[Trantor - Helga ]


    [Proofreader - Lucky]


    Chapter 195


    The Next Evening


    Han Chanyul logged out of Tevend.


    While ying the game, he felt a disturbing presence that kept bothering him.


    "An uninvited guest has arrived."


    At his words, ta’s eyes burned with hostility.


    “Traitors.”


    ta unleashed his blood magic toward the front door.


    Min Kyungsoo, who had been holding a meeting in one of the rooms, rushed into the living room, startled.


    “What the hell? What’s going on?”


    “It might get a little noisy.”


    The executives who followed Min Kyungsoo out of the room stood there, confused by the tense atmosphere.


    It felt like the moments right before a fight breaks out.


    Beep!


    Without any passcode, the front door automatically swung open.


    A woman, dazzlingly beautiful, confidently stepped inside.


    Behind her were a distinguished man in a formal suit, a university student, a middle schooler, an elderly man, and a young girl.


    People of various ages stood in a straight line, exuding authority.


    One of the executives standing behind Min Kyungsoo gasped in shock upon recognizing the elderly man.


    “Th-the chairman of Daehan Group!?”


    Even Min Kyungsoo knew who that was — the chairman of Daehan Group, the top-ranking corporation in South Korea.@@novelbin@@


    Daehan Group was more powerful and wealthy than SG Group and was undoubtedly the number one conglomerate in the country.


    And now, the chairman himself was standing in Min Kyungsoo’s home.


    But that wasn’t the only surprise.


    “Gasp! That’s actress Lee Gabin!”


    “Even the Hunter Association President is here…”


    The executives couldn’t stop muttering in astonishment.


    Yet what happened next left everyone utterly speechless.


    All of the uninvited guests dropped to their knees in unison.


    “We have awaited the return of our Master.”


    Every gaze in the room shifted to Han Chanyul.


    Because he was the one they were addressing.


    ta stepped forward, fury radiating from him.


    “Traitors! How dare you show your face here?”


    ta unleashed his blood magic, the crimson aura surging toward the group.


    But nothing happened.


    The woman, Lee Gabin, opened her eyes wide, and ta’s power dissipated instantly, as if it had never existed.


    “You—!”


    ta, enraged, tried to release his power again, but—


    “What is your purpose here?”


    Han Chanyul’s voice cut through the tension, stopping ta in his tracks.


    He directed the question at the kneeling visitors.


    Snap!


    Lee Gabin snapped her fingers.


    A barrier formed around them, ensuring that no outsiders could eavesdrop on their conversation.


    Then, she spoke.


    “We have waited for centuries for our Master to awaken. The moment we realized you had awakened, we came running.”


    “That’s all?”


    “Yes.”


    “Then leave.”


    “…What?”


    “Didn’t you hear me? Go back to living your lives as if we’ve never known each other.”


    “…Are you abandoning us?”


    Han Chanyul shook his head


    “I simply want to live a peaceful life. When I returned from Tevend to this world, the Celestial King didn’t erase my memories. You know exactly what that means.”


    Han Chanyul locked eyes with the woman, his gaze firm and unyielding.


    “He wants to use me and take you all out myself.”


    “I refuse to be a pawn in his ns. So let’s go our separate ways. But know this — if any of you interfere in my life, I will take your lives without hesitation.”


    His aura surged with power.


    Unlike ta’s energy, which was easily scattered, Han Chanyul’s power pressed down on everyone in the room with suffocating force.


    A shiver-inducing destructive energy filled the air, weighing down on their bodies like a crushing force.


    “As you wish, Master. We will act ording to our own will as well.”


    “Is that a challenge?”


    “Of course not. As I said before, we have waited for you for a very long time. While Bu-er may think we betrayed him, we’ve merely been preparing for your arrival in this world.”


    Han Chanyul’s eyes darkened. His voice dropped coldly.


    “Because of you, my grandmother died.”


    “That was the work of the Celestial Realm. Our legion is strictly controlled. The low-level creatures emerging from the gates have nothing to do with us.”


    “Is that true?”


