Chapter 237: Return (2)

A crimson sword.

A tremendous amount of power emanated from it, with the distinct energy of flames.

I was curious.

Where did she get that sword from?

And I coveted it. That sword.

Looking at Hong Yu-hwa with such thoughts, I saw her give me a peculiar smile.

“You’ve grown, haven’t you?”

“Huh?”

Suddenly?

As I was focusing on the summer sword, she took me by surprise.

While I stood bewildered, Hong Yu-hwa walked up to me.

She came next to me, placing her hands on my arm and shoulder.

“You’re definitely bigger than before. You seem taller too.”

“I’m still growing, after all. Got a bit bigger, yeah.”

I shrugged my shoulders as I replied.

The truth was, it happened because I gained the power of the giants, but I didn’t want to tell her that.

‘At this point, it’s no longer a human body.’

The blood of a dragon. The blood of a giant.

It was thicker than human blood. While the powers that came with it strengthened me, I couldn’t shake a certain unease.

“But your face hasn’t changed. No, it’s even better now.”

“I’ve been eating well.”

“Your face is soft and delicate, but your body is brutal.”

Ignoring my awkward reply, Hong Yu-hwa said exactly what she wanted.

Gulp.

Then, looking at me, she quietly swallowed.

In the silence, it sounded unusually loud.

A hint of something ominous crossed my mind.

“…Anyway, I’m glad to see you’re safe.”

“I heard on the way here that you defeated Zanack.”

“I played a part, but it was thanks to the Overlord and Seo Ga-yeon being there.”

Well, that was true.

Seo Ga-yeon’s starlight magic was effective even against apostles.

Even though the Energy of Defying Heaven had little effect on apostles, her power worked on an entity like Zanack, which said a lot.

“But compared to you, it’s nothing.”

Hong Yu-hwa said.

Though she hadn’t seen me take down an apostle, she remembered how I stopped the full moon alone.

“Zanack was in bad shape. It seems the damage from the Hundred Temple’s attack was worse than expected.”

“Really?”

“Yes. He bore deep resentment toward you and Celestial.”

“Toward me?”

The answer came quickly.

That was because Celestial had imitated my power and used the Energy of Defying Heaven.

Though Celestial had to retreat to recover after paying that price.

“But receiving a new title means you contributed significantly, Yu-hwa.”

“…Ugh.”

Hong Yu-hwa blushed.

“Seeing the two of you together like this… Are we intruding?”

“Eternal Heaven is a pet… Aah!”

The Heavenly Demon took Eternal Heaven and left the room.

The Electronic Witch closed the door and spoke to me.

“Enjoy your private time together. Just… not here, please.”

“…Do I really have such a player reputation?”

I had never done anything improper here, and I always kept things clean.

“It’s just… Many guys dream of doing things in places like this. Becoming the boss and fulfilling their fantasies is a top priority, apparently.”

“…”

Her words left me speechless.

Since she practically lived within the electronic world, her data might be accurate.

Clunk.

The door closed, and Hong Yu-hwa looked at me.

“She seemed to really like you.”

“I did save her life, after all.”

To the Electronic Witch, I was her savior.

She had joined forces with me to kill her enemies and abandoned her physical body to become a spirit within the electronic realm, which I helped her regain.

“She looked like she’d do anything you asked.”

“You’re imagining things.”

Though I dismissed it, there was indeed a lingering scent of my ex-girlfriend in her.

If the atmosphere became slightly more intimate, she might try to seduce me.

I stroked Hong Yu-hwa’s fingers to calm her.

“I’d rather spend time with you than with her.”

“D-do you want to… do it here? Are you going to… put me on the desk?”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind, but it’s daytime.”

Hong Yu-hwa’s face turned bright red.

Seeing her blushing reminded me of the summer sword.

The summer sword.

With it, I could create the Four Seasons Sword.

The Four Seasons Sword was a renowned EX-grade weapon, and its usefulness surpassed all expectations.

If an apostle disrupted the laws of the universe when they descended…

The Four Seasons Sword could restore those laws.

Players often called it the “Apostle Slayer,” not only because it restored order but also because it wielded the power of each season separately.

In fact, many players agreed that it was the most valuable weapon among all EX-grade artifacts.

Most EX-grade weapons were symbolic relics from the mythic age and came with many restrictions, but not the Four Seasons Sword.

‘Every EX-grade weapon is basically overpowered.’

Take Excalibur, for example. It boosted all the user’s abilities upon encountering an otherworldly foe and granted the power to banish them.

Then there was the Formless Sword that Kim Seo-hyun would wield in the future. Its capabilities were equally absurd.

“I’ve been thinking…”

Hong Yu-hwa’s gaze sharpened as she looked at me.

