Level 0 Master

Sugjin, who had returned to his bed, lay awake with wide eyes.

Phew, I barely held back.

He had been truly tempted. He himself didn't know whether he had hugged Ereka out of decent denial… or for a small satisfaction to his desire.

He had refused her cooly, but his body wouldn't calm down. He couldn't demand something of the girls next door either, so he decided to scrap the idea of sleeping.

I can't sleep at all. No matter.

He had made great memories that day, after all. In order to repay Ereka's sincerity and protect her heart, he would win the battle between himself and the Golden Wise King, Sungjin swore to himself once more. He had many things to do once he returned.

"I had heard that you were a man of spirit and power, enough to rule the continent, but it is disappointing to see that you haven't taken a single woman as your own." The unexpected question came out of nowhere.

Sungjin immediately sprang from his bed and fell into an alert position.

There was a mysterious woman who had not been in his room a moment prior.

Red hair and red lips and dark brown skin that showed through wrapped translucent fabric. A body that was filled in the right places like steak. Hips and thighs which formed an attractive line, with a scented chest sweeter than honey. The woman exuded seductiveness, gifting an explosive joy once bitten on.

If Ereka lured men in with her lovely and cute charms, this woman pressed on a man's instincts with her dangerous and sharp aura. Her beauty, which came with a sense of maturity from age and slyness, was an entirely different beauty. It was something that would cause one to embrace first and ask questions later.

Sungjin's eyes suddenly glared sharper than a beast's. "Because I had a stronger desire to protect her than to embrace her."

Examining her from head to toe, Sungjin came up with two evaluations. His logical side told him that she was someone of outstanding abilities. The second was his overwhelming instinct to conquer her.

If he were any other man, he would have been swayed by his desire. But he was someone who disliked losing.

He became even colder from her intense seduction.

"To protect. To think that you would put others before yourself. You are weaker than the rumors suggested." The mysterious woman sighed as if she were disappointed.

"It is my preference to care than expand on boundless greed."

"Caring and limiting oneself is the moral of the weak. A ruler should be ruthless. How can you desire the continent when your heart is incapable of holding a single woman?"

"It's the opposite. If I am so weak as to be defeated by myself, I do not deserve the continent."

Even with Sungjin's reply, the woman was not assured. "That is an answer unbefitting a ruler."

"Are you disappointed?"

"I will not deny it."

Sungjin smiled in amusement at the mysterious woman who blatantly denied his logic. He always enjoyed a provocation, after all. "Ha. What kind of man were you looking for?"

"I had been expecting a ruler who had stolen riches, beauties, countries, and who had kept conquering."

Sungjin stepped forward. With his height and body, he exuded a dangerous aura. "And are you saying that if I was such a person, you would have thrown yourself at me?"

"Yes. Or would you be willing to begin now?" She lowered the fabric, which was already wrapped loosely around her body, a little more.

Her body, which had been faintly peeking through the translucent clothes, revealed itself. Aside from the most important regions, her body gave off a dangerous yet mysterious aura.

Her body called to him. It instigated the beast within him.

Sungjin's beast fought against him before the woman's reckless display, but he did not move according to its desire, but he did smirk. "Ha, amusing. But I refuse. A woman who serves her body without a single thought does not meet my preferences."

"Ha. Do you not have an iota of greed? How would you face the Golden Wise King with such a weak heart?"

"A lion has the leisure to choose his prey."

"Such leisure on a battlefield is only a weakness."

Sungjin simply stared bemusedly at the woman who would not accept his logic. It would be fun to restrain her with his power, but it was not his method to use power to do such things.

Sungjin went on the offensive and gave the woman a proposal instead. "There is nothing I can say that will satisfy you. If you are interested in whether I am weak or not, you are invited to watch the battle between myself and the Golden Wise King."

"Is this an invitation?"

"Yes. Visit the capital formally. I will prepare a VIP seat for you." He had his own methods, and they were definitely not weak.

"I understand. I will greet you formally soon." She gave her regards politely and disappeared. She went as suddenly as she had revealed herself.

Sungjin rapped his bedframe, staring at the empty place the woman had just stood. "Now, should I consider her an enemy?"

Any normal man would have lost his mind at the sight of her. A careful man would have guarded himself after sensing danger in her. He would have wondered what intentions the woman had to approach him.

But Sungjin was different. He enjoyed her beauty as it was but wasn't swayed, and even if he felt the danger from her mysterious aura, he didn't become cautious.

He had to fight the Golden Wise King anyway. Only one person could gain the continent. But if he could gain another woman out of his victory, that would make it more delightful.

Solving the riddle.

Finding out her intentions.

Proving her perception of a weak man wrong.

Everything was a type of game. He was going to receive every challenge the woman threw his way.

Sungjin went to sleep with a racing heart.

Ereka was humming as she woke up the next day.

Eustasia watched her with suspicious eyes.

"What did you do yesterday?"

"What? Ah, I…" Ereka looked at the sun in the sky. "I simply looked at some stars…"

"Hmph. You did it while I was sleeping, is that it?"

"No, nothing happened." Ereka declared that nothing special had happened, but Eustasia didn't bat an eye.

