HBWnovel Chapter 518: Eighth Return, Earth (3)
Chapter 518: Eighth Return, Earth (3)
A soft voice echoed in the air, cutting through the tense atmosphere.
The mood chilled instantly, and the Guardians' expressions darkened.
“Are you... saying we’re weak?”
“Not weak. Not exactly.”
But only to a certain extent.
“You don’t seem like you’re strong enough to save a world. Did you really save all those worlds?”
“How dare you! Such insolent words!”
One of the Guardians, unable to contain himself, roared in anger. His grip on his weapon tightened visibly.
“Well, that’s how it feels to me. What do you want me to do about it?”
Amelia muttered nonchalantly, her face devoid of even a hint of tension.
Akrasian’s lips twitched as he struggled to suppress his emotions.
“...You’re bold.”
“Decently bold. There’s definitely someone who’s terrifyingly strong, though.”
“But you’re still frogs in a well. You can’t even save your own world.”
“That’s true...”
Amelia shrugged, unable to refute the claim. It was, after all, a fact.
“But that doesn’t mean you’re particularly strong either.”
“You...”
The air grew heavy with killing intent. The atmosphere was so taut it felt like a clash could erupt at any moment.
“You need to be taught a lesson.”
Akrasian began to draw his sword. Amelia watched the movement with an unnervingly calm demeanor.
But the sword was never fully unsheathed.
Taesan had appeared, silently watching them.
“Oh, Taesan.”
“K-Kang Taesan...”
Taesan said nothing, his emotionless gaze fixed on Akrasian. The weight of his stare caused sweat to bead on the Guardian’s brow.
For a moment, Taesan stood there in silence before turning and walking away.
Akrasian suppressed the rising tension within himself.
‘That was close.’
The Guardians served the Transcendents. Any reckless attack on his part could provoke their wrath.
Akrasian regained his composure.
“Say whatever you want. It doesn’t change the fact that you’ve failed to save even this small world, while we have saved countless others.”
It was an undeniable truth. Amelia didn’t argue further.
Still, doubt lingered in her mind.
“...I see now.”
Amelia nodded, as if understanding something. Akrasian, mistaking her reaction as a retreat, smirked.
“Do you truly think your experience and knowledge surpass ours? You can’t be that foolish. Reflect on this carefully.”
Silence fell over the group, heavy and oppressive.
***
The conclusion came easily enough.
Earth’s players decided to follow the Guardians’ lead.
It was the obvious choice. The Guardians had successfully defended countless worlds from the clutches of the Old Gods. In comparison, Earth’s players had failed to do so even once.
The disparity in achievements made defiance almost impossible. The collective decision was to obey the Guardians.
But there was one concern.@@@@
Players like Amelia and Lee Taeyeon, who had reached the labyrinth’s deeper floors, posed potential risks. Their resistance was a possibility, especially given Amelia’s evident distrust of the Guardians.
Yet, contrary to expectations, neither of them objected.
“I don’t care,” Amelia said, her tone indifferent. “Go ahead. Do whatever you like.”
“Doesn’t matter to me,” Lee Taeyeon added nonchalantly.
“...Are you sure? We’re going to follow their orders.”
“It’s not like we’ll be fighting them, right? Then I couldn’t care less. Of course, I’m not following them personally.”
“What did you say?”
“My master is Taesan.”
Amelia stated this without a shred of embarrassment.
She was Taesan’s sole apostle. She had given her soul to him, and everything she was belonged to him alone.
“The only one who can command me is Taesan.”
No one else mattered to her. No one else could bind her.
“Kim Hwiyeon, Oliver—you two were appointed by Taesan himself, so sure, I’ll tolerate you. But those guys? Not a chance.”
“Is that okay? What if it causes conflict...”
“And why would that matter?”
Her demeanor was indifferent to the point of being unsettling. Lee Taeyeon seemed no different.
While their attitudes caused some unease, the decision remained firm.
The Guardians began managing and directing the players.
With over a billion people, the initial process was chaotic. But thanks to Kim Hwiyeon’s assistance, the Guardians were soon able to establish control.
The journey to Greenland, beneath the rift in the sky, began.
As expected, their path was blocked by monsters.
[Roar!]
[Growl!]
[Monster 48881 has appeared.]
[Monster 97745 has appeared.]
[Monster 32319 has appeared.]