“It seems you’re more interested in the sword than in me?”

“…Sorry, it’s a sword I’ve been searching for a long time.”

“Searching?”

Hong Yu-hwa looked puzzled.

“Yes. Would you consider giving it to me? I can offer spirit elixirs or weapons… at least two or three in return.”

“It’s not such a remarkable sword.”

She faltered, her voice uncertain.

“I just want it.”

I moved closer to Hong Yu-hwa.

“W-wait. Y-you’re too close.”

“I’ll clasp my hands and ask nicely.”

I held Hong Yu-hwa’s hand.

A warm sensation spread through my palms.

“…Won’t you?”

“D-do you really want it that badly?”

“Yes.”

When I nodded, Hong Yu-hwa took a step back and sighed.

“Phew. F-fine. Then let’s make a bet.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“A bet?”

I replied with a puzzled look.

A bet.

Hong Yu-hwa was the embodiment of a competitive spirit.

When she proposed a wager and I managed to win, she often gave up things she would never have considered before. But if she lost interest, she wouldn’t even play the game.

However, she only dodd this when she believed it was a fair contest.

The gap between us was quite large.

Even though we were both top-tier, the difference between her power and mine was like the gap between a small hill and the sky.

She couldn’t defeat transcendent beings or great evils on her own, but I had the potential to do so.

“What’s with that look?”

“It’s just…”

I stopped myself from speaking further.

This was a matter of her pride.

Even though she stood no chance against me, that didn’t mean she was weak.

At twenty years old, still a freshman in college, the number of people in the world who could defeat her was minuscule. At best, maybe 300.

And that was considering her being a mage—a class notoriously weak in solo combat.

The moment she joined a party, her firepower became overwhelming.

Especially if she awakened the talent known as the Crimson Lotus Usurper, only a few top-tier beings—myself, Kim Seo-hyun, or Ershil—would be able to stop her.

“Hmph.”

She gave me a smug look, glancing down at me.

“The bet is simple: the first one to admit defeat loses.”

“…Isn’t that too easy?”

“Do you think I’m that easy?”

She was easy.

I swallowed my words, gazing at her.

Then, I quietly placed my hand on the back of her neck and kissed her.

“What if someone reports strange noises coming from the guild leader’s room?”

“I-it’s fine.”

With a snap of her fingers, a thin veil appeared in the air.

It must have been a magic barrier to block sound from leaking out.

‘Though that might actually make it more suspicious here.’

There were too many skilled people around.

Oh well, it didn’t really matter.

Honestly, it was hard to hold back.

I hadn’t done anything for three months.

“I’ve been holding back so much, I’m not letting you sleep tonight.”

“I-I’ve been holding back too!”

And for a full day…

“I-I’m sorryyyyy──!”

Hong Yu-hwa begged me for forgiveness all day long.

“Phew.”

After spending an entire day with Hong Yu-hwa, it was time to get back to work.

I cleaned the white liquid from her body, then headed out toward the association’s building.

As soon as I entered the building, I made my way to the front desk.

“Welcome. What brings you here today?”

“I’d like to arrange a meeting with the Sword Empress.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No. Just tell her Lee Seo-ha is here.”

“Understood.”

A short while later, the receptionist informed me that I could go in.

As she did, she discreetly slipped something into my pocket.

‘What is this?’

When I checked, it was a phone number.

I incinerated it with Crimson Flame and proceeded upstairs.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes.”

As soon as I entered, the Sword Empress greeted me.

We exchanged pleasantries, and I shared my recent experiences with her.

After hearing my story, she looked surprised, but her expression soon turned calm.

“…I see. So that’s how it is.”

“Do you know anything about the activities of the Nazi Empire?”

“I can’t share that information yet. Let’s leave it at that.”

What?

“If you fought against an apostle, it must have been intense. Even with two transcendent beings involved, that battle would have been grueling. Take some time to rest. I’ll inform the higher-ups.”

“…”

“Besides… even though only three months passed, it must have involved dimension travel. While the experience is valuable, you likely had a tough time over there. You know the saying: ‘Modern loafers eat better than kings of the Middle Ages.’ Given how difficult it must have been there, you deserve to take a break.”

It wasn’t particularly hard for me in the martial arts world.

I had no trouble with food or shelter, and I carried everything I needed in subspace, including a few Matrix units just in case.

Though, whenever the Thousand Sorcerer left briefly, Kim Seo-hyun would sneak into my Matrix, causing trouble.

While fighting an apostle was exhausting, I was recovering steadily now.

‘With Kim Seo-hyun and the Heavenly Demon working on external techniques for me, waiting isn’t so bad.’

Still, something didn’t sit right.

It left a bad taste in my mouth.