LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 427
Chapter 428
In this all-out war, the spotlight undeniably shone on Moryo and the Demon King of Fire.
A human devouring gods and an unidentifiable, utterly insane Demon King with astonishing powers.
These two were foes so powerful that it was utterly incomprehensible. Even alone, they could cause fractures in the very fabric of the battlefield.
It might be a bit unfair to say, but to Yeon-woo, the Demon King of Shuyo didn’t even register as a worthy opponent.
Well, it’s not that Shuyo wasn’t a concern; it’s just that there was a complete lack of information about them. Surely a bit of intel would help with analysis and countermeasures.
There wasn’t much info about Hwayo, but at least Yeon-woo had seen their face.
As for Moryo, before his regression, he had clashed frequently enough with Toyo to know a fair bit about them.
More importantly, Yeon-woo had in his possession a Fragment of Light, which was related to Moryo.
Since acquiring it, he had been researching it continuously, but good information was still nowhere to be found.
The very concept of light fragmenting was, after all, quite contrary to common understanding…or at least, it should be…
‘Speaking of which, have we ever collaborated with the Colorless Division?’
That thought suddenly crossed his mind. While it sounded odd to speak of light fragmentation, if stated as a crystal emitted from a Light Spirit, it would hold more weight.
Of course, he had likely compared it with numerous objects during his research, but as far as Yeon-woo knew, the name of the Colorless Division had never appeared in the reports.
It made him realize that while they allocated research funds to the Colorless Division, they were wasting money in a rather efficient manner.
In truth, the funds were given to build a good relationship with Cha Jinsu, so it didn’t bother him much. It wasn’t an issue since both Yeon-woo and Riley had met up with him from time to time, even though they hadn’t collaborated on anything.
“Well, I guess it’s about time we caught up.”
Cha Jinsu, the man who would one day sign a contract with the Spirit King… well, he was already a man who had signed such a contract.
No longer just a graduate student, he proudly held the position of professor in the Colorless Division.
He was to be called the apex combat power of the Magic Tower.
*
“It’s been a while, Yeon-woo.”
Wearing a gentle smile, Cha Jinsu looked at Yeon-woo, no longer burying himself in research and trying to pull in students for accolades.
Though they hadn’t met often, their occasional encounters made Jinsu feel comfortable welcoming Yeon-woo.
“Haha, Tae-oh has grown a lot. Such an adorable child! Do you realize just how lucky you are to have contracted with such a Spirit?”
“Hehe, if you praise me too much, I’ll get shy.”
“Ah… I understand now…”
It felt a bit like a family doctor vibe. Though Tae-oh rarely encountered issues, he often found some answers when brought to Cha Jinsu.
For Cha Jinsu, it wasn’t a bad arrangement either. By taking care of Tae-oh, he built his reputation as a Spirit Master and received materials needed for research, too.
Of course, aside from a few materials, the contract with the Spirit King was entirely earned on his own, so no one could say otherwise.
“The most crucial thing for a spirit is to be approached with love… I’m glad you recognize that, more than my own students do.”
“Ugh, Jinsu hyung…”
Perhaps Yeon-woo’s fatherly attitude towards Tae-oh partly came from learning it from Jinsu.
He cared for every spirit he brought into his lab with the utmost love. An almost excessively devoted love, so much so that he adjusted the components a bit.
As Yeon-woo and Cha Jinsu shared an affectionate hug, Yeon-woo felt a chilling sensation and stepped back. It was a sensation he often experienced when meeting Jinsu, so it didn’t surprise him much.
“Why are you looking only at that child when I’m here? Have you lost your affection? Do you dislike me? Have I become boring? That can’t be! We made a contract, remember? Huh? Look at me, okay?”
While he was familiar with the chilling feeling, it didn’t mean he had grown accustomed to that woman’s behavior.
She was the Wind Spirit King named ‘Lupina’.
Contrary to the carefree image usually associated with wind, she exhibited an obsessive attachment to Jinsu, unlike any other spirit.
“Lupina, you know that’s not the case? You’re the only one for me.”
Cha Jinsu held her face, almost as if used to her behavior, and gave her a quick kiss.
Immediately, Lupina’s face flushed crimson as she nodded vigorously with a very ticklish voice.
From Yeon-woo’s perspective, it was agony to witness.
Why on earth did he have to watch such sugary scenes unfold before him with these two?
‘If only I had Nea, I could counter this…’
As Yeon-woo’s delusional thoughts drifted, Shar let out a small sigh, observing his expression.
In truth, neither of them was entirely sane, having their heads muddled by love.
Before his regression, Cha Jinsu had made contracts with three elemental kings: the Flame, Lightning, and Earth Kings, not Lupina.
In that sense, it could be said that his total combat power had weakened.
However, the deep connection he shared with Lupina shouldn’t be underestimated, and so he thought it wasn’t that big of an issue.
