The Novel’s Villain

29. Diabolic Swamp (2)

The Middle World was, as always, peaceful. Shortly after the end of the civil war, the Raskan Kingdom began to rapidly develop as the rascals stood out in their respective fields and participated in the kingdom management. Dopplo looked positively vicious.

Working hours were set so that the residents could do hard work every day, while food full of various nutrients was given to supplement their physical strength. People couldn’t afford to eat if they got sick, so the city environment was always clean. The children were taken hostage so that the residents couldn’t leave elsewhere. Nurseries or schools were set up in each estate, and the demons took care of the children.

The more the noble society implemented their various policies, the more people praised the Saint. Thanks to this, Luna’s divine power improved even more. The Saint’s Village had become a must-visit village for novice adventurers. There, they could receive blessings from the priests for free, and they could also purchase high-quality herbs at a low price. The elders in the village were also very famous. It was said that your skills would increase sharply if you worked under the village elder for a year.

All the newcomers who were now famous in the royal capital were originally disciples of the village elders.

“It’s quite a nice place.”

Yoo-na liked the village in Middle World. She was now able to move freely between Earth, Sanctuary, and Middle World. The rich mana made her stronger, and the blessings of the Sacred Ground made her even more beautiful.

“That’s Miss Luna. I think her class is just over.”

“Umm….”

Luna ran to Jin-woo’s house with the Maze. Her daily routine was simple: she returned to the village late in the morning to help with things such as treatment and blessing and attended classes in the afternoon. After that, she went straight to the Sanctuary and rolled around with the Maze. She was clearing not only new games but also classic ones.

“Oh! Middle Boss…no, hello Miss Yoo-na!”

“Yes, are you going to the Sanctuary?”

“Yes! Today is the release date of Destiny 7!”

“I see.”

Luna’s eyes twinkled. She seemed to be looking forward. Yoo-na looked at her with a smile and suddenly opened her mouth as if she suddenly remembered something.

“Miss Luna, are you the Goddess of Heaven?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Then shouldn’t you at least contact them? You’ve been away for a long time…I think those in Heaven will be worried about you.”

Luna’s mouth opened slightly. She had only now come to think of it, having completely forgotten about Heaven. She had so much fun these days that she couldn’t think of Heaven. Even the avatar became as comfortable as her own body. Jin-woo nodded. He hadn’t even thought of that. Even if Luna could not go directly to Heaven, there would be a way to contact them.

“Ah… t-that’s right. Well, I guess I can take it slowly.”

When Jin-woo and Yoo-na both turned to look at Luna simultaneously, she averted her gaze and pretended not to see them. A slight sweat was seen dripping down her cheek. After all, they might come to pick her up if she contacted them. Luna didn’t want to go back to boring Heaven.

The angels only worked. There was no need to eat, and they didn’t need to rest as long as humans. All they did was monitor the dimensions or work hard to maintain Heaven. Besides that, they continued their dull life to receive more and more divine powers. It was because their divine power became murky if there were any stimulus, even a little.

Luna didn’t have to worry about that, but she lived a dull life with them, thanks to that. Although she endured a sense of duty to protect the Middle World, her seal had been completely lifted since Jin-woo, the Emperor of Gold, took over. Luna didn’t want to go back to that frustrating life.

Her shoulders dropped at this.

“You can still come to the Sanctuary from Heaven, right?”

Luna looked at Jin-woo, her eyes filled with desperation.

“C-Can I?”

“Of course, there’s no way you couldn’t do that.”

Luna’s face brightened up. Jin-woo wanted to maintain a good relationship with the Heavens, and he also had become attached to Luna. Even if the Sanctuary was connected to Heaven, it didn’t matter much because only Luna, who had been granted permission, could enter.

“I can contact them through the Surveillance Center.”

“Surveillance Center? Is there something like that in Heaven?”

“Yes! It’s a device that monitors dimensional invasions.”

A suitable place and preparation were required. She said that she had tried it before, but it didn’t work at all. Perhaps it was because of the misfortune in her body, but now it would be different.

Luna went to a large vacant lot in front of his house and moved the stones around. When she injected the divine power into them, a pattern symbolizing the Goddess appeared. Her divine power soared into the sky.

Luna closed her eyes and tried to contact Heaven.

“So she is a Goddess.”

“I told you.”

Jin-woo nodded at Yoo-na. She didn’t normally look like a Goddess at all, but as she closed her eyes and stood still, she looked rather holy.

‘Well, even Sarah Vriac is the Demon Emperor….’

