Chapter 162

Chapter 162
## Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: Second Invasion Begins

“The truth is, I…”

“The truth is?”

Hudson took a long, shaky breath.

“I am a transgressor.”

“A transgressor who has captured my affection?”

“No… that isn’t what I mean…”

“Do not fret. The ceremony is set for one week from today. I have handled every detail, so Hudson merely needs to be present.”

“Hold on. A single week…?”

Hudson was speechless.

Even considering a rapid pace, how could it possibly be this fast?

Was a union of this magnitude intended to move with such velocity?

“Since Hudson lacks parents, there is no requirement for a formal family introduction. Just bring yourself. Your affliction has been cleansed as well, so there is no point in stalling, wouldn’t you agree?”

“No… I haven’t even secured proper attire yet…”

“I have already seen to those garments. I did so prior to the great expedition.”

“…You arranged them before the great expedition?”

This was madness.

What on earth was happening?

The great expedition had concluded more than six months ago.

She had intended to wed the very moment he returned from the brink of death.

While the thought had crossed his mind, this was simply too sudden.

“What is it? What causes you such concern? Surely you aren’t suggesting you have no desire to marry me?”

The look on Serengeti’s face shifted instantly to one of bitterness.

If he didn’t intervene, she would fall into a bottomless pit of dark assumptions.

Having faced this temperament countless times, Hudson gestured frantically with both hands.

“N-Not at all. There is no one else for me. I am simply so filled with joy that I am overwhelmed.”

Serengeti’s expression brightened as if the sun had suddenly broken through the clouds.

“Is that so? Then, shall we dine?”

“Uh… y-yes…”

This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.

‘Fine. It isn’t as if today is my only chance.’

Hudson exhaled a quiet, defeated breath.

The days vanished like mist in the wind.

Seven days later, the morning of the wedding arrived.

Because of the frantic schedule, Hudson had been pushed to his limits without a single moment of peace.

‘Ultimately, I never found the words…’

He had failed to properly explain his status as a player.

The right opportunity simply never manifested.

In fact, he hadn’t even laid eyes on Serengeti since their last conversation.

Not even on the morning of the ceremony itself.

‘Is this truly alright?’

Was it acceptable to simply drift into a lifelong commitment like this?

While keeping his most significant reality a secret?

However, there was no more time for hesitation.

The hour had struck.

The ceremonial hall.

The place where the congregation had gathered.

‘Ah…’

The second he caught sight of Serengeti in her bridal gown, every doubt he harbored evaporated.

She was breathtaking.

A vision so radiant it robbed him of his breath.

But that surge of delight was tragically brief.

【The advancement of ‘World Erosion Rate’ is accelerating at a violent pace.】

【Erosion Rate has reached 20%.】

【The second demonic incursion of Earth has commenced.】

【You are under physical assault!】

【Failure to log out within 30 seconds will result in your demise.】

Second Invasion Begins

“Ha.”

Seated in his private study.

Marquis Wyzer let out a dry, incredulous laugh.

The cause was Serengeti, his flesh and blood.

-Marquis. No, Father. I intend to wed Hudson.

Naturally, he had fought the idea with everything he had.

What sort of person was Serengeti?

She was his only daughter. The cherished and solitary successor to the family name, as there was no son to inherit.

Regardless of Hudson’s association with Randolph, at his core, the man was nothing more than a common trader.

He could not simply gift Serengeti to a mere merchant.

-If you persist in blocking my union with Hudson…

-If I persist? What then? Will you take your own life to spite me?

He assumed she was merely using her own safety as a bargaining chip.

Since she had survived a brush with death before, she likely assumed he would buckle if she threatened to return to that edge.

He would not be so easily swayed.

Marquis Wyzer had survived every trial the world offered and possessed a heart of iron. A daughter’s emotional outburst was something he could dismiss with a tired smile.

-I shall marry into the Vilmaim house instead.

