when they were at 70 to 80 percent contribution point status would be a lot different than someone at zero percent status. Not to mention, most of them didnt need to go through promotion exams.

And so, Seol Jihu planned to separate his comrades into three groups and fill up the contribution points they lacked for promotions using a wish.

To be more precise, Baek Haeju and Seo Yuhui were in the first group. As they already ama.s.sed a lot of contribution points, Kazuki was just barely able to fit in as well.

The second group consisted of Chung Chohong, Teresa, and Phi Sora. As they missed out on their promotions just barely, the Divine Wish still had some wish power left, so Marcel Ghionea and Hugo could be included as well.

The third group consisted of Eun Yuri, Yi Seol-Ah, and Yi Sungjin.

These were the groups Seol Jihu came up with after much deliberation. It was a shame he had to leave Hos.h.i.+no Urara out, but there was nowhere to fit her into even if he took out Marcel Ghionea and Hugo.

He also debated heavily between Yi Seol-Ah and Oh Rahee, but in the end, he decided on the former. It would have been great if they both could level up, but it just wasnt possible both ways.

After hearing his explanation, Valhallas members showed dumbstruck faces.

Seol Jihu tilted his head.

Whats wrong? I thought you guys would be happy.

Eun Yuri stared at the divinities before looking up at Seol Jihu.

Daddy?

What do you mean?

I mean

Phi Sora stepped up.

Obviously, thats good for us. Im sure everyone understands what youre saying. Its just. You know.

What do you mean?

Do I really need to spell it out for you!? Youre the one who obtained those divinities, but rather than spending them for yourself, youre saying youd take care of us.

Phi Sora bit her lip.

Dont you want to be promoted to Level 10?

Level 10? Why would I?

Seol Jihu snorted.

Its not like leveling up will change anything for me.

Its not going to change anything?

Nope. Not besides my cla.s.s name.

Seol Jihu spoke firmly.

Leveling up will get me10 ability points. Even if I add the points I have now, it will only be enough to raise my Luck stat. Whats the point in a Warrior having high Luck stat?

Phi Sora blinked. As she believed Pinnacle was the highest rank a physical stat could reach, she did not understand what Seol Jihu was talking about.

You might not know this, Miss Phi Sora, but purely in terms of the physical level, I can easily surpa.s.s a Level 10.

W-What?

I saved the Divine Elixirs until the end. And after I revived, I realized my Endurance, Agility, and Mana stat increased again. I cant really quantify it, but I should be around Level 14 or 15 range.

Seol Jihu then added, Purely in terms of physical level.

Maria also murmured, I knew sitting on it was the right move.

Seol Jihu ignored her and continued.

I judged that it would be better if you all use the points instead of me. Thats all.

He emphasized the last point as if he would not accept any objections. Of course, he didnt mention the real reason, which was unnecessarily risking danger when he was satisfied with his current cla.s.s name.

We have no reason to refuse if thats the case, but

Chohong, who was leaning on the wall with her arms crossed, spoke.

But its hard to be comfortable with it. Youre saying I will become a Level 7, right?

Yep.

Then I wont have any contribution points left after becoming a Unique Ranker. Even if I gain ability points to raise my physical level, I wont be able to learn any skills.

She was saying that rather than spreading thin, he should focus on a few elites.

She wasnt necessarily wrong either.

You can learn the skills on your own.

What?

Chohong furrowed her brows.

What are you talking about? There are only two months before the date of the march, so how would we.

Dont worry. Ill show you a way to turn 60 days into 600 days.

Hearing this, Chohong became speechless.

How?

Teresa asked, leaning closer to Seol Jihu.

Well, let me just say this is another use of the Divine Wish.

Oh, my. You have even more Divine Wishes?

Theyll be with my own contribution points. I had some left over after leveling up, and I even killed two Army Commanders after that.

Teresa did a double-take. Now that she thought about it, it was Seol Jihu who killed Sung s.h.i.+hyun and stopped Abhorrent Charitys self-destruction.

Alright, thats all I wanted to tell everyone. Ill explain the rest later.

Seol Jihu smiled and got up.

I gotta go somewhere.

*

After the meeting, Seol Jihu loitered around Valhallas building.

[Stop~]

Kking!

[Stop right there~!]

Kking! Kking!

He found Flone playing tag with the little fuzzb.a.l.l.s and brought her to a quiet place to talk.

Flone, do you remember the PaG.o.da of Dreams Expedition?

[Yeah! Why do you ask?]

Flone looked confused.

Think about it. Who would have thought that the Stele of Evaluation we found would help protect the World Tree?

Before going back home after the expedition, Seol Jihu had activated his Nine Eyes. Back then, the forest had been a mix of yellow and blue.

Roselles fate changed because we accepted her request. If not for us, she might have been trapped inside that forest forever.

He didnt know why the forest had glowed blue back then, but he finally understood after the Tigol Fortress War. What was important was that Seol Jihu knew of another place that was a mix of yellow and blue.

This means that our choices can change the fate of others. Not only that of the living but also that of the dead.

[O-Okay]

Flone seemed focused but completely confused.

Do you remember the ancient emperors villa?

[Of course.]

I thought about how to utilize that place, and I think I finally got it. You know how I became the Apostle of Gluttony, right?

[W-Wait.]

Flone raised her hands in a hurry.

[Sorry, Im not really sure what you mean by fate, villa, gluttony, and all that. What are you trying to say?]

Seol Jihu smiled, finding the pouting Flone cute.

Flone.

It seemed he had to get to the main point before explaining the rest.

Wont you become my Servant?

Flones eyes widened.