    Han Chanyul’s gaze shifted to the young man who looked like a university student.


    “Sayatan, you speak.”


    Sayatan, one of the most loyal subordinates — just like Bu-er — stepped forward and bowed deeply.


    “There is not a shred of falsehood in our words. We have done nothing but eagerly wait for your awakening, my Lord.”


    Han Chanyul narrowed his eyes and nced at the group of strangers standing behind Sayatan.


    “What’s the reason you brought those people along?”


    “They are followers we’ve gathered in this world. We brought them here to serve as your hands and feet, to handle mundane tasks. We would never dare to offend our Master.”


    ta’s fury erupted, and he shouted in protest.


    “Don’t trust them! They knew of your suffering and still turned a blind eye!”


    Han Chanyul let out a bitter chuckle.


    “Do you really think the machines SG Games created were born from human ingenuity alone? The energy required to distort the world’s bnce can’t be harnessed by ordinary hunters. Their magic power simply isn’t enough.”


    Sayatan spoke calmly.


    “Do you mean to say that you orchestrated my awakening?”


    Han Chanyul’s voice was filled with bitter rity.


    Lee Gabin joined the Conversation


    “We were told that you would be reborn not in Tevend, but in this world. Following those words, we’ve been preparing for your awakening here.”


    ta tried to argue again, but Han Chanyul raised a hand to stop him.


    “My desire is peace. So, don’t interfere with me.”


    “You n to leave Tevend as it is, correct?”


    “Coexistence.”


    “I knew that’s what you would choose, Master. That’s why we’ve already made the necessary preparations.”


    “What do you mean?”


    “We’vepleted the transfer of the Tevend servers. Amon here”—she gestured toward the distinguished man in the suit—“purchased SG Games from the SG Group’s chairman.”


    Han Chanyul’s eyes narrowed.


    “He handed it over that easily? Even the forced awakening program?”


    “All of SG Games’ researchers were already affiliated with Daehan Group. And with Bergo as the Hunter Association President, we pushed an audit that left him no choice but to surrender it.”


    Han Chanyul let out a dry chuckle.


    “You saved me from a lot of trouble.”


    He turned his gaze toward Min Kyungsoo.


    Min Kyungsoo had been tirelessly strategizing to take over the SG Group, crafting ns to ensure his father’s downfall.


    It was all nearing its final stages.


    But any dy could cause things to spiral out of control.


    He had also been trying to poach SG Games’ development team, but their identities had remained elusive.


    This process had been dragging on longer than expected.


    “Handle things with that guy yourself.”


    “Yes, understood.”


    Lee Gabin replied reluctantly, her expression uneasy.


    Although it was an order from her Master, she couldn’t shake her difort. After all, the target was a human.


    Even though they had endured hardships together in Tevend, she had always believed it was a mere coincidence that he had been possessed alongside them.


    She assumed the Celestial Realm had simply made a mistake while ying one of their twisted games.


    However, what Han Chanyul said next made her freeze in shock.


    “That guy doesn’t have his memories back yet, but he is the King of the Netherworld, the Fallen realm.”


    “What!?”


    “The damn Celestial Realm.”


    “They’vepletely lost it. Are they trying to destroy themselves? What will they do if he awakens midway?”


    The group fell silent, swallowing nervously.


    The King of the Netherworld was infamous, second only to their Master himself.


    His personality was cruel and erratic — even more so than Han Chanyul’s.


    And he had a dark, ominous presence that made all beings, regardless of rank or origin, dread him.


    Even in his previous life, he had been feared by every realm.


    Now, he was here once again.


    “There’s no need to be wary of him. Just think of him as a business partner.”


    “Then, may we begin now?”


    “What do you mean?”


    Han Chanyul tilted his head in confusion.


    But instead of answering, the group exchanged nces and smiled knowingly.


    ***


    The luxurious penthouse was filled with expensive liquor andvish snacks.


    “Let’s drink until we drop! Today is a day to celebrate!”


    “Why drop? It’s a happy day, and I n to live a long life. You go first.”