-What…? That is unthinkable! I would sooner see you in the grave!

But the Vilmaim house was a different matter entirely.

Vilmaim. Of all the possible names!

The hated rivals who had stood against everything Marquis Wyzer represented!

The mere concept of sitting across from those arrogant fools made his blood boil.

-I have already reached an accord with them. Look for yourself.

-……

A lone parchment.

Recognizing the personal crest of the Vilmaim patriarch, Marquis Wyzer turned pale.

The calligraphy was unmistakably that of the Vilmaim head as well.

The text, as expected, detailed the terms of the marriage.

-Wi-Without even seeking my consent…?

-The master of the Vilmaim house is devoid of hair but full of drive. That is preferable to a common merchant, even with a bald head.

-Are you… truly serious…?

-If I am forbidden from marrying Hudson, I will join the Vilmaim line. I suppose I will spend the rest of my days simply loathing you, Father.

It was a tactic far beyond anything he had predicted.

She had burned her bridges and staked everything on a single throw.

It was only in that moment that Marquis Wyzer finally looked at Serengeti as an adult.

“Heh.”

It was preposterous, yet to Marquis Wyzer’s private mind, it was a stroke of genius.

The Vilmaim family—a blood feud that had lasted a century under the same heavens.

Choosing them wasn’t just a waste of her life; it was a calculated strike.

‘I believed she only understood the language of the sword.’

She had evolved.

The warrior who once knew only the edge of a blade had learned how to wield a proper threat.

And these were not hollow words.

‘Hudson’s record.’

Where on earth had she obtained this information?

A mountain of documents.

Scanning the history of Hudson’s life listed on the pages, Marquis Wyzer was struck by a second wave of shock.

「Proprietor of the ‘Hudson’ Establishment in the Gilded City of Arcana」

「Distinguished Consultant to the ‘Arcana Council’」

「Shadow Leader of the ‘Star and Night’ intelligence network」

「A survivor of ‘Blood Fall’. Ranked among the top 10」

……

「Architect of the ‘Labyrinth Merchant Alliance’」

「Inaugurator of the ‘Labyrinth Financial Institution’」

「Overseer of Labyrinth City’s wealth and commerce, ‘Hudson’」

「The individual in whom Randolph places absolute confidence」

He found it difficult to trust his own sight as he read the report.

Hudson.

‘Just what kind of man is this?’

If this biography was even remotely factual, he was no ordinary shopkeeper.

He was the hidden hand pulling the strings of the global markets from the shadows.

‘Star and Night’, which dealt in the world’s most dangerous secrets, was always among the elite of the industry, and if he truly hailed from ‘Blood Fall’…

‘She wouldn’t have been told these things.’

This wasn’t information Hudson had volunteered.

Serengeti.

She had unearthed it herself.

Serengeti understood far more about Hudson than the Marquis had ever suspected.

Possibly even more than what was recorded on these sheets.

‘The individual in whom Randolph places absolute confidence.’

And that final sentence.

Could one truly define that as ‘history’?

But for someone who understood Randolph, it was the highest credential possible.

‘He places more faith in Hudson than those who bleed beside him?’

Marquis Wyzer rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.

Randolph was a man of the sword and honor.

Naturally, he would form the strongest bonds with those fighting at his side.

Hudson used his mercantile talents to manage the city’s affairs, meaning he spent very little time in direct combat with Randolph.

Yet Serengeti was certain that he was ‘the most trusted’.

Could it be the truth?

‘It must be so.’

Serengeti had been at Randolph’s side longer than anyone else.

If she perceived it that way, it was reality.

Furthermore, Marquis Wyzer could only feel a sense of respect for the way Serengeti had orchestrated the wedding.

He had viewed her as nothing more than a headstrong girl.

But she had matured enough to be trusted with the future of the lineage.

‘Has she ever pursued anything with this much conviction other than her martial training?’

Never.

