The Divine Twilight’s Return

Looking like the gentlest person in the world, Executive Director Oh gestured at Chang-Sun to enter, making Department Head Shim Geon-Ho’s face harden. Chang-Sun dumbfoundedly chuckled. ‘He decided to instigate a fight between me and Shim Geon-Ho.’

Geon-Ho stared at Chang-Sun as if he was going to burn Chang-Sun to death with eyes shining as brightly as the sun. Ignoring Geon-Ho, Chang-Sun slightly bowed. “I must have come at a bad time. I’ll come by later—”

“No, no. We’re already almost finished talking. Do you have anything else to report?” Executive Director Oh asked Geon-Ho, looking at him.

Geon-Ho quickly calmed down and bowed. “No, sir.”

“Then you can go,” Executive Director Oh said, implicitly telling Geon-Ho to leave.

Geon-Ho looked like he had a lot more to say. Since he had been living as Executive Director Oh’s right-hand man, he was bound to be curious about the conversation these two were going to have without him, but Geon-Ho couldn’t defy Executive Director Oh’s order. Taking a step back, Geon-How bowed. “... Yes, sir.”

As he got out of the office, Geon-Ho looked at Chang-Sun, his eyes full of hostility.

Click!

As the door closed, Geon-Ho saw Chang-Sun having a private meeting with Executive Director Oh through the gap. He gritted his teeth hard. ‘I’ll meet Director Kim.’ 

From not so far away, Baek Gyeo-Ul silently watched everything.

* * *

“Can I give it to you now?” Chang-Sun asked.

“Yes, no one is watching right now.” Executive Director Oh nodded.

Chang-Sun wondered who could possibly be watching them, but he didn’t dig any further and just handed the [Everlasting Ice Crystal] to Executive Director Oh from his inventory.

“Woah! It’s shining more brightly than I thought.” Executive Director Oh’s eyes shone after receiving it.

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ smacks his lips as he looks at the ‘Frost Monarch’s Breath’!]

“Its quality will surely be good since the Guardian desires it. Good work.” Executive Director Oh concisely praised and threw the [Everlasting Ice Crystal] in his personal inventory.

Chang-Sun just watched what he was doing in silence. Soon, Executive Director Oh quietly chuckled and looked back at Chang-Sun. “You aren’t going to ask me what I’m going to do with the [Everlasting Ice Crystal]?”

“I just assume you have your reasons and will tell me someday if necessary.” Chang-Sun shrugged.

“I always feel this, but you’re really smart, sometimes even smart enough to send a shiver down my spine.” Executive Director Oh stroked his chin.

Chang-Sun didn’t answer.

“Well, that’s your charm.” The corners of Executive Director Oh’s lips curled up. “So what do you think? You’re probably starting to wonder what my secret is.”

Chang-Sun could tell this was the reason why Executive Director Oh summoned him alone.

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ is looking at you silently.]

What Chang-Sun wanted to know was everything about Heoju, so he couldn’t help wondering what Heoju was planning with Executive Director Oh. Chang-Sun replied, “I am.”

“I’ll show you, then.” Executive Director Oh lightly clapped, and the air around them was significantly distorted.

[You have entered the False Domain of the Player ‘Oh Shi-Hwan’!]

Like the mind palace the Winter King created, the False Domain referred to a magic spell that could materialize a mental image. In Celestials’ terms, Chang-Sun had practically entered a sacred or divine ground. This magic spell required strong willpower and outstanding magic skills since a wizard would have to go through a lot of trouble creating the domain, but Executive Director Oh pulled it off as if it was nothing.

‘I did hear he’s the only one who has received the title of within the White Tiger Clan. I can see why,’ Chang-Sun thought.

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ insidiously smiles as he looks at his subordinate’s land.]

[The Celestial ‘Twilight-Piercing Owl’ frowns, having a feeling that she will see another unpleasant sight.]

Executive Director Oh invited Chang-Sun to a gray world. The only things Chang-Sun could notice were the charred ground and dim air. It suffocated a person even if nothing was happening, but Chang-Sun was fortunately familiar with this kind of place for some reason.

‘It’s similar to Psychic Forum, Heoju’s divine ground,.’ Chang-Sun remembered Heoju’s divine ground, which he had stopped by while going through the war against .

The devastated place was also full of soot and the smell of burning due to battles and the fact that this place seemed to be a replica of Heoju’s divine ground. Since Executive Director Oh was Heoju’s subordinate, it wasn’t strange for those two places to be similar. However, it wasn’t the scenery that caught Chang-Sun’s eyes. It was the ‘army’ standing behind Executive Director Oh.

