“Why are you making such an offer…?
Harmonic cut Min Sung off.
“Like I said, we’re raising a white flag, meaning we’ve surrendered. There’s no other reason.”
“Why not?”
Min Sung’s eyes were filled with distrust.
“We’ve confirmed just how skilled the new player is, and we’ve given up because it’s clear the 12 signs will never beat him. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Min Sung laughed at Harmonic.
“Then what did you mean by a shortcut?” Min Sung asked with curiosity.
“The Iris tree, which connects your world to Beatrice. We’ll tell you where to find the weapon that will cut off that tree once and for all.”
His proposal was more tempting than expected.
If he could cut down the Iris tree, he didn’t have to waste his time trying to stop the tree from making earth go extinct.
Just like Harmonic said, it was a shortcut that would allow him to skip the ranking war.
Of course, he wasn’t sure if there really was a weapon that could cut down the Iris tree.
Min Sung thought that anything that the 12 signs said could be an excuse or a trap, but their proposal was better than he thought.
It was time to check if it was true.
“But how can I trust you? Why should I accept your offer?”
“We’ve already broken our taboo because anything related to the Iris tree is taboo for us.”
“Yeah, but how can I trust you?”
“You’ll have to check for yourself. Of course, there are risks. If it was that easy to obtain the weapon to cut down the Iris Tree, most of the players in the inner continent would have gone back to their stars by now.”
“Then why don’t you 12 signs or the other ranker players go after that weapon?”
“Because most of us like it here in Beatrice.”
Min Sung looked at Harmonic in confusion, and in order to alleviate his curiosity, Harmonic continued, “Beatrice is a charming place because… you can become stronger. People can become stronger at a faster pace in Beatrice than their own stars. Power is something that is addicting and hard to refuse.”
Harmonic appeared to have been enticed by the power that Beatrice gave him as well.
“What’s the weapon that can cut down the Iris tree?” Min Sung asked.
“To be exact, it’s a hammer and nail.”
“If I hammer a nail into the Iris Tree, I can cut it down?”
“That’s correct.”
“Where’s that weapon located?”
“The entrance to Heaven.”
“Heaven…?”
“The territory of the Gods. It’s the territory maintained by a low-level god.”
“You’re saying I have to fight a god.”
“…”
“Do you know how to get to that entrance of Heaven?”
“Of course. The items required to use the portal connecting to the entrance to Heaven are divided amongst us 12 signs.”
“You’re saying I can use that to go to the entrance of Heaven. Then how can I trust that I can log out there?”
Logging out was a system that allowed them to return to earth.
If that system didn’t work in Heaven, it could mean he could get trapped there.
“The 12 signs will accompany you. Will you trust us then?”
“Maybe.”
“But you must make a clear decision whether or not you’ll fight the low-ranking god to obtain the weapon.”
Harmonic made it clear that he couldn’t yield in that respect.
“How strong is the low-ranking god?”
“Not a single player has challenged the low-ranking god to obtain the weapon. That has been a taboo, and the players of the inner continent are not keen on breaking the taboo because it’s the gods’ territory.”
“Then did you make this offer thinking I would take it?”
“If you don’t accept this offer, we’ll give up some of our reputations. With that, please bypass our 12 signs’ territory.”
It was a white flag.
They had no intention to fight.
They strongly wanted to end this without shedding blood.
It was a problem that was clearly not a trap.
The reason why he was so certain of that was because of their rebellion against the gods.
He never liked that the Dionysus Gods were rolling the dice and gambling with them.
He didn’t like that he was the Dionysus Gods’ toy, and the ones who were trapping him here and making Earth go extinct were not the players of the inner continent but the gods.
He had to make a decision.
Whether to go to the low-ranking god or start with the 12 signs and obtain the 1st ranker title to return to earth.
He had to choose one or the other.
It was a dilemma, but it didn’t take long before he made his choice.
Min Sung decided.
“I’ll go to find the weapon that can cut down the Iris Tree. Gather the 12 signs by tomorrow,” ordered Min Sung.
Harmonic smiled and nodded.
“Sure.”
Harmonic got up from his seat and left the room.
A quiet place.
Ho Sung Lee glanced at Min Sung and smacked his lips.
