Right after Bae Seung-Woo was finished with his revenge, the news was plastered with reports of the gigantic monster that had suddenly appeared, as well as the enormous saint miracles.

Park Ji-Hoon woke up a few days later after passing out, but he was immediately overcome with extreme despair. It was hard to accept the fact that his arms and legs were utterly ruined and he had lost all his power as an Awakened.

Of course, that didn't mean he was spared from the further punishment he deserved.

His father, leader of the Silla Guild, worked tirelessly to compromise with the authorities to reduce his sentence, but even he was already under scrutiny from various political figures. As a result, he also couldn't push too hard.

Bae Seung-woo, having completed his revenge, said he’d leave those old complicated feelings behind and continue his school life with Super Ribbon. Though of course, his life would be vastly different from before, as an S-rank Awakened.

Meanwhile, Willow was meeting with Davey. “Dad.”

“This is the mad angel they're talking about?”

“Yeah. It came out of an Awakened, and we think it's the source of their power.”

Davey sighed and ran a hand over the mad angel’s face. “Wait a minute, does that mean all Awakened individuals have these mad angels dwelling inside them right now?”

“I'm not sure. Still, I’m sure you also understand that it would not have been easy for Neltarid to create so many Awakened individuals, especially considering their monstrous capabilities.” She then presented the hypothesis that came to her mind. “I think Neltarid might’ve given mad angels to a select few, then used their remaining residual power to create other Awakened."

In that process, there might’ve also been those who were given the power Willow possessed.

Rather, to be precise, the authority of Goddess Freyja.

“I don't know the conditions for granting the power, though...” she regretfully said.

“Neltarid is a god with almost no emotion. It’s highly likely that they’d do such a thing if it was for the sake of efficiency.”

People thought of the gods as merciful, yet from a human perspective, that wasn't entirely true. Freyja, the Goddess of Mercy, certainly acted to protect the world, but in some contexts, she displayed a cruel side that didn't fit with her mercy moniker.

Fortunately, Neltarid and Thanatos had acquired a very small amount of emotion at some point, and Goddess Freyja had also developed fragments of emotion by becoming involved with an irregular named Davey O'Rowane.

“Are there any other variables? Do we know why that mad angel suddenly burst out and exerted such power?”

“Not yet. I need to check.” She then hugged him tightly. “I feel very uneasy right now.”

“I know. I understand.”

As Davey quietly patted her back, she seemed somewhat reassured and slowly pulled away. She then prepared to leave for her sanctuary, saying she’d investigate in more detail.

“You're going already?” he asked, disappointed. “Why not stay a little longer?”

“I have to go. With Neltarid gone, I'm the only one who can truly look into this.”

She managed a smile, and before leaving, she threw out a final line. “Mom, Dad.”

“Hmm?”

“I'll get going now. I love you.” She pecked his cheek and vanished as if she were running away, her face bright red.

Her affection made him smile. The tortured and cold appearance she had shown in the past was gone, and her newfound willingness to express love like that made him so grateful.

Of course, he couldn't be immersed in happiness forever. As he kept smiling, Perserque shot him a sullen look, as if asking why she didn't get a kiss from her.

“So, what do you think of this thing?”

Perserque put down the documents. “I know you don't think the Goddess and Neltarid actually caused this problem on purpose.”

“Even with emotions, gods seek ultimate efficiency and order.”

Although Neltarid had been a being with rich emotions in the past, they’d completely changed after being deified.

“Now that I think about it, didn't this sort of thing happen before?”

“Yeah. The zenoen.”

“Right. This is just my thought, but... maybe...” Davey had a rough idea of what she was about to say. Sure enough, she continued, “Maybe they’re trying to find their replacements.”

“My thoughts exactly. I believe Goddess Freyja might be trying to pass on her position to you, and Neltarid to Willow. Although, that’s just a guess.”

He couldn’t help but find the situation troublesome. “However, there’ll certainly be enormous growing pains that occur during that process.”

“You mean the mad angel might just be the beginning?”

“It might be more than that. Perhaps... something even bigger is stirring.”

The Goddess Freyja was currently unreachable. Davey didn’t think those other two gods, who had stayed completely silent since the beginning of the Primordial Winter and Willow’s awakening, were in any trouble despite their absence.

However, the situation was definitely becoming very inconvenient. “I’ll look into it separately, now that I have some free time.”

“I'll go with you,” she declared.

