Ch-251 **Island of God**
—
London, England — Christ Church College, Oxford.
Inside the College Hall, countless gentlemen were enjoying a grand banquet.
Each one a prominent figure in British politics or finance.
Members of the four factions vying for control of the British royal family — these were the core of those factions.
*“That man… is he…?”*
*“Oliver?”*
*“The Prince of Edinburgh?”*
Even as they laughed and drank casually, their gazes continuously drifted toward a single man.
Oliver — quietly drinking alone at the edge of the hall.
After the Queen’s passing, three factions had been locked in a tense standoff.
But with Oliver’s rise, the entire board flipped.
Of course, when he first appeared, no one thought much of him.
His succession rank was near the bottom, and he had no outstanding qualities.
Yet in an instant, he became a threat powerful enough to alarm all the major factions.
*“The man who never smiles… the rumors were true.”*
*“He looks like even a needle wouldn’t draw blood.”*
*“Was that rumor about him having a weak heart exaggerated?”*
Despite his handsome face, his expression was cold and deadpan.
Though he looked frail, Oliver was famous in Britain as the “Iron-Blooded Prince.”
He was the one who fortified Edinburgh like a fortress.
Unlike other regions, Edinburgh suffered almost no damage from monsters—
because Oliver had taken charge.
His authority in Edinburgh had become absolute.
A man of overwhelming charisma, firm resolve, and an iron heart—
so they said.
“Lord Oliver. Are you not enjoying the banquet?”
“…I’m enjoying it very much, Melson. All these people smiling while concealing poison.”
Oliver replied coolly to Melson the butler.
Yet unlike his appearance, it was an honest answer.
Originally, this was not a place he should have been able to stand.
A man whose weak heart could have given out at any moment.
A man who had abandoned reality to live only as Hudson in Pangaenia.
Such a man could never have stood proudly among the lions of Britain.
But everything changed after he met Randolph.
*“I reunited with Serengeti, healed my heart, and was made to face reality again.”*
In Pangaenia, he was the merchant Hudson.
In reality, he was Oliver, one of Britain’s royal successors.
Randolph had given him the strength to face the reality he had long abandoned.
Then everything began to change.
His long-stagnant level rose.
He found confidence to continue living.
A firm conviction settled deeply in his heart.
“Still… it’s a bit hot. Could you all take a step back?”
Oliver sighed.
For it wasn’t only Melson standing close beside him—
“No.”
“The Queen commanded us. We must protect you.”
The towering men around him were bodyguards.
Human in appearance, but not human.
They were Bloodspawn — servants of the Dragon God herself, and worshipers of Randolph as the One True God.
They had contributed greatly to fortifying Edinburgh—
But the problem was their *excessive protection*.
*‘They don’t know I’m Hudson.’*
One reason they guarded Oliver so obsessively was his hidden identity.
If anyone discovered that Oliver was Hudson of Pangaenia, the consequences would be seismic.
A human who effectively managed the monster city ruled by Fifth Pillar —
an easy target for enemies.
Ensuring Oliver would never need to transform into Hudson was part of their mission.
Given that, their overprotection was understandable.
“Oliver. It has been a while.”
A clear, noble voice.
A young woman in an extravagant dress approached.
“…Princess Mary. It has been a long time.”
Oliver knelt and gently kissed the back of her hand.
A young princess carrying the Queen’s blood strongly.
Her eyes sparkled with interest as she looked upon Oliver.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you since we were children.”
“Yes. Nearly thirteen years, I believe.”
Oliver replied dryly, and Mary blinked—surprised.
Other men never behaved this way toward her.
No man could simply ignore such a beautiful, grown princess.
Thus she spoke boldly:
“Do you not find me beautiful?”
“You are beautiful.”
“A polite lie.”
“…It is not a lie.”
“Then why did you not reply to my letters?”
Letters? Ah, those.
He had received them—
and immediately tossed them into the trash.
Why did he not reply?
“I am already promised to someone.”
Her letters had been proposals for a political marriage.
His feelings were irrelevant — a purely strategic marriage offer.
“Am I uglier than that person?”
“……”
“Now you cannot even give me a polite lie?”
Her eyes narrowed.
Oliver’s behavior was indeed far from that of a gentleman.
But he could not open his mouth.
*‘She is less beautiful than Serengeti.’*
Because it was the truth.
Even if Princess Mary was the most beautiful woman in the world—
to Oliver’s eyes, everyone besides Serengeti looked lacking.
Tears welled in Mary’s eyes.
“You stab a dagger into a maiden’s heart so easily.”
“My apologies.”
“I challenge you to a duel, Oliver.”
Wait—what?
“…Me? Against you, Your Highness?”
“You may choose a representative. So will I.
But the loser must grant the winner one request, without exception.”
“If that request is marriage, I cannot comply.”