It didn’t mean much to Jin-woo whether it was a Goddess or a Demon King. Even the Maze and Arcana were Emperors who were existences incomparable to him. None of them were normal.

Luna, who was concentrating, frowned and opened her eyes. She tried a few times, but it didn’t work. Luna made her last attempt, then breathed a sigh of relief.

“There’s no response. That’s weird.”

In such a situation, she should have shown a sign of regret, but Luna’s expression grew brighter.

‘It seems she doesn’t want to go.’

Luna decided to just send a signal that she was doing well. As she was sending it, the Maze approached.

“What is it?”

As the Maze approached, it pricked its finger at a white shining stone. Then their dark energy mixed with the divine power, and it went up together. Jin-woo grabbed the Maze and quickly stepped back. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to have much effect.

The signal went to Heaven, and the stones returned to their original shape.

“That’s enough! They will know I’m doing fine now.”

Luna smiled refreshingly. She looked relieved.

‘It should be fine, right?’

The Arcana situation had also been resolved, so it should be peaceful for the time being.

‘The angels are….’

In the original novel, the angels had no personality. Maybe the author couldn’t express it properly, but they felt hard and cold. Still, they were fundamentally good beings who worked for peace in Middle World.

Another Emperor settled in the Middle World. Because of that Emperor, the angels in Heavens were corrupted, and Heaven fell. It had something to do with the Holy Empire, but it was all vague.

‘At first, I didn’t care, but…’

No matter what happened to Heaven, it had nothing to do with Earth. The disease would never spread, so the destruction of Heaven or the Middle World wouldn’t affect the Earth. In the original story, Heaven was destroyed, and the main character fled to Earth with Luna.

Jin-woo watched Luna’s back. She smiled merrily and returned to the Sanctuary with the Maze, her steps very light. She looked best when she had no worries.

“I can’t do that.”

Yoo-na looked at Jin-woo as he shook his head.

“Do you have any plans?”

“I’ll think about it from now on.”

“I see.”

Yoo-na nodded. She felt her heart pounding as it seemed like something great was about to happen.

* * *

A rescue team was formed. It was an elite unit armed with the most powerful spirit and force in Heaven. Archangel Ariel was appointed as the rescue team captain, and the elite angels who could survive in Middle World followed her. Like the demons, the angels grew weaker in the Middle World.

After the Surveillance Center disappeared, Luna’s location was unknown.

“We detected a signal from Lady Luna!”

“Where is it?”

“This way!”

Researchers detected an intense rescue signal with their temporary device. It received the signal by turning the dial on the square box.

[What…this…Bzzzzztttt!]

A creepy and evil voice was heard. Fortunately, the location was known. Ariel nodded as she looked at the Chief Archangel, who protected Heaven. Their faces were filled with sorrow. The archangels and angels gathered their divine powers to open a portal to Middle World.

Their destination was a meadow close to the Saint’s Village. Ariel and the angels crossed the portal. When the supply of divine power from Heaven was cut off, their original form was revealed. They looked human but with small white wings on their backs. They shone splendidly with divine power, but they were originally a pair of cute wings.

So had their statures changed. When surrounded by light, they looked huge, but they weren’t that big. Rather, they were slightly smaller than Luna. The angel ring floating above their heads slowly faded away and disappeared.

“Euh….”

“Ugh!”

The huge shields and maces they were holding were dragged to the ground. There was no problem before because they were always floating in Heaven, but not now. They stored their weapons in the subspace and looked around. Their faces were serious, though they only looked cute because of their small stature and young faces.

There was a rumor that the Great War of Angels and Demons occurred because the demons teased them for being kids when they first met each other when the dimensions were opened.

“How about the signal?”

An angel took out a radio-shaped artifact from his arms at Ariel’s question.

“The last signal we got came from the place in front of us.”

“I see.”

They saw a large boulevard with a lot of people coming and going. There were also humans selling food on the sides.

“Gulp.”

“Umm….”

The Angels staggered as if they were drunk from the smell. It was a sweet smell that couldn’t be compared. Ariel coughed and came to her senses again.

“Let’s go this way.”

Not to be seen, Ariel chose to go into the forest rather than the road. As they went into the woods, the atmosphere darkened. The energy that even Ariel couldn’t handle was flowing around them. They could feel corruption seeping in just by looking at it.

‘O, Luna…!’

Ariel prayed to overcome her fear. However, oddly enough, the evil energy around them shook as if seducing them.

“O, Luna, please give us courage…!”

[Courage….]

[Courage….]

They heard voices around them. The angels were startled and took out their weapons.

