LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 422
Chapter 423: Life Never Goes as Planned…
“Life never really goes as you wish…”
Normally, that would be an amusing point, but from the standpoint of the person involved, it wasn’t exactly fun.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a major problem… or could it be said that way?
The remaining Demon Kings had all started to move, so who could keep their sanity intact?
The news came from Leviathan, who slithered into the house like an elementary school kid coming over to play after school.
He used to come dressed appropriately, but now he looked like a slacker from the next door, just in a t-shirt.
[Just think positively. I mean, Ipp has disappeared, right?]
“I don’t know if that’s something to be happy about.”
[Well, as I’m preparing in my own way, it’s possible that the Earth Serpent Gorge could become the battlefield. It’s remarkable that your Demon Kings, humanity, and the nature gods could all clash in one spot.]
“I never imagined it could happen, seriously.”
At least it was fortunate that if the Earth Serpent sided with humanity, the situation would be 1:1:1:3.
Of course, the Demon Kings might feel threatened by that and could team up, but the chances of that seemed rather slim.
[Would the things that are nothing without pride hold hands with another Demon King? Especially Hwayo, that guy would never consider it. He’d rather barge in at the center of power.]
“What are you even?”
[I’m a Demon King that’s a corpse without greed. Does pride feed me? Let me play a game? Create friends? Having such things isn’t bad, but one should also know when to bend to gain.]
“That sounds about right.”
[Anyways, I’m heading in. I’ve said what I needed to say, so it’s time to play with the kids.]
“…Okay, have fun.”
Leviathan’s forces weren’t really that impressive. It wasn’t a good match to bring mercenaries from Golden Desire, and only Jiz and Behemoth could be considered main forces.
I didn’t know much about their combat abilities, but if they were capable of being the left and right arms of a Demon King, then they had to be at the Great Warrior level.
If we considered the Earth Serpent to be a Demon King level, then their effective count was essentially 3 on this side.
The minor troops would likely have to be dealt with by humanity.
There was someone quietly listening to the conversation between Yeon-woo and Leviathan from a distance. It was Riley.
As Yeon-woo noticed Riley’s slight grimace, she quietly sighed.
“I won’t make you do too much, so don’t worry too much.”
“I didn’t think it was a problem to work for you, Yeon-woo, but I am a living being myself.”
Upon seeing Riley’s complexion brighten noticeably, Yeon-woo forced a smile.
Riley was revealing a much more human side than before—she was changing in a direction different from before her regression.
‘Is this guilt…?’
Yeon-woo thought it was an emotion entirely unnecessary for him. After all, he was paying her salary.
He wiped the sweat that had gathered on his palm with a handkerchief.
*
“Sis, what are you doing?”
“Um, I’m trying to find a hobby.”
Nea said, her hands fidgeting. What was she up to? She was sewing.
As Yeon-woo began to watch her, the handkerchief tore suddenly, probably out of nervousness.
“…Cough.”
“That can happen.”
Hearing Yeon-woo’s comfort, Nea neatly set aside the torn fabric and grabbed a new piece.
Given that she was a dragon with stronger strength compared to an average person, it was evident that she was struggling with such delicate sewing.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just use magic?”
“I don’t want to do that. I want to knit a gift for my man with these hands.”
“Oh my….”
Yeon-woo almost fell for her humble acceptance of her shortcomings and plopped down next to Nea. Nea chuckled at his overly dramatic act.
“What? Did you come back and your body got weak? Should I get you some elixir?”
“For me, the elixir is… time spent with Nea…★”
“Ugh, you’re so cheesy.”
“Just a small wound, really.”
As she was sewing, the fabric didn’t cling to her arms, and with Yeon-woo sitting between the sofa and Nea, he pulled her in from behind.
It was somewhat embarrassing, but at this point, he didn’t have time to care about that. He was already a super-human male, after all.
The two sat quietly, sharing warmth without saying a word.
The warmth conveyed through their skin turned into warmth inside Yeon-woo.
Relationships can bring solace to the heart, even without doing anything.
The sound of sewing quietly echoed in the room. He could faintly hear the children excitedly chattering from the next room, and outside, the sounds of nature could be heard.
Birds chirping, a dog barking from a walk. The wind rustling the leaves. Even the sounds of fighting cats.
In this comfortably tranquil time, the first one to speak was Nea.
“It seems like it’s going to be quite a big fight.”
“Seems like it.”
“Don’t speak of it as if it were someone else’s affair. Anyone who hears it would think you’re the one not going.”
“Well, it’s not like anyone would say anything if I took a break this time, would they?”