“No. What I want is your *true identity*. Your ‘Pangaenia’ identity.”
…Ah.
So that was her aim from the beginning.
Everyone was curious about Oliver’s true identity.
His sudden recovery, his drastically changed demeanor—
rumors already whispered he must be an Awakened.
Did she intend to expose him as Hudson and ruin him?
Oliver spoke calmly:
“I am not an Awakened.”
Princess Mary immediately shook her head.
“No, Oliver. You are.
I also know that beneath your estate is a ‘life support chamber’ meant for long-term interdimensional travel.”
A life support chamber — a necessity for players.
A protective system that keeps the body safe during long log-ins.
A thing no normal person would own.
He had prepared it for his heart condition—
but no one would believe that now.
And Mary continued:
“And I also heard something else…
that *you* might be Randolph. The story seemed surprisingly credible.
So I wish to know the truth.”
“……”
What an absurd claim.
“Oliver is… Randolph?”
“The Randolph? From Pangaenia?”
“You’re insane!”
Murmurs erupted.
Everyone in the hall knew that name.
After all—everyone was secretly searching for Randolph.
Whoever found him, and received his acknowledgement—
would become the king of the world.
But no one had ever located Randolph’s real body, his true identity.
*‘Ridiculous…’*
How had they even come to suspect him?
But if they knew about his life support chamber, what else might they know?
*‘If Princess Mary’s blade is aimed at me…
it may very well reach Randolph as well.’*
Oliver grew more careful than ever.
A careless denial could expose *Park Hyun-Myung*.
“To embarrass me this much and still refuse the duel? Oliver?”
“…Very well, Your Highness.”
He had no grounds to refuse.
And when Oliver accepted, Mary smiled subtly.
*‘Got him.’*
He’d stepped into her trap.
Unless he transformed into Randolph, he had no chance of winning.
“Good. Then allow me to introduce my champion.
Sir Aylon!”
“Aylon?”
“The Transcendent—Aylon…!”
The moment the name was spoken, the hall erupted again.
Aylon —
a Transcendent Awakened.
A legendary knight who protected London from countless invasions.
One of the highest-ranking warriors in the world.
*‘She truly wants to expose me.’*
Oliver sighed inwardly.
Choosing Aylon meant Mary was deadly serious.
Even if he transformed into Hudson, Aylon was far beyond his reach.
“I will fight.”
“No. I will fight.”
Two of Oliver’s bodyguards stepped forward simultaneously.
Their argument looked childish—
But Oliver knew their identities.
And thus could not laugh.
These two were among the top ten of all Bloodspawn.
*Legion Commanders — leaders of ten-thousand-strong legions.*
—
—
“……”
“……”
“……”
When the duel finally took place, the hall fell silent.
Because something impossible had just happened.
“S–Sir Aylon…!”
Mary was horrified.
Aylon lay collapsed, defeated.
And before him stood Oliver’s bodyguard—without so much as a scratch.
No one could understand what had transpired.
Only that Aylon had been utterly crushed by overwhelming force.
And Oliver watched this as though it were completely natural.
*‘Impossible!’*
*‘To overpower a Transcendent so easily?!’*
To possess such a warrior…
A terrifying thought sprouted in everyone’s mind:
*‘Could he… really be Randolph?’*
Doubt—and awe—began to bloom.
—
—
I opened my eyes.
And at once, familiar surroundings unfolded.
My room.
Back in the real world.
And it was spotless—no dust anywhere.
“I, your foolish servant, greet the great God.”
I soon understood why.
Someone was inside the house.
Human-shaped, but unmistakably not human.
A Bloodspawn.
But one I had never seen before.
“Why is a Bloodspawn here?”
“The Queen sent me, my Lord.
Allow me to introduce myself. I am rank three — *Alkar, the Blackened*.”
A servant sent by Dragon-God Hana to guard me.
Blackened Alkar.
Rank 1 and 2 were surely Issera and Lucaria.
So this man was next in strength.
“You protect me instead of Oliver?”
Alkar’s face turned pale.
“N–never! It is unthinkable that a mere servant like me should guard the great God!
If I am unworthy, please sacrifice me at once!”
He was asking me to kill him.
I shook my head.
“That is not what I mean.
Shouldn’t the strongest Bloodspawn be guarding Oliver?”
“Legion Commanders rank 9 and 10 are guarding him.
The Queen judged that sufficient.”
I shrugged.
If Hana judged so, then it was correct.
It also meant the Bloodspawn legions had grown significantly in power and number.
*A protective barrier won’t be necessary, then.*
I no longer needed the real-world safeguard.
With Blackened Alkar alone, most threats would be manageable.
He radiated tremendous strength.
But there was something far more urgent.
Alkar was irrelevant—
compared to the reason I logged out in the first place:
*“…The Island of God has connected to Earth.”*
—
