Before entering the NaSoJeol game, Cale contacted one being for the first time in a long while.

“Busy?”

Alberu and Rosalyn glanced at Cale, then turned their heads away.

Bzz.

The reply came immediately.

<Extremely busy.>

It was the God of Death.

While looking into the divine relic mirror, Cale could tell from the God of Death’s unusually unserious reply that he truly was busy.

“How’s it been lately on the God of Chaos’s side?”

Bz, bzz-

The mirror vibrated oddly.

<...What the hell did you do?>

There was anticipation in the text.

Cale let out a faint snort and opened his mouth.

“Didn’t Choi Jung Soo contact you?”

Bzz.

<Those brats don’t tell me everything anymore. Stingy little punks. Like they don’t even know who made it possible for them to live so freely.>

Those brats.

He was probably talking about Choi Jung Soo and Team Leader Sui Khan.

The two of them were still staying in Apitoyu, handling the cleanup that Cale and Eruhaben had not been able to take care of before leaving.

‘And Choi Jung Soo is on the Demon Realm side, and the team leader is on the God of Chaos’s side.’

They were secretly gathering information on those two sides.

Because they were two people connected to the divine world, it was work he could entrust to them.

“Hmm.”

After thinking for a moment, Cale took his eyes off the mirror and looked at Choi Sun Hee, who was organizing documents.

“Secretary Choi.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Alberu and Rosalyn. And Cale.

Once the three of them logged into NaSoJeol, it would be hard for them to pay attention to things here.

“I’m going to send two people here soon.”

And right now, the Third District was in a pretty important period, one that was heading toward even greater chaos.

Of course, once the situation reached the point Cale considered appropriate, he would move again in the Third District to eliminate the Transparent Blood family.

But not yet.

“They’re both very capable people, so they’ll be a big help in a lot of ways.”

People who would be more familiar than anyone with the situation on Earth.

“For anything that needs force or physical work, Choi Jung Soo.”

“Yes.”

“Sui Khan. You can give him anything that requires using his head.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Choi Jung Soo and Team Leader Lee Soo Hyuk.

Those two might help Choi Sun Hee even better than Cale could, because they would probably adapt to Earth even better than he had.

Especially Team Leader Sui Khan—

‘Well, there’s no need to say it.’

He was one of the people who had laid the foundation for an organization in a world that had been collapsing after monsters appeared.

In the current situation in the Third District, which was a complete mess, he would handle things more appropriately than anyone.

Cale turned his gaze back to the mirror.

“I’ll give you a short explanation of what happened, so listen carefully.”

Bzz!

<Bzz! I’m looking forward to it!>

...Acting cute is annoying.

Cale held back once and spoke.

“Ha. It’s not something that’ll have a huge impact on your divine world side. But I thought it’d be good for you to know. It’s nothing much, but just keep it in mind.”

Starting with those words, Cale recounted what had happened in the meantime.

Alberu and Rosalyn looked at him as if he were ridiculous, but Cale didn’t notice.

“...So that’s what happened.”

Bz, bz, bzz.......

The mirror vibrated strangely.

<Y-y-y-you insane bastard......!>

The mirror began shaking violently.

Bzzz! Bzz! Bzzzz!

So violently it looked like it might break.

<You, you really are, wow, you really are the best!>

<Kahahahahaha!>

<I really was a genius for choosing you! Kahahahahaha!>

Cale’s expression turned serious.

“Have you lost your mind?”

The expression with which he looked down at the mirror grew extremely rude.

Bzzz.......

<Hing.>

Ah, should I really smash this thing?

Cale considered it, but held back.

“Anyway, now that the board’s been set up like this, you gods can beat each other up and fight to match it.”

Bzz-

<Yeah. Actually, things are kind of in a deadlock right now anyway. More and more gods have been joining the God of Chaos’s side. Because of that, the God of Balance has gone crazy and has been lashing out, but separate from that, people are also saying the God of Balance should be removed from the representative position because he isn’t doing his job properly.>

Bzz-

<On top of that, people are saying the position of ancient god isn’t very useful anymore, so the whole divine world should choose new top-tier gods besides the ancient gods and build a new system. For reference, I’m being named as one of them—>

“Stop.”

Cale shook his head.

“What happens in the divine world is none of my business.”

He was firm.

“I’m only going to care about the hunters and the Absolute God. Everything else is for you people in the divine world and the Demon Realm to deal with yourselves.” 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Bzz.

The mirror vibrated lightly.

<Do you really mean that?>

This bastard—

Cale’s eyebrow rose.

Bzz.

<Heh.>

As expected, the God of Death was annoying.

Cale turned off the mirror screen.

