Superficies, a metropolis of the nagas in the third zone, was thickly covered in shade. Parasols, tents, and other similar structures were installed throughout the streets to block the sun.

Nagas had a snake's lower body and a human's upper body. They were born with a high Magic stat caliber and possessed a secondary force known as Charm Force, which was rather difficult to deal with. Hence, they were one of the well-respected races.

Nagas slept in the morning when the sunlight was the strongest, and were mainly active in the afternoon. However, every naga in the metropolis was outside because of a large-scale air raid that began a few hours ago. A massive swarm of white had covered the skies of Superficies.

“Why are the angels attacking us?!”

“Master Vipera Anguis will not stand for this!”

Even as they fought back, the nagas had no idea why the angels attacked them. They wondered if Vipera Anguis, number one in the naga ranking and the Eighth Lord, had declared war against the Second Lord, the God of Heaven, Creo.

“In the name of the God of Heaven.”

“May you be judged in flames.”

“For the glory of Orbis.”

The angels paid no mind to the naga’s shouts and continued to attack. The ones attacking Superficies were members of the Fifth Legion of Orbis’s twelve legions. Each legion was known to be able to eradicate an inferior race with ease.

The expressionless angels, each with one or two pairs of wings, were armed with spears, swords, shields, or bows. They were the Angelos, regular ninth and eighth-grade angels; the God of Heaven’s foot soldiers.

“Die!”

“Make a path!”

As the nagas began to focus their attacks on one area, a group of angels with three pairs of wings appeared from behind the Angelos. They were seventh-grade Principalities, also known as the Arches, the God of Heaven’s choir.

They raised their arms toward the sky, closed their eyes, and began to sing. Although voices couldn’t be heard, one could sense their song from the waves in the air. A giant white wall appeared in midair, blocking the nagas’ charge.

Angels with four pairs of wings descended from the sky. They brought the tips of their fingers together to form a circle, which they placed on their chest. Holy Force gathered inside the circle and was fired at the nagas like spears. Any nagas impaled by the spears were reduced to dust and scattered. They were sixth-grade Powers, also known as the Exousies, the God of Heaven’s fingers.

Giant angels ranging between ten and a hundred meters tall, each holding thick temple columns in each hand, trampled down the city. All that remained in the path they had trodden was wreckage. They were fifth-grade Virtues, also known as the Dynameis, the God of Heaven’s strength.

Fourth-grade Dominions with six pairs of wings, also known as the Kyriotites, commanded the legion from even further above.

“Over there.”

“Forward, and sideways.”

“Fly, and strike.”

The gold halos above their heads spun restlessly. Dominions were intermediary angels; they relayed orders from first, second, and third-grade angels to fifth to ninth-grade angels. They did not die even if their channel connected to superior angels, and they could also relay orders to inferior angels.

About a thousand angels with seven pairs of wings were gathered.

“The day of judgment is coming.”

“The wheel of the covenant turns.”

“Sinners shall shed tears of repentance.”

They were third-grade Thrones, also known as the Thronous, and each had a revolving bronze wheel behind their wings. Once the bronze wheels stopped turning, a semicircular white barrier enveloped Superficies, dyeing the entire area white. They had activated the Sanctuary, where Holy Force was amplified and all other powers were suppressed—an area only for the angels.

About a hundred angels, who looked like chubby children with eight pairs of wings, chatted noisily as they played with each other.

“Kyahaha! How long has it been since we’ve been allowed out?”

“Hehe! I know, right? I’m so glad Master Uriel descended to the mortal realm! Master Gabriel is no fun!”

“The one who hits that thing first is loved by the God of Heaven the most!”

“You’re on!”

They grabbed the air, creating a bow and arrow with Holy Force, and fired their arrows at the city’s center. Once they hit, a massive mushroom cloud formed, obliterating everything within a kilometer of its radius.

“I hit it first!”

“No, I did!”

“I’m loved by the God of Heaven the most!”

The quarreling angels were the second-grade Cherubim, the God of Heaven’s adorable calamities.

“Ahh! AHHH!” A female naga screamed, crying tears of blood as she stared at her destroyed, burning city. She was covered in blood, her scales were peeled off due to the burns, and her tail and an arm were severed. “WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?! WE HAVE DONE NOTHING TO YOU!”

“Hehe! It was by the order of the God of Heaven. That is reason enough,” said a beautiful man with nine pairs of wings and red eyes, sweeping back his long red hair.

He rested a sword enveloped in white and red flames on his shoulder.

“URIEL!!! DO YOU NOT FEAR DIVINE JUDGMENT?!”

“Jeez, shut up. I am divine judgment,” said Uriel—the God of Heaven’s flames, the Angel of Judgment, and the Angel of Destruction—playfully. He pulled a small glass bottle containing a dark green liquid from his pocket. “Gabriel’s so stupid... He could’ve easily gotten it by doing this! It’s your fault for keeping an Elixir hidden. Kekek! This would never have happened if you had offered it to the God of Heaven.”

