Chapter 31

“You must have liked him quite a bit, didn’t you?”

I heard a voice when I felt the presence. Heuk Seolhyang, who is sitting on the bed while meditating, opened her eyes and looked ahead. The closed door, in front of it, stood a woman in a white dress with short, platinum hair.

“Acacia.”

The Heuk Seolhyang called her name in a low voice. There was no sound of the door opening. The windows are also closed. No, if Acacia had invaded in that way, there is no way Heuk Seolhyang wouldn’t felt it. Acacia has always been vocal with her presence towards Heuk Seolhyang. As soon as she spoke, she showed up out of nowhere.

“Long time no see.”

Acacia smiled brightly as she soon as she called her. Without knowing whether she was showing courtesy or mocking, she bowed her head slightly, lifting the hem of her skirt with both hands. She frowned and glared at Acacia.

“My toy seem to be bothering you.”

“Weren’t you also pleased with him?”

With what Heuk Seolhyang said, Acacia quipped and asked again. She nodded her head without hesitation.

“He’s not that bad.”

She mumbled and rose up. Not bad, she said. Though she said it herself, she thought it was just a humble answer.

Ajin is the best.

The body that is given to players in this world right now is an avatar. It’s not a real body. But even if such a lie is given, the body itself is not different from the reality. He can grow overwhelmingly through levels, but it’s up to the player to get used to it and move around.

That is why, there is no natural talent for the body given in this game. In other words, the soul is particularly developed and the veins or what so ever are not that related to the avatar. If she have to consider it, all the bodies given in this world are extremely boneless. So it’s important to think about the difference between players.

It’s just the player’s own consciousness.

‘It’s quick to get used to him. I don’t want to spare any kind of effort.’

So Ajin quickly became stronger. She can’t deny that growth has the help of energy drains, Acacia and Heuk Seolhyang, but it’s Ajin who makes it his own and uses it, and had grown up.

“It is welcome gift for you, Hidden Peace, just adore him.”

Acacia smiled faintly. Hidden Piece. At the word she called her own, Heuk Seolhyang gritted her teeth. When she was first thrown into this world, she learned what the hidden piece, which she calls herself, meant. The first feeling she had after understanding it was great honor. But at the same time, she felt anger to the point of going crazy. There’s nothing she can do about it. She dominates a world and is considered one of the strongest in the world. The owner of 100,000 mountains, a hundred million Heavenly Demon Lord. Heuk Seolhyang, the person considered as the Ancient Golden Witch. She can’t help but feel humiliated because she is treated as a foundation for someone to grow up.

“…you better watch your mouth.”

“Aha? Does it feel bad to be called Hidden Peace? But I can’t help it. You’re a hidden piece.”

Acacia said so with a broad smile. The words surged into her like a storm breeze to her body. Sha! The red energy that centered around her was a huge, visibly dense. She opened her eyes that is smeared in crimson red and showed her teeth toward Acacia.

“I would have told you to watch out for the mouth, you naughty girl. Gladiolus won’t be able to recognize you if I were you!”

Looking at the overtly hostile Heuk Seolhyang, Acacia stepped back slightly. She is a bit burdensome towards Acacia. If she insisted to kill Acacia, it would cost Acacia considerable damage as well. No, maybe she will be wiped out if she is on this side. She didn’t need to provoke her.

“Yes, I’ll be careful. “Dear Heuk Seolhyang.”

Acacia looked slightly down. As Acacia took a low-key attitude, she stopped her rage. She took a deep breath and regained the strength she had loosened. The red aura, which had been covered around her, died down.

“…why are you here?”

“It’s just that, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? I was wondering how you’re doing.”

At Acacia’s answer, she briefly laughed.

“How am I? Well, I’m doing fine. Living like a dog with a leash stuck in this narrow island, I must say?”

She gnawed her teeth. What happened 20 years ago took a lot from Heuk Seolhyang. Her power, her position as a Magistrate leader, and the world she was born and living in.

Twenty years ago, the blood thirsty maniac was defeated by the Gladiolus. The Heavenly Demon God, who had made her an absolute ruler, was crushed in vain in the hands of Gladiolus, and the attack which she had earned with all her might did not even hurt the monster. She had an absolute sense of helplessness as if it had encountered a wall that could never be overcome. The humiliating and perfect defeat she felt for the first time in her life. The defeated Heuk Seolhyang had her left eye in plucked out in return of resistance, and thrown into this world.

And she is still constrained. She is never allowed to leave the island. So she got stuck on this island, and got the name Raconda.

“Well, that’s not my punishment. I can’t help it if you’re angry with me.”

