CHAPTER 107
After finishing the reconstruction of Monghwagol, we began our journey back to the surface.
“Thank you, Saint-nim!”
“Next time you come, it’s on the house!”
The women of Monghwagol gave us an enthusiastic send-off.
I didn’t know what kind of “service” they meant, but I hoped they’d put that energy toward rebuilding instead.
I gave them a casual wave, and they waved back with bright smiles.
“Harua.”
Aranseol came and stood next to me.
She looked up at me intently, then nudged my side with her elbow.
“Aren’t you really a Saint now?”
“Why? Do I seem saintly?”
“That expression on your face looks pretty far from a saint’s, though.”
Aranseol giggled at my sly expression.
“This is something anyone with Holy Magic could do.”
I was only called a Saint because I looked to the distant future and readily rolled up my sleeves first. It wasn’t anything special, since any Holy Mage could have done it.
That’s why I didn’t place much significance on being called a Saint.
It was only natural for people to feel gratitude and express thanks when shown kindness. Whatever title they attached to it was just their own way of showing appreciation.
“And now, I’m going to do something that truly only I can do.”
The 2nd World.
The great battle between the Regular Army and Black Dawn that would take place there.
Resurrection magic was necessary for me to become the bait for that battle.
That was something only I could do.
“It’s a grand operation to be executed by some guy named Harua, who is neither a saint nor anything else.”
An operation to screw over the Black Dawn bastards in a big way.
As I smiled viciously, Babiyen looked at me and shook her head.
“Honestly, you have a decent face if you’d just stay quiet.”
“Hmm, is Harua-nim handsome-ssumka?”
“Well, his looks are fine, aren’t they?”
Why are these girls suddenly judging my face?
Still, I wasn’t sure if I should be happy about being complimented by Babiyen.
“I think Harua is handsome.”
Aranseol said with a playful smile.
I couldn’t tell if she was being serious or not.
In contrast, Lululio tilted her head and stared at me.
“Ah.”
Then, as if she’d thought of something, she sidled up to Horizon and whispered in her ear.
Horizon nodded with a look of understanding.
“Love goggles-ssumda.”
“Yes, I think that might be it.”
Girls, I can hear you.
Do you really have to put it that way, just because people have different tastes?
How tragic.
Anyway, amidst that boisterous atmosphere, we soon arrived at the stairs.
It was time to leave Nox and return to the surface once more.
There was no telling when Ririran would find Black Dawn’s headquarters.
Until then, I planned to go back and train as much as possible.
That was, until a pitch-black storm cloud began to form before us.
RUUUUMBLE!
The moment I saw the storm cloud, I knew.
Noir Nox.
The Owner of Nox had appeared.
“A storm cloud?”
“Th-This is…”
Aranseol reacted, and Horizon’s eyes widened.
Horizon already knew the cloud’s true identity.
Don’t tell me she remembers what happened with Soun and is trying to take me hostage.
This is the worst-case scenario.
She was on relatively close terms with the Red Flame Lord.
There was even a possibility she had found out about my Resurrection magic.
“Everyone, run! The Owner of Nox is coming for us!”
The moment I saw the cloud, I shouted and dashed upwards at full speed.
The others followed my lead, but the cloud was faster.
“Lululio!”
Lululio’s Ability could surely pierce through that storm cloud.
At my shout, Lululio had already drawn her spear and was spinning it.
“Breaking through at super speed-ssumda!”
The instant a stream of light shot out from her spear…
“Wait. Let us have a word, man of Resurrection magic.”
Noir’s voice pierced my ears.
So she knows.
“You stopped by Monghwagol, which means you have friends there, yes? Would it not be wise to avoid making an enemy of this one?”
Her words made my gaze fall on Horizon.
We had just been seen off by everyone in Monghwagol.
If Monghwagol were to be destroyed again, it would be irreversible.
But despite that, a grim smile spread across my lips. If she was bringing up hostages, it meant she wanted to make a deal.
“Let me say this upfront. I’m under the protection of the Regular Army. No matter if you’re the Owner of Nox, if you harm me, there will be no turning back.”