‘He looked incredibly cool back then.’
Jinsu, who had shown up with three enormous monsters by his side, vaporizing the battlefield in seconds.
He was truly someone whom junior soldiers couldn’t help but admire.
The accuracy of his allies and enemies was so precise, it was almost absurd.
Well, now, that sight had become a thing of the past. It was one of the kinds of changes that Yeon-woo had brought about.
That fact didn’t feel particularly bad. After all, Jinsu, who used to be plagued by minor illnesses, was fit now, so it wasn’t all too bad.
“Have a beautiful love.”
“A perceptive child isn’t disliked.”
Lupina nodded appreciatively at Yeon-woo’s insightful remark. She wore a content expression. It couldn’t hurt to put on a good show, after all.
However, it was a problem that no matter how well he performed, Lupina would forget by the next time.
“So, what was your name again?”
“It’s Yeon-woo, Choi Yeon-woo.”
He couldn’t believe he had to repeat his name so many times. Since he first met Jinsu, Lupina had always been present, so it was strange he had to inform her of his name again and again.
‘Just how little interest does she have in others?’
Cha Jinsu couldn’t help but smile wryly at Lupina’s reaction. They said this was something that would never change, no matter what.
Anyway, after easily shedding those who interrupted their conversation, Yeon-woo finally spoke earnestly.
“By the way, I didn’t come just to drop by.”
“You seem to have something in mind? What is it, go ahead and tell me anything.”
“Really anything?”
“Um, please don’t say ‘anything’ for real. Sorry.”
Seemingly worried about what might come out of Yeon-woo’s words, the Dragon Contractor stepped back a little.
But really, it was just a request to help him fight the Demon King or something of that sort.
“…Don’t make any strange requests of Jinsu.”
“Ah, come on, I’m just asking, sister-in-law?”
“…I like that you’re calling me sister-in-law, huh.”
Lupina seemed satisfied with Yeon-woo’s appropriate choice of address and became tranquil once more.
What a difficult opponent to converse with.
“It’s nothing serious— I have something for you to look at.”
“What is it? Should I go to Riley’s lab?”
“Yeah, it’s there. They say it’s an object from the Fragment of Light, and if we think of it as a crystal of light, you’re like the expert on that, right?”
“Well, that’s true. I’m not entirely sure what the object is, but I guess I can take a look.”
“Don’t try to seduce Jinsu with another spirit’s object.”
“Oh come on, sister-in-law, I’m begging you just this once. It’s really important!”
“…Hmm.”
After acquiring the cheat key of ‘sister-in-law’, Yeon-woo felt that she was surprisingly easier to deal with. Not too shabby!
“Speaking of which, didn’t you mention you would participate in the battle?”
“Yeah. Even if I’m just a researcher, this fight could determine the fate of the world. I want to lend a hand.”
“Geez, if only the world were filled with people like you.”
“Wouldn’t it be scary if there were billions of Spirit King contractors?”
He hadn’t wished for that at all. The conversation had taken a slight detour, but he was still a good brother.
*
Yeon-woo decided to leave the evaluation of the Fragment of Light to Riley. After all, he wasn’t an expert either, so it wasn’t like anything would happen in his absence.
For now, it was time to prepare for battle. Spending warm moments with Nea and the children was nice, but he decided to focus solely on the peace that would come after winning the all-out war.
That was Yeon-woo’s objective: to eliminate every Demon King and achieve peace in the world, allowing him to live a serene life within that peace.
He couldn’t imagine a world without Nea and the kids. So, to live with Nea and the children, Yeon-woo steeled himself for the fight.
‘If I could become a Grand Master, I wouldn’t have a thing to worry about.’
However, the title of Grand Master was merely a name, considered a level of existence that no one in history had ever achieved.
The hero who saved another world, Lucrecia, wasn’t even a Master.
Essentially, it was a level thought to be non-existent. Yet, it was merely a name given for when someone would someday surpass the Masters.
On the flip side, it meant that Yeon-woo lacked the confidence to hope for such an illusion.
In reality, in a situation where he had to face three Demon Kings in total, who could hold on to any assurance?
“Phew…”
His entire body was soaked with sweat. In the training room beneath the mansion, Yeon-woo was continually moving his body.
He was not moving fast. In fact, he was moving incredibly slowly, testing his physical condition to its limits, preparing himself for the decisive battle that would inevitably come.
With a strong resolve, Yeon-woo endlessly swung his sword right there.
Like slicing through space or time. Very slowly, but never once pausing.
Not only that, shadows at his feet kept taking form and dissolving repeatedly.
Inside Yeon-woo, Tae-oh was quietly sleeping. The sound of his father swinging the sword was warm and soothing to his heart.
Tae-oh loved to doze off listening to that sound.
Time spent adjusting to his rapidly growing Tae-oh. Within this moment, Tae-oh fervently wished he would never lose his current family.
(To be continued…)