Bzzzz-

<S-sorry! I won’t tease you! Tell me more!>

Naturally, Cale ignored the message.

He had already put up with it twice, so there was no reason to endure a third time.

“Shall we go now?”

Cale spoke with a smile to the companions who had been looking at him.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

“......”

Rosalyn remained silent, and Alberu nodded at Cale’s words with a shallow sigh.

‘Ah.’

A thought suddenly occurred to Cale.

It was a memory that had come back to him after talking to the God of Death for the first time in a long time.

Information the God of Death had told him.

<His father’s name is on the death-candidate list six months from now.>

Alberu Crossman.

His father, the current king, Zed Crossman.

His name was on the death-candidate list.

“Hmm?”

Now that I think about it—

“What is it?”

As Alberu looked at him curiously, Cale frowned.

<That’s exactly what it means. The Roan King’s name appeared on the death-candidate list. The death-candidate list appears six months before the target dies, and it contains important details related to the business of death.>

‘Does it show the exact time and place of death?’

<Yes. It does. But the location keeps changing nonstop, so I can’t determine where it is.>

‘So where is he now?’

He had even had that conversation with the God of Death.

‘Before you go find Choi Jung Soo, aren’t you going to tell me that information first?’

<No.>

<I’m trying to do something I shouldn’t be doing from my position too, so I can’t tell you that easily. And I also need some time to prepare before I can give this information to you.>

‘I keep my word.’

<I’ll contact you again before long, around the time you return to Roan.>

That had been when he was in the Central Plains.

‘And—’

That bastard, the God of Death, never told me the location?

Well, the divine world had turned into a complete mess after that, so that was understandable.

And part of the fault was his too, since he had failed to keep track of it himself.

“Your Highness.”

“What?”

“Six months. There isn’t much time left now.”

It had been six months back when he was in the Central Plains.

Now the end of that time was not far away.

‘Choi Jung Gun.’

And Zed Crossman.

The deadlines for saving both of them were similar as well.

“......”

Even though Cale did not say the subject aloud, Alberu understood.

“I’ll find out the location soon. Let’s go at once.”

They had already thrown a bomb into the Third District, so for a while the Transparent Blood family would have no choice but to focus on securing its position in the Third District rather than on the Absolute God.

That had bought them time.

“Haah—”

Alberu only sighed and said nothing.

Then, after a long while, he spoke.

“Thank you.”

Cale lightly patted Alberu on the shoulder once or twice.

That was enough.

*****

The moment Cale logged into the game, he could see multiple quest windows filling the screen.

“......”

Among them, one quest window was enlarged the most and completely filled his field of vision.

[Sub Quest Complete!]

One quest had been completed.

Cale lowered the other windows and looked at this one first.

[Sub Quest: Steal the special research report from Transparent Co.’s secret laboratory!]

The corners of Cale’s lips rose.

Alberu and Rosalyn were nowhere around him.

They had logged out in different places.

[As this is a special event, rewards will be distributed differentially according to completion rate!]

[Required Reward: Count Lupe’s lost memories]

Tap. Tap.

Cale started walking.

[*You must be with “Count Lupe” in order to receive the reward.]

Of course.

The required reward was Count Lupe’s memories.

Click.

Cale opened the door and stepped inside.

When he opened the cotton-candy door, a quiet bedroom appeared inside.

“Ah.”

Aurora.

The only bloodline of the previous Demon King and the head of the mediators shot up from her seat.

“Th-”

“Yes. It’s been resolved.”

“Ah!”

Unable to continue speaking, Aurora let out an exclamation and collapsed back down onto her seat.

Cale headed toward the bed beside her.

“......”

There lay the second boss of the Third Evil, the Dark Ghost Lupe.

And Count Lupe, the richest man in the Demon Realm, lay unconscious.

-At last! Our angel is going to be revived!

Ignoring the Miser’s words, Cale pressed one button that had appeared on the quest window.

[Would you like to settle the completed quest now?]

[Yes / No]

As if it were obvious, Cale pressed the “Yes” button.

[Calculating completion rate]

It had said rewards would be distributed according to completion rate.

[...F...E...D......]

Various grades began appearing on the screen.

Cale quietly stared at them.

[...A......]

The grade passed A.

A grin spread across Cale’s face.

‘Yeah. After making that kind of mess.’

They had infiltrated one laboratory and produced who knew how many results from it.

There was no way the system, which observed the outside, would not know that.

[...S......]

The moment that °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° letter appeared, Cale lightly clenched his fist.

“!”

That was when it happened.

BEEEEEP----

A sudden ringing sound blared out.

“Ugh!”

Without realizing it, Cale grabbed his ears.

