Edokers blurted out reflexively, then quickly lowered his voice. If Gu Yeongmin got annoyed and decided to abandon him, he’d be screwed.
– What kind of quest is it? Can I get some of my strength back?
Before answering, Gu Yeongmin read through the quest window floating in the air once more.
[Quest 06]
[Germinate the Monster Seed in the southern region of Gae-seong Field.]
[Quest 07]
[Erase the traces left on Earth by the Paladin of Chaos.]
“Not exactly sure, but it looks like someone caught your trail. Up until now, a new quest never appeared before the last one was completed.”
– Th-Then what do I do?
“You haven’t really gone out much, but the same quest showed up for Sohee too. Just to be safe, we’ll scrub every possible trace. You always wore a disguise whenever you stepped outside, even if just for a second.”
– Y-Yeah… I did…
Even when Ahn Sohee teased him, Edokers remained firmly holed up like a true recluse. But whenever he stepped out, he dressed as a woman. That didn’t change even when he walked all the way from Gwacheon to Gae-seong.
“Still, regardless of the quest, there’s a decent chance someone suspects you’re in Gae-seong. So be careful.”
– Even if an Apostle’s prepared this time, they’ll have a hard time stopping me.
Just imagining a future where the Apostle of Death and Beauty was no longer in his way gave Edokers a bit of hope.
– But seriously, these quests… they’re weird. Kind of feel like Divine Words, but also completely different. I’ve never experienced anything like it. When the god of Mak Slechth delivers Divine Words to a follower or manifests through an Incarnate Body, it’s because humans can’t handle its true form. Come in contact with it directly, and you’ll go insane or your body will just disintegrate and die.
“I think I get it. Isn’t there something like that in Greek mythology too? Where a mortal sees a god and burns to death?”
– But I’m different. I’m a Paladin of Chaos.
Apostles and Paladins who bear divine blessings are still human, so they can only communicate through Divine Words or Incarnate Bodies. But Paladins of Chaos are a whole different story.
They’re beings created directly by Chaos, infused with its power. When they die, they don’t simply pass on—they return fully to Chaos and become part of its very foundation.
– That’s why I can communicate directly with Chaos. Though… since I’ve lost my core and I’m just a hollow shell now, Chaos doesn’t even treat me like one of its own anymore. It hasn’t said a word to me in ages…
Unlike Edokers, Gu Yeongmin hadn’t shed his form and been reborn, but he still carried a trace of Chaos within him. As proof, he could sense demonic energy—magi. Edokers’ thoughts about the mysterious origin of Gu Yeongmin’s powers were always fascinating.
“I mean, I got my power from a Paladin of Chaos born on Earth, right? Maybe that person came up with a new method—something inspired by Divine Words.”
– Yeah, but the more I think about it, the less it feels like a Paladin. I could share magi with my followers, sure—but giving out quests like that? That was never something I could do. Feels like whoever this is… they handle magi in a completely different way than I do.
Edokers muttered with clear uncertainty.
– I never considered it before, since Mak Slechth only ever had Paladins. But maybe what we’ve got here on Earth isn’t a Paladin of Chaos—maybe it’s an Apostle.
“Do Apostles have different powers than you?”
Generally, Apostles serve as channels for divine miracles, while Paladins act as divine enforcers. That distinction held true even for the ancient god Chaos.
Paladins of Chaos typically wield monstrous beasts, trampling and reshaping the world in Chaos’s image. They enact force through beasts—pure, destructive power.
– Chaos, the ancient god that lies beneath the world’s foundation, is a swirling mass of impurity. It exists in all time—from the beginning to the end—and intervenes in the world whenever it pleases. An Apostle might be able to control monsters to a certain extent, but…
Edokers hesitated, then offered a cautious guess.
– I think they’ve been given something related to time.
***
The Hunter lodgings set up for the Gae-seong Field raid had two-person rooms. Naturally—almost as if it had been predetermined—Kim Sibaek ended up sharing a room with Tae Woon.
The heart of the lodgings, though, was without a doubt the wide training ground. From dawn until nightfall, the air was filled with the shouts and chants of Hunters sharpening their teamwork.
Their immediate target was the S-rank monsters in the field, but not one Hunter from the fifteen participating guilds seemed worried about failure. Those S-rank beasts were just a stepping stone. What everyone truly had their sights on… was Gon, in the Han River.
