# Chapter 468: Side Story 141
At the time when Ju-hyeok was meeting with White Lord in Original Earth.
White Tower.
The summoned beings were gathered together, chatting.
Among them, Gyeon Dal-rae spoke with a face full of worry, revealing her concerns.
“This humble one’s worries are piling up like mountains these days.”
“Huh? Why’s that?”
“Because the Young Master seems to be becoming braver and braver…”
At Gyeon Dal-rae’s words, the other summoned beings nodded in agreement.
A brave summoner.
From a summoned being’s perspective, that was not entirely welcome news.
“The Dracoland conquest was the peak of it.”
He had charged in alone and beat down the Dragon God.
“Think back to that time. How dangerous was it? This humble one does not mind even if her body is torn apart, but just imagining what could have happened to the Young Master…”
The summoned beings furrowed their brows deeply.
“That’s not all, is it? In Fusion Earth, he participated directly in the match. And in this Skaldion dimension, he even faced the Demon God.”
The summoned beings’ expressions grew as serious as Gyeon Dal-rae’s.
“We’ve reached a dangerous level. If we keep standing by, something terrible will surely happen.”
That was right.
It was a situation that could not help but cause concern.
“We must stop the Young Master from stepping to the front lines. Even if we have to cling to his trouser legs to do it.”
However, Kozak’s opinion was somewhat different.
“Isn’t that all our fault?”
“…Our fault?”
“It’s because we’ve lost Summoner Bong-nim’s trust.”
“What do you mean?”
Then Kozak looked at Gwangma and asked.
“Gwang-yeongam-nim.”
“What?”
“If you and Summoner Bong-nim ended up fighting, what would you do?”
“Fight? Why would I fight the Summoner?”
“I said ‘what if.’ Imagine meeting him as an enemy.”
“Hmm.”
Gwangma thought for a moment.
“If the Summoner were my enemy and I met him alone… I would run away without looking back. A Summoner holding the Judge’s Mallet? This old man does not want to face him.”
Everyone agreed.
Who would feel differently?
Moreover, was he not also the owner of the Underworld Shipgant?
But Kozak did not look satisfied.
“You can’t run away. You fight with everything you have. Think of it as a life-or-death duel.”
“…Whew.”
After more thought,
“This old man would probably die.”
“And the Summoner-nim?”
“I could at least cut off a few of his fingers.”
So.
If they fought fiercely, Gwangma would die and Ju-hyeok would lose some fingers.
“What about you, Mae-yeongam-nim?”
“Same for me. I’d get my skull bashed in by the Judge’s Mallet, but the Summoner would have to accept at least third-degree burns.”
Choroki?
“…If the Summoner got hit by my breath, I could melt the clothes and equipment he’s wearing. Ah! Except the mallet.”
The same question was posed to Captain Vae.
“…Don’t force insubordination on a soldier.”
“It’s a hypothetical simulation. Run it through in your head.”
“Mm.”
She answered reluctantly.
“…If I fired the Sub-light Speed Bullet, the Commander would dodge it, but maybe it would graze his earlobe? Of course, I would die.”
To Gobang as well.
“A warrior does not fight the Summoner.”
“Say you do fight!”
“That will absolutely never happen.”
“Fine then. What would happen if you flicked Summoner Bong-nim’s forehead?”
“…The S-Summoner’s f-f-forehead would get b-bruised.”
Rajiks?
“Hoeeek!”
“Don’t get worked up…”
“Hueeeeeeeek!!!”
“Got it. The Dimensional Supreme Servant can be skipped.”
Kozak spoke with a bitter expression.
“See? Summoner Bong-nim is strong. Not a single person among the White Tower summoned beings can beat him one-on-one.”
The summoned beings finally understood Kozak’s point.
“Meanwhile, we’ve become weak. We’ve become useless. We should be ashamed.”
The atmosphere grew solemn.
“We’ve been too complacent. Summoner Bong-nim has been improving by leaps and bounds every day, yet we’ve been standing still.”
Not a single word was wrong.
“Look at this time too. One-tenth of the Demon God’s Divine Status got embedded in the Judge’s Mallet, didn’t it? His equipment has been upgraded. Summoner Bong-nim has become even stronger. In this situation, who is protecting whom? We have no shame.”
Every word was right.
“At this rate, we’ll all be discarded. Why? Because there’s no need for us. Why would he summon beings weaker than himself?”
A sense of crisis descended upon the summoned beings.
They felt anxious.
What if they really were discarded?
But at this point, a question arose.
“What about you, Kozak?”