    Min Kyungsoo’s inner circle could barely keep up with the atmosphere.


    “Drink up! Since you’re close to my lord’s friend, let’s get along from now on.”


    “Y-yes, of course.”


    These weren’t ordinary guests — they were some of the most powerful figures in South Korea, people capable of shaking the country with a word.


    Seeing them all gathered in one ce, acting friendly and approachable, left Min Kyungsoo’s aides stunned and unsure of how to behave.


    “Bottoms up!”


    “No breaks! Keep pouring!”


    The liquor flowed endlessly.


    These weren’t ordinary people — they were monsters.


    No matter how much whiskey and spirits they downed, they showed no signs of getting drunk.


    Amidst the chaos, Min Kyungsoo quietly approached Han Chanyul.


    “Seriously, who are they?”


    “Old subordinates.”


    “I thought you were just a desk jockey in some smallpany.”


    “I was.”


    “Then how the hell do you know monsters like them?”


    Han Chanyul simply smiled, saying nothing.


    Frustrated, Min Kyungsoo pressed on. He knew Han Chanyul’s nature, but he wasn’t one to let things go easily.


    Of course, it was Min Kyungsoo who eventually gave up.


    “Ah, forget it. You’re such a pain, always full of secrets.”


    After taking another drink, he asked a more serious question.


    “You’re striking tomorrow, right?”


    It was a story about thepany.


    “We don’t need to prepare anything else, so don’t you think we should move right away tomorrow?”


    “Thanks for your help.”


    “It’s nothing I did. I’m the one who should be thanking you.”


    The two of them smiled brightly.


    Now, they were really running toward the end.


    “I want to rest a bit after this. You do too, right? You’ve been running without rest.”


    Min Kyungsoo’s question made Chanyul pause for a moment in thought.


    ‘Tevend can be a reality or remain a virtual world depending on my will. If I continue connecting the lines of the world like this…’


    He could live as Kane Rehinar.


    But this was his past life.


    If he connected Earth and Tevend, they might end up fighting each other.


    This was the Celestial King’s scheme.


    He didn’t want Chanyul to live peaceful.


    ‘What if I leave it as a virtual world?’


    Re-release it without the forced awakening program.


    Would it even be popr?


    Chanyul had many thoughts.


    As he kept pondering, his thoughts began to lean in one direction.


    ‘It’s better to leave it as a virtual world.’


    He might cause worse oues because of his own greed.


    “I have a question.”


    “You? What is it?” Kyungsoo replied.


    “Is there no way to save Tevend without the forced awakening program? A way for everyone in the world to enjoy it.”


    “There is, but it’s impossible.”


    "You said it yourself, didn''t you? Tevend was a game people logged into to escape reality. Wouldn’t it be possible to turn it into a game that offers dreams and hope? Remember that virtual reality game that once hit 1 billion simultaneous users?"


    There had been a virtual reality game popr among ordinary people who dreamed of bing hunters with special abilities.


    In the game, they could be powerful like hunters.


    The gamepany capitalized on this desire and struck it big.


    Though its poprity waned as life became tougher, ordinary people still yearned for such a game.


    "Wouldn’t it work if we transformed it into a game that lets ordinary people feel vicarious satisfaction? We could tweak Tevend’s settings. Its world isn’t bad, really. The only issue is its overwhelming scale."


    "I’ll need to give it some serious thought."


    "If you’re serious, I’ll help. And there are plenty of talented people out there. If you want it, anything is possible."


    Min Kyungsoo patted his shoulder.


    A game that others could genuinely enjoy.


    A game that allowed people to escape reality, just as it had done for him.


    Maybe, with this, he could let go of his lingering attachment to Tevend.


    While he was lost in thought, Min Kyungsoo smirked.


    "Who would’ve guessed you’d be so obsessed with rebranding Tevend? You’re such a game fanatic."


    "I got hooked on the dreams and hope you talked about."


    When life is tough, people need an escape.


    For him, it had been the War of the Gods.


    Tevend had been his escape.


    [Trantor - Helga ]


    [Proofreader - Lucky]