“If you have something to say, just say it,” commanded Min Sung.
“Well, I just feel a little anxious, that’s all. You know how suspicious I tend to be. It doesn’t feel right. Even if the god is low-level… I don’t know if we can handle him.”
“So what do you think we should do?” Min Sung asked.
Ho Sung Lee smiled awkwardly.
“I simply follow your decisions.”
Min Sung stared at Ho Sung Lee and then got up.
“Iced Americano.”
“Yes, Sir.”
After their short conversation, Min Sung and Ho Sung Lee left the place where they chatted with Harmonic.
***
“Hehehehe…!”
Harmonic tried to hold in his laughter as he walked down the hall.
He didn’t know it could be resolved so easily.
Who would’ve thought he would accept such a ridiculous offer?
He didn’t know if it would work, but that man gave in.
He didn’t have high hopes.
There was certainly a weapon that could cut down the Iris tree, but how could any human defeat a god?
There was one thing that Harmonic hid from Min Sung.
That was the fact that all the players who attempted to fight the low-ranking god had died.
He lied when he said not a single player had tried.
The 12 signs were planning to push Min Sung toward the low-ranking god to get rid of him once and for all.
Rather than fighting him and putting themselves at risk, it was best to throw him at the low-ranking god as bait, but he didn’t know he would take the bait so easily.
“Hahaha…!”
He couldn’t contain his laughter.
He had prepared all sorts of countermeasures for if he refused, but that was all pointless.
Things worked out so easily.
Harmonic sent a message informing the other 12 signs of their gathering tomorrow and acted quickly so that they could proceed with their mission before Min Sung changed his mind.
Harmonic sent his message and caught his breath.
‘That was easy.’
Harmonic was smiling, but he quickly fixed his face when people appeared inside the castle.
The workers of the castle scanned Harmonic from top to bottom and then lowered their heads.
Harmonic did his best to keep in his laughter.
***
Ho Sung Lee’s head throbbed.
He had no idea Min Sung would make that choice
He thought he would at least give it some thought, but he immediately accepted the proposal on the spot.
A low-ranking god who’s even stronger than the 12 signs.
He couldn’t believe they were now going to try to kill a god. Ho Sung Lee wanted to deny reality.
But Min Sung had already made his decision, which meant he had to go as well to kill the low-ranking god.
The way Ho Sung Lee saw it, the direction the 12 signs were thinking was so simple that he could understand what they were intending.
It wasn’t them who was fighting Min Sung.
Even if Min Sung defeated the low-ranking god, he would then leave Beatrice, so there was no risk for the 12 signs.
Of course, it was good that the 12 signs were backing down, but fighting the low-ranking god to obtain the weapon to cut down the Iris tree was a whole different issue.
He wasn’t sure if they were doing the right thing.
He wondered if he should tell Min Sung, but he only had two choices.
Obtain the weapon or fight in the ranking war.
Between those two choices, Min Sung decided to try to leave Beatrice as soon as possible.
They didn’t know if this was an act of vain or if it was really a shortcut like Harmonic said until they saw the outcome.
Ho Sung Lee smoked and looked out the window from his room, and his mind was confused and complicated.
“Son of a b*tch. Bring Master his coffee,” said Bowl.
Ho Sung Lee, who was blankly smoking, immediately put out his cigarette. He washed his hands and began making coffee.
***
Min Sung chugged his Iced Americano and then put down his glass.
A fight against the low-ranking god.
No matter his rank, he was a god.
This was the first time Min Sung felt nervous about a battle.
“Um, Sir.”
Ho Sung Lee, who was standing behind Min Sung, called his name.
Min Sung glanced back, and Ho Sung Lee gulped and opened his mouth.
“The offer that the 12 signs made comes with too many risks. It’s a god, and there must be a reason why the 12 signs made this offer…”
“I’ve already made my decision.”
“… Yes, Sir.”
“Prepare dinner. Tomorrow will be a tiring day.”
Min Sung’s words sounded peculiar to Ho Sung Lee today.
Ho Sung Lee nodded with a sigh.
“Yes, Sir.”
Min Sung nodded.
Ho Sung Lee swallowed his fear and began preparing the meal.