“…Pardon?”
“Were you not always calling yourself Summoner Bong-nim’s right hand, second in the summoned being hierarchy, a founding contributor?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“You haven’t particularly improved either, have you? You’re not much different from us.”
Kozak bristled.
“I’ve already been adapting to the changed situation for a while now.”
“How so?”
“Shall I tell you?”
The summoned beings perked up their ears.
“Let’s hear it.”
“Hmm, it’s hard to explain in words.”
“Then?”
“I’ll show you through action. When Summoner Bong-nim returns…”
That was when it happened.
“What are you all gathered here for? Is something fun going on?”
It was Ju-hyeok.
He had just returned to White Tower after meeting White Lord at the temple in Original Earth.
Spat!
Kozak attached himself to Ju-hyeok’s side with lightning speed.
“Ah, Summoner Bong-nim, you’re back? You’ve worked so hard. Have you lost weight lately? My heart aches. Between the next Demon God selection, and the Dimensional Management Bureau work, and raising White Lord…”
Kozak laid on every kind of flattery.
The summoned beings tilted their heads.
Was that what he meant by showing through action?
It was just extreme brown-nosing dripping with grease.
Had he not always been a flatterer anyway?
What had changed…
“You’ve been working so hard, Summoner Bong-nim, and Gwang-yeongam-nim says strange things to you.”
“Oh? What did Gwangma-nim say?”
Kozak answered Ju-hyeok’s question with a composed expression.
“Well, he said that if he fought you one-on-one, Summoner Bong-nim, he would cut off your fingers.”
The summoned beings stared blankly with their mouths hanging open.
Gwangma in particular looked completely dumbfounded.
“Oh come on! Surely the elder didn’t say that?”
“He really did. I heard it clearly with my own ears.”
“Hahaha, I’m sure he was just joking even if he did say it.”
“There’s more. Do you know what Mae-yeongam-nim said?”
MacKenzie’s face went pale.
“He said he’d give you third-degree burns with his fire magic, Summoner Bong-nim.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s not a lie. No, I can’t lie.”
That was true, but.
“Captain Vae said she’d burst your earlobe with her Sub-light Speed Bullet, Summoner Bong-nim. Choroki said he’d melt all your clothes, and Gobang said he’d bruise your forehead with a finger flick…”
The parties involved fidgeted anxiously at the absurd exposé.
“Hahaha, I get the gist. I better watch my back.”
In truth, Ju-hyeok had figured it all out.
He could tell from the summoned beings’ bewildered expressions.
They had been duped by Kozak again.
That guy had some nerve anyway.
What would he do if Gobang actually flicked him once?
“Anyway, I need to go to Artia Kingdom first. I’ll call you later if I can.”
“U-uh, Summoner Bong-nim, I still have a lot to tell you…”
Spat!
Ju-hyeok disappeared.
Silence fell over White Tower.
A moment later.
Kozak turned back to the summoned beings with a grin.
“That’s my new way of adapting. If you want to be the best, if you don’t want to be discarded, put down the competition first. Then naturally, I rise to the top.”
Gazes passed back and forth in silence.
And then Gwangma spoke.
“Get him.”
Spat!
But Kozak had already been preparing to flee.
* * *
Ju-hyeok appeared in the rear garden of Artia Kingdom’s palace.
Why was he here?
Before leaving, he should at least say goodbye to Queen Serena.
One more thing.
He was going to ask her to change Delian Territory to a royal domain under the palace’s direct jurisdiction.
The residents of the territory needed to make a living too.
If the Queen herself looked after them, that would be reassuring.
However, Queen Serena was nowhere to be seen.
Only the World Tree stood there by itself.
In that case, before meeting the Queen.
‘Sillaiel.’
As if waiting, the Spirit King of Wind, Sillaiel, manifested.
– Ju-hyeok-nim, I was worried. I heard you went to the Demon Realm… –
“Oh! How did you know?”
– There are spirits in the Demon Realm too. They’re called Dark Spirits. –
“I see.”
– I’m relieved you appear to be unharmed. –
“Hahaha, I must have caused you needless worry.”
– Not at all. –
Anyway, time to say goodbye to the Spirit King as well.
“I’ll be leaving this dimension soon. I feel a bit sad, and I received so much help, so I wanted to say one last farewell.”
Bowing his head deeply.
“I sincerely thank you for everything you’ve given me.”
Silence.
Sillaiel said nothing for a while.
Then.
– Yes, it’s a pity, but there’s nothing to be done. I wish I could have spent more time with you, Ju-hyeok-nim. –
“Me too.”
