Merutus' Brow Furrowed

“I don’t feel anything.”

At her words, Kadalan shook his head with a bewildered expression.

“No... I'm sure. I definitely felt it.”

“Even though I don’t feel anything?”

“Then isn’t it possible that you just can’t sense it? You can’t possibly detect every living—”

“Enough.”

At the deep voice that came from the side, Kadalan closed his mouth.

“I don’t feel anything either, Kadalan. We've wasted celestial energy for nothing.”

“But… but I’m absolutely sure!”

The owner of the voice narrowed his eyes at Kadalan’s resolute stance.

He was reading Kadalan’s thoughts.

It’s true.

Kadalan was speaking sincerely.

He governed human greed—Kadalan could not deceive him.

“Merutus.”

“Yes, Lord Kabenian.”

“Kadalan’s words are troubling. Stay here for the time being and verify whether what he says is true.”

“But if I remain here too long, I will only waste my celestial energy.”

“Are you defying my orders?”

“No. I only ask for permission if I am to stay.”

“Hmph.”

After a moment of contemplation, Kabenian nodded.

“You may stay—but only three of you.”

Meisa, an awakened being from the Nue Guild, had ascended to SS rank a few years ago.

Back then, the media reported her promotion relentlessly, and even the royal family praised her achievement.

The guild’s treatment of her also changed dramatically.

She hadn’t just ascended from S-rank to SS-rank—she had leaped from AA-rank to SS-rank in one step.

Believing she had the potential to reach SSS-rank, the guild spared no effort in supporting her.

Because of that, she succumbed to the arrogance common among awakened beings.

Most would stop at arrogance—but she was different. Her conceit extended to disregard for life itself.

“Wait.”

Meisa called out to the woman walking ahead.

“What is it?”

The woman asked in confusion, and Meisa gave an unexpected answer.

“There are no CCTVs here.”

At that moment, tentacles shot out from her hand. In an instant, they burrowed into the woman’s head.

The tentacles drained the woman’s vitality. The more Meisa felt the life being absorbed, the more she smiled in satisfaction.

Murder was always exhilarating.

But even more thrilling was absorbing another’s life force.

It didn’t bring any major changes to her body, but during the process, an inexplicable pleasure washed over her.

That was why she sought a new victim every night.

Thud!

The woman’s body convulsed for a brief moment before collapsing without a single scream.

Meisa looked down at the shriveled corpse and smacked her lips in disappointment.

“Maybe I should go for one more today.”

She had set a personal rule of one victim per day—but rules were meant to be broken.

Just in time, she sensed another prey through her life detection ability.

The vitality of this new target was more than ten times that of the woman she had just drained.

Oh...

If this was the case, the pleasure would be unimaginable.

Meisa kicked off the ground and leaped toward her prey.

She practically dropped from the sky, yet her target’s expression remained unchanged.

Meisa observed her prey with intrigue and spoke.

“You’re not surprised?”

“Should I be?”

“Of course you should.”

“Why?”

Meisa’s lips twisted into an eerie grin.

“Because there are no CCTVs here.”

Once again, tentacles shot out from her hand, lunging toward the prey’s head.

—Or so she thought.

The tentacles had certainly penetrated the prey’s skull, yet they failed to absorb any vitality.

The prey stood there, arms crossed, looking utterly bored.

“I think you’re mistaken.”

“...?”

“The prey here isn’t me—it’s you.”

The prey—no, Merutus—raised her pale hand and covered Meisa’s face.

“Mmm.”

As celestial energy began filling her, Merutus smiled in satisfaction.

Park Yeon had recently developed a deep interest in movies.

Ever since Hwang Tae-su had introduced him to films, he had been watching them more religiously than dramas.

The only downside was the cost. Watching a single movie cost over 20,000 won.

And if he bought snacks like popcorn or cola, the price would easily exceed 40,000 won per person.

For Park Yeon, that was a considerable burden.

As a hero, he couldn’t bring himself to beg the Demon King for money, so he had to find a way to earn some.

With his sharp mind, he quickly devised a solution.

Tap tap tap tap!

His gloved hands moved swiftly.

He squeezed dish soap onto a sponge and smoothly ran it over the dishes. To others, it might seem like he was merely stroking them—but that was a misconception.

With a single stroke, every bit of grime embedded in the dish was absorbed into the sponge.

Next, he dunked the dishes into a tub of clean water. Then, with his gloved hands, he scrubbed them thoroughly before giving them a final rinse under running water.

He swiftly shook off the water droplets, ensuring no streaks remained.

His hands moved so fast that even the kitchen staff—not to mention the servers in the hall—gathered to watch.

“Is that even possible?”

“How can he do that?”

“Did he master some kind of dishwashing skill?”

Despite the murmurs around him, Park Yeon paid no attention and continued washing the dishes. Soon, a towering stack of spotless plates stood beside him.

He looked at them with satisfaction, stood up, and removed his rubber gloves.

“It is done.”

“Huh?”

“The dishwashing.”

The restaurant owner, still staring blankly at the clean dishes, responded a beat too late.

“Ah, uh... Yeah. You’re done. You washed all that in just thirty minutes...”

“It took longer than expected. Since I missed the twenty-minute mark, I’ll only take half of the agreed payment.”

“...”

Oh Mi-young, the owner of the knight’s diner in District 12, was at a loss for words.

She knew this young man.

He worked at One Drink. Though they had no direct connection, she was aware of him.

Then, out of the blue, he had come looking for work.

At that moment, the restaurant was overwhelmed with customers, and dirty dishes were piling up so much that they were running out.

So, she had agreed to hire him for 20,000 won per hour.

But now he was saying this?

—I think I can wash everything in twenty minutes. Charging 20,000 won per hour seems excessive.

