<h4>Chapter 321 - Goddess’s Rage (2)</h4>


    <i>‘Holy shit, what?’</i>


    Oh Kang-Woo, who had been scrunched up while clenching his chest, flinched. He was honestly a little confused.


    <i>‘What’s with the overreaction?’</i>


    He had only just been selected as a Protector; although Gaia had swore on her Divinity that she would spare no support and love for him, it was a little out of nowhere.


    <i>‘Why does she love me so much...?’</i>


    It was as if he had been adopted, and his adoptive mother was showing him a little too much love as soon as he entered the household. Although it was not a bad feeling, he was still confused nheless.


    “Are you okay, my child?!” Gaia approached Kang-Woo, who had copsed on the floor in pain.


    She was looking down at him on the verge of tears; no, she was actually crying a little.


    <i>‘What the actual fuck?’</i>


    Kang-Woo’s eyes were filled with confusion, but continued his performance.


    “Cough! Cough! I-I’m alright...”


    “How can you say that when you’re like this?!” Gaia embraced Kang-Woo while shouting, trembling while shedding tears. “Please... Please do not die... I cannot lose another child after Alec.”


    It had been a while since Kang-Woo had heard that name. Everything made sense as soon as he heard it.


    <i>‘I guess she’s the type to love the humans that she has chosen as Protectors to death.’</i>


    If that was not the case, there was no way that she would mention Alec Osborne, who had died by the hands of Satan years ago. The fear in her voice, her genuine concern for her incarnation, La, as well as her attitude toward Kim Si-Hun all showed that she treated the humans that she had selected as Protectors as her real children.


    <i>‘So that’s why she even went as far as to swear on her Divinity.’</i>


    Kang-Woo did not quite know how deep of a meaning that held, but he felt like they had not been empty words. A portion of her Divinity would likely be annihted if she were to break the vow.


    <i>‘She really decided to treat me like her own son. No wonder, considering everything I did for her.’</i>


    In Gaia’s perspective, Kang-Woo was nothing short of her savior. She likely had great interest in him even before she had selected him as a Protector.


    <i>‘This is...’</i>


    Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes, lowering the ascending corners of his mouth with all his might.


    <i>‘... Amazing, isn’t it?’</i>


    Kang-Woo had seen her in apletely different light, other than simply being a troll. He was more than satisfied with bing a retainer of a god, but she had even decided to treat him like her own child. It was honestly far better than what he had expected.


    <i>‘Kuh, who the fuck dared to call Lady Gaia a loser?!’</i>


    He wanted to beat the shit out of the people who had dared to call Gaia useless. She was more perfect than his wildest dreams.


    <i>‘If that’s the case...’</i>


    Kang-Woo needed to stir Gaia up even more.


    “Haaa, haaa,” Kang-Woo panted heavily while clenching his chest. He took a deep breath in and slowly got up. “... I’m fine now.”


    Gaia stared at him with sunken eyes. “Why did you not say anything?”


    Kang-Woo remained silent.


    “Tell me, my child,” she said, as if scolding him.


    Kang-Woo smiled in a way that looked as if it would shatter into pieces at even the slightest touch.


    “I was scared... of losing them.” Kang-Woo averted Gaia’s gaze and stared at Si-Hun, who was staring at him in shock. “I have gained too much.”


    Silence fell. With a grimace, Gaia shouted, “You... Idiot!”


    <i>Smack!</i>


    Gaia strongly flicked Kang-Woo’s forehead. She then continued with a hardened face, “I will hold off on the mission of sending you to Aernor for now. I cannot leave such a dangerous mission in your hands in that state.”


    “No, you must.” Kang-Woo shook his head. He grabbed Gaia’s hands and stared at her with zing eyes, speaking with certainty, “I have to go.”


    Gaia’s eyes shook.


    “It will take months just to open a Gate leading to Aernor. We cannot dy it,” Kang-Woo stated.


    “But you...”


    “Lady Gaia.” Kang-Woo tightened his grip on her hands and said again, “I have to go.”


    Gaia remained silent. She also knew very well that they had to go to Aernor to eliminate the Demon God’s corpse and acquire Aernor’s protection. If it had not been urgent, she would not have entrusted this mission to Si-Hun and Kang-Woo in the first ce.


    “My child...”


    Gaia’s eyes shook. She caressed Kang-Woo’s cheek and lowered her head before she said, “I am truly sorry... For having you shoulder such a heavy burden.”


    She wanted to chase away the demonic energy within Kang-Woo this instant, but the fact that there were still traces of demonic energy within him despite having been chosen as a Protector meant that it had already spread to the point of it being nearly irreversible. If she forcibly tried to eliminate the demonic energy by using her Divinity, Kang-Woo’s life would be put at risk. There was only one way to eliminate the demonic energy within him, and that was to kill Rakiel, the root source.


    Gaia asked, her voice filled with bloodlust, “The Constetion of Corruption is currently on Earth, correct?”


    Uriel answered, “Yes. He is plotting some sort of scheme here on Earth.”


    “I see.” Gaia’s eyes narrowed. Breathtaking energy flowed out from her and weighed down everything around her. “Wings of Seraph, can I entrust you with the mission of locating Rakiel while I prepare the Gate leading to Aernor?”