– Actually, when I contracted with you back then, another contract offer came in as well. Do you remember? –
“Yes, I know. It was a summoned being contract, right?”
– Honestly, I considered it. Whether to accept the summoned being contract or not. –
Oh come on, why would you consider that?
A Spirit King becoming a summoned being.
– My heart was quite moved. A journey to other worlds—who wouldn’t be tempted? –
Was that so?
– But I soon gave up on that idea. My place is the Spirit Realm, and I have young ones who follow me. I don’t think I can join you. –
“Oh, of course. I understand.”
It was the same for him.
If someone told him to abandon White Tower and leave, he would slap them in the face right then and there and tell them to get lost.
– I’ve heard many interesting stories from you. Even after you leave, please do visit again sometime. –
Yes, yes, I’ll do that.
– Then I should give you a farewell gift. –
Whoa! A gift?
– I don’t know if it will be useful, but I’ll give you Spirit Power. In worlds where spirits exist, you’ll be able to identify spirits more easily, freely choose the attribute you want, and form contracts more easily. –
“No, you really don’t have to…”
In that instant!
Woooooooong!
A warm and refreshing energy transferred from Sillaiel’s fingertips to Ju-hyeok.
“Ah!”
And so, another energy seeped into Ju-hyeok’s body.
– Then, farewell. It was short, but I enjoyed our time together. –
“W-wait!”
Spat!
Sillaiel disappeared.
“…She’s gone.”
I didn’t even prepare a gift.
Well, if he ever came back, he could prepare something nice and return the favor then.
Now, the next matter of business.
Someone had been behind him for a while now.
Queen Serena, that was.
He had pretended not to notice while talking with Sillaiel.
Ju-hyeok turned his head as he spoke.
“Queen Serena, I was actually going to come see you directly…”
“P-please help me.”
“Huh? With what?”
“Nerian Artia-nim.”
“Huh?”
Nerian Artia.
A dimensional traveler and the older sister of the newly appointed Demon God.
But she was asking for help?
Had something happened?
“She was found collapsed in the rear garden and still hasn’t woken up.”
“…Where is she now?”
“Th-this way.”
Serena guided Ju-hyeok.
The place she led him to was the Queen’s bedchamber inside the palace.
A pale-faced elf lay there.
It was her.
The same appearance he had seen in the one-tenth Demon God Kallihar’s memory vision.
But.
‘What on earth?’
Setting aside that her complexion looked bad.
‘A mechanical arm?’
What was that?
It was frightening.
‘What kind of High Elf…’
A robot? No, a cyborg?
“I gave her the Elixir you gave me before, but there’s been no improvement.”
So even Elixir had not worked.
In that case?
‘Need to call someone.’
He would get her treated.
She was a fellow dimensional traveler, after all.
Spat!
Mari, the greatest alchemist in the dimension, appeared beside Ju-hyeok.
“…Mm.”
The moment she was summoned, Mari saw Nerian lying on the bed.
And she understood why Ju-hyeok had called her.
“I’ll take a look.”
Approaching the bed, she placed her hand on Nerian’s face.
“It’s Mana Overflow.”
“Overflow?”
“Yes, there are also symptoms of Qi Deviation.”
“I see.”
That must be why the Elixir had not worked.
For a patient with Mana Overflow, an Elixir was poison.
“Is there a way to cure it?”
“If it were a normal mage or martial artist, it could be treated easily, but this person is too powerful.”
Meaning that the higher one’s level, the harder it was to cure Mana Overflow or Qi Deviation.
“There is one method that might work.”
“What is it?”
“If it’s a Seondo…”
That was right.
What was the characteristic of Immortal Energy contained in the Immortal Peach?
It was harmony.
A Seondo could do it.
To feed it to her, there was no choice but to bring her to White Tower.
Ziiing!
Ju-hyeok opened a dimensional gate with the Judge’s Mallet.
And as he was about to pick up the lying Nerian.
“…I’ll carry her.”
Mari quickly picked up Nerian.
“Go in first.”
“Okay.”
But,
Thunk.
“…Hm?”
Nerian’s body caught on the gate and would not go through.
Why would it not go in?
It could not be because of Mari.
It was because of Nerian.
‘Could it be?’
Was it because of the Residence Rights?
Kallihar had not needed them, though.
He summoned Rajiks.
Spat!
“Hoe!”
The Dimensional Supreme Servant Rajiks appeared with his hand raised high.
“You have a Residence Rights pass, right? A one-month one.”
“Hoeng.”
Swish!
The Residence Rights was out.