[Monster 47515 has appeared.]
Thousands of monsters charged directly at them. Akrasian seized his weapon eagerly, his expression confident.
“Behold, ignorant ones.”
His voice was proud and arrogant.
“This is our power.”
The Guardians rushed forward.
With astonishing speed, they collided with the horde of monsters.
Boom!
“We require attendants to bathe us.”
The Guardians had come to Earth claiming they were here to help. The players were willing to accommodate their demands out of gratitude.
But the Guardians’ behavior grew increasingly audacious, as if establishing a hierarchy with themselves at the top and the players as their subordinates.
Dissatisfaction began to mount among the players.
“What’s their problem?”
“Even if they’re here to help, isn’t this too much?”
The complaints eventually reached Kim Hwiyeon, who decided to seek out Diana.
“Do you know anything about them?”
“Yes.”
Diana shared what she knew. The Guardians were beings tasked with saving worlds from the Old Gods. They had even come to her world once.
“But my world wasn’t being destroyed by the Old Gods. It was a mistake on their part.”
She smiled bitterly.
“Still, they claimed they could save our world. In the midst of despair, people clung to the hope of survival and gave the Guardians everything they asked for—food, drink, treasure, even women.”
“Then... your world wasn’t destroyed?”
“No.”
Diana’s voice was calm.
“My world was destroyed.”
“What?”
Kim Hwiyeon’s eyes widened. Based on Diana’s story, there was no reason her world should have been destroyed.
“The reason is simple,” Beldenkia said with a sneer.
“When things started going downhill, those so-called saviors decided there was nothing worth saving and left.”
“But... they said they could save it.”
“They said it was possible. They never said they’d do it,” Beldenkia replied, her tone dripping with disdain.
“I didn’t care back then, so I didn’t argue. But they’re quite the hypocrites.”
Kim Hwiyeon fell silent. Diana’s voice grew cold.
“They are undoubtedly righteous. Saving worlds is no small feat. But they are not good.”
“And if they weren’t even righteous, I’d have crushed them myself,” Beldenkia added. “Barely tolerating them is as much as I can manage.”
“I... see.”
Kim Hwiyeon’s mind raced. Diana tilted her head, puzzled.
“What are you worrying about?”
“Pardon?”
“There’s no need to hesitate.”
“But they came to help us. Shouldn’t we listen to them...”
“No.”
Diana cut her off.
“We only listened to them because they were far stronger than us and capable of saving our world. That’s not the case for you.”
“...What are you saying?”
“Why are you obeying people weaker than you? To you, they’re nothing.”
Diana’s words carried no malice, only pure, uncomprehending curiosity.
***
“Bored...”
One of the Guardians grumbled.
Though monsters occasionally appeared, they were hardly a threat. Without danger, there was little to occupy their time. And with most sources of amusement already destroyed, there wasn’t much left to do.
“Hm...”
The Guardian clicked his tongue as his gaze drifted over the countless Earthlings passing by.
For a moment, he scrutinized them before making his move.
“You there. Come here.”
He pointed at a woman in the crowd. Startled, she glanced at herself, then pointed to confirm.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Leading her to a less crowded area, the Guardian spoke with a sense of entitlement.
“We are your saviors. We are protecting this dying world.”
“Uh... and?”
“In return, it’s only natural that you give us proper compensation.”
The greed in his expression made his intentions clear.
“Ah.”
The woman tilted her head slightly, her gaze sharpening as if understanding his request.
“No.”
“...What?”
The man’s face twisted.
“I said no.”
“You don’t seem to understand.”
The Guardian raised his fist, intending to intimidate her into compliance.
But the woman, Lee Taeyeon, showed no fear.
“You’re annoying.”
Her expression was one of pure disinterest, as if this entire situation was a waste of her time.
Lee Taeyeon lazily raised her hand.
Crash!
The next moment, the Guardian was sent flying into a nearby wall with a sickening crunch.
Meanwhile, Taesan had already arrived beneath the rift.
“Hm.”
The massive tear in the sky loomed above him, its edges shimmering ominously.
As he watched, it became clear that the rift was slowly growing larger.
Beyond it, he could feel an immense power emanating—a presence unlike any he had faced recently.
“The Gatekeeper.”
The entity guarding the rift.
“So, it’s that this time.”
Taesan muttered to himself, his gaze unwavering.