“Wait, you want to come? I don’t really see a reason...”

She shot him a glare. “Do you not want me to go with you?”

“Of course not.”

In truth, things had been very busy on his end for a good while.

Given the size of his responsibilities, the residents of Heins Territory were the ones who suffered if he neglected his work.

That was why even when Willow, Super Ribbon, Evangeline, and the Gourmet Research Society schemed and plotted something with that guy Bae Seung-woo, he’d just let them be. They were children who could make their own judgments, after all.

The result was very satisfying. All three children had their own eccentricities, but they ultimately managed to adjust to each other, even managing to wrap up the situation within a reasonable boundary.

“Gourmet Research Society.”

Yuriana approached his side. “Yes, Gracious Savior?”

He handed Yuriana a document. “You did well. I'll raise your budget.”

“Oh my, Gracious Savior! Why would you give us something like this? You really don't have to.”

“Should I take it back?”

“Oh, of course not.” She firmly took the document as if her previous words were merely formalities.

“Oh, right. There’s something else.” Davey smiled brightly, and Yuriana also showed a radiant smile.

“What is it, Gracious Savior?”

“The Contas Empire filed a complaint.”

All the members of the club froze stiff.

“According to them, you stole a protected species and even ate it as sashimi?”

“T-that... that's...” They didn’t know what to say

“And it wasn’t the first or second time, either.”

A reward was a reward, and a punishment was a punishment. He had to be impartial when it came to justice.

“So, where do you want to be hung up this time?”

Marky sadly asked, “Ummm, Gracious Savior? C-can you please just forgive us?”

“Life doesn't always go the way you want it to, right? Isn't that what makes it more interesting?”

Seeing how they never stopped their antics despite clearly hating being hung up and embarrassed, he briefly considered giving them a harsher punishment, but stopped. In the end, he ended up hanging the three on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

The French authorities surprisingly welcomed it with open arms. It was because the Gourmet Research Society being hung up had basically turned into a highly-attended event after happening so many times. Thanks to the popularity, even more tourists than usual flocked to the Eiffel Tower. The authorities were certainly pleased.

In the end, another photo of the three snarling and squabbling while hanging from the Eiffel Tower circulated on the internet, documenting their latest ordeal. A video was even posted of the three hanging side-by-side.

[The latest on the Gourmet Research Society LOLS]

[LMAO no way the French actually gave permission LOOOL]

[It was the same at the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls before, but their spin on it actually gathers hella tourists hahahaha]

[At this point, if they don't get hung up periodically, it feels like something’s missing LOL]

[LMAO look at the Saint of Tionis watching them struggle]

[You can also see his guard lololol she’s soooo cute LMAO]

[Just call her Rinne bro LOLS]

[Look at her shaking her body and bumping into them LOL]

The video showed Rinne kicking her feet and swinging her body to attack Yuriana like a pendulum after hearing something from her. It was clear as day that she was trying to bite her.

Marky, on the other hand, was drooping with a tired expression. Seeing people taking pictures, she made a peace sign with her bound fingers. The Gourmet Research Society was surprisingly consistent in their charismatic antics.

* * *

“So, there’s something you want to ask me?”

“You could phrase it that way.”

The S-rank Awakened, Chris Marten, a top-ranked American hero, tilted his head. “Is it because of that incident that happened before?”

“Perhaps.”

Chris Marten had his own sources. Moreover, since he had feelings for Hyun-Ah, he must’ve heard that she was busy with the issue and investigated it separately. Although it was classified, anyone in the know was bound to find out more.

“A monster that came out of an Awakened individual. So? What do you think, Saint of Tionis?”

Park Ji-Hoon had spat out the mad angel inside him, and after it disappeared, all his power vanished. That seemed to indicate that the mad angel had been the source of his Awakened power.

Perserque had no means of even figuring out how Awakened individuals worked. Even Reina, an apostle and Celestial of the same lineage, didn't seem to have discovered much.

Davey instead chose to quietly draw upon his divine power and manifest his godly form. His hair grew long, and his body became slender. As he transformed into a genderless appearance, Chris Marten looked at him in surprise.

“Amazing! You’re giving off a... what should I call it? A very sacred feeling.”

“Of course it is. This is a divine manifestation. The body becomes the body of a god, so there's no way a mere creation wouldn't feel its influence,” Reina said proudly, puffing out her chest.

“Hah, you sound really proud of that even though it isn’t you who does it.”