Acacia replied with a bitter smile. It was Gladiolus who defeated the Heuk Seolhyang 20 years ago and dropped her into this world. It wasn’t just her. All the hidden pieces that were laid out in this world were defeated by the Gladiolus, and fell into this world as a hidden piece that had there hard earned belongings taken away.

“Aren’t you’re playing a pretty good role here? I thank you for that. Thanks to you, I have a better chance of winning.”

With what she said, Heuk Seolhwang gnawed his teeth. Frankly speaking, she didn’t like Acacia that much. To be exact, he did not like all Gladiolus and the five transcendentalists who followed him. Even if it was Gladiolus who put himself in trouble, it is no doubt that all the transcendentalists who follow him are trying to use her as hidden piece.

“…if you win, Gladiolus, the son of God, will lose his integrity. I’m sure it is, aren’t you?”

“Of course, the absoluteness he had, and what he gained is because he became God. If one of us becomes a god, his absoluteness naturally falls to the future generations.”

This is why she maintained the role of Hidden Piece and properly made Ajin her disciple. For the past 20 years, Heuk Seolhyang has only lived with the idea of killing Gladiolus. But no matter how strong she gets, she can’t kill Gladiolus. Because he’s a God. How can a man kill God? God doesn’t even have death as an option in the first place.

“Of course that’s the case when the winner of the five of us came out.”

Acacia made it clear. The ultimate goal of the game is to create a new God after Gladiolus. The force of the transcendentalists who do not have absoluteness is all the same, so there is no point in competing with each other who is stronger.

The choice is not to use one’s own force, but to use a substitute. It was Gladiolus who invented that kind of game.

The Evolution Of Mankind

The Magical Age

The Breeze of Murim

It is a virtual reality game with superpowers, magic, and exploits as the main characters. Throwing humans into the world of the game, and select talented people. The avatar created in the world made, how strong is the human being adapted to it? The purpose was that, and the detail was to search for a suitable agent. That’s how 1,500 people were chosen. The 1,500 are thrown into this world as beta testers, are competing with each other again.

“I know that. I decided to make Ajin the strongest. Not for your victory, but for my revenge.”

“You’ll have to try. You know that this world has only three weeks away, right?

Acacia giggled and laughed. Heavenly Demon is within the hands of Heuk Seolhyang. It is also known that the player’s information thrown into the world would be reset in three weeks.

“To avoid resetting, you need to be recognized for its value. Is  he really worth being used as an agent?”

The 1,500 beta testers were composed of people who excelled in the games they had played so far. But there are some parts in this world that have not yet been captured by the transcendent. Therefore, a month’s beta test determines the value of being a proxy, and the next official service reveals the world slowly. Among the countless number of humans that are pushed from there, they will find another useful gemstone.

To do so, the starting line needed to be the same. Therefore, the chosen method is reset. But there is a way to avoid the reset. If she’s looking for a perfect agent, they don’t have to search for another. For the best, that person can be treated as an insurance.

“Ajin will avoid resetting.”

Heuk Seolhyang assured. She continued, glaring at Acacia.

“I ordered him to catch the howling beast. A monster that’s not yet taken down, and if he kills it for the first time, he’ll know the value of Gladiolus.”

“You’re quite active, aren’t you?

“To be honest with you, I don’t care which of you five wins. Whoever becomes God, Gladiolus will lose his integrity. But… I took him as my disciple.”

She laughed, while her cheek twitched.

“If it’s for the best, he’d rather be a disciple I’ve raised.”

“Well, that’s good. I’m relieved if you work so hard for him.”

She’s here to confirm it. Is she really doing her best as a hidden piece? Does she intend to make efforts for her victory?

However, I think it was a useless idea. In the end, it’s called cowardice. Or is it just pride? She wants her student to be stronger than any other Hidden Peace player.

“What do you think your chances of winning is?”

“Thirty percent.”

Acacia answered without hesitation.

“Not just him, but other players are starting to reach the hidden pieces. Carleya’s toys are associated with Archmage Orcel, and so are Primrose’s toys. He contacted Esper Hasen. And so is Mrs. Chrysanthemum.”

“Everyone except Hyacinth.”

With what Heuk Seolhyang murmured, Acacia nodded her head.

“She’s not into this game. She doesn’t even seem to be that interested of being a God.”

“So that’s why it’s 30%. The other three toys…are in contact with the other Hidden Piece?”

“Yeah, but the problem is Gladiolus’ arrangement.”

Acacia laughed bitterly.

“There’s no guarantee that any of us will win. This game is designed because competition with Gladiolus itself is impossible, including our transcendental skills. In order to win in the end, we need to eliminate other competitors and eventually defeat Gladiolus’ arrangement.”

“So, 30 percent?”

“If we look at the possibility right now, it is 0. But if Ajin grows as he is now…”

Acacia’s eyes narrowed down.

“I’m sure of my victory.”