Chapter 200: Karma? (2)

As soon as I entered the Cheongcheon Guild, I was greeted with immense hospitality.

A man in a black suit appeared. His hair was parted 5:5 and slicked back on both sides, and his horn-rimmed glasses were impressive.

“Nice to meet you. I am Namgoong Mu-yong, the captain of the Cheongcheon Sword under the direct command of the Thousand Sorcerer.”

Namgoong Mu-yong handed me his business card with a smile.

I knew this man. He existed for the protagonist Kim Seo-hyun, sacrificing himself in her stead. Despite being a man, he was kind and loyal, attracting many male fans.

“I was able to set up this meeting as soon as I received the contact because the chairman is currently in the country. Please, come this way.”

Namgoong Mu-yong guided me inside. As he placed a card at the entrance, the elevator started moving on its own.

“It’s rare to get an appointment so quickly. Transcendents are usually very busy.”

“Yes, they are always trying to make the world a better place, even a little bit. And the chairman has a particular interest.”

“He is very interested in Masked Man.”

“No, in you, Lee Seo-ha.”

Namgoong Mu-yong looked at me.

“In me?”

“The chairman gave specific instructions regarding you. He told us to bet everything on you more than any other student.”

“……”

“In fact, he still holds that sentiment. Of course, the founder won’t be coming, but…”

Namgoong Mu-yong led me to the chairman’s office with a bitter smile.

“This way. And please forgive the chairman if he acts rudely. He is usually a cold person, but he gets excited about matters concerning the young master.”

Namgoong Mu-yong bowed politely. I opened the door and entered.

I saw a quiet study. In the center, a man was sitting. He appeared to be in his early twenties, with long hair and wearing a blue suit.

“I have been wanting to meet you, Lee Seo-ha.”

His voice was warm.

What I sensed was the clear aura of a transcendent. Most magicians would be killed before they could even chant a spell under such pressure. The man before me possessed that kind of power.

But, Lee Seo-ha?

It was a somewhat embarrassing title. Not the kind of title he would normally use.

“This is the first time we meet in person.”

The long-haired man stood up and leisurely sat on the sofa. His presence alone seemed like a work of art.

“Please sit. We can’t have a conversation if you’re too tense.”

“Yes.”

I sat in the seat opposite him. The Thousand Sorcerer extended his hand to me.

“I have prepared everything for you. Please help yourself.”

As he spoke, water appeared in the teacup, and the table was filled with various snacks. Each one looked extraordinary.

“Judging by your outfit, you must be here to make a good impression on me.”

“Yes, considering I am a guardian of a friend.”

“When launching the guild or in informal settings, I am known for always wearing a hoodie. Some might even say one of Lee Seo-ha’s ability side effects is wearing hoodies.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“……”

That’s not quite true.

“Well, since we’re both busy, let’s get straight to the point.”

I tensed up. My concentration began to rise. A single misstep in my words could cause immense damage to the guild. Although the Thousand Sorcerer wouldn’t do anything malicious, there’s no such thing as an absolute certainty.

If I were to lead a group, I must always be prepared for the worst.

“So, you’re the one seducing my granddaughter?”

“……What?”

The main topic the Thousand Sorcerer brought up was far beyond my expectations.

“Hm? Don’t tell me you still didn’t know she was a girl?”

“……No, Seo-hyun told me first. I don’t know what ability she used, but once I recognized her as a girl, other things became clear.”

“It’s my power.”

The Thousand Sorcerer leaned in as he spoke.

“By the way, you are as others have said. I understand why the Overlord wants you as a son-in-law.”

His eyes sparkled, flames flickering within them.

I felt the most primal emotion: curiosity.

The Thousand Sorcerer laughed awkwardly.

“Ah, sorry about that. It’s a characteristic of magicians. When we encounter powers or things we’ve never seen before, we forget our age and act impulsively. And your presence… it piqued my curiosity in every way.”

“Is that so?”

It was indeed fascinating, even to me.

My strength was something that couldn’t be obtained at this point.

“Transcendents make such a fuss over praising you for a reason.”

“I’m quite the talented guy.”

“You are lenient with yourself. According to my granddaughter, you’re the most rigorous person she knows, pushing yourself more than anyone else.”

The Thousand Sorcerer chuckled.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Those without confidence eventually hit a wall. If someone reaches a high level at a young age, it can become a poison. Some see a great wall and become frustrated, staying at that level. Some call it arrogance, but that’s nonsense. You can afford to be a bit arrogant. Build confidence in yourself.”

“Thank you for the advice.”

“Not at all. You can ignore it if you like. By the way, do you enjoy alcohol, son-in-law?”

“……”

“Ha-ha! Just kidding.”

This man, his tone was quite polite initially, but it was changing gradually. Well, I knew he had this kind of personality.

“It seems you’re doing well with other women. Come to think of it, you had many women around you, right? There’s Ershil, the eldest daughter of the famous Merchen family known for their fantasy school in England, Kim Ara, whom the Overlord cherishes so much, Song Ra-hee, the granddaughter of the Red Tower Lord with anti-Mine magic power, and Seo Ga-yeon, a sophomore student council president whom you are oddly kind to. Are you dating any of them?”

The Thousand Sorcerer smiled bitterly.