“Quiet,” Davey commanded. The two who had been squabbling fell silent.

“I’m very uneasy right now. Hopefully, you have some good news,” Chris Marten muttered anxiously, finding it hard to accept the fact that a destructive monster might be inside him.

However, Davey just silently peered into his inner being.

Based on Park Ji-Hoon’s case, there should clearly be traces of an angel within the source of Christ Marten’s power. Yet, he saw absolutely nothing unusual inside him.

He couldn't tell if this was simply because he couldn't find it, or if a mad angel had never resided in him at all.

As Davey kept checking, Hyun-Ah, who had been watching the situation, asked worriedly, “So, what do you think? Is there one inside him too?”

Davey softly muttered to himself, “She said she wasn’t interested in him or whatever, but look at her, being all worried. They say it's useless to raise a younger sister...”

Perserque cut in, having heard because of her skills, “But you didn't raise him, did you? Rather, it's the opposite. And from what I can tell, this is less about a man and a woman and more about a personal connection...”

‘Shh.’

Davey lightly suppressed Perserque from talking and concentrated again.

After about five minutes, he was able to make a definitive statement.

“Nope.”

“Huh?”

“There’s nada. No monster.”

“Oh, thank goodness. That's a huge relief!”

If there happened to be a monster, it’s not like they would’ve had a proper response anyway. If they removed the monster, Chris Marten would lose his power, yet if they left it alone, it’d basically be a ticking bomb that could go off at any time.

“So being S-rank doesn’t automatically mean they were planted with angels,” Davey concluded.

“Then... What about that guy Park Ji-Hoon?”

“This is just speculation, but it seems like only a few were implanted. That’s the good news.”

“I have a feeling there's bad news too?” Chris Marten joked lightheartedly.

“You're right,” Davey confirmed. “There is bad news.”

“God dammit...”

“The lack of any discernible pattern or clues means we can't tell where the problem is.”

Without looking into the details of a confirmed case and doing an examination, there was no way to tell how they were implanted. However, they couldn’t possibly check every single Awakened individual one by one.

“But... is this a big problem right now?” Chris asked.

“It shouldn't be. The main thing is that we don't know the reason why it becomes a problem, or when it will happen...”

“That's even worse news! Honestly, if the public learns that the power of the Awakened, a power bestowed by the gods, is tainted with something like that...” he said, trailing off.

“That's why the Korean government is keeping it classified right now. Whatever the circumstances, it’ll be a real pain if it gets out to the public.”

Davey didn't know for sure, but the Church of Neltarid would likely suffer a considerable blow. Unfortunately for them, Neltarid was indeed the one who did it.

“Frankly speaking, it's all about how you frame it. If we had even a small excuse to twist the story, it’d help a lot. Still, more importantly, we need to prevent it all from happening in the first place.”

“Haah. If we could just catch one of them, we could tear it apart and study it from all angles...” Davey felt like screaming from the rooftops that Neltarid was the cause of all the chaos, but he knew that it would definitely cause trouble in too many places.

Just as he took a shallow breath and remained silent, Hyun-Ah received a call from somewhere.

“What did you say?!” She abruptly jumped up, and everyone turned to look at her.

* * *

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. The area where the Gourmet Research Society was hanging was a complete mess.

A monster had popped out in the middle of the crowd of gawking tourists. It was a bizarre creature with a huge eyeball and dozens of black wings.

The Gourmet Research Society, who had seen something similar once before, instinctively grasped its identity.

“A mad angel... Are we really okay?” Marky struggled to untie the tight ropes, but Davey had reinforced the ropes multiple times. They simply wouldn't budge. It was also difficult to help each other since they were hanging side-by-side.

The monster let out a grotesque howl that caused countless people to faint.

It kept rolling its single gigantic eye, clearly searching for something.

“What do you think it's looking for?” Yuriana curiously asked.

“Analyzing. Rinne evaluates based on self thought process that it’s looking for Willow.”

“To be precise, it's probably looking for a divine being. That could be Lady Willow, or the God Neltarid... or perhaps even Gracious Savior,” Yuriana calmly analyzed.

Marky wasn’t nearly as calm. “Hey! Is this the time to talk about that?! What are we gonna do if it starts going crazy?!”

Although the light beam that the previous monster had fired wasn't very strong, a direct hit would still be quite impactful. While Marky and Rinne had strong self-defense abilities, Yuriana was different.

