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Chapter 319: Protector of Light

Kang-Woo answered while smiling bitterly, “I was attacked by a lion on my way home.”

He recalled the lioness engulfed in madness, charging at him with her red mane fluttering. He was easily able to dodge such attacks, but…

‘I felt like I shouldn’t dodge them for some reason.’

He could tell that he would suffer even more down the line if he didn’t keep his mouth shut and take the beating.

‘Regardless…’

Kang-Woo smirked after recalling the memory of Cha Yeon-Joo calling him Oppa while making a cute pose.

“Pfft! Kek!” He couldn’t help but laugh.

Seol-Ah tilted her head in confusion. “Did something interesting happen?”

“I-It’s nothing. More importantly, did anything new happen?”

“Oh, we got a call from Layla.”

“Layla?” Kang-Woo tilted his head from the name he had never heard before.

Seol-Ah grinned and answered, “It’s Gaia’s real name. Si-Hun told me.”

“Mm. But didn’t she abandon her real name after becoming an incarnation?”

“That was to accept Lady Gaia’s Divinity better, but since she has already accepted most of the Divinity that she could receive as an incarnation, she can use her real name now.”

“Aha.” Kang-Woo nodded.

Seol-Ah giggled and said excitedly, “Listen to this, Kang-Woo. Layla was planning on continuing to use the name Gaia, but Si-Hun insisted she use her real name. Isn’t it kind of romantic?”

Kang-Woo smirked and asked, “That aside, didn’t you say that Layla contacted us?”

“Oh, right.” Seol-Ah nodded with her cheeks red. “Umm… The real Gaia apparently wants to meet you.”

Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes. It was obvious who Seol-Ah was referring to.

“Just me?” he asked.

“No, she also called the other Protectors. And… Also that brat.”

Seol-Ah’s eyes filled with chilling bloodlust. She still seemed to have some ill feelings toward Uriel.

‘Man, I have a bad feeling about this.’

Kang-Woo grimaced. He had never had any good experiences associating with Gaia until now.

‘How is she gonna troll me this time?’

He had suffered from her trolling multiple times; she was the one who had made his Satan Coin plummet, as well as ruined many other plans of his.

‘I don’t wanna go.’

However, there was no way he couldn’t go. Kang-Woo sighed.

“Okay,” he nodded while shutting his lips tight anxiously.

***

“Welcome, my children.”

A comforting voice was heard as soon as Kang-Woo entered the Hall of Protection. Gaia’s will had descended into Earth by borrowing Layla’s body through Deific Manifestation.

‘Fuck.’

Kang-Woo grimaced unconsciously. The enormous amounts of power flowing out from Gaia’s body prickled his skin. She had descended using Layla’s body before, but this could not even be compared to back then.

‘This is the power of one of the highest gods.’

Cold sweat trickled down the back of Kang-Woo’s neck. He was smothered by the breathtaking energy as soon as he entered the room. The Divinity of Gaia, who had recovered her power, was powerful enough to make Kang-Woo anxious.

“Greetings, Lady Gaia,” Kim Si-Hun, who was standing at the front, said while kneeling on one knee.

With him in the middle, the other Protectors such as Zhuge Xian, Ito Shinji, Grace McCubbin, and others that were lined up next to Si-Hun, also kneeled on one knee. Kang-Woo lined up at the far end, hoping to stay hidden. He could feel his heart beating like crazy.

‘This is scary as hell.’

It felt as if he was a murderer called to the scene of his own crime. Kang-Woo anxiously stared at Gaia.

‘What should I do if she recognizes me?’

The possibility of that was low since she herself had said that she did not know who the Demon of Prophecy was; she also had not recognized him back when she had descended before. However, now that her power had returned after Earth’s Protection had been restored, it could be a different story.

‘If I get exposed as the Demon of Prophecy here…’

Everything would obviously be over. The sturdy tower of trust that he had built with difficulty would crumble.

‘Fucking please…’

Kang-Woo clenched his fists, desperately hoping that Gaia wouldn’t say anything. However, contrary to Kang-Woo’s hopes, Gaia slowly opened her mouth.

“First, I would like to thank all of you,” she said while smiling gently. “If it were not for you all, this star would have been fully exposed to otherworldly interference and been destroyed.”

“It could not have happened without your guidance, Lady Gaia,” Si-Hun answered calmly.

Gaia smiled. “Protector Kim Si-Hun.”

“Yes?”

“Come closer.”

Si-Hun expressed slight bewilderment, but approached her.

“Successor of the Heavenly Dragon. You have no idea how reassured I am to have you with me.”

“N-Not at all…”

“Fufu. There is no need to be so humble. I have been reported of all your accomplishments through Layla.”

Si-Hun lowered his head while blushing. Gaia gently caressed his cheeks.

“I am nothing but sorry for this child. Although it could not have been helped, I made her shoulder far too heavy of a burden.” She sighed in sorrow. “But my heavy heart has become at least a little lighter, seeing how happy this child has become from having met you.”

“Lady Gaia…”

“Fufu. This child may have some quirks, but please give her as much love as you can.”

“Of course.” Si-Hun nodded without hesitation.

