Mei Ling could feel herself succumbing to Andrei Ivanovic’s sweet words.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump, ba-dump!

Her heart began to race.

D-Does this man really love me…?

Truthfully speaking, that confession came from nowhere. There wasn’t any interaction between her and Andrei Ivanovic. They might have seen each other in the Gullveig Alliance official meetings, but that was all. But for him to suddenly confess like this...

“Mei Ling.”

At that moment, Andrei Ivanovic interrupted Mei Ling’s train of thought.

“Yes…?”

“I told you that I don’t care about who rules Pangaea in the end.”

“You did...”

“In fact, I was one of the two people who objected to the formation of the Gullveig Alliance. Do you know why I joined the alliance in the end?”

“D-Don’t tell me...”

“Yes, you are right.”

Andrei Ivanovic nodded.

“There was one meeting when you and Vilhelm saw the Lords out. I immediately froze at that moment.”

“I-I see...”

“To see you.”

“...!”

“I joined the Gullveig Alliance just to see you and spent the past two years lingering around your side.”

“Really…?”

“It doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not.”

“Mr. Andrei...”

“In fact, you don’t have to feel pressured to accept me. Just let me be at your side to help you. I won’t ask for any profit or power. You may not believe me now, but I trust that you will recognize my sincerity one day.”

Andrei gently kissed Mei Ling on the forehead and concluded his confession.

“That was it.”

Andrei Ivanovic turned around and bid Mei Ling farewell.

“I will prepare everything you need to seize power. You should focus solely on maintaining your cool...”

At that moment.

“Andrei…!”

“...!”

“Don’t go!”

Mei Ling exclaimed in desperation. She then tightly embraced Ivanovic.

“M-Mei Ling…!”

“Don’t… leave me… p-please...”

“...!”

“Stay… by my side… please...”

Teardrops rolled down Mei Ling’s cheeks.

“It was… too exhausting...”

Ever since the Pentagon infiltration incident, Mei Ling and Viktor were severely mistreated by Albrecht Vilhelm. They were plagued by constant anxiety.

“And even now… it’s too… tiring...”

To top it all off, her brother Ao Xin was murdered by Kang Chul-In. She was on the verge of breaking down. It would have been great if only Vilhelm died, but both him and Ao Xin had turned into ashes.

“Mei Ling… how tired were you…?”

Andrei Ivanovic gently patted Mei Ling’s back and whispered caring words of encouragement in her ears.

“It’s alright now...”

“Mr. Andrei...”

“It will be fine. I will make sure that nothing goes wrong. I, Andrei Ivanovic, will help you become a ruler befitting the title of Heavenly Queen of the North. And… if you open up to me one day… then… I wish to be responsible… for your happiness...”

That was the last straw.

“I will protect Viktor as well… heub…!”

Suddenly, Mei Ling’s lips sealed Andrei Ivanovic’s mouth shut. [1] A passionate kiss! Mei Ling indulged ardently in her act, as if to relieve her emotional agony. She would’ve never fallen for Andrei Ivanovic’s words under normal circumstances, but the situation was different. Mei Ling was going through rough times with no one to rely on. Moreover, she had unintentionally become the Heavenly Queen of the North, which put even greater burden on her shoulders.

In such a ‘mentally vulnerable’ state, Overlord Andrei Ivanovic treated her well and even confessed to her suddenly. How could one thus blame Mei Ling for falling for Andrei Ivanovic?

“Mr. Andrei…!”

After the passionate kiss, Mei Ling tried to bury herself in Andrei Ivanovic’s embrace even further. But she couldn’t.

“No, not yet.”

Andrei had pushed her away.

“That’s all for today.”

“Didn’t you say… that you love me?”

“I certainly did.”

“Then why...”

“I want to treasure you, Mei Ling.”

“...!”

“Also… I will be ashamed of myself if I embrace you now.”

Andrei took a step away from Mei Ling.

“Now’s not the time. You are very lonely and vulnerable right now. Maybe your feelings for me are mere impulsive tools to console yourself. No, they definitely are at this point.”

“...”

“I want a genuine love, not an impulsive one. Mei Ling, I hence beg for your understanding, and it’s time for bed.”

“Okay...”

“Someday… when you understand and our hearts become one, I will embrace you.”

“...!”

“As the Heavenly Queen of the North’s lover.”

Andrei Ivanovic concluded his speech.

“Well then, have a pleasant night ahead… a lot of things will be different tomorrow, so do rest well tonight.”

With that, he vanished into thin air.

“Mr. Andrei...”

Mei Ling repeated his name and gazed out of the window.

***

“Such a vulnerable woman.”

Andrei Ivanovic snickered, as he stood on the highest spire in Bifrost to observe Mei Ling from afar.

“Well… humans are such beings… naïve, weak… sentimental animals that can’t control their emotions...”

It went without saying that everything Andrei Ivanovic had told Mei Ling was a lie. Love? Nonsense! Such a useless emotion couldn’t even exist in Andrei Ivanovic’s heart. Why, you might ask. Well, it was because he was neither a human nor a vampire. He was Milenius, an Agnaga who had leaped through space and time to chase after the Emperor of Blood and Iron!

“Emperor of Blood and Iron...”

Andrei Ivanovic – no, Milenius – chuckled.