“What is it?”

Startled, Aurora came closer.

It seemed she could not hear it.

After confirming that only he could hear it, Cale looked at the screen window and froze.

[Re, wa, @*($^, gr, ade, @$@#$%-]

Why is this thing acting up again now when it wasn’t before?

As Cale panicked.

[@#%7-]

BEEEEEP---

The ringing came again.

“Ugh!”

Cale hunched over.

This ringing was strangely unpleasant to hear.

And—

“What?”

The screen turned red.

Like the system function that had once tried to crush and erase Cale, like a red hand.

-Cale, this feels ominous!

The moment the Miser shouted that.

[#%^I wanted, @$%to ta, lk, @$%with you@#%]

Huh?

Cale paused.

That red screen.

That garbled text.

“...System?”

Cale immediately felt like he understood what was happening.

[#$(^Ye, @#%s)]

No proper conversation was possible.

[#^*#$#^ You produced a result, @$%beyond what I wanted-]

“You wanted to talk because I produced a result beyond what you expected, right?”

Of course, Cale understood it perfectly anyway.

[Long, @#%conversation, @#$%]

“Yeah. A long conversation is hard, right? Just letting me know you exist like this is enough. Send AI Won next time. I can talk through him.”

After saying that much, Cale held out his hand.

“So what reward are you giving me?”

That was the moment.

BEEEEEP-

The ringing sounded once more.

“Ugh! Enough already—”

The instant Cale spoke.

[^^]

Huh?

The screen was smiling.

The system in the red window was smiling.

[Completion Rate 300%!]

Oh.

[Judgment basis: We consider it highly excellent that you struck all three—the Transparent Blood family, the Demon Realm, and the God of Chaos. That was incredibly satisfying!]

Somehow, the screen window did not feel like an ordinary NaSoJeol game window.

[The required reward will now be issued!]

Cale could see a small vial placed on his palm.

The liquid inside it.

[Pour it onto Count Lupe’s forehead!]

It even kindly explained how to use it.

Cale did not move rashly.

He stayed still and waited.

[Additional reward!]

[Grade: SSS+++]

Huh?

Cale had never seen a grade like that before.

[Additional completion reward!]

[One skill will be granted.]

Huh?

The reward is only one skill?

As Cale found it strange.

[Skill: Red Hand]

“What?”

Cale was genuinely startled.

“You’re giving me this? For real?”

[^^]

Leaving behind that smile, the red screen window and the ringing disappeared.

The completed quest window vanished, and other quest windows appeared, but Cale did not see them.

He stared blankly into space for a moment, then spoke.

“Ha—”

It was unbelievable.

What was the Red Hand?

Wasn’t it the very force that had tried to kill him when he first entered this game?

Red Hand.

One of the game’s absolute forces, which appeared whenever someone violated the rules of the game and eliminated the cause.

That force, that skill, had now been given to him.

As a reward—

“Wow.”

This is insane.

The system really does seem to be planning to back me.

“H, haha—”

Without realizing it, laughter burst out of Cale.

He read the skill description.

[When using this skill, if a “judgment” is rendered through a “trial with the system” and “permission” is granted, “Red Hand” may be activated.]

There was one more sentence added, almost like a postscript.

[*If you understand that the Absolute God of New World already exists, it will be easier to receive “permission” in the “judgment.”]

“Right.”

The Absolute God of New World already exists.

The system.

Yeah.

You are the Absolute God.

The skill grade caught Cale’s eye.

[Skill: Red Hand (Grade: God)]

“Wow.”

Grade SSS+++.

As the reward, Cale had gained the possibility of using, depending on the situation, the absolute weapon possessed by a god identical to the game itself.

“H, haha......?”

He had been laughing like that when another quest window finally entered his eyes.

And then he froze.

[Recovery Rate 99.31% (Time Remaining: 23 hours 19 minutes)]

[Birth Ceremony Progress 159%]

[Reward Grade Undetermined]

“What?”

Why did the Birth Ceremony Progress go over 100%?

Is that even possible?

“Damn it.”

What the hell did that bastard Clopeh Sekka do?

Cale’s heart pounded.

It was the moment he realized that something beyond his ability to handle was approaching.

Knock knock knock.

At that moment, he heard a knocking sound at the door.

“Human, I heard from the crown prince that you came!”

Raon’s voice rang out.

“Cale-nim. I came as well.”

And after that, Clopeh’s gentle voice reached his ears.

“!”

Cale felt as if his heart had dropped.

Clopeh’s voice was full of pleasure.

He could even feel how happy he was.

Something big had happened.

“...This is driving me insane.”

Cale squeezed his eyes shut.