Chapter 391: Found You

"Kang-Woo!" A blue-haired boy happily ran over as soon as Oh Kang-Woo arrived in Sant'Angelo.

Kang-Woo greeted Uriel with a smile. "Have you been well?"

Uriel shook his head. "It's been a bit hectic because of the damage we suffered back then."

He was referring to the attack on Sant'Angelo by Lucifer, the Lord of the Flies.

Uriel looked back at Sant'Angelo in sorrow and then turned to look up at Kang-Woo to ask, "Come to think of it, I heard the news. You fought against a Constellation of Evil all on your own, right?"

"Yeah, it just happened."

"Just happened, my ass! What if I lost even..."

Uriel lowered his head while biting his lip. He thought about Raphael, who had been corrupted at the hands of Rakiel, the Constellation of Corruption. Kang-Woo smiled faintly in silence.

Uriel looked up and asked, "Oh, and I heard that you had acquired Deific Essence. Is that true?"

"Yeah."

"A-A human who isn't even an incarnation acquired Deific Essence..." Uriel touched Kang-Woo all over in disbelief. "What's your Deific Name?"

"God of Splendor."

"Hehe. It suits you." Uriel nodded while grinning.

Kang-Woo had been chosen as the Protector of Light by Gaia herself. There was no better name than God of Splendor for him.

"That's Oh Kang-Woo?" a woman asked.

Kang-Woo turned to the source of the voice to see a blonde woman whom angel wings could not suit any better. She had eight wings on her back, just like Uriel. The woman chugged a bottle of alcohol while walking Kang-Woo's way. She reeked of alcohol.

"Gabriel," Uriel muttered.

"Hihi. I was wondering who you were chatting away so happily with, but he's rather ordinary," Gabriel said as she took out a rectangular box from her pocket.

Inside the box was a long pipe. She stuffed tobacco leaves into the pipe and lit it.

"Fuuu, haaa. Dayum, that's nice."

Kang-Woo stared dumbfoundedly at the woman with a bottle of alcohol in one hand and a pipe in the other.

'That's supposed to be an angel? I mean, I couldn't care less if she wants to drink and smoke, but you should at least keep up appearances.'

Kang-Woo couldn't help but chuckle. It felt weird to see a woman with looks far surpassing Han Seol-Ah leisurely enjoying alcohol and tobacco.

'Well, she's at least better than Raphael and Michael.'

Kang-Woo preferred the easygoing Gabriel far more than the overly serious Raphael or the excessively courteous Michael.

He slightly turned his head toward Gabriel and replied, "Aren't I at least better than ordinary?"

"Hm?" Gabriel's eyes widened and then burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Yeah, I guess you do look like a bit of a scumbag!"

"Jeez, I don't think you should say that to someone you just met."

"Well, don't sweat the small stuff. Want a drink?"

"Give it here." Kang-Woo gulped down the bottle that Gabriel handed him. "Pfft!!" Kang-Woo spat it right out. "What the fuck?"

'This isn't drinking alcohol.'

Kang-Woo frowned and looked at Gabriel, who was bursting with laughter.

"It's a bit strong," she remarked.

"How strong?" he asked.

"96%."

"Are your taste buds nonexistent?"

'That's more than most rubbing alcohol.'

Gabriel sucked on her pipe again after laughing.

"Isn't this your first time meeting each other?" Uriel said as he stared at the two of them while dumbfounded.

They were getting along very well despite this being their first time meeting. Kang-Woo turned around and walked past Gabriel.

"Where's Lord Michael?" he asked.

"Mm. He's a bit busy right now... Oh, come to think of it, you should know about it too, so this is perfect timing," Uriel stated.

"Know about what?"

"Just a second. I was planning on contacting you about this."

Uriel turned around and took out a communication device. Kang-Woo thought that Uriel was going to contact Michael with it, but Uriel turned to Kang-Woo.

"Lord Michael said that he would take this opportunity to introduce you to them," he remarked.

"To whom?"

"The incarnations."

Kang-Woo's eyes narrowed. He knew what incarnations were, but the problem was the timing of their appearance.

"Why incarnations all of a sudden?" he asked.

"The gods made incarnations in bulk this time."

'I guess it wasn't just Iris.'

It meant that just like Iris was being made into an incarnation for a high elf to manifest into the physical world, the other gods had also made incarnations.

'I pretty much understand the situation, but...'

Unlike Kang-Woo, the gods were unable to use their power as they liked because they were bound by the System's restrictions. The only way for them to influence the physical world was to make incarnations and apostles. To make a simple comparison, it was like rerouting one's IP to bypass firewalls. Just like how one's internet speed was slowed after bouncing one's IP, a god manifesting into the physical world through their incarnation considerably restricted their power.