“You... destroyed an entire city for one measly item?!”

“No, no. Whatever the item is, all that matters is that the God of Heaven desires it. The outcome wouldn’t have changed even if the God of Heaven desired a pebble on your road.”

Uriel smiled as he placed the bottle back into his pocket. The female naga looked around; the city had already been destroyed beyond a trace. There did not seem to be any naga survivors, and all she could see was death and despair. She realized that she couldn’t survive, nor should she.

“Kekekek! Kyahahaha! You’re just a bunch of cultists who believe in a fake god! God of Heaven, Creo? You’d do all this for a moronic hypocrite—Kurgh!”

Uriel’s sword, enveloped in flames, penetrated the female naga’s heart before she could continue.

“How dare you... insult the God of Heaven in my presence?!”

“Gurgle! I will... curse... you...”

The female naga’s head drooped lifelessly.

“Dammit,” Uriel slapped his forehead as he stared at the corpse. “I ended up killing her. Come on... It was such a blatant taunt, too. Gabriel would’ve nagged at me endlessly if he saw this.”

He had accidentally let his rage take over and killed the enemy as she had wanted. He slapped his forehead a few more times to reproach his hastiness.

“Ninety-ninth in the world ranking, Lasapi... She would’ve been a decent hostage,” he mumbled as he rummaged through the female naga’s corpse. He shrugged at the sky and shouted, “Anyway... All forces, withdraw! We have what we need!”

***

“Hmm... Hmmm...” Jurie expressed as she thoroughly scanned the five men standing before her.

Five humans from the Maasai village, including Leo, had gathered in the general manager’s office of the Fence Hotel’s main branch.

“What do you think, Gramps?” Jurie asked.

“They will do. They have learned to survive and fight since Earth. They should be ready after learning a few skills and... developing some poise,” Gerard said from behind Jurie.

Leo remarked, “It’s an honor to be acknowledged by someone of your strength.”

“You know me?” Gerard asked as his eyes shone.

Leo shook his head. “No, but Rhodes is whispering to me that if we were to fight... I would die,” he replied as he petted his D Weapon, Rhodes, in its shield form via the skill, Armification.

“A smart lion.”

“He is. Hmm... But what has this woman been doing since earlier?” Leo asked as he looked at a black-haired woman examining him as she lurked around him.

“Oh, her name is Lina Ahn. She’s also Seong-Hwi’s friend. Unnie, you’re being rude to someone you’ve only met today,” Jurie said.

Lina flinched as she examined Leo and his D Weapon with eyes filled with curiosity. She fixed her glasses and said, “Oh... I’m sorry, umm... Leo, right?”

“Le-Yeyo.”

“Okay, Leo. I was just wondering whether you were an ordinary human, since you’re Seong-Hwi’s friend. You have a special D Weapon and skills, right?”

“I said, Le-Yeyo.”

“That’s what I said. Leo.”

“Le-Yeyo... Huuu, forget it. Just call me Leo,” Leo said as he sighed.

He had not seen the woman, Lina Ahn, when he was here last time, but he could tell she was not ordinary either. Leaving her dirty appearance aside, her thick, dark circles and her filthily shining black eyes intimidated him.

He turned to Jurie and asked, “Have we passed the interview?”

“Yes, you have. The contract between the Maasai village and our hotel has been established. We’ll be in your care,” Jurie said with a smile.

The Fence Hotel had decided to hire people from the Maasai village. Seong-Hwi had introduced Leo to the job opportunity now that the Maasai village had lost financial support after Kabuka’s death.

“Every location has been riddled with lambs who cause disturbances or refuse to check out,” Jurie mentioned.

“So, do you want us to kill them?” a Maasai behind Leo asked.

Jurie replied in shock, “Of course not! The people staying at our hotel are lambs, overflowing with hopes and dreams! Please, just suppress them. This isn’t Black Market!”

“My apologies. We need time to adjust. The only jobs we’ve done are... things like bounty hunting. However, we’ll adapt to the way that the Fence Hotel does things. We are confident in our adaptability,” Leo said as he nodded as if asking Jurie to trust him.

No one in the Capital was unaware of the Fence Hotel. It was rumored to have immense funding power, and it earned so few Coins from the lambs that it was practically a nonprofit. Also, since it was expanding beyond the Capital to other human cities, they would need the personnel.

I’m thankful to Seong-Hwi. If our people can have a stable workplace at the Fence Hotel, we can keep our village running without issues, Leo thought.

Of course, they applied for the job because they were confident in their abilities. If not, they wouldn’t have even applied for it in the first place, despite Seong-Hwi’s introduction.

“Come to think of it, I don’t see Seong-Hwi,” Leo said.

“He went off somewhere yet again,” Jurie replied as she pouted.

She had begged him to do a card reading for her before he left, but he left it for next time, and even left after giving her work to do.

