The World After the Fall

Everyone was shocked to hear Jaehwan's declaration, but he wasn't one to bluff.

'Is that possible?'

The officers knew how powerful the Great Generals were. They were beings that couldn't be fought against even with the combined power of all the Awakeners gathered. And there were three of them.

"Are you serious?"

"I'm always serious."

"You will wipe out the Palace of Reincarnation?"

"Yeah."

Everyone who gathered began to laugh hollowly. They had been discussing, thinking of how to deal with this crisis for days.

"When?"

"Now."

The Master was that kind of a man, one who was calm against the impossible. The people who were gripped with despair until just now finally had hope again. [Nightmare] Sirwen, who was watching this from the back, became curious.

'He's really interesting.'

Sirwen had seen many 'heroes' who faced the 'reality'. Many times, they were a symbol of hope, but they eventually failed against reality. Sirwen knew. This man, even if he acted like this now, he would soon be defeated by the reality. Even now, someone should be standing up to object…

"Then, we should go now! Take me with you!"

What?

"Take me!"

Huh?

"We shall kill them all, right now!"

People were rising up as the atmosphere in the meeting room grew frantic. It seemed like the entire world was standing up. Sirwen was astonished.

'They're all out of their minds!'

She heard something weird was going on in [Chaos]. The rumor that people began shouting words such as freedom, life, or liberation.

'Why now? Because of this one man?'

She couldn't understand. Maybe she would never understand as she was a [Nightmare] who had lived, and would live, for a long, long time.

'…Ugh, these humans. Well, I don't care.'

Sirwen's only purpose was to find out the secret of the 8th gate from Jaehwan. She was curious as to what her godfather had left in that place. But it was also Jaehwan who quieted down the meeting room.

"I thank you all for your enthusiasm, but only four will go, including me."

Everyone became silent.

"Me, Chunghuh, and Cayman will be going."

Cayman was overjoyed. "It's an honor, Master!"

Chunghuh ranted in annoyance, but he didn't seem to dislike it all that much.

"Hah, I guess you can't do anything without me."

The people who weren't called out were unsatisfied. Some shouted, "This is not possible!"

"Just four cannot possibly...!"

As everyone became noisy, Jaehwan quickly spoke.

"Four is enough. Besides, all of you have other duties."

Other duties?

"I think you all are mistaken. Taking out the Palace of Reincarnation isn't the end of everything," Jaehwan continued. People quieted down and began to focus.

"What do you think will happen if we destroy the Palace? [Chaos] will be united under Gorgon. But what will happen then?"

What would happen next? Everyone became confused. They had not thought about that. It was Aisa Lindcroft who answered the question.

"There will be forces that will oppose Gorgon's rule."

"Right."

Aisa felt goosebumps. Jaehwan was confident in uniting [Chaos].

'He's already thinking about what will happen after the Palace of Reincarnation…!'

Jaehwan was confident in wiping out the Palace. Aisa was shocked. It was her first time seeing Jaehwan face-to-face. Cayman had talked highly of him multiple times, but Jaehwan was much more than that. She couldn't even read his future with her skill. Where would he eventually end up in the end?

Jaehwan said, "Gorgon will have to face many militia groups after that."

"…You are saying that we have to prepare our forces to handle that so the Depth Expedition Team can embark on their journey."

"Right. You're smart."

Smart? No one had spoken in such a way during the past 900 years to Aisa. But Aisa had unknowingly blushed at such rude words. Yong then raised his hand to ask, "Master, I don't understand! Do you propose that we prepare to fight those future militias and not fight the Palace which is right in front of us?"

"I'm not only talking about the militias. Do you think our war against the Lords will be over if we destroy the Palace?"

Yong frowned. "But, if we destroy the [Narrow Door], they can't come into…"

"[Narrow Door] is just an object that allows you to enter [Chaos] without being dead. You certainly know that it is not the true way of coming into [Chaos]."

Yong was shocked. Jaehwan was right. [Chaos] was not a place that one who enter using the [Narrow Door].

"But that… there's no chance that they would…"

"We have to prepare for everything."

There was a low possibility, but there was still a chance that the forces of the 12 Lords would kill themselves to invade [Chaos].

"…If that is your wish, I understand."

Yong agreed as Aisa asked, "Master of Gorgon, you forgot to mention one more thing."

"What is it?"

"You said you are taking four, but you only called out three names. Who is the last one?"

Everyone became silent. They were thinking that they still had a chance to be called. Aisa also seemed to be eager for that chance. However, it was someone they had not thought about.

"The last one is her."

The woman who was watching from the outside opened her eyes in shock.

"What? ME?!"

It was Sirwen Armelt.

In a room with a white floor, pink-colored walls, and various ornaments, Sirwen stood in the center while accessing a control panel in front of her.

'How did I get sucked into doing this…?!'

She thought of what happened a while ago.

"W-what? I'm not going there!"

She thought something was wrong. She just had betrayed the Lord of Darkness, yet Jaehwan wanted her to go and attack the Palace?

"Don't you want to know what was inside the 8th gate?"

Sirwen turned pale.

"I'll tell you if you help me."

It was an offer she could not refuse.

'…How did he know that is what I'm after?'

She couldn't even think because she was too shocked.

"…How should I help you then?"

"Teleport us into the Palace."

"Teleport? How?"

"Use your skill, Warp."

It was the skill that only [Nightmares] could use. The people then realized why she had been chosen.

"That's not possible. You cannot warp to a place that far. And we have too many."

Warp was a skill that allowed the user to teleport to a place where the user had been to before, but it had a limited range. Jaehwan shook his head.

"You can do it."

"No, I can't!"

Jaehwan narrowed his eyes.

"Even with your [Personal Lab]?"