As always, once the Disaster ended, people quickly returned to their daily lives.

This incident had been complicated, and the facts were not released as they had happened.

[The Holy Knights, Led by Marcello, Succeeded in Eliminating Armin Walter in Korea.]

As previously negotiated, the credit and honor for hunting Armin Walter went entirely to the Holy Knights. The Gravekeepers could have taken issue with this, as their condition for the deal—securing Walter's person—had been voided.

However, the problem resolved itself.

Not long after the 2nd Pharaoh fell, the 3rd Pharaoh, Menes, was crowned. In reality, this 3rd Pharaoh had also been murdered by Armin Walter. If this were made public, the Egyptian hunter community and the Gravekeepers would become a laughingstock. The honor of the Pharaoh, who wielded godlike power in their country, would be tarnished—a matter that could shake the foundations of their nation.

So, Marcello agreed to turn a blind eye to the truth of the Pharaoh's death. In return, he would take sole credit for killing Walter as promised. The Gravekeepers agreed, and their interests aligned.

And one more thing.

[The Late Han Yoonjeong. A Demonkin That Died as a Hunter in the End.]

The world would now remember her name.

The official story was as follows:

'A non-combat Player whose mental state collapsed, she was consumed by the Disaster and became the boss monster of Classic Gate. Though she unintentionally killed people in the process, she was overcome with guilt. She ascended into the Disaster, closed 59 of the 62 gates, and then took her own life.'

'Her sacrifice saved billions of people across Asia.'

'Above all, she had achieved an unprecedented record: 'zero' civilian casualties in a continent-level Disaster. It was an accomplishment no combat-type Hunter had ever managed before, nor would they again.'

Han Yoonjeong became a legend.

Her story spread across the globe, resonating deeply with people. Of course, the sin of killing people while transformed could not be washed away, but because it had not been of her own volition, and because in the end she had saved far more lives than she had taken, her story was embraced by the world.

The sun was warm and the weather hot. The rainy season had ended, but the bright sky was a welcome change from the damp humidity.

I was standing in front of the National Cemetery.

'The late Han Yoonjeong, official rank-5 hunter.'

Only in death did Yoonjeong become an official hunter she had so longed to be, granted a posthumous one-rank promotion in honor of the fallen.

"Hey."

I spoke to the woman praying before the grave.

"How does it feel, praying at your own grave?"

She turned to me and smiled. The leader of the Egyptian Gravekeepers and the 3rd Pharaoh.

"It's just a little… surreal."

But the person inside was my friend.

There's a common saying among shamans that the body follows the form of the soul, and she was living proof. The look in her eyes, her entire aura—it had all become so much like Yoonjeong. It was hard to believe someone could change so much in just a few weeks.

"Your flight is soon."

"Yeah."

"Did you see your mom?"

"…Yeah."

"Did you tell her?"

She sighed softly. "…I couldn't. I'm not ready. And there's the security agreement I made with the Egyptians."

That's right. She was now officially the Pharaoh.

Yoonjeong had told the Gravekeepers the truth: that she wasn't Menes, just a person whose soul had been swapped. But she proved her strength by freely wielding the Pharaoh's Power, and in the end, they had officially endorsed her.

"The Pharaoh is a noble existence in and of itself."

From what she told me later, the Egyptian higher-ups didn't care whether it was Menes or Yoonjeong. What mattered was the symbol of the Pharaoh. They had been planning to swap souls in and out of the Pharaoh's body with Walter anyway, so it seemed they weren't exactly sane to begin with.

On top of that, various interests aligned. Politically and diplomatically, it wouldn't look good to announce the 3rd Pharaoh's death so soon after the 2nd's and immediately crown a 4th. In the end, the Egyptian leadership decided to move forward with Pharaoh Han Yoonjeong.

She would face countless difficulties in Egypt. The rest was up to her.

But she had readily accepted this new challenge and seemed to be approaching it with passion. She was even studying Arabic so she could speak without a core translator.

"I'm going to try to live," she said. It felt like she was talking to me, but also making a promise to herself. "I don't know if I have the right to say this… but I want to try starting over."

"Yeah. Good thinking," I said with a nod. "Think positively. Where else would you find a life reversal like this? From a non-combat player to the Pharaoh leading the Gravekeepers. And most importantly…"

I looked her body up and down.

"What?"

"Nothing."

'Pow!'

Her fist slammed into my side.

"…Ah! Ack! Hey, that really hurts!"

"Cut the sexual harassment, Mr. Hunter."

"I didn't say anything!"

She gave me a sharp, smiling glare. "Want to try saying it one more time?"

Hearing a slithering sound, I turned to see spears of sand glinting in the air, waiting.

"...Forgive me, for I have committed a mortal sin."

"Hahaha! I don't know why you're always asking for a beating."

She snapped her fingers, and the spears dissolved back into sand. She'd had a fiery temper before, but now she was even scarier.

