Chapter 258 - Ready

After handling all tasks, I focus on just one thing.

That was my new motto.

In other words, now that the minor issues have been somewhat resolved and with the Moonlight Church Gate disaster approaching soon.

Until the day of the disaster, I would focus all my attention on that alone.

So I decided to stop everything related to the Stardust terror and dedicate myself solely to preparing for this.

Stardust is already strong enough. I just need to do a final check before deploying her in the field.

Therefore, I'm now investing all my remaining time into this disaster!

...With that in mind, it took a month to travel across the country setting up magic circles to counter the Moonlight Church's power.

"...Is this the last one?"

"Yeah. With this, I think we're pretty much done."

"Phew... Finally."

In a forest somewhere in the Republic of Korea.

In a place where dense green foliage blocked the sunlight creating deep shadows, Choi Se-hee sighed and muttered.

It's been almost a month since we started wandering around the country setting up these magic circles, and a lot has happened during that time.

Since this became a long-term project, the members traveling together changed quite a bit.

Eun-wol, who sets up the magic circles, and I were constants, while other members took turns accompanying us. We needed escorts since we never knew what might happen.

"....."

In the forest below.

While Eun-wol, with her black hair flowing down and dressed in white priestess clothes, stood with palms together and eyes closed setting up a magic circle.

Se-hee and I sat on a nearby rock, feeling the cool breeze blowing through the forest as we waited for her.

"But why did this take a whole month?"

Crackle. Crackle-crackle.

Looking at Choi Se-hee who was burning a leaf with electricity, I answered.

"Because we traveled across the entire country."

"...Still, didn't we wander around for too long?"

Choi Se-hee pouted like Seo-eun, strongly expressing her discontent.

Seeing that, I couldn't help but smile, and looking at Eun-wol who was kneeling and diligently creating the magic circle, I muttered.

"...Still, it was something we had to do."

"I guess so... Sigh, I don't know."

After saying that, Choi Se-hee rubbed her head and spoke to me in a slightly disappointed tone.

"Without you around, the atmosphere at home just... became deflated."

"Huh...?"

It's been a month since I left home.

And during that time, I haven't returned home many times. Since we were traveling across the country, it took too much time to go back and forth, so Eun-wol and I just stayed at whatever accommodation was available in the area.

Therefore, I didn't really know what the remaining members were doing while I was away.

"You know how Seo-eun and Ha-yul follow you a lot. It's fortunate that Eun-wol was always with you, but without you around, Lee Su-bin and Seo Ja-young also seemed a bit down, anyway, that's how it was."

Choi Se-hee said while touching her hair.

...But wait, I traveled with Seo-eun for the first week, and Su-bin and Ja-young joined us intermittently. So we were really only apart for about 3 weeks...?

"It's not just 3 weeks, it's a whole 3 weeks."

Choi Se-hee cut off my question.

...Wait, is 3 weeks really that long? It's not like we didn't see each other at all during those 3 weeks, we had video calls together every night...?

Well, I'm sure there's some deeper reason I don't understand.

...I could somewhat understand why Seo-eun would feel that way.

So I smiled and answered.

"Alright. I'll try not to go far away like this again."

"Hmph. That's a promise."

Only after hearing my confirmation, Choi Se-hee grinned, and I smiled back.

...I hope I can keep this promise until the final moment comes.

"Da-in oppa, unni. I'm all done!"

And just then.

Eun-wol, who had finished setting up the magic circle, stood up and said.

"Good job, Eun-wol. Thank you for your hard work. You've done well."

"It's nothing. To catch the Moonlight Church leader... that person, of course I should do this."

As I unconsciously patted her head, Eun-wol quietly smiled and answered me.

...Oh right. Eun-wol is an adult, I shouldn't do this. I keep forgetting. Since she's always with Seo-eun and they're similar in height, I sometimes treat Eun-wol like a child..

Plus, Eun-wol is so kind that she never complains, which makes it even more so.

"Great! Now that we're finally done, let's head back!"

After seeing that everything was complete, Choi Se-hee jumped up from the rock and said that.

We had one last meal nearby, then headed back to our home.

It was the end of the month-long journey of the wandering villain Egostic.

***

After returning home

After reuniting with our Ego-stream members whom I hadn't seen in a long time, and having a delicious meal together to celebrate completing our task.

I now began to explain in detail to our Ego-stream members about the upcoming disaster, including our plans.

