The next few days passed relatively calmly—too calmly, in fact. I almost started to believe that my life could run normally: morning training, an elegant unemployed afternoon, and at night a simple meal before sleep. Until, in the most impolite way imaginable, reality slapped me awake.
A transparent screen appeared out of nowhere right in front of me, floating in midair.
[Quest – Prevent Kokabiel from Triggering a War]
[The story has deviated from its original fate]
[Save all parties and eliminate the primary threat]
I stared at those words for a long time. A very long time. Far too long for someone who was in the middle of fishing.
"Guh…" I let out a sigh, my shoulders slumping slightly. "So it's finally reached this point."
Kokabiel.
That name was no ordinary name. A former leader of the Fallen Angels faction, a war fanatic, and the mastermind behind the major incident at Kuoh Academy—an incident that, if allowed to follow the 'original storyline,' would drag devils, angels, and fallen angels to the brink of a great war. And now, the system was casually informing me that the story had gone off course.
Which meant?
Me.
I was the cause.
"With everything that's happened so far…" I muttered softly, staring at the quest screen as if a cynical glare might make it disappear, "I really can't keep hiding forever, huh."
I had been sitting still for too long. Too lost in my own thoughts. Until suddenly—
Tug!
My fishing rod bent sharply.
"Huh?" I jolted. "Ah—!"
By reflex, I reeled it in with a bit of panic. The water rippled, and a decently sized fish finally surfaced, struggling briefly before surrendering to its fate.
I looked at the fish, then glanced back at the quest screen still floating calmly beside me.
"…Seriously," I muttered with a humorless chuckle. "Even a fish knows when it's time to show up. And I was still hoping I could stay a spectator."
I stood up, packed away my fishing gear, and looked up at the sky as its colors slowly shifted. If Kokabiel had already entered the board, then the preparation time was nearly over.
"All right," I said quietly, more to myself than anyone else. "Looks like I really have to step onto the stage again."
And this time—let's make it spectacular.
...
That night, the harbor was as desolate as ever. Dim yellow lights reflected on the calm surface of the sea, the salty breeze drifted lazily, and only the sound of water gently lapping against the wooden pier could be heard.
Azazel sat casually at the edge of the dock, fishing rod in hand, hat pulled low. His expression looked utterly peaceful—far too peaceful for someone whose name alone was enough to make the three great factions wary. The bait had been cast for several minutes, and he waited with a patience almost unbecoming of a former leader of Grigori.
"Ahh… this is life," he murmured. "Fishing alone at night?"
Soft footsteps sounded.
Azazel didn't turn around. He already knew.
"Wow wow," he said cheerfully. "How rare for someone to come visit a lonely old man like me."
From behind one of the large iron pillars supporting the pier, a white-haired young man stepped out. His posture was relaxed, but the aura surrounding him was clearly not something to be ignored. His blue eyes were calm—too calm.
"You're not a lonely old man," he said flatly. "Azazel."
"Heh." Azazel smiled slightly. "In that case… what brings you here now, Vali?"
Vali Lucifer—the owner of the strongest version of Divine Dividing, Hakuryuukou—stopped a few steps behind Azazel, gazing at the same sea.
"Kokabiel has set his plan in motion."
Azazel raised an eyebrow, as if he had just heard some light gossip rather than news that could trigger a war.
"Hoo~? Is that so," he said casually. "Then it seems there's nothing I can do about it."
Vali clicked his tongue softly. "You crafty fox."
"Hiss~ how cruel," Azazel chuckled. "You really have no manners toward your elders, do you, Vali? Or should I call you Hakuryuukou?"
Vali didn't respond to the jab. Instead, he fell silent for a moment, then changed the subject in a slightly different tone—sharper.
"Let's set Kokabiel aside for now," he said. "There's something else that's caught my attention."
Azazel glanced at him briefly. "Oh? It's rare to hear you sound curious. About what?"
"You've heard the rumors," Vali continued. "Someone who's been the talk of many parties."
Azazel let out a small laugh, his fishing rod twitching slightly, though there was still no real bite.
"Hoo~ you mean the guy cosplaying as Cheon Ma?" he said, laughing. "Hahaha! His fashion sense is really something."
Vali stared at him coldly. "That's not the answer I want to hear."
Azazel let out a long sigh. The bait felt light—probably stolen by a small fish. He reeled in, replaced the bait with casual movements, as if this conversation were just as trivial as fishing.
"My information is still limited, Vali," he said at last. "And don't worry too much. That person is probably just bluffing."
He cast the line back into the sea.
"In our world," Azazel continued, "there's no such thing as Murim with absurd martial arts levels like in fairy tales. Your very existence is already joke enough. So something like that? I don't really believe it, let alone dwell on it."
Vali narrowed his eyes. "You're still dodging."
Azazel sighed again, even longer this time, then turned to look at Vali with an expression that was half annoyed, half lazy.
"Haaah… listen, kid," he said. "I really am telling the truth. My information is limited—and I have no intention of spreading it until I'm sure."
He turned his gaze back to the sea, a faint smile forming on his face.
"If that person has really caught your interest," he added lightly, "why don't you go see for yourself?"
Vali fell silent.
On that quiet harbor, two dangerous figures stood side by side—one fishing for fish, the other fishing for truth. And in the distance, the waves continued to roll, as if they knew that something big was slowly moving beneath the surface of the world.
//--//
If you need more, please visit my Patr3on via the link below:
https://www.patr*eon.com/cw/Mr_Wan
Remove the quotation marks and there are around 25+ chapters available.