Even the joint training between guilds was more about preparing for Gon than the monsters in the field.
The 7777 Guild, the Tobazishu Hussars, and the Gabyeolcho Guild—brought together for the Dragon Eel raid—were no different. Their real focus lay elsewhere.
“We’re a raid team now, even if it’s temporary, right? Shouldn’t we have a cool name or something? Something better than just ‘Dragon Eel Raid Team’?”
“Totally! I heard from a friend in the Gaon Guild—they’ve already got a name for theirs.”
“Since the eel’s a dragon-type, how about Dragon Slayers?”
“But Gon isn’t a dragon.”
“Gon’s a fish. But Imoogi live in water too—they’re like fish cousins. And when they ascend, they become dragons. So technically, Gon is a dragon.”
“What the hell are you even talking about?”
In a way, it was a peaceful sight. Of everyone gathered at Gae-seong Field, the only one seriously worrying about how Edokers might act… was Kim Sibaek.
[Death and Beauty says Edokers is so weak now that whatever he tries won’t pose any real threat.]
And she was probably right. He was so drained of power that it was impossible to even guess what kind of stunt he might pull. Even if he somehow managed to summon another monster like before, Gae-seong Field was already crawling with beasts—and packed with Hunters ready to hunt them down. At most, it might catch them off guard for a moment, but it wouldn’t cause any real damage.
Even if he tried to attack Kim Sibaek’s mind again, Sibaek wasn’t the kind of guy to fall for the same trick twice.
[Death and Beauty adds that the system itself has deemed Edokers irrelevant, so there’s no need for concern.]
Lord Biendeoé had a point. But there was still that other Paladin of Chaos—someone entirely different from Edokers, whose true intentions remained completely unknown.
If Gu Yeongmin’s investigation turns up anything, that’d be great…
Lost in thought at the edge of the training ground, Kim Sibaek was snapped out of it when Justyna came beaming and waved enthusiastically.
“Heyyy, little bro Sibaek! Today’s the day we finally have a real heart-to-heart—!”
Seizing the moment while Tae Woon was briefly away, she tried to approach Sibaek—only to be intercepted yet again by Pi Minhyung and Seo Gaeun. The two swiftly grabbed her by the arms and legs and spirited her away with practiced ease.
“Hey! What happened to respecting your elders?!”
“Come on, who calls someone in their early fifties an elder these days?”
“She’s still young enough to get pissed if someone offers her a seat on the subway, sir.”
It was a loud scene, but one everyone had grown used to over the past few days. The Hunters barely looked up. Kim Sibaek just gave her a polite wave out of courtesy.
[Death and Beauty points out that she’s not actually your noona.]
“Well, it’s not like I can go around calling her oppa, can I?”
[Death and Beauty says the accurate title would be grandpa.]
“……”
Now that he thought about it, Justyna really was old enough to be, at best, a very late-born youngest child in a big family. The fact that someone half his age was calling herself his noona was almost existentially painful. Just as that unpleasant truth began to gnaw at him, Tae Woon returned—with Gwak Yoonsang beside him. Thank god he hadn’t overheard any of that.
Kim Sibaek quickly cleared his throat and greeted them like nothing had happened. Tae Woon trotted over and casually linked arms with him.
“Chief Gwak, what brings you here?”
“I just ran into Guildmaster Tae outside. Speaking of which, where are the other guildmasters? I’ve got something to discuss—oh! Guildmaster Jo! Can I borrow you for a sec?”
Jo Byungseok, who’d been chatting with his guild members, ambled over. Since Justyna had been unceremoniously carried off and couldn’t be reached by phone, the vice-guildmaster of the Tobazishu Hussars had stepped in to take her place.
“It’s nothing serious,” Gwak said. “Just letting you know—we’re getting an unexpected guest for the raid. They’ll be arriving in two days.”
Jo Byungseok glanced at the quiet Tae Woon, then asked on his behalf.
“A guest? What kind of guest?”
His voice had dipped slightly. It wasn’t unusual for wealthy elites to treat large-scale raids like some kind of VIP spectacle, but nobody who risked their life on the frontlines welcomed that kind of attention.
Sensing the misunderstanding, Gwak Yoonsang quickly added,
“Not some rando. He’s a monsterologist. Dr. Cloud Carter. Ever heard of him?”