"Ha, fine. It's my turn now anyways," Eustasia declared, showing off her swimsuit attire.

Sungjin yawned, listening to their conversations. Oh, dear. It seems as if today will be a more colorful day than yesterday. It seems like this vacation will be a series of obstacles. Or a series of entertainment. Seems like I shouldn't talk about yesterday's mysterious woman to the girls.

The girls were burning up with determination, so bringing up that meeting would only cause misunderstandings.

"Oppa! Did you have a good night?" Rachel ran toward Sungjin without a clue as to what was going on.

"Yes. Did you?"

Sungjin smiled despite the fact that he hadn't slept at all.

"Yes! I slept very well because I had so much fun yesterday! Let's have fun today, too!"

"Sure."

"Ah, but Oppa, there's something on you." With that, Rachel pointed towards Sungjin's neck.

The other girls also looked.

There…was a mark of a woman's lips. It was the mark of a vibrant red lipstick.

"…Sungjin?" Ereka's face hardened. It wasn't an expression she normally used.

"Hoh?" Eustasia also raised a questioning brow. A third woman?!

Jenna's tail stood on edge. "Oh."

Sungjin smiled bitterly.

"What happened?"

"Who?"

"Um…"

At the continuous questions, Sungjin couldn't reply.

Even so, he wondered how the situation could be resolved.

I took a hit. When had the woman from yesterday left the mark?

There had been nothing when he had looked in the mirror that morning. She had done something to make it appear then, and it was a cruel joke.

Ha. It's a display of power saying she could do this.

She hadn't simply left without a provocation. She was a woman who provoked his competitive spirit and intrigue.

I'll pay her back for this.

But determining his revenge was one thing, and resolving the situation was another.

"Nothing happened, really."

"Despite the evidence?"

"There was a woman who came to provoke me yesterday. She must have left this as a joke."

"Is that…true?" Ereka asked hesitantly. "Ah… I, I'm not interrogating you!" Ereka waved her hands frantically. "If Sungjin wants to answer, he can, of course." Even while arguing she wasn't going to fight, Ereka lowered her head timidly.

"No, nothing happened. I was pranked while I let my guard down."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Ok." Ereka smiled brightly, saying that she'd believe Sungjin's words.

"Hmm. So? Who's the woman?" Eustasia kept asking.

"I have a theory, but I can't give a definite reply. Are we going to waste time on this? Let's enjoy this vacation."

"Hmph. Changing the conversation, hmm? Fine. What's the point in arguing. But you'll definitely have to play with us today."

"Haha. Yes, ok," Sungjin promised, with the condition of it being a punishment, although the incident hadn't been his fault.

Whatever. It was my fault I had gotten the mark, after all.

But I'm worried about their request.

And just as their day was about to start, the summoning stone they had brought just in case hummed.

"Master Sungjin, I have some news. The Golden Wise King has announced his provocation."

"Oh… I see."

Sungjin held the stone and licked his lips thoughtfully.

How unfortunate. That was his first emotion.

Ah, I see. He recognized his feelings and made a strange face. As it turned out, he had been enjoying the vacation.

The girls, who heard the news, started to frown.

"We should return."

Everyone knew it wasn't the time to be stubborn. It was simply unfortunate. Everyone had known that a war was right around the corner, which had made the vacation all the more important.

He knew the Golden Wise King would make a move, but his speed was unexpected.

"Yes. But let's come back when everything ends."

At Sungjin's words, the girls' expressions became better. "Yes."

With that promise, they began to prepare.

It was the start of a new war.

While Sungjin was enjoying his vacation, the Golden Wise King vacationed as well, except the vacation was not at the beach but at a strategy conference in the capital, the capital of Eldorado: Palkantier.

The conference room was full of dukes and their servants.

Normally, the gathering of the Golden Wise King and his six dukes happened once a year because orders were usually given one-on-one.

But everyone had been called to gather even though it hadn't been a year. Each duke knew what it meant.

It's time. The hundred-year stalemate is over between the Golden Wise King Kapitle, the High Priest Pedrian, and the four country alliance which had balanced their powers.

The continent had been split into three pieces and had not swayed its power balance for over one hundred years.

Kapitle and Pedrian had been wary of each other, and the four country alliance had balanced their powers. But now that there was only Kapitle and Sungjin, there was no equilibrium to be found.

It would take a while for the balance to tilt to one side.

Who would it be?

If Kapitle won, they would be able to keep their prosperity, but if Sungjin won, they were bound to become humiliated.

But they didn't worry too much. After all, Kapitle's only enemy, Pedrian, had disappeared.

If they thought about it, it was obvious that Sungjin, who had defeated Pedrian, was stronger. But they knew the truth.

That extra didn't win with his own powers.

The tables had turned on Pedrian because the summoning he had prepared had been unbalanced, and the opposing god had descended. But that was a one-time event. Sungjin himself was still a level 0. Moreover, it was said that Kapitle had manipulated the situation.

Even if the hunting dog had killed the tiger, in the end, the tiger had been killed by the hunter. It was obvious what kind of fate the hunting dog would meet after having done its job.

The world said Sungjin was a young lion from a different world, but they thought of him as a hunting dog to be put down.

There was nothing to fear.