'I heard that it consumes quite a lot of Divinity just to make one apostle.'

Incarnations and apostles were different in that Deific Essence could be granted to incarnations. For example, Kang-Woo was Gaia's apostle, while Layla was Gaia's incarnation.

'Gods can each only make one incarnation.'

And once that incarnation died, a large portion of the corresponding god's Divinity would be lost. Worst-case scenario, their Deific Essence rank would be lowered, or it could be annihilated.

'The fact that they made incarnations in bulk despite those risks means...'

The gods were likely trying to intervene in this incident.

'I don't like it.'

Kang-Woo frowned. The more the gods interfered, the less he would be able to act to his heart's content. It was not welcome news at all for him since he was desperately anticipating his battle with the Constellations.

'They won't try to steal my prey, would they?'

They had better not, since Kang-Woo would kill them even if they were the incarnations of gods.

"Take me to the incarnations," Kang-Woo said.

"Okay," Uriel replied.

Uriel took the lead as Gabriel followed from the back while staring at Kang-Woo with interest.

Click.

They entered a meeting room within Sant'Angelo. The meeting room about a thousand square feet wide was quite elegantly designed. As soon as they entered, they caught the attention of everyone in the room. Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes and scanned everyone in the meeting room.

'There are about thirty of them.'

If they were all incarnations, then it was a considerably large number. Kang-Woo could feel the power of Divinity from every single one of the incarnations wearing various priest garments; they seemed to have been granted Deific Essence from their respective gods.

Michael, who was among the people in the room, approached Kang-Woo and said to the people, "This is Lady Gaia's apostle, Oh Kang-Woo."

"So that person is Lady Gaia's apostle."

The incarnations narrowed their eyes as they scanned Kang-Woo from head to toe. They seemed to be more wary of Kang-Woo than welcoming him.

A young man stood up and approached Kang-Woo. He had blond hair, a neat appearance, and seemed very gentle.

The man extended his hand toward Kang-Woo and said courteously, "It's nice to meet you, Protector of Light. My name is Anduin. I was chosen as the incarnation of Lady Lumeria, the Goddess of Peace, and have been given the great honor of standing against great evil."

'Why are you talking like that? Are you Reynald?'

Kang-Woo suppressed his groan. It was far easier to speak to laid-back people like Gabriel than some chuunibyou hero like this man. He swallowed such thoughts and lightly bowed.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you too, Sir Anduin. I am Oh Kang-Woo, an apostle of Lady Gaia."

Anduin looked around for someone; it was not difficult to guess who he was looking for.

"Si-Hun isn't here today," Kang-Woo expressed.

"Oh, I see." Anduin nodded.

He did not look disappointed; it seemed he did not particularly want to meet Kim Si-Hun.

Kang-Woo looked around the meeting room and asked, "Have you all become incarnations recently?"

"Yes, that's right," Anduin responded. "It was likely after the incorrigible demon Lucifer attacked Sant'Angelo. Lady Lumeria could not stand idly by as the continent was plunged deeper into fear, so she has given me the honor of being her disciple for her to exercise her power as well."

"I see."

'Thanks for the exposition. Yeah, characters like you are important for the plot. The period is similar to Iris.'

However, Iris was still in bed without having become an incarnation yet.

'Maybe it's because of the difference in Deific Essence.'

It was either because the Deific Essence of the high elf trying to manifest through Iris was considerably high-ranked, or because the Deific Essence of the gods manifesting through Anduin and the other incarnations was low-ranked. It might also be both.

"We have decided to form an organization that we have named Godly Pantheon, its source purpose being to eradicate the demons threatening the continent per the will of the gods."

'Godly Pantheon, huh?'

It was similar to Guardians, although the two organizations were different in that they served different gods.

'I wonder if it will go well?'

Although Aernor was polytheistic, it seemed difficult to run an organization of people that each served different gods. Kang-Woo quickly scanned the thirty incarnations; they did not seem in disagreement with joining the organization known as Godly Pantheon.

'Well, regardless...'

Kang-Woo couldn't care less as long as they didn't meddle with his plan.

"And with that said..." Anduin bowed deeply. "Thank you for everything you've done thus far, Gaia's apostle."

Kang-Woo tilted his head in confusion. It was as if he was being told to clock out for the day since he was finished with his work. "I'm not sure what you mean..."

Anduin continued firmly, "Even if the continent is in grave danger, we cannot entrust the fate of Aernor in the hands of a goddess of another world. We will fight with our strength from here on out. We would like to ask you and Sir Kim Si-Hun to step back."

The thirty incarnations drew out their Divinity as if they had prepared for this beforehand. They were trying to intimidate him.

Kang-Woo fell silent. He raised his head and looked up at the meeting room ceiling. The corners of his mouth rose unconsciously.

'I found my scout.'