CH 328

The enemy who had threatened Rome and the entire world—Gabriel—was dead. The angel kind had gone extinct, and all the God’s Tears addicts had turned into monsters and had subsequently been killed. The long and tedious battle was over.

Gi-Gyu and his creatures had won, but Tao Chen looked around and muttered, “The only thing left is the scar of the war, I suppose.”

The word “victory” sounded sweet, but the survivors only received scars as a reward. The entire city of Rome had burned down, leaving its people homeless and mourning the loss of their families.

As if it was apologizing, the Colosseum turned into dust and disappeared. Perhaps it was a miracle it had stood this long. After all, this was where Gabriel, who used to possess God-like power, and Gi-Gyu, who had killed him, had battled. The Colosseum had withstood many incredible fights. The Italian Association’s dozens of overlapping barriers used to protect it, but it still should have collapsed long ago. It had lasted this long because Gi-Gyu, El, and the others had made a huge effort to protect it.

Tao Chen continued, “It’s turning into dust now.”

The Colosseum scattered away almost immediately after the last battle as if it was drained of its life. Rome looked empty after its disappearance. It was broad daylight, but it was eerily silent. Most of the evacuees had already been transferred to Eden, which was partially why it was so quiet. But there were still some citizens in the city, and players with enhanced hearing could hear them sobbing and screaming.

Rome was in a terrible state. It had been absolutely wracked, and many of its citizens were buried under its debris.

Du du du du du.

“They are finally here.” Tao Chen looked up at the sky unhappily as the helicopters arrived. Now that the situation was under control, the European Players Association (EPA) finally sent their players to help. Players from other countries had arrived much earlier to help, but that was because they were personally acquainted with Gi-Gyu. The association itself sent help only then.

Tao Chen muttered angrily, “They’re disgusting.”

Gi-Gyu placed his hand on Tao Chen’s shoulder and thanked him, “Thank you for your hard work.”

Still looking unhappy, Tao Chen replied, “It was you who worked the hardest.”

Gi-Gyu didn’t look pleased either; he was shaking. Even Tao Chen could tell that Gi-Gyu was in bad condition. His battle against Gabriel had ended quicker than expected, but that didn’t mean it had been an easy battle.

Tao Chen whispered, “You need to go rest. Your body isn’t doing so well right now.”

“Thank you for your support.” Gi-Gyu nodded and walked away. Many of his creatures had already returned to Eden. Tao Chen stayed behind with Gi-Gyu to help till the end. Most of the other players who had fought the angels and the monsters were also gone.

“Why don’t you let the EPA players take care of the aftermath?” Tao Chen suggested as he followed Gi-Gyu.

Whir.

A giant gate appeared in front of Gi-Gyu, and the duo entered it. With Gabriel’s death, this land, where the Colosseum and the Italian Association were once located, has become his landmark.

***

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

The ground shook.

“Master…!”

“Grandmaster…!”

Many of Gi-Gyu’s creatures ran to greet him, addressing him by different names. Gi-Gyu entered the gate to see thousands of his soldiers lined up. Behind them stood some players, including Choi Chang-Yong, Kim Sun-Pil, and Go Hyung-Chul, who also bowed to welcome him.

“...” Gi-Gyu stared at them in surprise. Tao Chen, who followed from behind, jabbed his waist lightly.

“Oh,” Gi-Gyu whispered like an idiot. But he quickly recovered and added, “Good job, everyone.”

His voice was soft, but everyone could hear how it shook. Those kneeling with their heads bowed deeply looked up.

They looked at their king and God adoringly. Gi-Gyu looked at each of them before continuing, “I would like to show my appreciation again for all of your hard work.”

Everyone looked exhausted. Thankfully, Gi-Gyu’s creatures had recovered quickly after returning to Eden. The players were also well on their way to recovery. But none of them could hide their emotional fatigue. They also hadn’t had the chance to mourn their friends.