“Your plans are futile against us, the mighty Agnaga… Kek! To hide in the shadows of those who came from the other dimension… a rather crafty move for you, you bastard. Well, that was the only way though… keke...”

***

Kang Chul-In now not only had to oversee the necessary preparations for the Esmeralda conquest, but he also had to clear Kwak Jung’s workload. In the meantime, he noticed something very interesting.

“Who are these idiots…?”

Kang Chul-In’s face crumpled.

[Overlord Rank] TOP 10

The rankings were a little weird. To be precise, there were new names on the chart. The chart was as follows:

Rank 1. Kang Chul-In, the Supreme King of the West.

Rank 2. [New!] Mei Ling, the Heavenly Queen of the North.

Rank 3. Overlord Andrei Ivanovic.

Rank 4. Overlord Lee Chae-Rin.

Rank 5. Overlord Hecate.

To start with, there was a new Overlord with the honorary title ‘Heavenly Queen of the North’. Who the hell was this?

According to Kang Chul-In’s understanding, a new Overlord never emerged before the next Lord’s meeting when an Overlord died.

“Don’t tell me?”

Kang Chul-In had a sudden epiphany.

“Vilhelm’s wife…?”

He had a plausible theory. Mei Ling was Vilhelm’s wife and also Ao Xin’s younger sister. If there was ever an inheritance system, then Mei Ling was highly likely to be the beneficiary. After all, Ao Xin was unmarried and her son Viktor was just an infant.

“Heavenly Queen of the North, huh…? If that bitch has succeeded to the throne… then she would definitely qualify to be a queen.”

An extraordinary turn of events.

“Her abilities are still questionable though.”

However, Kang Chul-In was not scared. It’s doubtful that such an emotion even exists within him. A true sovereign never rises to power overnight. Even with the honorary title, how could Mei Ling ever compare to Kang Chul-In in abilities? But the unification of Vilhelm and Ao Xin’s territories under a single monarch was a risk factor to look out for.

Rank 6. Overlord Neptune Spear.

Rank 7. [New!] Overlord Lee Ji-Tae.

Rank 8. Overlord Dorian Explorer.

Rank 9. (Empty)

Rank 10. (Empty)

* List of Fatalities: Overlord Albrecht Vilhelm / Overlord Ao Xin / Overlord Atal Ramanujan.

There were other problems.

“What’s this disconcerting name…?”

Kang Chul-In was very disturbed to see ‘Lee Ji-Tae’ in the charts.

That was because it reminded him of Ah Ji-Tae, who betrayed Gung Ye in the Later Three Kingdoms [2].

“A repulsive name...”

Suddenly,

“Atal Ramanujan!?”

Kang Chul-In realized that Lee Ji-Tae was Atal Ramanujan’s successor. That could be the only explanation. The next Lord’s meeting wasn’t due for a long time, and the only way a new Overlord could emerge was through succession of the throne.

“These fuckers… causing problems even after death...”

Kang Chul-In complained. Why couldn’t they just vanish without a trace?

“Oh well, I guess it’s my responsibility as a senior to torture my juniors.”

Kang Chul-In grinned slyly. The influx of newcomers changed nothing. All he had to do was to teach them a good, but harsh lesson, about death.

Knock, knock, knock!

Suddenly, Kang Chul-In heard someone knocking on his door.

“Your Majesty.”

It was Lucia.

“Everyone’s gathered.”

By everyone, she meant Kang Chul-In’s wives, his subjects and representatives from allied nations.

“Alright.”

Kang Chul-In replied.

“I will be there in a short while.”

An epic war named Ragnarök was rapidly approaching. An all-out war was inevitable. That applied not only for Valhalla but also for its allies.

***

In the Valhalla Kingdom’s Lord’s Hall...

“The real war starts now.”

Sitting on the throne made from the Gold Dragon’s skull, Kang Chul-In appealed to his audience with a staunch voice.

“Let me warn all of you, this war is nothing like the small, trivial wars you have encountered so far. Our enemy this time is another superpower in Pangaea, full of animosity. This war will be more devastating and gruesome than any other.”

That was true. It was a genuine word of caution from someone who had experienced it before. Kang Chul-In, who was a participant of the Ragnarök in the past, knew its viciousness better than anyone else.

“The battlefield will be strewn with corpses and drenched with blood. However!”

Kang Chul-In bellowed.

“The war has already begun. We can’t avoid it, nor do we wish to. I… hope that one of my soldiers will be the one waving the victory flag on the mountain of corpses, not a Gullveig soldier. No, I believe that it has to be my soldier. That’s all.”

The conclusion was precise and clear. Faith in victory! Regardless of the number of casualties, Kang Chul-In wished only for victory and nothing else. There was no compromise.

“Do you hear me!?”

Kang Chul-In shouted.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

And everyone in the Lord’s hall replied to him with a determined voice.

“Tomorrow morning, we will immediately...”

Kang Chul-In was yet to conclude his speech, when...

Ring!

A beep could be heard.

[Due to the Blue Dragon, the subject of the Awakening Quest, leaving its nest, a new quest is given!]

A quest notification popped up out of the blue.

[Quest: Immortal-rank Weapon’ is given!]

An Immortal-rank weapon? He had no idea what that meant.

[1] Here's an old classic for y'all to listen to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnNcDrwqqYc

[2] A period in ancient Korean history, when the Korean Peninsula was ruled by three kingdoms. Gung Ye was the king of one of those nations.