“He left... after leaving this box and a pile of letters with me,” Jurie continued as she tapped the wooden box on the table.

Seong-Hwi had told her never to open it unless something dangerous happened to him.

“Hmph, does he think he’s Zhuge Liang or something? He’s left me curious!” Jurie shouted as she stuffed the box into a drawer and slammed the drawer shut.

Leo asked, “Where did he go?”

“He went to Ferrum. Humans with Coins to spare have been gathering at Ferrum lately.”

“Oh, come to think of it, the Ferrum Festival is soon, right?” Lina added.

Jurie nodded and continued, “Yup. It’s a breeding place for merchants wanting to boost their sales, humans wanting to purchase new items, swindlers who take advantage of such humans, and even murderers...”

She glanced at Gerard, standing behind her.

Gerard’s expression hardened, and he shook his head. “No, my lady. The Ferrum Festival is extremely dangerous. It’s filled with intermediate races and a few superior races. Not even I can guarantee your safety.”

“Are you treating me like a child, Gramps?”

“However mad you get, no means no. The Ferrum Festival is like a banquet of new items. You know how many people kill or get killed to get their hands on them.”

Jurie clicked her tongue once she realized she couldn’t change Gerard’s mind.

Lina asked, “Come to think of it, why did Seong-Hwi go there? Does he have an item he needs?”

Leo answered, “Perhaps. We earned a fortune on this mission, after all.”

“Really? Then I hope he doesn’t stick his head where it doesn’t belong anymore. He won’t live long that way,” Jurie mumbled.

Seong-Hwi was the talk of the entire Capital after rising eight hundred ranks by defeating Kim Seo-Gyeong of Clan Earthly Branches. He caused massive incidents wherever he went, likely contributing to his alias, Record Breaker.

Well, since he’s a prophecy D Weapon user, I doubt he’d do anything that’d kill him, she thought.

***

“Hey, you! This way!”

“Are you looking for a guide? I know the streets of Ferrum like the back of my hand!”

“I know a store filled with only unconfirmed items. What do you say? Wanna take a look? You might find an S-rank item, you know?”

Ferrum became boisterous at the same time every year. It was the hottest place to be—even hotter than a blast furnace.

“Don’t listen to them and come this way, Seong-Hwi. They’re all swindlers,” said Muka with a large sack on his back and holding a nostalgia hard liquor bottle Seong-Hwi gave him as a gift.

Seong-Hwi followed Muka as he looked around. He saw nothing but iron. The rampart, buildings, roads—even the fountain spewed liquid iron. It truly befitted its title: the Iron City.

It’s the perfect environment for using Rust of Ruin. It’s no wonder the dwarves were terrified of Haema Sanguis.

Ferrum’s advancements were so groundbreaking that their iron did not rust from rain, but they were still far from stopping Rust of Ruin, which could corrode even janateel.

“The true Ferrum Festival begins in three days. Artisans have to submit their items by then,” Muka said.

“Do the submitted items determine your artisan rank?” Seong-Hwi asked.

“No, because they wouldn’t know whether the one who submitted the item made it themselves or bought it. The submitted item merely determines whether you have the right to enter. It’s practically an examination fee.”

Seong-Hwi nodded. The examination committee received items from every artisan in exchange for the right to take the examination.

“The submitted items are then sold at the auction house. Sheesh, they sure know how to do business...”

“The Ferrum Auction House, right? It’s quite famous,” Seong-Hwi remarked.

It was one of the few places in the Mirror World that handled sales of S-rank items.

“There are rumors of an S-rank item appearing this year, so try getting it if you can afford the Coins,” Muka said as he snickered.

The last auctioned item with S-rank potential was sold at 1.18 billion Coins. Even that was cheap because it was an odd weapon—a chain whip made of metal rods, joined end-to-end by rings.

“I’m not Jurie. I’d be more than satisfied with a decent A-rank item,” Seong-Hwi replied.

He had 280 million Coins but did not even dream of obtaining an S-rank item at the auction house.

Though it’d be a different story if I could sell this useless item, he said inwardly as he thought about the Steel Rice Grain in his pocket, and smiled bitterly.

He had obtained this trash S-rank item after several strokes of amazing luck.

Even if it’s verified to have S-rank potential, I wonder if anyone would buy it? Seong-Hwi shook his head and thought optimistically, Well, a chance could come around as long as I manage to sit on the negotiation table with the Steel King.

Seong-Hwi’s eyes shone as he stared at Muka, walking ahead of him. He had left the letters with Jurie as a contingency, but he had no choice but to trust Muka, the Steel King’s disciple.

***

“Kerek! I’m sure of it!” mumbled a short goblin wearing a filthy robe, looking back and forth at a piece of paper and the man in a black hoodie from afar. “It’s Cheon Seong-Hwi! Kerek! The cowardly human who killed the weakened Tutobure!”

A thick bloodlust lingered in the goblin’s eyes.