Kang Chul-In woke up one week later.

“Mm…!”

“Son, did you wake up?”

He could hear his mother, Park Sun-Ja’s, voice.

“This is...?”

“It’s a hospital, son.”

“...!”

“Whew… son, I understand you’re busy, but what were you doing to end up like this…”

“S-Sorry…”

“I’m upset.”

“...”

“If I lose even you…”

Kang Chul-In shut his mouth. He didn’t have anything to say. Showing this injured side of him to his mother… he wanted to find a hole and hide in it.

“Don’t ever…”

“...”

“Don’t even come hurt like this. Alright?”

“Okay…”

“I can’t believe you…”

Park Sun-Ja couldn’t look at Kang Chul-In properly.

“I’ll call for a doctor, so rest up. I’ll be back.”

Park Sun-Ja didn’t try to stay in the hospital room for too long even though her son had woken up. She didn’t want him to see her tears.

“...I’ve been a bad son again.”Kang Chul-In muttered to himself and bit his lower lip. “Dammit.”

What was he doing? He promised not to be a bad son again, but he had shown this side of himself.

“Oppa!” Just then, Han Ye-Sun frantically ran into the hospital room. “Did you wake up? What a relief! Such a relief! I thought you were really gonna die…”

“...”

“You went to death’s door… if we were a bit late, you would have died…” Tears brimmed in Han Ye-Sun’s eyes again. “But still, it’s a relief… that you’re living… really a relief…”

Kang Chul-In could feel how sincere Han Ye-Sun was. Han Ye-Sun was acting like his survival was everything to her…

“But.” Kang Chul-In opened his mouth. “Where is this? Earth?”

“Yeah…”

“Why did you bring me here…”

“There wasn’t any other way, we had to save you. There wasn’t a way to go back to the Valhalla Kingdom, and we were in the south because the Belt moved us there. We were surrounded by mountains and we couldn’t go anywhere. You were in such a critical condition that we had to use modern medicine. Of course, as soon as we arrived on Earth, I called for Alfred.”

“Alfred?” Kang Chul-In narrowed his eyes.

“Yeah.” Han Ye-Sun nodded. “That was the only way to help you. Modern medicine’s surgery, and Alfred’s Blood Heal. If it wasn’t for the two of those, no one would’ve been able to save you.”

“I see… what about Alfred?”

“He returned to Pangaea as soon as you were treated. Along with Lucia.”

“Why?”

“That’s…” Han Ye-Sun couldn’t speak easily. “The situation… it’s… not... good… really not good...”

“That bad?”

“There’s a three-way fight.”

“...!”

“The Valhalla Kingdom… is fighting two forces right now… although… it’s more like they’re being beaten up one-sidedly…”

Kang Chul-In felt like he had been punched.

I didn’t hear wrong, right?

He didn’t know what kind of bullshit this was. How much effort had he put into stopping a three-way war? But it was happening anyway?

“A third party?”

“Yeah…”

“Is it…” Kang Chul-In spoke as if he realized who it was. “The Shatyameba territory? Overlord Lee Ji-Tae?”

“Y-You know?”

“So that’s what happened.”

He had thought it was strange. He should’ve realized it when some guy he’d never heard about became an Overlord after taking over Atal Ramanujan’s position.

“And the other one is the Gullveig Alliance, right?”

“No.”

“No?”

“It’s the Ancient Empire.”

He didn’t know what in the world she was talking about.

“You’re not saying… Saturnus, that damned guy, called himself an emperor and took over the Gullveig Alliance, are you?”

“You’re right.”

“...”

“The Gullveig Alliance doesn’t exist anymore.”

“As you heard.”

“I-I can’t believe it…!”

“Neither could I.”

It was true. It had taken a while for Kang Chul-In to accept the “truth.”

“But it was true.”

“Mm…”

“Anyway, the most important thing is to prevent the resurrection of Rindermergel.”

“What happens if he… resurrects completely?”

“The end of Pangaea.”

“...!”

“And…”

The reason why Kang Chul-In had to take over the Emperor of Blood and Iron’s mission escaped his mouth.

“The dead Agnaga will resurrect. To be exact, they won’t be resurrected, but new Agnaga will be born.”

“New Agnaga?”

“Rindermergel himself is Agnaga. He has the DNA of the dead Agnaga, and if he absorbs some energy, he can create new Agnaga. If that happens…”

“The Agnaga will come to Earth after taking over Pangaea?”

“There’s a 100% chance that will happen.”

It was true. That was the reason why Kang Chul-In had taken over the Emperor of Blood and Iron’s unfinished work. It was important to save Pangaea, but he couldn’t let the Agnaga invade Earth, could he?

“From the beginning, Earth and Pangaea were the same parallel worlds. They are connected because they’re not from different dimensions. That’s the reason why Dragon Lord Emilia was able to call us into Pangaea.”

“I-I see…”

“Anyways, as I said, Saturnus and Lee Ji-Tae are only small fish.”

“You have a way to defeat Saturnus and Lee Ji-Tae?”

“Now… I will defeat Saturnus.”

“R-Really?”

“5 minutes is enough.”

Kang Chul-In was sure of victory.

Because…magic

[Ectoplasm Oversuit, synchronization complete!]

His strongest artifact, this armor, had perfectly synchronized with his body.

[Physical strength, 400% increase!]

[Stamina, 300% increase!]

[Reaction speed, 180% increase!]

[Defensive power, 60% increase!]

[Resistance, 60% increase!]

Yes, the present Kang Chul-In was strong enough to be able to guarantee his victory in a fight against Saturnus.

Right now… I’m stronger than the Emperor of Blood and Iron.

After getting up from almost having died, he wasn’t afraid of anything. Furthermore, the Outrage Drive he was only able to use for one minute could now be used for five.

This was the reason why Kang Chul-In was scary. Every time he came back from death’s door, he would grow stronger.

“Lee Ji-Tae?” He had a sour smile. “He’s probably Cereb, the mind of Agnaga… that disgusting squid… kek!”

The Emperor of Blood and Iron’s memory was filled with information about Cereb. Kang Chul-In knew too well how he could bring the great mind of Agnaga down.

Saturnus? He would be finished after beating him up. Kang Chul-In wouldn’t be defeated anymore. It was showtime.

“I’ll return right away.” Kang Chul-In raised himself.

“W-Will you be okay?”

“Of course.”

He still had some pain left, but it would dissipate with some potions. There was no more time to waste. He had to leave now.

“You should rest for just one more day…”

Han Ye-Sun looked at Kang Chul-In with a regretful face.

“It’s not time to rest.”

“Still… it’ll be so tiring… you’ll have to do everything yourself… this isn’t fair… with Pangaea and Earth. You have to protect both worlds by yourself… that’s a heavy burden… I don’t know why you have to do it all alone… why…”

“Because I’m a Lord.”

“...!”

“That’s all.”

That was Kang Chul-In’s identity. The reason why he was living.

“I am the king of a land and the father of many citizens. I must take on the responsibilities if I want to rule.”

“O-Oppa…”

Han Ye-Sun painstakingly felt that Kang Chul-In was a Lord to the bones.

“Let’s go.” Kang Chul-In began to walk.

“To beat up Saturnus, that damned bastard, first.”

It had begun.

The salvation of two worlds, the path of Kang Chul-In, and the path of Blood and Iron.