“Who are you? Show yourself!”

[Who are you? Who are you!]

Ssshhhrrrk!

The rustling of leaves sounded eerie. As they looked at the tree, they noticed the tree itself had a face. It was a talking tree, a specialty of the Saint’s Village. It looked like a terrifying monster to the angels. Ariel calmly led the angels past the monsters and headed to the last place where the signal was received.

It was when they crossed the swamp.

Sshhhrrrk!

A Fishman, a fish with legs, appeared and looked at Ariel. She could feel the evil energy of the Emperor from it, but she could also sense divine power, which she dismissed as an illusion. Ariel pulled out her mace and swung it with divine power. The other angels joined her.

“Huh?”

But it didn’t work. As her divine power was absorbed, the fishman’s aura began to grow stronger. Ariel and the angels were perplexed. The Fishmen came out of the swamp when they felt a familiar divine power. Everyone thought of Luna as a good friend, so they greeted her relatives with the same divine power.

Bulp! Bulp!

When a huge army came out to welcome them, the angels faltered and retreated.

“Get out of here!”

Ariel and the angels began to run across the swamp. They thought it was just a shallow mud floor, but it went up to their thighs and then to their chests.

“Ugh!”

“This is…?”

“It’s a trap!”

Ariel had to make a decision.

“Release all your divine power to clear the trap!”

“Understood!”

Ariel and the angels released all their divine powers. They could have been contaminated by the energy of the Middle-World, but there was no time to think about it. They took a risk so that they could blow away everything around them.

Sshhrrrrk!

But strangely, all of their divine power was absorbed into the swamp.

Bubbling!

Ariel and the angels, who had used all their divine power, were exhausted and sank into the swamp. The Fishmen looked at the angels with question marks over their faces as they rescued them. The Fishmen looked at each other and nodded. People often fell into the swamp, but they rescued all those people and left them at the village entrance.

It seemed that should be the case this time as well. The Fishmen thought that these people had a lot in common with Luna.

* * *

“Ugh!”

Ariel regained her consciousness. When she came to her senses, she found himself in a room with a warm atmosphere. Her clothes had been changed into a cute outfit with a cow drawn on it. These were clothes that were sold in the village these days.

‘How about the others?’

Ariel jumped up with concern for the other angels. If something terrible happened to them…

‘I have to find them!’

Ariel left the bed. She saw slippers, which had fish drawn on them. After agonizing for a while, she slipped them on before carefully opening the door. The place where Ariel was located was on the second floor. There was a loud noise coming from below.

As she carefully walked down the stairs, she could see the angels sitting awkwardly among many humans. A steaming bowl of soup was placed in front of each of them, and their attire was similar to Ariel’s. However, all the colors were different, and they looked like a rainbow when they gathered together.

“You’re safe!”

“Director!”

“You are awake!”

Ariel approached the table where the angels were sitting. The eyes of all the angels were bloodshot. Ariel soon knew why: it was because of the soup in front of them. Due to a lack of divine power, they had to eat food to maintain their body. But the angels rarely ate food.

Since it was the food of the Middle World, their bodies might have been contaminated by it.

“We still need nutrients, so why not eat?”

“But…we can’t put such unclean things in our mouths…”

“But to accomplish the mission….”

“Besides, it’s the kindness bestowed on us by the humans of the Middle World…”

They spoke reluctantly, but everyone was drooling. Their bodies desperately wanted the soup because their divine power, which had always been full, was empty. Ariel was no different. Nutrients were needed to restore divine power.

“Let’s eat while thinking of Lady Luna. It’s painful, but we have to endure it!”

“Yes!”

“We got it!”

Everyone bowed their heads and prayed as if they had been waiting and quickly raised their spoons. The angels’ eyes widened as they took their first bite. They started eating in a hurry right away. The sound of the spoons hitting the bowls resonated loudly, and the innkeeper looked at the angels with a smile on her face.

“Oh my, you guys are eating so well. Do you want more?

“Yes!”

The hair of the angels who said so darkened a little, and the tips of their wings turned gray.

“G-Get your act together!”

“Ah…yes!”

They lowered the spoon in disappointment.

“Huh? What is it, those kiddos?”

A large group of people entered the inn. At the word kiddos, the angels turned to look at them all at once. Ariel stood from her seat and glared at him. She could put up with anything else but that one.

“How rude. I am much older than you.”

The big guys looked at Ariel for a moment before laughing loudly. Ariel felt deeply upset, but she endured it. She was an archangel and also the director of the Surveillance Center.