“But…!” Suddenly, Gi-Gyu roared, making his soldiers and the players jolt. Gi-Gyu had never raised his voice like this before. They all gazed at Gi-Gyu, their eyes glowing.

“The war isn’t over yet. For now, focus on recovering, but don’t forget to train thereafter.”

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“...”

“There is one more battle left,” Gi-Gyu yelled again. “You must all prepare for it. And once this fight is over, we can finally rest.”

His words were filled with power and motivated everyone deeply. Not waiting for an answer, Gi-Gyu walked away. His soldiers in armor and Eden’s monsters split to create a path for him. They all bowed their heads again as Gi-Gyu walked by.

Gi-Gyu could feel everyone’s determination. He murmured, “Thank you, everyone.”

He walked toward the Sephiroth Tree, where El, Lou, and other major figures waited.

“Haha…” Tao Chen laughed awkwardly. “I guess we’re really close to the finish line.”

Tao Chen could feel Gi-Gyu’s determination. The incident in Rome and meeting Kronos had seemingly changed something in Morningstar.

‘I wonder what happened when he met with Kronos.’ 

***

It had been a day since the incident in Rome, which was still uninhabitable. Gabriel was dead, but divine energy still plagued Rome. It had also become Gi-Gyu’s landmark, so Rome was not a safe place to live yet. Therefore, the Roman citizens couldn’t live here, but they were happy to stay in Eden.

Meanwhile, Gi-Gyu was having a meeting with Paimon.

“How do you feel?” asked Paimon.

“I’m all right.”

“You’re bluffing.” Paimon raised his glasses and smirked. “You fought a God-like creature and won, didn’t you? So your body can’t be doing so well.”

Paimon was right; Gi-Gyu was shaking. To defeat Gabriel, he had awakened the Saint Mode. Although the Saint Mode was stable, it required him to use more power than he possessed. Therefore, it took a huge toll on his body.

Of course, if he had used the Berserk Mode, he would have been much worse off.

‘I might have died,’ Gi-Gyu thought with a shiver. The Berserk Mode forced Gi-Gyu to burn his power. He still would have won, but he probably would have died too.

“But you must be doing better than I thought.” Paimon looked at Gi-Gyu with interest. “You won such a significant battle, and all you feel is a bit of instability. That’s a win in my book.”

“...”

“Can you tell me what happened?” Paimon’s eyes turned sharp.

Gi-Gyu remained quiet for a while before he said, “Gabriel failed to contain the power.”

“...”

“His condition was precarious, and that same power swallowed him whole in the end.”

Paimon nodded. “He may have been a doll, but that doll had power comparable to God. It couldn’t have been an easy battle for you. Hmm…”

Paimon examined Gi-Gyu and said, “You had a high chance of winning. But that battle should have taken longer, and you should have been more severely injured. Yet…”

Studying Gi-Gyu with interest again, Paimon added, “The fight ended too quickly. It almost felt… futile.”

Was that an accurate term to describe their fight? It had been a short battle, but it was the most vicious fight Gi-Gyu had ever experienced. But when he thought about it, Gi-Gyu agreed, “Yes, you’re right. It felt futile.”

He had killed Gabriel too easily and quickly.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to,” Paimon offered after reading Gi-Gyu’s face; he looked troubled.

Trying to change the subject, Paimon announced, “Okay, so these are the creatures I used in Rome.”

The creatures were why Gi-Gyu had visited Paimon today. Paimon escorted Gi-Gyu to a giant tent and opened it. Inside, creatures with incredible sorcerous energy stood.

“Leviathan and Belphegor…” Gi-Gyu watched them with interest. These were the reinforcements Paimon had brought to save Rome. Instead of the exhausted players and Gi-Gyu’s creatures, these cloned hell kings had fought the monsters and angels under the necromancers’ control.

“That’s right,” Paimon replied, looking proudly at the army of Leviathan and Belphegor clones. All Paimon needed to create these clones was the proper material and Gi-Gyu’s permission; he had gotten both.