“And…” Gaia then shifted her gaze toward Uriel. “I thank you, wings of Seraph. Thanks to your assistance, we were able to chase out the darkness from this star.”

“I only did my duty.” Uriel bowed while maintaining his dignity as an archangel instead of his usual childlike self. He then added, “From what I have heard, the restoration of your power is not permanent… Is that true?”

Gaia nodded with a darkened expression. “It is. As long as the Demon of Prophecy lives… Earth’s protection will never be fully restored.”

Kang-Woo’s shoulders flinched from the sudden mention of the Demon of Prophecy.

“But do not fret. TIme has been bought thanks to your help,” Gaia expressed.

“But…”

“Trust me. I will personally stop the darkness from laying its hands on this star. Of course, it will not last forever, but… I have come up with a plan in preparation for it.”

Silence fell. There was nothing else to say when the goddess in charge of managing Earth was going so far.

“What is this plan that you are referring to, Lady Gaia?” Si-Hun asked, breaking the silence.

Everyone here was likely curious about it.

Gaia nodded and replied, “I have called you all here today to give you the details of that plan. But before I get into it…” Gaia looked toward the Protectors with sunken eyes. “I have something to announce to all of you.”

She slowly turned her gaze toward Kang-Woo.

‘Wh-What?’

Why was she looking at him? Kang-Woo’s expression stiffened, and he averted his gaze.

‘I don’t think she knows I’m the Demon of Prophecy.’

So why was she looking at him so intently?

“Oh Kang-Woo, is it?”

“Yes.” Kang-Woo slowly nodded.

He was acting like he was perfectly fine on the outside, but a storm was raging within his head.

‘Don’t call me. Don’t even look at me. Please just pay me no mind. Screw off.’

Kang-Woo stared at Gaia in desperation.

“Come here,” Gaia said.

“... Yes, Lady Gaia.”

Kang-Woo slowly got up and walked toward her. Just like she had done to Si-Hun, she gently touched his cheek. Kang-Woo’s eyes widened, cold sweat flowing down his back.

‘Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.’

He was scared shitless. He was at risk of being found out as the Demon of Prophecy just from being in the same room as her, but she was now making direct contact with him. It would not be strange if she found out that he was the Demon of Prophecy here and now.

‘She’s seriously a goddamn nuisance.’

The pains that he had gone through because of Gaia flashed before his eyes like a panorama.

‘If it weren’t for you…’

Everything would have been resolved with just his Satan persona without ever having needed to create the Rakiel persona. The Demon of Prophecy would have never needed to be revealed. No, Earth would have never needed to be in danger in the first place.

‘You useless, frustrating, dumb, dim-witted bitch.’

She let the Gaia System be broken, unnecessarily wasted her Divinity and asked for help from other worlds at random, and completely ruined his plans that were going well several times.

‘Fucking troll.’

Kang-Woo clenched his fists while suppressing his rage.

“Despite not being a chosen Protector, you worked harder than any other Protector to protect this star.”

‘Yeah, I worked hard as fuck, all because of you.’

Gaia grabbed Kang-Woo’s shoulders, which irritated him even more.

“Thank you… very much.’

‘Oh yes, I’m sure you would be thankful.’

Kang-Woo slightly rolled his eyes. He understood why Gaia had asked to see him; it was for the completely meaningless act of a chief gathering their subordinates and naming one of them employee of the month, telling the other employees that they could also be praised like this if they worked hard.

‘Enough with the bullshit.’

Kang-Woo was not so easy to please. He lightly snorted and lowered his head. Just then…

“Henceforth, I have decided to select you as a Protector on the same level as Protector Kim Si-Hun.”

“Pardon?”

‘The fuck she say?’

Whooom!

Bright light poured out from Gaia’s hands and flowed into Kang-Woo.

Riiing!

[You have received ‘Gaia’s Blessing’.]

[Raising all stats dramatically!]

[Demonic Energy has surpassed 160. You can now partially use demonic energy from the Abyss.]

[The title ‘Protector of Light’ has been generated.]

[All beings of godhood will recognize you as a retainer of Gaia!]

Kang-Woo’s eyes filled with shock from the messages before his eyes.

‘My Demonic Energy stat surpassed 160, and… I can use demonic energy from the Abyss?’

Not just that, all beings of godhood would recognize him as the Protector of Light.

‘There’s no way I’d get exposed now.’

Who in their right mind would suspect a retainer of Gaia to be the Demon of Prophecy?

‘Yes, this is it! My life has completely turned around now!’

Kang-Woo unconsciously raised his two arms high up in the air.

‘Lady Gaiaaaaaaaaa!! I believed in you!!’

He could swear on his life that he had never doubted Gaia for even a millisecond.

‘Shiiiet, Protector of Light, huh? Awesome! Lady Gaia sure has an eye for people!’

Kang-Woo had been right all along.

‘You are… the hope of humanity.’

He had not once thought of Gaia as useless despite everyone else having thought so. He always believed that Gaia was the true hope of humanity as well as its savior.

‘Yes, I knew it all along.’

He was simply being rewarded for his faith.

“I will… dedicate myself to the light.”

Tears flowed down Kang-Woo’s cheeks.