"This winter. The Moonlight Church, led by their leader, plans to create a hole between our dimension and another world full of monsters, summoning otherworldly beasts."

"And there will be countless numbers of them. They'll come through portals called Gates, which will appear all over the world. France, former Brazil, England, Africa, Australia, Russia, America, everywhere. In cities, rural areas, literally everywhere."

"What do you think will happen to Earth then? It will simply perish."

"That's why we need to stop it."

I explained once more, looking at Ms. Shin-ryong.

Alright. This is actually something I've already explained to everyone once.

Now the important part is explaining how we plan to stop it.

I continued.

"First of all, we can't prevent the Moonlight Church leader from opening the dimensional gate. The preparations are already complete, and it would happen even without him."

"So we need to stop it after he opens the dimensional gate."

I explained while drawing a building, stick figures, a round portal, and monsters on the whiteboard.

"...But how do we stop it?"

Then Shin-ryong, who was listening to me, asked with a puzzled expression.

I kindly answered her question.

"I have a plan for that. It's related to why Eun-wol and I went around the country setting up magic circles. However, the problem with this method is that it takes quite some time."

"Therefore, to ensure our future operations run smoothly, we need to make preparations in advance so that the Republic of Korea doesn't collapse. Especially the boss-level entities that come out—we'll probably need to take down several of them ourselves."

It won't be an easy fight.

That's why I've been training the Ego-stream members all this time.

"So this is where it really begins..."

As Seo-eun sighed as if already envisioning the hardships ahead, I comforted her.

"But once we get through this, we can really rest for a while. So, let's do our best just this once."

"...Does that mean we can go on a trip?"

"Of course. Absolutely."

What couldn't we do?

At my answer, Seo-eun finally clenched her fist with renewed motivation.

"Okay. I'll do my best."

"Us too, Da-in."

Su-bin answered with a warm smile.

Then Choi Se-hee and Ha-yul next to her nodded.

...Everyone seemed to perk up at the mention of being able to rest after this was all over.

"Good. Finally... something interesting is happening."

[Haha! A battle sounds fun!]

Seo Ja-young and our old man Desik were like this...

Only Eun-wol remained sitting with a calm expression.

Anyway, looking at everyone sitting at the long conference table looking at me, I placed my hand on the table and said.

"So from now on, I'll tell you what each of you needs to do."

And from that day on.

Our Ego-stream stopped everything else and began focusing all our efforts on countering the Moonlight Church.

Right. Now that we've finished our internal discussion.

It's time to think about what Korea should do before the disaster.

With that, I started making a phone call somewhere.

I've already talked with Lee Seol-ah, so.

[Director]

Now, it's time to meet the Director again.

With all the other heroes gathered.

***

The control tower of the Association's main headquarters.

...Or rather, far from it. The Association's secret control center.

In the Association's hidden underground sub-control center, which rivaled the Blue House's underground bunker.

The Director was secretly meeting someone.

"...So. Why did you call me?"

The bald man wiping sweat from his head was the Director.

And on the opposite side, a man wearing a black hat, white mask, and black cape.

"Hello, Director."

It was none other than Egostic, Korea's highest-ranked villain.

Of course, he wasn't meeting alone.

"Egostic, you're here?"

A woman with sky-blue hair that didn't match the dark bunker, sipping coffee and grinning.

She was the A-rank hero, Icicle.

"...Egostic. It's been a while."

And the man with dark circles sitting opposite her, nodding his head, was the A-rank hero, Shadow Walker.

"Oh my... Two of our three A-rank heroes are acquainted with a villain... The world is truly coming to an end."

"...Haha."

As the Director sighed with a complicated expression watching his heroes greeting an A-rank villain warmly, and Icicle laughed awkwardly.

Egostic began speaking with a serious expression.

"The reason I called everyone here is, obviously, because a great disaster is about to unfold. And for my sake as well, I'd like the Association to help prevent it."

"So, let me begin the explanation."

And so.

Somewhere underground, in the Association's control center.

A major conference involving three A-rank heroes and villains, along with the Director, was beginning.

***

"The Director isn't here...?"

"No. He received a call and went somewhere."

"I see..."

'Seol-ah hasn't been answering my calls either, what's going on...'

At that same time.

Stardust, who was looking for Icicle and the Director regarding some documents, was feeling somewhat lonely...