Seolmundae Halmang?

What is that?

The moment Su-ho frowned, about to ask what that was, a piece of information from the far side of his memory surfaced.

- Oh, no way...... Seolmundae Halmang from the myth that says she made Jeju Island?

- Haha! Yeah, that’s right. I am Seolmundae Halmang.

- ......!

Seolmundae Halmang.

A giant-type goddess from Jeju Island mythology, said to have created Jeju Island.

It wasn’t a coincidence that Su-ho knew this fact.

In his past life, among the research on Gates, it had been revealed that most of the Gates appearing on this land used themes from various cultures across Earth, so it had been mandatory to study the world’s different cultures and myths.

'That way, the odds of being able to respond properly even if some Gate suddenly barged in go up.'

In that sense, he had most Korean folktales and myths down, and among them, Seolmundae Halmang was the most famous myth on Jeju Island.

'To think I’d see Seolmundae Halmang in the Giant’s Bloodline trait.'

A little...... no, honestly, he was very surprised.

Because when they had actually been clearing the Jeju Island Gates, they hadn’t found a single source connected to Seolmundae Halmang.

'We even found the End [N O V E L I G H T] Gate, too.'

And yet now, all of a sudden, Seolmundae Halmang?

As Su-ho made a blank expression, Seolmundae Halmang laughed.

Then, as she slowly bent her upper body down, her body began to shrink smoothly.

The shrunken Seolmundae Halmang reduced to about Su-ho’s height.

Seolmundae Halmang matched to Su-ho’s eye level.

Even seeing her again, a beauty was still a beauty.

She smiled lightly.

- Hi?

“Ah, hello.......”

Now that he realized the being in front of him was none other than the protagonist of a Jeju Island myth, honorific speech came out without him realizing it.

At Su-ho’s awkward politeness, she lowered her hips slowly as if sitting down, and then a rock that looked like basalt smoothly rose up from the floor and, with perfect timing, became a chair supporting her hips.

Of course, one for Su-ho was prepared as well.

- Sit.

“Ah, yes.”

A strange sense of pressure.

She was wearing a fairy-like white mourning robe, and with an alluring posture, she crossed her legs.

'So “halmang” really was just a word used to respectfully address a goddess.'

If not, how could he possibly think the woman in front of him was a grandmother?

Seolmundae Halmang said,

- You must have a lot you’re curious about, right?

“Yes, I have a lot.”

- Before I explain this and that, if you have something you’re curious about, ask first.

“Thank you. Then I won’t hold back.......”

Su-ho hesitated for a moment, then put out his first question.

“First, how should I address you?”

- However you’re comfortable.

“Then I’ll call you Elder. Either way, you have to be older than me.”

- Do as you like. Still, that’s quite interesting.

“What is?”

- That you’re showing me respect for such a simple reason.

Is that funny?

Su-ho answered in the standard way.

“Well...... for one, you’re not someone who’s shown me disrespect, and more than anything, you’re the master of a Jeju Island myth, so as a Korean, I thought it was right to be respectful.”

- What? Hahahaha!

Hearing Su-ho’s answer, Seolmundae Halmang laughed cheerfully.

- I like how plain the reason is. Good. Then start your questions.

“Ah, yes. Then my first question. It seems like you appeared in front of me because of the bloodline trait I have...... according to my trait information, the Giant’s Bloodline is said to be a bloodline inherited only by the primordial giants. Then are you also one of the primordial giants, Elder?”

- That’s right. If you want to be exact, you could say you’ve inherited my bloodline.

“So you came out to welcome me?”

- That’s part of it, but thanks to you, my power became the strongest. So, as a primordial giant and the eldest among the First Giants, I came out to welcome you.

“My power made you stronger? What do you mean by that?”

- Exactly what it sounds like. Among the countless Players in the world, only you—a Korean Player—ended up inheriting the Giant’s Bloodline, so as Korea’s First Giant, my power became the strongest. And.......

She smiled once more and said,

- You truly freed the volcanic island that had been sealed for a long time, so of course my power had no choice but to grow stronger. That’s why I said it’s thanks to you.

“Ah?”

Power got stronger in a way like that?

Then if there were other beings based on Korean mythology among those who weren’t giants, it was highly likely they had also become stronger thanks to Su-ho.

'I’ll be able to go somewhere later and brag a little.'

Su-ho nodded and began his second question.

“Then what should I do here now?”

Practically the main question, the most important one.

The rest were nothing but side matters.

At Su-ho’s question, she lifted the corner of her mouth again.

- Are you satisfied with your curiosity now?

“There are a lot of side things I want to ask, but I thought I should ask the most important thing first.”

- An excellent choice. Then to answer your question...... first, you inherited the bloodline of the primordial giants. That is, the First Giants, so from now on, you have three choices you can make.

“Three choices?”

- Yes. These are choices only the First Giants can make. First, the first is to prove the power you possess and become the king of all giants.

The king of giants?

At the sudden choice he hadn’t expected at all, Su-ho was a little surprised.

That was only natural, because Omega, who had been a Dragon Lord, and Revan, who had been High Blood, hadn’t offered choices like this.

“Then what’s the second choice?”

- If you don’t want to become king, you live as a loyal giant soldier of the king. Naturally, the bloodline of the First Giant remains as it is. However, you don’t have to fight to become king.