This realization brought a sharp sting of regret.

It was as if he was only now seeing the depths of his daughter that he had ignored for years.

“That girl is already… Heh.”

Marriage.

A full wedding, no less.

But Serengeti was well past the typical age for such things.

“The sooner it is done, the better, I suppose.”

Therefore, conducting the rite immediately was the wisest course of action.

Now, there was the matter of the guest list.

‘I shall have to issue an immediate summons to everyone.’

It would cost a king’s ransom, but with an ‘urgent’ mandate, they would all assemble within the week.

He would provide her with the most magnificent celebration possible, sanctified by all their kin and allies.

As a father, that was his final duty.

Hudson’s pupils spasmed with terror.

Just moments ago, he had been entranced by Serengeti’s presence.

But the flashing system alerts now shattered his focus.

“The groom looks as if he has seen a goddess.”

“A truly striking couple.”

“Serengeti! You are the image of your mother today.”

Ah…

The great hall was overflowing with guests.

They were all relatives of the Marquis Wyzer.

Even those who harbored old grudges had appeared without fail; over two hundred attendees were now focused on Hudson and Serengeti.

Hudson had invited perhaps a score of people, but due to the Marquis’s influence, the room was bursting.

A wedding of unmatched scale.

What union could be more celebrated than this?

【Attacked by Lv6!】

【‘Guardian Wall (Lv7)’ duration remaining: 24 seconds】

【Failure to log out within 24 seconds will result in your demise.】

The terrifying reality was that his physical body back on Earth was currently being mauled while this ceremony took place.

…Hudson’s face turned a ghostly white.

His Guardian Wall was merely level 7.

It could only deflect strikes of level 7 or lower for a duration of 30 seconds.

If a more powerful blow landed or if the timer expired, Hudson would die.

‘What can I do?’

There was only a single path.

Depart from the wedding hall and disconnect immediately.

With the second incursion beginning, safe zones would be nearly non-existent, but if he could find the most secure location to reconnect later…

‘It is impossible.’

He couldn’t do it.

Everyone would find his sudden departure bizarre.

And soon, everyone would be convinced that he was a ‘transgressor’.

Serengeti doubting him was one thing, but Marquis Wyzer and his entire bloodline knowing was a death sentence.

Marriage would be the last thing on their minds—he would be turned over to the Church of the Death God and executed on the spot.

They would spit upon his memory.

【Attacked by Lv7!】

【‘Guardian Wall (Lv7)’ duration remaining: 19 seconds】

【Failure to log out within 19 seconds will result in your demise.】

“Why is he standing there like a statue?”

“Isn’t his posture a bit rigid?”

“Haha. He must be paralyzed by nerves.”

The crowd began to murmur.

His cosmetics masked the bloodless color of his skin, but his frozen posture was impossible to hide.

…The intensity of the assault was increasing.

He was truly going to perish here.

He had to disconnect this instant.

Abandon his future with Serengeti, or gamble his very life on staying.

Hudson finally jerked his head upward, looking toward Randolph.

But Randolph held no solutions.

Randolph was presently situated in Korea.

While he was here in England.

Trapped on an isolated, distant island.

Were the residents of the stronghold even safe?

【Attacked by Lv7!】

【‘Guardian Wall (Lv7)’ duration remaining: 14 seconds】

【Failure to log out within 11 seconds will result in your demise.】

“Perhaps the merchant is overwhelmed by the presence of a warrior house?”

“Well, there are over a hundred knights in this room.”

As the seconds bled away, some guests began to quietly mock Hudson’s behavior.

Being of a martial lineage, many found his hesitant display to be lacking in courage.

【Attacked by Lv7!】

【‘Guardian Wall (Lv7)’ duration remaining: 8 seconds】

【Failure to log out within 4 seconds will result in your demise.】

8 seconds.

There was no more time for indecision.

There were no answers left.

‘What do I…’

Rumble!