    “Of course.” Uriel nodded without hesitation.


    He had been searching for Rakiel’s traces whenever he had time, despite it not being his duty. He kneeled on one knee while spreading open his eight wings.


    “In exchange, I have a request,” Uriel mentioned.


    “Speak,” Gaia replied.


    “I would also like to go on the mission that you have entrusted to Kang-Woo,” he said while looking in Kang-Woo’s direction.


    “I will allow it,” Gaia answered without hesitation.


    There was no reason for her to refuse a powerful and reliable being like Uriel to join the mission.


    “Constetion of Corruption...” Gaia mumbled while recalling Rakiel, who was hidden somewhere in this star.


    <i>Crackle—!</i>


    “I swear on my Divinity! I, Gaia, Goddess of the earth... will bestow upon you the most horrifying and agonizing death imaginable!”


    <i>Rumble.</i>


    Bloodlust blossomed from Gaia’s eyes.


    “The price you will pay forying a hand on my child... will not be cheap.”


    The rage of the goddess with top-rank Divinity shook the earth.


    ***


    “Pfft, huehuehuehuehue!”


    Kang-Woo unleashed theughter that he had suppressed as soon as he came back home. He crouched while holding his stomach.


    <i>- The price you will pay forying a hand on my child... will not be cheap.</i>


    <i>‘Shiiiet, I’m falling in love.’</i>


    He couldn’t help but smile as he kept recalling Gaia’s words.


    <i>‘It’s perfect.’</i>


    The picture he had been hoping for had been fully painted.


    <i>‘The hero being corrupted by demonic energy, and the goddess trying to save him...’</i>


    It was now no longer weird that demonic energy could be felt from him; in other words, the chances of his true identity being found out had been lowered even further. His performance had even deepened her affection toward him.


    <i>‘That aside...’</i>


    Kang-Woo sighed from the moment that had freaked him out.


    <i>‘That was dangerous.’</i>


    He regretted having trusted in his Ruler of Demonic Energy too much.


    <i>‘I can’t believe she detected my demonic energy.’</i>


    Despite having been extra careful in hiding it, he had still not been able to conceal it in its entirety.


    <i>‘I guess that’s a god of the top rank for you.’</i>


    Kang-Woo entered his room while clicking his tongue. Han Seol-Ah, Echidna and Halcyon seemed to have gone out somewhere.


    <i>‘Now, what to do?’</i>


    Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes. Although he had managed to me it on Rakiel, the problem was what he would do from now on.


    “I spammed this son of a bitch too much.”


    He had used Rakiel’s name a bit too many times, to the point that it was difficult to resolve everything that he had made up.


    “I think it’s about time I sell.”


    The Rakiel Coin’s value had risen as high as it possibly could. He was no longer in any situation to go all in on the Rakiel Coin.


    <i>‘But it’s a bit dangerous to sell since the real Rakiel is still alive.’</i>


    Kang-Woo’s head was in jumbles. Although wiping his hands clean off from the persona was not difficult, it was a difficult decision to make, in the case that the real Rakiel were to appear one day.


    “For now... I’ll see how things go.”


    He was not in a rush. Rather, he would be able to gain even more of Gaia’s favor if he were to pretend to be even more dedicated to his duty without losing hope in such a situation.


    <i>‘Man, this is why you need good connections.’</i>


    Kang-Woo couldn’t feel any more reassured, now that he had the head god of Earth supporting him. He would no doubt have a bright future ahead of him as long as he used Gaia properly.


    <i>‘I’ll trust you, Lady Gaia!’</i>


    Kang-Woo clenched his fists and raised them up high into the sky.


    ***


    <i>Whoosh.</i>


    Dust blew across a destend. Silence lingered between the distorted and split boulders. A being with ten ck wings slowly got up.


    “... Rakiel,” someone said from behind the being.


    The being known as Rakiel slowly turned his head. There, a hideous monster whose face was covered in rotten mold was ring at him.


    “Are you out of your mind?”


    Rakiel looked up at the sky dyed in darkness without a word. “... No, I have been out of my mind until now.”


    “Hah!” the monster chuckled, and then shouted, “The Constetion of Corruption has gone mad after his seal hade undone! You bring shame to Lord Bauli!”


    Rakiel stared at the monster with sunken eyes. “Constetion of Agony. No matter what you say, I will not change my mind.”


    He spread out his ten wings, and ck lightning sparked between them. The monster known as the Constetion of Agony gritted his teeth.


    “You dare betray us?!” he eximed in fury, but smirked momentster. “Kehehe. Rakiel, even if you do return to the light, do you seriously believe anyone will listen to what you say?”


    “...”


    “Who would possibly trust the words of a fallen angel? Hm?! Your sin of corrupting hundreds of thousands of beings just to get your hands on Seraph will never lighten!” the monster said mockingly.


    Rakiel flew up with a heavy expression. “... I know.”


    He knew that he hadmitted an unforgivable sin.


    “But...”


    Exactly because of that...


    “I will... atone for my sins.”


    Rakiel, who had flown up into the sky, disappeared into a blue Rift.