“Although I feel sorry for Seo-hyun and you, I’m not in a position to care about such things right now. If the times were different, I would have opposed it vehemently, saying I couldn’t allow it, but…”

The Thousand Sorcerer looked out the window.

“These times are indeed peaceful. It’s as if we’ve forgotten the great chaos that occurred when the gates first opened, disrupting all rules.”

The Thousand Sorcerer murmured in a somewhat somber voice.

“But do you know that this peace is nothing but a sandcastle? The moment even a small wave sweeps over it, it will crumble. This world is too precarious.”

I know.

At a certain point, the restrictions on extraterrestrial beings would be lifted, and they would head towards Earth.

Was it only extraterrestrial beings? All kinds of entities would flock to Earth. The giants would mobilize the giant race to destroy the extraterrestrial clan, and the Lost Paradise would gather races to block the extraterrestrial entities. Weak races would be thrown to the extraterrestrial beings to buy time.

The restrictions binding the gods would begin to break. Gods from Olympus and Asgard would intervene on Earth.

In that process.

Many would die. All dragons would perish, those walking the path of good would become puppets, trying to exterminate humanity, and all oceans on Earth would turn into a sea of destruction.

False gods would arise.

Beings that sang of doom and urged others to become extraterrestrial entities would appear. It would be a literal hell.

‘That’s why my forces are needed.’

To put it simply.

The latter part of 《Epic World》 transformed into something even transcendents struggled to survive in.

“So, I wish for Seo-hyun’s happiness. It’s one of the selfish desires of an old man. That’s why I wanted to see you and talk directly.”

The Thousand Sorcerer eventually spoke as if tossing it out.

“I don’t care how many women you bring in. I don’t think you can’t handle it. Just don’t make my granddaughter cry.”

His words carried a quiet, murderous intent.

Rain poured down heavily. Ha Seong-hwi sat on the grass holding an umbrella, looking at the scene.

‘What are they doing?’

This was why martial artists were hard to understand.

Suddenly, they wanted to test something and dragged them here. The Witch Maiden and the Elder even felt honored by it, joking that it was a chance to gauge the Heavenly Demon’s strength.

Boom.

A figure appeared. Three heads and six arms, Asura. The Witch Maiden’s mental image broke the laws of the world.

The Witch Maiden’s mental image was unique. It was neither a constantly activated form nor a power that distorted absolute things. It didn’t engulf the world with her reality.

Her desired phenomenon significantly boosted her combat power. In that state, even Ha Seong-hwi’s illusions were ineffective.

Thud.

Muscles swelled. Black flames engulfed his entire body. A middle-aged man with a flowing beard appeared. The Elder. The Witch Maiden brought out her mental image, but the Elder did not. His mental image enhances the opponent they are facing.

Fanaticism.

The Elder devoted his life to the Heavenly Demon. His mental image strengthens the members of the demonic cult and only existed with the Heavenly Demon’s presence.

They faced a singular existence.

The Heavenly Demon.

A slender man wearing a hoodie appeared.

A face that seemed to transcend worldly beauty. A mischievous expression. A slightly shabby black hoodie and pants that didn’t match his face.

Lee Seo-ha was facing the two of them.

“Here I come.”

The first to attack was the Witch Maiden.

She swung her sword. Black flames wrapped around the sword, forming a sword aura. Thin threads intertwined.

Sword Path.

The light of destruction that annihilates everything took shape.

The Witch Maiden silently swung it.

As space distorted, formless power enveloped Lee Seo-ha. Lee Seo-ha smiled slightly and swung his arm.

“Black Scale!”

The Elder shouted loudly. The light of destruction, which annihilates all concepts, was blocked by Lee Seo-ha’s arm. Lee Seo-ha laughed it off lightly.

“Is this all?”

“Of course not.”

The Elder spoke and charged. His fist turned black, wrapped in black flames.

As a member of the Heaven Society, the Elder was not well-known despite his power. Even if known, the forces of good would accept him due to his strength.

He received a demonic transformation and black flames from Lee Seo-ha.

He threw a punch.

Even without using his mental image, his punch contained enough power that an average opponent couldn’t withstand it. If Ha Seong-hwi faced it, he would have to trade blows, breaking bones.

Lee Seo-ha easily deflected the punch.

“Hmm, this duel seems meaningless.”

Whether it was the Witch Maiden’s Sword Path or the Elder’s mountain-crushing punches, none of it mattered to him.

Their power originally came from Lee Seo-ha.

Demonic Transformation.

That prevented their attacks from affecting him.

‘Still, it’s a tremendous force.’

With this, they could roam freely without worry.

Lee Seo-ha took a deep breath quietly.

And activated the conceptual stat form.

Shadows bloomed around Lee Seo-ha.

And then.

“What are you doing?”

I looked at Ha Seong-hwi, who had a blank expression.

“That, that just now?”

“A new power. But I’m not used to it, and it’s weak, so the activation conditions are a bit tricky.”

I rotated my arms. Black God Martial Arts was the top external martial art I knew. It affected the direction of blood flow and bone strength. Using this martial art meant I suffered hardly any side effects.

The Energy of Defying Heaven possessed extreme offensive power, and despite the intense exertion, my body had remained robust thanks to this external martial art.

‘I can’t use it often, though.’

Even so, I thought I couldn’t use it often. I looked back.

The small hill where we had been was now obliterated, as if a bomb had exploded.