“Apologize.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

The big guys looked down at Ariel. The atmosphere became harsh. The big guy looked at Ariel and then shifted his gaze to the innkeeper. The innkeeper smiled and nodded. Those who were behind them closed the inn door.

“If you want to get an apology here, you have to earn it.”

“…Is it a duel?”

“Are you not confident?”

“I’ve never been defeated.”

The big guy smiled when Ariel said that. The eyes of Ariel and the angels became sharp. The first battle in the Middle World began.

* * *

Jin-woo was making plans with Yoo-na at the Sanctuary. Arina and Heo-young couldn’t help with the plan, let alone Luna and the Maze, so they were left out. Jin-woo was once again reminded that Yoo-na was very reliable. When she appeared in the Sanctuary, the aura changed as if something was organized.

“I think at least Dopplo should talk to the demons.”

“That would be great.”

“I can’t believe you occupied the kingdom…”

“It just happened somehow.”

Yoo-na looked at the throne and just nodded. Yoo-na was now perfectly adapted to the young master’s big plan. Conquering the kingdom must have been a part of it.

‘About the angels….’

Yoo-na was lost in thought for a moment. The plan would change depending on how their relationship with the angels was established. Luna approached Jin-woo, sensing something was brewing.

“I think the angels have arrived in Middle World.”

“Angels?”

Luna looked perplexed as she didn’t think that they would come so soon. Jin-woo headed over immediately together with Luna and Yoo-na. A piece of information came to his mind when he arrived in the Middle World.

[Fishman’s Swamp has been strengthened with enormous divine power!]

[Angel Fishman appeared.]

[D+] Angel Fishman

Fishman with wings. It can jump and glide. It is convenient to think of it as flying fish.

The Fishman had somehow evolved, but finding the angels was the priority.

“They seem to have come to the village.”

Luna could feel where the angels were. She came out of the house and headed to where their presence remained. Jin-woo thought it was at the village entrance, but it was deep inside.

Luna stood in front of the inn run by a lady who boasted a powerful force. The door to the inn was closed, but there was a very loud noise. There was also the sound of something breaking.

“Are you sure they are here?”

“Yes.”

Jin-woo didn’t understand why the angels were here, but he decided to see it for himself. Luna let out a nervous sigh. They opened the inn’s door and went inside.

“Umm?”

Jin-woo first saw large villagers.

“Eahahahaha!”

“Drink it!”

“One more drink!”

The villagers were dancing shoulder-to-shoulder, with a group of small people in the middle. It was the angels. One such angel picked up a huge glass of liquor and drank it all at once.

“Kyah!”

“Oh, you’re a good drinker. It’s non-alcoholic, though”

“Kugh!”

The angel threw the empty glass on the floor, and the glass broke. Another angel was seen standing on the second-floor railing.

“Lariel! I will fly!”

He emptied the glass in his hand at once and climbed onto the railing. A strap was wrapped around the angel’s head to hold his clothes. It was as if he had a tie around his forehead instead of a halo. As he jumped off the railing, the little wings behind his back flapped nonstop. He came down as if he were going downhill very slowly.

“Oooh!”

“Isn’t that great magic? How did you do it?”

“I do not know! Just drink!”

Some angels were also arm wrestling with adventurers, and the others were lying on the floor. One angel vomited in the corner. He then laughed and raised a glass again. The angel’s vomit was rainbow-colored, unlike ordinary people’s. Everyone was pretty drunk.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Jin-woo and Yoo-na stared blankly at the scene for a moment alongside Luna. Luna closed the open door with a blank expression. She then rubbed her eyes and opened the door again.

It was not a hallucination.

“A-Ariel…Lariel…Myriel…everyone….”

Luna’s mind went blank. Jin-woo approached the innkeeper, who was washing dishes calmly.

“Saint! You’re here?”

“Ah, yes, but they…”

“I brought them because they were lying at the village entrance. As usual, there was a quarrel…”

According to the inn’s official rules, a bet was made to see who ate more. The angels didn’t avoid the battle.

“They look very drunk.”

“They don’t seem like adults yet, so I gave them non-alcoholic juice. But it looks like they’re drunk on the atmosphere. They are really cute travelers.”

Somehow, they were drunk.

[The angels have fallen in the Golden Sacred Ground.]

[A new race, the Fallen Angel, was born.]

[It’s amazing! You gained a great amount of experience by attaining great achievements.]

“Ah….”

Jin-woo checked the information and went blank for a moment. Come to think of it, the wings on the angels’ back were not white but gray or black.

“W-What should I do?”

Luna was panicking.