I stated my means of protection and swallowed hard.
Furthermore, I had heard one other fact before coming here.
She was hostile to Black Dawn.
Black Dawn were the ones who had turned her home, Nox, into a wasteland. And they had even stolen the artificial sun.
‘She must already know I’m hostile to Black Dawn from what happened with Soun.’
The moment I fought the Red Flame Lord directly, she would have grasped my stance.
At this point, why would Noir approach me, the one with Resurrection magic, directly?
Moreover, she could have approached us back in Monghwagol, but she deliberately waited until we were leaving.
‘The possibility that Black Dawn’s eyes are still in Nox.’
Noir didn’t want Black Dawn to see her making contact with us.
That clue led to the conclusion that it was safe to talk with her.
“So think carefully before you speak.”
I stopped running and raised a hand.
My eyes met Lululio’s. She gripped her spear and nodded. It was her signal that she would pierce the cloud at any moment if I gave the word.
Babiyen, Aranseol, and Horizon were also in their battle stances, ready to react to anything.
Seeing my four reliable companions, I quietly turned my gaze down the stairs.
Click-clack—
A moment later, the sound of heels grew closer.
A single woman was walking up.
A woman with a threatening appearance, covered in tattoos up to her neck.
The Owner of Nox, Noir Nox.
“Such menacing words. Still, to see through this one’s thoughts… you are a fine specimen. I desire your seed.”
At Noir’s remark, the hair on Aranseol’s head stood on end.
Her eyes wide, she stood beside me, quietly radiating killing intent.
Babiyen also showed an expression of undisguised annoyance.
But Noir paid them no mind and stopped on the stairs.
“Well, I desire something else for now, so we shall let it be. Man of Resurrection, you are hostile to Black Dawn. And you must wish to crush them.”
Noir had made an enemy of Black Dawn.
There was nothing to hide at this point.
“That’s right. And I don’t know what you’re talking about with this Resurrection magic.”
“Hah. If you’re going to play dumb, you should have been a bit more brazen about it. Did you not run rampant in Nox?”
“The one who ran rampant was the Sword Lord, not me.”
“The Dog Keeper.”
I clicked my tongue as she mentioned the name of the man I had personally finished off.
“I searched his brain for information. Most of it was lost when he died, but I still got what I needed.”
She says the most gruesome things so casually.
As expected of the ruler of the underworld, she didn’t even hesitate to dissect a corpse.
“Extracting memories from a dead brain is just too bizarre.”
“It can be done.”
Noir beckoned with her finger.
The black storm cloud brushed past her fingertips.
“You, who possess Divine Power, should know, should you not?”
Did she use an Apostle’s power?
Honestly, the powers of these Transcendents casually perform feats that defy human common sense.
“And the reason this one has sought you out now is for the same reason.”
“Are you here to talk about Divine Power?”
“Correct. Your Resurrection magic is a card this one absolutely does not want to fall into Black Dawn’s hands.”
Nox was already hostile to Black Dawn.
In such a situation, there was no worse scenario than the enemy obtaining Resurrection magic.
Noir was well aware of this, which was why she went out of her way to stop me. And she did it deliberately, away from the eyes of Black Dawn.
“Take this.”
The storm cloud that had gathered at her fingertip flew toward me.
Aranseol immediately stepped in front to block it, but I waved her back.
As one who wields Divine Power, I knew.
That storm cloud held no intent to harm me.
The cloud stopped in front of me.
Mimyong, who had emerged from my robes at some point, was staring at the cloud with curiosity.
“What am I supposed to do with this?”
“This one serves the Transcendent, the Radiance of Oblivion. By carving the power bestowed by my lord all over my body, I wield Divine Power.”
“Put your hand into the storm cloud. Then, the same tattoo will be carved upon you.”
Hey everyone, this person is trying to convince me to join a cult.
But I understood why she told me this.
“……Is this a safety measure to protect me?”

“Correct. You know how to use Apostle Transformation, don’t you? Once it’s carved, you will instinctively understand. Our Transcendent is quite generous.”
As someone who serves a Transcendent, it seemed she could see things others couldn’t.
“Black Dawn will surely target you. Now that this one has obtained this information, they likely have as well.”
I know.
This whole stage was set up to deliberately lure them in.
But there’s no harm in having one more safety measure.
“Aranseol.”
“Yeah. I definitely don’t sense any hostility.”
Those were the words of Aranseol, who was sensitive to animosity.
Noir genuinely did not want me to be captured by Black Dawn.
“If you don’t want me to fall into Black Dawn’s hands, wouldn’t it be better to just kill me here?”
I asked a frank question, to which Noir just scoffed.
“Then the Regular Army, not to mention Soun, would come to kill this one.”
“I heard that even the Sword Lord couldn’t do anything to you in Nox.”
“No, that is a different matter. From Soun’s perspective, this one is merely a difficult opponent. If he chose not to flee but to kill this one, I would be in danger as well.”
Noir was an extremely realistic person.
Her desire for Soun’s Seed was also based on a concrete future plan she had envisioned.
She was reckless, but perhaps this was just who she was.
Noir would not harm me.
She probably realized I had a plan, seeing me walk around so brazenly despite being targeted by Black Dawn.
She wasn’t the Owner of Nox for nothing.
I accepted her offer and put my hand inside the storm cloud.
Just as she’d said, a tattoo in the shape of a lightning bolt wreathed in storm clouds was carved onto my arm.

As a test, I drew upon my Divine Power and felt a presence different from before.
It was the sensation of two types of Divine Power flowing through my body.
The powers of the two Divine Powers seemed to repel each other.
And perhaps because of that, the moment I drew on my Divine Power, the two forces collided and the speed increased.
Is this what Noir was aiming for?
“If you infuse the tattoo with Divine Power, a storm cloud will form. Then you should be able to wield the power bestowed by the Radiance of Oblivion.”
Satisfied that I had received the tattoo, Noir turned around.
“This one’s gift is given. The rest is up to your fate.”

Watching her leave, I realized something.
This storm cloud wasn’t just a safety measure to protect me.
Noir was the Owner of Nox.
And Monghwagol was part of Nox.
This was her reward for me rebuilding Monghwagol.
Honestly, what a woman who can’t speak her mind.
I clenched my fist and turned around.
The gift was well received.
“Let’s go, everyone.”
Now it was time to return to the surface and wait for Ririran’s signal.
Until then, I’ll train as much as I can.

At least enough to be able to land a punch right in the faces of those Black Dawn bastards.