The problem was that Nerian had to accept it.
That was the only way to register her.
“Give it to me.”
Ju-hyeok handed the Residence Rights to Mari.
Mari pressed it firmly into Nerian’s hand and whispered something in her ear.
Though she was in a semiconscious state, her brow twitched at the words whispered by a fellow High Elf.
A moment later.
Swish, swish,
Nerian’s name inscribed itself on the one-month rental cardboard pass.
“It’s done.”
“Hurry and go in. Once inside, pick a Seondo and feed it to her.”
“Okay.”
This time it did not catch.
Swoosh!
Mari carrying Nerian entered the dimensional gate.
Before going in,
Ju-hyeok looked at Queen Serena.
“Don’t worry. We’ll treat her.”
“…Uh, y-yes.”
“Oh! And I have one request.”
“Wh-whatever you need, please tell me.”
“I’ll be leaving this dimension… so could you change Delian Territory to a royal domain and manage it on my behalf?”
“Y-yes, understood. I’ll manage it well.”
“Then, goodbye! I’ll come back again sometime.”
Swoosh!
Ju-hyeok also went inside.
At the same time, the dimensional gate closed with a swish.
Queen Serena Artia was left alone.
“…Whew.”
She let out a sigh of relief.
In truth, she had so many questions.
She wanted to pass through that gate and go with them.
But she could not abandon the kingdom and leave her post.
‘It’ll be fine.’
He had said he would come again later, so she could satisfy her curiosity then.
* * *
Ju-hyeok came to White Tower.
Mari and Nerian were in the White Tower plaza with the other summoned beings.
They were currently squeezing the juice from a Seondo to feed her.
He walked closer.
“How is she?”
“Her energy is calming down. She’ll recover soon.”
“That’s a relief.”
Indeed, color was returning to her face.
She would wake up once some time passed.
“Summoner, this elf—isn’t she the elf from Kallihar’s memory vision?”
“That’s right. Nerian Artia, a dimensional traveler.”
“But why does she look like this…?”
Gwangma pointed at the ravaged mechanical arm.
“Is it Magical Engineering?”
Then El spoke up.
“No, it’s similar but different. It’s like the devices of scientific civilization reminiscent of Original Earth.”
A cyborg as he had suspected?
A human implanted with machines or electronic devices.
Well, she would wake up and tell them.
By the way, one summoned being was missing.
Kozak, who would always come running first whenever Ju-hyeok arrived at White Tower.
Right then!
A strange sight caught Ju-hyeok’s eye.
“…Huh?”
Something was dangling from a rope in the middle of the plaza.
It swung back and forth like a pendulum.
Looking more closely,
“…Kozak-ssi?”
Why was he hanging there?
Had he fainted? He was not dead, was he?
Gwangma spoke with an embarrassed smile.
“Don’t worry, he’s not dead.”
“…”
What was he supposed to do about that?
He had always known it would come to this someday.
Tsk tsk.
He had been dodging well all this time, but it seemed he had finally been caught.
Even if it was clearly his own doing, it pained his heart.
“We’ll let him down after hanging him a bit longer.”
Yes, yes.
At least he was not dead, so that was fortunate.
When would Nerian wake up?
Should they feed her one more Seondo?
While he was waiting like that.
“Um, J-Ju-hyeok-nim.”
Someone approached Ju-hyeok hesitantly.
It was Kallihar, the one-tenth Demon God who had suddenly become a dimensional stray.
“What is it?”
“U-um, could I perhaps stay in White Tower?”
“You’re already staying here.”
“B-but I feel like I’ll be kicked out soon, so if you would show mercy…”
Hmm.
It seemed White Tower was pushing Kallihar out.
Well!
This place still retained White Lord’s divine power, after all.
He had been enduring with his one-tenth Divine Status until now, but this meant he had reached his limit.
He would need Residence Rights to stay for long as well.
Should he give it to him or not?
‘Let’s give it to him.’
Main God Wignar had told him to destroy Kallihar, but how could a person do that?
He felt sorry for him too.
“Do you want to stay here?”
“Yes, i-if possible, for a long time… I’ll even accept a summoned being contract.”
A summoned being was a bit much.
An existence that had once been a god.
That was even more than a Spirit King.
“I’ll at least get you a one-month Residence Rights pass.”
“Wh-what about the summoned being contract?”
“Let’s think about that over time.”
“Oh, y-yes.”
In that instant!
“Summoner-nim, the elf opened her eyes!”
It seemed she had finally woken up.
Now he could ask her.
What had happened to make her end up like this.