‘There are so many of them.’ Chang-Sun observed.

[The Hohwan Mama rages!]

At least over 400 Ghost Soldiers, who had more intense Hohwan Mama than the ones in the Secret Tiger Lab, were standing in rows. Chang-Sun could detect the thick smell of blood from them.

‘He has used them at least several times. How many people did he kill?’ Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes. ‘I can also feel the energy of the [Fourth Cryptical Book] from them.’

To be honest, Chang-Sun had misgivings up until now. When the Secret Tiger Lab blew up, the [Fourth Cryptical Book] went missing, yet Executive Director Oh hadn’t taken any action. Of course, there was a chance that Chang-Sun just wasn’t aware of how Executive Director Oh was ordering his subordinates secretly, but Executive Director Oh and Geon-Ho had been too quiet for that.

Above all, it was ultimately Executive Director Oh that had blown up the Secret Tiger Lab. All Chang-Sun did was move up the detonation time, which meant Executive Director Oh had decided to discard the [Fourth Cryptical Book]. That decision bugged Chang-Sun, but he could see why Executive Director Oh had made such a move after entering this place.

‘He thought he was done decrypting the cryptical book, so he blew up the book along with the Secret Tiger Lab out of worry that someone would find out about what he did later. I did consider the possibility, but I didn’t think it would turn out to be true,’ Chang-Sun thought. He dumbfoundedly chuckled since he knew the real secret of the [Fourth Cryptical Book]. ‘Idiot.’

However, Chang-Sun couldn’t just assess Executive Director Oh as a fool because he would also have failed to find out about the Changgwi Cave curse without the [Peter’s Key] and Mephistopheles’ bonus reward. In fact, for an ordinary person, Executive Director Oh had done a very good job decrypting and using powers from a part of the cryptical book.

Paah…!

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ bursts into laughter, having noticed his hidden claws and fangs!]

Woosh, woosh, woosh!

The happier Heoju got, the more ominous demonic energy Executive Director Oh released. Executive Director Oh no longer even hid the fact that he was a demonic being.

Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ].

“How do you feel now that you’ve seen my ‘soldiers’ for the first time?” Executive Director Oh asked with sharply glinting eyes, holding his hands behind his back. Behind him, the shape of a giant tiger appeared.

If Chang-Sun gave the wrong answer, Executive Director Oh would use his [Tiger Form] to bite his neck off. Until now, Executive Director Oh had been thoroughly keeping his identity secret from the public, so revealing it now meant he decided to trust Chang-Sun. If Chang-Sun refused Executive Director Oh’s so-called goodwill, he was going to silence Chang-Sun for good. Executive Director Oh was basically telling him that there was no turning back for him now.

“It’s very cool,” Chang-Sun answered, smiling as if he had been waiting for Executive Director Oh to trust him and been wanting this kind of power until now, even though he was just happy at the fact that he had gotten closer to Executive Director Oh’s and Heoju’s secret.

“Haha! I knew it! I was right. You and I were cut from the same cloth.” Executive Director Oh quietly laughed, then looked at Chang-Sun, who was genuinely delighted. Revealing his unusually shining canine teeth, Executive Director Oh curled up one end of his mouth, forming a hideous smile. “Do you know our Clan’s world ranking?”

The question was very random and unrelated to Ghost Soldiers, but Chang-Sun nonchalantly answered, “According to my knowledge, we’re ranked around 20th.”

“27th, to be exact. The Sword of Ohsung Clan, who is often compared with us, is in 52nd place. We got such a ranking because we don’t have a ‘King-Class’ Player and haven’t made any world-scale accomplishments, but do you agree with our current ranking?” Executive Director Oh asked.

Chang-Sun shook his head and genuinely replied, “I can’t tell for sure because I haven’t been in other Clans, but I don’t agree.”

The White Tiger Clan that Chang-Sun had figured out so far was very strong. It was rare to find such a group in Arcadia, which had a more advanced system than Earth. The White Tiger Clan that the public knew was already strong, but if the Clan’s hidden powers, like the Ghost Soldiers, Gildals, and the Council of Elders whom Chang-Sun had run into, were revealed, the White Tiger Clan would be at least in the top ten.

‘Although Munseong is currently considered a ‘Duke-Class’ Player, he has to be at least a ‘King-Class’ Player. Taking that into consideration, the Clan’s ranking should be higher,’ Chang-Sun thought.

Munseong had swallowed the powers of three cryptical books and successfully undone the curses, so he was bound to be stronger.