"Let's go."

We placed flowers on the grave and walked toward the exit.

She fell silent.

After a few steps, she stopped and looked back at her own gravestone one last time.

"Yusin."

"What?"

I was startled. Her face was suddenly streaked with tears.

"Why are you crying—whoa!"

She ran and threw her arms around me in a tight embrace.

"Thank you."

I didn't need to ask what she was thanking me for.

It wasn't for her new body or her life as the Pharaoh.

I turned my head and looked at the inscription on the grave.

'The late Han Yoonjeong. She was a demonkin, but in the end, she died a human.'

I had saved what was left of her humanity.

Of course, in the process of making her a hero, I received no reward for this incident. Just this hug from my best friend, I guess.

"…You saved me. You really did," she sobbed, clutching my shirt.

I lightly patted her on the back.

Yeah. This was more than enough reward.

* * *

Yoonjeong headed for the airport. I had offered to see her off, but she refused. There would be too many people watching, she'd said, and now that she was a public figure, saying our goodbyes at the airport would probably make her burst into tears.

-Tower Master.

"Yeah?"

-Her final words were quite memorable.

"Ah, don't."

Just thinking about it made me feel embarrassed.

-As she was getting into the car, she said, 'I haven't given up on you yet.' This statement allows for multiple interpretations, does it not?

"…Ugh, I told you to stop!"

-Hmm, hmm.

Having found something new to tease me with, Ea was clearly enjoying herself. I sighed and walked over to a nearby vending machine.

Oh, lucky me. The old machine had the pine needle drink I was extremely fond of. I was just taking a bill from my wallet when a taxi stopped in front of me.

"There you are."

Marcello got out of the taxi and approached with a bright smile.

"Would you like one, Archbishop?"

"Oh, that would be lovely! Are you buying?"

"Trying to get another freebie?"

"I hear you're quite wealthy, Hunter Kim."

…Well, he wasn't wrong.

In the end, I put in another bill and got two cans. Marcello popped one open and took a sip, his eyes widening.

"What is this?"

"Not bad, right?"

"It's wonderful. A taste of the East. It feels like nature itself is spreading through my body."

So there are foreigners who actually like this stuff. Feeling a sense of pride, I leaned against the wall and took another sip.

"So, what brings you here?"

"I came to offer my gratitude before I leave Korea."

"Uh, didn't you already thank me?"

Marcello bowed deeply.

"That was as the Archbishop. This time, I am thanking you personally. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for making my deepest wish a reality."

"…Haha. Please don't do that. It's embarrassing."

To be honest, I felt a pang of guilt accepting his thanks.

Marcello straightened his posture and smiled warmly. "This whole Disaster… It's a shame that you, who worked harder than anyone, received no reward for your efforts."

"I just did what I had to do. It's nothing."

Marcello pulled something from his coat—a small, cross-shaped accessory.

"What's this?"

"A small token of my gratitude," he replied with a beaming smile. "Keep it with you. I'm sure you'll find a use for it someday."

"…Hmm. Well, since you're offering, I'll take it."

I tucked the cross into an inner pocket.

"I suppose I'll be leaving Korea tomorrow myself. It will remain in my memory as a very impressive country. The Korean barbecue was excellent! The Korean chicken was nice, too! And the chicken feet were the best!"

"You sound like you're ready to move here."

"Hahaha!"

Just then, another car arrived to pick Marcello up. He nodded to the driver before looking back at me. "The Holy Knights and I are deeply indebted to you, Hunter Kim. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you ever need our help."

"I'll be sure to do that. I'll count on you then."

As he walked toward the vehicle, Marcello laughed as if remembering something. "I'll be waiting when you join the World Guilds."

I waved silently as we parted ways. One by one, the people involved in this incident were leaving.

-Tower Master.

"Yeah?"

-A text message has arrived.

I turned on my phone and checked the message.

'The… the Association President?'

Once again, she expressed her intentions with a single, concise line.

—Association President: I need to see you.

Name: Kim Yusin

Unique Ability: Deva's Eye.

Personal Traits: [Child of Mana Lv.4], [Master of the Magic Tower Lv.10], [Magic Engineering Lv.10], [Spell Lord Lv.10], [Over-immersion Lv.9], [Multi-Casting Lv.6], [Accelerated Casting Lv.6], [Remote Casting Lv.6], [Analysis Lv.6], [Potion Brewing Lv.5], [Information Processing Lv.5], [Golem Mastery Lv.5], [Predictive Evasion Lv.5], [Mobile Casting Lv.4], [Mana Breathing Lv.2]

Basic Stats: [Magic Power 249], [Agility 91], [Strength 49], [Stamina 48]

Special Stats: [Focus 52], [Intelligence 22], [Willpower 21], [Darkness 12], [Endurance 8]

Total Stats: [552]

New Traits: New! [Flight Lv.1], New! [Elemental Master Lv.1]

* * *

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