“Of course, they aren’t as effective as the ones I created before. They can’t fight for too long and are lacking in many other ways,” Paimon explained. He was no longer using his old cloning method, which required him to sacrifice demons and humans to create a new shell.

“This new version is… like a rechargeable battery. And there is only a limited number I can produce.” Paimon seemed disappointed. With Gi-Gyu’s power and the energies in Eden, he could create and charge these clones without sacrifices. Their disadvantages were clear, but these soldiers were still powerful enough to be worth the trouble.

“How many more can you make?” asked Gi-Gyu.

“Hmm…”

“I don’t think we’ll have much time. Please do your best.” Gi-Gyu turned around. He had a look at Paimon’s clones, so his business here was done.

Gi-Gyu had his back turned around when Paimon asked, “That soon, huh?”

“Yes.” Gi-Gyu didn’t bother turning around to face Paimon. “I’m going after Kronos presently.”

Gi-Gyu left the room. Left alone in the tent, Paimon smiled bitterly and muttered, “Then I guess I better make a masterpiece.”

***

Gi-Gyu held something in his hand. It was a broken piece, but it looked like a cup. It looked clunky yet holy for some reason.

Gi-Gyu whispered, “The Holy Grail.”

Gabriel had turned into dust after his defeat, leaving behind only the Holy Grail.

At that moment, it was shaking. It used to be the symbol of the king—the angel king. The angels considered it a treasure, and it had made Michael very powerful.

But things were different now.

“Everything is trapped inside the holy grail,” Gi-Gyu said to himself

Gabriel had absorbed El’s world. He had stolen this dimension’s essence and the souls and powers of all angels. And now, all of these things were trapped inside the Holy Grail. If it were anything else, it couldn’t have held so much; thankfully, the grail contained everything while remaining intact.

El asked dryly, “Do you think Gabriel arranged this?”

Both Gi-Gyu and El were looking at the grail.

“I’m certain Gabriel gave up everything toward the end. More accurately, it looked like he lost his purpose,” El continued.

This was how Gi-Gyu had achieved an easy victory. His opponent had power comparable to God but didn’t know how to wield it properly. It still didn't make sense, even if he was a puppet. It was as if he had given up on trying.

“It looked like he wanted to die by your hand, Master,” El explained. It was as if he was aiming for this exact result, leading Gi-Gyu to victory.

“Haa…” Gi-Gyu sighed deeply. There was only one way to find the truth. “I think Gabriel’s soul is also inside the Holy Grail.”

If Gi-Gyu could revive Gabriel’s soul, he could hear the truth.

“But no matter how much I try, I can’t seem to sync with him,” Gi-Gyu added as he looked at El. The souls of the angels, including those of Gabriel and the archangels, were inside the holy trail. Gi-Gyu had tried to sync with them to bring them back, but even now, when he could force-sync, it wasn’t working.

The system kept announcing.

[Unable to sync]

Gi-Gyu also couldn’t sync with the Holy Grail. So he contemplated for a long time before finding the answer. Gi-Gyu looked to the side where a man was sleeping like a corpse. This man had been raised by Gabriel, had Gabriel’s real body, went by El’s real name, and was the master of the Holy Grail until recently.

‘And his real name is Raphael.’ 

Before Gabriel had died, he had pointed at Michael and called him Raphael. Raphael was the only one who hadn’t betrayed El. He was the one who had helped El stop Gabriel.

And ultimately, he had gotten stuck in the pit of Chaos with El.

El’s eyes wavered. Gi-Gyu walked to Michael, who was resting on the bed.

‘Who…’ Gi-Gyu asked, ‘...are you?’ 

Gi-Gyu was curious about the man named Micheal in Gabriel’s body, whom Gabriel had called Raphael.

“You must tell me now,” Gi-Gyu whispered as he pushed the Holy Grail into Michael’s chest.