Oh Mi-young smiled and promised to give one million won if he finished washing the dishes within twenty minutes.

Of course, it was a promise that was physically impossible to keep.

But...

He did it.

Although it took thirty minutes instead of twenty, he single-handedly accomplished something that would have taken several people hours.

“H-how much was it again?”

“Half, so fifty thousand won.”

Oh Mi-young rushed to the counter, took out the money, and handed it to Park Yeon. As a bright smile formed on Park Yeon’s lips, Oh Mi-young asked,

“Can you come again tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow, you say?”

“Yes.”

After a brief moment of contemplation, Park Yeon shook his head.

“No need. A warrior must not be blinded by material desires.”

With those words, Park Yeon coolly left the restaurant.

His destination was, of course, the movie theater.

As the surroundings darkened, the ending credits began to roll.

The other moviegoers rose from their seats.

But Park Yeon remained seated, unable to escape the lingering emotions the film had left behind.

That was incredible…

He had been completely engrossed in the movie.

The film he had watched this time was a re-release of an old classic.

Its title: The Last Samurai.

The protagonist, an outsider, was a highly respected officer. Thanks to his reputation, he was invited as an instructor to a foreign country to train their military.

However, he was soon ambushed by the enemy. He led his trained soldiers in a counterattack, only to be captured.

The protagonist, who had once deemed the enemy as barbaric and uncivilized, was now in their care.

At first, he remained wary of them, but gradually, he became one of them.

And in the end, he abandoned modern firearms in favor of the outdated relic that was the sword.

The sword held great symbolic significance in the movie.

It represented the clash between the old and the new, and it served as the embodiment of conviction.

Even though the old was inevitably being pushed aside by the new, sheer willpower allowed it to drive back the modern forces.

Particularly, the reckless charge in the final battle reminded Park Yeon of his past.

Back then, heretics had appeared at the temple where he resided.

They ruthlessly destroyed the temple’s statues and carvings.

The priests and knights fled, taking only the most important documents.

Only Park Yeon, alone, charged at the heretics. For he believed that failing to protect the temple meant failing to uphold his faith.

In the name of the gods, he judged dozens of heretics.

His overwhelming strength caused the heretics to hesitate, while the knights, emboldened by his actions, followed him into battle.

The only difference between his charge and that of the protagonist in the movie was that he had won his battle, while the protagonist had lost his.

However...

That was not a defeat.

He had demonstrated an unwavering conviction that sent chills down the spines of his enemies.

A conviction as a warrior, and a conviction as a man.

By worldly standards, it might have been a loss, but spiritually, it was nothing short of victory.

“Phew...”

As the ending credits finished rolling and the staff entered the theater, Park Yeon finally let out a deep sigh and rose from his seat.

“Hm?”

Just then, he suddenly turned his head.

Something had just caught his attention—something he was very familiar with.

Divine power.

Only priests and holy knights could possess such divine power.

It was faint, but he had definitely sensed divine power from afar.

Park Yeon closed his eyes and expanded his senses.

Was it just my imagination?

He let out a chuckle.

After all, divine power? On Earth? There was no way such a thing could exis—

“...!”

Park Yeon’s eyes flew open.

It was real!

An overwhelming aura surged forth.

It radiated with a pure white light, and that light spread outward like a ripple.

That… No, it’s not divine power.

But!

“The Great Goddess…”

It was Im Ah-hee, a theater staff member who had been casually cleaning up the seats.

The aura emanating from her was enough to warrant the title of the Great Goddess. No, even that title seemed inadequate.

Gulp!

He found himself speechless before the overwhelming aura and presence of the Great Goddess.

It felt as though a goddess had truly descended.

Step, step, step…

The Great Goddess was approaching.

The closer she got, the more violently Park Yeon’s heart pounded.

Thump thump!

Silence, you demon-like heart!

He tried to calm his heart, but the more he tried, the wilder it beat.

In the end, Park Yeon tightly shut his eyes.

But that was a mistake.

“Sir?”

Park Yeon squinted one eye open.

“Hngh!”

“Are you alright?”

The Great Goddess asked with concern. Park Yeon nodded heavily, as if his head weighed a thousand pounds.

Seeing that, the Great Goddess ran a hand through her hair with a troubled expression. Park Yeon felt his breath hitch.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

He shook his head.

“The movie is over, you know…”

“...Ugh.”

“Sir, are you sure you're okay?”

Admiral Yi Sun-sin… please, lend me your strength.

Last night, Park Yeon had binge-watched the historical drama Mortal Yi Sun-sin.

Yi Sun-sin was truly a man worthy of the title of hero. Park Yeon had been deeply moved by him.

And right now, he desperately needed his guidance.

His desperation manifested in his mindscape.

There, Yi Sun-sin appeared with a solemn expression.

“Deceive the heavens to cross the sea.”

Prepare for battle with meticulous planning.

Park Yeon followed his command.

He tightly shut his eyes. And that wasn’t enough—he even covered them with both hands.

Yi Sun-sin, satisfied, continued.

“Capture the leader to catch the enemy.”

“Manager! Where is the manager?!”

Out of nowhere, Park Yeon began calling for the manager.

The Great Goddess seemed perplexed. Seeing this, Yi Sun-sin clapped his hands.

“Excellent. Now, for the final step.”

Admiral!

Give me your final command!

Moved by his determination, Yi Sun-sin unsheathed his great sword and shouted,

“Flee when faced with a formidable enemy.”

Park Yeon sprang to his feet and executed the ultimate strategy—retreat.

Though his eyes were closed, nothing could hinder someone who had reached the peak of his craft.

“Huff, huff… Thank you, Admiral.”

Having barely escaped the theater, Park Yeon gazed at the building and murmured softly,

“...Im Ah-hee.”

The true name of the Great Goddess.