“Hey, you're in the most danger right now.”

“Oh, am I?” Yuriana muttered while dangling.

Sensing the trace of divinity Rinne emanated, the monster flapped its wings and approached them. As its huge eyeball fixed on her, its pupil split vertically, and a mouth with terrifying teeth opened.

It looked as though it was trying to swallow all three of them in one gulp.

“T-t-that! Do something!!!” Marky screamed and struggled.

Rinne and Yuriana, on the other hand, were perfectly calm.

“What should we do? If we undo these ropes, Gracious Savior will probably boil us alive.”

“Rinne analyzes the probability of survival to be very low if we do not resist.”

“Then I guess we have no choice...” Saying that, Yuriana took out something she had hidden who knows where. Then, after moving her hands here and there, she easily released the rope.

At the same time, Rinne also untied her rope and dropped toward the bottom of the Eiffel Tower.

‘Huh? What the hell was that?!’

“How’d you untie that?! Ughh, those crazy bitches...”

Perhaps because they had been tied up so many times before, they’d untied themselves with ease.

However, Marky was left alone, yelling at the top of her lungs, “Hey, you traitors! Untie me too!! Don't run off by yourselves! H-here it comes! AHHHH!!! I don't want to be eaten!!”

The moment the fiercely charging mad angel was about to swallow Marky.

Fwoosh!!

Rinne, flapping all her wings with incredible momentum, pierced the monster once with a spear of pure white light, resembling a flash of lightning.

“Kiaaa!!!” The monster let out a terrifying scream and thrashed its body, and Rinne twisted the spear lodged in it and hurled the monster away.

Then, using the same strange small tool that Yuriana had taken out, she quickly set Marky free.

“What the hell is that thing that lets you untie yourself so easily?!” Marky asked with agitation.

“A trade secret. Rinne values it highly.”

“You two are completely nuts!Nuts, I’m telling you. You elf and you white pigeon...”

“Rinne recommends an urgent evacuation. Also, Rinne requests a correction of the expression pigeon. Rinne is a noble falcon...”

“Forget it,” Marky said, tired of arguing. “I'll evacuate the humans, so you two go stop that thing.”

Recognizing the reason in her words, Yuriana used the power of spirits to land and began to awaken a massive number of Earth Spirits.

As someone who had once summoned a high-rank spirit, summoning so many regular spirits wasn’t that difficult for her. “Sounds good.”

“Alright. I’ll start.”Marky clapped her hands, creating a massive number of phantom butterflies. They quickly transported the unconscious people elsewhere.

The French government had only allowed the three to hang in their capital for the simple bonus of boosting tourism, but that decision ended up saving countless lives.

“Kiaaa!!!” The recovered mad angel collided with Rinne again.

Marky, watching the gigantic being and her clashing in the air, muttered with a complex expression,“I really think we need a fundamental solution for this.”

Then a thought struck her.

‘What if that mad angel wasn't crazy from the start, and only went mad after being forcibly expelled from an Awakened individual?’

“Hey, crazy elf,” she called out to Yuriana.

“Oh, please don’t call me that. It’s vulgar.”

“So, about that monster. What if it wasn't crazy when it was inside an Awakened’s body, but went crazy after coming out?”

“Would that make a big difference?”

“It would. It means there'll be no problem if they can take preemptive measures. Hey, Rinne!! Don't kill it, subdue it!”

Still clashing furiously, she responded, “Rinne requests an explanation.”

“I think we need to capture this guy as a sample to figure everything out, right? You think you can do it?”

Rinne pondered for a moment and then nodded. “Rinne reports a seventy-eight percent probability of killing the enemy.”

“What about capturing it?”

“Less than ten percent. Insufficient information available for further analysis. Rinne evaluates the probability of success to be extremely low.”

“Is it really that strong?” Marky asked, shocked.

“I think she means it’s not about how strong it is, but that we don’t know what it’s hiding,” Yuriana added as she commanded the spirits.

Marky thought for a moment and then made a decision. “Then let's try to stall for time.”

Rinne made a subtle expression. “Rinne states that there is a high possibility of mass casualties. Rinne evaluates the chosen method lowly.”

“Just trust me this once! Since this guy doesn't show up often, I think we'll really need to get the information now while we can.”

It was a judgment that could lead to not only massive damage, but also all the blame falling on them.

However, she had, in fact, made the correct decision.