“But there’s no such thing as free in this world. If you’re the king’s soldier, isn’t that a position where you have to throw away your life at any time on the king’s orders?”

- You know well. That is the duty of a subject.

“......What’s the third choice?”

- The final choice is to give up the Giant’s Bloodline. Then you won’t need to prove your power, and you also won’t be mobilized by the king’s orders.

“.......”

Seolmundae Halmang answered clearly.

Su-ho swallowed a sigh.

'This isn’t a problem where you have a choice. It’s a problem where the answer is decided from the start.'

It was enough to drive you crazy.

Because if you weren’t going to challenge the throne, the options were to become the subordinate of some unknown king, or to give up your power, and among the people who received choices like that, how many would willingly pick 2 or 3?

Su-ho stared at Seolmundae Halmang for a while with an incredulous expression, then raised one eyebrow.

“But Elder, didn’t you say earlier that you’re currently the eldest among the First Giants?”

- That’s right?

“Then if I choose the second option and become a giant soldier, do I become your soldier?”

- Haha, it seems you misunderstood something. I only became the eldest thanks to you right now, but I’m not the king of the giants.

“Is it different?”

- Of course it’s different. Of course, succession to the throne usually follows legitimate-son succession, but that’s a code you’d see in ordinary royal families, and in our case, it’s a bit different.

“How is it different?”

- We have no rules like legitimate-son succession or firstborn succession. If you want to become king, you willingly enter the competition for the throne, prove your power according to the law of survival of the strong and the rule of the strong devouring the weak, and proudly take the throne.

So in the end, it meant fight like a dog.

Su-ho asked,

“Then if I participate in the competition for the throne, do I fight you too, Elder?”

- No, that won’t happen. I don’t plan to participate.

“Why?”

- Why else? When there’s outstanding talent like you, why would an old person like me deliberately step into a bloody struggle over seats? I have no interest in some throne. Rather, what I’m interested in is.......

As she continued speaking, Seolmundae Halmang began to sweep Su-ho up and down with a sticky gaze.

- A fine descendant like you.

In that moment, goosebumps crawled up over Su-ho’s body.

“......It’s pure interest, right?”

- Hahahaha! My, my, I’ll hear all kinds of things from some far-off descendant brat.

“I’m sorry.”

- Hehe, no. You could feel that way. I’m a bit beautiful, aren’t I. However, the love I want to give you is the kind of descending love as vast as the sea. In that sense, I want to become your guardian and lend you my wisdom.

“A guardian?”

- Yes. I can say it with certainty. That you can surely become a far more excellent king than an old person like me. But right now, you’re in a state where, compared to your talent, you lack a lot of the world’s wisdom. So I want to fill in those lacking parts of yours.

After hearing her intent, he could really feel that her love toward Su-ho was as vast as the sea.

'I heard there are wisdom giants among giants. Is she in that position?'

It seemed like it.

Of course, it might not be.

But no matter what, the good thing was that he didn’t have to fight her, the master of a Jeju Island myth.

Then, suddenly, that thought came to him.

“Uh, wait a second.”

- What is it?

“That competition for the throne—do I have to do it right now? Also, may I ask how many other First Giants there are besides you, Elder?”

- What? Hahahaha!

Maybe Su-ho’s urgent barrage of questions looked cute, because Seolmundae Halmang laughed.

Then she asked with a smile like a mother’s,

- Why, did you get more worried because you thought you had to fight all of a sudden?

“To be honest, yes.”

- Haha, don’t worry about that. You won’t have to fight any of my siblings right now. Because to fight my siblings, the giant power you have is absurdly weak.

“Ah.......”

If it was giant power in particular, that was right.

Because thinking about Seolmundae Halmang’s height from a moment ago, in many ways, all kinds of difficulties would bloom if you tried to fight.

She said,

- From now on, you will take tests in order and gain the true power of a giant. And when you finally take the giant power completely into your hands, only then will you officially participate in the competition for the throne.

“A test.......”

That was a relief.

Because he had been worried he might be suddenly driven into a deadly situation when he hadn’t prepared anything at all yet.

- Still, be happy. Among us, there are more siblings who want to lend you strength like me than those who want to harm you.

“There are a lot of people like that?”

- Yes. They’re not guardians to that extent, but they all have expectations. Perhaps you.......

As she was continuing, Seolmundae Halmang wrinkled her nose slightly.

- Hehe, you’ll learn the detailed circumstances when the time comes.

Mm, it seemed like it was because of a security clearance issue.

In a familiar situation, Su-ho nodded and said,

“Understood. Then what should I do first?”

- First, there’s a sibling who wants to meet you more strongly than anyone, so I’ll introduce that one first.

The moment her words ended, a giant door of white light appeared beside the two of them.

That door had the same height as when Seolmundae Halmang had first appeared, and inside the created door, a person’s silhouette showed itself, and then someone began to slowly walk out.

He was a muscular middle-aged man with thick hair and beard.

When the one who had fully revealed himself looked down at Su-ho and Seolmundae Halmang, Seolmundae Halmang smiled and introduced him.

- Let me introduce him. This guy is one of my siblings, and he is called Cronos of Greek mythology.