“Yes, it’s ridiculous that they ranked us in 27th place. Who gave them the right to put a number on us? However, it also means that we already got such a high assessment even though we’ve just been ‘crouching.’ Imagine what would happen if we really ‘rise.’”

Chang-Sun’s eyes shone because Executive Director Oh was emphasizing the phrase ‘rise.’

“You know, I don’t want our Clan to be famous in Korea alone. I want us to leap higher and run much more than we do right now. It’s my goal to make every living creature in the world shudder when we roar.” Executive Director Oh raised his head as if someone was there. “The Guardian protecting us has the same desire.”

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ viciously laughs.]

“And the time is near. Soon, many will kneel to us as we march,” Executive Director Oh declared.

Inferring Executive Director Oh’s plan, Chang-Sun examined the Ghost Soldiers. “Are you planning to send them out in the world?”

“If necessary.” Executive Director Oh nodded.

“Won’t people condemn us, saying we‘ve become demonic beings and are on the wrong path?” Chang-Sun suggested.

“Everything is meaningless before overwhelming power. Even if there is a possibility of them saying such things, it won’t be a problem since we can just get rid of all the evidence before they even notice.” Executive Director Oh stopped laughing and looked at Chang-Sun with seriousness in his eyes. “You know, you happened to appear when I was trying to make our Clan greater, so I sometimes think the Guardian had sent you as his blessing to help me, his ignorant follower.”

Chang-Sun stayed silent.

“I’ve shown you my everything. Now, it’s your turn.” After searching his pocket, Executive Director Oh pulled something out and threw it at Chang-Sun.

Chang-Sun caught it with ease, then noticed he was familiar with it. ‘It’s a [Dream Sphere].’

The sphere held condensed Hohwan Mama, allowing it to brainwash whoever consumed it. However, the [Dream Sphere] that Chang-Sun was holding had more Hohwan Mama than the one he had gotten from the ‘Black Blood Mountains Range.’

[Delusion Sphere]

The advanced form of Dream Sphere. This sphere was created by mixing a specific ratio of Death Flowers, Destruction Flowers, and another substance. It contains the grudges and evil intentions of those killed by the Hohwan Mama.

· Type: Sphere. Miscellaneous goods.

· Effect: ???

“What’s this?” Chang-Sun asked.

“It’s a secret medicine to turn you into a ‘warrior’ that’s going to make you as strong as—no, stronger than them. If you try it, then you’ll instantly feel a lot stronger,” Executive Director Oh explained.

A [Dream Sphere] was not only used to brainwash someone but also turned the person into a Ghost Soldier. On the other hand, this [Delusion Sphere] was holding very dense Hohwan Mama. It was as if ten [Dream Spheres] were used to make it.

‘I guess this is what they use to make Gildals.’ Chang-Sun observed the [Dream Sphere] from various angles.

“Have you seen Department Head Shim?” Executive Director Oh asked.

“Yes, I have.” Chang-Sun nodded.

“What did you think?” Executive Director Oh faintly smiled.

“He looked strong,” Chang-Sun replied.

“He’s not just strong. His body is as solid as rock, and his mana is so immense that he’s like a seastorm when he uses his skills. It isn’t just Department Head Shim. Most executives have gone through this process, including the Raid Team leaders,” Executive Director Oh said.

The [Delusion Sphere] was the reason behind the White Tiger Clan’s sudden growth over the past ten years.

“You can be like them—no, I guarantee you’ll be stronger than them. You’re already becoming stronger very quickly, and you are a talented Player. If you consume this as well… Haha! I don’t have to waste my breath.” Executive Director Oh’s eyes were shining with madness. “Help yourself.”

Executive Director Oh implied that Chang-Sun would become the White Tiger Clan’s accomplice and that there was no turning back for him. Nevertheless, he still tempted Chang-Sun into having the power he desired so much. What he hadn’t told Chang-Sun was the brainwashing and autosuggestion. As if that wasn’t important, he left out the part that when Chang-Sun ate the [Delusion Sphere], he was going to become Executive Director Oh’s puppet, unable to defy his orders.

‘What shall I do?’ Chang-Sun pondered for a moment, holding the [Delusion Sphere].

It wasn’t hard to pretend to eat the sphere because the Jigwi’s Eon Fire would burn away all the toxins inside it as soon as Chang-Sun ate it, at which point he could just absorb the purified energy. However, this was a new type of [Dream Sphere], one he had never seen. He felt like he could solve the mystery of Hohwan Mama a little bit more if he could just take a closer look, so it felt as if eating it would just be wasting it.

While wondering what to do…

『Hey, Master.』 Jin Prezia suddenly sent Chang-Sun a telepathic message. 『Can you give it to me?』