“Don’t say things you don’t mean.”
“If you tell me not to go, I won’t go.”
Even though it was said relatively sincerely, Nea snickered as if she didn’t think so at all.
Nea had a point there. While she said that, if things went awry, Yeon-woo might unintentionally dash out.
“You coward, isn’t it too pathetic to lay down the groundwork to blame others?”
“I didn’t say it with that intention…”
“Enough. What can you do? It’s the fate that my man is destined for. I don’t want you giving up your dreams for me either.”
Then Nea continued her words.
Her expression was firm yet appeared anxious. Just that expression alone made it easy for Yeon-woo to predict what she was about to say.
“You must return. I won’t care about anything else. No matter if you lose an arm or a leg, or how badly you’re hurt, just come back.”
“…But I think so far I’ve kept my promises sincerely.”
“I know that. I’m well aware, but still feeling anxious is unavoidable.”
As she said that, Nea stopped sewing.
Though she struggled to control her strength, her innate genius was still present, and she had beautifully embroidered their family on the handkerchief.
It was somewhat perplexing that Baek In-hwa was also embroidered with it, but for the time being, he decided to let it slide.
“Don’t worry, sis. Who am I?”
Yeon-woo smiled and picked up the handkerchief. He momentarily scanned the surroundings and raised the handkerchief like a curtain.
A little bigger than his palm, the makeshift curtain of only the two of them made a soft noise as he pulled it aside.
*
‘How much support will they provide?’
The main point of this fight, being a full-scale war against the Demon King forces, was that they could use all kinds of support just in case.
No matter what anyone says, this battle would surely be a significant turning point in human history.
Merely joining this battle could guarantee future honor, perhaps.
Let alone the situation where the forces of the Martial Arts and Alkeion’s Demon King had already been resolved.
Of course, neither side had completely wiped out the remnants, so they wouldn’t receive fully concentrated support, but it was undeniably much better than before.
Elites from across the world would gather on the battlefield. Among them, a considerable number would likely perish.
That fact was a given understood by all of humanity.
‘If there’s a problem…’
Forget about honor and whatever, if everyone dies, it’s the forces that conserve their strength that would hold the power afterward.
It was certainly a valid thought. Yeon-woo respected that judgment. Though he didn’t like it, investments were like that.
Yeon-woo didn’t have a narrow network, but it wasn’t that wide spread either.
His immediate influence could only be felt with the likes of the United States, Egypt, and Italy, where the nobles existed.
Martial Arts would maximally try to offer support since they were inherently immersed in hidden warfare, and with Noel, he could reach out to Alkeion through her.
“In the end, our neighborhood is the biggest problem.”
Don’t they say one should cultivate themselves before governing the world?
The peace of the world starts from self-cultivation, but knowing how to cultivate oneself doesn’t mean other countries will listen to you.
“…Eh, well, they’ll figure it out.”
Diplomacy with foreign nations wasn’t something Yeon-woo had to worry about. For now, he would do his utmost.
If that still isn’t enough, then it can’t be helped. Wasting time trying to reach what was outside his grasp was not an option.
“So then, should I train a bit?”
“…Suddenly?”
“Suddenly? I think your role is quite important, so I’m making time for it.”
Hearing this, Baek In-hwa made a sour expression. She had been looking oddly displeased lately.
Was it because she hadn’t been around much? But they all had been out fighting.
With a sulky face, Baek In-hwa looked at Yeon-woo and sighed deeply. Then, she inserted her finger into the ice blade she pulled from her pocket.
Yeon-woo saw a faint shimmer of mana from the ice blade.
It was indeed something befitting a divine artifact, reacting more clearly to its owner’s growth than anything else—even more than Baek In-hwa herself.
“Feeling gloomy and stuck in your skills, fighting is the best cure. Haven’t you sparred with Teacher Yang-ho while hanging out?”
“I have, but it was tough. The cold didn’t penetrate at all.”
“That makes sense.”
As the closest friend of the Sun God, she was practically a living artifact herself.
That meant her body was equivalent to a sacred sword. There was no way cold could penetrate such a body.
Whatever the case, Baek In-hwa was one of the most crucial figures in this fight.
While most Demon Kings possessed abilities not suited to the days of the week they were named after, that wasn’t the case for Moryo and Shuyo.
Baek In-hwa was practically a key person to counter Shuyo. Her attribute was highly advantageous.
As the one who caused a flood in the Ganges and submerged all of India, Shuyo was considered the most formidable Demon King in terms of casualty numbers.
That was why Baek In-hwa and the Ice Palace were so vital in this war.
(To be continued…)